Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife-Chapter 1404: New Reputation ( 2 )

At her words, plate after plate of the appetizer was brought out and served to the guests.

In the front yard, the guests already knew that the banquet was being handled by Lu Jueyu, so when they saw that only one plate was served at a time, they were no longer confused like before.

This time, chilled watermelon juice was also served alongside the appetizers. The refreshing juice washed away the greasiness of the fried food. The combination was delicious, and the sauce whetted their appetites.

After the appetizer, the next dish was brought out—lotus root pork soup.

The villagers had heard about lotus root dishes before, but they had never tried them because the ingredient was hard to find as it grew in the mountain lake. They never thought the Zhang family would be able to get lotus root.

Since it was a new dish, everyone was excited to try it. After they took the first sip, their eyes lit up. The lotus root soup tasted mildly sweet with a nutty flavor. The lotus root was springy, neither too soft nor too hard.

While the taste leaned more toward mildness, in the hot weather, it was a perfect balance. Adding pork ribs enhanced the richness of the soup and deepened the flavor.

The only downside was probably that the portion was small, and each guest was served just one bowl of soup.

Just after they finished the soup, the main dishes were finally brought out. When the guests saw the egg fried rice, they couldn't help but salivate.

Unlike the usual egg fried rice, the version served at this banquet was enhanced with toasted sesame oil. The sesame oil added a nutty aroma and tied all the flavors together.

Not only that, but the overnight rice had been soaked in beaten eggs for ten minutes before being fried. The vegetables, mushrooms, and Chinese sausage were fried separately and only mixed into the rice when it was almost done.

The egg fried rice was colorful, and the golden hue of the rice made it look beautiful.

Alongside the egg fried rice, each table was served a plate of squirrel mandarin fish, a plate of braised eggplants, a bowl of Lionhead meatballs, and a bowl of spinach-almond salad.

Accompanying the main course was a jar of Baijiu. This liquor had been prepared by Lu Jueyu personally.

For the male guests, she prepared Baijiu with a strong aroma and a spicy, fruity flavor. For the female guests, she prepared Baijiu with a light aroma and a sweet, floral taste.

As for the children, she prepared freshly squeezed orange juice mixed with coconut water and added a touch of mint.

While the guests were enjoying the meal, Lu Jueyu looked at the helpers and said, "Everyone has worked hard today. Since there is an hour before we serve the dessert, everyone can take a break and enjoy some mung bean soup to cool down the heat."

Hearing this, Grandma Feng replied with a smile, "Niece, I have learned a lot from helping out today. You are so generous to teach us alongside your son."

"Aunt Feng, it's nothing special, just some basic recipes. If everyone wants to learn, they can just learn," Lu Jueyu replied.

When they heard her words, everyone beamed with smiles. Those who came to help today were mostly from neighboring villages and had been hired by Chen Anwen.

They had been promised five kilograms of flour and two kilograms of grain after the banquet. At first, they thought they wouldn't be given any food since they would receive payment at the end of the day.

Unexpectedly, not only were they given a bowl of fish soup and two pancakes for breakfast, but they were also able to learn some tips and recipes from Lu Jueyu.

Compared to the payment, this knowledge was far more valuable. If they were lucky, they might even secure a job in the factory as cooks using these recipes. Now, they were even being given a bowl of mung bean soup and a cup of watermelon juice.

While they were rejoicing inwardly, Lu Jueyu said, "Everyone, I have prepared two tables of food to thank everyone. After we serve the dessert, we can have a meal together."

Hearing this, the helpers' eyes lit up, and one of them asked, "Sister-in-law, can I pack the food back instead? My husband and children are waiting for me at home."

After she said this, the rest of the helpers also agreed with her.

Seeing this, Lu Jueyu smiled and said, "Since everyone wants to bring the food home, of course it's doable. Later, we can just divide the food and share it among everyone."

When they heard this, they cheered and thanked her.

After the brief conversation, Lu Jueyu went to the front yard to check the situation. Seeing that everyone was enjoying the meal, she smiled and returned to the backyard.

At this moment, Dong Li and Chen Jianmin were taking a quick shower at the well behind the house. The two of them were sweating, and their bodies were covered with various smells from cooking.

Now that they had finished their job, they couldn't wait to go home and take a proper shower. As boys, they didn't have many restrictions. Wearing only their underwear, the two of them were rubbing their bodies and hair with shampoo and soap.

Although they couldn't completely remove the smells, at least the oil, sweat, and stains were washed away. When they were done, they changed into clean clothes and underwear before returning to the Zhang family's house.

Unbeknownst to them, two people were hiding behind the trees. Only after Dong Li and Chen Jianmin left did these two dare to come out.

Glancing at Li Shu, Liu Fuyan asked in confusion, "Sister Li Shu, why did we have to hide just now?"

Looking at the eight-year-old girl, Li Shu was tongue-tied. She was still a child, so she didn't understand the differences between boys and girls.