Chapter 44: Couple Mushroom Meat Sauce
They had met before? When did she have no recollection of it?
The man clearly noticed Ye Tan's confusion and said with a smile, "About four or five days ago, in the shoe section of the department store."
"The department store four or five days ago..."
Ye Tan thought about it and realized that he and Gu Zhao had met when they were buying shoes to buy the engagement gift.
A picture appeared in Ye Tan’s eyes—a mama’s boy.
"Oh, I remember now. You were the girl back then."
She took a serious look at the man who came with her. He didn't look like the mama's boy she used to be.
Changed partner?
It's not easy to ask directly about this kind of thing. We're not that familiar with each other, and...
She looked at the man who was busy putting the luggage away. It would be a sin if she caused any emotional impact on others, so Ye Tan didn't say anything, but just looked around with curiosity.
The other party seemed to see Ye Tan's confusion and explained without hesitation: "I broke up with that person and am now married. This is my husband."
Ye Tan was really surprised this time. She thought that the speed from dating to marriage was fast enough, but she didn't expect that there was someone even faster, getting married in just four or five days.
The other person extended her hand. "Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Zhao Xiaoya, and this is my husband, Chen Xudong."
Ye Tan immediately extended her hand as well, "My name is Ye Tan, and the one above is my husband, Gu Zhao."
After the introduction, Ye Tan smiled and said, "Nice to meet you."
Zhao Xiaoya: "Me too, nice to meet you."
"We are going to Lian Province. Where are you going?"
Ye Tan: "What a coincidence, us too."
The two girls were stunned after they finished speaking, and the two men who were packing their luggage and making their beds also paused. This was indeed a coincidence.
Gu Zhao spread out the blanket and came down, saying to Ye Tan, "Call me if you need anything in the future. Don't climb up and down by yourself. It's not safe."
Ye Tan nodded obediently: "Got it."
Zhao Xiaoya looked at the two of them getting along with envy in her eyes, "You two have such a good relationship."
Ye Tan glanced at Chen Xudong. The man had been busy without saying a word since he came in. He looked a bit depressed.
Considering that the two of them had only been together for five days from the time they met to the time they got married, they probably didn't know each other very well. It can be seen from the fact that they didn't make eye contact in this short period of time that the two of them were still a little unfamiliar, looking more like strangers than a couple.
Ye Tan suspected that their so-called marriage meant getting a marriage certificate, otherwise they wouldn't be so unfamiliar with each other. He winked at Zhao Xiaoya and whispered, "Don't worry about being a couple. It will be fine after sleeping in the same bed for a while."
When Ye Tan said this, Zhao Xiaoya didn't know what she was thinking about. Her face suddenly turned red. She lowered her head and touched her hair and the bed sheet. She looked very busy and changed the subject: "Well, we are really destined to be together. We are going to the same destination."
Ye Tan was certain that the relationship between these two people was probably only at the level of a marriage certificate, and they had not yet had any in-depth communication.
She said that a man who has had sex would never be so honest. Even if he doesn't do it, he should at least use his eyes. How could he treat his wife like air?
However, the two had just met, and Zhao Xiaoya seemed reluctant to talk, so Ye Tan took the opportunity to change the subject: "Yes, I'm going to Lian Province to join the army. Are you visiting relatives?"
Going with the army meant that Ye Tan's husband was also a soldier. Zhao Xiaoya was very surprised. "Great! I'm going with the army too. My husband has been assigned to garrison on that island. What about you?"
She glanced at Gu Zhao expectantly and asked, "Are we going to the island too?"
Ye Tan did not let her down and nodded vigorously: "This is really fate. I didn't expect that we would take the same train, book the same compartment, and finally go to the same place to join the army. It's great." It is much better to have a friend to accompany you in a strange place.
The two girls were chatting happily, and the two men learned from their conversation that they had the same profession. Plus, they might even work on the same island in the future, so they would see each other every day, so they still needed to get to know each other.
Gu Zhao was more outgoing and took the initiative to extend his hand. "Hello, Comrade Chen. I hope we can have a pleasant journey together."
Chen Xudong also extended his hand. "Hello, Comrade Gu." After shaking hands with Gu Zhao, Chen Xudong paused and said, "Captain Gu Zhao of the First Coastal Defense Regiment. I've long heard of your great name."
Gu Zhao was not surprised at all. Since he was going to be transferred to the island, it was not surprising that the other party would know the personnel system distribution on the island in advance.
Gu Zhao said politely, "Captain Chen of the 119th Division Special Forces, I have heard of him for a long time."
The two knew each other beforehand and had a superficial understanding of each other. Now they had a good impression of each other. Although the following conversation was not as lively as that between Ye Tan and Zhao Xiaoya, they got along harmoniously.
Until the train started, Ye Tan was a little uncomfortable with the shaking feeling of the green train at that time, and the stuffy air made him feel a little dizzy.
Seeing that she was feeling unwell, everyone stopped talking. Gu Zhao asked Ye Tan to lie down and close her eyes to rest. Ye Tan smiled apologetically to Zhao Xiaoya embarrassedly.
Zhao Xiaoya waved her hand nonchalantly, "Is this your first time riding a train? Are you not used to it?"
Ye Tan closed his eyes slightly, frowning uncomfortably, "It's indeed the first time, and it's a little different from being on the ground."
Zhao Xiaoya looked like an experienced person, and it seemed like this wasn't her first time riding a train. "That's okay, just take a rest and you'll be fine once you get used to the feeling of being on the train."
Ye Tan: "Then I'll lie down for a while, you guys can do whatever you want, don't worry about me."
Gu Zhao looked at Ye Tan worriedly. Over there, Zhao Xiaoya and Chen Xudong whispered to each other for a few words. Chen Xudong went out with the kettle, and Zhao Xiaoya also took out a book and sat on the bed to read it.
Gu Zhao covered Ye Tan with a thin blanket and watched her sleep.
Zhao Xiaoya saw Gu Zhao staring at her from the opposite side. She glanced at the door, sighed inwardly, then lowered her head and read the book in her hand more seriously.
The train was shaking and not running smoothly. Ye Tan was half asleep and half awake. When he opened his eyes, he smelled the fragrance of food at the tip of his nose.
I looked around and Gu Zhao was not there.
Ye Tan sat up and saw Zhao Xiaoya eating a bun. After noticing the movement across from him, he raised his head and said with an apologetic smile, "Did I wake you up?"
Ye Tan shook his head to indicate no: "Where's Gu Zhao?"
Zhao Xiaoya: "Oh, a food truck just came, and they went to see if there was anything to eat. Are you hungry? I have some buns here, you can eat some first." Zhao Xiaoya handed over a bun. The bun was not big, and it looked like she had made it herself.
Food is precious now, so Ye Tan naturally won't eat it. He waved his hand to indicate that he was not very hungry as he had just woken up.
Zhao Xiaoya didn't force him and continued eating, occasionally chatting with Ye Tan.
Ye Tan felt a little uncomfortable, especially when the air was filled with the smell of meat buns. She felt a little uncomfortable in her stomach, so she picked up the kettle on the small table and took a few sips of water to calm her stomach.
Zhao Xiaoya also knew that the meat buns had a strong smell, so she ate them very quickly. After she finished eating and cleaned up, a breeze blew in through the cracked window, and the smell in the box became much lighter. Ye Tan felt that his breathing became smoother, and he had time to look at the scenery outside.
"Where are we?"
"Oh, it's Su City. There are many stops along this stretch of road." Zhao Xiaoya said.
Su City, the neighboring city of their city. Through this, Ye Tan had a certain understanding of the speed of the green-skinned trains of this era. It started at 10 o'clock and now it is lunch time, and it has only reached the neighboring city. No wonder it takes three days and two nights to reach the coastal area.
The journey ahead was going to be tough, so she had to find something to do.
Ye Tan lowered his head and dragged out his canvas bag from under the bed, took out an A4-sized notebook sewn together with thick cotton thread, and a pencil.
When the notebook is opened, it is filled with some clothing design drawings that Ye Tan drew when he was free, both for men and women. Some are inspired by free expression, and some are designed according to the characteristics of the current era, and can be made into finished products and worn.
Ye Tan flipped through his design drafts, looking at them one by one, but he was calculating in his mind whether the sewing machine had started to be mailed, where it was, and whether it would arrive when they arrived.
Yes, Lin Qiuyun didn't have time to use the sewing machine, and she didn't want to leave it at home for others to borrow. After everyone discussed it, they took it directly to the post office and mailed it to the island. Although the postage was as painful as an ordinary worker's monthly salary, it was still acceptable compared to the price of buying another one later.
Ye Tan thought about it and turned to one of the pages. This page showed a simple and elegant shirt, and underneath it were slim straight-leg pants that were different from the current ones. It gave the illusion of shortening the hips, raising the waistline, and making the body proportions better. Because the paint was difficult to find, it was not colored.
Zhao Xiaoya saw it from the small table opposite and couldn't help but tilt her head to take another look. "Is this a design draft?"
Ye Tan noticed Zhao Xiaoya's gaze and didn't mind it. He showed her the picture and asked for her opinion: "What color do you think this dress can best highlight its elegance and grace, and also bring out a little grace."
Zhao Xiaoya felt overwhelmed just thinking about these two requirements: it had to be both dignified and graceful. She shook her head and said, "I can't do that. I can just put out a few clothes and let me pick the best one, but I really can't refer to anything about design."
Ye Tan took the notebook back and said, "Originally, I wanted to make it lake blue. It would have a more majestic look, but the tone would be too cold and lose the graceful softness."
"Light blue," Zhao Xiaoya looked at the style and thought it wasn't for her. If it was worn by someone older, then light blue would be quite suitable. "I think light blue is nice. If you feel it's too cold, you can choose a lighter color."
Ye Tan's eyes lit up, "You also think it would be better if it's lighter.
Zhao Xiaoya nodded. "I personally think it's pretty good. Or like the dress you're wearing, it's quite plain overall, but with the light pink on the cuffs and neckline, it looks much brighter."
Ye Tan touched the collar of her skirt. Because she had to take a train today, she was afraid that wearing a skirt would be inconvenient, so she wore pants. However, her top was not a lapel shirt that could be seen everywhere on the street, but a round collar one with a pink bow in the middle of the collar, three buttons of the same color sewn on the chest, and a small puff sleeve design on the cuffs, with a thin pink edge along the cuffs.
This dress was not bought, but Ye Tan took the fabric to a tailor to make it specifically for her. She was very satisfied with it and it looked good with either a skirt or pants.
After listening to Zhao Xiaoya's suggestion, Ye Tan touched the clothes and fell into deep thought. It might be feasible to add some other elements to neutralize the overall color tone.
While Ye Tan was thinking, the door of the box opened from the outside and the man who went out to buy food came back.
Gu Zhao bought hot milk, a portion of rice and some steaming buns.
He came in and gave Ye Tan some hot milk to drink first, then opened the buns in the oil paper package and asked her whether she wanted to eat vegetarian or meat.
Ye Tan stopped to think and put away his paper and pen: "What kind of fillings are they?"
Gu Zhao: "The two here are pork with mushrooms, and the one over here is pickled mustard greens and soybeans."
Ye Tan chose pickled mustard greens and soybeans, which tasted more refreshing and the buns tasted pretty good.
Gu Zhao opened the lunch box while eating steamed buns. The rice inside was not steamed well. It looked too watery and a bit sticky. The stir-fried pork with green peppers only had a few specks of pork and green peppers. The other dish, stir-fried cabbage with spicy sauce, looked burnt because it was cooked too hot.
Ye Tan took a look and completely lost his appetite.
After she finished eating a vegetarian bun, she took out the boiled eggs that Lin Qiuyun had prepared for them early in the morning, as well as the salted duck eggs pickled exclusively by Ms. Xu Huiling, from her bag. She peeled them all, ate one egg herself, and put the salted duck eggs in Gu Zhao's lunch box for him to eat with his meal.
Finally, he took two and gave them to Zhao Xiaoya and Chen Xudong across from him. "These are salted duck eggs that my mother pickled herself. They go really well with rice. Please try them."
Zhao Xiaoya was eating the steamed buns and stir-fried vegetables that Chen Xudong brought back. When she saw the two salted duck eggs that Ye Tan handed over, she was stunned for a moment and immediately said, "How can this be so embarrassing..."
Ye Tan: "Don't be polite. We will all live in the same family compound from now on. It's not normal for us to interact with each other."
Zhao Xiaoya thought so too and didn't hesitate to take the salted duck egg. She first gave one to Chen Xudong, then took out a glass jar from the buns and opened it. Immediately, a strong fragrance entered her nose.
This smell is different from the meat buns that you will feel sick of if you smell them too much. Instead, it is a kind of tempting fragrance. Ye Tan couldn't help but take a few deep breaths and drool.
This fragrance is too overbearing.
Chen Xudong, who was eating seriously, also stopped eating and turned to look, obviously he was also tempted.
Zhao Xiaoya took out a clean spoon and said, "This is the mushroom and meat sauce I made myself. I learned it from my grandma. Her sauce is really delicious. I only learned 70% to 80% of the essence, so it's not as good as hers. You can just try it."
Since they had agreed to reciprocate, Ye Tan didn't hesitate and asked her to scoop a spoonful and put it into Gu Zhao's lunch box, and they ate together.
Ye Tan took a peeled egg and dipped it in a little mushroom meat sauce. His eyes lit up after taking a bite. "Wow, it smells so good. It tastes amazing. Xiaoya, believe me, if I have the chance in the future, I will definitely promote your sauce-making skills and benefit the general public."
Ye Tan's words were exaggerated. Zhao Xiaoya smiled happily and felt a sense of accomplishment. She couldn't help but scoop another big spoonful for Ye Tan. "If it tastes good, eat more. I have enough for you."
Zhao Xiaoya scooped a spoonful for herself and put the jar directly on the table for everyone to eat.
Gu Zhao was eating the same portion of mushroom and meat sauce as his wife, and glanced at Chen Xudong opposite him, who was eating slower and slower.
He tilted his head quietly and whispered to Ye Tan: "Look over there."
Ye Tan looked over and saw the lonely man sitting at the other end of the bed, holding a steamed bun in his hand. He was the only one who didn't have the mushroom and meat sauce to eat.
Ah, this...
Did Zhao Xiaoya forget that she had a husband present?
The gazes of the two people opposite were so obvious that Zhao Xiaoya had no choice but to notice them. She turned her head out of curiosity and saw Chen Xudong slightly stunned.
Oh, she's married.
Zhao Xiaoya finally remembered that she had a husband, and took out the mushroom and meat sauce and quickly scooped two large spoonfuls for Chen Xudong.
We spent the afternoon happily exchanging food with each other, and took a nap in the afternoon.
Ye Tan had taken a nap in the morning and was not sleepy at the moment: "Are you sleepy? Do you want to take a nap?"
Gu Zhao didn't have the habit of taking naps before. He only started taking naps with Ye Tan these two days after getting married. Ye Tan wasn't sleepy at the moment, and neither did he. "I'm not sleepy either."
Ye Tan said "Oh", glanced at the upper bunk, and whispered to Gu Zhao: "I want to go to the bathroom."
Gu Zhao immediately got up from the bed and said, "Let's go, I'll go with you."
With Chen Xudong in the box, the two of them were not worried about their luggage being stolen. They opened the door of the box and went out. There were some people sitting in the aisle outside. None of them had seat tickets, so if they wanted to sit down and rest, they could only find space everywhere. The box car was a good place to go.
Gu Zhao took Ye Tan to avoid those people sitting anywhere, asking them to make way all the way, and finally arrived at the bathroom at the other end with difficulty.
Ye Tan stood at the bathroom door and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Gu Zhao was there, otherwise it would be difficult for her to get in alone.
There is no distinction between men and women in the toilets on the train, and everyone shares the same space. There was a queue in front of them, and an old man holding his stomach kept banging on the door anxiously, shouting that the person inside must have eaten something heavy, as it was so difficult to defecate.
A few minutes later, the door opened from the inside, and a young girl with a red face walked out. The old man immediately slipped in through the crack of the door, and then a strong complaint came from inside: "Oh my god, this stinks too much."
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