Chapter 76

Regarding Xu Yao’s decision to go to the countryside, this relates to the backgrounds of the female lead, Xu Yuehua, and the supporting character, Xu Yao.

Sixteen years ago, a nurse mistakenly swapped the two girls, Xu Yuehua and Xu Yao, who were born on the same day. Afterward, neither family noticed anything amiss and were both immersed in the joy of having a daughter.

Subsequently, Xu Yuehua grew up with her rural parents in a small mountain village, while Xu Yao lived with her intellectual parents in the city.

Sixteen years later, Xu Yao’s parents accidentally discovered that she was not their child. After learning the truth, they wrote to the Xu family living in the countryside to inform them and suggested a course of action.

Xu Yao’s parents did not demand that the two daughters be swapped back, nor did they leverage their better circumstances to bring both their biological daughter and adopted daughter to the capital. Instead, they expressed their intention to send Xu Yao back to her biological parents in the countryside, stating that they would not be bringing Xu Yuehua back for the time being.

This was a reluctant but wise decision because, over the next decade, the intellectual Father and Mother Xu would be unable to protect their children. In contrast, the Xu family in the countryside would endure a decade of stability through their challenges.

Lu Nong was shocked to learn that Xu Yao was going to the countryside in Qingcheng. This meant the female lead’s family was also in Qingcheng, where she would also be stationed with the military. Furthermore, Pei Zheng would soon arrive in Qingcheng as well.

Was this a coincidence, or was the plot too powerful?

If you say it was a coincidence, it was too coincidental. If you say it was because of the powerful plot… In the original novel, “Lu Nong” did not give birth to a little girl, and Pei Ji’an stayed in Beijing. Now all these have happened, which means that reality can change.

With this realization, Lu Nong calmed down. Since the plot had nothing to do with her, it didn’t matter where it unfolded. If it happened nearby, she could enjoy watching Pei Zheng’s story unfold.

Hmm, she could even write a log about it titled “My Daily Observations of the Male Lead’s Romance in the Era Novel.”

(Pei Zheng: Are you being polite?)

On the youth’s side, since Xu Yao acknowledged Hu Meng’s remarks about not being pitiful or tragic, Zhang Zhaodi and the handsome young man who defended Xu Yao had no choice but to fall silent.

Hu Meng won the verbal battle and looked very proud. He took advantage of the victory and said, “That’s right, Zhang Zhaodi, did you hear that? Xu Yao has admitted it herself. Now you should know whether I’m making sarcastic remarks or correcting your shaky values!”

After saying this, she shot a glance at the handsome young man, but he did not look impressed. Instead, his expression darkened further.

Lu Nong, who was quietly observing, clicked her tongue. If she wasn’t mistaken, that handsome young man was Shang Chongli, one of the male supporting characters. He had come to Qingcheng with the female supporting character Xu Yao and had been infatuated with her in the early part of the novel. As Xu Yao’s true nature was revealed, he gradually became attracted to the female lead, Xu Yuehua.

Currently, the situation was that Hu Meng liked Shang Chongli, who in turn liked Xu Yao. Hu Meng, knowing this, tried to make things difficult for Xu Yao and rebutted Zhang Zhaodi and Shang Chongli’s comments in hopes of drawing Shang Chongli’s attention to her.

Unfortunately, it seemed to have backfired, and Lu Nong felt a sense of pity for Hu Meng.

When the train reached the next stop, a conductor approached Lu Nong to inform her that a sleeper berth had become available.

After thanking the conductor, Lu Nong, Aunt Wu, and Xiao Zhou gathered their things and followed the conductor out. Before leaving, she slipped an apple to the young girl who had bravely defended her earlier.

The girl looked a few years younger than Lu Nong and was taken aback when she received the apple. She stood there dazed until Lu Nong walked away, then clasped her face, lost in a daydream. “Oh my god, she spoke to me and even gave me an apple! She’s so beautiful. What kind of man would be worthy of her?”

“Of course, a worthy man,” Hu Meng rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you notice that her luggage bags, biscuits and milk powder are all military-issued?”

Some were puzzled. “So what? Her brother is a soldier. It is said that she is going to join the army this time. Her husband is also a soldier. It is not surprising that she has this thing.”

Hu Meng scoffed, “What brother? I bet he’s a guard taking care of the leader’s family.”

Hu Meng had hit the nail on the head, but unfortunately, few believed her and thought she was just speculating wildly.

The conductor led them to a private room, where the corridor was very quiet, unlike the noisy atmosphere of the hard-seat carriage. It was quite peaceful.

Upon opening the door to their compartment, they found four bunk beds arranged around the room. After some discussion, it was decided that Lu Nong would share the lower bunk with Xiao Xia, Aunt Wu would take the lower bunk with Huaihuai, and Xiao Zhou would sleep alone on the upper bunk.

With nothing to do on the train, both Huaihuai and Xiao Xia fell asleep after finishing their meals. Thus began the three of them—a mother and her two children—engaging in a cycle of eating and sleeping during the train journey.

Four days later, when the train finally arrived at its destination, the train stations were relatively simple compared to the grand ones of later years. As the only mode of transportation for long-distance travel, the train stations were bustling with people coming and going.

They needed to catch a bus before nightfall to reach the mountainous area where Pei Ji’an’s unit was stationed.

The bus jolted along the bumpy road for nearly three hours, weaving through surrounding villages until they finally reached their destination. However, this was not their final stop. Further in was the military’s jurisdiction, where vehicles were not permitted.

As soon as they got off the bus, Lu Nong spotted Pei Ji’an. He quickly approached her, took Xiao Xia from her arms, and said, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Lu Nong waved her hand, not in the mood for conversation. After not having bathed since boarding the train and enduring the bumpy bus ride with all sorts of smells, she feared that speaking might make her feel nauseous.

Pei Ji’an and Xiao Zhou put their luggage away, and the family got into the vehicle. Since Xiao Zhou was new and unfamiliar with the route, Pei Ji’an personally drove them to their destination.

The mountain roads were not too rugged. Perhaps the military had widened and repaired the roads for the sake of transporting supplies, making the ride more comfortable than taking a public bus.

When they reached a clearing, the vehicle finally came to a stop. Lu Nong got out and looked around. Nearby were expansive farmlands with people working, and women in hats were walking in pairs along the paths carrying burdens.

In the distance, a small bridge spanned a clear river, which flowed from afar toward other villages down the mountain.

While the natural environment here was quite nice, the infrastructure was very basic, and the quality of life was evidently not comparable to that of the capital. However, to Lu Nong, it felt somewhat like a hidden paradise.

The land is flat, and the houses are well-placed. The paths intersect, and the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard.

This peaceful environment felt more reassuring than staying in the capital.

As they walked further, the path narrowed and couldn’t accommodate large vehicles. Fortunately, they didn’t bring much luggage, allowing Xiao Zhou to carry it all with one hand.

On the way, they encountered several women heading out to wash clothes. These women were military wives, with their husbands holding ranks as high as regiment commanders. Upon seeing Pei Ji’an, they appeared somewhat reserved. Noticing that Lu Nong was younger than them, they hesitated to call her “sister,” leaving them exchanging glances. The new deputy division commander was already quite young, and they were surprised to find his wife was even younger.

After awkwardly greeting each other, the military wives hurried away. Once they were out of earshot, they gathered to gossip about the new deputy division commander and his wife.

After walking for another half hour, the family passed several houses, eventually stopping in front of a secluded two-story building. The houses nearby were spaced quite far apart, resembling this one.

Lu Nong was pleased with the distance between them and the neighbors. It ensured each family’s privacy while allowing for help in emergencies.

Pei Ji’an, having picked up Lu Nong, rushed back to the military base. Before leaving, he told Lu Nong, “You and Godmother should settle in with the kids. If you need anything, let me know when I return tonight.”

Lu Nong waved dismissively, eager to explore their new home and hardly concerned with Pei Ji’an’s departure.

Pei Ji’an playfully flicked Lu Nong on the forehead, and she glared at him in response. Satisfied, he left.

Lu Nong: Childish!

After Pei Ji’an and Xiao Zhou left, Lu Nong pushed the door open with Aunt Wu and the kids and walked straight inside.

The spacious yard showed signs of being tended to, with soil turned and weeds cleared. It was clear that this yard was much larger than the one in the capital. Lu Nong pointed out to Gu Huai, “Baby, my secret garden is being prepared here. You have to help when the time comes, okay?”

Huaihuai tilted his head and asked, “Where is the secret garden?”

“Hehe, isn’t this it?” Lu Nong spread her arms to embrace the entire yard.

Aunt Wu rolled her eyes at Lu Nong and said to Gu Huai, “Don’t listen to your mom’s nonsense. Let her talk to Uncle Pei about that. He’s the only one who indulges her. We’ll stay out of it.”

Lu Nong pouted. How could her son not support her?

Besides, what did Aunt Wu mean by Pei Ji’an indulging her? That was her wise decision, and Pei Ji’an merely agreed and supported its implementation.

As they spoke, the four of them entered the house. The interior was empty. The living room featured only a square table in the center surrounded by long benches. A pile of luggage was stacked in the corner, and nothing else was present.

Fortunately, the kitchen was well-stocked. A large pot sat on the stove, the cupboard held neatly arranged bowls and chopsticks, and fresh rice, meat, eggs, and vegetables lay on the countertop. There was also a full container of clean water.

Lu Nong then toured several bedrooms. The room on the first floor had been arranged as a bedroom with one large and one small bed, where Aunt Wu’s and Huaihuai’s clothes were piled up. Lu Nong turned to Aunt Wu and asked, “How about you and Huaihuai stay in this room?”

Aunt Wu nodded in satisfaction, saying, “As I get older, climbing stairs is daunting. Living here saves me the trouble of going up and down.”

The second floor had two large bedrooms and a small attic.

One of the bedrooms and the attic were empty, while only one bedroom had furniture. This room was clearly meant for her and Pei Ji’an.

What made Lu Nong happiest was that the bedroom had a wooden crib. She had only mentioned wanting one to Pei Ji’an back in the capital, yet here it was on their first day in the new home.

The crib was neither too big nor too small and had wheels for easy movement, greatly facilitating parenting.

Lu Nong wiped the crib surface, finding it clean and dust-free. She then went to the corner, unpacked the luggage they had sent ahead, and laid out Xiao Xia’s bedding in the crib before gently placing the sleeping baby inside.

Aunt Wu soon joined her on the second floor and praised the crib. Together, they moved it downstairs, ensuring it was positioned so that both Xiao Xia and Gu Xiaohuai would be in their line of sight.

After a busy half-day, everyone felt hungry. Aunt Wu went to the kitchen to prepare two dishes and cooked several flatbreads from cornmeal. She also made a special egg custard for Huaihuai.

Just as they set the food on the table, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a woman’s voice calling, “Is Sister-in-law home?”