Female chef's scrumptious dishes helps her family shake off poverty in China's Jiangxi (12)

Liu Lihong works on a cross-stitch handicraft at home in Dabaidi Township of Ruijin City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Aug. 19, 2019. Wearing a black beret and a pair of high-heel shoes, Liu Lihong stir-fries meat and vegetables using cooking stoves while listening to music, a typical scene in her daily routine. The 40-year-old chef has been working for the local government of Dabaidi Township over three years. Prior to being a professional cook, Liu was a migrant worker in a clothing factory in Shantou of south China's Guangdong Province since the age of 19 and tied the knot here with her husband Zeng Changting from Dabaidi Township. The couple returned to Dabaidi Township in 2012 to better take care of Zeng's mother, who suffered stroke the same year. With the help of local cadres, Liu started her culinary career at the local government in 2016. Despite inexperienced at the beginning, Liu worked hard to hone cooking skills and later became widely known for her scrumptious dishes, which helped her family shake off poverty in 2018. "Palatable cuisine comes from diligence and practice, which is the same as living a better life," said Liu. (Xinhua/Hu Chenhuan)