Chapter 3

The “uncle and aunt” Damao mentioned were actually Gui Xiaokang’s own older brother and sister-in-law. Since Gui Xiaokang had died serving his country, the government naturally wouldn't leave his children without support. His family received a death benefit and government subsidies. But Gui Xiaokang's brother and sister-in-law took the money and refused to properly care for the two children. They constantly beat and berated them, too, while forbidding them from telling anyone what was really happening or asking outsiders for help. Even the boys' cold attitude toward Zhang Haochen was partly the result of their influence. Zhang Haochen took Damao's hand. There wasn't a bit of flesh on it. When he held that tiny hand in his own, it barely felt real. Damao's oversized clothes hung loosely from his thin frame, probably something he had been dressed in just for the day because they were expecting visitors. Their mother had died from severe bleeding while giving birth to Xiaomao, and there was absolutely no help to be expected from their maternal grandparents. As for their uncle and aunt… They were like this. Damao's eyes were large and dark, filled with expectation. Xiaomao stood beside him without saying a word, looking at Zhang Haochen hopefully as well. Zhang Haochen hesitated only briefly before agreeing to Damao's request. Taking custody of the two children and adopting them wasn't particularly difficult. Zhang Haochen had already made up his mind that he wouldn't marry in this lifetime. He would simply raise the two children and live out his days with them. But who could have expected that the deputy regiment commander next door, Sun, was about to remarry? For once, he had decided to be generous and invited everyone to the state-owned restaurant for a meal. And it was there that Zhang Haochen saw Du Wenyuan for the first time. His vocabulary was limited, and he found it difficult to describe what he had felt at that moment. He only knew that his heart had never beaten so fast before. It was beating even faster than when he was on a dangerous mission with his life hanging by a thread—so fast it felt as though his heart might burst straight out of his chest. That was when Zhang Haochen realized that he had fallen in love with Du Wenyuan at first sight. Later, he came to see Du Wenyuan twice more. And each time, his feelings for her grew a little deeper. Then, after returning from another mission, Zhang Haochen came back with a military commendation—but also with psychological trauma from what he had experienced. The moment he saw Du Wenyuan, however, he felt a sense of peace and calm. That was when he finally made up his mind. When he learned that Du Wenyuan had begun going on blind dates, he found someone to introduce the two of them. Zhang Haochen hid his emotions behind his usual silence. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth now, his voice might tremble, and he didn't know whether that would frighten the young woman. It wasn't as though he intended to pester her endlessly. If Du Wenyuan had absolutely no interest in him, he would immediately retreat into the shadows and leave her alone. But Du Wenyuan had hesitated when rejecting him. That was why Zhang Haochen kept finding different matchmakers to arrange meetings between them. He wanted Du Wenyuan to see just how sincere he was. Today was their third blind date, and Zhang Haochen felt that things hadn't gone particularly well. He was starting to worry. I wonder what kind of man Comrade Du likes… If I find another matchmaker next time, what should I say to convince them to arrange a fourth date? Du Wenyuan's hand, which had been propping up her chin, jerked in surprise and nearly jabbed her right in the face. She had been watching Zhang Haochen the entire time. She knew for certain that he hadn't said a word. And judging from everyone else's expressions, they hadn't heard anything either. So… She had just heard Zhang Haochen's thoughts. And she was the only one who could hear them? Thank goodness she had been reborn. Even faced with something this bizarre, she could barely manage to keep her composure. The menu at a state-owned restaurant in this era was nothing like the extensive menus found in restaurants of later generations. There were only a handful of dishes available for lunch that day, and meat was strictly rationed. For a major dish like braised pork, all the necessary preparation had already been done in advance. Du Wenyuan used the excuse of needing to place the order to make her way into the kitchen herself. She asked Chef Zhang for the three dishes. Chef Zhang was fair and plump, unlike most people of this era. One glance was enough to tell that he lived quite comfortably. His round face was positively glowing with health. When Chef Zhang heard that Zhang Haochen was the one ordering the food, he curled his lips. “That young man still hasn't given up? He came again today? Are you eating with them?” Du Wenyuan nodded. “I am. And with your braised pork being this delicious, Master Zhang, I'll definitely eat as much as I can get!” Chef Zhang immediately grinned. “All right. Take this plate of chilled cucumber salad out first. The braised pork will be ready soon.” There was more than just Qian Cuihua helping in the kitchen. There was also a young male kitchen helper named Ding Yunjie. His family had a few connections, and he was currently following Chef Zhang around to learn the trade. Simple cold dishes like the chilled cucumber salad were currently his responsibility. Du Wenyuan took the plate of chilled cucumber salad from Ding Yunjie, nodded at him, then said to Chef Zhang, “Master Zhang, I’ll take the cucumbers out first.” Chef Zhang smiled. “All right. Go ahead.” Du Wenyuan carried the cucumber salad back to the table, then brought over a water pitcher and poured everyone a glass of boiled water that had been left to cool. She then called out to Auntie Lin, “Auntie Lin, Master Zhang has already started cooking the hot dishes. They’ll be ready soon.” “Then I won’t stand on ceremony,” Auntie Lin said. But she was still rather unhappy with Zhang Haochen. She felt that she had probably come all this way under the blazing sun only to make a wasted trip! What young woman with such good prospects would willingly marry into a family like this for no reason, only to become someone else's stepmother? And Zhang Haochen, too! Why hadn't he made the situation clear from the very beginning? Zhang Haochen sat quietly, enduring Auntie Lin's disapproving looks without saying a word. He knew his circumstances himself. Asking Du Wenyuan to marry him meant she would be making a sacrifice. So what if he had to endure a few dirty looks? If it meant she would agree to marry him, he'd be perfectly happy being glared at every single day! What Zhang Haochen hadn't expected was that while Du Wenyuan was talking to Auntie Lin, she didn't forget to address him too. “Regimental Commander Zhang, hurry up and eat. Even our chilled cucumber salad is delicious!” During their first two blind dates, Du Wenyuan hadn't taken the initiative to speak to him even once. And now, she had actually started a conversation with him herself. Zhang Haochen's eyes lit up instantly. He tried desperately to keep the conversation going, but after struggling for a long while, all he managed to squeeze out was, “All right. I'll try some.” With that, he picked up his chopsticks with his left hand and ate two pieces. Only afterward did he realize something was wrong. He was holding the chopsticks with the wrong hand. No wonder it felt so awkward. Du Wenyuan found him so adorably earnest that she lowered her head and smiled behind her lips. It had been several decades since she'd last eaten the restaurant's chilled cucumber salad, and Du Wenyuan hadn't expected it to taste just as delicious as she remembered. She had always assumed that the reason the food seemed so good in her memories was because supplies had been scarce in the 1970s, making everything taste precious. Apparently, that wasn't the case at all. Chilled cucumber salad was an extremely simple dish. Crisp, refreshing cucumbers were smashed and cut into bite-sized pieces, then tossed with minced garlic, a tiny bit of crushed chili, and a secret house dressing. That was all it took. Yet it was precisely that seasoning that transformed such a simple dish into something extraordinary. Many of the seasonings used at the state-owned restaurant were personally prepared by Chef Zhang. The man really did have a gift for cooking. On a sweltering summer day like this, with the heavy heat hanging in the air and no air conditioning to cool them down, there was nothing more refreshing than biting into cucumbers chilled in a well. It was incredibly satisfying. Du Wenyuan ate several pieces in a row. Her mouth watered from the refreshing flavor, and even her overheated body began to cool down. The other two were much the same. They were all too busy enjoying the dish to bother talking. By the time the plate was nearly empty, Auntie Lin finally put down her chopsticks and offered her final verdict. “Wenyuan, this place really is something. Even your cucumber salad tastes this good!” Du Wenyuan laughed. “Exactly!” The state-owned restaurant had originally been Chef Zhang's own private restaurant. His family had produced chefs and run restaurants for generations. Rumor had it that his ancestors had even operated a grand restaurant back in the day. Chef Zhang wasn't as ambitious as the other members of his family, and with the political situation being unstable, he'd only opened a small eatery of his own. At the same time, to ensure a steady supply of fresh ingredients, Chef Zhang had set up a small farm nearby, where he raised free-range chickens, ducks, and the like. The restaurant was located in a remote area, but thanks to his cooking skills, quite a few customers were willing to make the trip specifically for his food. Later, when society underwent major changes, many of Chef Zhang's relatives who had built up large businesses ended up suffering major setbacks. His little restaurant, on the other hand, was safely converted into a state-owned restaurant. Over the previous several decades, he hadn't suffered all that much. Even during the worst years, when harvests were practically nonexistent, he had still managed to keep food on the table. Now, his wife had passed away, while his only daughter had married and moved into the city. Both she and her husband worked for influential government-affiliated institutions, and their lives were quite comfortable. Thinking about all this, Du Wenyuan suddenly began to form a clearer plan for her new life after being reborn.