“One day, a distance of thousands of kilometers can be covered in just a few hours. Sending cooked food or even fresh produce between the two places won’t be a problem.”
Whitaker Scarlett was very confident about this in her letter.
Kay thought about how many years it would take to achieve that, sending things by plane?
Even in the most developed America, it wasn’t that extravagant.
She told Kay to eat well and dress warmly, reminding him not to neglect his health just because he was young and strong. She also mentioned wanting to partner with Sanders Wren to start a business and asked Kay if that girl was reliable.
Sanders Wren?
She was the sister of Sanders Daxton.
Sanders Daxton had been in the army for several years and was promoted only last year; he was a squad leader in Kay’s company.
This person had outstanding personal qualities but was very impulsive. He had opportunities for promotion before but ruined them due to his character… Such a person might not be able to hold a significant position. Kay didn’t want to fight alongside him as a comrade, fearing his heroism would ruin plans at critical moments. But as a friend, Kay still trusted him; Sanders Daxton was a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment, and Kay happened to owe him a favor.
His sister should be trustworthy, right?
Kay read the letter twice, reluctantly put it down, took off his coat, and tried on the wool vest.
When he put on the duck down jacket, he quickly broke into a sweat.
In the army, there really weren’t many opportunities to wear a duck down jacket. Kay carefully took off the clothes and hung them up. This was his wife’s intention; he couldn’t let it get wrinkled or dirty. The wool vest could be worn under formal attire, being thin and fitted, and Kay found that it didn’t hinder his movements.
Whitaker Scarlett sent a large bag of jujubes, and there were several large cans of tea. Kay took a jujube, popped it in his mouth, and it was both sweet and chewy, with particularly small pits. After finishing one, he couldn’t help but eat a few more before stopping—Kay had a secret he didn’t often share with others: he loved sweets!
How much did he love them? He could eat a whole plate of freshly steamed white buns slathered with a thick layer of sesame paste and sprinkled with a layer of fine white sugar all by himself. As a child, he liked to dip his fingers in sugar and eat it, and his family had scolded him for it. His father said he was too soft and weak, so Kay gradually changed his sweet tooth.
Oh, or perhaps he just hid it deeper.
How did Scarlett figure out he liked sweets?
Could it be that at the train station last time, he had stared too long while buying jujubes for Scarlett?
Kay took out another jujube and popped it in his mouth.
No matter how she knew, even if it was just a coincidence, it showed that Scarlett was destined to be his wife.
Kay wasn’t fond of tea; how long would he have to drink these cans tea? Letting them spoil would be a waste of Scarlett’s thoughtfulness. Kay thought for a moment and decided to take a can to the regiment leader when it got dark.
The regiment leader teased him, “I heard you have a partner now?”
“Yes, she’s from Duskhaven. This tea is from her; I thought you might like to try it.”
There were five cans of tea in total, and like the jujubes, Whitaker Scarlett prepared extra so Kay could share with others. Eating alone was not a good behavior; social interaction was necessary everywhere… Of course, depending on your rank, you could only share local specialties with your immediate superior and couldn’t directly give gifts to those above you. Kay hadn’t mentioned his rank to Whitaker Scarlett; she probably thought he was just a small soldier. At 20 years old, even if he was promoted, he would at most be a small squad leader.
Kay was a company commander!
In the regiment, he didn’t need to please too many people; the regiment leader was capable and treated Kay well, which earned his respect.
Besides the regiment leader, Kay didn’t get along well with Oliver from the third company, but he had a decent relationship with the second company commander and shared a can of tea with him.
What about the remaining three cans of tea?
Kay couldn’t give them to his subordinates, nor would he give them to the annoying Oliver.
He thought for a moment, packed two cans of tea, and reluctantly divided half of the jujubes, sending them back home—once a man has a wife, he forgets his mother, but having a good wife also helps one grow. Kay often gave money directly, but when it came to bringing things home, he felt pained to share the jujubes and tea with others; his own parents should at least get a taste.
Where could they find a son like him? If he hadn’t acted quickly, his parents would never have enjoyed the filial piety of their daughter-in-law in advance.
