The 1970s: Military Family Beauty

Jiang Furong had just put three dumplings into the pot when she heard a knock on the door. She thought it was Jiang Chaohui or Hu Xiuqing coming back, so she quickly pushed the cart to the living room and ran to open the door.

"Jiang Furong!" Qian Yuyan was standing outside the door. "How's Xiaobao? Is he not crying?"

When Xiao Baoying heard Qian Yuyan's voice, he immediately shouted, "Mom, Mom, I want a hug."

Jiang Furong quickly stepped aside and said, "Xiao Baoying is very sensible. He doesn't make any noise or trouble."

When Qian Yuyan heard her son calling, she rushed to the car, picked up her son, and gave him a kiss: "Mom misses you."

Xiao Baoying brewed his emotions for a while and cried out: "Mom~"

Jiang Furong looked at Qian Yuyan and Xiao Baoying crying in each other's arms. She didn't bother to explain and just said, "Captain Qian, I'm cooking dumplings for Xiao Baoying. Please sit down first. I'm afraid the dumplings will stick to the bottom of the pot."

After saying that, without waiting for Qian Yuyan to reply, he hurriedly closed the door and trotted back to the kitchen.

Three fat dumplings sank to the bottom of the pot. Jiang Furong shoveled them up carefully and stirred the water in the pot like her aunt to prevent the dumplings from sinking. Watching the water in the pot swirl, she went to the backyard, brought back a covered dumpling and threw it into the pot to cook.

Jiang Furong thought that it was not time for dinner yet and Qian Yuyan might not have had dinner yet, so she decided to cook more dumplings. If Qian Yuyan didn't eat them, she could use them to send to her grandmother for dinner.

Qian Yuyan held little Baoying in her arms and coaxed him for a while. When the child stopped crying, she carried him to the kitchen and said, "Were you scared by the way we cried?"

Jiang Furong was adding cold water to the boiling pot to stop the tumbling dumplings. Upon hearing this, she turned around and smiled, "Little Baoying is really patient. Adults will recognize their beds and places. Little Baoying hasn't made any noise or trouble since yesterday. He's very sensible!"

Qian Yuyan looked at the steam rising from the cauldron, breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled with relief: "You're right, many children are shy and cry non-stop when they leave their mothers, but my little baby has never made a fuss."

Jiang Furong continued the conversation by praising him, "Little Baoying has an excellent memory. He recited many poems for us. My sister and I can't even recite them."

Qian Yuyan kissed Xiaobao Ying and said with a smile: "Xiaobao's grandfather taught him all of this. Don't look at him because he's young, he really remembers it. To be honest, I can't recite it either."

The water in the pot soon boiled again, and the dumplings floating on the water began to roll up and down again.

Qian Yuyan asked: "Do you eat dumplings at home tonight?"

"This is specially cooked for Xiao Baoying. He said he wanted to eat wontons, but I don't know how to make them. These are the dumplings my father made this morning. I saw you were here, so I cooked an extra portion. You can eat with Xiao Baoying." Jiang Furong said as she took out the dumplings and put them in a large bowl.

Qian Yuyan politely declined: "Don't be polite, I'll go to the cafeteria to eat later, you can just serve two for Xiaobao."

Jiang Furong took the big bowl out and placed it on the dining table: "It's already cooked, you can eat with him, and I will take you back after you finish eating."

Qian Yuyan put Xiao Baoying back into the stroller and placed her in a sitting position. She picked up two dumplings and put them in a small bowl. "Xiao Bao, eat by yourself! Mommy will come over after she tells Sister Furong."

She pulled Jiang Furong to the kitchen and whispered, "I was suddenly assigned a task by my superiors. I can't go home for a week, but my family is out of town and can't come back. I called them and asked them to buy tickets, but the fastest they can arrive is three days later. Can your grandma help me take care of little Baoying at night?"

Jiang Furong was a little surprised. She didn't expect to be offered full-time care right away. "Captain Qian, my grandmother is in the hospital. I've been taking care of little Baoying since last night. If you're assured, I can take good care of him."

Qian Yuyan was stunned and couldn't help but ask nervously: "What disease?"

"I was taking care of little Baoying at home today and didn't have time to go to the hospital. My aunt said it was Meniere's disease." Jiang Furong told the truth.

Qian Yuyan's expression visibly relaxed. "Meniere's disease? It's a common condition where you faint easily, but it goes away after a while. Many women get this problem as they get older. Um, can you take care of Xiaobao by yourself?"

Jiang Furong pretended to be relaxed: "Of course I can. My grandma is in the hospital and my aunt is taking care of her. I'm at home during the day, so I have time to look after little Baoying. It's just that our family doesn't have as much supplies as yours. This morning my dad got some fresh milk, so I made him a bottle. This afternoon when we went out for a walk, someone gave me an apple, and he ate half of it."

Qian Yuyan couldn't find anyone else to help her take care of the child, so she could only put all her hopes on Jiang Furong: "Oh, you're taking such good care of him! You're really helping me take care of Xiaobao. I'm really doing you a great favor. Then I'll go home and get his milk powder and fruit."

Jiang Furong agreed readily: "Okay."

Qian Yuyan breathed a sigh of relief. Although the Jiang family's living conditions were a bit simple, their hygiene habits seemed very good, so she could rest assured. "Then I'll go home and come right back. The company is still waiting for me to come back. I'll drop off my things and leave as soon as I get here."

Jiang Furong nodded, and suddenly remembered something: "Captain Qian, can you bring Xiao Baoying's own washbasin? I washed his face today by pouring hot water on his handkerchief with a cup, wrung it out, and then wiped his face."

The washbasin at home is no longer usable, and she can't bear to see it anyway.

"Yes, yes, yes. I'll get them all." Qian Yuyan put her schoolbag in the cart to prove that she had returned: "Xiaobao, Mommy will be out for a moment."

Xiao Baoying looked at his schoolbag, then looked at Qian Yuyan, nodded, and continued eating dumplings.

Jiang Furong admired Qian Yuyan's approach from the bottom of her heart.

No wonder Xiao Baoying has such a strong sense of achievement in delayed gratification. It’s all thanks to the words and deeds of the adults at home!

Jiang Furong picked up another dumpling for Xiao Baoying.

"It smells so good. What are you eating? Did you leave any for me?" From the voice, I knew that it was Hu Xiuqing who brought Jiang Guoqing back.

Jiang Furong pointed to the large bowl on the dining table: "It's still hot, go get the chopsticks if you want to eat."

Jiang Guoqing cheered and ran to the kitchen.

Hu Xiuqing came over with a sullen face and said in a stern tone, "You're eating alone at home with the door locked!"

Jiang Furong said calmly, "My dad made the dumplings. He knows exactly how many he made. When he comes back later and sees how many dumplings are left on the windowsill, he'll know by counting them."

Jiang Furong always followed the principle of not reasoning with lunatics and drunkards. "My dad told me to be in charge of the family meals during the time my grandma is in the hospital and after she's released."

Dad has given me the power to decide what to cook and how much to make. What do you think?