Chapter 7

While listening to the officers talk, Chen Yuan quietly took the bowl in front of Su Wan and poured all of her wine into his own, then handed the now-empty bowl back to her.

Su Wan, catching the scent of the alcohol, got up and rinsed the bowl before returning to her seat to eat dumplings.

She had originally intended to eat rice, but since everyone else was eating dumplings and side dishes, she felt out of place. She scooped a few dumplings into her bowl and took a bite.

The pork and cabbage dumplings were quite different from the dumplings she’d had in modern times. The skin was thin and the filling fragrant—not greasy like the ones sold in restaurants back in the future. On the contrary, these dumplings were seasoned so well that she couldn’t help eating a few more.

The political commissar and Commander Zhao were all praising Su Wan’s cooking, asking in detail how she had made the pork offal taste so good. They kept complimenting her skillfulness, saying Chen Yuan was truly a lucky man.

It wasn’t that Su Wan had the skills of a professional chef. It was just that in this era, people had limited access to food and oil. Today, she had used a generous amount of oil, which brought out the natural aroma of the food and whetted everyone’s appetite.

All in all, it was a meal that left both hosts and guests completely satisfied.

The children, who rarely got to eat such delicious food, were all stuffed with full, round bellies.

The sisters-in-law helped clean up the dishes. Seeing that the officers were still talking, Su Wan quickly brought out some sunflower seeds and candy and set them on the table for them to snack on.

Turning around, Su Wan spotted Wang Bin and Xu Weiguo, who had also been invited by Chen Yuan. Having had a bit of wine, they came over to thank her.

“Sister-in-law, thank you and Commander Chen for hosting us tonight.”

“Did you eat well? Have a seat and enjoy some sunflower seeds and candy. I bought them fresh today.”

“We won’t trouble you any further. We still have work to do. Thank you for your hospitality. You’ve worked so hard tonight!”

After saying that, the two quickly left.

The dishes were gradually cleared away, and the sisters-in-law had finished cleaning up. One by one, they said goodbye to Su Wan— even the few who had criticized her at the beginning were now sincerely praising her.

“Xiao Su, your cooking is amazing. You handled three big tables of dishes all on your own. That’s incredible.”

“You’ve all worked hard too. It’s getting late, I won’t keep you. The kids should be getting to bed.”

“Alright, we’ll head out. You really worked hard today!”

One after another, the sisters-in-law left. The officers were still talking, so Su Wan boiled some water, added a bit of tea, and brought out over a dozen cups to set on the table for them.

The political commissar, with flushed cheeks from all the drinking, said to her, “Comrade Su Wan, take a break. You don’t need to fuss over us.”

Su Wan smiled and replied, “I noticed everyone drank quite a bit. Some tea might help sober up a little.”

“Thank you for all your hard work, Comrade Su Wan!”

The officers still had matters to discuss, so Su Wan tactfully returned to the house.

After tidying up the room, she noticed people still hadn’t left, so she took her clothes and went to shower.

Having drunk a fair amount of alcohol, Su Wan was now a little dizzy. After an exhausting day, she felt completely drained. Once she finished showering, she collapsed on the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

After seeing off the officers, Chen Yuan went upstairs and heard the soft sound of Su Wan’s gentle snoring.

It was only a little past 9 PM—and she was already asleep.

Looking at her fair face tinged with a rosy flush and her rose-colored lips, Chen Yuan felt his mouth go dry.

What the hell…

It had to be the alcohol. He was actually feeling…desire.

He turned over, but the soreness in his back instantly doused the thought. He wasn’t sure whether she was genuinely trying to change or just putting on an act. People always said that nature is hard to change, and he didn’t have any savings. Having a child would be a huge expense. At the very least, they shouldn’t have one in the next year or two.

With that thought, Chen Yuan soon fell asleep.

That night, he had a rather colorful dream.

Before dawn, he had already changed his soiled pants. When he went to the bathroom, he saw Su Wan’s clothes and, remembering how exhausted she’d been the night before, he decided to wash them for her.

Some of the sisters-in-law were early risers and saw Chen Yuan hanging the washed clothes to dry. They were full of envy.

They all thought: A woman’s fate isn’t just determined by birth—marriage is like a second life. Su Wan had clearly struck gold—marrying the youngest, most handsome commander in the entire base. With the way his career was going, he’d probably be promoted again within the next two years!

Their envy only deepened at the thought.

After hanging up the laundry and putting the bucket away, Chen Yuan went off to training.

Su Wan woke up around that time. Hearing the sounds outside, she opened her eyes and realized she was still in the 1980s. She wanted to shut her eyes and go back to sleep—maybe she’d wake up in the future again.

She lay in bed a little longer before finally getting up. The sun was already high in the sky.

It was just past 6 AM, but the sun was already glaring. Su Wan stretched lazily, did a quick wash, and planned to cook a simple breakfast.

All the food from yesterday had been completely devoured—there wasn’t even any leftover soup. Luckily, the sisters-in-law had gifted her some fresh vegetables and eggs. Not a huge amount, but enough.

She planned to make an egg soup and stir-fry some vegetables. Suddenly, she remembered she hadn’t stewed the pig heart last night and rushed to check on it.

The pig heart, which had been left out all night in a bowl, had already spoiled. The stench hit her instantly, and she gagged.

Such a waste!

She stared at the over-one-pound pig heart with deep regret but could only toss it out.

“Xiao Su, why are you throwing out such a good pig heart?”

Wei-sao happened to arrive just then, carrying a plate of buns. Smiling, she said, “I made some steamed buns this morning. I figured you must have gotten up late after working so hard yesterday, so I brought you a few.”

“Thank you, sister-in-law. I was planning to stew that pig heart for Chen Yuan as a tonic last night, but I got drunk and forgot to deal with it. It’s a shame, but now it’s spoiled, there’s nothing I can do.”

Su Wan explained honestly and didn’t turn down Wei-sao’s kind gesture. After all, they all lived in the same residential building—she could return the favor next time she had something good to share.

Wei-sao was very understanding. “They’re just veggie-filled buns. Don’t mind the simple filling. It’s so hot lately that you can’t even keep meat overnight. If only we had a fridge! But if you ever have leftover meat, you can store it in the canteen. They’ve got a cold storage room—stashing a bit there now and then is fine.”

“How could I dislike them? I’m grateful you’re thinking of me—it saves me the trouble of cooking breakfast.”

“Well, enjoy your food. I’ve got to run—gotta send the kid to school.”

She left in a hurry after speaking.

Su Wan placed the buns on the table and ate two. They were even better than the ones sold outside. Her cravings were satisfied, and after finishing, she was planning to do some laundry—only to discover her clothes were missing.

Then she noticed them hanging outside on the bamboo pole—underwear and all, washed clean.

Realizing it was probably Chen Yuan who had done it, her cheeks turned red instantly.

“I’m heading out later,” Chen Yuan said, walking back in from outside. He stepped inside and continued, “Got paid—224 yuan. I paid back 20, had Wang Bin send 150 back home, and the remaining 54 is for you to spend. For two months, here’s 40 jin of grain coupons, 6 jin of meat coupons, 4 jin of oil coupons, and two bars of soap. I’ll probably be gone for about half a month. If you need anything, ask the sisters-in-law for help.”