His icy tone echoed in the small room, and the temperature seemed to drop suddenly. The two children shrank back, burrowed under the covers, and tucked the corners of the blankets under themselves.
Jiang Yu opened her mouth, wanting to explain that that wasn't what she meant. But worried that she would make things worse, she simply shut her mouth.
The candle was blown out, extinguishing the last glimmer of light in the room. The moon climbed high into the sky. The children were fast asleep, their breathing even and steady. A gust of cold wind blew by, and Jiang Yu couldn't help but sneeze.
She climbed out of bed, groped to put on her coat, and tiptoed to the outer room, afraid of waking the three of them.
The man's sudden return home disrupted her plans, and Jiang Yu had to find another time to reorganize. The most important factors in pickling vegetables are the ingredients and the timing; neither can be lacking. If she wanted to take them to sell before the workers left work at noon tomorrow, she had to get up now.
The outer room was pitch black. Jiang Yu fumbled for a candle in her pocket and gently lit it. The candlelight cast a dim glow in the room. She placed the candle on the stove, clearing a space for the vegetables.
Jiang Yu pushed open the door and walked towards the backyard.
Although the sound was very soft, it still attracted the attention of a perceptive soldier like Shen Ying. He slowly got up and pulled Shen Niannian's arm away from his head. Shen Niannian, still in bed, seemed to be having a delicious dream; she pursed her lips and turned over.
Afraid of disturbing his son, Shen Ying moved even more gently. He covered the child with a blanket and, by the candlelight, searched for Jiang Yu's figure.
He thought the woman had improved her cooking and childcare habits, but he never expected that she would reveal her true colors after just one dinner.
In this freezing weather, she must have gone out for that man. He couldn't think of a better reason.
After leaving the house, Jiang Yu went straight to the vegetable garden. Worried that she wasn't strong enough, she didn't forget to grab the shovel from behind the door. Fortunately, the moon was bright enough tonight, so she wouldn't be unable to see the path and slip and fall.
I don't know what method the man used to cultivate it, but these cabbages are growing so beautifully. I shoveled one down and weighed it in my hand; it weighed at least ten pounds.
After draining the water and pickling, six or seven pounds shouldn't be a problem. Considering there are about a hundred workers in the factory, plus the nearby factories, shoveling three or four to test the waters shouldn't be a problem.
Jiang Yu is 1.65 meters tall and weighs over 90 kilograms. In addition, the original owner of this body didn't exercise much, so it was particularly difficult for her to move things weighing 30 or 40 kilograms.
A gentle breeze blew by, and Jiang Yu pulled her coat tighter around herself. She found a vegetable basket and carefully placed the vegetables inside, one by one. It was time-consuming and laborious; one trip was enough. Asking her to go out again would be a waste of her courage.
He rubbed his hands vigorously, squatted down, and hoisted the basket onto his back. As he stood up, his back ached from the tightness of the basket. The rope on top of it had also snapped.
Jiang Yu stumbled, the snow beneath her feet hitting her eyes. Just as she was about to meet the ground head-on, a pair of large hands gently caught her.
As she gasped in surprise, she met the man's sharp gaze.
Shen Ying came out of the house and saw Jiang Yu had gone to the vegetable garden, assuming she was hiding something good. But what she saw was her squatting down, huffing and puffing as she dug up cabbages.
Despite not understanding it, I was still curious and came to find out.
"Thanks."
Jiang Yu hadn't expected the man to be following her. She assumed he'd heard the commotion while going to the outhouse and stopped by to check. Although she had a bad impression of the man misunderstanding her, she was still grateful to him for saving her from physical harm.
The man was somewhat at a loss for words at her polite thanks. This woman was always so impulsive and energetic; she wouldn't be grateful even if he gave her his life, let alone help her up.
My recent change of heart is so dramatic. Could it be that I've discovered a side of myself that's better than that man? Or do I just think that kind of bookish man is nothing in real life?
The two men were quite different in appearance, but they still had to maintain a facade of politeness. Shen Ying's throat bobbed slightly as he asked:
What are you doing digging up cabbages?
"Pickled vegetables".
Jiang Yu stood up, stamped the snow off her feet, and said leisurely. Even if she kept it a secret today, it would eventually come to light. Besides, she knew that if she didn't explain things clearly tonight, the man wouldn't believe her. If he started to suspect her later, it would be a loss for him.
Shen Ying released her hand, staring at her intently, his eyes full of questions. This woman never did housework. Even if she cooked a meal herself, as the two children said, it was impossible for her to stay up late at night to run to the vegetable garden and pick cabbages.
Besides, it's not like it's something urgent to eat. Why does it have to be finished tonight? It's freezing cold, what's the point?
After thinking for a long time, Shen Ying didn't ask anything. It was quite impolite of him to have such suspicions at the dinner table. He spoke very little, silently picking up the basket from the ground and carrying it back like a chick.
? ? ?
Jiang Yu was completely bewildered. How could he carry such a heavy basket without seeming to exert any effort at all? But then again, she wasn't going to be polite to a man just because he helped her. You see, in modern times, after being single for so many years, she even had to carry those large bottles of mineral water downstairs herself. Now that someone was finally helping her, she had to appreciate it!
The man was unaware of her thoughts, and even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered. As the pillar of the family and a good soldier, he would lend a helping hand to other women doing heavy work on the road if he encountered them, within his capabilities.
Shen Ying was tall and walked very fast. Jiang Yu had to hurry to catch up with him. She secretly glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and breathed a sigh of relief.
Back inside, the candle was already one-fifth burned. Jiang Yu thanked her softly and squatted down to prepare the vegetables.
I thought Shen Ying would go back to his room and continue sleeping, but to my surprise, he was still standing there, staring at Jiang Yu.
Watching her deftly peel away the dirty outer layer of vegetable leaves, as if she were a novice, and seeing that the inside was frozen, she didn't seem worried. Jiang Yu secretly tore at the leaves, her hands turning red from the cold.
Shen Ying's expression was solemn. The tall figure bent down and asked in a low voice:
"If we prepare so much food, it will spoil if we can't finish it."
Jiang Yu was used to being extravagant, and Shen Ying, worried that she might not know her limits when cooking, patiently reminded her. Although she couldn't understand why she wanted to do these things in the middle of the night, she still hoped to finish quickly. After all, no matter how much cold wind she could block out from the outside room, it couldn't compare to the warmth of being in bed.
"My two children are at the age where they are growing, so they can't eat this. I'm going to pickle these vegetables and sell them before the factory closes for lunch tomorrow."
Jiang Yu responded to him, looking up at the man. Her gaze was firm, and in the candlelight, she seemed like a different person.
Shen Ying closed his eyes and paused for a couple of seconds, looking at the woman in front of him. She had changed a lot, and he realized he shouldn't have doubted her. But...
“I’ve been sending you money every month. Thirty yuan is enough for you to spend as you please on food. Why do you suddenly want to make money? Or have you encountered some difficulties?”
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