The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

Chapter 167 Banquet

Chen Jiajia always uses her sweet voice to call "Auntie" which warms people's hearts.

Thinking that such a little cutie might be trapped in this remote village in the future and have to get married in a hurry as a teenager, Chen Xi's heart felt like it was pierced by a needle, and the pain was unbearable.

Alas, this world is so unfair to women.

"Jiayi, since the college doesn't allow girls to enroll, you will have an extra responsibility on your shoulders. When you get there, you must study harder, and after you come back, you must pass on what you have learned to Jiajia, understand?" Chen Xi said to Chen Jiayi earnestly.

Chen Jiayi nodded heavily, his eyes firm: "Aunt, don't worry, I will never let you down!"

As the new house was completed, Chen Xi took her two children and reluctantly said goodbye to the Chen family.

As night fell and it was time for dinner, she suggested that everyone sit around and eat hotpot together. The lively atmosphere could make the home seem more warm and harmonious.

The newly purchased shuangxiang hotpot in town finally came in handy. On one side was the clear, sweet mushroom soup with a strong mushroom aroma, and on the other side was the hot and spicy red oil base that was irresistible.

The boiling soup is bubbling in the pot, and the steam carrying a rich aroma fills the entire room, tempting everyone's taste buds and making people unable to resist salivating.

On the table, there were a variety of ingredients neatly arranged: tender beef, smooth chicken, crisp lettuce, sweet cabbage, white tofu, plump fungus, and the sweet and refreshing radish.

"Come on, let's eat!" Following Chen Xi's order, Xiaoyang and Xiaochen couldn't wait to challenge the spicy hot pot. Although it was so spicy that they stuck out their tongues, they still enjoyed it.

After dinner, Xie Tianyi and Chen Xi prepared a bath for the children.

Amid the steam, Xie Tianyi suddenly remembered something and turned to Chen Xi and said, "Today, the village chief's kid reminded me that we should hold a celebration banquet for moving to a new home. I have already agreed, but if you think it's inappropriate, we can cancel it."

Although Xie Tianyi grew up in an era where men were superior to women, his respect and consideration for Chen Xi made Chen Xi feel particularly warm.

"Since you've agreed, let's hold it. Your eyes have also recovered, so this is a double blessing." Chen Xi responded gently with a smile.

Xie Tianyi glanced sideways, his eyes gently falling on Chen Xi's face, so close that he could almost count the soft hairs on her face and the smooth skin. An indescribable love welled up in his heart, and he wanted to reach out and caress her gently.

Realizing his own gaffe, Xie Tianyi's cheeks flushed slightly, and he quickly covered it up by saying, "Ahem, the water seems a little cold, I'll go add some hot water."

His steps were a little hurried, and it was not difficult to notice this if you looked carefully.

Chen Xi tested the water temperature and it was clearly not cold, and the kettle was right next to her. She secretly felt a little puzzled.

However, she did not think much about it and concentrated on bathing the children, and then quickly rinsed herself.

After all, hot pot is delicious, but the smell is really not suitable to stay on your body.

When Chen Xi finished bathing, Xie Tianyi reappeared at the bathroom door.

"How about we go to town tomorrow to buy some ingredients and have a banquet the day after tomorrow?"

Chen Xi asked, considering that if they were to host a banquet tomorrow, the family’s preparations would obviously not be sufficient.

"Good idea. Let's go shopping early tomorrow morning and ask a few villagers to help in the afternoon." Xie Tianyi agreed. This was exactly what Chen Xi wanted.

Considering that the village has nearly 200 people, if everyone comes, at least a dozen banquet tables will need to be prepared.

So, the two of them joined hands, rented an ox cart, and headed to the town to carry out large-scale purchases.

The list included: 15 chickens, 40 kilograms of pork, 15 ducks, 15 fish, plus 3 kilograms of sugar, and 30 kilograms of freshly baked bread was specially ordered from Chen's Dessert Shop.

At rural banquets, people don’t pay too much attention to the variety of dishes. As long as the quantity is large enough, there is meat, and it fills people up, it is enough.

In the afternoon, Chen Xi first visited Guo Ping's mother and Aunt Li who lived at the entrance of the village. These two elders had a close relationship with her.

"Ask the two aunts a favor and organize some manpower. We need to prepare a banquet in the next two days. I will pay each person fifty cents." Chen Xi said as he stretched out his hands with full sincerity.

For the people in the village, they can earn fifty cents by cooking a meal. Such a good thing naturally attracted active responses from many aunts.

After a screening, ten skillful women were finally selected. They began to get busy in the afternoon, handling the lively chickens, ducks and fish and preparing the ingredients needed for the banquet.

After a busy and orderly period of intense work, all the ingredients have been prepared, waiting to be put into the pot the next day to cook delicious dishes.

Chen Xi stood at the kitchen door, looking at the two newly purchased large iron pots, a satisfied smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

News in the countryside always spreads fast, and the news that Xie Tianyi's family was about to hold a housewarming celebration quickly spread throughout the village.

When the villagers learned about this, they all took action enthusiastically. Some brought their own treasured mahogany tables and chairs, and some brought sturdy and durable bamboo stools. In a short time, the Xie family's courtyard was filled with all kinds of furniture, which was dazzling.

The next morning, just as the sky was turning pale, Chen Qiangsheng and his wife, along with their family, young and old, walked in the morning dew, full of joy, to Xie Tianyi's new home.

The children were like ponies running free from their reins, chasing and playing, their clear laughter echoing in the air.

The adults were busy setting up the venue, with happy smiles on their faces.

Xiaoyang and Xiaochen, as the little masters of the family, spared no effort to play the role of little guides. Holding Chen Jiayi in one hand and Chen Jiajia in the other, they shuttled around their own land and enthusiastically introduced the little friends in the village to each other one by one.

Chen Xi's attentiveness made every child's pocket bulge with colorful candies. These sweet little messengers were passed from child to child.

"Wow, Xiaoyang and Xiaochen, your new house is so grand, it looks like it came out of a painting!" Li Xuanxuan exclaimed while chewing candy.

Hearing this, Xiao Chen couldn't help but stand up higher, and the pride almost overflowed from his chest: "Of course, the walls of our house are built with fine blue bricks, so they are very solid!"

The children sat in a circle and shared candies. The warm and harmonious scene deeply touched Chen Dabao's heart.

He realized that this simple happiness might be exactly what he longed for deep in his heart.

So, he pulled Xie Shunyao along and decided to try to integrate again.

After the unpleasant experience last time, Chen Dabao became much more cautious, while Xie Shunyao looked confused and was full of anticipation for the upcoming "candy battle".