Bai Fumei in the 70’s

Zhao Lanxiang thought that what had been said earlier might have been overheard by him. She was a little embarrassed and wanted to explain it to him, but then she remembered the rumor that he and Pan Yu had done something in the cornfield.

She withdrew her eyes and walked calmly to the well to get water.

She needed to take the initiative to change the habits she had cultivated over the years, especially her habit of following He Songbai involuntarily. She had to take her time. Zhao Lanxiang had to admit that the gap between the 19-year-old He Songbai and her 40-year-old old man was like a chasm. When he was forty years old, they could talk to each other, and love was sweet.

But that did not mean that she can successfully be together with the nineteen-year-old him. Everything has its own fate. The real purpose of Zhao Lanxiang coming here this time was to prevent him from going to prison, not to tangle him up with love.7

After deciding this, Zhao Lanxiang suddenly broadened her mind and put down the burden in her heart.

The stinky pig intestine was rubbed clean with salt granules. After washing the large intestines, she carefully washed the pig trotters, delicately scraped them with a knife, and then used her ten fingers to knead it like a massage. The white pig trotters looked very cute under the clear water. The meat-greedy Zhao Lanxiang couldn't wait to simmer them quickly with the newly acquired spices.

Half a pound of pig trotters actually did not actually contain much meat. Once prepared, it was only about a few pieces. But Zhao Lanxiang, who was shy in the pocket, could only temporarily suppress her gluttonous heart.

Fortunately, these two things were very cost-effective and only cost a small meat ticket. A pound of large intestine for two cents, and a pound of pig trotter for one cent. She deliberately picked the fat and even trotters. It was too early to think about it, and it was too late to stew a five-spice pig trotters.3

Sister He hadn't finished work yet, and it was not time for the He family to have dinner, so she borrowed the He family's stove.

She blanched the pig trotters with water and marinated it with wine and soy sauce for half an hour. The next step was to heat up a frying pan with oil and slices of ginger. The seasonings were wrapped in gauze and made into a spice bag. The trotters were then put into a small pot and simmered slowly. She stewed it until the water had almost evaporated, and the pig trotters had become gelatinous and shiny.

The water in the pot bubbled, and she satisfactorily inhaled the rising scent, closing the lid.

He Sanya came home first. She put down the heavy pigweed on her back and smelled the delicious aroma, and involuntarily walked to the kitchen. The strong, overbearing scent made hungry people increasingly feel the pangs of hunger. He Sanya's mouth straightforwardly began to drool with saliva. But once she saw Zhao Lanxiang in the kitchen, she was shocked. She glanced greedily, but then turned her head and ran to the well to fill herself with a large bowl of water. She took a bite of bitter cabbage and drank a lot of water.

Zhao Lanxiang, who had been concentrating on cooking, was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the little girl, and then she saw her near the well, drinking only water and eating raw wild vegetables.

She led the child into the kitchen. Once the lid of the small pot was lifted, eight pieces of pig trotters that had been stewed softly and sweetly and were shining brightly from the oil, were revealed. She took out a bowl for He Sanya, picked up a piece with chopsticks, blew on it to cool it down, and put it into the bowl.

"Eat."

He Sanya smiled, exposing her white teeth, then buried her head down and nibbled on the pig trotter, much like a small animal with her fingers twitching. She did not understand the complex rules of the adult world and had only accustomed to people's cold eyes. Even when she was beaten, she didn't cry, just timidly and numbly accepting it, like a puppet without emotion.

However, as long as someone was a little good to her, the bright smile in her black eyes became just as warm as the flames of the stove. After she finished eating, she took the bowl and licked clean the sauce that was left.

He Songbai saw this scene after he came back from feeding the pigs.

In the dimly lit fire room, He Sanya's small tongue excitedly licked the small bowl. The jumping light from the stove outlined the frames of the gentle woman squatting in front of the stove, and his stupid sister eating rice and meat around others.

Everything was very harmonious, except that Sanya was eating meat with this woman.

His face sank, and he shouted at Sanya.

"Who told you to eat people's food?"

The voice of the young man during his voice-changing period is low and hoarse, filled with uncontrollable anger. He appeared in front of He Sanya within just two or three steps. With one hand, he picked her up, and with a sullen face, he pulled out a few crumpled tickets from his pocket, put them on the table, and stiffly said, "Don't give her anything to eat in the future."1

Zhao Lanxiang moved back two steps involuntarily. He Songbai's vicious face gave her the feeling he wanted to beat someone.2

Then he really went and beat He Sanya's butt and told her to stand in the corner. However, even though He Sanya was beaten and her skin was sore, she had managed to eat two pig trotters. When she was standing at the corner facing the wall, she wiped her mouth and thought deeply about the taste of trotters.3

In fact, she did not even know that she had been eating trotters. How would she recognize the taste of trotters? Every year this poor child only had a few opportunities to eat pork. And later, these pig trotters would become an unforgettable taste in He Sanya's life.

Zhao Lanxiang wanted to laugh but was angry at the same time, so she walked in front of He Songbai and said, "I am the one who gave her food. She only knows what a child should know. Do you want to beat me too?"1

He Songbai stood on the spot. He felt a kind of embarrassment and sadness spreading throughout his body. How badly he wanted his lovely sister to be able to eat her fill. She hadn't had a proper meal ever since she was born. She didn't even have milk to drink when she was two or three months old. However, he had worked until he was exhausted and yet still continued to work hard, but even then, she still could not eat a full meal.3

Just blame God for allowing her to be born into the He family. She followed him in vain.

He Songbai's pitch dark eyes are covered by clouds. He only looked at Zhao Lanxiang once more then turned to the kitchen. His big palm grabbed two handfuls of brown rice and started to make dinner for the He family.

The way he looked at her made Zhao Lanxiang's heart shatter.

...

When Sister He came back at night, He Sanya greeted her from the corner with a smile.

Zhao Lanxiang's fried pig intestine and trotters were taken out together with a bowl of rice, she smiled and said. "Last night I ate your meal, eat one of mine today."

Sister He quickly shook her head. Although the meal yesterday was considered lavish for them, since they used more rice than usual, it was still shabby. How can it be compared with the meat and rice laid out by Zhao Lanxiang?

Zhao Lanxiang already scooped out a large portion of intestines into Sister He's bowl and said with a smile, "While these may be meat, they are offals and not worth much. Sister, you can eat with confidence!"

This friendship was too expensive. Sister He felt moved and looked at Zhao Lanxiang with gratitude. She used hot water to soak the rice and brought a bowl into the back room for her grandmother to eat. Every time the family has something delicious, they always bring some to her. The rice that Zhao Lanxiang bought was all fine grain. It was so soft as if it would melt away when it entered their mouth. It is delicate and smooth with a slightly sweet flavor, unlike the coarse grains they usually eat, which make their throats ache.

Sister He finished her meal with guilt and satisfaction. This meal was a delicacy that she had never before tasted in her life. After Zhao Lanxiang finished eating, she scraped up all the sauce for her younger sister to eat until it was clean. Except for He Songbai, the He family was full and satisfied this evening.

That night when Zhao Lanxiang took a shower, Sister He came to her room secretly, put a stack of money on Zhao Lanxiang's table, and carefully pressed it under the celadon vase.1

This money happened to be the "rent" previously paid by Zhao Lanxiang the day before.

[T/N: Edited to add food porn to torture the readers' heart and tummy.]