Chapter 44.2

Qin Qingman, in Kaoshan Village, had no idea that Huang Wanqing had been targeted as soon as he arrived at the Hongqi Farm. At that moment, her family was having dinner.

Because there was plenty of meat, and with Wei Ling at home, Qin Qingman had no hesitation in using wild boar meat.

She asked Wei Ling to cut the frozen, stiff pork belly into inch-sized cubes, then heated some oil in the wok. She planned to make braised pork.

Braised pork belly, with its rich fat, could be overwhelming if eaten in excess, so Qin Qingman also asked Wei Ling to cut a small bowl of white radishes.

After stir-frying the pork belly to render out the excess fat, she added spices, sauces, and red yeast rice for color before braising it.

After an hour of slow cooking, the meat began to soften, and only then did Qin Qingman add the radish cubes to the pot.

The pot was brought to a boil on high heat, then simmered on low heat.

By the time night fell, the rich smell of meat wafted through not only the Qin family’s house but even spread throughout all of Kaoshan Village.

As the villagers caught the tempting scent, all eyes turned to the Qin household.

The Qin family had risen in stature, and Qin Qingman had found herself a good man.

In those days, having a full meal with meat was considered something enviable.

Many villagers swallowed their saliva, fantasizing about biting into a big piece of meat. They were craving meat, desperately craving it.

They hoped the weather would improve soon so they could all go hunting in the mountains.

It was precisely at that moment, when the smell of meat filled the air in Kaoshan Village, that Du Hongyi arrived. Not only did he come, but Yuan Xiangyang, Zuo Gaopeng, and Little Shi, all finished with their training, arrived as well.

However, they did not come empty-handed.

They had brought corn buns and a few dishes from the mess hall.

This unannounced visit meant that Master certainly wouldn’t cook for them, but with the scent of the Qin family’s meat wafting through the air, even the corn buns would taste good.

More importantly, it was the first time Zuo Gaopeng and Yuan Xiangyang had come. They were there to familiarize themselves with the place.

So, just as the dishes from the Qin family were placed on the table, the door to their yard was knocked on.

Wei Ling was helping Qin Qingman in the kitchen when Chuchu opened the door.

Chuchu lifted the curtain in the living room and recognized Du Hongyi and Little Shi in the dim light, then went to open the door.

Four grown men had arrived, and it was clear that the large pot of braised pork with radishes that Qin Qingman had cooked would not be enough to last.

Originally, Qin Qingman had thought the cold weather would make it difficult to cook the braised pork, so she had made extra, expecting it to last for two or three days. However, once Wei Ling’s comrades arrived, she realized that the food might barely be enough for the moment.

After they had eaten their fill, the group sat in the Qin family’s living room, loosening their belts in secret.

They were full, extremely full.

But they also felt satisfied, immensely satisfied.

The braised pork was tender and just right, full of meaty aroma, and the plump radishes had absorbed the excess fat, making them crisp and sweet. They were as delicious as the meat, so much so that Du Hongyi and Zuo Gaopeng could not stop eating.

In the end, the large pot of food that was meant to last the Qin family for three days was wiped clean in one sitting.

“Sister-in-law, at the end of the year, our division will be distributing meat. It’s all raised by our own division, and based on my rank, I’ll get at least twenty kilograms of meat. When the time comes, I’ll bring it to your house, consider it compensation for the meal I had today.” Zuo Gaopeng said with a cheerful smile to Qin Qingman.

Qin Qingman certainly couldn’t let him have twenty kilograms of meat just for one meal. She understood what Zuo Gaopeng was after but didn’t call him out. Instead, she agreed, “Alright, when the time comes, I’ll cure the meat into preserved pork. You’ll have enough to eat for a long time.”

“Sister-in-law, don’t forget about my meat. My parents are far from me, and I’ve always eaten at the mess hall. In the past, we accounted for the meat as part of our monthly rations. But now that I’ve tasted your cooking, I finally understand what real delicious food tastes like.” Yuan Xiangyang said, admiring Qin Qingman’s cooking.

“Alright, when you all get your meat, bring it to my house, and I’ll handle it for you.”

Qin Qingman knew that Du Hongyi and the others were soldiers and didn’t have many chances to leave camp. They wouldn’t come to her house to eat every day, so she readily agreed to their request to come for meals.

“Sister-in-law, we’ve discussed it with Lao Wei. When your house is being built next year, we’ll fix up our houses as well. By then, we’ll be neighbors.” Du Hongyi said eagerly, looking forward to the coming year.

He was also thinking about how often they could visit Qin Qingman’s house for meals after that.

Qin Qingman didn’t know that Du Hongyi and the others were planning to build their houses, nor did she realize that they intended to build them together. She looked surprised at Wei Ling.

Wei Ling, observing the enthusiastic Du Hongyi, explained to Qin Qingman, “They’re all getting older. Sooner or later, they’ll get married and leave the military camp. It’s better to build the houses early, so they won’t be scrambling when the time comes.”

He would never be like he was now, living at his wife’s house, not daring to do anything!

Once Wei Ling explained this, Qin Qingman understood the root of the issue.

Du Hongyi and his group weren’t planning on being reassigned for the next few years. They even planned to settle down in the frontier, and if they were to settle down, it made sense to build their houses first.

“Sis, Brother-in-law, are you going to abandon me?”

Just as the adults were happily discussing the house construction for the following year, Chuchu’s voice suddenly rang out. The little boy tightly grabbed Qin Qingman’s clothes, looking at Wei Ling and Du Hongyi with suspicion, as if he were guarding against thieves.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that these people were going to take his sister away.

He had always thought that Qin Qingman and Brother-in-law wouldn’t leave, that they would stay with him at the Qin family’s house.

The mere thought of Qin Qingman leaving him scared Chuchu, and tears quickly welled up in his eyes.

“Chuchu, don’t worry, sister isn’t leaving you.” Qin Qingman said quickly, hugging the boy to reassure him.

“Chuchu, don’t be afraid. Your sister and I won’t ever leave you. We’re just building a wooden house next door. Once it’s done, both families can play and stay together as much as you like.” Wei Ling added, trying to calm the frightened Chuchu.

Chuchu wasn’t entirely convinced, though, and didn’t loosen his grip on Qin Qingman’s hand.

“Chuchu, what your Brother-in-law said is true. Your sister and Brother-in-law are married now, and your family will have more people in it. With more people, two rooms won’t be enough, so we thought we’d build a house early. That way, you can also play with your nephews and have fun.” Du Hongyi spoke up. Having met Chuchu several times before, his words carried weight.

Not only did Du Hongyi’s words reassure Chuchu, but they also made Qin Qingman blush deeply.

Although Du Hongyi’s words were indirect, the meaning was all too clear, and it embarrassed Qin Qingman, who hadn’t yet consummated her marriage.

“Sis, is that true?”

Of course, it was at this moment that Chuchu turned to Qin Qingman for confirmation.

Qin Qingman didn’t know how to respond—she couldn’t say yes, but she couldn’t deny it either. Her face turned red, and she couldn’t bear to look at Wei Ling. She felt like her face was burning. If it weren’t for the fact that Du Hongyi and the others were still there, she might have run outside just to get some fresh air.

“Of course, it’s true.”

Wei Ling quickly took Chuchu from Qin Qingman’s arms and, looking him in the eyes seriously, said, “Chuchu, when you grow up, you’ll find a girl you like, just like Brother-in-law. You’ll marry her and give her a home. When that time comes, your family and Brother-in-law’s family will be right next door to each other. We’ll be able to look out for each other, but also have our own space. What do you think?”

He knew that Chuchu was smart and would understand what he meant.

Sure enough, Chuchu listened carefully and began to think deeply.

Though he was still young, he had been observing the adults around him.

Uncle and Auntie had gotten married, built their own houses, and then had cousins to live with. The more people there were in a house, the more rooms were needed. If there wasn’t enough space, they had to expand.

“Brother-in-law, I understand now.” Chuchu said, feeling like he had figured it out.

Wei Ling and Qin Qingman both sighed in relief.

They had previously overlooked Chuchu, thinking he was too young to understand, assuming that once they built the house and moved him over, everything would be fine. They hadn’t realized that he might feel abandoned.

Once Chuchu’s concerns were settled, Wei Ling glanced at Du Hongyi and the others.

They had eaten and drunk their fill, and it was time to leave; they needed to get back to the division.

Du Hongyi knew that his earlier comments had embarrassed Qin Qingman, and he couldn’t sit still anymore. As soon as Wei Ling’s gaze fell on him, he quickly gestured to Zuo Gaopeng and the others, signaling that it was time to leave.

Although Qin Qingman was embarrassed, she didn’t hold a grudge.

As Du Hongyi and his group were leaving, she still saw them off with some homemade sausages, which she had cooked and cooled in advance. The sausages could be easily cooked again, and they tasted good.

“Thank you, sister-in-law.” Du Hongyi said gratefully, surprised by the gift from Qin Qingman.

“Come over for dinner sometime.” Qin Qingman said, her face still red, but her manner was composed and graceful.

Du Hongyi and the others left with satisfaction, stepping into the night.

On their way back, none of them spoke, but their minds were spinning. Seeing Wei Ling’s happy life, they now looked forward to their own futures in marriage.

“Last time, the political commissar told me he would introduce me to a potential match.” Du Hongyi suddenly said halfway through their walk.

Zuo Gaopeng and Yuan Xiangyang chimed in unison, “The political commissar said the same thing to me.”

“Then let’s go see the political commissar.” Du Hongyi grinned, his excitement clear.

Political Commissar Zhang had no idea that the seed he had planted earlier was about to bear fruit today.

Back at the Qin household, after Du Hongyi and the others left, Wei Ling quietly cleared the table and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. He knew that Qin Qingman’s shyness hadn’t yet passed.

Qin Qingman took a moment to glance at Wei Ling’s back before heading to organize the bedding.

The night before, Huang Wanqing had stayed over and used the set of bedding that Wei Ling had previously used.

“Sis, Brother-in-law isn’t an outsider. We’re almost out of firewood, so there’s no need to heat two beds, right? I saw Cousin’s family—they all sleep on one bed, and it works just fine for them!” Chuchu suddenly spoke up as he saw Qin Qingman arranging the bedding.

Qin Qingman froze in place, her hands stiffened, still holding the bedding.

In the kitchen, Wei Ling’s ears perked up, and a smile spread across his face.

His efforts in being kind to Chuchu had paid off. The boy was now playing matchmaker, and not just any matchmaker—he was a divine assistant. The thought of sleeping on the same bed with his wife tonight made Wei Ling’s entire body heat up.

He almost couldn’t resist rushing outside to take a cold shower.