When Jiang Qiuyue saw Jiang Youcai, she knew he had come to deliver food and warmly welcomed him.  

“Sister Qiuyue, this is sweet potato vermicelli made by my family, and some houttuynia cordata. It grows everywhere in our fields—you can dry it and brew it as tea.” After speaking, Jiang Youcai noticed a tall man walking up to Jiang Qiuyue, holding Lin Nannan’s hand. “Sister Qiuyue, who is this?”  

The man seemed hostile, his eyes carrying a wariness Jiang Youcai couldn’t quite understand.  

Before Jiang Qiuyue could answer, Lin Zhengrong spoke first, “I’m her husband.”  

“Husband?” Jiang Youcai belatedly realized, “Oh… so you’re Sister Qiuyue’s husband! I’m… the nephew of your neighbors. Nice to meet you! My name is Jiang Youcai. You’re so tall!”  

Looking at Jiang Youcai’s outstretched hand, Lin Zhengrong glanced at his own hands, indicating he couldn’t shake at the moment. “Are you close with Qiuyue?”  

“Kind of. My brother and I helped Sister Qiuyue build her kitchen. Working at her place those few days was so enjoyable—the meals she made were the best I’ve ever had!” Recalling it, Jiang Youcai still felt nostalgic. “Back then, I even told my brother that whoever married Sister Qiuyue would be so lucky. She’s beautiful, a great cook, and so good to the kids.”  

Jiang Qiuyue also thought highly of herself and invited Jiang Youcai to sit in the yard, offering him some walnut cookies. “Thank you for thinking of me. Since you’re here, why not stay for a meal before you go?”  

“I can’t. I need to get home before dark.” Though Jiang Youcai missed Sister Qiuyue’s cooking, he wasn’t shameless enough to impose. “I specifically waited for you to return because my mom asked me to ask you—how do you make braised fish?”  

After returning home, he had raved to his family about how delicious Jiang Qiuyue’s cooking was, making his parents curious. His family couldn’t afford meat, but he and his brothers occasionally caught fish in the river. On lucky days, they could reel in carp weighing six or seven pounds!  

Having someone appreciate her cooking was a compliment, and Jiang Qiuyue was happy to share. She asked Lin Zhengrong to take the things inside and generously explained the steps to Jiang Youcai. “Remember, you must add hot water, not cold water. Before serving, you can add a bit of vinegar—it’ll make it more appetizing.”  

“So many seasonings are needed?” Jiang Youcai was surprised to hear that ginger, cooking wine, and sugar were required. No wonder Jiang Qiuyue’s braised fish tasted so different—she used so many ingredients.  

Jiang Qiuyue knew most households didn’t have such a variety of seasonings. “I don’t usually cook like this either, but during holidays, you should treat yourself well, right?”  

Jiang Youcai thought that made sense. “Next Mid-Autumn Festival, I’ll have my mom try making it.”  

The two chatted about cooking at the doorstep while Lin Zhengrong watched from behind for a long time. It wasn’t until his son tugged his hand that he looked down.  

“Dad, I’m hungry.” Lin Beibei wasn’t actually hungry—he was just tempted by the walnut cookies laid out at home. What child wouldn’t be?  

But Lin Zhengrong pretended not to notice. “Then go tell your mom.”  

Lin Beibei thought his dad couldn’t make the decision and that he needed to ask his mom, so he happily ran over, rubbing his stomach and saying he was hungry.  

Hearing this, Jiang Youcai realized how late it was. “Oh no, I lost track of time chatting! I should head back now, Sister Qiuyue. Next time I catch fish, I’ll bring some for you!”  

“Sure, big or small—I’ll make smoked fish for you.” Jiang Qiuyue didn’t know how to catch fish, but if someone was willing to bring her some, she’d gladly cook some in return as thanks.

She believed neighborly relationships should be like this—mutual kindness and helping each other out. Once Lin Zhengrong returned to the military, it would be the neighbors she interacted with most.  

Hearing there was a chance to taste smoked fish, Jiang Youcai made up his mind to catch as many fish as possible next time!  

After Jiang Youcai left, Jiang Qiuyue trimmed the snail tails and asked the two children to wash the houttuynia cordata.  

She couldn’t stand eating raw houttuynia, but drying it and brewing it as tea could help relieve summer heat. Many households drank this tea during the hotter months.  

Lin Zhengrong went to deliver the walnut cookies and ran into Chen Meiru, who was bringing over scraps of fabric.  

“Dazhu, you’re too kind! It’s not a big deal—you didn’t have to buy walnut cookies.” Chen Meiru thought to herself how generous Lin Zhengrong was—no wonder he was a soldier, with money to spare. She’d have to strengthen her bond with Jiang Qiuyue in the future. “Go ahead, my Haizhi is home.”  

Chen Meiru had gone home earlier to find her child had wet the bed, so she had to wash the sheets before coming out again.  

When she arrived at the Lin household, she saw Jiang Qiuyue trimming snails and wondered what was so good about them. “Qiuyue, I just saw Dazhu.”  

“He’s on his way to your place now,” Jiang Qiuyue replied with a smile.  

“You two are too polite! We’re all from the same village—there’s no need to bring walnut cookies.” Despite her words, Chen Meiru couldn’t hide her grin. “You’re really lucky—Dazhu is so capable. Your life will only get better, much better than Zhou Cuicui’s.”  

“Oh dear, listen to me—always speaking without thinking. But don’t take it the wrong way. Back then, Zhou Cuicui wanted to marry Dazhu, but her family refused to lower the bride price, so it fell through. Dazhu himself didn’t even know about it.” Once she started, Chen Meiru couldn’t stop.  

Jiang Qiuyue realized Chen Meiru couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. She feigned surprise. “No wonder she doesn’t seem to like me. Could she still be holding a torch for Dazhu?”  

“Not likely,” Chen Meiru shook her head. “Her husband’s leg is crippled, and their family is struggling. Seeing you and Dazhu living so well probably makes her bitter. Don’t overthink it—she’s just got a sharp tongue, but she’s not a bad person. Just keep your distance from now on.”  

With that, she swiftly changed the subject. “But Qiuyue, have you ever thought about following Dazhu to the military base?”  

Jiang Qiuyue said she hadn’t.  

“Before, you had to take care of your in-laws, but now that you’ve cut ties, it’s just you and the kids at home. Dazhu’s conditions are so good—if it were me, I’d keep a close eye on him to make sure no vixen gets her claws into him.”  

The thought had just occurred to Chen Meiru. “There are so many things that require a man’s help. Think about it—if you could join him as a military spouse, wouldn’t that be even better for you and Dazhu?”  

Jiang Qiuyue said it probably wasn’t possible. “Dazhu isn’t at the regimental level yet, so getting housing approval would be difficult. I can’t go.”  

Besides, she had worked hard to build her social connections here and didn’t want to start over in a new environment. Living in the military compound would mean everything was unfamiliar, and the rules were strict. If she wanted to buy meat on the black market, she’d have to be extra careful.