The next morning, Li Zhihuan was awakened by the sound of the compound’s loudspeaker and the marching chants of the morning drills outside the window.
She opened her eyes and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling for several seconds before finally realizing where she was.
Turning over, she pulled the blanket over her head and continued sleeping.
With the agreement in hand, the world was hers.
Starting today, she was the CEO of this household. She could wake up whenever she wanted.
And so, she slept straight through until late morning.
By the time she lazily crawled out of bed, the house was already empty.
Qi Weiguo had long since gone to the military base.
As for her mother-in-law, Lin Fen, she had probably lost too much face yesterday to come looking for trouble again. She was either sulking in her room or outside complaining to her old friends.
Quiet. Freedom.
Li Zhihuan stretched lazily, feeling every bone in her body loosen pleasantly.
Her stomach immediately began growling.
She walked into the kitchen. The stove was cold, and there wasn’t a single thing to eat.
This was exactly what she had expected.
She took out the money and ration tickets Qi Weiguo had given her yesterday, carefully tucked them into her pocket, hummed an off-key tune, grabbed a vegetable basket, and headed out.
She was going to the supply and marketing cooperative to purchase her first batch of “operational supplies.”
The military compound of the late 1970s carried an atmosphere of simplicity and strict order everywhere.
Red brick walls, green military uniforms, and red slogans painted across the walls.
Groups of military wives chatted along the road. When they saw her, they all cast strange looks her way.
Some were curious, some disdainful, and others pointed at her behind her back.
“Isn’t that Battalion Commander Qi’s troublesome wife?”
“I heard she caused another scene yesterday and even stole her mother-in-law’s money. She got caught on the spot.”
“Really? My god, how did Battalion Commander Qi end up marrying someone like that?”
“Later they said it was a misunderstanding. Who knows? Anyway, she’s definitely not easy to deal with.”
Li Zhihuan heard every word clearly, but she didn’t care in the slightest.
After enduring years of criticism at a giant internet corporation, what was this little drizzle worth?
People could say whatever they wanted. As long as it didn’t affect her salary or her sleep, they could gossip all the way to heaven for all she cared.
With light steps, she quickly arrived at the cooperative store inside the compound.
The store wasn’t large, but it was crowded.
Several sales clerks in blue work uniforms stood behind the counter with indifferent expressions.
The air was filled with the mixed smells of soy sauce, pickled vegetables, and miscellaneous goods.
“Comrade, what would you like to buy?”
one clerk asked without even lifting her head.
“I’m just looking.”
Li Zhihuan leaned over the counter.
Inside the glass display were only a few goods: several bars of soap, a few tins of clam-shell oil, and some candy and biscuits, all of which required ration tickets.
Li Zhihuan’s target was very clear.
She spotted the pork hanging at the meat stall.
Fat and lean layers mixed together with skin attached—the perfect cut for braised pork.
“Comrade, how much is this pork belly?”
“Seventy-five cents per jin, plus meat tickets.”
The clerk glanced at her.
“Alright, give me two jin.”
Li Zhihuan cheerfully took out her money and meat tickets.
For an ordinary family in this era, two jin of pork was absolutely luxurious.
The sales clerk’s attitude immediately improved a little. She quickly cut off a beautiful slab of pork belly and wrapped it neatly in brown paper.
Li Zhihuan also bought some vegetables, tofu, soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon, and other seasonings.
Spending money felt wonderful!
Just as she was carrying her basket full of spoils and preparing to leave, a slender figure brushed past her.
It was a very beautiful young woman wearing a clean but old military uniform. Her two glossy black braids hung neatly behind her, her skin was fair, and her large bright eyes made her look gentle and kind.
It was her!
A name immediately appeared in Li Zhihuan’s mind—Meng Yao.
The reborn white lotus female lead from the original novel.
Meng Yao also seemed to notice her gaze and turned around.
The moment she clearly saw Li Zhihuan’s face, obvious shock and scrutiny flashed through her eyes.
According to Meng Yao’s “past life” memories, Li Zhihuan at this point should have been haggard, venomous-looking, and despised by everyone because of the divorce drama and theft scandal.
But the Li Zhihuan before her, though dressed plainly, had a clean face, calm bright eyes, and even the faint trace of a smile at the corner of her lips.
It was the expression of someone… very satisfied with life.
Something was wrong!
Alarm bells instantly rang in Meng Yao’s heart.
Li Zhihuan merely gave her a polite nod and did not linger. Carrying her basket, she walked away.
She could feel the lingering scrutinizing gaze behind her.
Interesting.
It seemed this reborn heroine had already started questioning reality.
When Li Zhihuan returned home, Lin Fen was still nowhere to be seen.
Happy for the peace and quiet, she immediately headed into the kitchen and began showing off her skills.
Wash the rice, put it into the pot, and let it simmer slowly over low heat.
Then she started preparing the precious pork belly.
Cutting it into chunks, blanching it, removing the odor.
A little oil went into the wok. Rock sugar followed, melting into caramel. Then the pork pieces were added, each one evenly coated in a glossy brown layer.
She poured in hot water until the meat was submerged, then added scallions, ginger slices, star anise, cinnamon bark, bay leaves…
That aroma, rich with rendered fat and caramelized sweetness, was like an invisible hand, teasing the taste buds and souls of everyone who caught a whiff of it.
The first to be drawn over were the neighborhood children. One by one, they pressed against the doorway of Li Zhihuan’s house, sniffing hard, their saliva almost dripping out.
Soon after, several military wives were also attracted by the smell and gathered outside, whispering among themselves.
“Whose house is this? What are they cooking? It smells so good.”
“It’s Battalion Commander Qi’s house! Oh my god, she’s making braised pork belly!”
“What a wasteful woman! They just got paid, and she’s already eating meat like this? How are they going to live like this?”
Even though they said that, every face was filled with envy.
In the evening, Qi Weiguo finished training and walked home, exhausted.
Before he even reached his house—still more than ten meters away—he already smelled a strong fragrance of meat.
He paused in his steps.
That smell was coming from his own home.
He pushed the door open, and the aroma became even stronger.
On the dining table were three dishes and one soup.
A plate of glossy, reddish-brown braised pork belly, the chunks trembling slightly—visibly rich but not greasy.
A plate of stir-fried green vegetables.
A plate of home-style braised tofu.
And a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup.
The rice had already been served and placed on the table.
And Li Zhihuan, just having taken off her apron, was walking out of the kitchen while wiping her hands.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the heat of the stove, a few strands of damp hair stuck to her smooth forehead.
Seeing him return, she looked up and said calmly:
“You’re back? Wash your hands and eat.”
Her tone was so natural, as if they had been an old married couple for years.
Qi Weiguo froze in place.
This was the first time in a year since their marriage that he had come home to a hot meal.
It was also the first time he had ever smelled “home” in this house.
At that moment, Lin Fen also came out of her room.
She had been lured out by the irresistible smell of meat.
When she saw the plate of braised pork belly on the table, her eyes went straight.
She wanted to scold Li Zhihuan for being wasteful, but the words stuck in her throat, blocked by the aroma—leaving only the sound of her swallowing saliva.
“Mom, dinner is ready,” Li Zhihuan said politely.
This meal was eaten in unusual silence.
At first, Lin Fen still tried to maintain her authority, but after the first bite of braised pork belly, she completely surrendered.
The meat was tender and richly flavored. The fatty parts melted instantly in the mouth, while the lean parts were soaked full of sauce—fragrant but not dry.
It was too delicious!
She had never eaten braised pork belly this good in her entire life!
She no longer cared about her anger and simply buried her head in eating, devouring everything in sight.
Qi Weiguo also picked up his chopsticks.
He took a piece of braised pork belly and put it into his mouth.
The skin was soft and sticky, the fat sweet and rich, the lean meat tender and falling apart.
The thick savory-sweet sauce instantly wrapped around his taste buds.
He had always eaten military canteen food—heavy-tasting but rough.
He had never imagined that home-cooked food could taste like this.
His heart was gently struck by that single bite of soft, fragrant meat.
He looked up at Li Zhihuan across the table, who was quietly and elegantly eating her vegetables.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, she also looked up.
Their eyes met in the air.
She curved her lips slightly. That faint smile was like a pebble dropped into a lake.
For the first time, Qi Weiguo’s calm heart stirred with ripples he himself did not yet understand.
He quickly lowered his head and took a big mouthful of white rice, trying to use its plainness to suppress that strange, warm restlessness in his chest.