Aunt Yao was persuaded by Shen Xuezhul, “Well… then I’ll work hard on making cured meat from now on. No, I’ll start working hard right away!”

Seeing that Aunt Yao said that, Zhang Er’s wife also spoke up, “Me too.”

……

Shen Xuezhul first worked with them to clean the pork, then she showed them the next steps in the process.

It was their first time seeing that the spices for making cured meat had to be boiled first.

This opened their eyes.

Firstly, neither of them had thought about adding spices to the cured meat.

At this time, Lu Xiaoyue and Lu Xiaoli entered the kitchen.

“It smells so good! Mom is making cured meat again!” Lu Xiaoli said as she stood next to the stove.

Seeing that Lu Xiaoli and Lu Xiaoyue had entered, Shen Xuezhul suddenly remembered.

She had told Zhang Er’s wife earlier that if Laibao caused a fuss while he was with her, she would have Xiaoli and Xiaoyue take him to play.

She turned to them and said, “Xiaoyue, Xiaoli, if Laibao comes over to play, you two can take him to play together.”

“If he cries or causes a fuss, you can try to calm him down.”

Lu Xiaoli bit her finger and said, “If Laibao comes over, Grandma He will come too. She will probably want me to give Laibao something to eat.”

“Well, just give him a little,” Shen Xuezhul said while tending to the fire.

If Grandma He were here, she wouldn’t have said this, but since it was Zhang Er’s wife, she felt comfortable saying so.

Zhang Er’s wife was very different from Grandma He—she wouldn’t demand that they give Laibao food every day.

“But… what if Grandma He asks me to give him a lot of things to eat?” Lu Xiaoli hesitated.

At this moment, Zhang Er’s wife spoke up, “Laibao has already been spoiled by his grandmother. He often goes to other people’s houses asking for food, and it’s not good to let him form such a habit.”

Zhang Er’s wife paused in her work, “Xiaoyue, if you don’t give him anything to eat, it’s fine. He needs to learn that just because he wants something, doesn’t mean others will give it to him.”

“If my mother really asks you to give him a lot of things, just come tell me, and I’ll talk to her.”

Lu Xiaoyue nodded.

……

After the spices were boiled, it was almost noon.

Aunt Yao and Zhang Er’s wife needed to go back to cook for their families.

They bid Shen Xuezhul farewell, preparing to leave.

Shen Xuezhul handed each of them a piece of pork.

“This is your first time helping with the cured meat, so you can take the pork with you.”

Aunt Yao and Zhang Er’s wife hesitated but accepted the meat, both thanking Shen Xuezhul.

Then, they left the Lu family’s old house.

When Aunt Yao returned home, her eldest daughter, Li Qiuhu, saw the pork and her eyes lit up.

“Mom, where did this pork come from?”

Aunt Yao said, “Xuezhul gave it to me.”

“Her family is eating pork now? How is she so rich?” Li Qiuhu asked, surprised.

At that moment, Aunt Yao’s younger son, Li Zishan, walked out of the kitchen. “Mom, elder sister, what are you talking about?”

Li Qiuhu grabbed the pork from Aunt Yao’s hands and waved it around. “This!”

He asked casually, but seeing his sister so happy about the pork, he thought it was a bit over the top.

Li Zishan asked, “Where did this pork come from?”

“Xuezhul gave it to me!”

“She just gave us wild boar meat not long ago. Why is she giving us pork again?” Li Zishan said, confused.

Aunt Yao smiled and explained, “Today, Xuezhul asked me to go to her house to help with making cured meat. She said it was my first time helping, so she gave me a piece of pork to take home!”

“She’s such a good person!” Li Zishan casually said.

Li Qiuhu asked, “Mom, does Xuezhul have to make a lot of cured meat? Why else would she ask you to help?”

Aunt Yao walked toward the kitchen.

Li Zishan and Li Qiuhu both followed her into the kitchen.