Transmigrated into a seven-year-old child, my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens.

As soon as she stepped out of the hall and headed towards the kitchen, Yang was suddenly greeted by a fragrant aroma—a unique scent of food.

It smelled like stir-fried meat, but she didn't know what kind of dish it was. Yang took a sniff and it smelled so good that she couldn't help but swallow.

The closer she got to the kitchen, the stronger the aroma became, so Yang quickened her pace.

In the kitchen, Zhao Lian was cooking pork belly. She was making braised pork. She had just caramelized sugar and was now covering the pot with the lid and adding star anise to simmer.

The aroma had already filled the air, and Liu Ma and Liu Yu, who had expressed doubts earlier, were now completely in awe of Zhao Lian.

Zhao Lian was busy making braised pork on one side and stir-frying chicken with wood ear mushrooms on the other. She was having a great time. It was quite hot in the kitchen on this hot day, and she was sweating profusely.

Seeing that the braised pork belly had almost reduced in sauce and was cooked through (any longer and it would become too mushy and greasy), Zhaolian scooped the braised pork belly onto a plate.

"Young lady, this dish you made smells so delicious!" Aunt Liu couldn't help but exclaim.

The braised pork has a vibrant color and looks tender yet firm.

"Aunt Liu, why don't we try some?" Liu Yu looked at the plate of braised pork, her eyes glued to it, and whispered to Aunt Liu beside her.

"Are you crazy? How dare you eat this?" Aunt Liu glared at Liu Yu, making sure the little girl didn't hear her.

If she complains, they might lose their jobs.

The braised pork is plated, and the stir-fried chicken with wood ear mushrooms is plated as well.

When Yang entered the kitchen, she saw Zhaolian busy in front of the stove, which was not much taller than the stove.

Watching her stir-frying on tiptoe, the comical scene made Yang unable to suppress a laugh.

"Madam~"

At this moment, Liu Yu noticed the lady and quickly bowed to Yang Shi with a nervous expression.

Liu Ma, standing nearby, quickly stood with her hands at her sides, bowing low, not daring to breathe. If the madam found out, they'd be in for a scolding.

With a stern face, Madam Yang looked at Aunt Liu beside her and asked, "Aunt Liu, what's going on?"

"Madam, this young lady insists on cooking, and I can't persuade her otherwise." Seeing Yang's ashen face, Liu Ma spoke in a softer and softer voice.

At this moment, Zhao Lian also noticed Madam Yang and said with a smile, "Madam Song, you've arrived! Try my braised pork."

Seeing Liu Ma's nervous expression, Zhao Lian smiled and said to Madam Yang, "Madam Song, please don't blame Liu Ma. I insisted on cooking myself. I wanted to make a delicious dish for you to try."

"Did you do this?"

Looking at the braised pork on the table, Madam Yang was surprised. She had never seen pork cooked like this before. It looked so delicious with its vibrant color.

"Yes, I made it. You should try it quickly."

Zhao Lian handed the spoon to Liu Ma so that she could continue cooking the remaining dishes.

As she walked along, the aroma had already made Yang's mouth water, and now, seeing this plate of fragrant meat, her stomach rumbled.

Zhao Lian picked up the chopsticks and handed them to Yang Shi: "Please try some."

Yang picked up a piece of meat and tentatively put it in her mouth. As soon as she chewed, her eyes lit up. The meat was so delicious. She had never eaten such delicious pork before.

Yang ate three pieces in a row before putting down her chopsticks, still wanting more.

"really not bad!"

Seeing Liu Ma and Liu Yu watching from the side with such longing in their eyes, Madam Yang told them to try it too.

"Madam, then we won't stand on ceremony."

Since the lady had spoken, Liu Ma also wanted to try some, so she didn't stand on ceremony and each of them picked up a piece and put it in their mouths.

"Hmm~"

It's absolutely delicious!

During the meal, Magistrate Song and his wife ate so much that they couldn't stop, exclaiming how delicious it was.

Aunt Liu cooked rice, and Zhao Lian ate two large bowls of rice without any hesitation, along with a lot of chicken and braised pork.

What Zhao Lian found strange was that she didn't see Madam Song's child. They had been married for over ten years, so it was impossible that they didn't have any children.

She wondered if the child was already married, but she was too embarrassed to ask.

At the dinner table, Madam Yang asked Zhao Lian who else was in her family. Zhao Lian did not hide anything and told her about her family situation, adding that she was living alone now.

"How outrageous! How could there be such an elder!" Madam Yang was indignant on Zhao Lian's behalf: "Master, are you going to get involved in this matter?"

Magistrate Song frowned: "If a son is unfilial, you can report it to the authorities. She's done the opposite, and no one reported it at the time. This matter should first be handled by their clan elders."

“Right now it’s just my two older sisters. I want them both to come with me, but my grandmother won’t allow it,” Zhao Lian sighed.

At this moment, Magistrate Song spoke up, saying that even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes, and besides, the severance of kinship was something they had privately negotiated themselves.

Since they are unwilling to separate their two granddaughters, there's nothing I can do; I can't condemn them for that.

Madam Yang put down her chopsticks, looked at Zhao Lian and said, "Zhao Lian, if you ever encounter any trouble in the future, remember to come to me, and I will stand up for you."

The little girl was unexpectedly pitiful, and upon hearing her words, Yang's sympathy was overflowing.

"Okay!" Zhao Lian nodded; those words were enough.

"Zhaolian, how come this meat tastes so good? And it even has a wonderful aroma?" Madam Yang asked, puzzled.

Logically speaking, Zhao Lian is so young and her family is so poor, she shouldn't eat much meat. Yet she can cook such delicious dishes.

"This is the secret!" Zhao Lian held up the octagon in her hand, as if presenting a treasure.

Yang smelled the star anise and looked at this unassuming thing. She was surprised to find that it had a unique aroma and was indeed a good match for cooking meat.

Zhao Lian had already told Liu Ma all the secrets to cooking braised pork, and asked her to watch how she cooked it. She believed that with these star anise, she could also cook such a delicious dish.

Considering it was already dark and they had finished eating, Magistrate Song instructed Constable Gao to escort Zhao Lian back.

They had planned to take a carriage, but it was late at night and the mountain roads were difficult for carriages to travel on, so Officer Gao decided to take Zhaolian back on horseback.

Considering that Zhao Lian was a child, Officer Gao changed to a two-person saddle and let Zhao Lian sit in front of him, while he tied the basket to the back.

The thought of sitting on the same horse as a strange man made Zhao Lian blush. Luckily, it was late at night and no one could see her blushing.

The moonlight was excellent tonight, and the horse had excellent night vision, so torches weren't necessary. Officer Gao helped Zhao Lian onto the horse, then mounted himself.

The two were standing close together, which immediately made Zhao Lian's heart race.

Omg!

Aside from her husband, she had never been this close to any other man.

I never imagined that she would be sitting on the same saddle as a man, so close to him.

The steed Gao exuded a strong masculine scent, which immediately made Zhao Lian feel dizzy.

What are you thinking!

Zhao Lian couldn't help but scold herself. Her body was that of a seven-year-old child, and she had really been thinking too much. Zhao Lian cursed herself for having such filthy thoughts.