Chapter 36: Was the Meat Planted by a Spy? 

He looked around but didn’t see anyone suspicious. 

Carrying the meat, he pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped inside. Li Xia was in the yard with An An, planting vegetables. 

The small patch of land they planned to use for vegetables had already been loosened by Gu Weicheng the day before. Now, all Li Xia and An An needed to do was scatter the seeds and water them. 

Gu Weicheng frowned slightly. “Why are you two doing this? I can handle it.” 

Li Xia stood up and stretched her arms. “It’s just a small chore. The child and I can manage. We can’t leave everything for you to do.” 

Gu Weicheng already had a grueling training schedule every day. It was good that he cared for his family, but Li Xia wasn’t the type to sit back and only enjoy the benefits. Love and relationships had to be mutual. 

A family where everyone cared for and supported each other—only then could life truly be good. 

Seeing the meat in his hand, Li Xia asked in surprise, “Did you go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy meat?” 

Gu Weicheng shook his head helplessly. “I didn’t buy it. Someone hung it on our door.” 

Li Xia blinked. “Huh?” 

The piece of meat looked to be at least two jin. She still remembered the last time she went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative—she had wanted to buy a little extra, but there wasn’t any available. And now, someone had left such a large piece of meat at their door? 

“Was it a spy?” An An asked, his words startling them. 

Last night’s bedtime story had been about a student encountering a spy, and the boy had clearly taken it to heart. 

Li Xia had some guesses of her own, but she wasn’t entirely sure yet.

Just then, Sister-in-law Tao from next door confirmed Li Xia’s suspicion. “It wasn’t a spy, don’t worry. It was Vice Regimental Commander Yan’s wife who left it.” 

“I saw her put it there with my own eyes this afternoon. She probably wanted to thank Xiao Li for saving her son. Honestly, that Xiao Lin is something else—if she wanted to give meat, she could’ve just given it properly. But instead, she sneaked around like a thief. I nearly laughed to death watching her.” 

So that was it. 

Li Xia had only now realized that the child she saved yesterday was actually Vice Regimental Commander Yan’s son—and that woman was his wife. 

“She probably thought I wouldn’t accept it, so she secretly hung it outside,” Li Xia said, amused. That woman was quite adorable in her own way. 

“She already tried to give me money at the time as a thank-you, but I didn’t accept it.” 

Gu Weicheng asked, “Then what should we do with this meat? Should we return it to Old Yan now?” 

Li Xia thought for a moment before replying, “Forget it. If we send it back, she might just sneak something else over next time. Let’s keep the meat and cook it. Once it’s done, we can set aside a bowl and have you take it over to them.”

Gu Weicheng nodded, having no objections to her decision. 

Since they were cooking pork today, the chicken managed to escape its fate—for now. 

Li Xia had considered raising a few chickens at home, but after just half a day, the ground was already covered in chicken droppings. That idea was immediately abandoned. 

She had no desire to be surrounded by the stench of chicken poop every day. 

The entire two jin of meat was made into braised pork belly. Even before it was done cooking, the rich, mouthwatering aroma drifted through the air, making anyone nearby crave a taste. 

Li Xia divided the dish into two portions—one for their own meal and the other for Gu Weicheng to take to the Yan family. 

When Vice Regimental Commander Yan received the braised pork belly, he was momentarily confused. “Commander Gu, what’s this about?” 

Gu Weicheng gave him a look. “You really don’t know that your wife hung a piece of meat on my door yesterday?” 

“Huh?” Vice Regimental Commander Yan was stunned. He truly had no idea. 

When he came home at noon, Lin Jinghe had mentioned wanting to properly thank Li Xia, but at the time, they hadn’t yet figured out how to do it.

When he got home, Lin Jinghe had smiled and told him that she had already taken care of it. 

He had figured that as long as the matter was settled, there was no need to ask how she had expressed her gratitude. But it turned out she had secretly hung a piece of meat on Commander Gu’s door? 

Vice Regimental Commander Yan didn’t even know what to say. His wife… how could she be this adorable? 

She had managed to turn a simple gesture of gratitude into something so secretive—like she was sneaking around doing something shady. 

And the best part? When she came home, she had proudly told him that she handled it beautifully! 

“I really didn’t know about this,” Vice Regimental Commander Yan admitted. “But thank you, Commander, for bringing the meat over. Sister-in-law’s cooking is excellent—I’ve been craving this. So I won’t stand on ceremony.” 

If it had been anyone else, he would have politely declined. But the moment he thought of the meal he had at their warm gathering the other day, his appetite was instantly awakened. Without hesitation, he accepted the bowl of braised pork belly.

After Gu Weicheng left, Vice Regimental Commander Yan carried the food container inside. 

Lin Jinghe asked, “Who was that?” 

Vice Regimental Commander Yan replied, “Commander Gu. He said you hung a piece of meat on their door yesterday. His wife cooked it and sent some back to us.” 

Lin Jinghe shot him a glare. “Yan Ziming, how can you be so greedy? 

“That meat was my thank-you gift to Chenchen’s lifesaver. They were just being polite, and you actually accepted it? Seriously, is our household ever short on meat?” 

Vice Regimental Commander Yan chuckled. “I just figured that since you didn’t get to taste Sister-in-law’s cooking last time, this would be the perfect chance for you to try it. Her skills are amazing—you should have a taste.” 

As he spoke, he lifted the lid of the food container. 

The moment the cover was removed, the rich, irresistible aroma of braised pork belly rushed out, wrapping around them and teasing their senses.

Just a second ago, Lin Jinghe was still saying, “I’m not as greedy as you.” But the next moment, she couldn’t help sniffing the air. “It really does smell amazing.” 

“Want to try?” Vice Regimental Commander Yan picked up a piece with his chopsticks and held it near her mouth. 

Lin Jinghe opened her mouth and took a bite. The moment the rich, savory flavor hit her tongue, she immediately gave a thumbs-up. “Delicious!” 

At this point, she no longer had any complaints about her husband’s so-called greed—because by the time they finished eating, more than half of the braised pork belly had ended up in her stomach. 

Normally, she was quite mindful of her diet. She’d usually only take a bite or two of braised pork belly just to taste it. As a member of the Cultural Troupe, she had to maintain her figure—especially since she had just given birth not long ago, making her even more conscious of such things. 

But last night? She had eaten until she was completely full. 

… 

Since Li Xia had agreed to give a lecture, she took it seriously. That night, she began preparing her lesson.

All she really needed to do was write down some basic first aid techniques she had learned before and spend the next couple of days memorizing them. 

Since Li Xia was busy, Gu Weicheng took over storytelling duties for An An that night. 

When it was time for bed, An An whispered into Li Xia’s ear, “Mommy, next time, you tell me the story again, okay?” 

Daddy’s stories were just too boring—so stiff and serious. 

Not like Mommy, who would even change her voice to match the different characters in the story. That was so much more fun! 

Li Xia held back a laugh and nodded. “Alright~” 

Then, she glanced over at Gu Weicheng. Judging by his expression, he had probably guessed what An An was saying. 

In those deep, brooding eyes of his—was that… a hint of hurt?