Chapter 66: Stewed Braised Pork

Hu Zhaodi flashed a bright smile, showing her teeth: “Uncle, with so many people in our family, how can we not buy more food?”

Uncle Ji replied earnestly, “But you can’t be the only one spending silver to support the family. You still need to build a house; you should save some money.”

“Uncle, we didn’t spend much silver on buying the grain. Even if we’re trying to save, we can’t skimp on food! How can we work if we’re hungry? How can we have the energy to earn more silver?”

“But you can’t be the only one paying for it.”

“Then, am I not part of the Ji family?”

“Of course, you are.”

“Well, isn’t that settled then? A family shouldn’t separate you from me.”

“Alright, alright, I can’t argue with you. You make sense.”

Uncle Ji surrendered, secretly deciding that next time he would buy the food himself, not letting Zhaodi spend her silver.

After unloading everything from the cart into the house, Hu Zhaodi entered the kitchen to help Aunt Ji cook.

She took out the pork, washed it clean, and cut it into small cubes, preparing to make a pot of braised pork to nourish Ji Chunhua and her daughters.

The two children stared at the marbled pork with shining eyes, following Hu Zhaodi closely as she cleaned and cut the meat.

When the pork hit the pot and some lard began to render, the tempting aroma filled the air, making the children drool.

Hu Zhaodi, seeing the two little foodies, smiled and asked, “Xiaoying, Xiaoruo, how about I teach you to recite the Three-Character Classic?”

Ji Heying nodded eagerly, “Sure.”

“Human nature at birth is good.”

“Human nature at birth…”

The two children began to recite, their clear saliva dripping down.

“Hahaha… Never mind, never mind. I’ll teach you after we finish eating. Go play outside for a while, or the kitchen will be flooded with your drool.”

The children wiped their mouths with their sleeves, still keeping their eyes fixed on the meat in the pot, unwilling to leave.

Hu Zhaodi sighed and, once the pot had enough water, she took another piece of pork belly, sliced it thin, and mixed it with salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, and green onions.

Then, she skewered the slices of meat onto bamboo sticks and roasted them over the stove.

The two children eagerly watched Hu Zhaodi as she flipped the meat.

Since the slices were thin, they were quickly cooked.

Hu Zhaodi handed the roasted meat to the children: “Here, have a bit to satisfy your craving, but don’t eat too much, or you will canno’t eat the braised pork later.”

The children nodded vigorously, blowing on the meat before eagerly stuffing it into their mouths, their eyes sparkling with delight.

“Delicious, AAuntie Ji, this roasted meat is so good!” Ji Heruo exclaimed excitedly.

Hearing this, Ji Chunhua quickly ran into the kitchen, scolding: “Xiaoying, Xiaoruo, how can you eat first?”

Hu Zhaodi laughed and explained, “Chunhua, they’re just kids. They probably didn’t even know what meat tastes like in the Zhang family. Let them satisfy their cravings; it’s no big deal.”

“Zhaodi, you can’t spoil them!” Chunhua replied.

“Spoil them? They’ve barely eaten any meat in their lives. What’s wrong with letting them have more? They’re growing, just like I am. If they don’t eat enough, they won’t grow properly. Look at my small frame—I haven’t grown any taller!”

Since leaving her family, although Hu Zhaodi had gained a little weight and her complexion had improved, her height was still about the same.

Eleven years of malnutrition couldn’t be made up for with just a few meals.

After Hu Zhaodi gave each of the children a few pieces of roasted meat, she told them they couldn’t eat any more and should go play outside while waiting for dinner.

As the food neared completion, Old Scholar hurried over in a flurry.

“Zhaodi, today we were digging the foundation, and many villagers came to help, even Hu Dashan joined in, though I didn’t let him dig.”

Hu Zhaodi smiled and nodded. “Grandpa Ji, since you’re the supervisor for building the private school, you should make the decisions on things like this.”

“That’s right! Hu Dashan’s family treated you so poorly before. I wouldn’t let him dig; if he tries to cause trouble, I won’t be able to handle it.”

“Alright, go wash your hands and get ready to eat.”

Old Scholar sniffed the air. “Girl, you’ve stewed meat again? It smells so good!”

Hu Zhaodi nodded. “Yes, it’s braised pork.”

The villagers near the Ji family also smelled the delicious aroma of meat, but they could only greedily inhale the scent, while the children cried in hunger.

The worst part about smelling the meat but not being able to eat it was the torment it caused.

The villagers who lived near the Ji family sighed every day, remarking on how lucky the Ji family was to have Hu Zhaodi staying with them and eating meat every day.

Old Scholar rushed to wash his hands, feeling quite pleased. His once-sallow complexion had been growing rosy these past few days.

Before, he often woke up in the middle of the night, hungry and having to drink water to stave off hunger. Now, he could sleep soundly through the night and wake up feeling full of energy.

After the meal, Hu Zhaodi, Grandpa Ji, and Old Scholar went to the east side of the village to check on the progress of the foundation digging.

“Wow, this progress is great!” Hu Zhaodi said happily.

Grandpa Ji smiled. “Yes, it is. I’ve already spoken with Hu Tieniu, and tomorrow we’ll go collect stones. We’ll need to use stones to build the walls underneath.”

Hu Zhaodi nodded. “Good, tell Brother Ji Wuge to take the cart and go along to collect the stones; a regular cart will do.”

“Alright, I’ll go tell him in a bit. Also, the bricklayers will arrive tomorrow, and the villagers will be gathering sand and clay.”

“Good, make sure to remember which villagers are helping, Grandpa Ji.”

Old Scholar spoke up: “Leave it to me. I’ll keep track of everyone who comes to work. I’ll write down the names of those trying to get a school spot by slacking off too.”

Hu Zhaodi gave him a thumbs-up. “Nice job, Grandpa Ji. With someone as knowledgeable as you supervising, I can rest easy.”

The three of them chatted for a while longer before casually heading back.

Ji Chunhua and Aunt Ji had already started cutting fabric to make clothes for the two children.

Since Hu Zhaodi didn’t understand sewing, she went inside to teach the children how to recite the Three-Character Classic.

Later that night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Hu Zhaodi quietly slipped out of bed, opened the door, and left the Ji family house.

She picked a few leaves from the garden and headed toward her Hu home.

The village night was dark and quiet, with only the occasional sound of crickets chirping.

When she reached the pigpen outside her family’s house, Hu Zhaodi placed some laxatives on the leaves and threw them into the pigpen for the pigs to eat.

Turning to leave, she smiled slyly and crept into the yard.

By the kitchen door, there was a large water tank. Hu Zhaodi took some laxatives and dumped them into the water, stirring it to make sure the medicine dissolved completely.

She glanced back at the house door, feeling pleased with herself, and left the Hu family yard in high spirits.