After the family split up, my stepmother and scumbag father begged me to come home.

Seeing Lin Qianqian washing rice and cooking it, Lin Yulong squatted by the stove, watching eagerly as the small bowl of fine rice was poured into the pot, his heart pounding like a rabbit.

That's finely polished rice. If Grandma finds out... he doesn't even want to think about it.

"Sister, what if Grandma really comes and sees us eating this fine rice? She'll probably make a scene again." He lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

Lin Qianqian glanced at Lin Yulong, her hands still moving, but her tone was steady and calm: "It's alright, let's eat. We haven't stolen or robbed anything, so what's there to be afraid of? Today we're not only having fine rice, but also Dongpo pork."

"Sister, are you really not afraid..." Lin Yulong still felt uneasy, his hands were twisted together, and his knuckles turned white.

"I'm not afraid. If they dare to snatch this meat and rice today, I'll make a scene. Let's see if they can handle it." Lin Qianqian spoke slowly and deliberately, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, carrying a fierce edge.

She had already figured out how to handle it.

Seeing his older sister's certainty, Lin Yulong finally felt a sense of relief. He swallowed hard, his eyes gradually lighting up: "Sister, that Dongpo pork must smell delicious!"

Seeing his greedy look, Lin Qianqian couldn't help but laugh. While tidying up the piece of pork belly, she slowly said, "This Dongpo pork is quite particular."

She turned the piece of meat over to show Lin Yulong: "Look, you have to choose this kind, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, one layer of fat and one layer of lean, five layers in total, like folding a quilt. When stewed, the fat won't be greasy and the lean meat won't be dry."

Lin Yulong leaned closer to take a look, his eyes widening in astonishment.

"First, cut the meat into large chunks, about three inches square, and tie them together with straw rope in a cross pattern." Lin Qianqian gestured, "There's a trick to tying it like this. If you tie it too loosely, the meat will fall apart when stewing; if you tie it too tightly, it won't absorb the flavor. It has to be just the right size so that the meat can simmer comfortably in the pot."

"Why are you tied up?" Lin Yulong asked curiously.

"I'm afraid it will fall apart. This meat needs to be stewed in the pot for one or two hours. When the heat is right, it will fall apart with just a touch of chopsticks. If it's not tied up, it will turn into a pot of meat scraps long ago. If it's tied up, the meat will fall apart but still retain its shape. You can eat it piece by piece, which is much more satisfying."

As Lin Qianqian spoke, she thought for a moment, a smile playing on her lips: "Then I'll make a caramel color with sugar, slowly frying it over low heat until it melts and turns amber. Then I'll roll the meat pieces in it, giving them a glossy red color. Next, I'll add soy sauce, ginger slices, and scallion segments, and finally pour in Shaoxing wine—"

At this point, she suddenly slapped her forehead.

Oh no, I forgot to buy alcohol.

Lin Yulong, oblivious to his sister's expression, continued to press, "Sister, why is it called Dongpo Pork? Is it related to Dongpo?"

Lin Qianqian snapped out of her reverie, pondering where to get the wine while casually replying, "I heard it's from a great poet of the Song Dynasty named Su Dongpo. When he was an official in Hangzhou, he led the people in dredging West Lake and building a long causeway. The people were grateful to him and brought him pork for the New Year. Su Dongpo couldn't refuse, so he had his family cut the pork into cubes, stew it using his method until it was tender and reddish-brown, and then deliver it back to the laborers door-to-door. Everyone who ate it said it was delicious, so they called the pork Dongpo Pork."

"A great poet can also stew meat?" Lin Yulong found it strange.

"Of course. He even wrote a poem about stewing meat." Lin Qianqian thought for a moment and read aloud, "'Slow fire, little water, when the heat is just right, it will be delicious.' That's his experience in stewing meat."

Lin Yulong was stunned. He felt that his sister was unusually different today, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.