Volume One, Chapter 19: Behind Closed Doors, Husband and Wife May Do as They Please

Sure enough, Huo Xiaohan pulled a large watermelon from the back seat of the car, followed by Su Wan, who stepped out carrying a container of cold jelly noodles.

"That young man Huo, he doesn't fear being reprimanded for returning to his unit late," Principal Song said with a laugh, though he added sternly, "This is a serious matter of discipline."

"Oh, is he planning to help Su Wan carry that upstairs?" Secretary Yang watched the two downstairs. When Su Wan tried to take the watermelon from Huo Xiaohan, he refused.

The two entered the residential building, one after the other. It was only when they reached the second floor that Huo Xiaohan finally handed the watermelon to Su Wan, turned around, and left without saying a word.

The twelve-pound watermelon had seemed effortless in Huo Xiaohan's grip, but to her, it felt incredibly heavy.

As soon as she entered the apartment, Secretary Yang, who was sitting on the sofa, smiled and looked her over. "Su Wan, you're back already?"

"Yes, Auntie." Su Wan realized she had returned a bit too quickly; she wasn't even out of breath, and her face wasn't flushed.

She placed the watermelon on the table and turned to close the door, but Secretary Yang stopped her. "I'll close it. You go wash your face."

Secretary Yang leaned out to check the hallway and stairwell; Huo Xiaohan was already gone. She never would have guessed that this "thousand-year iron tree" would one day bloom.

Pretending to know nothing, Secretary Yang told Su Wan to soak the watermelon in a bucket and went off to rest. After all, it was their first meeting, and they were young; prying would only be counterproductive. Still, she had a lingering feeling that this was not actually the first time they had met.

Back at his unit, Huo Xiaohan was informed by his clerk that his family had called twice, and Dr. Song from the military hospital had also called once.

"Understood," Huo Xiaohan nodded coolly. He had just stepped into his office to return the call when Political Commissar Liu walked in. Pointing to his watch, Liu teased, "Comrade Regiment Commander, you certainly know how to time your return—three hours exactly, not a minute more, not a minute less. You've been out these past two days accompanying your girlfriend to the mall and out for meals? Hurry up and find time to submit your marriage application so you can invite us to the wedding soon."

"After you're married, bring her to live at the family quarters, and you won't have to go running out in this sweltering heat. Once you're off duty, you can just close your door and do whatever a married couple does."

Political Commissar Liu placed a marriage application form on Huo Xiaohan's desk and patted his shoulder. "Once your personal affairs are settled, the organization can rest easy."

Huo Xiaohan looked at the form and said, "Comrade Commissar, I need to clarify: I do not have a girlfriend. The young lady is my father’s friend's daughter, who is staying at our home while she attends school."

"Didn't you go on a blind date a few days ago?" The smile on Liu's face froze; he had already prepared his gift money. Everyone had assumed Huo's recent absences were to see his girlfriend, yet now he was told it was just a younger sister figure.

The phone rang at that moment. Ignoring Liu's question, Huo Xiaohan picked up the receiver. Huo Jianguo’s calm but slightly anxious voice came through: "Xiaohan, why hasn't Su Wan returned yet? Has something happened? Your grandmother is very worried."

Seeing the situation, Liu pointed a finger at Huo Xiaohan and left, his excitement having been for nothing.

"Dad, Su Wan knows how to cook, and she’s quite good at it. Principal Song and his family liked it very much," Huo Xiaohan paused before adding, "I’ve had her cooking, too." He then explained the misunderstanding regarding the family's food poisoning.

On the other end of the line, Huo Jianguo let out a long sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair. "I knew I wasn't wrong. Su Wan is a good girl; how could she be so reckless as to pose as a nanny without even knowing how to cook?"

"It seems one shouldn't listen to rumors or jump to conclusions; one must see things for oneself. Is her cooking really that satisfactory to Principal Song's family?"

"Yes. When I was at the Principal's house, he kept me for a meal prepared by Su Wan. The red-braised pork tasted even better than what they serve at the state-run restaurant," Huo Xiaohan replied honestly. This alone was enough to prove that Su Wan had been telling the truth about knowing how to cook and enjoying it.

"Haha, then it seems I must find time to taste Su Wan's cooking myself. Alright, I'll head back early today to tell your grandmother; the old lady is just a worrier." Huo Jianguo chuckled.

After hanging up, he felt puzzled. It was one thing for the villagers to be misinformed, but why was her own sister, Su Xiaohui, unaware that her sister could cook? Perhaps it was because they attended different schools and lived in dorms, so they didn't see each other often.

At 4:30 PM, Huo Jianguo returned home. Su Xiaohui was sitting beside Grandmother Huo, acting sensible and comforting her, with the youngest daughter, Huo Hong, also present. Ma Wu, the housekeeper, was huddled in a corner, looking pale and trembling, her face a mix of anxiety and self-reproach.

"Big Brother, you're back so early—did something happen at Principal Song's house?" Huo Hong stood up from the sofa as soon as she saw Huo Jianguo, her crystal sandals clicking as she ran over to complain.

"We didn't stop you from repaying the Su family's kindness from years ago, but you can't just bring a menace into the Huo household!" Huo Hong pulled out a transcript of Su Wan's grades. "With grades like these, you want me to transfer her to Lizhi High School? Do you think I own the school?"

"I'm here to tell you: forget about Lizhi High School. Even the worst high school in Beijing wouldn't take her."

"I even suspect that Su Xiaohui was the one who took the exams for her." Huo Hong had a very good impression of Su Xiaohui, who was both smart and well-behaved. She had even planned to have Su Xiaohui teach at Lizhi High School after graduation.

"That's enough, Xiao Hong. This is not the time to talk about school," Grandmother Huo said, her face grim and authoritative. "Tell me, is the girl in the hospital now?"

"Mom, Xiaohan went to Principal Song's house personally and had a meal there. It was cooked by Su Wan. He said her culinary skills are no worse than those at a state-run restaurant. The Song family is delighted, as if they’ve found a treasure," Huo Jianguo explained, having rushed back without even stopping to drink water.

"What?" Grandmother Huo was stunned, taken by surprise.

Didn't Su Xiaohui know whether her sister could cook? In eighteen years, she had only cooked two meals total. Su Xiaohui believed Su Wan could boil water, but that her cooking could rival a professional chef? That was impossible. She felt certain that Su Wan must have actually sent the Song family to the hospital, and that Uncle Huo was just trying to cover it up to keep Grandmother Huo from getting upset.

"Uncle, did something really happen? Where is my sister?" Su Xiaohui stood up, looking worried and nervous.

"Jianguo, are you trying to trick me just because I'm old?" Grandmother Huo demanded, catching on after hearing Su Xiaohui.

"Mom, it’s the truth. Su Wan has always known how to cook and enjoys it. The previous incident where the family was poisoned was a misunderstanding. Xiaohui, you should know about this, right?"

Huo Jianguo looked at Su Xiaohui and explained the cause of the poisoning: "It was because the soup was served in bowls with pesticide residue that the whole family felt ill. It wasn't the food Su Wan prepared that was the problem; Su Wan herself nearly lost her life because of it."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiaohui's face turned pale. She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly. She had done it so covertly that no one in the family had noticed—how did Su Wan know?