Chapter 29.1

They didn’t even wait for Xu Zhu to open the door, and walked in as if they were familiar with the place.

As expected from soldiers, they shared a common trait: they were tall and well-built. They all wore bright smiles and carried dishes, some even bringing several buns.

“Why are you here? Sit down!”

Seeing this, Xu Zhu hurriedly invited them to sit.

Xie Yanzhao gave the newcomers a warning look.

They didn’t care. As soon as they entered the room, they set their eyes on Ruan Mingfu, who was sitting next to Xie Yanzhao, and their eyes lit up.

Wow, those two guys were right, she is truly a fairy!

Old Xie is really lucky.

In an instant, they looked at Xie Yanzhao with envy, jealousy and hatred in their eyes.

“Everyone, please take a seat,” Hu Wanning stood up, “I’ll go cook a few more dishes.”

These soldiers were tall and had big appetites.

Xu Zhu had only prepared enough food for Xie Yanzhao and Ruan Mingfu, not accounting for this unexpected extra company. Hu Wanning had initially only cooked for four, so with more people arriving, there wasn’t enough food.

“Don’t worry about it, sister-in-law,” the guests waved the dishes they had brought, “We brought our own food.”

They were considerate people.

Showing up unannounced at someone’s home without bringing something of their own would be inconsiderate.

The guests set their dishes on the table, filling it up. There was no choice but for Xu Zhu to bring out a larger table, which was only used during gatherings.

Now, there was enough room for everyone.

Some of the soldiers even took out their treasured bottles of wine.

After sitting back down, Ruan Mingfu had Xie Yanzhao on her left and Hu Wanning on her right. Being sandwiched between two familiar faces made her feel quite relaxed.

Xie Yanzhao picked up his chopsticks and was the first to serve Ruan Mingfu a piece of fish.

Hu Wanning’s cooking was excellent. The fish, which usually had a strong smell, was cooked to perfection, with a savory sauce underneath that made the fish melt in the mouth. The accompanying pickled vegetables soaked in the fish soup added to the rich aroma.

The dish was both fragrant and spicy, very appetizing.

Seeing that she enjoyed it, Xie Yanzhao served her another piece.

The other guests watched this scene with teasing expressions.

Xie Yanzhao remained unaffected, continuing as usual, showing no sign of being disturbed. Ruan Mingfu, however, felt slightly uncomfortable under their gaze.

“Tsk tsk tsk, people with a partner are different. Old Xie has learned to take care of others.”

“Indeed, I thought I was seeing things!”

“Have you noticed? Old Xie has become much gentler with the new recruits this time…”

“Nothing seems to shut you guys up.”

Xie Yanzhao shot a warning look at the four gossips, making his disapproval clear.

The group quickly fell silent.

It was fine to tease Xie Yanzhao occasionally, but they didn’t want to push him too far.

They didn’t want to get into trouble.

Besides, Xie Yanzhao’s behavior earlier had been quite intimidating.

When had he ever taken such care of someone?

They would never have believed it if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes. They exchanged glances, each full of meaning.

Wow, what’s the saying? A tough guy turns soft… That’s exactly what it was.

One of the soldiers cleared his throat, “Old Xie, aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“You’ll know when it’s time for you to know,” Xie Yanzhao said, fully aware of why they had come but not planning to satisfy their curiosity.

Wu Gang, however, was eating calmly.

As for how these two people got together, he knew better than anyone except Xu Zhu. But Wu Gang was tight-lipped, and Xu Zhu had just returned, so he hadn’t had time to report yet. These people were so anxious that they just came over directly.

They don’t have any bad intentions, they are just curious.

Xu Zhu raised his glass, “Why talk so much? Come on, let’s drink!”

“Drink up, we have to get Old Xie drunk today,” one of the soldiers focused on Xie Yanzhao. “Old Xie, you can’t pull a disappearing act like last time.”

The brothers came over with wine just to get him drunk.

Today, I have to make Xie Yanzhao drink until he falls down!

“Comrade Ruan, let them drink and drink, and we’ll enjoy our meal,” Hu Waning scooped a spoonful of tofu for Ruan Mingfu. “You’re so thin, you need to eat more. Try this, I specially learned how to make Mapo Tofu. I’m not sure if it’s authentic or not.”

Although Ruan Mingfu was from Haicheng, she loved spicy food.

Mapo Tofu was a dish she enjoyed in her past life.

She took a bite and her eyes lit up.

“Sister-in-law, you’re amazing. This is delicious.”

It wasn’t flattery.

Hu Waning’s cooking was indeed excellent. Although the beef was substituted with pork and there wasn’t enough Sichuan pepper powder, it didn’t affect the taste.

The tofu was soft and tender, mixed with minced meat, rich and spicy. One bite left a lasting impression.

It was much better than the food she had since coming here.

“Eat more if you like it.”

Who wouldn’t be happy with such praise?

Hu Waning scooped another spoonful for Ruan Mingfu.

Perhaps because of the Mapo Tofu, Ruan Mingfu’s already delicate lips appeared even more tempting, and her refined face had taken on a light blush, making her look even more beautiful.

The drinkers at the table were momentarily distracted.

Xie Yanzhao’s gaze deepened as he looked at them.

The soldiers who caught the warning in his eyes: “……”

Wow, talk about possessiveness!

Old Xie’s partner is in for a tough time…

Xie Yanzhao was known for his fierce reputation in the military. Several arranged blind dates had failed, but unexpectedly, he brought back such a beautiful partner.

The more they thought about it, the more they resented it.

The group began to take turns toasting Xie Yanzhao.

“Old Xie, drink!”

Each person took their turn to toast Xie Yanzhao, who accepted every drink without hesitation and downed them all.

After a round of drinks, Xie Yanzhao’s face showed signs of inebriation, and a few people across from him seemed unsteady on their feet.

Ruan Mingfu curiously eyed the white liquid in Xie Yanzhao’s glass.

“Sister-in-law, would you like a drink too?”

Misinterpreting that Ruan Mingfu also wanted to drink, the others started urging her.

“No,” Ruan Mingfu hadn’t even spoken, but Xie Yanzhao had already refused for her. “She’s weak and can’t drink.”

The soldiers started making a fuss again:

“Can’t stand to look, really can’t…”

“Sister-in-law, you shouldn’t let Old Xie control you so tightly. He should listen to you.”

“That’s right, Brother Xie is great and all, but he’s too overbearing. How can my Sister-in-law stand it…”

Before the last comment could be finished, Xie Yanzhao shot a warning glance, silencing them. The others swallowed their words and went back to drinking.

“Old Xie, drink up! We’re not stopping until we’re all drunk tonight.”

The new round of drinking began.

“Don’t mind them, they’re just a bunch of drunks,” Hu Waning leaned closer to Ruan Mingfu and whispered, “My old Xu has been drunk by them before, he couldn’t get up the next day. Old Xie is in danger…”

Ruan Mingfu looked at Xie Yanzhao with her big, beautiful eyes.

Though he had drunk a lot, he appeared unaffected, with his face unchanged and his eyes clear. When he saw Ruan Mingfu looking at him, he subtly squeezed her left hand under the table, rubbing it gently.

His rough palm against her soft hand brought a ticklish sensation, making her involuntarily shiver.

Ruan Mingfu: “……”

Is this man drunk or not?

Hu Wanning was right. These people weren’t going to let Xie Yanzhao off easily. The two women had left the table after eating, but the men were still drinking.

She held her eldest son, prepared some fish soup with rice, and fed him spoonful by spoonful.

The little chubby boy was well-behaved, eating a bite with each spoonful, not needing any urging. Hu Wanning also had time to chat with Ruan Mingfu, who was sitting next to her.

“Comrade Ruan, how old are you?”

Ruan Mingfu raised her eyebrows.

In recent times, two people had asked her age. She didn’t hide it and responded the same way she did to Lin Shu.

Hu Wanning, hearing this, almost spilled her son’s food.

“Comrade Ruan, you’re so young,” Hu Waning said, looking at Ruan Mingfu. “Calculating, you’re a full ten years younger than Old Xie.”

If Xie Yanzhao weren’t such a good brother to her old Xu, she’d suggest Ruan Mingfu reconsider the marriage.

Although Hu Wanning and Xu Zhu were also a few years apart, it wasn’t as much.

Hu Wanning came from a good family background, and her marriage to Xu Zhu was considered a good match. She was twenty-four when she married, which was considered late for that era.

Of course, Xie Yanzhao was even later.

Ruan Mingfu was clear about this.

Coming from the future, she didn’t place much importance on age. As long as this man treated her well now, and she didn’t dislike him, she’d deal with the future when it came. At least she was satisfied with the present.

If necessary, she could always divorce!

In a couple of years, she could take the college entrance exam, and with the restrictions not as strict, she could do something with the knowledge she had learned.

When the soldiers realized the age difference between the two was nearly ten years, unlike Hu Waning’s feelings, they looked at Xie Yanzhao with envy and jealousy, unable to hide their feelings.

“Don’t say anything else, just fill Old Xie’s cup to the brim!”

Today, they were determined to get Xie Yanzhao drunk and relieve their frustration!

They couldn’t understand it.

How did someone with such a fearsome reputation, who women avoided like the plague, end up with someone as beautiful as Ruan Mingfu?

He wasn’t afraid of him and didn’t care about his fierceness!

Where could they find someone like that?

Especially someone so beautiful!

Damn it, fate really had its quirks…

Their resentment grew stronger.

Damn it, they had to make sure Xie Yanzhao was drunk.

They were destined to be disappointed.

No matter how much Xie Yanzhao drank, his eyes remained clear, showing no sign of drunkenness. On the other hand, Xu Zhu was red-faced and looked somewhat dazed.

“Comrade Ruan, have some fruit,” Hu Wanning said, seeing that Xu Zhu was completely drunk. She cut up two apples—one for these people to help sober up, and one to serve Ruan Mingfu.

Apples were a rare treat these days, something to be fought over.

However, Ruan Mingfu wasn’t lacking. She took a slice, tasted it, and then asked, “Sister-in-law, do you know where I can make a phone call?”

She had left in a hurry and hadn’t informed Gu Yilin yet. He would probably be upset with her.

“You can use the phone at the military base,” Hu Wanning said with a smile. “Let Old Xie take you there later.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded.

Hu Wanning smiled again and continued, “Since you’ve just arrived, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me. By the way, you haven’t been assigned a house yet, have you?”

“No.”

They hadn’t even gotten their marriage certificate yet, so where would they get a house?

“Oh dear, you need to hurry,” Hu Wanning lowered her voice. “You don’t know, there are many family members of the soldiers here this time, all waiting to be allocated houses, you have to hurry up, if you are late the better houses will be allocated.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded thoughtfully.

Compared to the cramped building, she preferred a single-story house. With two courtyards, she could have Xie Yanzhao remodel it. Imagining sitting in the courtyard, drinking tea, and reading books was delightful.