Back home, Mu Youyou first rinsed the clams several times until the water ran clear. She then added fresh water, a few spoonfuls of salt, and a few drops of cooking oil to soak them.
While she was busy in the yard, she noticed Gu Beiting coming out of the room carrying the bed sheets for washing, and her cheeks turned red.
“Leave it there, I’ll wash it later.”
“I’ll do it. I don’t cook, so laundry at home is my responsibility,” Gu Beiting said with a smile. He wanted to protect his wife’s soft and delicate hands.
Hearing him, Mu Youyou felt a warm glow in her heart. She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for your hard work.”
“It’s nothing,” he replied, smiling.
After finishing the laundry and hanging it out to dry, Gu Beiting helped her in the kitchen to light the fire.
By noon, the clams weren’t ready yet, so Mu Youyou steamed a few crabs and made a crab meat noodle dish.
After lunch, she remembered the letter from the Gu family and brought it from her room to Gu Beiting.
“This letter came from home. You were injured when you returned, and things have been busy, so I forgot to give it to you.”
“You didn’t open it?” Gu Beiting asked, noticing it was still sealed.
Mu Youyou felt slightly embarrassed—she couldn’t exactly tell him that she hadn’t opened it because she didn’t know how far things with him would go at the time.
Seeing her expression, Gu Beiting immediately understood her concern. He didn’t comment, carefully opened the letter, skimmed it, and handed it to her.
“It’s for you.”
Mu Youyou took the letter—sure enough, it was from Gu Beiting’s mother. The letter said she received Mu Youyou’s previous letter and instructed her to write if Gu Beiting ever mistreated her, and to take care of herself while there.
“Mom really likes you. Before I left for Beijing to pick you up, she kept reminding me to treat you well,” Gu Beiting said. At that time, his mother had wanted him to take Mu Youyou home for a meal, but he had insisted against it.
“Mm,” Mu Youyou felt touched. In her previous life, she had no family and had always longed for familial warmth.
Her previously planted bean sprouts were ready. She saved some for dinner and, along with leftover wedding candy, divided them into three portions as thank-you gifts for Li Yumei, Liu Shuzhen, and Grandma Li.
After delivering the gifts together, they headed to the back hills.
The last time Mu Youyou had picked wild vegetables, most were lost when they fell down the hillside. She had been craving wild vegetable dumplings. Wild vegetables were a treasure in her previous life, though few families in the military area used them because life was already comfortable.
“Gu Beiting, why do so few people come to the back hills?” Mu Youyou asked curiously.
“Military families rarely come, and we train every day, so there’s little time,” he explained. The military didn’t claim ownership of the wild vegetables or animals.
During the famine years, people had eaten even the roots of wild vegetables. Now, even well-grown vegetables were left untouched.
Mu Youyou picked a lot of wild vegetables, including fish mint. The wild vegetables were for dumplings, while the fish mint could be eaten cold to cool and detoxify—perfect for summer.
“In summer, there are snakes up here. Don’t come alone,” Gu Beiting warned, worried she might sneak up while he was training.
“Okay, I understand,” she nodded.
Gu Beiting then made a shushing gesture—there was a wild chicken ahead. He bent down to pick up a stone.
The chicken sensed danger and tried to fly away, but Gu Beiting threw the stone, and it fell with a thud.
“…” Mu Youyou was amazed at his precise aim.
Seeing the wild chicken meant there must be a nest nearby. After a quick search, Gu Beiting found a nest with seven eggs.
“Wow, amazing!” Mu Youyou looked at him with admiration.
“These skills help us survive during field missions,” he said, smiling, putting the chicken and eggs into the basket.
Back home, Gu Beiting plucked and cleaned the chicken, hanging it for later. That night, they had clams, eel, and bean sprouts; the chicken was saved for tomorrow.
Mu Youyou braised the eel, made spicy clams, stir-fried the bean sprouts, and prepared wild vegetable dumplings as the main dish.
“These dumplings are delicious,” Gu Beiting said, chewing happily. He remembered trying them in the past and finding them hard to eat.
“You’re not paying attention to who made them,” Mu Youyou laughed. Wild vegetable dumplings required finely chopped vegetables and more dough than filling to taste good.
“Wife, your cooking is amazing,” Gu Beiting praised with a thumbs-up. Since Mu Youyou joined him in the military area, his appetite had grown; without the high-intensity training, he would gain weight quickly.
“Eat more,” she said.
“Wife, you should eat too—only if you’re full will you have energy for tonight,” he said, placing the tenderest part of the fish into her bowl.
Mu Youyou choked slightly at his words and glared at him.
“Wife, I’m sorry! Are you okay?” Gu Beiting patted her back and handed her some water.
“What’s on your mind all the time?” she said, half-scolding.
“It’s only natural,” he smiled.
After dinner, Gu Beiting cleaned up and showered. Mu Youyou had finished her bath and was cutting fabric in the room.
“Wife, I want to ask something,” Gu Beiting said, sitting beside her.
“What is it?” she asked, without looking up, focused on her work. It was hot, and she planned to make him two vests so he wouldn’t have to be shirtless every day.
“Can you make me two pairs of shorts?” he asked expectantly.
Mu Youyou froze. “Huh?”
“Before, Mom used to make them. Now that we’re married…” he said, embarrassed.
“Oh, okay,” she agreed. It was indeed awkward to trouble his mother now.
“Thank you, wife!” he exclaimed, hugging and kissing her repeatedly.
Mu Youyou gently pushed him away, cheeks flushed.
“Wife, what are you doing?” he asked, pointing to the fabric on the bed.
“Making vests for you.”
“No need, the military issues them. No need to wear them at home,” he laughed, taking the fabric from her.
“Wife, it’s time for the main event,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss before she could speak.
Although inexperienced, Gu Beiting was a young man full of vigor, and soon Mu Youyou found herself completely lost in him.