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

There was a moment of silence at the entrance to the courtyard.

Old Mrs. Lin's face turned pale and then flushed, her lips trembling for a long time before she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth:

"Walk!"

She turned and walked away, her steps quick and hurried, as if a dog was chasing her.

Wang Hehua, pulling Lin Xiaohua along, stumbled and followed.

Lin Xiaohua was still unwilling to accept the "meat" punishment, but Wang Hehua slapped her on the back of the head: "Hurry up and leave! Aren't you embarrassed enough?"

The group slunk away like three dogs with their tails between their legs.

The crowd gradually dispersed, but the murmurs continued.

"The Lin family has truly lost all face this time."

"Serves them right, someone should have taught them a lesson a long time ago."

"Qianqian, that girl, has had a tough time..."

Lin Qianqian stood on the steps, watching those figures disappear into the alleyway, and slowly wiped away her tears.

She turned her head and met the staring eyes of Ding Xiaohu and Lin Yulong.

"Sister," Lin Yulong asked cautiously, "were you really crying just now... or were you faking it?"

Lin Qianqian did not answer.

She turned and went into the kitchen, lifted the pot lid to take a look, and her tone returned to its usual calm:

"The meat needs to be stewed."

"Sister Qianqian, you were amazing just now!" Ding Xiaohu's eyes sparkled, his face full of admiration. "Your grandma couldn't say a word when you asked her questions, especially when you talked about your uncle, her face turned pale instantly—you could tell she was really scared."

As Lin Qianqian added firewood to the stove, she said calmly, "I wasn't just trying to scare her."

The firelight shone on her face, flickering intermittently.

"If you really push me too far, I'll go to the academy and cause a scene. Let's see if his son's future is still intact then!"

She spoke casually, as if she were saying that she would add an extra spoonful of salt to the stew today.

Ding Xiaohu and Lin Yulong exchanged a glance and simultaneously shivered—not from the cold, but from the ruthlessness in those words.

They knew that Sister Qianqian meant what she said.

"Sister," Lin Yulong said suddenly after a moment of silence, "Do you think... they'll be content with this?"

Lin Qianqian paused, holding the stick of firewood in her hand.

She didn't look up, her voice was calm, as calm as a stagnant pool:

A leopard can't change its spots.

These few words perfectly summarize the virtues of the Lin family.

The kitchen was quiet for a moment, with only the crackling of the firewood.

Then Lin Qianqian dusted off her hands and changed the subject:

"Alright, let's not talk about them anymore, it's affecting my appetite."

She stood up, lifted the pot lid, glanced at it, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"Let's eat our fill tonight—there's plenty of rice."

"real?!"

"Enough?!"

The two children's eyes lit up at the same time, like two lamps that had been lit.

The gloom from before vanished instantly, and the cheers nearly lifted the roof off the kitchen.

Lin Qianqian couldn't help but laugh when she saw the two of them looking like that.

She turned around and put the large piece of pork belly into the pot. As soon as the meat hit the oil, it sizzled, white smoke rose, and the aroma exploded instantly.

Add white sugar and stir-fry over low heat. The sugar slowly melts, turning from transparent to amber, then to a deep reddish-brown, bubbling gently. The meat chunks roll in the caramelized sugar, each side coated with a glossy red.

The soy sauce deepened the color, making it glossy and shiny, like it had been coated with honey.

Finally, Shaoxing wine was poured along the edge of the pot—"Sizzle—"

The aroma of wine mingled with the aroma of meat, like an unseen beast suddenly bursting forth, instantly filling the entire kitchen, and then squeezing out from the cracks in the windows and doors, permeating the whole courtyard.

The two children squeezed around the pot, craning their necks, their four eyes fixed on the rolling chunks of meat inside, like two wolf cubs guarding their prey.

"Sister..." Lin Yulong slurped his saliva, his voice trembling, "This smells so good."

It's not that they're greedy.

In this village, people might not even get to eat meat during the Lunar New Year. Even if they do, it's just a few thin slices, countable on one hand in a bowl.

Like this—a big block, tied with straw rope, a pot full, stewing in oil—I wouldn't even dare to dream of doing that.

Ding Xiaohu secretly swallowed, having already made up his mind.

When Sister Qianqian said there would be enough to eat, that was just a polite way of putting it.

He's an outsider, and he already feels bad enough eating and drinking for free. This meat is so precious, he'll just have a small piece, just a small piece, to satisfy his craving.

You can't really eat as much as you want.

No.

Lin Qianqian flipped the meat with a spoon and glanced at Ding Xiaohu.

The kid's eyes were practically popping into the pot, but the expression on his face clearly showed he was struggling with himself.

She didn't say anything, just put the lid on the pot, turned the heat down to low, and simmered it, her voice as casual as if she were saying the weather was nice today:

"Tiger, go wipe the table. Ah Long, set the table."

"I'll get angry with anyone who doesn't eat their fill today."