Chapter 3: A Bowl of Minced Meat Congee Shocks the Cold-Featured Man

“Step aside, I’ll do it.”

Zhou Susu’s voice was soft, yet clear and steady.

“The child is starving.”

Lu Zhan, holding the whimpering An An in his arms, suddenly turned around and met a pair of eyes so clear they almost seemed too piercing.

Those eyes held none of the usual scheming or pleading, nor the frailty or grievance she showed during the day—only pure resolve remained.

It was as if failing to step aside now would make him a timeless villain guilty of child neglect.

“You?” Lu Zhan’s brows furrowed deeper, suspicion unmistakable in his tone. “What can you do?”

In his memory, Zhou Susu was someone who never lifted a finger around the house.

Never mind cooking, she didn’t even know how to light the stove. Since marrying him, she either ate cafeteria food or nibbled on dry rations. When she did try to cook, she ended up nearly setting the kitchen on fire.

“Hmph.” Zhou Susu let out a quiet laugh through her nose, propping up her heavy head as she sat up from the bed.

Without another word, she walked past Lu Zhan toward the kitchen, which was bare and could best be described as destitute.

Lu Zhan, almost instinctively, followed with the child in his arms, leaning against the kitchen doorway like an overseer, arms crossed, clearly waiting to see what tricks she might play.

The kitchen contained only a battered clay stove, a blackened iron pot, a few hard, stale corn buns, and a cracked jar of pickled vegetables.

That was all the food they had.

Zhou Susu looked at the scene and silently cursed the original owner of this body a hundred times over.

What a troublemaker! Despite Lu Zhan’s decent allowance, she had squandered it all on snow cream and cheap fabric, never sparing a penny for rice or flour.

She took a deep breath, turned her back to Lu Zhan, and pretended to rummage through a shabby wooden box in the corner.

That box was the original owner’s “dowry”—besides a few worn clothes, it was empty. But it served as her best cover.

With a flicker of thought, a small bag of glistening, plump Dongbei Wuchang rice and a fresh, pink chunk of pork hindquarter appeared from nowhere in the corner of the box.

“Found it,” she muttered casually and stood upright.

Lu Zhan’s gaze swept over what she held, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Rice? And meat?

He remembered clearly—they had been out of food for three days. Where had these come from?

Before he could question her, Zhou Susu moved swiftly to light the fire and wash the rice.

Her movements were nothing like the clumsy woman he remembered.

She expertly ignited the dry kindling in the stove, flames leaping up to cast a warm glow across half her face.

Then she poured the rinsed rice into the pot, added just the right amount of water, covered it, and began to simmer.

Her every action flowed seamlessly, without a single wasted gesture.

Gradually, the pot began to bubble and hiss, releasing a pure, rich aroma of steaming rice that filled the small kitchen.

An An, nestled in Lu Zhan’s arms like a kitten sensing something savory, stopped her whimpering and sniffed eagerly, her big eyes fixed intently on the steaming pot as soft, eager sounds escaped her throat.

Zhou Susu blanched the pork in boiling water, finely minced it, and produced a few slices of ginger from thin air to mask the meat’s smell.

When the porridge thickened and the rice oil floated on top, she stirred in the minced meat and ginger slices gently.

Sizzle—

The meat turned white instantly as it cooked, releasing an even more potent aroma blending the fragrance of rice and meat, exploding in the air.

The scent was simply irresistible.

It stirred the deepest hunger within, defying all reason.

Lu Zhan’s Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably.

He had endured every hardship imaginable while away—grass, bark, even tree roots had been his food.

Yet this scent made even a man of iron will’s stomach growl uncontrollably.

“All done.”

Zhou Susu ladled out a bowl, cooled it with cold water until it was just warm enough, then carried it back inside.

“Give her to me,” she said, extending her hand to Lu Zhan.

He looked at her with a complex gaze but complied, handing over An An.

Cradling the child close, Zhou Susu let her lean against her, then brought a small spoonful of the warm meat porridge to An An’s lips.

“An An, be good, time to eat,” her voice was filled with an unprecedented tenderness.

At first, An An hesitated, shyly watching her, afraid to open her mouth.

Zhou Susu didn’t rush her, patiently holding the spoon.

The porridge’s aroma was too tempting.

Finally, the little one could resist no longer and tentatively opened her mouth, tasting the spoonful.

In the next instant, An An’s eyes brightened dramatically!

A light, never before seen in them, flickered like the first star ignited in a dark night sky.

Delicious!

Absolutely delicious!

Soft, sticky, fragrant—it melted the moment it touched her tongue, sliding warmly down her throat, filling her small belly with comfort.

Within her tiny frame, an astonishing energy surged as her little head pecked at the spoon like a chick pecking grain.

“Eat slowly, don’t choke, there’s more in the pot,” Zhou Susu smiled gently, feeding her spoonful by spoonful with gentle patience, as if the slightest pressure would make An An stop eating.

Lu Zhan stood silently nearby, watching.

He watched his daughter devour the food, her cheeks puffed out slightly with satisfaction, her eyes glowing with a light never before seen...

A sharp pang welled up in his heart, swelling with emotion.

He recalled that since arriving in this home, An An had never eaten a proper meal.

And now, this woman—his nominal wife, whom he had always believed to despise An An—was holding the child with a patience and tenderness he had never witnessed, feeding her a bowl of porridge so fragrant it made his mouth water.

Under the lamplight, her profile was soft, her gaze focused, and the bloodstain on her forehead only added to her strength rather than making her appear disheveled.

Who exactly was this woman?

The bowl was soon emptied.

An An, full and content, let out a tiny satisfied burp, her cheeks flushed with a healthy glow.

She leaned warmly against Zhou Susu’s embrace, her eyelids growing heavy until she soon fell into a deep sleep, a faint smile lingering at the corners of her mouth.

Gently, Zhou Susu laid An An on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

Having done all this, she turned, wiped her mouth clean, lifted her clear eyes, and met Lu Zhan’s gaze calmly and confidently.

She was no longer the frail white lotus, nor the loud, troublesome woman he had known.

Lu Zhan’s heart skipped inexplicably as their eyes locked.

Then Zhou Susu’s voice rang out, clear and resolute:

“Lu Zhan, let’s make a deal.”

“From today on, An An is under my care. I promise to raise her healthy, plump, and strong.

In return, you must protect the two of us here in this compound. All your wages and allowances must be handed over to me for management.”

She paused, adding the crucial final clause:

“We will be ‘cooperative spouses’—just partners sharing a life.”

“Do you agree?”