Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife - Chapter 1058

Chapter 1058: The Wedding Banquet ( 4 )
Mother Pan heard this and turned to Father Li while saying, “In-law, your family is truly blessed. Even in the capital, we have never seen such a unique setup for the dishes.”

Father Li smiled humbly and replied, “We are simply basking on my third son’s blessing since he is able to get a good wife.”

At the same time, Pan Meijia’s eyes lit up at the sight of the earthen pot. She took a deep breath and said, “This is Jueyu’s signature dish, Sapo tofu!”

Mother Pan asked curiously when she heard this, “Jiajia, have you tried it before?”

Pan Meijia nodded eagerly and said with bright eyes, “Yes, but the version I tried used seafood instead of chicken. It had shrimp, fish, mushrooms, vegetables, and scrambled eggs. The difference this time is the chicken.”

Father Pan chuckled when he saw how eager his daughter was and said, “Just hearing that is making me hungry.”

Father Li laughed and gestured warmly, “Go ahead, in-law. Have a taste of my third daughter-in-law’s crafts.”

Both of them no longer treated each other with distant politeness after the chess games. So, upon hearing Father Li’s words, Father Pan picked up the ladle and served himself a portion.

At the same time, other guests at the nearby tables had already filled their bowls with steamed rice. The fragrance of pandan was subtle yet enhanced the taste of the rice beautifully.

As they enjoyed the dishes, the other guests were equally surprised by the flavors. Mother Pan’s sister, observing how the guests devoured the food and praised it nonstop, was filled with happiness.

After this banquet, her sister’s standing in the Pan family would undoubtedly rise. She could finally hold her head high in front of her mother-in-law.

Ten minutes later, the servers entered the hall with more dishes, braised pork and stir-fried bok choy with oyster sauce. Following an interval of ten to fifteen minutes, dishes continued to arrive one after another.

Not long after, the servers brought a plate of skewers and a jar of fruit wine as they entered the hall. While the skewers were being grilled, guests were served the fruit wine. This time, Lu Jueyu had prepared grape wine.

Although various types of grape wines would become popular in the future, people in this era were only familiar with red and white wine, often confusing the two. Only the wealthy, with strong connections, could procure such wines.

Therefore, when they saw the red wine, everyone was stunned, and some thoughts came to their minds. The way they looked at the Pan family and the Li family changed instantly. In addition to calculation and suspicion, there is also expectation and joy.

Alongside the skewers, tomato cream soup was served to cleanse the palate. As guests sipped the soup and wine, the aroma of grilling skewers wafted through the hall. Thanks to the small portions, even after several dishes, everyone still felt only half full.

Once the skewers were ready, the servers divided them among the guests at the table, each person only getting one skewer. Each skewer consisted of two pieces of meat, a quarter of a potato, a quarter of a green pepper, one mushroom, and a quarter of an onion.

Some guests felt dissatisfied with the small portions, especially those with bigger appetites. However, before complaints could be voiced, the servers returned with steamed fish and roasted duck.

The sight of roasted duck made everyone’s mouths water. In this era, the roasted duck was only available at state-owned restaurants, where a quarter of a duck cost 18 yuan and required two food coupons.

Though they didn’t know how the hosts managed to obtain so many roasted ducks from the state-owned restaurants, it was clear this banquet must have cost a significant amount of money and food coupons. Many speculated that the family had spent everything they had on the wedding banquet.

Even the Pan family was taken aback by the roasted duck. Pan Chiyan glanced at Li Lingyun, who appeared entirely unbothered as if the extravagant dishes were expected. Noticing his second brother Pan Chimu’s composed demeanor, Pan Chiyan grew suspicious.

Seeing Pan Chimu’s calm reaction, Pan Chiyan began to speculate. Since his sister was married to this man, it was now his duty to protect her and the Li family as her eldest brother. Today’s banquet would undoubtedly draw attention, especially from officials.

He knew their family might become entangled in some trouble in the future due to this. But as long as his sister’s family remained safe, he was willing to help them discreetly.

Unbeknownst to Pan Chiyan, his worries were unnecessary. Before agreeing on the menu, Li Lingyun and Li Chenmo had already prepared for any consequences of “showing off.”

At worst, they might need to sell some goods to the authorities at a discounted rate, which they considered a minor issue. Not only would they make money, but they could also forge connections with influential figures.

For them, this banquet was a calculated move that offered more benefits than risks. This is why Li Lingyun and Pan Chimu remained so calm under the gaze of officials.

After serving all the dishes, the servers finally finished their task and had a moment to rest. They wiped the sweat from their foreheads and drank water in the backyard.

These servers had been sent by Xiao Yiqing, who couldn’t attend the banquet due to her husband’s health. Feeling guilty for her absence, she had arranged for helpers, most of whom were family members of soldiers.

Pan Meijia was grateful for her considerate offer, as it would have been challenging to ask the neighbors who come to help to double as servers.

Meanwhile, in the yard, neighbors who had helped prepare the banquet were enjoying their meal. Despite the heat, the shaded seating area and fans kept them comfortable. What’s more, the delicious food made them forget about the weather.

Twenty minutes later, the final dish was finally served.