Born in the 1980s, she was remarried and became a stepmother; a cold, rough man doted on her, pinchi

Chapter 23: Love your own man
After entering the department store, Jiang Man and Wang Xiu headed straight for the men's clothing section, with Wang Xiu's eyes carefully searching through the hanging garments.

Her fingers gently traced the hem of each shirt, finally stopping at a dark blue cotton coat.

This coat has a calm color and fine stitching on the cuffs and collar, making it look very sturdy and durable. It's perfect for working at home.

Just as Wang Xiu was about to pay for the shirt, she suddenly heard people around her discussing that the department store was having a discount event today.

"Sister-in-law, there's an event at the building today. I'd like to go pick out another pair of pants for Lao San."

"Okay, you go ahead, I'll go take a look around too."

Jiang Man smiled, and after seeing Wang Xiu walk towards the pants section, she turned around and walked towards the watch counter.

The last time Qin Yishen accompanied her here, she immediately took a liking to this watch.

I didn't have the money then, but now that I do, of course I have to pay in full.

If you don't pamper your own man, who will?

Wang Xiu finally chose a pair of navy blue work pants. The fabric was thick, and the pockets were cleverly designed to hold small items. She also bought Xu Laosan a pair of black rubber-soled cloth shoes. These shoes had durable soles and soft uppers, making them suitable for working.

While Wang Xiu was happily picking out clothes for her third son, Jiang Man's eyes were drawn to a red dress hanging in the corner.

The color of that dress was a vibrant, bright red, standing out against a sea of ​​plain clothes, like a delicate rose blooming in winter.

Jiang Man instantly pictured Wang Xiu wearing it. Wang Xiu was fair-skinned, her skin as white as the first snow of winter, and her temperament was as gentle as water. She usually wore those drab old clothes, but they couldn't hide her gentle and charming appearance. If she wore this red dress, it would definitely have an unexpectedly stunning effect.

"Wang Xiu, Wang Xiu, come here quickly!"

Jiang Man waved and called out excitedly to Wang Xiu. Wang Xiu came over when she heard the voice, and following Jiang Man's gaze, she looked at the dress and couldn't help but be a little surprised: "Oh my, this dress is really beautiful, but how can I wear such bright clothes? It's not appropriate."

Jiang Man pulled Wang Xiu aside and said with a smile, "Oh, what's wrong with it? You're so beautiful, as white as a porcelain doll. It would be a shame if you didn't wear such a pretty dress. Go ahead and try it on."

Unable to resist Jiang Man's enthusiasm, Wang Xiu took the dress and went into the fitting room. When she came out, many people around her couldn't help but cast amazed glances at her.

The red dress looked as if it were tailor-made for Wang Xiu, making her fair skin appear even more radiant. It added a touch of liveliness and playfulness to her gentle temperament, and the skirt swayed gently with her movements, like a beautiful painting.

Jiang Man stared at it, her eyes wide with amazement, and kept praising, "Oh my, Xiuer, you look so beautiful in this! You're like a fairy who stepped out of a painting. We absolutely have to buy this dress!"

Before Wang Xiu could react, Jiang Man had already taken out her own money to buy the dress and stuffed it into Wang Xiu's hands, saying, "This dress was specially picked out for you, so don't refuse it. Wearing it, you'll attract a lot of attention when you go out."

Wang Xiu felt both touched and embarrassed, her eyes slightly reddening. She hugged her skirt tightly and said, "Sister-in-law, you are so good to me. I don't know how to thank you enough."

Jiang Man patted her shoulder with a smile and said, "Don't thank me. We're such good friends, saying such things would be too formal."

The two women, carrying large and small bags, were still chatting and laughing after buying clothes. Unexpectedly, they ran into Jiang He just as they reached the village entrance.

Looking at the two of them so close and like sisters, Jiang He felt a pang of jealousy. She snorted and said sarcastically, "Oh, you went on a big shopping spree at the department store, huh? You're really willing to spend money. Humph, I don't know what you're showing off."

Upon hearing this, the smiles on Wang Xiu and Jiang Man's faces froze instantly.

Jiang Man frowned and said, "Jiang He, what are you saying? We just went to buy some things normally, how did it become what you call showing off? Besides, aren't you the one who loves to show off the most? What are you pretending to have?"

Wang Xiu quickly chimed in, "Jiang He, we're all from the same village, why talk like that?"

Jiang He curled her lip, rolled her eyes, and said, "Hmph, who knows what you're up to? I just can't stand the sight of you."

After saying that, Jiang He turned and left, and Wang Xiu watched her back with hatred in her teeth.

"What she said is outrageous! You've never mistreated her since she was little, you've always given in to her, and what has she done? She's so shameless!"

Jiang Man glanced meaningfully at Jiang He's retreating figure and smiled, "Don't worry, the wicked will be punished by the wicked. Her retribution is yet to come."

"That's right, someone like her won't have a good ending."

Back home, Jiang Man placed the pork on the cutting board and, with a swift motion, sliced ​​it into even, thin slices.

Each piece is of moderate thickness, with the pinkish hue of fresh pork, making one almost imagine how tempting they will look after being transformed into delicious pork jerky.

After slicing the meat, Jiang Man began preparing the seasonings. She scooped out appropriate amounts of salt, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and other spices from her own spice jar, added a little sugar and light soy sauce, and mixed the marinade according to her unique proportions accumulated over many years.

Next, put all the sliced ​​pork into the marinade and stir and rub it repeatedly with your hands so that each slice of pork is fully coated with the savory flavor. Then set it aside to marinate for several hours.

After the pork slices were marinated, Jiang Man set up a small iron pot in the yard, poured some oil into the pot, and when the oil temperature rose and the oil bubbles slightly, she carefully put the pork slices into the pot one by one.

In an instant, the pot sizzled, and the slices of meat quickly changed color in the hot oil, releasing an enticing aroma that permeated the entire courtyard, attracting the neighbor's children to peek over the wall.

Jiang Man kept turning the meat slices with a spatula to ensure they were heated evenly until they turned golden brown and crispy. Then she used a slotted spoon to scoop them out one by one, drained the oil, and placed them on bamboo strips to cool.

Only after the pork jerky has cooled down can it become firmer. One bite will give you a savory and delicious flavor that gets better with each chew.

There were originally only two children perched on the wall, but when Jiang Man turned around, there were now five or six.

"Sister-in-law Xiaoman, what is this? It smells so good!"

(End of this chapter)