Chapter 10 – She Surrendered

Luo Yaqing had overestimated herself.

The grain sack on her shoulder was so heavy that she couldn’t straighten her back. Every step left her gasping for breath.

But when she thought of the man—and his hand-pulled noodles—she gritted her teeth and found strength again.

She staggered forward for a dozen more meters when, all of a sudden, the weight on her shoulder vanished. Her whole body instantly felt light.

“Why didn’t you wait for me?” Han Zhixu asked, easily lifting the grain sack in one hand.

Luo Yaqing wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I wanted to get home early and cook for you.”

Han Zhixu’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

…

Luo Yaqing followed behind Han Zhixu, holding a bag of peach crisps, her eyes twinkling as she gazed at his tall, muscular frame—utterly smitten.

Maybe every girl has a thing for a “uniformed boyfriend.”

Iron-blooded and upright, full of righteous authority.

Who could resist?

Well, she had already surrendered.

Worried she wouldn’t be able to keep up, Han Zhixu looked back at her and slowed his pace.

Luo Yaqing caught up on her own.

When they returned to the family compound, a group of women who had been chatting idly together were just about to put away their stools and disperse.

The sight of the two walking together froze them in place, as if they’d just seen something extraordinary.

“Oh my, where are the young couple coming from?”

Zhang Guiqin, who was holding a half-knitted sweater, greeted them.

“We just got back from town,” Luo Yaqing replied with a smile.

Zhang Guiqin chuckled, “One, six, and nine—that’s when the market’s lively. You guys didn’t pick a good day.”

“That’s true,” Luo Yaqing agreed, walking over. “The streets were really quiet.”

A nearby woman chimed in, “The big market in the next town is on four, seven, and ten—but it’s a bit far.”

“Oh, I’ll remember that. I’ll go check it out when I get a chance.”

Luo Yaqing responded warmly. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Granny Su’s little grandson staring wide-eyed at the bag in her hand, sucking on his finger.

Kids craving snacks was nothing unusual.

“Jianguo, come here. Auntie’s got something tasty for you…”

Luo Yaqing squatted down, smiling as she opened the package of peach crisps.

Little Jianguo’s eyes lit up, practically drooling at the sight.

Just as he was about to reach out, his grandma stopped him. “No, no, you shouldn’t…”

Luo Yaqing gently pushed a peach crisp into his hand. “I like Jianguo!”

Three-year-old Jianguo looked down at the treat, then back at his grandma.

“You little foodie, say thank you to Auntie Luo,” Granny Su instructed.

“Thank you, Auntie~” Jianguo’s voice was sweet and soft.

Luo Yaqing reached out and patted his head, smiling warmly to show her affection.

Seeing that she liked children, Granny Su laughed and asked, “So when are you giving Commander Han a chubby little boy?”

Luo Yaqing turned to glance at the man standing not far off. “Soon. I’m working on it…”

First, build the relationship.

Let it grow naturally.

“A woman needs to put on some weight to bear children well. You’re too skinny.”

“That’s right, Yaqing, eat more.”

“If you want kids, your body has to be well-nourished.”

The women found a new topic and wouldn’t stop, eagerly sharing advice.

Luo Yaqing nodded repeatedly, humbly accepting it all.

Maybe because everyone was chatting so comfortably, they forgot that she used to be the arrogant and proud daughter of a capitalist.

As they grew more familiar, their words got bolder and less filtered.

“Yaqing, your hips are wide—you’ll definitely give birth to a boy!” Zhang Guiqin said seriously.

Everyone chimed in, “Wide hips mean easy labor and more likely to have boys.”

Luo Yaqing could only give a dry laugh.

Such nonsense…

After a few polite words, she quickly slipped away, dragging Han Zhixu with her.

Once the main characters left, the women continued chatting as they dispersed:

“Commander Han really dotes on his wife—always bringing snacks.”

“That peach crisp looked like at least a pound.”

“Must’ve cost quite a bit.”

“Oh, stop worrying—Commander Han makes over sixty yuan a month with salary and allowance. More than enough to support a wife.”

…

Back home, Luo Yaqing rushed into the inner room to change into a lighter jacket. Rolling up her sleeves, she began preparing dinner.

She scooped a ladle of flour into a clay basin, adding water little by little as she kneaded it.

It was her first time cooking for this man—she wanted to give it her all.

Han Zhixu, rarely idle, watched her struggle with the dough. “Let me do it.”

Luo Yaqing looked up at him. “No need. Just rest and wait for the meal.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t know how.

She just didn’t have as much strength.

She knew the secret to perfect dough: dry bowl, dry dough, dry hands.

Once it was ready, she looked proudly at her clean hands—no flour stuck at all.

While the dough rested, she grabbed two eggs from the cupboard, stir-fried them in lard, added some yellow bean paste, soy sauce, and chopped scallions—making a flavorful egg topping.

She washed the pot, poured in the warm water from the aluminum kettle, and waited for it to boil. Meanwhile, she quickly rolled out the dough into noodles.

Just as the water boiled—noodles in.

“Dinner’s almost ready!”

Standing by the pot, Luo Yaqing stirred the noodles with chopsticks.

The steam blurred the air, turning her fair cheeks rosy.

The light-colored jacket suited her well, and her braided hair draped gently over her shoulders. She looked gentle and graceful.

Han Zhixu found himself momentarily dazed.

When the steaming noodles were done, Luo Yaqing covered the stove and turned to see him still standing there, stunned.

“Come eat. The big bowl is yours.”

Snapping back to reality and a bit embarrassed, Han Zhixu lowered his head and walked over to sit down.

“Thanks for the hard work,” he said, looking at the hot noodles in front of him.

Luo Yaqing sat opposite him and scooped a few spoonfuls of egg sauce into his bowl. “I used a lot of lard in this sauce—hurry and taste it.”

He stirred the noodles gently. The sauce and noodles combined, releasing a rich aroma. He lifted the noodles, blew on them, and took a bite.

“Well? How is it?” Luo Yaqing asked nervously.

“The noodles are chewy,” Han Zhixu commented objectively.

Luo Yaqing let out a relieved breath.

To increase the chewiness, she had added a bit of baking soda to the dough.

“How about the sauce?” she asked again.

He nodded. “Very flavorful with the noodles.”

Luo Yaqing smiled happily and picked up her own chopsticks, cheerfully digging into her bowl.

Han Zhixu glanced at her quietly.

He hadn’t expected her to actually know how to cook.

“I was chatting with Granny Su and the others earlier—did you hear us?” Luo Yaqing asked between bites.

Han Zhixu shook his head.

“That’s a shame…” Luo Yaqing sighed.

Han Zhixu said nothing, continuing to eat.

They were standing a bit far, but he had heard bits and pieces…

He was just surprised—when had Luo Yaqing become so friendly with them?

She used to scoff at everyone in the compound.

After dinner, Luo Yaqing came out of the inner room again. “Han Zhixu.”

Han Zhixu paused in the middle of replacing the coal briquette and looked up. “What is it?”

“I want to take a bath.”

“The bathhouse opens the day after tomorrow.”

“But I want to bathe now,” she said, walking closer. “Smell me—I stink.”

She leaned in, and Han Zhixu’s ears started turning red. “It’s cold at home. Just wait until the bathhouse opens…”

“I can’t wait.”

Not to mention, she hadn’t bathed in a while because of the injury on her wrist. Plus, after sweating all day hauling grain—there was no way she was skipping a bath tonight.

Her eyes were determined.

Han Zhixu had no choice. “I’ll heat the water.”