The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Shen Cao didn't plan to ask the Zhou family for help. She thought that Old Madam Zhou hadn't had a proper meal in a long time, so she probably couldn't eat too much at once. She only planned to cook two dishes today.

She took the contents of her basket out and placed them on the table that had already been tidied up.

Aunt Ma and the others were a little puzzled. Didn't this girl ask them to prepare ingredients? Why did she bring some things of her own?

Is she worried that some of her secret recipes might be leaked, so she brings some important seasonings and ingredients with her own?

Aunt Ma was afraid that she had stumbled upon some secret recipe for Shencao, so she quickly averted her gaze.

Shen Cao first took out the salted meat he had prepared and the bamboo shoots he had bought from the village chief.

She started curing this salted meat three days ago as soon as she got back.

Originally, curing salted meat requires at least ten days, but due to time constraints, she had to shorten the drying and curing time.

Not many people in Xin'an County eat bamboo shoots, so she made a special trip to Shitou Village yesterday to ask the village chief to dig some up from the mountains.

Although the drying time for salted meat is shorter, a large amount of salt is added during the curing process. The salt draws out the water from the meat, so the salted meat looks similar in color to fresh meat at this point.

However, it felt much firmer than fresh meat.

She specially selected a very good piece of pork belly, with three layers of fat and lean meat, layer upon layer, which looked very tempting.

She cut the salted pork into cubes two fingers wide and half an index finger long, and also cut the spare ribs that Aunt Ma and the others had already washed into the same size.

Then she skillfully peeled the bamboo shoot. She deftly made a cut on the surface of the bamboo shoot with a knife, and then gently lifted it upwards from the bottom of the bamboo shoot. The bamboo shoot skin obediently fell off the surface of the bamboo shoot.

The plump, slightly yellowish bamboo shoot flesh is exposed.

Aunt Ma, who had initially doubted Shen Cao's cooking skills, was shocked by Shen Cao's proficient cooking.

She had been staring at Shen Cao the whole time. Although she didn't know what Shen Cao was peeling, her movements were so nimble that even someone like her, who had spent more than ten years in the kitchen, might not be able to do it.

She was very interested in the bamboo shoots in Shen Cao's hand. She had seen these before; weren't they just tender bamboo shoots? Could this bitter thing really be eaten?

She didn't dare to ask any more questions, and just silently watched Shen Cao cook.

Shen Cao then cut the peeled bamboo shoots in half and then into chunks.

Then she cut the lettuce into chunks.

She first cut the tofu skin into palm-sized cubes, then rolled them up and tied them into knots, making them look like little white butterflies, which were very pretty.

However, Aunt Ma still couldn't figure out what dish the young girl was preparing.

After Shen Cao had prepared all the ingredients, Li Xiaoyu walked up to her and said, "Sister Cao'er, the pot you asked us to prepare is ready, and the water has been poured in."

"The water in the other pot is almost boiling too."

Shen Cao handed her the chopped salted pork and ribs, saying, "Put these two in that pot and blanch them."

After giving Li Xiaoyu her instructions, she picked up the bamboo shoots, poured them into the boiling pot, and then sprinkled in some salt.

After about ten seconds, when the bamboo shoots turned a darker color, she scooped them out.

Li Xiaoyu had already blanched all the meat.

Then Shen Cao asked Aunt Ma to prepare a small charcoal stove. She placed the cleaned clay pot on it and poured a small amount of rapeseed oil into the pot.

Once the oil in the pan started to smoke, she poured in the chopped scallions and ginger.

Instantly, the hot oil released the aroma of scallions and ginger, filling the entire kitchen with the fragrance of scallions.

After stir-frying for a couple of seconds, she added the salted pork and ribs that had already been drained of excess water.

With the addition of salted pork and ribs, the originally monotonous scallion flavor is enhanced by the heat from the protein, making the taste richer and the aroma more fragrant.

"It smells so good." Someone said, then quickly covered their mouth as if they had done something wrong.

Aunt Ma's heart, which had been half relieved, was now filled with anxiety again.

The fat from the salted pork in the pot was fully released, and the temperature caused the surface of the ribs and salted pork to undergo a Maillard reaction quickly, turning them golden brown.

At this moment, Shen Cao added boiling water to the casserole. The moment the boiling water was added, the originally clear and transparent water turned into a light milky white color.

Shen Cao put the pot lid back on and used tongs to remove a few pieces of charcoal from the fire, thus lowering the temperature of the fire.

Simmer over low heat.

While waiting for the soup to simmer, she took out the other ingredients she had prepared and prepared to cook the other main dish as well.

After about half an hour, she carefully lifted the lid of the pot and poured the blanched bamboo shoots, lettuce, and tofu knots into the casserole.

The moment the lid was lifted from the clay pot, everyone looked at the soup with curiosity, because the aroma was so strong while it was simmering.

As the salted pork and ribs absorb heat and time, the protein and fat in the meat and ribs gradually combine with the water, transforming the originally pale milky white color into a rich, creamy white.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, an incredibly delicious dish was perfectly prepared thanks to the perfect combination of heat and time.

The moment Shen Cao lifted the lid, everyone in the kitchen gasped.

I took a deep sniff, wanting to savor the delicious flavor even more.

After Shen Cao sprinkles chopped green onions on top of the pickled bamboo shoots and pork soup, this incredibly delicious dish is ready.

Granny Zhang, who was standing to the side, couldn't stop smiling. This familiar taste reminded her of the young days she spent with the old lady in Hangzhou.

This is a delicious dish from the old lady's hometown, a must-eat for every household in spring: pickled bamboo shoots and pork belly.

She never expected that after so many years, she would be able to taste the flavors of her hometown in Xin'an County.