Chapter 12：The taste of happiness.

The scent at first wasn't very strong, but once it reached their noses, it felt like a little hook in their hearts, making them want to take a deep breath and inhale more.

White An'an was the first to give in. She jumped off the bed and rushed to the stove.

White Ye was quietly watching the fire, as it was simmering on low heat. He was playing a single-player game on his phone.

"Brother!"

White An'an ran over, startling White Ye. "What's wrong?"

"Brother, the braised meat you're making smells so good," she said, acting cute. "Is it ready yet?"

"You greedy little thing," White Ye laughed, handing his phone to his sister. He grabbed a skimmer and fished around in the meat broth for a while before pulling out a piece of meat.

It was a piece that didn't have a perfect shape when they were cutting the meat earlier, so White Ye had thrown it into the pot as well.

Considering the time, the larger pieces might still not be fully braised, but this smaller piece should be ready.

He took the piece of meat and cut it into small pieces on the chopping board. White An'an was quick to place it on the bed table.

White Ye's father, who had been picking up the sunflower seeds from the bed, asked, "What's this? Already done?"

"No, not yet. But brother took out a small piece." White An'an grabbed some chopsticks and sat on the bed, eagerly waiting.

This small piece of meat, though called small, weighed at least a pound when raw. One end was large, and the other small, and White Ye had cut it into pieces and served it on a plate.

"Mom, Dad, hurry up and taste it. Tell me what you think." White Ye said, full of expectation.

When White Ye smelled the fragrance earlier, he was already sure that this braised meat was going to be delicious. It smelled even better than the one he saw his old boss make.

"I'll try my son's cooking," Jiang Lan said, picking up a piece of meat with a mix of fat and lean.

"How is it?" White Ye's father asked, but Jiang Lan didn't respond immediately. "Say something!"

"It's delicious, the taste is just..." Jiang Lan didn't know how to describe it. It was unlike any taste she had ever had before.

White Ye's father quickly picked up a piece too, but instead of the mixed piece, he chose the smaller end of the meat.

Since White Ye had trimmed the piece, the smaller end was mostly fatty meat.

White Ye gave his dad a thumbs-up. "Dad knows how to eat."

White An'an looked at the large and small pieces, and in the end, she picked a small piece of lean meat. Since the braised meat hadn't been cooked long, the color didn't penetrate much, and the fatty parts were quite thick, so she wasn't sure if she should eat it.

"An'an, eat the fatty part. It's better than the lean part," White Ye suggested.

An'an hesitated a little.

"Try it. You think I'd trick you?"

"Okay, I trust you, brother!" An'an gave up the small piece of lean meat and turned to pick up a piece of the mixed pork belly, closing her eyes as she took a bite.

The skin of the meat was very elastic, the kind that's soft and chewy. The moment her teeth sank in, it felt sticky.

Then she reached the white meat part she feared, but it wasn't greasy. In fact, it was slightly crispy, probably because the cooking time wasn't yet perfect.

The lean meat underneath was also delicious. It wasn't dry but tender and juicy.

"Brother, it's so good!" An'an opened her eyes, her face beaming with excitement.

"If it's good, eat more. This meat still needs to cook a little longer," White Ye said, looking at his father, who hadn't spoken yet.

White Ye's father nodded. "Son, you've done well."

He hadn't expected the meat his son made to taste so good. The moment he chewed it, he didn't just feel excited about the deliciousness but a sense of relief.

White Ye had always been the top student in his class, even in the entire grade.

However, the year White Ye was preparing for the college entrance exam, White Ye's father fell seriously ill, and they spent all their money, even borrowing a lot.

They didn't tell White Ye, but he knew about the family's financial situation. He ended up leaving to work instead of attending the exam.

When White Ye's father found out, he felt uncomfortable for a while, but White Ye just smiled and said that going to college would delay him for four years. Besides, the education here wasn't like in the city, and even if he did well in school, it didn't guarantee he would get into a good university.

It would be better to go out and work early.

White Ye's father had a hard time with this decision. He felt like he had burdened his son, especially when White Ye started sending money home even though he was so young. He felt even worse.

To White Ye's father, working for life and going to university to get a better job were two very different things. No matter what, he felt that working forever would never give his family a good life.

Now, tasting this braised meat, White Ye's father finally felt a sense of relief.

His son had met good people while working and even learned skills like this. He was sure that this braised meat, with its flavor, would definitely become popular.

"Dad!" White Ye couldn't help but grin when he heard his father say that.

"Let's have the two elbows and two pig trotters later and taste them. Too bad we didn't buy the offal. It would have tasted good too." White Ye scratched his chin, thinking.

"Why eat those? They're too expensive," Jiang Lan quickly responded. "Your dad also cut some meat earlier, I'll make some oil beans with that meat later."

"Okay!" White Ye and his sister both agreed.

For dinner, they had fragrant rice and a large pot of pork belly stewed with potatoes and oil beans. Because they had a lot of meat left, the dish was packed with meat.

As soon as they lifted the lid, the aroma filled the room, blending with the smell of the braised meat, making everyone feel famished.

Each person got a big bowl of rice, and in the middle of the bed table was a large pot of stew, with a plate of braised meat on the side.

At this point, the braised meat had been cooked long enough, and it was perfect for serving. White Ye scooped some from the big pot into a steel container he brought back.

The family of four sat around the bed table. White Ye pulled out the wine cup. "Dad, don't you want to drink a cup?"

"I will!" White Ye's father was in a great mood.

The bottle of white liquor was nearly half-finished. Jiang Lan didn't drink, so it was just White Ye and his father, each with a big cup.

The well-cooked braised meat tasted even better. The meat wasn't too soft or mushy, so it was easy to cut. The timing of the food was just right.

White An'an took a bite and excitedly slapped the table with her little hand. "So good! Brother, it's so good!"

"The meat is good, but you can't just eat all the fat," White Ye teased, "How's the fat part? Good?"

"Delicious!" White An'an said loudly.

Though the braised meat was amazing, the stew in the middle was also just as tasty.

The freshly slaughtered pork was delicious, the potatoes were locally grown and soft, and the oil beans, grown in their own garden, absorbed all the meat flavor. They were even better than the meat.

White Ye took a bite, mixing meat, oil beans, and potatoes, along with the rice, savoring every bite filled with the taste of happiness.

4o