129 It Looks Like He Has Something on His Mind
Old Madam Su took six mantou buns and steamed them. The six mantou were enough to feed the elders for a few days, but their granddaughter was there for dinner that night, so they were willing to feed her anything, let alone the mantou.
Su Binglan noticed all these details as her eyes teared up slightly and her heart beat faster. She knew it must be family love.
After steaming the mantou, the family ate together. Su Fengchen said, “Binglan, why don’t we take a few salted duck eggs and preserved eggs for dinner so everyone can try some?”
Su Binglan responded after some thought, “Let’s cut one salted duck egg and one preserved egg so the others can try them first. We can eat more when we make extra in the future.”
Su Binglan knew her uncle was willing to let his family eat the eggs, but she felt they should save some and only let them eat more when they made extra. She wanted her uncle to start earning first so he would be much more at ease with more money in his hand.
“All right, that sounds good, Binglan.”
Old Madam Su looked at her son and granddaughter talking and revealed a gratified smile. In the past, her youngest son, Su Fengchen, would barely say a word a day, and she became concerned then.
Nonetheless, she felt sincerely happy now that her youngest son was getting better and was more willing to talk. She knew Su Binglan had brought this about. Old Madam Su thought the monk was right—Su Binglan was their lucky star.
Su Binglan cut one preserved egg and one salted egg into thin slices so everyone could have a taste.
The brick bed was warm, and everyone sat by it to eat good food to their heart’s content. “The pheasant is tender, and the broth is fragrant. It tastes fresh and wonderful!”
The pheasant and mushroom stew was exceptional because Su Binglan added the spiritual spring water, making it incredibly tasty.
“It’s even more delicious when you dip the steamed mantou in it!”
Old Madam Su sighed, “The food she recently ate was even better than what she ate during the New Year.”
Old Master Su added, “Exactly. We have prospered, thanks to our granddaughter.”
Su Binglan looked at her grandparents’ satisfied smiles and felt indescribable happiness in her heart.
It did not take much for the people of this era to feel content. They would be thrilled if they could eat a good meal. It was a straightforward kind of happiness, and their mood would improve exponentially.
Su Binglan looked at Luo Jin’an beside her and realized he had not picked up his chopsticks or eaten much. She picked up a few pieces of pheasant meat and put them into his bowl.
Luo Jin’an looked at his bowl and then at Su Binglan. He saw his wife smiling at him as she whispered urgingly, “Eat more.”
Old Master Su and Old Madam Su were distracted by the food, so they did not notice the couple’s interaction. Su Fengchen, on the other hand, was distracted by the couple’s loving gestures.
Su Fengchen was already twenty years old. One could say he would have been married if it were not for his crippled right hand and poor living conditions. People of that era typically wanted to get married by fifteen or sixteen.
Su Binglan noticed her uncle’s expression and thought he had something on his mind. Su Binglan realized something and roughly understood what her uncle felt.
Still, she was Su Fengchen’s niece, and there were some things she could not say to him out of respect. Nonetheless, Su Binglan thought to watch for women from good families for her uncle.
“Grandpa, Grandma, these are the salted duck eggs and preserved eggs Uncle Fengchen made. I hope you like them,” Su Binglan said.
Old Madam Su picked up a salted duck egg and ate it. “Wow! Why is the yolk so delicious?!” The elderly lady was in disbelief.
Old Master Su also nodded. “Is very tasty. This is salted duck egg, right? I could eat half a mantou and a salted egg for a meal and never tire of it.”