The soda came in old-fashioned glass bottles. Everyone got one. Zhu Jing, in a hearty display, popped the cap off with her teeth, and the soda inside instantly fizzed up. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Wen Ci copied Zhu Jing and bit her bottle open too.

Zhu Jing raised her soda bottle. "Let’s all have a toast."

Soda was a rarity in those days, and the spread of main dishes on the table was as lavish as a New Year’s Eve feast. The women all clinked their bottles together.

They weren’t the only ones living in the family compound.

Drawn by the aroma of braised pork knuckle and stewed pig’s feet, many other family members followed the scent over to take a look, but left after hearing the sounds of their cheerful laughter.

After a couple of bites, Wen Ci exclaimed with praise, "Sister Jing, your cooking is absolutely incredible." After saying this, she asked, a little puzzled:

"With skills like yours, how come you’re not working in the compound’s canteen kitchen?"

Hearing this, Zhu Jing gave a self-deprecating laugh. "It’s all about cliques. They only call me in to help when they get too busy during the New Year."

Wen Ci thought it was a shame.

’Someone as extraordinarily talented at cooking as Sister Jing could open a restaurant in the Southern region, and business would definitely boom.’

’The country was in a period of rebuilding, and many Northerners were seeing the opportunity to go into business in the Southern region. With Sister Jing’s mastery of Northeast cuisine, which was worthy of an Imperial Chef, she could attract a lot of those Northern businesspeople.’

’The only thing was, her husband was still a soldier stationed in the Northwest.’

-

The five of them had barely made a dent in the huge spread of food; more than half was left over. Zhu Jing drained the last of her soda and said unhurriedly, "We can eat the rest of this for dinner tonight."

Wen Ci shook her head. "I think I’ll skip."

She had been eating a little too well the past few days and had clearly gained a few pounds. She needed to control herself a bit. Seeing the looks from the other women, she said, "I need to lose weight."

"Wen Ci, honey, at your weight, what is there to lose?"

"Exactly! I think you’re too light as it is."

The compliments made Wen Ci beam. Swayed by the sisters’ friendly protests, she returned that evening after all and even got to meet their children.

-

「Dusk fell over the Gobi.」

After dinner, Wen Ci said goodbye to the sisters and went home. The house felt cold and empty. Suddenly, Wen Ci noticed that the sketch she had left on the table that morning was gone.

She had specifically locked the door before she left. A noise from the kitchen caught her attention. Her eyes darted toward the kitchen, and she called out tentatively, "Huo Jingyuan?"

"Yeah."

The word had barely left her lips when Huo Jingyuan walked out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of noodles. His deep, ink-black eyes were fixed on her, and his voice was low.

"Finished dinner?"

"Yeah." Wen Ci nodded, then tilted her chin up and asked curiously, "Aren’t you supposed to be on field training? Why are you back?"

"How did you know I was on field training?"

When Wen Ci didn’t answer, a faint smile touched Huo Jingyuan’s lips. "I was worried you wouldn’t be able to apply the medicine yourself, so I came back to help you before I leave again."

Wen Ci was left speechless.

Her mouth fell open, a mixture of shock and embarrassment on her face.

"N-No... I don’t need any more medicine," Wen Ci stammered.

’But her mind couldn’t help but conjure the image from last night: his well-defined hands applying the ointment, his light touch on her skin.’

’The swollen area had felt instantly cool and soothing.’

Seeing how impossibly red her face was, Huo Jingyuan didn’t press the issue. He sat down at the living room table and took a loud slurp of the noodles he’d made before saying:

"Ah Ci, your drawing skills aren’t bad."

The first thing he’d noticed when he got home was the drawing on the table. Few of the skilled men under his command could draw with such precision, and besides Wen Ci, there was no one else in the house.

Wen Ci’s lips curved into a smile. "I’ve loved to draw ever since I was in the village."

She paused, then asked, "So, what do you think? Can we do the yard according to the drawing?"

"We can."