NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Meat Pies
Chapter 9: Meat Pies
Let’s first review Li Xi’s process of making meat pies.
To begin, she seemingly “casually” but actually deliberately chose the roundest and most attractive piece of dough from the entire board, which she had noticed earlier.
Then she picked up chopsticks and placed a large dollop of meat filling on the dough.
Li Xi believed that for meat pies, more filling was better.
However, things didn’t go as she expected.
There was too much filling, and the dough couldn’t contain it. It was leaking from one place or another.
But she refused to give up, transforming into a little leak-fixing expert. When it leaked here, she pinched the dough to make it stick together; when it leaked there, she sprinkled some flour to patch it up. She was determined to challenge this overstuffed meat pie.
The result in her palm was a product full of patches and repairs, leaking filling from all sides – in short, a lump.
Li Xi couldn’t bring herself to call her creation a “meat pie” after seeing her sisters-in-law’s finished products.
She had to be honest: this was a bit insulting to meat pies.
She had observed the entire process of her sisters-in-law making meat pies. They also used large amounts of filling, but with their fingers moving this way and that, in just a few motions, a meat pie would take shape.
Why was it that when the dough and filling came to her hands, they wouldn’t cooperate?
Could it be that she wasn’t suited for cooking?
Wu Jingwan, her eldest sister-in-law, saw the meat pie in her hands and the undisguised self-doubt and confusion on her face. She comforted her, “Little sister, it’s your first time making meat pies. Mistakes are inevitable. Don’t doubt yourself.”
“Really?” Li Xi’s tone held a hint of uncertainty, but also a glimmer of excitement.
“Little sister’s meat pie is much better than mine when I first made them. As for your second sister-in-law’s first attempt at making meat pies, well…” Liu Qiniang’s words suddenly faltered as she looked closely at the “meat pie” in Li Xi’s hands, realizing it was actually better than hers had been.
“Second sister?” Li Xi was listening intently when she noticed Liu Qiniang’s words stop abruptly. She immediately looked at her with feigned confusion.
Li Xi’s round eyes were bright like a fawn’s as she looked at Liu Qiniang. Seeing those expectant eyes, Liu Qiniang’s thoughts raced: she should still encourage her little sister.
“It’s nothing, I was just trying to recall how to describe my first meat pie, but it’s been so long I can’t quite remember. But I do remember it was quite ugly.”
“So failing the first time is nothing to worry about. I’ll teach you how to make them, and I guarantee you’ll be making big, beautiful ones in no time!” Liu Qiniang said.
Seeing Liu Qiniang rack her brains to comfort her, Li Xi turned her head and stifled a laugh.
Noticing Li Xi’s expression, Liu Qiniang understood everything and immediately scolded with a smile, “You little minx, you’re just teasing your second sister!”
“Second sister, I wouldn’t dare! Right, eldest sister?” Li Xi looked at Wu Jingwan, her face unable to hide her amusement.
Seeing this, Wu Jingwan also said seriously, “Little sister was indeed very sincere.”
At these words, the three women in the kitchen looked at each other for a moment, then burst into laughter together.
With the meat pies prepared, Li Xi went to fetch firewood, while her sisters-in-law began cooking the pies and setting out bowls and chopsticks for Song’er and the others.
In Taohua Village, people were generally simple and kind, but after living together for a long time, neighbors inevitably had small conflicts. Families like Li Xi’s, where everyone was close and harmonious between in-laws, sisters-in-law, and aunts, were rare.
For instance, Wu Jingwan and Liu Qiniang always called Li Xi the more affectionate “little sister” or “Xi’er,” rather than “sister-in-law.”
Five-year-old Song’er and three-year-old Xing’er were Li He and Wu Jingwan’s son and daughter, while two-year-old Bai’er was Li Jiang and Liu Qiniang’s son. However, these three little ones were inseparable, eating, living, and being raised together. Both Jingwan and Qiniang were at ease, showing no special treatment to children who weren’t their own.
Li Xi watched the stove fire while observing Wu Jingwan fry the meat pies, her big eyes full of anticipation.
As if destined to meet, when the meat pie slid into the sizzling oil, the dough’s contact with the hot oil produced a “sizzling” sound.
Oil droplets quickly danced around the meat pie, with a lively “crackling” sound that didn’t cease. This was the magical reaction between the oil and the surface of the meat pie.
As the temperature rose, the outer skin of the meat pie gradually turned golden and crispy, and a rich aroma began to spread through the air.
This fragrance was a mix of the scorched aroma from the oil and the tempting smell of the meat pie filling.
Li Xi took a deep breath, the aroma entering her body through her nostrils, causing her mouth to water rapidly.
Her sense of smell was particularly keen compared to others, making it even more torturous.
“It smells so good!” she exclaimed.
“You little glutton, once these meat pies are done, you’ll be the first to taste one,” Wu Jingwan said, her words full of amusement.
“Eldest sister knows me best. You’re the greatest!” Li Xi quickly flattered.
“Oh, you!” Wu Jingwan tapped Li Xi’s nose lightly.
Li Xi grinned.
At this moment, the first batch of meat pies was ready. Wu Jingwan placed one in a bowl and handed it to Li Xi, “Be careful, the meat pie is very hot.”
The freshly cooked pork and cabbage meat pie was steaming hot, its aroma wafting through the air.
“Okay!” Li Xi’s attention was completely captivated by the tempting meat pie. She absent-mindedly agreed and took a bite the moment she received the bowl.
“Ouch! Hot, hot, hot!”
Li Xi hissed and blew air while hopping from the heat.
“You’re too impatient!” Wu Jingwan chided gently.
“It’s all the meat pie’s fault for smelling so good!” Li Xi retorted.
The meat pie had a crispy exterior and a juicy, flavorful interior, with a hint of spiritual energy. The tenderness of the spirit pork and the sweetness of the cabbage blended perfectly, each bite filling Li Xi with satisfaction.
“Our family’s meat pies are so much better than the ones I bought at the market before!” Li Xi praised.
“It smells so good, Aunt, what are you eating?” Song’er was attracted to the kitchen door by the aroma, followed by Xing’er and Bai’er.
“Aunt is eating meat pies, freshly fried. Too bad Song’er just had breakfast and can’t eat any more~” Li Xi said with a smile.
“This meat pie is crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. Wow~ it’s so delicious~” Looking at Song’er’s greedy expression, Li Xi deliberately described the deliciousness of the meat pie loudly.
“Aunt, you’re so mean!” Song’er was exasperated. But he had indeed just eaten and couldn’t manage even one bite of meat pie.
Hehe, I’m just teasing you, little one~ I haven’t forgotten~ Li Xi chuckled inwardly.
After the kitchen was cleaned up and still no one had returned, Li Xi rested her chin on her hand, looking at the courtyard gate. “Why haven’t they come back yet?”
Just as she was thinking this, footsteps were heard outside the gate, and it opened to reveal her eldest and second brothers returning.
The eldest brother was carrying tools for repairing the house, while the second brother held a set of smaller-sized farming tools, clearly meant for Li Xi to use.
As they closed the gate, Li Jiang said with a smile, “If we weren’t afraid of the villagers noticing something unusual, we could have just used the space talisman big brother gave us to store these things. It would have saved us from carrying them by hand.”
“The space talisman is indeed convenient, but if we went out and came back empty-handed, it might arouse suspicion. It’s better to be cautious,” Li He said gently.
“Ah, if the villagers found out in advance that big brother can make space talismans and it reached the Tianyan Sect, it would indeed cause trouble,” Li Jiang agreed with the family’s decision, though having the space talisman but not being able to use it made him itch.
Yesterday, the family had discussed keeping big brother’s ability to make space talismans a secret for now, and not to use them in the village, especially since their village school teacher was a disciple of the Tianyan Sect. If the teacher found out, it would be no different from the Tianyan Sect knowing.
Even villagers like them knew that the Tianyan Sect was a first-class sect, and they couldn’t predict how such a sect would act. What if the Tianyan Sect learned that Li He could make space talismans and simply took him away?
They were just ordinary villagers who had received the Tianyan Sect’s benevolence since birth. Even if Li He were taken away, they wouldn’t harbor resentment. But how could they accept the possibility of father and son being separated, or husband and wife being torn apart?
It was better to be cautious.
Even Li Xi’s space talisman, which she had just received and hadn’t even had time to warm up in her hands, was taken away by Li Shan early in the morning for safekeeping.
They were afraid that Li Xi, being a child, might let something slip.