His predecessor failed

After all the things were taken out, He Qiaojin put his arms around Su Zhuzhu's waist and kissed her, and only let go when Su Zhuzhu pinched him.

Then He Qiaojin watched as Su Zhuzhu decorated the new home bit by bit.

The bed was replaced with a bright red four-piece set, and the quilt cover was embroidered with flowers, which looked particularly elegant and festive. Even the pillowcases were embroidered, and it was obvious that they were a set. Two bright red pillows were neatly placed side by side, which made people feel festive just by looking at it.

He Qiaojin also placed two pairs of bright red slippers neatly beside the bed, and the red towels, water cups, and toothbrushes were placed in the bathroom. He also took the full set of festive bowls, plates, and chopsticks to the kitchen, washed them clean, wiped them dry, and put them away, ready for use in the evening.

After finishing washing and returning to the bedroom, I found Su Zhuzhu sorting out several sets of red clothes. Upon closer inspection, they were two sets of bright red silk pajamas, and the size was just right for the two of them.

There are both long-sleeved shirts and long pants as well as short-sleeved shirts and shorts. Su Zhuzhu's summer style is a suspender skirt with an outer robe. At first glance, it is a couple's style. It can be seen that it was specially prepared for their wedding.

He Qiaojin went forward to help hang the clothes in the closet, and he found a set of exciting women's underwear. Although He Qiaojin had never seen it before, based on his understanding of Chinese people, he knew that it was definitely not available in China and should be an imported product.

Grasping the thin fabric, he leaned over to whisper in Su Zhuzhu's ear.

"Wife, can you wear this for your wedding night tonight?"

Su Zhuzhu didn't expect this man to run in and find her underwear. She embarrassedly snatched the clothes and stuffed them into the closet, ignoring the man behind her whose mind was full of pornographic garbage.

He Qiaojin kept nagging behind his wife, which made Su Zhuzhu very annoyed. She sent him to the kitchen to chop pig's trotters and pork ribs.

After putting everything in place, the whole house was filled with joy. After walking around inside and out, Su Zhuzhu went out.

He Qiaojin, who was chopping pig's trotters, saw Su Zhuzhu go out through the kitchen window. He was about to ask where she was going, but she had already turned out of the yard and disappeared. He had to swallow his words and continue fighting with the pig's trotters.

Su Zhuzhu remembered that there was a piece of wasteland on the right side of the road when entering the staff quarters, with a lot of miscellaneous trees and bushes growing on it. When she passed by before, she happened to see a magnolia tree in full bloom.

For fear that there might be snakes in the grass, I found a branch after entering the wasteland and knocked on it as I walked. Soon I found the magnolia tree I had seen before. What was surprising was that when I got closer, I found that there was a slope behind the wasteland and a small pond under the slope. It was the best time for lotus leaves to bloom in the pond. It was a pity that the lotus had not bloomed yet, otherwise I would have picked a few branches to take back.

Thinking that she still had to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a pottery jar, Su Zhuzhu quickly picked a few magnolia flowers and plucked a few lotus leaves. She had just bought a chicken, so she could make lotus leaf chicken for everyone to try.

When Su Zhuzhu returned to the yard, she was already sweating. The weather was getting hotter and the sun was getting stronger.

After a simple scrub, I trimmed the white magnolia and put it in a ceramic pot, which was then placed on the dining table. The white magnolia and the quaint ceramic pot instantly made the simple living room look more grand, and they matched the curtains and cushions made by Su Zhuzhu very well.

After chopping pig's trotters and spare ribs, He Qiaojin came out and was attracted by the magnolia flowers on the dining table. They were obviously just a few simple flower branches, but when they were inserted into the ceramic jar used to store lard, it immediately became different and full of noble spirit.

He Qiaojin also came from the compound, and could see Su Zhuzhu's skill in flower arrangement. He walked closer to take a look. Su Zhuzhu cut a notch in a branch and placed it horizontally against the mouth of the jar, and then inserted the flower branches into it. The flower branches had a stress point, and the whole thing became three-dimensional. With proper adjustment of the position, it presented its current beauty.

He Qiaojin didn't expect that his wife had this skill. He felt very happy. The more he got to know her, the more he realized that she was a treasure that could never be exhausted. Fortunately, he was not blind for too long and did not lose such a good and excellent wife. Otherwise, he would be the biggest fool in the world and would regret it to death.

After washing her hands, Su Zhuzhu came in to see He Qiaojin looking around the dining table.

"How about it? Not bad, right? I picked them in the wasteland outside the family compound. When the flowers wither, I can wash the jars and use them in the kitchen."

He Qiaojin leaned over and kissed his wife.

"It's not that it's pretty good, it's really excellent. I didn't expect you to have this skill. I'm not exaggerating, but there are not many women in Beijing who claim to be ladies from wealthy families who can arrange flowers to such a high level. I'm really lucky."

Giving the man a blank look, Su Zhuzhu raised her chin and spoke without any modesty,

"Of course I'm excellent. When you wanted to break off the engagement, I thought you were blind, but I don't think I'm bad. I have many shining points."

"Yes, yes, it's my fault, wife, don't be angry. I was young and hot-headed back then, and I never thought that life with a wife would be so beautiful."

"It hasn't been long, less than a year, and you're already not young and energetic anymore!"

He Qiaojin smiled.

"Wife, I was young and blind a year ago, but now I am still young and strong. I guarantee you will be satisfied."

"You were so aloof and unapproachable when you were at your house, why are you so shameless now? Was it all fake when we first met?"

"It's my fault, wife. I've been in the army for a long time. I can't control those troublemakers if I'm not a little bit cold and fierce. I didn't control it well."

He Qiaojin flattered him with a playful smile.

It was simply unbearable to watch. Su Zhuzhu wanted to slap this bastard. She glared at He Qiaojin hatefully and didn't want to talk to him anymore. She turned and went into the kitchen to busy herself, and did not forget to ask He Qiaojin to dig a hole in the yard.

He Qiaojin didn't ask the purpose of digging the hole. He just did whatever his wife asked him to do.

Su Zhuzhu counted the ingredients and chopped the cured chicken and soaked it in water first, otherwise it would be too salty after stewing. The pig's feet and spareribs also needed to be blanched and stewed in advance. The menu was basically ready, including spareribs and winter melon soup, lotus chicken, braised pork, boiled fish, stewed cured chicken, steamed sausage, a smashed cucumber and some peanuts to go with the wine, and some vegetarian dishes such as stir-fried spicy and sour potato shreds and a sugar-coated tomato, a total of ten dishes, and a steamed basket of cabbage, vermicelli and meat buns, and a pot of rice, so that the tastes of the north and the south would be combined.

After deciding on the menu, Su Zhuzhu first marinated the lotus-flavored chicken with seasonings. Of course, she secretly took some out from the space, as there were not many seasonings available in that era.

Seeing that it was getting late, she started to prepare lunch. Since she still had a lot to do in the afternoon, she prepared a simple meal. She steamed two servings of rice, a seaweed egg drop soup, stir-fried pork with peppers, and stir-fried wild vegetables. The wild vegetables were given by Sister Qin, who said they were dug from the nearby mountains. There are a lot of them here, and Su Zhuzhu has never seen them before. But she asked Sister Qin how to cook the wild vegetables, and they looked good.

After He Qiaojin dug the hole that Su Zhuzhu wanted in the yard, he washed his hands and came in to have lunch. He helped bring the food to the table, and sat down with Su Zhuzhu on either side. They each ate two large bowls of rice with stir-fried pork with peppers. His wife's cooking skills were as good as ever, and his stomach, which had been tortured for so long, finally recovered in the past two days.

The task of cleaning up the dishes seemed to be naturally contracted by He Qiaojin. Su Zhuzhu expressed her satisfaction. Although she likes cooking very much, she really doesn't like washing dishes. It is a big highlight that a man can take the initiative to share the housework, which is a plus!

It was not suitable to rest right after eating, so the two of them prepared the dishes to be cooked in the afternoon and could start cooking directly when the time came.

The two of them got busy very quickly, picking, washing, cutting and preparing the vegetables, and they had finished in less than an hour. Su Zhuzhu handed the task of blanching the pig's trotters and ribs to He Qiaojin, then took a set of casual clothes to take a shower. She had been sweating a lot from busying around in the morning, and she couldn't fall asleep without taking a good shower.

It was half past one when the two finally finished their work and went back to the bedroom for a nap.

He Qiaojin didn't dare to make a fuss at this moment. He just hugged Su Zhuzhu and took a nap obediently, which made Su Zhuzhu a little confused as to whether this man had changed his personality. However, she would definitely not ask and fell into a good sleep. Anyway, she told He Qiaojin to wake her up at 2:30.

After a hearty nap, the two got up and started working.

The kitchen is Su Zhuzhu's home ground. He Qiaojin would hit wherever she pointed. After washing his face and sobering up, he was assigned to burn firewood in the dug pit to make some charcoal first.

They were asked to dig half a basin of mud at the fire point. Su Zhuzhu added some water into it first and instructed He Qiaojin to stir it. It was still too dry, so she added more water little by little until it was mixed to the right degree.

The lotus leaves picked in the morning were washed and dried. Su Zhuzhu folded them carefully and then wrapped the marinated whole chicken. It was not convenient to use tin foil, so she had to wrap it with two more layers of lotus leaves, tied it with cotton thread, and finally evenly coated it with the mixed mud. After the charcoal fire was ready, she asked He Qiaojin to put it in the pit and continue to burn firewood on top.

Although born in a wealthy family in Beijing, He Qiaojin had heard of lotus-flavored chicken but had never eaten it. This was what Su Zhuzhu told him, but it was different from what he had heard. He had heard of beggar's chicken and didn't know what the difference was. But if he didn't understand, he could ask. His wife could make it, so she would definitely know.

Su Zhuzhu was stunned for a moment, and then she remembered the TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" adapted from Jin Yong's novels that she had watched in her previous life. The favorite food of Hong Qigong, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, was beggar's chicken.

"I'm not sure, but beggar's chicken should be cooked this way. Our country is so big, and the cooking methods in each place are different. Maybe the difference is in the seasoning."

He Qiaojin did not ask any further questions. He just wanted to find a topic to chat about and cultivate their relationship. No matter whether it was lotus-flavored chicken or beggar's chicken, he loved to eat it as long as it was cooked by his wife.

After the lotus-flavored chicken is ready, Su Zhuzhu puts the blanched pig's trotters into the oil pan and stir-fry until they are slightly browned, then add ginger, onion, three dried chilies, two star anises, a piece of cinnamon, and half a small bowl of soaked soybeans and stir-fry again. Finally, add boiling water to cover the pig's trotters, season with soy sauce, vinegar, and the bean paste she brought, which is the chili used for cooking, and a little rock sugar. After boiling, transfer to a casserole and put it on the coal stove to continue stewing. Add a little salt when it is ready.

After stewing the pig's trotters, they washed the pot and started frying the cured chicken. This cured chicken was brought by Su Zhuzhu, and it was made from a pheasant hunted by Lin Wu. Considering that there were many people, Su Zhuzhu chopped up the fattest one and filled a large pot.

Ask He Qiaojin to light the fire on the big stove, heat the oil, pour in the cured chicken and stir-fry, add only ginger slices after the water is dried up, then add boiling water, and after boiling, find a large casserole to serve it. After the pig's trotters are stewed, start stewing the cured chicken.

Da Zao washed the pot and continued to cook the next dish. It was less than four o'clock in the afternoon. He put the blanched pork ribs in water and added ginger slices. He Qiaojin brought it to a boil over high heat and then simmered it over low heat.

Two pounds of ribs is a lot, and the big earthen stove is half full of them. After they are cooked, add large pieces of winter melon, add oil to the pot, and sprinkle with a handful of green onions. It is so delicious.

Soon, the kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of pig's trotters stewed with soybeans, followed soon by the fragrant smell of pork ribs.

Su Zhuzhu poked it with chopsticks and found that the pig's trotter was almost cooked. The seasoning already had a salty taste, so she only added a little salt. After stirring evenly, she covered the lid and placed it on the dining table. The kitchen space was really not big enough.

Without lowering the fire at all, he put the casserole containing the cured chicken on the coal stove to stew it. Soon the aroma of stewed cured chicken wafted through the courtyard. He turned to low heat only when a layer of golden chicken oil floated on the milky white soup.

Both stoves were busy. Su Zhuzhu took a pair of chopsticks and a bowl while the pig's trotters were not so hot, picked up two pieces of pig's trotters and fed them to He Qiaojin.

After all, you have to take care of your own man, and you have to make up for the lost weight during this period.

He Qiaojin was helping out while accepting feed from his wife. His whole body was emitting a light called happiness. Su Zhuzhu said she couldn't bear to watch it, but it didn't stop her from continuing to feed him.

Soon, the spare ribs and cured chicken were also stewed. The cured chicken was placed on the dining table like the pig's trotters. The spare rib soup was put into the large stew pot that He Qiaojin borrowed from the army canteen. The winter melon cut into large pieces was also put in and the pot was placed on the coal stove for slow cooking.

After feeding the cured chicken and spare ribs, Su Zhuzhu put down her bowl and chopsticks and started to knead the dough for bread, dumplings and steamed buns. The job of cutting and chopping the meat was given to He Qiaojin. The two of them worked together and the dough soon rose. After Su Zhuzhu prepared the stuffing, she started to make the braised pork. Fortunately, she borrowed several casseroles, otherwise there would not be enough for the dishes.

It was already past four o'clock by the time the braised pork was cooked. He Qiaojin couldn't make dumplings, so he continued to light the fire.

Su Zhuzhu opened the lid of the pot and took a look. The pork ribs and winter melon soup was delicious, so she took it away and put another steamer in the pot to start simmering rice.

One of them was sitting with legs bent in front of the stove, making a fire and drinking pork rib soup, while the other was standing in front of the chopping board making dumplings. It really felt like the daily life of a couple.

Mrs. Qin came in and laughed when she saw this scene. People have to get married when they reach a certain age. Xiao He used to be so serious that he didn't like this one and refused to date that one. But now he knows the benefits of having a wife.

As soon as He Qiaojin saw the half-smile in Mrs. Qin's eyes, he knew that she must be muttering about him.

"sister in law!"

When Su Zhuzhu heard He Qiaojin's voice, she turned around and saw that it was Mrs. Qin who came over. She also called out to her affectionately.