I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

The Gao family treated Qiaoqiao like a VIP, and the whole family waited for them at the dilapidated gate of the courtyard.

When the vat arrived home, the eldest and second eldest brothers quickly carried it down, while Hu Xiaomei directed the whole family to wash all the cabbages and radishes thoroughly, and then boil water in a large pot.

The courtyard became lively, and everyone was full of energy.

Hu Xiaomei chopped the washed white radish into four large pieces and taught Xiaoqi: "The most important thing when making sauerkraut is to avoid contact with raw water. Make sure the jar is thoroughly cleaned and wiped dry, and also heat it with a torch so the pickles won't rot. Both the radish and cabbage need to be blanched in boiling water. After it's done, it will be sour and crunchy, much tastier than the mushy kind."

Xiaoqi not only listened attentively, but also took notes.

Sauerkraut kimchi is the hope of their whole family.

Qiaoqiao was thinking to herself, that big vat would probably make several hundred pounds of sauerkraut, and if it spoiled...

Pshaw, pshaw, why do I always think like that?

With Sister Hu around, we're sure to succeed.

Qiaoqiao inexplicably thought of Han Dan, whose kimchi and sauerkraut were also exceptional.

They cooked together, using the same method, but Han Dan's version tasted better.

Han Dan is dead. There will never be another Han Dan in this world.

Qiaoqiao recalled many times the moments she shared with Han Dan. When they first met, Han Dan was so thin that he was skin and bones and so timid that he could not speak properly.

At that time, she had just arrived in the city, had no friends, and had no one to rely on. Lin Jie often beat her, but she didn't dare to say anything.

Sharing the same fate, Qiaoqiao treated her very well, always giving her the freshest vegetables from her garden first.

Since there was fish and meat at home, they invited her to stay for dinner. Qiaoqiao thought that Han Dan would be like Feng Lin, sharing her sentiments.

When did the two of them walk away? Was it when the father-in-law's fate was unknown?

When Qiaoqiao was in trouble, Han Dan not only did not comfort her, but was also very happy.

Han Dan didn't treat Qiaoqiao as a friend, but as a negative example; she just wanted to be better than Qiaoqiao.

Han Dan also has many advantages: she is hardworking, thrifty, and skillful.

Her home was always clean and tidy. She could mend clothes, embroider, and make all sorts of pickled vegetables. What drove her to her death?

Lin Jie never cherished her; she was a wife he bought with money, whom he could beat whenever he wanted.

Her family didn't give her a way out. They thought that with the title of "military family member," she would no longer be criticized and struggled against, and her son would be able to work in the city.

It was Han Dan's personality that drove her to her death.

Like Qiaoqiao's family, Han Dan's family had a bad class background. However, while Qiaoqiao's family banded together to resist the storms from the outside world, Han Dan's family was hit by the storms indiscriminately on everyone's heads.

Han Dan grew up in fear, inferiority, and timidity, with no one to give her a sense of security.

She thought that by sacrificing herself, her family would be able to hold their heads high.

After getting married, Han Dan realized how complicated and tiring marriage is.

She died, and died resolutely.

It must hurt a lot if a porcelain shard cuts a blood vessel, right?

She silently waited for the blood in her body to drain away.

Qiaoqiao's eyes were a little wet. Hu Xiaomei asked in surprise, "Qiaoqiao, what's wrong? Are you too tired? You rest for a while, I'll take over."

Qiaoqiao shook her head: "No, it's just sand in my eyes."

If someone had genuinely cared about Han Dan just once, wouldn't she have survived?

Blanch the radishes in boiling water, place them at the bottom of a jar, add salt, pour in a bottle of vinegar, and then add cabbage on top.

The cabbages are blanched in boiling water for three or four seconds and then thrown into a large vat.

That jar seemed never to be full; it contained all of Xiaoqi's family's radishes and cabbages.

Layer vegetables, then salt, and finally add white vinegar before sealing the jar.

Sealing the jar is a very particular process. You dig out yellow mud, chop some straw and add it in, then stomp on it vigorously.

Once the mud and straw are completely mixed together, begin sealing the jar.

Cover the surface of the jar with a rag, add some straw on top, and then seal it tightly with yellow mud. After a week, the jar can be opened.

After a busy day, it was already 1 p.m.

This time, there was no need to borrow noodles. The Gao family had prepared five catties of noodles, which, along with the remaining pickled vegetables, made Qiaoqiao and Hu Xiaomei eat their fill.

Xiao Qi's two sisters-in-law were eating noodles by the wall, leaning against Hu Xiaomei.

"Big sister, do you have any other secret recipes for making sauerkraut?" the sister-in-law asked with a smile.

"Didn't you all see it? There's no secret recipe. It's just boiling the jar, blanching the vegetables, and sealing the jar. If you weren't in such a hurry to sell, you wouldn't add vinegar or sour water. You'd have to wait a month before opening the jar, and the pickled vegetables would taste even better," Hu Xiaomei said without reservation.

"Big sister, thank you so much for your hard work. Could you please come and give us guidance again next time? I'm afraid we won't do a good job," the second sister-in-law asked modestly.

"Sure, I can come anytime. Xiaoqi is Qiaoqiao's friend, so it's only right that I help."

"Thank you so much!" The eldest and second sisters-in-law beamed with smiles.

Hu Xiaomei didn't pay any attention and even praised her two sisters-in-law for being humble and eager to learn. Little did they know that they were already secretly worried. If it was so easy, they could ask my family to make sauerkraut too.

After lunch, Qiaoqiao and Hu Xiaomei had to hurry back, and Xiaoqi saw them off all the way to the village entrance.

"Go back, Xiaoqi. Remember to bring some pickled cabbage to school in ten days. I want to try making my own pickled cabbage to see if it tastes good." Qiaoqiao urged Xiaoqi to go back.

"Yang Qiao, thank you so much, Sister Hu, you've worked so hard."

"What's the hardship? Let's go back, let's go back." Xiaoqi watched their bicycles disappear at the end of the village.

In a person's life, there are always several turning points in their destiny.

Xiaoqi's ability to get into university despite her difficult circumstances was a turning point in her life.

Meeting Yang Qiao and wholeheartedly helping her start her business was a turning point in the fate of her whole family.

Six months ago, the family could only afford to eat meat two or three times a year, and they had to be extremely frugal with every penny they had.

Now, the third brother has a tricycle and can legally transport goods.

The family's kimchi was sold to canteens of various government agencies in the city, and they could also sell it on the streets because they had a legal individual business license.

When the kimchi wasn't selling well and all the vegetables in the house were about to rot in the field, Yang Qiao kindly taught her how to make sauerkraut.

The kindness of parents is due to blood ties.

Yang Qiao's kindness was a kindness of recognizing and appreciating talent.

Without her, Xiaoqi's family might not have been able to turn their lives around even after half a lifetime.

Qiaoqiao was riding her bike with Sister Hu, and it was so wobbly that Sister Hu had a heart attack.

"Qiaoqiao, I'd rather walk. The handlebars are wobbling all over the place, I'm scared." Hu Xiaomei's face turned pale.

"What are you afraid of? Get on. I can carry Wenhui, so why can't I carry you?" Qiaoqiao said confidently.

"The road is so bumpy, let's walk."

Qiaoqiao earnestly persuaded Sister Hu to sit down, assuring her that it would be alright.

"Qiaoqiao, your classmate's family is really poor, and there are so many people in them." Sister Hu sat nervously on the back of the bicycle and couldn't help but talk about Xiaoqi's family.

"Yes, selling kimchi is their family's hope. They're hoping to earn enough money to renovate their house. Hopefully, the kimchi business will be successful and fetch a good price."

"It will definitely succeed; you have to trust Sister Hu's skills."

"I believe you, thank you for your great help, Sister Hu."

"Your whole family are honest and kind. No matter who you help, you'll help them to the very end."

"Sister Hu, how about I help you all the way and have Sister Liu find you a good family?"

"You naughty child, you can't keep your mouth shut. Sister Hu is just following Xiaowei's lead. You should hurry up and have a few more children, and I'll help you take care of them."

Sister Hu patted Qiaoqiao from behind, and Qiaoqiao laughed heartily.