Chapter 168: Dinner
It was already half past ten by the time Sheng Wanyan finished her breakfast. Over the past few days, Gu Tingxiao had been fetching both breakfast and lunch from the base cafeteria. It felt as though her only contribution as a wife so far had been sleeping in.
Wanyan felt a wave of embarrassment just thinking about it. The other military wives were out watering their vegetable gardens at the crack of dawn, while she was still tucked in bed waiting for her husband to jog back and wake her for breakfast. She decided she couldn’t go on like this; starting tomorrow, she would rise early.
Earlier than the roosters crowing, she vowed silently.
Determined to stop Tingxiao from eating cafeteria food every single day, she marched into the kitchen to knead dough. She would make fresh handmade noodles for his lunch.
While waiting for the dough to rest, she went out to water the backyard garden. Scanning the current layout of the yard, she had to admit it finally felt like a real home. The vegetable garden, the newly enclosed kitchen, and the chicken coop were all fully set up. Tingxiao had even managed to finish building the outdoor sink shelf she wanted.
The shelf was crafted from sturdy bamboo and lined with a layer of tightly woven bamboo netting, giving it a clean, orderly appearance. Similar to the double vanities of the future, it featured two separate washing stations so no one would have to fight for space, leaving a generous countertop area to arrange their items.
Now, they just needed to carve out some stone to fashion the actual washbasins. As for the plumbing, Wanyan had already drawn up a clever drainage blueprint for Tingxiao. He would use a thick length of bamboo for the pipe, hollowing out the inner nodes, fixing it securely beneath the basins, and sealing the joints with cement. The pipe would then run out through a small, convenient gap near the base of their backyard brick wall.
As for the kitchen sink, it was built entirely of brick. The moment they had arrived, Wanyan had noticed a stack of surplus bricks left in a corner of the yard, which proved perfect for the project. She had intentionally positioned the large sink inside the kitchen to make washing and prepping vegetables effortless, requiring only a simple bamboo drainage line running out through the kitchen wall.
After returning from distributing the wedding candies the night before, Tingxiao had slipped back into the kitchen to work, successfully completing the vegetable sink for her. Thanks to his late-night labor, she could prepare today’s ingredients seamlessly without feeling rushed.
For lunch, she decided on fresh noodles topped with a rich tomato and egg sauce. She retrieved three eggs and two tomatoes from the cupboard. After beating the eggs in a bowl until smooth, she blanched the tomatoes in boiling water to easily peel away the skins before dicing them into neat pieces.
Once the dough had rested sufficiently, Wanyan began pulling and shaping it into wide, thick ribbons, setting them aside on a clean board.
She kindled the fire beneath the wok and heated a splash of oil to scramble the eggs. Once they were fluffy, she set them aside, tossed the diced tomatoes into the hot pan, and pressed them until they released their rich juices. She then tossed the eggs back in, adding a generous spoonful of sugar. Once the sauce thickened perfectly, she scooped it out, boiled the hand-pulled noodles, and divided the meal into two portions. One bowl was noticeably larger than the other—reserved for Gu Tingxiao’s appetite.
Just as she carried the steaming bowls into the living room, the courtyard gate opened. Gu Tingxiao walked in, a familiar aluminum lunch box gripped in his hand.
At the sight of the container, Wanyan felt a sudden, inexplicable prickle of guilt.
“Wife, you’re awake?” Tingxiao paused, staring at the table. He could hardly believe his eyes; not only had she risen early, but she had actually prepared a beautiful lunch.
Weren’t you exhausted last night, wife? he wondered silently. Did I not work hard enough?
Sheng Wanyan caught the subtle, knowing look in his eyes and felt entirely exasperated. …Am I just worrying too much about his stamina?
“I’ve been up for a while,” she said, clearing her throat. “Lunch is ready, so sit down.”
Tingxiao set his lunch box on the table and headed to the backyard to wash his hands. Wanyan opened the cafeteria container he had brought back; it held three thick pan-fried flatbreads and a generous portion of braised pork. The man truly made sure she had meat for every single meal.
She thoroughly tossed his noodles with the tomato and egg sauce, and the moment Tingxiao returned, he dug in. He ate ravenously, though Wanyan couldn’t help but notice the dark circles shadowing his eyes. He looked thoroughly spent.
In truth, Gu Tingxiao hadn’t caught a single moment of proper rest over the past few days. Every spare second of his free time had been dedicated to backbreaking labor in the backyard. He pushed through intense military training during the day, completely skipped his midday rest to hammer away at the house, and marched right back to the yard the moment dinner concluded. Even a man built of iron would eventually fray under that kind of relentless schedule.
Once they finished eating, Wanyan moved to gather the empty bowls, intending to handle the cleanup. Seeing her reach for them, Tingxiao immediately intercepted her hands.
“I’ve got it, wife. Go rest.”
“You leave them be,” Wanyan said firmly, holding his gaze. “Look at the dark circles under your eyes. Go straight to the bedroom and catch up on your sleep.”
Hearing her bossy, maternal concern, Tingxiao’s stern face cracked into a broad, thoroughly silly grin. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking incredibly pleased.
“Why aren’t you following orders?” Wanyan teased, feigning a strict expression.
Tingxiao instantly snapped his heels together and offered her a crisp salute. “Yes, ma’am! Right away, wife.”
He leaned down to plant a quick kiss on her cheek before marching into the bedroom. The moment his head hit the mattress, he plunged into a deep, heavy sleep.
Wanyan shook her head with an affectionate smile. Does this man have a masochistic streak? He won’t stop moving unless someone physically yells at him.
She quietly cleared the table, scrubbed the dishes, and wiped down the kitchen counters before slipping into the bedroom to lie down beside him for a midday rest. While Tingxiao snored softly, Wanyan remained wide awake, staring blankly up at the ceiling as her mind ran through her remaining chores.
Once Tingxiao headed back to the barracks for his afternoon duties, Wanyan gathered her packets of cabbage seeds and walked over to their private garden plot. Planting them now was perfect timing; the crop would be ready for a rich harvest by October, just in time to store away before the deep freeze. She had explicitly chosen winter cabbage because it was the most common, unremarkable vegetable of the era. Every single household cultivated it, meaning no one would look twice at her plot or try to steal her yield.
When she arrived at the communal gardening fields, she found several of the military wives already tending to their rows, including Aunt Xie and Yang Wanshu.
“Wanyan! I’ll swing by your courtyard a bit later to help you prep,” Aunt Xie called out warmly the moment she spotted her. Word had already spread across the compound that Gu Tingxiao was hosting a major housewarming dinner, and the political commissar’s wife was eager to pitch in.
Wanyan knew she couldn’t possibly manage a feast for twenty-one people entirely on her own, so having extra hands to wash, peel, and chop the mountain of vegetables was a massive relief. “Thank you, Auntie. I’d appreciate that.”
“I’ll bring my boys over to help too,” Yang Wanshu chimed in with a gentle smile. “They’re still small and terribly mischievous, so I have to keep them right where I can see them anyway.” She knew the unwritten rules of the compound; when a neighbor invited you to a feast during these lean times, you didn’t just sit back and wait to fill your belly—you showed up early to sweat alongside the host.
Wanyan nodded happily. With their assistance, the preparation would move twice as fast. “That sounds wonderful. Thank you both so much.”
Aunt Xie waved her hand dismissively. “Think nothing of it, dear. That’s just how we do things out here. Whenever a family hosts a dinner, the wives always gather early to help cook. Food is far too precious nowadays; no one expects the host to handle the labor alone.”
Aunt Xie glanced down at the seed packets in Wanyan’s hands, a trace of maternal worry in her eyes. “What varieties are you putting in? Do you know how to properly sow them?” She knew Wanyan was a refined city girl who had likely never touched a farming tool in her life, and it would be a disaster if her winter crops failed to grow.
“Auntie, Tingxiao sat down and explained the whole process to me before he left,” Wanyan reassured her. “I’m just planting standard winter cabbage today. If we get the seeds in now, we’ll have a full harvest ready right before the heavy snow sets in.”
She carefully credited her husband, knowing she couldn’t let on that she was already an expert gardener from her previous life. The original owner of this body had never performed a day of manual labor. In a tightly knit compound where everyone gossiped, if a sudden farming expertise reached her brother Wanze’s ears, her cover would be completely blown.
Fortunately, growing cabbage wasn’t rocket science; it simply required regular fertilization, steady watering, and timely pest control. As long as she remained meticulous, the crop would flourish.
“That’s exactly right,” Aunt Xie agreed, nodding in approval. “The winters out here are brutal, child. The snow falls so thick it reaches straight up to a person’s waist, making it physically impossible to walk to the supply cooperative. You have to hoard a massive surplus of food in your cellar, otherwise you’ll be left shivering and starving.”
“Once the blizzards hit, the logistics procurement truck will cut its city trips down to once every two weeks. If you ever run short on essentials then, just have Captain Gu ask the logistics boys to quietly bring some back for you on a supply run. You can also discreetly trade with the local villagers for grain—just make sure you don’t make it too obvious.”
