Chapter 89 Stewed Beef Soup
These words were clearly directed at Lu Mingyue, and everyone sensed something was wrong, causing the atmosphere that had just warmed up to turn cold again.
Lu Mingyue seemed not to hear, but simply looked up and smiled at everyone: "It's getting late, let's get in the car, or we'll miss dinner."
As she spoke, she picked up her things and walked towards the car. The military wives exchanged glances and followed her into the car. No one continued Luo Shuixian's conversation.
She was left standing there, her smug expression frozen in place.
One by one, everyone boarded the purchasing vehicle, but Luo Shuixian deliberately dawdled and was the last to get on.
She even deliberately supported her back and slowly moved towards her seat, trying to attract everyone's attention.
After finally sitting down, she cleared her throat, clutched her chest, and whispered, "I just came back from the clinic and I feel really dizzy. Being pregnant is really not easy. I was vomiting until midnight yesterday and couldn't even drink water."
As soon as she finished speaking, Leilei's voice suddenly came from behind: "Mom, when are we going to dry beef jerky? I want to put the beef jerky in a little bag and share it with my friends!"
Yao Yao chimed in, "I want some too! I also want bone broth, because Daddy says there's marrow in the bones!"
The two children's clear, crisp voices instantly drowned out Luo Shuixian's words.
The military wives were amused by the child, and one of them went over and patted Leilei's head: "This child, he's already thinking about beef as soon as we bought it."
Some people joked with Lu Mingyue, "Your two kids are such little foodies."
Lu Mingyue smiled and said, "Children, being able to eat is a blessing."
Luo Shuixian opened her mouth, wanting to talk more about the hardships of pregnancy, but the military wives in the back row started talking about how to make beef sauce.
You said, "You need to add soybeans," and I replied, "It has to be simmered slowly over a wood fire."
The lively discussion completely drowned out her words.
She sat in her seat, watching Lu Mingyue patiently coaxing the child behind her.
Hearing everyone around me talking about beef and kids, my desire to show off vanished like a bucket of cold water.
He remained silent for a long time, only staring sullenly out the window, feeling incredibly frustrated.
As soon as the procurement vehicle entered the entrance of the residential compound, Lu Mingyue saw a familiar figure through the car window.
Huo Zheng, dressed in military green training uniform, was standing under the big locust tree at the gate of the courtyard, looking around, with two handfuls of freshly picked vegetables in his hand.
As soon as the car came to a stop, Leilei and Yaoyao eagerly pushed open the car door and jumped out, rushing towards Huo Zheng: "Daddy!"
Huo Zheng smiled and bent down to catch the children, picking them up one in each arm.
Turning around, she saw Lu Mingyue getting off the car carrying beef and cloth. She quickly put down the child, walked over, and naturally took the things from Lu Mingyue's hands: "You must be exhausted. Go home and rest. I've already boiled some water."
Lu Mingyue smiled and nodded, reaching out to straighten his collar, which had been ruffled by the wind. The family chatted and laughed as they walked into the yard.
This scene was witnessed by Luo Shuixian, who had just gotten off the car. She stood by the car, supporting her waist, watching Huo Zheng's tenderness towards Lu Mingyue.
Then she thought of her husband, who was usually quiet and reserved and never waited for her at the gate, and her displeasure deepened.
She bit her lip, deliberately slowed her pace to follow behind, watching the backs of Lu Mingyue's family, the examination report in her hand crumpled in her clench.
Even though she was the one who had just found out she was pregnant, everyone's eyes seemed to be always on Lu Mingyue. This feeling of frustration made her feel anxious.
Lu Mingyue didn't notice Luo Shuixian's complicated expression behind her at all. Huo Zheng carried the child and walked in front, with her following beside him.
Listening to Leilei excitedly recount the new things he saw in the county town, he occasionally responded with a few words, his eyes full of tenderness.
To her, Luo Shuixian's little emotions and tests were insignificant.
The two were just neighbors living in the same residential compound; they had no close relationship and no history of conflict.
Whether Luo Shuixian wanted attention or whether eyes were on her, she never cared.
As for Luo Shuixian's obsession with "others' attention should revolve around her," Lu Mingyue was completely unaware of it.
Her mind was always on Huo Zheng, the children, and the everyday life of her family; she had no time to ponder the petty resentments of others.
Huo Zheng had already pushed open the courtyard gate and turned back to call her, "Come in quickly, the bone broth should be put in the pot."
Lu Mingyue responded and quickened her pace to catch up, completely leaving Luo Shuixian, who was still secretly competing with her, behind her.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, Huo Zheng put the children down and headed straight for the kitchen with the two large bones in his arms.
Lu Mingyue then moved a small stool over and spread the beef on the stone table in the courtyard, preparing to process the ingredients for marinating the meat first.
"Leilei, go pick the vegetables from that basket in the yard, and choose the tenderest leaves."
Without looking up, Lu Mingyue gave the order, already sprinkling salt and five-spice powder in her hand, and carefully flipping the beef strips over.
Leilei responded crisply, squatted down by the vegetable patch with his small bamboo basket, and carefully pinched the heart of the vegetable with his little hands.
Yao Yao also came over and tried to grab the vegetables like her brother, but ended up pulling out the roots.
This made Lu Mingyue laugh and pat the back of her hand: "Little girl, slow down, don't break the vegetables."
Inside the kitchen, Huo Zheng had already washed the large bones, put them in an iron pot, added well water, and lit a fire.
Before long, the flames in the stove licked the bottom of the pot, the water in the pot gradually steamed, and the fresh aroma of bones slowly wafted out.
He poked his head out and called out, "Mingyue, are the scallions and ginger ready? It's time to put them in the pot."
Lu Mingyue agreed, spread the marinated beef strips evenly on the bamboo sieve, moved a bamboo pole to set it up, and then carried the scallions and ginger into the kitchen.
She leaned against the door frame, watching Huo Zheng sprinkle scallions and ginger into the pot, a smile on her lips: "Once the bone broth is ready, serve the children a bowl first, and save some to cook noodles tomorrow."
Huo Zheng turned to look at her, his eyes full of warmth: "I'll listen to you. You've been busy all day, you should take a break."
In the yard, Leilei ran over holding up the vegetables he had picked: "Mom, look what I picked!"
Yao Yao also joined in, holding up her crumpled vegetable leaves.
Lu Mingyue was picking scallions in the yard; she was preparing to make beef and scallion dumplings.
Zhu Xiaofang's voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Mingyue, the fragrance from your house is wafting all the way to the alley entrance!"
Before she finished speaking, Zhu Xiaofang walked in carrying half a bag of freshly baked cornbread, followed by Mingming, who was skipping and jumping behind her.
"Come in quickly, the bone broth is freshly made." Lu Mingyue greeted her with a smile, and Huo Zheng had already brought out a large bowl of bone broth from the kitchen.
The milky white soup was topped with scallions, the bones were stewed until tender, and the aroma filled the nostrils.
Zhu Xiaofang leaned over and took a sniff, then couldn't help but exclaim, "This cooking is absolutely amazing! If my husband could smell it, he'd definitely cling to your stove and never leave!"
The children had already gathered around, and Lu Mingyue served each child a small bowl.
Lei Lei carefully sucked out the bone marrow from his bowl, while Yao Yao and Ming Ming competed to see who could finish the vegetables in their bowls first.
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