Chapter 115 Picky Eaters

Gu Xiao stood outside the door, his eyes filled with unspoken words, but in the end he only earnestly instructed: "Stay home and be good. If anything happens, find your dad or call the army."

"Don't worry, I'm at home, doing fine." Nan Zhiyi nodded vigorously, her voice slightly choked. "You must take good care of yourself and be careful."

Gu Xiao raised his hand, his fingertips brushing against the corner of her slightly cool eye, and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Wait for me to come back."

"Mmm." She forced a sweet smile.

Gu Xiao gave her a deep look, picked up his luggage, and strode towards the door without looking back.

Nan Zhiyi chased after him to the door and watched him get into the car, which then slowly drove away.

Only when the car was completely out of sight did she raise her hand to wipe the corner of her eye.

For the first two days after Gu Xiao left, Nan Zhiyi felt empty and couldn't muster the energy to do anything.

Staring at the pillow he slept on, the chair he sat on, and even the cup he drank from before he left, could make her space out for a long time.

But she's not the kind of person who lets herself wallow in a bad mood for long.

In the morning, when she went to the kitchen to pour hot water, she saw Wu Ma wearing an apron, skillfully kneading a large ball of white dough, with a prepared cabbage and pork filling next to her.

After finishing her water, Nan Zhiyi rolled up her sleeves to wash her hands: "Aunt Wu, shall I help you wrap it?"

Aunt Wu quickly waved her hand: "Oh, my little darling, you rest! You've just started to feel better, how can I let you do anything!"

She vividly remembered Commander Gu's solemn instructions before he left.

"It's alright, Aunt Wu," Nan Zhiyi dried her hands, walked to the cutting board, picked up a rolled-out dough sheet, and scooped a spoonful of meat filling onto it.

“This kind of work won’t tire me out. Back when I was in the military family compound, my neighbor, Sister Wang, taught me a lot.”

As she spoke, her fingers deftly pinched the pleats. Although she couldn't match Wu Ma's speed, her movements were fluid, clearly indicating that she was no novice.

Watching her movements, Aunt Wu exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, you really know how to wrap them! They look quite nice! You're so capable and virtuous!"

Nan Zhiyi was a little embarrassed by the praise: "Aunt Wu, please don't make fun of me. My cooking skills are just average. Sometimes I put in too much salt, and sometimes it's too bland. It all depends on luck. ... Fifth Brother doesn't mind. He'll eat whatever you give him."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wu couldn't help but burst into laughter, her wrinkles smoothing out: "You don't mind? He wasn't like this when he was little! He was quite picky about food!"

"Oh?" Nan Zhiyi became interested, and even slowed down her peeling motion. "Why was he so picky about food before? Aunt Wu, tell me quickly!"

She was very curious about Gu Xiao's past.

Seeing that she wanted to listen, Aunt Wu started talking: "Of all the boys in the Commander's family, Regiment Commander Gu is the most 'fussy'! When he was a kid, if there was even a tiny bit of spice he didn't recognize floating in the chicken soup, he wouldn't touch the soup! Once I tried to steam a fish using a new method, and after taking one bite, his brows furrowed so much they could trap a fly, and he put down his chopsticks and said, 'The taste is wrong,' preferring to eat plain steamed buns instead!"

Listening to Wu Ma's description, Nan Zhiyi couldn't help but chuckle, recalling Gu Xiao's serious yet disdainful little face when he was a child.

"And another thing," Aunt Wu lowered her voice, "when he used to stew meat, if there were a few extra pieces of fatty meat, he would pick out all the fatty pieces from the bowl and arrange them neatly on the side of the bowl, like arranging troops! When the commander saw this, he was so angry that he scolded him for 'acting like a young master,' but he didn't say a word and just kept picking them out!"

"And another time I ate cold noodles..."

......

Nan Zhiyi listened with great interest, her heart softening.

It turns out that beneath his cold exterior, he once possessed such an "adorable" stubbornness.

These past events, which she had never participated in, became exceptionally vivid through Wu Ma's narration, making her feel closer to his past.

Aunt Wu shook her head and sighed, "Who could have imagined that after joining the army, we could only eat from the same pot? Commander Gu... I don't know how much suffering he endured."

Nan Zhiyi's hands also stopped moving. Gu Xiao left home when he was a teenager, and he has indeed had a very hard time these years.

Wu Ma carefully prepared her face, but seeing that Nan Zhiyi was in a bad mood, she knew that what she had just said had reminded her of Gu Xiao, so she quickly changed the subject.

"Zhiyi, how about we make some soup for lunch and have it with meat buns?"

Nan Zhiyi perked up and smiled, "Great! You're a good cook, everything you make tastes delicious!"

She held up a steamed bun she had wrapped to Wu Ma's face.

"Aunt Wu, do you think I've pinched these creases evenly?"

Wu Ma looked at it carefully. The buns were round and plump. Although the pleats were not as skillful as hers, they were still even and fine, and looked quite presentable.

"Perfect! So perfect! Much better than when I first started learning!" She praised without reservation, "You're so skillful!"

Nan Zhiyi chuckled: "When Anping came to our military camp before, I even bought her a room, she..."

Mentioning Zhou Anping, Nan Zhiyi's smile faltered for a moment. "Speaking of which, Anping hasn't come to see me these past two days. I wonder how she's doing..."

Aunt Wu comforted her, "The Zhou family girl is probably busy with work. Don't worry, she's a straightforward person, she'll definitely come to you if she needs anything."

Nan Zhiyi nodded and continued to focus on wrapping the buns in her hands.

Working with Aunt Wu and chatting about everyday things, time flew by.

Lunch consisted of steamed buns with cabbage and pork, along with egg drop soup made by Aunt Wu and several refreshing side dishes. Commander Gu usually had a working lunch and didn't come back for meals.

Nan Zhiyi had a good appetite; she ate two steamed buns and drank a bowl of soup.

After dinner, Aunt Wu tidied up the house, going upstairs and downstairs.

Nan Zhiyi returned to her bedroom.

She didn't rush to read the book. Instead, she walked to the window and looked towards the Zhou family's house across the street. The window was tightly closed, and she couldn't see anything.

She walked to the sofa by the window and sat down, opening the latest issue of "People's Literature". Before leaving, Gu Xiao had gone to the bookstore to buy a lot of magazines and books so that she wouldn't be bored.

There is a short story in People's Literature that depicts the lives of female factory workers, written in a delicate style.

The female workers toiled beside the roaring machines, shared their innermost thoughts in the dormitories, and searched for their own value amidst the torrent of the times...

Nan Zhiyi was engrossed in watching, seeing a completely different yet equally vibrant life.

After she closed the magazine, she couldn't calm down for a long time.

Are military spouses not also "laborers" in another sense? They shoulder the burdens of life, supporting the Great Wall of Steel ahead with long waits and silent dedication.

Their hardships, resilience, perseverance, and hopes; their joys and sorrows; their ordinariness and greatness...

An indescribable impulse surged within her.

She opened the People's Literature magazine again, her gaze sweeping over the small box at the bottom of the table of contents:

"People's Literature Magazine is seeking excellent manuscripts... Payment will be made upon acceptance of the work... Specific payment will depend on the quality and length of the work... Submission address..."