Chapter 48 : Zhuang’s mother is coming to the family compound, Zhu Haimei’s choice

“This guy finally understands something.”  

Lu Fangfang looked at the clean, big iron pot and nodded with satisfaction.  

After everyone left, she tidied up the yard.  

Yesterday, bones had been smashed and scattered all over the yard. She took a small basin and bent down to pick up the broken bones from the ground.  

These bones were uncooked, with some bits of meat and marrow still on them. She thought she could use them to catch small fish in the future.  

After finishing her work, she took the big iron pot down again.  

She shoveled the ash left from the burnt wood into the small vegetable garden outside.  

This was good stuff. She didn’t have any fertilizer now, so she relied on wood ash.  

While she was busy, Wang Shufen arrived with news about duck and goose eggs.  

Sister Shufen’s husband was the regiment’s political commissar, so he had more influence than she did. Buying some goose and duck eggs shouldn’t be a problem.  

“Zhao Guihua’s house? Okay, I’ll make a note of it. I’ll go ask her this evening.”  

Wang Shufen nodded and got to the main topic. “Sister, come with me to the regiment’s logistics department. We need to register our land reclamation.”  

This was serious business, so Lu Fangfang washed her hands, then she and Wang Shufen carried the big iron pot and headed to the regiment.  

Since it was on her way, she planned to return the big iron pot.  

When they arrived at the regiment’s canteen, Sister Yanhong happened to be there, so she handed the big iron pot back to her.  

Next, the two went to the regiment’s logistics department.  

“Sister-in-law, please sit down.”  

The regiment’s logistics director, Zhao, was a battalion-level officer.  

After hearing the purpose of their visit, he was very welcoming.  

“Our regiment has a relatively good supply of materials, but we still need to take on extra work and cultivate land to help support the soldiers. If the sisters-in-law want to farm, the regiment will certainly support you.”  

“But after the land is reclaimed, it will officially belong to the regiment.”  

“After the harvest, the crops need to be handed over to the regiment first. The regiment will keep a small portion, and the rest will be distributed to the sisters-in-law and their families.”  

“I understand. That’s how it should be.”  

Both Wang Shufen and Lu Fangfang nodded.  

It was a bit of a hassle, but necessary otherwise, it could cause problems.  

“Alright, I’ll register it now. The regiment can also provide some horse manure as support for you.”  

Hearing this, Wang Shufen and Lu Fangfang were overjoyed.  

Whether crops grew well or not depended on how fertile the soil was. With horse manure, they had more confidence in their farming.  

After Director Zhao completed the registration, the two left happily.  

On the way back, Lu Fangfang saw the regiment’s horses again and unconsciously glanced at their rear ends.  

Wang Shufen did the same and said excitedly, “In a few days, when the grass outside turns green, the regiment will take the horses out to graze. Then I’ll go collect horse manure.”  

“Sister Shufen, I’ll go with you then.”  

As she spoke, Lu Fangfang laughed.  

Who would’ve thought a time traveler would be out collecting horse manure?  

But horse manure was truly valuable, it was an excellent fertilizer.  

Wherever the grass was lush and green, there was bound to be horse or sheep manure nearby. It was full of nutrients.  

“Look, girl, isn’t that Comrade Haimei?”  

Wang Shufen spotted someone familiar in the regiment.  

“Zhu Haimei?”  

Lu Fangfang frowned slightly.  

She followed Sister Shufen’s gaze toward the entrance of the regiment’s guesthouse and, sure enough, saw Zhu Haimei.  

In the distance, there wasn’t just Zhu Haimei there was also a stocky, short man standing beside her.  

“Sister Shufen, who is that man?”  

Wang Shufen shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before.”  

At that moment, Zhu Haimei, who was far away, also noticed them. She pulled the man along and strode over.  

“Sister Shufen, what a coincidence! My husband and I were just on our way to see Political Commissar to apply for a house in the family compound, and we happened to run into you.”  

Zhu Haimei’s smile was as bright as a flower.  

Glancing to the side, she snorted, completely ignoring Lu Fangfang.  

Instead, the man beside her spoke to Lu Fangfang, “You’re Old Zhuang’s wife, right?”  

“It’s me, comrade. Who are you?”  

Lu Fangfang looked at the two of them in surprise.  

It had only been a few days since they last met, and not only had Zhu Haimei not returned to Shanghai, but she was also applying for a house in the family compound?  

What the hell? Is it really that easy to find a partner?  

“I am Li Dajun, deputy battalion commander of the first battalion…”  

Li Dajun suddenly got stuck halfway through his sentence.  

Looking at Lu Fangfang, his expression was complicated. “Old Zhuang and I used to be comrades-in-arms. Now, I’ve been transferred to the third battalion.”  

“Li Dajun? Aren’t you…”  

Lu Fangfang froze for a moment and quickly covered her mouth.  

She knew that Zhu Haimei’s ex-fiancé had tricked her by using Zhuang Mingcheng’s photo.  

Wasn’t that man punished? Why was he now standing here with Zhu Haimei?  

Lu Fangfang glanced at Zhu Haimei, then at Li Dajun, and then back at Zhu Haimei again.  

What a mess!  

Zhu Haimei became annoyed when she noticed how Lu Fangfang was looking at her. “Comrade Lu Fangfang, we’ll be neighbors in the family compound from now on. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other, so we must take care of one another.”  

She deliberately lowered her voice when she said the last few words, “take care of you.”  

Lu Fangfang immediately caught the hidden meaning in Zhu Haimei’s words and felt a headache coming on.  

She just wanted to farm, raise children, and spend the next ten years peacefully in the staff compound, she didn’t want to get into conflicts.  

But sometimes, even if you don’t go looking for trouble, trouble comes looking for you.  

Lu Fangfang took a deep breath and extended her hand to Zhu Haimei. “Comrade Zhu Haimei, welcome.”  

Zhu Haimei was startled for a moment, then held her hand. “You moved into the family compound a few days before me, so there’s no need to welcome me.”  

“Li Dajun, let’s go.”  

With that, Zhu Haimei turned and led Li Dajun away.  

Lu Fangfang frowned as she watched their backs, feeling a little uneasy.  

Li Dajun had used Zhuang Mingcheng’s photo for a blind date, and that was it?  

In this situation, Zhu Haimei wasn’t the only victim at the very least, Zhuang Mingcheng’s opinion should be considered.  

“Comrade Xiao Lu? Is that Comrade Xiao Lu?”  

Just as she was deep in thought, Lu Fangfang heard someone calling her.  

Not far away, a soldier in a green uniform approached quickly. “You’re Captain Zhuang’s fiancée, Comrade Lu Fangfang, right?”  

“Yes, that’s me.”  

“Captain Zhuang’s mother called from Beijing. Captain Zhuang isn’t here right now, so please come and take the call.”  

Lu Fangfang suddenly felt nervous.  

Zhuang Mingcheng’s mother her future mother-in-law was calling now? What could it be about? Could it have something to do with her?  

Letting Sister Shufen return home first, Lu Fangfang followed the soldier anxiously to the regiment’s telephone room.  

“Comrade Xiao Lu, please take a seat first. She said she’ll call back in half an hour.”  

Lu Fangfang pulled out a stool and sat down.  

Looking at the old-fashioned telephone in front of her, she waited silently.  

Half an hour later, the phone rang as expected.  

“Ring, ring, ring…”  

Lu Fangfang took a deep breath and picked up the receiver.  

Soon, a middle-aged woman’s voice came through the phone. “Hello, is this Mingcheng?”  

“Auntie… Auntie, Mingcheng is on a mission and isn’t at the regiment right now.”  

On the other end of the line, upon hearing the young woman’s voice, Zhuang’s mother instinctively gripped the receiver tightly. “Who are you?”  

“Auntie, hello, my name is Lu Fangfang, and I’m Mingcheng’s—”  

“Lu Fangfang from the Red Star Brigade?”  

“Um…”  

Zhuang’s mother closed her eyes with difficulty.  

The phone fell silent for a moment. Neither of them spoke.  

“I’ll be coming to the regiment this month. Tell Mingcheng.”  

‘Click.’  

Zhuang’s mother couldn’t hold back her anger any longer and slammed the receiver down.