Marrying My Bestie's Ferocious Brother - He Calls Me His Baby!-Chapter 64: A Spoonful of Strawberry Jam Makes the Whole Garrison Jealous! Did You Come Just for the Smell?
Li’s face indeed turned sour.
"That’s right, people are different, and so are their fates."
Zhao Xuerou leaned in closer, her voice lowered to a whisper.
"I heard Lin Wan Yi hasn’t been well recently, and she never goes out?"
Li pursed her lips, her tone full of envy.
"Not well? I think she’s just precious! Our compound rotates cleaning duties in the public areas, and she’s never once shown up. We do all the work while she stays home enjoying her life."
Zhao Xuerou immediately put on a concerned look.
"Hey, that’s not fair to say. After all, she’s pregnant with twins, a heroine of our military community, and Mr. Gu dotes on her. It’s expected of us to be more considerate."
She sighed, subtly changing the subject.
"I’m just worried about her. Since she grew up in the city, I wonder if she’s used to our simple meals here. You see how much she’s been throwing up; Mr. Gu must be worried sick."
These words seemed to ignite a spark in Li.
"Simple meals? What she eats is far from ’simple’! God knows where Mr. Gu gets her good stuff! Yesterday, Mr. Gu brought back takeout from the mess hall—meat buns and fried eggs, without a trace of fat, all carefully picked out!"
Zhao Xuerou stopped her actions.
"Really?"
"Absolutely! This morning, I saw Xiao Zhang, the orderly, carrying a bag full of eggs into Mr. Gu’s house! Those are eggs! How many coupons do we get in a month?"
Zhao Xuerou spoke as if to herself, yet loud enough for Li to hear.
"Mr. Gu truly cares for his family. But... these things, they aren’t available at our military supply station, are they?"
Li let out a cold snort.
"Who knows! Alright, I’m done with this chat, I still have a whole basin of clothes to wash, my hands are about to freeze off."
Carrying the basin, Li staggered away, muttering to herself about different fates.
Zhao Xuerou remained standing in place.
The phrase "not available at the supply station" lingered in the cold wind.
...
Gu Family.
The door was pushed open.
Gu Yanshen walked in with a lunchbox.
"I’m back."
Lin Wan Yi immediately sat up from the bed, her eyes sparkling.
"Meat buns! And fried eggs!"
He placed the lunchbox on the table and opened it one by one.
Two plump meat buns.
A box full of fried eggs, topped with a few slices of lean braised pork.
Lin Wan Yi picked up a meat bun and took a big bite.
"Mmm... delicious!"
She mumbled praise with her mouth full, squinting happily.
Gu Yanshen pushed another lunchbox towards her.
"There’s rice too."
"Hurry up and eat, aren’t you hungry?"
"I ate at the mess hall."
Lin Wan Yi shot him a suspicious glance but said nothing, continuing to eat eagerly.
Soon, after finishing a meat bun, she reached out with her chopsticks for the fried eggs.
She ate with gusto, and Gu Yanshen sat across from her, watching as if it were the most beautiful sight in the world.
"Slow down, no one’s going to snatch it from you."
Lin Wan Yi took another bite of rice, her cheeks puffed out.
"I have a good appetite today."
"I can see that."
"Did you specifically pick out this meat? There’s no fat at all."
She picked up a piece of lean meat.
"Fat makes you feel sick."
Lin Wan Yi stuffed the piece of meat into her mouth, chewed, then picked up a golden piece of fried egg, offering it to him.
"Have a bite too."
Gu Yanshen looked at her.
"I don’t..."
"Open your mouth."
Her tone was commanding.
He opened his mouth.
Lin Wan Yi fed him the piece of fried egg.
"Is it good?"
"..."
He didn’t respond, but his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
"Gu Yanshen, about the strawberries."
Lin Wan Yi, having finished eating, wiped her mouth and suddenly spoke.
"They were some special seeds my family left behind. I found them when sorting through things a few days ago, so I tried planting them in a pot, and they actually grew."
She looked into his eyes, speaking with sincerity.
"There are only a few, once they’re gone, they’re truly gone."
He looked at her, saying nothing.
"Do you believe me?"
"I do."
He said only one word, his voice deep.
"As long as you say it, I believe it."
The next day.
Morning.
Lin Wan Yi was busy in the kitchen.
She crushed newly picked strawberries from the garden, added a bit of sugar, and put them in a pot to simmer.
A rich and unique sweet and sour aroma quickly filled the air, wafting out of the window, irresistibly drifting into everyone’s nostrils.
Gu Yanshen was chopping wood in the yard, and his movements slowed a beat.
A small figure was peering into their kitchen window, sniffing eagerly.
"Mom! Mom!"
The child’s voice was on the verge of tears, echoing across the yard.
"It smells so good! I can smell it!"
A young military wife hurried over, her face full of embarrassment.
"Xiao Bao! What are you doing! Get down! Don’t climb on people’s windows!"
The child pointed inside the window, stomping his feet anxiously.
"I smelled it! It’s red, with a fragrant and sweet scent!"
"I want to eat! I want to eat that too!"
The young military wife felt embarrassed and quickly apologized to the room inside.
"Mr. Lin, I’m really sorry, my kid is too mischievous... I’m causing you trouble."
Her words halted midway.
She saw what Lin Wan Yi was spreading on the slice of bread with a spoon.
Red, sticky, and with small pieces of fruit pulp, glittering enticingly in the morning light.
"What... what is that?"
Lin Wan Yi handed the prepared bread to Gu Yanshen.
"Homemade jam."
She picked up a small spoon again, scooped a little, and handed it out through the window.
"Want to let the child have a taste?"
The young military wife hadn’t reacted yet.
The child had already taken a bite, licking the strawberry jam from the spoon clean.
The child’s cries stopped abruptly.
He smacked his lips, closed his eyes, and looked completely entranced.
"Mom, it’s better than the White Rabbit candy!"
The young military wife’s eyes widened completely.
She stared at the bowl of jam in Lin Wan Yi’s hands, swallowing with difficulty.
"Mr. Lin, where... where did you make this jam from? I’ve never seen anything like it before?"
"A kind of wild fruit."
"Can wild fruit be this fragrant? And made into jam? My gosh, you are so skillful!"
The young military wife was full of envy.
"When I was pregnant with this little rascal, I was craving sour things, munching on haw flakes every day until my teeth ached. You’re really fortunate."
This matter spread across the entire family compound like wildfire in just half a day.
In the utility room.
Li slammed down the basin, splashing water everywhere.
"Have you heard? Over at the Gu Family! They are eating jam made from those red fruits!"
Sister in law Qian, who was doing laundry, looked up, her hands red from the cold.
"What red fruit? Isn’t it just the thing about Sister in law Zhang’s kid crying out of craving?"
"You don’t know! Sister in law Zhang said that the jam was so red and glossy, and the scent was captivating! They just casually gave a spoonful, and the kid was talking about it all morning, saying it was a hundred times better than the White Rabbit milk candy!"
Sister in law Qian gasped.
"My goodness! These capitalist daughters really have their ways! Where did they get these rare things?"
Li lowered her voice, looking mysterious.
"I guess, surely she got it from her previous dubious connections, traded from the black market! Otherwise, where would you find fruit in this frozen wasteland?"
Sister in law Qian nodded in agreement.
"Surely! We can’t let such trends spread in our military region! Our men are risking their lives on the frontline, and she’s behind enjoying herself, even dealing in speculative stuff!"
"Exactly! Just because she’s pregnant, doesn’t mean she can act recklessly!"
In the cultural troupe’s practice room.
A few female soldiers were resting, naturally chatting about that bowl of mysterious jam.
"Hey, have you heard? Family of Mr. Gu, that Lin Wan Yi, was eating something called strawberry jam this morning."
"I’ve heard! Sister in law Zhang said, the fragrance wafted across half of the compound! Made her kid cry!"
"I’m so envious, we can only gnaw on frozen cabbage stalks in winter, while they have all kinds of rare stuff. That’s life for you!"
"She’s just fortunate, marrying a good man, and having the ability to get good stuff."
Zhao Xuerou was stretching her legs, her face maintaining its usual smile, as if she didn’t hear these discussions.
"Sister-in-law is pregnant, she should eat well. Everyone, don’t speculate too much, otherwise, it won’t sound good if it spreads."
One soldier leaned over, speaking softly.
"Xuerou, you’re so kind-hearted. But we’re just curious, how does she get those things? It’s too miraculous."
Zhao Xuerou slowly stood up straight, tidying her practice clothes.
"I don’t know either. Maybe... Mr. Gu cherishes her and has special channels."
She paused, her voice not loud, but just enough for those around to hear.
"However, as a military family, one should be mindful of the influence. It’s better to avoid unclear-origin items, in case it causes health issues or... gets into trouble, it wouldn’t be good."
After saying that, she turned and walked to the other side to continue practicing.
Leaving the few female soldiers looking at each other in disbelief.
Unclear origin? Causes trouble?
The implication of her words was quite profound.
Zhao Xuerou’s nails pressed deeply into the cold barre, leaving several white marks.
Black market... speculation... capitalist...
These words swirled in her mind.
One thought became increasingly clear.
A hero like Mr. Gu shouldn’t be hoodwinked by a woman of uncertain origin.
She wants to help him.
She must help him, "uncover" the truth.
Afternoon.
Gu Yanshen went to the training ground.
Lin Wan Yi was in the room reading a book, a light blanket over her belly, feeling drowsy.
"Knock, knock knock."
A knocking sound was heard.
Lin Wan Yi put down the book, feeling a bit impatient.
"Who is it?"
Outside, a deliberately softened female voice came through, with twelve points of concern.
"Sister-in-law, it’s me, Zhao Xuerou."
"I’ve come to check on you."
Lin Wan Yi didn’t move.
The person outside waited for a while and knocked again.
"Sister-in-law? Are you home?"
Zhao Xuerou’s voice was closer, as if pressed against the door, carrying a hint of eagerness.
"I heard you’ve recently liked eating sweet and sour things. I just learned to make some hawthorn soup from the cafeteria chef, specially brought a bowl for you to try. Open the door, it’s getting cold."
