Chapter 327
Elise felt a little let down when she found out. She really hadn’t meant to do anything wrong. She just wanted to use whatever small bit of strength she had left to make up for the motherly love that had been missing for the past twenty years. Maybe it was because she only had three months left, and this urge to make it up to her daughter was stronger than ever. But she didn’t have the energy to try anything else, so she gave up on the idea.
Dorothea was true to her word. The moment she decided to cook, she went right for it. Even though she was the only one in the kitchen, everyone else seemed just as anxious as she was. Pauline sat in her wheelchair, looking worried. “Dorothea, you never liked cooking before. Why don’t you just tell Linda what to do and let her handle it p>
Linda tried to reason with her too. “Dorothea, let me take over. You’re not even three months along yet. You really shouldn’t be working so hard p>
“Grandma, Linda, please, don’t treat me like I’m made of glass. I’m not that delicate,” Dorothea insisted.
She remembered how much she used to love her grandpa’s braised pork, so she pulled up a recipe and decided to give it a shot. Holding her phone in one hand, she scrolled through the steps while lighting the stove with the other. As soon as the oil in the pan started smoking, she quickly dumped in a huge plate of freshly washed pork belly.
The oil exploded with loud pops, splattering everywhere. Dorothea yelped and jumped back. Linda called out a reminder that the pork was too wet and told her to use the pot lid for protection.
Linda tried to rush in and help, but Dorothea blocked her. “Don’t help me. I’ve got this p>
“I’m covering it, I’m covering it,” Dorothea called back, flustered.
She poured in the sauce she’d mixed earlier, watching as the golden pork turned a rich, glossy brown. It actually looked pretty legit. Dorothea started feeling a little cocky. “Grandma, I might be a kitchen genius. Smell that! Doesn’t it smell amazing?” Pauline couldn’t help but laugh. “It smells great! Just take your time p>
But her confidence didn’t last long. She reached for the soy sauce, but her hand slipped, and she accidentally poured in a ton of vinegar instead.
“Oh no, I used the wrong bottle p>
Suddenly, the kitchen filled with a sharp, sour smell, mixed with a hint of something burnt.
“Dorothea, quick, stir it!” Linda urged.
After a bit of panicked stirring and a lot of noise, Dorothea finally plated up her creation—a slightly burnt, very vinegary braised pork.
Everyone stared at the dish on the table, not saying a word for what felt like forever.
“Is this… actually edible?” Pauline asked quietly.
Linda didn’t want to crush Dorothea’s spirits, so she tried to be diplomatic. “Well, the color’s a little dark, but it smells pretty good. Dorothea, how about I taste it first p>
“No way!” Dorothea insisted. She
didn’t want anyone else to suffer if it was terrible She tossed out the
most burnt pieces, then picked up one that looked halfway decent and braced herself for the worst.
But as soon as the tender meat touched her tongue, she was surprised. “Wait, this is actually good p>
The sour, vinegary flavor hit just right. Funny enough, she used to hate vinegar before she got pregnant.
“Linda, you have to try this! It’s seriously not bad p>
Linda was shocked Dorothea might
have actually pulled it off. She
grabbed a clean pair of chopsticks
and ted
a piece,
but the second it
hit her mouth, she couldn’t help
herself-she spit it right out.
“I’m so sorry, Dorothea! I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s just Linda tried to smile but
looked awkward. “It’s just way too sour p>
“Sour?” Dorothea looked confused. “It doesn’t taste sour to me at all p>
She turned to her grandma. “Grandma, do you want to try some p>
Pauline smiled and shook her head. “If you like it, have some more. Eat it with rice,
though. Don’t eat it by itself. I’ll skip it this time p>
When Latham got home early, half the plate was already gone.
“Did you make this, honey p>
Dorothea looked so proud. “Yep! It’s delicious. You don’t need to hire chefs anymore. None of them cook as well as I do. Their food just makes the want to throw up From now on, I’m only eating what I cook p>
Latham saw how happy she was, so he picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and put it in his mouth.
The vinegar hit him so hard his eyes watered, and he had to gulp down a huge glass of water.
Dorothea’s face fell. “You think it’s bad too p>
“No,” Latham said quickly. He couldn’t stand to see her upset. “It’s really good. See? I’ll have another piece p>
Linda watched from the side and noticed Latham’s hand was clenched into a tight fist under the table. She couldn’t help but sigh. Poor Latham, he really would do anything to make Dorothea happy.