They had lunch at the new house. Afterward, Widow Xie and Hu Liang went home for a nap. By the afternoon, all the helpers had arrived.
Although the kitchen wasn't small, two woks were hardly enough for a banquet, and there wasn't enough space to work comfortably.
So, the day before, Hu Liang had built a few temporary stoves in the courtyard. This was common practice for events in the countryside; they would be dismantled once everything was over.
Aunt Wang and Aunt Gao got busy the moment they arrived, taking charge of washing the vegetables. Sixth Sister-in-law Feng and Second Sister-in-law Xu, both skilled with a knife, were responsible for chopping. Widow Xie, meanwhile, set about re-washing all the borrowed bowls and plates.
As for Ji Huan, she was in charge of portioning the ingredients and doing the final cooking. Sister-in-law Fu, meticulous and deft, was right beside Ji Huan, acting as her assistant.
