Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“So, are you sharing it with me?” He was touched that his daughter would think of him when she had good food at the Qiao family’s residence.
“Don’t waste it, Dad, hurry. I suppose if you don’t hurry, the porridge will be finished by others.”
“Okay, I will hang up now.” Shi Peng did not expect that his daughter had made a phone call just to inform him to have some of the porridge. He was glad that she was filial to him.
“Dad, remember to have it.”
“I will hang up now.” Shi Peng hung up the phone first. He was a man and Zhai Sheng’s elder. Even if he really wanted to have the shredded chicken porridge, he would not sound so bold and righteous like Shi Qing.
However, after hanging up the phone, Shi Peng felt that since his daughter was being filial, he should appreciate her effort. Since Qing Qing was full of praise for the shredded chicken porridge, he should give it a try. It was not the working style of the soldiers to let food go to waste.
After having the shredded chicken porridge that Shi Qing recommended, Shi Peng had to agree that it had a different flavor. It was fresh and tasted just right.
However, the porridge that Qing Qing had should be better than what he had. Qiao Nan cooked the porridge herself, while the porridge that he had was prepared by the chef using Qiao Nan’s method.
Shi Peng had two big bowls of porridge in the kitchen. He left feeling extremely full.
“Regiment Commander Zhai, you’re up.” The soldier who stood guard outside heard movements in Zhai Sheng’s room. He opened the door to check.
Zhai Sheng propped himself up with the uninjured arm. There was a slight flush on his tanned face. “You can go out first. If there’s anything, I will call for you.”
“Yes, Regiment Commander Zhai!” The soldier returned to his position at the doorway. He heard the sound of running water coming from the room. The soldier smiled. It turned out that Regiment Commander Zhai needed the toilet.
The soldier went back into the room when he no longer heard the sound of running water. He opened the curtains and the windows. Even though it was warm outside, it was better than the stagnant air in the room. It was good to have some ventilation.
“Regiment Commander Zhai, are you hungry? The porridge is ready. Shall I send someone to get it for you?”
“Porridge?” Zhai Sheng had a strong constitution. After taking the medicine and having a good sleep, he was making a speedy recovery. His wounds healed faster than the average person. “Sure, bring it here.”
It was fine that the meal was light. It was more important to appease his hunger.
Zhai Sheng was surprised when he noticed the familiar smell of the porridge. “Is Comrade Xiao Qiao in the army camp?” The shredded chicken porridge must be prepared by Nan Nan.
But Zhai Sheng frowned slightly when he took a sip of the porridge. The taste was not as good.
“Teacher Xiao Qiao seemed to have left something behind when she left, so she returned to the camp yesterday. She happened to know that Regiment Commander Zhai was hurt, so she came to check on you. She also taught the canteen chef how to prepare shredded chicken porridge so that you can have them.”
“Where’s Comrade Xiao Qiao?” She could not have left anything behind. She must have come back to the army camp to check on him.
“She went back with Officer Shi’s daughter yesterday. Regiment commander, is the porridge delicious? Many people said that the porridge is very tasty. I wonder whether it has turned bad after a night.”
“It hasn’t turned bad.” Zhai Sheng felt energized and alert as if he had taken a nourishment pill. He was greeted with a familiar food that his beloved had prepared for him. He felt warm inside by her concern and love for him. “Get me another bowl of porridge. I am famished.”
Since Zhai Sheng had the appetite, the soldier went to the canteen to get another bowl of porridge for him.
“Another bowl.” Since it was prepared by his girlfriend, though Zhai Sheng had just woken up, he had the impulse to finish them in one go.
The soldier blinked nervously. “There’s no more porridge left. I have given all that was left to you. Regiment commander, you have just woken up from sleep. Is it okay to have so much porridge?”
“How is it possible that nothing is left?” Zhai Sheng did not believe his words. “Surely there should be more than two bowls of porridge? One should at least be able to prepare a pot of porridge using one whole chicken.”
Back when Nan Nan prepared the porridge for Uncle Qiao, he was always by her side. No matter how small the chicken was, there should be more than two bowls of porridge.
“Oh, hehehe…” The soldier who was at a loss for words scratched his head and smiled foolishly.
Zhai Sheng put down the bowl and drank half a cup of water. “Tell me, what happened to the remaining porridge?”
“Well, the political commissar seemed to have two bowls of porridge yesterday. Officer Shi is not in good health, so he had two bowls today. Officer Shi said that the weather is too hot and that the porridge may turn bad after a long time. As for the political commissar, he said he had a valid reason for having the porridge.” He had no idea what the valid reason was.
In short, the higher-ups in the army had some of the porridge that was meant for Regiment Commander Zhai. There was no way that the soldier could stop them.
“Okay, I understand. You can go out to fetch some water for me.” Zhai Sheng calmed himself down. Since it was the veterans in the army who had his porridge, as the junior, he could do nothing about it.
To put it bluntly, they were merely two bowls of porridge. It was nothing special.
“Wait, what about my clothes?” He remembered he was still in the clothes that he wore for his mission when he lay down to rest. “Who helped me change my clothes!” Zhai Sheng knitted his brows in anger.
“It seemed to be Teacher Xiao Qiao.” The soldier jumped in shock and pushed all the responsibility to Qiao Nan. “When Teacher Xiao Qiao came into the room, you were sweating profusely. Although the wound had been cleaned, treated, and bandaged, you had not taken the medicine. Teacher Xiao Qiao fed you the medicine and water. She then wiped you down and changed your clothes.”
“Did Comrade Xiao Qiao do all these by herself?” What the soldier said caused a stir in Zhai Sheng’s heart. It was Nan Nan who wiped him down and helped him change his clothes? Why did he not have any impression at all?
Zhai Sheng was upset because of that.
“I, I helped her with some of the work.”
“Comrade Xiao Qiao is a younger sister in my quad. As a soldier, I suppose you didn’t tell anyone about what happened, like what women usually do?” Zhai Sheng was slightly appeased. Nan Nan was always fearful of others knowing their relationship. He did not expect that Nan Nan would be so worried for him when he was wounded.
Even though Nan Nan had not married him, and he had not submitted his marriage report, what Nan Nan did was what a wife would do.
“No, absolutely not.” The soldier waved his hand repeatedly. “When Teacher Xiao Qiao left yesterday, Company Commander Zhou happened to be there and asked a few random questions. In fact, Company Commander Zhou has already told me that Teacher Xiao Qiao is regiment commander’s sister.” Furthermore, he was the one who did most of the wiping and he was the one who changed the clothes. How could he possibly tell this to everyone?
