Early the next morning.  

Wang Zhaodi was the first to leave, pushing a cart full of goods. Before departing, she even asked for an extra ten bottles of eight-treasure porridge.  

Not long after Wang Zhaodi left, Song Lianhua arrived with her daughter.  

Su Ling had already prepared everything and loaded it onto a cart.  

“Do you know how to read?”  

Song Lianhua waved her hand, smiling sheepishly. “No, but my daughter does. She’s in her first year of junior high and has always been first in her class!”  

Su Ling handed her an illustrated manual and said, “Have your daughter teach you. But I think you should learn to read—it’s very important.”  

Wang Shengnan took the manual, which contained cleaning methods for ingredients and introductions to various seasonings.  

Su Ling turned to Song Lianhua. “Let me explain these items to you first.”  

Song Lianhua stepped forward and listened carefully.  

Su Ling pointed things out one by one: “This stainless steel pot can be used to simmer and store the braised goods. The strainer is here… These are the ingredients. Cleaning them is a hassle, especially the intestines, chicken feet, chicken wings, and some vegetarian items like dried tofu and tofu sheets. Here’s the cutting board and new knives—you’ll need to chop and portion them. These are the food containers… Over here are the spices. I need two types of braised flavors: five-spice and spicy. The spicy one should come in three heat levels—mild, medium, and extra spicy. The chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and Thai chilies are here…”  

“Do you know how to make Fuqi Feipian (Couple’s Sliced Beef)? That needs to be packed separately in round containers, with three levels of spiciness for the chili oil. Can you make other braised dishes too? Like salted duck, braised pork trotters, braised beef…”  

“Boss, I can make all of them!” Song Lianhua knew this was her chance, and she had to seize it.  

Wang Shengnan glanced at Su Ling and softly reminded her, “Boss, if there are too many ingredients, the daily delivery quantity might decrease.”  

Su Ling smiled. “It’s fine. Just deliver whatever you can. I won’t rush you, but the flavor must be good. You can also try making a few different types and send them over. Today, I’ve only prepared some basic meats, but if you need anything else, let me know.”  

Song Lianhua nodded and immediately asked for some fatty pork belly to try making Bazhi Rou (Braised Pork Belly).  

Su Ling turned to fetch the meat and placed it in the cart.  

“You’ll need to pay rent for the cart, but it’ll make deliveries much easier. Since you live nearby and wear and tear won’t be too bad, the rent will be three cents a day. Is that okay?”  

Song Lianhua agreed. After checking the seasonings, she asked for some extra Sichuan peppercorns before heading home with her daughter.  

…  

Once home, they didn’t rest but immediately started boiling water to clean the ingredients.  

“The intestines smell a bit. Get some wood ash to clean them, then stay back—it won’t be pleasant.”  

Song Lianhua worked with unstoppable energy, quickly lighting a fire and fetching snow from outside to boil.  

“I’ll trim the chicken claws. The book says that’s the proper way to clean them,” Wang Shengnan said, getting busy as well.  

The mother and daughter had started preparing before dawn. By the time they finished cleaning all the ingredients, it was nearly noon. Then, Song Lianhua began testing the spices.  

First, she made a small batch of braised goods based on her past experience to taste the flavor. Then, she had her daughter read out the uses of each spice while she adjusted the recipe bit by bit.  

By evening, an irresistibly spicy aroma filled the entire kitchen. The two knew they had finally nailed it!  

At the same time, Su Ling heard a notification.  

[Ding—]

[The no-cp female lead has successfully developed a new braised recipe. Reward: Summer Beverage Machine. Will be distributed at an appropriate time.]

…

Back to the present:

After seeing off the mother and daughter, Su Ling went back to catch up on sleep. Meanwhile, Wang Zhaodi trudged toward the town with difficulty.  

When she arrived, the policeman wasn’t waiting at Auntie Fat’s compound anymore—he was stationed at the town’s entrance.  

As soon as Liu Tong spotted Wang Zhaodi, he stepped forward to help push her cart.

He found that the cart was surprisingly easy to push. Despite its slender frame, it had impressive load-bearing capacity.  

“Officer, the boss said you can buy, but no haggling. There’s plenty of food, and she’d prefer more customers.”  

After delivering the message, Wang Zhaodi headed straight for the compound.  

“Can we follow you back to the village after you finish selling?” Liu Tong called after her.  

Wang Zhaodi nodded. “Sure. Selling won’t take long—everyone’s short on food anyway… Officer, do you want some eight-treasure porridge? You can eat it straight after opening, or warm it up in hot water. It’s also convenient for train rides.”  

Liu Tong eyed the tin cans and immediately nodded. “I’ll take five!”  

After paying, he returned to the police station, where the police chief and a mysterious guest were waiting inside.  

…

Chief Liu quickly waved him in. “Back already? How did it go?”  

Liu Tong placed the eight-treasure porridge on the table. “She said there’s plenty of food, but no haggling. Also, she wants more customers.”  

“Alright, take more people with you. For the first trip, let’s not buy too much—just see how it goes… What’s this?”  

Chief Liu picked up one of the porridge cans and tapped it.  

“Eight-treasure porridge. Ready to eat after opening, or you can warm it in hot water.”  

Following Wang Zhaodi’s instructions, Liu Tong first removed the plastic lid, revealing a small spoon tucked inside.  

He then pulled the tab, unfolded the spoon, and took a bite.  

“Edible. No poison.”  

His expression was so solemn that the atmosphere in the room tensed up. Belatedly, he scratched his head. “Actually, it’s pretty good.”  

“This stuff is great—easy to carry around too,” the mysterious guest mused, already tempted. He immediately decided to allocate more funds for supplies.  

That afternoon, as snow swirled outside, the group inside debated heatedly over what to purchase.  

…

Meanwhile, Wang Zhaodi quickly sold out her goods. The eight-treasure porridge was a hit, and with more customers arriving, demand kept growing.  

“Canmei, bring some more leeks tomorrow. My family’s making dumplings. Do you have lean meat? I’ll need more eggs too.”  

“Got it.”  

Wang Zhaodi noted down the requests.  

“After buying twice, I’m not really short on anything now,” sighed Auntie Li, tightening her coat. “But it’s getting colder. Boiling water burns through coal too fast, and even two layers of blankets aren’t enough.”  

Wang Zhaodi thought of the heating pads. “There’s something called a heating pad—you stick it on your clothes, and it keeps you warm. But don’t sleep with it on; it can burn you.”  

She also considered the mini heaters, but those required electricity. Maybe she should bring one to test?  

“Canmei, can you bring a couple for us to try?” Auntie Li asked.  

“Sure.” Wang Zhaodi noted the request and prepared to leave.  

Just then, Liu Tong arrived with a group of at least a few dozen people, following Wang Zhaodi back to Dawang Village.  

As they walked, the wind and snow grew fiercer.  

Wang Zhaodi kept her head down, face covered, pushing forward without pause.  

Liu Tong couldn’t help but sigh. “It’s tough on a young girl like you, walking this hard road in such heavy snow every day.”  

He figured her family must not be treating her well—no child should have to endure so much hardship.  

Wang Zhaodi didn’t have the energy to talk. Her strength was limited, and she ate too little to waste any on words.  

In silence, the group of several dozen carved a straight path through the snow, though fresh flakes soon buried their footprints again.