Chapter 109

“It’s nothing, just one New Year’s Eve, Deputy Battalion Commander Lu was alone in his dorm, and I sent him a bowl of dumplings.”

Battalion Commander Peng explained lightly.

“I remember now, there was such a thing. You said it was for a young comrade who didn’t go home for the New Year. I didn’t expect it was Deputy Battalion Commander Lu. His family is in the military region, right? Why didn’t he go home for the New Year?”

Wang Shuhua also remembered. The dumplings were saved from her husband’s mouth. She didn’t expect that the young comrade was actually Deputy Battalion Commander Lu.

“There are reasons for not going home. I don’t know other people’s private affairs. I went to deliver the dumplings.”

Battalion Commander Peng lightly rebuked. He disliked talking about other people’s private affairs, especially those of his comrades. He never talked about it at home.

Wang Shuhua pursed her lips. She knew without him saying it. Deputy Battalion Commander Lu had a stepmother, and his mother had a stepfather. Neither side was his real home, so he probably didn’t want to go home for the New Year.

Thinking about it, Deputy Battalion Commander Lu was quite unfortunate. Sigh!

She covered the dumplings with a gauze cloth and asked Battalion Commander Peng to take them upstairs.

Upstairs, Lu Ye and Ruan Qiqi were also having dinner, a very, very sumptuous one.

A big pot of braised pork, a large plate of steamed sausages, and a plate of stir-fried chives. The focus was on quantity and satisfaction.

They had just sat down to eat when they also mentioned the dumplings.

“That year, I had just been transferred to Tanzhou. I was only 19 years old. Battalion Commander Peng had just become a battalion commander. I was a platoon leader under him. He was a good person. He took good care of the new recruits and was also very considerate to me, a newcomer. That year, I didn’t go home for the New Year. After standing guard, I went back to the dorm. Battalion Commander Zhao saw me and brought me a bowl of dumplings. His family was very poor. The dumplings were definitely saved from his mouth.”

Although Lu Ye was crazy, he knew what he should know. Battalion Commander Peng’s family had always been poor. They could only eat dumplings during the New Year, but everyone had a fixed amount, so there couldn’t be any extra dumplings.

“Both of them are good people.”

Ruan Qiqi had a good impression of Battalion Commander Peng and his wife. Although they were cautious, they weren’t fickle and had good hearts.

“They are good people. I didn’t expect that Battalion Commander Peng has been a battalion commander for six years. If he can’t be promoted, he’ll probably be transferred.”

Lu Ye felt a little regretful. He ate a bowl of dumplings from Battalion Commander Peng. It wasn’t just ordinary dumplings. It held a special place in his heart. But all these years, he had forgotten to repay the kindness of that bowl of dumplings. He felt a bit ungrateful.

“Aren’t you going to be promoted to deputy regiment commander next month? There will be a deputy battalion commander vacancy. Can Battalion Commander Peng fill that position?”

Ruan Qiqi didn’t understand much about the personnel changes in the army, but if Battalion Commander Peng had the ability and qualifications, he would be eligible to be a deputy battalion commander. If not, they could go to Lu Desheng and make a fuss.

Her husband ate a bowl of dumplings from Battalion Commander Peng’s family. They had to repay this kindness.

Otherwise, Lu Ye wouldn’t feel good, and neither would she.

“I’ll take care of it. I guess Battalion Commander Zhou also wants to be promoted.”

Lu Ye suddenly grinned mischievously. Battalion Commander Zhou wanted to be a deputy battalion commander, but he wouldn’t let him have his way.

“Shang Lehua’s husband? Don’t let him be promoted. Let Battalion Commander Peng be promoted. I’ll take care of this. If you can’t handle it, you’ll be sleeping on the floor!”

Ruan Qiqi used her ultimate weapon.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely handle it.”

Lu Ye quickly assured her. He didn’t want to sleep on the floor. It was more comfortable to sleep with Qiqi in his arms.

“Good boy, eat your meat!”

Ruan Qiqi scooped a big spoonful of braised pork and put it in his bowl.

The couple were enjoying their meal when the door knocked. It was Battalion Commander Peng.

“The door is open, come in!”

Neither of them got up. Seeing the big bowl in Battalion Commander Peng’s hand, although it was covered with gauze, they could tell it was something delicious. They both stood up abruptly and stared at the bowl.

“My wife made some dumplings. I brought you a bowl.”

Battalion Commander Peng placed the dumplings on the table and was about to leave.

“Thank your wife for us.”

Ruan Qiqi politely said. Lu Ye saw him off to the door and then came back to eat the dumplings.

“The dumplings made by Battalion Commander Peng’s wife are delicious. I’ve eaten them before. They’re really fragrant.”

Lu Ye picked up a dumpling and stuffed it into his mouth. After chewing a few times, it was indeed the taste he remembered.

A taste he would never forget!

Because that bowl of dumplings on New Year’s Eve when he was nineteen was the first time he had ever eaten dumplings in his life. Cabbage and pork filling. He would always remember it.

The Lu family and the Mo family also made dumplings, but he never got to eat them.

In Hunan, making dumplings was a very grand occasion. They rarely made dumplings on ordinary days. Lin Manyun and Yuan Huilan probably only made them once or twice a year. But every time they ate dumplings, he was either punished by Lin Manyun or Yuan Huilan. He never got to eat any.

Until he was seventeen and joined the army, he still hadn’t eaten dumplings.

The cafeteria in the Northwest Military Region had dumplings, but he deliberately avoided them. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to eat them, but he was being stubborn with himself. It was as if eating dumplings meant he was submitting to Lin Manyun and Yuan Huilan.

Until he was nineteen, he realized how foolish he had been. Why punish himself by not eating dumplings because of people who didn’t treat him well?

But he still didn’t get to eat dumplings. He was suddenly transferred to the Tanzhou Military Region and didn’t even have time to go to the cafeteria to eat dumplings. He was transferred in a hurry.

He trained and carried out missions while making the Mo family and the Lu family a mess. He still didn’t get to eat dumplings until New Year’s Eve when Battalion Commander Peng brought him that bowl of dumplings. It was the most delicious bowl of dumplings he had ever had in his life, but it was just a little bit.

He could eat at least ten bowls!

Lu Ye ate three dumplings in a row, chewing a few times before swallowing. He urged Ruan Qiqi to eat too. “It’s the same taste. That year, it was also cabbage and pork filling, but there wasn’t as much meat as today.”

Ruan Qiqi poured some vinegar and chili sauce. She dipped the dumplings and ate them. They were indeed okay, but not as exaggerated as Lu Ye said. They were just ordinary dumplings.

Moreover, she thought that she could make dumplings that tasted better.

It was just that there were no ready-made dumpling wrappers to buy, and she was too lazy to knead the dough and roll out the wrappers. She would rather not eat dumplings.

“Delicious, eat more.”

Ruan Qiqi ate a few and then gave the whole bowl of dumplings to Lu Ye.

Since Lu Ye loved dumplings so much, she would buy white flour and meat and ask Wang Shuhua to help her. She would pay her.

“Qiqi, you eat too.”

Lu Ye fed her a dumpling. He ate the rest. One bowl of dumplings wasn’t enough for him to fill his stomach.

“You’ll be able to eat dumplings made by your mother soon. Two hundred at a time. That’s enough for you to eat your fill!”

Ruan Qiqi comforted him. She would go to Mo Qiu’s house tomorrow to ask for dumplings.

“I want cabbage and pork filling.”

Lu Ye licked his lips. He liked cabbage and pork filling dumplings.

“Okay.”

Ruan Qiqi agreed. She scooped another spoonful of braised pork for him. She felt very sorry for Lu Ye.

He hadn’t eaten anything good since he was a child. He treated ordinary dumplings as a delicacy and remembered them for so many years. It was all Yuan Huilan and Lu Desheng’s fault.

She would have to continue to make a fuss. She wouldn’t let those two irresponsible people have a good life!