"No need for you to send them, Mom. I'll find someone to pick them up at home. You can think about what kind of non - perishable food to prepare for Niannian. It's just two days later."
"Okay, okay. You should also go back early to take care of Niannian."
Yang Yufen hung up the phone and stopped sleeping. Two days was not a long time. Apart from dried goods and various kinds of sauces, there really wasn't much that was non - perishable.
Yang Yufen recalled what her daughter - in - law liked to eat. She had preserved the seafood she bought before well and decided to send it to her daughter - in - law together.
"Why don't you sleep after answering the phone? What's the matter?"
"Niannian misses the home - cooked food. I'm thinking about what I can make."
"No wonder you can't sleep. What have you come up with?"
"I'll pack the soybean paste I made and make some meat sauce. Niannian also likes mushrooms, so I'll make some mushroom sauce. Oh, I shouldn't have been lazy last year. I didn't make any cured chicken or cured fish. Niannian likes them too. No, I can't be lazy this year."
"Don't worry, don't worry. If we can send them later, you can send them after you make them next time. Let's focus on what we can make now."
Among the things she could make, Yang Yufen even packed the pickled cabbage she pickled in a jar. She prepared a large pile of things, mostly packed in glass jars and clay pots. Yang Yufen wrapped many of them with straw to prevent them from being broken.
The only thing prepared for Shen Xianjun was a jar of chili sauce. The rest were all non - spicy. Two days later, someone indeed came to the family compound. Yang Yufen handed the things to the person, which also included many imported candies bought from the department store.
Qin Nian was drinking the stomach - nourishing tea prescribed by the doctor, but her appetite was still not very good, although she tried hard to eat.
Not only Shen Xianjun was worried, but everyone also began to worry about Qin Nian's health. If they hadn't confirmed that Qin Nian wasn't pregnant, Shen Xianjun would have almost been regarded as the culprit.
Shen Xianjun was also looking forward to it, hoping that the things his mother sent would arrive soon and that they would be useful.
"I want to eat cold noodles."
Qin Nian rarely took the initiative to say what she wanted to eat. Hearing this, Shen Xianjun immediately went to prepare. There was a vegetable garden in the base. He picked some red tomatoes and cucumbers and pulled out a spring onion.
Just as he was about to go back, he was stopped.
"Comrade Shen Xianjun, you need to pick up your package in person."
Hearing this, Shen Xianjun thanked happily. Without caring about anything else, he carried the vegetable basket and ran to pick up the package.
The heavy package couldn't be carried in his arms, so he borrowed a tool to pull it back.
After taking out the bottles and jars, Shen Xianjun felt a bit sour. His mother's preference for his wife was so obvious. It wasn't until he found a jar of chili sauce that he felt he still had a little bit of presence in his mother's eyes.
Shen Xianjun quickly went to make cold noodles. When Qin Nian came back, she felt that she smelled a very familiar smell. Then she found many bottles and jars that had been unpacked and placed in the corner.
"You're back. The noodles are ready. It's just the right time to eat."
Shen Xianjun came out and saw Qin Nian's figure, but she had her back to him. As he was speaking, he put the noodles in his hand on the table. Then he felt something was wrong when he turned his head.
"What's wrong?"
"You called Mom. All these were made by Mom. Counting from the day I came back from the infirmary, Mom must have made these overnight. She prepared so many things. Making sauce takes the most time."
Even though she didn't see it with her own eyes, Qin Nian could imagine her mother - in - law standing in front of the stove making sauce. It was so hot, and she made so many kinds of sauce with different flavors.
Shen Xianjun didn't say a word. Looking at the bottles and jars on the ground, he had made the cold noodles with the tomato sauce his mother made. He had mixed the tomatoes he picked with sugar. Using the tomato sauce his mother made was faster than making it on the spot. He was afraid he wouldn't have enough time.
"I made the cold noodles with the tomato sauce Mom made. Do you want to eat first? Otherwise, the noodles will clump and won't be as delicious."
Shen Xianjun said.
Qin Nian nodded and sat down at the table to eat the noodles. Seeing Shen Xianjun adding chili sauce, she pushed her bowl forward.
Shen Xianjun saw the bowl of noodles pushed into his sight and looked up.
"Do you want some too? You don't usually eat spicy food, do you?"
"I want to try it."
Qin Nian said. Every time she saw Shen Xianjun eating chili sauce with great enjoyment, she wanted to give it a try. But the food made by her mother - in - law was so delicious without chili sauce that she never tried it at home.
But now, she just wanted to have a taste.
"Then I'll put just a little bit for you, in case it's too spicy for you to bear."
Shen Xianjun put a tiny bit and only placed it on the side.
Qin Nian took a bite. It was a bit spicy, but the sour and spicy taste was very delicious, and she could accept it.
Without waiting for Shen Xianjun to do it, Qin Nian took the chili sauce and added some by herself.
"Too much, too much. You have a sensitive stomach. You can't eat too much spicy food."
Shen Xianjun quickly said.
Qin Nian stirred the noodles and took a bite. It was delicious. It turned out that her mother - in - law's chili sauce was so delicious. No wonder her elder brother and Xianjun both liked it.
When it was too spicy, Qin Nian picked up a piece of sugar - mixed tomato to eat. After the spiciness subsided, she continued to eat. Before she knew it, she finished a bowl of noodles.
"Mom's chili sauce is very delicious."
Qin Nian took the initiative to wash the dishes after eating.
"Then I'll ask Mom to make more next time."
Shen Xianjun said.
"Let's finish these first. It's so far away. Mom has to take care of the kids and do her own things. She'll be too tired."
Hearing this, Shen Xianjun also felt sorry for his mother.
"Okay."
Seeing that Qin Nian could eat a full meal, and he didn't need to cook specially for her, Shen Xianjun felt happy. However, the chili sauce that he thought he could monopolize had now become his wife's favorite and was taken to work by her.
Eating spicy food was like an addiction. The more you ate, the more you liked it. You didn't realize it until you tried it.
Qin Nian thought she was a bit naughty, but she left half a jar at home. She found that Shen Xianjun hadn't touched it, knowing that her husband also deliberately left it for her. Later, for the sake of convenience, she took it to work. She didn't need to go back and forth at noon.
Since Qin Nian could eat well, her work efficiency had greatly improved. So everyone was very curious about what that magical chili sauce tasted like.
This curiosity reached Shen Xianjun.
"Does Auntie have any secret recipe for making chili sauce? Now everyone is very curious."
The cook in the canteen came closer and asked.
Hearing this, Shen Xianjun was stunned for a moment. He really didn't know. His mother seemed to cook very casually, but the food she made was always delicious.
"Why don't you ask Auntie? Now everyone is not only curious but also craving it."
"Is it really necessary for a jar of chili sauce? My mother can make many kinds of sauce, and there are still many at home."
"Let me have a taste. Maybe I can make it, so that everyone can have a taste, and they won't be curious anymore. Moreover, this is for everyone to better devote themselves to work. As the saying goes, man cannot live on bread alone. Eating well is very important. You don't know how heavy my burden is."
The canteen chef pleaded persistently. Then after Shen Xianjun got off work, he went to Shen Xianjun and his wife's dormitory.
"Auntie is really amazing. This meat sauce is absolutely wonderful for stuffing in steamed buns or mixing with noodles."
