There weren’t many kitchen helpers in the mess hall. The head cook was Zou Zhengping himself. There were two other helpers, both women from the unit, and a military cook who was responsible for purchasing grain and other supplies from the local villagers.
The cashier was a young woman who handled the accounts for both the unit and the mess hall, but she wasn’t there at the moment.
Zou Zhengping called everyone over and introduced them to Qin Yue’e one by one.
“This is Auntie Liu, this is Sister-in-law Qi, and this is our purchasing clerk, Xiao Dong!”
Qin Yue’e quickly nodded and greeted everyone.
Everyone looked at her curiously.
So this is the wife Captain Huo brought to the unit?
She looks like someone who can endure hardship. She’s so thin that even a dog would shake its head at the sight of her. She probably had a good build originally, but she’s terribly thin now.
Auntie Liu took Qin Yue’e’s hand, her eyes filled with sympathy.
“Child, you’ve suffered. You don’t look very old. How old are you this year?”
“Twenty-two…” Qin Yue’e answered softly.
“Only twenty-two! What a hard life you’ve had! How did you end up like this? Captain Huo isn’t poor either… sigh…”
Everyone knew what could happen between a husband and wife.
Auntie Liu had lived long enough to know exactly what men were like.
She immediately became indignant.
“Humph! They’ve all been educated by the state, but men are still no good!”
Zou Zhengping and Xiao Dong were dragged into the accusation for no reason at all. They immediately looked everywhere except at Auntie Liu.
Sister-in-law Qi laughed.
“Now that you’ve joined our unit, you’re family. Just stay here without worry. If you need anything or are short of something, tell us! What about the two children?”
Qin Yue’e gave a shy smile.
“They’re outside. Sister Wei is looking after them.”
“Hey!” Sister-in-law Qi laughed. “That couldn’t suit Wei Wenjie better. She absolutely loves children! Just leave your two little ones with her. You won’t even need to hire a teacher!”
Zou Zhengping pointed toward the shelves in the kitchen.
“Xiao Qin, this is basically what our kitchen looks like right now. There are a lot of people eating, so we’re definitely short-handed. Luckily, we only have one proper meal to prepare each day. In the afternoon, we usually just make do with something simple.”
“How about you work with Auntie Liu washing and preparing vegetables? Our mess hall provides three meals a day, and you’ll also receive five yuan in wages each month.”
Wages?
Qin Yue’e was surprised.
“Deputy Director Zou, Sister Wei told me there weren’t any wages for this job…”
“Oh, that was before. We’re about to establish a residential area for military families, so more people will be coming here soon. The rules are bound to change. Don’t listen to what she said. If you’re satisfied, just start working!”
Qin Yue’e’s face immediately lit up.
She was more than willing!
Who would have thought that a job she had taken simply to earn enough food would actually come with a salary?
She immediately nodded.
“Alright! Deputy Director Zou, I see everyone is about to come for breakfast. Why don’t I start right away?”
“Good!”
Zou Zhengping liked her straightforward attitude. He immediately had Auntie Liu bring her a set of work clothes and told Qin Yue’e to start serving food.
Behind the kitchen, Zou Zhengping walked out the back door.
Liu Shudong was already waiting for him.
He hurriedly asked,
“How did it go? Did she take the money?”
“She did.”
Zou Zhengping nodded, then frowned.
“Little Huo really is something. Why did you have to step in just to make sure his wife got her wages? He had to do it secretly like this!”
The moment Liu Shudong heard Huo Guangji’s name, he immediately snorted.
“Hmph! If I hadn’t withheld half of his salary last night, that brat wouldn’t have handed it over himself! That little punk. I should’ve suspended him!”
“Ah…”
Zou Zhengping patted Liu Shudong on the shoulder.
“Don’t be too hard on Little Huo. You and I both know his character. There must be some misunderstanding between them.”
“As for the matter between the husband and wife, I think we should let them work it out themselves. Give me that dozen or so yuan you brought. I’ll find ways to quietly make sure Xiao Qin gets it. She won’t lose out.”
“We can only do that.”
Liu Shudong sighed.
Morning exercises ended early.
By a little after seven, the troops had already lined up at the mess hall for breakfast.
A new face behind the serving window immediately caught everyone’s attention.
Liu Fushui quickly nudged Huo Guangji, who was near the front.
“Captain! Look! It’s Sister-in-law!”
Huo Guangji frowned and looked up.
Sure enough, he immediately spotted Qin Yue’e behind the window, wearing a white kitchen uniform.
Her long hair, which had been hanging loose, was now braided and tucked neatly beneath a white cap.
He felt a tiny bit disappointed.
She looked better with her hair down.
Just as he was thinking that, several men suddenly pushed him forward.
“Quick, quick! I’m getting in Sister-in-law’s line!”
“Me too!”
“Me too!”
The young soldiers rarely saw a young woman around the unit, let alone one this attractive.
They immediately became excited and started squeezing toward Huo Guangji’s line.
Huo Guangji’s expression darkened.
“What are you all pushing for? Get in the proper line!”
Seeing those young men desperately trying to squeeze in front of Qin Yue’e made him inexplicably irritated.
“Hey, hey, hey! Captain’s jealous! Hahaha!”
The young soldiers burst into laughter.
“Bullshit!”
Huo Guangji’s face turned dark all the way down to his neck.
Then he heard Qin Yue’e’s cold voice from the other side of the window.
“What would you like, comrade?”
Comrade?
She was calling him comrade?
Huo Guangji immediately frowned.
He leaned his sharp, chiseled face through the serving window and stared directly at Qin Yue’e.
Fine, she didn’t have to give him face when they were alone.
But how could she refuse to acknowledge him in front of his fellow soldiers?
“I’m your husband,” he emphasized in a deep voice.
“Oh.”
Qin Yue’e couldn’t help rolling her eyes.
“So which dishes do you want, my husband?”
That’s more like it.
Huo Guangji’s mood improved slightly.
He casually pointed at two vegetable dishes.
“Those two. And two steamed buns made from mixed grains.”
Like a pig. He sure eats a lot.
Qin Yue’e grabbed his lunchbox and angrily served the food into it. She then tossed two mixed-grain buns inside, hoping that his face would disappear from the window as quickly as possible.
But after taking the lunchbox, he didn’t leave immediately.
“Have you and the children eaten?”
“We have. No need for you to worry!”
Qin Yue’e answered coldly.
“Good.”
Huo Guangji didn’t seem to notice her attitude at all.
“The provisions that logistics allocated for the three of you were sent to me. I’ll bring them to you after I finish eating.”
“No need! I won’t get off work until this afternoon. We’ll talk about it later.”
Qin Yue’e rolled her eyes.
She remembered perfectly well how this man had treated her.
Did he really think she couldn’t go to logistics herself to get their provisions?
But the man standing opposite her frowned.
“Why are you getting off so late? What will happen to the children if you’re working that late?”
Now you know how to worry about the children?
Where was this concern before?
Qin Yue’e was afraid she’d lose her temper and flatten that handsome face with the ladle in her hand.
So she simply reached out and slammed the serving window shut.
Bang!
The small window slammed shut right in front of Huo Guangji, nearly catching his nose.