Chapter 43: Even the Cleverest Housewife Cannot Cook Without Rice  

Nestled in Jiang Rou’s warm embrace, Zhou Xiaohua listened to her soft words of comfort. Eventually, her tears slowed to a stop.  

However, she had cried too hard and couldn’t stop hiccupping.  

Jiang Rou held the small, curled-up Zhou Xiaohua in her arms as she stood up, gently patting her back. She glanced around the room.

The house looked as if it had been cleaned.  

The large bowls and basins that had been placed around to collect rainwater the night before had all been put away.  

There was no lingering smell of vomit in the bedroom, and the floor was just as clean and tidy.  

Even the blankets were neatly folded.  

It had to be Zhao Guifen who had helped tidy up.  

Jiang Rou made a mental note of this kindness.  

She turned to look at Da Huzi and Er Huzi, who were still standing there in a daze. Opening the cabinet, she grabbed a handful of White Rabbit Creamy Candy.  

There really wasn’t much in this household, but fortunately, she still had some White Rabbit candies left from her recent purchase in the System Space.  

Without hesitation, Jiang Rou stuffed all of them into Da Huzi and Er Huzi’s hands.  

“You two are called Da Huzi and Er Huzi, right?”  

Da Huzi and Er Huzi froze, staring blankly at Jiang Rou.  

They had originally thought Zhou Xiaohua was already very pretty, but this auntie in front of them… was even more beautiful.  

She was so fair!  

And her smile was so gentle!  

Jiang Rou had the typical features of a southern woman—slender and graceful, exuding a natural softness from the inside out. Even her voice was light and soothing.  

She was completely different from Zhao Guifen, whose straightforward and bold personality reflected the strong and hearty nature of northern women.  

That contrast left Da Huzi and Er Huzi utterly mesmerized.  

“Uh-huh…”  

Da Huzi finally responded, still in a daze.  

Jiang Rou gave a gentle smile and softly instructed,  

“Take these candies with you and eat them slowly at home. Thank you for staying with Xiaohua and helping me take care of her. Xiaohua is still young and timid, she doesn’t mean to avoid playing with you. When we have time, I’ll bring Xiaohua to your house so you can all play together, alright?”  

Being an adult, Jiang Rou could easily see through the thoughts of the two young boys.  

The moment she said that, Da Huzi and Er Huzi immediately broke into wide smiles.  

Er Huzi, bold and fearless like a young calf unafraid of tigers, eagerly declared: “It’s a deal! You have to bring Xiaohua over!”

“Alright, it’s a deal.”

Jiang Rou solemnly nodded, making a promise.

Da Huzi and Er Huzi, holding their candies, happily went back home.

As soon as they left, Zhou Xiaohua had almost finished crying.

Jiang Rou poured some hot water, soaked a towel, and gently wiped Zhou Xiaohua’s tear-streaked little face.

“My dear Xiaohua, how did you turn into a little dirty kitten again? You don’t look as pretty anymore…”

“Is Xiaohua worried about her brother? It’s alright now. After seeing the doctor, he has already gotten better…”

“Dad went to pick up your brother. He will be home by tomorrow, so Xiaohua must stop crying and stop being scared…”

Feeling the warmth on her face and hearing Jiang Rou’s soft and gentle words, Zhou Xiaohua gradually relaxed her small body.

However, the moment Zhou Xiaochuan was mentioned, she still tensed up and clenched her fingers tightly.

“It’s alright. Your brother is just sick. He will be fine after seeing the doctor.”

Jiang Rou repeated herself, trying her best to make Zhou Xiaohua understand.

After washing her face and wiping her hands, Zhou Xiaohua’s eyes were still red and swollen, but she remained an adorable little girl.

She was just afraid that Jiang Rou would disappear again.

No matter where Jiang Rou went, Zhou Xiaohua followed closely behind like a little tail.

From time to time, her small hands would reach out to grab Jiang Rou’s clothes.

Jiang Rou knew that the little girl lacked a sense of security, so she let her follow along and even deliberately slowed down her pace so that Zhou Xiaohua, with her short little legs, could keep up.

In the kitchen, there were still plenty of supplies from Jiang Rou’s big shopping trip at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative on the dock—enough to feed their family of four for ten days to half a month.

There were even two more pounds of pork belly hanging from the kitchen roof.

They had no shortage of food.

However, Jiang Rou was a little worried.

When she bought these supplies, she hadn’t expected Zhou Xiaochuan to suddenly fall ill.

The food was sufficient, but it was all ordinary ingredients—not particularly nutritious for a sick person.

Zhou Xiaochuan had suffered from food poisoning, along with acute gastroenteritis. He needed to eat foods that were gentle on the stomach to recover properly.

After all, such a young child developing a stomach illness now would mean a lifetime of suffering in the future.  

The best food for nourishing the stomach was millet porridge.  

However, Jiang Rou currently had no millet.  

The last bit of balance in her system space had already been spent on children’s fever patches. The balance in her Tao Duoduo Mall account: 0.24 yuan.  

With so little money, she couldn’t even afford half a jin of millet.  

Jiang Rou contemplated her predicament carefully, thinking about where she could get some millet.  

Millet was a highly sought-after commodity in this era. Most households simply couldn’t afford it.  

On this isolated island, where transportation was inconvenient and supplies were scarce, it was even more difficult to find.  

People like Zhao Guifen and Lin Yulan—  

Those military wives usually prioritized affordability and practicality when buying goods. They wouldn’t indulge in luxuries like millet.  

Borrowing from them was out of the question.  

Jiang Rou furrowed her brows, deep in thought, struggling with the dilemma.  

Then, suddenly, an idea struck her.  

She thought of someone.  

—Song Qingqian.  

The anomaly among the military wives. A true capitalist’s daughter.  

In the original novel, the author had gone to great lengths to highlight how out of place Song Qingqian was—how she refused to endure hardship and wouldn’t integrate into her surroundings. After marrying He Donglai, she was depicted as extravagant and wasteful.  

It was said that she loved eating delicate and expensive foods. She liked millet, fine white rice, and red dates. She even wanted to drink coffee.  

Back when Jiang Rou read the novel, she had found it odd. He Donglai had never once criticized Song Qingqian for spending money, so why did the author make it seem like simply wanting to eat better food was an unforgivable sin?  

Jiang Rou recalled their brief encounter at the dock yesterday.  

She lifted her gaze toward the pork belly hanging from the ceiling, and an idea took shape in her mind.  

…  

Five minutes later.

Jiang Rou walked ahead, with little Zhou Xiaohua trailing closely behind her.  

The mother and daughter arrived at the house of Song Qingqian and He Donglai.  

The houses in the military family compound were all the same—small bungalows with large courtyards and separate water rooms.  

Standing outside the courtyard, Jiang Rou glanced inside a few times.  

There was nothing planted in Song Qingqian’s courtyard—no vegetables, no flowers.  

However, the courtyard was meticulously cleaned, with the ground leveled neatly.  

After the fierce storm last night, the courtyards of other houses were scattered with fallen leaves, broken branches, and overturned items.  

Yet, in Song Qingqian’s courtyard, not a single piece of debris was in sight.  

It was evident that someone had cleaned up.  

Could it have been He Donglai?  

The military men were still at the camp. The storm had likely caused even greater damage there, requiring extensive repairs.  

None of the men in the compound had returned.  

So, it couldn’t have been He Donglai.  

That meant the only possible person was… Song Qingqian?!  

Could a high-born young lady like her really take up a broom and sweep away leaves and branches?