Chapter 109: Make Clothes for My Man Too  

Jiang Rou walked through the courtyard and entered the house.  

She took a quick glance around.  

Song Qingqian’s house was similar to theirs—just as bare, just as clean.  

But it lacked the warmth of home.  

Song Qingqian’s house felt like a model home—cold and lifeless, without any trace of daily living.  

Perhaps it was because there were no children around.  

Jiang Rou briefly pondered this thought before immediately calling out,  

“Qingqian, come sit with me! Let’s eat some Sesame Oil Duck.”  

“How about starting with the duck wings? I think the best part of roasted duck is the wings, followed by the legs…”  

“Come and taste it! I made it really well!”  

At that moment, Jiang Rou seemed more like the owner of the house than Song Qingqian.  

Without waiting for a response, she shoved a duck wing into Song Qingqian’s hand.  

Before she could react, the aroma had already drawn her in, and unconsciously, the duck wing found its way into her mouth.  

As soon as it touched her tongue, a rich and sweet flavor spread through her taste buds.  

Delicious!  

Song Qingqian’s alluring phoenix eyes widened in disbelief.  

This taste… It was exactly the same as what she had eaten in Shanghai City before.  

It was a flavor that only a master with decades of experience could achieve.  

It had been so long since she last tasted something this good.  

Without realizing it, she devoured the duck wing in just a few bites, the lingering fragrance still filling her mouth.  

She bit down on the bone, licking her fingers, unwilling to stop.  

Wait!  

Song Qingqian suddenly froze.  

Her radiant face stiffened awkwardly.

She had clearly planned to drive Jiang Rou away—so how did she end up eating the food she brought?  

Damn.  

Song Qingqian had a bad feeling about this.  

She looked up and, sure enough, met Jiang Rou’s bright, twinkling eyes and the mischievous smile playing at the corners of her lips.  

Jiang Rou grinned and spoke slowly: “Since you ate my food, that means you’ve agreed to teach me how to make clothes~”  

Song Qingqian: As expected… She had fallen into the trap.  

She knew she had been tricked, yet because the Sesame Oil Duck was so delicious, she didn’t even feel like she had lost anything. She didn’t actually mind that much.  

Jiang Rou continued,  

“You teach me how to make clothes, and I’ll teach you how to cook. That way, whenever you crave something, you’ll be able to make it yourself.”  

Hearing this, Song Qingqian was even more tempted.  

Rather than always relying on others for good food, wouldn’t it be better to cook for herself?  

It wasn’t that she was unwilling to cook—she simply didn’t know how.  

She had not only tasted Jiang Rou’s green rice cakes before but had also tried making boiled pork using the method Jiang Rou had previously mentioned.  

By just adding the ingredients Jiang Rou suggested into the pot while boiling the pork, the meat lost its gamey smell and became exceptionally delicious.  

Jiang Rou was like a walking Chinese cookbook.  

Song Qingqian simply couldn’t refuse.  

She licked the sauce from her lips, squinted slightly, and nodded.  

“Alright, I can teach you how to make clothes. But—”  

A lady of high status was still a lady of high status.  

Even though she had lowered her noble head, she remained just as proud.  

Jiang Rou listened attentively, waiting for Song Qingqian’s conditions.  

“Making clothes requires talent. I’ll only teach each step once. Whether you learn it or not depends entirely on you. You are not allowed to bother me over and over again.”  

After saying that, Song Qingqian thought for a moment and added,  

“Even if you try to tempt me with delicious food again, I won’t fall for it.”  

Jiang Rou immediately nodded. “Deal! I’ll do as you say, Master.”  

And just like that, the matter of learning how to make clothes was settled.  

Jiang Rou then carefully explained her request.

She wanted to make three pieces of clothing: a dress for Zhou Xiaohua, a summer outfit for Zhou Xiaochuan, and a top for Zhou Zhongshan.  

Song Qingqian, who had been focused on eating her Sesame Oil Duck, looked up in surprise.  

She asked in confusion: “You want to… make clothes for your man?”  

As a lady from Shanghai City, she had never interacted with ordinary civilians before, let alone married women. She wasn’t sure how to refer to Zhou Zhongshan properly.  

It was only after coming to the compound that she occasionally overheard other wives chatting and referring to their husbands as “the man of their house.”  

Saying it herself for the first time felt a little awkward.  

But Jiang Rou had heard it plenty of times before.  

And besides, Zhou Zhongshan was indeed her man—there was nothing to be shy about.  

She nodded confidently.  

“Yes, I want to make clothes for my man too. They always wear military uniforms, but they still have time off. When he takes off his uniform, he also puts down his responsibilities. Wearing regular clothes might help him relax a little.”  

Jiang Rou spoke her thoughts calmly.  

The care hidden in her words was simple yet heartfelt.  

Such a small thing, yet no one had ever thought about it before.  

Song Qingqian’s hand, which was holding the Sesame Oil Duck, stiffened slightly.  

Her long, phoenix-shaped eyes darkened, as if deep in thought.  

Jiang Rou waited for a while, but Song Qingqian didn’t seem to snap out of it.  

She called out: “Qingqian? Qingqian?”  

“Ah…” Song Qingqian jolted back to reality, flustered. “Then… then let’s start with the little girl’s dress. That’s the simplest, and it’ll be easier for you to learn. Bring the fabric when you come tomorrow, and also bring the child. I’ll teach you from the very first step—taking measurements.”  

“Alright.”  

Jiang Rou noticed that while Song Qingqian had agreed reluctantly at first, when it came down to actually handling things, she was extremely organized and thorough—even paying attention to the smallest details.  

Just like last time with the millet.  

She had given Jiang Rou all she had, but still reminded her that the weight might not be enough.

Song Qingqian, with all her aloofness, was very much like a cat.  

She always appeared distant, as if keeping the world at arm’s length. But the moment one reached out to touch her, she was unexpectedly soft.  

This personality of hers intrigued Jiang Rou far more than what she had read about her in the original novel.  

Speaking of the original novel…  

The thought of Song Qingqian’s eventual tragic ending with He Donglai filled Jiang Rou with regret once again.  

Judging by how He Donglai had immediately thought of bringing Song Qingqian some green rice cakes after tasting them himself, it was clear that he had feelings for her.  

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so mindful of his wife back home.  

Now, the only thing left…  

Was to see how Song Qingqian would respond.  

Jiang Rou’s gaze shifted slightly. After finishing their conversation about sewing, she suddenly changed the topic.  

“Qingqian, have you heard about the explosion a few days ago? They found a bomb on the island!”  

Song Qingqian froze, a look of confusion flashing across her face.  

“There… was such an incident?”  

It was obvious that she had no idea.  

After all, someone who rarely left her home had no way of knowing what was happening outside.  

And what Jiang Rou wanted to do was make sure Song Qingqian became more aware of the world around her—so that she could gradually integrate into the compound’s life.  

More importantly…  

She wanted to bring up He Donglai.