Chapter 45
Gu Xi made a homemade version of sugar-roasted chestnuts, the simple and quick kind.
Put the cleaned and split chestnuts into a pot, add two spoonfuls of white sugar, and then add another spoonful if you're worried it's not sweet enough. Then add a tablespoon of soybean oil and stir. Finally, pour in enough water to cover the chestnuts and cover the pot.
The fire wasn't burning brightly, just a medium-low flame, slowly simmering.
Because there were quite a few chestnuts, she simmered them for about half an hour. When she opened the lid, she found that the water in the pot was almost gone, so she took a spatula and started to stir-fry them, making sure that each chestnut was coated with syrup.
She cooked the chestnuts until all the moisture evaporated, then took them out of the pan, let them cool a bit, broke one open, and tasted it.
The chestnut shells are coated with a little sweet syrup, and the chestnut meat inside is golden yellow, soft, sweet, and fragrant. It tastes very good.
This was her first time making it, and it seems she didn't mess it up because it was so simple; even a kitchen novice could do it.
Gu Xi was very satisfied after tasting it.
She took the roasted chestnuts out and said to the man who was working in the yard, "Brother, stop what you're doing and come eat some chestnuts and take a break."
Shen Mingzheng responded, put the shovel against the wall, went to the well to fetch water to wash his hands and face, wiped the water droplets off his face with a towel, and then went over.
Seeing that his clothes were soaked with sweat, Gu Xi poured him a glass of water. After he finished drinking the water, she peeled a chestnut and handed it to him. After he opened his mouth and ate it, she asked, "Is it good?"
The freshly roasted chestnuts are still warm, sweet and soft, and even people who don't like sweets will find them delicious.
Shen Mingzheng nodded, "It's delicious."
Although he doesn't crave sweets, he doesn't dislike them either. Sometimes when he's too tired from training or when he's out on disaster relief, eating something sweet can replenish his energy and brighten his mood, allowing him to keep going.
The two sat there eating chestnuts and chatting.
As we were talking, we suddenly heard a knock on the door.
Shen Mingzheng got up to open the door and found a military wife in her early thirties, dressed simply, holding a basket with some vegetables and fruits in it.
Upon seeing him, the other person smiled and said, "Commander Shen, I'm from Commander Miao's family next door. I heard you moved here, so I brought you some vegetables we grew ourselves. Please don't be shy, we're neighbors, let's look after each other in the future, and you can come to us if you need anything..."
Gu Xi walked out of the house and, upon hearing this, said, "So it's you, sister-in-law. My name is Gu Xi. May I ask how I should address you?"
Although she usually doesn't like to talk to people or talk to strangers, she will take the initiative to communicate if the other party is nice, as this is basic etiquette.
Humans are social animals. It's impossible for a person to live in their own world. Social interactions must also be taken into account, especially in this day and age when human relationships are very important. Even if you don't like socializing, you still need to maintain proper manners.
Gu Xi was well aware of this, so when necessary, she would also save face and maintain normal interactions with those around her.
"My name is Ye Fenghua," Ye Fenghua said with a smile, her heart filled with emotion when she saw Gu Xi.
No wonder Commander Shen is so concerned even before this person arrives. With a wife like this, how could a man not be attentive? And look at her smiling face; she seems to have a good personality.
This relieved Ye Fenghua.
She heard that Commander Shen's wife was a city girl, and an educated intellectual. She was worried that she would be difficult to get along with and would look down on military wives from the countryside. She thought that if that was the case, she would just stop associating with her.
Most military spouses come from rural areas. Although there are some from the city, many military spouses from the city don't get along well with military spouses from the countryside. This is probably due to differences in values or lifestyles, which can easily lead to conflicts.
Ye Fenghua said warmly, "Hello, sister-in-law, I'm from next door. My husband's surname is Miao! I heard you moved in yesterday, and you must be very busy, so I didn't want to bother you by coming over. I thought you should still be home today, so I came over to see you and get to know you..."
Gu Xi invited her in to sit down, and looking at the vegetables she had brought, she praised, "Sister-in-law, you're really amazing. The vegetables you grow look very good."
Ye Fenghua was a warm and simple woman. When she entered, she saw that the ground in their yard had been turned over and said, "Are you going to plant vegetables? Have you bought any seeds? I have some vegetable seeds that I don't need. If you don't mind, I can give them to you. It will save you the trouble of buying them yourself. The supply and marketing cooperative doesn't sell vegetable seeds. If you want to buy vegetable seeds, you have to go to town..."
Before Gu Xi could say anything, she started rambling on and on.
Upon hearing this, Gu Xi didn't refuse. She filled a large bowl with roasted chestnuts and said, "Thank you so much, sister-in-law. I'll shamelessly accept it! These chestnuts are freshly roasted. Please take them home and eat them..."
Ye Fenghua hadn't expected that by bringing some groceries and meeting her new neighbors, she would also be surprised by their generosity in serving her a bowl of roasted chestnuts.
When she got back and took a bite, she discovered it was actually sweet. Had it been cooked with sugar? What a waste! Sugar is such a precious ingredient!
The few vegetable seeds I gave myself seemed rather meager.
When Ye Fenghua came over again, she not only brought them vegetable seeds, but also a bunch of her own pickled cabbage, saying that in this hot weather, pickled cabbage is very appetizing for stir-frying or making soup.
Gu Xi accepted the candy as well, and then grabbed a handful of candy for her. "These are wedding candies from my wedding with Commander Shen. Please have some candy, sister-in-law, and give the kids at home a sweet treat."
Ye Fenghua: "..." Why are you sending me something again?
Ye Fenghua returned home in a daze, then wiped her face and found that Commander Shen's wife was really generous and open-minded.
When the children who had been playing outside returned and saw that there were not only chestnuts but also candy in the house, they cheered with joy and swarmed over like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey.
Ye Fenghua swatted their paws away, gave each of them three chestnuts and a piece of candy, and kept the rest.
A little later, when Commander Miao returned, he also received three chestnuts and a piece of candy from his wife.
He was a little surprised. "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly buying candy?"
Commander Miao came from a rural background. He and his wife had four children, two sons and two daughters. In addition, they also had to send money back to their parents in their hometown, so their family was not well-off.
Ye Fenghua is a thrifty woman who is good at managing money. She rarely buys snacks or candy for the children, but if she does buy something, everyone in the family will have it too – the children will have it, and the adults will have it too.
She did this very well; she was fair and just.
"I didn't buy it. It was a gift from Commander Shen's wife next door." Ye Fenghua peeled a candy for herself to sweeten her mouth and said with emotion, "Commander Shen's wife is really generous. I just brought her some vegetables and seeds from our garden, and she gave me a bowl of roasted chestnuts. I felt embarrassed, so I gave her a handful of pickled cabbage, and she gave me a handful of candy in return..."
This made her feel like she had taken advantage of him, and she was less inclined to give him gifts in the future.
Upon hearing this, Commander Miao couldn't help but laugh. He peeled a chestnut and ate it, saying, "Isn't this perfect? You were worried before that Commander Shen's wife was a city girl and that it would be difficult to get along with her. We're all neighbors, and we see each other all the time. If we don't get along, it will be difficult and we won't be able to live a peaceful life! Now that we've found out she's easy to get along with, it will be more convenient for us to interact in the future."
As the saying goes, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative, and everyone hopes that their neighbor is easy to get along with.
Ye Fenghua nodded, secretly pleased. "Absolutely!" Then she continued to praise, "You wouldn't believe it, Commander Shen's wife is named Gu Xi. She's so beautiful, like a fairy from an opera. Even the leading actors in the troupe feel ashamed in her presence. When I first saw her, I felt like my eyes were dazzled..."
"What do you mean by 'self-shame'? You mean 'feeling ashamed of one's own appearance'?" Commander Miao said speechlessly. "Didn't you go to a literacy class? How come you still can't pronounce an idiom correctly?"
"Oh, you know what I mean, I don't know what it is at all," Ye Fenghua said casually. "Anyway, Commander Shen's wife is a beautiful woman with a good personality, but she looks a bit thin and weak, so she's probably not very capable at housework. But with Commander Shen around, and he's quite capable, he probably doesn't need her to do anything..."
Judging from Commander Shen's actions, he is indeed a man who dotes on his wife.
Moreover, Commander Shen is so capable, and his family currently consists only of the young couple, with no children yet. It seems that his wife doesn't need to do anything, and it doesn't matter whether she can do the work or not.
**
Gu Xi put away the vegetable seeds and pickled vegetables that Ye Fenghua had brought, then turned to Shen Mingzheng and asked, "Brother, who are our neighbors?"
They had just moved in and were planning to visit their neighbors after settling in when Ye Fenghua showed up. She seemed warm and cheerful, not the petty type, and should be easy to get along with.
Shen Mingzheng said, "To our left is the home of Regiment Commander Miao, who is the commander of the Third Brigade, and to our right is the home of Chief of Staff Gao. I heard that he moved here at the beginning of this year."
Gu Xi: "Anything else?"
Shen Mingzheng thought hard for a moment, then said uncertainly, "...I heard his wife seems to be pregnant, but I don't know much else."
Gu Xi looked at him and realized that it was a bit difficult for him to introduce the situation of the family compound, since he didn't know much more than she did.
She said, "Let's visit again when we have time."
Anyway, there's plenty of time later. I can gradually get to know my neighbors. If they're easy to get along with, I'll be friendly with them. If they're difficult to get along with, I'll just close the door and refuse to interact with them.
Before we knew it, it was time to make dinner.
Gu Xi planned to use a coal stove to heat up the bathwater after cooking the dishes, which would be quite convenient.
There was another knock at the door.
Shen Mingzheng went to open the door, and a moment later he saw him and Gu Yuanyang come in.
Gu Yuanyang was carrying a large bag containing a large piece of cured pork wrapped in newspaper, as well as beef jerky and canned meat.
"Your sister-in-law asked me to bring this over," Gu Yuanyang said. "You just moved here, so you probably don't have much food stored at home. Here, have a taste. If you want anything to eat in the future, just tell your older brother, and I'll buy it for you."
Looking at his sister's thin and frail appearance, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, wondering if it was because she hadn't eaten well at home before.
Gu Xi waved her hand: "Big brother, no need, we don't need it..."
"Keep it!" Gu Yuanyang said. "You're our sister, it's only right that we take care of you! We still have other things here. Your sister-in-law is a military doctor, and sometimes the hospital gives out benefits, so we don't need anything!"
Seeing his insistence, Gu Xi had no choice but to accept it, and felt a greater sense of closeness to the two older brothers and sisters-in-law.
Their actions show that they genuinely want to get along well with her, and they are generous in their dealings with her, truly treating her like a younger sister.
Gu Yuanyang didn't stay there long and left quickly.
"Big brother, why don't you invite your wife and Tuantuan over for dinner? I'll cook for you," Gu Xi called out. "We have some vegetables at home."
Gu Yuanyang waved his hand, "No need, your sister-in-law and Tuantuan want to eat the braised noodles I made today."
Gu Xi understood upon hearing this. It seemed that her older brother doted on his wife and children, and was willing to cook for them personally.
In this day and age, men like her elder brother are indeed rare. After all, many men are macho and believe that housework should be done by women. Just like the Gu family, Gu Maowen, Gu Yuanzheng, and Gu Yuanhui are all macho men who never touch the kitchen.
The Gu family has produced quite an oddball.
Gu Xi packed a bowl of roasted chestnuts for him to take back for his sister-in-law and Tuantuan to try.
Gu Yuanyang did not refuse and left with the roasted chestnuts.
Gu Xi started making dinner. There was still half of the bone broth left from lunch, so she used it to cook two bowls of noodles, topped with blanched vegetables. It was another simple meal.
In the evening, after taking a shower, Gu Xi sat by the window to dry her hair, while jotting down things to do in her notebook.
Before getting married, she never knew that running a small family required so much attention. She'd buy this and forget that, always feeling like she hadn't bought everything. But there was also a sense of fulfillment in being busy with life, which she liked. It made her feel like she was truly living, no longer in an endless, empty dream.
Gu Xi wrote for a while, then saw Shen Mingzheng return from taking a shower.
He wore a vest and trousers, the vest outlining his strong and powerful physique, his muscles bulging, exuding strength. He was much stronger than her, and every time she was held by him, she felt very weak.
Shen Mingzheng walked over, hugged her, and looked at the notebook in her hand.
It's called a notebook, but it's more like a daily diary. She writes down the dates and adds a few words of reflection on life. Although they are simple, you can tell from them that she is living her life well.
He had just finished showering, probably with cold water, so his skin was cool and not hot to lean against. Gu Xi let him hold her, and he even fanned her, so she nestled even more unceremoniously in his arms.
She picked up a pen and wrote in her notebook, saying, "Brother, does the supply and marketing cooperative here sell bicycles? I'd like to buy one so it'll be easier to get to town..."
Bicycles are quite expensive, and you need industrial coupons to buy one. Not everyone can afford them. If those military wives go to the town market, they probably walk. It doesn't take too long; if they're fast, it only takes an hour.
But Gu Xi knew she wasn't a fast walker and was physically weak, so she was afraid it would take her two hours to get there, and the round trip would definitely take half her life. She didn't want to go through that kind of hardship.
I think I should just buy a bicycle for transportation.
Shen Mingzheng said, "They should be available for sale. I'll have someone keep an eye out. We can also ask the logistics department to help us buy one in the city."
There are many people in the military, and the logistics department has to go to the city to purchase items every day. For large items like these, we can ask them to help bring them back.
"Then I'll leave this to you."
Gu Xi looked up at him with a sweet smile and kissed him on the corner of his lips.
Shen Mingzheng paused for a moment, then reached out and gently stroked the back of her head, pulling her tightly into his arms and kissing her.
After a long while, Gu Xi leaned against him to catch her breath. He wiped the water droplets from her lips with one hand. She buried her face in his chest with some shame, realizing that every time he held her and kissed her, she felt somewhat confused and infatuated, unable to resist the allure of his masculine beauty...
She covered her face, and after a while, she tried to focus her attention on the notebook.
Shen Mingzheng looked at the words she wrote in the notebook. The handwriting was indeed not very good. He remembered that she wanted to practice her handwriting. Now that she had time, she could start practicing her handwriting. That way, she wouldn't be bored when she was alone at home.
"Gu Xi," he suddenly called out to her.
Gu Xi hummed in agreement, looked up at him, and under the lamplight, her dark eyes seemed to gather a beam of light, no longer the lifeless and bewildered state of the past.
His heart felt a little hot, and his fingers unconsciously caressed her back.
He said, "Your hair is dry, you can go to sleep now."
Gu Xi checked the time on his watch and remembered that he would be starting work tomorrow, so he couldn't stay up too late.
She put the notebook away and let him pull her to bed, thinking about what she needed to do the next day before falling asleep.
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