When Wen Ci woke up, it was already mostly dark. Seeing that the lights were on in the house, she got up and sat on the edge of the bed, taking a few minutes to gather herself.
She walked into the living room but didn't see anyone. Hearing the sound of stir-frying from the kitchen, Wen Ci, still groggy from sleep, leaned against the doorframe and smelled the aroma of chili peppers.
She snapped to attention, her face lighting up with pleasant surprise. "Stir-fried pork?"
In the kitchen, Huo Jingyuan had an apron tied around his waist. He heard Wen Ci's voice and turned to look at her, his tone soft and affectionate. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour. You can go watch some TV in the living room first."
"Huh?"
Wen Ci blinked. When she had walked over just now, she hadn't noticed anything new in the living room. She turned her head to look.
A television set was now in the living room.
When Wen Ci turned on the TV, the picture that appeared was, to her surprise, in color.
Back at the department store, Wen Ci had browsed the color TV section. The most expensive models were the color sets, which cost around one thousand two hundred yuan, though that price included delivery and installation.
Her delight was written all over her face as she approached the kitchen doorway. "When did you buy a color TV? How much did it cost?"
Huo Jingyuan, holding a spatula, answered, "I didn't spend a penny on it. It was a wedding gift from my aunt. She had someone deliver it last month."
'Last month, I was still in some poor, remote mountain village.'
"Your aunt?"
"Mhm. My aunt runs some kind of company abroad."
Wen Ci's eyes flew wide. "Runs a company abroad?"
'In this day and age, anyone who could run a company abroad had to be worth at least tens of millions. Maybe even a hundred million.'
'Even "ten-thousand-yuan households" were still a rarity in the country right now.'
Wen Ci couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement. "Your aunt is incredible."
-
Half an hour later, Huo Jingyuan brought several dishes to the table. He had already dished out the rice, and his deep voice was laced with a hint of affection. "Wen Ci, it's time to eat."
Wen Ci immediately got up from the sofa and sat down across from Huo Jingyuan. Gazing at the dishes, which looked and smelled incredible, she looked up at him.
"Didn't you say you couldn't cook?"
Huo Jingyuan smiled. "I asked one of the ladies in the mess hall for some tips this afternoon. It looks like I did an okay job, but as for the taste…"
He couldn't guarantee how it would turn out.
It was his first time trying to cook. The food on the train these past few days had been so bland, and after the long journey to the Northwest, he wanted to give Wen Ci a good experience.
"Let's see if it's good! I'll try it!"
As she spoke, Wen Ci picked up a slice of meat with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. The dish was fresh off the stove and still a bit hot. "Hoth, ith good."
Watching her expression, a smile touched Huo Jingyuan's eyes. "I'm glad you like it. From now on, I'll cook for you every Friday."
Work in the regiment was usually very busy; it was already a great effort for him to free up even one day.
"Okay." Wen Ci broke into a satisfied smile.
While Wen Ci was eating, Huo Jingyuan suddenly stood up. Wen Ci asked, "What are you getting up for? Aren't you eating?"
"I'm going to get something."
Huo Jingyuan went into the master bedroom and came out less than half a minute later. He returned to his seat and handed a bankbook to Wen Ci.
"I don't have much use for money here in the Northwest Military Region, so I've saved it all. My parents deposit money into this account for me, too."
Wen Ci put down her chopsticks. A teasing smile played on her lips. "Mr. Huo, is this you handing over your salary?"
"Mhm. Handing over my salary," Huo Jingyuan said, lowering his head to eat.