Chapter 23: The muscular man was so drooling he cried; they were definitely going to follow this sister-in-law!

That overpowering aroma of meat, like an invisible hand, forcefully penetrated the doors and windows of every household in the residential compound.

The children who were chasing and playing in the yard stopped when they smelled the aroma, sniffed hard, and drool dripped from their mouths.

"It smells so good...who's cooking meat?"

The military wife, who was taking a nap in the house, was woken up by the aroma. She tossed and turned and couldn't fall back asleep, her stomach rumbling with cravings.

An elderly man who was weeding in the vegetable garden smelled the aroma, straightened up, and sniffed hard in the direction from which the fragrance was coming.

"Good heavens... what kind of divine ingredients did they put in? How can it smell so good?"

Meanwhile, at the training ground not far from the family compound.

Battalion Commander Zhang Dashan was leading his soldiers in afternoon physical training.

Weighted running, push-ups, pull-ups... everyone trained until they were drenched in sweat and panting heavily.

"Get your act together, everyone!" Zhang Dashan roared at the top of his lungs. "Anyone who dares to slack off is skipping dinner!"

The soldiers complained bitterly.

I was punished by the regimental commander with a 10-kilometer run early in the morning, and then the battalion commander drilled me to death all afternoon.

I can't live like this anymore!

Just then, a gust of wind blew by.

The incredibly rich aroma of meat carried on the wind assaulted the nostrils of every soldier.

"Gurgle..."

I don't know whose stomach made the first uncooperative noise.

Immediately afterwards, a series of swallowing sounds echoed across the training field.

All the soldiers stopped moving.

They were like a group of wooden figures frozen in place, heads tilted back, eyes closed, expressions of utter ecstasy. They looked exactly like a group of opium addicts.

"Holy crap... what's that smell?" a soldier muttered to himself.

"It smells so damn good! It's so good it's making my legs weak!"

"I've never smelled meat so delicious in my life! It's absolutely irresistible!"

Zhang Dashan's stomach was growling like thunder.

He had served in the army for over a decade, fighting in battles across the country. What delicacies hadn't he seen? But he swore he had never smelled such a domineering, so alluring aroma in his entire life!

The fragrance was like a hook, tickling him so much that every part of his body—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—was itchy.

"Where is this smell coming from?" Zhang Dashan opened his eyes and searched for the source of the fragrance like a hunting dog.

Soon, his gaze settled on the family compound not far away.

The direction from which the fragrance was strongest was none other than the small courtyard of their regimental commander, Qin Lie!

"It's the regimental commander's house!" Zhang Dashan's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh. "His wife must be cooking!"

"Let's go! Brothers! Let's go to the regimental commander's house for a free meal!"

With a wave of his hand, he disregarded all training and led the way towards the family compound.

The soldiers behind him lit up at the mention of "free meals." They were like they'd been injected with adrenaline, yelling and urging him on, their speed even faster than during their ten-kilometer armed cross-country run!

...

In the kitchen.

Just as Jiang Wu put the small celadon bottle back into her spatial storage, Qin Lie came out of the house with a piece of old-fashioned rock candy in his hand.

"The rock sugar is here."

He stopped in his tracks as soon as he stepped into the kitchen.

He sniffed hard.

"Why...smells so good?"

He stared at the braised pork still bubbling in the pot, his expression one of utter shock.

Even though it's the same seasonings, how come the taste is completely different now just because he went inside to get a piece of rock sugar?

This fragrance is so overpowering! It made him feel a little dizzy.

"Because I added my secret recipe," Jiang Wu turned her head and gave him a sly smile. That smile was like that of a little fox who had just stolen some cream.

"An exclusive secret recipe?"

Qin Lie frowned, wanting to ask another question.

"Bang bang bang!"

The courtyard gate was being pounded on loudly.

"Commander! Open the door, Commander!" It was Zhang Dashan's loud, booming voice.

"Sister-in-law! Leave us some soup!" This was followed by the wailing and howling of the other soldiers.

Qin Lie's expression darkened.

Those bastards! Their noses are sharper than a dog's!

He finally managed to have some time alone with his wife, but they just followed the scent and came knocking on his door!

"I'll go and chase them away!" Qin Lie said with a stern face, turning to open the door.

"No!" Jiang Wu grabbed him.

She shook her head at him: "We're already here, there's no reason to kick us out."

"Your soldiers will be my brothers in the future. Isn't it only right for a sister-in-law to treat her brothers to a meal?"

Her words were both generous and appropriate, which made Qin Lie feel extremely comfortable.

His wife was truly different from before. She was no longer the selfish girl who only cared about love; she had begun to think of him and win people's hearts for him.

Looking into her clear and sincere eyes, Qin Lie's attitude softened by half.

He didn't say anything more, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Jiang Wu smiled, walked over, and opened the courtyard gate.

A dozen or so young soldiers in military uniforms stood in a dark mass at the entrance, with Zhang Dashan leading the way.

They all craned their necks to look into the yard, their eyes gleaming, like a pack of wolves that hadn't eaten for three days and three nights.

When Jiang Wu came out, everyone scratched their heads sheepishly.

"Sister-in-law..." Zhang Dashan chuckled, revealing a set of bright white teeth, "We...we were just passing by, it smelled so good, so...so we came to take a look..."

He felt guilty saying those words.

"Really?" Jiang Wu didn't expose them, but just looked at them with a smile. "That's perfect. I made a lot of braised pork today, and I was worried that we wouldn't be able to finish it. If you don't mind, come in and try your sister-in-law's cooking."

As she spoke, she stepped aside to make way for her.

The soldiers' eyes lit up when they heard that!

"Thank you, sister-in-law!"

"Sister-in-law, you're such a kind person!"

They cheered and swarmed in.

Qin Lie looked at this group of spineless soldiers, his face as black as the bottom of a pot, but he didn't say anything more.

Jiang Wu quickly brought out all the usable bowls from the house. She served each person a small piece of glistening braised pork and a spoonful of thick, sticky broth.

The soldiers, holding their bowls, didn't bother to find a place to sit and just squatted in the courtyard, wolfing down their food.

Mmm...delicious!

"It's so delicious!"

The moment the first bite of meat entered their mouths, those fearless, tough guys on the training field all let out satisfied sighs.

The braised pork was stewed until tender and flavorful, melting in your mouth. The fatty parts were sweet and not greasy, while the lean parts were tender and not dry. The skin was the best part, chewy, soft, and rich in collagen.

The most amazing part is that spoonful of broth; mixed with rice, every grain is coated in that irresistible aroma. It's so delicious you'll want to swallow your tongue!

"Waaaaah... I've never eaten such delicious braised pork in my entire life!" A younger soldier burst into tears while eating.

"What I used to eat was practically pig swill!"

"Sister-in-law! Your cooking skills are amazing! A hundred times better than the head chef in our cafeteria!"

"It's more than a hundred times better! I don't think even the chefs at state-run restaurants could make it taste like this!"

"Sister-in-law, from now on you're my sister-in-law! If anyone dares to say a bad word about you, I'll be the first to fight them to the death!"

In an instant, the courtyard was filled with praise for Jiang Wu.

The soldiers' attitude towards Jiang Wu completely changed, from curiosity and contempt to admiration, awe, and genuine affection.

They all thought their commander had struck gold! To be able to marry such a beautiful, kind-hearted woman who could also cook so well was like a fairy! It was as if his ancestors' graves were emitting auspicious smoke!

Zhang Dashan ate with his mouth full of oil. He moved closer to Qin Lie and nudged him with his elbow.

"Commander, you're something else!" He winked at Qin Lie. "You kept it a secret! You had such a great sister-in-law, why didn't you tell us sooner!"

Qin Lie looked at the group of spineless soldiers in the courtyard who had been bought off with a meal of meat, and then at the young wife who was being fawned over by everyone.

He sneered, "A bunch of good-for-nothings who've never eaten anything good before."

But the smile he couldn't suppress and his frighteningly bright eyes completely betrayed his smug and proud thoughts.

Looking at the woman smiling radiantly in the crowd, he felt an unprecedented sense of pride welling up within him.

This woman, whom everyone praises to the skies, is his.

She is Qin Lie's wife.

After the soldiers had licked every last drop of soup from their bowls, Jiang Wu cleaned up the dishes.

"I'll wash the dishes!"

"Sister-in-law, you rest! We'll take care of it!"

The soldiers were eager to help.

Qin Lie strode over.

He took the stack of bowls from Jiang Wu's hands.

"Go back to training!" he yelled at the group of soldiers.

Then, she quietly went to the tap and started washing the dishes.

The soldiers were once again speechless at the sight.

Their decisive and ruthless Commander Qin was actually... washing dishes?!

Or is he washing the dishes for his wife?!

This world is too fantastical!

After the soldiers reluctantly left, the courtyard finally returned to silence.

After washing the dishes, Qin Lie walked up to Jiang Wu.

He looked at her unreal beauty in the sunset, and the question that had popped up back at the supply and marketing cooperative resurfaced.

"What...did you put in the meat today?" He stared into her eyes and asked in a deep voice, "The taste is off."

Jiang Wu's breath hitched.

She knew that this man was very shrewd and not so easily fooled.

She still had that innocent and naive look. She reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, stood on tiptoe, and gently pecked his lips.

“I’ve given you love.” She winked at him, smiling like a sly little fox. “It’s a secret recipe, not to be shared with anyone.”

P.S.: "It smells so good! Who made this dish? Oh, it's me!!"

"What did they put there!?"

"Shh... This is an exclusive recipe, and I won't share it with anyone."

Tomato Novels is the pinnacle of novels, utterly crushing all its competitors!