Chapter 6: This man looks tough and cold...
He seemed to remember what he had done with the towel just now. He paused before saying, "Aren't you going to sleep?"
Jiang Xueyi curled her lips: "You haven't told me where to sleep yet."
This was his oversight.
He Chengze led her into the bedroom and turned on the light: "You and I will sleep in the same room. You sleep on the bed and I will sleep on the floor."
Jiang Xueyi blinked: "What if you catch a cold?"
He Chengze pulled the corner of his mouth: "I have a good physique."
Jiang Xueyi sat on the bed, pressed it down, and patted the edge of the bed with her hand: "Come up, I dare not send active-duty soldiers to sleep on the floor." She smiled, "You still have to defend your country."
He Chengze was silent.
Jiang Xueyi: "We are already married. We can't sleep alone in bed and on the floor for the rest of our lives."
He Chengze: "I'll ask the carpenter to make an extra bed tomorrow."
"Of course you can." Jiang Xueyi looked around, "But I don't think your bedroom can accommodate two beds."
He Chengze: "..."
Jiang Xueyi lifted the quilt and got into bed: "Okay, stop being so hypocritical. You're a grown man, are you afraid that I'll take advantage of you?"
She closed her eyes.
After a while, the lights went out, and a figure quietly took off his clothes in the darkness and lay down beside her.
Jiang Xueyi raised the corners of her mouth and deliberately made a small snoring sound. Sure enough, she felt that the person next to her was no longer so tense, but gradually relaxed.
Noticing that the person next to her was already fast asleep, she gently touched her slightly bulging belly.
We finally have a home and a bed where we can sleep peacefully.
It was not the earthen kang of the Jiang family in Xiaohe Village, nor was it the simple camp bed of the end of the world, but a large bed that was soft, warm, and had a slight scent of soapberries.
Jiang Xueyi hugged the quilt tightly, her eyelids fluttering, and finally she couldn't resist the sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep.
A dreamless night.
Jiang Xueyi opened her eyes and stretched comfortably.
She hadn't slept so soundly for a long time. She didn't have to worry like the original owner, fearing that one day she would be sold by Jiang Aiguo in exchange for the dowry for Jiang Yaozu to marry a wife. She also didn't have to fall asleep like in the apocalypse, listening to the roars of zombies, closing her eyes, and not knowing whether dawn would come.
I slept so deeply that I didn't even know when He Chengze left.
After she finished washing up and put on her coat, she saw a note and some change left on the coffee table in the living room.
"There's a cafeteria in the military compound. You'll have to take care of your breakfast and lunch. We're out of food coupons at home, so go borrow some from Mrs. Liu in Room 207 next door."
He Chengze's handwriting is just like him. Each stroke is carved into the paper like a knife or an axe. The strokes are sharp enough to tear through the back of the paper. The last period, a round dot of ink, hits the paper like a fallen bullet shell.
Jiang Xueyi pinched a corner of the note and laughed out loud.
This man looks tough and cold on the outside, but he is actually quite considerate.
It's just a bit stingy.
I only gave her three dollars for breakfast. Fortunately, she doesn’t eat much, otherwise she would be afraid that it wouldn’t be enough.
Jiang Xueyi put the note away, put the change in her pocket, and changed into going-out clothes.
Then he knocked on the door of room 207 next door.
"Who is it?"
A crisp female voice came from inside the room, and the voice sounded like that of a capable person.
A tall woman with short hair and wearing a dark blue knee-length floral dress opened the door. She had a long face and looked like a beautiful girl next door.
Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "It must be Sister Liu."
Liu Lu nodded suspiciously: "Who are you?"
"My last name is Jiang, Jiang Xueyi. I'm the lover of Captain He, who lives next door to you in Room 208. I just moved in."
"Huh? When did Captain He get married?" Liu Lu looked up and down at Jiang Xueyi in surprise, her gaze lingering on her slightly bulging belly.
Do you have children?
Jiang Xueyi explained to Liu Lu what she had said to Driver Wang.
Liu Lu was so shocked that she was almost dazed. She didn't expect Captain He to be so efficient. They got married quietly and even had a child.
She murmured in a trance: "So, what do you want from me today?"
"It's like this." Jiang Xueyi smiled embarrassedly, "Old He went to the military camp, and I wanted to go to the canteen in the compound to have breakfast alone, but I didn't have any food coupons at home, so I came to borrow some from you, sister-in-law."
"Hey, I thought it was something, food coupons, right? I'll get them for you." Liu Lu turned and went back to the house. After a while, she came out with a handful of food coupons. "How many do you want?"
Jiang Xueyi pondered for a while: "Sister-in-law, you can give it to me as you see fit."
She had never used food coupons before, so she didn't know how much she should borrow.
Liu Lu glanced at her calmly and said, "Wait a minute."
After saying that, he turned and went into the house. After a while, he came out and changed his clothes. "I haven't had breakfast yet. I'll go with you."
"Okay, sister-in-law."
Jiang Xueyi couldn't help laughing. This Mrs. Liu was probably worried that she was just looking for an excuse to borrow food coupons when she said she wanted to have breakfast.
The two walked side by side, Liu Lu silently and secretly looked at Jiang Xueyi.
Her appearance was truly stunning. She had never seen such a beauty before. She looked like she had walked out of a movie poster. The only difference was that the clothes she wore were a bit outdated and too small for her, but her belly was slightly bulging.
When walking on the street, people turn their heads to look at me.
However, Jiang Xueyi turned a deaf ear to all these scrutinizing or amazed gazes, which made her even more eye-catching.
Along the way, Jiang Xueyi was not idle, but observed silently.
I found that although they were from the same era, the people in the military compound were obviously much better dressed and looked better than those outside.
Most of the pedestrians I saw on the road before had patches on their clothes, while in the compound, only about one out of five people had a patch on their clothes.
The colors of clothes are also more colorful. In addition to blue, green and gray, there are other colors, such as red, yellow...
Along the way, neither of them spoke. Liu Lu actually developed a slight liking for Jiang Xueyi. Although she was from the countryside, her manners were quite generous. She didn't ask questions or talk nonsense right away.
She hated gossipy and inquisitive women the most, just like the family of Captain Zeng who moved in not long ago. His wife, Hu Genhua, was also from the countryside. She was stingy and gossipy. As soon as she arrived, she wanted to find out everything about the family background of everyone around her. In the words of her husband, Lao Zhao, if even a mosquito flew over the compound, Hu Genhua would catch it to see whether it was male or female.
Jiang Xueyi didn't know what Liu Lu was secretly complaining about. She arrived at the cafeteria in the compound and found that there were not many people eating there. It was probably because she got up late today.
She observed silently for a while, then imitated the people who came to dine and went to the window to order: "Hello, I want a bowl of tofu pudding and a fried dough stick."
The person serving the food was a plump, smiling lady who was very kind. "Do you want sweet or salty tofu pudding?"
"Sweet."
"Okay, tofu pudding is ten cents a bowl, and fried dough sticks are three cents each."
Jiang Xueyi took out the change given by He Chengze from her pocket, hesitated for a while, and counted out ten cents and three cents and food coupons.
I didn't expect the prices to be so cheap now. It seems that the money He Chengze left for her can no longer be considered change. Converted into the money of later generations, it is at least equivalent to several hundred yuan.
Jiang Xueyi felt a little embarrassed when she thought about how she secretly criticized He Chengze for being "stingy" when she saw the change.
The fat aunt took the money and quickly produced a bowl of tofu pudding and a fried dough stick.
Jiang Xueyi took the plate, but didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, she waited for Liu Lu on the side.
Liu Lu ordered a bowl of wontons and a meat bun. When she was about to pay, Jiang Xueyi was one step ahead of her and paid first.
Liu Lu was stunned for a moment: "Sister-in-law Jiang?"
Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "You lent me your food coupons, which is a big favor to me. I should treat you to this meal."
Liu Lu's eyes flashed: "This... is so bad."
Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "As the saying goes, a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. I'll have to trouble Sister Liu to take care of me in the future."
The two of them sat down with their plates. Liu Lu said, "Well, don't call me Sister Liu anymore. We're about the same age. Just call me Liu Lu."
Jiang Xueyi readily agreed: "Liu Lu, then you can call me Xueyi."
After wasting some time, I felt really hungry.
She is not alone now, but a double body. If she doesn't eat, the baby in her belly will also protest.
The tofu pudding in the white porcelain bowl was piled up into a small hill, with a layer of warm brown sugar juice on the surface. With a gentle spoonful, the soft and tender tofu pudding coated with the red sugar juice slid down the edge of the spoon.
With just a sip, the tofu pudding melts in your mouth.
Tear the fried dough stick in half and take a bite. The crispy skin makes a crispy crackling sound between the teeth, and the aroma of hot oil suddenly rushes into the nose. The hollow inside is as soft as marshmallow. You can feel the slight sourness of the fermented flour and the aroma of oil fighting on the tip of the tongue. The more you chew, the more you can taste the rustic wheat aroma.
I have to say that the cooking skills of the chef in the army canteen are really amazing.
After a satisfying breakfast, Jiang Xueyi and Liu Lu slowly walked back to the section chief's building.
On the way, Liu Lu briefly introduced the area around the military compound to her: "After leaving the compound, to the east is the supply and marketing cooperative, and to the west is a vegetable market. We usually go there to buy vegetables. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are when the fishermen go out to sea. Go early on those days and you can buy cheap and fresh seafood..."
Jiang Xueyi listened and took notes silently. Fortunately, Liu Lu told her these things, otherwise it would take her a long time to figure them out by herself.
She sighed, "It's a good thing you told me, otherwise I would be completely lost if I wanted to buy something."
Liu Lu: "Well, I just came here a few days earlier than you, so I know more."
Jiang Xueyi said seriously, "If it were anyone else, they wouldn't tell me this." She looked around and lowered her voice, "If it were anyone else, they'd be hoping I didn't know there were cheap seafood on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, because they'd be afraid I'd snatch it from them."
These days, everything has to be supplied with tickets. If other families eat one more bite, your family will have to eat one less bite. If you want to buy something, you have to snatch it.
Liu Lu said proudly, "I'm not exaggerating, but I have a shortcoming: I'm too warm-hearted."
Jiang Xueyi followed up her words with a few compliments, then smiled and sent her away.
After returning home, Jiang Xueyi continued to pack her luggage.
Her luggage wasn't much, just two sets of clothes and some sundries.
Ever since her mother passed away and Huang Xiufen came into the family, she has never bought new clothes. She just picks up old clothes that Jiang Xueqin and Jiang Yaozu don't want, and wears them by mending them for another year.
So it was packed up quickly.
I went to the canteen in the compound for lunch at noon and took a short nap in the afternoon. At about six o'clock, I heard the sound of the door opening. It should be He Chengze who came back.
Jiang Xueyi quickly got up and walked to the living room, where she saw He Chengze carrying a vegetable basket that was still covered in water, with the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up high, revealing his firm, wheat-colored muscles.
She took the basket naturally and said, "I'm back."
He Chengze paused: "Yeah."
Jiang Xueyi lifted the cotton cloth covering the vegetable basket. "Lettuce, corn, zucchini... they're all quite fresh. Did you buy them at the market?"
He Chengze said as he changed his shoes, "Have you been to the vegetable market?"
"No," Jiang Xueyi said, "I heard it from Liu Lu. I went to the army cafeteria with her for breakfast this morning, and when we came back she introduced the area to me."
He Chengze looked at her in surprise. He had only asked her to borrow a food coupon from Liu Lu, but he hadn't expected her to have breakfast with someone else...
Moreover, Liu Lu looks straightforward on the outside, but is actually a bit narrow-minded. It is quite difficult to get along well with such a person.
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