Chapter 32 Tasting Delicious Food
After making arrangements for the old lady, she asked the maid to bring the rice with special seasoning and help Hongzhu back to the main house.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw the Second Master already sitting in the hall, talking to Hong Yu. When they saw her come in, they both shut up.
"Second Master looks much more energetic today," Meng Xi said to Xiao Jun while signaling the maid to serve the meal.
"I slept soundly last night and had a good night's sleep. When I woke up this morning I felt full of energy and my hands and feet were strong. I just took a walk in the yard to stretch my muscles. I'm feeling hungry now." Xiao Jun was in a good mood as he looked at the food served. He talked a lot.
"This is the three-fresh tofu that I made myself. The main ingredients are tofu, button mushrooms, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. This dish has the effects of replenishing qi, clearing away heat and resolving phlegm. It is most suitable for symptoms such as after illness, physical weakness, weak spleen and stomach, poor diet, shortness of breath and lack of appetite. Second Master, use more later."
Mengxi pointed at the three-fresh tofu that was served and introduced it in a slow and gentle voice, and then introduced the other dishes one by one. After the dishes were served, she washed her hands and went forward to serve the dishes to the second master.
The dishes were ready. Seeing Mengxi coming over to serve, Xiao Jun thought for a moment and said:
"Here's the red jade. Go to the upper room and pay your respects to the old lady first. Tell grandma that I'm better today. My legs feel stronger and my hands can lift heavier things. I even did a round of boxing this morning. Tell grandma not to worry about you. I'll go pay my respects in person in a couple of days when I'm better. I have a lot of things to do in my study, so you don't have to rush back to serve me. Just stay there and keep grandma company for me."
Mengxi responded, turned around and went back to the inner room. With the help of Hongzhu, she changed her clothes and washed up again. Then she and Hongzhu walked towards the old lady's Shouxi Hall.
Arriving at Shouxi Hall and entering the main hall, Mengxi turned around the large screen with pine and crane characters for longevity and saw the old lady already sitting there. Except for the eldest master who had gone out to take care of business yesterday and did not return home in the evening, everyone was there. Mengxi hurriedly went forward to greet the old lady and the eldest wife, and then paid her respects to the eldest uncle, the eldest mistress, and the third uncle, before she sat down next to the eldest mistress.
After Mengxi sat down, the old lady asked, "Xi'er, why did you come so early today? How is Jun'er?"
Mengxi quickly stood up, bowed to Laojun and said:
"Second Master is in great health today. Granddaughter-in-law just set the table for dinner this morning. She wanted to wait on Second Master after he ate before coming over, but Second Master hurried over and asked her to come and pay her respects to the old lady first. She also told the old lady that Second Master is better today. He feels his legs are much stronger and his hands can lift heavy objects. Second Master even practiced boxing this morning. She asked the old lady not to worry about him. He will come to pay his respects to the old lady in person in a couple of days when he is better. She also asked her to pay her respects and not to rush back. She should stay there and accompany grandma for Second Master."
"Okay, okay, Jun'er is fine now. I feel relieved. This is really a blessing for our Xiao family. Xier, it won't be too late to come over after you serve Jun'er his meal in the morning. Your mother-in-law and your sister-in-law are here, so don't rush over," said the old lady happily.
Mengxi quickly agreed, then thought of the food that was delivered in the morning and said:
"Old Madam, this morning I saw the newly bought bamboo shoots and fresh bamboo shoots in the mansion. I was itching to try them. I remembered the dishes I had eaten before, so I made three-fresh tofu and bamboo shoot stewed with meat for you . I thought these two dishes are soft and delicious, easy to digest, and very suitable for you, so I added two more dishes, paired them with the plum blossom porridge and some colorful cakes I made in the morning, and sent them over together. You will try them later. I am sorry that my clumsy hands made you laugh."
"It's good to have this filial piety. The porridge made by Xi'er is really delicious, much better than the cook in the mansion. Tomorrow, write down the recipe for making porridge and let the kitchen make it so that everyone can try it."
Mengxi hurriedly agreed, and the family chatted for a while, then the old lady ordered people to serve the meal.
The old lady directly ordered the first wife to sit down and asked Mengxi and the eldest grandmother to serve on the side. The first wife then sat down next to the old lady. Looking at Mengxi standing next to the old lady, a hint of viciousness flashed in her eyes. She didn't like this daughter thinking about how to make the old lady happy and didn't take her, the real mother-in-law, seriously at all. She felt even more disgusted with her. As she couldn't find any fault with her for the time being, she could only sit there calmly without saying a word.
Mengxi carefully arranged the dishes for the old lady. The old lady picked up a small piece of meat that Mengxi had placed on the plate in front of her and put it into her mouth, asking in surprise:
"How is this meat cooked so that it melts in your mouth and leaves a fragrant aftertaste?"
Seeing that the old lady liked it, Mengxi quickly picked up another small piece and replied:
"Old lady, this is the stewed pork with radix polygonatum that your granddaughter-in-law told you about. First wash the pork, blanch it with boiling water to remove the blood, then take it out and cut it into pieces. Then put the meat, chopped radix polygonatum, green onion, ginger, cooking wine, and salt into the pot, and add appropriate amount of water. First boil it with high heat, and then simmer it with low heat until it is cooked. Finally, pick out the radix polygonatum, green onion, and ginger, add salt, pepper and other seasonings, and it's done. The fragrance you just tasted is the fragrance of radix polygonatum. Radix polygonatum has the effects of nourishing yin, moisturizing dryness, eliminating restlessness, and quenching thirst. This dish is not only delicious, but also has the effect of nourishing yin and moisturizing dryness. It is suitable for symptoms such as heat disease damaging yin, diabetes, restlessness, physical weakness, pain in the waist and knees, indigestion, diarrhea, etc. People who are not sick can prevent diseases by eating it."
"Well, it's delicious, delicious," the old lady said while nodding.
"Is this chicken also made by my second sister-in-law?" Xiao Yun asked as she picked up another piece of chicken and placed it on the plate in front of her.
"You don't know, Third Master. This dish is called Polygonum multiflorum chicken. First, cook the Polygonum multiflorum in a casserole and drain the frying juice. Then, wash the chicken and cut it into dices. Add cooking wine, MSG, refined salt, and starch to make a batter. Remove the stems and seeds of fresh bamboo shoots and fresh peppers, wash them and cut them into dices. Fry the battered chicken cubes in a pan and then remove them. Add a little base oil to the pan, add the diced chicken, cooking wine, refined salt, soy sauce and Polygonum multiflorum juice, stir-fry quickly, and thicken with starch after the flavors are absorbed. Polygonum multiflorum can nourish the liver and kidneys, nourish the blood and dispel wind. This dish has the effect of nourishing the liver and kidneys."
"Second grandma's cooking is so delicious. Who did you learn it from?" the eldest wife asked casually.
Mengxi quickly replied, "My mother likes to cook, and I often watch her. After watching a lot, she learned how to cook. As for the medicinal value of these dishes, I learned about them from books."
When everyone put down their chopsticks, Mengxi discovered that the four dishes she cooked were basically all gone. This was not a common occurrence in a wealthy family like the Xiao Mansion. Xiao Yun even smiled embarrassedly at his second sister-in-law, because most of them were eaten by him and Xiao Qing. Xiao Yun also thought to himself: "I have to find a way to go to my second brother's house more often to eat in the future."
After the table was cleared and the first lady, Xiao Qing, Xiao Yun and others left, the old lady said to Meng Xi:
"Xi'er massaged my back yesterday and it felt very comfortable. My shoulders and arms felt much more relaxed. Last night, I asked Shihua to massage it again, but I didn't feel anything. Xi'er massaged my back again today and asked Shihua to watch and learn from me."
