Ganli felt a mix of guilt and helplessness upon hearing the argument outside.
The two older brothers in the Gan family are good in every way, except that they are too biased and don't know how to speak properly.
Women are meant to be coaxed, not treated so harshly.
It seems she'll have to teach the Gan brothers some tricks for winning over their wives.
But for now, she should take care of the meat in the pot, as it's crucial for her future business and making money!
However, fearing that someone might come in and interfere, she didn't open the kitchen door again, and thus didn't see that a furtive figure was peeking through the crack in the door.
...
After pouring water into the pot, Ganli didn't rush to add salt or other seasonings. Instead, she picked and chose from the jar next to her, stuffing the contents into a small cloth bag.
Under the stove, Gan Tian looked at the things in her hands and asked curiously, "Mother, what are all these things? Why is there tree bark in them?"
"This is called cinnamon!" Ganli explained to her one item at a time, "And this is star anise, bay leaves..."
"Ah? But Mother, aren't these all medicines?" Gan Tian exclaimed in surprise.
Back when he lived in the Chen family's house, a doctor lived next door, and his mother often helped him dry his medicine at home.
The old woman was very kind and took good care of Gan Tian, who was always beaten and scolded at home. So Gan Tian liked to go and talk to her. Over time, she learned about some Chinese medicine.
Mother, what you're holding now are all medicine—do you put medicine in the meat?
At this moment, Sun, who was eavesdropping at the door, was also startled when she heard Gan Tian's words!
She had been exposed by Gan Li and was unable to defend herself, so she could only pretend to faint. It was hateful that no one came to help her up. She could only get up after everyone had left.
She had been lying on the floor for so long that her bones ached terribly. She wanted to go back to her room to lie down for a while, but she found that the kitchen door was closed.
Sun was faking fainting, but she could hear what her family was saying and knew that Ganli had volunteered to cook, so she should be in the kitchen right now.
But if she's cooking, why is she doing it with the door closed?
Sun was resentful that Ganli had embarrassed her in front of the whole family. Remembering Ganli's past character, she immediately assumed that Ganli was up to no good by keeping the kitchen door closed. So, seeing that no one was around, she crouched down at the kitchen door to see what Ganli was up to.
You wouldn't believe it until you see it! This little vixen actually dared to poison the meat!
Sun wanted to tell the whole family the news, but then she thought that with her parents-in-law and the two brothers' favoritism towards this little brat, no one would believe her even if she went to tell them!
If you listen to that vile woman's sophistry, the mistake will become yours.
We need to come up with a foolproof plan...
Her eyes darted around, and a plan instantly formed in her mind. She glanced at the kitchen door, gave a cold laugh, and turned to go back inside. She needed to be well-rested for her grand performance later!
Sun was so excited, thinking she had caught Ganli red-handed, that she went back to her room and didn't hear what was said afterward.
Gan Li was taken aback when she saw a hint of fear in the little girl's eyes. Then, thinking of the original owner's character, she instantly understood the source of the fear in Gan Tian's eyes and couldn't help but laugh and cry.
Speechless as she was, to avoid causing the little girl psychological trauma, she quickly explained:
"That's right, these are medicines. There are many kinds of medicines. Some medicines are strong and can cause illness in ordinary people. But some medicines are mild and can be beneficial when taken regularly."
For example, star anise and cinnamon not only have warming and cold-dispelling properties, but their unique flavors also help to remove unpleasant odors and enhance the aroma of meat.
Gan Tian didn't understand the last part of what her mother said. However, she had heard the old lady next door say the first part, and it was indeed true.
Knowing that the medicine wasn't what she thought, Gan Tian breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Gan Li apologetically: "Mother..."
Ganli waved her hand: "It's not your fault that you don't know, but you'll find out in a little while."
As she spoke, she threw the prepared spice packet into the pot, made sure the broth covered the packet, then put the lid on and instructed Gan Tian to simmer it over low heat for half an hour after the water boiled.
Actually, the best way to stew braised pork is in a clay pot, simmering it over low heat for the best flavor. But here, resources are limited; we only have one large iron pot, so we'll have to make do.
But the effect is not bad either. The spices are wrapped in the pot and, under the simmering of the constantly boiling broth, they combine with the aroma of the meat and gradually release their fragrance.
Gan Tian couldn't help but take a deep breath: "It smells so good!"
The aroma wafted out of the kitchen and filled the entire yard.
Old Gan came out following the aroma and looked at the kitchen in surprise—good heavens, what was his daughter stewing? It smelled so good!
The Gan brothers couldn't hold back any longer and started banging on the kitchen door.
"Little sister, are you stewing meat? It smells so good!"
"Open the door quickly, I want to get closer to smell it!"
Even Zhao was quite surprised. She thought of the scene she had just witnessed and wondered: Could it be that this sister-in-law actually knows how to cook?
It's just a little bit of sugar, how come it smells so good!
Only Madam Sun, lying in bed, listened to the commotion outside and let out a cold laugh.
Smells good, right? It's poisonous! Smell it now, praise it now, but the truth will be revealed in a moment, and it'll scare you biased people to death!
...
In the kitchen, Gan Li saw that the door was about to be knocked down, so she quickly opened the door, took out a large basin, and handed it to Gan Mingyi.
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