As soon as Zhong Yuxiu and her group arrived home and put down their luggage, they were already thinking about letting the children on the island know they were safe.
When the call connected, her hand holding the receiver trembled slightly. Upon hearing Gu Mingyue's voice, she immediately smiled and said, "Mingyue, we're home. The journey was smooth. Your dad heard the noise and was already waiting at the door."
Gu Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief on the other end and said with a smile, "It's good that you're home. You and your grandparents can rest for a couple of days and don't overwork yourselves."
Zhong Yuxiu gave Lu Lin a few more instructions before reluctantly hanging up the phone. Turning around, she saw Lu Qinming carrying hot water over, saying, "You're back, why are you making a long-distance call?" but his eyes were full of undisguised joy.
Meanwhile, back at the island's family compound, just after hanging up the phone, some exciting news arrived.
The military wants to hold a winter swimming competition, saying they forgot because they were busy before the New Year. But adhering to the principle that the New Year celebrations continue until the first month of the lunar calendar, they are organizing everyone to participate.
The winner would receive meat and tickets, and as soon as the news spread, people flocked to sign up, most of them young soldiers. Lu Lin also joined in the fun and signed up.
The list of registered participants was posted on the bulletin board, and everyone gathered around to watch the excitement.
Gu Mingyue looked at the list and saw many familiar names.
Zhao Xiulan nuzzled her arm and said, "Your Lu Lin is going to get first place again this year."
"Again?" Gu Mingyue asked, puzzled.
Seeing her bewildered expression, Zhao Xiulan raised an eyebrow. Men are all competitive, and being number one among all the men is something to be very proud of.
Take her husband for example, he could brag for days just for making it to the winter swimming finals, but I never expected Lu Lin to be so good at holding his breath.
"When Comrade Lu wasn't injured, this was his picture in the family compound." Zhao Xiulan gave a thumbs up.
“He always comes in first place, otherwise the family compound would all be eyeing him as a ‘fat piece of meat’.”
So that's how it is. No wonder she said she wanted to get first place again.
Gu Mingyue's lips curled up in a smile. It is said that a man's appearance is a wife's glory, and so is a man's medal.
On the day of the competition, the seawall was packed with people.
Gu Mingyue, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, stood in the crowd cheering for Lu Lin. Lu Wanwan and He Xiao also came, carrying freshly roasted melon seeds.
The first round was the group stage. The contestants stood on the beach in their swimsuits. A cold wind blew and many people shivered. But as soon as the whistle blew, they all plunged into the sea with a "plop," splashing high into the water.
Lu Lin swam fast and steadily, easily advancing to the second round.
After three rounds, only twenty people remained to advance to the finals.
During the final, the cheers from the beach grew even louder. Gu Mingyue clutched her scarf, her eyes fixed on Lu Lin in the water.
He and the soldier next to him were neck and neck, almost moving forward side by side.
As they neared the finish line, Lu Lin suddenly accelerated and reached the shore first. Although his lips were white from the cold, he smiled and made a gesture to Gu Mingyue.
When the final results were announced, Lu Lin won the championship and received fifteen catties of pork.
He walked over carrying the pork, and Gu Mingyue quickly handed him a dry towel, saying with concern, "Quickly wipe yourself dry, it must be frozen."
Lu Lin smiled and handed her the pork: "It's not cold. I'll stew pork and cabbage for you tonight. We'll have a big pot of stew together."
Lu Wanwan, who was standing next to her, leaned over and said enviously, "Brother, you're amazing! Fifteen pounds of pork is enough for us to eat for several days."
He Xiao laughed along, "Next time there's a competition, I'll sign up too, and try to win ten pounds for you."
When he was first transferred here, he had never participated in winter swimming before. Lu Wanwan didn't want him to participate, so he didn't go.
Back home, Lu Lin placed fifteen pounds of pork on the cutting board; the frozen meat gleamed with a fresh pink hue.
He first cut off a large piece, using the fatty and lean parts to render oil, and sliced the lean parts into thin slices. He then took a stored cabbage from the storeroom, tore it into large pieces, and prepared to stew a pot of pork and cabbage.
As the fatty pork in the pot gradually rendered its oil, it emitted a fragrant aroma. Lu Lin added the lean pork slices and stir-fried them until they turned golden brown. Then he added ginger slices and scallion segments to sauté until fragrant. Finally, he added the cabbage to the pot, along with an appropriate amount of water, covered the pot, and simmered it slowly.
Soon, the room was filled with the aroma of meat. Gu Mingyue, sitting next to her, couldn't help but peek out and ask, "It smells so good! When will it be ready?"
"Almost done, simmer a little longer to make the meat even more tender." Lu Lin lifted the lid of the pot, stirred it with a spoon, and found that the cabbage was already soft and tender, and the soup had become thick.
He ladled out a large bowl and handed it to Gu Mingyue first, saying, "Be careful, it's hot. Try it first."
Gu Mingyue blew on it, picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth. The meat was tender and flavorful, not dry at all. The cabbage was soaked with meat juice and was sweet and delicious.
Her eyes lit up: "This meat is much more fragrant than the meat I usually buy."
Lu Lin sat down next to her, served himself a bowl, and said with a smile, "The meat we won is of course delicious. Eat more to nourish your body. This pork is stewed until tender and easy to digest."
Lu Wanwan and He Xiao also came over, each holding a bowl to eat. Lu Wanwan bit into the meat and said indistinctly, "Brother, your cooking skills are getting better and better. Next time you go to a competition, I'll come and cheer you on."
He Xiao nodded in agreement: "This soup with rice must be delicious, I need to get another bowl."
She ate happily, and I put another piece of meat on her plate: "Eat more if you like it. There's still plenty of meat. I'll make you pork and cabbage dumplings tomorrow."
Gu Mingyue nodded with a smile.
After the winter swimming competition, the island returned to its usual tranquility, and everyone continued to "hibernate."
During the day, they would gather around the fire to chat and knit sweaters, and in the evening they would go to bed early, quietly waiting for the weather to warm up.
By early March, the sun had warmed up, the vines in the yard began to sprout new buds, and even the air was filled with the faint scent of grass.
Gu Mingyue's belly was already showing; her seven-month pregnant belly was quite prominent, and she was walking a little slower.
Every afternoon, she would move a rattan chair to the yard to bask in the sun, wrapped in a thin cotton-padded jacket, knitting small socks in her hands. The sunlight felt warm and cozy on her body, making her appear gentle.
Luo Haiping became pregnant two months later than Gu Mingyue, and she liked to come and chat with her whenever she had free time.
That day, she moved a small stool and sat next to Gu Mingyue, touching her belly and laughing: "My little one doesn't move during the day, but kicks me at night, making it hard for me to sleep."
Gu Mingyue smiled and touched her belly: "Me too, it kicked me just now, like it was saying hello to me."
The two chatted about the little things during pregnancy, from the baby clothes they prepared to the postpartum diet, and they got along very well.
Luo Haiping also brought some dried red dates from home and gave Gu Mingyue a handful: "These were sent from my hometown. Soaking them in water helps replenish qi and blood. I drink them every day. You should try it too."
Gu Mingyue took the red dates, feeling warm inside: "Thank you, Haiping. When Lu Lin comes back, I'll have him get you some freshly dried seafood. It'll make a delicious soup."
It was while sitting in the courtyard with Luo Haiping, basking in the sun, that Gu Mingyue learned that Luo Haiping was pregnant with twins.
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