After putting the child down, Cheng Chao breathed a long sigh of relief. Jian Xin was still a little reluctant to leave, but she obediently drank half a glass of water. While the adults were talking, she pulled Xiao Hua aside to eat something.
Every time Cheng Chao and the others brought snacks, Jian Dan would leave them to her to handle herself. Jian Xin would usually put them on the bottom shelf, just by pulling back the curtain.
She took out a few glutinous rice strips and gave half to Xiaohua.
"This is delicious! Brother Cheng Chao brought it over last time; it's so sweet!"
Xiao Hua timidly glanced back at Cheng Chao, then quickly turned away.
Jian Dan saw him from the other side, smiled but didn't say anything. Cheng Chao looked a bit baby-faced, but he could be quite intimidating when he got serious. After all, this was his profession, and he was bound to have a strong aura of killing intent. Moreover, Cheng Chao was dressed up today.
Regardless of the era, people will always unconsciously feel more fear towards those in uniform.
Not to mention that Xiaohua is only a few years old. Ever since Cheng Chao came in, she hasn't dared to speak. She only dared to breathe heavily when she was close to Jian Xin.
"This older brother is really scary, aren't you afraid?"
They spoke in hushed tones, as if afraid of being overheard. Unfortunately, there were only two adults in the room. Jian Dan had good hearing, and Cheng Chao, a seasoned veteran, could hear them clearly.
Simply looking at Cheng Chao made her want to laugh, but Cheng Chao was helpless; she couldn't blame him.
When he first joined the army, things were fine, but over the years, he's been doing one mission after another. Even Cheng Jin says that he's become more and more aggressive. Now, not only the children he encounters, but also the children of his comrades, are quite afraid of him.
Jian Xin thought her friend was whispering in the club, so she cautiously leaned closer to listen. Upon hearing what she overheard, her face immediately showed disapproval, and she loudly retorted.
"There's no firewood, there isn't any firewood,"
The two adults turned around, startling Xiaohua so much that she immediately grabbed Jianxin's sleeve and dared not utter a sound.
He glanced at her briefly and then turned back to talk about other things. Cheng Chao remembered that Jian Dan had come out from behind, so he asked,
"Are you... growing a garden?"
Cheng Chao used to seem to know nothing about this, and although he still doesn't understand it now, after experiencing planting vegetables in the trough during the winter, Cheng Chao felt that he understood it now.
"Where? It's too early to plant. I finished work early today and wanted to turn over the garden. If it rains again in a few days, it will be thoroughly watered. Planting will take two days, and the garden won't be ready until almost May Day."
Cheng Chao stood up immediately, took off his coat,
"I'll translate it for you,"
"Huh?" Jian Dan was taken aback for a moment, then objected.
"No need, the garden isn't big, it'll be finished in the next day or two, I can manage it myself."
Cheng Chao was fast; as he spoke, his long legs had already stepped out the door. Hearing this, he turned back.
"How about you treat me to dinner?"
Upon seeing this, Jian Xin immediately dropped her food and followed after them.
"Sister, let's go dig in the dirt and play."
Xiao Hua wanted to go with him, but then she thought of Cheng Chao and immediately pulled her foot back. She glanced at the sky, said goodbye to Jian Dan, and...
"Sister Jane, I'm going home,"
"Hey? Why are you going home? Let's go play with Xin Xin!"
Xiao Hua looked blankly at herself.
"No more dripping, my grandparents will be back soon, I'll come play with Xinxin again tomorrow."
"Okay, then go straight home and don't wander around."
In the countryside, children that age run around everywhere, and Xiaohua wasn't that mischievous, so Jian Dan wasn't too worried. However, he still stood at the door and watched her walk into the village before returning.
Dinner, dinner. Whether I cook it myself or not, at this time, I definitely have to provide the food.
Thinking about Cheng Chao's good appetite, Jian Dan was speechless for a while. Luckily, she came back early today. At this time, most of the villagers were still in the fields, so they didn't have to hide their cooking or worry about people smelling the food.
I glanced at the backyard and saw the two of them, one big and one small, working quite hard. I smiled and thought, "Now that they've gotten to work, their meals need to be arranged properly."
He rummaged through the cellar, then took a look around the base space. Finally, he came out carrying two pounds of pork ribs and a fish that had been distributed yesterday. He made a stew in an iron pot, and stuck a ring of cornbread around the edge of the pot.
While tending the fire, Jian Dan thought of the roast chicken her child was craving, and wondered if she would remember it later.
Thinking about it, I realized the food in the pot was a bit greasy, so I took out a piece of braised beef and two cucumbers, chopped them up, added seasonings, and mixed them together.
Anyway, she was quite frank with Cheng Chao from the beginning. Apart from the space, Cheng Chao had seen almost everything else she had.
Cooking in a large iron pot over a wood-fired stove makes food cook quickly and tastes exceptionally delicious.
The smell wafted out, and the two people in the backyard could almost smell it. Jian Xin immediately stopped, sniffed hard, and then exhaled heavily.
"It smells so good! My sister has made something delicious."
Cheng Chao, disregarding any sense of pride, took a puff and immediately became intoxicated.
"It smells so good, is it a flatbread?"
"Meat, it's meat!"
Jian Xin couldn't wait any longer, so she threw down the small shovel and ran back home.
"Sister, I'm hungry!"
Cheng Chao's stomach was protesting, but he didn't put on airs. He picked up his tools and followed the little girl back to the front yard.
"Wow, sister, is it delicious?"
The aroma I smelled in the backyard was coming from the pot. When I saw that the two of them had returned, I simply and decisively lifted the pot lid, and immediately, the fragrance wafted out, making both of them feel completely intoxicated by the aroma.
Only after the steam dissipates can you see the ribs with their rich, dark sauce at the bottom of the pot, and the golden-yellow flatbread that's over a hundred years old. The cooking time is just right; the edges of the flatbread are curled up, revealing the crispy crust, while some of the flatbread has already slid into the broth, absorbing its color. It looks incredibly appetizing.
Immediately, two distinct sounds of swallowing saliva could be heard.
He used a spatula to scoop the flatbread off the stove and placed it on a large tea tray, saying something simple yet exaggerated.
"Oh, it smells so good!"
Startled awake, Xiao Jianxin ran into the house, calling out for Cheng Chao.
"Brother Cheng Chao, come and put the table down quickly."
Then, she eagerly reached for the bowls and chopsticks, only to be directly and simply stopped by him.
"Stop right there! Did you wash your hands?"
Jian Xin froze for a moment, then screamed and ran outside.
"Ah...Brother Cheng Chao, come quick, come quick, pour me some water, wash your hands, wash your hands, come quick!"
Cheng Chao was just thinking about helping out when she called out to him, and he was sent off to fetch water.
Then I simply soaped her up and washed her little black hands inside and out, even between her fingers. Finally, I washed her face before I could even look at her.
"Go ahead, sit down and wait for your meal."
A large tea tray was piled high with flatbreads, a plate of beef and cucumber salad, a pot of pork ribs and fish stew, and three empty bowls were laid out.
"Dinner's ready!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
