“Mother, it smells so good.” After working all day, Qiao Jiaxing kept swallowing his saliva when he caught the aroma of fish. “Is Fifth Sister really the one cooking?”
He couldn’t believe it.
Madam Lin also found it unlikely. Her youngest daughter had never cooked before. “Maybe your grandmother is cooking.”
But when had her mother-in-law ever cooked something that smelled this good?
In her memory, her mother-in-law’s cooking was average. After decades of her father-in-law catching fish, she had never smelled such an enticing fish aroma.
Qiao Jiaxing couldn’t resist. He pushed open the kitchen door and saw that it really was Qiao Mianmian cooking. His eyes widened in shock, and as he spoke, drool slipped down uncontrollably. “Fifth Sister, how do you know how to cook?”
In the wok, river snails were being stir-fried. The hot oil sizzled as chili, ginger, and garlic released their fragrance. The red oil coated the shells, making them look extremely appetizing.
Busy cooking, Qiao Mianmian didn’t hear him at first. After plating the snails, she finally noticed him at the door. “Second Brother, wait a bit longer. Once I finish the bitter bamboo shoot soup, we can eat.”
Qiao Jiaxing couldn’t take his eyes off the glossy red snails as he followed their grandmother out. “Grandmother, today’s dishes smell amazing.”
Madam Zhang felt the same. She was still in a daze—when had her granddaughter’s cooking become so good?
The Qiao house had a small courtyard, and meals were eaten in the main hall. With the door open, passersby could easily see inside.
Nearby neighbors were also cooking. Smelling the fish aroma, many were drawn in, discussing which household was cooking such delicious food.
“It can’t be the Qiao family. Madam Lin never uses enough seasoning. Her husband sells meat, yet she won’t even use oil. Her cooking is the worst in the alley.”
“But I heard Aunt Qiao say they’re eating fish today.”
“Other families eat fish too. Chunsheng’s family bought fish as well—but does his mother cook that well?”
Others shook their heads, unsure.
Meanwhile, at the Qiao house, after finishing the soup, Qiao Mianmian blanched the cleaned pork offal and began braising it with spices. She used the precious spices her mother had stored away, and her heart trembled a little. With Madam Lin’s frugality, those spices would never be used unless it was a major holiday. But offal needed strong seasoning to taste good.
She could only silently hope that once everyone tasted it, they would speak up for her so her mother wouldn’t scold her.
Adding firewood to the stove, Qiao Mianmian carried out the soup. “Mother, has Fourth Sister come back?”
Lin Xiahe, who had just arrived, ran in happily. “I’m back!”
“Fourth Sister, go wash your hands. The meal is ready,” Qiao Mianmian said, placing the soup on the table.
Seeing her younger sister serving food, Lin Xiahe was surprised. “Fifth Sister, how did Mother allow you to work today?”
“I didn’t allow it—she insisted,” Madam Lin said, unable to hide a smile. “She said she wanted to help after seeing how hard we work. Look, today’s dishes are all made by her.”
Soon, everyone sat down.
Qiao Mianmian explained, “When I visited my maternal grandparents during the New Year, a neighbor who works as a cook taught me some skills. Today is my first time cooking—everyone, try it and tell me how it tastes.”
Madam Lin picked up a piece of fish. The sauce coated it richly. When she tasted it, the flesh was tender and flavorful, almost melting apart. Before she could savor it, she had already swallowed, leaving behind a lingering savory sweetness. Her eyes lit up instantly.
“Delicious!”
Qiao Jiaxing also took a bite and immediately started eating quickly. “Fifth Sister, you’re so talented! Your first time cooking and it’s this good—you must be a chef reincarnated!”
The others began eating as well. Qiao Mancang loved snails, but Madam Lin usually used too little seasoning, leaving a muddy taste. Today’s snails were different—spicy, rich, and bursting with flavor.
“Truly delicious,” he nodded.
Even the grandparents were amazed. In all the banquets they had attended, none had fish this good.
Madam Zhang looked at her granddaughter with even more affection. “Our Mianmian is amazing. With cooking skills like this, you’ll have an advantage when it comes to marriage proposals.”
“Grandmother, I’m still young,” Qiao Mianmian said while eating. Though each portion was small, it was the best meal she had eaten since transmigrating.
The Qiao family didn’t often eat meat or fish. Even though Qiao Mancang sold pork, they rarely kept any for themselves. Madam Lin had been saving money for housing, so she was extremely frugal.
Today’s fish was only kept because Qiao Mianmian had fallen into the water a few days ago.
After the meal, everyone noticed that a fragrant smell still came from the kitchen.
“Fifth Sister, what else did you cook?” Qiao Jiaxing asked eagerly.
Qiao Mianmian glanced at her mother before answering, “Pork offal. Father couldn’t sell it, so I braised it.”
“What?”
Madam Lin rushed to the kitchen. When she saw the spices in the pot, her heart ached. “You wasteful child! Do you know how expensive these spices are?”
The broth bubbled, releasing a rich aroma.
The others gathered around. Qiao Jiaxing asked cautiously, “Can I try some?”
Madam Lin hesitated but couldn’t bring herself to scold her beloved daughter.
Qiao Mancang stepped in to smooth things over. “It’s already done. Boiling it plainly wouldn’t taste good anyway. Mianmian just wanted to help.”
Taking the cue, Qiao Mianmian hugged her mother’s arm. “I didn’t want the offal to go to waste. I thought maybe we could sell it.”
“Who would buy this?” Madam Lin sighed.
Just then—
“Mother, it’s really delicious!” Qiao Jiaxing exclaimed, unable to stop himself. “You should try it!”
Madam Lin hesitated but tasted a piece. Her eyes widened—it was incredibly good.
Soon, everyone was eating it, amazed by the flavor.
“If it’s this good, I’ll try selling it tomorrow,” Madam Lin said quickly, worried they’d eat it all.
“Mother, let me go sell it,” Qiao Mianmian said eagerly.
“No. You’ve never sold anything before,” Madam Lin refused.
But after much pleading, she finally agreed to let her go along.
“Don’t worry. My offal will definitely sell out!” Qiao Mianmian said confidently.
“You’re boasting,” Madam Lin said, though she smiled helplessly.
What she didn’t know was that the aroma from the Qiao kitchen had already stirred curiosity among the neighbors.
That night, after washing up, everyone went back to their rooms.
Later, Lin Xiahe returned with a flushed face.
“Fourth Sister, is Mother arranging a marriage for you?”
“No… alright, I’ll tell you—but you mustn’t tell anyone.”
She pulled Qiao Mianmian to sit on the bed and began to speak.