There were a lot of people in the Market at this hour, and the place smelled unpleasant, filled with the stench of meat and fish.
Su Xiaoxiao felt uncomfortable walking here.
Also, she didn’t even know where anything was sold here, so she could only follow behind the more experienced Aunties to look for vegetables she needed for the evening.
According to her plan, she needed to buy some pork and leafy greens.
If there were eggplants, even better.
As for seasonings, she’d just pick up whatever in the Supermarket later.
“You’re such a good girl, helping your parents buy groceries.”
While waiting for someone to finish butchering pork, an Auntie who was also waiting called out to her.
“Ah…yes.”
Su Xiaoxiao nodded, pretending.
No parents.
She was actually buying groceries for “Husband”.
“How nice. My family just stays at home playing games every day, can’t even help with small things.”
The Auntie seemed a little envious.
“What are you planning to buy, little girl?”
“Um, some pork and leafy greens.”
Su Xiaoxiao chatted with the Auntie for a bit, and after it was her turn, they both parted ways with their meat.
“She’s a kind mother.”
She sighed, watching the woman’s back.
Now, the bag in her hand was filled with several jin of freshly bought pork.
Su Xiaoxiao prepared to buy some greens.
But it was such a rip-off.
A jin of pork was over forty, and three jin cost over a hundred.
“So expensive, so unfair, so infuriating.”
Su Xiaoxiao felt a little distressed.
But for Elder Sister’s health, it was still worth it.
Without her, she wouldn’t survive either.
The white-haired girl weaved through the Market with a light step. After searching for a while, she finally bought some fresh greens and tender eggplants.
For dinner, she planned to make stir-fried chili pork and minced meat eggplant.
***
“Finally cleared it.”
Yu Xueqin sat on a soft chair, looking at the battle record on the screen.
Satisfied, she lifted her fingers off the keyboard.
She’d worked hard playing all day just to defeat this boss.
And now she had.
After achieving her goal, she felt strangely empty inside.
It felt like something was missing.
“I’m a bit hungry. I’ll order delivery.”
Yu Xueqin slowly got up, ready to grab her phone from the bed and order dinner like usual.
Yesterday’s place was too awful.
She decided to try a different one today.
“Ding-ling~”
Just as she picked up her phone, a crisp bell rang outside the room.
“Who?”
Yu Xueqin perked up her ears warily and tiptoed to the door.
There was only one ring, then silence.
A prank?
No one ever visited her place.
Why would someone ring the bell out of nowhere?
Her sister hadn’t said she’d come today, and that little one had a key—she wouldn’t need to ring.
If she really did have a key but still rang the bell waiting for her to open the door, that’d be too dumb.
“Sister Yu, I’m here. Can I come in?”
But reality was real.
A soft, cute voice drifted in from outside.
“…”
Yu Xueqin was speechless for a moment, realizing she’d gotten nervous for nothing.
After all, a girl living alone should be careful.
What if it was some pervert?
“Are you stupid? Why ring the bell? Didn’t you bring the key?”
Yu Xueqin was a little angry.
“Creak…”
She opened the door, and outside stood a shy girl holding several big bags.
“Um, I was afraid you might be doing something…inconvenient.”
Su Xiaoxiao lowered her head, staring at the little green vegetables in her hand.
She was honest.
“What…what kind of thing??…Hah, there’s no such thing. Just come in next time.”
Yu Xueqin’s face was full of dark lines as she listened, wanting to lecture her but held back.
“What’s all this stuff you bought?”
“It’s food. I’m making you dinner tonight.”
The obedient girl walked into the room on her small legs.
“A lot outside isn’t clean, and you eat instant noodles often. It’s bad for your health.”
Yu Xueqin listened and thought carefully about her words.
It was true—bad for health.
But she was usually too lazy to cook.
Nothing to be done.
You’re going to cook?
“So nice?”
Yu Xueqin closed the door casually, her expression complex.
“Are you really planning to be my wife? If you do well, maybe I won’t object.”
She found it amusing and teased the little girl whose face had gone pink with embarrassment.
But Su Xiaoxiao was flustered.
Ah, I’m not your wife! Don’t say nonsense!
“No way! I just don’t want you to get sick!”
Su Xiaoxiao protested.
“If you get sick, I won’t get paid, right?”
Still, it’s Husband.
She had no intention of being a wife.
Looking up at the Elder Sister who was much taller, Su Xiaoxiao felt a bit unwilling, wanting to do something to prove herself.
But there wasn’t much she could do, so she felt a bit down.
“Is that so? Then go ahead. I’m already hungry.”
Yu Xueqin withdrew her earlier emotions, speaking coolly.
“If it doesn’t taste good, forget it.”
With that, she returned to her bedroom, completely missing the girl’s intention.
“Um…it needs to taste good. Looks like I’ll have to work hard.”
Su Xiaoxiao stood alone in the living room, the three jin of pork she’d carried leaving her slender fingers a little red.
Pain from her stomach forced her to sit on the sofa for a while before starting to cook.
She wondered if the pots and spatulas in this sister’s house were rusted.
She hadn’t checked before.
After resting a few minutes, and the pain lessened, she went to the kitchen to inspect the utensils.
She found everything was as good as new.
No—actually brand new, never used before.
“No problem. In that case, I can start cooking.”
Su Xiaoxiao felt she was a bit short, so she brought over a small stool to stand on.
Her height, a little over 150cm, was indeed on the short side, but with the stool, it was just right.
Let’s begin!
Su Xiaoxiao scooped two servings of rice into the rice cooker, then washed the pot and knife, added water, and heated the pan before starting to chop the chili.
Chili, scallions, and garlic were sliced to the perfect size, and the meat was a mix of lean and fat, cut into small pieces to ensure it would cook through.
Once the pan was hot, she added some oil and the vegetables in order.
In an instant, hot steam filled the kitchen, and beads of sweat appeared on the diligent girl’s forehead.
“So hot.”
She complained a bit.
Cooking in summer was really tough.
“And now it hurts again…ah.”
Standing on the stool, Su Xiaoxiao used her small hands to flip the spatula with difficulty, enduring the pain because the dish was almost ready.
After nearly twenty minutes being “roasted” in the kitchen, she finally carried the first dish to the dining table.
Su Xiaoxiao’s expression wasn’t great—she’d even burned her finger on hot oil while cooking.
“Next, the eggplant.”
She covered the dish to keep it warm and returned to the kitchen.
After a while, the rice finished cooking, and the second eggplant dish was ready.
“It’s done.”
Su Xiaoxiao’s neck was a bit damp as she stood at Sister Yu’s bedroom door and called softly.
This was her first time cooking for someone other than her parents.
The girl was excited.
She’d worked hard just now; it shouldn’t be too bad.
“Alright, coming.”
The bedroom door opened, and the beautiful Elder Sister emerged.
Su Xiaoxiao stared at her intently, eager for a reaction, the pain and fatigue forgotten for a moment.
“What? It’s all fatty meat?”
But before even eating, Yu Xueqin’s doubtful voice sounded by the table.
“I feel sick just looking at fat. You can eat this yourself.”