Heilongjiang Province.  

After obtaining their marriage certificate, Shao Qingfeng called his family to share the news. Old Man Shao was overjoyed, repeatedly exclaiming “Good!” so loudly that Shao Qingfeng had to hold the receiver away from his ear. Even Lin Hongying could hear the old man’s booming voice.  

Lin Hongying went to the post office to send a telegram to her hometown, informing them of her marriage and leaving the military base’s address, phone number, and telegraph number.  

Communication methods in this era are so backward, Lin Hongying thought. When the time is right, I’ll upgrade the phone system.  

Newlyweds in the military could receive a marriage subsidy. Shao Qingfeng used their marriage certificate to register at the logistics department and received one jin of pork and one jin of eggs. Most couples would typically exchange the meat and eggs for ration coupons or allowances to budget their lives more carefully.  

The logistics officer asked, “Commander, would you like to exchange these for coupons?”  

Shao Qingfeng thought back to the delicious braised pork that Lin Hongying made and decisively took the pork and eggs.  

He wasn’t short on coupons. Ever since Lin Hongying arrived at the base, Old Man Shao had been sending him coupons every month. As a high-ranking veteran cadre, Old Man Shao had access to generous monthly grain and meat quotas, as well as special supply coupons that could be used to purchase rare goods on the market. He had been saving them up and sending large amounts to his grandson.  

…

Residential Compound.  

Shao Qingfeng’s comrades were all abuzz about him taking leave to get married. Before the couple even returned to the compound, news of their marriage had already spread.  

That afternoon, everyone saw Shao Qingfeng and Lin Hongying return.  

He was pushing a brand-new “Forever” bicycle, its rear seat loaded with new quilts, washbasins, shoes, hats… Even Lin Hongying was carrying a brand-new coat in her arms, and upon closer inspection—wow, she was wearing a wristwatch!  

In her left hand, she held the coat, while her right hand clutched a bulging paper bag of candies.  

The bag was so heavy it had turned her hand red.  

In the county, sugar was rationed at one liang per person per month—barely enough to add a hint of sweetness to dishes. But the candies Shao Qingfeng had bought were premium-grade, the kind that didn’t require coupons but were exorbitantly expensive. A single jin cost seven or eight yuan, more expensive than ten jin of pork!  

The families in the compound were stunned to realize just how well-off Shao Qingfeng was!  

For a simple marriage, the two of them looked like they had looted the entire department store. At a glance, the haul must have cost at least three or four hundred yuan.  

The unmarried girls in the compound watched with envious eyes, secretly gnashing their teeth in regret. They wished they were the ones carrying that heavy bag of candies, even if it meant their hands turned red.  

“Got married?” the crowd asked.  

Shao Qingfeng nodded, his usually stern face breaking into a rare smile. “Yes, married.”  

A discerning auntie grabbed Lin Hongying’s hand and asked warmly, “Comrade Lin, is that coat in your hand the Soviet-style one from the department store? The fabric is so nice, it feels wonderful to the touch.”  

“And that watch—is it a Seagull brand? Tsk, a Seagull costs 170 yuan, not cheap at all.”  

Lin Hongying had never experienced such an overwhelming “aunty brigade” before. She was utterly amazed—this wasn’t just an ordinary wedding, it was more like a national heartthrob bringing home his bride!  

Shao Qingfeng simply gave her a calm glance, took the bag of wedding candies from her, and began handing them out to everyone.  

He whispered to Lin Hongying, “Don’t leave. Otherwise, they’ll swarm our home.”  

The thought of the entire neighborhood—men, women, old, and young—crowding into their house was terrifying enough to root Lin Hongying to the spot.  

The aunties and uncles in the compound, after receiving their candies, immediately rushed home and returned with gifts—cabbages, eggs, cornmeal, vermicelli… Whatever they could spare, it was the thought that counted.  

There were so many gifts that it was impossible to keep up with their enthusiasm. Fortunately, Shao Qingfeng had come prepared, stuffing small bills into their hands to “buy” the items.  

Taking even a needle or thread from the common folk was a line Shao Qingfeng refused to cross.  

Auntie Wu from the neighboring building smiled and said, “Xiao Feng, you got married as fast as if you were storming a battlefield—such efficiency!”  

She gave Lin Hongying a sidelong glance and thrust a massive winter melon into her arms. “From now on, you’re the lucky one!”  

Lin Hongying was completely stunned. The melon weighed nearly ten jin, and she nearly dropped it.

In this era of food scarcity, a ten-jin winter melon carried more weight than a mountain.  

Lin Hongying glanced at the enthusiastic neighbors. Their eyes gleamed with envy as they took in the heavily laden goods strapped to the bicycle, but the moment their gazes shifted to her, their expressions soured into disdain and suspicion.  

Lin Hongying joked, “Who’s the lucky one here? Shao Qingfeng… is just an ordinary guy, really.”  

“And him—marrying me will be the greatest fortune of his three lifetimes.”  

The moment the words left her mouth, Shao Qingfeng, who had been handing out wedding candies, shot her a surprised look.  

The neighbors, who had been about to shower the newlyweds with gifts of fruits and grains, froze in place.  

“Ordinary Shao Qingfeng, Blessed Lin Hongying,” huh?

Pah!

Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth! They were so incensed they nearly yanked off their shoes to hurl at her face.  

[Wu Hongni’s Resentment +500]

[Tian Xiaohua’s Resentment +400]  

[Li Fugui’s Resentment +300]

[Liu Cuihua’s Resentment +200]  

[Zhang Dazhu’s Resentment +200]  

…  

[Ding Jingfang’s Resentment +100]

Lin Hongying gleefully collected the flood of resentment points. With Shao Qingfeng standing beside her, even the most battle-hardened aunties could only choke back their fury and force out a stiff congratulations.  

Just two sentences had skyrocketed her resentment points past 5,000, with no signs of stopping before hitting 10,000.  

If Shao Qingfeng hadn’t pulled her away, she would’ve happily tossed out a few more zingers.  

Lin Hongying hurriedly checked her account to see if any new items had unlocked. Finally, the winter gear she’d been eyeing was available: thermal pants, cotton-padded coats, fleece-lined trousers, and even… a down jacket!  

…

The Shao Household.

Once home, Shao Qingfeng visibly relaxed. He studied Lin Hongying, but instead of embarrassment, he found only playful amusement on her face.  

He set the meat down, noticing she made no move to cook, instead slumping into a chair to drink water and rest.  

Rolling up his sleeves, he decided to make dinner himself. “Hongying, how did you make that braised pork last time?”  

Lin Hongying thought for a moment, then cheerfully wrote out the recipe in meticulous detail and handed it to him.  

1. Cut the pork belly into small cubes and blanch (1-2 cm thick, roughly 2×2 cm in size. Submerge in cold water with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine to remove gaminess. Blanch for 3 minutes.)  

2. Pat the pork dry and pan-fry until golden on both sides (30 seconds per side, flip twice for even browning. Add ginger slices to further remove gaminess.)  

3. Make caramelized sugar (30g rock sugar. Heat oil to medium, add sugar. The ideal color transitions from deep yellow to amber.)  

…  

Shao Qingfeng frowned at the lengthy instructions, complete with exact timings and footnotes longer than the steps themselves.  

He looked at Lin Hongying in surprise.  

In the past, she would never have written him such a detailed guide.  

But then again, a lot about her had changed lately.  

She no longer stared at him with obsessive, clingy eyes. She didn’t buzz around the house like a diligent bee, exhausting herself to please him. She no longer threw herself at him in ways that made him uncomfortable.  

She was just… normal. Shao Qingfeng exhaled in relief.  

Following the recipe, he searched the kitchen for ingredients and noticed many new additions.  

On the shelves: a jin of premium flour, plump eggs, rock sugar, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and two brand-new enamel pots. His gaze drifted further—her toothbrush and toothpaste sat by the sink.  

Her scarf hung on the wall. In less than two months, the house had filled with traces of a woman’s presence.  

Frowning, he tidied the cluttered shelves, lining up each egg neatly, sealing the flour bag tight, even stacking the star anise pieces into orderly piles.  

Before long, the kitchen filled with the mouthwatering aroma of meat.  

…