Chapter 97: Cook Li’s Predicament ( 1 )

Chapter 97: Cook Li’s Predicament ( 1 ) When Yao Zhi was done, it was almost noon. She quickly took out a jar of chicken soup and covered the jar containing steamed vegetable rice with a bowl.

She loaded them into the cart. Then, she filled a waterskin with boiled water and used a bamboo basket to hold the bowls, chopsticks, and cups.

Now, she had a donkey cart and no longer had to walk. After she locked the doors, she drove her cart and went to the military barracks.

When Yao Zhi reached the military barracks, the sun had risen above her head. She parked the donkey cart under the big tree and walked toward the entrance.

Seeing her coming, the guards raised their hands and stopped her.

Standing a few steps from them, Yao Zhi greeted them with a smile. "Greetings, Sir. I came to visit my husband. His name is Fu Chen’an, and he is the Squad Leader in the third regiment."

The guards exchanged glances when they heard her words.

They still remembered the delicious taste of braised innards given by Fu Chen’an’s wife, so they took another look at her. They never expected someone as young as her to have such great cooking skills.

"Wait here. I will go inform your husband," one of the guards said and went to the barracks.

Yao Zhi thought that it was normal for the soldiers to know her husband. After all, her husband told her what to say to the guards if she wanted to look for him.

Unbeknownst to her, the position of Squad Leader was very low, and the number of people in this position was high. So, if not for the dishes shared by her husband, the guards wouldn’t know Fu Chen’an at all.

She waited for 20 minutes before she saw the guard return with her husband.

Seeing his wife waving at him, Fu Chen’an smiled and hastened his speed. Behind him, several Squad Leaders followed closely.

Fearing his comrades would scare his wife, he quickly explained, "Wife, these are my friends. They heard that you came and insisted on following me."

Yao Zhi was indeed surprised to see the group, but when she heard how her husband threw his friends under the bus, she knew that they had a good relationship. She smiled and greeted them. "Greetings, Brothers-in-law."

The group was surprised by her. They had heard a lot of bad rumors about her, and seeing her now, they realized that one shouldn’t trust hearsay.

"Greetings, Sister-in-law," they greeted her in unison.

Their voices were loud and attracted a lot of attention.

Noticing his wife’s reddened cheeks, Fu Chen’an held her hand and said, "Let’s go. Don’t stay under the sun for too long."

Yao Zhi nodded and let him pull her. When they arrived at the donkey cart, she said, "Husband, the weather has been hot lately, so I made herbal chicken soup and steamed vegetable rice for you."

Hearing this, Wang Tiezhu asked, "Sister-in-law, where did you buy the vegetables?"

"I planted some vegetables at home. Some of them are ready for harvest, so I cook them for my husband to try."

When they heard this, the group of men gave Fu Chen’an an envious glare. Why couldn’t they have such a virtuous wife, too?

Ignoring their glares, Fu Chen’an checked the large pot and jar. Seeing the amount of chicken soup and rice inside, he was taken aback. Although he ate a lot and had a big appetite, it was impossible for him to finish so much food.

"Wife, why did you make so much? We can’t finish it all."

The moment he said this, Xiao Wei said, "Chen’an, if you can’t finish it, we will help you gladly."

Following his words, the rest of the group nodded in agreement.

Yao Zhi was embarrassed by their eagerness and pulled at her husband’s sleeve. Feeling the tug, Fu Chen’an bent his waist and leaned closer to her. "What’s wrong?" he asked.

"Husband, I only brought 2 sets of utensils," she said in a low voice.

Hearing this, Fu Chen’an knew that his wife was worried she would embarrass him. Reaching out, he patted her head gently and said, "Ignore them."

"But—"

Before she finished her words, he added, "Don’t worry."

After that, Fu Chen’an straightened his back and turned to his friends. "Alright, you all should go back. Don’t bother me and my wife spending time alone."

When they heard this, they teased him but still took their leave.

After they were alone, Yao Zhi ladled a bowl of chicken soup and handed it to her husband. "Husband, drink some soup first."

"Thank you, Wife."

Fu Chen’an had just woken up from his sleep and was hungry. He finished the soup in several gulps and let out a sigh. "This soup is so delicious."

"It’s made using silkie chicken. It’s more nourishing and not as greasy as free-range chicken. You are still recovering from your wound, so you shouldn’t eat oily food too much."

Fu Chen’an nodded and started eating the steamed vegetable rice. Yao Zhi was delighted to see how he enjoyed her cooking. While eating, she added some chicken meat to his bowl.

The chicken was tender but not dry. The flesh and bone were easily separated, so they didn’t have to gnaw on the bones.

While eating, Fu Chen’an suddenly recalled what happened yesterday and said, "Wife, the wound ointment and medicinal water you gave me are gone."

Yao Zhi was taken aback by his words and asked, "Husband, what do you mean they’re gone? Are you injured?"

Fu Chen’an shook his head and explained, "They were taken away by the military physician."

Fearing that she had caused trouble for him, she asked, "Is there something wrong with the ointment and medicinal water?"

Worried that his wife would overthink, Fu Chen’an explained, "Nothing is wrong. The General summoned me and let the physician check on my wound. When the General asked me about the ointment I used, I could only tell him the truth."