Su Ci slept like the world had gone dark.
After all, she had taken a train, boarded a ship, and even dealt with a pickpocket—her energy had been heavily drained.
By the time her internal clock woke her up, the sky outside the window had already been dyed in orange-red sunset hues.
She stretched lazily, every joint in her body feeling pleasantly relaxed.
The bed was incredibly comfortable.
It carried the scent of sunlight mixed with lavender.
Knock, knock.
A cautious tapping came from the door.
Then came Lu Xiangbei’s duck-like voice, deliberately lowered, sounding oddly awkward.
“Hey… are you awake?”
Su Ci slowly sat up and tidied her slightly messy black hair.
“The door’s not locked.”
The door opened a crack.
A dark little head peeked in.
It was Lu Xiangbei.
He had changed into slightly cleaner clothes—still patched, but better.
His face and hands had been washed, revealing the dark reddish skin beneath from years of sea wind.
He looked much more presentable now.
Su Ci, a self-proclaimed face enthusiast, nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing she was awake, Lu Xiangbei quickly pushed the door open, revealing the courtyard behind him—
Completely transformed.
The waist-high weeds had all been uprooted.
The ground had been swept spotless with a newly bought bamboo broom, even sprinkled with water to keep the dust down.
The slop and broken bucket at the entrance were gone, and even the foul smell had faded.
The boy stiffened his neck, his eyes bright as he looked at Su Ci—like a puppy waiting for praise after scoring full marks.
Though his expression remained stubborn, his invisible tail was practically wagging.
“The weeds are gone. The yard’s cleaned.”
He reported concisely.
Su Ci slipped on her shoes and walked to the doorway.
Hmm. Efficient.
Ten yuan’s worth of labor really hit different.
“Not bad.”
She commented casually.
Lu Xiangbei’s face fell.
That’s it?
He had worked himself to exhaustion all afternoon—even skipped lunch!
But Su Ci acted as if she didn’t notice his disappointment.
She walked past him and headed straight toward another, even more dilapidated room—
The kitchen.
The moment she approached, an even more complex smell hit her.
Rancid grease, soot from the stove, and something fermenting in the pickle jar in the corner.
The walls were blackened with smoke.
The chopping board was covered in knife marks, dark and unrecognizable.
The only light came from a thin beam leaking through the roof.
Su Ci’s cleanliness radar went off instantly.
Food made here?
Eat it?
One meal might send someone straight to the grave.
She turned around and met three pairs of eyes.
Lu Xiangbei—expectant.
Lu Xiangnan—curious.
Lu Xiangdong—scrutinizing.
“Out.”
Su Ci waved her hand dismissively.
“The kitchen is a restricted zone. No spectators.”
Lu Xiangbei froze. “You’re not cooking?”
His stomach was already growling loudly.
Su Ci raised an eyebrow, her red lips curling into a lazy smile.
“Who said I’m not?”
“I just don’t like people staring while I work.”
She pushed the three kids out and slammed the shaky kitchen door shut.
The moment it closed—
Queen Su Ci immediately dropped her composure and gagged at the air.
The smell was unbearable!
She quickly pulled out a high-end air purifier spray from her space and sprayed the entire kitchen.
Then she took disinfectant wipes and scrubbed the stove and chopping board three times—until they gleamed.
Only then did she feel alive again.
Then—
She began “stocking up.”
A slab of pork belly with perfect marbling appeared out of thin air on the board.
A bag of golden rock sugar.
A bottle of premium soy sauce.
Star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves—spices more valuable than meat in this era—were casually piled to the side.
She lit the fire and heated the pan.
She didn’t even use the black iron wok—instead, she took out a brand-new nonstick pan from her space, shining like a mirror.
Rock sugar went in.
As it heated, the sugar slowly melted into amber syrup, bubbling with a sweet aroma.
Now!
Chef Su Ci’s eyes sharpened as she dumped the pork chunks into the pan.
“Sizzle—!!!”
A loud explosion of sound.
The meat collided with the hot caramel, releasing an astonishing aroma!
The rich scent of fat mixed with the sweetness of caramel—
Like two invisible hands tearing open the kitchen door and charging outward.
In the courtyard—
Lu Xiangbei, who had been muttering quietly, suddenly sniffed.
He froze.
“What’s that smell?”
It was overwhelming.
It forced its way into his nose, burned down his throat, and struck his stomach.
His already starving stomach immediately spasmed violently.
“Grrr… gurgle…”
It growled like thunder.
Lu Xiangnan sniffed hard, her dull eyes lighting up for the first time.
She had never known such a wonderful smell existed.
Even Lu Xiangdong, who had been sickly, came out of the house. His pale face flushed slightly under the influence of the aroma.
Inside the kitchen—
Su Ci continued.
The pork had turned golden and slightly crisp.
With a flick of her wrist, the soy sauce poured in like a black waterfall.
“Sizzle!!!”
Another explosive sound!
If the caramel had been sweet—
Now, a rich, savory aroma erupted.
Stronger. More complex. More aggressive.
It was like a tidal wave of scent.
It flooded the entire courtyard—
Then spilled over the broken walls and spread in all directions.
Next door—
A woman scolding her child suddenly stopped.
She sniffed like a dog catching the scent of meat.
“Which house is cooking meat?!”
“How much soy sauce did they use?! What a waste!”
She cursed—but drool slid down her lips.
Further away—
The entire family compound was stirred.
Children began crying from hunger.
“Mom! I want meat! I want that good-smelling meat!”
“Waaah… it smells so good…”
The entire Seagull Island was enveloped in this domineering aroma.
At the center—
The Lu family courtyard.
The three children were completely stunned.
Step by step, they moved toward the kitchen door like puppets under a spell.
Peeking through the crack—
They saw the beautiful “villain” calmly adding hot water to the pot, tossing in dark spices.
Then she covered it.
Slowly simmering.
That deadly aroma seeped out from under the lid—
Thread by thread, stealing souls.
Lu Xiangbei had never suffered like this in his life.
He felt like he was drowning.
And the woman in the kitchen held his only lifeline.
All his pride, dignity, and stubbornness—
Gone.
Washed away by the smell.
Only one thought remained:
Eat.
He had to eat that meat.
Even just one bite.
He would die happily.
Time passed.
Each second felt like a century.
Finally—
The kitchen door opened.
Su Ci walked out holding a large white enamel basin.
Inside—
Perfectly arranged braised pork.
Each piece was glossy red, trembling.
The fatty parts were translucent like jade.
The lean parts were deep brown, soaked in sauce.
Thick gravy coated everything, sprinkled with green scallions.
A double assault—visual and olfactory.
Lu Xiangbei felt his soul being dragged away.
He stared fixedly, drool already dripping from his chin.
Su Ci placed the basin on the stone table with a loud thud.
Ignoring the three petrified wolf cubs—
She picked up her chopsticks.
Gracefully selected the most perfect piece.
Blew on it.
Placed it into her red lips.
A gentle bite.
The skin melted instantly.
The fat burst with rich flavor but wasn’t greasy.
The lean meat was tender, falling apart, soaked in savory sauce.
“Mmm…”
She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, letting out a soft sigh.
“Not bad. The heat’s just right.”
That bite.
That sound.
Was like a hammer—
Smashing directly into the hearts of the three siblings.
Their defenses—
Collapsed completely.