Chapter 38.1

“That’s great,” Hu Wanning said as she chopped vegetables, her head still down. “We’ll get to taste your cooking today.”

Ruan Mingfu awkwardly tugged at the corners of her mouth, but couldn’t manage a smile.

Fortunately, everyone was busy in the kitchen, so no one paid much attention to her.

Xie Yanzhao observed the bustling kitchen and decided to carry over the firewood he had prepared earlier. This way, the women wouldn’t have to interrupt their work to fetch it.

Everyone began to tease Ruan Mingfu.

“Old Xie is really something.” Hu Wanning straightened up, “Sister-in-law, you’re really fortunate.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

“That’s right,” Sister Lin, who was washing vegetables, chimed in. “When my husband comes home, he just collapses on the bed like a big shot. Even getting him to run an errand requires multiple requests.”

“Who isn’t?”

Sister Wang, always full of complaints, added, “My husband is so lazy, sometimes I wish I could just feed him with a spoon. If it weren’t for the kids, I’d be fed up with this life.”

Li Xianglan and He Cuixiang stayed silent.

They had just gotten married and were still in the honeymoon phase.

“If only my husband were half as good as Commander Xie,” Sister Wang said.

With a large family, Sister Wang was constantly overwhelmed.

Her daily life was full of chaos, with constant noise from the children.

This made her increasingly irritable.

She often felt exasperated by her partner’s inaction.

Sister Lin threw cabbage into the basin and commented, “Everyone says that Commander Xie is cold and difficult to get along with, but look now, who in the family compound doesn’t envy Comrade Ruan?”

After yesterday’s events, news had spread like wildfire.

The women who previously dismissed Xie Yanzhao had all changed their tune, praising him for his generosity and how he cherished his wife.

There was even a hint of regret in their words.

Li Xianglan nodded.

Who wouldn’t be envious? Even she felt a twinge of envy.

“Comrade Ruan, tell us,” Sister Wang looked up and asked, “How did you meet Commander Xie?”

Sister Lin also looked at Ruan Mingfu with a smile, “Yes, yes, I want to hear it.”

Li Xianglan leaned in, eager to listen.

They were very curious.

One was a well-known tough military officer, who seemed destined to remain single. The other was a delicate beauty, obviously raised in luxury.

It was hard to believe these two such different people could end up together.

They could hardly imagine it.

“Ah?”

Ruan Mingfu looked up, her bright face slightly puzzled.

“Ah, what? I asked you to tell me how you met Commander Xie.”

Sister Wang is a straightforward person who speaks her mind.

“Right!”

Ruan Mingfu saw that except for Hu Wanning and He Cuixiang, the other three were all looking at her curiously, with the words “I want to listen” engraved on their faces!

“Alright then,” Ruan Mingfu decided to share, seeing no harm in it. Plus, chatting about gossip was a nice break from the monotonous work.

But Ruan Mingfu didn’t divulge everything.

She selected a few details and began to narrate.

Hu Wanning was among those who knew the most, thanks to Xu Zhu’s occasional updates.

At this moment, she wasn’t exaggerating.

Even if Xie Yanzhao appeared right behind her, she wouldn’t be afraid!

“This is how we met…”

Sister Wang, a straightforward person, had tears in her eyes as she listened. “Ruan Mingfu, you must have had a tough time in the countryside.”

Whether others had it tough or not, she didn’t know. However, the original owner hadn’t suffered much.

Any difficult tasks were promptly handled by eager male comrades. Although she worked a few days, the tasks assigned to her were all light.

Ruan Mingfu had not endured much hardship.

But she couldn’t say that outright.

After a moment’s thought, she vaguely replied, “It wasn’t too bad…”

“Oh, working hard is really tough. You don’t know how hard it is to cut rice and plant seedlings in this weather. The sun feels like it’s burning you alive.”

“After busy farming periods, people get darker and thinner.”

Sister Lin, being from the countryside herself, spoke with some lingering dread.

It was easy to imagine how frightening it could be.

Ruan Mingfu hadn’t experienced it firsthand, so she couldn’t imagine it fully.

Apart from Hu Wanning, the others had all come from rural backgrounds and understood that kind of hardship.

Being with the military had its benefits. At least they didn’t have to work under the scorching sun.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Sister Wang felt differently, “I’d rather go back to the farm than deal with these unruly kids.”

Talking about her children, Sister Wang had a lot of grievances.

She had four children in total: three boys and one girl.

Her daughter had just turned three. Among the boys, there were twins aged over six, and the oldest was nine.

They were at an age where they were especially troublesome.

Not just Sister Wang, even the family compound’s cats and dogs avoided them.

They were too noisy!

Spending a day with them made Sister Wang feel like she aged ten years.

Her eldest was particularly restless, not paying attention in class. Last time, he scored fifty on two tests. If it weren’t for her husband’s quick intervention, she would have made sure the little rascal understood why flowers are so red.

Hu Wanning listened to this and laughed.

“Annoyed already? Wait until the three kids grow up, then we’ll be the ones envying you.”

“Wanning is right,” Sister Lin added, “Your four kids are so lively. It’s clear they’ve been well raised.”

Sister Lin was slightly older than Sister Wang.

Naturally, she had children.

Two sons and a daughter, but Sister Lin married early. Her youngest child is now in junior high and about to start high school. The school is far away, so the child only comes home once a week.

Every time she comes home, she can only exchange blank stares with her spouse.

Life is incredibly dull.

Hearing this, Sister Wang joked, “Should I send my two boys to you?”

“If you dare send them, I’ll dare to take them.”

Sister Lin wasn’t afraid at all and responded directly.

Sister Wang fell silent.

Although those three troublesome kids can be very annoying at times, they are her own flesh and blood, and she can’t just give them away.

“See, you can’t bear to part with them, can you?”

Sister Lin teased, and everyone laughed.

“But you know, it’s best to have kids early,” Sister Lin said with a tone of someone with experience, looking at the newlyweds, “Having them earlier allows your body to recover sooner. Mingfu, what are your plans with Commander Xie?”

There is a ten-year age difference between them, which is quite significant.

If they wait too long to have children, Xie Yanzhao will be in his thirties by then. When the child grows up, he’ll be over fifty.

Ruan Mingfu: “Ah, well…”

She didn’t understand why the conversation had suddenly shifted to urging her to have children.

Let alone having kids, she still wasn’t sure if Xie Yanzhao was capable.

“I’m fine with anything as long as it’s okay with Old Xie. We’ll just go with the flow.”

Ruan Mingfu looked at the pig kidneys.

The odor had been completely removed and she only needed to make some cuts and cut it into strips before stewing it.

For her future…

Ruan Mingfu’s eyes flashed with determination.

The only thing was that Xie Yanzhao was so big, but he was just a useless silver-plated spear head.

The disillusionment was truly overwhelming!

“Wanning, Little Fatty is already three years old. When do you plan to have another?”

Sister Lin really didn’t let any of them go.

Women of her age particularly enjoy pushing for more children.

Hu Wanning smiled and said, “Old Xu has told me the same, we’ll just go with the flow.”

She said it with a laugh.

Hu Wanning was sincere.

A few years ago, the concern for Little Fatty had delayed their plans for a second child. Knowing that Little Fatty was fine, they no longer had a strong desire for a second child.

Fearing that Sister Lin might push for more children, Hu Wanning quickly said.

“Sister Lin, pass me that jar of chopped chili, please.”

“Chopped chili fish head?” Sister Lin looked at the fish head that had been cleaned and said, “My goodness, this fish head must weigh over a pound. How can there be such a big fish?”

Fish was a rare commodity these days.

But the big-headed fish was not among them.

It had a large head but a small body. People were already short on meat these days. Buying such a fish was less economical than buying a smaller grass carp.

Hu Wanning had tasted chopped chili fish head before.

It was when she was dating Xu Zhu, and they had it at a state-run restaurant. The chef was from Hunan Province and was known for making excellent dishes, especially this chopped chili fish head, which was his specialty.

But after all these years, she wasn’t sure if that chef was still around.

He Cuixiang was also curious.

This dish is mostly bones, and country folks don’t usually like it. Her grandfather would usually use the fish to make soup, adding some tofu, which smelled quite good.

“You’ll know when it’s done.”

Hu Wanning said no more, just took a clean small bowl and scooped some chopped chili into it.

They continued with their tasks while Ruan Mingfu focused on hers.

She prepared a clay pot, placed it on a small stove, and started heating it. She measured and mixed the medicinal ingredients brought back by Xie Yanzhao, then began cooking.

This was Mrs. Ruan’s exclusive recipe.

She had never made it before and wasn’t sure if it would work.

Originally, it was to be steamed over water, but she didn’t have the means to do that now.

Using a clay pot should yield similar results~

Ruan Mingfu removed the odor from the pig kidneys and added the prepared medicinal ingredients one by one. Once it boiled, she removed the firewood from beneath it, letting it simmer in a near-boiling state.

Half an hour of simmering was enough.

When she lifted the lid to add the ingredients, the aroma of the soup filled the entire kitchen.

Sister Lin took a deep breath, “Just smelling the soup, you can tell it’s going to be good. I’ll definitely have to have more later.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Embarrassed to the point of wanting to hide.

…This cannot be consumed in excess.

“Seeing Comrade Ruan’s delicate appearance, I’m really afraid you’ll end up eating in the cafeteria after marriage,” Sister Wang laughed and complimented Ruan Mingfu, “Sister-in-law has been hiding her skills, I was wrong.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

What’s wrong with eating in the cafeteria?

She actually planned to eat in the cafeteria in the future.

Anyway, cooking was not something she would ever do, not in this lifetime.

Sister Lin laughed at her, “You’re even using idioms now. You’re quite cultured.”

“This is what I learned from my son,” Sister Wang was furious when she talked about this. “His father taught him several times before he could write the ‘hide’ correctly. I was dozing off on the side and still managed to pick it up.”

That’s why she was even more angry.

People’s joys and sorrows are not shared.

When they heard what Sister Wang said, they just wanted to laugh.

Ruan Mingfu crouched by the small stove, inhaling the fragrant aroma wafting from the clay pot in front of her.

She propped her chin on her small hand and was about to open the lid to check the soup inside when a large, calloused hand grabbed hers.

Ruan Mingfu looked up and saw Xie Yanzhao’s gaze directed down at her.

He stood tall, leaning slightly forward, effectively covering the petite Ruan Mingfu with his presence.

Xie Yanzhao’s voice was deep as he held her hand and said, “Be careful, it’s hot.”

Ruan Mingfu, feeling like a thief, glanced around the kitchen. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she sighed in relief.

“Let me go quickly.”

Xie Yanzhao’s expression grew more intense, his eyes filled with an unreadable emotion that startled her.

Just as she was unsure of what to do, he released her hand.

“I’ll do it,” Xie Yanzhao said, giving her one last deep look before opening the lid with his bare hands.

Instantly, a rich aroma filled the air.

In the kitchen, Hu Wanning caught a whiff of the smell and said, “What’s that aroma? It smells so good!”

“So fragrant.”

“This is incredibly aromatic.”

“It really does smell great…”

After simmering for a long time, the soup was milky white. The kidneys had no fat, so there was no grease on top, only a layer of various herbs floating.

Ruan Mingfu took a small bowl and scooped out some thoroughly cooked herbs.

She then quickly filled a bowl with soup and handed it to Xie Yanzhao.

“Try this.”

Drinking it while hot should be more effective, right?

Ruan Mingfu wasn’t quite sure.

However, Xie Yanzhao’s expression was quite complicated.

He looked down at the soup in the bowl with a hint of surprise and furrowed his brows, “You want me to drink this?”

“It’s made for you.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded and pushed the bowl forward.

Xie Yanzhao’s expression grew even more complex.

He glanced at the soup and then at Ruan Mingfu again, uncertainly asking, “You really want me to drink this?”

Ruan Mingfu became a bit impatient.

“Just drink it,” she said, shoving the bowl into Xie Yanzhao’s hands, her pretty brows furrowed, “Why are you so hesitant?”

The soup was still steaming.

Fortunately, the bowl was thick enough to handle the heat.

Xie Yanzhao stared at the milky-white soup, his gaze holding a dangerous glint. He chuckled softly, his eyes locked on Ruan Mingfu.

She seemed unable to handle his direct gaze.

Feeling like a fish on a chopping board with him as the chef, Ruan Mingfu was suddenly uncertain whether giving Xie Yanzhao the kidney-tonic soup was the right choice.

Xie Yanzhao said nothing more and started drinking the soup.

However, the dog-man’s eyes remained fixed on her, as if… she were the main course.

Ruan Mingfu’s heart raced, and she dared not look any further.