One was named Jiang Xiaoli, and the other was Ding Jiaqi.
Jiang Xiaoli asked Du Juan, “Du Juan, didn’t you say you were going to the countryside for the market? You’re back already?”
Ding Jiaqi glanced at the small truck and Jun Ning, asking Du Juan curiously, “Du Juan, what did you buy? Why is there even a truck to bring you back?”
Du Juan replied with a smile, “My Weining is getting married tomorrow, right? So I went to the Shigang market today to see if I could find anything good. I didn’t expect to be so lucky—I happened to run into someone selling wild boar meat and other things, so I just bought several dozen pounds of it.”
Hearing that Du Juan had bought dozens of pounds of meat, Jiang Xiaoli’s and Ding Jiaqi’s eyes instantly lit up. They immediately grabbed Du Juan’s hands from both sides, asking urgently, “Du Juan, did you buy extra? Could you spare two pounds for me? My family hasn’t tasted meat in over a month.”
“Du Juan, spare a pound for me too, alright? My family hasn’t had meat in a long time either. The kids are craving it so much they’re howling at home every day, crying for meat. My ears are ringing from their constant noise; I really don’t know what to do with them…”
Seeing how pitiful they sounded and considering their good relationship, Du Juan took a quick look around and lowered her voice. “Alright, come to my place in a while to exchange for some meat. Let me move my things inside first.”
Seeing that she had agreed, Jiang Xiaoli and Ding Jiaqi happily stepped forward to help. “Come, come, we’ll help you carry everything.”
Considering the intelligent robot was still in the truck, it wasn’t convenient for Jun Ning to help them move things. Once everything was unloaded, she smiled at Du Juan and said, “Sister Juan, I’ll be heading back then. I’ll come find you in a few days.”
Du Juan smiled back. “Alright, my family lives in Room 302 of this building. Just come straight over then; I’m usually home after twelve noon and after six in the evening.”
Jun Ning committed her words to memory and replied with a smile, “Okay, I’ve got it. Sister Juan, I’ll see you another day!”
Du Juan waved her hand. “Good, see you then!”
Watching Jun Ning drive the truck away, Jiang Xiaoli and Ding Jiaqi asked in unison, “Du Juan, who was that just now?”
Du Juan smiled. “That person? She’s a capable one with very broad connections. I’ll introduce you when there’s a chance. For now, let’s get these things inside.”
Jiang Xiaoli chuckled softly. “Look at you being all mysterious. Fine, we’ll be sensible and stop prying. Just remember to introduce us when you have the chance.”
Du Juan gave her a playful nudge and laughed. “I love how you’re always so tactful and don’t make things difficult.”
Jiang Xiaoli laughed proudly. “Of course! Who am I? I’m Comrade Jiang Xiaoli, the most understanding person there is.”
Seeing that her husband, Song Weian, had already made two trips up and down while they were still chatting, Du Juan quickly said, “Alright, stop joking around and help me move these things.”
Jiang Xiaoli gave her a playful salute. “Yes, officer!”
With everyone working together, everything was moved upstairs in no time. Du Juan also set aside two pounds of meat for both Jiang Xiaoli and Ding Jiaqi. The two were so happy they thanked her repeatedly, their eyes crinkling with joy.
After seeing Jiang Xiaoli and Ding Jiaqi out, Du Juan saw that it was already past noon. Thinking the children would be home soon, she took out a piece of meat, intending to make some braised pork to satisfy the family’s cravings.
Du Juan cut a piece of pork belly into thumb-sized, square strips, then put them into a pot to blanch in hot water. After scooping them out, she added sugar, ginger, soy sauce, and other seasonings, stir-frying them until the flavors were absorbed. Once the meat was a light caramel color, she added enough water to cover it, put on the lid, and let it simmer until the sauce was almost dry.
The braised pork was ready to be served.
While making the dish, Du Juan found herself swallowing constantly, lured by the rich aroma of the meat. That’s strange, she thought, why does today’s braised pork smell so exceptionally fragrant? The scent was simply irresistible!
Even Song Weian walked into the kitchen to ask, “Wife, why does the meat smell so good today? What did you put in it? It smells so good I can hardly stand it.”
Du Juan smiled and replied, “I think it smells especially good today, too. I didn’t add any special seasonings; I just cooked it the same way as usual. Once it’s ready, try a piece and see if it tastes different.”
Song Weian laughed. “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Although the spiritual energy and essence within the pork had been absorbed by Jun Ning, the meat still came from an evolved mutant boar. It naturally contained special energy and had been raised in the Primordial Fragment Space filled with spiritual aura. Consequently, the texture was exceptionally tender, the flavor was incredibly fragrant, and it was much richer in beneficial nutrients than ordinary pork.
The moment Du Juan lifted the lid, the thick, savory aroma of the meat became even more mouthwatering. This intense scent wafted out through their windows and front door, filling the entire apartment complex with the rich fragrance of meat.
Both adults and children were driven wild by the scent.
“Whose house is cooking braised pork? This is torture!”
“The meat smells too good, it’s too tempting!”
“Who is being so inconsiderate? Cooking meat without closing the windows and doors—the smell is so good we can’t even swallow this watery wild vegetable porridge anymore.”
The children playing outside the complex also smelled the fragrant meat. One by one, they lost interest in playing and rushed home, wanting meat to eat.
“Mom, I want to eat meat, I want meat…”
“Mama, I want meat too, I really want it…”
The scolding of parents also rang out.
“Meat? You’re lucky to have porridge to drink.”
“Where would I get the money for meat? You’re all like hungry ghosts reincarnated; all you know is eat, eat, eat. I hope you eat yourselves to death!”
Du Juan and Song Weian had no idea that their cooking had caused such a stir in the complex. They brought the finished braised pork, scrambled eggs, and stir-fried greens to the table. Just as Du Juan was about to go out and call her two children for lunch, she saw them sprint into the house.
Song Weian and Du Juan had two children: their eldest son, Song Kai, who was eight, and their younger daughter, Song Tian, who was six. Since it was August and summer vacation, the two spent every day playing wildly with the other children in the complex, never willing to come home until it was time to eat.
Naturally, Song Kai and Song Tian had rushed home after catching the scent of the meat. As soon as they entered, they saw the plate of fragrant braised pork on the table and immediately cheered and shouted with joy, “Ahhh! We have meat! We have meat!”
“Mom, I want meat! I want meat!”