5 Eating Together (1/2)
Just like in Yan Xiu's house, the Lu family dining room was combined with kitchen. Cooking in the kitchen was a beautiful lady with long raven hair, wearing a grey robe, she was the wife of Lu Rianli and mother of Lu Hao, Xiao ShanShan. Madam Lu was about to cook lunch when she heard Yan Xiu came, she then changed the menu and cook one more portion for Yan Xiu. With the three of them came inside the room, she turned her head to looked at them with a smile.
” Go wash your hand before you sit, you three. Food's almost ready, ” (XSS)
The three of them salivate when they smelt the fragrance coming from the kitchen, they quickly washed their hand and sat on the table. On the table was four set of bowl of rice and chopsticks. Before long the food was done, Yan Xiu went into the kitchen and helped Xiao ShanShan carrying the plate of food to the table.
” Aunt, let me help, ” (MC)
” Little Xiu, you're the guest, just sit, ” (XSS)
” It's okay, I want to help, ” (MC)
Yan Xiu smiled and carried two plates on each hand before bringing them to the table. Xiao ShanShan, who was behind Yan Xiu, stroke his head after putting the plate to the table with a smile full of affection.
” Little Xiu is really a good child, ” (XSS)
” Yeah, unlike a certain idiot son, ” (LR)
Lu Rianli snickered while gazing at a certain person. At this point Lu Hao had already become numb. He already know that everyone loves the younger child and discriminate against the old one. When he was still a child, everyone doted on him. Now that his grown up, everyone doted on the still-a-child Yan Xiu. Such a cruel world, thought Lu Hao, with an expression like an abandoned old wife. But, Lu Hao didn't dwelled in his thought very long because his attention was taken by the food on the table, so did Lu Rianli and Yan Xiu.
There was three dishes on the table. The first dish was shredded spicy beef, which was like it's name, beef from One-horned Cow shredded to short thin strips then fried until it's crispy with a mix of Snow Garlic, sweet soy sauce, and Crimson Chili. The second dish was soy sauce base egg soup, fried Rainbow-tailed Chicken's eggs which then were boiled with soy sauce soup base and then added with Crimson Chili and Snow Garlic. The third dish was Sauteed Deep Water Spinach, a simply Deep Water Spinach sauteed with small dices of tofu and mushroom and a little bit of water.
Yan Xiu's eyes brightened. He sat down and waited for everyone to took their fill before he take something for himself. The most impatient one was the glutton Lu Hao, he swiftly reached out for the shredded spicy beef and ate it with rice. The strong sweet and spicy taste of the beef was mellowed out by the rice, but it didn't lose it's taste. It was in fact elevated by the rice. Lu Hao closed his eyes in bliss, as he enjoyed the crispy texture of the beef and soft rice in their combined tastes. The more he chews the more flavor flowed out of the beef. When he swallowed, he moaned at the taste.
The second one was Lu Rianli. He took one eggs with some of the soup and poured it into his rice bowl. The eggs was cooked briefly with a lot of oil in high heat, resulting in it being fluffy with no hard edges. Lu Rianli poked the egg yolk and the yellow syrupy egg yolk flowed out, he scoop the egg yolk up with rice and put it in his mouth. The egg yolk didn't smell fishy at all, it had a deep with slight salty taste. The soup was sweet and spicy with clean salty aftertaste.
Xiao ShanShan prefers vegetable than meat, she took the spinach into a small bowl along with it's soup, mushroom, and tofu. The Sauteed Deep Water Spinach's soup was thick with golden brown color, the swimming verdant green Deep Water Spinach look like a mountain in the middle of golden sea. Xiao ShanShan slurped up the spinach like noodle, the spinach was crisp and bursting with flavor with every bite, the viscous soup coated her mouth with salty taste and leave behind a slightly sweet aftertaste. The tofu and mushroom also add new texture and taste to the dish, making one never felt bored when eating it. Xiao ShanShan licked her lips with her small tongue, not wasting any bits of the soup.
When the Lu family already took the food, Yan Xiu reached out for the beef. The moment he tasted it, he almost burst to tears. These dishes were his favorites, his mama used to make it all the time for him before she disappeared. Looking at the Lu family, it had been a while since the last time he ate together. He reminded of his parent, the time where they ate together just like this. Tears gathered in his eyes, threatening to fell but Yan Xiu held it back. He reached out for other dish and ate with gusto. Xiao ShanShan saw the tears in Yan Xiu's eyes, she felt sad for the boy.
This dishes was taught to her by Yan Xiu's mother. When she heard Yan Xiu was coming, she prepared these dishes for him. She knew that he missed his parent, while she couldn't be his mother, she could at least cook for him. While the mother was thinking that, the father and son was too busy gorging on the food. Xiao ShanShan saw Yan Xiu's rice bowl was empty, she smiled.
” Little Xiu, do you want second? Don't hold back, there's still many food to go around okay? ” (XSS)
As a household with two cultivators in it, Xiao ShanShan always made many food at every meal.
””” Second!! ””” (MC, LH, LR)
The three boys pushed their bowls to Xiao ShanShan, she giggled and refilled their bowls. The three of them were done after having seconds another two times, their stomach were sticking out after being filled with foods. Xiao ShanShan tidied up the table and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
” Shan'er your cooking skill increased again, it was delicious! ” (LR)
” Mom, that was tasty!” (LH)