Chapter 6: Is the Xu Family Good to You?

She walked to her front door and, seeing it locked, couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Her mother was a primary school teacher. Primary school classes ended at five, and with the added time needed to grade homework, she wouldn't return until around six. It wasn't even five yet, so she shouldn't be home.

With a click, the door opened, and Liu Liang carried the groceries inside.

She went into the small kitchen, placed her hands on her hips, and looked at the stove.

She had used firewood before, and no matter what, a stove had to be easier to use than wood.

She fiddled with the stove for a long time until she figured out how to use it. In truth, she had never actually used this type of thing. Back at the Xu family home, there was a nanny, so she had never cooked. After returning here, her mother, Zhou Lanping, had prepared every meal, never missing a day. Later, when she returned to the Xu family to work like a beast of burden, they were already using liquefied gas, and eventually natural gas, induction cookers, and rice cookers. So, while she had seen a stove, she had never actually used one.

Still, it wasn't difficult; she had already learned.

After placing the groceries she had bought on the floor, Liu Liang squatted down and began to pick them up one by one.

Not long after, Zhou Lanping returned carrying a bag of items. These were her students' assignments; she hadn't finished grading them at school and had brought them home to finish because she wanted to be back to cook for her daughter.

When she opened the door, she was met with a fragrant aroma, and the table was covered with food.

Was this...

Had she encountered a "snail girl"?

She hurriedly set down her things and ran to the table. A large spread of dishes: braised pork ribs, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and tomato scrambled eggs. The ribs were cooked to a beautiful, fragrant red; the potato shreds were cut as thin as matchsticks; and the tomato scrambled eggs were distinct in their red and yellow colors. Not to mention the taste, even just the vibrant colors and appetizing scent were enough.

Had a snail girl really come to her home?

Aside from a snail girl, Zhou Lanping couldn't imagine who else would cook this meal for her. She was an orphan; her parents had passed away early, she had no siblings, and the grandmother who raised her had long since departed. Who else would be willing to cook this table of food for her, to ensure she had a meal and a bowl of hot soup waiting when she returned?

Sometimes she dreamed of it, but it was only a dream. So, if it wasn't a snail girl, who else could have cooked this feast for her?

Just then, the kitchen door moved.

Liu Liang walked out, carrying two bowls in her hands. Inside the bowls was porridge—porridge made with red beans.

"Liangliang."

When Zhou Lanping saw it was Liu Liang, she was truly startled.

"Did you make all this?"

She found it hard to believe. Liu Liang had never stepped foot in a kitchen and was extremely picky, refusing to eat this or that. She had assumed that because the Xu family’s living conditions were so good, Liu Liang didn't know how to cook. But could this table of food really have been made by her?

"En."

Liu Liang still didn't quite know how to express herself. Having lived alone for so long, she had become accustomed to being neither sad nor happy, and not smiling. Thus, she couldn't bring herself to cry or laugh at this moment.

Liu Liang placed the bowl in front of Zhou Lanping.

Then, she handed her the chopsticks.

As Zhou Lanping took the chopsticks, her eyes turned red again. She was completely overwhelmed; aside from when her grandmother cooked for her when she was very young, no one had ever cooked a meal for her.

And the first meal she ever ate that was cooked by someone else was from the daughter she had just brought back—the daughter she had never taken care of.

"Eat."

Liu Liang picked up a large piece of bone and placed it in front of Zhou Lanping.

Meat prices were very cheap right now; these bones had cost only a little over two yuan. Liu Liang had a few hundred yuan in her possession; even if she ate meat every day, it would last her a whole year.

Zhou Lanping felt a sting in her nose as she picked up the rib and brought it to her lips. Even if it tasted terrible, she would eat it all; this was the first meal Liu Liang had ever cooked.

But she was overthinking it. The Liu Liang who had just returned from the Xu family wouldn't have known how to cook, but the current Liu Liang was different. She had lived two lifetimes. Having been a nanny for the Xu family for over a decade, if she hadn't learned anything else, she had at least mastered the culinary arts. Otherwise, the Xu family wouldn't have kept her on; the food she made was delicious, comparable to that of professional chefs.

Zhou Lanping took a bite and was stunned. The ribs were exceptionally delicious—tender and succulent, with the salty, savory flavor infused deep into the meat. Even the color was perfect.

Delicious.

She had never eaten such delicious ribs before. Even the food made by the chefs in the large cafeteria didn't taste as good as this bowl of ribs.

Liu Liang added some shredded potatoes to her own bowl and quietly shoveled rice into her mouth. Her posture was very straight, and her eating habits were refined. This wasn't something she learned at the Xu family—at the Xu family, she never even had the chance to sit at the table. This was something she had learned in her other life, an era that emphasized etiquette. Although she had lost her soul, she didn't have much affection for that life.

Yet, because of that, she had been a diligent learner. She had learned many things, one of which was etiquette: how to eat, walk, sit, stand, and interact with others.

Ancient etiquette possessed a grace that modern people lacked.

Having thoroughly studied the Four Books and Five Classics, and the seven tones and five rhythms, she had grown up amidst the scent of ink—something these modern students couldn't compare to.

"Is it not good?"

Liu Liang noticed Zhou Lanping staring at her without eating. What was it? Did she look delicious?

"It's delicious, it's delicious!" Zhou Lanping hurriedly lowered her head, shoveling the rice from her bowl into her mouth. It was more than just delicious; it was the best thing she had ever eaten in her life. She had lived this long and had never tasted anything so good.

This was also the first time she had eaten a meal cooked for her by someone else.

Beyond the taste, every dish was heartwarming.

Even though she had raised Xu Jiajia for twelve full years, Xu Jiajia had never poured her a glass of water or cooked her a bowl of noodles. Yet now, she was eating a meal cooked by Liu Liang—and this child was only twelve years old.

"Liangliang, how do you know how to cook? Did the Xu family treat you badly?"

Zhou Lanping asked cautiously, fearing she might touch a nerve and upset Liu Liang.

But she truly wanted to know why her daughter knew how to cook, and why she was so good at it. These ribs alone were not something an average person could make. She had tried cooking ribs herself, but hers didn't even have a tenth of this flavor. Without a certain amount of time and effort, it was truly impossible to cook such a delicious meal.

Did the Xu family make her do chores? Even as poor as she was, she had never made Xu Jiajia do housework. But did the Xu family really make Liu Liang work all the time?