Chapter 37: Scallion Oil Flower Rolls

When they got home, Meng Yufei placed her shoulder bag on the sofa, put the pineapple on the dining table, and took the eggs to the kitchen to sort them out.

Xia Qinqin ran into the small room, opened the desk drawer, took out her colored pens and drawing paper, and then ran back to the dining table.

Climbing onto a chair skillfully, she spread out the drawing paper on the table and began sketching the pineapple in front of her.

When Meng Yufei came out of the kitchen and saw her drawing, she asked, “Qinqin, does your hand hurt when you’re holding the pen?”

Xia Qinqin shook her head and stretched out her hand. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Hearing that, Meng Yufei nodded in relief and reminded her, “Be careful not to touch your wound, okay?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Meng Yufei turned back to the kitchen, cracked four eggs into a soup bowl, added some warm water, stirred them well, and then placed the bowl in the steamer on the coal stove.

Since they didn’t have a steaming rack at home, she inverted a bowl in the pot and carefully placed the soup bowl on top. Then, she added water to the pot just up to the bottom of the soup bowl, covered the lid, and lit the fire.

After setting the eggs to steam, Meng Yufei planned to go to the canteen to get some food. She saw Xia Qinqin lying on the table, fully focused on her drawing, and asked, “Qinqin, Mom is going to the canteen. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to stay and keep drawing?”

Xia Qinqin hesitated, holding her pen in her hand. After thinking for a moment, she put the pen down, slid off the chair, ran over to her mother, and held her hand. “I want to go with Mom.”

“Alright, then let’s go. We’ll be quick, and you can continue drawing when we get back.”

That evening, the canteen was serving clams. They had tried them before, and the taste was pretty good. A portion only cost ten cents—after all, most of it was just shells, and there wasn’t much meat.

She also got a serving of stir-fried pea shoots for five cents, along with a bowl of seaweed soup and half a pound of rice.

When they got home, Mrs. Zhang from the courtyard next door called out to them over the fence, “Sis, you’re back! Wait a moment—I made some flower rolls today. I’ll bring a few over for you to try.”

She then turned back into her house and soon came out carrying a large plate full of flower rolls.

Meng Yufei waved her hands, refusing politely. “Sister-in-law, you’re too kind. We just ate your leek turnovers a few days ago. I’d feel bad taking more from you.”

Mrs. Zhang directly pushed the plate into Meng Yufei’s hands. “What are you being so polite for? Think of it as a celebration—I got a job! And I have to thank you for encouraging me to sign up. Just take it, and be careful not to drop them!”

Hearing this, Meng Yufei had no choice but to accept them. The rich aroma of scallions wafted into her nose as she said, “Sister-in-law, these are scallion oil flower rolls!”

Mrs. Zhang grinned. “That’s right! The scallions came from my own yard. They grew really well this year, and we can’t even finish them all. If you want some, just come over and pick some anytime.”

Xia Qinqin curiously eyed the flower rolls in her mother’s hands and asked, “Mom, what is this?”

Meng Yufei lowered the plate so she could see better and explained, “This is a type of steamed bun twisted into the shape of a flower. Look at the rolled-up edges—don’t they look like petals?”

Xia Qinqin studied the flower rolls closely, then scratched her head and said, “Hmm… they kind of do… but also kind of don’t.”

Both Meng Yufei and Mrs. Zhang laughed. Mrs. Zhang said, “This is even better than a flower—you can eat it! Try it and let me know if you like it. I’ll make more for you next time.”

Xia Qinqin nodded seriously and said, “I’ll make sure to taste it properly. Thank you, Auntie!”

Mrs. Zhang patted her head and praised her, “Aiyo, this little girl sure knows how to talk!”

After delivering the flower rolls, Mrs. Zhang went back home—she still had food simmering on the stove.

Meng Yufei carried the lunchbox and the plate of flower rolls into the house. After emptying Zhang’s plate, she washed it and returned it.

Xia Qinqin, back home, immediately ran off to continue drawing her pineapple. In order to avoid touching the wound on her palm, she held the pen very carefully, which naturally made her drawing process much slower.

When Xia Junshan came home, Xia Qinqin was so focused on her drawing that she didn’t greet him like she usually did. This sudden change made him feel a little out of place—something was missing in his heart.

Feeling a bit empty inside…

Xia Junshan walked over and saw that she had only drawn a few leaves on the paper.

“Qinqin, what are you drawing?”

Hearing her father’s voice, Xia Qinqin turned to look at him, beaming. “Dad, you’re back~!”

She pointed at the pineapple on the dining table. “I’m drawing this!”

Xia Junshan said, “Oh, that’s quite a big task. Looks like you won’t be finishing it until tomorrow.”

Meng Yufei came out of the kitchen carrying bowls, chopsticks, and a plate of flower rolls, smiling. “Then let’s not eat this pineapple today—let’s save it for tomorrow.”

Xia Qinqin looked at the pineapple on the table, conflicted.

Xia Junshan noticed the flower rolls Meng Yufei had brought out and asked, “Did Sister-in-law Zhang send these over again?”

Meng Yufei raised an eyebrow. “How did you guess?”

Xia Junshan chuckled and pointed at the flower rolls. “Just look at how fluffy they are. The canteen chef is good at cooking, but when it comes to making steamed buns, he’s no match for Sister-in-law Zhang.”

Meng Yufei placed the plate on the table, examined the flower rolls closely, and nodded. “Now that you mention it, they do look fluffier than most.”

While setting the table, Xia Junshan commented, “You and Sister-in-law Zhang get along well. She brought leek turnovers the other day, and now she’s giving us flower rolls.”

To outsiders, Meng Yufei and Mrs. Zhang seemed like people from two completely different worlds. No one would have expected them to get along so well.

Meng Yufei said, “She got a job as a kindergarten childcare, so she made these to celebrate.”

Xia Junshan nodded. “That’s definitely worth celebrating.”

Meng Yufei suddenly smacked her forehead. “Oh no! I forgot about the steamed eggs in the pot!” She quickly turned and rushed to the kitchen.

Xia Junshan followed her, and when he saw her reaching to grab the bowl, he quickly stopped her. “Let me do it—it’s hot!”

He carefully took out the bowl of steamed eggs and placed it on the dining table. Seeing that the eggs were slightly overcooked, with holes on the surface, Meng Yufei sighed regretfully. “I left them steaming too long. They’re overdone.”

Xia Junshan laughed. “No worries, they’ll still taste good.”

Meng Yufei turned to Xia Qinqin and said, “Time to eat, Qinqin. Pack up your paper and pens—you can finish your drawing tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

Xia Junshan was about to help her clean up, but she refused, insisting on doing it herself. She ran to the small room and carefully put everything back in its place, one item at a time.

After coming out, Xia Qinqin ran to Xia Junshan’s side and pointed at the pineapple on the table. “Dad, I’m not going to draw it anymore. Let’s eat it today!”

Xia Junshan gently tapped her nose and smiled. “Alright, I’ll cut it after we finish eating.”

Meng Yufei asked her, “Qinqin, do you want flower rolls or rice with steamed eggs?”

“Uh… I want both!”

Meng Yufei picked up Xia Qinqin’s small bowl, scooped in half a bowl of rice, added a few spoonfuls of steamed egg, mixed it together, and handed it to her. “Here you go. Eat this first, then you can have the flower rolls.”

Xia Junshan said, “I’ll feed her.”

Xia Qinqin shook her head and refused. “No need, Dad. My hand is fine now, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” She raised her palm to show him. The scab had hardened and looked like it was about to fall off.

Xia Junshan nodded. “Alright, then eat slowly.”

“Mm-hmm~”

Xia Qinqin happily scooped up the rice and egg mixture with her small spoon.

After taking a big bite, she gave Meng Yufei a thumbs-up. “Mom’s steamed eggs are—the best!”

Meng Yufei smiled and added another spoonful of egg to her bowl. “Then eat more. Next time, I’ll make even tastier steamed eggs for you.”

Xia Qinqin beamed. “Thank you, Mom! I love eating your steamed eggs the most!”

Meng Yufei then turned to Xia Junshan. “What about you? What do you want to eat?”

Xia Junshan said, “I’ll have the flower rolls.”

Meng Yufei handed him one. “…Then let’s save the leftover rice for tomorrow.”

Taking the flower roll, Xia Junshan smiled. “Sure. Tomorrow morning, I’ll make fried rice for you both. The best fried rice is made with overnight rice—it tastes better that way.”

Meng Yufei chuckled. “Alright, I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Xia Qinqin swallowed her bite of rice and egg, then chimed in, “Qinqin is looking forward to it too!”

“Okay…” Xia Junshan nodded with a smile.

After they finished eating, Xia Junshan set down his chopsticks and said to Meng Yufei, “I have night training tonight, so I probably won’t be back until morning. Make sure to lock the door from the inside before you go to bed—you don’t need to wait up for me.”

He got up to clear the dishes. Meng Yufei said, “Leave it to me. When are you leaving?”

Xia Junshan replied, “I still have time. I’ll wash the dishes first, then peel the pineapple for Qinqin before I go.”

Meng Yufei pressed her lips together, a hint of concern in her voice. “It’s late—be careful out there.”

Xia Junshan smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, it’s just routine training.”

Ever since Deputy Regiment Commander Chen had a conversation with the Deputy Director of Logistics in the afternoon, his face had remained dark and gloomy. This made his comrades speculate—could it be that he and his wife had another fight?

Ever since Deputy Regiment Commander Chen’s wife arrived on the island, aside from the conflicts between Qi Huiying and the other military spouses, it seemed like the couple themselves often argued. But never before had Deputy Regiment Commander Chen been this angry…

What trouble had Qi Huiying caused this time?

Given Qi Huiying’s current reputation, whenever she got into conflicts with others, everyone’s first thought was that she must have been the one stirring up trouble.

After work, Deputy Regiment Commander Chen ate dinner at the canteen before heading home.

Qi Huiying was sitting on the sofa. Seeing him return empty-handed, she asked, “Didn’t you go to the canteen to get food?”

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen took off his hat, his expression blank. “I already ate at the canteen.”

Qi Huiying’s eyes widened, and she snapped, “Then what am I supposed to eat?”

“There’s money and food coupons at home. You won’t starve.”

Qi Huiying was momentarily speechless. She had been sulking all day after failing to be selected as the kindergarten director. Feeling humiliated, she had stayed indoors, unwilling to go out for dinner. She imagined people mocking her every time she passed by the announcement board.

Tilting her chin up, she ordered matter-of-factly, “Go get me some food. I’m hungry.”

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen ignored her and went straight to the kitchen to heat up water for a bath.

Qi Huiying called after him, “Hey, did you hear me?”

There’s no response.

Fuming, she got up and stomped to the kitchen doorway. “What’s wrong with you?” she demanded.

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen sat by the stove, feeding the fire. Staring into the flames, he finally spoke. “I ran into Director Fu of the Logistics this afternoon. We talked about your application.”

A flicker of guilt flashed across Qi Huiying’s face. “You… Didn’t I tell you not to ask about that?”

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen turned to look at her. “From now on, stay quiet in the family compound. Stop thinking about getting a job. Once we have kids, just focus on taking care of them at home.”

Qi Huiying was stunned. “What are you saying? I don’t want to stay home doing chores and raising kids—that’s what old, and worn-out housewives do.”

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen nodded. “Fine. If you won’t do housework, then I’ll bring my mother here from our hometown in a few days.”

“No way!” Qi Huiying objected immediately. “I don’t agree!”

Before they got married, she had visited his hometown once and found his mother to be a crude and ignorant rural woman. There was no way she was going to live under the same roof with someone like that.

Thinking about how even she, someone who rarely went out, had witnessed Commander Xue’s elderly mother throwing fits multiple times, she felt even more repulsed.

“Why would you bring your mother here? Don’t even think about it!”

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen said coldly, “Either you stay at home like I said, or my mother moves in. Pick one.”

Qi Huiying stomped her foot in frustration. Seeing her husband’s icy expression, a wave of panic surged within her.

He… Why had he suddenly changed?

“You—why are you treating me like this? You’re so much older than me, you don’t even have an education, and I still married you without complaining. What more do you want?”

Wasn’t he supposed to be the one coaxing her?

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen was thirty-one years old, while Qi Huiying was twenty-four—a six-year age gap between them.

The reason Deputy Regiment Commander Chen had delayed marriage until now was, first, because he had been stationed at the border for several years, leaving him no opportunity to meet anyone. Second, he had high standards—he refused to marry the village girls introduced to him by his hometown, insisting on finding a city woman, preferably an educated one.

In the end, he did find one. So after getting married, he had been exceptionally tolerant of his younger wife, thinking that city women were simply more particular by nature.

But this time, Qi Huiying had gone too far. He felt he couldn’t continue indulging her.

In Qi Huiying’s imagination, marrying a military officer meant living in luxury, residing in a Western-style house, riding in a car, and enjoying admiration from others.

Who would have thought that after following him to the island as a military spouse, the reality would be so far from her expectations? This place was an absolute backwater!

No department stores, no state-run restaurants, no cinemas… Forget cars, there weren’t even bicycles…

Coming from decades in the future, Qi Huiying had grown up accustomed to the bustling modern metropolis. She could barely tolerate life in Qiongzhou after transmigrating—let alone this desolate island.

Moreover, among the military spouses who had accompanied their husbands, every woman’s husband was at least an officer. Even those with lower-ranking husbands didn’t resort to flattery or currying favor.

In this era, nepotism and bootlicking were considered shameful. No one dared to openly engage in such behavior, as it went against the mainstream ideological values.

During this time, the most honorable status belonged to the working class, farmers, and soldiers. For someone like Qi Huiying, the daughter of a capitalist, her background wasn’t a privilege—it was a stigma, something others looked down upon.

The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt. She grumbled, “I must have been blind to marry you!”

Hearing this, Deputy Regiment Commander Chen let out a cold laugh. “Blind? I’d say you chose me quite deliberately. Yes, I married you because you’re young, educated, and from the city. But you—and your mother—didn’t you marry me for my status as a military officer?”

His words stunned Qi Huiying. She stammered, “Y-you… You’re talking nonsense…”

What was originally a mutually beneficial arrangement between adults was now being laid bare. Always believing herself superior, Qi Huiying suddenly found herself on the verge of collapse.

She felt an overwhelming sense of confusion and panic—this wasn’t how things were supposed to go!

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen stood up from the stove, patted the dust off his uniform, and said in a deep voice, “Either I bring my mother here, or you stay at home like I said. Think it over.”

After saying that, he left to fetch water for his bath, leaving Qi Huiying frozen in place, unable to recover from the shock for a long time.

—

In the afternoon, after being scared out of her house by Meng Yufei, Old Lady Xue ran to Commander Hou’s home, located in the row behind hers. Commander Hou’s family also had an elderly mother who had followed her son to the island.

Commander Hou’s household was one of the few in the family compound where an elder had accompanied the family.

Ever since arriving on the island, the thing Old Lady Xue was most dissatisfied with was the lack of people she could have a proper conversation with. Most of the women in the compound were young daughters-in-law, a generation below her, and she couldn’t relate to them at all. The only person she could chat with was Old Lady Tang from Commander Hou’s house.

Old Lady Xue had been an orphan taken in by the Xue family during a famine and was raised to be a daughter-in-law. Ever since then, she had taken their surname. Meanwhile, Old Lady Tang had been a childhood neighbor of Commander Hou’s father. Even after marriage, people still called her by her maiden name.

The two old ladies’ favorite pastime was sitting together and gossiping about their daughters-in-law…

Old Lady Tang was at home stitching shoe soles when she saw Old Lady Xue rushing over, clutching her hand. She teased, “What are you doing? Got something valuable in your hand? Running like that, all secretive.”

Old Lady Xue stepped inside and glanced around the house.

Old Lady Tang said, “No need to look. There’s no one else here, just me. Sit down.” She pointed at a small stool.

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe it! My hand nearly got broken today!” Old Lady Xue plopped onto the stool, complaining.

Old Lady Tang asked curiously, “Did your daughter-in-law hit you?”

Old Lady Xue’s small, beady eyes widened as she scoffed, “She wouldn’t dare! That little hussy has really lost her mind.”

“Then who was it?”

Old Lady Xue leaned in and whispered, “It was that woman from Commander Xia’s family—always meddling in other people’s business! I was disciplining my daughter-in-law at home when she barged in to interfere. Tell me, isn’t that infuriating?”

Old Lady Tang thought for a moment and said, “Commander Xia’s wife? Isn’t that the new head of the finance department—Director Meng? Oh, I saw her that day when I went to submit an invoice. She looked gentle and refined, doesn’t seem like the type to hit people.”

“What do you mean, she doesn’t?”

Old Lady Xue angrily stretched out her hand, but there were only smudges of soot on it, with no visible injuries. Embarrassed, she quickly pulled it back and muttered, “Anyway, she’s a real piece of work… A woman like that, talking all high and mighty, even threatening to report me to the military leadership.”

Recalling Meng Yufei’s earlier warning, she held back the harsher insults she wanted to say.

Old Lady Tang gave her a sideways glance before resuming her stitching. “Educated women with jobs are always tough to deal with.”

Old Lady Xue nodded. “Exactly! Look at your daughter-in-law—she’s just the same. That shoe you’re stitching is for her, isn’t it? I remember you just made her a pair last month. What a wasteful woman!”

Old Lady Tang sighed. “Tell me about it. She only wore the new shoes for a month, and then she came to me saying—” She coughed twice and mimicked in a high-pitched voice, “‘It’s too hot now, these shoes are too stuffy. I need a pair with thinner fabric.'”

After imitating her, she shook her head. “Tsk tsk… These young wives are so fussy nowadays. Back in our time, one pair of shoes had to last from the start of the year to the end.”

Old Lady Xue slapped her thigh. “Exactly! When I was a daughter-in-law, I never had new clothes or shoes. But now, my daughter-in-law wants new outfits every year! And those three money-draining girls of hers—it’s not enough that they eat well and dress well, but the moment I ask her to do some housework, she starts arguing with me!”

The more she spoke, the angrier she got. “Tell me, what kind of daughter-in-law dares to talk back to her mother-in-law?”

Old Lady Tang nodded. “That’s right. Back in our day, when our mothers-in-law spoke, we wouldn’t even dare to make a sound.”

Old Lady Xue finally felt like she had someone to vent to. “Ah, times have changed. It’s harder than ever to be a mother-in-law! And my son—useless! His own mother is being bullied, and he acts like he doesn’t even notice! Isn’t that infuriating?”

Old Lady Tang scratched her head with a needle and chimed in, “Same with mine. A spineless man, afraid of his wife. Whatever that tigress says goes. Not a shred of masculinity in him!”

Old Lady Xue huffed, “If this were back in our village, a woman like that would be beaten to death by her husband!”

The two of them got more and more heated as they spoke, completely losing track of time.

Just then, Zhao Meixia came home carrying her shoulder bag. Hearing voices inside, she called out, “Mom, do we have guests?”

The voices inside instantly fell silent.

Zhao Meixia pushed the door open and, upon seeing Old Lady Xue, furrowed her brows slightly before quickly smiling. “Oh, Aunt Xue is here.”

Old Lady Xue got up. “Meixia, you’re back from work? Oh, it’s getting late, I should head home.”

After Old Lady Xue left, Zhao Meixia said, “Mom, why are you hanging around with her again? Didn’t I tell you that she has a bad reputation in the compound? You should keep your distance from her.”

Old Lady Tang awkwardly replied, “Well, she came over on her own. It would’ve been rude to drive her away, so we just chatted for a bit.”

Zhao Meixia frowned. “I heard something on my way back—this afternoon, Old Lady Xue beat her daughter-in-law and granddaughter so badly they had to be taken to the hospital.”

“What?” Old Lady Tang was shocked. “I had no idea! She only said they argued. Who knew she actually hit them?”

Zhao Meixia said, “You should stop associating with her from now on.”

Old Lady Tang nodded. “Sigh, I know.”

Zhao Meixia took a stem of lettuce out of her bag and said, “This was leftover at the vegetable stall today. Uncle Qi let a few of us take some home.”

Old Lady Tang took it with a smile. “This lettuce looks really tender—perfect for a cold salad. We still have half a bottle of sesame oil from your workplace’s New Year rations. Just a few drops will make it extra fragrant. Yuanchao loves this dish. I’ll prepare it now so he can eat it when he gets home from school.”

Zhao Meixia worked at the supply and marketing cooperative. Not only did she earn over thirty yuan a month, but the benefits were also excellent. Although Old Lady Tang often grumbled about her daughter-in-law in private, she never showed it in person.

Zhao Meixia hung up her shoulder bag and caught sight of a half-finished pair of shoes on the sofa. The size looked like hers, so she turned and asked, “Mom, are these shoes for me?”

“Yes,” Old Lady Tang replied, a bit eager for praise. “Didn’t you say you needed a pair of lighter shoes? I made you a new pair—both the uppers and soles are breathable.”

Zhao Meixia chuckled. “Didn’t I say I was just going to buy a pair? You didn’t have to go through all that trouble.”

Old Lady Tang said, “Store-bought shoes aren’t as comfortable as the ones I make.”

Zhao Meixia nodded. “Alright, once you’re done, I’ll pay you for the labor.”

Old Lady Tang laughed and waved her hand. “Oh, nonsense! How could I take your money? I’ll go cook now.”

As she turned toward the kitchen, she felt delighted. Even though this daughter-in-law was bossy and liked to lecture people, she was generous. Every month, she gave her five yuan, saying it was payment for all the housework she did.

Housework wasn’t hard at all—just cooking and washing clothes. Back in the countryside, she had to do farm work too! Now, she only had to take care of household chores and even got paid for it.

She had spent her whole life doing housework, and no one had ever talked about paying her before. Besides, she was doing it for her own son and grandson—she was more than willing.

Thinking of this, Old Lady Tang sighed inwardly: If only this daughter-in-law had a gentler temperament, showed her mother-in-law a little more respect, and stopped yelling at her son all the time…