At the military's group wedding, my best friend and I swapped husbands.

Chapter 61 Mission Accomplished

I bought even more today: five pounds of pork, a chicken, a large block of tofu, a bunch of vegetables, as well as eggs, vermicelli, and seasonings.

When I returned, the yard was already bustling with activity.

The pit was dug quickly. The soil in the Gobi Desert was hard, but the young soldiers were strong and swung their picks and shovels with great speed.

The bricklayers are also working quickly; with yesterday's experience, they're even more skilled today.

Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan put down the dishes and began preparing lunch.

Today, it wasn't just Fatty Sister-in-law who helped with the cooking; Aunt Li and Aunt Wang from next door also joined in. They were close to Fatty Sister-in-law, and when they heard that she was helping out at Commander Bai's house, they happily came to help as well.

"First, stew the chicken," the plump woman said. "Blanch the chicken, then stir-fry it in a pot, and then stew it with hot water."

Lin Weiwei started the fire, and this time she was smarter. She propped the firewood up a bit, so the fire burned brightly and there was less smoke.

While the chicken stew was being prepared, Aunt Li began to process the pork.

Su Wanwan volunteered to learn how to make braised pork, and Aunt Li directed her from the side. Su Wanwan then began to follow the steps.

Cut the pork into chunks, put oil in a pot, add white sugar and stir-fry until the sugar bubbles and turns red, then add the pork chunks and stir-fry.

The meat chunks are coated with caramel coloring, turning a bright reddish-brown. Then, soy sauce, cooking wine, scallions, ginger, and hot water are added and the mixture is stewed.

Lin Weiwei looked at the bright red meat in the pot and swallowed hard. "Wanwan, you're amazing! You look quite professional!"

Su Wanwan blushed slightly: "It's all thanks to Aunt Li's excellent teaching!"

Hearing this, Aunt Li was delighted; she liked the two new young wives even more.

In addition to stewed chicken and braised pork, we also prepared stir-fried tofu, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, shredded potatoes, and spinach and egg soup.

With so many dishes, the group was busy running around.

Chopping vegetables, starting the fire, stir-frying, seasoning... Su Wanwan's movements were slow, but very meticulous.

Lin Weiwei is strong; she moves things, pours water, and hands out seasonings, and works quite well together.

In the courtyard, the smell of the aroma made the workers work even harder.

As Zhao Dayong laid bricks, he called out, "Sister-in-law, what are you making? It smells so good!"

Lin Weiwei poked her head out: "Braised pork! Stewed chicken! Just wait, I guarantee it'll be delicious!"

"Alright!" Zhao Dayong laughed. "Just for this aroma, I'll lay two more rows of bricks today!"

Bai Rongbei was digging a hole over there when he heard this and looked up at the kitchen.

At the kitchen doorway, Su Wanwan was carrying a basin out to pour water. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and stray hairs clung to her cheeks, but her eyes were bright and her expression was focused.

He looked at it for two seconds, then lowered his head and continued digging.

Bai Si'an sat on a small stool drawing, occasionally giving guidance on the angle of the bricklaying.

With the help of my three aunts, the kitchen was bustling with activity today.

The three aunties praised the two girls while cooking.

Aunt Li watched Su Wanwan cook and praised, "Wanwan looks quiet, but she's quite efficient at her work. She cuts the potatoes into thin shreds and stir-fries them very well."

Su Wanwan smiled shyly, "I just learned it, and I'm still far from good enough."

Aunt Zhang said, "As long as you learn quickly! Women all have to get through this. When I first joined the army, I couldn't even start a fire, but now I can do everything, right?"

Lin Weiwei, who was tending the fire, chimed in, "Auntie, you have to teach me why I keep putting out the fire?"

Aunt Zhang laughed: "Firewood needs to be stacked high with some space in the middle so that air can circulate and the fire will burn brightly. You packed it too tightly, so it just smokes and doesn't catch fire."

Lin Weiwei suddenly realized, "So that's how it is!"

Amidst laughter and conversation, the food was ready.

The braised pork belly is glossy and reddish-brown, the stewed chicken is fragrant, the stir-fried tofu is tender and smooth, the vinegared cabbage is refreshing, the shredded potatoes are sour and spicy, and the spinach and egg soup is light and refreshing.

The table was set up in the yard, and the dishes were piled up high.

"Dinner's ready!" Lin Weiwei called out.

The workers washed their hands and gathered around.

Zhao Dayong stared wide-eyed at the table full of food: "My God, this is even more lavish than yesterday!"

Bai Rongbei glanced at the table, his gaze lingering on the braised pork for a moment before turning to Su Wanwan.

Su Wanwan was serving rice to everyone with a spoon, her face still covered in soot, but she was smiling happily.

"Please sit down, please sit down, don't be shy!" the plump auntie invited.

Everyone sat down and began to eat.

The braised pork is stewed until tender and juicy, rich but not greasy, and melts in your mouth.

The stewed chicken is tender and the broth is flavorful; the glass noodles soak up the broth and become smooth and slippery.

The stir-fried tofu was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, while the vinegared cabbage was crunchy and appetizing...

Zhao Dayong, his mouth greasy with food, exclaimed, "Sister-in-law, your cooking is amazing! It tastes even better than the cafeteria chef's!"

Chen Jianjun nodded in agreement: "It really is delicious! Commander Bai, Technician Bai, you're so lucky!"

Su Wanwan laughed and replied, "Haha, this isn't my cooking, it's my aunt's."

Bai Rongbei didn't say anything, but he picked up braised pork more often than usual.

Bai Si'an ate with his left hand, slowly but attentively. He tasted a piece of braised pork and nodded, "Not bad."

Upon hearing this, Su Wanwan's eyes curved into crescent moons.

Lin Weiwei was even more smug: "That's right! My Wanwan is a genius cook!"

The plump auntie smiled and said, "Both girls are great! They learn quickly and are hardworking; their lives will definitely get better and better in the future!"

This meal was even more lively than yesterday's.

The three aunts also stayed to eat together, chatting about interesting things in the family compound and occasionally asking about things in the city.

Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan exchanged questions and answers in a harmonious atmosphere.

Bai Rongbei spoke little, but when he did occasionally chime in, his attitude was more gentle than usual.

Bai Si'an was quieter, but as he listened to everyone talking, the corners of his mouth remained slightly curved.

After dinner, the aunties rushed to clear the dishes: "You guys rest, we'll wash them! We still have chores to do this afternoon!"

Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan couldn't refuse, so they washed with them.

The afternoon progressed faster.

With yesterday's experience, today's work went exceptionally smoothly.

The pit was built, the walls were plastered, the roof was erected, and the ground was leveled.

As the sun began to set, the second toilet was also repaired.

It was exactly the same as the first one: red brick walls, cement floor, tarpaulin roof, and wooden door.

The two toilets stand side by side against the wall of the two adjacent courtyards, like a pair of twins.

Zhao Dayong dusted off his hands: "All set! From now on, neither of you two families will have to go far to use the restroom!"

After dinner, Bai Rongbei offered cigarettes to his comrades who had helped him: "Thank you all for your hard work."

"It's no trouble at all!" several young soldiers said with smiles. "If Commander Bai needs anything in the future, just let us know!"

After seeing them off, Aunt Pang and the others packed up and prepared to go home.

"Thank you so much for your help, aunties!" Su Wanwan said sincerely.

"Don't mention it! We're neighbors, it's nothing." The plump aunt patted her hand. "If you ever need anything, just come to us."

Aunt Li and Aunt Zhang nodded with smiles.

After everyone left, the courtyard finally quieted down.

The setting sun painted the sky golden red, and the wind on the Gobi Desert cooled down, feeling very comfortable on my skin.

Lin Weiwei stood in front of the newly built toilet, looking it over from left to right, overjoyed: "Great! It's finally fixed! I won't have to walk so far to use the toilet anymore!"

Su Wanwan smiled and nodded, "Yes, it's really clean."

Bai Rongbei was checking the sturdiness of the roof, while Bai Si'an sat on a stool in the yard, quietly rubbing his right knee.

I've done a lot of heavy lifting these past two days, and my old injury in my right leg has flared up again; it's sore and painful.

He massaged it very gently, not wanting anyone to notice.

Lin Weiwei ran over excitedly and squatted down in front of Bai Si'an: "Bai Si'an, look how well our toilet has been renovated! Oh, right, we still need to add some things inside."

"We need to buy toilet paper and get a box to store it. We can nail a shelf to the wall to put some soap, and it would be best to lay two rugs on the floor to prevent slipping..."

She chattered away, her eyes sparkling.

Bai Si'an looked at her, quickly withdrew his foot, pretended not to have done anything, and smiled, "Hmm, lick slowly."

As Lin Weiwei was talking, she noticed that Bai Si'an was not sitting very comfortably. She frowned slightly, wondering if he was feeling unwell again.