Chapter 23 Return Gift
He Yan thought about it for a whole night but still couldn't figure out what gift to give to the little girl in return.
He went out for exercise in the morning, and after returning to the dormitory, he put the lunch box that Jiang Yingying gave him last night and ran all the way to the military area.
He Yan went to get a kettle of hot water, ate the egg tarts with the water, and then washed the lunch box before starting to work at the table.
At noon, Wei Guoping passed by his office as usual and called him.
"Old He, let's go eat?"
Wei Guoping knew how hard this man worked, especially since he came back from a meeting at the beginning of the year. He had been devoted to the reform of the army and the exploration of new training methods, and he didn't even eat on time.
He originally thought that he would have to spend some time talking to him again today, or ask someone to get him food on the way back, or be told that he had already asked Xiao Yu to go get food.
As a result, after being called, He Yan pinched his brows, took out two lunch boxes from the table pocket, and stood up and walked towards him.
Wei Guoping was stunned. After He Yan locked the door, he saw that he was still standing there motionless and raised his eyebrows.
"Didn't you say we were going to eat?"
"Yes, eat, eat."
After Wei Guoping reacted, he kept looking at He Yan with his thick eyebrows and big eyes.
"Old He, are you not okay today?"
He Yan pursed his lips, "Didn't you come to call me for dinner?" He looked at him with an ambiguous look, "How about I turn back now?"
"Hey, hey, hey, you are really..." Seeing that he was about to turn around and leave, Wei Guoping quickly reached out to stop him.
"It's time to eat. Man is made of iron and rice is made of steel. If you don't eat, you'll get hungry. Lao He, your body is the capital of the revolution, so you have to eat."
Seeing that He Yan paused and did not refute him, Wei Guoping continued speaking happily.
It's really not easy to have such a day. In the past, when he talked about his eating problem, He Yan would get up and leave. It's not like today, where he would stay by his side and listen to him.
In the past few years, Wei Guoping has been worried about He Yan's big and small matters, and he feels like he has aged several years.
He Yan is an excellent soldier and an important talent needed by the country.
But, he is a person who works too hard. He always rushes to the front line when there is danger and stands in front when there is difficulty.
When performing tasks, be smart and not afraid of hardship or death.
When dealing with strategic issues, he is extremely thoughtful.
…
Whenever Wei Guoping saw him working day and night without caring about his health, his heart would be filled with worry.
He Yan was not unaware of Wei Guoping's concern for him. Looking at him like this, He Yan suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his heart.
He kept on talking non-stop and He Yan didn't interrupt him.
"Thanks, Lao Wei."
Wei Guoping, a man over thirty with a wife and children, suddenly felt his eyes a little sore and almost had tears in his eyes on the road.
"No, Lao He, you're really not right today. Are you okay? Don't scare me..."
Seeing him like this, He Yan closed his eyes and said, "Hurry up, I'm hungry."
"Yes, yes, yes. We have to walk faster when we are hungry. Old He, let's go to the canteen to eat." Wei Guoping said incessantly, "You haven't been in the military area for half a month. You don't know that there is a new cook in the canteen. She is the sister of Jiang Chao..."
"Comrade Xiao Jiang cooks delicious food and is also good-looking. Recently, many people have been eating in the cafeteria..."
Thinking of Jiang Yingying, He Yan lowered his eyes and looked at the extra lunch box in his hand.
"Old He, I was just about to say this," Wei Guoping's eyes sparkled with curiosity, "How hungry are you? Take two lunch boxes..."
He Yan didn't want to answer this question.
He strode ahead. Wei Guoping's curiosity was not satisfied, but he was not angry either. He raised his legs and followed him.
In the cafeteria, Jiang Yingying saw He Yan standing in the queue and smiled at him before she could react.
When it was his turn, Jiang Yingying looked at him with a smile.
"Captain He, what are you eating today?"
He Yan felt a little uncomfortable, so he handed the lunch box that Jiang Yingying had given her yesterday back to her.
"Thank you for last night. I've washed the lunch box." He said, "Potato slices with spicy peppers, tofu and eggplant, and braised fish cubes."
"Okay, He Tuan, I made all the dishes you ordered today." Jiang Yingying served the dishes while talking, without delaying her work at all. "Okay."
After the "lesson" of blatantly adding more food to He Yan's plate the first time, Jiang Yingying didn't dare to be too bold now, but she still gave He Yan a little more than others.
"Captain He, please eat on time."
In the face of Jiang Yingying's smile, He Yan pursed his lips and nodded in response to her.
After he and Wei Guoping found a good place to sit down, He Yan lowered his head and began to concentrate on finishing his lunch.
Once again, he met Wei Guoping's hesitant gaze and said, "Just ask whatever you want to ask."
"That's what you said." Wei Guoping said immediately.
"Um."
"You and Comrade Xiao Jiang, are you..."
Facing Wei Guoping's slightly vulgar gaze, He Yan said, "No."
"I haven't said anything yet..."
"Just don't say anything," He Yan said, "Comrade Jiang is an unmarried lesbian. It's not nice for you to talk to me about her in that tone just now."
Wei Guoping was stunned for a moment, and after He Yan finished speaking, he reflected on his own inappropriateness. After a while, "Well, what you said makes sense."
"I'm done."
"Wait for me, I'm almost there."
"No, I have a lot of things to do."
"Hey, Old He, you are not the only one who has to deal with this. Why don't you relax a little and take a break while eating..."
In response to him, He Yan went to wash the dishes.
Wei Guoping sighed and laughed twice, then quickly ate his meal and joined in washing dishes.
In the kitchen, after Jiang Yingying finished her work, she looked out the window and could no longer see He Yan in the cafeteria.
She felt an indescribable sense of loss. Aunt Lanhua was calling her to come over for dinner, and Master Zhu and the others had finished their work and were waiting for her there.
Jiang Yingying was afraid that everyone would wait too long, so she had to quickly hide her disappointment in her heart and walked towards them.
After lunch, the group cleaned up the kitchen. Master Yang and Master Zhu found a table to play chess, while Aunt Lanhua and Aunt Xiujuan took out their shoe soles and chatted about gossip while sewing them.
Jiang Yingying looked around and took out her needle and thread.
Jiang Yingying planned to make a pair of army green pants and a white shirt for Jiang Yang, using the fabric altered from Jiang Chao and Xu Zhishu's old clothes.
Time passed quickly, and Jiang Yingying and others began to prepare dinner.
When mealtime is over and there are only a few people left in the cafeteria, they can almost pack up and go home.
When Jiang Yingying returned home with her lunch box, Xu Zhishu and Jiang Yang were already at home, and Jiang Chao had also returned.
The family sat together to eat dinner, and only when they returned to the room did Jiang Yingying have the opportunity to open the lunch box that He Yan returned to her.
At noon in the cafeteria, when she took it from He Yan, she felt that there was something inside.
But after most of the day, Jiang Yingying didn't find a chance to see it.
After opening it, the lunch box was full of candies, including fruit candies, White Rabbit candies, and even chocolates.
Jiang Yingying pursed her lips. This was too expensive.
She wanted to repay him for saving her life, so she was willing to help He Yan whenever he needed her.
However, Jiang Yingying stood up and lay heavily on the bed behind her.
There was a look of distress in her eyes. Captain He Yanhe really had too strong a sense of boundaries. After several times, she did not repay his kindness, but instead took advantage of him.
The candies in this lunch box may not be of much significance in future generations, but nowadays, they are hard goods and high-end products.
Ordinary children may not even be able to eat two candies a year.
Even in the Jiang family, Jiang Chao and Xu Zhishu rarely bought candies. They would only give Jiang Yang one or two candies when it was a major festival or when they wanted to reward him.
A sigh escaped from Jiang Yingying's lips. She turned over and tossed and turned in bed for a long time before she fell asleep.
The next morning, when Jiang Chao got up, he heard some noise in the kitchen. He walked over and saw that it was Jiang Yingying.
"Brother, did I disturb you?"
"You got up so early, didn't you sleep well last night?"
The brother and sister spoke at the same time, and Jiang Yingying smiled, "No, I just happened to wake up."
Jiang Chao thought about it again and again, and said: "Yingying, it's okay for you to not work at home. Your sister-in-law and I hope you don't have to work so that we can keep you fat and white..."
"Yingying, you must remember that this is also your home."
It was the first time that Jiang Chao spoke out his inner thoughts, and he felt a little embarrassed. He took a few steps forward and said, "Hey, I've said so much to you, Yingying, you can understand me, right? Go back to your room and get some sleep, I'll make breakfast."
"Brother, I know, my brother and sister-in-law treat me the best in the world." Jiang Yingying stopped Jiang Chao's action and reached out to push him gently. "Brother, I want to eat wontons in the morning. For this, I'll make breakfast for you."
"You should exercise if you need to. I think the wontons will be ready when you come back." Jiang Yingying said, "I'll make a few more sauce-flavored pancakes. Yangyang really likes the ones I make. Brother, do you want some?"
Jiang Chao swallowed subconsciously, "Eat, I eat, I like Jiangxiang cakes too."
"By the way," Jiang Yingying called out to Jiang Chao who was about to go out, "Brother, do you have free time after going to the military area this morning?"
"What's wrong?"
"I, I want to make a few more cakes. Brother, can you help me bring them to Captain He?"
Jiang Chao thought about it for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"Okay, then Yingying, you should make more. He Tuan eats more than I do."
"Brother, I know."
Seeing Jiang Chao agreed, Jiang Yingying happily turned back to make breakfast.
Jiang Chao scratched his head and went out for morning exercise.
Xu Zhishu and Jiang Yang were attracted by the smell from the kitchen. The mother and son peeked inside through the kitchen door, swallowing their saliva.
Jiang Yingying turned around and saw it, and laughed out loud.
"Sister-in-law, Yangyang, have you brushed your teeth? The wontons and sauce-flavored pancakes are almost ready."
The mother and son looked at each other and responded while quickly running to wash up. "Right away."
Just when Jiang Yingying and the other two sat down to enjoy breakfast, Jiang Chao came back from exercise.
"It smells so good," he said. "As soon as I turned into this alley, I could smell the fragrance of our home."
"Dad, hurry up, the sauce-flavored pancakes made by my aunt are so delicious." Jiang Yang was originally talking to his dad, but as he was talking, he couldn't help but opened his mouth first. Every time he opened his mouth, he had to take the biggest bite possible.
Jiang Yang's little feet were dangling as he took another bite of the sauce-flavored pancake, ate a bite of a small wonton, and drank a sip of soup.
So delicious! He felt that he was the happiest child in the entire residential compound.
Jiang Chao quickly went back to the house, took a shower, changed his clothes, and washed the clothes he was wearing.
This series of actions took him less than five minutes.
When he came out, a bowl of wontons was already served to him on the table.
Xu Zhishu called out to him, "Hurry up, or your son will eat it all up and we won't leave any for you."
Jiang Chao smiled with his white teeth showing, "Thank you, wife, and thank you, Yingying!"
Jiang Yang said unconvincedly, "Dad, I saved some for you. Here are some sauce-flavored pancakes! Also, I helped you get these chopsticks and spoon."
"Oh, thank you for your hard work, my son."
Jiang Yang puffed out his chest proudly and took another bite of the cake.
Jiang Yingying was amused by Jiang Yang's expression and laughed, "I like it. I'll see if the cafeteria can make sauce-flavored pancakes tomorrow. You can come to the cafeteria and eat them then."
Hearing Jiang Yingying's words, Jiang Chao raised his eyes and looked at her. "Is it your turn to work the early shift tomorrow?"
"Yes, each person takes turns for half a month."
The cafeteria doesn’t need too many people for breakfast, and the chef is also taken care of by the superiors. So, it would be nice to have a chef at breakfast time.
There are three chefs in the canteen, Chef Yang, Chef Zhu and Jiang Yingying.
Each of them takes turns preparing breakfast for half a month, while kitchen helpers like Dong Jianbin, Zhu Quan and Aunt Lanhua have to go to work as usual.
Jiang Chao nodded, "You're tired from working the early morning shift, don't worry about the family, just go to the cafeteria to buy food when I go for morning exercise."
"I'll keep it for my family..."
“No, Yingying, I’ll queue as usual.”
Jiang Yingying glanced at her brother and nodded.
Xu Zhishu also nodded and said, "Early shift, Yingying, when do you have to go to the cafeteria to work tomorrow?"
"Brother and his troops must gather at 7 o'clock. The canteen opens at 6:30. Breakfast preparation takes an hour. I have to leave at 5:30 at the latest."
"So early!" Xu Zhishu frowned.
Jiang Yingying said: "When everyone has finished their meal, I will come back to rest around seven o'clock. I will have time to take a nap."
Xu Zhishu's brows were still knitted, and for a moment, she wanted to tell Jiang Yingying that she should not go to the cafeteria to work.
But these days, seeing Jiang Yingying chatting with them after she came back, she seemed to like this job.
Xu Zhishu pursed his lips, but in the end said nothing.
Jiang Chao's brows were tightly knitted. He wanted to speak, but his legs were bumped by Xu Zhishu under the table. He raised his eyes to meet her gaze, but he didn't say anything.
"It's so early. Auntie must have worked so hard." Jiang Yang said with emotion.
Jiang Yingying smiled and touched the back of his head. "It's okay. It'll only be half a month. Then auntie can rest for a month."
After breakfast, Jiang Chao and his friends went to work or school, leaving Jiang Yingying alone to go back to her room to take a nap.
Tomorrow, she will have to get up early and go to the cafeteria to make breakfast.
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