NOVPUB
Chapter 694: Chapter 684: Eat Quickly, Or There Won’t Be Any Left Soon
After a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood, Li Hongjun’s family had returned home, just as the New Year was fast approaching.
Shen Yunfang and her husband started to get busy.
On the twenty-ninth day of the lunar year, Shen Yunfang donned her apron and set up a large pot for frying.
"Auntie, auntie, fry the meat chunks first," Goudan couldn’t forget about the meat chunks his aunty fried and, knowing that she would start frying today, he and his brothers didn’t go anywhere and just squatted at their grandfather’s house, waiting.
Pangpang, mimicking his older cousin, squatted next to Goudan and watched, but he had a different opinion about what to fry first, "I want to eat sugar twists."
The so-called sugar twists were finger-sized twists that, once fried, were then rolled in melted sugar syrup.
These treats were a bit troublesome to make, so Shen Yunfang didn’t make them all the time when she was at home, which left Pangpang longing for them.
"What’s so good about that? Meat is the real delicacy," Goudan glanced at Pangpang and thought this kid had no sense whatsoever. Even a fool would know how to choose between twists and meat.
"Not true, we can always have meat, but twists aren’t easy to come by," Pangpang insisted.
"Such a liar..."
"Alright, you lot, go play wherever you’re supposed to, and come back once everything’s fried. The fire’s big, the oil’s hot, what are we going to do if you get too close and something happens?" Shen Yunfang was already overwhelmed with work, and upon hearing the kids arguing while edging closer to the frying pan, she hurriedly shooed them away.
She remembered how voraciously the older brother’s kids could eat meat, and she knew that if she didn’t watch out and a little hand reached into the frying pot, there would be trouble.
Li Hongjun was originally chopping wood nearby. After hearing the ruckus, he went straight to the storeroom, fetched a large broom, handed it to the mischievous boys, and ordered them to go clean the snow from the doorway.
With the New Year approaching, both the inside and outside of the house had to be tidy and orderly.
The children went about their task reluctantly, but they feared Li Hongjun’s sternness and trudged off with frequent backward glances.
"Hongjun, watch the heat for me, I’m starting to fry," Shen Yunfang checked the bubbles rising in the oil pot and, feeling the temperature was just about right, decided to start frying.
This year, she was preparing to fry many items. There were many children, so she made special preparations for fries, sweet potato sticks, meatballs, meat chunks, mushrooms, and more.
She dropped the fries, as thick as children’s fingers, into the bubbling oil pot, and the crackling sound of frying echoed continuously.
Seeing that they were almost done, she used a large strainer to scoop the fries out, ready for the next batch. She ended up frying a heaping bowlful of fries.
Fries are best when eaten fresh out of the fryer. Once the oil got hot enough, she fried the already fried fries for a second time. When the fries turned golden brown in the pot, Shen Yunfang scooped them out and immediately divided them into six small bowls.
"Come back; the fries are ready! Hurry up and eat," Shen Yunfang shouted towards the outside. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝘤𝘰𝑚
Her words had barely faded when four mischievous boys and a playful girl ran in.
"What’s ready? I want some," Goudan, being the oldest, was still as greedy as a little kid.
"One bowl per person, no snatching, and there’s jam over there. Pangpang, go scoop a spoonful for everyone to dip in. There’s a fixed amount of jam, remember, two spoonfuls per person per bowl of fries," Shen Yunfang called out as she worked.
Without setting rules, there wouldn’t be enough jam to go around for them each to have a bottle.
"Pangpang, put yours down first and take this to grandpa," Shen Yunfang handed a bowl of fries to Pangpang.
Old Li quite favors boys over girls, so the task of delivering things to the elders often falls to Pangpang.
"Oh, okay." Pangpang placed his own little basin on the table and then carried Grandpa’s inside.
"Wow, what’s frying? It smells so good; I could smell it from the other yard."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunfang rolled her eyes secretly. This person must have a nose like a dog’s, always staying away when it is time to work, but showing up right on time when it involves food.
After Wang Dan entered the yard and saw that neither Li Hongjun nor his wife paid her any attention, she didn’t take it to heart and walked over on her own. She grabbed some golden-brown fries from the basin on the cutting board, dug fiercely into the jam, and shoved it into her mouth.
"This is how you eat it, right?" She had just been peeking over the wall, watching them start to eat, which is why she hurried here.
"Big sister, be careful with that jam. It’s high in sugar content, and it could be too sweet," Shen Yunfang said, both amused and exasperated as she watched her sister-in-law compete with the kids for food. That was really too much.
"No worries, I am in good health," said Wang Dan, who either didn’t understand or pretended not to, her words were one thing, but her actions were quite another.
Seeing her like this, Shen Yunfang held back, not wanting to delve too deeply into the matter, considering it was the festive season and wanting to keep things auspicious. Shen Yunfang might have held her tongue, but others couldn’t.
"Mom, how can you eat so much? You just gulped down a big chunk, and now you’ve almost finished the whole jar of jam," Sandan complained as he watched his mother polish off half a jar of jam in no time, feeling a twinge of heartache. He had only been given two spoonfuls each, as per his second aunt, and as he savored it with a sweet tooth, why couldn’t his mother simply follow the rules?
"You little brat, what are you saying? Have I eaten your food or drunk your drink? Since when is it your place to nag at your old mother?" Wang Dan got a bit flustered and embarrassed by her son’s comment and, in her annoyance, smacked her most beloved youngest son.
Sandan glanced at the little bit of jam left in his bowl, then at his mother, who was feasting on a whole jar of jam, and suddenly felt a sourness in his heart. Why did it have to be so disappointing?
Shen Yunfang could see that Sandan looked like he was about to cry, and she feared that the mother and son might end up causing a massive fuss over some jam in her courtyard. She quickly said, "The sweet potato fries are ready, come quick, everybody! Try them; they’re delicious too."
With that, she took out a shallow, wide dish, placed the freshly drained sweet potato fries into it, then scooped up a big spoonful of sugar from the sack and sprinkled it over the fries, asking Goudan to stir them with chopsticks.
Sandan, who had been feeling down, immediately perked up at the sight of more tasty food. He cast aside any sadness and crowded next to his second aunt, waiting for a taste.
"Come on, everyone, have some sweet potato fries first. These are fresh out of the fryer. If you haven’t finished your fries, leave them for now; I’ll toss them in the wok later so they’ll be as delicious as if they were freshly fried."
Shen Yunfang called everyone over and then waved at her husband. As he approached, she put a freshly fried sweet potato fry into his mouth. "Take a break and eat something, or you won’t have any left later." These people were like wolves, gobbling up whatever was there.
"I don’t like sweets," Li Hongjun said, though he knew that he had to eat whatever his wife offered as an act of love.
Shen Yunfang hit him lightly, "What are you talking about? You’re in good health." She echoed what Wang Dan had said earlier.
Li Hongjun looked helplessly at his wife and let her tease him.
"Heh, don’t like this, huh? Wait up, I’m about to fry some mushrooms, and I’ll sprinkle some cumin over it, your favorite," said Shen Yunfang, clearly knowing her husband’s tastes.
"Hmm, sprinkle some five-spice powder over the meat chunks," Li Hongjun ordered without expression, and after pondering for a moment, added, "Fry some mushrooms and meatballs with a lighter touch for my dad, his teeth aren’t good."
Shen Yunfang looked at him. What a filial son he was.
"You don’t lift a finger, yet have so many requests. I’m not available," Shen Yunfang feigned annoyance, the chef was off duty.
The big pot had been set up in the yard for an entire chilly afternoon, and all these kids had stayed outside with Shen Yunfang, enduring the cold from start to finish. The fries and sweet potato fries, as well as mushrooms they had fried earlier, were all gobbled up, with only some meatballs and meat chunks left behind because the kids were too full.
