Chapter 79.2

Fortunately during lunch at Lan Hui’s house, Song Xiangdong and Song Xianghong didn’t say much throughout the meal, busy playing with He Bing and He Ming. 

Feng Mei talked about her experiences in Dongshi City these past few months. She had picked up a bit of an accent from there, which made Lan Hui burst into laughter, “Feng Mei, your accent sounds so charming now.”

Feng Mei was taken aback, “What?”

Jiang Nian couldn’t help but laugh.

It was just the three women and the children at lunch. Commander He and the others hadn’t returned. After dinner at Lan Hui’s house, they came out and ran into Chen Ping as soon as they returned to the family apartment. Chen Ping was surprised to see Feng Mei. Feng Mei spoke first, “Chen Ping, do you still remember me?”

Chen Ping smiled, “How could I forget?” Then she asked, “Are you here to see Jiang Nian?”

Feng Mei said, “Yes, she’s married to Commander Lu. I didn’t make it in time for their wedding, but it’s never too late to join the celebration.”

Hearing Feng Mei’s words, Chen Ping felt relieved. It seemed that Commander Song already knew about Jiang Nian and Lu Yu’s relationship. Although it had nothing to do with her, she still felt much less pressure. She talked with Feng Mei and the others for a while before returning.

Feng Mei asked in a low voice, “Do the people here still not know that you and Commander Lu were once in a brother and sister-in-law relationship?”

Jiang Nian shook her head gently, “They don’t know.” Just as Feng Mei breathed a sigh of relief, Jiang Nian added, “Chen Ping knows.”

Feng Mei: …

So she had just rambled a bunch of nonsense in front of Chen Ping.

Back home, Jiang Nian asked Song Xiangdong and his brother, “What do you guys want to eat? Aunt Jiang will cook for you.”

Both replied simultaneously, “Brown sugar steamed cake.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “Okay.”

She went to the kitchen to prepare the dough. Feng Mei came in to help. She hesitated for a long time before asking, “Jiang Nian, you’re married now, so tell me the truth. When I brought you and Song Bai together, did you have any thoughts about me?”

Jiang Nian shook her head without hesitation, “No, at that time, I only wanted to avoid remarriage.”

Feng Mei said, “It looks like you two really weren’t meant to be. But Commander Lu is quite good, handsome, and now a regiment commander. Like Old Song said, Commander Lu has a bright future ahead. You two know each other well, so you won’t suffer with him.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “Thank you, Sister Feng.”

“What are you thanking me for? There’s nothing to thank me for.” Feng Mei cleaned the enamel basin, replaced it with clean water, and looked at the faucet and shook her head: “Why don’t I have this over there?”

After Jiang Nian finished making the cakes, Feng Mei mentioned something else, “Song Bai has left.”

Jiang Nian said, “I know.”

After they parted ways at the Red Star Hotel, Song Bai said he was going to the border. From the beginning, Jiang Nian only saw Song Bai as a friend like Zhu Jun and never thought he would develop feelings for her. 

As she turned to chop vegetables, Feng Mei said, “He left five days ago. Old Song and I personally saw him off at the train station. This time going to the border, who knows when we’ll meet again. Why can’t this kid stay put in the army and always run off to remote areas?”

Jiang Nian bit her lip and said, “Everyone has different ideas.”

She made a lot of cakes this time. In the evening, after Lu Yu came back for dinner, Jiang Nian went to the kitchen to pack the cakes into aluminum lunch boxes for him to take to the dormitory for Gu Shizhou and Chen Yao to try. 

Her cheeks suddenly became hot. Jiang Nian turned her head and saw Lu Yu’s hands resting on both sides of the cabinet, holding her in his arms, leaning over and looking at her with a smile.

Jiang Nian turned her head subconsciously to look outside the kitchen. Lu Yu whispered in her ear, “Sister Feng is putting the kids to sleep.”

Jiang Nian finally breathed a sigh of relief. But then she thought, now that she and Lu Yu were a couple, how did it feel like they were sneaking around?

Lu Yu kissed her lips, licked her tongue, and reluctantly let go, “I’m leaving.”

Jiang Nian blushed slightly, “Be safe on the road.”

After Lu Yu left, Jiang Nian washed up and went back to lie down. After a while, Feng Mei came over and said to Jiang Nian, “Behave yourself when you sleep tonight.”

Jiang Nian: …

Feng Mei added, “You kicked me several times last night.”

Jiang Nian: …

“I’ll try to sleep better.”

She kicked Feng Mei, probably because she subconsciously mistook the person next to her for Lu Yu. After sleeping with Lu Yu for a few nights, she found that every night she was held by Lu Yu and couldn’t roll anywhere. Moreover, Lu Yu felt as warm as a stove. Even in the coldest weather, she did not feel cold, but warm instead.

Feng Mei stayed here for three days and left at noon the next day, taking the six o’clock train in the afternoon. Lu Yu took half a day off and sent Feng Mei and her family of three to the train station. 

At this time, the train station allowed people to enter to see off. Jiang Nian packed many things for Feng Mei. Lu Yu helped carry them in. They didn’t stay long before they came out.

When the train started, Feng Mei waved to Jiang Nian through the window glass, asking her and Lu Yu to take a break and come to Dongshi City to play.

The weather gradually warmed up, but the temperature difference between morning and evening was still large.

The family apartment buildings here were different from the family courtyards over there, where each home had a small yard for growing vegetables. Here, there was a large collective plot where each family was allocated a plot of land. Jiang Nian’s plot was next to Tian Mai’s. After breakfast that day, Tian Mai came over to find Jiang Nian and asked her to go till the soil in their plot together. When they opened the door, they unexpectedly ran into Lu Yu.

Tian Mai smiled and said, “Commander Lu, going to the regiment?”

Lu Yu nodded, “Hmm.” 

He turned to Jiang Nian and said, “You can just go for a walk. I’ll make time to till the soil at noon. You don’t have to do these things.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “Okay.”

Watching Lu Yu leave, Tian Mai couldn’t help but feel sour. She said, “Ah, people are always comparing themselves. Look at my husband. I’ve been arguing with his mother for so many years, and he always just tries to smooth things over, never thinking of helping me.”

This topic always made Tian Mai angry. This morning, she had another argument with her mother-in-law because her mother-in-law scolded Ning Xiu last night, saying Ning Xiu wasn’t obedient. Why was her eldest daughter not obedient? Day by day being scolded into silence, still not obedient?

Because of this, Deputy Commander Ning had also argued with his mother today. As a result, the old lady cried and made a fuss, saying she couldn’t live at home anymore. Everyone, young and old, bullied her. Tian Mai got so angry that she grabbed a hoe and ran out.

Now, no one dared to provoke the old lady.

He Yue, who lived next door, knew that Jiang Nian and the others were going to the private plot, so she hurried over to join them. When they reached the stairs, Jiang Nian glanced at the two families next door. She had moved in for almost two months but hadn’t seen these two families yet, so she asked, “Sister He, who lives in these two houses?”

He Yue said, “This house is occupied by Captain Lei and his wife from the Third Regiment. They just got married after the New Year, but shortly after their wedding, the wife’s father fell and broke his leg. She went back to take care of her father, so Captain Lei is staying in the dormitory for now. He’ll move back when his wife returns.”

After saying this, she glanced at the other house and said quietly, “That is the house of Deputy Commander Luo from the Fourth Regiment. His wife had a quarrel with him and ran back to her mother’s house. It’s been almost two months now. But from what I’ve heard during the literacy classes, the wives of the soldiers from the Fourth Regiment say that Deputy Commander Luo went back to bring his wife back, so he’ll probably return in a few days.”

Talking about this, Tian Mai knew a bit. The three of them walked out of the family apartment. 

Tian Mai said to Jiang Nian and He Yue, “I heard it’s because Guan Lu wants a child, but Deputy Commander Luo doesn’t want one. Deputy Commander Luo already has a daughter, so I guess his daughter doesn’t want her father to have another child, fearing he won’t care for her if he has a second child.”

Tian Mai paused and continued, “I heard that this time Guan Lu ran back home because she was upset by Deputy Commander Luo’s daughter.”

Jiang Nian understood. This Deputy Commander Luo and Guan Lu were a blended family^[1]A family consisting of a couple, the children they have had together, and their children from previous relationships..

The private plot wasn’t too far from the family apartment, but it still took about ten minutes to walk there. 

He Yue and Tian Mai saw the watch on Jiang Nian’s wrist and couldn’t help but envy her. They had followed their husbands for so many years, and they didn’t even have a watch, let alone a pair of nice shoes.

The more they looked, the more they felt that Jiang Nian was fortunate.

Although she was just going to look at the private plot, Jiang Nian couldn’t really do nothing. While she was waiting for Lu Yu, she pulled out the weeds in the field. She didn’t return until nearly noon. She washed up, changed her clothes, and packed the mixed sauce noodles that Lu Yu loved into an aluminum lunch box before heading to the private plot.

It was crowded at noon, and everyone passing by greeted Jiang Nian and asked what she was doing. Jiang Nian smiled and said, “I’m delivering lunch to Lu Yu.”

The branches sprouted tender shoots, and as she walked past, she could see everything turning green.

It was hot at noon. Jiang Nian was wearing a white shirt she had made last year, with red thread embroidered flowers on both sides of the collar, and muddy brown cropped pants. 

The hem of the shirt was tucked into the waistband of the pants, emphasizing her slender waist. Her bun was tied up neatly. As she walked past the corner, she had to pass the right side door of the cafeteria, where there were always people coming and going.

Soldiers from the Third Regiment saw Jiang Nian and immediately shouted, “Sister-in-law!”

Their synchronized voices startled Jiang Nian. Following the sound, she turned her head and saw many people standing at the tap near the cafeteria door, all dressed in military green uniforms, smiling broadly at her. Jiang Nian smiled back and greeted them, “Hello.”

Her fair skin, curved eyebrows, and bright, beautiful eyes, especially when she smiled, seemed to gather the Milky Way in her eyes. Even the dry trees behind her seemed to blossom with spring vitality. Jiang Nian’s outfit made her stand out in the family residential area, and it is rare to see a young wife like her.

Not only did people from the Third Regiment look at her, but even soldiers from other regiments couldn’t help but glance at her.

Gu Shizhou came out of the cafeteria and immediately saw Jiang Nian entering the side of the cafeteria. He quickly caught up and looked at Jiang Nian’s slender figure. He walked up and asked, “Younger sister-in-law, are you delivering lunch to Lu Yu?”

Jiang Nian turned around and saw Gu Shizhou, pursing her lips and smiling, “Yes.”

Gu Shizhou said, “Perfect, then help me give this to Lu Yu. I need to go out now and will be back in two days.”

Jiang Nian looked down at the leather bag in Gu Shizhou’s hand, paused for a moment, lifted her head, and blinked her clear eyes, “This isn’t classified military information, is it?”

Would it be appropriate for her to deliver it?

Gu Shizhou looked at Jiang Nian’s curled eyelashes and a smile appeared on his stern face. “It’s just a regular document form. If it were military secrets, it wouldn’t pass through anyone’s hands.”

“Oh.”

Jiang Nian took the leather bag, “Then I’ll give it to him.”

With that, she walked away.

Gu Shizhou put his hands in his pockets, watched Jiang Nian’s brisk steps, lowered his eyes, smiled faintly, turned around, and walked away. Chen Yao ran over from the other side and ran into Gu Shizhou, “Political Commissar Gu, did you ask me to give something to Commander Lu?”

He ran quite fast and his forehead was covered with sweat.

Gu Shizhou said, “Someone has already delivered it. It’s okay.”

The sun at noon was warm on Jiang Nian’s body, making her feel comfortable and warm.

She arrived at the edge of the field and saw Lu Yu rolling up his sleeves, tilling the soil in the private plot. His back was facing her, bending over, his arm muscles stretching, and the lines of his back slightly tense and relaxed under the white shirt. 

Thinking of these arms that often effortlessly supported her waist, Jiang Nian’s face suddenly turned red. She used her hand to fan herself and called out, “Lu Yu, it’s time to eat.”

Lu Yu turned his head to look at Jiang Nian, put down the hoe, and walked over. There was well water nearby. Lu Yu washed his face and hands with water, then took the lunch box handed to him by Jiang Nian and asked her, “Have you eaten?”

Jiang Nian said, “I’ll eat at home.”

Then she handed him a document and said, “This is from Political Commissar Gu, he asked me to pass it to you.”

Liu Yu’s eyebrows raised imperceptibly, “Gu Shizou asked you to give it to me?”

Jiang Nian nodded, “He knew I was coming to bring you food, so he asked me to help deliver it.”

Liu Yu asked, “Did he say anything else?”

“He said he’s leaving now and will be back in two days.”

Lu Yu’s eyes flashed with understanding. No wonder Jiang Nian was asked to deliver it. Gu Shizhou is leaving now. He had to go out in the afternoon and would not be in the regiment. He had to hand the documents to him quickly and wait for him to submit them today.

Jiang Nian didn’t ask about the contents of the document. After Lu Yu finished eating, she took the lunchbox and left.

Lu Yu held her hand, quickly kissed her lips, tousled her hair, and said, “Go back and eat.”

Jiang Nian: …

She adjusted her bangs and smiled, “Got it.”