Chapter 63

The next morning, Shi Tingyu was awakened by Lijian’s barking.

She looked outside and saw that the sun was already shining brightly, indicating it was quite late.

She slipped on her slippers and walked out of the room.

Seeing the broken door reminded her of the events from the previous night, and she started looking for Lu Weiguo.

She found him in the small vegetable garden in the courtyard, watering the plants with a bucket.

With the hot weather and no rain for several days, the vegetable garden needed extra watering.

Lu Weiguo heard the noise and stood up, finishing the last bit of watering before approaching her, “You’re up? Do you want to sleep a bit more?”

Shi Tingyu smiled and shook her head, “No, I’m well-rested.”

She put her arms around his neck and asked, “Why didn’t you go to the camp today?”

With some water on his hands, Lu Weiguo wrapped his arm around her, holding his hand in the air to avoid getting her wet, a clear smile on his face, “After a mission, we get two days off to adjust.”

Shi Tingyu was delighted. Usually, she was okay when working, but before, being home alone was quite lonely.

Now that Lu Weiguo was back, her good days had begun.

“I’ve kept breakfast warm for you in the pot. Should I get it for you?”

Shi Tingyu, smiling with dimples, agreed, “Sure.”

But after waiting for a while without any movement from him, she looked at him questioningly, wondering why he wasn’t going.

Lu Weiguo tightened his embrace briefly before letting go, “With you hanging on me like this, I can’t move.”

Only then did Shi Tingyu realize her arms were still around his neck.

Before Lu Weiguo left for his mission, they had almost gotten intimate. Though it didn’t happen, they did share many kisses before he left.

The formal atmosphere between them had broken, and Shi Tingyu now hugged him quite naturally.

She pulled her hands back and said with a playful smile, “Alright, you’re free now.”

Lu Weiguo chuckled and shook his head, then turned to wash his hands and get her breakfast.

Meanwhile, Shi Tingyu began her morning routine.

Lu Weiguo had gone to the canteen early in the morning to get steamed buns and had cooked red date porridge and made a cold cucumber salad.

The red date porridge, with its slight sweetness and unique fragrance of red dates, was much tastier than plain porridge.

Having already eaten, Lu Weiguo sat across from her, occasionally passing her a bun or refilling her bowl.

Once she was full, Lu Weiguo swiftly cleaned up the dishes.

Shi Tingyu quickly stopped him, “Let me do the dishes. Your hand is still hurt.”

Without turning around, Lu Weiguo replied, “These minor injuries heal overnight.”

Shi Tingyu didn’t believe him, but the stubborn man had already started washing the dishes.

Seeing she couldn’t help, Shi Tingyu started planning lunch.

With Lu Weiguo back, she wanted to treat him well.

At noon, Shi Tingyu busied herself preparing a variety of dishes, balanced with meat and vegetables, which looked very appetizing.

She handed a bowl of sweet and sour ribs to Lu Weiguo.

“We troubled Sister Zhang and her family last night. Take these ribs to add to their meal.”

Lu Weiguo took the bowl without hesitation and stepped out.

Shi Tingyu thought he had left but soon heard him shouting, “Sister Zhang, are you there?”

She walked out to find him standing at the shared wall between their courtyards, calling out to the Second Battalion Commander’s house, with Lijian excitedly circling him.

Sister Zhang responded, but before she could come out, her eldest son, Damao, who was on summer vacation, ran out first.

Seeing Lu Weiguo holding a bowl emitting a delicious aroma, Damao overcame his fear of him.

The intimidating Uncle Lu vs. the delicious food made by his aunt—the food won hands down.

Damao bravely asked, “Uncle Lu, my mom is in the kitchen. She’ll be here soon.”

Lu Weiguo wasn’t in a hurry and placed the bowl on the wall, waiting.

Damao licked his lips and asked innocently, “Uncle Lu, what’s in the bowl? It smells so good.”

Instead of Lu Weiguo answering, his mother’s loving smack responded.

“You little rascal, go and finish your summer homework.”

Damao instantly wilted.

Damao: If you hadn’t mentioned homework, we could still be a loving mother and son.

Mrs. Zhang ignored him. This mischievous boy needed a good talking-to every few days to keep him in check.

Lu Weiguo lifted the bowl and extended it towards the neighboring courtyard. “Sister-in-law, this is some sweet and sour ribs my wife made. We wanted to share a bit with you. It’s not much, please don’t mind.”

Mrs. Zhang waved her hands repeatedly, “No way! Meat is expensive. You and my sister should eat it. I’ve already cooked our dishes.”

Damao’s hopeful gaze fell short. His mother had made eggplant again, which he didn’t want to eat. He wanted the ribs.

Lu Weiguo said, “We made too much. With this heat, it might spoil by evening, and that would be a waste of food.”

Seeing that Mrs. Zhang still hesitated, Lu Weiguo called out to Damao, “Damao, bring a chair over here. You can take the bowl.”

Damao’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly went to get a chair, but Mrs. Zhang, quick as lightning, grabbed his collar.

She turned to Lu Weiguo with a smile, “Alright, Xiao Lu, I give up. I’ll accept it this time, but let’s not be so formal next time.”

Lu Weiguo could only agree.

Mrs. Zhang said, “Wait a moment. I’ll get you an empty bowl.”

She went into the kitchen.

After a while, Mrs. Zhang returned with a washed bowl.

Lu Weiguo took the bowl and disappeared from the wall.

Damao stood there, staring at the wall.

Mrs. Zhang asked, “Why are you standing there like a fool?”

Damao managed to squeeze out a sentence after a long pause, “Uncle Lu is really tall. I wish I could be as tall as Uncle Lu when I grow up.”

Mrs. Zhang replied with a sarcastic smile, “You’re dreaming. Your dad is 1.7 meters, and I’m 1.58 meters. Our child won’t grow to be 1.9 meters.”

Damao was stunned for two seconds and then burst into tears.

Mrs. Zhang glanced at him, “Cry more, and I’ll eat all the ribs myself.”

Damao immediately stopped crying. With tears still on his face, he said in a mature tone, “It’s okay. Short people can be generals too.”

Mrs. Zhang laughed. She admired how quickly he could switch his emotions.

Shi Tingyu’s cooking skills were undeniable, as evidenced by Damao’s oily mouth.

Mrs. Zhang originally planned to save some ribs for her husband, Old Zhang, to eat in the evening but worried that the heat might spoil it.

Seeing her son still craving more, she gave him the remaining pieces.

Damao’s eyes squinted with delight, further convinced that his neighbor’s wife was practically his own aunt.

On the other side of the wall, the Lu family was also eating.

Shi Tingyu picked up several dishes for Lu Weiguo and asked, “Was your mission successful this time? Did you get hurt?”

She couldn’t ask about the mission details, and he wouldn’t answer. She just needed to know if the mission went smoothly and if he was injured.

Lu Weiguo replied, “No injuries. It went smoothly this time.”

This mission was to destroy a spy nest.

Jinling was once the stronghold of another nationalist faction, with the former presidential palace located there, making it a hotspot for spies.

When they destroyed the nest, it seemed the spies had received some warning. Although they got the information too late and were captured, the source of the leak remained unknown.