ebookland Chapter 137 Good things should be shared; I don't keep them to myself.
Chapter 137 Good things should be shared; I don't keep them to myself.
When Shu Yun and Gu Yuanyuan arrived at the ward, the elderly couple had gone out for a walk. They waited for a while before they saw them return.
Looking at the dishes Gu Yuanyuan had laid out, Wang Xiuwen exclaimed with delight, "We're having poached chicken again today!" Although being teased about being a rooster made her feel a bit awkward, the poached chicken Shu Yun cooked was just too delicious for her to refuse. She craved a bite of it at night.
Gu Yuanyuan glanced at the old lady's excited and happy expression and whispered, "Mom, I made this one."
Wang Xiuwen and Gu Minsheng exclaimed in surprise, "You made this?" The elderly couple were quite happy. "Then we should definitely try it. Come to think of it, we've never had our daughter's cooking before."
Gu Yuanyuan placed the chopsticks in front of the two elders, preemptively saying, "Uh, the taste is definitely not as good as your sister-in-law's, but please make do with it."
Wang Xiuwen didn't realize the seriousness of the problem. Seeing that the chicken nuggets were tender and white, and looked no different from the ones she had last time, she encouraged her, "You're doing very well. Don't worry, your dad and I will definitely finish them all."
As Wang Xiuwen spoke, she picked up a piece of chicken and put it in her mouth. Her relaxed eyebrows slowly furrowed as she chewed, and she didn't finish chewing the chicken until her jaw started to ache. However, seeing her daughter's expectant expression, she didn't have the heart to discourage her. She stretched her neck and swallowed the chicken piece with difficulty. "The taste is not bad, but the chicken is too old. The meat is hard to chew."
Gu Yuanyuan told the truth: "This chicken is the half left over from the poached chicken that my sister-in-law made last time."
Wang Xiuwen choked, and Gu Yuanyuan asked, "Mom, what do you think?"
Wang Xiuwen gave her face and said, "It's pretty good. It's quite good for a first attempt."
Gu Yuanyuan was even happier and put a piece of chicken into Wang Xiuwen's bowl. "Mom, eat more if you like it."
As she spoke, Gu Yuanyuan ladled a few spoonfuls of steamed egg custard into her bowl and ate it with relish, mixing it with her rice.
Wang Xiuwen asked, "What's wrong? Aren't you going to eat?"
Gu Yuanyuan waved her hand, "If Mom likes it, I won't fight with her for it. It's all for you."
Wang Xiuwen: ...How come she remembers that last time Shu Yun made poached chicken, this girl even tried to take it from her? Now she's not fighting over it at all, acting like a good girl. Did she really take advantage of a few words of praise to back down?
She said with a forced smile, "Of course we should share good food. Mom isn't the type to eat alone."
As Wang Xiuwen spoke, she picked up a large piece of chicken for Gu Yuanyuan and then picked up a piece for Gu Minsheng as well, saying, "You should all eat."
She then said to Shu Yun, "Yunyun, you should just have the steamed egg custard. This meat has been sitting out for a few days and isn't fresh anymore. Don't get diarrhea if you eat it. We can eat it."
Gu Minsheng took one bite and put the rest down. "I'm not hungry."
Gu Yuanyuan immediately echoed, "I'm not hungry either."
Wang Xiuwen glared at the two of them, "Eat even if you're not hungry! Chicken is so expensive these days, are you going to waste it? Eat it all today."
And so, the three members of the Gu family finished the whole pot of chicken with grimaces on their faces. Their jaws ached so badly that they could barely speak. Gu Yuanyuan rubbed her chin and looked at Shu Yun with envy as she drank her steamed egg custard.
After finally finishing the large bowl of vegetables, Wang Xiuwen breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but sigh to Gu Yuanyuan, "In the past, your father and I were too busy with your studies to let you do any housework. You really need to practice more in the future. It would be embarrassing for a young lady to not be able to cook properly."
Gu Yuanyuan was unconvinced and muttered under her breath, "Didn't you just praise my cooking?"
Wang Xiuwen glared at her, "Can't you understand polite words? Don't you have any self-awareness about the state of affairs you've created? Do I have to spell it out for you?"
Gu Yuanyuan retorted, "I was just thinking that you and Dad both like it a bit firmer and chewier, wasn't I?"
This means they were wrong; they were too considerate of their tastes. Eating such old chicken for one meal felt like planting two miles of land. "Are you saying your parents have lived too long? Gu Minsheng, tell me, how well does your daughter cook?"
Gu Minsheng's jaw ache, and he didn't want to speak, but when he saw his daughter's expectant look, he paused for a moment and said tactfully, "Actually, steamed egg custard is quite delicious."
Gu Yuanyuan was on the verge of tears. "Dad, my sister-in-law made the steamed egg custard."
Alright, Gu Yuanyuan had a full understanding of her own cooking skills, but this did not discourage her. On the contrary, the whole bowl of chicken that was eaten gave her a false sense of confidence.
Shu Yun noticed that her sister-in-law would always sneak around when she cooked, even craning her neck to watch her wash a vegetable leaf. Shu Yun glanced at the vegetable leaf that she had washed to pieces and couldn't help but remind her, "Yuanyuan, wash the vegetables properly and concentrate."
Gu Yuanyuan responded and focused on washing the vegetable leaves for a while, but quickly turned her head away again. Shu Yun sighed helplessly, "If you really want to learn, you can do it tomorrow, and I'll teach you again."
Gu Yuanyuan said happily, "Thank you, sister-in-law." She had been waiting for these words.
She added, "I'll prepare the groceries for my parents tomorrow. I'm determined to impress them this time."
Gu Yuanyuan clenched her fist and waved it. Shu Yun said, "Mom and Dad, good luck to you."
Considering Gu Yuanyuan's skill level, Shu Yun chose a simple dish: shredded pork with garlic sauce.
Shu Yun: "Yuanyuan, first cut the pork into small strips, and also cut the black fungus, carrots, and green peppers into strips."
Gu Yuanyuan followed Shu Yun's instructions, but couldn't help complaining, "Sister-in-law, this vegetable dish is too simple."
Shu Yun: "You can't get fat in one bite. Once you've mastered this dish, I'll teach you the others."
Gu Yuanyuan said disappointedly, "Fine."
Shu Yun: "Alright, now heat the oil in the wok and put the braised meat strips into the wok."
There was a sizzling sound, followed by Gu Yuanyuan's slightly panicked voice, "Sister-in-law, the meat is stuck to the pot!"
"The fire is a bit too high, turn it down a bit."
"oh oh."
"Pour the vinegar, no, pour only a little!"
"Ah! It's already collapsed!"
The kitchen was bustling with activity. Shu Yun wiped her sweat; she was sweating profusely from directing the cooking. Fortunately, the finished product looked pretty good. Shu Yun cautiously tasted it and found it to be quite delicious.
This successful attempt greatly boosted Gu Yuanyuan's confidence, and soon she secretly tried making poached chicken again. When the dish was placed in front of the two elders and Shu Yun, everyone fell silent.
Gu Yuanyuan said enthusiastically, "Why are you all just looking? Come and try it! I'm sure I've improved this time." She had specifically tasted it at home, and the chicken wasn't tough.
Gu Minsheng reluctantly tasted it, then said with a heavy heart, "Yuanyuan, you shouldn't waste food anymore."
Gu Yuanyuan: ...She was really devastated.
She picked up a piece, and her eyebrows immediately furrowed. It was too salty!
"It wasn't salty when I ate it at home!"
"Uh, maybe the salt hasn't dissolved yet?" Shu Yun guessed.
"Ah!" Gu Yuanyuan was heartbroken. In her attempt to keep things simple, she had already poured all the sauce over the chicken!