Chapter 24: His wife will only be Jiang Rou

The egg custard had been served, and the fragrance continued to waft through the air.

However, the three people at the table were staring at each other, eyeing one another.

None of them were eating.

Zhou Xiaohua’s eyes had long been fixed on the steamed egg with toon, her mouth watering in anticipation.

But her little hand was tightly held by Zhou Xiaochuan, who was sitting beside her.

Zhou Xiaochuan didn’t let Zhou Xiaohua eat, and he himself didn’t eat either.

The young boy looked stubborn.

It was as if he believed that the steamed egg with toon had been poisoned by Jiang Rou.

The two children were completely at a standoff with Jiang Rou.

Jiang Rou didn’t say anything either.

Her bright eyes flicked, and she looked towards Zhou Chongshan.

If the children weren’t eating, surely Zhou Chongshan wouldn’t refuse either?

When Jiang Rou’s gaze shifted, Zhou Chongshan immediately saw the expectation in her eyes.

They were watery and direct.

She leaned in, looking only at him.

Zhou Chongshan’s throat bobbed, and he understood. He picked up the spoon and took a bite of the steamed egg with toon.

Before eating, he hadn’t been entirely convinced by Jiang Rou’s cooking skills.

Even though Jiang Rou had appeared calm and skilled when she was cooking earlier.

However, she possessed a kind of delicate, noble young lady aura, as if her hands had never touched water, giving no impression that she could cook at all.

Moreover, Zhou Chongshan himself wasn’t familiar with toon, the wild vegetable.

That only added to his uncertainty.

But in his heart, Zhou Chongshan quietly made up his mind. Even if the egg custard didn’t taste good, he would say it was delicious!

After all, this was Jiang Rou’s first time cooking, and she had even gotten her face covered in soot. He definitely had to praise and compliment her; he couldn’t pour cold water on her effort.

With this mindset, Zhou Chongshan took a bite of the steamed egg with toon.

However ——

The taste that spread through his mouth exceeded his expectations.

The egg custard in his mouth was soft and chewy.

It was like tofu, but even smoother and more delicate than tofu.

With just a slight nibble, it melted like cream.

The wild vegetable toon had a unique fragrance, not the usual vegetable flavor, but a fresh, vibrant taste.

Yes, fresh!

That indescribable freshness that made the taste buds feel immersed in pleasure.

The tenderness of the egg custard and the freshness of the toon perfectly blended together.

When he swallowed it, his whole mouth felt soft.

There was even a lingering oily sensation on the back of his tongue, with a fragrance that lingered in his cheeks and teeth, leaving a long-lasting aftertaste.

This was because Jiang Rou had intentionally added pork lard, which Zhou Chongshan couldn’t see with the naked eye.

But when he ate it, his eyes immediately brightened.

He immediately exclaimed: “Delicious!”

His deep, resonant voice was like a drumbeat, striking heavy and full, stirring the heart.

A confident, faint smile appeared on Jiang Rou’s face.

Her cooking skills? Conquering a few people from the 1970s who hadn’t tasted much good food was no challenge at all.

At the same time.

Zhou Xiaohua couldn’t hold back anymore, her saliva was nearly dripping from the corner of her mouth.

The little girl, excited, jerked her hand free from Zhou Xiaochuan’s grip, grabbed a small spoon, and eagerly scooped the steamed egg with toon from her lunchbox, stuffing it into her mouth.

She took a big, big bite.

In an instant, a happy smile appeared on Zhou Xiaohua’s fair little face.

It was delicious!

The egg custard was so tasty!

Although Zhou Xiaohua’s mouth could not speak, her eyes were capable of communicating.

They were sparkling with excitement.

After finishing the bite, she continued to smack her lips, licking the egg custard that remained at the corners of her mouth, clearly not yet satisfied.

Zhou Xiaohua was not only happy herself, but also excitedly waved her little hands, forming tiny fists and shaking them left and right.

She was impatient and urged Zhou Xiaochuan to eat quickly as well.

“Brother, you should eat too! If you don’t eat now, the egg custard will be gone!”

Under Zhou Xiaohua’s silent urging, and with Zhou Chongshan’s gaze upon him, Zhou Xiaochuan reluctantly picked up a spoon.

He frowned as he took a bite.

He swallowed it in a hurry, as if he were dissatisfied.

However, despite that, the smoothness of the egg custard, and the faint taste of pork fat within, lingered on his lips and teeth.

For a brief moment, Zhou Xiaochuan’s expression slipped, and his eyes brightened.

He couldn’t help but focus on the egg custard in the center.

He wanted to take a second bite, a third.

It was so delicious!

Zhou Xiaochuan never expected Jiang Rou’s cooking to be this good.

He never thought that Jiang Rou had actually put three eggs in it.

Because for such a large bowl of egg custard, if only one egg were used, it wouldn’t have been able to set completely while steaming.

The custard would have remained soupy, and the texture would have been completely different.

Could it be…

She hadn’t kept any to herself?

Had she not saved the eggs for herself, secretly eating them alone?

As Zhou Xiaochuan lowered his head to gnaw on the steamed bun, he subtly glanced up to peek at Jiang Rou.

But all he could see on Jiang Rou’s face was a gentle smile.

Hmph!

He wondered how long she could keep up the act. If it were fake, there would always be a day when her true intentions were exposed.

——

This dinner, thanks to the fragrant egg custard, made even the dry steamed cornmeal buns taste delicious.

After finishing all the egg custard, Zhou Xiaohua continued to hold the big bowl, licking up the little remnants left at the bottom. She buried her whole face in the bowl.

The sight was so comical that it made Jiang Rou laugh out loud.

She had no choice but to take the little girl and wash her face again.

After finishing the meal, the sky had darkened.

The only light in the room came from a small light bulb with low wattage.

Jiang Rou took out a piece of paper and a pen, leaning under the dim light to write something.

Zhou Chongshan cleaned up the bowls and packed the food containers to take back with him. When he came back, he saw this scene.

He thought Jiang Rou was writing a letter to send home.

But as he got closer, he realized that Jiang Rou wasn’t writing a letter, but instead recording something line by line.

“What are you writing?” Zhou Chongshan asked.

Jiang Rou didn’t look up, continuing to write at her desk. As she wrote, she explained.

“This afternoon, the neighbor’s sisters-in-law brought a lot of things—food, supplies, all sorts of things. Although these items aren’t worth much, everyone’s lives are not easy, and the saying ‘a small gift carries great affection’ is something I understand.”

“I want to write down everything the sisters-in-law gave me. Then, after we get married, we can return the favor using this list.”

“Neighbors should always have a give-and-take relationship. Don’t you think so?”

When she spoke the last few words, Jiang Rou raised her face and looked at Zhou Chongshan.

In her clear, bright eyes, the faint light from the lamp was reflected.

The delicate features of her face were enveloped in a soft glow.

The whole person exuded a tenderness that was different from the one she had in the daytime.

Zhou Chongshan had been single for thirty years, but as a man, he had often thought about what his wife would be like after marriage.

But most of those thoughts were vague.

He couldn’t even describe them himself.

But at this moment, everything he had imagined had become reality.

His wife should be just like the one in front of him.

His wife should be Jiang Rou!

Their marriage certificate hadn’t arrived yet, but Jiang Rou was already busy doing everything she was supposed to do as a wife…

Bathing the little flower, cleaning the house, cooking by hand.

She even meticulously recorded all the interactions with the neighbors, planning to repay them after getting married.

Isn’t this what a daughter-in-law should do?

Zhou Zhongshan watched Jiang Rou in this state, feeling a restless heat surge in his chest towards his throat.

The usually composed man’s breathing became slightly erratic.

For a moment, he couldn’t find words, only managing a low response.

“Hmm.”

Jiang Rou smiled, then lowered her head to continue writing.

Her handwriting was as beautiful as she was.

Elegant and neat.

Line by line, quite pleasing to the eye.

Zhou Zhongshan stood beside her, silently gazing at her.

After a while.

“Report!”

A loud report echoed in the courtyard, interrupting the couple’s private moment.

Zhou Zhongshan raised his head and walked quickly towards the courtyard.

The newcomer was Song Yan.

“Regiment Commander Zhou!”

Song Yan stood in the courtyard holding a hoe.

“Let’s get to work since you’re here.”

“Yes, Regiment Commander Zhou.”

Zhou Zhongshan also walked into the courtyard, rolled up his sleeves, and picked up the hoe.

The two men, each on one side, under the dim night sky illuminated by the bright moonlight, started turning the soil in the courtyard.

Hearing the commotion, Jiang Rou walked out and saw the two men working fervently.

Earlier, when Jiang Rou was working the land, she had exerted a great deal of effort and only managed to clear a small section. After ten minutes of work, she had to take a break. If she didn’t, her back and arms would not be able to handle it. 

However, Zhou Chongshan and Song Yan were both rough men, trained in the military. Their bodies were full of firm muscles, which Jiang Rou had seen with her own eyes. A thirty-kilometer field training exercise was nothing to them. A mere courtyard, in comparison, was an easy task.