Su Rui also looked at Fang Chiye, feeling puzzled.

Fang Chiye frowned and said, “Why is ‘widow’ an insult when you say it? They are victims. They deserve respect and equality.”

Guo Jiarong muttered under his breath, “Equality? I’m a high school student, I have an education. What do they even know?”

“Education or not, you still need to respect women,” Guo Qingwang hurriedly interjected. “Captain Fang, I’ll make sure to educate him properly later.”

Guo Qingwang ultimately didn’t dare to call Fang Chiye “little brother.”

Fang Chiye didn’t have time to waste arguing with them. He called Su Rui to the adjacent meeting room to ask about the details of the human traffickers’ capture.

Once he finished questioning her, Qin Shan personally drove them back to Xiaoba Village.

When they arrived, just as Su Rui was about to get out of the car, Qin Shan turned his head from the driver’s seat and said, “Pull the handle outward to open the door.”

Su Rui acted as if it was her first time riding in a car. She opened the door and gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

Qin Shan gave her a long look. “It was nothing.” Before driving off, he added, “Keep this matter confidential for now. Don’t spread it around.”

Confidential? Shouldn’t catching human traffickers be announced with gongs and drums so that traffickers everywhere would tremble in fear?

Although Su Rui didn’t quite understand, she still nodded in agreement.

Wanzi and Si’er hopped home excitedly, boasting about their ride in the military jeep. After all, they were the first ones in the village to experience such a thing.

Su Rui’s stomach grumbled in hunger. She went into the main room to find something to eat and happened to overhear Su Chang’e talking.

Pouring herself a bowl of corn grits porridge, she added a couple of drops of sesame oil and stirred it before heading to the main room’s doorway.

Su Chang’e was chatting animatedly with Su Yuqin. “Mom, you’ll understand when you see it. The place was filled with soldiers, all standing tall and straight.”

Su Yuqin sat at the edge of the kang, wishing she were a few years younger so she could find herself a soldier to warm her up.

Su Chang’e continued excitedly, “The movie was free to watch, people were singing and dancing, and they even gave us fruit juice! No wonder capitalists used to love hosting parties—this is real enjoyment.”

She couldn’t hide the excitement on her face. “You guys wouldn’t believe it! That officer named Fang I ran into at the security office last time? Turns out, he’s their top leader. All the women were secretly trying to find him, but he never showed up. Who knows which girl he was talking to?”

Su Rui took a sip of her corn grits porridge and thought to herself, who else could he be talking to? He was talking to his dear niece—her.

She found it amusing. What were the odds that she, a mere cannon fodder supporting character, had somehow become related to the male lead? Of course, she knew there was no actual blood relation between the Guo family and Captain Fang, but the connection was still interesting.

Su Hongpei saw Su Rui return and got up to fetch a jar of fermented tofu from the main room, letting her take a piece of red oil tofu to go with her meal. As she set the jar down, Su Rui asked in a whisper, “Did you see Brother Chen?”

Su Hongpei nodded. “Yes, we talked quite a bit.” Later, Su Chang’e had found them and bombarded Chen Haiyan with questions about Captain Fang.

Su Chang’e, oblivious to Chen Haiyan’s growing frustration, happily continued, “Chen Haiyan said their captain is a well-known diamond bachelor. Countless women are after him, and the organization has introduced many female comrades to him, but he rejected them all. He said he wants to devote his life to the revolutionary cause. I guess he doesn’t plan on getting married.”

Su Rui’s first thought was—could it be that he had… functional issues?

But then she reconsidered. That couldn’t be. He was the male lead, practically a god-like figure. How could he have such a flaw? Usually, men like him were even more… vigorous than normal.

She coughed, quickly shaking off her inappropriate thoughts.

She took a sip of her corn grits porridge, minding her own business, while Su Chang’e chattered on about Fang Chiye’s achievements. Su Rui knew that her interactions with Fang Chiye were probably over. A man like that was out of her reach and not someone she could afford to get close to.

He had his broad, sunlit road, while she walked her narrow, single-plank bridge.

After finishing the corn grits porridge, she felt warmth spread through her stomach. Spotting some hot water by the stove, she decided to use it to wash her hair—regardless of what the mother and daughter pair had intended it for.

Her hair was thick, smooth, and jet black.

In her past life, working a grueling 996 schedule had caused her to shed hair constantly. But ever since arriving here, she had regained a full head of luscious locks, which she took great care to maintain.

She made her own shampoo using soap pods and horse oil. The soap pods were picked from a tree at the village entrance, and the horse oil was obtained from a veterinarian in Yi Wang Village. She even added wild honey, making it an excellent cleanser and conditioner.

Taking advantage of their ongoing conversation, she retrieved the egg liquid hidden inside the cupboard and massaged it into the ends of her hair.

When Su Chang’e came out to get some water, she spotted Su Rui and shrieked, “That was the water I heated to wash my hair! How could you use it?”

Su Rui bent over, wrapping her hair, and smacked her lips. “Oh, if I had known it was for bathing lice, I definitely wouldn’t have used it.”

Fuming, Su Chang’e snapped, “You’re the one with lice!”

Su Rui retorted, “Whoever has lice knows best.” Then, without lingering, she stepped out under the jujube tree, letting the autumn breeze dry her hair in the moonlight.

Standing at the doorway, Su Chang’e cursed a few more times. But the moment Su Rui turned her head, Su Chang’e, afraid of getting beaten up, quickly bolted back inside.

Damn it, that little brat might be smaller than her, but her punches hurt like hell.

***

The Military Support Gala turned out to be a great success.

For the past few days, the whole of Xiaoba Village had been buzzing about it.

Old Lady Ah Xi and her elderly friends with bound feet sat at the village entrance, happily gossiping. After hearing all the chatter, they unanimously agreed that the most popular figure at the event was a certain handsome officer with the surname Fang.

They even claimed he had skipped the event to sneak off and meet a girl.

Some said she was his childhood sweetheart, a fellow officer who had fought by his side through thick and thin and earned numerous commendations. A perfect match.

Others insisted she was no childhood sweetheart at all but a fiancée arranged by his family—short and stocky, coming all this way to beg him to return home and get married.

Then there were those who swore she was just a young girl with no curves to speak of. Someone had even seen them whispering outside the security office for a long time.

Su Rui sat expressionless, listening to the rumors about herself and Fang Chiye.

When she heard people praising him for being thorough and kind, she touched her cheek, feeling a faint itch in her teeth.

That deep, magnetic “No offense, then” still echoed in her ears, along with the memory of how he had mercilessly pinched her face.

The last time they met over the “human trafficker” incident, he had suddenly become her elder.

Su Rui noticed that Fang Chiye’s gaze toward Guo Qingwang and the others was distant. Yet, despite this, he remained polite enough to exchange a few words, making people think he was easygoing when, in reality, he wasn’t.

She recalled how the book described Fang Chiye—a man with an innate desire for conquest, drawn to challenges, uninterested in social niceties, and always maintaining a composed and courteous demeanor. Calm and restrained, those were his defining traits.

…

…Then why did he secretly enjoy pinching people’s cheeks? Could it be that he had two faces?

With the entire village singing his praises, Su Rui, sitting beside Old Lady Ah Xi, muttered, “He’s not necessarily that great.”

Old Lady Ah Xi shot back, “What do you mean? He even had the soldiers deliver supplies to the elderly living alone! Just yesterday morning, he helped me husk corn for hours.”

Then, worried that Su Rui might feel jealous, she quickly added, “But of course, you bring me the most warmth. You’re still my favorite.”

Su Rui chuckled. “As long as you feel warm, that’s all that matters. Let’s be grateful to the army and the Party.”

As she spoke, several people from Yi Wang Village passed by, herding donkey carts filled with belongings. It looked like they were moving.

Su Rui hadn’t heard anything about this, so she turned toward the village’s “Bound Feet Intelligence Squad” for an explanation.

Old Lady Dahua had the news and immediately said, “Their village voluntarily gave up some land to the troops, hoping they would extend the road over there. If you ask me, I think it’s a great idea.”

Su Rui nodded. “That is smart. If you want to get rich, build roads first.” It seemed like Yi Wang Village’s leader had some foresight.

Old Lady Xue, exposing her wind-chilled buck teeth, chimed in, “The military isn’t just taking their land for free. They’re also building new houses for them in the north.”

Su Rui raised her eyebrows. “Oh, so they’re getting resettlement housing too.”

After gathering this firsthand information, Su Rui continued sitting with them for a while, but inevitably, the conversation veered back to Fang Chiye.

She couldn’t help but sigh—so this was what it meant to be the main character. No matter where he went, the spotlight followed.

Just then, Aunt Song approached Old Lady Dahua and whispered, “It’s exactly as we suspected! I can’t take it—it’s too shocking!”

Su Rui immediately perked up, eager for gossip. “What? What are you talking about?”

Old Lady Ah Xi gasped. “Oh heavens, how could this happen? Pah, pah, pah!”

Su Rui leaned in closer. “What happened?”

She glanced at the old ladies, eyes shining like a weasel waiting for a juicy story.

The bound-footed grannies waved her off. “Let Xiao Song explain it. She knows best.”

Aunt Song glanced at Su Rui, patted the basket hanging from her arm, and said, “I’ll tell you when I get back.”

Su Rui protested urgently, “No, at least give me a summary now!”

“I don’t have time. I have to go.”

“Just one sentence!” Su Rui called after her, exasperated. “Just one!”

Aunt Song waved dismissively and walked off, leaving Su Rui fuming at missing the freshest gossip.

Frustrated, she muttered, “Saying only half of it is like losing a husband and never finding him.”

Just then, a young man in a short-sleeved shirt passed by, his slightly open collar brushing past Aunt Song.

Even in a hurry, Aunt Song took a moment to glance him up and down before muttering, “Such a decent young man, yet he’s walking around dressed so scandalously. Who’s he trying to impress?”

Su Rui’s eyes darted over in a flash. Clicking her tongue twice, she said, “Not my type.”

The young man, who had been strolling leisurely, immediately clutched his collar and quickened his pace.

Old Lady Ah Xi shot Su Rui a glare. “Stop looking at those indecent types. I bet he won’t even have daughters.”

Su Rui gave a solemn nod. “You’re right. I should find someone kind and responsible.”

The young man turned his head and glared at her fiercely before quickly leaving the scene, escaping the center of gossip. Behind him, a group of women burst into laughter.

It wasn’t often that something exciting happened. This bit of gossip was still unclear; no one knew whether it was round or square.

After lamenting the missed drama, Su Rui took a trip to Peach Mountain. Carrying a shoulder pole, she carefully watered dozens of peach trees, one bucket at a time. It was exhausting, but hard work never let the land down. The sooner she saved up enough money, the sooner she could afford to marry off her younger brother.

After finishing her watering duties and returning home, she wasn’t too concerned about the delayed reply from her big brother. Who would expect a tree hole to write back to her anyway? If her “Comrade Ye” had been scared off by that title, then all the better.

But today, she really wanted to share her thoughts with her big brother.

People were so different from each other.

She wrote and rewrote, secretly venting to him:

“Captain Fang is good-looking, sure, and everyone says so, but honestly, I think he’s a bit devious.”

After writing it, she immediately crossed out the words “good-looking”—just in case it accidentally bruised her burly brother’s delicate ego.

***

At the Zhuye Mountain military barracks.

Fang Chiye was running laps on the training field, sweat rolling down his face and trailing down his neck. He lifted his military vest to wipe his sweat before turning to the running soldiers and shouting, “Last three laps!”

Qin Shan stood on the steps watching, unable to resist commenting to the orderly beside him, “Look at your great leader—personally leading the troops in training every day. With a physique like that, no wonder he’s the army’s undefeated hand-to-hand combat champion.”

The orderly spoke with admiration, “We are the Iron Army, the Kirin Hundred Victories Division. A commander like him is exactly the kind of leader we need.”

Qin Shan chuckled, “So that means I’m not?”

The orderly immediately stood at attention. “You’re second.”

After finishing his run, Fang Chiye walked over. His shoulder muscles were taut, his vest clinging to his lean waist, highlighting his toned abdominal muscles. “What’s the early morning fuss about?”

Qin Shan replied, “A call from Commander Fang.”

Fang Chiye said flatly, “Not answering.”

Qin Shan smirked. “Doesn’t matter. He’s coming in person.”

Fang Chiye’s brows furrowed. “My dad’s coming?”

Qin Shan shook his head. “Commander Fang is persistent and asked the organization to set you up with another match. She’s twenty-two, a former female soldier company commander, awarded a second-class merit. After leaving the service, she was assigned to the Central Newspaper as a military journalist. She even interviewed you before, so she must’ve taken a liking to you back then. Oh, and they specifically emphasized—she’s an elite among elites.”

Elite?

For a moment, an image flashed through Fang Chiye’s mind—a village girl with flushed cheeks, boldly wielding a sugarcane stalk to capture enemy spies. There wasn’t another one like her in the whole country.

“She’s coming to the base for an interview soon. The visit is just a formality; her real task is to report on model militia members across different regions. But while she’s here, she’ll conveniently meet up with you.”

Hearing the phrase “conveniently meet up with you,” Fang Chiye kicked out his leg.

Qin Shan had anticipated this, blocking the kick and retreating two steps with a grin. “I’ll have the canteen prepare—”

Fang Chiye retracted his leg, smirking without warmth. “If you want to go, you go. I’m not going.”

Qin Shan sighed, “Then what do I do? Commander Fang gave me a death order—you must attend this meeting. Besides, we’ve already interrogated the captured spies, reported everything to the higher-ups. You don’t have any urgent matters left.”

Ignoring Qin Shan’s predicament, Fang Chiye walked up the steps, speaking casually, “Don’t forget who dug the well when you drink the water.”

Qin Shan didn’t follow. “Huh?”

Fang Chiye elaborated, “The people risked their lives to capture enemy agents. The military should formally commend them. That’s no less significant than a second-class merit. If they ever encounter something like this again, they need to know how to handle it properly. Charging in blindly won’t work—what if someone loses their life next time?”

Qin Shan snorted. “Alright, so basically, instead of a blind date, you’re going to see your little sweetheart.”

Fang Chiye turned around, ready to kick him again. Qin Shan grinned and dodged, but still rattled off his report quickly, as if reciting a menu:

“The reporter’s name is Zhao Feijing. She’s 1.68 meters tall. Comes from a dual-military family. Parents are both healthy and semi-retired, currently teaching at the military academy in Beijing. Oh, and she’s your former schoolmate! You both studied at the Soviet Communist University!”

Fang Chiye didn’t look back. “Consider your task complete.”

“So you’ll meet her?”

“No.”

“…Fine then.” Qin Shan patted the orderly’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go watch the show.”