If they said anything now, they’d probably get scolded by the two tigresses of the family.
None of the men were willing to admit that the smell alone was making them drool.
The moment the Gu family caught the aroma drifting from the kitchen, they could no longer resist and rushed inside.
“Xiaoxiao!”
“What delicious thing are you making this time?”
“It smells amazing!”
Xu Yan, however, peeked curiously into the kitchen.
She still found it difficult to believe her daughter could actually cook.
Stretching her neck, she looked inside and saw Gu Xiaoxiao standing before the stove, her hands moving skillfully as she worked.
It really was her daughter.
Not only could she cook, but whatever she was making smelled incredible.
Honestly, it might even taste better than her own cooking.
“Grandma!”
“We’re having pancakes today!”
Pancakes?
Could pancakes really smell this good?
Just then, Gu Xiaoxiao finished making a batch of sauce pancakes.
She sliced them into small pieces and placed them neatly on a plate.
“Ah Chen, take this outside.”
Gu Yanchen immediately obeyed.
After everyone had put away their things, they gathered around the table.
The golden-brown pancakes sat in the center, glistening invitingly.
“Just looking at them makes me hungry!”
“Exactly!”
“They just came out of the pan too.”
“They smell incredible!”
Gu Xiaoxiao wiped her hands clean and brought out another plate.
Seeing how eager everyone looked, she narrowed her eyes and glanced at their hands.
“Did everyone wash their hands?”
The family froze.
They had been moments away from attacking the food.
After exchanging guilty looks, they all shook their heads.
Gu Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow.
“From now on, everyone washes their hands before eating.”
“No washing, no food.”
The family remained rooted to the spot.
Seeing that nobody was moving, she shouted again:
“What are you waiting for?”
“Hurry up!”
The entire family immediately scattered to wash their hands.
Watching them run off, Gu Xiaoxiao suddenly felt like a kindergarten teacher.
When they returned, each person proudly held up their still-damp hands.
They all stared at her expectantly.
The sight was oddly adorable.
“Alright.”
“You may eat now.”
Only then did everyone pick up their chopsticks and attack the pancakes.
The first bite left them stunned.
The rich sauce coated every piece.
Because the pancakes had only just come off the pan, the sauce was still fresh and fragrant.
The flavor exploded in their mouths.
“It’s delicious!”
“This is amazing!”
“So good!”
“Little Sister, how do you know how to make so many things?”
Gu Xiaoxiao merely smiled.
As long as they liked it, everything was going according to plan.
Before long, every last piece of pancake disappeared.
The family leaned back in their chairs, satisfied and full.
This was the moment Gu Xiaoxiao had been waiting for.
She casually asked:
“Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom…”
“Do you think the pancakes were good?”
Grandpa Gu’s eyes lit up immediately.
“Good?”
“They were fantastic!”
Old Madam Zhao quickly joined in.
There was no way she would lose a competition involving praise for her granddaughter.
“Exactly!”
“Xiaoxiao, you’re incredible!”
“How did you make something so delicious?”
The corners of Gu Xiaoxiao’s lips curled upward.
She was just about to steer the conversation where she wanted it to go when Xu Yan suddenly asked:
“But Xiaoxiao…”
“How did you suddenly learn to cook?”
“You’ve never even stepped into the kitchen before.”
Grandpa and Grandma Gu immediately came to her defense.
“Our Xiaoxiao is naturally talented!”
“Just because she didn’t know before doesn’t mean she can’t learn now!”
Unfortunately, Xu Yan wasn’t fooled.
She stared directly at her daughter.
A giant warning bell instantly went off in Gu Xiaoxiao’s head.
Danger!
Thinking quickly, she improvised.
“I don’t really know either.”
“It’s just… after I got hurt, recipes started appearing in my head.”
“It feels like there are endless cooking methods stored in there.”
Xu Yan’s eyes widened.
“When did this start?”
Gu Xiaoxiao pretended to think.
“Probably after my injury.”
To her surprise, Xu Yan suddenly looked thrilled.
“Dad! Mom!”
“Do you remember that fortune-teller who came through the village years ago?”
“The one who told us Xiaoxiao would face a life-threatening disaster?”
“But if she survived it, she’d enjoy endless blessings afterward!”
The entire family had heard those words back then.
At the time, nobody took them seriously.
How could their precious granddaughter possibly face death?
But now…
Thinking back on everything that had happened…
Didn’t it fit perfectly?
Grandma and Grandpa exchanged glances.
The more they thought about it, the more convincing it seemed.
“Now that you mention it…”
“Ever since Xiaoxiao woke up, she’s been completely different.”
“She suddenly knows how to cook.”
“Her personality improved.”
“She stopped fighting with the villagers.”
“And most importantly…”
“She stopped hanging around Xu Cuihua.”
Xu Yan’s eyes widened.
“What?!”
“She doesn’t associate with Xu Cuihua anymore?”
Gu Xiaoxiao blinked.
Why was her mother so excited about that?
Hadn’t she always thought they were friends?
Xu Yan immediately grabbed her daughter’s hands.
“Daughter!”
“You did the right thing!”
“The absolute right thing!”
“You should stay as far away from Xu Cuihua as possible!”
“Your mother has wanted to say this for years!”
“Every time that girl tricked you, you still defended her.”
“I nearly wanted to shove you back into my womb and start over!”
“Now that you’ve finally realized what kind of person she is, I can relax.”
“She was never someone worth being friends with.”
Listening to her mother, Gu Xiaoxiao suddenly felt a little sorry for her.
Imagine watching your daughter constantly being manipulated and unable to stop it.
No wonder Xu Yan had been frustrated.
In fact, half the reason the Gu family was so poor was because Xu Cuihua had continuously tricked the original owner into giving away food, clothes, and other valuables.
Don’t worry, Gu Xiaoxiao thought coldly.
Everything she took will be returned eventually.
Seeing that the topic of her miraculous cooking skills had finally passed, Gu Xiaoxiao carefully cleared her throat.
“Actually…”
“I have something I’d like everyone’s opinion on.”
The entire family turned to look at her.
That was unusual.
Normally she was the one with all the ideas.
Looking at their expressions, Gu Xiaoxiao couldn’t help thinking:
Can you all be a little less obvious? I can read your faces!
“Go ahead,” they said.
“We’re listening.”
After straightening her posture, Gu Xiaoxiao announced:
“I propose that we sell sauce pancakes in town!”
The moment she finished speaking—
“I agree!”
Grandpa Gu raised his hand instantly.
“So do I!”
Grandma Gu followed immediately.
Gu Xiaoxiao: “…”
That was it?
She had barely finished the sentence.
Had they even listened?
Xu Yan smiled warmly.
“If you’re the one making them, Xiaoxiao, people will definitely buy them.”
“Mother supports you.”
As for Gu Yong…
He was both a doting father and a devoted husband.
There was no way he would object.
Since everyone had already agreed, Gu Xiaoxiao slapped the table decisively.
“Great!”
“Then tomorrow…”
“We’ll go to town and sell sauce pancakes!”