Chapter 79 Preparing food for him
Molly slept from noon until evening, only waking up when Mo An brought her food. Mo An put the food down and hurriedly left, saying that the cafeteria was waiting for him to eat together.
Mo An went out and ran into Zhao Jian'an, who was in a disheveled state.
"How is your sister?" Zhao Jian'an asked.
"That's good. My sister just woke up. Brother Zhao, why don't you go in and find her? I'm going to the cafeteria." Mo An hurriedly ran off.
When Zhao Jian'an came in, Molly was holding a glass of warm water, sipping it slowly. Because she had just woken up, her expression was a little dazed, and her face was rosy. Just sitting there in a daze was a beautiful picture.
Zhao Jian'an was stunned for two seconds before asking in surprise, "Has he gone mad?"
Molly slowly turned her head. "Did you fall into a mud puddle?"
"More or less." Zhao Jian'an wanted to sit down, but suddenly realized he was covered in mud. Before he could even put his bottom on the chair, he stood up again.
"Sit down, it'll be fine after a quick rinse." The wooden chair was easy to clean, so Molly didn't mind.
Zhao Jian'an refused, saying, "Never mind, I'm in a hurry. I'll just say a few words and leave."
"Mo An just brought back the food; it's Uncle Wang's cooking from the cafeteria," Molly said casually.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jian'an immediately sat down, saying, "Little sister, I haven't eaten all day. Oh, and Hefeng hasn't eaten all day either."
Molly stared intently. "Is the food supply insufficient?"
Zhao Jian'an shook his head, then nodded. "When we're busy, we don't have time to eat. But we really don't have enough food. But he should have dinner now. I came back to get some things. Ji Hefeng asked me to tell you that he's going to the next city tomorrow and won't be back for the next few days."
Upon learning that Ji Hefeng wouldn't be back for the next few days, Molly felt a sense of relief. She stood up, grabbed a plate, and filled it with most of the food, giving it to Zhao Jian'an.
"So lavish!" Zhao Jian'an exclaimed in surprise. There was meat, fish, and three or four kinds of vegetables. Who would be willing to eat like this at this time of year?
Molly nodded and turned to go to the kitchen. "I'll boil some eggs and make some pancakes. Could you take them to Ji Hefeng for me?"
"Is there any for me?" Zhao Jian'an asked indistinctly while eating heartily.
Molly rolled her eyes at him. "Go ask Ji Hefeng."
Zhao Jian'an finished eating the food on his plate, put the plate down, and left, saying he would come back later.
Molly flipped the pancakes while eating her dinner. The batter was a mixed grain batter, with cornmeal, wheat flour, soybean flour, and black bean flour added, along with six eggs.
Thinking that Ji Hefeng should have many comrades-in-arms, Molly prepared more batter. She spread the batter in the large iron pot, and each pancake was about the size of an adult man.
Some of the eggs at home were bought by Molly with ration coupons from the supply and marketing cooperative, and some were laid by the family's young hens. There were more than fifty eggs in total, and Molly boiled them all.
When Zhao Jian'an came over after changing into clean clothes, Molly had already put the boiled eggs into a cloth bag, and there was still some batter left to finish.
"It smells so good." Zhao Jian'an sniffed.
"Want one first?" Molly asked him.
Zhao Jian'an shook his head, "I'm not hungry, leave it for them."
"Shall we leave now? Or wait until I'm all done?" Molly glanced at the amount of batter. "I can make three or four more, which should take about ten minutes."
"Then let's wait a bit. Otherwise, if someone misses out on eating, it'll be my fault," Zhao Jian'an said with a smile.
"That probably isn't enough." She's all alone and can't prepare that much food.
"Is the flooding in the neighboring city severe?"
"Yes, the terrain next door is lower, so all the water flows there. This time, we'll be gone for at least a few days, and maybe up to half a month."
So long!
Molly frowned and went to the cabinet, putting all the candy she had bought from the supply and marketing cooperative into it.
"Hey little sister, can I have one? I want a White Rabbit candy, not a fruit hard candy." Zhao Jian'an reached out to Molly with a teasing expression.
Molly tossed the bag to him, saying, "Take it yourself."
There were only thirty-odd pancakes, but they were quite heavy in the cloth bag. "They're not waterproof, so be careful on your way."
“No problem.” Zhao Jian’an slung the things over his chest.
Molly thought for a moment and then said, "Be careful."
Zhao Jian'an nodded, put on his raincoat, and strode out the door. "Okay, I'll pass it on to Ji Hefeng."
Molly: "......"
When Zhao Jian'an arrived in town, Ji Hefeng was eating a steamed bun made of three kinds of flour. He held the bun in one hand, but the other hand was hidden in his wet sleeve, trembling slightly.
He didn't know if it was from exhaustion or hunger, or perhaps both. He hadn't rested or eaten all day; even a person of iron would eventually break down.
Upon seeing Zhao Jian'an, Ji Hefeng's eyes suddenly lit up. "She's awake?"
"She's awake, and her complexion is not bad." Zhao Jian'an took out the bag from his chest and tossed it to Ji Hefeng. "She prepared this."
Ji Hefeng smelled the fragrance, and a smile slowly crept onto his tired face.
"That smile is so smug." Zhao Jian'an couldn't bear to look.
Ji Hefeng ignored him. He opened the bag to see what was inside, and when he saw the candy, his heart melted.
"I saw her pour all the sugar in the house into the house," Zhao Jian'an said enviously. He also wanted to find a wife like that, someone who would bring him hot water and meals when he came home, and someone who would care about him when he went out. It seemed that after this incident, he should really start looking for a wife.
"I brought them all for you~" Ji Hefeng murmured, stuffing the bag of candy into his clothes, close to his chest.
"Deputy Regiment Commander Ji, what are you hiding?" one of the soldiers jeered.
"Yeah, what are you hiding? Everyone's hungry, you can't eat alone." The others chimed in.
Ji Hefeng spat at them, "If you're so capable, go get married yourselves and let your wives prepare for you."
Although he said that, he still opened the bag of pancakes, took one for himself, and let the others distribute the rest among themselves.
"Oh my, it really is food!"
"It smells so good!"
"Sister-in-law, your cooking is amazing! It's delicious!"
"With such generous ingredients, how could it not taste good!"
"My sister-in-law is beautiful and kind-hearted!"
The soldiers showered him with compliments, and Ji Hefeng smiled, feeling even happier than if he himself had been praised. He then took out the bag of boiled eggs, took two for himself, gave two to Zhao Jian'an, and distributed the rest among his men.
With so many eggs, she probably won't have anything to eat at home, right?
It seems we should put in more effort; once the family is exonerated, he can give her even more and better things.
Ji Hefeng thought of the person he had saved during the last mission; perhaps he could ask that person for help.
Another night passed, and the heavy rain had turned into a light drizzle, but the water level was rising.
As the river rose, Molly looked out from the camp gate and saw that her peanuts were submerged, with only a little bit of their green tips showing.
"The floodwaters are still rising, and the pressure from below must be immense," the guard said worriedly.
Now, almost only family members are in the camp; the soldiers have all gone to disaster relief.
Molly wasn't very familiar with the situation here. "Can the riverbank hold up?"
This is exactly what the soldiers are worried about: "They said they'd repair the river embankment two years ago, but the funding hasn't come through, and it's been delayed until now—"
The soldier didn't finish his sentence.
After a long pause, he finally said, "I hope it goes smoothly."
There weren't many people in the camp, so the canteen didn't need to cook much food, and the chefs took turns on leave. When Uncle Wang had free time, he would come to Molly's place to teach Mo An and Lu Lu how to cook, which made Molly's life quite easy. She didn't have to do anything every day and just waited for food.
The floodwaters rose for four days, reaching the camp gate. On the fifth day, the water level began to recede, and by the seventh day, Molly's vegetable garden was exposed.
Most of the vegetables were rotten, their leaves and stems stained with yellow mud, looking filthy. The peanuts, on the other hand, were alright; although they were dirty, they were still neatly arranged, and almost none of them were dead.
Molly breathed a sigh of relief; her efforts hadn't been in vain.
After the rain stopped and the sun came out, Molly began hoeing the yard. She planned to plant some potatoes and sweet potatoes there. While the seedlings were still small and there was plenty of empty space, she could plant potatoes and sweet potatoes and harvest them in winter.
While Molly was busy, Mo An, Lu Lu, and Yu San San all came to help.
"I really miss the sweet potatoes you grew, sister." Mo An was working with great enthusiasm.
"Is it delicious?" Lu Lu asked with some regret, as he had never tried it before.
"Sweeter than sugar, tastier than sugar," Mo An said nostalgically.
Lu Lu wanted to eat even more and couldn't help but swallow.
Yu San San worked silently, refusing to believe that sweet potatoes could be sweeter than sugar.
Mo An: "By the way, sister, I just ran into Zhu Lezhi's mother. She said that everyone is raising money to rebuild the school. In addition to the government's funding, the parents have also organized a donation drive. Donations are voluntary; you can donate or not."
Yu San San pursed her lips. "My mom said she won't donate."
Seeing Yu San San lower her head, Molly patted her and said, "Since it's voluntary, you can't say your mother is wrong for not donating. You're still a child, so you don't need to feel ashamed for the adults."
Yu San San gave a soft "hmm," and said, "My mom said we don't have any money at home. I don't understand, are we really that poor?"
Why is it that among the children of the same military region, she was the only one who wore the worst clothes and ate the worst food since childhood? Was her family really so poor that they couldn't afford to raise her?
“I heard from your uncle that your father also has to support the people back home, and half of his salary has to be sent back to his hometown.” Many people in the military region are like this; it’s not one person supporting one family, but one person supporting several families.
Yu San San fell silent. "But my younger brother eats very well and dresses very well. I guess it's because my mother doesn't love me."
“That’s alright. Look at your little brother An, he’s living a good life now,” Molly said with a smile.
Mo An also laughed, "I almost died of illness in bed back then. It was my sister who took me to see a doctor and took me with her. My sister saved my life and gave me a new life."
“My aunt saved me too,” Yu San San said with a smile.
Molly didn't know how much to donate, so she went to Zhu Lezhi's mother.
"The smallest donation was 50 cents, while the largest number of people donated one dollar," said Sister-in-law Zhu.
Molly squeezed the money in her pocket; she had brought out a hundred dollars.
"How much will you donate, sister-in-law?" she asked.
“I’ll donate five yuan,” said Sister-in-law Zhu.
Molly immediately said, "Then I'll donate five dollars too. Is this money for you, sister-in-law?"
"Give it to me, or to a teacher at the school. I'll make a record for you, and you can sign it. Once the school is built, this list will be posted on the school's bulletin board." Sister Zhu took out a piece of paper and a pen. There were already more than a dozen names on the paper. The largest donation amount was ten yuan, but only one person donated ten yuan. Most of the others donated one or two yuan, and there were a few who donated five yuan.
"Should I write your name or your spouse's name?" Sister-in-law Zhu asked.
“I’ll write my own.” Molly didn’t think Ji Hefeng would care about that.
Sister-in-law Zhu was somewhat surprised, as many people write their own husbands' names on the papers.
Molly didn't explain. She wrote down her name, paid the money, said goodbye to Sister-in-law Zhu, and went home.
Eight days after Ji Hefeng left, Molly heard that the river embankment had collapsed and many people had been swept away.
The military dependents stood by the phone, their faces grave, fearing they might hear some bad news.
Molly had faith in Ji Hefeng; with his strength, even if he were swept away, he should be able to save himself. But what if—
That day, when she was trapped in the flood, she was helpless. If Ji Hefeng were swept away by the flood while exhausted, could he save himself?
Molly was still worried, so she stayed by the phone with a group of military dependents all day long, only returning home after dark.
At home, Mo An and Lu Lu had prepared dinner, but Molly had no appetite and could only eat a few bites before she couldn't eat anymore.
"Sister, the soil over by the vegetable garden is a bit dry. Shall we go and turn it over tomorrow and replant the vegetables?" Mo An asked.
Molly also thought it was time to plant vegetables. "Okay," she said.
The next morning, after breakfast, Mo An took Molly to the vegetable garden to hoe the ground and plant vegetables.
Mo An thought that if he didn't go to guard the phone, his sister's spirits would be better. But when he arrived at the vegetable garden, his sister was still absent-minded, with empty eyes, mechanically hoeing the ground.
"Sister, brother-in-law will be alright," Mo An said helplessly.
Molly hummed in agreement, "I know."
But she still didn't feel good.
"Mom, we've finished eating the fish at home, let's go fishing." Lu Lu also tried to distract Molly.
“But the fishing rod is at home.” Molly wasn’t interested.
“I’ll go back and get it,” Lu Lu said.
“We haven’t dug up earthworms yet,” Molly added.
"I'll go dig." Lu Lu didn't give her a chance to refuse and ran off happily.
While Molly and Mo An were planting vegetables, Lu Lu went to dig up earthworms. After they finished planting, Lu Lu also dug up the earthworms.
So the three of them carried buckets and fishing rods to the riverbank.
Just a few days after the floodwaters receded, Molly guessed that the fish shouldn't be biting the hook at this time. But as soon as she cast her line, the float suddenly sank, and a huge pulling force came from the fishing rod.
Molly instantly perked up—a big fish!
She gripped the fishing rod with both hands, afraid to use too much force, lest the rod or line break.
"Sister, has the fish taken the bait?" Mo An asked nervously.
“Uncle, there’s a big fish in this situation.” Lu Lu’s eyes lit up.
Ten minutes later, Molly pulled a grass carp weighing about twenty-five or twenty-six pounds to the shore.
"It really is a big fish!" Lu Lu's mouth dropped open, he was overjoyed. "Mom, if you catch another one this big, we'll give one to Master."
Molly, who had intended to head home, was speechless.
Half an hour later, both buckets were filled with fish.
Lu Lu was finally satisfied. "Let's head back home."
Mo An tried to lift the two buckets of fish, almost losing her balance. "Sister, is fishing that easy?"
Molly didn't know.
Mo An was puzzled. "Fishing is so easy, don't people like to eat fish? Why don't they come fishing?"
Molly gave him a suggestion, "If you're curious, you can ask."
Molly and her two companions took the fish home, putting the lively ones in the water tank and the few that were half-dead in a basin. As for the one that weighed twenty-five or twenty-six pounds, Mo An said, "I'll go and invite my master over so he can teach us how to cook fish."
Molly had no objection. "Okay."
"Then I'll go tell San San to come to our house for dinner tonight." Lu Lu said, about to run to the next room, when suddenly a shrill cry rang out, startling him. He froze on the spot, not moving.
The voice came from next door; it was Yu San San's mother's voice.
"Mom, did something happen to San San's family?"
Molly stood up. "Let's go take a look."
A large crowd had gathered in front of Yu San San's house. As soon as Molly stepped outside, she heard someone say, "Yu Jin An has sacrificed himself."
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