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Chapter 139: Savoring Every Bite
Chapter 139: Savoring Every Bite
Night had fallen.
In the living room, Deng Shirong was grilling oysters, with his children, daughters-in-law, and Deng Changyuan gathered around to watch him work.
Six oysters sizzled on the grill, the heat from the charcoal causing them to release a tantalizing aroma. Deng Shirong had already added minced garlic and chopped scallions to the oysters, and he now used a spoon to drizzle a savory sauce—made from a blend of oyster sauce, soy sauce, and high-temperature oil—over them.
The sauce melded with the oyster meat, releasing an aroma that made everyone’s mouths water. Deng Shirong, whose hands were calloused and immune to the heat, picked up each oyster and placed them on a nearby plate. He then smiled and said, “All right, go get some chopsticks and give them a try. Let me know how these grilled oysters taste. Be careful, they’re hot!”
With that, Deng Shirong brought out another six oysters and continued grilling.
The aroma of the grilled oysters was too much for the younger ones, like Deng Yunzhu and Deng Yunsong, to resist. They eagerly ran off to fetch chopsticks.
However, Deng Yuntao, Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yunzhen, and Deng Changyuan were a bit more reserved and didn’t move.
Deng Shirong had seven children, but Deng Yunheng was away at school. The rest, along with his eldest daughter-in-law and Deng Changyuan, made a total of nine people. Since the grill wasn’t large enough to cook more than six oysters at a time, three people would have to wait their turn.
Deng Shirong, who was busy grilling, couldn’t eat himself. Seeing that the older ones hadn’t moved, he said with a smile, “Yunzhen, Xiuping, you go ahead and eat. I’ll eat later with Yuntao and Changyuan.”
Deng Yuntao and Deng Changyuan nodded, urging the two women to eat first.
Seeing this, Deng Yunzhen decided not to be shy and fetched two pairs of chopsticks to share the remaining two oysters with her sister-in-law.
As the children and daughters-in-law prepared to eat, Deng Shirong reminded them, “It’s best to eat the oysters whole. If you bite them bit by bit, the flavor isn’t as good. First, use your chopsticks to carefully separate the oyster meat from the shell. Once the meat is less hot, eat it with the sauce in one bite. That’s when the flavor is the best.”
Following Deng Shirong’s advice, they carefully separated the oyster meat from the shell and took a bite, savoring the delicious blend of flavors. The taste was truly exquisite, and everyone enjoyed it immensely.
Deng Yuntao and Deng Changyuan watched with envy as the others ate, their eyes fixed on the second batch of oysters Deng Shirong was grilling.
The second batch was done quickly, and this time, Deng Yunzhen and Zhang Xiuping had to wait. Deng Yuntao and Deng Changyuan finally got to taste the grilled oysters, and the flavor was indeed sweet, fresh, and incredibly satisfying, making them want more.
Compared to other expensive seafood, oysters were relatively affordable, especially in this era. Deng Shirong had bought over a thousand oysters from a local fisherman and stored most of them in his system’s space, bringing back only about sixty or seventy.
With so many oysters, each person would get about seven or eight, which was a generous amount.
Grilling oysters was a simple technique, and anyone with basic cooking skills could learn it with one demonstration. After grilling a few batches, Deng Yunzhen volunteered, “Dad, let me grill the next batch. You haven’t eaten yet, and these oysters would be a great accompaniment to your meal.”
Deng Shirong smiled and said, “Sure, go ahead.”
Zhang Xiuping immediately said, "Dad, I'll serve you your rice."
Though her eldest daughter-in-law was pregnant, Deng Shirong didn't refuse her kind offer for such a small task.
"Mom, do you want me to warm up any other dishes for you?"
"No need, just give me some pickled vegetables; I don't need anything else."
"Oh, okay."
Once Zhang Xiuping had served the rice and placed it in front of her father-in-law, Deng Yunzhen brought the six freshly grilled oysters to her father and said, "Dad, you keep these six for your meal; everyone else can wait for the next batch."
Deng Shirong happily accepted the bowl of rice from his eldest daughter-in-law and began to savor the grilled oysters she had prepared, clearly enjoying his meal.
After eating a few of the grilled oysters, Deng Changyuan, having satisfied his appetite, finally remembered his future bride. He chuckled and approached Ninth Uncle, asking, "Ninth Uncle, did you go to Ahua's house today to speak on my behalf? Did her parents agree?"
Deng Shirong swallowed the food in his mouth and smiled, "I thought you'd forgotten about it!"
Deng Changyuan quickly denied it, "How could I forget? I was just busy earlier and didn't ask you right away."
Deng Shirong stopped teasing him and said, "I said all the good things I could today, and finally, her parents agreed to your marriage. On the tenth day of the month, they'll come to your house to inspect it. Go home and tell your parents to prepare in advance."
Hearing this, Deng Changyuan's face lit up with surprise. "Ninth Uncle, you even set the date for the inspection?"
Deng Shirong took a bite of his pickled vegetables and, after swallowing, continued, "Poxin Village is quite far from here, and it's not easy to make the trip. It's best to settle everything as quickly as possible."
Deng Changyuan, his excitement growing, asked, "Ninth Uncle, how many people will come for the inspection? And what about the bride price?"
Deng Shirong replied, "Seven people will accompany her for the inspection. As for the bride price, it's the standard rate: three hundred yuan and three hundred pounds of rice. Besides a few new outfits for Ahua, they have no other demands."
Deng Changyuan couldn't help but grin foolishly.
Deng Yuntai patted his shoulder and said, "Ahuan, congratulations!"
Deng Shirong added, "Tomorrow, I'll talk to YunGui and have him advance you a year's worth of wages so you can smoothly bring your bride home."
Although he had heard about this from Ninth Uncle earlier in the day, Deng Changyuan was still deeply moved when he heard it directly. He nodded repeatedly and said, "Thank you, Ninth Uncle."
Deng Shirong replied, "Don't thank me. Once you're married, live a good life. I gave my word to Ahua's parents that you'll treat her well. If you make her unhappy, I won't forgive you."
Deng Changyuan made all the necessary promises and also thought about finding a chance to discuss this with his parents, so they could avoid any issues with his in-laws that might require Ninth Uncle to intervene, which would be embarrassing.
Since her father-in-law had mentioned not eating too many oysters at once, Zhang Xiuping controlled herself and only ate five before stopping.
Deng Changyuan ate six and then hurried home to discuss the matter with his parents.
The rest of the oysters were shared and enjoyed by Deng Shirong and his sons, all of whom were thoroughly satisfied.
(End of Chapter)
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