CHAPTER 242: SON’S 230TH BIRTHDAY (2511)

"My husband even praised you, saying you have a revolutionary spirit!"

"You really are the bravest woman I’ve ever met!"

"...Are you heading out?"

"Yes, Auntie." Tian Sangsang truly had no clue who this person was, so she could only smile and reply politely. "Today’s my son’s birthday, I’m just heading out to shop, shop, shop."

"I just got back from outside. Here, take this taro. Don’t bother buying taro later, make a taro soup instead."

Tian Sangsang took a look—it’s fragrant taro, betel taro, a pretty decent variety. Last time she checked at the market, it was quite pricey given current prices.

"Auntie, I can’t accept this!"

"Take it... go ahead, take it... it’s my heartfelt gesture. Seriously, your singing is just too beautiful, it makes us feel totally relaxed and refreshed!" Without waiting for a response, the auntie stuffed the taro, now bagged, into her arms, leaving her no chance to escape.

After that, Tian Sangsang got greeted a few more times, including by You Huixixi and the elderly man sweeping the floor, all of whom wanted to give her gifts—be it a single scallion or a bag of candies. This left Tian Sangsang feeling rather embarrassed.

As she was finally about to step out of the gates of the residential compound, a booming voice startled her: "Hello, sister-in-law!"

"You..." Tian Sangsang squinted at him carefully. "You’re Xiaobing? How’ve you gotten darker over just a few days? And you look so worn-out? This won’t do—holidays are meant to make you look fresh-faced."

"Yes." Chen Xiaobing scratched his head awkwardly. "Sister-in-law, I’ve got something I want to report to our platoon leader, but..."

"Your platoon leader?"

"It’s Captain Jiang."

Then why not go find Jiang Jinghuai? What are you doing looking for her?

Chen Xiaobing’s face suddenly went red, hesitating to speak: "I, I..."

"What’s the matter with you?" Tian Sangsang softened her voice. "It’s okay, don’t be scared, take your time to tell me."

From his pocket, Chen Xiaobing fumbled out an item and said, "These past few days, things in my dorm have been mysteriously disappearing. I suspect someone’s been stealing them. I’ve found a bit of evidence I want to hand over to Captain Jiang... It should’ve been left by the thief. I don’t know many characters, so I can’t tell what’s written on it. Captain Jiang will definitely be able to read it."

What? A theft case? Even the army barracks aren’t safe nowadays! A thief stealing things! Tian Sangsang felt she’d better be more cautious moving forward.

Chen Xiaobing held onto an object, smooth and sleek—a packaging wrapper.

It looked rather familiar... Wait, wasn’t this the one she gave to Guan Kunling? -_-||

—

Snickers. Satisfy hunger, be yourself again.

She’d always been cautious in her actions, leaving no trace in the world. But this wrapper? It’s from 2016! She’d indeed been careless.

Suppressing the turbulence in her heart, Tian Sangsang calmly asked, "You say the thief left this?"

Chen Xiaobing nodded.

"Have you seen what the thief looks like?"

"No. The thief’s too clever, I can’t catch her."

Good.

"You say you can’t read?"

"Yes."

Excellent.

"What did she steal from you? No wonder you look so thin. You must not have been eating well lately." Tian Sangsang feigned concern. Xiaobing was already a bit scrawny.

Sister-in-law showing concern for him made Chen Xiaobing incredibly moved! "I can handle a little hunger, sister-in-law. But the thief is really strange. She doesn’t steal anything else—only food. Everything edible in my dorm, she’s been taking bit by bit each day, and now it’s all gone." Chen Xiaobing felt deeply ashamed; as a soldier—even though a new recruit—what kind of person gets robbed for days and still can’t catch the culprit?

Food theft? Could it be Guan Kunling? This does seem very Kunling-like!

Tian Sangsang’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. "What kind of food was it? Maybe we can use this to figure out the thief’s preferences." Or maybe the thief was simply starving?

Chen Xiaobing’s eyes lit up. "Sister-in-law, you’re amazing! Just some homemade local specialties my mother sent from back home—like cured meat, sausages, nothing fancy! They’re just ordinary things. I can’t understand why the thief wants to steal this stuff."

Feeling reassured, Tian Sangsang let out a sigh of relief.

"So, sister-in-law, this..."

Seeing the item in his hand made Tian Sangsang tense up again. She had to destroy the evidence!

Chen Xiaobing’s face—already dark—turned an even deeper shade of red: "Sister-in-law, could you hand this over to Captain Jiang for me? I..."

Technically, relatives of military personnel aren’t supposed to interfere in military affairs. If there’s been a theft in the dorm, reporting it to the proper authorities is the right thing to do. Even though Jiang Jinghuai is Chen Xiaobing’s commander, directly approaching him might not seem appropriate. Not to mention, he wasn’t looking for Jiang Jinghuai directly—he had come looking for her instead...

Tian Sangsang’s gaze deepened involuntarily. "Xiaobing, I can’t make this decision for you. Whether I hand this to him today or you hand it to him yourself, it’s not the same."

"Sister-in-law, I trust you. I trust you’re the type who shouts when injustice is done and takes action when it’s needed."

The evidence was so close to being in hand. Yet Tian Sangsang still pretended to hesitate: "May I ask, why do you want to give this to my husband specifically instead of any other officer? Or even give it to him yourself? Why ask for my help?"

Chen Xiaobing hemmed and hawed, his cheeks turning crimson like a boiled lobster.

Tian Sangsang sighed. "Don’t worry, no need to be nervous. Take your time to explain."

"Actually, it’s because of Captain Jiang that I joined the army. I—I really admire him... When I see him, I just—I..."

Oh, so that’s why. Tian Sangsang said, "Alright, I understand! Hand it to me. I will keep this evidence completely intact and ensure it doesn’t get damaged!"

"Th-thank you, sister-in-law!"

Tian Sangsang gripped the item tightly, feeling its smooth texture against her palm. With evidence in hand, she felt a sense of triumph—she ruled the world. Cheerfully, she asked, "By the way, have you been starving? Did you get enough food at the dining hall?" Tian Sangsang reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of freshly made steamed dumplings. "I made these myself. Eat them while they’re hot!"

"No, sister-in-law, I..."

"Uncle, eat up!" The child sitting in the wheelchair, Meng Shuyan, said earnestly, "My mom’s dumplings—my dad loves them too."

Seeing the son of his idol and knowing these dumplings were also the idol’s favorite, Chen Xiaobing was moved to the point of tears but still shyly accepted them!

**

After shopping, Tian Sangsang washed up the groceries. She bought a chicken—a breed from the ’80s that she had long admired. Pure, natural, and pollution-free—authentically green. Back in Tian Family Village, she used to raise chickens herself, and their taste was truly exquisite. Living now in the residential compound, she had no chickens to raise.

She chopped the chicken up, separating the wings, claws, thighs, and organs. The head and rump were discarded, and the rest placed into the pot. She added seasonings, water, dried mushrooms, dried razor clams, dried scallops, yam, wolfberries, and other supplements, then started the fire to stew it.

The chicken had to stew first; the rest could wait until Jiang Jinghuai’s return. Judging by the time, he should be back soon.

Squad Leader Luo passed by Jiang Jinghuai’s home. Though the door was shut, the aroma of chicken wafting out was rich and mouthwatering. Shaking his head, he sighed—women like her really know how to run a household. Compared to his wife, wives from other families always seemed better.

When Qin Lan opened the door for Squad Leader Luo, she couldn’t help but inhale deeply. "It smells amazing." It must be chicken stewed with mushrooms; as a housewife, she could tell just from the scent.

Squad Leader Luo looked at her: "What are you standing around for? Go inside already." Standing at the doorway was blocking his entry.

"You head in; I’m going to check next door."

Qin Lan lowered her head, though her thoughts had long wandered away. Ever since the arrival of that dark-skinned woman at Captain Jiang’s place across the hall, everything had changed. It’s acceptable that the woman herself smelled of flowers, but her house now carried fragrant aromas of meals. Aromatic meals were fine, but there was often the smell of meat. Meat smells were fine, but there was occasionally the smell of sweetness—probably from practicing baking. Truly, comparisons are maddening!

Her family lived frugally—on holidays, they might afford a taste of meat, and her home-grown vegetables were eaten sparingly. But in Tian Sangsang’s household? It seemed practically like an everyday affair.

Unbearable!

"Stop gawking. They’re probably eating. No need to act like you’ve never had chicken before."

"I’ll ask, what’s wrong with that!" Qin Lan threw him a backward glare and decisively knocked on Tian Sangsang’s door.