Chapter 105: Hosting a Dinner (Part One)

In the afternoon, the two of them returned to their quarters. Lin You took out the invitation cards he had bought in town that morning and wrote the names of the people they wished to invite on each one. When he had finished, he set out with the invitations to personally invite people from the unit.

The news that Lin You was treating everyone to a meal had Jiang Weiguo and the others excited beyond measure; they all eagerly offered their help, insisting he call on them if there was anything they could do. Jiang Weiguo even pulled Lin You aside to whisper some private words, making the usually stoic soldier blush crimson.

Before leaving, Jiang Weiguo gave Lin You an encouraging pat on the shoulder and told him to do his best.

As night fell, the whole family busied themselves rearranging the house. Large, bright red double happiness characters were pasted on every window, and when all was done, Xia Yan clapped her hands in satisfaction.

Lin You came over to her side and, feigning nonchalance, took her hand. “Now it’s too late for you to regret this,” he said.

“Oh? From the sound of it, are you the one having second thoughts?” Xia Yan put her hands on her hips and pouted at him.

As Lin You gazed at her rosy lips, Jiang Weiguo’s words from earlier flashed through his mind. Feeling a little nervous, he glanced toward the children’s room and, seeing that the lights were already out, suddenly grabbed Xia Yan’s arm. His abrupt move caught her off guard.

“What…what are you doing?” Xia Yan was flustered as she met his burning gaze.

The next second, Lin You lowered his head and kissed her lips.

But with thirty years of bachelorhood behind him, Lin You had no idea how to kiss; he simply pressed his lips to hers, unable to take it any further.

Both of them stared wide-eyed at each other.

A few seconds later, their lips parted. Xia Yan was still dazed—was that it? Had her first kiss in both her lives just been given away like this? Weren’t kisses in TV dramas supposed to be romantic? Why had hers ended so perfunctorily?

She steeled herself—if there was a loss to be borne, she would not be the one to bear it. Rising on tiptoe, she wound her arms around Lin You’s neck and kissed him properly.

She remembered reading in novels and seeing on TV that a real kiss involved using your tongue.

As her soft tongue slipped into his mouth, Lin You’s mind went completely blank. There was only one thought left… The two of them clung to each other, and this time, the kiss lasted a full three minutes before they reluctantly broke apart.

Both were left breathless, gasping for air.

“I…I’m going to wash up,” Xia Yan said, covering her face. She felt as if she were burning up—how could she have been so bold?

Watching her flustered retreat, Lin You touched his lips… He doubted he’d get any sleep that night.

The next morning, when Xia Yan saw Lin You again, she forced herself to act natural as she greeted him.

“You should come home early today and help me get everything ready for tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

That afternoon, Sun, the head of the piggery in town, arrived with a butchered pig. Xia Yan was stunned by the sight of the hefty animal. “Chief Sun, I only asked for a big piece of pork belly and three trotters. Why did you bring a whole pig?”

Sun laughed. “You’re holding a wedding banquet, aren’t you? My pig farm’s business has improved a lot lately, thanks in no small part to your and Captain Lin’s help with the Zhao family affair. Think of this pig as my wedding gift to you.”

“I…I can’t possibly accept it without paying,” Xia Yan protested, feeling awkward at the sight of the pig, which must have weighed at least two hundred pounds.

“If you insist on paying, I’ll be offended. You’d be looking down on me!” Sun said, feigning anger.

Faced with such insistence, Xia Yan had no choice but to accept. “Then you must bring your daughter and son to the banquet tomorrow, or I really won’t take it.”

Sun grinned. “Of course we’ll come. Even if you hadn’t invited us, I’d be shameless enough to show up for a celebratory drink.”

They chatted for a while, and Xia Yan took the opportunity to ask him about pig farming techniques. She was thinking of starting a small piggery up in the hills, so that the families at the base wouldn’t have to go down to buy meat, and she could earn a little on the side.

That evening, Lin You remarked upon seeing the big pig, “Didn’t expect old Sun to be so resourceful. I used to have my doubts about him.”

“It’s all because you took down the Zhao landlord’s house. Otherwise, do you think he’d be so generous? In this world, people help each other out of mutual benefit,” Xia Yan replied. Having been in business all her life, she saw things clearly.

Lin You nodded in agreement. “True enough.”

At the crack of dawn the next day, Xia Yan was woken by a knock at the door. When she went out, she found Zhang Chunshan and an apprentice already there.

“Master Zhang, you’re here so early?” Xia Yan opened the door and warmly welcomed them in.

“My master wanted to come last night, but the restaurant was too busy… He even argued with our manager about it this morning,” the apprentice grumbled.

“Why are you running your mouth?” Zhang Chunshan shot him a look. “Who is Xia Yan? According to our bet yesterday, she’s my master, your grandmaster! She’s getting married, and you’re here to help. If you have a problem with that, head back now, and never call yourself my apprentice again.”

“I’m sorry, Master. I was wrong.”

Xia Yan felt a bit embarrassed. “Master Zhang, if the restaurant is too busy, you should go back. I can manage with a few of the ladies helping.”

“Don’t worry, girl. I left two apprentices at the shop; they can handle things.”

As he spoke, he pulled a red envelope from his pocket. “Congratulations on your marriage.”

Xia Yan accepted it without fuss, having already decided to give Zhang Chunshan a little pay for his trouble that afternoon—she couldn’t let him work for nothing.

“Thank you, Master Zhang! Come in and have some breakfast. I made big pork buns last night—try my cooking.”

“I’d like that. I’ve been looking forward to tasting your food.”

Over breakfast, Zhang Chunshan was thoroughly impressed—her buns were seasoned just right. His apprentice was even more enthusiastic, eating five in a row. If Lin Hongzhuo hadn’t snatched the last two, he might have eaten even more.

As noon approached, Lin You opened the front gate early.

Li Guoxiang and a few company commanders were the first to arrive. As soon as they stepped inside, Li Guoxiang called out loudly, “Captain, we’re here!”

Lin You brought out a plate of cold appetizers from the kitchen, glanced at his guests, and said, “Come in, help yourselves to the snacks and candy on the table.”

Everyone nodded and responded happily. Li Guoxiang was more familiar than the rest, having visited Lin You’s home several times. He dashed to the kitchen and called out to the busy figure inside, “Hello, sister-in-law!”

The others exchanged glances. “Li Guoxiang’s already greeting her without us—that’s not right!” They all followed suit, eager to meet Xia Yan for themselves. They’d heard the captain’s wife was a beauty and were curious to see if the rumors were true.

They peered into the kitchen… Even her back looked different from the other families’ wives at the base, though they couldn’t quite say how.

At that moment, Xia Yan turned around…