Chapter 40.1

Ruan Mingfu woke up the next day and looked at the marks on her body, gritting her teeth in anger.

That dog!

She was determined to smash that dog man’s head.

Damn!

She got dressed and walked out, glaring fiercely at Xie Yanzhao, who was waiting for her in the living room.

“Stinky dog.”

Xie Yanzhao’s eyes held an innocent look, which made Ruan Mingfu want to claw his face.

Damn it!

So angry.

“It’s time for breakfast,” Xie Yanzhao, aware that he had overstepped last night, cleared his throat. “Eat first, then get angry.”

Listen, listen, listen.

Is this how you talk to people?

Ruan Mingfu was even angrier and wanted to kick him.

“If you do this again next time, you won’t be allowed in my bed.”

Her voice was hoarser than usual, lacking its previous clarity.

Xie Yanzhao’s eyes showed a trace of guilt. He patted her head and said, “Don’t be mad. I brought your favorite meat buns this morning.”

Sure enough, Ruan Mingfu’s eyes lit up.

“You went to the cafeteria?”

The military cafeteria had buns, noodles, and steamed bread. The variety was rich, and occasionally, there were stir-fried noodles or rice.

The aroma in the air made Ruan Mingfu forget her anger.

“Eat quickly.”

Xie Yanzhao had anticipated Ruan Mingfu’s anger upon waking up and had specially gone to the cafeteria to get buns to calm her down.

The buns in the lunchbox were still warm. Ruan Mingfu reached for one but got burned a little.

Xie Yanzhao quickly held her hand and looked at it.

“Does it hurt?”

Her delicate fingers were red from the burn, causing a brief pain.

Xie Yanzhao frowned.

“Will you dare to take it directly next time?”

Fortunately, it was just a minor burn. If it had caused blisters, it would have been troublesome.

Ruan Mingfu lifted her chin and snorted.

“I’m still angry with you.”

Who are you trying to teach a lesson to here?

Xie Yanzhao pressed his lips together and finally handed her chopsticks. “Use these.”

“Okay~”

The meat buns from the military cafeteria were indeed delicious.

The pork inside was high quality, unlike the neck meat in later years. Here, getting a meat bun required quick action. If you arrived late, they would be gone.

Although the filling was very tasty, she didn’t eat fatty meat.

Even if it was mixed with lean meat, she wouldn’t eat it.

Ruan Mingfu only ate the bun skin, leaving the meat filling for Xie Yanzhao.

“By the way, do you have any worn-out military uniforms?”

Xie Yanzhao quickly understood.

She intended to send something to her father and mother.

“I’ll ask other comrades,” he said seriously. “Just military uniforms? Should I send some money too?”

Ruan Mingfu shook her head.

It was better to send practical items rather than money, which would be useless to them.

Xie Yanzhao thought for a moment. “I have a comrade there with whom I have a good relationship. I can ask him to temporarily help take care of your parents.”

“Do you have comrades everywhere?”

Ruan Mingfu was genuinely curious.

Is this man’s network of comrades extensive?

The plump director was a comrade, and still is.

But thinking about it, it makes sense.

Isn’t there a saying in later years:

“To have fought side by side and shared hardships…”

“Don’t worry,” Xie Yanzhao asked. “Is four uniforms enough? If not, I can find a few more.”

Ruan Mingfu thought for a moment. “Four should be fine.”

The area is a border region with a larger temperature difference between day and night. They can wear short sleeves during the day and use quilts at night. Four uniforms should be enough for them to alternate between.

After breakfast, Xie Yanzhao went out to handle matters.

Ruan Mingfu sat in the living room, planning to modify the little dress from yesterday when she heard Hu Wanning calling her from outside.

“Sister-in-law, do you want to go pick mushrooms?”

She was holding the little chubby boy in her left hand and holding a small basket in her right hand. When she saw her looking over, she waved at her excitedly.

It had rained all night, and the weather was much cooler today.

Ruan Mingfu leaned forward. “Sister-in-law, where can we find mushrooms?”

She had often watched others pick mushrooms out of boredom. Those bloggers were skilled, always finding mushrooms. Seeing their baskets full at the end made Ruan Mingfu feel very satisfied.

She had always wanted to experience the joy of mushroom picking but had never had the chance.

Now that the opportunity had come, she couldn’t miss it.

Without needing Hu Wanning to say much more, Ruan Mingfu excitedly grabbed a small basket and ran over.

However, Hu Wanning frowned when she saw her like this.

“No, no,” she said, “Sister-in-law, you need to change your clothes. It rained in the mountains, and the mosquitoes are particularly bad right now.”

The mosquitoes in the mountains were much more vicious than usual.

Once they bite, it results in large welts and, most importantly, an intense itch.

No amount of medication seems to help.

Ruan Mingfu looked at Hu Wanning.

She saw that Hu Wanning was fully covered, and the little chubby boy was similarly dressed.

“Sister-in-law, I’ll change right now.”

Ruan Mingfu quickly changed into a long shirt and pants that she wore to work.

“Sister-in-law, can we go now?”

“Let’s go.”

The sky was overcast, with a light breeze blowing.

As Ruan Mingfu and Hu Wanning walked along the road, they happened to encounter Sister Lin and Sister Wang, who were also out together.

Their eyes lit up. “You’re going up the mountain too?”

“Yes,” Hu Wanning said, holding the little chubby boy’s hand. “Staying indoors all the time is driving me crazy. Since the weather is nice, we decided to come out and take a walk.”

Sister Wang carried a basket. “Me too. I wanted to see if there are any good things on the mountain to add to tonight’s meal. Oh, why did you bring him along?”

She bent down slightly, playfully teasing the little chubby boy.

“Call me ‘auntie,’” Sister Wang said, holding up a bright wildflower. Seeing that it caught the boy’s attention, she continued, “Call me ‘auntie,’ and I’ll give this to you.”

Just when everyone thought the little chubby boy might remain silent,

He suddenly said, “Auntie.”

Sister Wang responded cheerfully and handed the flower to the boy.

She glanced at Hu Wanning, as if to say, ‘See, I’m impressive, right?’

What could Hu Wanning say?

She smiled helplessly. “This child has such a personality. I don’t know who he takes after.”

The little chubby boy held the flower, observed it for a while, and then, with his short legs, extended the flower towards Ruan Mingfu.

“Sister, flower.”

Ruan Mingfu looked at the little chubby boy in surprise. “For me?”

“Sister,” the boy said, placing the flower in Ruan Mingfu’s hand, his dark eyes sparkling, “Flower, pretty.”

Sister Wang laughed heartily at this scene.

“Wanning, your son will definitely be a flirt in the future,” she said, “He already knows how to appreciate his sister’s beauty at such a young age.”

“Well, how about having your sister give you a younger sister to be your future bride?”

Ruan Mingfu’s face turned slightly awkward.

She didn’t understand how the topic had somehow twisted around to the idea of having more children.

“What do you think about this suggestion, Wanning?”

“That sounds great,” Hu Wanning said with a smile, “I’m actually missing a daughter.”

Hearing this, everyone laughed together.

The group of two had now turned into a group of four.

As they continued up the mountain, they encountered an older woman who appeared to be in her fifties or sixties. She greeted Hu Wanning and the others warmly and then turned her attention to Ruan Mingfu.

“This must be Commander Xie’s new daughter-in-law. She’s so pretty.”

Ruan Mingfu didn’t know who she was, so she just smiled and nodded in response.

“This is Captain Huang’s mother, you can just call her Aunt Cai.”

Hu Wanning whispered to Ruan Mingfu, introducing her.

“I like pretty girls,” Auntie Cai’s wrinkled face beamed warmly. “Will Commander Xie’s wife come over to visit me?”

The woman’s enthusiasm was overwhelming, and Ruan Mingfu felt a bit uncomfortable.

She forced herself to reply, “…Of course, of course.”

Hu Wanning noticed Auntie Cai’s bulging basket covered with grass, making it hard to see what was inside.

“Auntie, did you have a good haul today?”

“Oh, not really. The rain has just started, and the mushrooms won’t pop up so quickly,” Auntie Cai said, pulling back the grass. “I found a wild peach tree. Here, take a few each.”

The peaches were small, with a greenish-white color, only slightly reddish at the tips, hinting at ripeness.

Ruan Mingfu immediately knew they wouldn’t be very tasty.

“No, no,” Hu Wanning said quickly, waving her hands, “Auntie, you should keep them for yourself.”

Auntie Cai’s family wasn’t wealthy, and she had many children.

Even if they had enough to eat, it wouldn’t be fair to take more.

“Just a few wild peaches, they’re not worth much. If you want them, just take them.”

Hu Wanning insisted, “Auntie, I really can’t take them.”

Sister Lin and Sister Wang also tried to persuade her, and only then did Auntie Cai’s enthusiasm wane. Still, she gave one peach each to the little chubby boy and Ruan Mingfu.

It was just one peach each. If she refused, others might think she looked down on them.

Ruan Mingfu had no choice but to thank her, “Thank you, Auntie.”

“Don’t mention it. If you want more, just come to my place to get them.”

After sending off the enthusiastic Auntie Cai, the group let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Auntie Cai is always so enthusiastic,” Hu Wanning said, smiling at Ruan Mingfu’s expression, “You’ll get used to it.”

Sister Lin added, “Auntie Cai has a good reputation in the family compound. She’s much better than Auntie Liu next door.”

“By the way, if you meet Auntie Liu, try to keep your distance.”

Any melons?

Ruan Mingfu blinked her pretty eyes, looking at Sister Lin.

“Auntie Liu likes to take advantage of people. She tries to get something from everyone she meets,” Sister Lin said in a low voice. “Auntie Cai has been upset by her several times.”

Wow!

Ruan Mingfu furrowed her brows, “Doesn’t the family compound manage this?”