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“Here’s the rice, flour, and cured meat. Let’s put these in the kitchen first. We’ll need to build a few shelves and cupboards, at least three shelves for the kitchen alone.”
The kitchen had to hold a lot, especially with the long winters here. A family couldn’t get through the cold season without stockpiling food.
“There’s also a small cellar out back. We’ll check it later. It’s not big, but it’ll be enough for us.”
Xingchen had already inspected the house inside and out.
“That’s perfect for us. Winters here are long, so we’ll need at least four months of food stored. Forget whether we can even walk outside after the snow falls, even if we could, it’d be too cold.”
In her past life, she had lived in Beijing, where winters were chilly but nothing like this. What pleased Momo most about this courtyard was the well. They wouldn’t need to fetch water from outside. Someone else had planted the tree, and now they were enjoying the shade.
“We can still grow vegetables now, radishes, carrots, cowpeas, lettuce, and tomatoes. The garden isn’t huge, but I can plant it in the next couple of days. These are staples every household needs in winter.”
“You know how to grow vegetables? That’s amazing! I don’t even know what to plant when.”
“We grew them in the army. More crops meant the soldiers could eat better. I’m from the countryside anyway. I used to help with farm work before my parents passed away.”
“That’s great. You do the planting, I’ll handle the weeding, and I can manage that. And I can make pickled cabbage and spicy kimchi, so we should grow a lot of cabbage.”
She had always loved those dishes. At first, she experimented on her own, then gradually perfected the recipes.
“Good. Cabbage gets planted in August, so no rush. Tomorrow I have to report back to the unit, so I’ll ask Commissar Xu’s wife to take you to the nearby village. She’s lived here for years and knows everything.”
Xingchen had eaten at their house before and knew she was a warm, friendly woman. Momo was new here; it was best for someone experienced to guide her.
“That’s wonderful. We don’t even have vegetables at home yet. Tomorrow I’ll go with Sister Xu.”
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Standing outside was a woman in her thirties, carrying a basket. Her clothes were old but scrubbed spotless, clearly someone who knew how to run a household.
“Sister Xu, this is my wife, Su Momo. Momo, this is Commissar Xu’s wife.”
Before Xingchen even finished, Sister Xu had already grabbed Momo’s hand warmly.
“So beautiful! I was curious when I heard the others talking, but seeing you in person, you’re even lovelier than I imagined. We always said Commander Su was handsome, but his little sister is even more striking.”
Such direct, enthusiastic praise made Momo blush.
“Sister, please come in. The sun is still strong, even in the afternoon. Our place is still messy; we’ve just arrived.”
“Nonsense. I know you’ve just moved in. You must not have much at home yet. These are vegetables from my garden, take them.”
In the basket were tomatoes, cucumbers, and bok choy, all freshly picked. At the bottom were four eggs. Eggs were a treasure in these times; four of them made a generous gift.
“Thank you so much, Sister. I was just worrying about what we’d eat tomorrow morning. Sister, I’m planning to plant vegetables here too. Do you have seeds?”
“I’ll take you to Chenjia Village tomorrow. The village head’s wife trades seeds there. You can exchange eggs or other goods.”
“That would be wonderful. I’ll ride over tomorrow morning to find you.”
“My house is just three courtyards down, we’re close.”
“Perfect. I’ll find it.”
“Good, then I’ll head back. My family’s waiting for dinner. I won’t disturb your wedding night.”
Momo’s face flushed. Xingchen, thick-skinned as ever, didn’t react at all, only thanking her again.
After seeing Sister Xu off, the couple continued unpacking for more than an hour. Clothes, bedding, and bolts of fabric are all sorted. Odds and ends piled in the spare room until shelves could be built.
“We’ll need at least five shelves and another wardrobe. My winter clothes aren’t even hung up yet.”
“All right. Let’s check the cellar, then after dinner we’ll find the carpenter.”
The cellar wasn’t large, five or six square meters, but it was cool as a cave. Outside, it was over twenty degrees in midsummer, but here it felt like natural air conditioning.
“I’m thinking two shelves for dried goods. If we leave them on the ground, they’ll get damp. And two big woven baskets for fresh vegetables, much cleaner that way.”
Listening to her plan everything out, Xingchen’s lips curved slightly, his eyes soft.
“Are you even listening to me? What’s the matter, sleepy?”
When he didn’t answer, she gave him a light pat.
“I heard you. I just… got carried away. Listening to you talk like this, it feels so beautiful. I couldn’t help but drift off. As for the baskets, I can weave them myself. It’ll take a bit longer for the big ones, but it’s not difficult.”
“That’s perfect.” Not needing to ask for help was always better.
“Come on, Momo. Let’s eat, then head to the village for the carpenter.”
“All right. I’m hungry too.”
They had been busy since returning. Lunch had been hearty, but work had burned through it quickly.
With flour and Sister Xu’s vegetables, Momo cooked a simple dumpling soup, paired with the leftover chicken stew. In fifteen minutes, they were eating.
Afterward, Xingchen tidied the kitchen as naturally as breathing, then rode his bicycle with Momo to the nearby village.
The road was wide but uneven. Momo wrapped her arms around his waist. Through his thin summer shirt, she could feel the lines of his abs.
For Xingchen, her soft hands were both a comfort and a torment. By the time they arrived, he almost regretted the ride ending. Still, there was always tonight.
A knock at the carpenter’s door.
“Coming! Oh, Deputy Commander Lin. What brings you here so late?”
The carpenter already knew him; Xingchen had ordered furniture here before.
“I’ve brought my wife. We’d like to commission a few things.”
“Please, come in, come in. Hua’er, fetch some water.”
He called to his granddaughter while closing the door.
“We need four-tier shelves. Here’s the sketch, eighty centimeters long, forty wide, each level twenty high. We’ll need seven of these.”