Fang Muyu pushed away Lu Yancheng’s hand covering her mouth and vomited all over him.
Lu Yancheng froze in place.
A gust of wind blew in through the open kitchen door, dispersing all the thick smoke inside.
Apart from a few sparks rising from the stove, there was no sign of fire anywhere.
The kitchen wasn’t on fire.
So what had he just done?
He had made a complete fool of himself.
A wave of heat suddenly rose to Lu Yancheng’s face.
He clasped his hands tightly behind his back, barely maintaining the cold, rigid lines of his expression.
“Lu Yancheng, what on earth were you doing?”
Fang Muyu finally finished vomiting but could still smell a strong, fishy odor on her face.
She glanced at the clothes in Lu Yancheng’s hands, and a bad suspicion arose in her mind.
“You didn’t soak my clothes in that bucket of water outside, did you?”
Lu Yancheng didn’t say a word.
Silence meant confirmation.
Fang Muyu’s temples throbbed.
That water had just been used by Jiang Zhuangzhuang to rinse clams and crabs.
And her clothes…
Fang Muyu felt her anger had reached a breaking point.
Just as she was about to unleash her fury, Lu Yancheng quickly shifted the blame to Jiang Zhuangzhuang.
“What’s wrong with you? Even starting a fire makes the kitchen look like it’s on fire.”
Jiang Zhuangzhuang’s little face was smeared black from the stove, his clear eyes full of innocence.
Wasn’t he just starting a fire to cook? Why was this big devil so fierce?
Did he think he was still the helpless Jiang Zhuangzhuang from before?
Today, he would show Lu Yancheng, this big devil, what it meant to have someone to rely on.
Jiang Zhuangzhuang looked innocently at Fang Muyu. “Sister Fang, he’s being mean to me. I was just trying to start a fire to cook for you.”
“It’s fine. Since he thinks you can’t start a fire properly, let him do it.”
Fang Muyu couldn’t be bothered to argue with Lu Yancheng—it was a waste of breath.
Arguing with this man was pointless; he always wore an icy expression and never responded.
“You just dirtied my clothes, didn’t you? You’ll have to wash them again for me.”
Fang Muyu shot a glance at Jiang Zhuangzhuang. “What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and move.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Jiang Zhuangzhuang immediately stood up and vacated the small stool he was sitting on.
Seeing that Fang Muyu wasn’t angry, Lu Yancheng finally relaxed and obediently sat down to start the fire.
“We gathered quite a few clams and crabs from the beach today. Let’s steam the clams with eggs! And stir-fry the crabs with ginger and scallions.”
As soon as Fang Muyu finished speaking, Jiang Zhuangzhuang’s eyes lit up.
That sounded much more delicious than the clam and crab soup they had mentioned earlier!
“It seems I can only have a bite or two of the crab, not too much,” Fang Muyu said with some frustration. “Company Commander Wu sent over some cured meat a couple of days ago, so let’s stir-fry that too! Add some wild scallions.”
Jiang Zhuangzhuang was practically drooling.
“All meat dishes aren’t great,” Fang Muyu mused, troubled. “We need a balance of meat and vegetables. There’s still some lamb’s quarters at home—we can stir-fry them plain.”
In the blink of an eye, Fang Muyu had the meal all planned out.
“Alright.”
What could Lu Yancheng say? He could only agree.
Jiang Zhuangzhuang watched as Lu Yancheng, this big devil, was kept busy by Fang Muyu’s orders, his eyes filled with admiration.
Sister Fang is amazing, keeping the big devil running around.
Suddenly, a vegetable basket filled with vibrant green vegetables descended from above.
“Pick these scallions.”
“No.”
Jiang Zhuangzhuang stood with her hands on her hips, wearing an expression that clearly said, “I’m not listening, what can you do about it?”
“If you don’t, I’ll tell your dad about the time you stuffed stinky socks into the cannon barrel.” Lu Yancheng refused to believe he couldn’t handle Jiang Zhuangzhuang, even if he couldn’t always manage Fang Muyu.
Hearing this, Jiang Zhuangzhuang immediately took the vegetable basket, flashing an ingratiating smile. “Uncle Lu, please don’t. I’ll do it, I’ll do it.”
Fang Muyu didn’t care how these two divided the work, as long as she got to eat later.
Outside, the wind howled.
Inside, the aroma of food filled the air.
Most of the furniture on the island was simple and handmade by the soldiers.
On the wooden dining table sat a glass vase holding an unknown wildflower, which looked quite elegant.
Beside the vase were four rough ceramic bowls.
The ginger and scallion stir-fried crab glowed a bright red, the crab meat coated in a glossy, fragrant scallion oil. The steamed egg with clams was as smooth and tender as solidified fat. The cured pork was stir-fried until translucent and glistening with oil, paired with vibrant green scallions. The stir-fried goosefoot greens were a fresh green color, their leaves crisp and upright, looking refreshingly light.
Jiang Zhuangzhuang kept swallowing her saliva.
“Uncle Lu, your cooking skills are amazing. Way better than the pig slop my mom makes.”
Fang Muyu nodded in agreement.
If there was one good thing about Lu Yancheng, his excellent cooking was definitely his greatest strength.
“Let’s eat.”
Lu Yancheng still wore a stern expression, though the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Fang Muyu had already set her sights on a target. Her chopsticks moved fast, fierce, and precise, clamping onto a large crab.
The crab was huge, looking plump and delicious.
Just as Fang Muyu was about to lift the crab, a pair of chopsticks blocked her.
It was Lu Yancheng.
“The doctor said crab is a cold food. You shouldn’t eat too much.”
“The doctor said not to eat too much, not that I can’t eat it at all.” Fang Muyu’s reading comprehension was top-notch.
“Exactly.”
Lu Yancheng nodded, then directly broke the large crab apart and divided it into four portions.
He placed the largest portion into Fang Muyu’s bowl and tossed the remaining three portions into Jiang Zhuangzhuang’s bowl.
“Eat.”
Fang Muyu felt like she was about to crack.
Jiang Zhuangzhuang grinned, showing all eight of her front teeth. “Thank you, Uncle Lu.”
Fang Muyu looked at the towering pile of crab in Jiang Zhuangzhuang’s bowl, then at the portion in her own.
This was a bit hard to take!
Seeing Fang Muyu’s longing gaze, Lu Yancheng felt a pang of guilt.
Maybe he should give her a little more. Eating a bit extra probably wouldn’t hurt, right?
While Lu Yancheng hesitated, Fang Muyu sighed and finally accepted reality.
A little was better than nothing at all.
Baby, your mom gave up a lot of good things for you. You better grow up to be a grateful child, okay?
Just as Fang Muyu was dejectedly nibbling on her tiny portion of crab,
“In a few months, if you still want it, I’ll make it for you,” Lu Yancheng said stiffly.
“Who knows what will happen by then!” Fang Muyu pouted.
Things could change a lot in a few months!
What if the female lead shows up? Would Lu Yancheng still have eyes for her then?
Besides, she had no interest in fighting Gu Shiyi for a man.
Seeing Fang Muyu lower her head without responding, Lu Yancheng’s brow furrowed slightly.
Did this woman not believe him?
He didn’t seem like the type to make empty promises, did he?
Just wait. When the tide goes out, he’d catch a whole pile of crabs to torment her with envy, making her regret doubting him.
At the same dining table, two adults each harbored their own thoughts.
Jiang Zhuangzhuang was completely unaware; he was overjoyed at the moment.
So many delicious dishes, and they weren’t eating them?
Then he’d eat a little more.
Crab, so tasty, another one.
Eggs, tender and smooth, another spoonful.
Cured meat, savory and fragrant, a few more pieces.
…