Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 886 - 452: Hot Pot Lamb_2

Once all the ingredients were ready, Lian Manman slowly began to mix and taste until the dipping sauce she conjured up was to her own liking and had also been tasted and praised by Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, and the rest of the family, satisfying Lian Manman completely.

In the evening, the six members of Lian Manman’s family, plus Mr. Loo, gathered around the table. In front of each person was a small bowl of dipping sauce, and in the center of the table was the hotpot, surrounded by three large platters of thin slices of mutton.

To prepare the mutton, a frozen leg of lamb would be brought into the house to let it thaw slightly - but never too much. Once it was just right for cutting, they would start slicing so that the thinnest, paper-like mutton slices could be made. Naturally, not everyone could do this; it mainly relied on the excellent knife skills of Lady Zhang and Lian Zhizhi. This mother-daughter duo were similarly skilled when it came to slicing pickled vegetables into fine strips.

Besides mutton slices, there were also spinach that had been stored since late autumn, tender cabbage leaves selected from the harvest, along with strip-cut dry tofu, thinly sliced potatoes, softened glass noodles, and blood tofu made on the day of pig slaughter.

To balance the richness, the table was also prepared with several refreshing dishes like cold dressed kelp and sweet and sour radish strips.

In front of Lian Shouxin and Mr. Loo were white spirits, whereas Lady Zhang and the children had grape juice in front of them.

When the hotpot was brought to the table, the soup was boiling. Everyone eagerly dipped ingredients like mutton into it. The thin slices of mutton would swirl in the bubbling broth and change color, then quickly scooped up and dipped in the rich sauce, creating a mouth-watering flavor almost enough to make one bite off their tongue.

Mr. Loo took a bite and immediately praised it.

The family ate, joked, and laughed together, and soon everyone’s cheeks were flushed. Lian Manman was especially happy; indeed, during the cold winter, the whole family should gather to eat hotpot and slice mutton. These truly were the beautiful days.

Before they even finished the hotpot meal, Lian Manman was already planning the next meal. Mutton could not be eaten every day; perhaps tomorrow they should try the pickled vegetable pot.

However, Lian Manman’s family did not end up having pickled vegetable pot the next day.

"Brother Youheng said he’s going back to the county town the day after tomorrow to celebrate the New Year?" Wu Lang and Xiao Qi told Lian Manman when they returned from the private school at noon.

Today was also their last school day of the year; starting this afternoon, the private school would be on holiday, waiting until after the Lunar New Year to resume.

"Ah," exclaimed Lian Manman, "Why so soon? I remember on the day we slaughtered the pig, Brother Youheng said he wouldn’t return until the twenty-eighth this year."

"That’s what was said that day; the county town sent a message to Brother Youheng, saying his grandmother is insisting that he return home early. Brother Youheng needs to pack up these next few days and then he’ll be heading back," Xiao Qi explained.

"Mom, let’s hurry and send Brother Youheng’s New Year gift over," said Lian Manman, "Who knows when he will return after the New Year. If he can’t make it to our dinner party, why don’t we just invite Brother Youheng to come over for dinner? Let’s have mutton again, or he might also like to try that."

"Okay," Lady Zhang nodded.

This year’s gift for Wang Youheng from Lian Manman’s family was already well-prepared. Two jars of grape wine weighing a total of twenty kilograms, a ten kilograms pork belly, ten heads of pickled vegetables, one hundred buns, two blocks of frozen tofu, ten kilograms of finely ground cornmeal, plus two pairs of shoes, and one cotton-padded jacket.

Among several New Year’s gifts prepared by Lian Manman’s family, Wang Youheng’s was the most generous.

Wu Lang drove the ox cart, loaded with the gifts, as Lian Manman and Xiao Qi dressed up snugly and sat in the cart; the three children headed to town to find Wang Youheng.

In Jisheng Hall, Shopkeeper Wang was busy with his clerks. Upon seeing their arrival, he hurriedly came out to greet them.

"...wishing the young lady and two young masters a Happy New Year." Shopkeeper Wang greeted the three children ceremoniously.

"Shopkeeper Wang, I wish you a Happy New Year too," Lian Manman said with a smile, "Is Brother Youheng here?"

"The Young Owner is in the backyard, busy tidying things up. I will lead you three to him," Shopkeeper Wang said, instructing the clerks to move the New Year gifts to the backyard while he personally led Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi to find Wang Youheng. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

By the time they reached the backyard, Wang Youheng had already received the news and came out of the house to meet them.

"It’s cold outside, come inside and warm up," Wang Youheng said with a smile, ushering the three children into the study room, busily instructing the clerks to serve hot tea and snacks, and added another charcoal basin to the room.

"Brother Youheng, you must be studying too hard, I see you have gotten thinner," Lian Manman observed Wang Youheng and then glanced at the stacks of books on the desk.

"Where do you see that?" Wang Youheng touched his face and laughed.

Lian Manman laughed as well; Wang Youheng actually hadn’t lost weight, he just seemed a bit taller. Because of his calm and dependable nature, Lian Manman always overlooked the fact that Wang Youheng was just a boy a few years older than them.

After a joke, Lian Manman then opened the package she was carrying and handed it to Wang Youheng. Inside the package were two pairs of shoes and a straight robe made by Lady Zhang, atop which lay a list of gifts. The three children had consulted Mr. Loo and written it according to traditional protocol.

Wang Youheng first looked at the shoes and straight robe, and remarked that Lady Zhang had put too much effort into them, then he opened the gift list.

"Why send so many things," Wang Youheng remarked.

"Brother Youheng, you shouldn’t be so formal with us, these items aren’t that much, besides, they are all produce from our own home. It’s just a token of our affection," Lian Manman said.

"Yes, Brother Youheng," Wu Lang and Xiao Qi also nodded in agreement.

Wang Youheng thought for a moment, then decided not to insist any further. After all, he knew that Lian Manman’s family’s conditions were very different from before, and now, the exchange of gifts between their families and the increasingly close relationship.

"Brother Youheng, are you going back to the county the day after tomorrow?" Lian Manman asked.

"Yes," Wang Youheng nodded, a fleeting complex expression crossed his eyes.

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Here’s the second release, requesting for likes, aiming for a third tonight. (To be continued. If you like this work, we invite you to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)