Chapter 25 Military Family Activities, Her Shining Point
Time slipped quietly amidst Huo Tingxiao's impassive "pickiness" and Su Wanqing's silent yet persistent "progress." The kitchen was no longer a battlefield, but more like a tacit testing ground and a medium for some strange kind of communication. Su Wanqing's cooking skills improved at an astonishing rate. She even began to anticipate Huo Tingxiao's subtle taste preferences. He occasionally created new dishes, and although he remained reluctant to comment, the "Clean Plate Campaign" itself was the best form of affirmation.
This change was subtle but not negligible. Even Xiao Li, the orderly who delivered the meals every day, noticed it. He once couldn't help but praise her innocently, "Madam, your braised beef is so delicious! It's even more authentic than the one made by the cafeteria chef!"
Su Wanqing just smiled, but the secret sense of accomplishment in her heart was like a stone thrown into the lake, creating ripples.
Assistant Chen called that day, as usual, his tone a bit more formal than usual. "Madam, this Friday afternoon, the Women's Federation of the compound and the Logistics Department are jointly organizing a 'Warm Hearts and a Warm Winter' hand-knitting event for military families. The goal is to knit scarves and gloves for the officers and soldiers at the border outposts to keep them warm. This is an annual charity event with a high level of participation, and several wives of military officials will be in attendance. Do you think you'd like to participate?"
Su Wanqing said without hesitation: "I'll participate." She knew that this kind of activity was of special significance. It was not only an opportunity to integrate into the family circle of the compound, but also a platform to show the positive image of "Mrs. Huo" and convey the warmth of support for the military. It should not be missed.
"Okay. The event will be held in the activity room on the second floor of the Military Service Center. Do you need yarn and tools?"
"No, thank you. I can prepare it myself." Su Wanqing thought for a moment and replied. She remembered that her grandmother had taught her a few simple knitting patterns. Although she hadn't touched them in years, it shouldn't be difficult to pick them up.
On the day of the event, Su Wanqing arrived early at the event room. Quite a few people were already seated inside, mostly wives of middle-aged and older military officers. They sat in groups of three or five, expertly weaving and chatting quietly about family matters. The atmosphere was harmonious and warm. She spotted several familiar faces: Madam Wang and Madam Zhao were there, and even Huo Meilin, making a rare appearance, was chatting with a few other wives. Sure enough, Lin Weiwei was there, seated among the younger wives. Her charming smile and graceful, fluid movements, her hook flying, drew admiration.
When they saw Su Wanqing come in, the chatting and laughing stopped for a moment, and all kinds of eyes focused on her, curious, inquiring, and a little scrutinizing.
Mrs. Wang, one of the organizers, greeted her with a smile, "Wanqing is here, come find a place to sit. Did you bring your own wool? That's great, we're running low on dark gray wool."
Su Wanqing smiled and nodded, then chose a seat by the window. She took out a wound of dark gray wool and two wooden knitting needles from her bag. She chose the most basic flat stitch, intending to knit a thick, warm men's scarf.
Lin Weiwei saw the knitting needles in her hand, and a subtle hint of contempt flashed across her eyes. She smiled and said loudly, "Sister Su is here too? How thoughtful of you! Knitting scarves is great; it's easy to learn, perfect for beginners. Unlike these gloves we're crocheting, the stitches are more complicated and take more time."
This sounded considerate, but in fact it implied that Su Wanqing's skills were poor and she could only do the simplest and roughest work.
Su Wanqing looked up, smiled at her, and said nothing. She lowered her head, her fingers, though somewhat unfamiliar, earnestly beginning to cast on the needles and knit. The needles moved awkwardly between her slender fingers, her speed noticeably slower than that of the skilled ladies around her.
Huo Meilin glanced at her, curled her lips, and whispered to the person next to her, "You're putting on quite the show, but the craftsmanship... Tsk, don't make it so crooked. When you hand it over to the soldiers, it'll be embarrassing for Tingxiao."
Several ladies chuckled softly.
Su Wanqing seemed not to hear, her mind completely absorbed in each stitch. The scene of her grandmother teaching her how to knit, step by step, came to her mind. As her technique gradually became more proficient, her stitches, which had been slightly loose at the beginning, became increasingly even and tight.
Halfway through the activity, everyone took a break for tea. Several ladies came over curiously to see Su Wanqing's progress.
"Wow, Wanqing's stitches are so even!" a straightforward lady exclaimed in surprise. "This plain stitch looks simple, but it's not easy to knit smoothly and densely. How long have you been learning it?"
"I learned a little from my grandmother when I was a child. I haven't touched it for a long time, so my hands are not familiar with it." Su Wanqing smiled modestly.
"That's good. What matters is the thought." Mrs. Wang nodded, her tone showing a little more approval.
Lin Weiwei also came over with a teacup, her eyes fell on Su Wanqing's work, and she commented with a smile: "Sister Su is making great progress. But these are all flat stitches, isn't it too monotonous? Do you want me to teach you a simple twist stitch? It will look better with some embellishment." As she spoke, she was about to reach out to take Su Wanqing's needle.
Su Wanqing gently pushed her hand away, her tone gentle but firm, "Thank you, Miss Lin. No thanks. I asked the logistics staff, and they said that the border outposts are windy and cold, and the soldiers need thick, airtight plain scarves like these. Warmth and practicality are the most important things. Scarves with too many patterns will leak air easily and won't last."
She paused, picked up a small section she had woven, and gently pulled it to demonstrate its elasticity and density. "Also, although this weaving method looks simple, it uses more thread and is woven more tightly, so it actually takes more time and energy."
These words were reasonable and logical. They not only pointed out the priority of practicality, but also politely declined Lin Weiwei's seemingly "well-intentioned" advice. They also hinted that he was not being lazy or taking shortcuts, but was using a more practical approach.
Upon hearing this, several ladies nodded.
"That's right! Wanqing is really thoughtful!"
"Yeah, we're not just concerned about appearance, practicality is still the most important thing!"
"This stitching is really dense and warm!"
Lin Weiwei's smile faded a little, and she withdrew her hand awkwardly: "Sister Su is really thoughtful."
Just then, there was a small commotion at the door of the activity room. Minister Zhang from the Logistics Department walked in with a vigorous old general. It was Minister Li whom I had met at the family dinner.
"Old leader, why are you here?" Mrs. Wang hurried to greet him.
Minister Li smiled and waved his hand. "I heard you women soldiers are doing a 'heartwarming' event here. I came to take a look! Bringing warmth to our young men guarding the border is a good thing! A great thing!"
He glanced around the activity room, seeing the room full of woolen fabrics and the busy military families, his face full of satisfaction. When his eyes fell on Su Wanqing, who was quietly knitting by the window, he paused, smiled and walked over.
"Xiao Su is here too? Great!" He picked up Su Wanqing's half-finished scarf, looked at it carefully, and touched it with his hands to feel the thickness and texture, nodding repeatedly, "Well! The stitching is good! Thick! It's what we soldiers need! Unlike those fancy ones that look good but are useless!"
His voice was loud and clear, and everyone in the activity room heard it. Many people looked at Su Wanqing with approval in their eyes.
Lin Weiwei could hardly hold the smile on her face.
Minister Li looked at the ball of yarn Su Wanqing brought and asked, "This yarn is good. Where did you buy it? It looks better than the ones purchased by the logistics department."
Su Wanqing bowed slightly and replied politely, "Old Commander, I didn't buy this. I took apart a few old sweaters that I didn't wear and spun them into yarn. I thought wool would be warm, strong, and windproof."
"Tearing down an old sweater?" Minister Li was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up with admiration. "Great! Great! Frugal, making the best use of things, clever, and sincere! This is what military families should be like!"
He turned to Minister Zhang and said, "See? This young comrade has a very high level of thinking! You guys in the logistics department should also use your brains more!"
Minister Zhang quickly nodded in agreement.
Everyone else in the room was also surprised and impressed. Taking apart an old sweater and re-knitting it? How much trouble would that be? How much patience would it take? This thoughtfulness was truly more precious than simply buying new yarn.
Huo Meilin opened her mouth, but the words she wanted to use to find fault got stuck in her throat.
Lin Weiwei's expression changed slightly, and she quietly returned to her seat.
Su Wanqing felt a little embarrassed by the praise, and her cheeks flushed slightly: "Old leader, you are too kind. I am just doing some small things within my ability."
"True feelings are shown in small things!" Minister Li patted her shoulder vigorously, gave a few words of encouragement to everyone, and then left accompanied by Minister Zhang.
After he left, the atmosphere in the activity room became noticeably more lively. Several ladies gathered around Su Wanqing, asking her for tips on spinning yarn from old sweaters, praising her for her dexterity and meticulousness.
Mrs. Wang looked at Su Wanqing, and there was a bit more genuine appreciation and recognition in her eyes.
Su Wanqing answered patiently, her attitude remaining humble and neither arrogant nor impatient.
The sunlight filtered through the window, illuminating her calm and focused profile and the thick, warm gray scarf that was gradually taking shape in her hand, as if casting a soft halo over her.
At this moment, she was no longer just "Huo Tingxiao's wife", nor was she a "substitute bride" who was discussed and scrutinized. Instead, she won respect with her meticulousness, ingenuity and sincerity, and emitted her own warm and firm light.
Lin Weiwei sat in the corner, looking at Su Wanqing, who was surrounded by the crowd with a calm expression. Her fingers tightened unconsciously, and the crochet hook almost poked her fingertips.
She suddenly realized that this seemingly docile and quiet Su Wanqing might be... much more difficult to deal with than she had imagined.
And Su Wanqing, in knitting every stitch and thread, not only weaves warmth to be sent to the border, but also weaves her own confidence and dignity to stand firm in this complex environment.
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