Chapter 38

In the courtyard, a canopy was set up. Everything, including the tables, chairs, bowls, chopsticks, and stove, was rented. Nowadays, when a family in the countryside wants to host a banquet, they generally rent everything instead of gathering items from different households as they used to. In the past, each household would contribute a few stools, a table, a few plates, and a few bowls, each marked with their own symbol, to be returned after the banquet. Now, someone has bought a large batch of bowls, chopsticks, tables, chairs, and benches, and rents them to villagers who need them. This not only facilitates the villagers but also earns money, a win-win situation. Moreover, now even pots and kitchen utensils are available for rent, and canopies are specially made to be set up in open spaces, providing shelter from the wind and rain for the guests. This saves the trouble of preparing rooms for guests, as in the past, when a family hosted a banquet, neighbors would clean their rooms to accommodate the guests. Because there were too many guests to fit in the host's home, they would use the neighbors' houses. With the canopies, guests can now sit in the courtyard or on the street, saving a lot of trouble. Therefore, this service has been highly praised since its introduction, and now, whenever a family in the countryside has a wedding or other celebration, they rent everything.

Just as everyone was about to take their seats, three more people entered through the door. The uncle, who was busy greeting the guests, quickly came over to greet them: "Old Li? Why are you here?"

"Are you kidding? How could you not notify me about such a big event as your nephew's engagement? Are you looking down on me now that you're the secretary?" Li Hongxing said angrily.

"How could I? It was just too sudden. Wang Yong's good-for-nothing son only mentioned inviting his girlfriend's family to the village for the Mid-Autumn Festival two days ago. You know, when the in-laws come for the first time, it's usually for a match-making meeting. But with only two days, what could we do? Fortunately, the in-laws were understanding and said that a simple gathering would be fine, without a grand ceremony. So, we didn't notify anyone outside. If you want to blame someone, blame Wang Yong!"

"You should have told me at least!" Li Hongxing's tone softened considerably.

"Alright, it's my fault, okay! Come on, take your seats, the meal is about to start. Xiaoxia, eat more later, there's your favorite cucumber and green pepper!" The uncle said as he walked Li Hongxing in and spoke to Xiaoxia.

Wang Yong also saw Li Hongxing's family, especially Xiaoxia. The girl looked much more spirited than the last time they met, almost like a normal person, unlike the first time when she looked pale and sickly. He pulled Yuan Yuan over and walked over. After Wang Liang came home this time, the two brothers had a chat, and Wang Yong learned that Li Hongxing often visited Wang Liang at school, even taking him to his home or to restaurants for better meals. This became more frequent after Xiaoxia started at the first high school, which is why Wang Liang and Xiaoxia were so familiar and playful with each other, they were very close.

"Uncle Li, Aunt, and Xiaoxia, this is my girlfriend, Tian Yuan Yuan."

"Good, good, you two look like a perfect match!" Aunt Sun Qin said, looking at the two of them. She then took a red envelope from her pocket and gave it to Yuan Yuan: "Here, this is a gift from your aunt."

After some polite refusal, Yuan Yuan put the red envelope in Wang Yong's pocket. Then, he quickly led the three to the living room and arranged their seats. Li Hongxing was seated at the main table in the living room with the younger uncle to accompany Yuan Yuan's relatives, while Sun Qin and Xiaoxia were seated in the east room on the kang (a traditional heated bed) with the second aunt to accompany the female relatives. As for the second grandfather and the second uncle, they said they didn't want to join the young people, so they set up a table in Wang Yong's guest room.

Li Hongxing was quite surprised by this arrangement. Normally, the closest relatives of both sides should sit together, but Wang Yong's subsequent introduction cleared up his confusion.

"This is my Uncle Li. My brother Wang Liang is studying in the county, and they have taken care of him like a real uncle."

Everyone, knowing the situation of the two brothers, was deeply moved, especially the younger uncle. His special experience made him have a special affection for Wang Yong and Wang Liang. So, after Wang Yong introduced Li Hongxing, he warmly pulled him to sit next to him. There were nine people at this table, including Yuan Yuan's father Tian Fan Yu, her uncles Liu Hai and Liu Jiang, her second uncle Tian Fan Ming, the younger uncle Tian Fan Xin, and two other uncles.

The dishes started to be served. The first dish was a local specialty, fried qianzi (a type of stuffed tofu). The filling is placed on a sheet of yellow bean product, rolled up, cut into small segments, and sealed with a starch paste at both ends. After frying, it is usually sprinkled with sugar, making it one of the most distinctive local delicacies.

The golden, crispy exterior, combined with the rich and delicious pork and scallion filling, paired with sugar, was so delicious that it was hard to believe. Fortunately, the people at this table were all experienced and composed, and mostly locals, so they didn't make a mess while eating. However, the other table in the living room, with Wang Gang, Liu Jun, and others, was a different story. There were nine people at this table as well, including Liu Jun, who was a relative of Yuan Yuan's, the younger uncle's son Wang Gang, Da Wei's younger brother, Ming Ming's father Gao Hui, who had come from the city, the second uncle's nephew Cao Peijie, and the old classmate, Police Chief Zhu Wei, the fat manager of the telecommunications company, and Wang Qian, who insisted on joining. The last seat was reserved for Wang Qiang, who was on his way.

As if on cue, Wang Qiang appeared at the door.

"Qiang, come over quickly," Liu Jun was the first to notice Wang Qiang entering.

Wang Qiang, dressed in a tracksuit and sneakers, greeted the elders at the main table before joining the young men. They were all familiar with each other, so no introductions were needed, and he immediately started eating.

The second dish was braised beef, the third was ice shrimp, the fourth was cold sliced pig's ear, and the four cold dishes were all served. Gao Hui took three bottles of beer from the box and placed them in front of Wang Qiang, who, as the leader of the group and an old classmate of Liu Jun, was supposed to take the main responsibility for entertaining the guests. However, since they were so familiar, Wang Qiang didn't care about this and poured himself a bowl of beer, drank it in one gulp, and put the bottle down. This made Liu Jun, who was waiting for him to pour the beer, roll his eyes. How could he entertain guests like that?

Zhu Wei, being of similar status to Wang Qiang, chatted with him quite enthusiastically. Seeing that the leader Wang Qiang was not taking his role seriously, Wang Gang, representing the host, took over the task of entertaining the guests, constantly toasting Liu Jun. Of course, his drinking capacity was not impressive, and if it weren't for the help of Gao Hui and Cao Peijie, he would have been drunk long ago. The fat manager, on the other hand, ignored everyone and just stuffed his face, eating the most at the table. Wang Qian, who insisted on joining, also ate and drank without restraint. Surprisingly, this girl could drink, and after two bottles of beer, her face remained unchanged, showing no signs of being affected.

The first hot dish was a large head of cabbage, stir-fried with vinegar, which Wang Yong had grown. This dish, which normally wouldn't be served at a banquet, was added to the menu and placed as the first hot dish due to its unique texture and delicious taste. After being cooked by the village chef, Wang Lao Da, this unassuming cabbage was a pleasant surprise, and everyone couldn't help but exclaim how good it was. The dish was perfectly cooked, with the green cabbage mixed with the aroma of vinegar, making it incredibly delicious. The second hot dish hadn't even been served yet, and this dish was already empty. Fortunately, the second dish was quickly brought to the table.

The next dishes were stir-fried cucumber with meat, stir-fried black fungus with eggs, stir-fried mushrooms with meat, stir-fried green beans with meat, stir-fried bell peppers with meat, and Kung Pao chicken. The final dish was a trio of vegetables made entirely from vegetables grown in the greenhouse: crispy potatoes, crunchy bell peppers, and sweet eggplants, which immediately sparked everyone's appetite. Unfortunately, there were too many people and not enough food. After a few bites, the dishes were all empty. Especially Ming Ming and Wang Qian, who were particularly aggressive in grabbing the food, making Wang Yong feel bad, so he told them that if they liked it, he would cook it for them in the evening. Hearing this, Wang Qian immediately resumed her ladylike demeanor, letting the fat manager eat happily. All the dishes made with vegetables from Wang Yong's greenhouse were so delicious that everyone was full and satisfied. From the looks on their faces, it was clear that they were very pleased with the food.

After the hot dishes, the final four bowls were served: a bowl of beef and pork meatballs, a bowl of stewed fish, a bowl of braised pork belly, and a bowl of beef and tomato stew. Each bowl was sprinkled with cilantro by Wang Lao Da to enhance the flavor. The cilantro from the greenhouse was just as good, and its strong aroma immediately overpowered the smell of the other dishes, making everyone's appetite rise again. However, compared to the vegetables, these meat dishes didn't interest the guests much. If it weren't for the ingredients from the greenhouse, some people might not have touched them at all. For example, Wang Qian only picked out the tomatoes from the beef and tomato stew. The fat manager, on the other hand, was a good eater and, with the flavor of the cilantro, garlic, and scallions from the greenhouse, he continuously ate large pieces of fish and meat, making many people unconsciously swallow their saliva and try a bit. After tasting it, they found it quite good and took another big bite. In the end, these four bowls were almost completely finished.

After the lively meal, the guests, after a brief rest, were eager to see Wang Yong's greenhouse and orchard on the mountain. So, after drinking some tea, a large group of people, led by Wang Yong, set off for the mountain.