Chapter 18

“Brother-in-law, I’m hungry,” Jiang Leyun tugged at Xu Zhao’s sleeve, placing his hand on his stomach.

Having had breakfast early, it was almost noon, and the child, growing fast, was getting hungry quickly.

Xu Zhao opened a large bag and took out two lunch boxes, revealing steamed buns, mantou ^[1]Chinese steamed bread, and eggs.

Jiang Leyun didn’t like mantou, finding it tasteless, and picked a meat bun.

Although it was cold, it still tasted great. The meat bun was from a state-run restaurant where the chef’s skills were excellent. The bun was large, with thin skin and a lot of filling, nearly as big as the child’s face. A bite was filled with savory meat flavor.

Xu Zhao held out a peeled egg. “Do you want one?”

Jiang Leyun hesitated for a second and then nodded. He didn’t like boiled eggs due to their fishy taste, preferring fried eggs or boiled eggs dipped in soy sauce.

However, on the train, conditions didn’t allow for such preferences. He reluctantly ate the egg and the meat bun together, scrunching his little brow.

After drinking some water, he couldn’t help but burp.

The child jumped off the bed, his face flushed, and said softly, “I need to go to the bathroom.”

After a nap and drinking so much water, his bladder was about to burst.

At just seven years old, with so many unfamiliar faces on the train, Xu Zhao didn’t trust him to go alone. He stood up, patted Jiang Suihan’s arm, and said softly, “Wake up.”

Jiang Suihan, groggy and disoriented, rubbed her eyes and sat up. “What’s wrong?”

Xu Zhao said, “Lele needs to use the bathroom. I’ll take him. Please watch our belongings and the food I put below. Eat first, and you can rest again later.”

“Alright, I understand.” Jiang Suihan covered her mouth and yawned. Having slept for over an hour, she felt a bit weak and lazy.

After the bathroom trip, Xu Zhao took the child to wash his hands and filled a jug with water.

Jiang Leyun took the handkerchief to dry his hands and suddenly said to Xu Zhao, “I’ve found that you’re quite nice.”

“Why do you say that?” Xu Zhao raised an eyebrow, looking down at the child.

“Because you buy me food, take me to the bathroom, and oh, you also chased away the bad people who bullied us. I think you’re really good and that you match my sister, barely acceptable.”

Jiang Leyun counted on his fingers as he spoke, nodding to himself. The more he talked, the more he felt that Xu Zhao made a good brother-in-law.

Xu Zhao found it amusing, with a slight smile. “Thank you for the recognition, Little Lele. I will continue to work hard.”

Jiang Leyun tilted his chin, trying to suppress a smile, and whispered in Xu Zhao’s ear, “You’re welcome. If you treat me even better, I’ll help you speak well of you to my sister.”

The child was clever, already learning how to curry favor at a young age.

Xu Zhao rubbed the little guy’s head and shook his head, laughing.

“Have you all eaten?” Jiang Suihan was slowly eating a bun, feeling better after her nap but still lacking appetite.

She had a tendency to get motion sickness and couldn’t handle the smell on the train, wishing she could block her sense of smell to avoid some discomfort.

This was still a sleeper compartment, which was much better than the crowded ordinary compartments.

Xu Zhao unscrewed the water bottle and handed it to Jiang Suihan. “Do you still feel unwell?”

The bun was a bit dry. Jiang Suihan took the water bottle and drank a couple of sips. “I’m fine, just not used to the smell on the train. I’ll get better soon.”

She had been eating the bun for a long time and still couldn’t finish it. Sitting on the train had reduced her appetite. She looked at the remaining quarter of the bun in her hand and felt conflicted.

“Are you full?” Xu Zhao asked her.

“I can’t eat anymore,” Jiang Suihan nodded.

She was pondering what to do with the leftover buns. It seemed improper to mix them with other food since they were leftovers from her meal, but she didn’t have an extra lunchbox.

Not being able to finish even one bun and having such a small appetite, Xu Zhao thought he would need to buy some nutritious food for her once they were back at the base. She was too thin, which wasn’t good for her health.

He reached over, took the small piece of bun from her hand, and without saying anything, put it into his own mouth.

Jiang Suihan was stunned by his action, staring in shock and stammering, “That’s what I ate.”

How could he be so natural about it, without any psychological burden? If it were her eating someone else’s leftovers, she wouldn’t be able to handle it, not even if it were from Jiang Leyun. She’d need to mentally prepare herself.

Xu Zhao just looked at Jiang Suihan calmly, as if asking, “So?”

Jiang Suihan almost said “Don’t eat it,” but after years of education, she felt too embarrassed to let someone eat her leftovers. It seemed like an insult.

Fortunately, she remembered it was the 1960s. People lived hard lives during this period, and food was precious. Wasting food was seen as wasteful.

Xu Zhao didn’t see anything wrong with it. To him, eating the leftovers of his comrade was indeed quite intimate, but Jiang Suihan wasn’t just anyone. Eating food from his little wife wasn’t an outrageous act.

Seeing Xu Zhao calmly finish the bun, Jiang Suihan’s face turned slightly red as she handed him the water bottle.

Xu Zhao noticed Jiang Suihan’s flushed face and asked, “Your face is so red. Are you feeling unwell?”

Not coming down with a fever, I hope?

Jiang Suihan touched her face and felt the heat on her cheeks, “No, I just suddenly feel a bit warm. Yes, a bit warm.”

She suddenly thought he might have some affection for her. He didn’t mind her leftovers and treated her so well, looking after her.

Or perhaps she was overthinking it. She dreaded these kinds of assumptions about whether someone liked her. If she was wrong and made an action that led to misunderstandings, it would be very embarrassing.

Never mind, better not to think too much. It’s best to let things happen naturally and keep a calm mind.

Xu Zhao touched her forehead. She didn’t have a fever. If she fell ill on the train, it would be troublesome with no doctor on board. He opened the window slightly to let some fresh air in.

As the warmth on her face gradually faded, Jiang Suihan sighed inwardly, feeling a bit frustrated with herself. She had lived in an era of information explosion before and had seen so much, yet she was feeling shy because of a man.

She felt sorry for embarrassing herself in front of the locals.

In the cramped lower berth space, Jiang Suihan sat on Jiang Leyun’s bed. Having just woken up and not wanting to sleep again, she asked the child to take out a book and teach him to recognize characters.

The siblings worked together—one teaching, the other learning. The child was smart and recognized many characters; for those he didn’t know, she taught him once or twice, and he would learn them.

Ruffling the child’s hair, she smiled and praised him, “You’re really smart.”

Jiang Leyun looked up proudly and grinned widely, happy that his sister praised him.

Xu Zhao sat on the bed reading a book, occasionally glancing at the siblings. His thoughts drifted from the book, and he thought that if he and Jiang Suihan had children in the future, she would definitely be a very gentle mother.

A young couple boarded the train at the next stop. The girl glanced around the carriage with a look of disdain, turned her head in frustration, and appeared quite impatient. The boy next to her softly coaxed her.

Seeing the milk candies in front of her, Jiang Suihan looked up at Xu Zhao and asked, “Where did the candy come from? Did you buy it?”

After asking, she felt it was a rather pointless question. Xu Zhao had four milk candies in his hand. Jiang Suihan took one, Jiang Leyun took another, leaving two remaining.

Xu Zhao didn’t withdraw his hand, “They’re for you. Take them all.”

The candies were bought for Jiang Leyun last time. Jiang Suihan didn’t want to take more and left half a bag for Xu Zhao to bring back to the guesthouse. Xu Zhao wasn’t fond of sweet things, and as a grown man, eating candy didn’t suit his stern military image.

Jiang Suihan took one candy and handed it to Jiang Leyun, smiling at Xu Zhao, “I’ll save one for you. It’s nice to share good things.”

Peeling off the candy wrapper, the rich flavor of milk and sweetness burst on the taste buds. With the wind blowing through the train window, her mood lightened a bit.

Xu Zhao’s lips curved into a slight smile. He didn’t refuse; he hadn’t had candy in a long time.

The three of them, with candy in their mouths, all had bulging cheeks, creating a family-like feeling.

The only sounds in the carriage were the young girl’s complaints. After a while, the young man approached. He seemed somewhat embarrassed, looking at the young girl who gave him a stern look.

The man, taking a deep breath, mustered the courage to approach Jiang Suihan, smiling shyly, “Hello, comrade. My girlfriend isn’t feeling well and tends to toss and turn in her sleep. I’m worried she might fall off the top bunk at night. Could you help us and switch beds with us?”

He had quietly observed when he entered. The soldier comrade, the beautiful lady, and the boy were together. The lady seemed soft-hearted and would likely be easier to talk to.

Jiang Suihan lifted her eyelids and glanced at the young girl standing in the aisle staring at her. The girl’s face was flushed and she seemed quite energetic, showing no signs of discomfort.

“Sorry, but I also tend to toss and turn in my sleep. My brother is only seven years old. It’s unsafe for him to sleep on top. I’m also worried he might bump into things while asleep. Why don’t you try asking the conductor for help?”

Everyone had paid for their tickets, and she couldn’t sacrifice her own comfort for others.

What seemed like an easy request was directly refused. The young man’s face turned red. Given the situation, how could he, as an adult, take a bed away from a young child?

**