At less than eight o'clock in the evening, the main hall of the Shen family's house was brightly lit.
A round table was full of delicacies, all in color, fragrance, and flavor. The morel chicken soup was still bubbling in the white saucepan in the middle.
The Shen family is not complicated. In the previous generation, only Shen Yue's Grandpa is still alive. However, now he is living with a family's uncle in the south. Madam Shen is now the head of the family, and she is sitting on the main seat. Before he could sit beside her, Shen Yue was pushed aside by Madam Shen.
"This is the first time Qiaoqiao is celebrating the New Year with us. Come and sit next to me." Tang Qiaoqiao had to reject her a few times before finally sitting next to her.
Shen Yong sat on the other side of Madam Shen. Hu Hong curled her lips impatiently and took a seat beside her husband bitterly.
There were both daughters-in-law, but the old lady eccentrically went to the horizon. None of the two big men on her left and the right fought for her.
Her husband is a dull gourd and her son...
Forget it. She can't expect Shen Liang to say something for her. His eyes are fixed on the dishes on the table.
Hu Hong gently touched his son's arm under the table and said in a low voice, "Pay attention to your eyes. You look like a starving ghost reborn."
Shen Liang then shifted his gaze but still wondering when was the time to start dinner. Tang Qiaoqiao's cooking skills have always made him obsessed. But he could not say that he had been waiting for these Chinese New Year dishes made by Tang Qiaoqiao.
Madam Shen looked at her sons, daughters-in-law, and grandson sitting around her. The wrinkles in the corners of her eyes stretched out, and she raised her wine glass.
"It's rare for us to get together as a family like today. Let's toast and bless each other. I wish all of us good health in the next year and all the best."
As the eldest brother, Shen Yong stood up first. Then the others also stood up and raised their cups to toast Madam Shen.
"Us, the younger generations, should toast you first. I wish all Mother's wishes come true, and you are as good as the East Sea."
Tang Qiaoqiao said with a sweet smile, "Mom has to laugh a lot in the new year. The more you live, the younger you will become."
Madam Shen was happy and smiled from ear to ear. "Okay, okay. Everyone, sit down."
Hu Hong couldn't help but say strange sarcastic things again.
"Actually, Mom has nothing to worry about now. Shen Yue's legs are recovering well, and the company is developing steadily. There is only one worry left." She glanced at Tang Qiaoqiao slowly, "It's just that my younger siblings have to hurry to have a baby. They have been married for so long, but the stomach hasn't moved. If there is any problem, it is best to see a doctor as soon as possible. Don't shy away from the doctors."
Shen Yong frowned when he heard it and glanced at his brother. Luckily for him, Shen Yue was calm.
He secretly felt bad. He coughed slightly and stepped on Hu Hong's foot secretly to warn her not to talk nonsense.
Not only did Hu Hong ignore him, but she continued to say without fear of death, "If younger brother or younger sister-in-law are in need, I can introduce you to an old Chinese doctor."
Shen Yue was about to speak, but Tang Qiaoqiao pressed the back of his hand and laughed.
"We are young, and we are not in a hurry. But if sister-in-law likes children so much, when do you plan to have a second child? Shouldn't you take advantage of the last time before menopause to have another one, so you can transfer your excess energy, don't you think?"
Turning around and scolding her and Shen Yue for not giving birth to a child is only a secondary thing, but mainly it is the most annoying when the older generation talks about marriage or giving birth.
Hu Hong's face was green and white. Tang Qiaoqiao was blatantly saying that she was approaching menopause and old.
She pressed her anger and was about to make trouble, but at this time, Madam Shen said, "Okay, don't talk about urging marriage and giving birth. We are celebrating the New Year. I know young people nowadays don't like to talk about it. Why are you opening the can of worm?"
Hu Hong said aggrievedly, "Mom, I am just worried about you. I want you to hold your grandson again."
Madam Shen said lightly, "Really? Then you should urge Shen Liang to let me hold my great-grandson earlier. It's good for four generations to live together."
Shen Liang shrank his shoulders. The fire at the city gate hit a pond fish. What did he do? His fans won't agree for him to marry.
Shen Yong scolded Hu Hong, "Don't speak anymore. Eat."
"Yes, let's have dinner. I'm starving to death." Shen Liang followed his father's words and changed the subject.
Hu Hong was about to die of anger because of Shen Yong and her son.
Madam Shen laughed, "It's too quiet to eat like this. It's not lively at all. It's better to have music."
Shen Yue looked at his watch. "It's more than seven o'clock. The Spring Festival Gala is about to begin."
Madam Shen shook her head. "The time is not up yet. Let's listen to something else."
"Put Shen Liang's song. He recently released a new song, which is number one in the major charts." Hu Hong's mood turned fast, and now she became proud again.
"I don't like to listen to the kind of slurred, sappy love songs." The old lady said honestly.
Tang Qiaoqiao wanted to give her a thumbs up. She told the truth.
After Madam Shen finished talking, she walked to the TV and tinkered a few times. Then a piece of familiar music fluttered in the living room.
When Tang Qiaoqiao heard this, Shen Yue also reacted. A smile flashed across his eyes.
When Madam Shen turned and walked away, Tang Qiaoqiao appeared on the TV screen.
Madam Shen put the song "Happy New Year" she sang at the New Year's Eve concert.
Madam Shen smiled and said, "I like the song "Happy New Year" sung by Qiaoqiao. It is good and suitable for today.
So they cycled "Happy New Year" more than ten times before the Spring Festival Gala began.
No one wants to mention this "Happy New Year" song anymore after this New Year's Eve dinner.
Madam Shen looked at a table of delicious food and exclaimed, "Qiaoqiao's cooking skills are even higher than those of a five-star hotel. She is even capable of carving flowers. I don't know which dish to chopstick first."
Tang Qiaoqiao smiled and said, "Mom, first taste this eight treasure duck for good fortune."
On a white porcelain plate, lying on its back, is a fat and plump duck. The duck is ruddy in color, with a rope tied in the middle, like a gourd, topped with a layer of shrimp and green bean sauce, which is as bright as a crystal.
Most of the bones have been removed from this eight-treasure duck, but the flesh is still intact.
Tang Qiaoqiao gently cut the duck's abdominal cavity with the knife she had prepared long ago, and suddenly the eight treasures stuffing in the abdominal cavity overflowed. The "eight-treasure" filling is glutinous rice, chestnut, chicken gizzards, winter mushrooms, ham, diced bamboo shoots, ginkgo, lotus seeds, and scallops. The ingredients have been steamed to perfection. The scent of glutinous rice blends with duck meat's savory taste penetrated their nasal cavity and made their index finger moved.
At less than eight o'clock in the evening, the main hall of the Shen family's house was brightly lit.
A round table was full of delicacies, all in color, fragrance, and flavor. The morel chicken soup was still bubbling in the white saucepan in the middle.
The Shen family is not complicated. In the previous generation, only Shen Yue's Grandpa is still alive. However, now he is living with a family's uncle in the south. Madam Shen is now the head of the family, and she is sitting on the main seat. Before he could sit beside her, Shen Yue was pushed aside by Madam Shen.
"This is the first time Qiaoqiao is celebrating the New Year with us. Come and sit next to me." Tang Qiaoqiao had to reject her a few times before finally sitting next to her.
Shen Yong sat on the other side of Madam Shen. Hu Hong curled her lips impatiently and took a seat beside her husband bitterly.
There were both daughters-in-law, but the old lady eccentrically went to the horizon. None of the two big men on her left and the right fought for her.
Her husband is a dull gourd and her son...
Forget it. She can't expect Shen Liang to say something for her. His eyes are fixed on the dishes on the table.
Hu Hong gently touched his son's arm under the table and said in a low voice, "Pay attention to your eyes. You look like a starving ghost reborn."
Shen Liang then shifted his gaze but still wondering when was the time to start dinner. Tang Qiaoqiao's cooking skills have always made him obsessed. But he could not say that he had been waiting for these Chinese New Year dishes made by Tang Qiaoqiao.
Madam Shen looked at her sons, daughters-in-law, and grandson sitting around her. The wrinkles in the corners of her eyes stretched out, and she raised her wine glass.
"It's rare for us to get together as a family like today. Let's toast and bless each other. I wish all of us good health in the next year and all the best."
As the eldest brother, Shen Yong stood up first. Then the others also stood up and raised their cups to toast Madam Shen.
"Us, the younger generations, should toast you first. I wish all Mother's wishes come true, and you are as good as the East Sea."
Tang Qiaoqiao said with a sweet smile, "Mom has to laugh a lot in the new year. The more you live, the younger you will become."
Madam Shen was happy and smiled from ear to ear. "Okay, okay. Everyone, sit down."
Hu Hong couldn't help but say strange sarcastic things again.
"Actually, Mom has nothing to worry about now. Shen Yue's legs are recovering well, and the company is developing steadily. There is only one worry left." She glanced at Tang Qiaoqiao slowly, "It's just that my younger siblings have to hurry to have a baby. They have been married for so long, but the stomach hasn't moved. If there is any problem, it is best to see a doctor as soon as possible. Don't shy away from the doctors."
Shen Yong frowned when he heard it and glanced at his brother. Luckily for him, Shen Yue was calm.
He secretly felt bad. He coughed slightly and stepped on Hu Hong's foot secretly to warn her not to talk nonsense.
Not only did Hu Hong ignore him, but she continued to say without fear of death, "If younger brother or younger sister-in-law are in need, I can introduce you to an old Chinese doctor."
Shen Yue was about to speak, but Tang Qiaoqiao pressed the back of his hand and laughed.
"We are young, and we are not in a hurry. But if sister-in-law likes children so much, when do you plan to have a second child? Shouldn't you take advantage of the last time before menopause to have another one, so you can transfer your excess energy, don't you think?"
Turning around and scolding her and Shen Yue for not giving birth to a child is only a secondary thing, but mainly it is the most annoying when the older generation talks about marriage or giving birth.
Hu Hong's face was green and white. Tang Qiaoqiao was blatantly saying that she was approaching menopause and old.
She pressed her anger and was about to make trouble, but at this time, Madam Shen said, "Okay, don't talk about urging marriage and giving birth. We are celebrating the New Year. I know young people nowadays don't like to talk about it. Why are you opening the can of worm?"
Hu Hong said aggrievedly, "Mom, I am just worried about you. I want you to hold your grandson again."
Madam Shen said lightly, "Really? Then you should urge Shen Liang to let me hold my great-grandson earlier. It's good for four generations to live together."
Shen Liang shrank his shoulders. The fire at the city gate hit a pond fish. What did he do? His fans won't agree for him to marry.
Shen Yong scolded Hu Hong, "Don't speak anymore. Eat."
"Yes, let's have dinner. I'm starving to death." Shen Liang followed his father's words and changed the subject.
Hu Hong was about to die of anger because of Shen Yong and her son.
Madam Shen laughed, "It's too quiet to eat like this. It's not lively at all. It's better to have music."
Shen Yue looked at his watch. "It's more than seven o'clock. The Spring Festival Gala is about to begin."
Madam Shen shook her head. "The time is not up yet. Let's listen to something else."
"Put Shen Liang's song. He recently released a new song, which is number one in the major charts." Hu Hong's mood turned fast, and now she became proud again.
"I don't like to listen to the kind of slurred, sappy love songs." The old lady said honestly.
Tang Qiaoqiao wanted to give her a thumbs up. She told the truth.
After Madam Shen finished talking, she walked to the TV and tinkered a few times. Then a piece of familiar music fluttered in the living room.
When Tang Qiaoqiao heard this, Shen Yue also reacted. A smile flashed across his eyes.
When Madam Shen turned and walked away, Tang Qiaoqiao appeared on the TV screen.
Madam Shen put the song "Happy New Year" she sang at the New Year's Eve concert.
Madam Shen smiled and said, "I like the song "Happy New Year" sung by Qiaoqiao. It is good and suitable for today.
So they cycled "Happy New Year" more than ten times before the Spring Festival Gala began.
No one wants to mention this "Happy New Year" song anymore after this New Year's Eve dinner.
Madam Shen looked at a table of delicious food and exclaimed, "Qiaoqiao's cooking skills are even higher than those of a five-star hotel. She is even capable of carving flowers. I don't know which dish to chopstick first."
Tang Qiaoqiao smiled and said, "Mom, first taste this eight treasure duck for good fortune."
On a white porcelain plate, lying on its back, is a fat and plump duck. The duck is ruddy in color, with a rope tied in the middle, like a gourd, topped with a layer of shrimp and green bean sauce, which is as bright as a crystal.
Most of the bones have been removed from this eight-treasure duck, but the flesh is still intact.
Tang Qiaoqiao gently cut the duck's abdominal cavity with the knife she had prepared long ago, and suddenly the eight treasures stuffing in the abdominal cavity overflowed. The "eight-treasure" filling is glutinous rice, chestnut, chicken gizzards, winter mushrooms, ham, diced bamboo shoots, ginkgo, lotus seeds, and scallops. The ingredients have been steamed to perfection. The scent of glutinous rice blends with duck meat's savory taste penetrated their nasal cavity and made their index finger moved.
