Chapter 11: Asking Me to Endure, I Can’t Do It

There were no chili peppers, no onions, and no pickled radishes at home—these are ingredients needed for dishes like stir-fried pork with chili peppers and stir-fried pig intestines with chili peppers.

Shen Xuezhu gave three eggs and a rice bowl to Lu Xiaoyue, asking her to go to Aunt Yao’s house to trade for some chili peppers and onions.

The rice bowl was to hold the pickled radishes.

Lu Xiaoyue immediately went out.

Before long, she returned with all three ingredients.

“Put the chili peppers on the counter,” Shen Xuezhu said while washing the pig intestines.

Lu Xiaoyue did as she was told.

Watching Shen Xuezhu busying herself alone, she said, “Mother, let me wash the chili peppers and onions.”

“You stay in the kitchen and play for a while. I can handle this on my own, I’m not tired,” Shen Xuezhu replied.

The two children weren’t very old—one was six and the other was four, both at the age where they loved to play. Shen Xuezhu tried not to let them do household chores.

After handling the pig intestines and pork, Shen Xuezhu finally chopped the chili peppers and onions, then took out some spices to stir-fry the pig intestines.

Lu Xiaoyue and Lu Xiaoli helped with the fire.

Before long, the dish of stir-fried pig intestines with chili peppers was ready, looking and smelling delicious.

“Mother, the pig intestines smell so good!” Lu Xiaoli sniffed and said.

“Hmm, wait until you try it, and see if Mother’s stir-fried pig intestines are tasty.”

“Sure!”

Next, the stir-fried pork with chili peppers was also ready.

The three of them began eating.

With all the dishes on the table, Shen Xuezhu gave a piece of pig intestines to each of Lu Xiaoyue and Lu Xiaoli. “Try it, and see if it tastes good.”

Lu Xiaoyue picked up a piece of pig intestine and put it in her mouth.

Instantly, her eyes lit up. “Mother, this pig intestine is so delicious! It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life!”

Lu Xiaoli also picked up a piece of pig intestine and tasted it. “It’s so good! I didn’t know pig intestines could be this tasty.”

This was the first meal she had cooked for her daughters in this world. Seeing that they both liked it, Shen Xuezhu felt more confident about her cooking skills.

…

After dinner, Shen Xuezhu started making cured meat.

She first boiled the spices, and after the broth cooled down, she soaked the processed pork belly in it.

After soaking the pork belly for about 15 minutes, she rubbed it with soy sauce and evenly sprinkled some fine salt on it.

She didn’t want the cured meat to be too salty, so she didn’t use much salt.

Then, she cooked it over a small fire, placing the meat on the stove and letting it roast, without having to do much.

Once the fire was finished, the embers still had heat, so the cured meat could continue to cook.

It should be ready by the morning, maybe not a full night, since the embers would go out halfway through.

The next morning, Shen Xuezhu remembered something—today was the birthday of the original owner’s father.

The original owner would always return home for her father’s birthday every year.

Shen Xuezhu had no choice but to go.

She dressed and went to check on the cured meat.

It looked a little dark, perhaps because Shen Xuezhu wasn’t experienced with making cured meat and had used too much soy sauce.

She planned to stir-fry some of the cured meat this morning to taste how it turned out.

There were still some chili peppers and onions at home, so she could use them to stir-fry the cured meat.

After washing up, Shen Xuezhu began preparing breakfast.

Lu Xiaoyue entered holding a wooden basin. “Mother, look, I picked so many eggs.”

Shen Xuezhu turned around and saw the basin full of eggs, her eyes widening in surprise.

That’s a lot! This world is truly amazing!

“Two hens laid so many eggs. We need to feed them more rice and water.”

“Yes, Mother. I’ll go feed the chickens now,” Lu Xiaoyue said before leaving.