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Gu Nan suddenly had a moment of realization after hearing Gu Ningning’s words.
Was it because when he took the young girl back to the Educated Youth settlement yesterday, he had been too silent while she spoke to him?
Did she think he disliked her…?
He hadn’t responded.
Was that why she was angry?
The more Gu Nan thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
By now, Su Niannian had already gone in and out of the kitchen several times, chatting with his mother and sister—but she hadn’t spoken a word to him.
Being ignored like this made Gu Nan feel a little uneasy.
Putting down the wooden board in his hands, he hesitated for a moment before somewhat awkwardly stepping into the kitchen.
Seeing the young girl focused on chopping pork offal without acknowledging him, Gu Nan felt even more unsettled.
“Ahem… About the cabinet’s dimensions…” he tried to find something to say.
His voice was deep and slightly hoarse, making it even more captivating to Su Niannian.
Without a word, she pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and slapped it onto the wooden table near Gu Nan.
Then, she simply continued chopping.
This time, Gu Nan was completely thrown off.
She… was really angry.
But maybe this was for the best.
This way, she would stay away from him, right?
He wouldn’t have to worry about dragging her down anymore.
Gu Nan’s eyes darkened slightly. Without another word, he took the measurements and turned to leave.
“Stupid man! Big pig trotter!” Su Niannian rolled her eyes inwardly, cursing him in her heart.
Once the water boiled, Su Niannian blanched the pork offal twice before adding seasonings and beginning to braise it.
During this time, Gu Nan never came back into the kitchen.
Instead, it was Gu Zhi who tried to help, but Su Niannian politely declined.
When the herbal medicine finished simmering, Su Niannian poured a bowl and handed it to Gu Mother.
After drinking it, Gu Zhi immediately felt a refreshing sensation spread through her whole body.
It felt even better than drinking chicken soup last night.
After finishing the bowl of herbal medicine, she felt her breathing become much clearer.
That scratchy, itchy feeling in her throat that made her want to cough was completely gone.
“Niannian, this medicine of yours is incredible! I feel better after just one bowl,” Gu Mother said, unable to hide the smile on her face.
Hearing this, Gu Ningning quickly came over to take a look.
It was obvious—even to the naked eye—that their mother’s complexion had improved.
Gu Nan overheard their conversation and glanced over briefly before focusing on cutting the wooden boards according to the measurements on the paper.
Yet, an inexplicable sense of discomfort lingered in his heart.
Clearly, having the young girl keep her distance should have been a good thing—so why did he feel so empty and unsettled?
Meanwhile, Su Niannian was carefully taking Gu Mother’s pulse.
Su Niannian’s eyes lit up.
She had originally thought that, even with the combination of this medicine and the spiritual spring water, it would take at least a few months to fully heal.
But after just one bowl, there was already a noticeable change in Gu Zhi’s pulse.
It seemed the effects of the spiritual spring water were even more powerful than she had imagined.
“At this rate, you’ll be fully recovered in less than a month.”
Hearing this, both Gu Zhi and Gu Ningning’s faces lit up with joy.
Even Gu Nan, who was working nearby, couldn’t help but pause for a moment.
If what the young girl said was true, then this was truly amazing.
Just then, the rich aroma of the braised meat began to fill the air.
“Sister Niannian, this smells amazing! Is this really from those pig offal?” Gu Ningning asked in disbelief.
The fragrance was even richer and more enticing than regular pork. How could such an unwanted ingredient produce such an aroma?
Gu Zhi also found it strange. The scent was so mouthwatering—it was even more fragrant than last night’s chicken soup.
Gu Nan had caught the scent too, but his mind was too preoccupied with the fact that the young girl was ignoring him. He had no mood to care about the delicious aroma filling the air.
As dinnertime approached, even the neighbors next door, standing in their courtyard, caught a whiff of the enticing fragrance.
“What’s going on with the Gu family? Are they planning to finish all the wild boar meat they got yesterday in just two days?”
“They really don’t know how to ration food. Shouldn’t they be saving some for later?”
The neighbors looked down at their own meal—a coarse cornbread bun and wild vegetable soup—and suddenly, it didn’t seem appetizing anymore.
For two days in a row, the aroma coming from the Gu household had been overwhelmingly delicious. How were they supposed to live like this?
But there was nothing they could do. Everyone knew that Gu Nan was an exceptional hunter. If they didn’t have the skills to catch their own prey, they had no right to complain.
Even if the Gu family hadn’t caught a wild boar, they often hunted wild chickens or rabbits, and their house always carried the scent of roasting meat. But the past two days… the aroma was just too enticing.
Meanwhile, at the Wang family’s house next door—
“Wait a minute! Old man, this doesn’t smell like wild chicken or rabbit. This is the smell of pork!”
“If the Gu family really caught a wild boar, they should have turned it over to the commune. Keeping it for themselves would be stealing!”
Old Man Wang, who lived right next to the Gu family, narrowed his eyes at his wife’s words. His wrinkled, lean face twitched slightly as his gaze shifted with calculation.
“That’s true!”
Wang Laotou set his mind at ease, sat back down at the wooden table, and picked up his bowl of corn porridge to continue eating.
Wang Laotu shook her head, still feeling somewhat dissatisfied. She pursed her lips and muttered, “Such extravagance! They just got the meat, and they’re already eating it like this? Don’t they know how to ration it?”
Wang Laotou, however, had a more open mindset. He shook his head and said, “Gu Nan has the skills. Hunting is his ability, and no amount of envy will change that.”
That was true, but the mouthwatering aroma from the Gu family’s house kept wafting over, drilling straight into their noses, making it impossible to ignore. Wang Laotu licked her lips, looked down at her own bland corn porridge, and couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, “That smells way too good…”
At this moment, Li Ergou was on his way to find Gu Nan. As he approached the Gu family’s house, the rich aroma of braised meat stopped him in his tracks.
By the time he reached the entrance, he happened to catch the Gu family just as they were about to eat.
Su Niannian was holding a basin of braised meat and had just placed it on the table.
“Su Niannian is here too?” Li Ergou’s eyes lit up the moment he saw her.
He quickly quickened his pace and strode over.
Initially, he had been completely captivated by the fragrance of the braised meat, but the moment he caught sight of Su Niannian, he forgot all about it.
Su Niannian nodded at Li Ergou.
“I came to check on Aunt Gu and borrowed their pot to stew some pork offal,” she said with a smile.
“Ergou, you’re here! Come, sit down, and eat with us,” Gu Zhi called out warmly.
“This is the pork offal that Niannian made—it’s absolutely delicious!” she added as she went back to the kitchen to fetch an extra set of bowls and chopsticks, inviting Li Ergou to join them for the meal.
Logically speaking, in this era, people rarely ate at someone else’s house, as every family’s food supply was limited.
Although Li Ergou and Gu Nan were close, he usually wouldn’t stay for a meal at Gu Nan’s house under normal circumstances.
But today, the aroma was simply too enticing.
Especially after hearing that the source of this fragrance was pork offal.
In Li Ergou’s impression, that stuff had never been something particularly appetizing.
He stood in place, scratching his head, feeling a little embarrassed.
On the table, aside from a large bowl of braised pork offal, there was also a plate of stir-fried pork belly.
The aroma of scallions mixed with the rich fragrance of the pork belly was enough to make anyone’s mouth water.
This was the pork belly Gu Nan had set aside for Su Niannian yesterday, but she had stuffed it back into his hands. Just now, in the kitchen, she had taken a portion and stir-fried it.