Chapter 220

By mid-June,

Zhang Guoping had been with the military for nearly a month. His focus had shifted from his pain to immersing himself in his beloved work.

This worked out well for Cheng Jingmo, who spent every evening with Zhang Guoping.

In the past month, he had learned a lot about radio technology. He not only grasped many theoretical concepts but could also handle simple radio repairs and circuit layouts independently.

However, he had his troubles.

As the temperature in Nancheng kept rising, Yu Xiangnian began to complain about his high body temperature and refused to cuddle with him at night.

Recently, every time he held her in his arms, Yu Xiangnian would push him away with a look of disdain.

Especially last night, when just a few minutes before, she had been passionately entangled with him and then became repulsed afterward.

What a fickle woman!

That day, Yu Xiangyang brought Xia Qingyun over for dinner.

When they arrived, Cheng Jingmo was busy cooking in the kitchen, and Yu Xiangnian was sitting in front of the stove chatting with him.

Xia Qingyun had occasionally seen Cheng Jingmo at the military base. Each time, he had a serious expression. It was only recently, through Yu Xiangyang, that Xia Qingyun realized Cheng Jingmo wasn’t incapable of smiling but only did so for Yu Xiangnian.

Xia Qingyun envied and resented Yu Xiangnian.

It seemed so unfair that Yu Xiangnian was cherished in her family home and still favored even after marriage.

“You’re here!” Yu Xiangnian noticed the two entering and quickly stood up to greet them.

Cheng Jingmo gave a nod and went back to the kitchen.

Yu Xiangnian took the items Xia Qingyun brought and told Yu Xiangyang, “Go inside and help Cheng Jingmo with the cooking.”

The two women sat outside, chatting while enjoying the fan.

Xia Qingyun asked, “Nian Nian, does Deputy Regiment Leader Cheng cook all the meals at home?”

Yu Xiangnian replied, “I cook occasionally too.”

Xia Qingyun enviously said, “Then Yu Xiangyang should learn to cook well from Deputy Regiment Leader Cheng.”

Yu Xiangnian cooled her enthusiasm, “With Yu Xiangyang’s temper, he can manage one or two meals, but if you make him cook every day, he’d rather starve!”

Xia Qingyun frowned, “Yu Xiangyang seems to have no patience for anything.”

Xia Qingyun had been quite troubled lately.

Although Yu Xiangyang still came to see her every afternoon after returning from his mission and was generous with buying her what she wanted, Xia Qingyun felt that he wasn’t as warm towards her, which made her feel insecure.

Yu Xiangnian picked up on this and guessed that there must be some discord between Yu Xiangyang and Xia Qingyun.

Taking the opportunity, she said, “That’s why my mother often says Yu Xiangyang is unstable and not mature enough.”

In the kitchen,

Yu Xiangyang was chopping meat. “Cheng Jingmo, the Dragon Boat Festival is the day after tomorrow. Xia Qingyun wants to visit my family. What do you think, should I take her?”

Cheng Jingmo was stir-frying. “As for matters of the heart, I’m just a novice. Can I give advice?”

Yu Xiangyang said, “There’s no one else to ask, might as well ask you!”

Cheng Jingmo: I appreciate it!

“Last time you took her home, didn’t you just bring her without asking anyone? I’m worried it might be the same this time!” Yu Xiangyang said, frustrated.

Cheng Jingmo replied, “Last time, no one was unhappy except for you. You argued with your family.”

Yu Xiangyang lowered his voice and said, “You don’t know these women, they’re especially sensitive! Last time when I brought her home, everyone was quite warm, but as soon as we went out, she cried and said my family didn’t like her.”

Cheng Jingmo said, “If you take her back, your family will treat her the same as last time. It’s just whether you’ll think she’s being wronged again.”

Yu Xiangyang felt that asking all these questions was as good as not asking at all.

No matter how many questions he asked, Cheng Jingmo always left him to make his own decision!

After dinner, Yu Xiangyang and Xia Qingyun left.

Cheng Jingmo looked at Yu Xiangnian eagerly. “Wife, the Dragon Boat Festival is the day after tomorrow.”

Yu Xiangnian responded immediately with a knowing look.

Cheng Jingmo felt hopeful.

The next day, Cheng Jingmo returned home and saw Yu Xiangnian in the kitchen, enthusiastically preparing something.

It was rare to see Yu Xiangnian so interested in kitchen affairs.

“What are you doing?” Cheng Jingmo walked in and asked.

“Look at these things,” Yu Xiangnian pointed to the glutinous rice, bamboo leaves, pork, and other ingredients on the counter, proudly saying, “I went with Sister Liu Zhen and Wang Hongxiang early this morning to buy them!”

Cheng Jingmo: “…”

He had reminded her about the Dragon Boat Festival yesterday, but he didn’t mean for her to make zongzi!

Yu Xiangnian asked, “Cheng Jingmo, do you prefer sweet or savory zongzi?”

The question sounded like if he chose, she could make it for him.

Cheng Jingmo was more concerned, “You can make zongzi?”

Yu Xiangnian confidently replied, “Can’t you?”

Cheng Jingmo: “…”

So, Yu Xiangnian was expecting him to make zongzi with her!

He had never made zongzi before and truly didn’t know how.

Seeing Cheng Jingmo’s reaction, Yu Xiangnian confidently said, “We’ll make them together later; it’s not hard!”

While Cheng Jingmo cooked, Yu Xiangnian and Xiao Jie started washing rice, cleaning zongzi leaves, and washing peanuts and dates.

During this time, Yu Xiangnian also went next door to Sister Liu Zhen’s house to learn how to make zongzi.

When she returned home, she exclaimed, “Oh, so you have to cook the zongzi leaves first before wrapping them!”

Cheng Jingmo prepared and marinated the pork while Yu Xiangnian and Xiao Jie made the zongzi.

Making zongzi wasn’t particularly difficult in theory. You take two zongzi leaves, fold them into a funnel shape, put glutinous rice, peanuts, and meat inside, and then tie them with string.

In theory, anyone could do it, but in practice, it was another matter.

The zongzi leaves would tear, rice would spill out, or the zongzi would burst when tying the string.

The zongzi they finally made were oddly shaped and looked rather terrible.

The Liu Zhen family next door was astonished by the bursts of laughter coming from Yu Xiangnian’s home.

Could making zongzi really be that much fun?

Liu Zhen was also making zongzi. “Old Xiao, when Deputy Regiment Leader Cheng and Comrade Yu first got married, no one in our family quarters thought much of them. Everyone thought they’d be divorced soon. Who would have thought they’d be so happy together?”

Xiao Tuanjie leaned back in his chair, fanning himself. “Feelings develop over time. Deputy Regiment Leader Cheng has finally found happiness.”

Back when they first got married, they lived next door, and they could hear Yu Xiangnian’s arguments and the sound of pots and pans breaking.

“Comrade Yu is really nice!” Liu Zhen said. “She’s generous and polite to us neighbors, and she treats Xiao Jie like her own child!”

Yu Xiangnian soaked a lot of rice, planning to bring zongzi to her family when they went to celebrate the festival.

So, the family of three spent the whole evening making zongzi, filling a large basket.

By bedtime, they were thinking about which zongzi were tied with red string (savory) and which with white string (sweet).