Meat bird's nest was a specialty of Sanshan. It was made by grinding the lean pork leg into meat paste, mixing it with sweet potato powder, rolling it into a paper-thin sheet, cutting it into three-inch cubes, wrapping it with meat stuffing, and cooking it with soup.
Since the skin and stuffing of meat bird's nest were made of pork, it was nicknamed "Meat Wrapped Meat."
Meat bird's nest was also known as Peaceful Bird's nest. The people of Sanshan would eat Peaceful Bird's nest during festivals, weddings, funerals, and gatherings of relatives and friends. It was the auspicious name of "peace" and "peace."
The people who were celebrating the New Year together were all authentic Sanshan people, so Peaceful Bird's nest was a must for the reunion dinner.
When Xia Ruofei and Ling Xiaotian heard that, they immediately went to wash their hands and walked to the dining table.
Lin Qiao had already brought over a bowl of chopped meat stuffing and a bag of bird's skin.
Ling Xiaotian was also an expert. She couldn't help but exclaim, "The quality of this bird's skin is very high!"
Lin Qiao said proudly, "My mom bought the best pork leg and rolled it herself! It's much better than the ones you buy outside! "
The traditional process of making meat bird's skin was very complicated and time-consuming. Most people wouldn't make their own bird's skin because there were many meat bird's shops in Sanshan and they could be bought at any time. Those who were more particular would just choose a better one. For example, in a century-old shop like Tongli's meat bird's nest, there were very few that made their own.
Ling Xiaotian's Restaurant also made their own meat bird's skin and sold it to customers, so Ling Xiaotian was very proficient in making meat bird's skin.
When he heard that, he couldn't help but exclaim, "I didn't expect you to have such a unique skill! There aren't many people who know how to make bird's skin nowadays … "
When Huzi's mother heard that from the kitchen, she smiled and poked her head out to say, "I learned a little from my elders when I was young, but in front of an expert like you, it's a bit like showing off in front of an expert!"
"You're too kind!" Ling Xiaotian said, "It's not worse than what the chefs in our shop can make!"
"You're so sweet!" Huzi's mother said happily. "Then you should eat more later!"
"Of course, of course!" Ling Xiaotian agreed with a smile.
In the kitchen, Huzi's mother and Ling Qingxue were busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner, while Xia Ruofei, Ling Xiaotian, and Lin Qiao were chatting in the dining room while making bird's nest. The atmosphere was harmonious.
The afternoon passed by quickly. It was already past five in the evening, and the meticulously prepared reunion dinner was finally about to be completed.
Other than the final main dish, which was left for Ling Xiaotian to cook, the only dish left was the meat bird's nest.
The meat bird nest was seasoned in advance. It only needed to be boiled in the pot and a little seasoning was added before it could be eaten. It took very little time, so Ling Xiaotian began to put on her apron and prepared to handle the last dish herself.
Naturally, the dish left for Ling Xiaotian was the steamed shad.
He "chased" Ling Qingxue and Huzi's mother, who wanted to stay and help, out of the kitchen. Then, he began to handle the shad skillfully.
Steamed Yangtze River Shad was the specialty of Executive Chef Su Yu of Ling Ji Restaurant Group.
During this period of time, Ling Ji Private Kitchen had begun to supply Ling Ji Private Kitchen. Ling Xiaotian's culinary skills were excellent, and coupled with the fact that he was close to the water, he was already very proficient in cooking this dish.
Soon, she finished handling the fish, put it on a plate, added seasoning, and put it into the steamer basket.
While waiting, Ling Xiaotian began to cook the meat bird's nest.
There was no technique to cooking the meat bird's nest. She just had to boil it in water and add the right amount of seasoning.
However, even when Ling Xiaotian was cutting the green onions, there seemed to be a rhythm to her technique. It wasn't a deliberate show-off, but a subconscious rhythm that a chef had integrated into her technique.
Xia Ruofei, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but give her a thumbs up.
Not long after the pot of meat bird's nest was cooked, the timer gave a reminder that the steamed shad was ready.
Ling Xiaotian personally carried the shad while Xia Ruofei carried a pot of meat bird's nest to the dining room.
"It's time for New Year's Eve dinner!" Lin Qiao shouted happily.
Then, Lin Qiao said, "I don't think we've set off the firecrackers yet!"
"Firecrackers aren't allowed here!" Xia Ruofei said with a smile.
Although the three mountains didn't prohibit firecrackers and fireworks in the whole city, the control was quite strict. In a new residential area like Grand View World, firecrackers and fireworks were definitely not allowed.
Lin Qiao said with some distress, "If we don't set off firecrackers, the New Year's atmosphere won't be as good!"
Lin Qiao grew up in a fishing village. Since she was young, the sound of firecrackers and fireworks could be heard everywhere in the village. She would often go with her brother to pick up unlit firecrackers and set them off everywhere in the village.
Xia Ruofei rolled his eyes and said, "I have an idea!"
After saying that, he turned on the TV and stereo. Xia Ruofei had personally installed all the appliances here, and the TV was paired with a network box. Xia Ruofei quickly found the sound of firecrackers in the box, and then turned up the volume.
A burst of firecrackers came from the stereo. The high-end subwoofer made the sound of firecrackers quite shocking, but it lacked the smell of gunpowder.
"Is that okay?" Lin Qiao said with a smile, "It's barely considered a pass! Let's eat, let's eat! "
The two families sat around the dining table together.
Xia Ruofei and Lin Qiao began to pour wine for everyone. Ling Xiaotian and Xia Ruofei naturally drank Zui Ba Xian, and it wasn't the kind sold by the winery, but the kind that Xia Ruofei stored in his storage space.
Without exception, the ladies all chose Semillon. Ever since Xia Ruofei took out this kind of white wine for the first time, they all fell in love with its rich taste. Even Huzi's mother, who didn't drink much, poured a glass for her.
"Uncle Ling, would you like to say something?" Xia Ruofei looked at Ling Xiaotian with a smile.
Ling Xiaotian smiled and said, "I'm here as a guest today! It's my in-law's turn to say something! "
Huzi's mother waved her hand and said, "I'm not good with words. You should say it, in-law!"
Ling Qingxue chuckled and said, "If you keep pushing it, you can forget about the New Year's Eve dinner …"
"Okay, then I'll say something!" Ling Xiaotian raised her glass and said, "Today, our two families are celebrating the New Year together. This is fate! Here, I also hope that the children can live in harmony and love each other. As for the elderly, please try your best to stay healthy and don't cause trouble for the children! Come, let's raise our glasses and hope that the New Year will be better! "
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
After the first glass of wine, the New Year's Eve dinner officially began.
According to tradition, the first dish that everyone ate was the peaceful swallow. Huzi's mother personally served everyone a bowl. In addition to the meat swallow, there was also a boiled duck egg in everyone's bowl. In the Three Mountains, this was called "peaceful egg", and it also meant auspicious.
She had to eat every dish for the New Year's Eve dinner. She could try the other dishes, but she had to finish this bowl of Taiping Swallow.
Everyone present was born and raised in the Three Mountains, so they didn't need anyone to teach them about this. They all picked up their bowls.
The swallow skin made by Huzi's mother was very chewy, and the sweet potato powder mixed in was just right. It was soft and smooth in the mouth, and the meat filling was also very tasty. She even added a bit of chestnut, which added a bit of crispness to the fresh taste. After eating it, everyone praised it. Even Ling Xiaotian, who was a very picky chef, couldn't help but give a thumbs up.
Seeing that everyone liked the meat swallow she made, Huzi's mother was so happy that she couldn't close her mouth.
She said with a smile, "In-law, I still have two pounds of unwrapped swallow skin. If you like it, you can take it back. If you want to eat it, you can wrap some for yourself!"
Lin Qiao said with a smile, "Mom! Uncle Ling is a special chef, and they sell swallow skin in their restaurant. Why would they need us to give it to them? "
Ling Xiaotian immediately said, "Yes, yes, yes! This swallow skin is much better than the chef in our restaurant! In-law, I won't stand on ceremony then! Haha, it's embarrassing to eat and take … "
"We're family. You don't have to be so formal!" Huzi's mother said happily.
After eating the peaceful swallow, everyone chose their favorite dishes according to their tastes.
The steamed shad and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall were the most popular. Lin Qiao ate until his mouth was full of oil. Even Ling Qingxue, who always paid attention to his image, ate a few mouthfuls in succession.
Ling Xiaotian was so happy that he grinned when he saw that his dishes were so popular. As for the main credit for this dish, it was Xia Ruofei who provided the ingredients, so it didn't affect his sense of achievement at all.
The three mountains weren't like the north. The New Year's Eve dinner usually started earlier. After everyone was full, the New Year's Eve Gala hadn't started yet. It was just a warm-up broadcast.
Huzi's mother, Ling Qingxue, and Lin Qiao started to clean up the mess. Ling Xiaotian and Xia Ruofei were once again excluded by their female compatriots. The father-in-law and son-in-law simply watched TV in the living room while making tea.
Ling Xiaotian and his daughter weren't in a hurry to leave after dinner. After all, it was New Year's Eve. It was inevitable that they would feel a little lonely in the cold villa. They might as well watch the New Year's Eve together.
At eight o 'clock sharp, the New Year's Eve Gala, which was said to be the most watched national television station in the world, kicked off.
The two families sat on the sofa in the living room, chatting while drinking tea, eating melon seeds, and watching the New Year's Eve Gala. The atmosphere was harmonious.
In fact, the entertainment industry was very developed now. In order to balance all aspects of the New Year's Eve Gala, there were a lot of singing and dancing programs. The language programs that everyone liked were constantly edited because of the limitations of the broadcast. The quality of the programs was also greatly reduced.
However, watching the New Year's Eve Gala was more of a habit. It seemed that if they didn't watch the New Year's Eve Gala, something would be missing.
Lin Qiao watched TV while scrolling through Weibo on his phone.
Every year, the New Year's Eve Gala was the time when joke makers were the most active. Many of the programs had just finished broadcasting, and there were all kinds of jokes on the Internet.
When he saw funny jokes, Lin Qiao would read them out loud, making everyone laugh. They felt that the jokes were more interesting than the New Year's Eve Gala.
Ling Xiaotian and his daughter didn't finish watching the New Year's Eve Gala. They got up and said goodbye at around eleven o 'clock.
Although Sanshan also had the custom of staying up for the New Year, Huzi's mother and Ling Xiaotian were old after all. If it wasn't for the New Year, they would have already gone to bed.
Ling Xiaotian considered that if she and Ling Qingxue stayed here, Huzi's mother would have to force herself to stay awake. Moreover, she also felt a little sleepy, so she took the initiative to say goodbye.
When they came, Xia Ruofei drove to pick them up. Naturally, Xia Ruofei would send them back.
"Ruofei, why don't we call a designated driver?" Ling Qingxue said, "You drank a lot tonight!"
Although they watched the New Year's Eve Gala for a few hours, Xia Ruofei and Ling Xiaotian almost equally shared a bottle of white wine during the New Year's Eve dinner. He drank at least five ounces, so Ling Qingxue was a little worried.
In fact, when Xia Ruofei got up and was about to send them back, he had already secretly used his True Qi to force out all the remaining alcohol in his body.
He said with a smile, "It's the New Year. Where can we find a designated driver? Don't worry! It's been so long, and you drank so much tea. The alcohol will be gone by now! "
In fact, Xia Ruofei had been very sober the whole time. After his cultivation, his alcohol tolerance seemed to have increased a lot. He couldn't get drunk with one or two pounds of white wine, not to mention that he only drank five or six ounces tonight.
However, just in case, he still forced the alcohol out of his body. That way, there would be no problem.
Ling Xiaotian was a little drunk. He said, "It's okay! I know Ruofei's alcohol tolerance! Let him drive! "
Originally, Huzi's mother wanted to persuade Ling Xiaotian to drive, but since Ling Xiaotian had said so, she couldn't say anything. She could only say to Xia Ruofei, "Ruofei, drive slowly. After you send your in-laws and Qingxue back, hurry back and rest!"
Tonight, Xia Ruofei was definitely going to stay at the Grand View World. The house had four bedrooms and two living rooms. In addition, there was a small attic that was made into Lin Qiao's boudoir. Even if Ling Xiaotian and his daughter were to stay over, it would still be able to accommodate them.
Huzi's mother had already prepared a room. In fact, there was a room in the house that had always been reserved for Xia Ruofei. All the bedsheets, quilts, and pillows were ready-made.
"I know, godmother!" Xia Ruofei said with a smile. "You should rest early too. Don't wait for me! Qiao 'er won't be sleeping for a while anyway. She can open the door for me! "
"Okay!" Huzi's mother said with a smile.
The mother and daughter sent the three of them out of the door. Xia Ruofei took the elevator directly to the underground parking lot with Ling Xiaotian and Ling Qingxue. He drove out of the Grand View World Community and headed towards Ling Xiaotian's Riverside Villa.
There weren't many cars on the streets on New Year's Eve. At this time, most people were at home watching the New Year's Gala with their families. The roar of Knight XV echoed through the empty streets. There were no obstacles along the way. Soon, they were close to the Riverside Villa.
However, after turning a corner, the road slowly narrowed. Rows of cone-shaped barriers slowly narrowed the two lanes into one.
Just as Xia Ruofei was feeling puzzled, he saw a few policemen wearing reflective vests waving their electric batons at him, signaling him to stop the car by the side of the road.
"The police are so dedicated?" Xia Ruofei said to himself. "Why don't they go home to rest during the New Year?"
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