Chapter 185 - 179 short of you
Fang Tongzhou, who had been scolded, jolted as if struck, his face covered in black lines: "Huh? Truly... truly your son??" He glanced at Jiang Jinghuai’s chilling expression, then compared it to the little bundle in his arms, starting to piece things together: "A few days ago, you brought back a woman, arranged her a job here in the army—a woman named Shui Lian. Could it be that what I think is..."
Jiang Jinghuai replied coolly, "You’re overthinking."
Not her, then. "So..."
"Are you quite idle?"
"Not at all! Captain Jiang!" Fang Tongzhou shook his head furiously. "I’m very busy! I was just heading to eat!" Oh, that penetrating look—one he was all too familiar with, the kind Jiang gave every time they were about to be assigned grueling endurance runs.
**
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, startled birds formed a V-shaped flock, fluttering with a roar toward the distant sky. The golden rays of sunset bathed the entire earthquake-stricken area, oozing warmth, yet tinged with desolation.
In a makeshift stove built with stacked stones, a blazing fire roared, and the air was awash with swirling waves of heat.
Tian Sangsang lifted the lid off the large pot, revealing boiling contents that exuded tantalizing aromas. There were chefs on hand, though not enough helpers for the odd jobs. She, as a volunteer, was here to assist with the miscellaneous tasks—to wash vegetables, chop ingredients, lend a hand, and once the food was ready, serve it bowl by bowl to those in need.
In the simple kitchen, the atmosphere was harmonious and efficient.
It seemed like an incomprehensible phenomenon—during moments of crisis, after people endure hardship, they tend to band together for a time. This was survival, not living. But once survival was no longer in question, friction and conflicts would undoubtedly resurface. Perhaps that’s just how the world works. Wherever there are people, there is a community; wherever there’s a community, there are power struggles.
Just now, Tian Sangsang had taken advantage of Master Xiao Chun’s distraction and secretly added a bit of Spiritual Spring water to the pot. Though the short-term effects of the spring weren’t glaringly obvious, it would make the food taste a bit better. This time, they were cooking vegetable rice—water was added to the pot, and once the rice was nearly cooked, taro, pork, cabbage, shrimp, dried oysters, scallops, and clam meat were gradually added. However, taro, dried oysters, and scallops were unavailable; even meat was pitifully scarce, as chaos outside made supply inevitable difficult.