Dare to shirk responsibility? This adorable little one will tear down your military district!

"Sizzle—"

The sound of hot oil sizzling as it hit chopped scallions came from the kitchen.

A domineering, overbearing aroma of meat wafted out from the window cracks like a hook, abruptly stopping Gu Changfeng's axe in his hand.

It's not the bland, watery meat flavor you get in the cafeteria; it's real pork cracklings mixed with scallions, and topped with the unique wheat aroma of fermented dough.

The piece of pork belly that Riesling sent was mostly fat with very little lean meat; it was the best quality pork belly these days.

Gu Changfeng put down the axe, wiped the sweat from his face, and walked towards the kitchen as if possessed.

The kitchen was steaming.

Lin Wanrou was wearing an old apron that she had dug out from somewhere, and she was standing in front of the cutting board making steamed buns.

She moved quickly, unlike her usual slow and gentle way of speaking.

Holding the dough in my left hand, I quickly pinched and pushed it in with my right thumb and forefinger. In the blink of an eye, a beautiful bun with eighteen pleats was sitting on the cutting board.

Although white flour is precious, it is completely obedient in her hands.

Gu Changfeng stood at the door, his tall figure blocking half of the light.

Lin Wanrou didn't turn around, probably mistaking him for Ya Ya. She continued working, her voice soft: "Ya Ya, don't rush, the first batch will be ready soon, be careful not to burn yourself."

"It's me," Gu Changfeng said.

Lin Wanrou's hand trembled, almost squashing the bun she had just made. She turned around abruptly, her hands still covered in flour, a hint of panic flashing across her face: "Chief... are you hungry? We'll have to wait a while."

"No rush."

Gu Changfeng took two steps closer. The kitchen was small, and the distance between the two instantly shortened. The air was filled with that intoxicating aroma of flour and meat.

His gaze fell on Lin Wanrou's hands.

Her hands were indeed rough, bearing the marks of hard work, but now, coated in flour, they showed a certain dexterity. The deft way she shaped the buns was different from the old-fashioned woman he remembered who only knew how to cry.

"This meat... is cut quite well." Gu Changfeng finally managed to utter a comment after a long pause.

Lin Wanrou paused for a moment, then her ears turned red again. She looked down at the minced meat on the cutting board: "I used to help with cooking for weddings and funerals in my hometown, that's how I got the skills."

Gu Changfeng remained silent.

Those bloodsuckers in the Meng family have been treating his wife like a farmhand for so many years.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of allowances, one corner of which was soaked with sweat, and a stack of colorful ration coupons. Without counting them, he slapped them all onto the corner of the flour-covered cutting board.

"Take it."

Lin Wanrou stared at the pile of banknotes, at a loss for words: "This...didn't the Commander just send something?"

"That was a gift from the commander, this is a gift from me." Gu Changfeng's tone was firm, as if he were giving an order.

"From now on, this house is yours to manage. If you need more money, just ask me. Buy whatever you want. Don't listen to those people back home who spout nonsense. You don't need to be frugal in this house."

After saying that, without even looking at Lin Wanrou's reaction, he grabbed the gourd ladle from the water vat next to him, gulped down two mouthfuls of cold water, and turned to leave.

Just as he reached the door, he bumped into Meng Yaya, who was leaning against the door frame watching the show.

The little girl held a jar in her hand, her dark eyes darting back and forth between her father and mother.

"Dad," Meng Yaya handed the bottle to Gu Changfeng, "the way you looked at my mom just now was like a big bad wolf looking at a little white rabbit."

Gu Changfeng nearly choked on his own saliva. His face darkened, and he reached out and ruffled his daughter's hair: "Nonsense. I was checking if the steamed buns were cooked."

"Oh." Meng Yaya drawled, her face saying, "I don't believe you for a second." "The buns are in the pot, and you're looking at the person by the cutting board. Dad, shouldn't you get your eyesight checked at the infirmary?"

Gu Changfeng's face twitched, and he decided not to lower himself to the level of this clever girl.

Dinner was a feast I never dared to dream of before.

The steamed buns filled with scallions and pork are large and thin-skinned; one bite and the oil oozes out. They're served with a pot of thick millet porridge, a side of finely shredded pickled vegetables, and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Gu Changfeng ate like he was fighting a battle, taking half a bun in one bite, sweating profusely from his forehead.

Lin Wanrou ate delicately, but she was also quite fast.

Meng Yaya sat on a specially raised chair, holding a steamed bun bigger than her face in both hands, munching on it with oil dripping from her mouth.

While she was eating, she didn't forget to supervise the work.

"Mom, that bun's skin is torn and leaking oil, give it to Dad," Meng Yaya instructed.

Lin Wanrou picked up the slightly flawed bun, hesitated for a moment, and put it into Gu Changfeng's bowl.

"Dad, Mom's putting a steamed bun on your plate. What are you going to say?"

With his mouth full of food, Gu Changfeng mumbled, "Mmm...delicious."

"That's not it." Meng Yaya rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You should say, 'My wife has worked hard.'"

The air on the table froze for three seconds.

Lin Wanrou buried her head in the bowl, wishing she could press her face against the millet porridge.

Gu Changfeng swallowed the bun in his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing. He looked at the woman opposite him who was trying to shrink into a quail, and then at his three-year-old daughter next to him, who had a gossipy look on her face.

"Um..." Gu Changfeng cleared his throat, his voice a little tight, "Thank you for your hard work on today's meal."

Although the word "daughter-in-law" was missing, Lin Wanrou's ears were still as red as if they were about to bleed. She gave a soft "hmm," her voice barely audible.

After finishing his meal, Gu Changfeng very conscientiously cleared away the dishes and went to wash them.

Lin Wanrou didn't argue. She sat under the lamp and took out an old military uniform that Gu Changfeng had changed out of. The cuffs were worn and two buttons were loose.

She pulled out a sewing kit from the bundle she had brought.

Under the dim light, the woman lowered her head, her expression focused. Her hands, used for years of hard labor, held a fine silver needle, moving it through the fabric.

Her profile appeared exceptionally soft in the lamplight, and she exuded a calming and reassuring aura.

Gu Changfeng came back after washing the dishes, dried his hands, and stood at the door.

Having spent so much time in the military, he had grown accustomed to a world filled with the stench of sweat, the smoke of gunpowder, and the rigid commands. Even after getting married, he never considered what the concrete concept of "home" truly meant.

But at this moment, looking at Lin Wanrou sewing clothes under the lamp and Meng Yaya playing with a few pebbles next to her, it felt as if a crack had appeared in the hard part of his heart.

This woman is not as weak as she looks.

She could travel thousands of miles with her child to find her husband, protect her child in times of crisis, conjure up a good meal when she was penniless, and quietly mend his tattered military uniform under the lamp.

She possesses a kind of resilience. Like wild grass, she looks soft, but the wind cannot break her, and the fire cannot burn her out.

"Go to bed early." Gu Changfeng walked over and blocked the dim light bulb. "It'll hurt your eyes."

Lin Wanrou had just bitten off the loose thread when she looked up and smiled at him: "It's all done. This dress is made of good material; with some mending, it can last for another two years."

She handed the clothes to Gu Changfeng. Gu Changfeng took them, his fingertips accidentally brushing against the back of her hand.

Rough, warm.

It's not delicate, but it's inexplicably hot.

Just then, a series of urgent knocks came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Bang bang bang!"

The sound didn't sound like knocking; it sounded more like someone was going to tear the door apart.

"Commander Gu! Is Commander Gu home? Help!"

It was a woman's voice, trembling with sobs, sounding like Aunt Zhang from the neighboring No. 5 courtyard.

Gu Changfeng's expression changed, and his romantic thoughts vanished instantly. He threw his military uniform onto a chair, strode towards the door, and flung it open.

A disheveled woman stood at the door, holding a child of about five or six years old in her arms. The child's face was bluish-purple, and strange "whooshing" sounds like a bellows were coming from his throat. He was taking in more air than he was exhaling, and it was clear that he was about to die.

"Old Gu! Help my Gangzi! The medical team has gone off duty, the on-duty doctor isn't here, Gangzi... he can't breathe!"

Sister-in-law Zhang cried so hard her legs went weak and she almost collapsed to the ground.

Gu Changfeng caught her, his brows furrowed. The symptoms looked serious; it would take twenty minutes to drive to the military hospital, and they probably wouldn't make it in time.

"I'll go get the car!" Gu Changfeng made a quick decision and turned to rush out.

"Don't move!"

A cold, low shout came from behind.

Lin Wanrou had somehow appeared behind Gu Changfeng. She stared intently at the child with the purplish-blue face, her usually gentle eyes now revealing an undeniable calmness.

"This is an acute laryngeal obstruction. If you move him now, the wind will blow in and worsen the laryngeal edema. He could die halfway there."

Lin Wanrou quickly stepped forward, took the child from Zhang's arms, and skillfully placed the child flat on the square table in the main room.

Gu Changfeng was stunned.

Is this still the same wife who was afraid to even speak loudly?

"Take off his clothes! Quickly!" Lin Wanrou shouted without turning her head.

Meng Yaya reached into her pocket and touched it, actually probing into that mysterious space.

"Ya Ya, help Mom hold his legs down!"

Meng Yaya jumped off the chair and smiled slightly.

It seems that her mother, this rough gem, is finally about to shine.