Chapter 53

Chapter 53

The embarrassed Comrade Xie didn’t forget to grab two hawthorns before he left. Xu Yuqing watched his cold face and the way he popped the hawthorns into his mouth as if no one else was there.

She couldn’t help but purse her lips.

Comrade Xie, your character is a bit out of place here.

Perhaps it was the hawthorns, but Xu Yuqing now felt incredibly energetic—this was the first time in many days that she hadn’t felt drowsy after lunch.

Feeling energized, she naturally wanted to do something. Xu Yuqing decided to start working on pre-prepared dishes.

In modern times, pre-prepared dishes were already quite common. Some unscrupulous merchants even sold them as freshly cooked meals.

However, this also indicated that pre-prepared dishes could taste pretty good.

But conditions weren’t ideal right now. After some deep thought, Xu Yuqing decided to start with two existing dishes and see how long they could be preserved.

In the northern winter, temperatures could drop to minus tens of degrees. She wasn’t worried about that; as long as they could be frozen, there wouldn’t be any problems.

But her ambitions didn’t stop there. She wanted to develop a canned food recipe.

Canned foods had a long shelf life, making them valuable staples.

However, as a sentimental liberal arts student, all of this was still a pipe dream.

Xu Yuqing walked into the courtyard and found the meat that Xie Junli had bought. She rinsed it with warm water to thaw it.

She planned to make two dishes: a pure meat dish, braised pork for rice, which was a sweet and savory Taiwanese dish.

This was something she had developed in the Military District’s cafeteria. People nowadays had relatively poor living conditions, so they preferred strong flavors and sweetness in their dishes.

The other dish would include vegetables: fish-flavored shredded pork.

Fish-flavored shredded pork had a strong and delicious taste. Even after secondary processing, its flavor wouldn’t be significantly affected.

At most, it might become a little softer, but it would still be great mixed with rice.

Dishes with strong flavors tended to preserve better.

The meat hadn’t fully thawed yet, so she started by preparing the ingredients. She sliced the red radish finely and set it aside. The only remaining green pepper she had was also sliced, along with ginger, scallions, garlic, and some dried goods Yan Lan had brought over, including a bit of wood ear fungus.

By then, the meat was almost ready. She took it out, sliced it, and marinated it.

She made a large portion to get a taste test result.

She heated the wok over high heat and quickly stir-fried the pork shreds until they changed color, then scooped them out. She added chili oil to the wok. Without bean paste, the flavor would be slightly different.

But in Xu Yuqing’s hands, this wasn’t a big deal. She added the ginger, scallions, and garlic, and stir-fried them over high heat to release their aroma.

To prevent the pork from becoming tough, this dish needed to be cooked quickly.

She added the prepared vegetables and stir-fried them until they softened, then added the pork shreds. Xu Yuqing began seasoning the dish.

Soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, vinegar—she sniffed lightly and added a bit more vinegar.

The aroma had already burst forth, and Xu Yuqing started finishing the dish by thickening the sauce.

For fish-flavored shredded pork, the sauce needed to be thin. She quickly stir-fried it a few times and served it.

A thin layer of sauce clung to the pork shreds, and the faint sourness wafted up, making one’s mouth water.

Xu Yuqing was quite full, but after eating the hawthorn balls, her appetite had opened up. Looking at the mouthwatering fish-flavored shredded pork in front of her, she couldn’t resist.

She immediately picked up a pair of chopsticks, scooped up a small half-bowl, and couldn’t help but take a bite before heading outside.

"Xie Junli! Try this!"

In the courtyard, Xie Junli straightened up when he heard her call. The wood beside him had been transformed into boards.

Xu Yuqing loved dishes with a sour taste—they were appetizing and went well with rice. With the joy of sharing, she stuffed a mouthful directly into Xie Junli’s mouth with her chopsticks.

"How is it? Is it good?" Xu Yuqing asked expectantly.

She wasn’t sure if this dish existed here. As far as she knew, fish-flavored shredded pork seemed to be a Sichuan or Chongqing dish.

But Xie Junli had been to Chongqing.

He must have tried it, right?

Xie Junli didn’t have time to say anything before a delicious mouthful was stuffed into his mouth. He chewed instinctively, and the taste in his mouth left him speechless for a moment. His eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but look at the bowl in Xu Yuqing’s hand.

"It’s delicious!"

He praised it without hesitation. Xu Yuqing was satisfied. She happily raised her eyebrows, and the pride emanating from within her left Xie Junli slightly stunned.

This was great. It was really great.

Under the warm midday sun, the two of them finished the small half-bowl of fish-flavored shredded pork together, each contentedly burping.

"I plan to freeze this dish. There’s no shortage of vegetables in the south, but there is in the north. This dish includes vegetables, and I want to test how much freezing affects the texture and how long it can be frozen for!"

The light in her eyes was dazzling, and Xie Junli looked at her in a daze, his gaze gentle and the corners of his lips curved upward. If his comrades saw him like this, they wouldn’t recognize him as the cold-faced commander.

After tasting the dish, Xu Yuqing started preparing it for freezing. She found four bowls and divided the portions evenly. The stool used for drying hawthorns hadn’t been put away yet, so it was perfect for placing the dishes.

However, looking at the sun, Xu Yuqing looked at Xie Junli with some concern. "It doesn’t seem as hot today. Will it freeze?"

Xie Junli also glanced at the sky. The temperature was still quite low, with chilly winds blowing, but it wasn’t as cold as the previous few days. A bit of sunshine made it feel warmer after a while.

"Place it by the door first, don't let it be exposed to the sun. Once the sun sets and it gets cold tonight, it will freeze and turn into ice."

Xie Junli affirmed, explaining that it would be different with a basin of water, but this was just a small bowl of food—a mere token gesture. Speaking of which, when Xie Junli had first come to the north, he didn't know any better and left his freshly washed clothes out to dry. They all ended up frozen solid.

At the time, he was still living in a dormitory, and this incident became a source of great laughter at Xie Junli's expense, even involving some fellow soldiers from the south.

Seeing how resolute Xie Junli was, Xu Yuqing naturally believed him without a doubt. She grunted as she moved a chair to the door and hurried back to carry the bowls of food.

The shredded pork in garlic sauce was ready, and Xu Yuqing was looking forward to seeing the results.

She turned around and started observing Xie Junli as he worked on the small cart.

It was called a small cart, but in reality, it was quite simple: a wooden frame nailed together, with wheels attached underneath and a handlebar on top.

The logistics department often had items that didn't meet standards. These items were not necessarily bad; they just didn't meet the military's requirements. For example, among large batches of hardware accessories, there were always a few with minor issues. However, for ordinary tasks like carrying vegetables, these items were more than sufficient.

Xie Junli had previously spent some money to acquire a few of these items, which he had kept in his room for a long time.

Xie Junli was nearing completion, and Xu Yuqing watched him with great interest, noticing how different he seemed compared to usual.

Perhaps Xie Junli really had a talent for carpentry. The materials were very basic—just pieces of wood—and watching something take shape from nothing was truly satisfying.

"Junli, can you use freshly cut trees to make a cart? Wouldn't the wood rot easily?"

As soon as Xu Yuqing said this, she received a slightly surprised look from Xie Junli. She blinked, wondering if she had said something wrong...

Fortunately, Xie Junli didn't think too much about it. He couldn't assume that she knew everything. "Freshly cut wood cannot be used. I traded with a local villager and got some oil as well."

Ah... no wonder. It was done so quickly, and the wood grain looked nice. But then she asked, "Why did you carry a knife?"

Xie Junli continued working. "Even though it was a trade, I didn't want to draw too much attention."

Carrying a knife could simply be assumed to be for chopping firewood.

When he returned, everyone was resting, and Xie Junli took a detour, ensuring no one saw him.

Firewood wasn't valuable here. Being near the mountains, there was plenty of it. Some family members didn't even bother to chop it themselves, and the soldiers were already tired enough without having to do it to save a few cents.

Xu Yuqing nodded silently, acknowledging his explanation, but her heart was beating faster. She had just asked a silly question, but fortunately, Xie Junli didn't seem to notice.

The two of them squatted down together, watching as the cart gradually took shape.

Despite living in this era, Xie Junli had made something that was actually quite good. Xu Yuqing looked at the small cart before her with pleasant surprise.

Although it was different from the carts she was familiar with, it looked nice. It had four large wheels and was easy to push, with a T-shaped handle for gripping.

The base of the cart wasn't a solid piece but rather made up of individual strips of wood, which gave it a somewhat messy but attractive appearance.

"How beautiful! And it's so easy to push~"

Xu Yuqing excitedly pushed the cart back and forth in the courtyard several times. With this cart, she wouldn't have to worry about people seeing everything she bought, which had made her feel like a thief.

Jealous military wives would have to hide now. She and Xie Junli didn't have children, and they both enjoyed eating. Why shouldn't they spend their hard-earned money on themselves?

"By the way, how is everything back home? Aren't you sending money this month?"

Xu Yuqing had been in the military dependents' quarters for less than a month and hadn't heard anything from back home during that time.

She knew that things probably weren't settled, but the fact that she was unaware meant that this man had taken care of everything.

Xie Junli sat on a piece of cut wood, his long legs awkwardly folded due to the limited space, his expression gentle.

"There's not much going on. Just that my third sister-in-law is pregnant."

"Wait, what?" Xu Yuqing released her grip in surprise and stared at Xie Junli in shock.

If she remembered correctly, they weren't married when she arrived. How long had it been since then? It usually took a month to confirm a pregnancy.

But wait, this didn't align with the original story. In the original narrative, the protagonist had only given birth after winning over her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, ensuring her child would be adored by the whole family from birth.

How could everything be so different now? Xu Yuqing's face was filled with confusion. Was the butterfly effect really this exaggerated, allowing such a graceful and dignified protagonist to become pregnant before marriage?

Xie Junli didn't mind her shocked expression. When he received the telegram, he had also been cursing. His third brother had never been reliable, and now he had treated the girl so poorly.

Along with the telegram came a request for money. A note with Xie Yunli's thumbprint was attached to the letter, indicating that the selfish third brother must have been driven to desperation.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have left such leverage.

However, Xie Junli didn't show any leniency.

During his fifteen years at home, it was his mother who had fed him and allowed him to finish primary school. He would always remember her kindness, and no matter what, he would take care of her in her old age.

But this had nothing to do with his third brother.

"They're already married now," Xie Junli said casually, avoiding mentioning the details in the telegram.

"…Alright then." Xu Yuqing smacked her lips, accepting the fact that the protagonist had changed somewhat. She returned to admiring her new cart and planned to take it out for a test run later.

Meanwhile, the Xie household was in chaos.

After two days of suffering, Xie Yunli was emaciated. He Xiuhua looked at her son with heartache and began to weep loudly, berating him.

Beside her, the woman with a slightly swollen belly looked at the man on the bed with cold eyes. "Useless," her lips whispered.