When Lu Jiang returned to his dormitory, he carefully put away the letter, locked it in the drawer, and then inspected his clothes and shoes one by one before putting them in the wardrobe, followed by storing the rice, flour, and his spare jar of chili oil.
In the letter, Feng Qingxue explained that from now on, when preparing meals, a bit of chili oil could be mixed into cabbage soup to make it both fragrant and warming.
Lastly, Lu Jiang opened the sealed bags of various sizes and was astonished at the content. He was amazed by Feng Qingxue’s capabilities and even more curious about her resource gathering tactics and methods.
Before locking these items in the cabinet, as Feng Qingxue had instructed, Lu Jiang took out three pounds of peanuts and chickpea flour, along with a few pounds of candied fruits and dried nuts. After some thought, he also took several pounds of flour and rice from the bag of grains. That evening, he brought these items, along with the leftover bacon and sausages, to Zhao Yong’s house.
Zhao Yong and his wife, Guo Xiuying, were both in the military, and thus had their accommodation provided by the army, a one-bedroom and a living room apartment.
It was evening, and both Zhao Yong and Guo Xiuying were at home.
Hearing a knock on the door, Guo Xiuying wondered, "Who would visit at this late hour when we’re about to have dinner?"
She opened the door while speaking and when she saw Lu Jiang, she quickly let him in, immediately calling for Zhao Yong, "Lu Jiang is here!"
Zhao Yong had already heard that Lu Jiang’s girlfriend had sent him many supplies. Seeing the items that Lu Jiang brought with him, he couldn’t help but say, "These are sent by your girlfriend. Keep them for yourself. Only when you eat well can you have the energy to train. Don’t listen to those soldiers and give everything away. There are so many people in the regiment, even if you gave everything away, it wouldn’t be enough."
Lu Jiang smiled, "I know you mean well, Commander Zhao. But supplies are scarce, and it’s tough for everyone to get their fair share. How could I monopolize these? My girlfriend has instructed me to do so. Here are the items she mentioned in her letter to be for you and your wife."
With that, he handed over the items to Guo Xiuying.
Upon opening and seeing the items, Guo Xiuying was stunned, "Lu Jiang, your girlfriend is too considerate."
Although they could acquire these items given their status and positions, it wasn’t easy, and even if they could, it would be only a small quantity. Even their families usually couldn’t bear to enjoy such precious items.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yong leaned over to take a look, then agreed with his wife that Lu Jiang was too generous.
"This is just a token of her affection, please, Commander, and sister-in-law, don’t refuse."
Zhao Yong immediately put a plate of peanuts and a plate of chickpea flour on the table, "Lu Jiang, stay for dinner tonight."
Their food was supplied by the mess hall. The food for three people filled up most of the table, with soup, vegetables, steam buns, and all, but due to the scarcity of supplies, even for the commander and deputy commander, their meals had no meat, and the steam buns were made from coarse flour mixed with cornmeal.
Before going to get their meals, Lu Jiang went back to his dormitory once more to fetch some mutton oil, which he brought to Zhao’s house to melt into the cabbage soup.
While he and Zhao Yong were getting their meals, Guo Xiuying steamed two sausages at home.
Zhao Yong took a bite of the sausage and found it more and more aromatic. "Your girlfriend is really nice. She’s just like your Lu Family." Not anyone would be willing to send such supplies to a boyfriend she hasn’t married yet.
"Of course, my girlfriend is great. She treats my father and nephew very well."
Lu Jiang’s father wouldn’t have possibly not informed his son about Feng Qingxue’s attentive care. His father had already sent him a telegram about it.
Truthfully, Lu Jiang felt really grateful toward Feng Qingxue. The thing Lu Jiang worried most about while being away from home was his father and two nephews. Now, with Feng Qingxue’s considerate care, the concern that had been hanging over his heart had finally been lifted.