The Prime Minister’s Little Wife

Chapter 23: Arrogance

After Xu Zhizhi finished preparing everything, the pork belly soup was ready, its rich aroma filling the air. Since Third Uncle’s family lived nearby, Xu Honghua caught a whiff of the delicious smell and couldn’t resist wanting to eat.

“Dad, can we go to Uncle’s house for dinner?”

Third Uncle Xu was annoyed. “We have plenty of wild boar meat at home. We just had to put in a little effort to carry it, and we got so much meat, rice, and flour. What more do you want? If you keep going over to eat every day, why don’t you just fly to the heavens!”

Xu Lanhua thought her father was right. Her younger sister was always dreaming of flying to the heavens and never did any work! But she didn’t dare say it out loud, so she just kept her head down and focused on eating.

Xu Erniu, though he also wanted to go to Uncle’s house to eat the food made by Xu Zhizhi, had studied for two years and knew better than to act shamelessly.

Their family had also cooked some wild boar meat. Although it didn’t smell as good, it was still a rare treat, so they ate it eagerly.

Third Aunt Xu had cooked the meal herself, so she had no reason to complain, but deep down, she knew it didn’t compare to what Xu Zhizhi could make.

Third Uncle Xu picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. It was tough and had a strong gamey taste. He thought to himself, Even the fish Zhizhi makes isn’t this gamey. But he didn’t dare say it out loud. His wife was always frugal and careful with their resources, so she skimped on oil. He took a bite of the wild vegetables and found it hard to describe. He silently lowered his head and kept eating.

Xu Honghua picked up a piece of meat, took a bite, and immediately spat it out. “How did you make this so gamey? Uncle’s family used the same meat, but theirs smells so good!”

She took a bite of the wild vegetables, then slammed her chopsticks down. “Is this even human food? This is pig slop! I’m not eating this.”

No, she had to go to Uncle’s house for dinner. The smell was so enticing, and the food must be delicious. With that thought, she acted on it.

The Xu family was in the middle of enjoying their meal. Each person had a bowl of soup, and there was a large bowl of it on the table, along with a plate of braised pork and a dish of cold wild vegetables. They were also having rice.

“Uncle, you’re eating already? My family hasn’t eaten yet. I smelled something delicious, so I came to take a look,” Xu Honghua said as she walked straight to the table.

Xu Zhizhi thought to herself, Then just stand there and watch! If you don’t eat anything, I’ll consider it a real achievement.

She kept her head down and continued drinking her soup.

“Honghua, you’re here. Since your family hasn’t eaten yet, why don’t you join us for a bit?” Father Xu said.

Xu Honghua had been waiting for this invitation. She immediately went to get a bowl, but since she hadn’t been to their house much before, she couldn’t find one. “Little Wu, go get your sister some chopsticks.”

Although Xu Xiaowu didn’t like this cousin—she had never come to their house even during the New Year when they had nothing to eat—his father had told him to be polite, so he obediently went to fetch the chopsticks.

Xu Honghua picked up a piece of pork belly. It was tender and had a nice chew to it. She felt like everything she had eaten before was pig slop. She took a sip of the soup and found it incredibly delicious. The braised pork was fragrant and slightly sweet, with an excellent flavor. She kept eating bite after bite, like a starving ghost reincarnated.

She didn’t care if the hosts had eaten their fill. She ate until her stomach was round and then left without even saying thank you.

Xu Zhizhi thought to herself, It’s not my job to teach her manners. This spoiled, arrogant child has no upbringing. If she were in a wealthy household, she’d be beaten to death…

In this era, there wasn’t much entertainment, so she quietly watched her little cousin dig her own grave.

Xu Zhizhi had deliberately set aside a bowl of soup, waiting for the village chief to come. She knew the village chief wouldn’t show up right at mealtime.

After eating her fill, Father Xu started splitting bamboo to weave baskets. They didn’t have enough willow branches, so they were using bamboo instead. Xu Zhizhi helped by stripping the bamboo into thin strips. Less than two hours later, the village chief arrived.

Xu Zhizhi quickly got up, washed her hands, and went to greet him. She brought out the bowl of pork belly soup she had kept warm. “Grandpa Village Chief, you’ve worked hard. Have some soup to warm your stomach.”

The village chief had initially wanted to politely decline, but the aroma was too enticing. He looked at the thick, white soup, unsure what it was, but after taking a sip, he couldn’t stop. It was simply divine.

The village chief was a man of some experience, but this pork belly soup was the best he had ever tasted in his life.

After finishing the soup, he praised Xu Zhizhi profusely before getting down to business. The village elders had unanimously agreed, and the final price was set at seventy taels.

Xu Zhizhi was very satisfied. The village chief’s efficiency was impressive. He had even brought the contract, already written up by the village’s old scholar.

Father Xu only knew a few characters and couldn’t read the contract, but Xu Zhizhi carefully reviewed it and found no issues.

The village chief thought to himself, Although the Xu family spent a lot of silver on Jin Zijun during the engagement, Zhizhi learned a lot from it. She can even read contracts now. It was worth it.

Little did he know, this Xu Zhizhi was not the same as the one from before…

The mountain was purchased under Xu Zhizhi’s name. Earlier that morning, Father Xu had informed the village chief that since it was Zhizhi’s money, the mountain would be registered under her name. Xu Zhizhi signed the contract and stamped it.

“Tomorrow, Grandpa Village Chief, could you please help us get the official seal from the government office?”

The village chief chuckled and said, “Sure, sure.” He was already thinking about the pork belly soup he had just eaten and planned to go early the next morning so he could return in time for lunch.

Seeing that the village chief was old but still willing to run errands, Xu Zhizhi said, “Grandpa Village Chief, why don’t you stay for dinner? I’ll make braised pig’s feet for you.”

The village chief, though he didn’t know what “braised” meant, thought it sounded delicious and agreed to stay.

The sun was setting, so it was time to start preparing dinner. Xu Xiaowu quickly went to tend to the fire.

Xu Zhizhi used a chopping knife to cut the pig’s feet into chunks. She blanched them in boiling water, then rinsed them with clean water. Since there were no pressure cookers in ancient times, she had to simmer them slowly in an iron pot. Xu Xiaowu was diligent with the fire, so it wasn’t a problem.

She chopped some ginger and garlic, then cut a few chili peppers. She also picked a handful of lettuce from her space, which everyone would assume was just wild vegetables.

There was still some wild boar meat that hadn’t been cured, so she decided to stir-fry some slices of meat. Once everything was prepared, she tested the pig’s feet with a chopstick. They were almost done, so she took them out and let them drain.

She stir-fried the seasonings in oil, then added the pig’s feet, some sugar, and cooked them until they turned golden brown. Finally, she mixed in the seasonings, and the dish was ready. The aroma was irresistible, enough to make any child cry with longing.

The village chief, who had been chatting with Father Xu, caught a whiff of the delicious smell and couldn’t help but swallow his saliva. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long. Mother Xu and Xu Daniu returned from working in the fields.

“Sister, what are you cooking today? It smells amazing!” Xu Daniu asked excitedly as he came in. He had been enjoying different delicious meals made by his sister every day recently.

“Set the table and wash your hands. It’s time to eat. Didn’t you say yesterday that you wanted to try pig’s feet? Well, since Grandpa Village Chief is here, I made some for you to try.”

“Wow, I’ve never had pig’s feet that smelled this good before!” Xu Daniu quickly went to wash his hands.

Xu Xiaowu tugged on his sister’s sleeve and asked cautiously, “Will Cousin Honghua come again?”

Xu Zhizhi didn’t know how to answer. It was entirely possible.

As if on cue, Xu Honghua, smelling an even more enticing aroma than at noon, actually showed up. But when she heard the village chief’s voice at the door, she turned around and left, not daring to come in.

The village chief took a bite and couldn’t stop praising the dish. The braised pig’s feet had a rich, dark color, unlike the pale version his family usually made. He took a bite and found it delicious—fatty but not greasy.

The Xu family, who had been enjoying such delicious meals every day, felt like they were living in a dream. They ate with even more enthusiasm.

After dinner, Xu Daniu escorted the village chief back. When he returned, he learned that his sister had bought the large mountain behind the village and asked, “Sister, why did you spend so much silver on a wasteland? What’s the use?”

“There are many uses. We can plant sweet potatoes on the mountain and even grow fruit trees. Don’t worry, I have a way to make them grow,” Xu Zhizhi explained confidently.

(End of Chapter)