Gu Yunsheng glanced at Huo Chengxuan.
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“And then?”
It seemed he was genuinely curious about how the dish was made.
Looking at his face, Gu Yunsheng really could not refuse. Besides, Huo Chengxuan was standing up for her. She could only give a guilty glance at poor Wan’er.
“First, place the blanched bean sprouts at the bottom of the bowl. Remove the fish bones, then the fish slices, and pour the broth over them.”
“Then add Sichuan pepper, minced garlic, and other seasonings. Heat oil in another pan and pour it over to bring out the aroma.”
Wan’er looked extremely miserable.
“Sister-in-law, I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Gu Yunsheng nodded and smiled.
“Come on, let’s eat!”
Huo Chengxuan said nothing more. He picked up a sheet of tofu skin, added the shredded pork with sauce, cucumber strips, carrot strips, and scallion strips, rolled it up, and handed it to Gu Yunsheng.
Gu Yunsheng looked at Huo Chengxuan and paused for a moment.
“What’s wrong?”
Huo Chengxuan noticed her gaze and said softly,
“Nothing.”
Gu Yunsheng slightly curled her lips. She really liked this side of Huo Chengxuan.
While cooking, she had worried about making too much. Unexpectedly, after dinner, all the plates were empty.
Huo Chengxuan stood up to collect the bowls and wash them.
Wan’er looked at Gu Yunsheng sitting in the chair and snorted lightly.
“You cook well, but I don’t believe you’ll really change so quickly. Don’t try any tricks.”
Gu Yunsheng smiled.
After finishing the dishes, Huo Chengxuan held Gu Yunsheng’s hand and led her back to the room, helping her put the water away.
“Go take a shower.”
“Okay.”
Before turning away, Gu Yunsheng leaned close to his ear and whispered,
“Thank you.”
The next morning.
When Gu Yunsheng woke up, Huo Chengxuan was already gone.
She did not pay much attention since there were many things to do.
After washing up and coming downstairs, only Huo’s mother was there. She did not ask much.
Breakfast had likely been bought by Huo Chengxuan. Huo’s mother kept it warm in the pot.
Gu Yunsheng ate breakfast, said goodbye to Huo’s mother, and went out.
She went to a quiet place to take out the items she had bought from the mall.
After wandering around all morning, she checked her watch and returned.
As she reached the door, Huo Chengxuan returned and casually took the items from her hands.
Every time Gu Yunsheng saw that face, she could not help but look twice. Then she asked him,
“Aren’t you worried I’d run away?”
Huo Chengxuan’s gaze fell on her face. His tone was relaxed.
“I’m not worried.”
If she really wanted to leave, she could have done so yesterday when she got the money and tickets.
“By the way, where did you go?”
Gu Yunsheng asked as she followed him inside.
“I went to the military unit and also brought back the train tickets.”
Gu Yunsheng did not expect Huo Chengxuan could still go to the military unit.
Well, he had not been removed from the unit. The book mentioned that three years later, after the Huo Family was rehabilitated, Huo Chengxuan was not only not demoted but had been promoted.
“The tickets. What time is the train tomorrow? Are they seated tickets?”
In this era, the trains were the old green type, definitely slower than modern trains.
Sleeper tickets were probably impossible. If they were seated, Gu Yunsheng felt it would be quite uncomfortable.
Huo Chengxuan handed her five train tickets.
The hard rectangular cards had no names, only departure and destination points. There were only hard seats, no assigned numbers.
Gu Yunsheng had never seen anything like it before and found it interesting.
Looking at the destination, it was an unknown place.
In the far northeast. Although cold, there was no shortage of food. Winter work would not be required. The only problem was the long travel time. Gu Yunsheng frowned, feeling her buttocks start to ache.
Huo Chengxuan seemed to notice her thoughts and said softly,
“We will sit together. You can lie to me.”
“Really?”
Gu Yunsheng blinked.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Gu Yunsheng did not hesitate. After all, she was pregnant. Comfort mattered most.
At this point, going back to cook was impossible, and Huo’s mother had already prepared the food.
Gu Yunsheng looked at the spread. It was just one meal, and she could manage.
After breakfast, everyone went back to their rooms to pack their luggage.
To make sure they had something good to eat on the train, Gu Yunsheng prepared dumplings the night before.
She also made pancakes and boiled tea eggs so they would be flavorful by the next morning.
Although she had food from the mall, it would be inconvenient to take it out on the train.
The next morning, the family woke up early and brought all their luggage to the train station.
Gu Yunsheng looked at the green train and finally felt truly immersed in this era.
She was really going to the countryside.
But she did not regret it. Hardship was better than death. Staying alive was more important.
The train was crowded. Huo Chengxuan held her hand the entire way to protect her from bumping into others.
After a long squeeze, they finally got seated.
Gu Yunsheng sat down. Huo Chengxuan put away the luggage before sitting.
Moreover, as soon as he sat down, the train departed.
There were all kinds of people on the train. The smell was unpleasant. They had woken up very early and were still tired.
Not long after departure, Gu Yunsheng’s face turned pale. She felt dizzy and sleepy.
Huo Chengxuan looked at her and carefully held her, letting her lean against his chest.
Half awake and half asleep, Gu Yunsheng felt reassured when she smelled a familiar scent, then drifted off.
She slept for over two hours. If it had not been for the noise of children, she might not have woken up.
“Awake? Still uncomfortable? Hungry?”
Huo Chengxuan noticed the moment her eyes opened.
Gu Yunsheng shook her head.
“Not hungry, just a bit uncomfortable.”
As soon as she spoke, a sharp voice came from across.
“You two are still on the train, cuddling like this. It is downright indecent.”
Gu Yunsheng looked up. The voice belonged to a plump woman sitting opposite them, holding a five or six-year-old boy.
The woman was around thirty, with narrow eyes looking at Gu Yunsheng and Huo Chengxuan with disdain.
The boy in her arms kept crying and demanding food.
Gu Yunsheng was already feeling unwell and would not cater to her.
“Seems like this sea belongs to this auntie. You worry too much. With this free time, you should manage your grandson properly.”
The woman immediately darkened.
“What auntie? What are you looking at? This is my son. Besides, what’s wrong with my son?”
“You can do that yourself and yet you don’t let people talk?”
“Wang Huijuan, enough. Weren’t you the one causing trouble first? Say less.”
A man nearby saw Huo Chengxuan’s icy gaze and hurriedly scolded her.