Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The buns were prepared quickly.

The dough had already risen fully, and it seemed that everyone was no stranger to making buns as they went about their preparations in an orderly manner.

Xu Yuqing was seasoning the fillings while Fang Guogang mixed the vegetables and meat together. In front of him were six large basins, four filled with Chinese cabbage and two with leeks. The small ball of meat on top looked rather pitiful.

Xu Yuqing instructed Old Fang to mix the filling evenly, adding seasonings as he did so.

Salt, soy sauce, pepper, sugar, a bit of green onion, and oil.

Fang Guogang watched silently, memorizing everything in his heart.

The subsequent seasoning was similar, simple. Fang Guogang recalled how he used to season the bun fillings, throwing in whatever was available in the kitchen for fear that it wouldn't be flavorful enough. Compared to that, Xu Yuqing's method was refreshingly straightforward.

"Isn't this too bland?"

Xu Yuqing shook her head. "Cabbage buns should highlight the fresh aroma and sweetness of the cabbage. Too much seasoning would overpower it. These flavors are meant for the meat. You'll see once they're steamed."

Fang Guogang nodded, not asking any further questions.

After the seasoning was done, everyone in the kitchen, except for those tending to the fire, came to help make the buns. Even Little Zheng made some decent buns.

But none in the kitchen could match Xu Yuqing.

Xu Yuqing's hands moved swiftly. The rolled-out wrappers in her hands seemed to have a life of their own, forming perfectly into shape. Each bun had eighteen pleats, not one less, standing plumply and beautifully. They appeared similar to the others but stood out distinctly in their attractiveness.

"Little Xu, you must have practiced this for a long time, right?"

Fang Guogang asked in amazement. His buns were merely pinched together, and even Little Zheng's looked better than his. But he found the process too slow and was unwilling to change. Little Xu's technique, however, was both beautiful and fast, truly impressive.

Xu Yuqing smiled faintly without saying a word. Her skills were indeed honed for the video. While the naked eye might not notice, if there was a camera focused on Xu Yuqing, one would realize the perfection in the angle of her head and the buns. She spent half a month just practicing the wrapping, making countless buns until she felt like vomiting from eating them. Eventually, she gave all the buns away.

As the buns were steamed pot by pot, Xu Yuqing saw that everyone could handle making buns, so she started preparing the vegetarian filling.

The shredded radish had already been squeezed dry of its moisture. Xu Yuqing added chopped green onions, salt, sugar, light soy sauce, ginger paste, and pepper powder. To add fragrance, she heated oil until it smoked before pouring it over the ingredients. With a sizzling sound, the filling was ready.

Xu Yuqing took chopsticks to mix the seasonings evenly. The meat buns were already being steamed on the stove. With multiple burners blazing, Xu Yuqing quickened her pace, striving to ensure that the soldiers could eat hot buns upon arrival.

Wrapping the buns was like an assembly line. As soon as the meat-filled buns were done, someone immediately took the vegetarian filling to continue wrapping.

Everyone worked efficiently, and the filling was used up quickly.

Before long, the buns began to come out of the steamer, and it was almost time for the soldiers to arrive.

The kitchen was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of buns, nearly overwhelming those who couldn't free their hands to grab one, causing them to swallow saliva repeatedly.

Old Fang controlled the heat, taking a piece to taste to check if it was cooked through.

Upon the first bite, he was surprised. The meat filling was fragrant, with a hint of sweetness, and the crunch of the cabbage was noticeable.

Delicious!

Old Fang devoured three buns in quick succession but still felt unsatisfied. Looking at the remaining buns in the pot, he resisted the urge and decided to clear the steamer baskets before indulging further.

When eating the buns, the lingering taste was fresh and aromatic, unlike those with excessive fat that left a greasy aftertaste, making one crave water.

Once the kitchen staff finished wrapping the buns, they hurriedly washed their hands, unable to wait for them to cool down before stuffing them into their mouths.

"Delicious!"

"This cabbage bun is amazing! It's not greasy at all. I feel like I could eat ten!"

"Forget it, ten? Even if you wanted to, I wouldn't give you that many!"

Laughter filled the kitchen as they ate the buns. Watching them, Xu Yuqing stretched lazily, feeling exhausted, and sat down on a chair outside.

Resting her chin on her hands, Xu Yuqing gazed at the entrance, unsure when Xie Junli would arrive.

She was quite tired from the afternoon's work and felt very sleepy now.

Fortunately, Xie Junli didn't make her wait long. Soon, Xu Yuqing spotted his familiar face among the group of soldiers.

Xu Yuqing was slightly taken aback.

Her heartbeat suddenly quickened.

Then, she quickly regained her composure.

It was all because Xie Junli was too good-looking, with his long legs and broad shoulders, standing out among the soldiers like a crane among chickens. Those who matched his looks didn't have his physique, and those with a similar build weren't as handsome as him.

Xu Yuqing took a deep breath, trying to ignore the ripples in her heart, and stood up.

"Sister-in-law, hello!" A soldier standing behind Xie Junli stepped forward, scratching his head.

"Sister-in-law, hello! Sister-in-law, you've worked hard!"

"Sister-in-law, you've worked hard!"

As the soldiers called out, it was quite intimidating, and Xu Yuqing's ears hurt a little. She smiled warmly. "Hello, you all have worked hard."

Her gentle smile caused the young soldiers' faces to flush red. Xie Junli's eyes darkened as he stepped forward to block their view.

"Tired? Let's go back early later."

"Well."

Xu Yuqing replied gently, the afternoon was still too much for her frail body at this moment.

Xie Junli didn't let Xu Yuqing move; he took the meal ticket and fetched steamed buns himself. The other soldiers couldn't resist the aroma either and hurried to get their own buns.

Buns in hand, some couldn't wait to sit down and took a bite immediately. But the buns had just come out of the steamer, cold on the outside but scalding hot inside with meat juice.

This bite resulted in a cacophony of exclamations as they were burned by the heat.

But the taste was too delicious to spit out, leading to a commotion.

The group happily finished their buns, their bellies round from being stuffed, yet they were still fighting over the cold dishes. Looking at this lively scene, Xu Yuqing couldn't help but yawn.

It was a small sound, but Xie Junli still noticed it. He subtly moved closer, "Feeling sleepy?"

"Mm."

"Then let's go."

He stood up, washed both of their lunch boxes clean, "Let's go."

"Boss, you're leaving?"

"Mm, I'll head back first. You guys enjoy your meal." Xie Junli maintained his usual cold demeanor, instantly quelling any thoughts of mischief among the group.

Forget it, why provoke this demon king? Better check if there are more buns to eat.

The cafeteria remained noisy as Xu Yuqing bid farewell to the busy kitchen staff and left with Xie Junli for home.

Perhaps it was truly too much for her, Xu Yuqing was nearly unconscious when she got home. After hastily cleaning herself, she collapsed onto the bed in a daze and fell asleep.

When she woke up the next day, the sky was bright, Xie Junli had already left, and the pillow felt cold. Xu Yuqing yawned, buried her head again, and fell back asleep.

By the time she was fully awake, it was already ten o'clock. Xu Yuqing quickly washed up, put on her clothes, and rushed out.

She had planned the menu for today yesterday, but for some reason, her heart felt uneasy.

Xie Junli had been gone for two days. These two days were somewhat challenging for Xu Yuqing, mainly because there was no one to wash the dishes.

She hated greasy things the most, but with Xie Junli away, she had no choice but to do it herself.

Now, in the kitchen and at the daycare, Xu Yuqing was handling everything with ease. Her abilities were fully displayed, and everyone treated her well. Logically speaking, these two days should have been quite pleasant for Xu Yuqing.

But for some reason, she had been having nightmares every night recently.

Looking at the slightly haggard woman in the mirror, Xu Yuqing frowned as she applied her Snow Flower cream.

I should burn the fire warmer tonight.

Maybe it's because it's too cold that I haven't slept well.

The freshly cleaned Xu Yuqing lay comfortably under the covers, warmth enveloping her. She closed her eyes, her consciousness beginning to fade, when suddenly there was a commotion outside.

At first, Xu Yuqing didn't pay attention, assuming it was the neighbors, but the knocking on the door grew louder. And this knocking was on her own door?

In a flash, Xu Yuqing thought of Xie Junli. She sat up hurriedly, grabbed the coat beside the bed, and walked out in large strides.

Indeed, it was her own door. Xu Yuqing's heart grew increasingly anxious. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

It was a group of soldiers, not the person she wanted to see.

Xu Yuqing didn't know whether to be relieved or scared. She asked with a hint of panic, "What happened?"

"Sister-in-law, Commander Xie..."

As he spoke, tears started falling. Xu Yuqing's heart sank even further.

But then she remembered that in the original book, he didn't die at this time. Xu Yuqing felt a slight sense of relief, "What exactly happened!?"

Her sharp voice startled them, making them realize their misleading words. But at that moment, a younger-looking soldier couldn't hold back anymore and ran out to say,

"Sister-in-law! Commander Xie was bitten by a wolf. He's currently at the Military District Hospital!"

Before the words were even finished, Xu Yuqing was already gone, running towards the place in her memory.

Pale-faced and panting heavily, Xu Yuqing finally arrived at the Military District Hospital.

"You, hello! I want to ask where the person bitten by a wolf is?!"

"Wolf, you mean Commander Xie, right? Commander Xie is in the innermost room. The doctor is inside now, you can't rush in, you can only wait outside."

Xu Yuqing nodded immediately, not bothering to thank him before rushing off.

There were wooden chairs in the corridor, and Xu Yuqing couldn't hold on any longer. Weakly, she sat down, leaning against the wall, taking deep breaths.

Not long after she sat down, the group of young soldiers also arrived. They all looked around the same age, some still wiping away tears.

Xu Yuqing didn't feel like talking either. For a while, the corridor was silent.

After a long time, the room door finally opened, and a doctor came out.

He wore a white coat, but it was patched up in places. "Who's the family member?"

"It's me! I'm the family member." Xu Yuqing stood up hurriedly, looking at him expectantly.

"Commander Xie lost a lot of blood, but there's no major danger now. However, he's still unconscious. He must recover properly later, otherwise, this hand might be lost." The doctor sighed, speaking earnestly.

Xu Yuqing nodded repeatedly, "Can I go in and see him?"

"Alright, but keep it down; we need to let the patient rest properly."

"Sure thing!"

"It's all thanks to Commander Xie's good fortune that Doctor Wu happened to be here tonight. With Doctor Wu in charge, we were able to act so swiftly! Otherwise, it could have been dangerous."

Doctor Wu?

Xu Yuqing moved slowly into the room, only to see an elderly person with graying hair by the bedside, looking at Xie Junli.

She must be Doctor Wu, thought Xu Yuqing as she approached, offering her gratitude.

"Doctor Wu, thank you so much. When my beloved wakes up, I'll make sure to convey our personal thanks!"

But when she saw Doctor Wu, she was taken aback.

Doctor Wu... had red-rimmed eyes, as if she had been crying?