Jiang Shengnan had a good reputation among the families in the military quarters, many of whom had been neighbors for years.

Seeing a young woman and a child with Jiang Shengnan, someone couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Shengnan, who are these people? They look so good-looking.”

Jiang Shengnan immediately showed a proud smile, pulling Chuxia and Cen Huai’an closer and said, “This is Zhengnian’s wife, Chuxia, and this is my grandson, An’an. They came specifically to spend the New Year with us!”

With such a proud look, Chuxia felt like the most outstanding daughter-in-law, and An’an was the most exceptional grandson.

Jiang Shengnan patted An’an’s head and continued, “I said it would be too much trouble to come all the way here, especially with An’an. But Chuxia said that the New Year wouldn’t be the New Year if the family isn’t together, so she brought An’an along. She also said that now that An’an is older, he should meet his grandparents. This really touched both me and Old Cen. With such a daughter-in-law, Old Cen and I don’t know how many years of good fortune we must have accumulated.”

Chuxia stood by, smiling and very cooperatively letting Jiang Shengnan boast.

The neighbor who asked the question also smiled and said, “You’re truly blessed. Look at my daughter-in-law; she doesn’t even come here for the New Year. A phone call would be a luxury.”

Jiang Shengnan quickly praised her daughter-in-law in return, and after a round of mutual compliments, she restrained her smile and led Chuxia and An’an further along.

As they walked, Jiang Shengnan said to Chuxia, “The person who asked just now is Lu Qin, the wife of the logistics department’s Director Fang. She works at the military hospital. Don’t mind what she said earlier; she actually doesn’t like her daughter-in-law and doesn’t allow her to visit. Just ignore her and don’t talk to her much.”

Chuxia noted this in her mind: Lu Qin was someone to greet but not to engage in deeper conversation with.

During their walk outside the military quarters, Chuxia and An’an were introduced to many other families by Jiang Shengnan.

The gazes from these families were a mix of friendliness, curiosity, and even a bit of scrutiny.

Chuxia felt she wouldn’t have much contact with them in the future; just remembering names and greeting people correctly would be enough.

She wasn’t too concerned about the rest.

Cen Huai’an was more interested in the soldiers walking in formation rather than the families in the quarters.

He had never encountered such a group before.

The soldiers marched in unison, with straight postures, and saluted uniformly when they saw Jiang Shengnan.

Every time Cen Huai’an saw a group of soldiers, his eyes widened, and even after they had walked away, he would look back at them.

He was curious about why they saluted his grandmother.

However, he wasn’t very familiar with Jiang Shengnan, so he rarely spoke in unfamiliar situations.

He had learned about saluting from his textbooks, where it was mentioned that saluting was done for the national flag.

Chuxia noticed his interest and asked, “An’an, do you like these soldiers?”

Cen Huai’an replied, “Yes!”

Jiang Shengnan, with wrinkles of laughter at the corners of her eyes, patted Cen Huai’an’s head and said, “An’an has good taste! Soldiers protect our country; they are the most admirable people.”

Chuxia nodded, smiling, and said to An’an, “Grandma and Grandpa are also soldiers. If you want to learn more about soldiers, you can ask Grandma and Grandpa.”

She noticed An’an was avoiding Jiang Shengnan and Mr. Cen, but since they were in the Northwest now and Jiang Shengnan and Mr. Cen were nice and caring, it would be good for An’an to interact with them more and build a relationship.

Jiang Shengnan immediately understood Chuxia’s intention and asked, “Yes, An’an, do you have any questions?”

Cen Huai’an looked up, glanced at Chuxia, then at Jiang Shengnan, and finally asked, “Grandma, why do they all salute you?”

Jiang Shengnan pointed to the four pockets on her uniform and explained, “Because Grandma has this uniform. In the military, the ones with four pockets are officers, and soldiers salute officers unless there’s a special circumstance.”

Cen Huai’an nodded, though he was still a bit unclear about the difference between officers and soldiers.

Seeing his confusion, Jiang Shengnan explained the difference between soldiers and officers, and some military ranks and duties.

The three continued talking as they walked out of the military quarters.

The military camp was located far from the city, but there were nearby villages, and a large market was half an hour away on foot.

During the New Year, the market was open every day until New Year’s Eve, after which it would close for the holiday.

The rural market was very lively, with stalls set up on both sides of the road and people crowding the middle of the road, busy buying New Year’s goods.

Chuxia and Jiang Shengnan held onto Cen Huai’an’s hands tightly, fearing that he might get lost in the crowd.

Cen Huai’an, small in stature, felt squished in the crowd and could hardly see anything due to the adults blocking his view.

“Chuxia, do you want to eat lamb?” Jiang Shengnan shouted to be heard over the noise.

“Yes!”

Lamb soup, lamb kebabs, cumin lamb, scallion lamb, lamb skewers, braised lamb chops…

Just thinking about these lamb dishes made Chuxia’s mouth water.

She especially craved lamb kebabs, which she hadn’t had in a long time.

When Chuxia agreed to eat lamb, Jiang Shengnan pushed through the crowd to a stall selling fresh lamb, where many people were watching the vendor cut the meat.

“Old Fu, I need a whole sheep! Choose tender meat and have it prepared to be sent to the base.”

Jiang Shengnan frequently bought lamb from here and was familiar with the vendor, Old Fu.

Old Fu, with a bushy beard, looked up and said with a cheerful smile, “Got it! I’ll make sure it gets delivered by noon!”

Jiang Shengnan gave him a deposit and promised to pay the rest when it was delivered to the base.

Fresh lamb in the Northwest was said to be different from other places, with no gamey smell and a very good flavor.

Chuxia licked her lips, excited to finally have a chance to try it after hearing about it since Cen Zhengnian was stationed in the Northwest.

During the New Year, eating and drinking were essential, and good food was a must.

In the market, everything sold was freshly grown or raised by local farmers, with a distinct local flavor.

Seeing dried apricots and red dates for sale, she bought a large bag of each, and some dried beef as well.

As they walked, Jiang Shengnan’s basket became fuller, and Cen Huai’an’s pockets were stuffed with snacks.

He paid no attention to the vendors anymore, focusing instead on munching on the dried fruits and jerky.

“Lamb skewers! Delicious and cheap lamb skewers!”

At some point, they reached the area in the market where cooked food was sold.

Chuxia’s sharp ears caught the vendor’s call for lamb skewers.

Turning around, she saw a middle-aged man grilling lamb skewers over a stove, and she could already smell the delicious aroma.

“Mom, I’m going to buy some lamb skewers. Please hold An’an.”

Jiang Shengnan, not wanting Chuxia to spend money, immediately said, “I’ll go buy them. How many skewers do you want?”

Chuxia, eager to have some, handed An’an to Jiang Shengnan and said, “I’ll go myself.”

She quickly squeezed through the crowd to get to the vendor.

Grilling lamb skewers takes time, and Chuxia ordered twenty skewers, plus two extras.

The wait was longer.

Jiang Shengnan squeezed over with Cen Huai’an and asked, “How much are the lamb skewers? Chuxia, did you pay already? If not, I’ll cover it.”

“I already paid, Mom,” Chuxia replied.

Actually, compared to later times, the lamb skewers were very cheap now—twenty cents for a large skewer and ten cents for a small one.

She had ordered ten large and ten small skewers, totaling three yuan.

The grilled lamb skewers were incredibly aromatic, seasoned with cumin and other spices, and had no gamey smell.

Each bite was tender, juicy, and flavorful.

Chuxia was finally satisfied with her craving for lamb skewers.

Cen Huai’an and Jiang Shengnan each enjoyed a skewer as well, and the three of them ate with contented expressions.

For Cen Huai’an, who had never tasted such delicious food before, the skewers were irresistible.

After finishing one, he wanted more and found it hard to stop.

However, eating too much can cause heatiness, so Chuxia decided to stop after finishing these skewers and not buy more.

Jiang Shengnan then bought chickens, ducks, geese, beef, and pork.

She arranged for them to be delivered home because they had bought too much to carry.

These were all familiar vendors for Jiang Shengnan.

Deliveries to the military base were common, and sometimes it wasn’t just for her family but for all the families associated with the base.

Besides buying meat, they also needed vegetables.

In the Northwest, there were few green vegetables; cabbage, radishes, and potatoes were the most common.

Since there were no greenhouse vegetables, the options were limited.

To have some green vegetables for winter, Chuxia had grown scallions, chives, and small cabbages indoors, and also had some chives sprouts.

She had given the fully grown batch to Sister Li when she arrived in the Northwest.

By noon, they had bought almost everything, and they were hungry.

In the area where cooked food was sold, Chuxia and the others looked for something to eat.

The air was filled with the aroma of various foods, mostly local specialties from the Northwest.

There were stewed dumplings, crispy pots, donkey meat noodles, and various other dishes, including wontons and baked flatbreads.

Jiang Shengnan had tried all these dishes before, and she, Chuxia, and Cen Huai’an each had their favorite and knew which vendor made the best dishes.

“What do you want to eat?” Jiang Shengnan asked.

Chuxia was open to anything.

Since she had already satisfied her craving for lamb skewers, she was flexible about other options.

She looked down at Cen Huai’an and asked, “An’an, what do you want to eat?”

Cen Huai’an looked at the various stalls and finally chose donkey meat noodles.

The vendor was standing in front of a pot, pulling the noodles into long, thin, shiny strands that looked like golden threads before cooking them.

After boiling, the noodles were served with a rich, savory sauce made of donkey meat, tofu, and other ingredients.

The noodles were fine and chewy, and the sauce was incredibly delicious, especially the donkey meat, which had a better texture than pork or beef.

Cen Huai’an felt exceptionally happy, having tasted so many new foods.

He finished a bowl of donkey meat noodles, leaving not a drop of soup behind.

Chuxia and Jiang Shengnan were also very satisfied.

Jiang Shengnan said with a smile, “An’an has good taste; I also love donkey meat noodles. I haven’t had them in a while because I’ve been so busy. Today, it was really satisfying.”

After buying almost everything and eating their fill, the three of them headed home.

On the way, Cen Huai’an looked a bit tired.

He was used to napping at home around this time, and now he kept yawning.

Jiang Shengnan looked at him with concern, wishing she could carry him to let him sleep.

But An’an was too big and heavy for her to carry for long, and Chuxia was also not very strong.

“I should have brought the bicycle,” Jiang Shengnan said regretfully.

“It’s fine, we’ll be home soon,” Chuxia said, patting Cen Huai’an’s head.

Jiang Shengnan thought for a moment and then suggested, “How about I carry him on my back? We still have a bit of distance to go.”

Before Chuxia could respond, Cen Huai’an rubbed his eyes and said, “Grandma, I don’t need to be carried.”

At five years old, it was quite impressive for him to walk this long, especially since he had mostly stood while eating at the market.

However, young children are quite resilient, and An’an was used to running around with Bangzi and the others.

If it weren’t for nap time, he would have had more energy than Chuxia.

Jiang Shengnan kept an eye on An’an, and before long, they reached the military base.

Chuxia was more tired than Cen Huai’an.

Not bothering with formalities, she told Jiang Shengnan and went upstairs with An’an to take a nap.

By the time Chuxia woke up in the afternoon, it was already three o’clock.

The small house was empty; Jiang Shengnan and Mr. Cen were both out.

The clothes Chuxia had changed out of when she arrived were on the sofa, and a note on the table informed her that Jiang Shengnan and Mr. Cen had gone to work.

The note also mentioned that the clothes had been mended by a tailor.

Jiang Shengnan had taken the clothes to be repaired first thing in the morning, and Chuxia was surprised to see how quickly it had been done.

The repair was done beautifully.

The tear was covered with embroidery, and the damage was completely unnoticeable. In fact, the clothes looked even nicer now.

Chuxia was pleased as she examined the repair.

Just as she was about to take the clothes upstairs, she heard a commotion outside.

Cen Huai’an, rubbing his eyes, came down the stairs with his little legs.

“Mommy.”

Chuxia took his hand and went outside to see what was happening.

Before she could reach the door, it was opened by Jiang Shengnan, who was directing people to bring the items they had bought into the house.

Seeing Chuxia and An’an, Jiang Shengnan’s face lit up with a smile. “You’re awake! Chuxia, did you see that your clothes were repaired?”

“Yes, Mom. The repair is perfect; you can’t see any trace of the damage.”

Jiang Shengnan said, “I specifically found a skilled tailor. If he hadn’t done a good job, it would have ruined a good piece of clothing.”

She continued organizing the groceries, putting items that needed refrigeration in the fridge and stacking others in the corner.

Chuxia took An’an to the kitchen, which was now filled to the brim with food.

There was enough to last a month, if not more.

“Mom, do you think we bought too much?”

“Not at all. During the New Year, you never know who might come over to eat, and I still feel like we didn’t buy enough,” Jiang Shengnan said as she pushed the cabbage further in and went outside to check where the chickens, ducks, and geese were placed.

Since these were live animals to ensure freshness, they were delivered alive.

Cen Huai’an, being curious about small animals at his age, especially the large geese he had never seen before, followed Jiang Shengnan to have a look.

Afterwards, Chuxia assigned him a task: “For today’s diary, write a piece about the geese. I’ll be checking it.”

Cen Huai’an’s smile faded instantly, and he responded gloomily, “Mom, can I write just fifty words?”

Chuxia replied, “I think writing 150 words would be better.”

Seeing his increasingly distressed face, Chuxia couldn’t help but laugh, rubbing his chubby little face and said, “Alright, I was just kidding. Write as much or as little as you like.”

Cen Huai’an’s mood brightened immediately, and he happily went to write his diary.

As he wrote, he realized that diaries were meant to be written whenever he felt like it.

He felt a bit tricked by his mother but was soon pacified.

The next day was New Year’s Eve, and it was a beautiful day.

Though it was still cold in Ganzhou, the military quarters were festive. Outside, the sounds of children setting off firecrackers and their joyful laughter could be heard from time to time.

Cen Huai’an was not familiar with the others.

He was helping Cen’s father’s guard, Xiao Liu, paste Spring Festival couplets at home.

Cen’s father was still very busy. During early summer, except for dinner time, he was almost never seen.

Jiang Shengnan was also frequently called away for work.

Therefore, the task of pasting the couplets on New Year’s Eve was left to Chuxia, Xiao Liu, and a little follower, Cen Huai’an.

Cen Zhengnian still had not returned.

“Sister-in-law, is the position right?”

Chuxia looked from a distance and said, “Yes, leave it as it is.”

Xiao Liu stood on a stool, applying glue and sticking the couplets, while Cen Huai’an handed him the glue and couplets.

The two worked together perfectly.

They started pasting from the front door, covering every room in the house, even placing a character for luck under the refrigerator and the table beneath the TV.

After pasting the couplets, Xiao Liu hung two red lanterns at the front door and the living room entrance.

The entire small building instantly became festive. Next, Xiao Liu began preparing the ingredients for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

Most of the fried items and other New Year foods were prepared before Chuxia arrived, such as date cakes, meatballs, and fried fish. Xiao Liu had made these too.

Chuxia admired him greatly; being a guard was not easy, as it involved protecting officials while also being able to cook.

However, there were benefits.

Being a guard wasn’t a permanent position; after a few years, if Xiao Liu wanted to be promoted, Cen’s father and Jiang Shengnan would help him.

Thus, many aspired to be a guard for the leader, and those with lesser abilities wouldn’t be selected.