Liu Mama and Cui Mama went to the backyard cellar to get vegetables. Chen Lan greeted Chuncao and came out of the kitchen to go upstairs.
Since she had decided to entertain Xu Mingxuan's comrades and their families well, Chen Lan decided to host five tables that day, with the same braised dishes on each table.
What would the men eat? What would the women and children eat? In any case, they couldn't let the men drink wine and eat good food while the women and children just watched. She couldn't do such a thing as favoring men over women.
Since they were now planning to settle down in the valley, they should start today with a good meal and instill a concept in everyone: in the valley, they valued "gender equality"!
All the men must know that they had no privileges in this valley, and all women must be respected.
With this in mind, Chen Lan used her mind to open the system and ordered over a thousand yuan worth of braised dishes from her usual braised meat shop. This included five braised chickens, five braised ducks, five braised pig trotters, eight catties of braised beef, and eight catties of braised pork.
Chen Lan suddenly felt like eating braised pig intestines, so she bought three catties for her own table. Later, she would buy some green peppers from the system and stir-fry them with the pig intestines, which would be incredibly delicious! She was already salivating at the thought, so she didn't hesitate and placed the order.
She also bought braised fish, braised kelp, and braised tofu skin from the same shop, which her mother-in-law loved. She also bought braised pig trotters and braised pig ears, which her mother-in-law loved, and braised peanuts and braised chicken legs, which her younger brothers loved.
Since she was buying so much this time, Chen Lan asked the shop for a discount and haggled for a long time. The shopkeeper reluctantly agreed to give Chen Lan sixty braised eggs as a gift.
Not accept? That would be impossible! This shop was known for being stingy. It was rare for them to give anything away, and it would be foolish not to take advantage of such a deal!
Needless to say, she happily accepted the shop's gift. Not taking it would be foolish!
She also ordered twenty catties of pork belly from her usual fresh food shop, asking them to cut it into thick slices half a centimeter thick. She also asked them to chop twenty catties of pork ribs, and then ordered fried tofu puffs, beef balls, chicken balls, small ham sausages, small sausages, and dried tofu sheets, all of which were good for stewing.
Later, she would add winter melon, potatoes, pumpkin, string beans, and Chinese cabbage to the stew, and it would be complete.
When Chen Lan carried all the bags and packages into the kitchen, Liu Mama and Cui Mama had already returned from the cellar with the vegetables.
So everyone started washing and chopping, and a flurry of activity began.
While everyone else was preparing, Chen Lan quickly started steaming the rice in five rice cookers.
Then she lightly washed the sliced meat and the chopped ribs, draining the blood.
She said to Chuncao, "Sister Chuncao, you can start preparing the stoves. First, light the outside stove, and then light the inside stove when we start stewing the dishes."
Chuncao readily agreed, "Okay! Xiao Lan, I know what to do."
Meanwhile, Chen Lan and the others were busy preparing lunch.
Xu Mingxuan arranged for Li Daqiang and Zhou Sixi's families in the second house and then left. As they passed the third house, Xu Mingxuan led the remaining people to the fourth house.
Mother-in-law turned into the courtyard and loudly called for the sewing cooperative to open the gate. Lin Mai came to open it. The sewing cooperative was still rushing to complete their work.
Mother-in-law said to Aunt Xiao Shan, who came to greet them, "Auntie, Mingxuan's comrades and their families are all here today. Quickly take out the cotton-padded jackets, cotton trousers, and cotton shoes you have prepared. Let's distribute them quickly so everyone can wear them first.
I see their current cotton-padded jackets look old and thin, and probably don't provide much warmth. I don't know how many years they've been wearing them. Alas! They are all so cold their faces are purple. It's truly... alas!
Whatever is not enough, I'll go home and find some more. You first focus on making clothes for the adults. For the children's clothes, I'll go back and pick out some old clothes for the children for them to wear first.
Although they are old, they are not damaged, just that the children have grown too fast, and the clothes are a bit small. They are much better than what they are wearing now.
This way, you won't have to rush so much, and you can take your time to make them later.
Oh! Also, for the shoes that adults wear outside, don't rush to make them if you don't have time. I'll ask Xiao Lan to think of a way when I get back.
For the shoes that adults and children wear at home, give me some fabric and thread for sewing the soles. Let the women in each family make their own. They should all know how to do it. Since it's winter now, everyone has plenty of time to make these things."
Aunt Xiao Shan happily agreed. Since the sewing cooperative was established, they had been working overtime almost every day, only delaying half a day by helping to harvest Chinese cabbage.
Mother-in-law and the people from the sewing cooperative each carried a large bag of finished cotton-padded jackets and cotton trousers and went their separate ways. Mother-in-law carried a bag of clothes to the second house, planning to go home to find Xiao Lan for a solution after delivering the clothes.
When Mother-in-law entered the house, Chen Lan had already put the ribs in the pot. She was preparing to stir-fry the pork belly in another pot.
Just as she was about to add the onion, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, star anise, and other seasonings and bean paste to the pot in order, and then stir-fry the pork belly, Mother-in-law walked into the kitchen.
Mother-in-law asked Cui Mama to take the spatula from Chen Lan and continue stir-frying the pork belly, then pulled Chen Lan out of the kitchen and they went upstairs.
Mother-in-law's actions left Chen Lan completely bewildered. She thought something major had happened.
When they reached Chen Lan's room on the second floor, after Mother-in-law explained her idea, Chen Lan couldn't help but chuckle.
Fearing that Mother-in-law might be embarrassed, she quickly suppressed her smile and said very seriously, "Mother-in-law, your idea is great! We kept those small clothes because they were all in good condition, and it would have been a waste to throw them away, so we kept them. I didn't expect them to be useful today."
Then Chen Lan added, "Mother-in-law, please wait a moment. I have kept and packed the small clothes, shoes, and socks of the twins. I'll go and get them for you.
We bought quite a few snow boots last time, and there are still many pairs, all new and unworn. I've left them with Father-in-law for safekeeping. I'll get them for you later. Su Dan Novel Network.
Mother-in-law, if these are still not enough, please note down the shoe sizes, and tell me how many more pairs are needed. You can come back and get them from me."
Mother-in-law said happily, "Xiao Lan, you are so meticulous in managing your household. Please prepare them and bring them downstairs with me later. I'll go back now to find Mingzhe's old clothes, and then I'll ask your mother for Wen Qi and Wen Kai's old clothes.
Oh! Right, I'll also ask Hong Xiu and Chun Mei later if they kept Hutou's and Xiao Shi Tou's old clothes."
With that, Mother-in-law left in a hurry.