Chapter 15

Upon returning home, Gong Xiaohua proportionately prepared a packet of seasoning she had purchased from the herbal medicine shop.

She planned to make braised meat with the pig intestines and half of the pork tonight.

Madam Gong, looking at the pig intestines in the courtyard, covered her nose and said to Gong Xiaohua, who had just come out of the house, "Hua, I have never heard of using pig intestines to cook. The flavor is too strong. Can it be eaten? Besides, the shopkeepers usually throw them away. If you want pig intestines, give them a few coins. You're being taken advantage of, paying more than ten coins."

Gong Xiaohua, who had only spent fifteen coins on the pig intestines in the courtyard, thought to herself, "Once I make the braised meat, you'll realize how great of a deal we got from the shopkeeper."

"Mother, don't worry. During my time at the Ministry of Justice, I happened to learn how to deal with unpleasant odors. Once I create delicious food, you'll want to keep eating it."

She entered the courtyard.

First, she rinsed the pig intestines with clean water, then she picked up a basket of wood ash from the kitchen stove to rub and remove the sticky mucus and dirt attached to the intestines.

Cleaning the pig intestines required physical effort, and Gong Xiaonan, the free laborer, wouldn't miss out on the opportunity.

Gong Xiaonan didn't know how many times he had washed them. Just when he was about to collapse and quit, he heard his elder sister's voice saying, "Alright, no need to wash anymore."

Gong Xiaonan let his nearly exhausted arms drop and breathed a sigh of relief.

Madam Gong looked at her daughter and son, who had spent nearly an hour making the pig intestines clean and had exhausted themselves, and wondered if it was worth it just for a meal.

The sky began to darken, and they needed to prepare dinner.

As per Gong Xiaohua's request, Madam Gong left her a small stove and a large earthenware pot.

She also left her half of the pork they had bought today, allowing the siblings to experiment.

Gong Xiaohua cut the ginger, scallions, cleaned intestines, and pork into large pieces for later use. Then, she placed the earthenware pot on the small stove, added the prepared seasoning and chopped ginger and scallions into the pot, and filled it halfway with water.

Seeing that Gong Xiaonan couldn't lift his hands due to the strain, Gong Xiaohua had to start the fire herself. She used a flint to ignite the fire and used high heat to bring the water to a boil.

Once the water was boiling, she added the cleaned intestines and pork to the pot. When the pot started bubbling again, she instructed Gong Xiaonan to lower the heat and cover the pot, preparing to simmer it for an hour. Half an hour later, Madam Gong's dinner was ready, while the aroma of Gong Xiaohua's braised meat had filled the entire courtyard.

Madam Gong and Gong Xiaonan had already swallowed their saliva countless times. This was a fragrance they had never smelled before.

Unconsciously, their mouths watered, and they wondered if it would taste as delicious as it smelled.

The neighbors around the Gong family were also preparing their evening meal. Smelling the enticing aroma, they couldn't help but think, "Wow, that smells so good. How can we enjoy our plain boiled vegetables now?"

Dad Gong, walking from afar, caught a whiff of an incredibly tempting aroma at the entrance of the alley. When he reached his own doorstep, he realized the fragrance had become even stronger.

He reached out and knocked on the door, but no one answered. Normally, someone would come and open it after two knocks. What happened today?

Knocking once again, he shouted inside, "Mother, I'm back." After a while, he heard footsteps approaching.

The door opened from the inside, revealing Gong Xiaonan.

Excitedly, he exclaimed, "Father, you're back. Isn't the selection tournament starting tomorrow? In previous years, you never came back."

"Yes, in previous years, I was the only one participating in the competition. But this year, both you and your sister are participating. I'm worried, so I managed to come back tonight to have a good talk with you two. I can't rest easy otherwise."

"Oh, Father, come in quickly," Gong Xiaonan said, feeling listless. He had no confidence in the competition; the headhunter had told him that he might be eliminated in the first round.

"What's that delicious smell?" Gong Dad walked into the courtyard and sniffed the lingering aroma in the air, making him hungrier.

Mentioning the smell, Gong Xiaonan immediately regained his vitality. He happily said to Gong Dad, "It's a new dish that Sister concocted. It smells amazing, and it must be delicious."

"Your father is back just in time. It's mealtime. Go wash up quickly."

After Gong Dad washed his hands in the small bucket by the well, he went to the kitchen to help. He saw someone in the kitchen calling out to him, "Father."

Gong Dad pointed to the woman in front of him and asked, "Are you Xiaohua?"

"Who else could it be but Xiaohua? Did I become exceptionally pretty?" Madam Gong replied.

"Haven't seen you in a month. How did you become like this? You were better-looking before. At least before, you looked like someone in the service, but now you don't resemble a servant at all!" Gong Dad rolled his eyes and couldn't be bothered with her.

"Stop dawdling. It's time to eat."

It was early summer, and the family placed the meal on the stone table.

Gong Xiaohua took out two pieces of braised pork intestines and a piece of braised pork, cut them into thin slices, and placed them on plates. The rest of the food continued to simmer on the small stove.

Gong Xiaonan looked at the new dishes on the table and couldn't wait. He picked up a piece of pork with his chopsticks, and his mouth instantly experienced a taste he had never felt before—tender, crispy, sticky, and refreshing, all indescribably delicious.

He then picked up a piece of pork intestine. The meat was firm, and the chewy texture and rich flavor surpassed that of the braised pork. "Sister, is this the braised meat you were talking about? It's so delicious, especially this pork intestine. The taste is extraordinary."

Gong Dad and Madam Gong also tried the braised pork and pork intestine, and it was as if they had opened up a new world of food. They ate faster and faster. If Madam Gong hadn't stopped them, they would have devoured everything on the small stove.

"Xiaohua, tomorrow, take some braised meat to the Qin family and let your uncle and Qin Fifth Young Master taste it. Thanks to Young Master Qin's help, we avoided a lot of trouble. They will definitely love this delicious food," Madam Gong said.

Hearing this, Gong Dad paused his eating and asked, "What do you mean by Young Master Qin helping us?"

"Dad, it's Wang Yunpeng from the Wang family. He's always bullying others on the street. Today, he saw our sister and said he wanted to take advantage of her. It was only when the young master from the Qin family intervened that things settled down."

The Wang family has become more and more audacious, relying on their sister who is favored by the Emperor.

They still dare not provoke the Qin family. If it weren't for the young master from the Qin family stepping in today, the Wang family would definitely not have backed down.

So Dad Gong said to Xiaohua, "Tomorrow morning, deliver the remaining braised dishes to the Qin family, and if possible, apologize properly."

"Ah, deliver all of them? I haven't had enough yet," Xiaonan said.

Dad Gong gave his son a stern look and said, "You won't miss out on your share. When your sister takes another day off, she can cook for you."

Xiaonan turned his head and looked expectantly at Xiaohua, and only when Xiaohua nodded did he reluctantly say, "Okay."

"Xiaohua, Xiaonan, are you confident about passing the selection for the wrestling competition?"

"Ah, Dad, please don't mention it. My elder brother said I would be eliminated in the first round. Do you think I'm that bad?" Xiaonan asked.

"Remove the 'Ah' and focus on training with me as usual. You're always slacking off," Dad Gong replied.

Xiaonan sealed his lips and dared not say anything more.

"And what about you, Xiaohua? If you can't make it, just surrender. Don't force yourself," Dad Gong advised.

"Dad, don't worry. I know what to do," Xiaohua said.

"Alright, both of you are participating for the first time. The key is to learn from the experience. If you can't win, surrender. Safety is the most important thing, understood?"

Xiaohua and Xiaonan nodded in response.

"Alright, go to bed early and rest well. The official selection for the competition begins tomorrow."

"Yes, Dad."

Everyone tidied up and went to sleep.