Ye Xinyan looked at the old master’s smiling face and couldn’t help but purse her lips, "If you want to eat first, go ahead. The cake made by your granddaughter is guaranteed not to be spoiled food, and I assure you, it’s a delight among delights. I’ve never botched a dish before."
Milk fermentation is not like other foods going sour and spoiling. Before, she had made whipped cream using fresh farm milk, and it was just , exactly the same, not a bit different.
Having heard what Xinyan said, the old master suddenly felt at ease. Ye Zi was a good child; she wouldn’t have agreed to let him eat the cake first if it wasn’t absolutely delicious and harmless.
Qi Younian, stroking his beard, said with a smile, "Well, Grandpa is looking forward to tasting the delicious cake made by our Ye Zi."
"You go on with your work; the cake will take a while to be ready. It’s my first time making this cake, so it’s best to wait for Nanny Jin to come back, and we can all enjoy it together with Qi Jia."
"Alright, we’ll do as Ye Zi says." The thought of Qi Jiaer being added to the cake-tasting group put Qi Younian even more at ease. Judging by how protective Xinyan was of Qi Jiaer, she would never let Qi Jiaer take a bite if there was even a hint of uncertainty about the seemingly spoiled cream.
Qi Younian left to inspect the dairy farm construction site with peace of mind. By the time a shichen had passed and the construction site closed for the day, his family’s Ye Zi had already prepared a rich dinner, with meat and fish, and seasonal vegetables to boot.
At home, on the kang bed, there weren’t only Qi Jia and Nanny Jin, who had come back from the county, but also Qi Yougui and Qi Sanshun.
The moment Qi Younian walked in, sitting in the outer room, Qi Yougui greeted him with a chuckle, "Little brother is back, go wash your hands and get ready for dinner. I was called over early to dine, and seeing the great food Ye Zi has prepared, I’ve been eagerly awaiting your return so we can all dig in and satisfy our cravings."
While washing his hands in the basin, Qi Younian complained to Ye Xinyan, "This child of mine, inviting our Great Uncle over for dinner and not telling me beforehand, so I could have wrapped up work earlier."
Qi Yougui said with a laugh, "Don’t blame the child; I didn’t want to distract you from your work, so I stopped Jiajia from calling you."
When Qi Younian sat down beside the kang table, Qi Yougui continued with a smile, "Ye Zi is making such a mystery about it, saying there’s a delicious dessert at home and specifically inviting Sanshun over to try it. To tell the truth, this old man is only enjoying this treat because of my grandson. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had a share of this delicious dessert."
"Ye Zi just likes to joke; don’t take it seriously, big brother. This child is close to big brother, always thinking about big brother, sister-in-law, and Sanshun; just not good at showing it," said Qi Younian, as he took chopsticks from Nanny Jin and placed them in front of Qi Yougui, Qi Sanshun, and Qi Jiaer.
Hearing this, Qi Yougui’s smile grew even wider. He was well aware that this granddaughter of his second brother was extremely grateful. Since the second brother’s family had returned, all he did was occasionally lend a hand, nothing major. Yet, for those small acts, not only did the second brother remember them fondly, but Xinyan, always mindful, would think of his family first whenever there was something good to be had.
Nanny Jin brought out the dishes one by one, truly a feast.
Qi Yougui, being older, no longer had such a strong attachment to food, but Qi Sanshun’s mouth watered incessantly, exchanging excited looks with the equally delighted Qi Jia, eager to dive into the meal.
No wonder the two children were excited, for tonight’s dinner was indeed lavish. For an ordinary farming family, it was as if it were Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner. They had the most traditional braised pork, followed by sweet and sour fish, stir-fried pork with garlic shoots, stir-fried baby bok choy, stuffed eggplants with minced meat, scrambled eggs with chives, and a pot of meatball soup.
The last to come to the table was a large, soft, and enticing cake, with a buttery aroma.
Qi Sanshun, still a child at heart, was immediately captivated by the sight of the cake and completely forgot about the dishes that had just been served.
"Cousin, why is this cake different from the usual ones?" Qi Sanshun asked, his nose twitching as he smelled the rich aroma of the cake.
"Oh?" Ye Xinyan replied with a smile, "Our Sanshun has become skilled, identifying the difference in the cake without even tasting it. Tell me, what’s different about it?"
Qi Sanshun, who often played with Qi Jia and had tasted cakes before, thus had these questions to ask.
Qi Yougui, on the other hand, had never even seen such a thing, let alone determine the difference between two kinds of cakes. He simply gazed in wonder at the thick, round food, puzzled as to why this was the delicious cake Sanshun often talked about. He didn’t understand why Xinyan made food in this way, paying no attention to the conversation between the siblings.