Zhou Kuangye had quite the strength in his hands. The pain from when he had spanked her bottom last time was still fresh in her memory.
Thinking of this, she hesitated again.
“What’s wrong, Su Ying? I thought you loved pork the most.”
“I…”
“Excuse me, is Zhou Kuangye, the educated youth, here?”
Zhou Kuangye was chopping meat when he faintly heard someone calling his name. He stopped chopping.
Recognizing the speaker’s voice, his pupils suddenly contracted. He threw down the cleaver and immediately walked out of the yard.
When he opened the door and saw his former subordinate, a long-missed sense of camaraderie welled up in his heart.
“Anzi, what brings you here?”
Seeing his former brave and mighty regiment commander now tanned, thinner, and wearing an apron—his usual imposing aura considerably diminished—Lu An couldn’t help but feel heartache.
The regiment commander must have suffered a lot in the countryside. He rushed forward and hugged him. “Regiment Commander, we’ve missed you so much.”
They were comrades who could entrust their backs to each other. How could Zhou Kuangye not miss them?
Patting Lu An’s back with one hand, Zhou Kuangye comforted him, “We’re seeing each other now, aren’t we? Don’t you dare shed tears, you big man, or I’ll give you a beating.”
The regiment commander was still as hot-tempered as ever. This familiar tone made Lu An feel much better.
Zhou Kuangye led him to the small alley on the right side of the house and lowered his voice. “You were doing well in the army. Why did you come looking for me?”
What worried him more was that Lu An might be implicated because of him. Lu An was already a battalion commander. If he were dragged down further, Zhou Kuangye would feel even more useless.
Wiping away his tears, Lu An beamed with excitement. “Regiment Commander, we have a mission in the county. The political commissar sent me here specifically to tell you that your family has been rehabilitated. You can return to the city soon.”
“The political commissar also said it won’t be long before you’re reinstated to your former position.”
“Regiment Commander, you’ll still be our regiment commander!”
After more than two years of silence, hearing this news couldn’t help but stir Zhou Kuangye’s emotions.
His fervent passion was meant for the army. With ambitions unfulfilled, how could he not want to return?
Clenching his fists, he couldn’t suppress the surging excitement in his eyes. “Really? I can really go back?!”
Lu An was equally excited and resolute. “Yes, Regiment Commander. The political commissar said you should return to the city first. Your family’s house has been returned to you. Once the army notifies you, you’ll be reinstated.”
“Regiment Commander, when are you going back to the city? I’ll buy your ticket!”
“I’ll…” Su Ying’s figure flashed through Zhou Kuangye’s mind, and he suddenly stopped.
His excitement subsided somewhat. “No rush. I’ll buy it myself. You focus on completing your mission in the county.”
“Don’t tell anyone about this for now. Let’s wait until everything is settled.”
“Alright, Regiment Commander. I understand. I promise to keep it secret.”
After more than two years, Lu An had a lot to say. Now, pointing at Zhou Kuangye’s apron, he remarked, “Regiment Commander, take off that apron. It really doesn’t suit you.”
His regiment commander belonged on the battlefield in a military uniform, holding a gun—not as some housewife.
Only then did Zhou Kuangye realize. He looked down at the apron—a dark red plaid base with small floral patterns, chosen by Su Ying.
Dusting it off casually, he said with ease, “What does it matter if it suits me or not? It’s all part of life.”
Moreover, he was now quite willing to wear this apron to cook for his Ying Bao, not finding anything wrong with it.
“By the way, do you have time now?”
Lu An nodded, “Captain, I have time now.”
“That’s perfect. Stay for lunch before you leave. I made it myself, and I’ll introduce you to your sister-in-law.”
After saying this, Zhou Kuangye walked out first.
“Okay… huh?”
Lu An was about to follow when he suddenly stopped, rubbing his ears. Had he heard correctly? What did he mean by introducing them to their sister-in-law?
Had the captain found a partner here?
How was that possible?
Absolutely impossible!
Many female soldiers from the cultural troupe had secretly shown interest in him, but the captain never gave them a second glance. He was like an iron tree, focused only on training, training, and more training.
If he couldn’t even take a liking to the female soldiers in the army, how could he possibly be interested in a village girl from the countryside?
This had to be fake. Maybe the captain had misspoken. Keeping this doubt in his heart, Lu An followed the captain inside, half-believing and half-skeptical.
Zhou Kuangye wanted to share the good news with Su Ying as soon as possible. He had already stepped one foot into the courtyard when he suddenly heard rustling sounds from the left alley.
He retracted his foot and walked to the left, only to find Su Ying and Lu Pingshu gathered together.
An indescribable feeling of suffocation tightened in his chest.
As a man, he naturally knew that Lu Pingshu wanted to steal his woman, but it takes two to tango. Why did Su Ying always meet him in private?
He had caught them once before when buying a cake, and now they were meeting right at their doorstep.
Would they meet right in front of him next time?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. This little girl simply wouldn’t listen.
The excitement he had felt about sharing the good news with her faded considerably.
He hadn’t wanted to lose his temper in front of Lu An, but he couldn’t help it. Step by step, he walked over.
“Comrade Lu, take your pork back. Su Ying has enough to eat, and if she doesn’t, I’ll provide for her. She already has a partner. You coming to see her will damage her reputation. You should leave quickly. If Comrade Zhou comes later, you’ll be scolded again.”
Wen Zi had circled around and come back to find Su Ying, only to see her and Lu Pingshu pulling and tugging in the small alley.
In the original plot, Lu Pingshu tried to give his pork to Su Ying, and Su Ying, greedy for the benefit, accepted it. Coincidentally, Zhou Kuangye discovered them.
Zhou Kuangye’s disappointment accumulated, and this time, he completely lost trust in Su Ying, laying a solid foundation for their eventual breakup.
But since she was here now, she couldn’t just stand by and watch. She walked over directly to drive Lu Pingshu away.
Just then.
“What are you all doing here?”
A deep male voice sounded behind them.
Everyone turned around in unison to see Zhou Kuangye blocking the entrance of the alley.
His tall figure completely blocked the alleyway, dimming the light and instantly cooling the atmosphere.
Wen Zi breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she was here. With the three of them together, Zhou Kuangye probably wouldn’t be as angry.
She stepped forward to act as a mediator, “Comrade Zhou…”
But Zhou Kuangye seemed not to see her, walking straight past her and stopping in front of Su Ying.
His voice was low, its emotion hard to discern, “Ying Bao, when did you come out?”
This was the first time Zhou Kuangye had looked at her with such cold eyes.
Su Ying immediately grew fearful, instinctively averting her gaze. Her hands, clasped behind her back, twisted together nervously as she spoke in a soft, timid voice, “I… just now, I heard someone calling me, so I came out.”