The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

The room fell silent for a second after he said that.

Immediately afterward, the whole family was stunned for a moment, and then burst into a deafening burst of good-natured laughter!

"Hahahaha!" Bai Zhengyuan laughed so hard he almost fell over, his finger trembling as he pointed at Lu Baizhou. "You, Lu Baizhou! I was wondering why you, who usually wouldn't even go to dinner when invited by the military region commander, agreed to come to my house so readily today! Turns out, you were waiting for me here all along! So you were after my sister's cooking skills!"

Mother Bai laughed so hard she wiped tears from her eyes, and said reproachfully, "Little Lu, you're being too polite! You can come whenever you want from now on!"

Although Bai's father still didn't speak, he couldn't hide the smile on his face. Holding his wine glass, he nodded repeatedly to Lu Baizhou.

Qiao Xinxin smiled broadly, her eyes crinkling, and confidently assured him, "Brother Lu, don't worry! You can come over for meals anytime! As long as I, Qiao Xinxin, am home, I guarantee you'll eat and drink the finest food and be pampered until you're plump and healthy!"

Lu Baizhou sat quietly amidst the noise.

His heart felt as if it had been gently squeezed by a soft hand, and a sudden surge of indescribable warmth spread through his limbs and bones.

Since his mother became obsessed with business and his father was busy with military affairs all day, he had never experienced this simple and pure family warmth.

"Okay," he replied softly, his voice filled with unprecedented relaxation. "Then it's settled. I'm off tomorrow, so I'll pick you up at eight in the morning and take you to see the shop."

"No problem!" Qiao Xinxin agreed immediately, her eyes filled with boundless anticipation for the future.

……

After a satisfying meal, Bai Zhengyuan and his father saw Lu Baizhou off from the family building.

As soon as the person left, Qiao Xinxin immediately dropped her previous naivety and switched into the decisive "female entrepreneur" mode.

She grabbed Bai's mother, who was clearing the dishes, and led her straight into the kitchen.

"Mom, leave the dishes for my brother to wash when he gets back! Come on, let's strike while the iron is hot, I'll teach you how to cook a few dishes first. It's too late today, we can't do too much at once, so let's learn the four most basic ones first. You can memorize them first, and then we can practice making them later."

Upon hearing that she was going to learn a skill to earn money, Bai's mother immediately became solemn. She quickly pulled on an apron, tied it on, and stood in front of the clean stove, staring intently at her daughter like a primary school student listening to a lecture.

Qiao Xinxin stepped forward, picked up the pot of the secret-recipe braising liquid that was not yet finished and had a dark, rich color from the stove, and carefully placed it in the center of the cutting board.

Pointing to the pot of braising liquid, she began to explain with a serious expression: "Mom, remember this, this braised dish is the key to our family's future livelihood and prosperity! Everyone knows how to cook meat, but the most crucial and valuable part is this pot of braising liquid!"

As she spoke, Qiao Xinxin took out a neatly folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Bai's mother.

"I've written down the recipe for this brine, including the exact amounts of all the Chinese medicinal herbs. Go to the state-run pharmacy and get the herbs ready, following this list."

Mother Bai took the densely written paper with both hands. By the light of the lamp, she saw that it listed more than twenty kinds of spices, including star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

"Mom, you must read this carefully!" Qiao Xinxin pointed to the contents of the paper with her finger, repeatedly emphasizing, "This is the strict proportion of all the spices, and the order in which to add them to the pot! You must remember it clearly. Which one goes first, which one goes last, whether the heat is high or low—even the slightest difference will make a huge difference in the taste! This is our lifeline, and it must never be passed on to anyone, understand?"

Mother Bai clutched the paper tightly, as if it were a golden ticket that could change her destiny. She nodded heavily, her voice resolute: "Xin Xin, don't worry! Even if it costs me my life, I'll keep this formula firmly in my heart!"

With trembling hands, Mother Bai took the letter filled with spice recipes. She folded it carefully three or four times, as if it were a priceless treasure, before finally opening her robe and carefully placing it in the deepest pocket of her inner garment. She patted it firmly before nodding solemnly and saying firmly, "I've got it! The recipes are with me!"

Seeing her mother's alarmed expression, Qiao Xinxin smiled with satisfaction.

"Mom, that's right. But braised dishes alone aren't enough. Next, I'll teach you how to make four home-style dishes—braised pork ribs, sweet and sour fish, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and cucumber salad." Qiao Xinxin deftly rolled up her sleeves, her eyes bright. "We can sell these four dishes at our stall later. Especially since summer is coming soon, cold dishes will definitely be in high demand when it gets hot!"

Without further ado, Qiao Xinxin picked up a spatula and demonstrated the process swiftly while explaining in detail.

From how to cut vegetables to lock in moisture, to the timing of sautéing scallions, ginger, and garlic, to controlling the heat and the proportion of seasonings, every step is explained clearly and thoroughly.

Soon, the sizzling sound of stir-frying filled the kitchen again, and the rich aroma of food rose up once more.

The mother was so focused on learning that she didn't dare blink even once. Her weathered eyes were fixed on her daughter's nimble wrists, afraid of missing any tiny detail.

After Qiao Xinxin finished cooking the four dishes smoothly, Bai's mother stood aside, muttering to herself, having already memorized the recipes and order of the four dishes perfectly in her mind.

"Mom, thinking it through isn't enough; you have to be able to say it out loud. Come on, recite it for me." Qiao Xinxin put down the spatula, turned around, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and a playful smile appeared on her fair face, as if she had become a strict little examiner.

Mother Bai took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and began to recite with a determined look in her eyes: "Braised pork ribs, first blanch the ribs to remove the blood and foam, put some oil in the pot, add rock sugar to caramelize, then add the ribs and stir-fry to coat them with the caramel! Next, add scallions, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves to sauté until fragrant, then pour in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and cooking wine, add water to cover the ribs, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for forty minutes, and finally reduce the sauce over high heat..."

With a strong voice, Bai Mu recited the recipes for the four dishes in one breath, without missing a single word!

He even remembers clearly when to turn the fire up and when to start timing!

"Great! Mom, your memory is amazing!" Qiao Xinxin's eyes widened in surprise, and she gave a thumbs up without hesitation. "Since you passed the theory test, then we'll have these four dishes for lunch tomorrow! You'll be in charge of cooking, and I'll personally check your skills when I get back from the shop!"

Upon hearing this, Bai's mother felt a surge of energy and confidently patted her chest, saying, "No problem! Go ahead and get on with your business. Mom will definitely not let you down, and I guarantee you'll taste the same flavor as today!"