In the Siheyuan, Xiè Dàchāo was idly strolling, his gaze inadvertently catching sight of Shǎ Zhù supporting Yì Zhōnghǎi as they hurried home, a sense of unease rising within him.
What's going on?
Are they injured?
That shouldn't be. I'm the factory doctor, after all. Wouldn't they look for me if they were injured?
Did they just ignore me?
I have my pride too!
Seeing them head straight home without even a glance, as if the Steel Rolling Mill's infirmary were a forgotten corner.
But Xiè Dàchāo then thought, if someone were actually injured and they all came to him at once, he'd be exhausted to death.
Never mind, let them continue to ignore me.
In fact, as soon as Xiè Dàchāo got home, he noticed something was amiss.
Although he kept his valuables and meat in his portable space, the traces of someone having rummaged through his things were unsettling to anyone.
Good heavens, could it be the Saint of Thieves has appeared?
That was the only thought in his mind at the time.
Since then, he had been wandering around the courtyard.
But strangely, Bàng Gěng, who was usually so boisterous, had vanished into thin air.
Damn it, he must have seen me in the courtyard and is hiding out of guilt!
"Looks like I need to buy a lock."
Even though his valuables were hidden in his portable space, he couldn't just let others covet the remaining corn flour and other grains.
He didn't care for these coarse grains himself, but it was still annoying to have them stolen.
Suddenly, the corners of Xiè Dàchāo's mouth turned up slightly, a mysterious smile appearing on his face, as if he had come up with a brilliant idea.
Immediately after, he took out a piece of meat from his portable space. He had bought it two days ago.
Tonight, he would have braised pork belly!
He directly put the sliced pork belly pieces into a heated pot to stir-fry until the oil came out, until the surface of the meat was slightly golden. Most of the rendered oil was scooped out, to be used later.
Then, he bought rock sugar from the system to caramelize, followed by green onions, ginger slices, garlic slices, and star anise to stir-fry until fragrant.
This operation was incredibly skillful. Even though Xiè Dàchāo had closed his doors and windows tightly, the aroma still wafted out, making those who smelled it swallow involuntarily.
"Hey, I didn't expect Xiè Dàchāo's cooking to be so good! I wonder if he'll be filial to this old bone."
Deaf Old Lady sat in her rocking chair, her shrewd eyes fixed on the direction of Xiè Dàchāo's house, muttering softly to herself, eagerly anticipating a taste of that enticing braised pork belly.
But obviously, she would be disappointed tonight.
Meanwhile, in Liú Hǎizhōng's house, the atmosphere was lively to the point of being "out of control".
The family hadn't had any meat in a long time, let alone the fragrant, red-hued braised pork belly.
Normally, Liú Hǎizhōng had some "privileges," getting one egg every day. But this small "benefit" was eyed by his two starving sons today.
Seeing Liú Guāngtiān, who was extremely tempted by the braised pork belly, exchange a look with his younger brother, they swiftly extended their chopsticks like lightning when Liú Hǎizhōng wasn't paying attention, and with a 'whoosh,' they scooped up more than half of the fried egg.
"Damn brats!"
Liú Hǎizhōng instantly flew into a rage, his face turning red, veins bulging on his forehead. When had Liú Hǎizhōng ever suffered such humiliation?
If others knew he couldn't even manage his own household, they would never let him be a leader.
Incensed, he instantly lost his reason.
In a fit of rage, Liú Hǎizhōng went mad.
Father sees his son is not dead, pulls out Seven Wolves.
"You rebels, I'll teach you a good lesson today!"
For a moment, the house was in chaos, with the two sons dodging their father's "attacks" while still chewing the hard-won eggs, creating a chaotic and comical scene.
As for the Xǔ family, both of them were not home today, and no one knew where they had gone.
In the middle courtyard, a mouth-watering aroma gradually filled the air, threading its way into every household.
Yì Zhōnghǎi sat in his chair and calmly said to First Aunt, "Shǎ Zhù took the boxed meal to the Jiā family today."
After speaking, he paused, gently rubbed his lower back, which he had previously sprained but no longer hurt, and unconsciously twitched his nostrils. The smell of meat entered his nostrils.
His throat couldn't help but roll up and down, and an uncontrollable ripple surged within him.
He secretly clicked his tongue, filled with regret.
This Xiè Dàchāo usually seemed unassuming, but who knew his cooking skills were so superb? He was probably almost as good as Shǎ Zhù, and he hadn't realized it until now.
If he had known earlier, he should have paid attention sooner, maybe then...
First Aunt nodded as if she understood and replied, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'll casually let this matter slip out, and I guarantee it will spread throughout the nearby streets."
Yì Zhōnghǎi's expression turned serious, and he earnestly instructed, "You need to be careful. Don't be too deliberate, don't let anyone see that you're spreading the word behind the scenes, otherwise, it might cause trouble."
First Aunt smiled confidently, patted her chest, and promised.
In this neighborhood, she chatted with the other aunties every day and knew everyone's temper and preferences like the back of her hand.
Silently spreading the news and stirring up a heated discussion was a piece of cake for her.
Inside the Jiā family's house, the dim yellow light flickered, adding a touch of gloom to the small, cramped space.
"That wretched Xiè Dàchāo, making such fragrant braised pork belly, doesn't he think about how difficult our family is? He doesn't even offer some to show filial piety."
Jia Zhangshi sat at the table, her fleshy face trembling with her curses.
She fiercely picked up a third of the leftovers from the boxed meal with her chopsticks and unceremoniously stuffed them into her cavernous mouth, her cheeks instantly puffing up like balloons.
"Shǎ Zhù is also clueless. These leftovers, who are they for? Not even a speck of meat is visible!"
Jia Zhangshi continued to nag as she chewed, saliva splattering onto the dining table.
"And you, Qin Huairu, behave yourself. If I find out you've done anything disgraceful behind Dōngxù's back, I'll deal with you!"
Jia Zhangshi cursed with spittle flying, but this did not affect the speed at which she shoveled food into her mouth.
In the blink of an eye, at least two-thirds of the food in the boxed meal had gone into her stomach.
Qin Huairu sat aside, eating quietly, completely ignoring Jia Zhangshi's scolding, her eyes showing a hint of loneliness and fatigue as she pondered her own matters.
The only thing that puzzled her was that Bàng Gěng and Xiǎo Dāng had unusually poor appetites today, only taking a few bites before putting down their chopsticks and saying they were full.
"Looks like I need to find a way to get some meat to nourish the children."