Huo Tingzhou was well aware that Jiang Si had never cooked or enjoyed doing household chores.
Having spent over a decade with the Jiang family, his primary duty had been to follow her closely, acting as her ever-present protector.
One could say he knew all her preferences and habits by heart.
But Huo Tingzhou didn’t see this as an issue.
She had never stepped into a kitchen in her first twenty-one years—why should she have to change that just because they were now on Qiongzhou Island?
Besides, this place was nothing like Hu City. The military housing compound still hadn’t been equipped with gas lines.
The kitchen was cramped, and the coal stove emitted heavy smoke.
If she tagged along, he’d constantly be distracted, glancing her way to ensure she was alright. So he firmly refused her offer to help.
"It’s just a few dishes—won’t take long anyway."
Aside from the two of them, the guests for the housewarming meal included Regimental Commander Xiao’s family of four, Deputy Regiment Commander Lei and his wife, and He Ping—seven adults and two children in total.
The menu had been decided earlier, but Weidong and Weimin had just brought over a fresh grouper.
Given the weather, the fish wouldn’t keep.
After some thought, Huo Tingzhou scrapped the sour radish and duck soup, opting instead to prepare the fish three ways:
Half steamed, half made into fish ball soup, and the rest pan-fried.
He’d also make a stir-fried chicken from Yimeng—a signature dish of Third Uncle and Jiang Si’s favorite.
For the kids, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and finally, a plate of crispy fried peanuts.
It was too late to steam buns, so he’d cook rice instead. After all, most folks on Qiongzhou Island, especially in the military, had grown accustomed to eating rice.
Seeing how efficiently he’d planned everything, Jiang Si didn’t stand on ceremony.
"Then you handle the cooking, and I’ll tidy up the house."
At the very least, she needed to prepare the beds for the night.
Thankfully, Third Uncle had sent plenty of quilts. The only pity was the few sets of silk bedding—too conspicuous to use here, so they’d remain tucked away in her private space.
Making the beds was straightforward, but her wardrobe was another matter.
Jiang Si had a touch of OCD when it came to organizing her clothes. She sorted them by season—spring, summer, autumn, winter—and arranged the colors from darkest to lightest.
Just sorting through her outfits would take at least an hour or two.
Watching her bustling figure, Huo Tingzhou felt his heart swell with warmth.
Once he’d composed himself, he headed next door to Regimental Commander Xiao’s place.
"Hey, what brings you here?" Xiao Zhengjun asked, puzzled.
In a hurry to return to cooking, Huo Tingzhou kept his reply brief.
"Need to borrow your coal stove."
The dishes he planned to make were time-consuming. With only one stove at home, dinner wouldn’t be ready until past ten.
"Sure, I’ll get it for you."
"By the way, do you want me to—"
Before Xiao Zhengjun could finish, Hu Meili called out, "Lao Xiao! Come here a second."
"What’s up?"
"Your son’s stuck on a problem. Come explain it to him."
Inside the room, the two brothers exchanged confused glances.
Weren’t they writing self-criticisms? What problem?
A moment later, Xiao Zhengjun walked in.
"Which problem are you stuck on?"
"..."
The boys pressed their lips together and looked at their mother. "Mom, what problem are we stuck on?"
Hu Meili rolled her eyes and rapped her knuckles on the desk.
"Look at this handwriting—like chicken scratches! Even a chicken’s random pecks would look neater. Erase and rewrite it properly!"
Then she shot Xiao Zhengjun a glare. "You, come with me."
"Lao Hu, why’d you cut me off like that?" Xiao Zhengjun grumbled.
Hu Meili sighed. "If I hadn’t, would you have rushed over to Xiao Huo’s place to ‘lend a hand’?"
"Yeah, what’s wrong with that? That’s what brothers do."
"Remember when we hosted dinners? They always came early to help."
"Are you dense? Those two are at home, cooking and chatting—perfect for bonding. And you, a grown man, want to plant yourself between them? How’s that appropriate?"
Xiao Zhengjun paused.
She had a point. With Jiang Si finally here, barging in as a third wheel wouldn’t be ideal.
Still, he couldn’t resist muttering, "Stopping me won’t matter. He Ping’s probably already on his way."
Speak of the devil—
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Hu Meili spotted He Ping approaching.
Quick as lightning, she intercepted him before he could step into Huo Tingzhou’s yard, pulling him into their own home instead.
As for Deputy Regiment Commander Lei’s household, Hu Meili wasn’t worried.
With Xu Mingjuan around, no mishaps would occur.
Sure enough, Deputy Regiment Commander Lei and his wife arrived shortly after.
The two women exchanged knowing smiles, their understanding unspoken. It wasn’t until Huo Tingzhou returned the coal stove that everyone finally headed over together.
By the time they entered, the dishes were already on the table.
Jiang Si greeted them warmly. "Sisters, make yourselves at home. No need for formalities among family."
“Don’t worry, Si sister, we won’t stand on ceremony.”
"These men are so close they might as well share underwear. If we started acting polite now, where’s the fun in that?"
With that, Hu Meili ushered the kids to their seats.
Xu Mingjuan followed suit.
Including He Ping, four families filled the table—one per side, perfectly arranged.
Noticing he was the only singleton, He Ping quickly called Weidong and Weimin over to join him.
The remaining two men split duties: one fetched bowls and chopsticks, the other poured fizzy drinks for everyone.
Once all were seated, the eldest, Xiao Zhengjun, cleared his throat.
"Today, we raise our glasses—water in place of wine—to warmly welcome Jiang Si."
"On behalf of everyone here, I wish you two a life full of sweetness, prosperity, and enduring love!"
No one spoke, but their smiles said it all.
They were genuinely overjoyed to see Huo Tingzhou settled.
In response, Huo Tingzhou and Jiang Si stood together, sharing a glance.
Not a word passed between them, yet each understood the other perfectly.
Finally, Huo Tingzhou spoke. "Thank you. We’ll make sure to live well."
"Come on, everyone—raise your glasses! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"..."
The meal was lively and full of laughter, but since Jiang Si and Huo Tingzhou had an early medical checkup at the military hospital the next day, the gathering wrapped up sooner than usual.
Before leaving, Hu Meili and Xu Mingjuan insisted on cleaning the kitchen and table.
They moved so swiftly that Jiang Si couldn’t stop them!
Earlier, they’d stayed away to give the couple space. But now? Leaving without helping would’ve been downright rude.
Meanwhile, Deputy Regiment Commander Lei pulled Huo Tingzhou aside for a private chat outdoors.
After everyone had left, Huo Tingzhou fetched a basin of hot water and knocked on Jiang Si's door—
