The delectably tempting three dishes were finally ready to be served.
And the only thought in Xu Zhiqiang's mind now was that Xu Niannian must absolutely not be allowed in the kitchen ever again.
At this rate of squandering, it wouldn't take many days before the house's cooking oil would run out.
As she started making the delicious food once more, Xu Niannian suddenly felt a surge of pride.
With a plate of cold mixed water fungus in one hand and a pan of omelettes in the other, Xu Zhiqiang carried a large porcelain basin full of fish.
The family had already been waiting at the dinner table.
Seeing the dishes Xu Niannian and Xu Zhiqiang brought out, everyone's mouth fell open in astonishment.
Xu Niannian felt a bit smug inside.
Pulling Yang Cuihua and Xu Dawei to sit on the bench, Xu Niannian said, "Mom, try it and see if it's tasty."
Yang Cuihua and Xu Dawei looked at the basin of fish soup and then at the omelette, swallowing mouthfuls of saliva continuously.
Even on New Year's their table wasn't usually this lavish.
Yang Cuihua was directly tempted by the aroma, but looking at the omelette and the glistening oil on top, what she felt more of was heartache.
Water fungus and fish soup were manageable, since they were wild, but eggs were precious, and now they were all used in cooking—what would their Niannian eat?
Yang Cuihua's lips moved as she thought to tell Xu Niannian to set the eggs aside, and that she was fine with just eating them herself.
But before she could speak, she was preempted by Xu Niannian.
"Mom, this is the first time I'm cooking for you all, you can't not eat it. If you don't, it's like you're saying your daughter's cooking is not good," she said.
Those words effectively blocked what Yang Cuihua wanted to say.
Not having the heart to reject her daughter's face, Yang Cuihua could only sigh.
Such precious ingredients, how could she bear to use them for cooking—her silly Niannian.
Yang Cuihua thought to herself, and Xu Niannian naturally noticed it.
The family seated around the dinner table, Xu Duoyu and Xu Zhicheng had already been tantalized to the extreme.
But with the head of the family not starting, nobody dared to move their chopsticks.
Clearly, in their home, Yang Cuihua was the head of the family.
No matter how much Yang Cuihua was reluctant, she couldn't change the situation, with the whole family waiting on her.
With another sigh, she took a ladle and scooped fish soup into each bowl, adding several slices of fish meat, and giving Xu Niannian the most fish.
Xu Duoyu and Xu Zhicheng held their bowls, their eyes lighting up.
There was no grain husk in Xu Niannian's bowl, as she had tried a bit in the kitchen earlier and found it really hard to swallow, even less satisfying than enjoying the soup and dishes.
It wasn't that she was picky, the taste of the bran was just too hard to stomach, scratching her throat and being sticky.
People in this era were only concerned with filling their stomachs, but she wasn't from here. Asking her to adapt all at once was indeed a bit difficult, especially since in her future life, she was a gourmet who had savored delicacies from all over the world.
Moreover, she had evolved from a chef to a gourmet.
The family held their bowls and ate heartily, wolfing down the food, with Xu Duoyu eating even faster than Xu Niannian.
Xu Niannian hurriedly told Xu Duoyu to slow down to avoid choking on a fishbone.
Xu Niannian observed carefully and realized that although Yang Cuihua was partial toward her, she was still more generous toward her children than to herself.
She scooped several pieces of fish into the soup bowls for Xu Zhiqiang and his two brothers, as well as several for Xu Dawei, but her own bowl contained only soup.
Xu Niannian sighed helplessly, guessing that when she earlier mentioned throwing Xu Duoyu to the dogs, it was just for show. She had misunderstood.
So she simply took a spoon and gave herself a big scoop of fish.
Yang Cuihua hurriedly said there was no need, to which Xu Niannian responded, "It's necessary, Mom, the weather is hot, and the fish won't last long. It's better to eat it before it goes bad."
"Then you should eat more yourself," Yang Cuihua said affectionately. "Look how thin you've gotten. It's Mom's fault for being useless and making our Niannian suffer."
As she spoke, she moved to wipe away her tears. Xu Niannian glanced at her own slender arm and realized she was indeed quite skinny.
But she liked it.
In her previous life, she was always surrounded by delicious food. Although she wasn't extremely overweight, the extra fat around her waist was not to be underestimated.
Xu Niannian said, "I can't eat that much by myself. Mom, you work hard every day. You should eat more."
These words struck a chord with Yang Cuihua. Before Xu Zhiqiang started working, she alone had to support the household. Was it easy for her?
But her husband had a lame leg and often complained of pain, unable to work, and she felt powerless to change their circumstances.
Truly, only a daughter knew how to give her comfort. She hadn't doted on her daughter for nothing.
After scooping a big spoonful of fish for Yang Cuihua, Xu Niannian did the same for Xu Dawei and her three younger brothers.
Xu Duoyu held his small bowl, his black eyes shining brightly, his mouth greasy from eating.
Xu Zhicheng wasn't much better off.
Only Xu Zhiqiang seemed a bit better.
The fish really couldn't last much longer, but the fish soup could be kept for soaking rice.
The whole family ate, their mouths glistening with grease.
This was the most delicious thing they had ever had.
Xu Duoyu, being young, couldn't control his appetite. Xu Niannian didn't allow him to eat too much for fear he would overeat.
Unable to continue eating, Xu Duoyu smacked his lips regretfully, gazing longingly at the porcelain basin with the fish on the dining table.
He also glanced at Xu Zhiqiang from time to time.
Xu Zhiqiang knew he had eaten a bit too much that evening, and he didn't soften his heart.
It was Yang Cuihua who couldn't help but scold, "You little bunny brat. Your sister is telling you not to eat for your own good. What are you looking at? Do you believe I will beat you to death?"
Scared, Xu Duoyu shuddered. Xu Niannian, her head hurting, pulled on Yang Cuihua, "Mom, stop hitting Duoyu all the time."
Yang Cuihua didn't think there was anything wrong with it; in her heart, her daughter was always so kind.
On the other hand, Xu Zhiqiang and Xu Zhicheng across the table were a bit taken aback.
After all, in this house, the person who hit Xu Duoyu the most was not their sharp-tongued mother but, rather, their lazy, greedy, and fierce older sister.
However, her unusual behavior over the past few days was no longer a rare event, so they merely flashed a moment of surprise.
The image of Xu Niannian in their minds was quietly shifting, but they were unaware, and Xu Niannian didn't know either.
As for Xu Niannian's ability to prepare such delicious dishes, her excuse was that she had read about it in a book and casually boasted about her extraordinary talent.
After all, the original host was used to being narcissistic, and her family didn't doubt her story; moreover, it wasn't unheard of for someone to cook deliciously their first time.