C15 Chapter 15

“Grandma, you rest. I’ve got this!” Wenmei thought about the few times she’d had meat before—every time it was so salty it was almost inedible. Before everything fell apart, their family ran a little farm-to-table place, and whenever she was home on break, she’d help her dad prep ingredients. Watching enough times meant she’d picked up how it was done. After the collapse, Liu Wenmei had become the go-to cook for her team, and nothing bothered her more than seeing good ingredients wasted. If you had something decent, you should make it taste good.

“Don’t try to fool your grandma. It’s not that I’m stingy, but this is a whole meal’s worth of meat. You really know how to cook?” Huang Guihua knew Liu Wenmei had barely ever set foot in the kitchen, so she didn’t quite buy it.

“Of course. Just wait—you’re about to eat something really good today.” Liu Wenmei pressed the fruit into Huang Guihua’s hands, grabbed the rabbit from the basket, and started skinning it.

Thinking back to what that priest had said, Huang Guihua believed it even more now. Her granddaughter’s luck had finally turned—like she’d suddenly been blessed with all kinds of know-how.

Liu Wenmei cleaned the wild rabbit fast, chopped it into pieces, and put it in a bowl. She added salt and sliced ginger, and while Huang Guihua wasn’t looking, splashed in a little cooking wine, then mixed it all up and let the meat marinate.

She went out back to the garden and picked a few scallions, a big handful of red and green chilies, and a handful of bay leaves. She washed everything, cut it into sections, and set it aside.

“Grandma, do we have any dried mushrooms?” Liu Wenmei searched the kitchen but didn’t find any other dried vegetables, so she called out to Huang Guihua, who was outside eating fruit.

“We do. I’ll get them for you.” Huang Guihua went to her room, brought out a bag of dried mushrooms, and handed it to Liu Wenmei.

“Mei, Grandma’ll tend the fire for you.” Watching Liu Wenmei soak the dried mushrooms in warm water, Huang Guihua started up the fire.

“Perfect.” Liu Wenmei added water to the pot. Once the mushrooms had softened, she rinsed them a few times and got ready to cook.

She washed out the wok, poured in oil, added the marinated rabbit, and stir-fried until the meat turned golden, then scooped it out and set it aside.

She poured more oil into the wok, pretending not to notice Huang Guihua’s pained look at the waste. Once the oil was hot, she tossed in scallions, ginger, garlic, and a red chili and stir-fried until fragrant. While Huang Guihua was busy tending the firewood, she quietly slipped in a small piece of hot pot seasoning and stirred until it melted. Then she added mushrooms and water. The aroma burst out at once, and she clapped on the lid.

When the water came to a boil, she dumped the rabbit into the pot and boiled it over high heat for half an hour, then lowered it to medium. She added five-spice leaves and let it simmer down until the sauce reduced. A sprinkle of cilantro, and the braised rabbit was done. She scooped the rabbit into a basin, covered it, then pulled out the shredded potatoes she’d sliced earlier. Using the same oily wok, she tossed in scallions, ginger, and garlic, stir-fried until fragrant, added the potato shreds she’d rinsed in water, and gave them a few quick flips. She splashed in a little aged vinegar, and the stir-fried shredded potatoes were done, too.

After washing the wok, Liu Wenmei made a garlicky stir-fried water spinach and tossed together a cucumber salad.

For the main staple, brown rice and sweet potato had already been cooked in the small pot beside them by Huang Guihua.

After tidying up the stove area, Liu Wenmei picked out a piece of rabbit, set it in a bowl, and handed it to Huang Guihua. “Grandma, try it—quick.”

Huang Guihua had been craving it the moment she caught the smell in the air. She grabbed the meat and dug in. The rabbit was tender and falling apart, rich and savory—honestly the best meat she’d ever had.

She finished it in no time, licked her fingers, and grinned at Liu Wenmei. “That’s my granddaughter. Whatever you do, you do it right.”

Liu Wenmei told Huang Guihua what had happened that morning, then said, “Grandma, my big brother, my big sister, and Gu helped me today. I want to invite them over for dinner.”

“Sure. That little punk Wu Xiaowu had it coming. We ought to thank them. Go on—have your brother bring them.” If Liu Wenkai hadn’t broken Wu Xiaowu’s leg, she would’ve stormed over to those houses and raised hell. As it was, the ones who got beaten up wouldn’t dare run their mouths, and her own grandson definitely wouldn’t either. And this Gu—perfect timing to call him over and give him a little warning.