Jiang Lin checked on the two boys, who were sleeping soundly.

She washed her face, cleaned her washcloth, and took her toothbrush and cup outside to brush her teeth.

As she stepped out, she saw two young men emerging from the left side.

One had a somewhat comical smile, with a curious, gossipy expression.

The other was handsome but looked a bit indifferent.

One of them smiled at her suggestively, while the other gave her a playful look.

Feeling puzzled, she smiled back, “Good morning.”

He Liang laughed heartily, “Good morning! I’m He Liang, and this is Fang Chengguang. We met your husband Cheng Rushan and your boys Da Bao and Xiao Bao last night.”

He looked at Jiang Lin and thought she was really pretty.

If she were his wife, he wouldn’t bring the kids along, interrupting their time together.

He would definitely send the kids back to their hometown one by one!

Jiang Lin turned back to look inside the room, “Last night?”

He Liang chuckled, “Yeah, you know… the boys ended up in his bed.”

Jiang Lin asked, “What do you mean? We have our own bed. Why would they go to your bed?” She was utterly confused.

Fang Chengguang, seeing her bewildered expression, said, “Don’t listen to him. Your boys woke up in the middle of the night and came back to the wrong room.”

Jiang Lin looked at him in surprise, “The wrong room?”

She glanced around, seeing a row of ten or so dorms.

Honestly, she might have trouble finding the right place herself if she went out at night.

She smiled, “Thank you so much. Sorry for the trouble.”

Fang Chengguang replied, “It’s no problem. Cheng Rushan already explained.”

He Liang, in no rush to get breakfast, started chatting with Jiang Lin, enthusiastically giving her tips about the place.

He told her where to buy things, where to get groceries, who to avoid, who to ignore, which wives were annoying, which ones liked to take advantage, and which ones were jealous.

He warned her not to talk to them since she was so pretty.

He went on and on, filling several metaphorical baskets with advice.

Jiang Lin: “…Thank you for telling me so much. Being new here, I know nothing and feel completely lost.”

She went inside and brought out some peanuts, sunflower seeds, and candies for them. “These are homegrown, still fresh and not damp.”

Fang Chengguang was already rendered speechless by He Liang’s bluntness.

He thought, “I know you’re talkative, but do you have to be this talkative? Sure, she’s pretty, but what’s it to you? Look at you, getting so worked up as if she were your wife and you were afraid she’d be taken advantage of.”

He asked Jiang Lin, “How are you and your family staying in the dormitory?”

Generally, newlyweds would stay in the dorms, but after having children, they would try to get a couple of rooms, depending on their job positions and seniority.

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “We just transferred here, and there’s no available housing yet, so we have to wait.”

Fang Chengguang: “No available housing?”

He looked westward, where there was a courtyard of single-story houses occupied by some middle-ranking officials.

Some had already moved upstairs but were still holding on to the small courtyards below.

He then looked inside the small dormitory.

It was manageable for single men and women to share, but inconvenient for families with children.

Besides, with neighbors close by, it wouldn’t be safe for couples to have any private moments as everything could be heard.

At that moment, the two little brothers woke up and crawled out of their bedding, unafraid of the cold as they jumped around.

Seeing Fang Chengguang looking at them, the older child quickly put on clothes with a serious face.

The younger one, however, smiled foolishly and bounced around naked, waving at him. “Hello, Uncle.”

Fang Chengguang couldn’t help but smile. “You slept well, huh?”

The younger child: “Yes, it’s safe to sleep here in the army. Even the mice don’t dare come. Haha.”

At this moment, Cheng Rushan and Dai Guohua came over with meals.

Seeing He Liang and Fang Chengguang, they greeted them and introduced Dai Guohua.

Fang Chengguang spoke with them briefly before heading to the cafeteria for a meal.

Dai Guohua and Jiang Lin greeted them and then asked Dabao and Xiaobao, “Do you have any plans today? Would you like to come out with me for some fun?”

Dabao replied, “Thank you, Uncle, but we need to visit Grandfather’s house first.”

Dai Guohua said, “Right.”

After breakfast, Dai Guohua left for a short trip.

He planned to wait until Cheng Rushan settled in before making further arrangements.

After he left, Cheng Rushan’s family had their meal, tidied up, and locked the door. They then took some time to get familiar with the area.

The place was a bit remote.

There were no public buses initially, but later, Bus Line 2 was extended to serve the area, which took about ten minutes to walk to.

Bus Line 2 did not reach the Textile Factory or the Auto Parts Factory, but it did reach the Radio Factory and the Provincial University.

They now bought tickets based on the number of stops, and children needed special tickets, not free rides.

Jiang Lin had a folded paper with marks for important places like the Military District Compound, Military Camp, bus station, nearby state-run markets, supply stores, and grocery stores.

Cheng Rushan was surprised she had figured out so much so quickly and said with a smile, “You should have been a scout.”

Jiang Lin replied, “It wasn’t me; it was He Liang’s enthusiasm. He even told me there’s a vacant lot to the west where I thought of growing vegetables. I’m not sure if that’s allowed.”

Cheng Rushan said, “I’ll ask about it.”

Generally, people would say it’s not allowed, but if you start growing vegetables, no one would usually bother you unless there’s a real need to clear the land.

It’s a matter of first come, first served.

They went to a supply store to buy some cans, drinks, and candies.

Jiang Lin didn’t mind spending money as they were earning well, and some expenses were necessary.

Before lunch, Cheng Rushan took Jiang Lin, Dabao, and Xiaobao to visit Di Guangming’s home.

They lived in a single-story courtyard on the west side, although there were also buildings.

Based on Di Guangming’s rank, they could be allocated two small suites or one large suite.

His wife, Wu Shuxian, came from the countryside and had experienced an earthquake.

She was always worried that living in a tall building was too dangerous, fearing it might collapse, so she adamantly refused to move there.

Many women in the courtyard came from the countryside.

Most were normal, but some felt like Cinderella turning into a princess, eager to erase all traces of their rural origins and looking down on other country folks.

Another group feared change, believing city people were cunning and city things dangerous.

They even thought city vegetables were poisonous and wished to transform the area into another countryside.

These two groups often clashed in the courtyard.

Along with some genuinely petty urban residents, the entire family area of the courtyard was comparable to a battlefield.

There were frequent conflicts, quarrels, and even espionage-like activities.

The men found this extremely troubling and were at their wits’ end.

This was a secret He Liang shared with her.

Wu Shuxian’s name suggested a gentle and virtuous woman, but she had the nickname “High and Mighty.”

She was tall, loud, with big hands, feet, face, and buttocks.

She always emphasized safety first, believing that staying whole and healthy was paramount.

Jiang Lin checked her family, ensuring everything was in order.

They then headed to Wu Shuxian’s house, which had a private courtyard.

At the door, they knocked.

Xin Liancai, Di Guangming’s orderly, answered the door.

He helped with chores, shopping, and errands.

After greeting them, he invited the family in and went to report their arrival.

Director Di hadn’t returned yet.

Wu Shuxian and an elderly woman were home.

Wu Shuxian originally didn’t work, but Director Di discovered that when she was idle, she would either start fights or organize trouble with a group of women.

To keep her busy, he found her a job in a theater troupe managing props.

She particularly disliked the young men and women in the troupe. “Their eyes are always on the higher-ups like Old Di, instead of focusing on their work. They just want to marry up. Don’t they realize that we struggled to survive without starving, without dying in earthquakes or political movements? And now that we’ve made it, should we let these little vixens take advantage? Hmph! They call me tough, but if I weren’t tough, this military family courtyard would see divorces every day.”

The old woman had poor hearing and kept mumbling.

Xin Liancai said, “Sister-in-law, Captain Cheng’s family has come to visit, as mentioned yesterday.”

When Wu Shuxian heard this, she stopped talking and came out of the room.

She first took a good look at Jiang Lin, Cheng Rushan, and the children from head to toe.

Her gaze was a habitual scrutiny; she wanted to see if they were like her, so she could decide whether to help them in the future or not.

She thought, “Let’s see!”

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “Hello, Sister-in-law. We wanted to visit as soon as we moved in yesterday, but we felt a bit embarrassed looking so dusty.”

Wu Shuxian, though dressed in military pants, was wearing a country-style coat and a rural neckerchief.

Her hair was plain, and she looked like she was in her thirties, though due to poor upkeep, she might actually be younger.

Men are usually addressed by their titles, but women are often called ‘sister-in-law’ or ‘big sister,’ as He Liang had told her.

Wu Shuxian noticed that Jiang Lin was quite pretty, with bright and clear eyes, and her demeanor was calm and collected.

She felt a bit of warmth toward her.

She had seen Cheng Rushan before and found him very handsome.

She even thought of introducing him to someone.

She looked at the two children, who were dressed and looking the same, with similar expressions.

One child had a serious look, while the other was charming and cute.

After examining them, she decided to be a warm and welcoming sister-in-law.

She smiled and said to Jiang Lin and Cheng Rushan, “Oh, you’ve just moved in. Are you getting used to it? Do you need anything? Tell me, and I’ll help you get it.”

She invited the family into the house and noticed Cheng Rushan carrying cans and wine.

She immediately said, “What’s this? You don’t need to bring anything when you visit your sister-in-law. It’s not necessary to bring these city things; it’s a waste of money.” Despite saying this, she still accepted the items, as they were useful for entertaining guests, and Old Di also needed to give gifts.

Jiang Lin also handed over a cloth bag of peanuts, saying, “These are home-grown and roasted for the New Year. They’re still good to eat.”

Wu Shuxian took a look at the cloth bag and remarked, “This bag is really well made. It’s rough cotton, with an apricot blossom embroidered on it and Cheng Rushan’s name beside it. It has a drawstring that can be pulled to close it.”

“Little sister, you have such skillful hands,” she continued.

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “This was made by my mother. I’m learning, but I’m not as good as she is.”

Wu Shuxian then began chatting about needlework. “These days, how many young people know how to sew? They all want to marry an officer, thinking they’ll have orderlies to do everything for them.”

Jiang Lin just listened without commenting.

Wu Shuxian then spoke about housing distribution. “Don’t worry, I’ll ask around for you. I’m sure I can get you a courtyard too. It might not be as big as ours, but at least you’ll have three rooms to live in.”

Jiang Lin had heard from He Liang that Wu Shuxian was either quarreling with other women or taking on too many responsibilities.

Whether she could actually get something done was uncertain.

Jiang Lin didn’t have high hopes and thanked her profusely.

Wu Shuxian then asked Xin Liancai to add more dishes and keep the guests for a meal.

Jiang Lin quickly said, “Sister-in-law, don’t trouble yourself. We need to visit my family and will be reporting to the university in a few days. Once we’re settled, we’ll have plenty of time to get together.”

Wu Shuxian didn’t insist on keeping them but took Jiang Lin’s hand and urged her to pick some vegetables. “These are from local farmers, very fresh. Better than what you get at the market.”

Although vegetables at the market also came from nearby farmers, they were often not as fresh as those picked directly from individual farms.

Jiang Lin accepted the offer, choosing a cabbage and a bundle of spinach, and thanked her before saying goodbye.

As Wu Shuxian saw them out, she advised Jiang Lin, “If you run into those curly-haired women, just ignore them. They’re all so full of themselves and look down on us country folks.”

Jiang Lin just nodded and smiled.

At that moment, the twenty-something woman who had previously criticized Jiang Lin passed by, her hair styled with a curling iron.

She seemed quite displeased upon hearing Wu Shuxian’s words.

She glared at Jiang Lin but didn’t say anything directly, since Wu Shuxian was present.

After walking away, Wu Shuxian said to Jiang Lin, “Did you see? She acts like a high-ranking official’s wife, always bustling about with her husband.”

Jiang Lin chose not to respond and, once Wu Shuxian finished speaking, politely said goodbye.

Wu Shuxian invited her to come over and visit whenever she had time.

Though Dabao and Xiaobao were annoyed by her nagging, they still politely waved and said, “Goodbye, Auntie.”

Wu Shuxian corrected them, “From now on, call me ‘Big Auntie’!”

Dabao and Xiaobao immediately changed their address to “Big Auntie” and said goodbye.

Once they were far enough away, Jiang Lin let out a sigh of relief.

Dabao and Xiaobao also sighed, while Cheng Rushan remained unaffected but smiled.

He looked down at Jiang Lin and couldn’t help but gently touch her hair. “Don’t overthink it. Just be like at home. Get along with those who are easy to get along with, and avoid those who are not. We don’t rely on them, so there’s no need to force connections.”

Jiang Lin nodded, “I understand.”

Even so, she knew she had to be cautious. Living in a military district was different from living in the countryside, and it was important to navigate relationships carefully.

Still, she wasn’t afraid, as they had no grand ambitions and didn’t need to compromise themselves.

They went home to prepare a simple lunch. Cheng Rushan went to borrow a tricycle, while Jiang Lin and the children tidied up.

At that moment, a woman with curly hair “happened” to walk past their dormitory and sneered, “Already trying to climb the social ladder just after arriving. Are you trying to be someone important?”

Jiang Lin shot back, “You don’t know me, and yet you’re making malicious accusations. Either you’re foolish or mean!”

She was sure that this woman wasn’t from a high-ranking official’s family.

The wives of leaders wouldn’t behave so poorly or engage in petty arguments with strangers.

The woman raised her eyebrows, her voice sharp. “How dare you speak so venomously? Don’t you know who I am?”

Jiang Lin retorted, “Why should I know how important you are? If you’re so great, why don’t you get your face printed on money first before making such claims.”

“Don’t be afraid of flashing your tongue! I’m afraid you’re just stuffing yourself with nothing better to do, meeting someone as sick as you?”