Chapter 7 A Minor Stir Over the Packed Meal

The supply at the mountain cooperative was limited every day, and by the time An Yan arrived, many items had already been sold out. The women from the compound would line up early in the morning just to get their hands on fresh vegetables.

"Things at the cooperative are in such high demand," An Yan mused, a business opportunity suddenly flashing through her mind.

She picked out some of the remaining vegetables from the shelves. Fortunately, there were still eggs and a bit of meat left. Without much thought, she put them all into her basket. She also bought some seasonings, spending a total of four yuan and seventy cents.

The prices made An Yan sigh in amazement—a mere four yuan, which in her previous life would only buy a bottle of soda, now got her nearly a whole basket of goods.

Before leaving, she noticed that they actually had White Rabbit milk candy here, though the price was, tsk tsk, even higher than meat. No wonder Wang Guilan had looked so surprised earlier when she saw An Yan giving Erdan some candy. Most families really couldn't bear to buy such luxuries.

But considering the three children at home and that neighborhood kids often came over to play, An Yan decided to buy some anyway—after all, she had a fortune of eight hundred yuan on her. With a casual wave of her hand, she bought ten yuan worth of White Rabbit candies.

The staff at the cooperative eyed her unfamiliar yet generous face, whispering among themselves, all guessing which family this "wasteful woman" belonged to.

When she got home, Lin Nuannuan and Erdan were squatting outside playing with mud, their little faces smudged all over, with no sign of Wang Guilan. Instead, smoke was curling from the chimney next door.

Remembering that she needed to bring lunch to Lin You at noon, An Yan got to work. The earthen stove was fine in every way except for the trouble of starting the fire—more troublesome than cooking itself.

Once the fire was going, An Yan washed the meat, blanched it, then caramelized some sugar in the pot, stir-frying the meat until it took on a glossy sheen. As time passed, the sauce grew thicker, and the fragrance wafted through the air.

"Aunt An, what delicious thing are you making? It smells so good," Erdan said, tugging Nuannuan by the hand as they stood in the doorway, poking their little heads in, noses twitching adorably—though the snot bubble was a bit comical.

"How about Erdan eats lunch at Auntie's house today?" she offered.

"Really? Can I?" The aroma from the kitchen made him gulp several times, unable to move away.

Checking the time, An Yan set the rice on the stove and steamed an egg each for the two children. Since the house only had two pots, she had to wait for the meat to finish before she could cook two vegetable dishes.

"Erdan, Auntie needs to bring lunch to your uncle now. Take care of your little sister while I'm out," she instructed.

Erdan agreed happily. An Yan patted the little one’s head with a word of praise before turning into the kitchen to find two aluminum lunch boxes in the cupboard. Before leaving, she packed food for the two children as well.

She planned to ask Wang Guilan next door to keep an eye on them as she left, but just as she stepped outside, Wang Guilan came over carrying two dishes.

"Xiao An, you've already finished cooking?" Wang Guilan said in surprise, seeing the lunch boxes in An Yan’s hands. She had thought this girl wouldn’t know how to cook and had brought two dishes herself, intending to send them to Lin You.

"Yes, Aunt Wang. I was just about to come find you. The children are eating inside—could you help keep an eye on them?"

"No trouble at all. The regiment headquarters is just east out of the main gate—there's a sign," Wang Guilan replied.

An Yan thanked her and set off toward the headquarters as directed.

When Wang Guilan entered and saw three dishes and a soup on the table, she was astonished. The spread was as good as what you'd see at New Year’s. The aroma was mouthwatering, and the children were eating so heartily that their mouths were slick with oil. Compared to this, the dishes she’d brought seemed paltry indeed.

On her way, An Yan passed several other wives carrying meals. Some who didn’t recognize her eyed her curiously, then whispered among themselves.

An Yan felt their gazes but remained calm—let them gossip if they wished, it didn’t bother her. When she saw faces from the morning, she greeted them naturally as well.

As she walked, her mind wandered to the time she had pushed her company to go public, achieved financial freedom, and enjoyed a comfortable life. Yet over time, she found herself nostalgic for the carefree days at her grandparents’ countryside home. She had never expected to experience such a life again, but here she was, living it anew. Whatever might come, she was ready to face it—she would live a life better than before.

At that moment in the meeting room of the headquarters, a group of people emerged, Lin You among them. They had barely taken a few steps toward the captain’s office when he spotted a figure standing at the door from afar, lunchbox in hand.

"Doctor Zhu, bringing food for Captain Lin again?" people called out as they passed Zhu Yan, who was waiting at the door. Zhu Yan’s affection for Lin You was no secret at the base.

Lin You approached, frowning slightly at Zhu Yan.

She stepped forward, lunchbox in hand. "Captain Lin, I spoke to Xiao Zhe and Xiao Zhu last night—they promised me they’d go home today, so please don’t be angry anymore."

Lin You nodded, "Thank you for your trouble."

Zhu Yan beamed. "Come on, let’s have lunch."

"Doctor Zhu..." Lin You began, wanting to tell her not to bring him food anymore, but before he could finish, he noticed several people stopping in their tracks to look outside.

Instinctively, he turned—and saw another figure standing at the headquarters entrance, also carrying a lunchbox.

Today, she wore a gray overcoat over a soft white dress that fell to her ankles, with a pair of delicate black leather shoes and a bright red scarf around her neck. Her cheeks were rosy. Compared to the other women hurrying to deliver meals, she stood out distinctly.

Lin You froze. He hadn’t expected An Yan to bring him food.

An Yan already knew about Zhu Yan’s habit of delivering lunch, but running into her like this was awkward—almost melodramatic.

Lin You strode over, his deep voice unchanged. "What brings you here?"

Those nearby were stunned. Was this girl here for Captain Lin? What was their relationship? And seeing the lunchbox in her hand, could it be she was also bringing him food? A glance at Zhu Yan’s darkening face seemed to confirm their suspicions.

An Yan raised her eyebrows, casting a meaningful look at Zhu Yan not far away, her voice tinged with subtle reproach. "Why? Am I not allowed to come? Or am I disturbing you?"

"You know I didn’t mean it that way," Lin You replied in his usual calm tone, betraying no emotion and offering no explanation.

"Then what do you mean?" An Yan was clearly not willing to let him off so easily, stepping forward.

A faint fragrance drifted to him, and for the first time, the iron-willed man felt a hint of panic. Under the gaze of the crowd, he took her hand and said, "Let’s talk in the office."