Chapter 420: Mutton Soup
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Li Hua turned her head, catching her reflection in the car window. Her sister-in-law was right, she thought, a woman should always present herself beautifully. It was not just about captivating men, but also about delighting in her own appearance.
She resolved to work hard, to earn well, to strive for progress, and to maintain her beauty, all the while learning from her sister-in-law.
At the Su family’s lunchtime, their dining table was filled to the brim for the first time. It was a heartwarming sight, the entire family gathered together, creating a sense of warmth and liveliness.
Su Bing and Su Li sat next to their uncle and aunt. While Su Bing was content with just serving the dishes, Su Li was more enthusiastic. He kept piling food onto their plates, generously praising his mother’s culinary skills, and never missing an opportunity to flatter and tease.
“The braised pork is Mom’s specialty. Uncle, you should eat more, it will give you energy for the afternoon. Squirrel Mandarin Fish, this is one of my favorite dishes. Aunt, you should eat more, Mom always says that eating fish is good for a woman’s skin.
“Once you’ve tasted Mom’s cooking, you’ll always crave it. Just like when Mom is away for a day, and then comes back to cook for me, I can eat several bowls of rice.”
Lin Cheng and Li Hua, overwhelmed by the heartfelt hospitality, accepted the dishes served by Su Li. Everyone was cheerful and merry, except for Su Bing, who was left puzzled by his brother’s excessive enthusiasm.
Although their mother’s cooking was indeed delicious, Su Bing had been learning to cook from her recently. His own cooking wasn’t that bad, he thought. Su Li certainly didn’t complain when he ate the meals Su Bing prepared.
After Su Li finished serving the dishes and sat down, he felt a chill from his elder brother sitting next to him. Trying to cover up, he explained, “Brother, I didn’t mean to imply that your cooking is bad. I just miss Mom’s cooking so much that every time she comes back after a day or two, I eat a lot of her food. You’re her apprentice, so your cooking can’t be that bad.”
Su Bing gave him a cold glance and continued eating, ignoring his annoying little brother.
Seeing his brother’s cold face, Su Li felt that his explanation had only made things worse. Nevermind, he thought, having served everyone, it was time to taste his mother’s mutton soup.
Just then, his mother handed him a bowl of the well-prepared mutton soup. Su Li took a small sip. It was fragrant and rich, with a hint of sweetness. What was even more amazing was that his mother’s mutton soup had no gamey taste. It was absolutely delicious!
Su Li took another sip, feeling warmth spread through his body.
Mr. and Mrs. Lin took a sip of the soup and found it exceptionally delicious. The mutton soup their daughter had prepared was so good that Mrs. Lin couldn’t help but ask, “How did you make this soup? There’s not a hint of gamey taste. This is the best mutton soup I’ve ever had.”
Su Shen observed as Gu Zi busied herself serving soup to her family, not even sparing a moment to take a sip for herself. His heart ached at the sight, and he promptly ladled a bowl for her to enjoy.
Only after Gu Zi had taken her first sip did Su Shen begin to drink. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. This woman always managed to surprise him with her culinary skills. Even the mutton soup was free of any gamey taste. What kind of magical treasure had he stumbled upon?
“It’s actually quite simple to remove the gamey taste from mutton,” Gu Zi explained. “You just need to add carrots, water chestnuts, and sugarcane while cooking. This gives the mutton soup a rich and aromatic flavor, and removes any unpleasant taste, and it also enhances the layers of the mutton’s aroma.”
As Gu Zi spoke, in Su Bing’s eyes, she seemed like a culinary goddess, a food expert imparting her wisdom. Their mother was glowing, radiant in her brilliance. She was truly amazing!
Gu Zi also fed some of the mutton soup to little Lele. It was the child’s first time tasting such a soup, and her eyes sparkled with delight. Gu Zi repeated the words “mutton soup” five times before Lele finally echoed them, “Mutton soup, Lele eat!” This brought laughter to the entire family.
Everyone noticed that although Gu Zi was often quite assertive, she was genuinely gentle, especially with children. She was incredibly patient, willing to repeat instructions two, three times, or as many as needed until the child understood. In these moments, she exuded a delicate and gentle feminine beauty, a beauty that was highly tolerant, resilient, and kind, utterly captivating.
Su Shen found himself reflecting. He had never thought of guiding a child in this way. Even if he had, his busy work schedule would have made it difficult for him to be as patient with a child. But Gu Zi could do it. Compared to her, he, as a father, still had much to learn..