“Alright. Big Sister will make the most delicious pancakes in all of Anping County.”
Chen Yinuo wasn’t saying it lightly.
The next morning, before dawn had fully broken, orange-red flames were already dancing inside the newly improved stove.
Ten jin of thick pork fat sat on the cutting board like a small white mountain.
A kitchen knife rested in Chen Yinuo’s hand, her breathing slightly uneven.
In all her years, she had never seen so much fat at once. Back at the old family home, she hadn’t even been able to glimpse a drop of oil floating in dishwater.
“Big Sister, cut it into small cubes—about the size of building blocks,” Chen Zui instructed.
She sat on a little stool beside the stove, clutching a handful of ground Sichuan pepper and cumin powder she had secretly prepared in her storage space—though she claimed it was made from wild berries. Looking every bit like a tiny supervisor, she directed the operation with confidence.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Yinuo lowered her wrist.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
The blade cut through the fat with a steady, rhythmic sound.
At first, her movements were a little stiff. But after a few cuts, the hands that had spent years doing hard labor seemed to find their rhythm.
The knife flashed smoothly.
Each cube came out nearly identical in size, as if measured with a ruler.
“Into the pot!” Chen Zui called.
The white cubes slid into the heated wok with a sizzling hiss.
“Add water! One bowl of water!”
Chen Zui quickly handed over a ladle.
“Water?”
Chen Yinuo froze.
Adding water to hot oil sounded like a recipe for disaster.
“The old immortal in my dream said so,” Chen Zui replied with wide, innocent eyes, making things up with complete confidence. “Oil rendered with water turns out whiter and can be stored for a whole year without spoiling.”
Chen Yinuo chose to believe her little sister.
The ladle of water went into the pot, and steam immediately billowed upward.
As the water gradually evaporated, the bubbling sounds changed from a noisy glug-glug to a crisp crackle-pop.
A rich aroma began spreading through the house.
It wasn’t merely the smell of cooking oil.
It was a deep, intoxicating fragrance that made people want to swallow their tongues.
The stove’s glow painted Chen Yinuo’s face crimson.
Tiny beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
She said nothing.
Her eyes remained fixed on the bubbles in the oil.
At that moment, she seemed to enter a mysterious state.
She could feel the temperature inside the pot.
She could understand the language of the bursting bubbles.
“Second Sister, reduce the fire. Leave only the charcoal heat.”
Without even turning around, she issued the instruction.
Chen Erxiu, tending the fire, instinctively pulled out two pieces of firewood.
With quick movements, Chen Yinuo stirred the pot and scooped out the cracklings, now fried to a perfect golden brown.
Even after the cracklings were removed, the rendered lard remained crystal clear, without the slightest trace of burning.
The heat had been perfect.
This is talent, Chen Zui thought admiringly.
In the modern world, she’d definitely have the potential to become a Michelin-star chef.
Now came the main event.
The pancakes.
Chen Zui sprinkled her small handful of “secret spice blend” into the chopped cracklings, then added a generous amount of finely sliced scallions and salt.
Chen Yinuo rolled out the risen white-flour dough.
Thanks to the spiritual spring water, the dough was remarkably elastic and smooth.
She spread a thick layer of crackling filling over it, then expertly rolled, coiled, and flattened it once more.
A thousand-layer crackling pancake.
Into the pan it went.
Sssssss—!
The hot oil released a symphony of aromas:
the sweetness of wheat flour,
the freshness of scallions,
the richness of pork cracklings,
and the mysterious fragrance of Chen Zui’s secret spices.
Together they formed an aromatic explosion that seemed to detonate inside the little thatched cottage.
Outside, Chen Laosan was chopping firewood.
His axe froze in midair.
His nose twitched twice.
His soul practically left his body following the smell.
Inside, Li Shi was sewing shoe soles.
The aroma reached her, and her stomach growled loudly enough to embarrass her. She nearly dropped her needle.
“It’s ready!”
Chen Yinuo lifted the first golden-brown pancake from the pan and placed it on a coarse porcelain plate.
The surface was covered in delicate crispy bubbles.
Through the thin crust, chunks of cracklings and bright-green scallions were visible.
Unable to wait any longer, Chen Zui stretched out her little hand.
Ignoring the heat, she tore off a piece and stuffed it into her mouth.
Crunch.
Her teeth broke through the crispy exterior.
A burst of steam and savory juices exploded across her tongue.
The roasted fragrance of cracklings mingled with the subtle numbing spice of Sichuan pepper, flowing smoothly down her throat.
Every taste bud seemed to cheer.
“Delicious!”
Chen Zui gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up, speaking through a mouthful of food.
“Big Sister, this is incredible!”
Chen Laosan and Li Shi quickly gathered around.
Grabbing a pancake, Chen Laosan took a huge bite.
Half the pancake disappeared immediately.
His cheeks bulged as he chewed.
Tears nearly came to his eyes.
“This… this is unbelievably good!”
“It’s even better than the meat buns sold in the restaurants in town!”
Li Shi ate more delicately, but not much slower.
Looking at her eldest daughter, she was full of amazement.
“Daya, how did I never know you had this kind of skill?”
Chen Yinuo stood there holding the spatula.
Flour and soot streaked her face.
Watching her family devour the food and hearing their sincere praise, something changed inside her.
Her back, which had always been slightly hunched, gradually straightened.
Back at the old family home, no matter how hard she worked, all she received were her grandmother’s curses and her grandfather’s disdain.
They called her a waste of food.
A worthless girl.
But now—
when her parents and little sister looked at her—
their eyes were shining.
That look meant need.
It also meant pride.
“Big Sister, if we sold these pancakes at the docks, the laborers carrying cargo would probably tear our stall apart trying to buy them!”
After swallowing her final bite, Chen Zui patted her round little belly and delivered her business assessment.
“Sell… them?”
Chen Yinuo blinked.
Then her eyes lit up.
She lowered her gaze to her rough, calloused hands.
So these hands weren’t only useful for hard labor.
They could become the family’s money tree.
A confidence she had never known before surged through her heart like boiling oil.
“Alright!”
“As long as people like them, I’ll make them every day!”
She nodded firmly.
Though her voice still carried a hint of shyness, it now possessed newfound conviction.
“Then it’s settled.”
Chen Zui struck the final note.
“In a couple of days, we’ll set up a stall at the docks!”
The entire family ate until their mouths gleamed with oil.
The atmosphere was as lively as New Year’s.
However, when it came time to dump the dishwater, reality quickly made itself known.
The door opened.
A fierce gust of winter wind mixed with snowflakes blasted into the room.
Having just stepped away from the warmth of the stove, Chen Yinuo immediately shivered.
She instinctively shrank her neck.
Though her jacket had been patched countless times, it was still stuffed with thin, worn cotton and offered little protection against the approaching winter cold.
Second Sister Chen Erxiu was heading outside to fetch firewood.
She rubbed her hands continuously, her lips already turning purple from the cold.
Watching them, Chen Zui frowned.
They had bought cotton and cloth during yesterday’s shopping trip.
But there hadn’t been enough time yet to turn those materials into proper clothing.
Aside from herself—protected by spiritual spring water and less sensitive to the cold—the rest of the family would freeze if they tried to sell pancakes at the docks dressed in their current rags.
They might get sick before earning a single coin.
“Second Sister.”
Closing the door and shutting out the wind, Chen Zui turned toward the pile of newly purchased fabric stacked in the corner.
“Big Sister takes care of feeding everyone.”
“As for what we wear…”
Her eyes settled on Chen Erxiu.
“That’s going to depend on you.”
Chen Erxiu had been clearing away the dishes.
At those words, she looked up.
A mixture of anticipation and nervousness flickered in her usually timid eyes.
“Can… can I really do it?”
“If I say you can, then you can.”
Walking over, Chen Zui picked out several brightly colored scraps of cloth and produced a sheet of paper.
Drawn on it were several strange-looking patterns.
They were sketches Chen Zui had recreated from memory—modern down-jacket designs adapted into what this world would consider patchwork cotton coats.
“Second Sister, look.”
“If we tighten the cuffs like this…”
Chen Zui pointed to the drawing.
“Wouldn’t it stop the wind from getting inside?”
Chen Erxiu leaned closer.
The moment she saw the design, the hesitation in her eyes vanished.
They instantly became bright and alive.