Chapter 93: Fried Dough Stick and Glutinous Rice Roll  

Zhou Zhongshan’s voice was not loud.  

Yet, when his words fell into Jiang Rou’s ears, they were as deafening as a thunderclap.  

She had never thought that, in Zhou Zhongshan’s understanding, the matter was so straightforward.  

It was she who had overcomplicated things.  

But thinking about it the other way around, it made sense.  

Back when Jiang Rou had first arrived on the island, Zhou Zhongshan had seen her—a delicate beauty—yet he had still righteously declared that she should be sent away.  

His world had always been so simple and decisive.  

He drew clear boundaries—comrades, friends, family, and everyone else.  

He treated two children who weren’t his by blood as if they were his own.  

He gave everything he had to the woman he recognized as his wife without hesitation.  

And when he saw Lin Xiu’er that afternoon, he hadn’t even blinked.  

No matter how much Lin Xiu’er shouted, Zhou Zhongshan acted as if she was a stranger he had never met before.  

This was the kind of man he was—his stance was always clear, with no room for ambiguity.  

At this moment, Jiang Rou felt as if she had taken a calming pill.  

She let out a deep breath, and the weight on her chest instantly disappeared.  

“Zhongshan, I understand now. I was overthinking! Those matters, those people, they have nothing to do with me anymore. You, Xiaochuan, Xiaohua—we are the ones who are truly a family.”  

Jiang Rou gently rubbed her fingers against Zhou Zhongshan’s palm.  

His hand was rough, covered with calluses and scars, yet it was scorching hot.  

A warm, gentle smile spread across Jiang Rou’s face.  

Zhou Zhongshan gazed at her with dark eyes, and unknowingly, the heat in his gaze deepened.

The fingers that had only been lightly caressing at first, without realizing it, had intertwined tightly, locking together.  

Zhou Zhongshan slowly leaned down.  

His broad shoulders blocked the light from the ceiling, plunging Jiang Rou’s vision into a dim shadow.  

Before her eyes were Zhou Zhongshan’s enlarged features, followed by a searing, deep kiss that fell upon her lips.  

Her lips were thoroughly claimed.  

With every breath, all she could sense was Zhou Zhongshan’s presence.  

Her waist went weak, and she collapsed onto the bed behind her.  

A kiss in the deep of the night.  

It lasted for a long, long time…  

---

The next day.  

The sky was clear, the air crisp.  

It was a perfect day to go out.  

Since waking up in the morning, Jiang Rou had been full of energy, entirely different from how she had been the afternoon before.  

She was like a little spirit freshly bathed in the warmth of the sun.  

Even when urging Zhou Xiaochuan and the little Zhou child to wake up and get dressed, she seemed particularly lively.  

Zhou Zhongshan and Zhou Xiaochuan were washing their faces and rinsing their mouths on the side.  

Jiang Rou dressed Zhou Xiaohua, gently patting the little girl’s chubby bottom with her palm.  

“You’re all dressed. Go wash your face now. We’re going out for breakfast.”  

Jiang Rou had been thinking about breakfast for a long time.  

She had been craving fried dough sticks with glutinous rice rolls.  

The rice roll was made from steamed glutinous rice, which was relatively easy to prepare.  

Fried dough sticks, on the other hand, were deceptively simple yet required a master’s skill to make properly.  

If the dough wasn’t prepared right, no matter how hot the oil was, the dough sticks wouldn’t puff up properly in the fryer.  

Even with Jiang Rou’s skills, there were times when she failed at making them.  

So now that they had finally come into town, of course, she had to give it a try.  

The family of four left the guesthouse early and headed straight to the breakfast canteen.

Not only did the breakfast canteen have the fried dough sticks with rice rolls that Jiang Rou had been craving, but it also offered multigrain porridge and savory tofu pudding.  

The local style of tofu pudding was served salty, with a small drizzle of soy sauce and some pickled mustard greens. Paired with fried dough sticks and rice rolls, it was the perfect combination.  

The canteen was bustling with people, steam rising in the air.  

Zhou Zhongshan had Jiang Rou and the two children sit at a table while he went to buy breakfast.  

The steaming hot food was placed on the small wooden table, releasing an enticing aroma.  

Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua stared at the breakfast, gulping heavily.  

Their dark, round eyes flickered before turning toward Jiang Rou.  

In their clear, bright gazes, there was both longing and confusion.  

For two children from the countryside, their knowledge of food extended to steamed buns, dumplings, and cornmeal buns. The most recent new food they had encountered was green rice cakes. As for fried dough sticks, rice rolls, and tofu pudding, these had never been part of their world before.  

Jiang Rou picked up a fried dough stick wrapped in sticky rice. The freshly made rice roll was still a little too hot to hold.  

She cradled it in her palm, gently pressing it to make it firmer.  

Once the round rice roll was slightly compressed, she placed it into the small hands of the two children.  

“This is a rice roll. There’s a fried dough stick inside. It’s like a rice ball—just hold it in both hands and take big bites. Don’t be too reserved, just relax and eat.”  

Following Jiang Rou’s instructions, Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua held the rice balls with both hands, opened their mouths wide, and took a big bite.  

The rice roll was both firm and soft, creating a unique texture.  

At the very center, the fried dough stick was crispy and flaky, making a satisfying crunch with each bite.  

The combination of the soft rice and the crispy dough stick created a rich contrast in texture.  

It tasted a little salty, yet also a little sweet.  

Whatever it was—it was delicious!  

As for the tofu pudding, it was even simpler to eat. They just had to scoop it up with a small spoon and bring it to their mouths.  

The smooth, tender tofu pudding melted effortlessly on the tongue.  

With a single slurp—  

It slid right down their throats.

The meal left Jiang Rou and the two children completely satisfied.  

It had been a long time since Jiang Rou had enjoyed such a warm, flavorful breakfast, rich with the simple pleasures of daily life.  

The only one who didn’t seem accustomed to it—was probably Zhou Zhongshan.  

Having been used to the rough and plain food of the military unit, he didn’t particularly enjoy such refined dishes.  

After taking only a few bites of the tofu pudding, he ended up giving the rest to the children.  

Jiang Rou noticed this and softly asked,  

“Zhongshan, you don’t like it?”  

“It’s just a bit unfamiliar to me.” Zhou Zhongshan replied in a low voice.  

Jiang Rou immediately reached into her pocket and, to his surprise, pulled out a large steamed bun.  

Her smile was both gentle and playful, with a hint of triumph.  

Her eyes sparkled.  

“I already figured you wouldn’t be used to it, so I secretly bought a big steamed bun earlier. You can eat this—it’s more filling.”  

Zhou Zhongshan took the steamed bun from Jiang Rou’s hand. It was still warm.  

A little surprised, he asked: “You already thought of that?”  

“Mm-hmm, of course. I’m your wife, after all—how could I not know what you like to eat?”  

Jiang Rou spoke with her mouth still full of rice roll, her words slightly muffled but still clear enough to understand.  

Her already soft voice carried an extra touch of intimate warmth.  

…  

After breakfast, the four of them hurried to the department store.  

They had to catch the boat back in the afternoon, so there wasn’t much time left.  

They needed to make good use of every moment.  

Jiang Rou still had many things to buy.