Qiao Manli stood on tiptoe and asked impatiently, "Can we eat now? I want to eat meat, I'm so hungry!"

The childish voice was unbearable for Qiao Xiaoni. She glanced at the pig's head, cut off a slice of the best part—the pig's tongue—put it in a bowl, blew on it a few times, and handed it to Xiao Manli.

"It's still very hot, you can't eat it now. Take it back to your room and let it cool down before you eat it." After saying that, she patted the child's head: "Remember what your aunt said, you can only eat it after it cools down. If you burn your little tongue, you won't be able to eat anything anymore."

Qiao Manli nodded obediently: "I understand, I'll eat it after it cools down."

Qiao Xiaoni had always hoped for a daughter who was well-behaved, sensible, and adorable. Xiao Manli perfectly fit those criteria, and she grew to like her more and more as they spent time together.

Tao Chunfang was overjoyed to see everything before her. Her sister-in-law was paying more attention to her daughter, and recently even her mother-in-law was showing concern for her. This was the life she wanted.

Li Meihua patted the little girl's head: "The adults haven't eaten, but you've already started eating. Hurry up and go back to your room."

Qiao Manli carefully carried the bowl into the house.

Qiao Xiaoshan walked in from outside and saw a piece of pig's tongue in his niece's bowl. His mouth watered instantly, and he reached out to take it, but Qiao Xiaoni slapped him away.

"Why are you fighting with a child for food? That pig's head is so big, isn't it enough for you?"

"I... I was just too greedy. I wasn't thinking about anything else." Qiao Xiaoshan knew he was in the wrong. How could a grown man like him compete with a child for food?

Qiao Xiaoni glanced at the sky outside and saw that it was already getting dark: "Call him in and see if the pig leg is cooked. If it is, put it in a basin. It's already getting dark. If we don't go home now, we won't be able to see the road when we get home."

"Who do you want me to call?" Qiao Xiaoshan asked instinctively, his eyes fixed on the pig's head.

"Su Chenhao! Hurry up and call him in, can't you see it's already dark?" Qiao Xiaoni said, then slapped his arm.

Qiao Xiaoshan then came to his senses: "Okay, I'll go call him in."

Qiao Xiaoni put the cooked pork leg into a large bowl. The hot bowl was filled with aroma, and the color of the meat was also good. She picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and tasted it. It was already very flavorful.

Su Chenhao came in just in time to see this scene. The little girl's face was flushed red like a red apple, and the way she ate the meat was so cute.

"Xiao Ni, you sent me out, how come you're eating meat?" Qiao Xiaoshan couldn't help but shout, his stomach was growling with hunger, he had been wanting to cut some meat from the basin to eat for a long time.

Qiao Xiaoni put down her chopsticks and saw that the broth was boiling again. She went to the stove and poured all the dried radish strips from the basin into the pot. She stirred it with a spatula before turning back to speak.

“It’s still hot from the pot, let’s eat it later. Besides, your older brother hasn’t come home yet! What’s the rush? You’re not a child who needs someone to take care of you.”

Li Meihua added a piece of firewood to the bottom of the stove: "Does the fire need to be so big?"

Qiao Xiaoni: "Keep cooking over high heat until the firewood has burned down a bit, then turn to low heat. This will allow the dish to absorb more flavor."

Li Meihua didn't object and obediently did as she was told. They had witnessed firsthand this afternoon. Qiao Xiaoni really knew more about cooking than they did; listening to her was definitely the right thing to do.

Tao Chunfang: "The stew I've been simmering in oil all afternoon must be delicious. Shall we deliver a pot to each household later?"

Hearing this, Qiao Xiaoshan became agitated and said stingily, "Just send a little to each family, why send a whole pot? There's only so much food in the pot, it might not even be enough for our family!"