卤 lǔ salt

How it came to be

A woven bag with grains of salt inside it, drawn as dots in the old forms and as one cross today. The short stroke on top is its tie.

To braise/stew in a spiced soy master-stock - 卤肉 (lǔ ròu) braised meat, 卤味 (lǔwèi) soy-braised deli foods, 卤蛋 (lǔdàn) tea/braised egg.
卤 also names the brine itself - the reusable 卤水 (lǔshuǐ) master sauce.
A cornerstone cooking method; 卤味 stalls are everywhere in Chinese food culture.