Chapter 74: This Is the New Comrade—Lin Yuyao

Zhao Guosheng gnawed on his cold steamed bun while eyeing Jiang Rou’s warm, freshly made qingtuan. A wide, delighted grin instantly spread across his face.  

“Oh, this is too kind of you.” he said.  

Though his mouth expressed reluctance, his hands did not hesitate in the slightest as they reached out for the qingtuan.  

Zhao Guifen, unable to bear watching any longer, smacked the back of Zhao Guosheng’s hand.  

“Eat, eat, that’s all you know! You don’t even have the decency to say thank you. Today, Dahuzi, Erhuzi, and I ate quite a bit of Sister Rou’s food too. We owe her now.”  

“Thank! Of course, I have to thank her!” Zhao Guosheng immediately followed up. “Sister-in-law, on behalf of my entire family, I thank you! My Guifen’s sauerkraut pork stew with glass noodles is a masterpiece! Next time, you and Old Zhou, along with the children, must come over for dinner!”  

As he spoke, he stuffed the qingtuan into his mouth and took a big bite.  

The moment he bit down, the salty and crunchy pickled bamboo shoots mixed with the glutinous rice, creating a flavor comparable to his beloved sauerkraut pork stew.  

“Delicious! This thing looks a little odd, but I never expected it to taste this good!” Zhao Guosheng exclaimed in excitement.  

He then shot Zhou Zhongshan a few meaningful glances, his expression full of implications as he remarked: “Old Zhou, you’re one lucky man, aren’t you?”  

The message behind his words was crystal clear—  

Having such a new wife, one who was not only beautiful but also an excellent cook, truly was a blessing.

In such a situation, most people might have responded with a few polite refusals—after all, humility had always been a deeply ingrained cultural trait.  

But Zhou Chongshan was not like most people.  

He nodded toward Zhao Guosheng, his expression serious, and said in a deep voice,  

“I am indeed fortunate.”  

The man responded to Zhao Guosheng’s teasing with a solemn and earnest tone.  

Everyone else had been engaged in casual conversation, but Zhou Chongshan treated the matter with utmost sincerity.  

Two completely different emotions clashed in that moment—  

Creating an absurd yet astonishing sense of bewilderment.  

Zhao Guosheng and Zhao Guifen were momentarily stunned.  

Even Jiang Rou raised an eyebrow in surprise when she heard Zhou Chongshan’s words.  

For a few seconds, the entire office fell into silence.  

Then, suddenly—  

Zhao Guosheng and Zhao Guifen burst into laughter.  

As they laughed, they exchanged a glance. Having been married for over a decade, they instinctively knew what the other was thinking.  

It was as if they were saying: Look at this young couple. Their love is so strong—how enviable.  

Zhao Guifen playfully patted Zhao Guosheng on the shoulder and complained,  

“Listen to what Regiment Commander Zhou just said. We’ve been married for over ten years, and you’ve never said anything this sweet to me.”  

“Can’t I say it now? I’ll say it right now. I, Zhao Guosheng, am truly fortunate. Marrying you, Zhao Guifen, is a blessing cultivated by my ancestors over eighteen generations.”  

“Is that how you’re supposed to say it? A perfectly good sentence, and somehow, coming from your mouth, it just sounds off…”

The couple went back and forth, one sentence after another, as if they were about to start bickering again.  

Jiang Rou’s face felt warm. She lowered her head and looked at Zhou Chongshan, who was eating.  

She asked softly, “Do you like the qingtuan?”  

“It’s delicious.”  

The answer was obvious.  

Even if there had been sand inside the qingtuan, Zhou Chongshan would have swallowed it whole and still said it was good.  

But when he answered with such a serious expression and a gentle gaze, Jiang Rou couldn’t help but feel happy—her heart filled with sweetness.  

Zhou Chongshan added, “Not only is it delicious, but it looks good too. Wife, you have such skillful hands.”  

He was speaking the absolute truth. The qingtuan Jiang Rou made were all uniform in size, with beautifully crafted edges.  

Even restaurant chefs wouldn’t have such refined skills.  

Zhou Chongshan, in all seriousness, praised his wife.  

Then, he pulled out a chair.  

“Wife, sit down. Standing too long is tiring.”  

He poured hot water into his enamel cup.  

“Wife, have some water. Be careful, it’s hot.”  

He picked up another qingtuan for Jiang Rou.  

“Wife, are you full? Do you want another one?”  

Zhao Guosheng and Zhao Guifen were completely dumbfounded by the sudden change in this old man.  

Neither of them spoke anymore, but Zhao Guifen secretly shot a few glances at Zhao Guosheng.  

After all, this rough man had never even poured her a cup of tea.  

She had never thought much of it before.  

But now, with this comparison—how could the gap between old men be so vast?

Zhao Guosheng (inner monologue): Old Zhou, I beg you, please put away your divine skills. Thanks to you, I won’t be able to sleep at home tonight…  

—  

The four of them sat in the office, having lunch.  

From the corridor outside, footsteps echoed.  

Then—  

A familiar voice called out.  

“Commander Zhao, Regiment Commander Zhou, you’re both here? Having lunch?”  

Everyone instinctively looked up and saw Yang Hongping.  

Yang Hongping’s rank wasn’t high, but her seniority was.  

At the sight of her, not only did Jiang Rou and Zhao Guifen stand up, but even Zhao Guosheng and Zhou Chongshan quickly got to their feet.  

They all greeted her in unison.  

“Sister Hong, you’re here!”  

“Sister Hong, have you eaten yet?”  

Their voices overlapped as they welcomed her.  

Yang Hongping’s face carried a kind smile as she waved her hand.  

“Sit, sit. Keep eating, no need to fuss over me.”  

As she spoke—  

Jiang Rou caught sight of a figure following behind Yang Hongping.  

Her gaze suddenly froze.  

The faint smile on her face stiffened.  

It was a young woman, dressed in a white-and-blue military uniform—someone Jiang Rou had never seen before.  

Logically speaking, seeing a woman in uniform at the military camp wasn’t unusual.  

But—  

The moment Jiang Rou’s eyes landed on her, she found herself unable to look away.

A sudden, intense chill surged through Jiang Rou’s heart.  

Her chest felt heavy.  

Her limbs turned ice-cold.  

It was a terrible feeling—  

As if her sixth sense had detected the approach of danger.  

In an instant, the expression on Jiang Rou’s face underwent a subtle shift.  

Zhou Chongshan noticed it.  

“Wife?”  

He spoke softly, his eyes filled with concern.  

He reached out and touched Jiang Rou’s fingers—they were cold.  

“I… I’m fine.”  

Jiang Rou snapped back to reality and hurriedly shook her head.  

She adjusted her breathing, trying to suppress the strange sensation in her chest.  

While the couple whispered to each other, Zhao Guosheng and Zhao Guifen had already started chatting with Yang Hongping.  

Behind Yang Hongping stood two people—a young man and a young woman.  

The young man was the guard of Political Commissar Liu Weiguo. Today, he had been temporarily assigned to assist Yang Hongping with some matters.  

As for the young woman—  

Yang Hongping smiled warmly, holding the young woman’s hand as she introduced her to everyone.  

“This female comrade is a new member of our Military Unit. She was transferred from the cultural troupe of the regiment and will be working as an operator in our Military Camp’s liaison department. You might have heard of her name before—Lin Yuyao.”