Chapter 157: Comrades Help
Gu Tingxiao didn’t have the kind of bulky, overblown muscles that looked exaggerated. His physique was lean, cut, and perfectly proportioned—the kind of look that practically radiated a strict, disciplined restraint.
Damn it! Sheng Wanyan cursed inwardly. How on earth had she allowed herself to be so completely distracted by a man’s good looks?
She took a sharp, deep breath, forcing herself to snap out of it only after his silhouette disappeared into the master bedroom. True beauty really was a dangerous distraction.
When Gu Tingxiao emerged in a fresh change of clothes to eat his lunch, Wanyan couldn’t help but glare at him several times over the rim of her bowl.
“Wife, please, spare me,” he said, his tone laced with amusement.
Wanyan rolled her eyes at him. How did he have the nerve to say that when he was the one showing off?
“You’re washing the dishes,” she announced huffily, setting her empty bowl and chopsticks down with a sharp clack before sweeping into the bedroom.
“Understood,” Gu Tingxiao replied, entirely tactful. He quickly gathered the dishes and carried them out to the well.
By the time he stepped back into the bedroom, Wanyan had already fallen asleep. The summer heat was oppressive, though, and she was tossing and turning restlessly. Gu Tingxiao quietly sat on the edge of the kang and began rhythmically waving a palm-leaf fan over her. Soothed by the gentle breeze, Wanyan finally drifted into a deep, peaceful slumber.
Once he was sure she was sound asleep, Gu Tingxiao slipped out to the backyard to resume his labor, measuring out the bamboo to enclose the open kitchen.
Boom, boom, boom.
At the sound of a firm knock on the main courtyard gate, he set his tools down and strode to the front yard. As he passed the bedroom window, he carefully pulled the shutters closed. Because of the heat, they had left the doors and windows open to catch the breeze, but with his wife sleeping inside, he had no intention of letting any outside eyes catch a glimpse of her.
Opening the gate, he found several young soldiers standing on the path, thick bundles of harvested bamboo balanced effortlessly on their broad shoulders.
“Captain! We brought the rest of the bamboo down!”
As the soldiers spoke, their eyes kept darting toward the interior of the courtyard, clearly hoping to catch a glimpse of the new bride. Ever since their commander had accompanied his wife up the mountain that morning, the entire family compound had been abuzz with rumors about how breathtakingly beautiful she was. They were dying to see if their notoriously strict leader had truly married a fairy. After all, who didn’t appreciate looking at a beautiful woman?
“Good. Haul it through to the backyard,” Gu Tingxiao commanded.
“Right away, Captain!”
The men carried the timber into the backyard. Seeing their commander already deep in the middle of a major construction project, none of them made a move to leave. In the barracks, helping one another out was second nature, and Gu Tingxiao had thrown his weight behind them countless times in the past.
Recognizing that their captain’s new home needed serious reinforcement before the winter, the soldiers jumped into the work in an orderly, efficient line without Gu Tingxiao even having to ask.
The yard transformed into a flurry of activity. Two men set to work weaving thick bamboo mats, another split and trimmed the stalks, while Gu Tingxiao took charge of aligning the main structural bamboo pillars. He secured the frame with sturdy iron wire, carefully sharpening the base of each pillar into an angle so it could be driven deep and firmly into the soil.
To ensure the kitchen enclosure could withstand the brutal northern winds, the main support beams needed to be solid timber. Without a hint of awkwardness, Gu Tingxiao simply pointed at two of the men. “Go back up the mountain, fell a couple of suitable trees, and haul the wood back.”
“Yes, Captain! We’re on it!” The soldiers gripped their axes and expertly headed back up the trail.
By the time Sheng Wanyan blinked her eyes open and walked outside, the main structural supports for both the kitchen and the walkway were securely locked into place. The kitchen was completely walled off with clean bamboo, leaving a precise opening for a door near the well.
Seeing a handful of sweaty comrades working tirelessly in her yard, Wanyan quickly went inside, stirred up a few glasses of rich sugar water, and brought them out on a tray.
“Take a break, everyone. You’ve been working hard all afternoon—have some water.”
At the sound of her voice, the men turned around. The moment they saw Wanyan holding the tray, a collective, silent gasp rippled through the group.
No wonder their captain had kept his wife so fiercely under wraps, refusing to let them meet her at the station and keeping them strictly in the yard today. He was literally hiding a rare treasure in his house! If any of them had a wife that stunning, they wouldn’t want her out in the open either.
Gu Tingxiao’s face darkened the instant he noticed his comrades staring blankly at his wife. Stepping forward, he smoothly took the tray from her hands and threw a freezing, warning glare at the men. Catching the fierce look on their commander’s face, the soldiers instantly dropped their heads, clearing their throats nervously.
“Drink,” Gu Tingxiao ordered flatly.
The four soldiers didn’t dare hesitate, stepping up to take the glasses and swallowing the water down. The moment the liquid hit their tongues, a wave of rich sweetness burst through. They hadn’t expected their new sister-in-law to be so incredibly generous as to use this much precious sugar for a group of rough soldiers.
“You should all stay for dinner tonight,” Wanyan offered warmly.
“Oh, no, no, sister-in-law! We couldn’t possibly,” they stammered, shaking their heads in unison. Food rations were tight for every household, and as grown men with massive appetites, they would feel terrible eating into the newlyweds’ private pantry.
“That’s right, sister-in-law. We’ll just head back to the mess hall to eat.”
Wanyan turned to Gu Tingxiao with a slight look of helplessness, knowing her husband understood that she disliked remaining indebted to people.
Gu Tingxiao looked at his men. “In three days, come over for a proper housewarming feast. We’ll have a good meal and a few drinks then.”
Hearing their captain’s direct invitation, the soldiers immediately beamed and nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Wanyan didn’t press the matter further. She would take the procurement truck into the city tomorrow and stock up on plenty of good ingredients to give these men a feast they wouldn’t forget.
“Alright, make sure you come back with a big appetite then,” she smiled.
“We definitely will, sister-in-law!”
Sensing that the presence of a woman made these rugged guys a bit stiff and self-conscious, Wanyan excused herself back into the house. She counted out twenty White Rabbit milk candies from her cabinet, intending to send them home with the men for their children.
Stepping back out, she set up one of the new coal stoves and a ceramic stew pot in the front yard to begin the chicken soup. A proper broth needed to simmer for hours to unlock its full depth of flavor. She submerged the whole pheasant into the water, planning to later shred the tender meat to serve with a savory dipping sauce.
The comrades hammered away until half past five, and Wanyan was thoroughly amazed by their sheer speed. The kitchen and the connecting corridor were fully framed, and they were already tying down the final layer of woven bamboo insulation.
Gu Tingxiao had been remarkably clever with the design, installing a small hinged window on either side of the kitchen to allow cooking smoke to escape. They could simply latch them shut during the winter, ensuring she could wash vegetables in comfort without the freezing wind biting at her.
Furthermore, he had extended the roof overhang just outside the kitchen door. Wanyan secretly planned to place two washbasins and a large wash sink underneath it, and she would ask Tingxiao to build a few wall-mounted bamboo racks to organize their toothpaste, toothbrushes, and daily toiletries. As for engineering a way to pipe fresh well water directly inside, she decided she would tackle that after drawing up a proper blueprint.
Once the men packed up their tools, a sizeable pile of surplus timber and bamboo remained in the corner of the yard, which Wanyan eyed happily for future projects. She already envisioned building a small pavilion in the center of the courtyard for afternoon tea, complete with two comfortable lounge chairs for sunbathing. But those were luxuries for down the road; there was no rush.
With the construction complete, Gu Tingxiao ignited a bundle of tightly bound twigs, carefully charring the bamboo walls inside and out. This traditional technique sealed the wood, creating a natural barrier against moisture, mold, and insects.
Wanyan stepped forward, sliding the handful of milk candies directly into the soldiers’ hands. “Take these home to sweeten the kids’ mouths. Please don’t look down on your sister-in-law for such a small token.”
The four rough men held the candies in a sudden panic, looking thoroughly flustered and unsure if they should accept.
“Take them,” Gu Tingxiao barked gently, cutting through their hesitation. “That’s an order!”
“Yes, Captain!”
With the official command handed down, the soldiers no longer dared to refuse, their faces splitting into grateful grins. “Thank you, sister-in-law!”
“You’re very welcome. Thank you all for the hard work today,” Wanyan replied with a warm wave as they filed out the gate.
