Chen Lan laughed until tears streamed from her eyes. Her mother, startled by Chen Lan's sudden laughter, was utterly bewildered and stared at her blankly.
Once Chen Lan finally finished laughing, clutching her stomach and groaning, she noticed her mother's confused expression. She immediately began to explain, "Mom, don't worry! I didn't mess up the food, nor did I waste anything. I'm just taking the potato strips outside to freeze them. It'll take about two hours. Once they're frozen, I'll bring them back into the kitchen to fry."
Her mother asked doubtfully, "Lan'er, didn't you say potatoes can't be frozen? They spoil when frozen, and frozen potatoes become toxic? Can these still be eaten after being frozen for a few hours?"
Chen Lan had recently realized her mother was becoming quite the curious cat, asking numerous questions every day that she had to answer. Although she thought this, Chen Lan was still very happy to answer her mother's questions.
So, she smiled and replied, "Mom, did you see me take the cut potato strips into the kitchen earlier?"
Her mother nodded earnestly and said, "You did take them into the kitchen, but then you brought them back outside a moment later! That's why I suspected you might have spoiled the potatoes!"
Chen Lan couldn't help but chuckle again, thinking, So it's my fault now! It seems my mother is still preoccupied with the idea of leaving the potatoes out to freeze.
Without further debate, she quickly explained, "Mom, when I took the potatoes into the kitchen, I blanched them in boiling water. They were cooked for about two or three minutes, so they won't spoil from freezing. After freezing, frying the potato strips will make them even crispier and more delicious. They won't be mushy when you eat them."
Speaking of food, Chen Lan's appetite was whetted. She longed for popcorn chicken, spicy chicken wings, and spicy chicken nuggets... Thinking of this, she looked up at the kitchen. Her mother-in-law and the others were still busy coming and going. It was unlikely they would have time to prepare lunch today. Chen Lan decided to make a Western meal with a Chinese twist for everyone today. She'd use steamed buns instead of bread for Chinese-style "rou jia mo," orange juice instead of cola, and fermented bean curd instead of ketchup. Paired with potato strips, popcorn chicken, spicy chicken wings, and spicy chicken nuggets, it would be incredibly delicious! Just thinking about it made her mouth water. She was sure her three younger brothers and the girls, Mingwei, Ruyi, and Xiaoxue, would love it too.
Seeing Chen Lan drifting off while talking, her mother patted her arm and softly called out, "Lan'er, Lan'er, what's wrong?"
Chen Lan snapped back to attention and said with a smile, "Mom, since mother-in-law and the others are too busy to make lunch today, how about I prepare a Chinese fast-food meal for everyone?"
Her mother smiled and replied, "As long as there's food, I'm not picky. Lan'er, what will the children eat?"
Chen Lan paused. Her mother was right! What would the little ones eat? After thinking for a moment, she had an idea. They could have mashed potatoes!
So, she smiled and said, "Mom, I have a plan. The very young ones can have goat milk. Those a bit older, like Jiahui and Jiayao, can eat mashed potatoes. Besides, potatoes are very nutritious. The older ones can eat anything. Mom, what do you think? Is that okay?"
Her mother asked with some concern, "Lan'er, I'm worried Jiahui and Jiayao won't eat it. They're used to good food; you've already spoiled their palates."
Chen Lan waved her hand dismissively, "If they don't eat, it means they're not hungry. Missing a meal or two won't hurt them. Mom, don't worry! When they get hungry, they'll eat it themselves!"
Her mother was amused and slightly exasperated. Patting Chen Lan's back, she said, "Is this how a mother should be? How can you let your own children go hungry?"
Seeing her mother was serious, Chen Lan quickly explained, "Mom, I guarantee they'll love my mashed potatoes. I'll make two flavors: one sweet and one savory. I'll add goat milk powder, minced meat, and vegetables to the mashed potatoes. It'll be delicious! If they don't eat it, I'll eat it all myself!"
Her mother was again amused by Chen Lan, patting her back and laughing. "Lan'er, I can't argue with you anymore. No wonder Little Watermelon says you're always right, and he's always wrong?"
Chen Lan was momentarily speechless! She could only playfully whine, "Mom, what are you talking about?"
Her mother smiled and replied, "Alright! Alright! I won't say any more. But speaking of which, Xiangdong and the others have been gone for several months. The New Year is approaching, and there's still no news. I wonder if they've found the person? Sigh! There are too few capable men in the valley, so they have to work so hard." She sighed again.
Chen Lan quickly interrupted her mother, stopping her from continuing. She smiled and said, "Mom, please don't sigh anymore. Have you forgotten? It's almost New Year's Eve tomorrow, and we can't sigh anymore, or the whole year will be unhappy. Let's think of happy things, and the next year will be full of joy!"
Her mother nodded repeatedly, "Right, right! Look at my mouth. Heaven bless us, may good things come true, and bad things vanish!" She clasped her hands and bowed towards the sky.
While the potato strips were freezing outside, Chen Lan immediately used her mind to open the system. She went to the cold and fresh food store she frequently visited and placed a large order for half-finished chicken products: original popcorn chicken, chicken tenders, five-spice chicken legs, spicy chicken wings, spicy chicken nuggets, and so on. These items were already seasoned. Once the potato strips were fried, she could immediately fry these, saving time and being punctual.
When Chen Lan took out the items from the system warehouse one by one, she was surprised. They filled an entire table! She had bought much more than she expected. Looking down and examining each item, she realized that several were part of the store's promotions for new and returning customers, like buy-one-get-one-free or buy-two-get-one-free.
At the time, she had been so focused on buying that she hadn't paid attention to the promotions. Chen Lan thought her luck was good to have stumbled upon the store's sale and gotten a great deal. The store's customer service was excellent, which explained their good reputation.
Her mother was also startled by the pile of food on the table and exclaimed, "Lan'er, why did you buy so much! There are only a few of us here, how can we possibly finish it all!"
Chen Lan proudly showed off to her mother, "Mom, look, this bag of popcorn chicken was buy-one-get-one-free, the store gave this one. This pack of chicken tenders was also free. This bag of spicy chicken wings was also free..."
Seeing that one-third of the items were free gifts from the store, her mother had nothing more to say. She simply sighed, "Are the shopkeepers over there losing a lot of money by doing business like this?"
Chen Lan heard her mother and thought, How is that possible? As the saying goes, "There are only wrong purchases, no wrong sales!"