Chapter 14: Feeling Unwell, Speak It Out

“Sister-in-law!”

As soon as he got the order, Song Qi turned around and shouted loudly, full of youthful energy.

He had just turned twenty this year and had only been in the army for a little over a year. Still considered a rookie, his face had been tanned to a wheat color, and there was still a hint of youthful innocence in his features — a young and enthusiastic lad.

Since joining the army, he had received a lot of care from Lu Zhanlin. Now that he saw Lu Zhanlin’s wife, it was only natural for him to show her respect.

“Sister-in-law, you’ve had a tough journey. Give me your backpack, I’ll carry it for you! Sister-in-law, if you need anything, just let me know! Sister-in-law, this way, follow me closely.”

He kept calling her “sister-in-law,” and it made Chu Yue’s ears itch — she wasn’t quite used to it.

At the same time, she was a little puzzled. Lu Zhanlin was just a low-ranking platoon leader — did they really need to treat her so warmly? Or were all military personnel this respectful to accompanying family members?

Chu Yue still wasn’t very familiar with this unfamiliar era.

Song Qi carried the backpack and glanced at the child in Chu Yue’s arms. “Sister-in-law, do you want me to help carry the child? There will be a lot of people when we leave the train station, and he’s so little — he might get squished.”

What he said made sense, so Chu Yue nodded and handed Lu Yuanbao to him, smiling and thanking him.

“Comrade Song, thank you — sorry to trouble you.”

Hearing Chu Yue’s soft, delicate southern accent, Song Qi suddenly blushed. “Sister-in-law, no need to be polite — this is what I should do.”

Just like that—

Chu Yue and Song Qi gradually walked away, their figures disappearing into the crowd.

Lu Zhanlin emerged from the other side. Xu Feng walked up beside him with a chuckle.

“When did our Commander Lu get demoted three ranks and turn into a platoon leader? Why didn’t I know about this? Were you leaving the post vacant for my promotion? Let me tell you, I don’t want to be a regiment commander. No meetings but endless drills — it’s even more exhausting than thirty kilometers of field training. Whoever wants it can have it.”

Lu Zhanlin shot him a sidelong glance, his expression cold and silent, clearly not in the mood for jokes.

Seeing Lu Zhanlin unresponsive, Xu Feng stopped teasing and grew serious. Then he asked what had been puzzling him the most.

“Commander Lu, your wife really doesn’t recognize you?”

“Mm, she doesn’t know me. We’ve never met.”

Lu Zhanlin nodded coldly.

Their engagement had been arranged shortly after he joined the army — a blind marriage. The Lu family made the decision unilaterally, without his consent, fearing he would die on the battlefield and remain a lonely ghost.

At that time, “Chu Yue” had still been just a child. She, too, was a victim of this feudal arrangement.

Just like his sister…

As those thoughts swirled in his mind, Lu Zhanlin’s expression grew even colder.

Xu Feng frowned, still confused. “She may not know you, but you know her. Out of all the seats on the train, the two of you ended up next to each other — that’s fate. Why didn’t you just come clean and tell her who you are?”

Lu Zhanlin looked toward the direction where Chu Yue and Lu Yuanbao had left, his voice low and calm:
“I wanted to give her the freedom to choose — so that she won’t regret it later.”

…

Outside the station.

Song Qi asked Chu Yue and Lu Yuanbao to wait for a moment. Soon, he had arranged a military jeep. He ran over to the front passenger side and opened the door for Chu Yue.

“Sister-in-law, hop in. We’ll ride this jeep to the unit. It’s a bit bumpy, so the ride may be uncomfortable. But it’s fast — you’ll get to the compound and home to rest sooner.”

“No problem, I actually like jeeps.”

Chu Yue was quite satisfied with the big, spacious vehicle in front of her. It must feel powerful to drive it — too bad she didn’t have the chance to sit in the driver’s seat.

Lu Yuanbao’s eyes also lit up.

He had grown up in the countryside, where the most he’d seen were ox carts or donkey carts. He loved following behind the ox carts to collect cow dung — excellent fertilizer for growing big, fast crops.

As for tractors, cars, or public buses… he hadn’t seen any of them before.

Outside the train station, there were all kinds of vehicles crowded together, but this jeep was the tallest and flashiest.

Chu Yue patted Lu Yuanbao’s head to bring him back to his senses. “Yuanbao! Get in the car!”

The jeep was too tall for him to climb into, so Chu Yue scooped him up and placed him inside.

Next, she grabbed the door handle, lifted her foot, and smoothly climbed into the front passenger seat with ease.

Song Qi, standing to the side, was still debating whether or not to offer help — and in the blink of an eye, she was already seated. He stood there stunned.

As expected of Commander Lu’s wife — she’s truly different from ordinary girls!

This became the first impression Chu Yue left on Song Qi, and it was also the first impression many soldiers later had of her.

As the dawn light glowed along the horizon, the jeep quickly set off down the road.

Chu Yue had gotten off at a train station in the city center, but the military unit was stationed in a mountainous area on the outskirts of the city, nearly a three- to four-hour journey away. The jeep sped through the roads of the main city, continuing southward.

As time passed, they gradually left the city behind. The roads became bumpy and full of potholes, many of them winding mountain paths. The jeep jolted violently.

This wasn’t much to Chu Yue, but for Lu Yuanbao—who had never traveled far—it was quite a torment.

At first, Lu Yuanbao had been excitedly leaning against the window to look at the scenery, but he quickly began to feel unwell. His body swayed up and down with the car’s movements, his stomach churning uncomfortably.

He was carsick.

It felt like two nights ago, when he couldn’t help but feel nauseous and want to vomit.

But over the past two days, he had eaten white steamed buns, scallion pancakes, and eggs—all made from proper grains, all good food. He couldn’t throw them up! He mustn’t waste it!

When Chu Yue noticed that something was wrong with Lu Yuanbao, his face was already ghostly pale.

She immediately asked Song Qi to stop the car to let him recover.

Chu Yue carried Lu Yuanbao out of the jeep and stood by the roadside, letting him breathe fresh air while gently rubbing his back.

“Yuanbao, feeling any better? Do you want to throw up? Does it hurt?”

Lu Yuanbao responded in a pale voice, “N-no… I’m okay, I won’t… won’t throw up…”

“If you’re not going to throw up, have some water and rinse your mouth.”

Chu Yue handed him a canteen, holding it and helping him take small sips.

Song Qi stood by awkwardly, full of guilt. “Sister-in-law, I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have driven so fast. I’ve caused you both trouble.”

“It’s okay, this isn’t your fault. I didn’t take good care of the child.”

Chu Yue hadn’t spent extended time around children before. No matter how careful she was, oversights were inevitable.

She gave Lu Yuanbao some water, then gently grabbed his wrist and turned it over, locating the spot two fingers down from the palm on the inside of his forearm—the Neiguan acupoint.

The Neiguan point is also known as the number one acupoint for relieving nausea. Rotating pressure on it can ease the discomfort in the throat and stomach.

As Chu Yue massaged Lu Yuanbao’s pressure point, she noticed a patch of lush wild grass by the roadside.

The southwestern climate was warm; even in winter, everything remained green and vibrant.

Among the wild grass, Chu Yue’s eyes landed on a small, crumpled-leaf plant—mint.

Mint has a refreshing scent and works similarly to medicated oils like Fengyoujing.

Chu Yue walked into the grass and picked a large handful of mint leaves.

Watching from the side, Song Qi asked curiously, “Sister-in-law, why are you picking wild herbs?”

“This herb is mint. It can help with dizziness and nausea.”

Chu Yue divided the mint into two portions. She gave one to Lu Yuanbao, telling him to hold it over his nose and mouth to smell. The other she crushed and pressed onto his Neiguan acupoint, then wrapped it with a handkerchief.

Lu Yuanbao followed Chu Yue’s instructions, holding the fresh mint to his face and breathing deeply.

The refreshing scent of mint filled his nose, and the fuzziness in his brain cleared. The nausea in his stomach also settled down.

He blinked in disbelief and looked up at Chu Yue.

Chu Yue was still gently massaging his wrist. “Feeling better?”

“Mm, much better,” Lu Yuanbao responded softly. The boy, mature beyond his years, looked guilty and pursed his lips. “S-sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for? You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re the one who felt sick. But from now on, if something like this happens again—whether you feel nauseous, have a stomachache, or anything else—you mustn’t keep it to yourself. You have to speak up, understand?”

Chu Yue comforted him gently, but also spoke with firm authority.

Lu Yuanbao blinked. He hadn’t expected that he wouldn’t get scolded, and under Chu Yue’s gaze, he froze slightly.

“…Mm, I got it.”

He slowly nodded.