Whitaker Scarlett playfully pulled the little rascal to the side.
“Stop buttering me up! I’ve got to cook dinner.”
Michael licked his lips instinctively.
Scarlett’s cooking wasn’t exactly gourmet, but every meal she made was special—always meat or fish, never the plain salted vegetables they usually ate. Michael’s mouth watered as he watched Scarlett pull out pre-chopped spare ribs from the basket. At that moment, he wished Scarlett could live there forever.
Who could be better than his Scarlett?
Scarlett put Michael in charge of stoking the fire and steamed a few eggs, which the Miller family now had in abundance.
For the ribs, she decided against braising them and opted for sweet and sour instead.
The Miller family’s stock of oil, salt, and spices had been depleting rapidly over the past few days, but Scarlett had been replenishing everything. William had said the family should eat well, and Amanda hadn’t raised any objections. Scarlett had even bought the sugar herself, so making sweet-and-sour ribs wasn’t difficult at all.
The tangy-sweet sauce coated the ribs in a thick, rich glaze, which Scarlett poured over steaming white rice. Just imagining the flavor made her mouth water.
William and the others returned home, carrying the half-dried rice grains from the field. The moment he smelled the aroma wafting from the kitchen, William grinned.
“You were worried Scarlett wouldn’t sell her eels, but I tell you, this girl isn’t cut out for hard labor—her sharp mind is her greatest strength.”
Good business meant good money to buy meat. Scarlett had had a successful day.
Elizabeth chuckled sheepishly while Amanda wondered how the Whitaker family had misjudged Scarlett.
Sure, getting into university like Rosalie was impressive, but girls were destined to marry out. No matter how precious a female college graduate seemed, she couldn’t possibly take care of the entire Whitaker family once she married. Even if Rosalie wanted to help, Albert, his wife, and their son were already in line. What about the rest of the Whitakers? They’d get nothing.
Elizabeth had mentioned that when Rosalie left for college in the capital, she took the family’s entire savings of over $500. Yet when Scarlett hit her head and needed medical care, the Whitaker family couldn’t scrape together enough money to send her to the hospital.
If that didn’t show Rosalie’s selfishness, what did? She was living the high life in the capital while her family scraped by. If she didn’t care now, what made them think she’d have a conscience once she was successful?
Scarlett, on the other hand, was generous and thoughtful. Just yesterday, she’d bought Michael a brand-new school bag. William had sworn up, and down that, Scarlett paid for it herself.
Amanda’s heart warmed at the thought. Scarlett was indeed a blessing to their family.
“What’s Scarlett cooking now?”
Scarlett flipped the spatula and replied with a smile, “Sweet and sour ribs.”
Amanda, ever practical, frowned. “Why spend money on ribs? Tasty, sure, but they’re not filling.”
Everyone knew ribs were delicious, but they were hardly economical.
Amanda couldn’t help but gently remind her niece, “You need to save your money. It’s good that you care about Michael and bought him a school bag, but that bag was way too expensive. You should keep some savings—when you marry, you’ll have more say in your new household.”
Her words came from genuine care. She wasn’t suggesting Scarlett spend all her money on the Miller family.
Scarlett felt a warm glow in her heart. “I know, Aunt. Don’t worry—I won’t spend carelessly!”
Meanwhile, William whispered to Elizabeth as they sorted the rice grains. “Once the harvest is over, Whitaker Chris will surely come looking for you. You need to think carefully about your choices. Life is finally looking up here—don’t be too softhearted and go back to him!”
