Chapter 46: I Don't Like Vinegar; I Prefer Soy Sauce

“Husky.”
“Hus-what?”
“Husky!”
“What kind of ky?”
“Husky! That’s the breed of this dog!” Xia Yan pressed her hand to her forehead, seriously doubting whether this man had ever watched “Goodbye, Mr. Loser.”

“So it’s called a Husky? Around here, we just call them wolf-dogs.”
Wolves?
They only sound like wolves, that’s all…

The little dog seemed to sense the ‘disdain’ in Xia Yan’s eyes and barked at her twice, as if to say: [Hey, lady, do you look down on me?]

If Xia Yan could understand, she would have replied, “Sorry, but yes, I do look down on you—a little.”

Just then, footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a man’s voice calling out, “Excuse me, is Comrade Xia Yan at home?”

Lin You put down the dog in his arms and went to open the door. Xia Yan, curious, went along—she recognized the voice. It was Zhang Jun. But why was he visiting at this hour?

As soon as Zhang Jun stepped in, he greeted both of them, but when his eyes landed on Xia Yan, he stared at her for quite a while before reluctantly looking away.

“Doctor Zhang, what brings you here?” Lin You noticed the way Zhang Jun looked at Xia Yan, and his tone was less than friendly.

“Lin… Captain Lin, you’re home too. I’m here to see Comrade Xia Yan.” The moment Zhang Jun saw Lin You open the door, his confidence faltered. When Lin You wasn’t around, he could think of dozens of ways to embarrass him, but faced with him directly, all his bravado vanished.

“Looking for me?”
Standing beside Lin You, Xia Yan gave off the air of a golden couple—perfectly matched in every way.

“Yes, I came to let you know that Zhao Ming’s eldest son is out of danger now. There’s no longer any major risk.”

He had prepared to say much more, but with Lin You at home, he could only stick to business.

“That’s wonderful news! Thank you for taking the trouble to come and tell me in person, Doctor Zhang.” Xia Yan smiled, and Zhang Jun was momentarily dazed by her before he snapped back to himself. “No…no trouble at all. But Liu Xiuying doesn’t seem to want to let you off. You should be careful. If I hadn’t stopped her last night, she would’ve come to make trouble for you.”

Zhu Yan had complained about Liu Xiuying’s vendetta back at the office yesterday, and Zhang Jun had overheard, so now he was claiming the credit for himself.

Of course Xia Yan knew Liu Xiuying wouldn’t give up so easily—Lin You had already warned her about this last night.

“Doctor Zhang, my husband already warned me to be careful of Liu Xiuying, but thank you for your concern,” she said, slipping her arm through Lin You’s.

Yesterday, when Xia Yan noticed the way Zhang Jun looked at her, she understood the sort of thoughts he harbored. Her gesture was a subtle warning to him.

As for the look Lin You gave Zhang Jun—there was no need to say more. From the moment Zhang Jun entered the courtyard, Lin You had wanted to punch him.

“Is there anything else, Doctor Zhang?” Seeing that he was still standing there, Xia Yan checked her watch and had to take the initiative to send him off. She didn’t mean to be rude, but she and Lin You had already planned to go down the mountain today to buy piglets.

Catching her meaning, even Zhang Jun’s thick skin couldn’t save him from embarrassment. He mumbled a quick farewell and hurried out of the courtyard.

But as he left, he shot Lin You a venomous glare—only to meet Lin You’s eyes directly. Startled, he quickly averted his gaze and walked away as fast as he could.

“Keep your distance from that man in the future,” Lin You said grimly.

“Is Captain Lin jealous?” Xia Yan teased with a smile.

“I like soy sauce, not vinegar.” Lin You was used to Xia Yan’s jokes, but he still replied with feigned annoyance.

Laughing, Xia Yan scooped up Lin Nuannuan and followed Lin You. “Nuannuan, your father likes soy sauce. From now on, we’ll make him soy sauce soup and rice with soy sauce every day.”

“Rice with soy sauce? Is it tasty? I want some too!”
“It’s awful—dark and salty. Only your father likes it. See how he’s getting darker these days…”

Hearing the banter between the two, Lin You nearly stumbled and fell.

Less than ten minutes later, a military-green truck stopped at their gate. Xia Yan glanced at the family compound—another familiar face.

“Comrade Li, sorry to trouble you to drive us again.”

Li Guoxiang grinned broadly. “Sister-in-law, don’t say that. You have no idea how jealous the guys in the company are.”

Leaning in, he lowered his voice, “The captain’s got us doing weight training today. I’m skiving off.”

“Don’t bother whispering, I heard you.”
Lin You had appeared in the doorway without anyone noticing. His cool voice startled both of them, especially Li Guoxiang, who immediately stood ramrod straight in a perfect military posture. “Good morning, Captain!”

“Li Guoxiang, did you think I wouldn’t notice your little tricks? Don’t worry, I’ll remember to make up your training later.”

At this, Li Guoxiang’s neck shrank and he put on a pitiful face. “Sister-in-law, help me out here!”

“Ahem… Lin You, how about giving Comrade Li half a day off?”
Xia Yan always found his serious side a bit intimidating.

“This is the army.”
At his words, Xia Yan shot Li Guoxiang a look of sympathy. Sorry, but this man doesn’t take my advice either.

Lin You added, “There’ll be plenty of meat at lunch today.”

Li Guoxiang brightened. “Captain, forget the state-run restaurant—can I stay for dinner and have some of your cooking, sister-in-law? You’re a better chef than those cooks.”

“You’re getting bold. With your appetite, I’d feel sorry for my wife,” Lin You said sternly, though his words were full of affection for Xia Yan.

“All right, since Comrade Li is helping us out today, I’ll make lamb for you tonight.”

“Sister-in-law, can we have braised pork too?”

“Look at you, getting picky! Eat it if you want; if not, forget it.” Lin You rapped him smartly on the head.

***

After some time on the mountain, Xia Yan had grown used to almost everything—except one thing: the ride down the mountain. Every time felt like a brush with death.

“When I have money one day, I’ll make sure this mountain road gets fixed.”

“Well, twenty piglets won’t be nearly enough for that. You’ll have to work harder.”
After their talk last night, Lin You had decided to support any decision Xia Yan made, as long as it wasn’t too outrageous.

“Sister-in-law, let me thank you on behalf of all the brothers on the mountain.”

“Why do you always have to chime in?” Lin You said gruffly.

Li Guoxiang just laughed. “Captain, I think you’ve changed.”

“Oh? How so?” Lin You was surprised by the sudden comment.

“You talk more now. And you’re much more easygoing than before.”

Lin You glanced at Xia Yan beside him. “That’s all thanks to your sister-in-law!”