Phoenix Revenge System-Chapter 113: PRS 16 Liona

Before afternoon prayers, Laus arrived home with two large sacks of goods, which he immediately took to the kitchen. Sweat still beaded on his forehead after the long journey from the central market, but his face showed satisfaction with his purchases.

Upon hearing that her father had arrived, Lani began to fuss, prompting Lura, who had just placed her on the bed after seeing her sound asleep, to quickly pick her up again.

"What’s wrong, dear? Are you uncomfortable? Why did you wake up suddenly?" asked Lura as she looked at her baby gently, her hands busy checking whether Lani’s diaper was wet or if something was disturbing her baby’s comfort.

"Mom! Mom, let’s go to the kitchen. Dad bought a lot of things for us! I want to see what Dad bought!" Lani shouted excitedly in her heart.

Seeing how enthusiastic her baby was to see her father’s groceries, Lura could only smile warmly. She was already used to the wonders of her youngest daughter, who always knew so many things.

"Okay, since Lani is awake and doesn’t seem to want to go back to sleep, let’s go to the kitchen and see what Dad bought today. I’m sure there’s a lot," said Lura, making Lani’s round eyes sparkle with hope.

She wanted to know what Laus had bought so she could give her mother recipes for cakes to make for the celebration. In her mind, various cake recipes began to spin, waiting to be conveyed to her mother.

When Lura and Lani entered the kitchen, Leo, Lan, and Lano were already there, taking out the groceries Laus had bought and arranging them on a long bench next to the dining table.

"Wow, there’s so much stuff, sir!" exclaimed Leo with sparkling eyes.

"Yes, I was exhausted carrying it all from the market," replied Laus, wiping the sweat from his neck.

"What is all this, sir? The bags are so heavy," asked Lan curiously as she helped untie the bags.

Seeing the large amount of vermicelli that had been bought, as well as the margarine that had been set aside and put into a clean bucket, several kilos of flour, chocolate sprinkles and colorful sprinkles, and a large can of sweetened condensed milk that Lani estimated to be 1 kg, the baby’s eyes lit up.

"Wow, with all this, Mom can make beautiful and delicious cakes. Mom can also make vermicelli martabak, rainbow cake, and foam cake pudding. Everything will definitely be very delicious!" Lani said to herself enthusiastically.

Hearing all the cakes listed by Lani, even though Lano and his two older siblings had never seen them before, they could already imagine how delicious their mother’s cakes would be. Their mouths watered at the thought of the special cakes that would be made.

"Mom, what cakes are you going to make for tomorrow’s event?" Leo asked curiously.

"I’m going to make several kinds of special cakes. You guys will definitely like them," replied Lura with a mysterious smile.

Based on Lani’s thoughts, Lura immediately grouped the ingredients according to the cakes Lani wanted to make, so she wouldn’t be confused later when looking for the ingredients. She arranged the ingredients neatly, separating those for sweet cakes from those for savory cakes.

**********

Today, everyone is busy preparing the goat meat used for Lani’s aqiqah by cooking it into curry and satay. The aroma of spices has filled the air since morning, making anyone who smells it feel hungry.

In addition to preparing the goat for the aqiqah, Lura and the women helping her cook have now prepared the spices they will use for cooking tomorrow.

"Mrs. Lura, I’ve fried all the red onions," reported one of the women, lifting a pan full of fragrant fried onions.

"Thank you, ma’am. Please set them aside in a closed container so they stay crispy," replied Lura as she continued stirring the curry spices.

"Wow, it smells so good, ma’am. I’m already hungry just smelling this," said another woman with a laugh.

Because tomorrow’s event will take place after Asr, everything must be done in the morning, so today everyone has started working on it. They work enthusiastically, occasionally joking to ward off fatigue.

The women cook in the production room because, in addition to being more spacious, there are four stoves there so that four people can do several things at once.

One was frying crackers, while another was frying shallots for the curry topping. Another was roasting spices so that they could be added to the cooking tomorrow, and was also making rogout, a filling for pastries.

"Ma’am, the crackers are half done. Should we take them out first or continue?" asked one of the women.

"Take them out first, Mom. We’ll take a break and have some tea," replied Lura as she wiped her hands.

Meanwhile, in Laus’s kitchen, Lura and Lani were making a cake that would be used as the filling for pudding and decorative cake slices. The sweet aroma of the cake began to fill the air, mixed with the scent of vanilla.

In the living room, Laus, who had just finished cutting the goat meat, washing it thoroughly, and putting it in the production kitchen, was now washing the cething (a hollow plastic rice container that was usually used to serve guests at traditional celebrations).

"Sir, the cething is still dirty in the corners, please wash it again," Lura reminded him from inside the kitchen.

"Yes, ma’am, I’ll wash it again until it’s clean," replied Laus as he continued to scrub the cething thoroughly.

After being washed, the cething was aired out to dry. Laus arranged them neatly on a mat that had been spread out specifically for drying.

Everyone worked according to their respective tasks so they could focus on what they were doing. The house was filled with a pleasant bustle.

After returning from school, changing clothes, and having lunch, Laus’s three sons immediately began decorating the living room, which would be used for the event, with various colored papers and ribbons. They also made a sign to be placed in the middle of the room so that everyone would know that this celebration was to commemorate the birth of their youngest sibling, Lani.

"Leo, is my writing good?" asked Lano, showing him the paper he had just colored.

"It’s good, but add more colors to make it brighter," suggested Leo, busy cutting paper.

"I want to make a big ribbon for the entrance!" exclaimed Lan excitedly.

All the writing and messages there were made by Leo, who had more of an artistic soul than his two younger siblings, transforming the simple room into something beautiful and festive. His hands were skilled at making various decorations from colorful paper.

Thanks to their smooth cooperation, the task of decorating the living room was completed, so the three of them could help their mother in the kitchen.

"How do we decorate the cake, Mom?" Leo asked curiously as he washed his hands first.

"That, Le, spread the cream I made on top, then sprinkle it with colorful sprinkles. Be careful not to make the cream too thick," said the mother patiently.

"Okay, Mom. Like this?" asked Leo as he began to spread the cream with a knife.

"Yes, that’s good. Just spread it slowly," praised Lura.

Seeing the rainbow-colored cake, Lano’s eyes sparkled brightly. "Mom, the cake is so beautiful, like a real rainbow! Can I try a little, Mom?" he said as he hurried to help his sister sprinkle sprinkles on the square rainbow cake that had been spread with cream made by Lura with the help of Lani’s inner voice.

"Later, when everything is done, be patient, dear," replied Lura with an amused smile, seeing her impatient child.

Seeing her older sister and younger brother busy, Lan, who had no job to do, felt confused. "Then, what should I help with, Mom? I also want to help," she asked with a pleading face.

Lura turned to her second child. "You, spread the jam on the thin cake, then roll it up. But be careful, don’t break it," she said, demonstrating the movement slowly to Lan.

"Like this, Mom?" asked Lan, trying to follow her mother’s movements.

"Yes, but roll it a little tighter so it looks neat," Lura corrected gently.

Lan, who had initially had a little difficulty rolling the cake, was finally able to do it easily after two attempts. Her face looked satisfied with her work.

"Mom, look! I can do it!" she exclaimed proudly.

"Very good, dear. Now continue with the rest," praised Lura, making Lan even more enthusiastic.

Helped by her three children, Lura felt a little relieved with her work, so she started cooking the vermicelli that would be used as filling for the vermicelli martabak that she would fry the next morning.

Trang! Trang!

Sreng! Sreng!

Since before dawn, Lura had been busy in the kitchen. She was so excited that she woke up when the clock struck three in the morning. The birds had not yet chirped, and the air was still very cold.

Unable to sleep, Lura went into the kitchen and started her activities. She carefully turned on the kerosene lamp so as not to wake the others.

Laus, who heard the noise in the kitchen, also woke up. Seeing his wife’s bed empty, he walked to the kitchen while rubbing his eyes several times, walking slowly as he gathered his senses.

"Mom, why are you up so early? It’s still three in the morning," asked Laus, blinking several times as the light from the lamp hit his retinas. His voice was still hoarse from just waking up.

"Maybe I was too excited about this celebration, so when I couldn’t get back to sleep, I decided to make the vermicelli martabak that Lani wanted. It tastes really good, sir, try it. It’s still warm," said Lura as she handed a piece of cooked martabak to her husband.

Crunch!

The crispy martabak skin and the filling of vermicelli mixed with savory and delicious spiced minced chicken made Laus take another big bite of martabak. His eyes widened as he tasted the extraordinary deliciousness.

"Ma’am, this is so delicious! The crispiness and savory taste are just right!" praised Laus with his mouth still full.

The martabak, filled with vermicelli and minced chicken, was the size of a palm and was finished in three bites by Laus.

"Mom, this tastes so good. If we make it half the size, we can sell it in the school canteen for 70 rupiah. The school kids would love this. We could make a decent profit," said Laus enthusiastically, licking his fingers, which still had crumbs of martabak on them.

Lura had already thought about that after realizing that making this vermicelli martabak wasn’t too difficult. The dough was just flour, salt, and water, then soaked briefly in oil.

"Yes, sir. I think so too. It’s easy to make and the ingredients are inexpensive," agreed Lura with a smile.

With so many snacks to sell, their daily income would increase, and this would gradually improve their family’s financial situation. They both beamed as they imagined a better future.

After Asr prayer, one by one, the invited neighbors arrived. They came bearing prayers and congratulations for the Laus family.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Lura, may Lani grow up to be a pious child," said one of the neighbors while shaking Lura’s hand.

"Aamiin, thank you for coming, ma’am," replied Lura kindly.

After the cleric from one of the large Islamic boarding schools in the neighboring village arrived, the event began. A solemn atmosphere filled the room as the cleric began to recite prayers.

The event went very smoothly. All the guests seemed satisfied with the food that was served. They praised the deliciousness of the dishes and cakes made by Lura.

"Mrs. Lura, this vermicelli martabak is delicious! Where did you get the recipe?" asked one of the guests.

"It’s a secret recipe, ma’am," replied Lura with a mysterious smile.

Before the sun completely set, everyone had returned to their respective homes. The sky began to turn orange-red.

Understandably, the village of Satarara did not have electricity, so the residents could not hold events at night unless they rented a generator from the city, and the daily rental price was very expensive. Therefore, the villagers usually held events in the afternoon or evening before the sun completely set so that the guests would not have to return home too late due to the dangerous road conditions. There are many ravines on the left side of the road, and if one is not careful, they could fall and lose their life because the ravines are very steep.