Chapter 22: Home—Did He Bully You?

Suddenly, a creak—someone opened the door.

Standing in the yard, Lu Yuanbao had no intention of eating his cornbread. The moment he heard the sound, he immediately turned around to look.

He saw the tightly shut door swing open as Lu Zhanlin, dressed in military uniform, stepped out. His long legs strode forward quickly, his expression hurried—there was even a trace of anxiety on his face.

Because just moments earlier, Chu Yue had said the words “I want to live a good life with you,” and they had stirred something unfamiliar inside Lu Zhanlin’s heart. But before he could fully process it, she had already moved on.

Chu Yue had then quickly said,
“Lu Zhanlin, I reek of blood and feel filthy. I really need a bath. Can you make arrangements?”

In the family quarters, most houses didn’t have private bathrooms or toilets. They shared public washrooms, bathhouses, and toilets in the courtyard.

But Lu Zhanlin’s status wasn’t ordinary. The house he was assigned had better conditions—behind it, there was a small, separate bathroom, good enough for basic bathing and toilet use. It would definitely make life much more convenient for Chu Yue in the future.

The problem was: the place hadn’t been lived in for a long time. It hadn’t been cleaned, and there was no hot water. Chu Yue wanting a bath right now wouldn’t be easy.

Lu Zhanlin had hurried out of the house to solve one problem for his wife: hot water.

As soon as he left, Lu Yuanbao slipped into the house. He looked up at Chu Yue, eyes filled with unease.
“Did he bully you?”

After all, he was just a child, one who had endured too much bullying in his short life. He couldn’t tell as quickly as Chu Yue whether Lu Zhanlin was good or bad.

He was worried about what life would be like going forward… and worried for Chu Yue.

Chu Yue raised her hand and gently patted Lu Yuanbao’s head, revealing the first genuine smile of the day.

“No one will bully me. Yuanbao, from now on, this is our home.”

Lu Yuanbao blinked, a little stunned.
“Our home?”

“Yes, our home.” Chu Yue nodded with a warm but firm voice.
“A place that will shelter us from the wind and rain, that won’t kick us out. From now on, we’re family.”

And since it was home, it needed to be cleaned—inside and out.

Chu Yue, after all, was a young woman who loved cleanliness and had a touch of OCD. Back during the apocalypse, she didn’t have the luxury to keep clean—she had to endure it.

But now she was finally in a new environment, and she was going to start living a fresh, clean life.

Chu Yue looked around and sent Lu Yuanbao outside to pull weeds in the yard. It would help him get some exercise, soak up sunlight, and absorb vitamin D—perfect for a growing child.

As for the house itself, she took a quick look at the layout: two bedrooms, two living areas, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The rooms were all small, totaling just over a dozen square meters—not huge, but just right for a family of three.

The front part was the living room; the rear was the kitchen. In the kitchen, there were no pots, no utensils—only one large iron wok and a wide traditional wood-fired stove.

Cooking here would require starting a fire, but for Chu Yue, that was nothing difficult.

There was running tap water in both the kitchen and the bathroom, which was already quite decent for their conditions.

Chu Yue began by thoroughly cleaning the bathroom she’d be using. She found a brush and scrubbed the walls, making everything spotless.

Not long after, Lu Zhanlin returned.

He carried three large thermos flasks of hot water in one hand and a bright red plastic washbasin decorated with peony flowers in the other.

Hearing the sound of running water, he walked toward the bathroom—just in time to see Chu Yue rolling up her sleeves and pant legs, exposing her slender arms and calves as she scrubbed the floor.

Her skin was fair, and the parts she exposed looked even whiter—almost glowing, like a lightbulb. But the cold water had turned her skin slightly red.

Lu Zhanlin looked at her for a long moment, then gently put down the items and said in a soft voice,
“Here’s the hot water and a washbasin. Did you bring a towel? Do you need soap?”

Chu Yue glanced at the bright red basin decorated with peonies. It was very much in the 1970s style—festive and cheerful. Definitely something people would buy for weddings.

She put down the brush and said to Lu Zhanlin,
“I brought both a towel and soap. Just leave everything there and step outside for now.”

“Alright. I’ll be right outside the door. If you need anything, just call—I’ll hear you.”

Lu Zhanlin reminded her with concern before finally stepping out and gently closing the door.

Outside—

Lu Yuanbao was in the yard pulling weeds. He was putting all his strength into it, completely focused. In just a short while, beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead.

Lu Zhanlin walked over and called out,
“Yuanbao.”

Yuanbao stood still, lips pressed together, expression stubborn. He didn’t look up at Lu Zhanlin.

Inside that small child’s body, it was as if he was holding back a breath.

Lu Zhanlin crouched down to meet Lu Yuanbao’s gaze.
“Yuanbao, do you know who I am?”

Lu Yuanbao clutched a handful of wild grass, gripping it tightly. He nodded.
“I know. Grandma told me you’re Uncle. Mommy… Mommy also said that Uncle is a soldier. She also said Uncle is amazing, and that once you came back, no one would dare to bully us anymore.”

The childish voice stirred a pang in Lu Zhanlin’s chest.

When Yuanbao’s mother said those things, she had already been driven mad by the cruel reality.

In her rare moments of clarity, the only two people she could recognize were Lu Yuanbao and Lu Zhanlin—her own younger brother by blood.

He was her only hope during her suffering, like the faint light of a firefly. She would mumble over and over:
“As long as A-Zhan comes back, everything will be okay.”
“With A-Zhan here, no one will dare bully us.”
“A-Zhan went to join the army. He’ll be back in a few years.”

But Lu Zhanlin had left for ten years and never returned to the village. During that time, all the contact with his sister had been through letters fabricated by their parents.

If his older sister hadn’t died, leaving Yuanbao behind as an orphan with no one to care for him, and if the village head hadn’t felt pity and reached out to Lu Zhanlin, he might still be in the dark.

This was Lu Zhanlin’s oversight. His debt to his sister could never be repaid.

All he could do now was take good care of the only thing she left behind—Lu Yuanbao.

“Yuanbao, I’m sorry it took me so long to bring you here. You’ve suffered so much before. But that’s all in the past now. From now on, I’m your Uncle, and also your Dad. We’re a family, and no one will ever bully you again.”

Lu Yuanbao’s eyes clearly wavered upon hearing those words.

He bit his lip hard and asked hoarsely,
“Really?”

“Really. Dad promises.” Lu Zhanlin stared into Lu Yuanbao’s eyes and made a solemn vow.
“Did you have lunch?”

“No… she was helping the baby. The baby cried, so she went out. Later we ate some steamed buns,” Yuanbao answered seriously.

Lu Zhanlin roughly understood the situation.
“I’m going to the mess hall to get food. Want to come with me?”

That was the army!

Even the youngest kids couldn’t help but admire soldiers.

Lu Yuanbao tossed aside the wild grass in his hand and nodded vigorously.

---

…

In the bathroom, warm steam curled through the air. Chu Yue took a long, relaxing hot shower, lathering up from head to toe with soap and scrubbing herself clean.

This kind of luxury was something she had never experienced at home before.

Even using a little more hot water would get her nagged by Li Amei.

Sure, Chu Yue often bathed in her portable space, even soaking in the hot spring there. But the sensory experience in that virtual space was nothing like the real world—the warmth that soaked into her bones here brought a whole different kind of comfort.

Finally… she felt truly relaxed.

Chu Yue changed into clean clothes and used a towel to dry her hair, gently pressing out the remaining moisture. Just as she stepped out of the bathroom, she heard a knock at the door.

Knock knock knock!

Knock knock knock!

The knocks were rapid and urgent, as if something serious had happened.

Could it be Lu Zhanlin? Did something happen?

That didn’t seem right.

Or… maybe something went wrong with Wang Chunling’s condition after childbirth?

Still drying her hair, Chu Yue didn’t even have time to throw on an extra jacket before hurrying to open the door.

As the door opened, a cold wind blew in—and standing outside was an unfamiliar young woman.

The girl looked to be around twenty years old. She wore a military cap and uniform, over which was a white lab coat. A red cross armband was on her sleeve, and a medical kit hung from her shoulder.

Clearly, she was a medic from the army unit.

But in the middle of winter, she wasn’t wearing pants—instead, she had on a skirt, showing off her long, slender legs in skin-toned stockings.

A classic case of choosing style over warmth. Just looking at her made one feel cold.