Chapter 174: A Desirable Man

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: A Desirable Man

"Third Uncle, Third Uncle!"

Hearing Lu Tingting calling for him from outside, Lu Cheng was about to get up and go out when Jiang Moli said, "I’ll go."

Seeing that it was Jiang Moli who came out, Lu Tingting was instantly dismayed. "Where’s my third uncle?"

"He’s eating. If you need something, you can just tell me."

Lu Tingting huffed, "I came to eat!"

Jiang Moli smiled. "Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?"

"Well, I want to come now. Is that any of your business?"

With that, she barged into the Zhong Family’s home on her own, and Jiang Moli didn’t stop her.

"Teacher Lu, you’re just in time. Sit down and eat with us."

Seeing Lu Tingting arrive, Jiang Wenjuan stood up and greeted her warmly.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law."

In front of others, Lu Tingting was still quite polite.

When she saw the bright red crayfish in the serving dish, Lu Tingting was incredulous. "Are these crayfish? This is what we’re eating tonight?"

Jiang Wenjuan handed her a clean bowl and chopsticks, saying with a smile, "Don’t look down on these crayfish. They’re actually quite delicious when cooked."

’How could crayfish possibly be good? They’re all claws and feelers, and ugly as sin.’

’I wouldn’t have come if I’d known!’

But she had already sat down, and leaving now would be rude. Lu Tingting had no choice but to sullenly pick up a slice of potato.

The potato slices, on the other hand, were delicious—savory, fragrant, numbing, and spicy, with a lingering aftertaste.

After finishing it, Lu Tingting picked up two more slices, eating them with relish.

Everyone else at the table was eating crayfish.

First, they would suck the heads, then eat the meat from the claws and tails.

A chorus of SLURPS and SUCKS rose and fell around the table.

Chewing on her potato slice, Lu Tingting watched the others eat the crayfish, perplexed.

’Are they really that good?’

Just then, Lu Cheng swapped his rice bowl with Jiang Moli’s.

The abrupt action drew everyone’s attention.

The bowl Lu Cheng placed in front of Jiang Moli was half-full of shelled crayfish tail meat.

Jiang Wenjuan shot her husband a sidelong glance and said acidly, "Look at Xiao Lu."

’He dotes on his wife so much.’

Zhong Weiguo replied, "No need to pity him. He brought it on himself."

’Having to serve his wife before he can even eat... what a tragedy!’

Jiang Wenjuan was speechless. Annoyed, she lifted her foot and kicked her husband under the table.

Lu Tingting jumped up with a yelp. "Who kicked me?"

Jiang Wenjuan was mortified. "Oh, sorry, Teacher Lu! A mosquito was biting me. I’ll go get some mosquito coils to smoke them out."

"Oh."

Watching the crayfish in the serving dish dwindle, Lu Tingting finally couldn’t resist trying one.

’Damn, this is delicious!’

Before she could even eat two, the crayfish were all gone, leaving only the sauce.

The sauce couldn’t be wasted either; after all, a pound of oil and a pound of fatty pork had gone into it.

They cooked half a pot of buckwheat noodles, mixed them into the sauce, and sprinkled some chopped green onions on top. The taste was simply divine.

After they had eaten their fill, Lu Cheng told Lu Tingting to help Jiang Wenjuan clear the table.

Lu Tingting was not happy about it. "You’re only making me work. Why don’t you ask Third Aunt to do it?"

Lu Cheng said, "Your third aunt caught the crayfish and prepared them. She’s been busy all day. You just sat here and enjoyed the fruits of her labor. What more do you want?"

"I barely ate any."

"You’re the one who refused to eat them. Who’s there to blame but yourself?"

’How was she supposed to know that the ugly-looking crayfish would turn out to be more fragrant than meat when cooked?’

’If she had known, she would have eaten more!’

Lu Tingting was thoroughly frustrated, but she had no choice but to help with the chores.

Zhong Xinxin, who was already 12, also voluntarily helped Jiang Wenjuan with the housework.

Meanwhile, the siblings Zhong Xi’er and Zhong Wangfu were hunched over their desks, doing homework.

Zhong Weiguo brewed some tea, and as they drank, he and Lu Cheng discussed the work troupe’s goodwill performance scheduled for the next evening.

After they finished talking, Lu Cheng took the opportunity to ask Zhong Weiguo for leave, saying he wouldn’t be attending the performance tomorrow night.

Zhong Weiguo approved it.

On their way back, Jiang Moli asked Lu Cheng, "Do you have something to do tomorrow night?"

Lu Cheng looked at her, a smile in his eyes. "The performance isn’t that interesting. I’d rather spend time with you. You’ve been here for a while, and I haven’t had a chance to properly be with you. A new mission will be coming down in a couple of days, and I’ll have even less time then."

Jiang Moli didn’t refuse. "Is there anything fun to do around here?"

"There’s nothing here but mountains and rocks. It’s not a good idea to go into the mountains in the evening."

"What about by the river?"

"You want to go to the river? I can bring a flashlight. We might be able to spot some loaches and eels."

Upon learning they could build a fire by the river, Jiang Moli said, "In that case, don’t get food from the mess hall tomorrow night. Let’s have a picnic by the river."

"Okay."

"I want to go too!"

Seeing Lu Tingting, who had appeared out of nowhere, Jiang Moli nodded. "Sure, sure!"

Lu Tingting stared at her suspiciously. "Why are you so happy about it?"

"With you there, you can be a lookout for me and your third uncle."

"A lookout? What are you going to do?"

"Something not suitable for children with your third uncle."

Lu Tingting’s face turned beet red. "You... you’re shameless! Have you no decency?"

Jiang Moli grinned. "My face? Didn’t I give it to you already?"

On the surface, Lu Cheng listened to his wife and niece bicker, but inwardly, his imagination was running wild about his wife’s mention of "something not suitable for children."

Knowing she couldn’t win a war of words with Jiang Moli, Lu Tingting changed the subject and asked about Jiang Qing. "Why did she stop being a substitute teacher?"

"Who knows? Maybe she has her reasons."

Lu Tingting huffed, "She still owes me 10 yuan! I asked her for it today, and she actually refused to pay up. I’m so mad!"

Jiang Moli said, "If she won’t pay, why don’t you ask her man for it?"

’Oh, right!’

...

All day long, the soldiers’ faces were wreathed in smiles. They even trained with extra vigor.

There was a performance by the work troupe that evening. How could they not be happy?

They heard that the deputy director, Yang Lijiong, was a National First-Class Dancer who had even performed for the country’s leaders in the Great Hall of the People!

Lu Cheng was just as happy.

Tonight, not only could he go to the river alone with his wife, but they would also be having a picnic outdoors.

In the evening, Jiang Moli finished her class and returned to the guesthouse.

The guesthouse had returned to its usual quiet today; the members of the work troupe had all gone to the camp to prepare for the performance.

In the room, Lu Cheng was also ready.

There was a wooden bucket and a wooden basin.

The bucket was filled with four or five fresh bamboo tubes, each as thick as an adult’s calf, which Lu Cheng had personally cut from the mountains.

Besides the bamboo tubes, there were also seasonings like oil, salt, ginger, green onions, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chilies—everything needed for their picnic.

Once they reached the river, the two chose a spot for their picnic and got busy.

Lu Cheng went into the river to catch fish and shrimp, while Jiang Moli was in charge of gathering firewood.

"Whether we feast or starve tonight is all up to you."

Hearing Jiang Moli’s words, Lu Cheng replied, "I guarantee the mission will be accomplished," and swiftly got into the water.

Jiang Moli turned to look for dry wood.

The riverbanks were lush with vegetation, and there were dead leaves and branches everywhere.

Jiang Moli gathered a small pile without much effort.

While taking a break, she glanced at the river and froze.

The surface of the not-so-wide river rippled, but there was no one in sight.

’Where was her tall, strapping man?’

Jiang Moli instinctively ran to the riverbank. "Lu Cheng! Lu Cheng?"

SPLASH! The water’s surface broke, and the man emerged from beneath with an agile movement, grinning brightly at her while dripping wet.

"I’m right here. Did I scare you?"

Lu Cheng had taken off his shirt at some point, and his lean, well-muscled upper body was perfectly displayed above the water.

Droplets of water, gilded with an amber glow by the sunset, trickled down his well-defined abs and disappeared into his V-line.

’Damn, that’s hot.’

The annoyance Jiang Moli was about to feel for being pranked was completely shattered by the heart-pounding sight.

’I’ll let you off the hook since you’re so handsome.’

"Put your shirt on."

After saying that, she raised her voice and shouted across the river, "Hey! What are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen a man before?"

Two village women on the opposite bank covered their mouths, giggling as they walked away, but kept looking back at Lu Cheng in the river.

’So handsome.’

’That strong, powerful build... just looking at him is a treat.’

"Still looking? What the hell is there to look at!"

Jiang Moli picked up a clod of dirt and threw it in their direction.

Seeing how aggressive she was, the two women couldn’t help but curse her under their breath for being so petty.

’What’s wrong with letting them feast their eyes on such a handsome man? It’s not like he’d lose a piece of flesh over it, right?’

[Disdain Value +2. 20,000 Yuan credited to account.]