After being blanched, the bones and pig trotters went into a large pot to simmer slowly. Half the broth would be for stewing radishes, the other half for a blood curd soup.
Qiaohui added some charcoal to the firebox, then looked up at Wu Shufen. "Auntie, my cousins are coming tomorrow morning, right?"
Wu Shufen, who was roasting peppercorn salt, nodded. "They're taking the first bus over." She glanced up at her. "Lower the fire a bit, or the peppercorns will burn."
Qiaohui nodded and shoveled two lumps of charcoal into the inner firebox. Watching Wu Shufen deftly stir-fry the peppercorn salt, she said, "Auntie, how come my mom's cooking isn't as delicious as yours?"
"Sigh!" Wu Shufen sighed. "When your mother left home, we barely had enough to eat. Your grandpa couldn't get any work catering banquets, so where would she have learned to cook?"
