Especially since someone had previously said they saw her dressed provocatively, talking to Li Mingjun.
Everyone had that in mind, and now, unexpectedly, they caught them again today.
Seeing Li Mingjun’s truck parked at the gate of the Zhou Family’s courtyard, everyone cast disdainful glances.
Then they watched as Si Nian came out wearing a skirt.
Who in this village wears skirts every day, with their hair down like that?
It’s obvious she’s not a decent woman!
Everyone grew even more convinced that Si Nian was improper.
Li Mingjun straightened his neatly parted hair and lifted the heavy bag of groceries.
Nobody knew what was inside—it was so heavy!
He opened it for a quick look and saw it was all pig parts that nobody wanted.
He felt a wave of contempt. Yu Dong had specially sent it over, and he had thought it would be something good.
Just this? Just this?
To please the beauty, Li Mingjun immediately took out some prime pork belly his family had set aside and walked toward the iron gate.
This time, he didn’t dare to act recklessly like before. He loudly called out, “Sister-in-law, I brought you something good!”
With so many people around, he didn’t believe Si Nian would dare to chase him away like last time!
Today, he even wore the Audemars Piguet watch he had been reluctant to wear, deliberately showing it off so Si Nian would notice.
This was a symbol of city folks—no one in the countryside could afford one.
Si Nian saw the greasy man again and her eyes flashed with disgust.
But looking at the things he carried, she wondered if they were really sent by Zhou Yueshen.
How could Zhou Yueshen care about someone like him?
Si Nian grew a bit impatient, but since she had already prepared the ingredients for these things, she walked over to see what he was up to.
“Put it there. You can leave now,” Si Nian stopped just a few steps inside the gate, not wanting to get close to this greasy man.
As expected, hearing this, Li Mingjun’s face darkened. He sneered sarcastically, “Sister-in-law, what’s with that attitude? I came all this way to deliver goods for you, and you won’t even let me in? That’s too much.”
Si Nian said, “Doesn’t my man pay you a salary?”
Li Mingjun froze for a moment, then put on a serious face, “What do you mean by that?”
Si Nian crossed her arms, “Since you’re paid, you’re just a laborer moving goods. I tell you where to put it, you put it there. How is that too much?”
Li Mingjun: “.....”
His face turned pale and red in turns. So from the start, Si Nian had treated him as just a worker for the Zhou Family!
“Maybe you misunderstood. Although I drive for the Zhou Family, I’m not just a worker. I’m helping out for my big sister’s sake. By the way, my family’s in the city, South City—you know it, right?”
That was the most prosperous city around here.
“So what?” Si Nian sneered, tugging the corner of her mouth, “You didn’t get paid?”
Li Mingjun was speechless.
“I’ll say this one last time—put it at the gate and leave quickly, or I’ll set the dogs on you.”
Li Mingjun was furious but unwilling to back down, “You’re really pushing me away just because of Zhou Yueshen? Look how stingy he is! He runs such a big livestock farm but won’t give you anything good. It’s all scraps like this. I even specially saved you a piece of pork belly!”
Si Nian heard that and wanted to roll her eyes.
“Oh, so I should thank you for leaving the pork belly at my place? Get lost, or I’ll unleash the dog on you.”
Li Mingjun’s face immediately turned pale and then flushed.
He shot her an angry glare but, unwilling, turned and left.
Si Nian wasn’t happy either—this man was really ruining her mood.
Once was one thing, but did it have to be every single time?
Today’s matter had to be discussed with Zhou Yueshen.
This guy was even digging under her feet now, right at her doorstep, while Zhou Yueshen was still busy at the farm.
Though annoyed, Si Nian didn’t forget her task.
Zhou Yueshen had given her plenty of ingredients, and it was clear he had cleaned them carefully—the pig’s trotters had been singed to remove the hair and scraped clean, so she didn’t need to do much.
The pig intestines were even cleaner. Si Nian soaked and scrubbed them repeatedly with cooking wine and vinegar but couldn’t find any dirt. It seemed the man knew better than she did how to clean them thoroughly.
Still, Si Nian rubbed the intestines with vinegar and flour for a while, then rinsed them several times with water.
After cleaning, she blanched them in boiling water, adding scallions, ginger, and cooking wine to remove any unpleasant odors, waiting until the intestines shrank and changed color before taking them out.
The seasonings had been prepared in advance.
Even a fool could make this.
They included ginger, green onions, dried red chilies, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves.
All easy to find.
After blanching, she poured soy sauce, light soy sauce, salt, a little dark soy sauce, and an appropriate amount of water into an iron pot, heating the seasoned broth.
Then she added the cleaned intestines, mixing them gently to make sure the water covered them, and simmered over heat so the flavors soaked deep into the intestines.
Meanwhile, Si Nian cleaned the pork bones.
The meat on the bones was sinewy and tough, requiring a long cooking time.
Especially the marrow inside the bones—once cooked, a quick sip could draw out the rich, fragrant marrow broth.
Simply delicious.
And highly nutritious!
Time passed quickly. The pig intestines were nearly done, and when Si Nian lifted the lid, the rich aroma of the braising sauce filled the air. There was no hint of any unpleasant smell, and each intestine had turned a deep reddish-brown.
She cut off a small piece and popped it into her mouth. The flavor was rich and savory, perfectly seasoned, and the more she chewed, the more satisfying it became. Even the braising liquid was enticingly fragrant, perfect for cooking pig ears or trotters as well.
Seeing that it was getting late, Si Nian decided to save the pork bone soup for the evening.
She started cooking, adding a bit of pork lard to stir-fry pork kidneys. Kidneys have a strong odor, but when properly prepared, they’re tender, flavorful, and pair well with rice.
It was hot outside, and rural folks loved their sour soup.
Although sour soup wasn’t particularly nutritious, it was a favorite in the countryside—not only refreshing but also simple and cheap to make.
Si Nian liked it too, but it had to be paired with some side dishes.
She sliced a bowl of braised pig stomach, sprinkled it with braising sauce and chopped scallions, then grabbed some of her own pickled radish strips and stir-fried a couple of small vegetable dishes. Dinner was ready.
With meat and soup, it was both hearty and helped cut through the richness!
The eldest child and second child came home and immediately started on their homework. When it was time to eat, they were especially eager.
Because of Zhou Yueshen, the Zhou Family’s dinner was a bit later than usual.
Just as Si Nian sat down, Zhou Yueshen returned.
As soon as he entered the room, the overpowering aroma hit him—the rich fragrance of soy sauce mixed with the mellow scent of steamed rice was simply irresistible.
Taking his seat at the table, Si Nian hesitated before speaking.
“Zhou Yueshen, what kind of relationship do you have with Li Mingjun?” Si Nian wondered. If they weren’t close, why would Li Mingjun keep sending over meat?
Zhou Yueshen paused for a moment, frowning slightly. “Li Mingjun? How do you know him?” Since Si Nian hadn’t been here long, Zhou Yueshen was a bit puzzled.
Li Mingjun usually only went to the farm, and he went early, so they shouldn’t have run into each other often.
Si Nian looked puzzled. “Isn’t it you who asked him to send the meat to me?”
Zhou Yueshen furrowed his brows deeper, his voice low and cold. “He sent it to you today?”
Si Nian nodded slowly. “Yes, and the last time too…”
Looking at Zhou Yueshen’s reaction, could it be that he still didn’t know?
Si Nian was confused.
Surely he wouldn’t have Li Mingjun repeatedly bring her meat just to strike up a conversation?
After all, in the story, Li Mingjun was known to be stingy.
Zhou Yueshen’s deep, dark eyes suddenly narrowed sharply!
Maybe he wouldn’t think much of anyone else, but this was Li Mingjun.
