Chapter 77: An Honorable Task  

Since Yang Hongping had personally made the request, Jiang Rou naturally agreed.  

For a military wife to be invited to the military unit’s Kitchen Team—especially to teach the soldiers how to cook—was an extraordinary honor.  

If word got out, it would be something to take pride in.  

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guifen’s eyes had already lit up with excitement, unable to contain her joy.  

She was thrilled on Jiang Rou’s behalf!  

Being recognized for her culinary skills made Jiang Rou happy as well.  

However…  

She felt that this situation was drawing too much attention.  

If word spread back to the residential compound, with so many people and so much gossip, who knew if someone with ill intentions might take issue with it?  

As the saying went—  

The tallest tree catches the wind.

Jiang Rou was just a newcomer to the residential compound—standing out too much wouldn’t be a good thing.  

With that thought, she quickly came up with an idea and shifted the attention onto Zhao Guifen.  

“Sister Hong, there’s no such thing as trouble or not. Being able to contribute to the soldiers makes me happy. Sister Guifen knows how to make qingtuan as well, so let the two of us go together.”  

“Me? I don’t know how… Why am I suddenly involved in this…?”  

Zhao Guifen looked utterly confused, unable to process how she had been dragged into the situation.  

“Sister Guifen, you watched me make qingtuan this morning, didn’t you? You must have learned it by now. If I make a mistake, you can help remind me.”  

Jiang Rou subtly praised Zhao Guifen in her words.  

Zhao Guifen was momentarily dazed by the flattery, but at the same time, a hint of joy crept onto her face. It almost felt like…  

“Sister Rou, the way you put it, I do sound quite important. In that case, I’ll go too?”  

Yang Hongping listened to their exchange and then glanced at Jiang Rou, who remained calm and composed. Understanding flickered in her eyes.  

Not trying to steal the spotlight, looking out for her comrades, and having a strong sense of collective honor—  

This was a good comrade.  

Yang Hongping made her decision. “Then the two of you will go together.”  

“Alright, Sister Hong. We’ll make sure to complete the task.”  

“A task? This is a task now? This is the first time I’ve ever received an assignment from the organization—it almost feels like we’re about to fight the enemy or something. I’m getting nervous!”

Zhao Guifen kept touching her hair and tugging at her clothes. Normally, she was a straightforward and generous person, but at this moment, she appeared nervous and uneasy.  

Zhao Guosheng complained about his wife.  

“Enough, stop fussing. No matter how much you fix yourself up, it won’t make a difference.”  

“Zhao Guosheng, you can sleep on the floor tonight!”  

Amid the bickering—  

Zhou Chongshan spoke softly to Jiang Rou: “Wife, I have something to take care of, so I can’t go with you. I’ll have Song Yan accompany you. If anything comes up, just let him know.”  

Song Yan was young, but he was quick-witted and capable.  

Jiang Rou nodded. “Alright.”  

With that, the matter was settled.  

---

At the military camp canteen, the cooking was handled by the Kitchen Team.  

Although they were responsible for preparing meals, their duties extended beyond just cooking. They also had to undergo military training regularly.  

When marching with the military unit, they even had to carry heavy cooking equipment on their backs while keeping up with the pace—making their workload even more exhausting than that of ordinary soldiers.  

So when Jiang Rou arrived, the first thing she saw was seven burly men from the northeast, all of them muscular and broad-shouldered.  

These men could slice potatoes into thin shreds at an impressive speed.  

However, when it came to southern cuisine, they knew absolutely nothing.  

No wonder Yang Hongping was so concerned and had arranged for Jiang Rou to come and teach them.  

After Jiang Rou and Zhao Guifen arrived at the Kitchen Team, Jiang Rou first used a pencil to sketch out detailed illustrations of Chinese mugwort and Gnaphalium affine, carefully explaining every detail to ensure they wouldn’t mistake them for other wild herbs.

As for wild bamboo shoots, they were easy to distinguish and would never be mistaken.  

The Kitchen Team’s squad leader had the surname Tao. He was the oldest among them and was called Old Tao.  

Old Tao immediately assigned three young soldiers to head up the mountain and return to the military camp by three o’clock. In the meantime, they were to gather as many wild vegetables as they could.  

The reason for this urgency was clear—  

Old Tao understood Yang Hongping’s intention. She wanted the soldiers to have something special to eat on Qingming Festival, both to improve their meals and to provide some comfort for their homesickness.  

Next came the process of making green rice balls (qingtuan).  

Instead of explaining everything herself, Jiang Rou let Zhao Guifen take the lead.  

That morning, Zhao Guifen had observed Jiang Rou making qingtuan and had already learned most of the steps. She could explain things fairly well, with only occasional reminders from Jiang Rou for the finer details.  

Everything proceeded smoothly.  

Both Jiang Rou and Zhao Guifen felt a strong sense of participation and accomplishment.  

In Jiang Rou’s bamboo basket, there were still a few Qingming cakes left. She gave them all to the soldiers of the Kitchen Team.  

The soldiers split a few among themselves to taste, while saving some as samples. Once they finished making their own, they could compare the results.  

After everything was done—  

Old Tao, as the squad leader, stood at attention and gave Jiang Rou and Zhao Guifen a respectful military salute.  

“Sisters-in-law, on behalf of all the soldiers in the Kitchen Team, I thank you for your guidance. Rest assured, we will remember everything and make the best qingtuan possible.”  

It had originally been a simple task—  

But with Old Tao’s salute, the atmosphere instantly shifted, carrying a different weight altogether.

On the way back from the Kitchen Team, Zhao Guifen was still in a daze.  

She held onto Jiang Rou’s hand, her voice filled with disbelief.  

“Sister Rou, pinch me, quick! Pinch me! Is this real? Really? Why does it feel like I’m dreaming?”  

Jiang Rou understood Zhao Guifen’s emotions deep down.  

As a military family member, Zhao Guifen naturally had a special attachment to soldiers and the military camp—she saw it as her second home.  

And since it was home, she naturally wanted to contribute to it.  

However, as a woman, her usual contributions were limited to washing clothes, cooking, and cleaning the house—at most, she could deliver meals to the camp.  

When soldiers saluted her, it was only because she was Zhao Guosheng’s wife.  

But today was different.  

Today, it was her own efforts, her own dedication, that had earned the soldiers’ recognition.  

Zhao Guifen was absolutely overjoyed!  

“Sister Guifen, you’re not dreaming—it’s all real. Back at the Kitchen Team, you weren’t flustered at all. You were calm, organized, and explained everything so well.”  

“Haha… You know, I actually think I did pretty well too! When it really matters, I’m just as capable as the men!”  

“That’s right! We’re just as good as the men. Let’s hurry back—I wonder how the kids are doing at home.”  

“Let’s go, let’s go! Time to check on the kids. Sister Rou, one of these days, I’ll make qingtuan using your method. The ones you made today were absolutely delicious!”  

“Alright…”  

Laughing and chatting, the two of them walked toward the military family courtyard not far away.

As Jiang Rou left, someone was watching her figure, gazing for a long, long while…