Chapter 55: What Does It Feel Like to Have a Wife and Kids and a Warm Kang?

Zheng Yue’e’s sudden action left everyone dumbfounded—what was she trying to imply?

Even Chu Yue frowned, which was rare for her.

But soon Zheng Yue’e came out again, this time holding a small bamboo woven round dustpan filled with chestnuts.

She walked up to Chu Yue, her smile still tinged with some awkwardness, and her attitude noticeably more polite as she spoke.

“Chu Tongzhi, about what happened earlier… it was my two kids who were wrong. I want to apologize to you. I know you and Captain Lu aren’t petty people and won’t hold grudges. Like you said, let’s not dig up old quarrels and just let the past be past. I accepted your wedding candies, and these chestnuts aren’t worth much, but they’re a small token of my sincerity. Please take them and share them with your children.”

As she spoke, Zheng Yue’e stuffed the full bunch of chestnuts into Chu Yue’s bag where the wedding candies were, not giving her a chance to refuse.

The bag, which had been slightly flattened from the candies, suddenly puffed up again.

Chu Yue glanced inside, her eyes lighting up with surprise. “They’re Gaoshan Youzhui chestnuts!”

There are many varieties of chestnuts, differing mostly in shape and size. Some are semicircular, some are triangular or conical. Gaoshan Youzhui chestnuts are cone-shaped and among all chestnut varieties, they’re the most tender, sweet, and easiest to peel.

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Chu Yue hadn’t seen these chestnuts in many years. Mostly, they were only preserved in books as part of biodiversity records, hoping that after the apocalypse, humans could revive these species.

Even in her personal space, Gaoshan Youzhui chestnuts were rated as rare plants and required upgrading the space’s level to obtain them.

Chu Yue’s space wasn’t high enough to get them normally, so it was a surprise to receive them so effortlessly now.

“Ah?” Zheng Yue’e was puzzled by Chu Yue’s words. She didn’t know the scientific names of chestnuts at all. “I don’t know if they’re ‘Gaoshan’ or not, but they were definitely picked from the mountain.”

Picked from the mountain.

Chu Yue quickly got the info she wanted and pressed further, “Sister-in-law Zheng, which mountain exactly? Could you tell me where it is?”

Zheng Yue’e looked around and pointed to a lush, green mid-mountain slope to the south of the compound.

“Right there, near the mountain top. There are quite a few chestnut trees. The ground is covered with fallen ones—too many to pick up. If you want to go, be careful. The mountain path is very steep and not easy to walk.”

“Got it, thanks, Sister-in-law Zheng.”

Chu Yue was satisfied with the information. Since she had already distributed all the wedding candies, she didn’t linger, exchanged a few polite words, and then took her leave.

After a short while, their group left the area near Zheng Yue’e’s home.

Chu Yue was thinking about the plan for tomorrow, while Lu Yuanbao carried the full bag of chestnuts on his back, occasionally feeling them.

Meanwhile, the usually lively Chen Fengying was furrowing her brows deeply, looking troubled.

Chu Yue noticed and gently asked, “Sister Chen, what’s wrong? Is there something on your mind?”

Chen Fengying nodded vigorously, cutting to the chase. “Chu sister, you almost came to blows with Zheng Yue’e yesterday. How come all of a sudden it’s like nothing happened? I was stunned.”

Chu Yue said, “The matter’s settled, so naturally we’re on good terms again. Besides, it wasn’t some deep grudge to begin with. My Yuanbao won the fight, so it’s not like we lost out. Rather than gaining another enemy, it’s better to gain another friend. Plus, I got a bunch of chestnuts — isn’t that a win?”

Chen Fengying followed Chu Yue’s logic and thought, “…That actually makes sense! Zheng Yue’e isn’t a bad person at heart either. When my big Zhuang was sick before, she even came over to help me…”

Everyday trivial matters in the compound, once started, just never stop.

But the real reason Chu Yue reached out to make peace with Zheng Yue’e was something she didn’t say out loud—it was all for Lu Zhanlin.

Zheng Yue’e’s husband, Zhao Wenwu, had beaten the kids yesterday. The incident caused a huge stir—everyone in the compound knew about it. But the exact reason why he hit the kids wasn’t necessarily known to everyone.

After all, kids fighting is common and nothing unusual to most of the women there.

If it got blown out of proportion, it would make Chu Yue look petty, and Lu Zhanlin petty too.

So the story about Zhao Wenwu hitting the kids, as it spread, might even turn into a rumor that Lu Zhanlin used his position to pressure Zhao Wenwu into apologizing and punishing the children.

Chu Yue understood how dangerous rumors could be, so she wanted to nip that possibility in the bud.

In these few days since their marriage, Lu Zhanlin had been commendable, even bringing over meat buns. Chu Yue didn’t want to be a burden to him and also wanted to treat that man a little better.

…

“Achoo!”

At the military camp, beside the training ground.

Lu Zhanlin, dressed smartly in his uniform, suddenly sneezed, immediately drawing attention.

Especially from Xu Feng, who also was responsible for troop training.

Xu Feng grinned, showing his big teeth with a mischievous smile, walked up to Lu Zhanlin and said, “Commander Lu, sneezing, huh? Must be your wife thinking about you.”

Lu Zhanlin gave Xu Feng a cold sideways glance, unwilling to waste words.

The more silent Lu Zhanlin was, the more smug Xu Feng became, his smile full of teasing mockery.

“I checked up on you—did you go back to the family compound yesterday? Although there’s no clear rule forbidding the person in charge from leaving during training, you’ve been living at the camp like it’s home, not even sleeping in the dormitory—just sleeping on the floor of the office. What’s up? Changed your mind? Got yourself a little family and don’t want the big family anymore? If this gets out, your prestige as commander might take a hit.”

Lu Zhanlin listened calmly, without even a twitch of his eyebrows. “Why do you talk so much? Aren’t you afraid the wind might catch your tongue?”

“Lu Zhanlin, we’re brothers who came out of the same trench. You don’t give me the truth, and I don’t get it from you?” Xu Feng kept pestering him. “Come on, tell me—after you went back to the compound yesterday, did you get the warm embrace of your wife and kids? How does it feel? Good or not?”

Feelings… how do they feel?

At these words, Lu Zhanlin’s thoughts flashed back to last night, especially after Chu Yue fell asleep. He remembered the breath close to his neck and those slender soft hands that, like a little kitten, always stirred his heartbeat.

In the pitch-black night, many times, waves of warmth surged through him, and Lu Zhanlin felt his breath suddenly quicken and his muscles tense and harden.

Is this the feeling of being with wife and kids, basking in the warmth of home?