What delicious food was being made today?
Why did it smell so good?
In the kitchen, Old Madam Gu stared at Gu Xiaoxiao in shock.
She had never imagined that cooking it this way would produce such an amazing aroma.
First, Gu Xiaoxiao stir-fried the cured pork until the fat rendered and the fragrance came out.
Then she added the Chinese cabbage, sprinkled in some salt, and stir-fried everything together.
Next, she poured in enough water to reach the level of the cabbage, covered the pot, and let it simmer.
In another wok, she prepared the wild vegetables.
The process was similar: heat the oil, add garlic until fragrant, then toss in the vegetables and stir-fry them.
Soon, the fresh, earthy scent of the wild greens filled the air.
Gu Yanchen sniffed enthusiastically.
“It smells so good! It smells so good! Today’s meal is definitely going to be delicious!”
Just from the smell alone, he was already impatient to eat.
And he wasn’t the only one.
The grown men in the family were thinking exactly the same thing.
After quickly finishing the stir-fried vegetables, Gu Xiaoxiao transferred them onto a plate and carried them outside.
Then she lifted the lid from the pot of cabbage and cured pork.
Instantly, a rich meaty aroma burst forth.
Not far away, some neighbors were eating lunch.
Suddenly, the smell drifted over.
The younger children at the table immediately caught the scent and started clamoring for meat.
The adults couldn’t help muttering,
“Whose house is cooking? It smells so good.”
“Eating stewed meat in broad daylight? Must be nice.”
Then they turned and scolded their children.
“Eat, eat, eat—that’s all you think about! Hurry up and eat your rice. If you don’t want it, then go hungry!”
The child instantly fell silent.
He knew his mother really would refuse to feed him.
So he quickly shoveled rice into his mouth.
As Old Madam Gu carried the plate of wild vegetables outside, even she felt like she was about to drool.
Although the family technically had meat broth almost every day, they rarely got to eat actual meat.
Most of the meat always went to Gu Xiaoxiao.
The rest of them could only drink the soup.
Old Master Gu noticed her coming out and glanced toward the kitchen.
“Old woman, if you’re out here, then who’s cooking in there?”
Old Madam Gu rolled her eyes.
“Who else could it be?”
Old Master Gu was stunned by the look she gave him.
He stared toward the kitchen.
“Xiaoxiao made all this?”
Old Madam Gu nodded.
She had always assumed Gu Xiaoxiao couldn’t cook.
Who would have thought her granddaughter would be this talented?
Inside the kitchen, Gu Xiaoxiao plated the cabbage and cured pork.
She brought out two heaping platters.
Immediately, everyone’s attention was drawn to the food.
“It smells amazing!”
Gu Xiaoxiao placed the dishes on the table.
Everyone’s eyes followed them the entire way.
The sight made her want to laugh.
Old Madam Gu swallowed hard and said impatiently,
“Alright, let’s eat.”
Instantly, chopsticks flew toward the cabbage and cured pork.
After all, it was giving off the strongest aroma.
Old Master Gu was the first to grab a piece.
The moment he put it into his mouth, he chewed slowly, reluctant to even speak.
Only after swallowing did he sigh contentedly.
“This is delicious.”
“I’ve never eaten vegetables this good before.”
But as soon as he finished speaking, he noticed everyone else relentlessly attacking the cabbage and pork.
Without another word, he focused on eating.
Before long, both platters were completely empty.
Everyone still looked unsatisfied.
Their eyes naturally shifted to the plate of wild vegetables.
Again, Old Master Gu was the first to try them.
The moment he took a bite, his eyes widened.
“Mmm!”
“I never imagined wild vegetables could taste this good!”
Gu Yanchen happily stuffed the greens into his mouth.
He had never known wild vegetables could be so delicious.
The wild greens his grandmother used to make had almost no flavor.
Not exactly bad—but only barely edible.
Compared to Gu Xiaoxiao’s cooking, they weren’t even in the same league.
A simple lunch left the entire family stuffed.
Gu Zhenzhong leaned back, holding his bulging stomach, and looked at Gu Xiaoxiao with amazement.
“Little Sister, I never knew you could cook.”
“And not only can you cook—it’s this delicious!”
“I used to think all you knew how to do was eat.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Old Madam Gu, Old Master Gu, and Gu Yong all exploded.
“You brat! Who are you calling someone who only knows how to eat?!”
One second earlier, Gu Zhenzhong had been grinning.
The next second, the three of them had collectively beaten him down.
Gu Xiaoxiao snorted proudly.
“See? Think twice before teasing me again.”
“I’ve got people backing me up!”
This wasn’t the first time Gu Zhenzhong had gotten himself beaten up.
In fact, it happened regularly.
Yet somehow, he never learned his lesson.
After they were done “disciplining” him, Gu Yong suddenly asked a serious question.
“Daughter, how did you suddenly learn to cook?”
It was something everyone else wanted to know as well.
Immediately, all eyes turned toward Gu Xiaoxiao.
Feeling the pressure of everyone’s stares, she remained calm.
Fortunately, she had already prepared an excuse.
Putting on an innocent expression, she replied,
“I don’t know either.”
“It just felt like this was the right way to cook it, so I did.”
The moment she said it, even she thought the explanation sounded ridiculous.
The entire room fell silent.
Just as she was wondering how to salvage the situation, Old Master Gu suddenly exclaimed,
“Could it be… Xiaoxiao is a genius?”
“A natural-born cook?!”
Old Madam Gu immediately agreed.
“That must be it!”
“Otherwise, how could she casually make food this delicious?”
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became.
“I’ve always said our Xiaoxiao is smart.”
“No one ever believed me!”
“Look at this! She can make such amazing food without even learning.”
“If that’s not a genius, what is?”
Beside them, Gu Yanchen nodded vigorously.
Clearly, he had already been completely brainwashed by the two elders.
The more Old Madam Gu talked, the more convincing the story became.
By the end, even Gu Xiaoxiao herself almost believed it.
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and quickly stopped the two elders.
If they continued, they would probably come up with something even more outrageous.
As long as they believed her explanation, that was enough.
After clearing the table, she called everyone into the house.
Then she asked Gu Yanchen to bring over the basket they had carried down from the mountain earlier.
Reaching inside, Gu Xiaoxiao pulled out the hidden He Shou Wu.
The entire family stared blankly at the dark, oddly shaped object.
This was the wonderful treasure their granddaughter, daughter, sister, or older sister had been talking about?
It didn’t exactly look impressive.
In the end, Gu Zhenzhong voiced everyone’s thoughts.
“Little Sister, what is this black stick-looking thing?”
“It doesn’t look very special.”
Gu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at him.
“This is He Shou Wu!”
“It’s very valuable!”
“He Shou Wu?”
“What’s that?”
The whole family was instantly filled with questions.
Only then did Gu Xiaoxiao remember that people of this era—especially farming families—had almost no knowledge of medicinal herbs.
“This is a medicinal herb.”
“You can sell it to an apothecary.”
“And it can be worth a lot of money.”