10

The walk from the station to the residential compound was long, and Tong Xuelu was practically dragging herself along, weighed down by bags in both hands. She was dead tired.

She really missed modern transportation—so fast, so convenient.

Looks like she’d have to work hard and make money. Even if she couldn’t afford a car for now, at least she could get a bicycle.

“Xuelu, you’re back?”

Aunt Cai spotted her stepping into the courtyard and called out excitedly at the top of her lungs.

Tong  Xuelu smiled and nodded. “Yes, Aunt Cai. I stayed over at my adoptive parents’ place last night. They didn’t want me to leave so soon, but I couldn’t stop worrying about the boys—Jiaming and Jiaxin.”

Aunt Cai looked genuinely comforted. “Those two are lucky to have a big sister like you! But it’s good you’re back. If you stayed away any longer, who knows what kind of nonsense people might start saying.”

Tong Xuelu had only been back for a day before she left again, and of course, some people started speculating.

Some claimed she couldn’t handle the hard life and ran off. Others said she only came back to take Tong Mianmian away—after all, that little girl was young, pretty, and in high demand.

Aunt Cai had been so furious when she heard all that, she’d started yelling back at them right then and there.

Now that Tong Xuelu was back, how could she not shout it loud and clear to slap those gossipy faces?

Tong Xuelu swept her gaze across the courtyard and said with a smile, “This is my home. If I don’t come back here, where else would I go? My adoptive parents just couldn’t bear to let me go. They packed so many things for me to bring back—I could barely carry them all!”

She stayed in the city last night—partly to feign illness and get Tong Zhenzhen sent to the farm, and partly to make it clear to everyone in the compound that the four Tong siblings were not helpless orphans. If anyone planned to bully them, they’d better think twice.

Aunt Cai chimed in like a sidekick in a comic sketch. “Your adoptive parents are so good to you. Well, I guess that makes sense—after raising you for over ten years, you’re practically their own daughter.”

Tong Xuelu smiled and nodded, then carried the items into the house.

She took out a few hawthorn rolls and slices of dried hawthorn to snack on and told Tong Mianmian to go next door and play with Zhu Dan. After a short rest, she got ready to make dinner.

The Tong family had given her a pound of pork belly and some potatoes. She planned to make braised pork with potatoes and a spicy shredded potato dish.

She quickly cleaned the pork belly, blanched it in cold water for a minute, then took it out and soaked it in cold water until it cooled completely.

Then she cut the pork, skin-on, into bite-sized cubes—making them a little smaller than usual so that Tong Mianmian could eat them more easily.

On the way home, she had stopped by the supply store to buy some spices like Sichuan peppercorns and star anise.

She heated the wok, added cold oil, then tossed in the spices along with chopped green onion, ginger, and garlic, stirring slowly over low heat.

Once the aroma came out, she added the pork belly pieces and stir-fried until they changed color. Then she moved them to the side of the wok and added some rock sugar.

Rock sugar burns easily, so she kept stirring it constantly. Once it melted and turned a rich caramel color, she added soy sauce and stirred the pork back in until everything was evenly coated.

When every piece of pork was beautifully glazed, she transferred it all to a clay pot, added three bowls of water, and brought it to a boil. Only then did she cover the pot and lower the heat to let it simmer slowly.

Ideally, pork belly should be cooked on low heat—but that would take at least an hour, and she didn’t have that kind of time right now.

Before long, the rich aroma of braised meat began to waft from the kitchen.

The scent was so mouthwatering it quickly filled the entire courtyard, making everyone around instinctively swallow hard.

The adults managed to hold back, but the kids couldn’t resist. They ran to the Tong family’s door, sniffing the air hungrily.

Some of the younger ones even dropped to the ground, kicking and crying, “I want meat! I want meat!”

It was one thing for the kids to be clueless—but the real problem was their equally clueless parents.

Mrs. Lin strolled over, flashing her yellow-stained teeth. “Big girl, you’ve been cooking all this delicious food lately. Your adoptive family must be really well-off, huh?”

Tong Xuelu simply smiled without replying: Whether I’m rich or not has nothing to do with you.

Seeing her smile, Mrs. Lin pushed her luck. “That meat smells amazing. Look, even the kids are crying from hunger. How about sharing a small bowl with your aunt once it’s done?”

Aunt Cai, who lived next door, was just about to jump in angrily, but before she could say anything, Tong Xuelu smiled and nodded. “Sure.”

Mrs. Lin slapped her thigh in delight. “Now that’s more like it! Neighbors should help each other out, right?”

Tong Xuelu nodded again, still smiling. “You’re absolutely right, Auntie.”

Mrs. Lin grinned so wide her mouth nearly reached her ears. “Oh my, the meat smells so good. It must be just about done. I’ll run home and grab a bowl.”

“Wait, Auntie,” Tong Xuelu called after her. “Since you’re heading home, why don’t you bring me ten pounds of rice while you’re at it?”

Mrs. Lin froze, then exploded on the spot. “Why should I give you ten pounds of rice?!”

Ten pounds of rice cost one yuan and forty-three cents—that was no small favor! Where did this girl get the nerve?

Tong Xuelu put on an innocent face. “Didn’t you just say neighbors should help each other? I’m out of rice at home, so I figured I’d ask Auntie for a little help.”

Aunt Cai finally found her chance to speak up. “Oh please—talkin’ about ‘neighbors helping neighbors’ when she wanted some free meat, but when it’s time to give something back, not a single grain of rice? Some people really have no shame.”

“…”

Mrs. Lin turned red, like a chicken with its neck caught, totally choked up.

A few others in the courtyard who’d been tempted earlier—thinking of asking for a bowl of meat too—now looked pretty awkward and embarrassed.

After Mrs. Lin stormed off, Tong Xuelu calmly went back to prepping dinner, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips.

Take advantage of me?

Not in this lifetime.

While the pork continued to simmer, she peeled some potatoes and sliced them into thin matchsticks.

Her knife skills were top-notch—each strand of potato was evenly cut, and Aunt Cai couldn’t help but click her tongue in amazement.

Meanwhile, back at her house, Mrs. Lin was getting more and more worked up the longer she stewed on it. Her eyes darted shiftily before she stepped outside and headed straight for the Xu household.

Xu Baigen and Zhou Fang hadn’t gotten off work yet, but Mother Xu was at home.

Some time later, Mrs. Lin came strutting back out of their house, turned in Tong Xuelu’s direction, and spat viciously on the ground.

“Pah!”

That damn girl. Once the Xu family refuses to give her back her job, I’ll be there to watch her cry!

Unaware of Mrs. Lin’s little scheme, Tong Xuelu continued cooking. She tossed the chopped potatoes into a clay pot and then scooped the soaked potato slivers out of the water.

Once the oil in the wok was hot, she threw in some Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, garlic, and scallions, stir-frying them over high heat until fragrant. Then she added the potato shreds, gave them a quick stir-fry, and splashed in a dash of aged vinegar.

The sun had already begun to dip behind the buildings as workers returned home one after another.

As soon as they stepped into the residential compound, an intense, mouthwatering aroma assaulted their senses. People immediately began to stir.

“Where’s that amazing smell coming from?”

“Oh god, that’s heavenly! What is that?”

“Smells like braised meat to me… but there’s also a sharp, spicy-sour scent in there!”

Instinctively, everyone turned to look in the direction of the Tong family’s house. The moment they spotted Tong Xuelu’s silhouette through the smoke and steam, they all groaned internally.

Tears streamed from the corners of their mouths.

How is anyone supposed to live like this?

The last to return were the Tong brothers—Jiaming and Jiaxin—each carrying two bundles of firewood.

Seeing smoke rising from the chimney, Tong Jiaxin’s eyes lit up. “Yes! We’re finally getting a real meal tonight!”

Tong Jiaming gave him a sideways glance. “Finally? Then what exactly have you been eating before this?”

Tong Jiaxin’s mouth was already watering as he chuckled awkwardly, “Second Brother, I swear I wasn’t saying your cooking tastes like pig slop or anything—really!”

Tong Jiaming: “…”

You literally just called it pig slop. How is that not an insult?

Tong Jiaxin didn’t notice his brother’s expression and happily sprinted toward the house. “Little Sis! Third Brother’s back!”

Hearing the commotion, Tong Mianmian came toddling out of the house, her short legs moving as fast as they could go.

Tong Jiaxin quickly dropped his bundle of firewood and opened his arms wide. “Little Sis, Third Brother missed you so much!”

But Tong Mianmian didn’t even glance at him. She ran straight past and beamed, “Second Brother!”

Tong Jiaxin: “…”

The air turned awkward real fast.

Tong Xuelu watched the scene, the corners of her mouth lifting ever so slightly.

Just then, the braised pork belly was finishing up—the sauce had thickened perfectly. When she lifted the clay pot lid, a mouthwatering aroma immediately filled the courtyard.

Tong Jiaxin’s nose twitched, and he instantly forgot all about his embarrassment. In the next second, he was practically glued to the stove, his eyes locked onto the braised meat.

The pork belly and potatoes were cooked to perfection—tender and soft, the fatty parts glistening, the pork skin glossy and rich with a silky sheen. The meat, caramelized in sugar, gleamed with a deep, savory color, and the sauce was thick, fragrant, and irresistible.

He could practically cry from how good it smelled.

Tong Jiaxin snuck a glance at Tong Xuelu, then said shyly, “Um… I can help carry the dish inside? The braised pork with potatoes?”

Tong Xuelu replied coolly, “Sure.”

Grinning so wide his mouth nearly reached his ears, Tong Jiaxin picked up the dish and skipped off gleefully. “Dinner’s ready! Dinner’s ready!”

Tong Xuelu followed behind him, holding the spicy vinegar potato slivers.

Once inside, she set aside a separate bowl of the braised pork—she was planning to take it next door to Aunt Cai. But just as she reached the door, she overheard the two brothers talking.

“Second Brother, don’t worry. I only helped her carry the food—I wasn’t switching sides or anything!”

“I’m pretending to be nice so she’ll stay and keep cooking for us. Pretty smart, right? Don’t you think I’m a genius?”

“No.”

“What? How can you not think so?! Your cooking’s awful. If I don’t treat her a little better, what if she runs off like Tong Zhenzhen?”

“Shut up!”

Tong Xuelu: “…”

If Tong Jiaming was the cold, quiet type who hides a dark streak, then Tong Jiaxin was just a clueless golden retriever in human form.

And he thought he could outsmart her?

He really thought too highly of himself.

At dinner, Tong Jiaxin acted like he hadn’t eaten in three days. He scooped a massive bowl of rice, pressing it down repeatedly with the ladle, then poured the braised pork sauce over it and began inhaling his food.

The rice soaked up the rich, savory sauce, the pork practically melted in his mouth—it was so good it could move someone to tears.

Wuwuwu… too good!

He’d never eaten pork this delicious in his entire life!

To ensure he’d get to keep eating food this delicious, Tong Jiaxin made a firm decision: From now on, he was going to pretend to treat her even better.

Yup—settled!

Tong Jiaming was eating faster than usual, and even little Tong Mianmian had her cheeks stuffed like a cute little chipmunk.

**

After dinner, Tong Jiaxin was kicked off to do the dishes.

Tong Xuelu sat at the table with Mianmian in her lap and said concisely, “My household registration paperwork is approved. I’m going to the Public Security Bureau tomorrow to finalize it.”

Tong Jiaming nodded. “Okay.”

Tong Xuelu glanced at him. “What’s this I hear about lending your work slot to the Xu family? Are they trustworthy?”

His voice dropped low. “When our parents passed, Brother Xu and his wife helped us a lot.”

Tong Xuelu asked, “What about you? What are your plans now? Do you want to go back to school, or stay home to cook and take care of the kids?”

“…”

The corners of Tong Jiaming’s mouth twitched hard. “Of course I want to go back to school. But…”

But he was worried they’d run out of money—and worst of all, that someone might still try to drag them back to the countryside.

“There’s no but. If you want to go back to school, then starting tomorrow, stop going to work. Also, write a letter to our old village in Beihe and let them know. Now come on—take me to the Xu family’s place.”

She didn’t wait for his response. After speaking, she took Mianmian’s hand and walked out the door.

Tong Jiaming froze for a second, then scrambled up to follow her.

Outside, the night was deep, filled with the steady hum of insects chirping from the dark corners.

Ahead of him, Tong Xuelu walked tall and straight, her presence strangely reassuring.

Tong Mianmian turned back and waved at him with her little hand. “Second Brother, hurry up!”

“Coming!”

**

Wen Rugui returned to the dorms after a long day in the research lab. Just as he stepped into the hallway, Zhou Yan came out of the room next door.

Grinning, Zhou Yan called out, “Man, I’ve been swamped these past two days. I heard your old man faked being sick to trick you into going home for a blind date. So? Was the girl pretty?”

Wen Rugui stood with his back to the light, the corner of his mouth barely lifting. “I don’t know.”

“So it didn’t work out again?”

Wen Rugui simply gave a soft “Mm.”

Zhou Yan clicked his tongue. “That face-blindness of yours is seriously something else. If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were just brushing girls off on purpose.”

Moonlight spilled down from the eaves, casting a soft glow over Wen Rugui’s tall, lean figure.

Then, all of a sudden—

A vivid face flashed in his mind.

Delicate yet bold. A tear mole beneath flawless skin, so stunning it made his heart jolt.

Sunlight. Red brick walls. That face—burned into his memory, clear as day.

=^_^=

Author has something to say: Wen Rugui: I have face blindness.

Tong Xuelu: No, you don’t.

Tong Jiaxin: I suffer in silence for food. I endure hardship. I sacrifice.

Tong Jiaming: Shut up. If you’re dumb, stop talking.