Chapter 25: I Cannot Eat Anymore

"Oh, why are you here? I was just about to look for you!"

Wang Youcai opened his front door, spotted Gu Qingye passing by, and immediately called out to him, "Your sister-in-law asked me to invite you and your wife over for dinner."

Gu Qingye gestured to the lunchbox in his hand. "Let's make it another time. I've already picked up the food, and we're simmering soup at home."

Wang Youcai reached out and poked Gu Qingye, chuckling as he teased, "So, even you have days like this, finally learning to be a homebody? Alright then, I won't disturb you two lovebirds. But you can't refuse next time!"

Not far away, Ding Tiesheng watched this scene, another wave of frustration welling up in his chest.

Good for you, Gu Qingye, playing two different roles!

However, having just faced a direct confrontation that he lost, and with the other man being a senior officer, there was nothing he could do. He could only trudge home, venting his pent-up anger on his own courtyard gate.

"Ding Tiesheng, are you sick in the head? You scared the life out of me!"

Battalion Commander Ding didn't just suffer grievances outside; he had to deal with his wife pulling his ear as soon as he got home—what a miserable state of affairs.

It was dinnertime, and many people were returning home. Whenever anyone asked, Gu Qingye would reply, "We're simmering soup at home."

Before long, the news spread throughout the residential compound: Battalion Commander Gu's fiancée really knew how to cherish her man, taking such good care of him with delicious food and drink the moment he got back. If you didn't believe it, you could just smell that fragrance—wasn't it intoxicating?

The women had even more to say. "Look at Battalion Commander Gu, knowing his wife had a hard day going into the mountains, he took the initiative to fetch food from the cafeteria. Now look at you lot—coming home and sprawling out, waiting for food to be served right to your mouths!"

It had to be said that the two of them were magnets for gossip; the slightest move they made would stir things up.

Before Gu Qingye even reached home, he caught a rich, savory scent.

They weren't near the sea, and the cafeteria never cooked seafood. Comrades from the coast had brought some dried shrimp and fish before, but Gu Qingye had tasted them—they were incredibly salty and fishy. Yet, this scent was purely fresh and fragrant.

Lu Youyou didn't expect Gu Qingye to be back so soon. "The bowls and chopsticks are already set. I'll just bring out the soup and we can eat."

Gu Qingye didn't go to the main room, heading straight into the kitchen instead.

"I'll do it."

He took the rag from Lu Youyou's hand, lifting the lid and taking the pot off the stove in one fluid motion. The billowing steam didn't seem to affect his movements in the slightest.

Lu Youyou watched, feeling like it was burning just looking at it. Has he practiced the Iron Palm technique or something?

She picked up the lunchbox and followed behind him, sniffing the air; she seemed to catch a hint of meat.

"Did the cafeteria stew meat today?"

"Yes. Also, Foreman Zhou from the cooking squad is back today. He said he wants to write you a letter of appreciation and that his 'students' have many questions to ask you."

Gu Qingye opened the lunchbox to show her: it was packed with potato stewed with meat, with only two or three pieces of potato and the rest being all meat.

Lu Youyou felt a bit embarrassed. "How could they be considered students? It would be a waste not to use what my grandfather taught me. My wish is just for you all to have meat to eat every day."

Gu Qingye paused. Lu Youyou was busy dishing out the rice, seemingly unaware of how "grand" her goal sounded.

"Can you remember everything your grandfather taught you? Do you need any other materials?"

Lu Youyou felt a sudden, inexplicable tension.

Borrowing someone else's authority requires choosing the right target. Gu Qingye looked like the type of ruthless character who could pick a criminal out of a crowd at a glance. Even if she embellished her story, she couldn't go too far. It was best to stick to things that could be verified, such as:

"Didn't I tell you? I have a photographic memory."

The blushing skill had to be used, but not just blushing; there had to be a hint of pride mixed with a little bit of self-conscious modesty.

Seeing that Gu Qingye was indeed surprised, Lu Youyou struck while the iron was hot. She went back to the room, brought out the two pages she had written on "Livestock Disease Care," and began to recite from the first word.

Lu Youyou spoke at a rapid pace. After finishing, she added, "I also remember the telegram you sent. Should I recite that for you too?"

Now it was Gu Qingye's turn to feel embarrassed.

Although that telegram was very ordinary, in Gu Qingye's heart, it was practically a marriage contract. If Lu Youyou were to read it aloud to his face...

"Cough, no need. I just think it's a pity you aren't continuing your university studies."

Lu Youyou waved her hand dismissively. "You can make contributions without going to university."

Gu Qingye hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you want to continue your studies?"

He remembered that if a military spouse made significant contributions, there were opportunities to be recommended to a university, though with Lu Youyou's background, he feared it would be difficult.

Lu Youyou was stunned, feeling as if her memory was in chaos. It was 1976, right? What kind of school could one even attend?

Gu Qingye continued, "If you want to go to university..."

Lu Youyou suddenly realized what he meant and quickly interrupted him. "You mean a worker-peasant-soldier college? No, no need!"

Afraid that Gu Qingye would try to find a way to get her a recommendation just to fulfill his wife's "ideal," Lu Youyou quickly clarified:

"I don't want to go to university. Life is great right now; I'm very satisfied, extremely, especially, incredibly satisfied!"

She had finally managed to join him at the base; if Gu Qingye thought she loved studying and went to great lengths to send her to university, they would be separated by distance, and she wouldn't even have a place to cry.

Gu Qingye felt a tightness in his chest and unconsciously clenched his fingers. Lu Youyou was looking at him with that same eager, expectant gaze again.

Just like when they first met at the Gu household, when she pulled his sleeve and asked if he could stay, or that evening when she waited at the village entrance, her eyes shining as she asked him when they would get married.

"Mm."

Gu Qingye turned to the side and lowered his head to dish out the rice, hiding the faint flush behind his ears.

Crisis averted, Lu Youyou breathed a sigh of relief, failing to notice the tough guy's shyness.

She took a bite of the tender pork belly and her eyes lit up. "Did the cafeteria get a new chef?"

"This is Foreman Zhou's specialty. Potato stewed with meat is his signature dish."

Seeing that Lu Youyou liked it, Gu Qingye started to put more into her bowl. She immediately pulled it away. "You eat it, you eat it! I don't really like meat!"

Poor guy, he barely gets to taste meat a few times; how could she snatch it from him?

She could still sneakily have snacks, but Gu Qingye didn't have that luxury.

If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't conjure things out of thin air, she would love to take the ginseng, abalone, shark fin, and maw from her villa and stew them all for Gu Qingye to eat.

However, this time Gu Qingye didn't listen to her, still placing piece after piece into her bowl.

Lu Youyou felt bitter, but she was no match for him—his arms were thicker than her legs.

Despite her left-and-right blocking, half the meat still ended up in her bowl.

Ten minutes later, Lu Youyou looked up, looking pathetic. "I can't eat any more..."

Gu Qingye felt a warmth in his heart—she was even pretending to be full just to get him to eat more meat.

"Be good, eat a little more."

Lu Youyou felt a lump in her throat; she couldn't be "good"—she was truly stuffed.

Yet, Gu Qingye remained unmoved.

Fine, if words didn't work, she'd show him the evidence.

Lu Youyou set down her bowl and stood up. Under Gu Qingye's puzzled gaze, she grabbed the two sides of her shirt, pulled them back, and pushed out her slightly rounded stomach.

"Look, I'm really full."

Gu Qingye was dumbfounded.

In his eyes, there was no stomach; he could only see her slender, perfectly-proportioned waistline, rising and falling with her breathing.