Chapter 71 Promise Him
"Sister, is brother-in-law coming back for dinner tonight?" Mo An moved a stool and sat down in the corridor, looking towards the courtyard gate.
Molly was also standing in the hallway. "I don't know either."
The food was ready, and the bowls and chopsticks were set out. Knowing that Ji Hefeng would be gone for several months tomorrow, she specially cooked several dishes tonight: boiled fish, dry pot mutton, scrambled eggs with chives, spicy pork belly stir-fried with cabbage and wood ear mushrooms, and mushroom soup, as a farewell gift for him. But now, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Mom, I'm hungry." Lu Lu rubbed his little belly.
Molly glanced at the sky. "Let's eat first, we can't wait any longer."
She had just finished speaking when the courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside, and Ji Hefeng walked in.
As Ji Hefeng walked towards the light, a bluish-purple face became increasingly clear.
"Brother-in-law, what's wrong?" Mo An was startled.
Lu Lu's eyes widened. "Fight!"
Molly was also surprised, "You lost?"
Who is so powerful that they actually defeated Ji Hefeng!
"I didn't lose." Ji Hefeng smirked. "They used a tag-team approach, and I played against them all afternoon. In the end, I won. Don't worry, they can't beat me, so they won't come after you."
Molly: "...How many people are fighting you?"
Ji Hefeng roughly calculated, "Several hundred."
Those people wanted to wear him down, only giving him two breaks in between, each lasting only a few minutes. They thought they could get away with it, but he wouldn't let them succeed, and gave them all a sound beating.
Seeing the sumptuous meal on the table, Ji Hefeng immediately felt that all the suffering he had endured today was worth it.
Ji Hefeng ate five bowls of rice and most of the dishes for dinner, which surprised Mo An and Lu Lu.
"The food is delicious, and your cooking skills are getting better and better." Ji Hefeng stood up to clear the table.
Mo An stopped him, saying, "Brother-in-law, you're injured, don't move. Xiao Lu and I will wash the dishes."
Mo An and Lu Lu quickly collected the dishes and took them to the kitchen to wash.
Molly also got up. "I'm going to take a shower."
Ji Hefeng watched her retreating figure until she went to the bathroom before slowly getting up and returning to his room to pack his clothes. He had heard from his married comrades that their wives would pack their luggage when they went out; he wondered if he would ever enjoy that privilege again.
This operation is fraught with danger and uncertainty; whether everyone can return unscathed is anyone's guess. Ji Hefeng knows he shouldn't have too high hopes, but he can't control his heart; he desperately wants to take Molly with him.
When Molly entered the room, she saw Ji Hefeng sitting there in a daze.
"Sorry, I was too tired and couldn't help sitting on the bed." Ji Hefeng got up and patted the spot where he had been sitting. He was covered in dust and hadn't changed his clothes before sitting on the bed; he wondered if Molly would be angry.
Molly shook her head. "It's okay. It's getting warmer, and I'm planning to wash the sheets and duvet covers tomorrow and put the comforter away."
It's already hot during the day, but it's getting a bit cool at night.
"It hasn't rained for over two months, and everyone is worried about a drought." Molly has experienced drought before and doesn't want to go through it again.
Ji Hefeng wasn't sure either. "From now on, all my allowances will be left to you. If you're worried, you can store some food."
Molly was taken aback. "That's not what I meant."
“It’s what I wanted to give you.” Ji Hefeng looked into Molly’s eyes. “In the past two years, people have been exonerated and returned to their original positions. I’ve also used my connections. Although I don’t know how long it will take, I believe my family will go back as well.”
Molly was taken aback again, then overjoyed. "If we could go back, that would be wonderful."
Ji Hefeng smiled and said, "Yes, that would be perfect."
Everything returned to its original course, and his life should get back on track. Then, he can talk to her about feelings again.
That night, Molly had a rare dream. She dreamt that Ji Hefeng, covered in blood and grime, was smiling at her amidst the continuous gunfire.
When Molly was awakened, she saw Ji Hefeng getting dressed, his back to her, his clothes half-pulled up, revealing his slender waist.
"Sorry to wake you up," Ji Hefeng said, turning around.
Molly didn't speak. The man in front of her, dressed in uniform, had long limbs, an upright posture, deep and sharp features, and an outstanding temperament... Ji Hefeng seemed to be getting more and more handsome.
"It's still early, you should sleep a little longer," Ji Hefeng advised.
Molly remained silent. In the darkness, she brazenly scrutinized Ji Hefeng. Would this Ji Hefeng really become the tragic figure from her dreams? Would he die?
The thought of this possibility caused a slight pang in her heart.
“Molly, if I come back alive this time,” Ji Hefeng paused, as if gathering his strength, and then relaxed his clenched fist, “let’s be a real couple.”
Molly blinked, somewhat surprised, but not entirely. She had vaguely sensed Ji Hefeng's change, but she deliberately ignored it.
Ji Hefeng was so nervous that he forgot to breathe. After a long silence, he grabbed his bag and strode toward the door, his back view showing a hurried and disheveled retreat.
For some reason, Molly's heart suddenly softened, and she said, "Okay."
Ji Hefeng paused, then continued striding out. He dared not look back, afraid that if he did, he would never be able to leave. He dreamed of staying by her side forever.
He will come back in three months, or at most four months, to her side.
He will definitely come back.
On the day Ji Hefeng left, someone delivered a large wooden barrel. Molly looked bewildered until the deliveryman said that Ji Hefeng had ordered it from him and that the deposit had already been paid.
Molly quietly paid the remaining balance and carried the large wooden barrel into her home by herself.
“Last month, my brother-in-law was talking about ordering a large wooden tub for you to take a bath, and now it’s finally been delivered,” Mo An said with a smile.
Molly was surprised. Was this something Ji Hefeng had made for her?
Molly immediately thought the wooden tub would be perfect for keeping fish. However, since it was for bathing, she would have to choose a different fish tank – a large earthenware jar that could store water.
The wooden bucket was delivered in the morning, and the shoes made of wolf and deer skins were delivered in the afternoon.
There are eight pairs in total. Mo An and Lu Lu each have two pairs, and Molly has four pairs.
"These two pairs have rabbit fur sewn inside, so they'll be warm in winter. These two pairs don't have rabbit fur sewn inside, so they can be worn all year round. Please try them on and see if they fit." The middle-aged woman had a kind face and a gentle smile.
Molly took off her shoes in front of her, revealing her fair and delicate feet, with round and cute toes and neatly trimmed toenails.
These are very beautiful feet.
The middle-aged woman nodded inwardly. Her young master, a man of such high status and wealth, deserved a girl as beautiful as a fairy.
"Your shoes are excellent. They fit perfectly, the soles are soft, and they're very comfortable to walk in," Molly praised. She said the aunt's shoemaking skills were superb, and these were the most comfortable shoes she had ever worn.
"I'm glad you like it." The woman smiled, her eyes crinkling. "I'm quite good at making clothes. If you trust me, you can have me make your clothes."
Molly nodded. "Thank you in advance. But I'm currently out of fabric. How can I contact you when I need it?"
The woman laughed even harder, "Go to the cafeteria and find Old Wang, I'm his wife."
Molly: "...You mean Uncle Wang?"
"Yes, that's him. You can just call me Aunt Wang." Aunt Wang wanted to pat Molly's head; the child looked so silly and cute in surprise.
Molly then called out "Aunt Wang," and added, "The labor and material costs for these shoes—"
Besides deerskin and wolfskin, many other materials can be used to supplement the shoes.
"No need," Aunt Wang repeatedly refused. "Consider it a small gift from me to you."
Molly wanted to ask what kind of relationship required a gift, but Aunt Wang didn't give her the chance and left before Molly could speak.
Uncle Wang has three bungalows in town, but he usually lives in the barracks dormitory. As the head chef of the canteen, he was assigned a two-person dormitory room and lived with another chef.
When Aunt Wang arrived at the dormitory, Uncle Wang was the only one there.
"Did you see him?" Uncle Wang asked.
"I've seen her. I've met countless people and seen many beauties, but this young lady is truly unique in her beauty," Aunt Wang exclaimed. "When I first learned that the young master had married a girl from the countryside, I was so disappointed that I couldn't sleep for several nights. I thought to myself, how much suffering and hardship must the young master, a man from the clouds, have endured to give up himself and marry an illiterate village woman? But seeing her today, I realize how narrow-minded and short-sighted I was. Although we haven't known each other for long, I can see that the young lady is pure and kind, gentle, calm, and capable of handling anything."
Uncle Wang raised an eyebrow. "Given such high praise after only meeting you once?"
"Some people just have that ability to make you like them at first sight," Aunt Wang said, giving Uncle Wang a reproachful look. "If you, old man, didn't like this young lady, would you have cooked so carefully for her?"
Uncle Wang's face flushed. "Don't talk nonsense."
Aunt Wang snorted, "Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you know in your heart."
It didn't rain until the end of April, and not only Molly, but also the military wives in the camp began to worry. The drought two years ago hadn't affected this area, but that didn't mean they didn't know how terrible a drought could be.
People who originally didn't plan to grow vegetables or grains started watering the land and clearing wasteland, thinking they could grow some food while there was still water in the river.
Molly waters the vegetable garden every day. Whenever they see her, the military wives can't help but praise how well Molly's vegetables, peanuts, and beans grow, and they all ask her for advice.
Molly, however, was less experienced in this area than they were and couldn't explain it clearly. Before long, the military wives also noticed that Molly did nothing but water the vegetable garden and crops every day. She didn't catch bugs, didn't fertilize, and had an incredibly laid-back attitude.
The military wives said privately, "It must be because the land is good, otherwise such good vegetables and crops could not grow."
What the military wives didn't know was that Molly's corn was the best growing, already as tall as the wall, with small ears of corn, and almost every stalk had two ears of corn attached.
Fortunately, there was a wall, so people couldn't see what was happening inside; otherwise, they would have been quite alarmed.
That day, when Lu Lu came home from school, he said to Molly as soon as he entered the door, "Mom, our homeroom teacher said she wants to come for a home visit."
Molly was taken aback. "Why the sudden home visit?"
Lu Lu shook his head. "I don't know."
Molly: "Are the home visits for all the children in the class?"
Lu Lu thought about it carefully, "It doesn't seem so. My homeroom teacher said I have good handwriting and wants me to participate in a calligraphy competition. My homeroom teacher wants to talk to you about it."
Molly thought for a moment, "How about this, you go ask your homeroom teacher tomorrow if you can change the location of the conversation to the school, and I'll go to the school to talk to your homeroom teacher, okay?"
Lu Lu: "Then I'll ask the teacher tomorrow."
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