“Continue my ass!” Lu Huaizhou’s face was so dark it could practically drip ink.
He suddenly sat up, ignoring the lingering pain in his leg, and roared at the few men staring and leering at the door: “All of you, get in here!”
What kind of nonsense were these guys thinking?
He’d only let out a hum, and somehow, in their minds, it had turned into… that thing.
Su Hongxia still sat at the edge of the bed, one hand on his leg, looking completely innocent as she tilted her head at the strangers in the doorway, seemingly oblivious to the chaos.
Deputy Commander Zhang Yuan and the two other battalion commanders flinched at Lu Huaizhou’s roar, exchanging nervous glances before reluctantly stepping inside.
“A-actually, Lao Lu, we… we just heard you’re going for a check-up today, so we came to see you,” Zhang Yuan stammered, trying to look sincere and proper, though his eyes couldn’t help darting to Su Hongxia.
So this was the so-called fool wife? Pretty enough… but her courage was something else, walking around like this in broad daylight…
“What are you looking at!” Lu Huaizhou grabbed a pillow and threw it at Zhang Yuan. “Look at my wife again with those filthy eyes, and I’ll gouge them out!”
Zhang Yuan dodged quickly, chuckling awkwardly. “I didn’t look, didn’t look. I was just curious… is she… massaging your leg?”
He didn’t believe it for a second. That posture didn’t look like a leg massage.
“Yeah,” Su Hongxia piped up in her crisp voice, hopping off the bed, clapping her hands with confidence. “Lu Huaizhou’s leg hurts, so I’m massaging it. Li Chijiao said the more you massage, the more the blood circulates, the less it hurts.”
She walked to the table, picked up the thermos, and poured water for them, movements natural and generous, completely lacking any awkwardness a new wife might show in front of strangers.
The men exchanged looks. Could it be… they’d really overthought things?
Lu Huaizhou, face still stern, pointed to the stone bench outside: “All of you, go sit out there.”
After the earlier “misunderstanding,” he didn’t want to stay inside another second.
They moved to the courtyard, but the atmosphere remained awkward.
Zhang Yuan and the others had another motive for coming.
The rumor in the compound was that Lu Huaizhou had married a fool, one who couldn’t even cook, subsisting on scraps at home.
Feeling sympathetic, they’d brought some food from their families, packed in aluminum boxes, hoping to help.
“Lao Lu, your… your wife is new and might not be familiar with things yet. We brought some food, let’s eat together,” said a battalion commander surnamed Li, placing the aluminum boxes on the stone table, nervously rubbing his hands.
Originally, they meant to help Lu Huaizhou, but after the scene they’d witnessed, presenting the food now felt… odd.
Lu Huaizhou glanced at the boxes, but before he could speak, Su Hongxia peeked out of the kitchen.
“You haven’t eaten yet, right? Wait a moment, I’ll be ready soon.”
She ducked back inside.
Zhang Yuan and the others exchanged uncertain glances.
“Lao Lu… is that… safe?” Zhang Yuan whispered. “Don’t let her burn down the kitchen.”
“Yeah, maybe we should just eat what we brought. Liu Saozi’s braised eggplant is really good,” Li suggested.
In their minds, what could a fool cook? Even not burning the pot or confusing salt for sugar would be miraculous.
Lu Huaizhou said nothing, only took a sip of the water Su Hongxia had poured.
A subtle expectation rose in him. He wanted to see what her cooking could do—to shock these men who hadn’t seen much of the world.
Soon, a rich, commanding aroma of meat wafted from the kitchen.
Complex and full-bodied, with the savory scent of soy sauce, the sweetness of rock sugar, and a mix of spices, it brazenly entered everyone’s nostrils, stirring appetites instantly.
“Glurp.”
Zhang Yuan swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the kitchen door. “What… is that smell? So fragrant?”
“Looks like… braised pork?” Li murmured, uncertain.
But this braised pork smelled better than any he had ever eaten.
Then, a tangy, spicy fragrance and a roasted garlic aroma followed, making them completely restless, stretching their necks like hungry chicks.
Finally, Su Hongxia emerged with a large tray from the kitchen.
When she placed it steadily on the stone table, Zhang Yuan and the others were dumbstruck.
In the center was a plate of shiny, deep-red braised pork. Each cube was cut perfectly, the fatty parts translucent, the lean parts coated in sauce, garnished with a few sprigs of bright green scallions.
Next to it was a plate of Di San Xian (stir-fried eggplant, potato, and green pepper). Fried, then coated in sauce, glossy and appetizing.
And a plate of ordinary sour and spicy shredded potatoes.
Su Hongxia had cut the potatoes with machine-like precision, each strand distinct, sprinkled with red chili pieces and green cilantro, the colors visually appealing.
Steamed white rice was served in a large wooden bowl, steaming hot.
“Did… did my wife really make this?” Zhang Yuan stuttered, eyes almost glued to the braised pork.
“Eat,” Su Hongxia said, scooping a large bowl of rice for each and handing them chopsticks.
In unison, their chopsticks shot toward the braised pork like arrows from a bow.
Zhang Yuan grabbed a piece, ignoring the heat, and popped it in his mouth.
The fat melted like fine pudding, without a trace of greasiness, only full-bodied gelatinous sweetness.
The lean meat was tender and flavorful, dissolving on the tongue, salty with a hint of sweetness, rich with sauce.
“Delicious! So delicious!” Zhang Yuan mumbled, grabbing piece after piece.
Li and the other battalion commander ate without lifting their heads. The Di San Xian was flavorful; eggplant soft, potatoes fluffy, peppers crisp—mixed with rice, they could eat three bowls.
Even the simple shredded potatoes, tangy and crisp, were the perfect palate cleanser.
Their food boxes, brought along, were abandoned in a corner, untouched.
Lu Huaizhou watched these ravenous comrades, amused and proud.
He ate slowly, but his eyes never left the braised pork.
Seeing the last fatty piece being reached for, Lu Huaizhou’s chopsticks struck with precision, claiming it for himself.
“Hey, Lao Lu…” Zhang Yuan’s chopsticks clutched empty air, frustration written all over his face.
“This is my wife’s cooking. I’ll take one more. Got a problem with that?” Lu Huaizhou raised an eyebrow, protecting his food like never before.
Zhang Yuan dared not speak, eating quietly.
The meal was finished in a whirlwind. Plates were spotless, even the sauce soaked into rice bowls.
Full and satisfied, the men leaned back, gazes at Su Hongxia transformed.
They no longer saw a fool, but someone divine.
“Sister-in-law, your skills are unbelievable!” Zhang Yuan sincerely gave a thumbs-up. “Even the state hotel chefs aren’t this good!”
“Exactly! Commander, you’re very lucky!” Li agreed.
Su Hongxia blushed, smiling innocently: “Pot good, pot good.”
Even in her simplicity, there was charm.
After the meal, the men were about to leave.
Zhang Yuan suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead. “Oh right, Lao Lu, I almost forgot. Lin Wan’er is coming back from abroad. She went with the troupe for overseas performances and will return soon.”
At the mention of Lin Wan’er, the atmosphere stiffened.
The slight smile on Lu Huaizhou’s face vanished. He glanced at the neatly cleaned photo frame on the table and said coldly, “Whether she comes back is none of my business.”
“True, but everyone in the compound knows she once wanted to marry you. Seeing you… married… who knows what might happen? Especially…” Zhang Yuan leaned in, lowering his voice. “Especially, she seems unaware of your leg injury.”
Su Hongxia paused mid-cleaning.
Lin Wan’er? The woman in the photo frame?
She looked up and caught Lu Huaizhou frowning, a complex emotion in his eyes.
Zhang Yuan coughed, realizing he’d overstepped, and quickly left with the others.
The courtyard was quiet again.
Su Hongxia finished cleaning the dishes and returned, seeing Lu Huaizhou still on the stone bench, staring at the photo frame he had held.
She walked over, picked up the frame, weighed it in her hand, and asked curiously: “Lu Huaizhou, that Lin Wan’er—was she your girlfriend before?”