Chapter 263: We Are Husband and Wife
Chapter 263: Chapter 263: We Are Husband and Wife
In the end, Su Zhaozhao had to smother Xie Huaizheng with kisses to finally ease his worries.
’This man... how could he be so insecure about something like this?’
"By the way, Shu Xue is taking the train to West State tomorrow. Should I go see her off? It’s not very safe for a girl to travel alone."
"It’s not safe for you to go either. I’ll have Xiao Yuanming see her off. Or, I’ll see if anyone’s free and heading to the city on business tomorrow. They can give her a ride." Xie Huaizheng didn’t want Su Zhaozhao to go see her off by herself.
It would be fine if they went together, but he wasn’t comfortable with Su Zhaozhao coming back alone.
"Okay, then. I’ll still see her off. I don’t have to go all the way to the station."
In the end, Su Zhaozhao came up with this compromise. After all, she still felt a little guilty toward Shu Xue. Thankfully, the girl was generous and kind, held no grudges, and even thought she and Xie Huaizheng were a good match.
Plus, Shu Xue even considered her a friend!
She didn’t have many friends in this world, so Su Zhaozhao cherished every friend she made.
"Okay. I’ll ask around to see who’s going."
"Oh, right! Didn’t we say we were going to invite Little Xiao and the others over for dinner? How about tonight?"
"Aren’t you tired?" Xie Huaizheng was worried Su Zhaozhao would overexert herself. After all, inviting so many people at once—and all of them big eaters—meant she would have to prepare a lot of food.
"I’m fine. I can start preparing after my two classes this afternoon." The idea had just occurred to her, and since it was on her mind, she figured she might as well get it done.
"Alright then. You handle the prep, and I’ll tell them to come over for dinner tonight."
After saying that, Xie Huaizheng reached out, pulled Su Zhaozhao into his arms, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
In the afternoon, after Xie Huaizheng left for training, Su Zhaozhao returned to her space. She harvested some of the fruits and vegetables and put some of them in the refrigerator.
She had to admit, the things from her space were truly wonderful; everything looked as fresh as it could be.
She even had persimmons in her space now.
Su Zhaozhao dried some to make dried persimmons and put them out in the house. They stored well and were ready to eat whenever she wanted a snack.
She also prepared some sunflower seeds, peanuts, and the like, leaving them out as snacks.
Her guests could have some before dinner.
At nearly two o’clock, Su Zhaozhao headed to the military district’s elementary school. She would teach two classes, then go to the market to buy groceries for the meal.
Since she had promised them this meal last time, she prepared some extra things.
Training was so arduous every day, and she’d noticed they ate a lot in the cafeteria.
So she planned to make more meat dishes tonight.
She bought pork ribs, a chicken, and some beef, making sure to get large enough portions of everything.
Back home, Su Zhaozhao took out a good amount of pork from her space and started making dumplings by hand.
She was a southerner and didn’t eat dumplings often, but she’d heard from Xie Huaizheng that these comrades-in-arms were all from the north, where they liked to eat dumplings on important occasions.
So she made dumplings with a green onion and pork filling, as well as some with a cabbage and pork filling.
The ribs would be braised, the chicken would be used for soup, and the beef would be stir-fried with peppers.
She would also make a pot of braised pork belly and some dry-pot pork intestines.
Su Zhaozhao was cooking up a storm in the kitchen. By the time Xie Huaizheng and his friends arrived, she was nearly finished.
These men were the same soldiers Su Zhaozhao had met on the train during her first trip to West State.
Other than Xiao Yuanming, she wasn’t particularly familiar with the others.
But when they saw Su Zhaozhao, they all called out "Ma’am" in unison.
"You’re here? It must have been a tough day of training. Come, have something cold to drink."
Su Zhaozhao had specially prepared a snow fungus and pear soup. She had chilled it in the refrigerator and now brought out a serving for each person.
This kind of soup was believed to clear heat and moisten the lungs, making it perfect for the dry autumn weather.
Plus, they had to shout commands during their daily training, so this soup would also soothe their throats. Su Zhaozhao felt it was quite suitable for them.
Xiao Yuanming and the others didn’t stand on ceremony. After one sip of the cool, refreshing, and subtly sweet snow fungus and pear soup, they couldn’t help but close their eyes in bliss.
They didn’t know how Su Zhaozhao had made it, but the ingredients were stewed until they were incredibly soft, yet the broth itself remained light and sweet.
After that first sip, they couldn’t stop themselves and finished the whole bowl.
"This is delicious!"
"This is the best snow fungus and pear soup I’ve ever had."
"Yeah, yeah, I agree! It’s so good, even better than my mom’s."
In this era, snow fungus was still a relatively precious ingredient. After finishing one bowl, the men were too embarrassed to ask for a second.
Su Zhaozhao told them, "Don’t be shy. I made a lot, and it won’t keep overnight, so please finish it."
Xie Huaizheng came out of the kitchen carrying a dish and also said to them, "That’s right, don’t be shy. You’re already here for dinner, so you can relax. Be more like you are during training. When you’re slacking off, I notice your skins are plenty thick."
His words made Xiao Yuanming and the others blush with embarrassment.
It was only because Su Zhaozhao was there.
’It’s our first time having dinner at the commander’s house, we have to be on our best behavior!’
’How could we just show up for the first time and shamelessly stuff our faces?’
"That’s right, don’t be shy, really," Su Zhaozhao added. "I’ve prepared a lot, so I guarantee you can eat your fill. If you don’t finish it, it’ll just have to be thrown out, and what a waste that would be."
Hearing Su Zhaozhao say that, they finally began to relax and weren’t as reserved as they had been initially.
Once the food was served, they all sat down and began to eat.
Tasting Su Zhaozhao’s cooking for the first time, Xiao Yuanming and his friends were stunned.
"Wow, Ma’am! You’re so beautiful, how can you be such a good cook too? This is way better than what the chefs in our cafeteria make!"
"Yeah, this meat is so fragrant! And this chicken soup is so light and sweet, too. The flavor is really unique. Did you put medicinal herbs in it?"
Su Zhaozhao nodded. "Yes, I added some Chinese medicinal herbs. They’re for gentle nourishment. People in Shencheng City like to make their soups this way, so I thought I’d give it a try. You all train so hard every day, you should drink this kind of chicken soup to replenish your bodies."
Su Zhaozhao went on to tell them about the dishes she had made, and everyone ate very happily.
As Xie Huaizheng ate, he couldn’t help but turn to look at Su Zhaozhao. He saw her smiling and chatting cheerfully with the others, constantly urging them to eat more. When they showered her with enthusiastic praise, she accepted it with natural grace.
He pressed his thin lips together, the tenderness in his eyes almost impossible to contain.
’Yes, this is the life I used to occasionally fantasize about.’
’A wife who would respect his profession and respect his comrades-in-arms.’
’Where everyone could be happy together at mealtimes.’
Xie Huaizheng’s hand instinctively reached out and held Su Zhaozhao’s.
Su Zhaozhao came back to herself and looked at Xie Huaizheng. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Zhaozhao, thank you."
He was truly grateful to Su Zhaozhao.
Su Zhaozhao paused, a little confused. She didn’t quite understand why Xie Huaizheng was thanking her.
’Is it because I worked hard to cook this big meal?’
But she still said to him, "We’re husband and wife. You don’t have to thank me."