Chapter 17

In the kitchen, there were many books stacked up. Qiao Wei tore a book and used it to ignite the firewood; it worked well.

She cooked in the kitchen, while Yan Lei outside washed all the clothes they had changed after bathing today. Summer made it easy to sweat, and if clothes were not washed frequently, they would develop a smell. He rubbed soap on the collars and cuffs, then tossed them into the water a few times.

For Yan Lei’s physical fitness, this kind of work was nothing.

Originally a rural youth, he could handle any kind of work. Later, during conscription, the village cadre at home falsely reported his age on the introduction letter to enlist him. It could be said that he grew up in the military, and his physique and endurance were outstanding.

He could wash clothes even faster than Qiao Wei could cook.

After all the clothes were hung, he sniffed his nose. It was strange; why did the stir-fry today at home smell particularly fragrant?

Wiping his hands with a towel, he walked to the kitchen door and glanced inside.

Qiao Wei tore many pages from books and placed them at her feet. Every now and then, she threw a handful into the stove, and the flames instantly grew larger. The intense fire stir-fried the dishes; just watching the fire and hearing the sizzling sound in the pot made the food smell delicious.

However, it seemed like she couldn’t put much strength into her arms, and it was a bit difficult for her to lift the pot while slanting it.

But soon, she rinsed the pot and started stir-frying the next dish.

Yan Lei, holding a towel, watched for a while.

If someone treats you heartlessly, even the meals they make carry a sense of perfunctoriness and compromise, making it hard to swallow. It’s impossible to share a table or sleep on the same bed.

But now, although Qiao Wei struggled to hold the pot, the way she wielded the spatula, with a lively rhythm and vitality, was different.

However, from time to time, she would switch the spatula to the other hand and then shake her arm.

Washing a few pieces of clothing could tire her out like this, which is truly useless.

After watching for a while, Yan Lei went back inside.

Upon entering the study in the west room, he noticed an empty space on the bookshelf. The bookshelf wasn’t large, and it used to be packed full. Now, there was a noticeable gap.

Everything was moved to the kitchen to burn.

Yan Lei still couldn’t quite believe it. In the past, these books were her treasures, and she didn’t allow him to touch them.

Turning his head to look at Yan Xiang playing in the living room, he then looked at the bookshelf, randomly pulled out a book, and opened it to read.

During this era, there weren’t many web novels like those for beginners. What could be printed in lead type was meticulously selected by editors from countless submissions. Regardless of the content or the intention, at least the writing and literary style were outstanding.

Yan Lei got immersed in it as he read.

He didn’t know how long he had been reading when suddenly, someone called him for dinner from the yard. He snapped back to reality, and thinking about what he had just read, he couldn’t help but furrow his brow slightly.

There seemed to be a faint sense of unsavory ideological thoughts in those words.

He was not entirely sure; he felt like he needed to read it again.

But with Qiao Wei calling “dinner” outside, he thought of folding a corner to remember where he left off. It was a close call; he almost folded it. Remembering that he had once folded the pages of her book, she got angry because he didn’t cherish her books and forbade him from touching them again.

He remembered that she had a set of bamboo bookmarks that she used to mark her reading progress. Yan Lei opened the drawer, intending to take a bookmark, but then he hesitated—her letters were gone from the drawer.

Originally neatly bundled with rubber bands. Later, when she left with her books, he opened and read them haphazardly, then stuffed them into the drawer.

All gone.

Did they end up in the flames like the books? Or did she hide them even deeper?

Yan Lei thought of that technician as clean and delicate, with delicate features. Indeed, at first glance, he looked like an intellectual.

But that was a guy who lacked courage and had ill intentions. If she had experienced such a thing and still didn’t wake up, she still liked that kind of person… then she could do whatever she wanted in the future; he wouldn’t care.

Yan Lei took a bookmark, placed the book back, and went outside. The small table had already been moved from under the eaves to the middle of the yard, where Qiao Wei was serving hot dishes. Yan Xiang was trying her best to drag a wooden stool from under the eaves to the table. It was made of old elm wood, which was quite heavy.

Yan Lei didn’t help Yan Xiang; he carried two others and yelled to his son, “Put some effort into it!”

Yan Xiang was almost using all his strength!

Qiao Wei put down her bowl, reprimanding Yan Lei, “He’s still young!”

She walked over to lift the stool from Yan Xiang’s hands, but unexpectedly, her arm felt sore, and the stool almost fell to the ground. She had to use both hands to catch it and move it to the side of the table.

Yan Lei arranged the chairs and asked, “Did washing the clothes make your arms sore?”

I saw her shaking her arms several times.

Qiao Wei grimaced, “Washed clothes in the morning, started to ache in the afternoon.”

It was because she hadn’t done this kind of heavy work before. Simply put, it was called a lack of practice.

Yan Lei pursed his lips, controlled his expression, and didn’t say anything unpleasant.

There was nothing to say. Former comrades and leaders had all advised him, saying that although Qiao Wei Wei was highly educated, she didn’t look like someone who could do hard work.

She even said it herself—she couldn’t do heavy work.

At that time, he promised that if there was heavy or tiring work, he would do it.

There was nothing to regret about a promise he made to himself.

Yan Lei picked up food with his chopsticks and said without much patience, “Why wash clothes if it’s not necessary? Don’t wash them in the future.”

Qiao Wei glanced at him.

Actually, she had seen that he had already washed all the clothes they had changed into today. Unlike some other men who would rather watch with their feet up and not lift a finger, waiting for their wives to do everything,.

Qiao Wei felt that life with this man could be quite pleasant.

Yan Lei didn’t know why Qiao Wei’s glance just now was so captivating. In that glance, there seemed to be a smile, gentle and full of affection.

She had never looked at him like that before. Yan Lei felt a bit awkward, lowered his head, took a big bite of rice, and then ate the dishes.

The dishes today tasted especially delicious.

At this time, the military provided meals based on rank, with different kitchens for officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel. Officers at the regiment level and above ate in separate kitchens; regiment and battalion officers ate in another; and company-level officers ate in the main kitchen.

Yan Lei was at the regiment level, so he ate in the officers’ kitchen.

But today, the food at home felt even more fragrant than the regiment officers’ kitchen, with a rich aroma that could rival the quality of food prepared for officers at the battalion level.

Yan Lei looked at the plate of dishes and immediately understood why it was so fragrant—Qiao Wei had added a lot of oil.

In fact, officer families were generally wealthier than ordinary families and were willing to use more oil and meat. Especially in Yan Lei’s family, with only three people, they were more willing to use oil than the family of Regiment Captain Zhao.

 But Qiao Wei used an unusually large amount of oil today, to the extent that, in Yan Lei’s eyes, it was considered a serious waste.

However… The dishes indeed smelled delicious.

Yan Lei ate another half bowl of rice and, after swallowing, asked, “Is there enough oil at home?”

“Should be enough,” Qiao Wei said.

Actually, she felt a bit guilty. Firstly, she didn’t accurately understand the historical consumption of oil. The memories of the original owner were like watching a movie, with those trivial details being blurry and not so precise.

Then she also knew that she used a lot of oil herself. She loved the fragrance of the oil. Even in her previous world, her mother scolded her, “You’re not eating oil; you’re drinking oil.”

She also thought the older generation was too thrifty. If there wasn’t enough oil, the dishes wouldn’t be flavorful enough.

When Yan Lei questioned her, she felt a bit nervous.

Considering whether she should pay attention to the amount of oil used in the future, Yan Lei said, “If there’s not enough oil, just buy more. The oil coupons are in the box. If there aren’t enough oil coupons, tell me. I’ll figure something out.”

In this era, money was undoubtedly important, but coupons were even more critical. Without coupons, having money didn’t guarantee you could buy things, or you might only be able to buy at a high price.

Qiao Wei instantly sympathized with Lin Xixi.

Lin Xixi had truly walked through this era, experiencing the hardships of the time. It was perfectly normal for her, after reincarnating, to want to cling to Yan Lei’s thigh.

Who wouldn’t want to?

This was an era where you had to save and be frugal, even with oil.

For the sake of a mouthful of oil, it was worth clinging to.

The atmosphere of this meal was much better than last night. Yan Xiang ate half a bowl more than usual.

Seeing Qiao Wei shaking her arm and giving him a sidelong glance, the expression clearly conveyed her meaning. Yan Lei resisted the urge to roll his eyes and said, “You don’t have to worry about it; I’ll wash the dishes.”

Qiao Wei smiled and stood up, saying, “Thanks.”

For an old married couple, saying thank you for such things was a bit ridiculous.

Yan Lei went into the house with a cold face, carrying a pot of warm water heated by the remaining heat of the firewood. He rinsed the bowls and chopsticks in the warm water to remove the oil and then used a loofah to scrub them.

Turning his head, he saw a layer of oil patterns floating in the pot, shimmering with colorful gloss in the dim evening light.

Really extravagant.

Fortunately, he could afford it.

Throughout history, men who had the ability to support their families and provide a good life for their wives and children tended to be somewhat proud and self-satisfied.

Yan Lei was no exception.

It was strange, though. After so many years of marriage, buying her so many fashionable clothes, providing her with refined food, and ensuring an abundance of eggs, why had he never felt this sense of accomplishment before?

Yan Lei paused.

Maybe it was because she had never looked at him with that kind of smile before.

The kind of gaze that carried happiness and satisfaction, eyes sparkling, as if saying: This man is really not bad.

…

Tsk!

She still said “thank you” to him, acting all pretentious.

After washing the dishes, Yan Xiang continued to help with the drying, as usual.

Yan Lei asked, “Where’s your mom?”

“In the room.”

Yan Lei turned to look, and indeed, the study room’s light had come on, and she had also drawn the curtains.

As soon as he entered the study, Qiao Wei asked him, “Did you read this book?”

She was holding the book that Yan Lei had marked with a bamboo bookmark.

Yan Lei admitted, “Read a little.”

He glanced at her. But she didn’t show any anger at him for touching her books without permission. Instead, her eyes were bright, and she asked, “How do you feel about it?”

“I think there’s a problem. The thoughts and feelings seem off.” Yan Lei considered and said, “You should read it yourself again. If it’s not good, burn it.”

After all, she had burned so many books that one more wouldn’t matter.

Qiao Wei’s eyes sparkled, as if she had an idea. Indeed, she said, “Whether there’s a problem or not, instead of me reading it, why don’t you read it yourself?”

“What are you planning?” Yan Lei frowned, sternly warning her, “Let me tell you, I won’t be corrupted by these things.”

“I know. That’s why it’s better for you to judge whether it should be kept or burned. Your standards are stricter than mine. Letting you judge will be safer, right?” Qiao Wei smiled and gestured for him to sit at the desk, then left.

Yan Lei raised his collar, fanning it a couple of times, and sat down at the desk to start reading.

The writing style was still very engaging, and he got absorbed into it again. Yan Lei had mostly read political propaganda before, and he hadn’t read such captivating writing.

When Qiao Wei came in with a plate, she saw him engrossed, flipping through the pages with lowered eyebrows.

Disturbed by her footsteps, Yan Lei finally came back to his senses. Looking at it, he had already read so much.

He couldn’t feel the passage of time.

“Is it good?” Qiao Wei puffed up her cheek and chewed on something, handing the plate over. “Eat a peach.”

On the plate were the peaches that Lei had brought back. They were washed cleanly and cut into pieces.

Yan Lei took a piece and asked, “Why cut it?”

When eating peaches, you could just bite into them directly. Or split them in half, with each person taking one half.

Cutting them like this seemed too delicate, giving off a decadent bourgeois feeling.

Qiao Wei fluttered her eyes twice. “Um… it’s not easy for Xiaoxiang to eat if it’s too big.”

Alright, this reason was acceptable. Also, Yan Lei noticed that cutting them into bite-sized pieces made it convenient and neat without dripping juice.

Seeing that he no longer questioned why the peaches were cut into pieces, Qiao Wei breathed a sigh of relief and asked him, “Is the book good?”

 Yan Lei picked up another piece of peach, chewed a couple of times, and swallowed. Using his fingers, he pointed at the cover of the book and said very seriously, “I can responsibly tell you that the ideological content of this book is definitely problematic.”

“No…” Qiao Wei reached out, her fair fingers pressing down on the book, slightly leaning forward. “I’m asking you if this book is interesting or not?”

Her bright and clear eyes were staring directly at Yan Lei.