Hulu Island wasn’t far away, and the sea had been calm all day.
The patrol team had set out early that morning to make another sweep around the island. After finding no trace of the suspicious vessel that had been reported, they returned to base.
Several soldiers remained stationed nearby to keep watch. If anything suspicious appeared, they would immediately radio the military base.
As soon as Wu Qingchuan returned, he headed straight to the guesthouse.
But Shen Niao wasn’t there.
After asking the caretaker, he learned that she had gone out with Zhang Cuihua and had been invited to eat lunch at her home.
That surprised him.
From their brief interaction yesterday, Shen Niao had seemed like a pampered city girl.
Girls like her usually weren’t interested in mingling with military wives from the countryside.
Yet she’d actually accepted an invitation to eat at someone else’s home.
Li Jianguo happened to be with him. After hearing where she’d gone, he immediately suggested they head to the military family compound together.
As he followed Li Jianguo into the courtyard, Wu Qingchuan saw Shen Niao chatting happily with Zhang Cuihua.
He didn’t miss the surprise in her eyes when she spotted him.
Then he noticed what she was wearing.
His brows knitted slightly.
Shen Niao really was surprised.
She’d assumed Wu Qingchuan’s mission would last several days.
Who knew he’d be back so quickly?
Coming back was one thing…
But what was with that look?
Was it because she was wearing a dress?
Her mood instantly soured.
Still, with Li Jianguo and Zhang Cuihua present, she smiled politely.
“Captain Li, thanks for letting me impose on your family today.”
Li Jianguo laughed heartily.
“No need to be so polite, Sister-in-law.”
He looked over the table full of seafood dishes.
“Hey, Comrade Cuihua! Learned some new recipes? Your cooking’s improved! Smells fantastic!”
The seafood dishes looked surprisingly elaborate.
Zhang Cuihua didn’t steal the credit.
“You know perfectly well what my cooking’s like. Xiao Shen made all of these.”
Although they hadn’t tasted the tofu soup or steamed fish yet, the aroma alone was enough to tell they were delicious.
Wu Qingchuan, meanwhile, glanced meaningfully at Shen Niao.
He’d heard she had grown up with household servants.
A young lady like that… actually knew how to cook?
Noticing his gaze, Shen Niao deliberately turned her head away.
Cooking had been hot work, so she’d casually tied her glossy black hair behind her head.
Wu Qingchuan’s eyes drifted unconsciously to the exposed nape of her neck.
Her skin there was as flawless and translucent as polished jade.
“I’ve always loved cooking and trying new foods,” Shen Niao explained casually to Li Jianguo and Zhang Cuihua.
“I learned from the housekeeper who worked for my family. She was an amazing cook. My skills are nowhere near hers.”
It was only half a lie.
In her previous life, there really had been a housekeeper at home, and she had indeed learned to cook from her.
Neither Zhang Cuihua nor Li Jianguo reacted strangely when they heard she’d grown up with household help.
Anyone who saw Shen Niao could tell her family had been well-off.
There was no way a poor household could raise such a delicate, refined beauty.
“What do you mean you’re nowhere near?” Zhang Cuihua laughed.
“Your oyster pancakes practically stole my soul! You two haven’t eaten yet, have you? Old Li, go grab a few more dishes from the cafeteria while you’re at it. Just enough for these two men.”
She immediately began directing her husband.
Originally, she’d only expected herself and Shen Niao for lunch.
The dishes she’d prepared wouldn’t be enough now that two grown men had arrived.
Since it was still mealtime at the base cafeteria, there would still be food available.
Li Jianguo nodded.
He grabbed several large bowls from the kitchen and handed two of them to Wu Qingchuan.
“Come on. Let’s go together.”
After the two men left, Shen Niao and Zhang Cuihua didn’t start eating.
They waited until the men returned.
A short while later, each of them came back carrying two bowls.
They’d brought stir-fried potato slices, cabbage with fish meatballs, and char siu pork ribs.
As soon as they walked in, Li Jianguo shot Wu Qingchuan a teasing look while setting the bowls down.
“This guy paid for everything.”
“I told him we could just bring back some vegetable dishes, but he insisted otherwise.”
“Hahaha… Someone just wanted better food for himself.”
Without responding to the teasing, Wu Qingchuan silently placed the bowl of char siu ribs in front of Shen Niao.
She looked up at him.
Their eyes met.
Instead of looking away, she smiled brightly.
Radiant.
Enchantingly beautiful.
Wu Qingchuan froze for the briefest moment.
Something flickered repeatedly in his dark eyes.
Everyone sat down.
Li Jianguo immediately picked up a piece of oyster pancake.
After taking one huge bite, his eyes widened.
“So… good!”
“See? I told you!” Zhang Cuihua nodded enthusiastically as she happily worked on her second pancake.
Shen Niao smiled.
“Most of the credit goes to Sister Cuihua. She controlled the heat perfectly. Otherwise I couldn’t have made them this well.”
“If you all like them, next time I’ll buy some larger oysters. We’ll grill them over charcoal with garlic and chili sauce. They’re absolutely delicious.”
Zhang Cuihua beamed.
“I only tended the fire and you’re praising me.”
She turned toward Wu Qingchuan.
“Captain Wu, hurry and try one too!”
Only then did Shen Niao notice that he was quietly eating the stir-fried potatoes.
She picked up a large piece of oyster pancake and placed it into his bowl.
“Try it.”
“If you like it, I’ll make it for you often after this.”
“Oysters are incredibly nutritious.”
“There’s a saying: oysters are a man’s gas station and a woman’s beauty salon.”
Although Wu Qingchuan hadn’t exactly fallen for her…
He had agreed to marry her.
Considering he was the sturdy thigh she planned to cling to, Shen Niao didn’t mind treating him a little better.
Wu Qingchuan picked up the pancake and took a bite.
His eyebrows rose ever so slightly.
It tasted…
far better than he’d expected.
Seeing his reaction, Shen Niao quietly curled her lips upward.
Hmph.
This is just a tiny fraction of this chef’s power.
Surprised, aren’t you?
The subtle exchange between the two went unnoticed by Li Jianguo and Zhang Cuihua.
What caught their attention instead was her description of oysters.
“What does that saying mean?” Li Jianguo asked curiously.
“Yeah, what does that mean?” Zhang Cuihua echoed.
Shen Niao paused.
She’d forgotten that in this era, there weren’t any gas stations or beauty salons.
“If a car runs out of fuel, it can’t move anymore.”
“So it means oysters give men strength.”
“And they help women become prettier.”
Zhang Cuihua gasped.
“Really?”
“I had no idea they were that amazing!”
“Then Jianguo and I are definitely eating oysters more often.”
Li Jianguo nodded repeatedly.
“Exactly.”
“They’re easy enough to collect. We can just go to the beach ourselves.”
Listening to the married couple enthusiastically discussing oysters, Shen Niao silently picked up a piece of char siu rib.
Well…
If they end up having a few more children in the future… don’t blame me.
Every dish Shen Niao cooked received unanimous praise.
As Zhang Cuihua put it:
“That oyster tofu soup was so fresh it nearly made my tongue fall off!”
“The steamed fish was unbelievably tender and silky.”
“And with that special soy sauce you made—it was absolutely delicious.”
She even pulled out a little notebook and carefully wrote down all the cooking tips.
These dishes were officially becoming staples in her household.
Especially the oysters.
After all…
they were supposedly good for both men and women.
Once lunch was over, Zhang Cuihua quickly cleared away the dishes.
Shen Niao didn’t even pretend to help.
She hated washing dishes.
The greasy feeling made her hands uncomfortable.
Not wanting to overstay their welcome, she and Wu Qingchuan left Zhang Cuihua’s home together and walked side by side back toward the guesthouse.
There were plenty of people moving about inside the military family compound.
Many greeted Wu Qingchuan as they passed, and he acknowledged each one with a nod.
Even more eyes, however, landed on Shen Niao.
Some were teasing.
Some understanding.
Others curious.
Many simply amazed by her beauty.
Shen Niao remained perfectly composed under all the attention.
She walked beside Wu Qingchuan, maintaining about an arm’s length between them.
It was a distance that preserved proper boundaries…
yet somehow still carried a hint of intimacy.
One was cold and stoic.
The other bright and captivating.
His white naval uniform paired unexpectedly well with her green floral dress.
Before long, someone stepped forward to stop Wu Qingchuan for a chat.
The man’s gaze openly swept toward Shen Niao.
“Captain Wu…”
“And who might this be?”