His predecessor failed

"It seems like I can't help much. You two have done a great job cleaning up the place. I see the dishes are already on the table."

Mrs. Qin teased the two of them while looking around the kitchen.

"I'm waiting for my sister-in-law to help me make dumplings! He Qiaojin said there will be many people at night, and they all have big appetites. I can't estimate their appetite, so my sister-in-law is here to help me."

As soon as she saw the dishes on the stove and the buns that were all of the same size, round and beautiful, Mrs. Qin knew that Zhuzhu was being polite, but she liked to hear them. Who doesn't like nice words!

Mrs. Qin handed a pair of thermoses and a pair of pillowcases to He Qiaojin who stood up to greet her.

"This is a wedding gift from Lao Qiao and I to you. Please don't despise it!"

Su Zhuzhu didn't take Mrs. Qin's joke seriously at all, and quickly asked people to help make the buns. She estimated that one basket might not be enough. He Qiaojin said that he could finish about ten of these fist-sized buns in one meal. Su Zhuzhu thought that people had to be full, so she planned to make more. If they couldn't finish them, she could save them for breakfast the next day so that they wouldn't be wasted.

With two people, they can wrap the dumplings much faster and soon finish the second basket. After the rice is steamed, they can steam the buns and sausages, and the big stove can be used to cook vegetables.

There was nothing to do for the time being, so Su Zhuzhu asked Mrs. Qin to sit down and have a rest. She poured some tea, brought out some fruits, snacks and candies, and then she sat down to take a break.

He Qiaojin had an appointment with his friends for dinner at six o'clock, so he still had an hour to cook. The time-consuming dishes had already been prepared, and it would be quick to cook a few vegetarian dishes, not to mention that Mrs. Qin could help.

Looking at the two female comrades sitting at the dining table and chatting, it was obvious that Su Zhuzhu's face was very red and her forehead was covered with sweat. He Qiaojin quickly washed a towel and asked his wife to wipe the sweat off her face.

Sister Qin also noticed it.

"Zhuzhu, you are the bride today, and your whole body is drenched in sweat. Before everyone else arrives, go take a shower and change into some pretty clothes, so that those rough guys can open their eyes and envy Xiao He."

Although He Qiaojin did not agree at all with Mrs. Qin's suggestion to let Su Zhuzhu open everyone's eyes, he wanted to hide his wife's beauty and admire it alone, but he also agreed and urged Su Zhuzhu to take a shower to cool down.

"The remaining dishes are simple. I'll make them. Even though they won't taste as good as yours, they'll still be edible."

He Qiaojin felt sorry for his wife who had been busy all afternoon, so he took the initiative to take on the next task.

"Xiao He, you should go wash up later. Zhuzhu is the bride and you are the groom, so you can't be careless. My sister-in-law will cook the remaining dishes. I know what to cook by looking at the ingredients in the kitchen. You should take a shower and change your clothes quickly. You should look like newlyweds."

Su Zhuzhu was not polite either. She asked He Qiaojin to tell her sister-in-law what dishes were left. She then took her clothes and went to the bathroom.

For fear that his wife would take a cold shower, He Qiaojin picked up the thermos and followed Su Zhuzhu, which made Mrs. Qin laugh. She never expected that little He, who was known as the cold-faced soldier king, would have this day.

After He Qiaojin returned to the kitchen, he told Mrs. Qin what dishes to cook next. The most important one was steamed buns, and the rest was easy. The sausages were cut and arranged on a plate and steamed together. Sugared tomatoes, spicy and sour potato shreds, smashed cucumbers and peanuts were no problem for Mrs. Qin. As for the boiled fish and braised liver tips, they had to be eaten while hot. Su Zhuzhu told them to wait for her to come back before cooking.

Mrs. Qin quickly prepared a few simple dishes, and waited for Su Zhuzhu to finish washing before making the last two dishes.

After taking a shower, Su Zhuzhu changed into the white shirt and black skirt she wore in the morning, and a pair of black leather shoes. She used concealer to cover the marks as usual, and while applying concealer she complained about He Qiaojin's incompetence.

To Mrs. Qin, Su Zhuzhu after taking a bath looked like a beauty emerging from the bath, with a rosy and fair face. Both of them had pigtails, but Su Zhuzhu's was particularly beautiful, with it draped sideways on her shoulders, making her look very delicate. Mrs. Qin didn't know that Su Zhuzhu's pigtail was a fishbone braid, and ponytails of that era didn't have that effect.

"Zhuzhu, you look really good in this outfit. It's that thing called elegance. Yes, elegance. Even though I'm a rough man, I know that it's elegance. Even though you're not wearing red, this outfit is really eye-catching."

"Sister-in-law, please don't laugh at me. Everyone has their youth. I'm not saying that you must have been one of the most beautiful women when you first got married. Just look at the way Captain Qiao looks at you."

Su Zhuzhu was not at all nervous about the teasing. She joked back while walking towards the stove. She had just checked the time and it was just right to start making boiled fish and stir-fried liver tips.

The firewood in the yard had all been burned into charcoal. Su Zhuzhu called He Qiaojin, who had just finished taking a combat bath, to spread the charcoal fire first, and put the casserole containing the pig's trotters and cured chicken on the charcoal fire to heat it up again. The pork rib soup was no longer needed. The pot of pork rib soup was so big that it was still hot from the touch of Su Zhuzhu.

Su Zhuzhu asked Mrs. Qin to help light the fire, and then she began to make her specialty, boiled fish. Mrs. Qin was amazed by the steps. It turned out that fish could be cooked in this way, and it smelled so good, especially when the last spoonful of oil was poured on, the whole pot was boiling. Although it consumed a lot of oil, it was not a bad idea to make it occasionally. Mrs. Qin was so greedy that her mouth was watering. She stared at Su Zhuzhu's every move, afraid that she would not learn it.

It was the first time Su Zhuzhu saw Mrs. Qin like this. She laughed so hard that her stomach hurt.

"Sister-in-law, don't be so serious. I'll teach you step by step some other day. I guarantee you'll learn it in one go."

The last dish, braised liver tips, is a home-cooked dish. It was cooked over high heat and with lots of oil. Mrs. Qin served it right after it was put into the pot.

The dishes were ready and the buns were almost done steaming. Su Zhuzhu asked He Qiaojin to put the borrowed tables together and place them in the middle of the living room. Mrs. Qin also helped to arrange the chairs, and then the dishes were served one by one.

The pig's trotters stewed with rich soybean sauce are sticky, the stewed cured chicken sprinkled with a handful of garlic leaves is rich and golden, the braised pork is rich in red sauce, the boiled fish is red in oil, the spicy sausages are sliced ​​and arranged on a plate, the liver tips are just out of the pot, the hot and sour shredded potatoes, smashed cucumbers, and peanuts are also the home-cooked dishes that everyone here likes to eat. Tomatoes mixed with sugar are rarely eaten because sugar is rare, let alone used to mix vegetables. Mrs. Qin complained in her heart that the couple did not know how to live.

Just as the dishes were served, car horns were heard outside. The three of them hurried out to greet them. It was indeed Captain Qiao and his party. Some had gone out for a meeting with Captain Qiao, and some were waiting for Captain Qiao to come back. When people came in, they almost filled up the courtyard of He Qiaojin and Su Zhuzhu. All of them were tall and strong soldiers with a different aura.

After greeting the guests, he quickly invited them to come in and sit down. However, Captain Qiao walked around the pile of firewood with charcoal on the ground. After taking a look, he could only see traces of digging, but could not tell what it was used for.

"He Qiaojin, what's so special about your fire? Why are you digging mud and making a fire in the yard for no reason?"

He Qiaojin smiled and said nothing, but took out a shovel and prepared to start digging.

Everyone gathered around when they saw this, and no one went into the house to sit down. Even Mrs. Qin was very curious, because she had a fever when she came, and she didn't know what it was.

He Qiaojin carefully moved the charcoal fire away, then used a shovel to gently move away the dust. Everyone saw a round object in the hole on the ground, which looked like a mud ball.

Everyone burst into laughter, making fun of He Qiaojin for still playing with mud balls at such a big age. Not only playing with mud balls, but he also had to dig a hole to bury it and burn it.

Only Captain Qiao didn't think so. The He Qiaojin he knew would not do such a boring thing.

"Wife, bring out a winnowing basket for drying vegetables."

Su Zhuzhu blushed when she was suddenly called out. She didn't have time to complain about He Qiaojin because there were so many people around, so she quickly went to the utility room and got out a dustpan.

He Qiaojin carefully put the mud ball into the dustpan and stared at Su Zhuzhu eagerly.

"Wife, what should we do next?"

Everyone then realized that this was done by He Qiaojin's new wife. It was indeed a newlywed couple, and he doted on his wife so much.

Su Zhuzhu went to the kitchen again and took out the large plate that had been prepared long ago and stood aside, directing He Qiaojin to gently knock the mud ball apart with a shovel.

He Qiaojin didn't dare to use much force at first. When he found that the mud ball had been burnt hard, he hit it with a shovel. The mud ball cracked, revealing layers of lotus leaves, but they were baked dry.

After He Qiaojin cleaned up all the broken mud, Su Zhuzhu tried to touch it and found it was too hot. Before she could say anything, He Qiaojin started to peel the lotus leaves.

"Just peel off the muddy parts, keep the insides, and put them directly on the plate."

Only then did everyone realize that there was something wrapped inside the mud ball, and as He Qiaojin peeled off the lotus leaves layer by layer, an enticing aroma emerged.

Su Zhuzhu did not explain, but asked He Qiaojin to pour water on the burning charcoal and burn something for free, and then she carried a large plate into the house.

Everyone followed and took a look. Wow! Wow! Where did this rich family come from? Did they get rich or something? They had never seen or heard of such a banquet at a wedding. Everyone immediately felt that the gifts in their hands were a bit embarrassing.

The calmest one was Captain Qiao, who asked everyone to sit down without any hesitation. After all, the political commissar was in charge of ideological work, so he followed suit.

Su Zhuzhu put the big plate on the table, and together with He Qiaojin, moved stools for everyone. She accepted everyone's gifts with a smile on her face, not thinking anything of it. In this era of material shortage, everyone's presence was already the best blessing, not to mention that they had to squeeze out money to prepare gifts for them. No matter how small the gift was, the sentiment was heavy, and they definitely appreciated the kindness.

The big table formed by two dining tables was packed with dishes, including braised pig's trotters with soybeans that were stewed with rich sauce until they were sticky, stewed cured chicken sprinkled with garlic leaves that was golden and rich, braised pork with rich red sauce, boiled fish with red oil, sliced ​​spicy sausages on a plate, braised liver tips that had just been taken out of the pot, spicy and sour shredded potatoes, smashed cucumbers, peanuts, and tomatoes mixed with sugar. Everyone was drooling as they watched.

At this time, Mrs. Qin and Su Zhuzhu brought out a few bowls of pork ribs and winter melon soup from the kitchen. The pork ribs soup sprinkled with chives exuded a fragrance that surprised everyone. There was more.

Soon, a bowl of Dongguan pork rib soup was placed in front of everyone. Su Zhuzhu said that there was no room for such a large soup pot on the table, so she served a bowl to everyone. If they liked it, there was more in the pot.

A group of grown men gave a thumbs up. At this time, He Qiaojin washed his hands, took the chopsticks, and was slowly peeling the ball wrapped in lotus leaves, which attracted everyone's attention. Two of them even couldn't help but help.

After peeling off layer by layer, a whole golden chicken appeared in front of everyone. Wow, the chicken with the aroma of lotus leaves was knocked out of a mud ball. It was the first time for everyone to see it and eat it, and everyone was amazed.

A group of people including Mrs. Qin surrounded Su Zhuzhu and asked her how the lotus-flavored chicken was cooked. When they learned that it was roasted in the hole in the yard, they gave her a thumbs up.

He Qiaojin took advantage of the fact that everyone was chatting excitedly and took out the wine that he had bought in advance, as well as a few bottles of soda that Su Zhuzhu had bought separately. He opened a bottle for Mrs. Qin and his wife first, and let the others have as they pleased.

However, He Qiaojin also told everyone that only those on vacation can drink. Those who are not on vacation can drink soda. If you really want to drink, save the wine and drink it when you are on vacation.

Everyone knows the rules. Besides, even if there is no wine to drink, there are still a table full of food and drinks. I have never had such a sumptuous meal.

Captain Qiao was the first to raise his glass, congratulating Comrades He Qiaojin and Su Zhuzhu on becoming a revolutionary couple on behalf of everyone, and sending out everyone's best wishes. Amid the cheers of the political commissar, the atmosphere was quite good.

When someone took the first chopstick and tasted Su Zhuzhu's cooking, his eyes lit up instantly. He didn't even have time to say anything to everyone and quickly tried a few other dishes. He didn't even have time to talk and almost swung his chopsticks away, leaving an afterimage.

This made everyone quickly pick up their chopsticks. It was a serious matter. No one had time to eat. Everyone just buried their heads in the food, like starving ghosts.

Seeing that everyone was eating happily, Su Zhuzhu quickly brought out the steamed rice and cabbage vermicelli meat buns for everyone to help themselves.

The lotus-flavored chicken was torn into small pieces in an instant. If He Qiaojin hadn't picked it up quickly, Su Zhuzhu wouldn't have been able to pick up a single piece, not to mention Su Zhuzhu's specialty, boiled fish. It felt like within a few minutes, the washbasin-sized basin of boiled fish was scooped out and not even the side dishes at the bottom of the basin were left. There were even two people with strong tastes who directly used the fish soup to eat with rice. The taste was simply amazing.

I originally thought that Mrs. Qin would be embarrassed, but I didn't expect her to eat so voraciously. Mrs. Qin said that there was nothing she could do, as she had never eaten such delicious food before. She had to follow Su Zhuzhu's tricks, and the boiled fish was indeed as delicious as she had imagined.

However, Su Zhuzhu and He Qiaojin, the bride and groom, could often eat and entertain everyone throughout the whole process. He Qiaojin himself drank a little less. They were all in the army and had no habit of urging others to drink. After all, there might be emergency tasks at any time, and as a soldier, they had to restrain themselves at all times.