In the 1960s,
After dinner, several platoon leaders came to meet with He Liyuan again.
They looked at each other, and then one of them said with an ingratiating smile, "Captain, your sister-in-law's cooking is absolutely amazing! We'll never forget the taste. But, but we haven't had enough and are still thinking about it."
"Yes, yes," Wang Songming added, "We know it's not good to be constantly worrying about food during a mission. But considering we haven't officially started our mission yet, it's better to let the brothers eat something good first. This will help them be more motivated when the battle begins."
"We don't mean to say that if you don't eat well, you won't be motivated. Captain, please don't misunderstand me! What we mean is that this will stimulate your potential and make you more motivated."
"Right, right, right. So, Captain, can you please give the brothers a full meal? Just one meal will do. We can buy the lamb ourselves and have my sister-in-law help cook it."
He Liyuan waited for them to finish speaking before looking at them and saying, "You don't have to pay. Your sister-in-law said she will buy you some sheep so you can eat as much as you want."
"Really?! That's great, but we still have to pay for it. How can I let my sister-in-law spend the money?"
"That's right, there are so many of us, and without 10 or 20 sheep, there definitely wouldn't be enough to eat. How can I ask my sister-in-law to cook and buy for us? There are so many of us, so each of us can just contribute a little."
"Your sister-in-law has made a lot of money recently. She wants to comfort you with her kindness. Don't refuse her, otherwise she will be unhappy."
They looked at each other again and could only accept it embarrassedly.
When the militia returned, Tao Yuan gave them a generous amount of money to buy sheep and spices. He knew the soldiers were hungry and wouldn't be able to eat enough in one sitting, so he gave them more money and had them deliver the food in several installments. The extra money was considered a reward for the soldiers' hard work.
Because the bandits had many dens in the mountains and were not concentrated in a single location, the soldiers had to lurk and search the mountains for days in order to familiarize themselves with the environment and accurately grasp the location of the dens.
Tao Yuan always felt that the soldiers suffered hardships and were in danger of their lives at any time. Why couldn't they have a good meal with such a small salary? If they didn't have the conditions, it would be fine, but now that he could help them create the conditions, of course he had to let them eat better.
Although there were a lot of lambs to roast at once, Tao Yuan didn't need to do it himself. Roasting a whole lamb doesn't require much technical skill, as all you need to do is master the heat and roasting time. Tao Yuan taught them the method and let them roast it themselves. He would check on them every once in a while to make sure they didn't overcook it.
Ren Xiuyang had been running through the mountains with his soldiers all day. After returning, he swallowed his noodles with a look of bitterness and resentment on his face. The aroma of meat wafting from the Brave Tiger Squadron was even stronger than the previous two days. He felt uncomfortable with the torture after a tiring day.
Each soldier of the Brave Tiger Squadron was given a large piece of mutton. They tore into the mutton in big mouthfuls, looking very satisfied, as if all their fatigue disappeared in an instant.
Wang Songming quietly called the second platoon leader of the Wolf Squadron aside, and the two of them hid from the others and shared a piece of mutton.
Tao Yuan felt happy when he saw the soldiers enjoying their meal.
These soldiers already had hot tempers, and Tao Yuan worried that eating mutton and drinking plenty of mutton soup would exacerbate their heat. Behind the temple stood several pear trees, presumably planted by former monks, now laden with large pears. He asked the soldiers to pick some pears, boiled some water, and added some herbs he had brought with him to help them cool down.
Tao Yuan knew that they would definitely not have enough to eat in one meal, so two days later, he asked the militia to send up another ten or twenty sheep.
Ren Xiuyang walked to the big pot with his lunch box and couldn't help complaining, "Noodles again? Can't you make something else?"
"We don't know how to make anything else, how about we make you two cakes?" said the soldier.
"It's better to eat noodles. The noodles are so dry and there's no good soup to go with them." Ren Xiuyang said.
"Platoon leader, just make do with what you have. We don't have the best food available to us, the Brave Tigers..." The soldier realized he had said something he shouldn't have and quickly changed the subject. "Platoon leader, I'm not saying you're being picky. Noodles are good enough, it's better than just munching on dry rations. You rich kids are just too picky."
"Does this have anything to do with whether I'm from a wealthy family? Do you think you can feel balanced just by smelling the aroma of meat wafting over there and eating these salty noodles?"
"So what if it's unbalanced? Do we still have the nerve to ask them for it? Even if we ask, they can't give it to us. If it were me, I wouldn't be willing to give it to them either."
"I'll just ask them for it!" Ren Xiuyang put the lunch box on the ground, stood up and said, "If they don't give it to me, I'll ask Captain He's wife to cook for us. I'll beg her, and I don't believe she won't agree!"
Watching Ren Xiuyang stride away, the soldier whispered, "He really might not agree. After all, our squadron leader has offended him before."
Wang Songming saw Ren Xiuyang striding over and thought he had something urgent to do, so he quickly walked over and asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"I want to find Captain He's sister-in-law." Ren Xiuyang said.
"Why are you looking for our sister-in-law?" Wang Songming asked in confusion.
"If you don't share the mutton with us, I'll ask Captain He's sister-in-law to cook some for our squadron as well." After saying this, Ren Xiuyang was about to continue walking into the temple.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Wang Songming quickly stopped him. "Do you think our sister-in-law is a cook? He's a doctor, not a chef!"
"I'll just ask him to do it once. Besides, he did it for you too, didn't he?" Ren Xiuyang reached out and pushed him away.
"You can't go!" Wang Songming stopped him again and shouted to the soldiers next to him, "Come here quickly and stop him!"
Several soldiers quickly ran over to stop Ren Xiuyang.
"Why are you stopping me?!" Ren Xiuyang said unconvinced.
"Anyway, if you want to go find our sister-in-law, it's not possible. She doesn't specialize in cooking for others." Wang Songming said righteously.
"I want to go, get out of the way!" Ren Xiuyang pushed them away and tried to rush in.
Gu Yu stood under a large tree not far away, watching several people tangling and wrestling with each other. They were not really fighting, so he did not go over to stop them. Just watching them make a fuss was quite interesting.
Tao Yuan just came out and saw several soldiers fighting. He was stunned for a moment, then recognized one of them as Wang Songming. He shouted, "Wang Songming!"
The people who were entangled with each other immediately let go, turned around, stood up and looked at Tao Yuan.
"Sister-in-law." Wang Songming called.
"What are you doing?" Tao Yuan walked down the stairs and asked, "Why did the fight start?"
"Sister-in-law, we didn't fight, we were just joking." Wang Songming said.
"Sister-in-law, I have something to talk to you about, but they won't let me in to find you!" Ren Xiuyang took the opportunity to say.
"You have something to ask me?" Tao Yuan asked doubtfully. "If you have something to ask me, just tell me."
"Shut up! Don't say anything!" Wang Songming said in a low voice.
"Why don't you let him speak?" Tao Yuan said, "Although you are not from the same squadron, you are all soldiers of the people. This time you are out together to carry out the bandit suppression mission. You should unite and cooperate, fight together with all your strength, and strive to wipe out those bandits as soon as possible. If there are any difficulties, you should also help each other."
"Sister-in-law, we all understand what you said. If they really have difficulties, we will help them. But he, he..."
"What's wrong with him?" Tao Yuan looked at Ren Xiuyang and asked, "Just tell me what you want to say. If I can help you, I will definitely do it."
Tao Yuan's words made Ren Xiuyang feel a little embarrassed. He stammered, "It has nothing to do with the battle. It's just that the Brave Tiger Squadron always eats roasted lamb, and we've been craving it, so we wanted to ask my sister-in-law to come over and make some for us."
Tao Yuan was stunned for a moment. He hadn't expected that this was what he was going to say. This wasn't a big deal. Did they really have to fight like this?
"I thought it was something else." Tao Yuan said, "If you want to eat, why don't you just come over here? How about this, today's ones are being grilled. I'll have them send a few over to you later."
"Thank you, sister-in-law!" Ren Xiuyang immediately thanked her happily.
"How can this be possible?!" Wang Songming said excitedly, "If we give it to them, won't we have enough food ourselves?"
"Why not?" Tao Yuan looked at him helplessly and said, "We are all family, so why are you so reluctant to give up a few roasted lambs? I didn't expect that I forgot to prepare some for you. When the militia comes next time, I will ask them to send more lambs and roast them together with yours."
"Thank you, sister-in-law!" Ren Xiuyang thanked her again and said happily, "How much do you need for those sheep? I'll send them to you shortly. If it's not enough, I'll make up for it when I return to the military region."
"No thanks." Tao Yuan said, "You work so hard and only have one proper meal a day. Once the fighting starts, you may not even be able to eat a proper meal. I'll spend some money to comfort you, it's nothing."
"How can I let my sister-in-law spend money on so many sheep? I still have to give her money. Please accept it. This way we can eat with peace of mind."
"If I were short of money, I would definitely not be polite to you, but I don't need this little money, so you don't have to be polite to me. I have a bad temper. If I say you don't have to give it, then you don't have to give it. If you force it on me, I will be angry." After Tao Yuan finished speaking, he left to see how the mutton was roasted.
"Hehe, my sister-in-law is such a nice person." Ren Xiuyang said with a smile.
"This is our sister-in-law, not your sister-in-law. Your sister-in-law is inside." Wang Songming looked at him sideways.
"Sister-in-law just said that we're all soldiers of the people. Why should we differentiate between you and me?" Ren Xiuyang said, "But it's not good to not pay her. Can you think of some other way to make her accept the money without making her angry?"
"Our sister-in-law is very capable. She's a doctor, a cook, and she can make money. Since he said we don't have to pay, then he really doesn't have to, so you don't have to be polite to him. We didn't give any money either. Our squadron leader said that this was a kind gesture from our sister-in-law and asked us not to refuse. Otherwise, he will be really unhappy and we won't have any mutton to eat in the future."
Gu Yu walked over, looked at Ren Xiuyang and said, "You're really willing to risk it all just for your stuttering. If it weren't for my sister-in-law's kindness, do you know how embarrassed you would be right now?"
Ren Xiuyang rolled his eyes at him and said, "People who hide and eat meat have no right to say such things."
Seeing that Ren Xiuyang really came back with mutton, the soldiers of the Wolf Squadron were all stunned and surrounded him.
"Platoon Leader, you're amazing! You actually asked them for mutton, and so many of them!"
"Of course, who am I?" Ren Xiuyang said proudly, pointing at the two soldiers. "You two, divide the mutton among everyone. This is mainly due to my contribution, so leave me a big piece."
"Don't worry, platoon leader, I will definitely leave the biggest piece for you!" The soldier pulled out a kitchen knife and prepared to divide the mutton with excitement.
"Before we eat the mutton, I have a few words to say to everyone." Ren Xiuyang said loudly with a serious expression, "This mutton was given to us by Captain He's sister-in-law. She said that when she roasts mutton in the future, we will have a share. She bought the mutton with her own money, prepared the spices herself, and taught us how to roast the mutton herself. She did this so that we can have a good meal while fighting hard. But I think that even though they don't want us to pay, we must remember their kindness in our hearts!"
"It would be embarrassing if I didn't pay."
"That's right. I'm already grateful for their help. How can I eat it for free?"
"That's right, there are many of us, so we can just contribute a little bit."
"My sister-in-law said that you don't have to give it. If you force her to give it to you, she will be angry. This is his kindness. We just need to remember his kindness." Ren Xiuyang said.
The soldiers were still quite embarrassed.
"Come on, come on, everyone, come and share the mutton!"
The soldiers put their embarrassment aside for the moment and immediately lined up to get the mutton.
The soldiers of the Wolf Squadron were not only given mutton, but also two large pots of mutton soup. Even those who had already eaten noodles were satisfied with their meal.
The soldier went to deliver food to Ning Haobo, put two lunch boxes on the table and said, "Captain, eat."
Ning Haobo smelled the fragrance, looked up at the roasted lamb and lamb soup and said, "This is..."
"It was given to us by the Yonghu Squadron. It was made by Captain He's sister-in-law. When the platoon leader asked for it, Captain He's sister-in-law gave us half of it."
"How can I ask others for things?" Ning Haobo frowned. He didn't want to owe He Liyuan and Tao Yuan a favor.
"The platoon leader said he wanted to give money, but the sister-in-law refused. He also said it was a small token of her kindness and it was hard to refuse. We should just remember her kindness."
Ning Haobo could only nod. If he said he didn't want to eat, it would seem that he cared too much.
After the soldiers left, Ning Haobo wanted to continue writing his plan, but the aroma was so tempting that he couldn't help but take a sip of the mutton soup. His eyes widened immediately. He had never tasted such delicious soup before. He had never expected that the man had such good cooking skills.
He knew the Brave Tiger Squadron was enjoying roasted lamb recently; he'd already smelled the aroma. If it were any other squadron, he might have been cheeky enough to ask for some for the soldiers. But it had to be He Liyuan's squadron, and the person making the roasted lamb and lamb soup had to be his ex-fiancée. No matter how much he wanted to eat it, he couldn't go and ask for it himself.
Ning Haobo took another bite of mutton, thought for a while, closed the lid, picked up the lunch box and walked out.
This period is the most leisurely for the medical team. As long as no soldiers are injured, they will not be very busy.
Wen Han was sitting in the yard reading a book. There was no electric light here, and reading at night was bad for the eyes. He was bored anyway, so he took advantage of the daylight to read a book to pass the time.
"Squadron Ning."
"Captain Ning, is Doctor Lai Wen here to bring some food?"
"Captain Ning, Doctor Wen is sitting in the yard."
The nurses greeted Ning Haobo and Ning Haobo nodded to them.
When he walked into the yard, he saw Wen Han sitting on a stone bench. He walked over, put his lunch box on the stone table and asked, "Have you eaten?"
Wen Han looked up at him, then glanced at the two lunch boxes. "I've eaten, you can eat by yourself."
Ning Haobo sat down, opened his lunch box and said, "This soup is delicious. Have some."
As soon as Wen Han asked about the taste, he knew who made it. Recently, all the doctors and nurses have been drinking this soup, and he is the only one who eats what he makes.
He said coldly, "Yue Ruqing made this, right? Your ex-fiancée is such a good cook, do you feel any regret?"
"Would I regret this little soup? If I hadn't married you, that would be my biggest regret in life. Now that I'm married to you, I have nothing to regret in my life. Please don't be angry with me, okay?"
Ever since Wen Han went back to her parents' home last time, Ning Haobo refused to go back with him no matter how he tried to persuade her. So whenever Ning Haobo was free, he would either go to Wen's house to find him or go to the hospital to find him. This made Wen Han very annoyed and she thought about going out to hide, but who knew that he would also come along.
Ning Haobo felt that this was a good opportunity to complete the mission while also gaining Wen Han's forgiveness.
"Hmph." Wen Han snorted coldly, "You've been roasting lamb and making lamb soup all day, and you've made the soldiers lose their minds about their mission. They're just thinking about food. If you want to show off your cooking skills, you shouldn't do it at this time. Soldiers are out to suppress bandits, not to have fun together. They should always be vigilant and maintain a serious attitude. Now, with a few roast lamb meals, you've lost all your soldierly behavior."
Two soldiers from the Brave Tiger and Fierce Wolf squadrons, arriving to collect insect repellent, overheard his words and felt deeply uncomfortable. When had they stopped acting like soldiers? They'd never neglected their duties, running through the mountains every day, constantly facing the possibility of encounters with bandits and the constant watchfulness of poisonous insects and snakes. Shouldn't they have a good meal after returning?
Just because they're soldiers, is it wrong for them to eat something nice at mealtime? Is it true that during rest and mealtimes, continuing to eat rations that are difficult to swallow is what soldiers are supposed to do? They're supposed to cook, it's just a matter of whether they cook something unpalatable or delicious. In his mind, is it true that soldiers should eat unpalatable food, that's what it means to be a soldier, that's what it means to be a soldier?
The nurse leading them inside also felt that his words were inappropriate. They had to eat anyway, and eating better didn't affect their mission. Wouldn't eating well and resting well be more beneficial for the soldiers in combat?
Ning Haobo glanced at the two soldiers with an awkward expression. As the squadron leader, he knew exactly whether these soldiers had completed their mission properly. Wen Han's words would chill the soldiers' hearts.
The third platoon leader returned to the tent, placed the insect repellent heavily on the table, looking very angry.
Ren Xiuyang, having eaten and drunk his fill, was resting on his bed, looking quite content. Seeing the Third Platoon Leader's irritation, he stood up, walked over to the table, and while unpacking the insect repellent, asked, "Who offended you? You're so angry, aren't you hungry?"
"Don't even mention eating!" the third platoon leader said angrily.
"What's wrong?" Ren Xiuyang looked at him puzzledly. "Captain He's sister-in-law kindly gave me some delicious food. Why can't I mention it?"
The third platoon leader opened his mouth but said nothing.
Gu Yu also sat up and looked at him puzzledly. Several other soldiers who were resting also looked at him.
"Speak up!" Ren Xiuyang's patience ran out, and he couldn't help but kick him. "If you're dissatisfied with Captain He's sister-in-law, I'll be the first to disagree!"
"I'm not dissatisfied with Captain He's sister-in-law, it's our sister-in-law..."
"What's wrong with him?" Ren Xiuyang was even more confused. "He didn't make us any delicious food. Could it be that we ate something made by Captain He's sister-in-law and he has a problem with it?"
"He definitely has something against us!" said the third platoon leader. "He doesn't just have something against us, he has something against the Brave Tiger Squadron, too!"
"What's going on? Just say whatever you want to say. Don't keep saying half a sentence. Aren't you annoying me?!" Ren Xiuyang said impatiently.
The third platoon leader turned around, took a look outside, and repeated to them what Wen Han had just said, and then everyone fell silent.
A soldier whispered, "So, from now on, we can't eat the mutton and mutton soup anymore, right?"
"Who said we don't want to eat anymore?!" Ren Xiuyang glared and said, "We want to eat anyway! Why can't we eat?! Soldiers risk their lives, so it's only natural. Isn't it right to eat something good?! Besides, are we delaying things? If he's capable, let him go with us tomorrow. We'll see if he still says these things when he comes back!"
"Platoon leader, please keep your voice down. It would be embarrassing if someone heard you." A soldier went to pull up the tent door.
"He's jealous." Gu Yu said calmly, "You can tell from his eyes that he likes Captain He. Captain Ning will regret it sooner or later."
"Then Platoon Leader, will we still eat in the future?" The soldiers under Gu Yu asked him in a low voice.
"Eat." Gu Yu said, "As long as Captain Ning isn't too carried away, he won't tell us not to eat. Why should we care what he thinks?"
"That's right, as long as we do what we should do, why should we care about what he thinks of us?" said Ren Xiuyang.
"Gu Yu! Ren Xiuyang!" a voice shouted.
Gu Yu immediately stood up and walked out. Ren Xiuyang also recognized Wang Songming's voice and followed Gu Yu out.
Wang Songming saw them coming out and pointed to two large iron buckets and said, "This is the pear soup cooked by my sister-in-law. She said that eating too much mutton and mutton soup will cause internal heat, so she wanted you to drink some pear soup to cool down the heat."
"It's really timely. I just need to reduce my internal heat. Please thank sister-in-law for us." Ren Xiuyang walked over and squatted. As soon as he opened the lid, he smelled a sweet aroma with a hint of Chinese medicine.
"I'm leaving now. Remember to return the bucket to us," said Wang Songming.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work. I will send it back to you in a while." Ren Xiuyang said.
Gu Yu watched Wang Songming leave before he said to the soldier next to him, "Hurry up and ask the brothers to bring cups over, otherwise your platoon leader's face will be buried in it."
"Yes!" The soldier ran away immediately.
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