Reborn as a Superpower Girl in the 80s
Chapter 1047: Comradeship

Chapter 1047: Chapter 1047: Comradeship

As expected, the snow had fallen all night, and by the next morning, the snow outside was deep enough to overflow the tops of one’s shoes.

After breakfast, Lu Yichen didn’t let Luo Qiao go outside; he drove the two children to kindergarten himself. Watching as the two little girls were taken inside by their teacher, he then left in his car.

Luo Qiao didn’t have much to do at home today, so she tidied up the house. At noon, she simmered a big pot of mutton soup and made quite a few flaky pastries.

When Lu Yichen returned at noon, he hadn’t even entered the house when he caught the aroma, "Qiao Bao, did you make mutton soup?"

Luo Qiao stuck her head out from the kitchen, "Only your nose works well, go wash your hands and get ready to eat."

Lu Yichen watched the petite and pretty woman at the door with a smile, "Alright."

Just as he finished washing his hands and came out, he heard someone calling from outside the door, "Yichen, are you home?"

Lu Yichen recognized the voice and hurried to the front door, "Hey, how did you guys get here? Come in, come in fast."

Luo Qiao heard the commotion outside and thought someone from the residential compound had come to find Lu Yichen. After she served the mutton soup, she looked outside.

But to her surprise, there stood three unfamiliar men.

Luo Qiao called out to the kitchen, "Qiaoqiao, we have guests."

Luo Qiao came out from the kitchen, and Lu Yichen pulled the men over, "This is my wife, Luo Qiao."

Then, pointing to the three men in the yard, he introduced them, "These are my comrades-in-arms, Zhao Dahai, Yoo Guangyi, and Shi Jingjun. They were heading back to Dongbei from the south and stopped over in Capital City to change cars. They came to see me."

Luo Qiao smiled, "Hello, I’m Luo Qiao. Welcome to our home. Please come in, and I’ll serve you some food right away."

The men greeted Luo Qiao with smiles, "Sister-in-law, sorry for bothering you."

Luo Qiao looked at them, "It’s proper to come to our home when you’re in Capital City; it’s no trouble at all. Please, come inside."

Fortunately, she had simmered a big pot of mutton soup today, initially planning to set some aside to store in the space for when they wanted to drink it, they could simply take it out. Now, it was perfect for hosting guests.

However, she had made too many pastries, although she had prepared extra, fearing it wouldn’t be enough for them to eat. Thus, she also took out some buns and sweet pastries she made before from the space.

After everything was ready, she called Lu Yichen to carry in the food, but all the men came over, "Sister-in-law, we’re really causing you trouble."

Luo Qiao smiled as she handed out the mutton soup, "You were once Yichen’s comrades, which makes you brothers for life. I’m more than happy you could come to see him. Lucky for you, I made mutton soup today."

The men laughed, taking the big bowls of mutton soup Luo Qiao passed to them, admiring how the soup was a milky white color, garnished with coriander and green onions, completely free of any gamy smell.

Lu Yichen suggested, "Why don’t you drink it here? It’s close to the stove so you won’t have to run back and forth."

Zhao Dahai agreed, "Whatever is convenient works for us."

Luo Qiao brought over the pastries, buns, and sweet pastries, "Don’t be shy; I made a lot today. Make sure you don’t leave hungry."

Yoo Guangyi took them and placed them on the table with a smile, "Of course not, Sister-in-law, come and join us soon."

Luo Qiao said with a smile, "I’ll be right there."

Then she brought over some spicy pickled cabbage she had marinated herself, "This is the spicy pickled cabbage I made myself. Have some while you eat. I’ll cook something delicious for you tonight."

Shi Jingjun swallowed the pastry in his mouth, "Sister-in-law, being able to drink such delicious mutton soup, we are already satisfied. We just came to see you all today; we still have to hit the road tonight. This meal is so comforting, it’s far from just making do, it’s delicious."

Everyone laughed. Knowing that their train wasn’t until ten o’clock that night, Lu Yichen and his wife wouldn’t let the guests leave just yet.

After finishing their meal, they followed Lu Yichen to the Public Security Bureau. Luo Qiao began preparing, first stewing ribs, then making steamed pork with rice flour, and even steaming some sausages on the side.

It was then time to start on the other dishes: sauerkraut fish, braised pork, Capital-style shredded pork with sweet bean sauce, spicy shredded potatoes, stir-fried winter melon, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, deep-fried mushrooms, mixed cold salad, and also made a soup with kelp and meatball dumplings.

Knowing they had hearty appetites, she steamed a big pot of rice and took out plenty of steamed buns to spare.

With all these prepared, it wasn’t early anymore. She mixed and fermented dough, then put another pot of meat to stew on the stove, and boiled a pot of tea eggs before taking a moment to freshen up and change clothes.

She had barely stepped out of the courtyard when she heard Yanyan’s laughter outside, knowing that they had been picked up.

She hurried to open the front door, "You’re back, is it cold?"

Seeing her mother, Yanyan leapt from her father’s arms into her mother’s embrace, "Mom, the teacher said the roads are bad these days, so it’s okay if we don’t go. He also said we’re getting a holiday soon."

Yueyue joined in, "The teacher said we’ll have a holiday next week."

Luo Qiao smiled and said, "Alright, then you can stay at home with mom tomorrow."

She called everyone inside, "The timing is just right, the food is ready. Let’s wash our hands and eat."

Zhao Dahai and the other two big men were a bit embarrassed.

Luo Qiao then looked at them with a smile, "If Yichen and I were to visit your place, would you not host us?"

Yoo Guangyi looked up, "Of course, we would have to host you."

He paused, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Right, my sister-in-law is correct, we’re all brothers here. She doesn’t mind us, so we shouldn’t be shy either."

Luo Qiao said with a smile, "That’s more like it. Brother Chen, take brother Yoo and the others to wash their hands. Let’s get ready for dinner."

This time they ate dinner in the living room, with dishes spread across the table, filling the three men with bittersweet, warm feelings. They had visited several comrades-in-arms’ homes in the south, but many treated them with disdain, so they often left right after meeting.

Originally, they had planned to meet Yichen and then head to the train station to wait for their ride, but it just so happened that the business they were dealing with in Capital City was nearby.

They had not only shared a lunch, but were also insistently asked to stay for dinner. Unable to decline and longing to catch up after such a long time, they were at a loss for words at the abundance of the dinner table.

Luo Qiao served them a small bowl of soup first, "Have some soup to warm your stomach."

With two lively little girls lightening the mood, and authentic cooking, everyone enjoyed their meal thoroughly, although Luo Qiao didn’t let them drink much alcohol, just a small glass.

Since they had a train to catch in the evening, drinking too much could cause them to lose their alertness later on.

When the meal was nearly finished, Luo Qiao went to the kitchen. By the time they were ready to leave, Luo Qiao had prepared two large bags of food for their journey, as they had a two-day train ride ahead of them before reaching home.

She packed plenty of tea eggs, as well as sliced spicy napa cabbage and sausages, with many vegetarian buns, freshly made flaky pastries, and meat-filled buns.

She also added a bag of apples and oranges. Additionally, she packed a large bag of oil-tea noodle flour, which she had made beforehand, for them to drink during their trip.

Seeing the care she had taken moved them, and they looked towards Lu Yichen, who himself hadn’t expected his wife to be so thoughtful. "Since my wife has prepared it, please don’t be polite. It’s her way of showing care. In return, I’ll bring my wife and daughter to visit you."

Zhao Dahai exclaimed loudly, "Alright, we’ll definitely host you well when you come. Thanks to the sister-in-law."

Because the snow on the streets wasn’t completely cleared and it was cold outside, Lu Yichen decided to drive them to the train station. Before leaving, each of the men pulled out a ’Big Unity’ banknote and Shi Jingjun said, "Please don’t refuse, we haven’t brought anything for the children, this is just a small token of our gratitude. Don’t consider it too little."