"My weight means it's futile for him to struggle. Little brat, I pinned him down and he couldn't even move. His dying struggle was useless," Fatty Deng recounted the day's events with smug satisfaction.
Fu Xin Ci pictured Lan Tian Yao, his innocent and helpless face, being carried over Fatty Deng's shoulder. The image was so vivid that she couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The three pregnant women, who had been gazing expectantly into the courtyard, could no longer contain their cravings upon hearing Xin Ci's voice. They hurried over to ask Xin Ci for green corn.
"This is easy. We'll use a big pot and cook a lot. Otherwise, I'm afraid by the time it's ready, more people will come attracted by the smell than live in our house," said Xin Ci.
"Then let's cook it on the temporary large stove in the courtyard. This pot is the biggest. When it's ready, the aroma will travel two li."
"Haha, all the gluttons will come running when they catch wind of it."
As the saying goes, old ginger is spicier. Everyone readily agreed with the suggestion from the two handsome uncles.
Fu Xin Ci took out a lot of green corn from her space. Each cob was more than a foot long.
Xiao Ai suddenly remembered something. "Xin Ci, do you have any salted duck eggs? Let's cook them together. Otherwise, eating only green corn might cause heartburn."
Xiao Ai had learned this from Fatty Deng.
"Right, my wife is right. It would be best to steam a bowl of egg paste, add chopped chili, then mix in some soybean paste and steam it. The steamed flavor with green corn would be absolutely divine," said Fatty Deng.
"Ah, Fatty Deng, you can't keep talking like that. My mouth is watering so much."
Not only the three pregnant women but everyone present, including Fatty Deng himself, was enticed.
"Quick, start the fire."
"I'll do it," Xiao Ai, her belly protruding, was about to use her supernatural abilities.
Fatty Deng saw his wife about to reach out and immediately blocked her. "My dearest ancestor, my most esteemed madam, this small matter is for me to handle. You just sit there and wait to eat."
Qi He's eyes sparkled as he watched Fatty Deng placate his wife, as if she were an ancient ancestor to be worshipped.
He silently compared himself, wondering if he was lacking in some crucial aspect.
Fu Xin Ci was unaware that her dear husband was viewing Fatty Deng as a role model and diligently striving for improvement.
As the saying goes, many hands make light work. In no time, a large pot of cleaned green corn cobs was neatly arranged in the big pot.
Xin Ci also brought out a new jar of salted duck eggs, rubbed them clean, and placed them on top.
"Wait, wait," Fatty Deng eagerly scrambled the eggs with chopsticks, mixed them with chopped chili and soybean paste, then, with a face full of sincere smiles, placed the large bowl on top of the green corn.
"Fatty Deng, is this bowl enough for us?"
"It's enough for our family for one meal. I didn't bring any for Xiang Tong's family," Fatty Deng said, then glanced at the neighboring house. "There isn't a bigger bowl."
"Don't you have basins?" Xiang Tong's voice came from the neighboring courtyard.
"Ah, Mayor Xiang is home. That's perfect, we still have some green corn here, and we have eggs, chili, and soybean paste ready. You can take them and cook them yourselves."
As Fatty Deng spoke, he picked up the ingredients and handed them over.
Seeing he couldn't have ready-made food, Xiang Tong reluctantly took them, secretly regretting his earlier impulse to speak up.
Alas! He always felt that the food from next door tasted better than his own.
Without even seeing Xiang Tong's face, which always seemed to be seeking an advantage, Fatty Deng's good mood was evident to all.
He sat on the ground to tend the fire, his plump belly almost touching the pot, yet he complained not.
He kept muttering, "As long as my wife is happy, I'll do anything for her."
This earned him several glares from Xiao Ai, but he bore them with relish, smiling so shamelessly that everyone found it hard to watch.
Fortunately, as the aroma of cooking green corn wafted from the large pot, Xiao Ai and the others took a deep breath. "This is the smell."
"I've been craving this for days. Oh my god, this short while feels like a century."
"Me too. I just want to bite into green corn. Now, I just want to eat this."
"At least two cobs, and a salted duck egg that's perfectly brined."
"These freshly boiled salted duck eggs, especially the ones Xin Ci pickled, have just the right flavor, not too salty, not too bland. I could eat one on its own."
"Me too. With some white rice porridge or millet porridge in the morning, a bowl would be gone in a few slurps."
"That's you. For me, I'd need a big bowl."
As they talked animatedly, they started counting on their fingers the delicious dishes.
Fatty Deng suddenly remembered something. "Xin Ci, what about fresh fruits? Before those gluttons show up, hide the fruits for us."
But when he turned around, he saw Xiao Ai holding two bright red cherries and popping them into his mouth.
"Hehe." This smile was again rather cheeky.
However, he was quite talented at coaxing his wife, always saying things she liked to hear.
"Xin Ci always thinks of me first. It makes my belated suggestions seem truly endorsed."
"Pfft."
"Pfft."
This joker had amused the crowd again.
But before they could finish laughing, the captain reacted the fastest. He turned and said to the pregnant women, "Someone's coming. Not just one. You ladies go back inside. I guarantee you'll be the first to taste the green corn when it's ready."
"Why all the trouble?" Fu Xin Ci said, then strode to the courtyard entrance. Without a word, she took out a lot of green corn from her space and piled it at the entrance.
"When people come to visit, tell them to take it home and cook it themselves. We're not serving."
"Hey, Xin Ci's idea is good," Uncle Xu said as he walked over. "Leave this to me. I'm old, and just standing at the gate can save a lot of talking."
"Yes, Old Xu is right."
However, everyone had underestimated the allure of the green corn. Its enticing aroma made not only the nearby people salivate but also those further away couldn't resist.
The pile of green corn wasn't even enough to share.
It was only when Fu Xin Ci placed another pile of green corn at the main gate that the people from the town, expressing their heartfelt gratitude, finally left.
The green corn in the large pot was finally cooked. The moment the lid was lifted, everyone heard the sound of their own swallowing.
"Mmm, it's so delicious," Yang Xin Jie mumbled contentedly after taking a bite of the green corn, cooled to a suitable temperature by the captain.
"Here, have a bite of salted duck egg."
"Mmm."
"Do you want another bite of egg paste?"
"Yes, you have some too."
"Mmm, I'm not in a hurry."
Qi He also held a cob of green corn, but his eyes secretly glanced at the captain and the others.
He had to learn well.
On the way back, Fu Xin Ci realized that this elder brother wasn't visiting relatives; he was here to learn.
Seeing the sun about to set in the west, Fu Xin Ci didn't have time to discuss the matter with him. She could only hastily send him into her space and then speed on her way.