“Xiao Qin, someone’s looking for you.” Nurse Xiao Zhang knocked on the door and gave a rather strange smile, winking.

Today, Qin Yao was helping out in the traditional Chinese medicine therapy room. She was learning cupping, a skill that was very useful. In the military, people who knew acupuncture, massage, and other traditional medicine techniques were considered lifesavers.

It was extremely effective in relieving fatigue and pain.

She was studying under Doctor Wu Mengyao, who came from a family of doctors and was very skilled.

As the session ended, Qin Yao changed out of her nurse uniform and into her regular clothes before heading downstairs. As she reached the door, she finally understood why Nurse Xiao Zhang was wearing such a strange smile.

A man in military uniform stood straight as a pine tree, exuding an air of righteousness. Beside him was a red enamel basin, with a red thermos beside it. Upon closer inspection, the basin contained various items, such as soap, shampoo, and pillowcases.

Qin Yao walked over, her expression difficult to describe. She alternated between glancing at Gu Cheng’s cold face and then at the red “Double Happiness” on both the basin and the thermos.

The enamel basin and thermos were considered big-ticket items of the era, costing several yuan, about a third of Qin Yao’s monthly income. Ordinary families didn’t buy these things often, except for newlyweds, as most were decorated with the “Double Happiness” symbol to suit the occasion.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Gu Cheng, standing with these items, looked completely out of place.

If he were holding an enamel mug and had his hat pulled down to cover his face, he would look like a typical “old cadre.”

Suppressing her laughter, Qin Yao walked over. When Gu Cheng saw her, he let out a sigh of relief. He had been standing here, and people passing by kept looking at him, just as they would stare at a gorilla. Even Gu Cheng, who had seen it all, couldn’t help but feel the pressure.

Was it strange?

Yesterday, Political Commissar Zhou had hinted that he “settled” for a partner. What nonsense! The more Gu Cheng thought about it, the more offended he became. Didn’t they know how much he liked Qin Yao and how badly he wanted to marry her?

—He had hidden it too well.

Today, Gu Cheng had gone to ask around about what young couples typically gave each other when dating. He received answers like, “pens, notebooks, enamel basins, thermoses… Basically, anything practical. Our generation is all about being practical.”

“Such things can be used every day. When you give them to a girl, she’ll wake up in the morning, look at the basin you gave her, and use the pen you gave her to write. That’s true companionship.”

…

Thinking back on the things he had given Qin Yao—candies, chocolates, and canned food—Gu Cheng realized they weren’t exactly practical gifts. He had given her lots of food to make sure she didn’t go hungry, but nothing that would last. As for the love poem, well, it was hardly useful.

So, today he had bought a bunch of “practical” gifts to start with.

Qin Yao picked up the enamel basin and thermos, a smile spreading across her face. She was happy because, regardless of anything else, these items were exactly what she needed.

“Do you like them?” Gu Cheng asked stiffly. After all, they were still technically in a “cold war.”

Qin Yao honestly replied, “Yes, thank you.”

Gu Cheng had a savings book in his pocket, and in his mind, he felt these gifts weren’t really sincere. He thought it would have been better to just give her the savings book and let her buy whatever she wanted.

Upon hearing Qin Yao’s words, he thought it might be better to keep the money on him and give her gifts a few more times.

What if they had another cold war?

“I’ll take it. I’ll walk you back,” Gu Cheng said, snatching the items from Qin Yao’s hands. The two walked toward the dormitory together. As they walked side by side without speaking, a woman’s voice called out from behind.

“Commander Gu! Xiao Qin! Wait for me!”

Xu Yun came jogging over, having just freed herself from a group of young nurses learning embroidery from her. Seeing Gu Cheng and Qin Yao, she quickly stepped forward to block their way.

“Nurse Xu, is something the matter?” Qin Yao asked.

“Oh, nothing major. I just wanted to chat with you young folks,” Xu Yun said with a gentle smile, looking friendly and approachable. Her gaze swept over Qin Yao and landed on Gu Cheng. “Commander Gu, are you dating Xiao Qin?”

Gu Cheng nodded, his sharp eyes fixed on Xu Yun.

“This Xiao Qin, she’s indeed pretty, but her personality is a bit impulsive and extreme. She’s not very proactive, loves to eat, and is lazy. You’ll need to be more tolerant of her. She’s worked hard to lose weight, so make sure she keeps it up. When dating or getting married, it’s important to understand each other well beforehand to see if you can truly get along after marriage. Otherwise, some people are completely different before and after marriage.”

After saying this, Xu Yun covered her mouth as if she had just realized she’d misspoken. “Oh, I was just saying. Xiao Qin, even Head Nurse Ge advised you to make some changes. Don’t take it the wrong way.”

Qin Yao sneered. “Head Nurse Ge hasn’t said much about me.”

Xu Yun responded with a magnanimous smile, “Xiao Qin, see? You need to be open-minded. It’s important to be practical and honest in life.”

“Don’t you agree, Commander Gu?” Xu Yun turned to Gu Cheng with a small smile.

This tactic to stir trouble between them was crude but effective. Surely, the couple would argue over this.

As a military officer, Gu Cheng would likely give her some face to avoid an ugly scene. Meanwhile, Qin Yao would be furious, full of grievances, and might even be blamed by Gu Cheng for her lack of humility.

“Nurse Xu, you’re absolutely right,” Gu Cheng said with a sarcastic smile. “Some people indeed wear two faces—one in public and another in private.”

The sarcasm in Gu Cheng’s smile was as sharp as a knife, directly piercing Xu Yun. Her expression stiffened.

Gu Cheng continued indifferently, “Yuan Li is your niece, right? I was there the day she stole money. She cried like a victim, but in reality, she’s a heartless thief with dirty hands. Truly shameless.”

Xu Yun’s face turned pale in an instant. Gu Cheng knew? He actually knew everything?

She had overlooked the fact that Gu Cheng had reviewed all the records of Qin Yao and the others during the initial investigation. He remembered everything clearly!

“Yaoyao, be wary of those women who say one thing to your face and another behind your back,” Gu Cheng warned the girl beside him.

Qin Yao almost burst out laughing, and she actually did. “Commander Gu, I’ll listen to you.”

No wonder Xu Yun had bad intentions—turns out she was related to Yuan Li.

That family was utterly crazy. Yuan Li was the thief, Li Fangfang was the victim, and Tian Shuyun was wronged. Yet they clung to her like mad dogs with issues!

Humiliated in public and exposed for her hypocrisy, along with her connection to Yuan Li, Xu Yun couldn’t maintain her composure. She turned and left.

Gu Cheng and Qin Yao continued walking. As they passed the vegetable patch, Qin Yao asked him to wait while she watered the plants. Gu Cheng protested, “That’s the basin I gave you for washing your face!”

Qin Yao: “…” Was there a problem using a washbasin to water the garden?

“It’s for washing your face.”

“Oh,” Qin Yao replied, thinking how stingy this man was.

Gu Cheng’s eye twitched. After spending some time with Qin Yao, he knew she was probably mocking him internally. “Fine, fine, go ahead and water the plants.”

“But when you’re watering, think of me.”

Qin Yao was dumbfounded. What?

Gu Cheng fetched water with the enamel basin. These days, apart from enamel and aluminum basins, most people used wooden basins and buckets. Farm households often used wooden buckets, which Qin Yao had also used to water the garden before.

Walking beside him, Qin Yao admired the sturdy and attractive enamel basin. Although enamel might sound old-fashioned, calling it “enamel” suddenly elevated its status as a sophisticated craft. In essence, it was the same thing.

The enamel basin Gu Cheng had bought had a golden fish at the bottom with a strong tail curled like a crescent moon, surrounding a big red “Double Happiness” character.

After Qin Yao started gardening, she wished for nightly rain to save her the effort of watering.

Thankfully, she had someone to press into service.

Gu Cheng worked efficiently, tending to her little seedlings until they were lush and thriving.

The cabbage was growing fast and would be ready to eat soon.

Qin Yao chuckled, “When it’s ready, I’ll cook you a stir-fried vegetable dish.”

Gu Cheng: “…”

Seeing his reaction, Qin Yao asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Cheng frowned. “You’re going to eat them?”

Qin Yao blinked. “Aren’t vegetables grown to be eaten?”

Gu Cheng felt a pang of despair.

He looked at the patch of land he had tilled, the seedlings he had planted and watered, and fertilized himself. Yet the heartless woman before him talked about pulling and eating them as if it were nothing.

After working the land, he had come to understand the hardships of farming—tending to crops every day, only for them to yield so little value.

Noticing his cold and expressionless face, Qin Yao had a dreadful suspicion. Could it be that this guy was too sentimental to eat the vegetables?

Amused by the thought, Qin Yao laughed. “Commander Gu, if we have a yard when we get married in the future, we can raise chickens in the yard. Instead of raising roosters, we can raise a few hens to lay eggs.”

She wondered if Gu Cheng would end up being so sentimental that he couldn’t even eat eggs laid by his own hens.

She was genuinely curious about what kind of father Gu Cheng would be in the future. Surely, he wouldn’t be more “innocent” than his own children.

Gu Cheng: “Now that I’m here, just go ahead and give me orders.”

“Nurse Xu says you love being lazy, and it seems she’s not wrong.”

“All these vegetables here—aren’t they thanks to my hard work?”

Qin Yao clicked her tongue. “You men only focus on yourselves, always talking about your contributions and ignoring the efforts of others. How many times have you actually been in the field?”

“Fine, from now on, I’ll take more responsibility for the vegetable patch in our yard. How does that sound?” Gu Cheng’s lips curved into a smile, filled with anticipation for the future.

“We should also raise a few more hens. When you give birth in the future and are in confinement, I’ll personally slaughter a chicken to make soup for you.”

Qin Yao’s lips twitched. This was nothing like what she’d imagined. He was reluctant to eat the vegetables but had no hesitation about killing the chickens—utterly ruthless.

All she mentioned was marriage, and this guy was already thinking about childbirth and confinement.

Gu Cheng continued, “Vegetable leaves won’t make you gain weight. Yaoyao, you should eat more meat on a daily basis. You’ve lost so much weight since coming to the island. When the time comes and we visit your parents, my future mother-in-law will accuse me of mistreating you.”

“Have you not been eating properly in the canteen?”

Qin Yao choked back her words. “I eat, I eat. I wouldn’t starve myself. Besides, I’m lazy, so don’t worry.”

Gu Cheng said, “In a few days, when we visit the Gao family, let’s bring some meat over. I’ll personally cook some dishes for you.”

Qin Yao was puzzled. “…What are you trying to do?”

“Didn’t Doctor He just cook a dish at her house, and they couldn’t stop praising him? Why haven’t I heard Chen Baozhen compliment me in front of you? Is cooking that hard? I can do it too.”

Qin Yao was left with a head full of question marks. “???”

Wait, what on earth goes on in the minds of you men?