Hearing it was another dish he’d never heard of, Tan Deming shook his head. He didn’t ask any more questions, just assuming Tan You had read about it in an article somewhere.

"You go ahead and cook. I’ll go hide the money and make sure no one finds out." Sharing a little secret with Tan You, Tan Deming was clearly in high spirits.

Tan You paid him no mind. She had actually wanted to keep the money herself. But when she thought of Tan Lin, she gave up on the idea. It was better for them not to know about it at all than for Tan Lin and Cheng Wenhui to find it later.

She wasn’t exactly patient with other people, and she didn’t want to talk much with Tan Lin and the others anyway. After all, dealing with them was exhausting for Tan You; it drained a lot of her emotional energy.

Take her mom, Cheng Wenhui, for example. In her eyes, students should spend all their time studying. Cheng Wenhui wouldn’t even let Tan You read the extracurricular books recommended by the school; she believed the only books Tan You should read were textbooks.

So, at school, Tan You could only borrow extracurricular books from her classmates. Some were easy-going and lent them to her readily. But other classmates weren’t like that...

Thinking of those past disappointments, Tan You pursed her lips slightly. The more a person is suppressed, the stronger the eventual rebound. ’Take my later love of novels, for example. Looking back now, it was probably a subconscious form of rebellion.’

But the price for that rebellion had been too high. Before, Tan You hadn’t understood the importance of an education, but now she felt it keenly. Fortunately, she had barely managed to get into the main high school for the district, even if that school was considered the worst of the bunch in the region.

Even so, Tan You was already very grateful. At least she wouldn’t have to go to a vocational high school. For a rural kid like her, education was truly the most direct chance she had to change her life.

Then there was her own father, Tan Lin. Tan You felt he’d been born the wrong gender. His personality was just as awful as her grandma’s—petty, always haggling over the smallest things, and constantly radiating negative energy.

He only cared about the satisfaction of saying whatever he wanted, never thinking about how much pain his words caused others. And then, when someone brought it up later, he would flatly deny it.

’Forget it. I just have to learn to tune it out. As for the future, I’ll be able to make my own way eventually.’

Shaking off these negative thoughts, Tan You deftly completed the prep work for the braised pork belly. It was now simmering over a low flame in the iron wok. Just then, Tan Deming came into the kitchen, intending to help her tend the fire.

Tan You didn’t dare order Tan Deming around. It was such a hot day, and she was already drenched in sweat. The old man was already frail and weak; Tan You was afraid the heat would make him sick.

"Why don’t you help me wash some vegetables? But don’t touch the chili peppers, I’ll handle those myself."

Having found a task for Tan Deming, Tan You stepped out of the kitchen after arranging the firewood. Normally, Tan You didn’t like making such labor-intensive dishes, but she was in a good mood today, so it didn’t feel like a hassle.

"I remember you sent out five letters, but we’ve only received three replies. Does that mean the other two were rejected?" Tan Deming muttered to Tan You while washing the vegetables.

Worried someone might overhear, Tan Deming deliberately kept his voice very low.

"One of them just hasn’t replied yet. The other article will be published in next month’s issue," Tan You said with a nod. "The magazine sent a confirmation, and the payment will be sent next month."

Tan Deming chuckled happily. "Four out of five accepted—you’re so promising! If this were back in the days of the production team, your writing skills would have you penning all sorts of propaganda posters."

Tan You was in an excellent mood. "You’re always praising me. Am I really that great in your eyes?"

"Of course," Tan Deming said with a proud look. "My granddaughter is amazing. She’s definitely going to be different from everyone else in the future."

Tan You pursed her lips. ’Grandpa sure has a lot of confidence in me,’ she thought.

At lunch, Wang Hunv was the only one who ate the stuffed green peppers. Tan You and Tan Deming didn’t touch them. As for the braised pork belly, Tan You only had one piece and didn’t eat any more.

Wang Hunv looked at Tan You, then at Tan Deming, a little puzzled. "Why did you buy meat today? You two look like you’re hiding something."

Tan You’s face was expressionless. "Grandpa bought meat. Aren’t you happy to be eating it?"

Tan Deming chuckled lightly. "Farming is hard work. We bought some meat for the family to eat, to help you regain your strength."

Wang Hunv was immediately satisfied and lowered her head to eat heartily. Tan You gave her grandpa a thumbs-up. Tan Deming looked slightly smug. He didn’t argue with his wife, but he had his ways of handling her.

Seeing Tan You only eating the eggplant, tomato, and cucumber, Wang Hunv spoke with rare gentleness, "How can you have the energy to lose weight if you don’t eat meat?"

Tan You was a little surprised. "I did eat some, but it’s too fatty. Grandpa, let’s buy lean meat next time."

"No way," Wang Hunv immediately refused. "The fatty meat is what has all the good oil."

Tan You knew it. She smiled. "But I’m trying to lose weight. How can I eat more fatty meat?"

Wang Hunv reluctantly conceded, "Then buy half-fat, half-lean. You can’t buy all lean meat!"

’Does this count as a concession from Grandma?’ Tan You wondered.

Taking a bite of the stuffed green pepper, Wang Hunv was content. "This is good. When you have time, can you make some more?"

Tan You didn’t refuse. "How about the day after tomorrow? I see you like these rich meat dishes. I’ll fry up some meatballs for you later."

Wang Hunv was instantly pleased. "Okay! Your cooking has gotten really good; you know how to make everything. I want to eat roast chicken, too. I just saw the chicken in the fridge, and it looks like you’ve already marinated it."

Tan You didn’t mind. "Sure. I was planning to make the roast chicken this afternoon anyway. Want me to bake you a red bean bun while I’m at it? I already did most of the prep work this morning, and the bread oven is already set up with firewood."

Wang Hunv said, "Oh, okay. But don’t you have to study? Won’t this get in the way?"

Tan You shrugged. "The bread oven is right nearby. I just need to check on it from time to time. It won’t interfere."

Wang Hunv fell silent. Clearly, Tan You’s words were exactly what she wanted to hear. Sometimes Tan You found her grandma amusing. She worked hard, that was true, but she was also incredibly easy to please. A little bit of good food could make her happy for a long time.

After lunch, it was naturally Tan You’s job to scrub the pot and wash the dishes. She didn’t feel it was unfair. Her grandma worked hard in the fields, and her grandpa wasn’t in good health. She didn’t feel like she was losing out by doing a little more herself.

Besides, being alone and doing these chores without having to talk to anyone actually made Tan You feel more at ease. After cleaning the kitchen, Tan You started on her next project—baking the bread for her grandma.

Tan Deming lay on the recliner under the persimmon tree, watching Tan You bustling about in the kitchen. He suddenly felt that life, all of a sudden, had something to look forward to.

Thinking about his granddaughter’s manuscript fees and her diligent studying over the past month, Tan Deming closed his eyes for a contented afternoon nap. ’I have to take good care of myself,’ he thought. ’I’m still waiting to live in the big villa my granddaughter is going to build for me.’