Time-Travel: The Tragic Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Makes a Comeback

CHAPTER 57: The 1960s Marriage Swap: Marrying a Cook (11)

　　Summer slipped away in the blink of an eye, and with a stretch of rain came the early days of autumn.

　　Mornings and evenings in the countryside had already turned a little chilly. Under her light shirt, Ye Su now wore the autumn undergarments her mother and sister-in-law had sewn for her.

　　It had been a little over a month since she arrived in the countryside, and she had mostly adapted to life here. She and Duan Ziyu had also confirmed their relationship not long ago.

　　Duan Ziyu started coming by more often, and the villagers had all come to know that the two were dating.

　　Ye Bai was turning 21 next year, and he had wanted to join the army for years. Unfortunately, luck was never on his side, and the commune only had limited slots, so it never worked out for him.

　　Ye Xiuli and Hao Wenfang did not want to discourage him, but they also knew that waiting year after year like this was not a solution. In the end, they started asking a matchmaker to help find him a suitable match.

　　They figured that once he settled down and started a family, his mind would be steadier and he would stop thinking about leaving all the time. Joining the army was good, but it also came with danger, and as parents, they could not help worrying more.

　　Ye Bai was pressured by his mother into going on five blind dates in just two days. On the third day, he finally snapped and ran straight into the mountains early in the morning to go hunting.

　　Hao Wenfang could not catch him, but she still told the matchmaker to keep looking for suitable matches.

　　The eldest son was already married, so there was nothing to worry about there. The youngest daughter had a stable relationship, so that was settled too. That left only the second son, that little troublemaker.

　　What no one expected was that this impulsive trip into the mountains ended up helping the police solve a major case involving a fugitive spy.

　　A serious criminal had escaped capture and fled all the way to this area, eventually hiding in the nearby mountains.

　　By sheer coincidence, Ye Bai ran into him. When the man tried to ambush him, Ye Bai reacted first and used his hunting tools to subdue him. Only then did he realize the man was carrying a weapon and had bloodstains on his clothes.

　　Ye Bai tied him up and brought him down the mountain straight to the police station.

　　The officers, acting on higher orders, were already stressed out. They had spent two days searching with no results at all.

　　And then Ye Bai showed up, personally delivering the suspect.

　　The police leaders shook his hand warmly, full of gratitude. He was later awarded a “Good Deed Citizen” certificate along with a cash reward.

　　Because the case was serious and the suspect was a key offender, the reward came to a full 30 yuan.

　　When Ye Bai returned home, he was practically glowing with pride. Placing the certificate and award in the most prominent place in his room like a treasure.

　　Hao Wenfang watched her son grinning like a fool and couldn’t help sighing that sometimes, luck really did favor the clueless.

　　He thought the matter had ended there, but three days later, Ye Bai was called in by township officials and asked if he was interested in enlisting in the army.

　　The reason was that higher-level leaders had heard that the young man from West Village who had captured the criminal. They made a special phone call to praise him, and even said in front of the township officials, “That kid seems promising. Brave and steady when facing danger, he looks like good military material.”

　　Ye Bai had dreamed of joining the army for as long as he could remember, so of course he was willing.

　　On top of that, his mother had recently pushed him through so many blind dates that he was starting to feel worn out. So when the township officials handed him an enlistment form, he filled it out on the spot and handed it right back.

　　“Alright, the approval will take a few days. We will notify you once it goes through.”

　　……

　　On the way home, Ye Bai was practically floating, grinning nonstop like a fool.

　　Duan Ziyu rode over on his bicycle and spotted him from a distance, bouncing along like he was in a good mood.

　　He passed by and tapped Ye Bai on the shoulder before the other finally noticed him.

　　The moment Ye Bai saw it was him, he happily hopped right onto the bicycle seat.

　　“Hey, future little brother-in-law, you’ve been coming around pretty often these past few days. What delicious thing are you bringing my sister today?”

　　Duan Ziyu just smiled and ignored the teasing, letting him ride along as he headed toward the Ye family home.

　　At the Ye house, Ye Qingsong had gone with his wife to her parents’ home, and the Ye couple in the family had gone into town to buy seeds. Only Ye Su was at home.

　　Seeing the two of them return together while she was hanging bedding in the yard, Ye Su asked, “Why did you two come back together?”

　　Ye Bai answered first, quick and cheerful, “We bumped into each other at the village entrance. This guy was carrying a lunch bucket, definitely here to bring you something good to eat.”

　　Duan Ziyu smiled gently and took out his notebook, writing a message for Ye Su to read.

　　Ye Su walked over and saw the note: “Today there’s bone broth simmering in the kitchen. I made you a bowl of noodle soup with it for you to try.”

　　Her lips curled up immediately. She pulled him to sit down, then hurried off to grab some things. She added a few slices of dried hawthorn and a spoon of white sugar into a cup, then poured in hot water from the thermos to make him a drink.

　　She also took out some candied hawthorn from a ceramic jar and offered it to him.

　　There were quite a few wild hawthorn trees at the foot of the back hill. Ye Su had picked a bunch a few days ago, turning half into dried hawthorn slices and the other half into candied hawthorn.

　　Duan Ziyu ate the sweet hawthorn and looked across at her, feeling his mood turn pleasantly sweet too.

　　He wrote in his notebook: “It’s delicious, I like it. Sweet and tangy, really appetizing. Hawthorn helps digestion, it’s good to eat some in autumn. Susu’s cooking is great.”

　　There was nothing more satisfying than being praised. Ye Su happily popped another piece into her mouth, clearly in a good mood.

　　From the side, Ye Bai couldn’t stand watching anymore. “Can you two not act like there’s no one else here? Seriously, you’re getting way too mushy every day.”

　　Ye Su immediately handed him some candied hawthorn. Ye Bai grumbled a bit, but still happily ate it.

　　Duan Ziyu cleared his throat lightly at the sight and smoothly carried the food bucket into the kitchen.

　　The bucket was double-layered. The noodles were on the top, and the broth was stored below. The noodles had already been tossed with sesame oil and lightly steamed, so they loosened up the moment they were poured into the soup.

　　It was a generous portion. Knowing Ye Su’s appetite, he set aside her share first, then poured the rest into another bowl.

　　He brought the meal out, placing a bowl packed with both meat and noodles in front of Ye Su, while the other bowl, lighter on meat but heavier on noodles, was handed to Ye Bai to keep him quiet.

　　Ye Bai didn’t mind at all. He grinned. “Wow, you’re being way too polite. Alright then, I won’t hold back.”

　　With a quick, knowing smile, he took his bowl and utensils and slipped back into the house so the two of them wouldn’t be disturbed.

　　After the trip back, he was starving. With white flour noodles and meat in front of him, the smell alone was enough to make his mouth water.

　　These past few days, he’d been tagging along and eating well thanks to his little sister. It honestly felt like he was celebrating New Year every day.

　　Ye Su knew exactly what her second brother was like, so she didn’t bother with him and just dug in.

　　The bone broth was rich and fragrant but not greasy at all, topped with fresh scallions that made it even better. The meat was tender and well-seasoned with no gamey taste, and the noodles were springy, chewy, and full of flavor.

　　Ye Su was eating with obvious delight. Ever since she started dating Duan Ziyu, her meals had improved a lot, and she was genuinely very satisfied with life.

　　Honestly, who wouldn’t like this kind of boyfriend?

　　Good-looking, gentle, considerate, and always making whatever she liked to eat. Quiet and steady, never noisy. No matter what she did, he would always praise her.

　　Duan Ziyu would occasionally take a sip of the hawthorn water and watch her eat with a soft gaze.

　　At home, Ye Su’s hair was tied casually into a low ponytail. The steam from the bone broth noodles made her cheeks look soft and rosy. She had big, bright features, but a small, delicate face.

　　As she slurped her noodles, her cheeks puffed up slightly like a little squirrel, every bit of it looking way too cute.

　　Duan Ziyu’s eyes curved with a smile. Even the corners of his lips lifted as he watched her eat, his mood light and warm.

　　He had originally thought that after spending time with him, Ye Su might struggle with his silent world.

　　But she didn’t.

　　Everyone else, in one way or another, treated him like someone fragile. Their eyes always carried sympathy, pity, or caution.

　　But she never did.    

　　She treated him just like any other normal person, no different at all. No special care, no treating him like someone fragile.

　　She was lively, cute, and patient. Being around her naturally made people feel relaxed.

　　Their conversations might be slow, but there was never a shortage of things to talk about. She understood him, and sometimes even when he hadn’t written anything down yet, she could already guess what he meant to say.

　　Duan Ziyu felt incredibly lucky. If his future partner was her, then his entire future suddenly felt full of anticipation.

　　That night, the Ye household experienced an unprecedented full-scale family “discussion session”.

　　Because Ye Bai had signed up to join the army without discussing it with anyone. 

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