Taking advantage of the soaking time, Xu Ying fetched the dried mushrooms she had prepared earlier, soaking and rinsing them clean.
Once the rabbit meat had finished soaking, she washed it thoroughly and drained it.
“Shitou, come help me light the fire,” Xu Ying called out.
At the sound of her voice, the boy came running in at once.
With the fire crackling to life, Xu Ying scrubbed the vegetable pot clean and set it on the stove. After drying off the remaining water inside, she poured in a suitable amount of oil from the bottle.
Once the oil was hot, she added the prepared ginger slices, dried chili peppers, minced garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns into the pot, stir-frying until fragrant. Then she tipped in all the rabbit meat.
She splashed in soy sauce, followed by a pinch of salt and sugar.
In just a few minutes, a rich aroma wafted from the pot.
Standing closest, Shitou’s eyes lit up as he swallowed hungrily. “Aunty, this smells amazing!”
Xu Ying chuckled softly, giving the meat in the pot a few more stirs. Once it was evenly coated, she poured in boiling water and began to simmer the dish.
“This isn’t ready yet,” she told him confidently. “Once it’s cooked through and soaked up the flavors, it’ll smell even better. I guarantee you’ll be drooling by then.”
Xu Ying spoke with complete assurance. After all, her master in her previous life had been a renowned culinary chef in China!
She had apprenticed under him for years, mastering all his cooking techniques.
Thank goodness she had the foresight to jot down those prized recipes for herself. Without them, she probably would’ve broken down crying by now.
Listening to her, Shitou’s hunger only grew. He kept swallowing his saliva, even Huzi—who’d been outside—was drawn in by the scent and rushed into the kitchen.
Mother Xu, having just put away the fish, stepped inside. The mouthwatering aroma enveloped her the moment she entered, making her eyes widen in surprise.
“Why does it smell so good in here?” she exclaimed.
Xu Ying flashed a playful grin. “Because your daughter’s amazing, of course.”
Mother Xu couldn’t help laughing at her cheeky reply. She lightly tapped Xu Ying’s forehead and said fondly, “Oh, look at my incredible daughter. I don’t even know how I gave birth to someone this talented.”
“Aunty’s amazing, and her cooking is even more amazing,” Shitou piped up, quick to flatter.
Both Xu Ying and Mother Xu burst into laughter at that. Mother Xu, delighted, said generously, “I like what Shitou’s saying. I’ll make sure you get an extra helping of rabbit meat later.”
Haha! Shitou beamed, his eyes narrowing into crescents. Looks like as long as he praised his aunty well, the food would never escape him.
“Thanks, Grandma!” he chirped happily.
Xu Ying kept a close eye on the rabbit meat. Once the liquid had reduced, she tossed in all the soaked mushrooms and let it simmer a little longer until the sauce thickened. Finally, she added chopped green chili peppers and gave everything a final stir-fry.
Scooping it out onto a large plate, she scattered the remaining minced garlic and dried chili over the rabbit meat, then quickly made a batch of spicy oil.
Mother Xu’s heart ached a little seeing how much oil went into the pan. Before she could protest, Xu Ying poured the hot oil straight over the garlic and chili, causing it to sizzle loudly as the fragrance intensified instantly.
“Ah! Girl, why did you use so much oil? That’s enough to last us a whole week!” Mother Xu exclaimed in dismay, though she couldn’t bring herself to scold her daughter.
Ignoring her, Xu Ying picked up a piece of rabbit meat, blew on it a few times, and gently popped it into her mother’s mouth. “Here, Mom, taste it first and tell me if it’s good.”
Mother Xu took a bite—and her eyes widened in delight. The meat was tender, spicy, and bursting with flavor.
“It’s delicious! I’ve never had rabbit meat this tasty before,” she praised between bites. Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes from the spiciness, but she kept eating without pause.
【Congratulations to the host: Favorability +1】
Shitou and Huzi watched eagerly, gulping down their drool. “Aunty…” they called out hopefully.
Seeing their longing looks, Xu Ying smiled and used her chopsticks to pick out a piece for Shitou. Since Huzi was still young and couldn’t handle spice well, she rinsed his piece in water before handing it to him.
【Congratulations to the host: Favorability +2. Current favorability: 5 points】
Hearing the system’s notification, Xu Ying felt a surge of satisfaction. Favorability points? Piece of cake.
“Mom, let’s set aside a bowl of this rabbit meat for Grandma,” she suggested.
The rabbit was hefty—over four catties—and with all the mushrooms added, they’d cooked up a big pot.
Knowing her daughter’s intention, Mother Xu readily agreed. She ladled a large bowl full of meat and mushrooms and handed it to Shitou. “Take this to your great-grandmother. And when you’re done, stop by the Lu family and tell Da Ya to come home.”
Xu Ying instantly understood her mother’s plan. Yesterday they’d delivered fish soup; tonight it was chicken; and now, rabbit meat. Sending all these dishes over would definitely stir up gossip once the Lu family caught wind.
In times like these, when food was scarce, their family eating meat every day was sure to attract attention—and possibly trouble.
Shitou placed the bowl into a basket and was about to leave when Mother Xu added, “Take these five duck eggs too. They’re the most nourishing. Your grandparents are getting old, and these will help keep them healthy.”
He carefully tucked the duck eggs into the basket, covered everything with a cloth, and set off.
Mother Xu believed in showing respect and filial piety to her in-laws; she never faltered in her devotion.
After all, parents were role models—if she treated her elders well, the children would learn to do the same. Besides, her father-in-law and mother-in-law were good people, and kindness was repaid with kindness.
As Shitou left with the basket, he ran into Father Xu and Brother Xu, who were returning home from work.
Father. Xu stopped him, curious. “Where are you going, Shitou?”
Shitou ran over and lifted the edge of the cloth, revealing the contents. “aunty made rabbit meat for Great-Grandma, and some duck eggs too. Grandma said they’re good for keeping old folks healthy.”
Hearing this, Father Xu felt a warm surge of pride. His daughter-in-law was so thoughtful and filial.
Brother Xu nodded approvingly at the sight of the steaming bowl, telling Shitou to hurry back quickly.
Shitou eagerly agreed—he had to get back in time! His aunty’s rabbit meat was too delicious. If he came home late and the rest was gone, who would he cry to?
With that thought, he clutched the basket tightly and ran toward the old house.
On the way, he bumped into Zhang Dacao. Catching the faint aroma wafting from the basket, she grew curious. “Shitou, what are you bringing to your great-grandma?” she asked, moving closer to peek under the cloth.
Quick on his feet, Shitou dodged her hand and glanced slyly at her. “Grandma Zhang, I heard Uncle Xiang Dong went off to help those educated youths again. Grandma said those folks are always tricking him. Maybe you should go take a look.”
Zhang Dacao froze in place, stunned by the news.
Taking advantage of her distraction, Shitou stuck out his tongue playfully and dashed away.
Left fuming, Zhang Dacao stamped her foot in frustration, stewing over Chen Yanran’s “vixen ways” that had already made her a laughingstock in the village.
Meanwhile, Shitou hurried all the way to the old house.
Inside, the Xu family elders had just sat down to eat when a knock came at the door.