Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 113: Chapter 67: Let Go When You Should

Lanzi and Li Jinxiang thought what Juhua said made sense and nodded repeatedly. Liu Xiaomei was too stuffed to move and didn’t say a word, her big eyes darting from one person to the next. ’Anyway, my meals are usually decent enough, and I memorized everything Juhua taught today. It doesn’t seem that hard.’

Yang Family smiled and said, ”Never mind a young girl like you. I’ve been cooking for decades, and even your Uncle Zheng says my food isn’t half as delicious as Juhua’s. Don’t you worry, just try cooking slowly. After a while, you’ll get good at it. My Juhua just loves to experiment with new things. I don’t get in her way, and she actually manages to make them work.”

Meizi heard this and nodded repeatedly.

After the meal, Yang Family shooed the group of young girls away, telling them to go have a chat. She then cleared the table with Zheng Changhe.

The girls, full and satisfied, sat lazily in the courtyard. They basked in the sun, idly working on their handiwork and making small talk.

Meizi laughed. ”I need to walk around. I’m so full, I feel all blocked up just sitting here!” She stood up and started to sway back and forth.

Lanzi looked at the others and smiled shyly, pursing her lips. ”Look at us, stuffing ourselves like we were starving. Juhua must be laughing at us. I don’t even eat this much during the New Year—and my mom’s cooking is nowhere near as good as Juhua’s.”

Li Jinxiang and Liu Xiaomei also giggled, feeling embarrassed. They hadn’t felt it while eating, but now that they were finished, they realized how shameless they’d been.

Liu Xiaomei rubbed her belly contentedly. ”The only time I can eat with such abandon is when my family butchers a pig. My older brothers usually give me the best tidbits they get, but I think in my whole life, today’s meal was the most satisfying.”

She was the youngest daughter at home, born after four older brothers, so her parents naturally treasured her. On top of that, she was hardworking, so her brothers were all very protective of her.

Juhua chuckled softly. ”Listen to you all. Why think so much about it? When there’s food, don’t be polite. Just remember to think of me when you have something good to eat in the future.”

She then told them about the time Big Mouth Zhao had given her a large soft-shelled turtle, and how she’d shamelessly taken it home, cooked it, and eaten until her belly was round. The story made them all burst out laughing.

Liu Xiaomei said excitedly, ”Juhua, is that true? My brothers are experts at catching fish and Huang Shan! Next spring, I have to come find you to teach me how to cook them. My cooking is okay, but it’s just spicy. I feel like compared to your food today, mine is missing some kind of flavor.”

Juhua asked, ”Do you just add chili peppers, put the lid on, and let it boil for a long time?” Villagers believed, ”’Simmer fish for a thousand boils, and it’ll be safe in your belly,’” but they didn’t realize that overcooking made the meat tough and destroyed the fresh flavor.

Liu Xiaomei nodded repeatedly, blinking her big eyes. ”Doesn’t the saying go, ’Simmer fish for a thousand boils, and it’ll be safe in your belly’? My mom says you have to cook it for a long time so you don’t get sick from eating it.”

Juhua explained that she shouldn’t cook it for too long. Once it’s cooked through, that’s enough. That way, the meat stays tender and the flavor remains fresh.

Meizi tilted her head, asking skeptically, ”Then why do you cook pig’s head and pork offal for so long? I heard you even have to let it simmer in the pot overnight.”

Juhua was stumped—she didn’t quite know how to explain it to her. Seeing them all staring at her, she thought for a moment, organized her words, and then said, ”Huang Shan and fish are easy to cook. A little ginger and green onion in the stir-fry can get rid of the gamey taste. But pig’s head and pork offal are naturally very dirty—that’s why we usually don’t eat them. Even after they’re cleaned, you have to use strong seasonings and simmer them thoroughly until they’re fall-apart tender. That’s how the flavor becomes fragrant. A short two-hour period won’t do.”

Lanzi wrapped a handkerchief around her hand, wound the thread for sewing shoe soles around it, and pulled it tight. She smiled and said, ”See? It’s not so easy to become a good cook. How long you cook something depends not only on what it is, but also on your own judgment!”

Juhua looked at her with admiration. ”That’s right. But the more you do it, the more you’ll understand. It’s like the saying goes, ’practice makes perfect’!”

Meizi said to Liu Xiaomei, ”I don’t care, if your brothers catch any Huang Shan or soft-shelled turtles next year, you have to let me try some. If Juhua says they’re delicious, then they must be really delicious. We were such fools for not liking them before.”

Liu Xiaomei quickly promised that if her brothers caught any, she would bring them to Juhua’s house first. She’d call everyone over to learn how to cook from Juhua while they all tasted the dish together.

Their conversation left all the girls filled with anticipation. After all, only families with lots of boys could get such things regularly. The adults were too busy, and the women would never go out to catch them.

Juhua’s eyes, in particular, were shining. ’Her family is small, and with her brother busy studying now, he doesn’t have time to go after such things. If Liu Xiaomei’s brothers are good in the water, then there shouldn’t be a shortage of these treats. Besides, didn’t Big Mouth Zhao also say he’d catch more for me?’