"There are red envelopes too!" Xu Xinghe exclaimed with delight as she took the envelope. Her eyes fell on the gold-embossed "Fu" character, but she didn't rush to open it. Instead, she carefully put it into her cotton-padded coat pocket, her eyes curving into crescents. "I heard that it's more auspicious to open red envelopes on New Year's Eve. Let's open them together tonight!"
"Whatever you want." Jiang Linchuan looked at her with such tenderness, his heart softening. He took her hand, instantly warming the slight chill at her fingertips. "Let's go to the cafeteria."
Lunar New Year's Eve is the most important day of the year.
No one will say anything if young couples do more intimate things together.
As soon as the two entered the cafeteria, they were greeted by a lively atmosphere.
Several large tables were pushed together, and the military wives sat around them, mixing fillings and rolling out dough.
Wang Chunmei spotted Xu Xinghe immediately and waved to her, "Xinghe, come here quickly! Everyone's busy mixing the filling and making dumplings, they're just waiting for you!"
"Coming!" Xu Xinghe washed her hands, walked quickly to the table, stood next to Wang Chunmei, and imitated her by picking up the dough and kneading it.
Today's meal isn't just for one family, but for the entire military.
There are at least several dozen people inside and out!
Several bags of flour were stacked on the table, and the minced meat in the basin was piled up like a small mountain.
The military wives occupied the two middle tables, while the soldiers were busy at the next table. Jiang Linchuan also went over, rolled up his sleeves, picked up a rolling pin, and moved with great skill.
Xu Xinghe was taken aback, then leaned close to Wang Chunmei's ear and whispered, "Aunt Mei, Jiang Linchuan can also make dumplings?"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding military wives all laughed and started teasing each other.
"Xinghe, you don't know? Commander Jiang not only knows how to wrap things, he wraps them quite well!"
“I remember when Commander Jiang first arrived at the military headquarters, he didn’t even know how to hold a rolling pin, but he learned quickly and became quite proficient in just a few days.”
"Speaking of which, when he first started learning, the dumplings he made would fall apart as soon as they hit the pot. On New Year's Eve that year, the pot was filled with the soup of the noodles he made!"
Xu Xinghe listened with great interest. This was the first time she had heard about Jiang Linchuan's past. She couldn't help but ask, "Aunt Mei, is there anything else? Tell me more."
"Okay." Wang Chunmei secretly glanced in Jiang Linchuan's direction, and seeing that he was busy rolling out dough and not paying attention to them, she lowered her voice and said, "When Commander Jiang first came, he was actually quite unaccustomed to it. It's cold here in winter, and he's young, so he couldn't sleep at night. He would secretly go to the playground to practice boxing. I heard that he barely slept for three days in a row. Later, Political Commissar Wang noticed and forced him to go back and sleep."
Xu Xinghe paused in her kneading motion, feeling a slight pang in her heart.
She rarely asked Jiang Linchuan about his past, but now she suddenly remembered that when he first arrived in Heilongjiang Province, he was just a teenager. How could he be as calm and resolute as he is now?
It was his years of military service, through countless missions and trials, that shaped him into the reliable and sharp person he is today.
"Feeling sorry for her?" Wang Chunmei, having been through it all, could see right through her thoughts. "It's good that you feel sorry for her. That's how life is for two people. If you care for me and I care for you, we can make a good life together."
Xu Xinghe smiled with her lips pursed, took a piece of dough, and awkwardly used chopsticks to pluck a little filling and stuff it in. She carefully pinched the pleats, and the final shape looked more like a big-bellied ingot.
"Your dumplings are delicious! May you make a fortune next year!"
"Xinghe, did you put a few one-cent coins in there?"
"I bought ten."
"Great, let's see who gets the first one!"
...
It took everyone a whole morning to finish wrapping all the dumplings.
Rows of plump, white dumplings are stacked on the bamboo mat, a delightful sight to behold.
However, it cannot be cooked immediately; it must be cooked during the New Year's Eve dinner in the afternoon.
Xu Xinghe then grabbed a handful of freshly roasted melon seeds and chatted with Wang Chunmei and a group of people, recounting interesting stories that had happened in the military over the years.
Many of them were related to Jiang Linchuan, and Xu Xinghe listened with great interest.
No one ate much at noon; everyone was saving room for a good meal.
It was already four o'clock in the afternoon.
As darkness fell, light snow began to drift down outside the window.
Political Commissar Wang walked into the canteen still wearing that military overcoat, his face full of smiles. "Are you all waiting? It's almost ready, let's start making dumplings! And send two more people out to set off firecrackers, let's have a lively reunion dinner today!"
Alright!
Several young soldiers immediately agreed, grabbed the firecrackers at the door, and ran outside.
As the dumplings were being cooked, a series of firecrackers went off.
Xu Xinghe and Jiang Linchuan stood side by side at the door, gazing at the billowing white smoke.
"Xinghe, the dumplings are cooked, come over quickly!" Wang Chunmei's voice came from inside the house.
"Here I am!"
The tables in the canteen were pushed together to form two large tables. The men sat at one table, and the military wives and female comrades sat at the other table.
One bowl after another of steaming dumplings were served, along with a variety of hearty dishes, making a total of eight dishes and a soup.
Xu Xinghe sat in the middle of the crowd, chopsticks in her hand, waiting for the meal to be served.
Political Commissar Wang raised his glass, his face crinkling with laughter, "On New Year's Eve, I won't mince words! I wish everyone in our military a happy new year, and that the coming year brings peace, success, and good health to everyone!"
"good!"
Everyone responded in unison, and their glasses clinked together.
Xu Xinghe also picked up the enamel cup in front of her and took a sip of the warm fruit wine.
After finishing the drinks, it was finally time to eat.
Xu Xinghe picked up a dumpling and put it in her mouth. She had just taken a bite when something poked her teeth. She quickly spat it out. It was a one-cent coin, still warm.
"Wow! Xinghe found a coin in her very first dumpling! That's a great omen!"
"According to the rules of our military, the first person to pick up the coin has to stand up and perform a talent!"
Xu Xinghe had heard of this rule before, but she never expected that such a low-probability event would happen to her.
Without any hesitation, she stood up gracefully, cleared her throat, and said, "Then I'll sing a piece of Shanghai opera for everyone."
Her voice was naturally clear and bright, and in her past life she often listened to the radio and hummed along. Now she has a beautiful young voice, and as soon as she opens her mouth, a soft and melodious tune floats out, carrying the unique flavor of Jiangnan opera.
Although not as skilled as professional actors, she exudes a natural charm.
Jiang Linchuan sat opposite her, his gaze fixed on her.
Bright light shone on her face, and her crimson lips opened and closed.
His hand gripping the chopsticks tightened unconsciously.
Lian Xiao sat to the side, also learning for the first time that Xu Xinghe could sing opera. Listening to the soft and sweet tune, he found it quite charming.
After finishing the song, Xu Xinghe bowed slightly and said, "I'm done singing."
"Great! You sang so well!"
A thunderous applause erupted, and even the men's table cheered.
Xu Xinghe sat down with a flushed face and quickly picked up a dumpling and stuffed it into her mouth.
Next, everyone took turns performing.
There were people performing crosstalk, singing Errenzhuan (a type of folk opera), and even imitating ancient storytelling.
Wang Chunmei poured Xu Xinghe another glass of fruit wine, saying, "It's homemade, with a low alcohol content. It's fine to drink more during the New Year; just think of it as warming up."
"Thank you, Aunt Mei." Xu Xinghe took the cup and sipped it slowly.
Before I knew it, I had drunk a few glasses of fruit wine, and my cheeks started to feel slightly hot.
By the time the New Year's Eve dinner ended, it was already completely dark outside.
As Xu Xinghe walked out of the cafeteria, a gust of cold wind dissipated most of the effects of the alcohol.
Jiang Linchuan had also had a few drinks with Political Commissar Wang tonight. He stepped forward and naturally took her hand. "Come on, I'll take you home."
"Mmm." Xu Xinghe nodded, letting him lead her.
The lively atmosphere in the cafeteria was still echoing in their ears, but now it suddenly became quiet, which felt very strange. It was as if only the two of them remained in the world.
When they reached the entrance of the courtyard, Xu Xinghe stopped and looked up at him. "That's enough. You've had some wine, so go back and rest."
"I'm leaving now," Jiang Linchuan replied, but his gaze lingered on her lips, recalling the beautiful tune she sang during the opera that evening.
Fueled by alcohol, he suddenly lowered his head, wrapped his long arm around the person, and pulled them tightly into his embrace.
The next second, soft lips covered his, carrying a faint scent of alcohol and the smell of soap on his body.
Xu Xinghe closed her eyes and responded softly.
The tip of her tongue pried open her lips, deepening the kiss with irresistible force.
Xu Xinghe's body went limp, almost all her weight was on his chest, and she unconsciously took a step back. Jiang Linchuan followed her back until her back hit the cold courtyard wall, leaving her nowhere to retreat.
After an unknown amount of time, Xu Xinghe was almost suffocating when Jiang Linchuan finally released her.
He reached out and touched her cold cheek, his fingertips gently brushing against her reddened lips, his voice hoarse, "Go inside, and don't forget to open the red envelope I gave you."
"Then...then I'll go back."
Jiang Linchuan stood at the door, watching her figure disappear behind it, until the dim light inside the house came on, before turning and leaving.
According to custom, he should have stayed to keep her company until dawn, but he was afraid.
I'm afraid that if I stay any longer, I won't be able to resist doing more outrageous things.
After all, they had been drinking, and on such a day, it was too dangerous for the two of them to be alone together.
He closed his eyes, suppressed the pounding in his heart, and strode towards the office building.
The light from inside the room shone through the window, casting the shadows of the paper-cut window decorations onto the floor.
In the darkness not far away, Lian Xiao stood quietly, the scene he had just witnessed replaying in his mind.
His heart was pounding, and his hands were clenched into fists.
At that moment, he seemed to finally understand something.
It turns out that his feelings for Xu Xinghe were far more than just friendship.
He also wanted to hold her like that, to have such intimate moments with her, to be inseparable from her like mandarin ducks with their necks entwined...
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