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As dusk approached, the sun began to set in the west, and Jiang Xia finished washing the vegetables and placed them into the basket, heading home with Jiang Gu.

Once home, the two made a beeline for the kitchen. Jiang Xia chopped vegetables while Jiang Gu tended to the fire; they both got to work with a clear division of labor.

Jiang Xia had hardly ever set foot in the kitchen before, so her knife skills could not be held to high standards—it was enough that she could chop the vegetables into small pieces.

And so there were potatoes of all sizes, some big, some small, and some even partly peeling.

Jiang Xia then placed garlic on the cutting board and, timing it right, she lifted the knife high and brought it down hard and accurately on the garlic. But the garlic seemed to playfully evade her knife edge as if to spite her. When she picked up the knife, the clove had vanished without a trace. After searching around, she found it had landed on Jiang Gu’s head.

Jiang Gu looked at Jiang Xia with a wronged expression, “Sister, something hit my head.”

Jiang Xia burst into laughter, tears nearly welling up in her eyes.

Finally, after much effort, she crushed the garlic cloves into bits and put them into a bowl for later use.

Compared to the garlic, the green onions were much more cooperative, lying there quietly as Jiang Xia chopped them into thin slices.

The ginger, which was supposed to be sliced, was left in bigger chunks by Jiang Xia, who didn’t trouble herself with finesse in knife work. She simply chopped the ginger and then threw it into the wok to stir-fry with oil.

As soon as the fresh ginger and garlic hit the hot oil, they sizzled, and oil splattered everywhere. Jiang Xia quickly grabbed the lid to shield Jiang Gu’s face, stepping back to avoid the oil splashes herself.

Jiang Gu looked uncertainly at Jiang Xia, blinking, “Sister, are you sure about this? Should we wait for Mother to come back before we cook?”

Jiang Xia’s competitive spirit surged; she was not about to admit defeat. She patted her chest confidently, “Just watch. I was a bit clumsy at the beginning, but nothing can stop me from cooking!”

Jiang Gu, half-convinced, continued to tend the fire and even secretly removed the most blazing piece of firewood to throw into the ash to reduce the flames.

Despite her lack of practical cooking experience, Jiang Xia was quite good at stir-frying, quickly finishing a dish of fragrant mushrooms, and soon the kitchen was filled with the aroma of the dish.

This was followed by a dish of potato slices and sweet and sour cabbage. Although the appearance of the dishes was not perfect, the fragrance was irresistibly delicious.

Of course, the finale was the braised pork ribs. As soon as the ribs hit the pot, the aroma of the meat was unstoppable, wafting even into the yard.

Jiang Gu, enticed by the scent of meat, drooled, “Sister, when will the dishes be ready? I’m hungry.”

Jiang Xia pinched Jiang Gu’s chubby little face, who was just too cute!

She said, “Increase the heat! Once the sauce thickens, it’s ready to come out of the pot!”

Jiang Gu, now familiar with controlling the fire, immediately intensified the flames.

After the dishes were done, Jiang Xia looked at her creations with satisfaction.

Luckily, the reticent butler had already processed the ribs, cutting them into small pieces. Otherwise, if it had been left to Jiang Xia to chop, it would have probably been another accident scene! Thus, the ribs became the only dish that looked somewhat “refined” amongst all.

Jiang Xia had just brought the dishes into the house, waiting for Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan to return so they could start the meal, when she suddenly heard voices at the door.

“What’s this delightful smell coming from this house?” A woman’s strong voice was heard, nothing like those of the shrill-speaking women often gossiping at the village chief.

“It might be Aunt Zhou who has finished cooking. Her cooking skills are said to be even better than those chefs in the county town’s big restaurants.”

Jiang Xia recognized the voice—it was Shen Mo’s.

What was he doing in the village? And why had he come to their house at this time?

With curiosity, Jiang Xia peeked out from inside.

Shen Mo saw Jiang Xia’s little head at the doorway. It was getting dark, and she stood where the light met the shadows, seemingly glowing. Seeing her, Shen Mo couldn’t help but smile.

Shen Mo greeted, “Jiang Xia, has Uncle Jiang come back?”

Jiang Xia looked at the strange woman beside Shen Mo, guessing she might be here for serious business with Jiang Chuan, and so she answered honestly, “Dad and Mom are not here. If you have business, you can go to the commune to find him..”