Chapter 18

The military wife, Niu Cuihua, burst into laughter that quickly turned awkward. Gao Anna, who had been mocking Su Ye’s wild imagination, suddenly changed her expression.

Everyone was stunned, their eyes wide open. It took a full moment of silence before they regained their voices.

Su Ye grabbed the rabbit’s ears and easily lifted it up. She weighed it in her hand and thought, “Wow, it’s actually quite heavy. I’ll make some spicy rabbit with chili—delicious!”

Su Ye glanced at Gao Anna and Li Hongli and smiled, saying, “This rabbit was a reward from the heavens in a dream. It’s to remind me not to be discouraged and to keep pushing forward. Hardworking people—are the luckiest!”

“Do you think this rabbit is worth a few yuan?”

Her words were a bit provocative, making Gao Anna and Li Hongli faces look priceless.

He Meimei let out a giggle. She had finally figured out Su Ye’s personality—Su Ye was the type to always get back at people who wronged her, and she wasn’t even polite to the daughter of the minister.

He Meimei nodded confidently, “It’s worth it! Of course, it’s worth more than a few yuan!”

She teased, “I used to read about ‘waiting by the stump for a rabbit,’ but I never believed such good luck could happen. Now I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

Although pork at the supply and marketing cooperative only cost around 60-70 cents per pound, there was a severe shortage of pork in the market, and buying some wasn’t easy at all.

He Meimei, a university-educated teacher with a higher salary, still found it hard to get pork. On New Year’s Eve, she had to painfully spend 10 yuan at the black market to buy one pound of pork, just to relieve the months of craving for meat.

The fat rabbit in Su Ye’s hands weighed at least three pounds, and it was worth much more than just a few yuan. It might even be worth more than 10 yuan, which wouldn’t be easy to get in the market.

The military wives were incredibly envious, and even Fang Xiulian and her group couldn’t help but look longingly at the rabbit in Su Ye’s hands.

It was as if everyone was still stuck in a dream, unable to wake up. They rubbed their eyes, and when they opened them again, the rabbit was still firmly held in Su Ye’s hand, its four legs still trembling slightly.

The military wives recalled what Su Ye had said earlier, and they all went crazy. Su Ye had dreamt of catching a bucket of fish and a rabbit. Now she had the rabbit—what about the fish?

All eyes turned to the fishing rod Su Ye had put down. Niu Cuihua stared at it eagerly, her intense gaze almost impossible to ignore.

“Sister, can I borrow that rod?”

Su Ye made a gesture inviting her to use it. “Go ahead, feel free.”

Experienced military wives from the countryside spoke up, saying, “Rabbits usually have their young in burrows. Doesn’t that mean there are many more in that hole?”

These military wives had clearly forgotten that they had previously said, ‘The fish have all starved to death, so how could there still be rabbits?’ The presence of a single rabbit meant there must be an entire litter nearby.

They frantically crowded around the rabbit hole, each of them grabbing a shovel and digging with all their might, while some went to the river to fetch water to pour into the hole. The atmosphere was lively and upbeat, with everyone excited, as if they had already imagined themselves enjoying the meat.

In these times, being able to eat even a bite of meat was no easy feat!

Li Hongli stood there, stunned. If it weren’t for her pride, she would have wanted to go check the hole herself to see if there were more rabbits inside.

Gao Anna, however, wasn’t too proud to check the rabbit hole. Her family’s situation wasn’t as good as her cousin’s, and after graduation, they were counting on her to help support the household. That’s why she had been bitter about Su Ye snatching her spot.

Gao Anna hadn’t tasted meat in a long time. If they managed to catch a whole litter of rabbits, she’d at least be able to get a share of the meat.

She had just been sitting next to Su Ye, and as the closest witness, she was feeling extremely frustrated.

Why was it that Su Ye always had such good luck when they were fishing by the river? If it had been her sitting on that rock, wouldn’t the rabbit have been hers? The more Gao Anna thought about it, the more she felt that Su Ye’s complaints about her salary were somehow transferring onto her.

Su Ye told everyone, “I’ll head back to handle the rabbit. If I don’t process it quickly, the meat won’t taste as good since it’s already dead.”

The excited military wives were all focused on their work and didn’t seem to care about whether Su Ye was leaving or not.

Su Ye left, which meant she had given up the opportunity to catch fish and the rabbit litter to them. If she didn’t fight back, it would be as if she’d rather just hang herself with a belt.

Su Ye tossed the rabbit into a woven bag and hurriedly made her way back to the city.

Although Fang Xiulian hadn’t joined in the rabbit-catching frenzy, when she saw Su Ye holding the rabbit, she suddenly remembered that they were on the same team. After all, they were both sisters-in-law. Could Su Ye really eat the rabbit all by herself?

Fang Xiulian slowly packed away her fishing rod and headed back to the military compound.

—

When Fang Xiulian returned to the military compound, Li Maogang had just finished his morning training.

Surprised, he asked, “You’re back so early?”

He knew that his wife had gone fishing by the river early in the morning. Normally, she would stay out until the afternoon, sometimes bringing back a few small fish as a side dish for drinks if she was lucky.

Fang Xiulian said, “You should get ready. Tonight, we’re going to Brother Xiangqian’s place for some rabbit meat. Su Ye caught a huge rabbit this morning, such good luck!”

She recounted in detail how Su Ye had found the rabbit by the river, then added, “We were all fishing by the river, sitting together, but how did the rabbit end up right at Su Ye’s feet?”

If this had happened to someone less level-headed, they would have probably been frustrated, right?

Li Maogang replied, “Good luck is one thing, but did Su Ye invite you to eat the rabbit meat?”

The idea of a dream guiding someone was mysterious and something only older generations would believe. Li Maogang didn’t buy into it. He thought that Su Ye had simply stumbled upon the rabbit by chance.

The last time Li Maogang went to Gu Xiangqian’s house for the New Year’s dinner, he noticed Su Ye’s selfish nature when it came to food. He didn’t want his wife to join in the excitement.

However, Fang Xiulian thought Su Ye couldn’t be that stingy, right? That rabbit weighed at least three kilograms, and they were still worrying about formalities? Why bother now? Back when Su Ye first came to their house, she wasn’t concerned about such things.

At that time, Su Ye took everything valuable, so why couldn’t they go eat some rabbit meat? If they didn’t, it would be a waste of the good grains used to raise that rabbit.

—

On the other side.

Su Ye excitedly buys some spices at the black market, carrying the rabbit back home.

She quickly killed the rabbit, skinned it, and washed the meat before laying it out to dry by the window.

The rabbit skin could be saved and sold to the supply and marketing cooperative for money. There were people who collected it to make fabric for clothing. Back in the 1960s, the chemical fiber industry hadn’t developed yet. It wasn’t just food that was expensive—fabric was too.

Su Ye was in high spirits as she chopped up a pound of rabbit meat, cleaned off the blood, then stir-fried it with ginger, garlic, scallions, chili, and the spices. She added rice wine to remove the gamey smell, along with two spoons of soy sauce, and enough water to submerge the rabbit meat. She simmered it on low heat, and the aroma filled the house, making anyone’s mouth water.

The remaining two pounds of rabbit meat were marinated with spices, hung in the sun to dry, and saved for later.

At noon, Gu Xiangqian, who had picked up a few steamed buns from the canteen for lunch, was still far from home when he caught a strong smell wafting through the air.

He asked Su Ye, “What are you making?”

Su Ye had been eating a lot of Gu Xiangqian’s nutritious foods recently—rice, flour, pork ribs, milk powder, and eggs, all of which she had been eating every day. Feeling guilty about the rabbit, Su Ye naturally couldn’t eat it all by herself.

“I found a rabbit by the river. Let me wash my hands, and we’ll have rabbit meat later.”

Su Ye brought the braised rabbit meat to the table, quickly chopping up some cabbage and stir-frying vegetables. A dish of meat, a dish of vegetables, and a few steamed buns were all laid out. The lunch was so hearty it almost made one feel like it was still the New Year.

Su Ye dipped a steamed bun in the rabbit meat sauce and took a bite. The sauce had absorbed all the essence of the rabbit, rich, savory, and spicy. The flavor was so good it felt as if the sauce had a soul, making everything taste delicious to the point where one might even want to swallow their own tongue.

Su Ye loved eating rabbit meat, and when she got it, she had no intention of sharing it with anyone.

She placed a few pieces of rabbit meat into Gu Xiangqian’s bowl, then pulled the plate of meat towards herself, giving him a look that clearly said, “Don’t think about having more.”

One shouldn’t be too kind to a man who’s bound to leave eventually. What if he stubbornly refused to get divorced?

Before Su Ye could even take a bite of the rabbit meat, there was a knock at the door.

“Knock knock.”

Li Maogang and his wife were standing outside. Li Maogang was holding a pound of rice and, upon catching the alluring aroma, his Adam’s apple bobbed.

Before entering, Fang Xiulian’s eyes were immediately drawn to the plate of rabbit meat on the table. The rabbit meat was stir-fried to a rich red, glistening with oil, looking as delicious as it smelled.

Gu Xiangqian, seeing the couple, was briefly surprised but quickly understood, calmly inviting them inside.

He shared the steamed buns he had brought from the cafeteria with Li Maogang and Fang Xiulian.

After sitting down, Fang Xiulian said, “Sister-in-law, you’re really lucky today. You sat for just a little while and found a rabbit. We’re shamelessly here to have some rabbit meat. Hope you don’t mind?”

Su Ye gave a hum of acknowledgement and continued eating. Did she mind? Of course, she did.

To others, it seemed like a lucky find, but what they didn’t know was that every piece of rabbit meat had been earned through Su Ye’s wisdom and hard work. Su Ye could tell right away how badly Fang Xiulian wanted to eat the rabbit meat, her desire was written all over her face.

Su Ye couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

It seemed that, no matter how wealthy someone was, when it came to a piece of meat, their true nature would show. Fang Xiulian might have a well-off family, wear stylish coats, and occasionally put on lipstick. She could be as refined as she wanted behind closed doors, but the one thing missing in her life was a good piece of meat.

Su Ye continued to eat several pieces of rabbit meat in front of them, one after another.

By the time the two guests’ faces turned green, Su Ye finally picked up a piece of meat and placed it in both of their bowls, smiling as she said,

“Don’t mind me, I have to save some of this rabbit meat for myself, but go ahead and eat!”

Li Maogang had already guessed Su Ye’s nature, and the sides of his head ached from the stress. He pushed the rabbit meat from his bowl to Fang Xiulian.

Fang Xiulian ate two pieces of the rabbit meat, and the anger that had been bubbling inside her suddenly vanished as she tasted the meat.

The rabbit meat was absolutely delicious, even better than she had imagined!

The meat was tender, spicy, and savory, and rabbit meat was best eaten in the winter, when the rabbit had stored fat under its skin to help it survive the cold, making the meat finer and more flavorful.

The two pieces of rabbit meat felt almost like eating ginseng fruit. After swallowing them quickly, Fang Xiulian could only watch as Su Ye kept eating. The feeling of being unable to enjoy it herself was so unbearable that she almost wished she hadn’t eaten at all.

By the time lunch was finished, everyone felt uneasy. Li Maogang and Gu Xiangqian went out together for training.

Li Maogang couldn’t stop shaking his head as he recalled Su Ye’s selfish behavior during lunch. What a good young man he was, and yet he married such a woman. When Gu Xiangqian wasn’t married, all the beautiful girls in the compound were watching him. They would send secret glances, bring food, or deliver water non-stop—he couldn’t escape it.

Li Maogang thought for a long while and then said, “You and her have different values. Forcing it between you two is difficult for both of you.”

Gu Xiangqian stopped walking suddenly, and he turned to Li Maogang with a serious expression. “I didn’t say this last time, but I’ll say it now. In the future, please show some respect to Su Ye.”

“She’s not stupid, and she’s not naïve. Last time, when you came and ordered her to do this and that, if I treated Xiulian like that, would she be happy?”

Li Maogang didn’t expect Gu Xiangqian to stand up for Su Ye. He was stunned. “You… you… how can it be the same? If Xiulian were like that, I would scold her too.”

Gu Xiangqian stood up straight, his tone suddenly firm. “9th Regiment, 015 Company Leader, Li Maogang.”

Li Maogang, who had been slouching carelessly, immediately snapped to attention when his name was called. “Li Maogang reporting!”

Gu Xiangqian said, “I’m punishing you to run 50 laps on the field with a 30-kilogram weight on your back. Reflect on your actions. After finishing, come back and tell me your thoughts.”

Li Maogang was stunned, not expecting Gu Xiangqian to actually defend Su Ye. Gritting his teeth, he ran fifty laps around the field, his anger mounting as he thought, “Is it because I haven’t eaten enough meat yet?”