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Jiang Zhi Ning looked at him nervously, her lips slightly parted in unease.
She watched his handsome face slowly draw closer, filling her vision. Just as his lips were about to meet hers, Song Yuzhou suddenly stopped.
Huh? He stopped?
He turned his head away, cleared his throat awkwardly, and his face turned bright red. “Um… it’s getting late. You should rest early.”
Jiang Zhi Ning was dumbfounded. “So… we’re not kissing?”
Song Yuzhou nearly choked on his own spit. “Although we’re already married, we haven’t known each other that long. I think you should take some time to adjust.”
Jiang Zhi Ning was a pampered city girl, well-educated. Song Yuzhou still wanted to wait until she was more used to having him as her husband—he didn’t want to scare her.
With that, Song Yuzhou stood up and practically ran out the door.
Watching him flee like that, Jiang Zhi Ning rubbed her forehead. “Are you giving me time to adjust… or giving yourself time?”
She had to admit—Song Yuzhou was extremely proper. Although this was the 1980s, rural areas often had arranged or even silent marriages. Most men would’ve pounced on their new wives the moment they met.
But not him…
“Well, I guess that just proves his character. But once we get to the military compound, I’d better lock him down—don’t want anyone else snatching him away.” Jiang Zhi Ning thought, smiling with satisfaction.
The next morning, Jiang Zhi Ning got up early.
Just as she stepped out of her room, she saw Lin Chunmei cooking something.
“Mom, what are you doing?” she asked curiously.
“I saw you liked the pickled vegetables, so this morning I had your sister wash the ones we’ve got, stir-fried them, and I’m going to make a jar for you to take with you.”
Jiang Zhi Ning was delighted and hugged her. “You’re the best, Mom. Thank you!”
Seeing her daughter acting so sweetly, Lin Chunmei’s face lit up with joy. “Silly girl, I’m your mom—it’s only right that I do this for you.”
Jiang Zhi Ning smiled warmly. Knowing she would be leaving that afternoon, she decided to give the family the rice she had grown.
While Song Yuzhou was out in the fields with Shen Guochao, and no one else was around, Jiang Zhi Ning took out the sixty jin (~30 kg) of rice from her space.
So when Lin Chunmei came back from the courtyard, she found several large baskets of grain in the house.
“Where did all this grain come from?” she exclaimed.
“We bought it yesterday from a farmer on the way here. It’s not husked yet, so the price was lower,” Jiang Zhi Ning smoothly explained, using a line she’d already prepared.
“That much grain must have cost a lot,” Lin Chunmei said in shock.
“Mom, just dry it and then take it to be husked. With this rice, our family won’t have to worry about food for a while.”
Looking at the gentle and thoughtful girl in front of her, Lin Chunmei’s eyes filled with tears. “Zhi Ning, thank you. We never really raised you, yet you think about us in every way. Your kindness—your father and I will never forget it.”
“You didn’t do it on purpose. You loved Shen An’an so much because you thought she was me,” Jiang Zhi Ning said with a soft smile. “Our family’s days will only get better from here.”
Lin Chunmei nodded firmly, eyes glistening. She swore to herself that she would treat this daughter as well as she possibly could.
With help from Shen Yueyue, Lin Chunmei took the rice to a villager who could husk it.
Looking at the house, Jiang Zhi Ning felt reluctant to leave. Even though she’d only been here a few days, she had experienced a strong sense of family warmth.
“If I’m leaving, I should do one more thing for them.” she murmured.
After thinking it over, she decided to cook a big lunch for everyone.
Heading into the kitchen, she eyed the pork that Song Yuzhou had bought yesterday. Arms folded, she began planning seriously.
Once she had an idea, Jiang Zhi Ning searched the kitchen for more ingredients.
Looking around, she sighed. “There really aren’t many seasonings here… I’ll just have to make do.”
Rolling up her sleeves, she got to work.
She carefully selected some pork belly, then gathered salt, rock sugar, dark soy sauce, ginger slices, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, and cinnamon.
With the ingredients ready, she started cooking.
She washed the pork belly and cut it into 2 cm cubes, then boiled it in cold water and skimmed off the scum. After blanching, she pan-fried the meat until both sides were golden brown.
Next, she added oil and about 15 pieces of rock sugar, stirring slowly until it melted and turned a golden color.
Bending closer to check the color, Jiang Zhi Ning judged it was ready and tossed in the pork belly, giving it a quick stir.
Then she added warm water from a thermos until it covered the meat, and let it simmer slowly.
When Lin Chunmei and Shen Yueyue returned home, they were both shocked.
“Mom, why does it smell so good in our house?” Yueyue asked.
“I don’t know—let’s go in and see.”
They rushed inside.
Seeing Jiang Zhi Ning confidently handling the wok shocked them even more.
And the smell—was coming from that pot.
“What smells so good?”
Jiang Zhi Ning lifted the lid, releasing an intense aroma. “It’s braised pork belly,” she explained.
Shen Yueyue nearly drooled. “It looks delicious.”
“The taste is guaranteed.” Jiang Zhi Ning smiled and thickened the sauce with some starch water, then plated the dish.
The rich aroma filled the entire kitchen.
Without pausing, she picked up freshly washed potatoes and began slicing with a rhythmic clang clang clang.
No one had seen her cook before, but her knife skills were excellent—the julienned potatoes were uniform in size.
“Zhi Ning, what else are you making?”
“Sour and spicy shredded potatoes and sweet and sour pork. I’ll also make a soup,” she replied without stopping.
An hour later, everyone gathered around the small dining table.
Looking at the colorful, aromatic dishes, Song Yuzhou was stunned. “You made all this?”
“Yup. Try it.” Jiang Zhi Ning smiled. “We’re leaving this afternoon, so I wanted to make a meal for everyone.”
Shen Weiluo gulped. “Sis… can I eat now?”
Jiang Zhi Ning laughed at his expression. “Of course. Here, try this one.”
She picked a piece of pork belly—half fat, half lean—and placed it in his bowl.
Shen Weiluo took a bite and his eyes lit up. “Delicious! So good! This is the best pork I’ve ever had—I’m going to eat two bowls. No, three!”
Everyone burst out laughing at him and eagerly started digging in.
They soon realized Shen Weiluo wasn’t exaggerating—the food was amazing.
Even Song Yuzhou was shocked. He hadn’t expected this soft, delicate girl to be so skilled in the kitchen.
“Zhi Ning… how did you learn to cook? And this well?”