Fu Siyu suddenly thanked her so gently, and even called her Xiaxia.
Shen Zhixia blushed again, utterly hopeless.
She hurriedly looked away and cleared her throat before asking, “I just saw that there isn’t even any firewood in the kitchen, and there’s no rice, flour, or vegetables prepared either. What are we going to eat for lunch?”
There was rice, flour, cooking oil, and meat in her portable space, but she couldn’t take them out.
If she suddenly conjured so many ingredients out of nowhere, Fu Siyu would definitely take her for a monster.
Hearing this, Fu Siyu glanced at the sun, estimated the time, took Shen Zhixia’s hand, closed the door, and walked outside.
“Let’s go. The food in the mess hall should be ready by now. I’ll take you there to eat.”
Hearing Fu Siyu say they were going to eat at the mess hall, Shen Zhixia asked curiously, “Is the food at your mess hall any good?”
Back in modern times, she had eaten snacks from all over the country. The one thing she had never tried was food from a military mess hall. Whenever she saw promotional videos about the military online, watching the various dishes in them, she would really crave them.
Quite a few military wives online also said that the food in the military was delicious, and that everyone had a set food allowance. She had always wanted to try it. She had even considered finding a soldier to date just so she could eat food from a military mess hall.
She had never managed to find a soldier in modern times, but in the 1970s, she had instead become a military wife. On the very first day of following her husband to his post, she would get to eat at the military mess hall.
It counted as fulfilling her dream in another way.
Fu Siyu stopped walking. Thinking of the mess hall’s boiled cabbage and stewed meat with radishes—the meat inside was sparse, though the steamed buns were unlimited—he glanced again at Shen Zhixia’s thin, delicate frame, which looked as though a gust of wind might blow her away. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “You can barely eat it. Conditions aren’t very good right now. How about I take you to town to eat? We can buy some things to bring back after we finish.”
Go to town?
Shen Zhixia was just about to agree when she thought of the distance there and back, as well as how going to town to eat right after arriving would surely earn her the label of a pleasure-seeking capitalist if people found out.
Now that she had come to join the military, she would have to eat at the mess hall sooner or later. Besides, she really wanted to find out whether what Fu Siyu called “barely edible” was truly that bad.
“It’s too tiring. I don’t want to walk any farther. Let’s eat at the mess hall. No matter how bad it is, could it really be worse than the spoiled food my mother used to give me?”
Shen Zhixia had only meant it as an analogy, but all Fu Siyu heard was heartbreak.
His wife had suffered from childhood to adulthood. After marrying him, she had been separated from him for three years, and during those three years, she must have been bullied more than once.
He really was no good. How had he never thought to take the initiative and bring his wife over?
“Then we’ll go to the mess hall. In the future, I’ll cook for you. I guarantee I’ll make something different every day. I’ll definitely fatten you up and never let you suffer even the slightest grievance.”
Fu Siyu’s voice was like the windblown sand of the Gobi settling over Shen Zhixia’s heart, stirring up a fine, aching tenderness and emotion.
She looked at Fu Siyu’s serious brows and eyes and saw the sincerity and heartache in his gaze, like the starry sky above the Gobi.
How had the original Shen Zhixia deserved to meet such a good man and yet not known to cherish him?
As they talked, a hearty laugh came from outside the courtyard gate.
“Old Fu, I heard from the political commissar that the house you applied for is right next to mine, so I came over to see when you plan to move in.”
Hearing the voice, Fu Siyu turned to look outside and smiled, giving the speaker a nod.
“We moved in today. I took leave this morning to go to the station and pick up my wife.” After saying this, he introduced the man to Shen Zhixia. “Xiaxia, this is Battalion Commander Liu. He lives right next door to us.”
Such blatant bragging.
Suppressing her laughter, Shen Zhixia had not expected Fu Siyu to have such a show-off side to him. The man had clearly asked when he would move in, yet Fu Siyu had insisted on adding that he had gone to pick up his wife.
It would have been fine if he had not mentioned it, but now that he had, Battalion Commander Liu naturally noticed Shen Zhixia standing behind Fu Siyu.
When Shen Zhixia saw Battalion Commander Liu looking over, she smiled and greeted him. “Hello, Battalion Commander Liu. I’m Shen Zhixia.”
Battalion Commander Liu’s first thought upon seeing Shen Zhixia was: No wonder Fu Siyu had never let his wife come join him. She looked like a fairy, and her face was even whiter and more delicate than the goat’s milk from Sister-in-law Ayiguli’s home.
With looks like hers, she would have been the troupe beauty even in the art troupe.
No wonder so many female comrades from the art troupe and the clinic had thrown themselves at Fu Siyu, yet the fellow had remained unmoved. With such a beautiful wife at home, of course he would not take an interest in anyone else.
Previously, they had even gossiped that although Fu Siyu’s rank was high enough, he still refused to let his wife join him because she was too ugly to bring out in public.
Now that they saw her, how could she be too ugly to bring out? Clearly, his wife was too beautiful, and he had been afraid that once she came, people would set their sights on her.
“Ah, younger sister-in-law, hello. Old Fu and I are comrades in the same regiment. Welcome to the military family compound. If you need anything in the future, just let me know.”
Shen Zhixia’s face was almost stiff from smiling. The wind had picked up as well, and the blowing sand stung her face painfully.
She could not help giving Fu Siyu’s hand a gentle tug.
Let’s go eat already. Her stomach had begun singing an empty-city lament. If she did not eat soon, she was going to starve to death.
Fu Siyu gently tightened his hold on Shen Zhixia’s hand, a trace of amusement unconsciously appearing in his eyes.
Watching their little exchange, Battalion Commander Liu cleared his throat and said, “You two just got back, so you definitely haven’t had time to tidy up the house yet. My wife has just finished cooking. If you don’t mind, come over to our place and have something to eat.”
Shen Zhixia lightly tugged at Fu Siyu’s sleeve.
She did not want to go. Who went to someone else’s house to eat right after arriving? Besides, in this era, every household’s grain ration was fixed. If they went over to eat, the family would surely not have enough for themselves.
If Battalion Commander Liu’s wife was easygoing, Shen Zhixia could simply leave some grain coupons and meat coupons when they left. What she feared was that his wife might not be easy to get along with. If they barged in uninvited and she gave them the cold shoulder, it would be awkward.
Fu Siyu took Shen Zhixia’s hand without making it obvious and smiled as he declined.
“No need. My wife just said that she wants to try the food at our mess hall. On Sunday, I’ll prepare a meal and invite you and Sister-in-law Liu over to warm our house.”
“Oh, come on, why are you being so polite with me? The only things in our mess hall are boiled cabbage and stir-fried cabbage. Aren’t you afraid that’ll scare your wife away? Listen to me—we’re going to eat at my place today.”
As Battalion Commander Liu spoke, he moved to come in and pull Fu Siyu along.
Shen Zhixia was a little dazed. She had always heard that people in the northwest were warm and hospitable, and that whenever they met someone familiar, they would invite them home for a meal. Even the usual greeting when they met was, “Have you eaten?” But she had not expected people to be this warm even in an era when everyone could barely eat their fill.
Just as the three of them were politely refusing and insisting back and forth, a woman wearing a military-green jacket walked out of a room in the neighboring courtyard.
“Old Liu, I told you to invite Little Fu and his wife over for dinner. Why are you dragging your feet? In the time you’ve wasted, the donkey at home could have pushed the mill around three times.”
She wiped her hands on her apron, walked over to the base of the wall, and said to Shen Zhixia, “You must be Little Fu’s wife, right? I guessed you had just arrived. Your family definitely hadn’t had time to start a fire, so I told Old Liu to invite you over for dinner. Who would have thought he’d drag his feet until now?”
Then, afraid Shen Zhixia would refuse, she added, “The food’s all ready at home. Come over and eat. If you don’t come, I’m going to get angry.”
She was truly too warmhearted!
Shen Zhixia glanced at Fu Siyu and silently nodded.
“Then, Sister-in-law, we’ll have to trouble you.” After saying this, Shen Zhixia moved closer to Fu Siyu and lowered her voice. “You go over first. I’ll go back to the room and get something.”
It was her first time visiting someone’s home as a guest. She definitely could not arrive empty-handed.
As soon as she entered the room, she immediately went into her portable space and began sorting through things…