While picking wild vegetables, Du Yuhan calmed herself down and thought about what to cook for lunch.
Zhou Zhengye was a close friend of Mr. Han Yi, and she couldn't neglect him.
Liu Gang cleaned up the two large, fat rabbits and carried them into the kitchen, saying, "Yuhan, these two rabbits are really fat. Shall we eat them for lunch?"
Du Yuhan asked, "Will the guests who came today eat at home?"
Liu Gang said, "You mean Staff Officer Zhou? He'll definitely be having lunch here. He and the regimental commander are good brothers. I heard that Staff Officer Zhou has been transferred here, so I guess we'll see him often from now on."
Du Yuhan never expected that Zhou Zhengye would be transferred here so early in this life. It seems that she will have to avoid him from now on.
Sure enough, Liu Gang told her that Han Yixian had asked her to make lunch more lavish, as he wanted to entertain his old comrade-in-arms and good brother.
After learning that Zhou Zhengye had lunch at home, Du Yuhan went to the yard and picked some vegetables.
There are still a few big crucian carp left from yesterday's fishing, which Du Yuhan plans to cook at noon.
For lunch, she made braised rabbit, spicy rabbit cubes, sweet and sour fish, eggplant with garlic sauce, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts, cold wild vegetable salad, potato and pepper salad, and a seaweed and egg drop soup. The staple food was steamed rice.
Zhou Zhengye was stunned when the food was served; it was far too lavish. The dishes looked incredibly tempting; the color and aroma were beyond words, but the taste would have to be experienced firsthand.
He watched Liu Gang put the dishes on the table and said, "You guys are going to too much trouble. We're all family, no need to be so polite. I'll be coming over for meals often from now on, otherwise I'll feel embarrassed to come."
Han Yixian said, "This meal is all thanks to Yuhan. The rabbit was hunted by Yuhan, the fish was caught by Yuhan in the river not far from the door, and these vegetables were all grown by her and Liu Gang in the yard. They didn't cost any money. I'm just passing on what I've gained."
Looking at the sumptuous meal on the table, Zhou Zhengye clicked his tongue in admiration, "You guys are living a really good life. I'll have to try this food properly today."
Han Yixian and Zhou Zhengye sat at the table but did not eat first.
Zhou Zhengye, being a guest, naturally followed the host's lead, while Han Yixian waited for Du Yuhan to sit down before picking up his chopsticks—this had become a natural habit.
Liu Gang brought over a bowl of glistening rice and served everyone a large bowl. Only after Du Yuhan brought in a bowl of seaweed soup and everyone sat down did Han Yixian begin to eat.
Now that everyone was seated at the dinner table, Zhou Zhengye was finally able to get a clear look at Du Yuhan's appearance.
He had already thought Du Yuhan was pretty after just a brief encounter, but now that he saw her in person, he realized that this young girl was indeed a rare beauty.
He's still quite young and looks rather green, but he'll definitely shine even brighter when he grows up.
Aunt Han has such good taste; it's not easy to find such an outstanding girl from the countryside.
For some reason, Zhou Zhengye found Du Yuhan's face familiar, as if he had seen her before.
After taking a bite of food, Zhou Zhengye lost all interest in thinking about anything else, because the food on the table had completely captured his attention.
Seeing Liu Gang eating without looking up, even Han Yixian ate faster than before, joining the army of people grabbing food, otherwise there would be only soup left.
Han Yixian saw that Du Yuhan was eating quietly at the table and not picking up much food, so he used serving chopsticks to put a lot of food on Du Yuhan's plate, otherwise the other two guys would snatch it all away.
Han Yixian's actions also surprised Zhou Zhengye. When had he ever seen Han Yixian serve food to someone else? It seemed his good friend was quite satisfied with this young girl. No wonder he hadn't sent away the caregiver they had hired this time like before.
Liu Gang was already used to his commander's behavior and didn't care at all, focusing only on eating.
The dishes on the table, such as spicy rabbit, are spicy and fragrant, and sweet and sour fish, are so delicious that you can't stop eating them.
Zhou Zhengye is also a big eater, so in the end, only a little bit of soup was left on the table, and the seaweed and egg drop soup was all drunk up.
Zhou Zhengye patted his bulging belly, feeling a little embarrassed. It was the first time he had been so unconcerned about his image in front of a girl, and he was quite ashamed.
The food was just so delicious.
He couldn't help but admire Aunt Han's excellent eye for talent; the person she chose was truly remarkable.
Given his family background, he's certainly had his share of good food. The ability to cook such delicious everyday dishes is a skill that only a typical rural girl could possess.
Zhou Zhengye looked at the little girl sitting across from him and became even more curious. What kind of family could raise such a little girl?
Du Yuhan barely looked up at the dinner table and ate silently without saying a word. She didn't even serve Han Yixian any food. Han Yixian had already sensed this unusual behavior.
Han Yixian didn't know why, perhaps because Du Yuhan felt awkward with strangers around.
He didn't believe Zhou Zhengye had any prior interaction with Du Yuhan; at the very least, he was certain Zhou Zhengye had never met Du Yuhan before.
Perhaps there were other reasons he didn't know. But he wasn't going to investigate; everyone has secrets.
Du Yuhan happens to be someone with a lot of secrets.
After lunch, Liu Gang and Du Yuhan cleaned up the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them.
As Zhou Zhengye watched Du Yuhan leave, he said, "The caregiver Aunt Han found for you is truly exceptional. Just look at her cooking skills—few people can match her. I'll be coming over for meals quite often from now on. Don't worry, I'll cover the food expenses."
Han Yixian rolled his eyes at Zhou Zhengye and said, "If you have connections, get more grain and store it. If you don't have a place, you can store it here with me."
Zhou Zhengye and Han Yixian are brothers who grew up together. They have spent more time together than their parents have, so they know each other very well. When Han Yixian said that, Zhou Zhengye sensed something was amiss.
He asked curiously, "What's wrong? Is there something amiss?"
Han Yixian said, "This year, many places across the country have experienced reduced grain production due to less rainfall. I wonder if it will be even more serious next year."
The local food supply has already been affected to some extent this year. If the drought worsens, it will be a sign of a major disaster. We should make preparations as soon as possible.
Zhou Zhengye knew that Han Yixian never spoke without reason, and he knew that the situation was not optimistic as soon as he heard Han Yixian say this.
He frowned and said, "I'll try to find a way to get some food to stock up. I hope the scenario you described won't come to pass."
Zhou Zhengye returned to his unit in the afternoon. He was transferred here to serve as a regimental commander, and he was very busy as he hadn't yet sorted out many tasks. Today, he also took some time to visit Han Yixian.
Du Yuhan breathed a sigh of relief after Zhou Zhengye left. She realized she had been worrying unnecessarily. Zhou Zhengye didn't know her, and as long as she was careful, she wouldn't have any interaction with him. She didn't need to care too much about Zhou Zhengye's existence.
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