In other words, this May Day holiday should be a good time to travel, but for our big family, it is an annual big gathering day.
The 16 people of my mother-in-law's family, like migratory birds returning to their nests, gathered at my house on time. As a daughter-in-law, I naturally have to take the lead and prepare a sumptuous banquet so that everyone can eat happily and have a good conversation.
That morning, as soon as the sky was white, I was already shuttling through the vegetable market, picking out the freshest ingredients. The pork has to be varied, the fish has to be alive, and the vegetables have to be green enough to pinch out the water.
When I returned home, the kitchen became my battlefield, the swords and swords on the chopping board, and the oil, salt, sauce and vinegar in the pot were all battles that I carefully laid out.
After a busy morning, the house was filled with tempting fragrances, and the people from the in-laws' family arrived one after another. As soon as the little nephew of the uncle's family entered the door, he shouted, "Auntie, what are you doing today?" I smiled and touched his head, secretly proud in my heart, I have a secret weapon today.
Finally, the time for dinner came. Sixteen people sat around two tables, and it was very lively. I served the last finale, braised pork, which was bright in color, fat but not greasy, and even the air was filled with the smell of happiness. Watching everyone eat with relish, I feel the beauty in my heart.
At this time, I quietly filled my mother-in-law a separate bowl of rice and secretly added something "special" to the meal - a small spoonful of her favorite honey. My mother-in-law has a slight diabetes and is always shy away from sweets, but I remember that she once inadvertently mentioned that when she was a child, what she missed the most was the honey bibimbap made by her grandmother, and that sweetness was the best memory of her childhood.
When my mother-in-law took her first bite of food, I nervously watched her reaction. I saw that she was slightly stunned at first, and then a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. "This ......," she whispered. I hurried over and pretended to be casual and asked, "What's the matter, Mom, isn't the food delicious?"
My mother-in-law looked up at me, her eyes full of warmth: "No, this is the sweetest meal I've ever had." Thank you, for remembering my old woman's wishes. At that moment, I could clearly see tears in the corners of her eyes.
After the meal, the family sat around the living room, chatting about homely things and laughing constantly. The mother-in-law suddenly spoke: "Children, this year is the last time we have such a large-scale dinner. As soon as these words came out, the air seemed to freeze, and everyone looked at her in amazement.
The mother-in-law continued: "I know that although everyone is happy with this kind of gathering, it is also really hard for our daughter-in-law. Especially this year, Xiaoya (my name) specially prepared this surprise for me. In the future, we can try to get together in batches, or take turns to be the east, don't let one person get too tired. ”
Hearing my mother-in-law say this, I have mixed feelings in my heart. On the one hand, I am grateful to my mother-in-law for her understanding and distress, and on the other hand, I am also a little reluctant, after all, such a big gathering is the embodiment of the cohesion of our big family. But on second thought, shouldn't the warmth of the family be reflected in mutual consideration and understanding?
That night, in the dead of night, I lay in bed, reminiscing about my mother-in-law's words, and my heart swelled with warmth. This little "secret operation" not only gave me and my mother-in-law a special friendship, but also made the whole family more harmonious.
I think, isn't the real family affection slowly accumulated and deepened in these little details?
Since then, although our family dinner is no longer as big as it used to be, every small gathering is full of warmth and love. And I have also learned to create more "small luck" for my family in ordinary days.