Chapter 192 The Grand Finale
Liu Zhixia glanced at the fabric and said casually, "Although Dacron is durable, it's not breathable and can make you feel stuffy and sweaty in the summer. Besides, this pattern is an old design from last year, and it's not popular in the city anymore. Pure cotton, on the other hand, is absorbent and breathable, which is more suitable for our climate."
Liu Mei's face stiffened: "What do you know? I had someone buy this from the provincial capital!"
Liu Zhixia smiled and took out a jar of her homemade pickled vegetables from the basket: "I don't know much. But I do know how to make a good living. If you don't like country things, then I won't give you this pickled vegetable. Sister Wang, you can try this jar."
Aunt Wang took the pickled vegetables and deliberately said loudly, "Oh my! This must be the pickled vegetables that Old Shen always brags about! It smells so good! You're too kind, sister!"
The wives of soldiers around them, drawn by the aroma, all gathered around and praised Liu Zhixia's skillful hands.
Seeing Liu Zhixia being fawned over by everyone, Liu Mei stomped her foot in anger and slunk away.
In this battle, Liu Zhixia emerged victorious.
As the days went by, Liu Zhixia quickly integrated into the family compound thanks to her excellent skills and cheerful personality.
But when Shen Yi returned that evening, he looked pale and walked unsteadily.
Liu Zhixia was very observant and immediately noticed that something was wrong.
"What's wrong? Has your back injury flared up again?"
Shen Yi wanted to hide it, but when he met his wife's worried eyes, he could only tell her the truth: "The training intensity has been high lately, and my old ailment has flared up again. It's nothing, a few plasters will do the trick."
Liu Zhixia felt extremely distressed. She knew that Shen Yi was the type to only report good news and not bad news, so this back injury must be serious.
"No, just applying plasters won't do. It only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."
Liu Zhixia thought of the ancient book of recipes that Gangzi had given her, which seemed to contain recipes for medicinal cuisine.
The next morning, she went straight into the kitchen.
The old hen soup, simmered with spring water, was made with sliced ginseng, dendrobium, and several herbs that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. It was then simmered over low heat for a full three hours.
As evening fell, the rich aroma of herbs filled the entire residential compound.
"It smells so good! Whose stew is this?"
"It smells like Battalion Commander Shen's house! There's even a medicinal aroma in it, it's making my mouth water!"
When Shen Yi came home from get off work, the aroma immediately whetted her appetite.
"Honey, what delicious food have you made?"
"I made you a medicinal meal, specially for your old back." Liu Zhixia brought out a bowl of steaming chicken soup.
Shen Yi finished the drink in one gulp and felt a warm current spread from his stomach, which actually relieved his sore back.
After drinking it for several days, Shen Yi was surprised to find that his back injury had miraculously healed by more than half. He was even more energetic during training, and his performance was even better than before.
The news quickly spread throughout the army.
Upon hearing the news, the military doctor rushed over, insisting on seeing Liu Zhixia's prescription.
Liu Zhixia didn't keep anything to herself; she slightly modified the medicinal diet recipe she had come up with, removing the part about the spiritual spring water, and handed it over to the military doctor.
The military doctor was overjoyed: "Wonderful! This prescription is exquisitely formulated, both nourishing and curative! Comrade Xiao Liu, your talent cannot be wasted! Would you be interested in helping out in the medical team?"
Liu Zhixia smiled and declined the formal position, but agreed to be an unofficial consultant, occasionally helping the soldiers with their health.
Liu Zhixia is a person who can't sit still.
As she familiarized herself with the surroundings, she discovered that the camp was backed by mountains. Although there were no precious medicinal herbs like dendrobium in the mountains, common herbs such as mugwort, honeysuckle, and dandelion were everywhere.
These are considered good things in the city!
She got creative and called a meeting with the women in the family compound.
"Sisters, instead of staying at home all day doing nothing, why don't we start some side hustles together?"
"What side hustle? We don't know how to do anything."
"Gathering herbs, making mosquito repellent sachets, drying vegetables! Everyone knows how to do these, right? I'll provide the recipes and sales channels, and we'll share the profits!"
The women's eyes lit up when they heard that it could make money.
Even Liu Mei, who had previously been picking a fight, shamelessly came over and asked, "Um... Sister Liu, can I participate too?"
Liu Zhixia smiled generously: "Of course! There's strength in numbers!"
As a result, a "herb-gathering craze" swept through the residential compound. People gathered herbs during the day and did handicrafts at night, enriching their lives and earning extra money. The atmosphere in the compound became much more harmonious.
That day, everyone was enthusiastically making mosquito repellent sachets when Liu Zhixia suddenly felt dizzy, her stomach churned, and she kept gagging.
Having been through similar experiences, Aunt Wang immediately beamed with joy upon seeing this: "Sister! You're pregnant, aren't you?"
"Huh?" Liu Zhixia was stunned.
Upon examination at the medical team, it was confirmed that she was indeed two months pregnant!
Shen Yi was leading troops at the training ground when he heard the news. He ran back like a fool, ignoring the mud all over his body, and picked up Liu Zhixia and spun her around several times.
"I'm going to be a dad! I'm going to be a dad!"
Seeing this usually serious and aloof man smiling like a child fills Liu Zhixia's heart with happiness.
To make matters worse, good news also came from Zhao Dongmei's side: she and Lu Kai are also pregnant!
The two families gathered together to celebrate, their laughter echoing through the sky.
Time flies, and a year has passed in the blink of an eye.
Liu Zhixia gave birth to a big, healthy boy, whom she named Shen An, meaning a lifetime of peace and stability.
This child inherited his parents' good genes, and with a robust and chubby appearance, he became the darling of the family compound before he was even a month old.
At the same time, a letter arrived from my hometown.
The letter said that the pickled vegetable factory had expanded into a leading enterprise in the county, and its products were sold as far away as the provincial capital. The fourth son and Xu Zhihong had twins, a boy and a girl, and Zhang also came to work with them, becoming a key technical staff member in the factory. They were living a prosperous life.
Gangzi's medicinal herb business has also grown significantly, making him an important local partner for Liu Zhixia, and he regularly supplies high-quality medicinal herbs to the military.
As for the Lu family, I heard they lived a miserable life in the Northwest, scheming against each other for a meager meal, and had long since lost their former humanity.
Good and evil will eventually be rewarded, and all of this is their own fault.
As the sun sets, its golden rays bathe the military camp.
Holding the babbling little Shen An in her arms, Liu Zhixia leaned against Shen Yi's chest, standing on a high point in the family compound, gazing at the red flag fluttering in the distance.
"What are you thinking about?" Shen Yi asked softly, tucking a strand of her wind-blown hair behind her ear.
Liu Zhixia looked up at her husband's resolute profile, her eyes filled with tenderness: "I was thinking... this life is truly wonderful."
The suffering of my past life is like a nightmare. Now that I've woken up, all I see is sunshine and my loved one.
Shen Yi held her hand, their fingers intertwined: "Things will get better in the future."
The sound of horns echoed through the valley; it was a symphony of peace and a prelude to happiness.
The silhouettes of the family of three stretched long in the setting sun, capturing a serene and beautiful scene.
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