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In the midst of his frustration, Zhou Jinchuan suddenly heard the front door open.
Then came Su Yi’s clear voice, “Xiaowu, Nuannuan, I’m back! You must be hungry, so I’ll start making dinner right away.”
“I was chatting with Elder Mo while delivering his meal earlier, which took a bit of time—”
As Su Yi walked into the room, she continued speaking aloud.
When she reached the living room and saw Zhou Jinchuan sitting there, she was surprised.
How did he get here?
Xiaowu immediately stood up and smiled, “Uncle Zhou has been here for a while! He was just waiting for you to come back.”
Su Yi looked at the time and asked in surprise, “Why are you here?”
“Uh, I mean, why are you here so early today, Commander Zhou?”
Zhou Jinchuan nodded and pointed to the pile of snacks on the table, trying to figure out the best way to explain.
Then Su Yi exclaimed, “Commander Zhou, why did you buy so many candies? Nuannuan is currently teething, so I usually avoid giving her sweets to prevent cavities.”
Zhou Jinchuan’s words were immediately swallowed back.
“Since Nuannuan can’t eat them, you might as well keep them for yourself.”
“……”
“Don’t you like candies?”
[Do I look like a candy to you?]
Su Yi had been planning to find an opportunity to address what happened during the day. Now, seeing Zhou Jinchuan come over with so many things, she naturally couldn’t refuse. She quickly thanked him and accepted the treats.
She took the braised pork that was meant as a token of thanks back with her, intending to have Zhou Jinchuan stay for dinner to repay the favor. However, worried that he might take it the wrong way, she tentatively asked,
“Commander Zhou, have you had dinner yet?”
“Not yet.”
“We’re planning to have cold noodles for dinner tonight.”
“Sounds good.”
“……”
Su Yi hadn’t bought much else today, but fortunately, some vegetables from the garden were ready to eat. The noodles were rolled out in advance, and she had prepared a large bowl of chilled boiled water before leaving.
To prepare, she simply boiled the noodles, cooled them in the chilled water, and then added shredded cucumber, tomato slices, bean sprouts, cilantro, and a pre-mixed sauce. The bean sprouts were grown by Su Yi herself, so she only needed to buy meat when she went out.
Su Yi usually didn’t have to spend money on vegetables. After preparing the cold noodles, she went to the garden to pick some loofahs. The ones at the bottom were still small, but after searching for a while, she found two large ones on top that she couldn’t reach even when standing on tiptoe.
Just as she was about to go back to get a ladder, Zhou Jinchuan’s voice came from behind.
“I’ll do it.”
The sky had already darkened, and Su Yi was startled to find someone standing behind her. But she quickly recovered and pointed to the two loofahs above. “Those two.”
Zhou Jinchuan nodded and, with a stretch, easily reached up and picked them for her.
“Is there anything else you need help with?” he asked.
Su Yi had only planned to pick the two loofahs for a loofah and egg soup. Seeing his willingness to help, she felt a bit embarrassed to admit that she didn’t have any other vegetables.
She then asked him to help pick a few eggplants, which she planned to steam and serve with garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar for a simple dish.
Zhou Jinchuan helped her pick two bunches of okra, which she planned to blanch and top with the same sauce for another quick and straightforward dish.
As they finished picking the vegetables, Zhou Jinchuan looked around and commented, “The yard has changed a lot since I was last here.”
What was once an empty plot had transformed into a lush, green garden in a short time.
He couldn’t help but glance at Su Yi with appreciation and said, “About what happened at noon, I might not have been clear. I’m concerned because you’ve just started working at the canteen, and everything you do is under scrutiny. Plus, Commissar Wang is quite a tough character.”
“As you’re getting settled, it’s important to be cautious. I realize my words might have been a bit harsh, though.”
Su Yi looked back at him and replied, “Don’t worry about it, Commander Zhou. Your concerns were justified. I did encounter some issues later, and I’ll be more careful from now on.”
Zhou Jinchuan furrowed his brows, pondering for a moment.
During the last interview, Chef Wang’s performance was far from impressive, and it was clear that Su Yi wouldn’t have an easy time in the kitchen.
Zhou Jinchuan added, “Master Ma is the most experienced in the canteen and is quite fair. If you encounter any issues, you can turn to him or let me know.”
Su Yi nodded, “Got it.”
She couldn’t help but smile slightly.
Despite the darkness, Zhou Jinchuan noticed, “What are you smiling about?”
Su Yi quickly shook her head, “Nothing.”
[Thinking about how someone talks about being impartial and never using connections, but in reality—]
Zhou Jinchuan cleared his throat, trying to salvage his stance, “You’re responsible for Elder Mo’s daily meals now. There shouldn’t be any mistakes, so ensuring your safety in the kitchen is also ensuring Elder Mo’s safety.”
“Commander Zhou is right.”
[What you say goes.]
The two spent most of the afternoon in the garden.
Inside the house, Ye Xiaowu and Ye Nuannuan were already quite hungry.
“Brother, I’ll go check on why Sister Su hasn’t come back yet.”
“Nuannuan, be patient, Sister Su is talking with Uncle Zhou. I’ll get you some egg cakes.”
“I don’t want egg cakes. I’ll save room for the noodles later.”
“Alright then!”
Ye Xiaowu peeked outside and saw Uncle Zhou and Sister Su standing together, chatting and laughing.
Uncle Zhou, who was usually so serious, seemed different today!
Even though he was just a primary school student, he vaguely understood what it meant to like someone.
Could it be that Uncle Zhou likes Sister Su?
If that’s the case, it would be great! He wouldn’t have to worry about Sister Su moving away anymore!
Ye Xiaowu thought about it and realized that if things went well, he and Nuannuan might have to call her “Aunt” instead.
But if that meant she could stay, he didn’t mind calling her anything, even “Mom.”
He imagined that once Uncle Zhou and Aunt Su got married and had children, he could help take care of them when he got home from school.
The thought made Ye Xiaowu extremely happy.
Meanwhile, Ye Nuannuan looked confused, “Brother, why are you so happy even though you’re hungry?”
Ye Xiaowu grinned, “Nuannuan, no matter how many kids Uncle Zhou and Aunt Su have in the future, don’t be sad. The person I love most will always be you!”
Ye Nuannuan was puzzled, wondering if her brother was saying strange things because he was too hungry.
During dinner, Su Yi noticed that Ye Xiaowu seemed a bit off, constantly glancing back and forth between her and Zhou Jinchuan.
“What are you staring at, kid?”
Ye Xiaowu grinned, “Hehe, nothing.”
“……”