Chapter 45 You’re Still Young

Actually, he had also noticed that Wen Yanyan had lost a significant amount of weight recently, but he hadn’t expected it to be due to the exhaustion from selling chicken feet.

“Okay, do you have any goals?” Xu Zhengjiang asked him.

“I heard her say…” Nan Fangjue hesitated, after all, he had never heard Wen Yanyan sing, so he was a little unsure.

“Nan Tuan, don’t be polite. Besides the fact that Wen Yanyan is the savior of my child, you are also a national second-class combat hero. Solving your worries is my job, my duty. The army will prioritize the employment issues of military dependents.”

Xu Zhengjiang quickly dispelled his concerns.

“Wen Yanyan said she sings well, but I’ve never heard her sing, so I’m not sure.” Nan Fangjue finally spoke.

“That’s easy. I’ll talk to Old Yu, the head of the art troupe, and arrange an interview as soon as possible. Whether she succeeds or not depends on Wen Yanyan’s own performance. Do you think that’s okay?”

Xu Zhengjiang, a decisive man, immediately made a decision.

“Okay, Coach Xu, just let me know the time once it’s confirmed.” Nan Fangjue agreed to the arrangement.

“Good, wait for my message. You should eat your meal; the food is getting cold. I’ll go now.”

Xu Zhengjiang got up and left.

Nan Fangjue watched his back as he ate his steamed bun, surprised by how smoothly things went. The matter he was just about to deal with had been resolved by Coach Xu.

He also hoped Wen Yanyan would seize this opportunity. Although her image was a bit lacking, as long as she sang well, she would still serve the people.

But, could she really sing?

After finishing his meal and leaving the cafeteria, Nan Fangjue felt relieved. Wen Yanyan’s job issue was settled, resolving one of his worries.

With this matter settled, this little woman should behave herself.

…

At home, Wen Yanyan lay in bed reading a novel, the foreign novel Gone with the Wind.

She loved the heroine, Scarlett O’Hara. Strong, not weak; beautiful, not pretentious; daring to love and hate. But after a while, her eyes got tired. She put down the book, closed her eyes, and shook her wrists.

The book was a bit heavy; holding it up was tiring. New-century e-books were much more convenient.

After resting for a while, Wen Yanyan got up. She still had a lot of laundry to do. The heavy rain had caused her a lot of trouble, and her knees still hurt a little when she walked.

She went to the outer room and piled all the dirty clothes, muddy trousers, shoes, and mud-caked bags, including her green satchel containing money, together—like a small mound of dirt.

Sigh, if only she had a washing machine at home, she wouldn’t have to wash everything by hand. Wen Yanyan missed her previous life. But there was no way, she had to adapt to the local customs.

There weren’t any for sale in this era; they wouldn’t be available until after the reform and opening up.

Wen Yanyan sat on a stool, stretched out one leg, and finished washing all the dirty clothes, including a set of Nan Fangjue’s military uniform. She hung them on the clothesline in the yard.

After the rain, the sun had come out.

Then she took a basin of clean water and a rag and went under the awning to wipe the mud-caked bicycle.

Wen Yanyan wiped it meticulously, cleaning every detail.

She was returning the bicycle; she wasn’t going to be selling anything anymore, so she wouldn’t need it.

She had been planning to earn money to buy her own bicycle. She couldn’t keep borrowing other people’s bicycles to set up her stall.

But then an unexpected change occurred, and she wouldn’t need a bicycle anymore.

She also planned to make some noodles tonight and steam a pot of buns tomorrow morning to send to Sister Huang along with the bicycle as a thank-you gift.

After cleaning the bicycle, Wen Yanyan cleaned the kitchen—the stove, pots, bowls, pans, and windows, all sparkling clean.

When she finished, she checked the time and started making dinner.

A clattering and banging sound filled the air, accompanied by the rising smoke.

Wen Yanyan made three dishes tonight: two hot dishes and one cold dish—stir-fried celery and potatoes, pork stir-fried with bamboo shoots, and sliced cucumbers.

The main course was mixed rice (rice and millet). She had a feeling Nan Fangjue would be home for dinner tonight…

And he was.

At dinner, Nan Fangjue put a piece of meat into her bowl.

Wen Yanyan was startled and looked up at him.

What did that mean?

Didn’t he know she was on a diet?

“You should eat more meat; you’ve lost weight.” Nan Fangjue recalled what Coach Xu had said today.

“But I’m dieting; isn’t it normal to lose weight?” Wen Yanyan suspected he had forgotten about her diet.

“You don’t need to diet anymore. This is fine; being too thin isn’t healthy.” Nan Fangjue thought she had lost too much weight too quickly. In just over a month, she seemed to have lost dozens of pounds.

“I know my own body; it’s fine. I plan to lose weight to 96 kilograms. I know what I’m doing.” Wen Yanyan put the meat back into the dish. She was still far from her target weight and couldn’t eat meat.

“Why are you so disobedient? I don’t mind if you’re a little heavier.” He had noticed her stubbornness more than once.

“You really don’t mind?” Wen Yanyan raised an eyebrow.

“As long as you obey.” Nan Fangjue added a condition.

“Since you don’t mind, why won’t you touch me?” After so many nights sleeping together, he hadn’t touched her once.

Nan Fangjue was silent for a moment before saying, “You’re still young.”

Young?

How was she young?

Wen Yanyan almost laughed. What kind of excuse was that?

It was funny. He clearly disliked her and was finding all sorts of excuses. Oh well, she wouldn’t discuss this with him.

If they continued, who knew what other excuses he would come up with.

“If you don’t mind, I do. Your understanding is also misguided. Being fat doesn’t equal health; it’s more likely to cause illness. You should eat more meat because men need more protein than women.” Her medical knowledge was overflowing again.

“Protein?” Nan Fangjue didn’t quite understand.

“Protein. It’s an essential component of the human body. Pork contains protein, you know? Men’s…” Wen Yanyan suddenly choked, quickly swallowing the word “semen,” then changing her approach.

“I mean, many organs in the human body need protein. Men need more than women, so you should eat more meat to promote the development of body organs and improve bodily functions.”

Sigh, she had too much knowledge; she needed to let some of it out.

Organ development?

He probably wouldn’t understand the hidden meaning.

Nan Fangjue listened and ate a piece of meat, still puzzled.

How did she know so much?

Was it from reading books? Oh well, he wouldn’t guess. He should talk about the important thing.