This time, however, she was exceptionally careful while making these few home-style dishes, taking great care with every step.
To avoid any problems with the food, Song Qingya first took a taste of the just-finished dish, and her eyes instantly lit up.
'How can it be this delicious!'
Not only did it look, smell, and taste perfect, but the texture was also amazing.
'Could it be that the original owner's abilities have been passed on to me?'
This discovery filled her with joy and surprise.
The next step was to use this meticulously prepared lunch to move Fei Zheng.
But she remembered the script clearly stating that the original owner's cooking skills weren't impressive at all.
The original owner spent almost all her days wallowing in sorrow.
Reading and writing poetry seemed to be the only things in which she could find solace.
And the thing she disliked most, the thing she was most unwilling to do, was go into the kitchen to cook.
Seeing the lunch box filled to the brim with the delicacies she had so carefully prepared, Song Qingya's heart swelled with an unprecedented sense of accomplishment.
She decided to go back to her room to dress up a little before heading out.
After standing in front of the mirror for a long time, she finally chose a pale yellow dress to wear.
Then, using freshly heated tongs, she styled her hair into the currently popular wavy curls.
Full of confidence, Song Qingya picked up the small box and headed out.
It was now noon.
The sun hung high in the sky.
The people toiling in the fields finished their morning's work and began heading home.
The path was bustling with voices as people discussed the day's harvest or chattered about village trifles.
When Song Qingya appeared before the crowd, all the noisy chatter immediately quieted down.
The villagers could hardly believe their eyes.
As they watched her retreating figure, waves of whispers erupted from the crowd.
"Good heavens, is that a fairy who fell from the sky?"
one villager asked in astonishment.
"What fairy? She's the Fei Village Chief's wife!" someone quickly corrected.
One of the aunties who was first to recognize Song Qingya's identity started to gossip.
"Haven't you noticed? She rarely shows her face, let alone does any housework. She just follows the Fei Village Chief around all day."
Hearing this, another villager seemed to have an epiphany.
"Oh, no wonder people say she's eccentric and hard to get along with. I was just wondering why the Fei Village Chief doesn't just divorce her."
"What's the use of being so pretty? She's like a vixen. Who knows how many wild men she's been with in the past?"
someone sneered.
A woman nearby chimed in, "That's right. Aunt Zhou said she's definitely not innocent."
However, not everyone held the same opinion.
"But no matter what you say, she really is beautiful, and she's willing to stay by the Fei Village Chief's side."
These words immediately drew the dissatisfaction of those around him.
"Hey now, why are you defending her like that? You don't have a crush on her, do you?!"
Faced with the accusation, the man hurriedly defended himself.
"What nonsense are you talking about! You're slandering an innocent man!"
But someone on the other side continued to fan the flames.
"I bet you're just smitten because she's good-looking. How pathetic!"
The two groups argued incessantly.
It eventually escalated into a physical altercation.
Meanwhile, Song Qingya gently smoothed her stray strands of hair and slowly walked to the guard post.
She said to the person inside the window, "Comrade, I'm looking for Fei Jin."
"Oh, it's Sister-in-law!"
The person in the window was a young man named Xiao Yang.
He grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.
He asked, "Sister-in-law, what brings you here? Is there anything you need help with?"
"Why can't I come?"
Song Qingya retorted with a smile.
"I'm your village chief's wife. Is it so strange for me to come see him and show some concern? Isn't that part of my duty?"
After hearing this, Xiao Yang couldn't help but scratch his head, a hint of embarrassment on his face.
"But this is the first time we've ever seen you here. And also..."
"And also what?"
Song Qingya maintained her smile, but a vague sense of foreboding grew in her heart.
"Promise you won't get mad if I tell you,"
Xiao Yang emphasized again.
Song Qingya smiled, trying to ease the tension.
"Go ahead, I won't be mad. Whatever it is, I'm willing to hear it,"
she said gently, her gaze soft.
"We've organized a few activities for the families before, and we invite all the spouses every time. But Sister-in-law, you've never come, not even once. You even said you didn't have time for such things, which made it pretty awkward at the time. The chief of staff's wife, in particular, was very angry about it. She even said she was going to teach you a proper lesson."
Xiao Yang said bluntly.
"So, Sister-in-law, if you want to see the village chief on the quiet, it's best not to let the chief of staff's wife see you. If she runs into you, there will definitely be another scene, and it might cause unnecessary trouble for the regiment!"
After hearing this, Song Qingya fell silent for a moment.
'Just how many people did the original owner offend to make everyone so dissatisfied with her?'
Just as she was lost in her troubles, she suddenly noticed two familiar figures approaching in the distance.
Fei Jin had just finished training and was walking shoulder-to-shoulder with another officer.
When he also noticed Song Qingya standing there, he clearly froze for a moment.
"What are you doing here?" Fei Jin asked in surprise.
"Can't I be here?"
Song Qingya replied with a smile, the amusement in her eyes deepening.
She explained in a soft voice.
"I figured it was almost time for lunch, so I came to bring you something to eat."
"You brought me lunch?"
Fei Jin looked down and, sure enough, saw the exquisite lunch box in her hand. Only then did it dawn on him.
'How rare.'
This situation was indeed extremely rare.
He didn't know Song Qingya could cook.
He had never heard of her having this skill before.
The soldiers passing by had sharp ears, and their faces all showed shock upon hearing this.
Although they were busy with training and had heavy duties, they were all in the same town, and news traveled fast.
Almost everyone in the entire unit knew that the one in the Fei Village Chief's family was not exactly competent.
The old ladies in town all said that this Song Qingya was so frail she even had trouble getting out of bed, so how could she have the strength to cook?
Everyone even whispered that usually, it was the Fei Village Chief who cooked for his wife at home!
But when they actually saw the village chief's wife, they felt she was nothing like the rumors described.
Song Qingya had a rosy complexion and large, sparkling eyes, just like a beautiful model from a fashion pictorial.
A tall, handsome officer stood with a smiling woman by his side.
The scene was as harmonious as a painting.
Song Qingya gently touched Fei Jin's hand.
"Go on, take the lunch box."
Fei Jin seemed to snap out of his daze and took the lunch box from her hand.
"Thank you," he said gratefully.
"You're welcome,"
Song Qingya replied with a smile.
At that moment, the officer beside them could no longer contain his amusement and let out a booming laugh.
"Haha, why are you two being so formal! You share a bed, and you're still saying thank you?"