Font Size:
After finishing the meal, Zhou Jingchuan and Xie Xiaojun busily prepared to leave for tomorrow’s mission.
Before they left, Su Yi suddenly remembered something and reminded them, “Commander Zhou, before you head out tomorrow morning, please stop by!”
Zhou Jingchuan paused for a moment, and then heard her continue, “I’ll prepare some food for you to take along.”
Zhou Jingchuan was about to decline but was cut off by Xie Xiaojun, who quickly responded, “Thank you, Comrade Su!”
Zhou Jingchuan smiled helplessly. He had intended for the supplies he brought today to be enough for the three of them over the next few days. Instead, they had ended up eating and taking away much of it themselves.
At least the money was sufficient, and Su Yi seemed quite resourceful; she would buy what was missing. With this thought, Zhou Jingchuan felt reassured and left.
…
Meanwhile, Qin Yunfeng, facing a major reprimand, had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
Qin Yunfeng had finally been promoted from a regular soldier to an officer, and then from a platoon leader to a deputy company commander. He had hoped to win over Bai Ruolin and leverage her connections with Wang Zhengwei to secure a promotion to company commander in the upcoming evaluations.
However, just as he was on the verge of achieving his goal, an unexpected incident occurred, ruining his chances of promotion. He had initially hoped to write a self-criticism and get through this phase, planning to find another way once things calmed down.
But, just after Wang Zhengwei had assured him, news of a major reprimand and public criticism suddenly surfaced.
As soon as dawn broke, Qin Yunfeng rushed to Bai Ruolin’s dormitory, hoping to see if there was any way to salvage the situation.
After waiting for a long time downstairs, he finally saw Bai Ruolin come out. However, her eyes were dark with exhaustion and her face was flushed with anger.
“Ruolin, did you also have trouble sleeping last night?” Qin Yunfeng asked with concern.
Bai Ruolin huffed in frustration, “How could I sleep well? Even though it wasn’t directly my fault, now I have to write a self-criticism too! Public criticism! Major reprimand!”
“Qin Yunfeng, didn’t you say that Su Yi would be easy to handle? How come she’s not at all concerned about your future?”
Qin Yunfeng lowered his gaze, “She’s probably just upset and, with so many people supporting her yesterday, she’s gotten a bit carried away. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get the annulment letter back from her today.”
At the mention of the annulment letter, Bai Ruolin’s anxiety was palpable. “Yes, we must get it back today to avoid any further complications. Last night, Secretary Wang also called me repeatedly to emphasize this issue.”
“If we manage to get it back, there might still be a chance for your promotion. Otherwise, it will leave a lingering problem.”
Qin Yunfeng nodded, “I’m going to find her right now. Don’t worry. After a night’s sleep, she’ll surely have reconsidered and regretted her decision!”
After saying that, Qin Yunfeng mounted his bicycle and was about to leave.
Bai Ruolin quickly called him back, “Where are you going to look for her?”
Qin Yunfeng paused, “To the guesthouse in town.”
Bai Ruolin pressed her lips together, “You should check around the entrance or on the roadside. Without an introduction letter, she definitely won’t be able to stay at the guesthouse.”
Qin Yunfeng looked at Bai Ruolin in disbelief. Seeing her firm expression, he finally realized.
It turned out that she knew yesterday that Su Yi wouldn’t be able to stay at the guesthouse, which is why she warned him not to go out if Su Yi contacted him.
He had always thought of Bai Ruolin as proud and aloof, and he didn’t expect her to be playing such tricks.
Bai Ruolin bit her lip, “Brother Qin, you’re not blaming me, are you? I was just really angry yesterday.”
Qin Yunfeng lowered his gaze, deciding to let it go. After all, she was just concerned about him.
“A little jealousy from a woman is normal. Don’t overthink it. She does need to face some consequences, and I’m not going to blame you.”
“Ruolin, could you cover the sixty yuan owed to Wang Zhengwei for me? I’ll pay you back as soon as I can, including what you spent yesterday. I won’t let you cover those expenses.”
Bai Ruolin twitched her lips but agreed, “Alright, I’ll handle it. Just go get the things back quickly!”
Watching Qin Yunfeng ride off in search of Su Yi, Bai Ruolin felt a pang of discomfort. But then she remembered seeing Su Yi leave the house the day before and realized she must have spent the night outside. This thought brought a sense of satisfaction to her.
Qin Yunfeng rode his bike straight to the entrance, searching the area around the gate for a while but finding no sign of her.
He then went to the town’s guesthouse and learned that she hadn’t stayed there the previous night.
After searching around town and receiving a cold reception at the gatekeeper’s office, he reluctantly returned empty-handed.
When Bai Ruolin heard that he hadn’t found her, her voice rose slightly, “How could she be missing? Could it be that she’s already gone back?”
Qin Yunfeng shook his head, “It’s unlikely. Without an introduction letter, she can’t buy a train ticket. I’m just worried she might get into trouble.”
Bai Ruolin was stung by the concern on his face, “Brother Qin, are you really that concerned about her?”
Qin Yunfeng quickly regained his composure and explained, “Of course not. I’m just worried that someone might take advantage of her and steal the annulment letter. Don’t overthink it.”
“Alright then. You must be hungry after searching all morning. Let’s have a meal at the cafeteria first and then continue looking.”
“Hmm, but I gave all my money to her yesterday, and now I don’t even have money for a meal.”
“……”
While the two of them searched all morning without finding any trace of Su Yi, she was busy making tea eggs.
The remaining tea in the study was high-quality Longjing, but unfortunately, it had become a bit stale over time. As soon as she opened the canister, a musty smell wafted out.
It was evident that he didn’t care much about these things, wasting such good tea.
Su Yi washed the tea leaves and dried them again. They were perfect for making tea eggs.
She first boiled the eggs for about ten minutes, then cracked the shells and added the tea leaves and spices to continue boiling for another ten minutes.
While Su Yi was making the tea eggs, the two children gathered around to watch.
It seemed like they were so bored at home that the arrival of a new “member” made everything feel new and exciting.
“Sister Su, why do these eggs taste like braised pork?” asked one of the kids.
Su Yi smiled and handed them two eggs, “Try them and see.”
The two kids rarely had even boiled eggs, let alone tea eggs!
After taking a bite, both of them squinted their eyes with delight. “Delicious, Sister Su! I didn’t know eggs could taste so good.”
Seeing them devour the eggs eagerly, Su Yi quickly peeled two more and handed them over. “You can’t eat too many at once; otherwise, you might get an upset stomach. But don’t worry, you two will have eggs every day from now on. Just be careful not to get tired of them.”
Yao Xiaowu and Yao Nuannuan exchanged smiles.
With eggs tasting so good, how could they ever get tired of them?