Chapter 30: The Rough Man Comes to Fetch His Wife

Even now, when Jiang Rou thought about it, she still felt that this plot twist was ruthless!

Because of this, she couldn’t help but glance at Song Qingqian a few more times.

She realized that Song Qingqian was indeed just as described in the original story—noble and beautiful.

Especially those distinctive phoenix eyes of hers.

At a single glance, they seemed to hold a captivating charm.

Even as a woman, Jiang Rou found her mesmerizing. It was no wonder that He Donglai, that rough brute, had fallen in love at first sight.

While Jiang Rou was lost in thought, excited voices suddenly sounded beside her.

“I got it! I got it! My Lao Zhao loves fatty meat the most, so I picked the piece with the most fat—it’s two whole jin!”

“I got ribs too! I can braise them with potatoes. It’ll be delicious!”

Zhao Guifen and Lin Yulan had both bought pork—one had fatty meat, and the other had large bones.

Their hands were full of large and small bags, and their faces were filled with joy.

With so many things bought, there was a small problem.

Zhao Guifen and Lin Yulan were already carrying bags in both hands and had no way to help Jiang Rou with her load.

Not only had Jiang Rou bought rice, flour, oil, and pork, but she had also purchased a thermos and glass cups.

Those were fragile items and needed to be handled with care.

“Sister Rou, you can’t carry all of this by yourself. I’ll call someone for help. There are some soldiers standing guard at the dock—I’ll ask them to lend a hand.”

Lin Yulan came up with a compromise.

Jiang Rou smiled and shook her head.

“Yulan, it’s okay. I can manage on my own. You don’t have to worry about me.”

As she spoke, she bent down, preparing to pick up the pile of items on the ground.

At that moment—

A pair of strong, tanned arms reached out from the side and grabbed the heavy bags before she could.

Before Jiang Rou could straighten up, she already heard the murmuring voices around her.

“Regiment Commander Zhou, what brings you here?”

“Regiment Commander Zhou, you arrived at the perfect time. Are you here to pick up your wife?”

Faced with the teasing remarks from those around him, Zhou Chongshan simply nodded and responded with a calm “Mm, I’m here to pick up my wife.”

The word “wife” rolled off his tongue naturally, without the slightest hesitation.

Yet, hearing it made Jiang Rou’s face feel unexpectedly warm.

She lifted her head to look at Zhou Chongshan, and her eyes lit up.

Because at this moment, Zhou Chongshan was wearing a crisp, neatly pressed military uniform.

Over the past few days, he had always been dressed in military attire.

But it had either been training gear or old uniforms, worn casually without much attention to detail.

Today was different.

His uniform was immaculate, every button fastened properly, exuding discipline and restraint.

The powerful allure of a uniform, combined with the air of controlled intensity, was fully displayed on this man.

Jiang Rou narrowed her eyes slightly.

Her heart pounded wildly.

So… handsome!

Jiang Rou stared at Zhou Chongshan’s sharp, masculine features and his tall, commanding posture, completely unable to look away.  

Meanwhile, the onlookers who had been watching the scene quickly withdrew, keeping their heads down and only daring to steal a few glances from the corners of their eyes.  

One reason for this was Zhou Chongshan’s military uniform.  

People generally held a sense of reverence toward soldiers, unwilling to approach them casually.  

And Zhou Chongshan, standing at over 1.9 meters tall with his long legs and towering frame, was like a moving mountain—intimidating without even trying.  

The other reason was… the scar on his forehead.  

In Jiang Rou’s eyes, that scar was a badge of honor, adding to his rugged masculinity.  

But to others, it was a different story.  

With that scar across his forehead, an unsmiling face, and a sharp, piercing gaze—  

He looked downright fierce.  

Intimidating, even.  

And now, this very “fierce” and “intimidating” rough man effortlessly picked up all the heavy items Jiang Rou had bought.  

Then, in a low voice, he asked her,  

“Is this everything? Anything else?”  

He didn’t think she had bought too much. He didn’t complain about her spending money. He simply fulfilled his role as a “porter” with quiet dedication.  

Jiang Rou withdrew her bright, admiring gaze.  

With a sweet smile, she replied: “That’s all. Nothing else. Let’s go home.”  

Go home.  

Those two words sent a wave of warmth through Zhou Chongshan’s heart.  

On the way back to the military family compound, Jiang Rou chatted with Zhao Guifen and Lin Yulan.  

Only then did she learn that the military headquarters had held a meeting today, which was why Zhou Chongshan was dressed so impeccably.  

The two women also teased her, saying that even though Zhou Chongshan wasn’t married yet, he already knew how to dote on his wife.  

Among all the soldiers, he was the only one who had come to carry his wife’s things.  

One remark after another—relentlessly teasing the young couple.  

Jiang Rou had a good temper and an easygoing nature. Her face was flushed red, but she laughed the whole way.  

When they finally parted ways at their respective doorsteps, Jiang Rou warmly said,  

“Sister Guifen, Sister Yulan, last time when you came over to drop things off, I didn’t even have proper teacups at home and couldn’t host you properly. Now that I’ve bought a thermos and glass cups, next time you visit, I’ll make tea for you.”

“Alright, alright, Sister Rou is so warm-hearted. Next time, we will definitely come over to drink your bride’s tea.”

After exchanging a few more words, everyone returned to their homes.

Zhou Chongshan, after hearing Jiang Rou’s words, finally understood why she had bought a thermos and glass cups.

Their home was truly becoming more and more like a real household.

…

Zhou Chongshan escorted Jiang Rou back to the courtyard, but he still had to return to the military camp.

Jiang Rou reminded him: “Chongshan, I have already bought rice, flour, grain, and oil. I also learned how to start a fire and use the bellows. I can cook at home now. You don’t have to go to the canteen for meals anymore. If you go too often, people will start talking. Come home early in the evening—I’ll wait for you to eat together.”

“Alright.”

Zhou Chongshan looked at Jiang Rou’s bright and charming face while listening to her gentle words. A wave of heat surged in his chest.

However, the moment he stepped outside…

Under the scorching sun, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept through.

Zhou Chongshan lifted his head and glanced at the sky.

In the vast blue sky, the white clouds were visibly shifting at an accelerated pace.

The wind had picked up.

The weather was about to change.

This was also why the military had held a meeting today.

A typhoon was approaching this island.

…

In the kitchen…

With scallions, ginger, and garlic, along with rice, flour, and oil, and even fresh, tender pork, Jiang Rou could finally put her skills to good use!

First, she started cooking the rice.

Then, she prepared two dishes and one soup.

The first dish was stir-fried baby bok choy—just a little cooking oil, a splash of soy sauce, and a pinch of salt. A simple stir-fry was enough to make it delicious.

Besides, the bok choy had been personally grown by Zhao Guifen.

No chemical fertilizers, no pesticides—completely organic.

Crisp, fresh, and glistening with moisture, it looked appetizing just by sight.

As for the soup, she made a simple wakame seaweed soup.

Wakame was a type of marine algae, somewhat similar to kelp, but thinner and softer than kelp.

As the seawater moved, wakame would often be washed ashore.

When going out to collect seafood, one could easily pick up plenty of wakame along the shoreline.

After bringing it back, it needed to be washed and then dried under the sun.

Once dried, wakame became very convenient to store. (Illustration here)

Eating it was also simple.

One just had to grab a handful of dried wakame and soak it in water.

Once it had fully absorbed the moisture, it would return to its original light green, seaweed-like appearance.

Compared to kelp, wakame had a softer and crispier texture. (Illustration here)

Moreover, wakame contained an exceptionally high amount of calcium.

Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua were both at an age where their bodies were still growing. Eating more calcium-rich foods would certainly be beneficial for them.

Jiang Rou was making wakame egg soup.

She heated a wok and added oil.

First, she fried the eggs.

This time, since no one was around, she poured in a generous amount of oil without hesitation.

To fry eggs until they were both fragrant and delicious, a good amount of oil was necessary.

The oil also had to be hot enough.

Only then would the egg whites, upon hitting the oil, form a crispy golden edge, giving the dish an amazing texture.

Meanwhile, the center of the egg, where the yolk was, would remain soft and tender.

People in this era were usually reluctant to use too much oil when cooking.

But Jiang Rou had no such concerns—she could buy as much cooking oil as she wanted from the “Tao Duoduo Mall.”

Jiang Rou picked up an egg and gently cracked it against the edge of the wok.

The egg slipped into the hot oil, instantly making a sizzling sound.

In no time, a mouthwatering aroma filled the air.

Once the bottom side of the egg had set, Jiang Rou carefully flipped it over.

Both sides of the eggs were golden and crispy. They could slide freely in the wok without sticking at all.

These seemingly simple techniques were the result of Jiang Rou’s countless hours of practice in her past life, repeated hundreds and thousands of times until they became second nature.