Chapter 30

Although Su Ye didn’t get a proper farewell kiss from Gu Xiangqian, she woke up at four in the morning, just as he was about to leave.

Before he left, he unexpectedly lowered his head and kissed Su Ye on the lips.

Gu Xiangqian’s lips were soft and warm, with a refreshing minty scent. His tongue lightly touched Su Ye’s lips. After a moment of tenderness, he pulled back slightly, then kissed her again.

In her daze, Su Ye forgot even to be shocked, only feeling her heart start to pound slowly when the sound of the door closing echoed.

Although they had shared many intimate moments as an old married couple, it was the first time Su Ye had been kissed on the lips. She had kissed him many times, but never like this. Fortunately, Gu Xiangqian hadn’t figured it out and didn’t know what a kiss on the lips meant.

But today, the ^[1]“iron tree” (铁树) in the context of this passage refers to something that is unexpected or rare, similar to the English idiom “when pigs fly” or “a miracle.” … Continue reading“iron tree” had unexpectedly bloomed!

The sensation of the kiss was so wonderful that Su Ye lingered on the feeling for a while, wishing for another kiss.

However, Gu Xiangqian had already left, and Su Ye leaned on the windowsill, staring at his tall figure. The beautiful, blurry feeling from their first meeting came rushing back.

Su Ye decided to buy ten pounds of pork, intending to make some dried meat and cooked food for Gu Xiangqian, so that he could snack on it and stave off hunger when eating outdoors in the wild.

—

No. 1 Middle School

When Su Ye arrived at school, the teachers in the same office congratulated her and asked how the meeting at the government hall went.

“Well, did you panic when you met the leaders? Your legs didn’t shake?” they teased.

Su Ye joked back, “I was so panicked I forgot to panic.”

“Wow, that’s impressive! The best thing about being a teacher is knowing how to talk smoothly, and we’re used to seeing a sea of heads in the audience. Su Ye, you’ve got this one!”

While everyone in the office was congratulating Su Ye, basking in the cheerful and relaxed atmosphere, Fang Zhou and Liu Qiu started chatting.

Fang Zhou furrowed his brow and said, “It’s strange! Just a few days ago, I saw Anna’s name on the honor roll, but today it’s been replaced by the principal’s. I heard it was a mistake with the list. Such a pity, they got our hopes up for nothing.”

As fellow teachers at the same school, if Anna had been recognized as an outstanding teacher, it would have reflected well on them too.

Liu Qiu shook her head, disdainfully saying, “It wasn’t a mistake. She was just trying to give herself some credit, pretending it was a mistake. Think about it—she didn’t deserve to be recognized as an outstanding teacher. There are plenty of teachers more qualified and with more experience than her.”

“Do you remember Ye Ning? Her recruitment test scores were higher than Gao Anna’s, and she got a Municipal household registration and is married, but they still transferred her to work at the county middle school. Turns out… he got bumped from the job at No. 5 High School by Gao Anna!”

Su Ye never expected that 34-point colleague to be so powerful, it was really impressive. In just a few days, she managed to knock Gao Anna off the honor roll.

At this point, Gao Anna must have clearly felt the sting of being reported.

Liu Qiu’s words were like a heavyweight bomb, catching everyone off guard. They gasped when they heard it.

The teachers in the office had a deep impression of Gao Anna. When the new teachers were recruited at No. 1 High School, she even brought her own teacher to the office to question Su Ye’s grades. If it hadn’t been for Teacher He’s thick skin, they might not have been able to explain it to her.

Other teachers suddenly remembered the drama with Su Ye and slapped their chests, saying, “Fortunately, Little Su did well and scored full marks. Otherwise, wouldn’t she have been transferred to the county middle school?”

A teacher like Su Ye, from the countryside without any background, was easy to handle.

Su Ye thought about it and realized that it was possible. If Gu Xiangqian hadn’t been a military officer, she might have been the one sent to teach at the county school.

As the person grading the papers, Zhou Yi knew the scores of everyone but hadn’t inquired about the situation at No. 5 High School. Gao Anna and Ye Ning’s scores were only a few points apart, so it seemed perfectly normal to assign them to different schools. It would be easy for someone to exploit this small difference and cover it up.

Fang Zhou hesitated and asked, “Is this true? I… I’ve never heard of it.”

It was hard to believe. Fang Zhou still remembered how they had helped Gao Anna isolate Su Ye. Now, looking back, he felt ashamed.

Over the past period of time, Fang Zhou had fully recognized Su Ye’s abilities.

Su Ye was diligent and passionate about her work. Not only did she sacrifice her winter vacation to teach the children, but she also took the initiative to help other teachers with their grading. Now, she was spending her time helping struggling students, often buried in parts and laboring hard.

Compared to Gao Anna, Su Ye’s spirit was truly precious!

Liu Qiu nodded firmly. “It’s true! Ye Ning’s wife, Lan Hua, is my classmate. She mentioned it to me a few days ago, so I felt comfortable sharing this. I wouldn’t have said anything if I didn’t have some solid information.”

She recalled the last time she was at the military district compound with Gao Anna and her cousin when they brought up Su Ye. A few days later, Su Ye and the children were taken away for an investigation by the municipal education committee. Liu Qiu began to suspect that Gao Anna might have been the one who reported them.

In some ways, a woman’s intuition is incredibly accurate.

—

After school, Su Ye opened the back end of her system and saw that another twenty pounds of pork belly had been added.

This was likely due to the radio course she had recently started teaching. She had taught the kids about circuits and electromagnetic fields. And when it came to foods suitable for replenishing energy in the wild, beef jerky was undoubtedly the top choice.

However, in this era, the degree of mechanization in agriculture is low, and cows are an important helper for farmers. It is also illegal to slaughter cattle privately in the country. After thinking it over, Su Ye decided to be honest and exchange for lean meat. She used fifteen pounds of lean meat to make instant pork jerky.

Su Ye swiftly pounded the lean meat into minced meat, adding crushed star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, fennel, and other spices, and marinated it with soy sauce and cooking wine for three hours to let the flavors soak in.

Then, she slowly placed the meat paste onto an iron tray, pressing it down firmly with a stone, and placed it on the stove to slowly roast over low heat, allowing it to evaporate the moisture.

As the meat sizzled on the fire, a strong, savory aroma of pork wafted through the air during the evaporation process. Su Ye also exchanged for a small amount of honey and brushed the pork jerky with honey glaze while roasting.

After roasting one side, she flipped it and continued roasting for another half hour. Su Ye didn’t finish making the ten pounds of pork jerky until it was dark. After the roasting and drying, the ten pounds of meat was reduced to just five pounds of jerky.

Su Ye broke off a piece to taste. The jerky had an irresistible fragrance, with a rich savory flavor and a hint of sweetness from the honey. It was very tough and chewy, and after just two pieces, Su Ye already felt full.

This really caused trouble for the neighbors around Su Ye. The entire building seemed to be filled with the smell of meat, just faintly lingering everywhere.

After finishing the pork jerky, Su Ye laid it out on the table to dry, then made a stir-fry with vegetables and eggs for herself, enjoying a satisfying dinner.

When Gu Xiangqian wasn’t around, Su Ye’s supplies were as abundant as she wanted—anything she craved, she could have.

Eggs, a nutritious food, were now impossible to find on the black market, and only when Gu Xiangqian picked up food supplies for military personnel at the military district’s grain and oil office at the end of the month would they have any eggs.

Su Ye stir-fried five eggs with tomatoes. In the time it took her to eat, she could consume all of Gu Xiangqian’s monthly nutritional allowance.

Su Ye wiped her mouth in satisfaction, and after cleaning up the dishes, someone knocked on the door.

She thought it would be Fang Xiulian, but to her surprise, it was He Meimei.

He Meimei brought a basket of wild vegetables to Su Ye’s house. With Gu Xiangqian off to the battlefield, the Women’s Federation director asked her to check in on Su Ye’s mental well-being when she had the time.

He Meimei, intending to show care for the young military wife, brought a basket of wild vegetables. Coincidentally, Su Ye’s results for the advanced assessment were about to be announced, so it was a good opportunity to celebrate with her.

However, she was wrong! He Meimei never expected to walk into Su Ye’s home and find the table piled high with pork jerky. Upon seeing this scene, she was hit with more than just a shock.

Not only was the table full of pork, but there were also several red-and-white striped sausages hanging by the window. This scene might even be rare in wealthy households.

She quickly recalled that Su Ye had caught a wild boar weighing over a hundred pounds last week in the outskirts, and all she could feel was a deep sense of envy.

Someone like her didn’t need a basket of wild vegetables at all. He Meimei felt too embarrassed to even give Su Ye the vegetables in her hands.

After chatting with He Meimei for a while, Su Ye casually wrapped a few pieces of pork jerky in oil paper and handed them to her. “These are the pork jerky I made for Gu Xiangqian. Take them back and enjoy a little treat. I’ve tasted them, they’re delicious. Now go and read your book.”

He Meimei hadn’t had meat in a long time. The last time she ate meat was during the Spring Festival. Holding the slightly warm pork jerky, her whole impoverished heart couldn’t help but tremble.

Logically, He Meimei should be considered part of the higher-income group, earning around 40 yuan a month. Yet, she couldn’t afford even a piece of pork. Her husband did receive some subsidies for eggs and meat, but the training for soldiers was so tough and exhausting that without any nutrition, how could they possibly protect the country?

He Meimei had almost forgotten the taste of pork. She fumbled through her wallet, pulled out a large ten-yuan note, and handed it to Su Ye.

Su Ye declined, pushing the money back. “It’s just a snack, don’t worry, take it back and enjoy. You’ve given me wild vegetables without asking for any money in return.”

“This… how can I accept it? Wild vegetables are worth almost nothing! Take it, this is meat for Xiangqian. You’re already being generous by sharing it with me!”

After a bit of back and forth, He Meimei, holding the money in her left hand and the package of pork jerky in her right, returned home.

She placed the jerky on the table and eagerly called her family to try it.

Everyone in He Meimei’s family was shocked. “Where did this pork come from?”

Although there was pork in the military canteen, everyone was lacking oil and fat, and no one was willing to trade their meat rations. The jerky in He Meimei’s hands must weigh at least a few liang, which was quite a generous portion. Who would be so generous these days?

He Meimei said, “Don’t ask, eat while it’s hot.”

They each took a piece of the pork jerky, and before even putting it in their mouths, saliva started to overflow. The jerky was slightly tough. The first taste was sweet, and then the rich, savory soy sauce flavor spread through their mouths. The jerky was so fragrant that the more they chewed, the more delicious it became. Even when the jerky became soft in their mouths, no one wanted to swallow it too soon.

They had to savor every bit of the flavor, sucking in every last drop before finally swallowing, deeply imprinting its taste in their memory.

“It’s delicious! Really delicious!” He Meimei’s mother-in-law exclaimed in praise.

“This kind of high-end food, you can only find in a restaurant.”

“If only pork were still sold on the black market, we’d be willing to pay 20 yuan a pound! I heard that Li Maogang’s wife bought a pound of pork belly the other day, she was so lucky!”

He Meimei thought to herself, what’s so lucky about buying a pound of pork belly? Su Ye, who quietly ate the meat, was probably favored by the heavens.

Forget about 20 yuan a pound of pork, even if it were 30 yuan a pound, He Meimei would buy it to satisfy her cravings. The problem was, there was no pork to be had.

He Meimei knew that this jerky was meant for Gu Xiangqian on the frontlines, yet for some reason, she felt an unusual sense of envy towards him.