Chapter 141: Jealousy and Hatred

Wu Liang and Chen Mingchuan weren’t strangers. Although they hadn’t worked together, they had interacted in the course of their work.

Besides, reporting someone wasn’t a small matter.

If he got it wrong, he would be criticized and possibly even disciplined!

Chen Mingchuan was the commander’s favorite…

“Don’t get excited, I still don’t think it’s true.”

“There are so many families in their camp, he brought back so much, did the Li family get any?”

The Li family?

Wang Lijuan’s eyes rolled: “They should have, otherwise why would that Xu guy be so happy?”

“She doesn’t seem jealous at all!”

“Wu Liang, go check it out. If he really used his power for personal gain and took advantage of the public, that’s drinking the blood of the soldiers!”

Wu Liang also felt it shouldn’t be like this. Taking some vegetables was still acceptable.

If he blatantly took the camp’s lard home, that would be a big problem!

“Okay, I’ll go ask someone later. Let’s prepare to eat.”

“But, don’t be impulsive, if we get it wrong, we’ll not only be useless but also have the suspicion of slander.”

Wang Lijuan nodded: “Yes, I understand. You go and check it out properly later.”

“By the way, I heard that Instructor Lin has a lot of close friends in the artillery camp, you can intervene from that aspect.”

Wu Liang nodded: “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind. Don’t get involved anymore.”

Of course she wouldn’t get involved, but she wouldn’t just sit and wait for news!

Wang Lijuan didn’t say anything more: “I’ll go call Kangkang back for dinner.”

“Okay.”

The Wu family started to eat, and the Chen family started to eat as well.

Xiao Nan didn’t eat at other people’s houses, except his uncle’s.

But when Chen Mingchuan called, he arrived on time, right at dinner time.

The camp’s vegetarian dishes today were lotus root slices and cabbage.

Li Xinyue stewed a pot of potatoes with pork ribs and made a cucumber salad.

Then there were braised dishes, bean curd steamed with pork ribs, egg yolk crispy pork ribs, and meat sauce with chili peppers.

A round table was placed on the table, borrowed from the Li family, which instantly made it wider.

Four soldiers sat together, Chen Mingchuan, Li Jianshan, and Xiao Nan sat together, and Li Xinyue sat with Chen Yiheng.

They all praised the delicious food while eating, especially Li Jianshan, who hadn’t eaten enough in the morning.

“Zhu Gang, your camp commander’s wife’s cooking skills are better than yours.”

Zhu Gang smiled shyly: “Deputy Battalion Commander, if I had my wife’s cooking skills, I would have become a chef at a state-owned restaurant after I retired!”

“Sister-in-law, please come to the camp and give me some pointers, so that I can also arrange work when I go back.”

Li Xinyue generously said: “It’s not about skills, it’s actually about the recipe.”

“You’ve learned all of these today. When you go back, I’ll write down the recipe for you.”

As soon as she said that, Zhu Gang was shocked.

“No, no, no, sister-in-law, I was just joking, please don’t take it seriously!”

Recipes are family heirlooms, you can’t just ask for them!

But Li Xinyue said generously: “I’m not just saying it. When it comes to cooking, it’s not just about the recipe, it also depends on your touch and inspiration.”

“Food can only serve the people better when it’s made.”

“Captain Zhu, as long as you don’t spread this recipe around, I’m genuinely willing to pass it on to you.”

This braised dish is truly delicious!

Zhu Gang had never thought of this way of making pork ribs.

And this jar of meat, the chili peppers stir-fried with it are even more delicious than the meat.

“Sister-in-law, you can rest assured, I swear to you: if I leak the recipe, let me be a bachelor for the rest of my life!”

Li Xinyue laughed: “Hahaha, Captain Zhu, don’t be so serious, I believe you.”

“Okay! Next time, I’ll think of some other dishes and call you over to eat!”

“When you become a chef at a state-run restaurant, remember to treat me to a meal.”

Zhu Gang, with a serious expression, replied, “Sister-in-law, if that day ever comes, you’re always welcome!”

Neither of them knew at that moment that they would indeed meet again in the future, and their identities would have changed drastically.

Xiao Nan wasn’t a talkative person, but he shared the same love for food.

“Give me a jar of this.”

He pointed his chopsticks at the meat paste chili sauce.

Chen Mingchuan nodded, “Okay, I’ve prepared everything.”

“One jar of braised pork and one jar of meat paste chili sauce, you can take them with you later.”

“If your grandfather likes them, I’ll make some more next time.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xinyue opened her mouth: Wasn’t Xiao Nan’s grandfather in the capital?

Wouldn’t it be too far to send it from here?

Xiao Nan’s grandfather was already eighty years old, but he was said to be in good health.

Li Xinyue asked worriedly, “The jars are made of clay, won’t they break during the journey?”

Chen Mingchuan shook his head, “No, Xiao Nan just received notice that he needs to go back to the capital in three days, he’ll take the things with him directly.”

Going to the capital in three days?

Li Xinyue’s heart stirred: Today was September 4th, three days later would be the 7th.

The 7th… she was free.

“Then there’s no problem, the braised dishes can’t be kept for that long, so they can’t be taken.”

But…

“Grandpa likes to eat pig head meat, pig trotters are also fine.”

Xiao Nan’s straightforwardness made Li Xinyue’s head spin: She had no problem making them, but where would she get the pig head and trotters?

Fortunately…

“I still have a few pounds of meat coupons, I’ll braise them on the evening of the 6th, and I’ll take the early flight on the 7th.”

“Mingchuan will send me off then, leave the car here.”

Alright, Li Xinyue didn’t say anything more.

It was just a matter of braising a pot of pig head meat, wasn’t it?

“Okay!”

The soldiers’ appetites were impressive, they finished several large bowls clean.

Just as they put down their bowls, there was a sound of firecrackers…

“Xiao Li, your fellow villager gave birth, a pair of twins, a boy and a girl.”

As soon as they went out, they ran into Xu Hongqin, who was excitedly running towards them.

Li Xinyue was also happy to hear that, “Was the delivery smooth?”

Xu Hongqin nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, it was a natural birth, very smooth.”

That was good.

Although Caesarean sections were available in this era, surgery always left scars on the body.

Natural birth was the best.

“They haven’t come back yet?”

“Not yet, Wu Weiguo’s mother was just setting off firecrackers, she’s so happy.”

Of course, twins, a boy and a girl, this was a great joy, who wouldn’t be happy?

“Zhao Lan is a lucky person.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Hongqin said, “I think you’re even luckier than her!”

“You’re the only one who has found a wild boar while chopping wood in the mountains in all these years!”

“You’re a lucky star!”

Was she a lucky star?

“Hehe,” Li Xinyue touched her face and laughed sheepishly, “I can’t be called a lucky star, this was the first time I encountered something like this.”

“You know, I’ve been up the mountains countless times in my hometown, but I’ve never encountered anything like this.”

“Maybe it’s Chen Mingchuan’s good fortune, you know!”

Really?

Xu Hongqin thought about it, maybe it was true.

Isn’t this Battalion Commander Chen a lucky man?

He was promoted to battalion commander at a young age, and according to her husband, he was about to be promoted again!

He was promoted to deputy battalion commander for only a year and a half, and now he’s been a battalion commander for less than three years, and he’s going to be promoted again!

If he wasn’t a lucky star, what was he?

He was simply a lucky general!