Regimental Commander Shen’s wife watched her mother-in-law, who was too angry to eat, and felt a wave of satisfaction. Her fondness for Sheng Zexi and his wife soared.
Finally, someone had put that nasty old woman in her place.
Meanwhile, after his confrontation, Sheng Zexi returned to his small home.
As soon as he entered, his wife took the food from his hands and pulled him to sit down. She pushed a bowl of lamb soup toward him. “I bought this lamb soup at the market this morning. It’s delicious. I specially packed this portion for you. Try it.”
“Alright. What about you? Should we eat together?”
“No need, I’ve already had a bowl. I’m not hungry now. You eat.”
“Okay.”
The lamb soup had been kept warm on the stove since Gu Jianing brought it back, and it was still steaming hot.
As Sheng Zexi took his first sip, he felt warmth spread through his body.
He then picked up a piece of lamb with his chopsticks. It was tender, flavorful, and truly delicious.
As he ate, he listened to his wife chatter about her morning at the market.
“…Can you believe it? People outside are spreading rumors that I’m ugly, because I cover up so much.”
“Hmph, I, Gu Jianing, am a beauty. Today, I met two kids who called me a fairy sister. So, I didn’t cover my face with a scarf when I went out. Sure enough, everyone was stunned by my beauty.”
As Gu Jianing spoke, she tilted her chin up slightly, looking proud, like a haughty Persian cat. Sheng Zexi nodded repeatedly. “Of course, my wife is definitely beautiful.”
“That’s right. Oh, and I met Sister Yu today. She’s really nice and will come to help tomorrow.”
“I also bought some cordyceps. I didn’t expect the northwest to produce cordyceps. They’re great for nourishing the body. I bought quite a bit, planning to keep some for us, send some to my parents, and some to my grandparents…”
“Oh, and I bought a lot of herbs from the Qin siblings who were selling the cordyceps. They gave me a very reasonable price.”
“I noticed their family isn’t well-off, so I arranged a long-term partnership with them.”
“I’m planning to make some ointments for rheumatism and spinal issues, as well as stomach-protecting pills for gastric problems. I’ll pack some for you when you go on missions.”
“…”
Outside, the snowstorm continued to rage, but inside, the water on the stove boiled, sending up clouds of steam. Sheng Zexi ate the warm lamb soup while his wife sat cross-legged, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she chattered away. Sheng Zexi’s expression softened unconsciously. At this moment, he felt that life was peaceful and perfect. There was no moment more beautiful than this.
“Jianing, I’m here.”
The next day, after lunch, Gu Jianing took a nap. Just as she woke up, she heard Zhang Shuwang calling her from outside.
Gu Jianing hurried to open the door. “Sister Shuwang, you’re here so early.”
“I finished up at home and came over.”
“Thank you for being so thoughtful.”
“No trouble at all.”
Not long after Sister Shuwang arrived, Sister Yu also showed up.
The housewarming feast was scheduled for the evening. Sheng Zexi’s comrades and their families had estimated that they could set up two tables for adults and one for children.
Three tables of food were no small feat, so they needed to start preparing early.
Although Gu Jianing couldn’t cook, as the hostess, she couldn’t just stand by and watch. She was capable of helping with the preparations.
When it came to washing the vegetables, the water was freezing cold. Fortunately, Sheng Zexi had prepared a pair of gloves earlier, which helped block some of the cold.
“Sister, what dishes are you planning to make?” Sister Yu asked. Looking at the ingredients in the kitchen, there seemed to be a lot, including quite a bit of meat. Were all these going to be served at the feast?
Gu Jianing suddenly realized she hadn’t discussed the menu with Sister Yu earlier.
“Braised fish, chicken stew with vermicelli, pan-fried tofu, stir-fried greens, shredded potatoes with pork slices…”
Gu Jianing listed eight dishes.
Sister Yu gasped. Eight dishes, half of which were meat-based and the other half vegetarian.
This was too much…
“Isn’t that too many meat dishes? I think two meat dishes would be enough.”
“It’s fine. This was decided earlier, and I bought all the ingredients at the market yesterday.” Gu Jianing thought it was manageable.
“But with the snowstorm coming and supplies running short, I’m worried you might run out of food later.”
“I know about the snowstorm. Zexi told me earlier. Don’t worry, sisters, I’ve stocked up. I won’t go hungry. Remember, I bought a whole cartload of things yesterday. And there should still be one or two more markets before the snowstorm hits. I’ll go buy more then.”
Even if she couldn’t buy what she needed at the market, as long as she had points, she could purchase supplies from the system’s exchange store, where daily necessities were very cheap.
Seeing that Gu Jianing had it all planned out, Sister Yu stopped trying to persuade her and instead smiled. “Then the people coming to the housewarming feast today are in for a treat.”
“Yes, everyone will have a feast.” Zhang Shuwang agreed.
Today, the snow had stopped, and the temperature had dropped several degrees. Without the snow falling, the view outside was no longer a vast expanse of white.
After washing and chopping the ingredients, there was still some time before the feast. The three women sat on the heated kang in the living room and chatted.
When it was almost time, Sister Shuwang and Sister Yu took over the cooking in the kitchen, while Gu Jianing helped with the firewood and portioned out the rich, flavorful dishes.
As the dishes were nearly ready, Sheng Zexi arrived with his comrades, bringing borrowed tables and chairs.
At Sheng Zexi’s request, all his comrades had brought their spouses and children, a testament to their close relationships.
However, they were mindful and only brought one or two children each. Everyone who came also brought gifts.
Sheng Zexi helped his comrades and their families settle in before heading to the kitchen.
While the two sisters-in-law were busy, he placed his hands on Gu Jianing’s shoulders and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes filled with tenderness. “You’ve worked hard.”
Gu Jianing knew that the real hard work had been done by the two sisters-in-law. However, she had always been pampered at home and rarely had to help in the kitchen.
This afternoon, she had indeed been busy running back and forth.
She pouted and muttered, “Of course, I’ve worked hard. You’ll have to reward me later.”
Sheng Zexi quickly promised, “Absolutely!”
Seeing her act like a proud little cat, Sheng Zexi adored her so much that he wanted to pull her into his arms and give her a good squeeze.
But out of respect for the two sisters-in-law, he held back.
“Sisters, I’ll take the dishes out.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
As Sheng Zexi carried the dishes out, the two sisters-in-law exchanged knowing glances, especially Sister Yu. “I’ve never seen Battalion Commander Sheng so gentle before. It’s true what they say—there’s always someone who can tame even the most unruly person. Our Jianing has him wrapped around her finger.”
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