Transmigrated as My Aunt in the 70s
Chapter 179 - 172 Russian Soup

Chapter 179: 172 Russian Soup

He Xuewen brought back things that shocked the Hu family again, but with the foreshadowing of the noon event, they weren’t too shocked this time, and they appeared quite composed on the surface.

The Hu family had already realized that He Xuewen was definitely not an ordinary person; being able to secure such nice things amidst such scarce resources was beyond what ordinary people could manage.

What Tian Sisi didn’t know was that her value within the Hu family had risen progressively because of the things she and He Xuewen brought back, and her life was much more comfortable than before, with Zhou Yali no longer disdainfully looking down on her rural background.

With the food He Xuewen brought back, the dinner dishes became even richer. Tian Manxing put her full skill into cooking, creating a full table of dishes, even Hu Yaohan was inspired and personally made a simplified version of Russian Soup.

"Wow, it’s been ages since we had your Daddy’s Russian Soup. Today, we’re fortunate to have your haul, allowing us to enjoy such a meal."

Zhou Yali spoke to Tian Manxing in a slightly exaggerated tone, and Tian Manxing just smiled without speaking. She was in an excellent mood today; how could she not notice the change in her mother-in-law’s attitude? Although it was somewhat ironic, she was still very happy and very grateful to He Xuewen.

"Aunt Hu is too polite. We’re all family here, there’s no need to be so formal," He Xuewen said with a laughing smile.

"The key to making Russian Soup is the roux; the best oil to use would be butter, but in its absence, lard and rapeseed oil are good too, mixed in a one-to-one ratio. However, if your Mama finds it too greasy, I’ll use less oil. Remember this well, and you can cook it for Manxing next time."

Hu Yaohan said this while frying the roux in the pot, and Hu Dingbei nodded in agreement continuously. Tian Manxing’s face turned slightly red, but she had a smile on it.

Tian Sisi found it quite amusing. In her previous life, when people described Shanghai people, they often used words like "stingy, snobbish, shrewd, and exclusive." But from her perspective, there were many good aspects of Shanghai people, especially Shanghai men, who were the epitome of doting on their wives, something incomparable worldwide.

"It would have been better if we had beef and tomato paste for a more savoury soup, but having sausage and tomatoes is good too, and it tastes just as great."

Hu Yaohan was slightly regretful, but He Xuewen chimed in from the side: "I’ll go look for it tomorrow, maybe I can get some beef and tomato paste. Uncle Hu, what are your signature dishes? What ingredients do you need? Maybe we can make a list later, and I’ll go look for them, so we can all have our eyes opened!"

"Ah, I’m the one who’s not blessed enough," Tian Mantong joked.

"Uncle, don’t worry. After I learn how to make it from grandpa in a few days, I’ll cook it for you when I go back."

Tian Sisi comforted Tian Mantong, who happily hugged and kissed her repeatedly.

"Oh my, how could we? It’s not right to have the guest buy groceries. I’m so embarrassed."

Zhou Yali was of course very happy inside, but she still had to be polite on the surface. In fact, she also craved those delicious dishes, it’s just that even with money, these good things couldn’t be bought now.

"It’s okay, I’ve long heard that Uncle Hu’s cooking skills surpass those of big restaurant chefs. This is a great opportunity to truly enjoy a feast."

He Xuewen spoke sincerely, making everyone in the Hu family very happy and not at all losing face. This was the artfulness of He Xuewen’s speech.

Tian Sisi stood beside Hu Yaohan with a serious face, watching his steps and ingredients. Although Hu Yaohan thought it funny to see a little one learning to cook, he still explained carefully, "This cabbage should not be cut with a knife, but torn by hand, as it allows the flavors to penetrate more easily."

Tian Sisi listened carefully and nodded. Russian Soup is actually not that complicated to make, and the ingredients can vary widely, but one must have patience. Being in a rush is not conducive to making a delicious Russian Soup. Because there was no beef, the soup did not need to be cooked for too long; it was ready in half an hour.

The vibrant red broth, with soft-boiled cabbage leaves floating on top, filled the entire kitchen with a rich aroma, and everyone took deep breaths of satisfaction, "It smells so good!" exclaimed Zhou Yali.

Hu Yaohan specially served the Russian Soup in a white, jade-like large bowl, "Even the container for serving soup is important—color, aroma, flavor, appearance. None can be missing. If you use a stainless steel pot to serve soup, even the tastiest soup would be discounted by half."

Although Tian Sisi always believed that when one is hungry, even soup served in a wooden bowl is delicious, the red broth swirling in the white jade bowl, red paired with white, with Zhou Yali specially washing a few parsley leaves to float on the surface as a garnish, indeed sparked the appetite and was eye-catching.

Suddenly, Tian Sisi had an epiphany. How one lives life actually has a lot to do with their own personality. Fastidious people will exhaust every effort to live with taste; even without money to buy fresh flowers, they might pick wildflowers to place in a glass vase, or bake a birthday cake themselves with plain flour on a simple stove if they can’t afford to buy one.

Creating romance if there isn’t any ensures that life is not wasted. She didn’t know who said this, but it seemed very appropriate at the moment. Tian Sisi suddenly admired Hu Yaohan and Zhou Yali, an old romantic couple. In this era of drab green and blue, they still maintained a romantic heart.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the dinner, particularly the Russian Soup, which was praised by all—except for Tian Sisi, who was sipping white porridge, eyes fixed enviously on others enjoying the delicious soup.

"Are you longing for some soup, Ah Nan? It’s okay, in a couple of days Daddy will make you soup to your heart’s content," Hu Yaohan said, amused by Tian Sisi’s longing look, gently comforting her.

"Thank you, Daddy."

The next morning, after breakfast, Tian Mantong returned home. Tian Xinhua and the others had recently become fascinated with watching movies. Yesterday’s "Never Surrender" left them incredibly satisfied, and the four discussed eagerly watching all the good movies in the next few days.

Tian Sisi didn’t join their plans, mainly because she really had no interest in current films. In her past life, she often heard Zhong Juying talk about how wonderful the North Korean film "The Flower Girl" was, even saying it was more touching than "Mama, Love Me Again," and that she cried every time she watched it.

Having heard about it so much, Tian Sisi became interested and specially downloaded the movie. However, after watching only a third of it, she couldn’t continue. The landlord was extremely vicious and heartless, and the heroine’s situation kept getting worse, with no end to her misery. It was a story of a pitiable girl who, after enduring a harsh winter, finally found a warm spring.

To Tian Sisi, who had seen many high-tech Hollywood blockbusters, the storyline felt cliché, the costumes shabby, and the makeup poorly done. However, for that time, the movies shown in cinemas were certainly considered excellent.

Hu Yaohan and Tian Manxing had gone to work, and He Xuewen also took Tian Sisi out. Before leaving, they told the Hu family that they wouldn’t be back for lunch, as they were heading to several places today. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it with recommendation and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)