Chapter 43

The next day, after a night's rest, Aunt Wang got rid of the fatigue from the long journey and got up in high spirits.

She was old and less sleepy. She used to get up before dawn to make breakfast in her hometown. At this time, few people in the family compound were up.

Cheng Zheng was busy in the kitchen, kneading and rolling dough. He woke up and saw his old mother hunched over working busy. It was exactly the same scene he saw when he was a child.

After my father passed away unexpectedly, my mother took care of the family. She was the first one to get up and busy in the kitchen.

"Mom, you got up so early?" Cheng Zheng was wearing a neat green military uniform. Even in the windy day, he still wore short sleeves, revealing a strong brown arm with faintly visible blue veins on it.

"I'm also going to cook noodles."

Aunt Wang turned around and looked at her son. "Is your dough as delicious as mine?"

She is not bragging, Aunt Wang is very confident in her craftsmanship, the noodles she rolls out are chewy and firm.

"Of course not." Cheng Zheng has been away from home for many years and has eaten noodles made by many people, but none of them can compare to the one made by his mother.

"That's all I need to know!" Aunt Wang put the hand-rolled noodles into the pot, stirred them with chopsticks, and began to prepare the seasoning. "When the noodles are almost done, go call Lulu."

Cheng Zheng was drinking water with his head tilted back. Hearing this, he couldn't hold back what was in his heart. "Mom, what did you talk about last night? Did you talk for a long time?"

Aunt Wang smiled and started to cook the cabbage leaves when she saw the noodles were half cooked. "What are you talking about? You little brat, why are you so pretentious? It's more awkward than a young lady getting on a sedan chair for the first time."

After being scolded by his own mother, Cheng Zheng could only smile bitterly, "Mom, I'm already married, why are you still looking up old news?"

"It's good that you know!" Aunt Wang complained that her son was slow to learn, but now it seems that no matter how slow he is, he still knows how to treat his daughter-in-law well. "You should treat your daughter-in-law well in the future. Go, call someone to do it."

Jian Lu talked to her mother-in-law for a long time yesterday. Although the two of them are quite different in age, their personalities are very similar. One wanted to hear gossip about her hometown, and the other wanted to...

Jian Lu looked at her mother-in-law's excited eyes and actually tried to find out how Cheng Zheng confessed his feelings to her.

She was very suspicious that the mother-in-law wanted to support her son and daughter-in-law as a couple!

However, in this day and age, mothers-in-law should be asked to care about the emotional development of their sons and daughters-in-law.

Jian Lu still used the shyness of a new daughter-in-law to cover up her mistake and only said a few words casually. Instead, she coaxed her mother-in-law into talking about Jian Hualin and the adopted son for a long time.

Jian Hualin is really nice to people now that he has a son. All the meat and eggs in the house are given to him.

The more Jian Lu listened, the more interested she became. She was waiting to see how Jian Hualin would be tricked by this ungrateful person.

After chatting for a long time, Jian Lu accidentally overslept. When Cheng Zheng came into the room and woke her up, she was surprised to find that she was the last one to get up in the family. Even her mother-in-law had prepared breakfast, and Cheng Zheng had squeezed tooth powder for her.

While brushing her teeth, Jian Lu's face became hot and she felt a little embarrassed. She had originally thought that she would at least show off for a few days, but she didn't expect that her mother-in-law would show her true colors the very next day after she came.

Cheng Zheng obviously didn't think this was a big deal and was just eating noodles with big mouthfuls. His mother's skill in kneading and rolling the noodles was really amazing. The soup was rich and the noodles were chewy. Every bite brought back memories of his childhood.

At that time, our family was poor and it was good enough to eat noodles once or twice a year. Every bite was precious.

"Lulu, come and try it. You haven't tasted the noodles I made yet."

Jian Lu also praised her mother-in-law's cooking skills. She was not flattering, but liked it from the bottom of her heart. "Mom, it's delicious. How did you mix and roll the dough? The ones I make are not so chewy."

After eating it, you still want to learn it. This is probably the highest compliment.

Aunt Wang said a few words casually, then looked at her son, "Just let Cheng Zheng do it. He can't do anything else, but he can still do two or two noodles."

While her son was washing dishes, Aunt Wang took her daughter-in-law's hand and sat down. The girl had grown up in about a year, and she was very cute. She asked, "Tell me, has Shitou bullied you? He has a bad temper. In fact, I was worried that he would get angry when he heard that a new daughter-in-law had suddenly arrived. I know my son best. His bad temper is exactly the same as his father's."

In front of her daughter-in-law, Aunt Wang did not cover up for her son at all and said whatever she wanted to say.

When Jian Lu heard what her mother-in-law said, someone pulled her hand, patted the back of her hand gently, and she immediately started to complain!

"Mom, he bought a train ticket to send me away!"

"What?" Aunt Wang thought about it a lot, but she never thought that this person could be so cruel! "This stinky boy is rebelling!"

When Cheng Zheng came out from washing the dishes and entered the living room, he noticed that his mother's face looked a little strange and she was frowning and not saying a word.

He was worried. Could it be that his wife had upset his mother in such a short time? This shouldn't be the case. His wife was smart, beautiful, kind and generous. How could she...

But he was very familiar with his mother's angry look now, which was definitely not a sign of a happy mood.

"Lulu, go back to your room and braid your hair. We'll be ready to go out soon." Cheng Zheng asked his wife to go into the room, and he lowered his voice to his mother who was sitting at the table with a fierce look on her face, "Mom, don't be so fierce. What did Lulu say just now? She is young, so don't mind what she said. Before you came, Lulu was thinking about you and cleaned the room for you, made the bed for you, etc..."

Aunt Wang felt something was wrong with what her son said. What was he talking about?

"Who told you that Lulu pissed me off?"

Cheng Zheng was slightly stunned. "I didn't provoke you, but why do you look so angry now? I was just washing the dishes, and you two were alone in the living room. Could it be that I provoke you?"

"What do you think?" Aunt Wang glared at her son.

"It's really me?" Cheng Zheng was surprised. What was wrong with him today?

"I'll judge you later." Aunt Wang saw her daughter-in-law had finished braiding a beautiful braid, and she called her over with a friendly smile, "Lulu, let's go out for a walk."

After breakfast, Team Leader Cheng, who had a rare day off, and his wife took their mother for a walk around the island.

This was the first time Aunt Wang saw the sea.

The winter sea is a bit bleak, the water is deep and quiet, but still surging. Many fishermen are busy on the beach, catching and unloading. The coconut trees on both sides of the road are still the biggest bright spot in winter, green and leisurely.

Cheng Zheng got a coconut for his mother and daughter-in-law. It was the first time that Aunt Wang saw someone holding such a thing and drinking water.

Jian Lu enthusiastically introduced it to her and taught her how to drink coconut juice with a bamboo straw.

Aunt Wang, who is over 50 years old, is rarely fashionable. She holds the coconut in both hands and carefully takes a sip through a bamboo straw.

The sweet coconut juice rushes into your mouth, slurp it, it's really interesting.

"Mom, how is it? Is it delicious?"

"It tastes good!" Aunt Wang took a big sip this time, it was really sweet.

Jian Lu is very happy that she has successfully sold Amway products. "It's cold now, but isn't it the best time to drink coconut juice? Summer is the best time. When the weather gets hot, put the coconut in cold water for a while, then take a sip. It's cool and very comfortable."

Cheng Zheng curled his lips unconsciously as he watched his daughter-in-law excitedly telling her mother what to eat and drink and how to eat.

Especially tonight, Jian Lu prepared a big meal to welcome her mother-in-law.

Aunt Wang was also very supportive and was very interested in what Jian Lu said. Cheng Zheng took his mother and daughter-in-law to visit the troops. Aunt Wang was very proud of her son's military service. Seeing the sacred and solemn troops, she did not dare to look around and was very cautious.

Only after Cheng Zheng asked her to be more relaxed did she feel relieved.

The three of them wandered around until the afternoon before returning home. As soon as they walked to the door, they saw three figures at the door.

The woman and the child looked familiar. Jian Lu recognized them at a glance as Zheng Shuyun and Dongdong who were almost abducted yesterday.

Cao Jianshe had just returned from his mission. The Chinese New Year was about to come, so he also had a holiday. Now he could happily celebrate the New Year with his family.

As a result, as soon as he got home, he heard about the terrifying moment yesterday. He almost lost his wife and children forever. Even the soldiers who had experienced the life-and-death scene were frightened and broke out in cold sweats.

So, after comforting his wife and children, he brought people and gifts to thank Cheng Zheng and Jian Lu's family.

"I brought these from my hometown. They're not worth much. Please accept them. If it weren't for you, Dongdong and I would have..." Zheng Shuyun put a piece of bacon from her hometown in the bag she brought over, as well as ten eggs and a pound of crispy candies that Cao Jianshe had bought with the egg coupons he borrowed from him, on the table.

Sitting down in the house, Cao Jianshe, who looked simple and honest, had a gloomy face and spoke with a choked voice, "Captain Cheng, and your wife and mother, I heard about it when I just came back today. Really, if it weren't for you, I would have lost my home this time!"

Cao Jianshe was not good at speaking, and due to his emotional excitement, he spoke incoherently, "You don't know, when I heard the news, I couldn't even think about the kidnapper who was killed that day! I wish I were on the battlefield right now and could shoot him directly!"

"Xiao Cao, you should be more patient." Aunt Wang understood his feelings. "Fortunately, no one is hurt. It's just that your wife and son were frightened. They are recovering very slowly."

Cheng Zheng is also married, although he has no children, but he can completely empathize with Cao Jianshe's feelings. Such a thing, just thinking about the slightest possibility that it might happen to him makes one feel cold all over.

"Cao Jianshe, this is indeed a difficult matter. I can only say that we are lucky!" Cheng Zheng patted his shoulder to comfort him. "Be careful when you go out in the future. There are too many kidnappers these days. It's not safe. I also asked my comrades at the police station to find out. Those kidnappers will definitely be severely punished."

Zheng Shuyun seemed to be still a little frightened after the ordeal. Even at this moment, sitting in Jian Lu's house, she was still holding her son tightly, and it was obvious that she was still scared.

Jian Lu took out the cakes from home to entertain the guests, including the fragrant and crispy peach cakes. Dongdong ate them non-stop. Children tend to forget things quickly and only remembered that he met some bad guys yesterday. After eating the peach cakes, he even shouted that he wanted to join the army and beat up the bad guys.

The depressing atmosphere in the room was broken by four-year-old Dongdong, who spoke only as a child but was very ambitious.

Cheng Zheng smiled brightly, remembering that the child was brave enough to go back to protect his mother yesterday, and called Dongdong over.

"Dongdong, are you going to join the army like your father?"

Dongdong, at this time, was a small, thin boy with a cute appearance. He inherited all the good qualities of his parents, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and regular facial features. He spoke with a righteous tone.

"Yes, I want to be a soldier, become very powerful, and beat up the bad guys!"

With some unchewed peach cake still in his mouth, his chubby cheeks moved, and his bold words made all the adults present nod in approval.

"Good! Ambitious!" Cheng Zheng felt that this child was capable, more sensible and courageous than many children he had seen. He touched Dongdong's head and lifted him onto his lap. "There are many children in the yard, you can play together. When you grow up, if you want to join the army, ask your dad to send you."

The Cao family sat in the house for a while and prepared to leave. In the corridor on the third floor, Jian Lu saw Dunzi at a glance and simply acted as a "kindergarten teacher" to introduce new friends to them.

"Dunzi, come here quickly!"

Dunzi was sitting on the ground taking pictures when he heard Aunt Lulu calling him. He ran over and called all the uncles, aunts and grandmothers one by one.

"Dunzi, this is a new kid in the yard, his name is Dongdong, would you like to play together from now on?"

Dunzi took a look at Dongdong, who was a head shorter than him. He looked okay and clean, unlike the kids downstairs who were dirty all day long.

"Great! It's just right that we have all the people for the fight!" Three against three, fair!

Jian Lu: “…?”

I'm not introducing the kids to fight with you!

"How can you fight?" Jian Lu winked at Dunzi, then went over and whispered, "Dunzi, you are ruining the reputation of the other kids in the compound. Dongdong and his mother are new here, and they are invited to fight right after they arrive. How unmotivated and unfriendly."

Dunzi thought for a moment and said, "Okay, let's practice calligraphy together."

"Yes, just learn!"

......

That night, Jian Lu made seafood soup for her mother-in-law, and cooked scallops with vermicelli and garlic sauce, and blanched shrimps. Aunt Wang, who had rarely eaten seafood, felt like she had opened the door to a new world.

While eating, Aunt Wang looked at her son and daughter-in-law and was surprised to find that her son's eating speed had slowed down a lot.

In the past, this guy took after his father and ate quickly at home. Later, he joined the army. No matter whether he was in training or fighting, he never chewed his food slowly. Over time, it became a habit. He would finish his meal when you had just eaten half of it.

But now, the son has obviously slowed down a lot, as if he was following the progress of his daughter-in-law. The key is, he was peeling shrimps for people very naturally just now.

The action was so natural that it seemed like he had done it a thousand times, and he probably didn't even notice it.

Aunt Wang pursed her lips and curled the corners of her lips. She felt that the stone had softened a little.

That night, Cheng Zheng, who had been ready to win his wife back, found that he had thought too much. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law talked for a while in the living room. The old mother got up first to go back to the room to sleep, and then the daughter-in-law urged him to go back to the room.

Following behind his wife, Cheng Zheng finally felt satisfied.

I can always sleep well tonight.

____

Before the Chinese New Year, Jian Lu prepared shrimp sauce and several New Year gifts in advance, packed them carefully, and sent them to the families of Cheng Zheng's second and third brothers respectively.

Although she has never met her two brothers-in-law, they both sent gifts to her when she and Cheng Zheng got married, which shows that they were thoughtful.

On the twenty-seventh day of the lunar year, Jian Lu directed Cheng Zheng to paste Spring Festival couplets on the door of their house. The red paper with black words looked very festive. Although many customs have been banned since the start of the campaign, such as the most iconic custom of setting off firecrackers during the Chinese New Year, people still turn a blind eye to other minor customs.

Before the New Year, they had to clean the house, and the family of three washed up in the house. Because the two had just moved in, they had done a thorough cleaning. Plus, they were usually very clean, especially Cheng Zheng, who was a model of housekeeping. In Jian Lu's opinion, he had some obsessive-compulsive disorder and germaphobia.

The house is always clean and tidy. Before it is her turn to clean, Cheng Zheng has already done it.

The New Year in the army is a lively occasion. People come from all over the world and gather here to become comrades-in-arms and neighbors. There is always a special feeling there.

The New Year is coming soon and everyone is busy buying New Year's goods. If there are some things they are missing, they have to go to the supply and marketing cooperatives.

Jian Lu still went to work at the supply and marketing cooperative every day and was very busy, but seeing that everyone who came to buy things had a smile on their face, she felt a little happy.

On the 29th day of the lunar year, Aunt Wang also went to see where her daughter-in-law worked. She had been to the supply and marketing cooperative several times. It was a good place. She was very satisfied for her daughter-in-law that she could work as a salesperson in the supply and marketing cooperative.

Aunt Wang was used to being frugal at home and was reluctant to buy anything for herself, but she was willing to spend money on her children.

She queued up at the supply and marketing cooperative early in the morning and bought four feet of yellow plaid plain cloth and five feet of blue twill cloth. Qiu Sifeng cut the cloth for her and collected the cloth coupons and money.

"Auntie Wang, are you making new clothes for the New Year?" Qiu Sifeng had just been introduced by Jian Lu as her mother-in-law, the mother of Head Cheng. Unexpectedly, the mother-in-law started buying things at the supply and marketing cooperative in the blink of an eye.

"Yes, I'm making a coat for my son and daughter-in-law. Spring is almost here." Aunt Wang looked around and remembered what she had heard before, that young girls in the city liked to use to apply their faces. "Do you have any cream called snow cream?"

Qiu Sifeng immediately replied, "Falling cream! Yes! Do you want it? Five yuan each."

"Yes, give me one."

Aunt Wang had never been so generous before. After Jian Lu finished her work and the customer in front of her bought the egg cake and left, she realized that her mother-in-law had already started spending.

"Mom, why did you buy so many things?" Jian Lu didn't expect her mother-in-law to spend money so easily, a few feet of cloth, a bottle of vanishing cream, and a bottle of maltose.

"I bought it for you. I'm going to make some clothes for you and Cheng Zheng before I leave. By the way, I heard from the girls in the county that they all use this cold cream. You should use it too, but don't be frugal. The New Year is coming soon. You should eat, drink and use things." Aunt Wang had thought it through. She was old and didn't have much to spend money on. She was not like the young people.

Qiu Sifeng was listening with eyes that didn't look like eyes and ears that didn't look like ears. She turned her head and made a face at Sun Qiuyue, lowering her voice and saying, "Mother-in-law Jian Lu is too used to her. How can she buy things like this? Why do I think her mother-in-law is even worse than those unworthy and wasteful daughters-in-law?"

Sun Qiuyue was keeping her head down while recording accounts. Upon hearing this, she said calmly, "People love their wives."

+++++

After cleaning the house and buying New Year's goods, the days passed by with the salty sea breeze, turning the pages of the almanac, and the Spring Festival finally arrived.

This time, Aunt Wang brought ten pounds of smoked bacon for her son and daughter-in-law. Five strips of yellow smoked bacon were hung on the iron nails in the kitchen. For people who live by the sea all year round, this is a rare delicacy.

Early in the morning, Jian Lu and her mother-in-law got up to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner. This year's New Year's celebration was lively, and they prepared several dishes from each of the three families so that everyone could celebrate the New Year together.

Cheng Zheng consciously helped the two of them.

Aunt Wang cut off half a piece of bacon with a knife and chopped it into small pieces. She also chopped the cabbage, potatoes and kelp into small pieces and poured them into the half-cooked rice.

White smoke swirled around, and the bacon and vegetables, steamed by the heat, gradually expanded and became full, carrying with them moist water vapor, adding a bit of crystal color.

The smell of the bacon and vegetable rice was overbearing, swirling around in the kitchen and then slowly drifting to the living room.

Head Cheng, who couldn't squeeze into the kitchen, could only smell the aroma of meat rushing into his nose.

"Mom, have you done it for Cheng Liang and Cheng Jun?"

Aunt Wang laughed and said to him, "We've done it, and none of them can be left out."

She takes care of all three sons.

Jian Lu is busy preparing this year's New Year's Eve dinner, a hot pot that she learned to make from Cui Yuhe.

In winter, we have to eat hot pot. Although it is not too cold on the island, the ritual still needs to be performed. Cui Yuhe, who was born and raised nearby, mentioned the dregs vinegar at home, which reminded Jian Lu of a different hot pot base she had seen online before. She took a sip and was curious about the taste. When Cui Yuhe went back to her parents' home, she brought her a bag of it, ready for everyone to eat during the New Year.

During the Chinese New Year this year, everyone decided to have a lively party in Cheng Zheng and Jian Lu's new home, which was equivalent to helping to attract more people and a more festive atmosphere. Jian Lu found a small iron pot at home and poured the vinegar into it. The light yellow soup was dotted with oil. Just by smelling it, it tasted sour, fresh and fragrant.

This is the lees acid produced by the locals after the lees are fermented after brewing rice wine. It has a strong rice aroma. After adding water, chili sauce and garlic oil, it is boiled into a soup base. The soup base has a sour taste, rice aroma and spicy taste. The taste is extremely rich, with distinct layers and intertwined, which is the perfect match for cooking seafood.

At the end of January, it was the season when seafood was juicy and delicious. Jian Lu prepared seafood in advance, all of which were cleaned by Director Cheng. There was a plate of scallops, clams, white clams, and oysters, small white shrimps and mantis shrimps curled up, swimming crabs placed one by one, and seafood meatballs specially made by Jian Lu.

The cabbage, potato and shrimp balls are round and plump. The shrimp balls are light pink in color, the cabbage is emerald green in color and the potato is yellow in color. They look beautiful and attractive.

Dunzi and Hengheng’s favorite.

After arranging the seafood one by one, Jian Lu went to prepare the mixed vegetables. Her mother-in-law had already boiled the cabbage, so she just had to add the shrimp sauce and oyster sauce and soy sauce that she had made earlier and stir.

While cooking, Aunt Wang mentioned the families of her second and third sons to Jian Lu.

The third brother, Cheng Jun, went back home for the Spring Festival two years ago, and he hasn't seen him for two years. The second brother, Cheng Liang, lives in the town, but because he married the daughter of the accountant of the commune grain station, he has to live in his father-in-law's house after marriage. With so many people around, conflicts are inevitable.

Aunt Wang had gone to help take care of her second daughter-in-law who had just given birth, and she did feel some of the unpleasantness that she felt in other people's homes.

"There are many people at Brother Cheng's and his second brother's and his second sister's house, so it should be lively." Jian Lu put the mixed vegetables into a plate and placed it on the table.

"It's hard to have so many people. The second daughter-in-law's mother passed away early, and her father remarried, but she was not close to the second daughter-in-law. This time, the second daughter-in-law almost lost her pregnancy. I stayed there for a few months to help take care of the child and take care of her during the confinement period. Seeing that she was getting better, her stepmother came to talk to me and wanted me to help introduce her son to the army."

Aunt Wang was not willing to cause trouble for her children, so she chatted with her daughter-in-law in the kitchen, "Let Shitou recommend a place for us to go. If that doesn't work, we can serve as soldiers on the island."

This was a matter between her mother-in-law and Cheng Zheng's second brother's family. Jian Lu did not express much opinion, but just listened quietly.

"And then, Mom, you didn't mention it either."

"I didn't agree. What kind of relatives are these? If we have to look for them one by one, won't everyone on this island be related to us?"

Jian Lu was amused by her mother-in-law's frank words. If that was the case, how capable must Cheng Zheng be? Did he introduce everyone in the town to join the army?

After hearing this, she suddenly remembered something. One person serving in the army brings honor to the whole family is the truest portrayal of this era. Since the second brother's wife's family will ask the mother-in-law for help, then the Jian family...

Especially since Jian Hualin is a calculating person!

"Mom, I want to ask you something." Jian Lu had never heard her mother-in-law mention it, but just because she didn't say it didn't mean it didn't happen. She was deeply suspicious at this moment, "Did my dad ask you for help?"

When Aunt Wang heard this, her expression froze. Before she could say anything, she heard her daughter-in-law say

"I knew there was." Jian Lu saw that Jian Hualin was definitely trying to get some money, and his sons-in-law would definitely give him some gifts.

In Jian Hualin's eyes, Jian Lu was the cruelest little daughter. After getting married for a year, she had not sent anything back home.

He had to ask his in-laws for something.

"That's normal. A young lady of her age got married and couldn't go back home for a long time. I feel bad about that. Your father is a jerk, but your mother is okay. I stuffed things into her twice. Otherwise, your parents would shout outside, saying that among the young ladies, you and Shitou are the most unfilial. That would be unpleasant to hear."

Every family has its own problems. Jian Lu originally didn't want to have anything to do with her original parents, but now she has a mouthful and can slander others everywhere.

Especially since her mother-in-law is still in the team, she and Cheng Zheng can have some peace and quiet far away. She can't let the team members follow suit and criticize her mother-in-law for not being able to teach her son and daughter-in-law.

"Mom, I've got this in mind. I didn't think this through. I'll still send them some things during the holidays in the future." However, he had to let the entire production team know. Anyway, there was plenty of seafood on the island and it wasn't worth much, so at least he could have a good reputation.

As we were talking, it was soon time for dinner.

Liang Haisheng moved the round table from his home to Cheng's house, otherwise there would not be enough space for everyone to sit.

There were twelve dishes on the brown table: a hot pot with dregs of vinegar and a large bowl of seafood, coconut chicken soup, scrambled eggs, cabbage with shrimp sauce, steamed crab, bacon and vegetable rice, a bowl of steamed buns, Spanish mackerel dumplings, shredded potatoes...

More than a dozen people gathered together to celebrate the Spring Festival.

Everyone first said auspicious words to Aunt Wang, the only elder, which made her smile. The three men started drinking again. There was nothing to do in the army recently and they only had to be on duty every few days, so everyone drank freely.

Liang Haisheng generously contributed the Maotai tea that he had tricked out of Cheng Zheng last time.

"Come and watch, bro is not a stingy person."

Cheng Zheng looked at the man taking his wine away and smiled lightly without saying anything.

Liang Haisheng, who was drunk, thanked Jian Lu directly, "Sister-in-law, I owe this wine to you!"

After Jian Lu got married, she heard about this matter from them and realized that Cheng Zheng had lost a bottle of wine because of her.

"Old Cheng, tell me." Liang Haisheng's face turned red after a few sips of drinking. He looked at Cheng Zheng who was standing opposite him without changing his expression and said, "Did you fall in love with my sister-in-law at that time? But you were stubborn and refused to admit it!"

"Yes!" Xu Lang was excited and answered first, "If not, how could he lose a bottle of good wine for nothing?"

Aunt Wang listened to them talking about their sons and daughters-in-law, laughed along, and listened to many stories.

The men drank glass after glass of liquor to warm themselves up. During this time, Jian Lu happily took a sip of the liquor in Cheng Zheng's enamel jar. It tasted hot and spicy.

She doesn't like it.

However, she is happy today. In her previous life, she was an orphan and was used to living alone. She had two or three friends and they would get together from time to time, but she would still celebrate the New Year and other festivals alone.

Last year's Spring Festival at the Jian family was thrilling. I was almost sold out by my so-called biological father.

A year passed in a blink of an eye. At this moment, she was sitting in a bustling house, with the sound of people talking around her. Political Commissar Liang and Chief of Staff Xu were arguing about who could drink more, but the real king of drinking, Comrade Cheng Zheng, didn't want to pay attention to them.

Feng Xiuhui was teasing Cui Yuhe's second son. The little guy was growing fast and could already laugh cheerfully.

Dunzi and Hengheng were competing in making meatballs. They were not that keen on eating shrimps as they were, but when they were made into shrimp balls, they seemed to win their hearts. They took small bites and enjoyed themselves very much.

Aunt Wang also enjoyed the liveliness and talked cordially with the younger generations. Feng Xiuhui knew that Aunt Wang was planning to go back in March for the spring ploughing season, so she urged her to stay a little longer.

"Auntie Wang, it's lively here too, so don't rush back. You can spend money to buy work points at the end of the year."

If someone in the commune works in the town, they still need work points, so they have to spend money from the commune at the end of the year to make up for it. With Cheng Zheng's current salary, he can completely afford it.

"No, I just came here to see how Shitou and Lulu are doing. Now I feel relieved." She would not stay with the young couple forever. After all, when she was young, she had been secretly hoping to separate from her in-laws.

People, it’s better to live in a small home.

"Then when they have a child, you will have to come over."

Cui Yuhe held her second son in her arms and smiled as she teased the young couple who had been married for less than half a year.

"If I had it, I would definitely come here as soon as possible!" Aunt Wang looked at her son meaningfully, "You have to work hard."

After listening to what everyone said, Jian Lu blushed and did not dare to raise her face. But Captain Cheng became thick-skinned. He looked at Jian Lu, responded without changing his expression, and continued drinking with others.

While eating in silence, Jian Lu looked up at Dunzi Hengheng talking to their parents, making everyone laugh. For the first time, she felt that having a child might be a good thing.

She turned her head and glanced at the handsome man next to her, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. She thought that her child with Cheng Zheng would be very good-looking and cute.

......

It was a lively New Year’s Eve. Although we were not allowed to set off firecrackers, everyone still stayed up until midnight to celebrate the New Year. The dark sky was dotted with stars, twinkling with starlight.

Saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new is how it should be.

Cheng Zheng was the calmest. At midnight, he looked at the starry sky, glanced at his mother and wife beside him, and smiled slightly.

After seeing everyone off, the three members of the Cheng family prepared to rest. Aunt Wang gave her son and daughter-in-law some instructions and went back to her room to sleep. She hadn't felt so lively in years and even in her sleep the corners of her mouth were upturned.

Jian Lu changed into pajamas, undid her braided hair, and wiped her face with vanishing cream in front of the small mirror on the desk, while Cheng Zheng was brushing his teeth in the kitchen.

Ever since Jian Lu said that on their wedding night, Cheng Zheng would brush his teeth carefully whenever he drank.

Jian Lu didn't want to comment on this person's ill intentions as they were too obvious.

There were footsteps in the bedroom, but then they stopped abruptly. Jian Lu tidied herself and looked back. Cheng Zheng was leaning against the door, looking at her with burning eyes.

There was a kerosene lamp lit in the room, the wick burning with a dim flame, swaying gently in the cold wind, and the light and shadow flickered in the bedroom.

The warm yellow light shone on Jian Lu's fair face. Even without any makeup, she was still charming and beautiful. But now she was wearing pajamas, with her black hair scattered behind her, which softened her bright temperament and even added a bit of charming feeling.

"What are you doing standing there?" Jian Lu looked over curiously, and she felt that there was something wrong with the man's eyes.

Cheng Zheng seemed to be half a beat slow in reacting.

Jian Lu had no choice but to walk a few steps forward to his side, holding Cheng Zheng's hand and walking into the house.

The man's hands were slightly cool, probably because they had just been wet. He held his wife's hand tightly as if by reflex and was led into the house.

Jian Lu found that this was not the most excessive thing. What was even more excessive was that the entire weight of the person was leaning on her.

Tonight, the three men did drink quite a bit. If Jian Lu didn't know Cheng Zheng's real alcohol tolerance, which is well-known in the army, she would have almost thought that this man was really drunk.

"Comrade Cheng Zheng, stop pretending. How can you be drunk?" He pushed her to the bed. Just as Jian Lu was about to get on the bed, the man carried her to the bed.

They both collapsed on the bed.

"Lulu, I'm really drunk." Cheng Zheng's low voice rang in Jian Lu's ears.

As he uttered these words, a gust of wind blew past the window, extinguishing the kerosene lamp, and the room became pitch dark in an instant.

Not sure if this guy was really drunk, but Jian Lu felt that his voice was particularly low and attractive.

I wanted to raise my eyes to look into his eyes, but the darkness blocked everything.

"Are you really drunk?" As soon as Jian Lu asked this question, she felt stupid. Who would ask someone if they are drunk? Those who are drunk will say they are not drunk.

"Yeah, I'm drunk."

Jian Lu: “…”

Well, Comrade Cheng Zheng doesn't follow the beaten path.

"Don't pretend to be drunk. You can drink so much, how could you be drunk?"

Cheng Zheng turned over and pressed his whole body on top of Jian Lu, looking at her with burning eyes in the endless darkness.

"Lulu, do you like me?"

Jian Lu's eyes widened instantly. Is this a question that the usually serious Captain Cheng could ask? She now believed it a little. This guy might be really drunk!

Feeling like teasing him, Jian Lu looked at him with a smile but did not speak for a long time.

Cheng Zheng, who might be drunk, refused to give in and asked again.

"Like~" Jian Lu is a person who is willing to express her emotions. Since you like to hear it, of course I will tell you.

Unlike someone, asking him to say he likes someone is like asking for his life.

"Really?" Cheng Zheng was indeed a little abnormal, and he asked again, "Then what do you like about me?"

These were the questions Jian Lu had asked him before, and now, he returned the same questions without changing his mind.

Jian Lu answered with ease, "I like Comrade Cheng Zheng because he is handsome, has a good figure, loves his wife, is a group leader, has a high salary and doesn't like to spend money."

Cheng Zheng, whose mind was somewhere between lucid and unconscious, didn't understand why not liking to spend money was also a point of liking.

"What if it was another leader? Would you like him too?"

Jian Lu felt that this person was really abnormal tonight. Why would the usually serious and cold Captain Cheng ask these questions!

Reaching out to touch the man's forehead, Jian Lu wanted to find out what was going on, but in an instant he pulled her hand down, held it tightly in his hand, and even played with his fingers with his thumb and index finger.

"And what about that educated youth? What's his story?"

Before Jian Lu could answer her previous question, another educated youth appeared? What educated youth?

"Comrade Cheng Zheng, are you really drunk?" It seems that people make mistakes and there is a limit to not getting drunk even if they drink a thousand cups. It's just that this person's behavior after getting drunk is a little different from that of ordinary people.

When other people get drunk they either act crazy or sleep peacefully, but this guy actually started to torture himself.

Cheng Zheng stroked the woman's hair with his slender hands, and his handsome face slowly approached until their noses touched. Without waiting for Jian Lu to answer, he said softly, "Don't go talk to the educated youth. I understand what he said, and he doesn't understand what I understand."

Jian Lu's crow-feather eyelashes trembled slightly, and she felt her ears tingling and the man's hot breath hitting her face. She thought of something, and the twinkling stars in the sky seemed to fall into her eyes, sparkling.

"Comrade Cheng Zheng, are you jealous?"

Being jealous of an educated youth who doesn't even exist.

"Yeah." Cheng Zheng leaned over and kissed Jian Lu's lips gently, touching her tenderly before leaving. "I'm better than that educated youth. Don't think about him."

Pursing her lips, Jian Lu tried hard not to let the corners of her lips rise. She didn't know why Cheng Zheng was jealous, but a jealous man was actually kind of cute.

She stood up slightly and kissed Cheng Zheng on the lips, "Okay, I only like you. But you have to behave well!"

These words seemed to turn on a switch. Cheng Zheng's dark eyes suddenly lit up. He stared at Jian Lu for a moment, then leaned over and kissed her.

......

Jian Lu, who was tortured to death that night: This is not the performance I was talking about!