5 Eating Together

Just like in Yan Xiu's house, the Lu family dining room was combined with kitchen. Cooking in the kitchen was a beautiful lady with long raven hair, wearing a grey robe, she was the wife of Lu Rianli and mother of Lu Hao, Xiao ShanShan. Madam Lu was about to cook lunch when she heard Yan Xiu came, she then changed the menu and cook one more portion for Yan Xiu. With the three of them came inside the room, she turned her head to looked at them with a smile.

" Go wash your hand before you sit, you three. Food's almost ready, " (XSS)

The three of them salivate when they smelt the fragrance coming from the kitchen, they quickly washed their hand and sat on the table. On the table were four sets of a bowl of rice and chopsticks. Before long the food was done, Yan Xiu went into the kitchen and helped Xiao ShanShan carrying the plate of food to the table.

" Aunt, let me help, " (MC)

" Little Xiu, you're the guest, just sit, " (XSS)

" It's okay, I want to help, " (MC)

Yan Xiu smiled and carried two plates on each hand before bringing them to the table. Xiao ShanShan, who was behind Yan Xiu, stroke his head after putting the plate to the table with a smile full of affection.

" Little Xiu is really a good child, " (XSS)

" Yeah, unlike a certain idiot son, " (LR)

Lu Rianli snickered while gazing at a certain person. At this point, Lu Hao had already become numb. He already knows that everyone loves the younger child and discriminate against the old one. When he was still a child, everyone doted on him. Now that his grown-up, everyone doted on the still-a-child Yan Xiu. Such a cruel world, thought Lu Hao, with an expression like an abandoned old wife. But, Lu Hao didn't dwell in his thought very long because his attention was taken by the food on the table, so did Lu Rianli and Yan Xiu.

There were three dishes on the table. The first dish was shredded spicy beef, which was like its name, beef from One-horned Cow shredded to short thin strips then fried until it's crispy with a mix of Snow Garlic, sweet soy sauce, and Crimson Chili. The second dish was soy sauce base egg soup, fried Rainbow-tailed Chicken's eggs which then were boiled with soy sauce soup base and then added with Crimson Chili and Snow Garlic. The third dish was Sauteed Deep Water Spinach, a simply Deep Water Spinach sauteed with small dices of tofu and mushroom and a little bit of water.

Yan Xiu's eyes brightened. He sat down and waited for everyone to took their fill before he takes something for himself. The most impatient one was the glutton Lu Hao, he swiftly reached out for the shredded spicy beef and ate it with rice. The strong sweet and spicy taste of the beef was mellowed out by the rice, but it didn't lose its taste. It was in fact elevated by the rice. Lu Hao closed his eyes in bliss, as he enjoyed the crispy texture of the beef and soft rice in their combined tastes. The more he chews the more flavor flowed out of the beef. When he swallowed, he moaned at the taste.

The second one was Lu Rianli. He took one egg with some of the soup and poured it into his rice bowl. The eggs were cooked briefly with a lot of oil in high heat, resulting in it being fluffy with no hard edges. Lu Rianli poked the egg yolk and the yellow syrupy egg yolk flowed out, he scoops the egg yolk up with rice and put it in his mouth. The egg yolk didn't smell fishy at all, it had a deep with a slightly salty taste. The soup was sweet and spicy with a clean salty aftertaste.

Xiao ShanShan prefers vegetable than meat, she took the spinach into a small bowl along with its soup, mushroom, and tofu. The Sauteed Deep Water Spinach's soup was thick with golden brown color, the swimming verdant green Deep Water Spinach looks like a mountain in the middle of the golden sea. Xiao ShanShan slurped up the spinach like a noodle, the spinach was crisp and bursting with flavor with every bite, the viscous soup coated her mouth with a salty taste and leave behind a slightly sweet aftertaste. The tofu and mushroom also add new texture and taste to the dish, making one never felt bored when eating it. Xiao ShanShan licked her lips with her small tongue, not wasting any bits of the soup.

When the Lu family already took the food, Yan Xiu reached out for the beef. The moment he tasted it, he almost burst to tears. These dishes were his favorites, his mama used to make it all the time for him before she disappeared. Looking at the Lu family, it had been a while since the last time he ate together. He reminded of his parent, the time where they ate together just like this. Tears gathered in his eyes, threatening to fell but Yan Xiu held it back. He reached out for another dish and ate with gusto. Xiao ShanShan saw the tears in Yan Xiu's eyes, she felt sad for the boy.

These dishes were taught to her by Yan Xiu's mother. When she heard Yan Xiu was coming, she prepared these dishes for him. She knew that he missed his parent, while she couldn't be his mother, she could at least cook for him. While the mother was thinking that, the father and son were too busy gorging on the food. Xiao ShanShan saw Yan Xiu's rice bowl was empty, she smiled.

" Little Xiu, do you want second? Don't hold back, there are still many foods to go around okay? " (XSS)

As a household with two cultivators in it, Xiao ShanShan always made many foods at every meal.

""" Second!! """ (MC, LH, LR)

The three boys pushed their bowls to Xiao ShanShan, she giggled and refilled their bowls. The three of them were done after having seconds another two times, their stomach was sticking out after being filled with foods. Xiao ShanShan tidied up the table and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

" Shan'er your cooking skill increased again, it was delicious! " (LR)

" Mom, that was tasty!" (LH)

" Aunty, it was really tasty! " (MC)

" Fufu, thank you. Little Xiu, come whenever you want okay, aunty will cook tasty dishes for you anytime, " (XSS)

" Un! " (MC)

After they rested for a little to digest the food, the three of them went back to the butcher room. The pig was done bleeding out, Lu Rianli picked up the barrels containing the blood and set it elsewhere before washing the blood on the table. He then washed the pig thoroughly before he took a knife and stood before the pig.

" Little Xiu, what I can and am teaching you is how to butcher game at home, as for butchering at the field, the head hunter can teach you about that. Now, the first thing after bleeding out the pig is to take out the organs. It is easier to do it while it hangs upside down, you start from taking out the rectum. It will make it easier for you when you take out the intestine, you make a cut on the genital then back to the rectum. " (LR)

Lu Rianli hands moved as he dictated what he was doing, his every move was very smooth and looked easy even though it wasn't.

" After that, you just cut from the first cut all the way to the neck. Make sure not to puncture the stomach or intestine or it will taint your meat. Then, you gently took out the stomach and intestine. After washing, it could be eaten. " (LR)

Lu Rianli took out a barrel and put the organs inside.

" With the organs out, you can start skinning it. You start from the legs, connect it to the stomach then to the front leg and finally take it off from the back. Just gently cut the film below the skin. " (LR)

The pig soon deprived of its skin, showing the red meat beneath it. The skin was spread and hang on the hook.

" Now, just like small beasts, there are many cuts on the big beasts. I'll show you one by one, pay attention. " (LR)

Lu Rianli then starts cutting the meat. Shoulder, ham, front hock, loin, chops and many more. Lu Rianli quickly cut the meat, his experienced hand didn't waste any meat. The meat and bones then placed on the table orderly. It was an amazing spread.

" Well, did you remember it? " (LR)

" I guess, but not everything. " (MC)

" Hahaha, that's okay. No one gets it for the first time, you can remember it by doing it over and over. " (LR)

" Thanks, uncle. " (MC)

Lu Rianli smiled at Yan Xiu, if it weren't for the stench on his hand, he would be stroking Yan Xiu's head.

" Well, go on then. You start learning hunting today right? Go, I'll deliver the meat to your house later. " (LR)

" Ah! I almost forgot to thank you, uncle! " (MC)

Yan Xiu ran toward the head hunter's house after bowing to Lu Rianli. Lu Hao and Lu Rianli waved at Yan Xiu, Lu Rianli then prepared the meat and organs. Lu Hao was about to went out of the room when he heard Lu Rianli's word.

" Take this to little Xiu's house later. " (LR)

Lu Hao almost fell, you're the one that said you'll deliver it. Why do you tell me to do that now?!