Chapter 44.1

He Shuiqing went outside to fetch water and, with sharp eyes, spotted a young couple talking by the roadside. Driven by curiosity, she tiptoed closer.

A quick glance revealed that the girl was Wang Lijuan’s younger sister. Why was she with Xu Zhao!?

He Shuiqing’s eyes sparkled with gossip as she hid behind a tree, stretching her neck and pricking up her ears, staring intently at the scene.

When Xu Zhao walked away, Wang Lijuan remained where she was, gritting her teeth and muttering angrily, as if cursing someone.

He Shuiqing shifted her numb legs and quickly headed home.

She was so excited that she couldn’t wait to share this juicy tidbit.

Having been through similar situations herself, He Shuiqing was certain from the angle she saw Wang Lijuan’s expression that the girl had special feelings for Xu Zhao. It seemed she was interested in him.

Tsk, this girl might be young, but her intentions were not simple.

Xu Zhao was already married, and yet this unmarried girl stopped him in broad daylight, using the excuse of a child’s fight to get close to him. If she really wanted to apologize, why not go find Jiang Suihan? Instead, she went directly to Xu Zhao—her intentions were obvious.

After escaping the strange encounter, Xu Zhao quickened his pace. When Jiang Suihan came out carrying dishes, she happened to see him coming in from outside. “Why are you so late today? Go wash your hands and come eat.”

Xu Zhao handed her two apples, quite large, with slightly rough skin and small speckles.

“Where did these apples come from?” Jiang Suihan’s eyes brightened. It had been a while since she had eaten apples, and she was a bit nostalgic.

Xu Zhao replied, “A fellow soldier’s family sent them from their hometown. He brought me two. Do you like apples?”

Jiang Suihan nodded, “I do like apples. I like all kinds of fruit. It’s been a while since I had any. I’ll have some after dinner.”

Seeing her happily set the apples aside, Xu Zhao realized that, apart from a trip to the market a few days ago, she hadn’t been out, so she must be quite bored at home.

“There are wild grapes and persimmons in the mountains. Let’s find a time to go pick some.”

There was a mountain behind the army camp, dense with trees. It seemed there were no wild boars, tigers, or wolves, though villagers nearby had seen such animals in the past.

Jiang Suihan was immediately interested. “That sounds great. Let’s go when you have a day off and pick some fruit.”

A few days ago, after a rain, Wu Guihua had wanted to go up the mountain to pick mushrooms and wild vegetables and asked if she wanted to join. Jiang Suihan had wanted to go but couldn’t due to an unexpected visit from her period, which made her stomach uncomfortable.

With Xu Zhao accompanying her, safety was no concern.

Xu Zhao moved a bit closer and suddenly asked in a low voice, “Does your stomach still hurt?”

Jiang Suihan had had stomach pain the night before, looking pale and restless in her sleep. He had only then realized that this was something women went through every month. He felt helpless to alleviate her discomfort but had placed his hand on her stomach to warm it.

Jiang Suihan’s face turned slightly red. Even with close relationships, talking about such female issues was awkward.

Remembering how flustered and anxious he had been last night, she couldn’t help but smile secretly. “I’m much better today. Are you hungry? Let’s go eat.”

After dinner, Jiang Suihan took out a small knife and peeled and cut the apples into four pieces. She and Xu Zhao each had one piece, and Jiang Leyun had two.

The family sat in the courtyard, enjoying the evening breeze and the sweet apples. Jiang Suihan suddenly felt quite content with their current life. They had a place to live, didn’t have to worry about food and drink, and didn’t have to worry about troublemakers.

Xu Zhao handed a piece of apple to Jiang Suihan. “You eat.”

Jiang Suihan bit into her own piece of apple and refused his. “There’s another one. If I tell you to eat, then eat it.”

Good things should be shared. She liked apples, but she wouldn’t deny Xu Zhao some just for the sake of it. After all, the apples were brought by him.

Having only eaten one piece was unsatisfying. Jiang Suihan decided to cut the apple she had planned to save for tomorrow as well. This time, she had two pieces, and Xu Zhao and Jiang Leyun each had one.

After dinner and two more pieces of apple, Jiang Leyun’s little belly visibly bulged, and he nibbled slowly on his piece of apple.

Xu Zhao cleaned the knife and placed it away, returning to his seat. “You have an exam tomorrow. Are you nervous?”

The recruitment exam for the army primary school teacher was set for the next morning at 8:30. It was rumored that there weren’t many qualified candidates, with fewer than ten people registering.

Jiang Suihan had borrowed Zhao Dajun’s primary school textbooks from Wu Guihua and reviewed them briefly. The primary school knowledge wasn’t difficult and was quite easy to understand, so she was confident in herself.

“I’m not nervous. It’s just an exam. Exams have never scared me. After the exam tomorrow morning, I’ll go to the cafeteria for lunch. I don’t want to cook.”

She had planned to get up early for the exam and go straight to the cafeteria for lunch after the test, not wanting to cook.

Jiang Leyun, who was listening in, exposed his sister’s true feelings without regard for sibling affection. “You’re bragging. You were so nervous before college exams that you couldn’t sleep and studied secretly in your room. Dad found out and talked to you for a long time. The next day, you almost overslept.”

Jiang Suihan turned to look at Jiang Leyun with some surprise. It had been two years since she took the college entrance exams, and he was only five years old at the time. Could a five-year-old really remember something from two years ago?

She hadn’t paid much attention to other five-year-olds, but could her own child’s memory be exceptional?

Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but pinch the little guy’s cheek and said through gritted teeth, “Can’t you give your sister a bit of face? Why do you have to spill everything? Don’t you care about saving face?”

Jiang Leyun scrunched up his nose at his sister, wanting to say that if she wanted to save face, she shouldn’t boast so much; it’s easy to be exposed. However, he was also afraid of angering his sister and getting teased.

Glancing at his brother-in-law sitting beside them, he thought that a man who had no authority at home was unreliable.

Xu Zhao was puzzled. Why did Jiang Leyun look at him with such a sympathetic and pitiful expression?

Jiang Suihan turned to Xu Zhao and asked, “Do you know who the principal is?”

Since the exam was approaching, the principal should be present, as it was a selection process for the school.

Xu Zhao knew about this, thanks to Zhang Xiangqian’s chatter. “If there are no surprises, it should be Aunt Cai. She lived with her elder son’s family a few years ago and only joined the army last year. The Cai family and our family are old friends. I grew up with the Cai family’s two sons. When I was little, my parents were busy, so I often went to the Cai family’s place for meals.”

Aunt Cai’s name is Cai Danyu, and she is an old acquaintance of Xu Zhao’s mother. They were classmates in elementary and middle school. Although they each got married and had children, their relationship remained strong. Aunt Cai looks at Xu Zhao the same way she looks at her own son.

Last month, Aunt Cai visited her daughter, who had just given birth. She stayed there for over two months and just recently returned.

To be honest, Xu Zhao felt a sigh of relief when he heard that Aunt Cai would be the principal of the army’s elementary school.

Jiang Suihan had been studying at school and had never worked before. Xu Zhao worried that she might not adapt well to a new job, so having Aunt Cai around could be helpful.

Jiang Suihan propped her chin on her hand and said half-jokingly, “In that case, I’ll have to perform well tomorrow and not embarrass your mother.”

She was just beginning to appreciate the Xu family’s influence. Xu Zhao knew many prominent figures in the army, people of his father’s generation, with varying degrees of closeness. No wonder Xu Zhao dared to marry her. With his prestigious military background, no one would dare to involve the Xu family in any scandals.

Although the family had connections in the military, Xu Zhao rarely talked about his elders to others. Only those with a good relationship knew about his family situation. He was not one to flaunt his background, relying instead on his own abilities and bearing many scars from his years in the army.

Xu Zhao smiled and lightly tapped Jiang Suihan’s forehead. “You got it wrong again. It’s my mother, and she’s also your mother-in-law.”

Jiang Suihan felt a bit embarrassed. She couldn’t help it; since their marriage, she hadn’t met her in-laws and had only spoken to them once over the phone. She was still getting used to this title.

When the package from her mother-in-law arrived from the capital, it was a large parcel containing various items—food, clothing, and other necessities. She suspected her mother-in-law had cleared out the house and sent everything over. To her surprise, there was also a sewing machine ticket inside, which was a great relief.

Xu Zhao suddenly said, “Dahe will go to the county in a couple of days. I’ll ask him to check if the sewing machine has arrived at the department store. If it has, he should buy one for us.”

In recent nights, Jiang Suihan, tired from reading, had been working on making clothes. Her skills were rusty, and often after an hour, she had only managed to sew a small section—at a turtle’s pace.

Xu Zhao watched her and felt exhausted on her behalf. He thought about suggesting she stop, as they could buy ready-made clothes, but he was secretly looking forward to wearing clothes made by her. Even if he suggested it, she might not listen, given her enthusiasm.

Jiang Suihan smiled at him, her eyes curving into a beautiful crescent shape. “Great! With a sewing machine, I can finish the clothes faster. First, I’ll make your pajamas, then those for Lele and me. Once these are done and the weather gets colder, I’ll buy some yarn and knit sweaters for all of us.”

“I’ll tell you, I’m very good at knitting. I learned from a female classmate in high school whose mother worked in a textile factory. I found it interesting and learned from her. I’ll make the same style for the three of us, so others will immediately know we’re a family.”

Her classmate was a cute girl with a round face and two pigtails. She didn’t get into college but was lucky when the textile factory had a job opening that year. She ended up being the last one hired, and Jiang Suihan celebrated by buying her a pen as a graduation gift.

Seeing her count on her fingers and her lively expression, Xu Zhao unconsciously smiled and said softly, “No rush, take your time. I have clothes to wear.”

Jiang Suihan replied, “It seems like there’s plenty of time, but there’s actually a lot to do. If I get the teaching job, I won’t have as much free time. Don’t worry, I’m aware of it and won’t overwork myself.”