Chapter 103: The Guests Are Full of Food

Chapter 103: The Guests Are Full of Food

At most wedding banquets, the bride and groom rarely have time to sit down and eat. They usually grab a few hurried bites when the dishes are first served, then start serving tea to each table. By the time the tea is served, the guests have already eaten most of the food.

At this point, the bride and groom are busy seeing off the guests.

Only after most of the guests have left do the bride and groom finally have time to sit down and eat.

However, at today's banquet hosted by the Deng family, Deng Shirong had saved the best dishes for later and specifically reminded the guests to pace themselves. This made the guests slow down their eating, waiting for the delicious dishes to arrive.

As a result, after the bride and groom finished serving tea, they sat down to eat, and no guest left early.

After Deng Shirong greeted the guests one by one, he and his eldest daughter walked to the table reserved for his family.

"Dad, you've worked hard today. Please sit down and eat. I've already prepared your meal!" Zhang Xiuping helped her father-in-law adjust his chair and said with a smile.

Deng Shirong waved his hand and smiled, "It's not hard work. You've been busy all day. Hurry up and sit down to eat. We still have to see off the guests later!"

Zhang Xiuping nodded, then sat upright and began her first meal with her husband's family after marrying into the household.

Delicacies from land and sea have been celebrated since ancient times. The three seafood dishes—flower crab, prawns, and sandworms—cooked with Deng Shirong's exceptional skills, were so delicious that everyone couldn't help but praise them, including his own children.

"Dad, these sandworms are amazing—fresh and refreshing. The cuisine of our country is incredible. Who would have thought something so unappealing could be turned into such a delicious dish," Deng Yunheng praised while eating.

Deng Yunzhu said, "I think the spicy crab is more to my liking. The spiciness is just right, and the flavor gets richer the more you chew."

Deng Yunsong added, "I still prefer the pan-fried prawns. The shrimp meat is plump and sweet, and the taste is fantastic. The more I eat, the more I want."

Deng Yunzhen smiled and asked, "Sister-in-law, which one do you like the most?"

Zhang Xiuping swallowed her food and said, "They're all delicious. Dad's cooking skills are truly remarkable. Every dish he makes is amazing."

People who love cooking enjoy hearing others praise their skills. Even Deng Shirong, who has lived a second life, is no exception.

Hearing the compliments from his children and eldest daughter-in-law, he was delighted and said, "If it's delicious, eat more. Ah Ping, from today on, we're family. Don't hold back. Eat whatever you want, okay?"

Zhang Xiuping nodded and said, "Dad, I understand!"

"Hiccup..."

At the wedding guests' table, the fourth aunt of the Zhang family burped. Looking at the empty plates of spicy crab, pan-fried prawns, and steamed sandworms, she touched her stomach and smiled awkwardly, "I accidentally ate too much again. When I came here, I reminded myself not to overeat like last time, but I just couldn't control myself!"

Aunt Zhang patted her round belly and said with a wry smile, "Fourth sister-in-law, you're not the only one. I'm stuffed too. My father-in-law's cooking is just too good. With such delicious food, who can resist?"

Third aunt nodded and said, "Exactly. The other dishes were already delicious, but these three seafood dishes were on another level. Even though I'm full, I couldn't stop eating. Now my stomach hurts!"

The four Zhang brothers were so full they could barely move.

If it had just been vegetables, they wouldn't have eaten this much, but the three seafood dishes were rare delicacies that paired perfectly with rice, especially the spicy crab and steamed sandworms. The four brothers ate as much as they could.

Now, they were so full they didn't dare move, fearing they might vomit if they bent over.

Most of the other guests at the table were also full, and even those who weren't completely stuffed were still very satisfied.

In fact, it wasn't just this table—the scene was similar at every table. At least eight out of ten guests had overeaten.

This was understandable. In this era, most rural families lived in hardship, often going a month without meat. This banquet not only had meat but also high-end seafood. Combined with Deng Shirong's excellent cooking and generous portions, it was no wonder everyone ate to their heart's content.

Thus, a rare scene in the history of wedding banquets unfolded: the bride and groom sat and ate their fill, but not a single guest wanted to leave.

To hide their embarrassment, the guests stayed seated, chatting about various topics. After resting for ten or twenty minutes, they began to get up one by one to bid farewell to the host.

The bride and groom, who had been preparing all along, continued their duties and began seeing off the guests.

In this era, there was no custom of taking leftovers home from rural banquets.

The main reason was that there was no precedent. No one present had ever seen a banquet like the Deng family's, with so many dishes. At most banquets, after the guests ate their fill, there was little food left, leaving no room for leftovers.

Deng Shirong considered asking relatives and friends to take some food home. After all, with so much leftover, his family likely couldn't finish it all in a month. Without a refrigerator, storing it would be impossible.

However, though his intentions were good, the customs of the era were different. He wasn't sure if people would appreciate being asked to take leftovers.

After some thought, Deng Shirong decided not to ask ordinary relatives and friends. Instead, he would approach close relatives, like his third sister's family and his late wife's two younger brothers, to take some food home.

So Deng Shirong found his third sister and said, "Third sister, you, brother-in-law, and the children should stay a bit longer. I'll talk to you after I see off the other guests."

Deng Shilan nodded and said, "Oh, I see. Go ahead and take care of things first!"

Deng Shirong then went to his two brothers-in-law and said the same thing.

After making these arrangements, Deng Shirong, along with his son and daughter-in-law, continued seeing off the guests.

As the number of male guests gradually decreased, the bride's guests also began to leave.

"Xiuping, we'll head back now!"

"Pingmei, live well here. We're leaving!"

"Sister Ping, when you come back in three days, we'll have a good chat."

"Sister, we're off!"

"…"

In this era, brides aren't too sad when they marry because they have relatives to see them off.

But when the relatives finish the banquet and say goodbye, it's the saddest moment for the bride.

Just like now, seeing her relatives and closest sisters bid her farewell, Zhang Xiuping couldn't help but shed tears.

(End of this chapter)