Upon hearing the words of the aunties, Wen Ci recalled some things about Huo Jingyuan. The marriage between the Jiang and Huo families had been arranged decades ago.

Huo Jingyuan, rebellious in his youth, had joined the military in the northwest to avoid this marriage. It wasn’t until this year, after the passing of Old Master Huo, that he finally agreed to the union.

Wen Ci pondered.

If there was no one in the Huo family, would she have to cook tonight?

Huo Jingyuan chatted with the aunties for a while longer. When the lunch bell rang in the compound, many people, carrying lunchboxes, headed out to the canteen to get their meals.

Hearing the bell, the aunties bid farewell to Huo Jingyuan one after another.

The military canteen was famous for its delicious, affordable, and economical meals.

Wen Ci wasn’t hungry, but thinking about Huo Jingyuan’s time serving in the northwest, she curiously asked, “In the northwest, do people eat a lot of wheat-based foods?”

Huo Jingyuan nodded.

“Can you cook them?” Wen Ci asked.

“Yes.”

“Will you cook for lunch then?”

Hearing this, Huo Jingyuan stopped in his tracks. He lowered his gaze to look at Wen Ci, who was walking beside him, blinked, and said, “Aren’t we going to the state-run restaurant for lunch?”

During his time in the northwest military region, he had heard a lot about Jiang Ci. Jiang Ci had been pampered since childhood and would only eat food from state-run restaurants.

After returning to the capital, Huo Jingyuan had specifically exchanged a lot of food coupons, intending to treat Jiang Ci to a few more days of good living. After all, the northwest wasn’t as prosperous as the capital.

There wasn’t much good food to be had there.

“Why go to the state-run restaurant?” Wen Ci asked.

During her years in the apocalypse, Wen Ci had eaten many delicacies stored in her space, but she hadn’t had the chance to stock up on northern wheat-based foods.

She was craving them terribly!

Wen Ci frowned, “You can’t cook, can you?”

“That’s not it.”

Huo Jingyuan smiled.

He was among the earliest officers stationed in the northwest. Back then, conditions were harsh, and he had learned to make many simple local dishes.

“Then I can help you with the preparations.”

Huo Jingyuan raised an eyebrow, “Didn’t you claim to have never lifted a finger in the kitchen?”

“Uh…”

Wen Ci suddenly remembered.

She needed to confess her background to Huo Jingyuan.

Wen Ci bit her lower lip, unsure of how to broach the subject. He was supposed to marry a daughter of the Jiang family, and while she was technically a Jiang daughter, she wasn’t the one in name.

Seeing the troubled expression on her face, Huo Jingyuan’s eyes softened, and he spoke in a deep, gentle voice, “Comrade Jiang, we are now legally married. I hope that as husband and wife, we can speak openly about anything.”

He had always been straightforward. Now that they were married, he didn’t like the idea of keeping things hidden.

Hearing the words “legally married,” Wen Ci felt a surge of courage. She lifted her head and looked directly at Huo Jingyuan:

“There’s something I need to confess to you. Let’s talk at home!”

“Alright.”

…

Upon returning to the Huo residence, they pushed open the door to a meticulously clean courtyard. On the left were some withered vegetables, and on the right was a pavilion for playing chess.

Wen Ci surveyed the courtyard.

In the military compound, large houses were reallocated after the owner’s death. Even if there were family members, they would be assigned a new house.

As far as Wen Ci knew, Huo Jingyuan was the only one left in the Huo family.

Yet, this house hadn’t been reclaimed!

Stepping back into the Huo residence, Huo Jingyuan felt an indescribable emotion. This house held too many memories for him, but now…

Huo Jingyuan glanced at Wen Ci and slowly said, “I also need to tell you everything about my family.”

“Should I go first?” Wen Ci blinked.