Then, she divided the dough into two parts, one with only a bit of salt and scallions added for Lin Jiaxin and Lady Liu, who could not eat spicy food. The other batch she mixed with some chili sauce, intended for the three sisters to enjoy. Considering the presence of children, Lin Yuan did not make it very spicy, simply adding enough for a hint of heat to make the meal more appetizing.
Before long, the chicken soup was ready, and so were the pancakes. Lin Yuan first served a bowl of chicken soup with a few pancakes to her father Lin Jiaxin in his room. She then set up a small table on the kang bed where Lin Jiaxin, whose legs were not in good condition and hardly left his bed, took his meals delivered by his wife and daughters.
Watching her father struggle to move, Lin Yuan remembered the period right after he had injured his leg. He had been utterly despondent, going whole days without eating a bite. If it had not been for Lady Liu's daily encouragement and comfort, coupled with the responsibility for their three daughters, and the fact that Lady Liu was pregnant at the time, Lin Yuan feared her father might have given up on life.
"Da Ya, Dad can't eat all of this. Half a bowl is enough." Lin Jiaxin knew that the single old hen at home was not enough to feed the family of three.
How could Lin Yuan let him not eat? Half comforting, half annoyed, she said, "Dad, how can you not finish it? You used to have the biggest appetite in our family. Are you saying the food your daughter makes isn't tasty?"
"It's not that..." Lin Jiaxin looked at his leg and, knowing that his daughter was comforting rather than truly angry, still felt reluctant to eat so much.
Lin Yuan understood her father's hardship. She giggled and moved closer, saying, "Dad, please eat more. You're the pillar of our family. With you here, I can endure any hardship without feeling bitter. And besides..."
Lin Yuan smiled mysteriously, "I have already figured it out, Dad. Although you can't walk, you haven't lost your carpentry skills. I am still counting on you to make some crafts for me to sell and earn money."
Although Lin Jiaxin did not know exactly what his daughter was referring to, the thought of being useful again immediately lifted his spirits, and even made his meal taste exceptionally delicious.
Actually, when Lin Yuan was making the pancakes, she had already thought of finding something for Lin Jiaxin to do. The month of August was fast approaching, and in her memory, this time and place did have a Mid-Autumn Festival, which not only involved moon-gazing but also eating mooncakes. However, the varieties here were quite limited, mainly filled with dried fruits and always round in shape. Hence, she planned to raise some startup capital within this half month, create a variety of mooncakes, and earn a good profit on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. With her abilities, she was confident she could make no less than ten different kinds of mooncakes. Of course, to make them, she would rely on Lin Jiaxin's carpentry skills to produce various molds necessary for their creation.
Lady Liu had not fully recovered and could only consume half a bowl of chicken soup before feeling full. Lin Yuan did not insist, as there was plenty of soup and pancakes left in the pot, ready to be heated whenever her mother felt hungry again.
Outside, Lin Wei had already set up the small dining table. The three sisters gathered around, enjoying the savory pancakes and soup. Especially Xiao Linshuang, who had few opportunities to eat meat growing up and usually saw it only during festivals at the old house. But there, the meat was often snatched away by the sons of her uncles, leaving scarcely any for them. She never imagined that they would be eating meat and enjoying soup in their own home. A rosy glow adorned her cheeks as she ate and didn't forget to praise her eldest sister for the delicious meal.
Yet Lin Wei couldn't help but worry as she sipped her soup. Knowing her sister's concerns about running out of food after the chicken was gone, Lin Yuan comforted her with a promise, "Don't worry. I've told you before that I'll make sure we live a good life, and I will. It's just a chicken we're eating right now. In the future, I'll make sure we have meat every day. We can have braised meat, roast meat, hot pot meat, does that sound good?"
"Oh, that's wonderful. Big sister is amazing!" Xiao Linshuang wiped the grease from her mouth and clapped her hands in excitement.
Seeing the sky outside, Lin Yuan decided that the next day would likely be sunny. She resolved to head to the mountains early to see if she might come across any unexpected bounties.