Hu Xiu waved her hand. “Next time, when the children start kindergarten.”

Thinking about her sore arms, Lin Ting agreed. “Then I won’t go either. There’s nothing urgent to buy.”

She then asked her husband about his planned dinner invitation.

After a moment’s thought, Huo Xiao replied, “Everyone gets a meat ration at the supply cooperative. I’ll go to the kitchen this afternoon to reserve some pork and fish… How about the night after tomorrow?”

Lin Ting had no objections. They had to invite guests sooner or later, so it was better to do it soon.

_

After dinner.

The young couple washed the dishes together, using the time to digest their food.

Once back in their room, lying on the bed, Huo Xiao pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her before bringing up the spring conscription ^[1]which refers to discussing the annual military recruitment period..

“Last time, Lin Hong mentioned wanting to join the army. Should I call home and ask?”

Lin Ting laughed. “You want to pull strings for your brother-in-law?”

Huo Xiao chuckled, knowing she was teasing him. “Lin Hong has a good physique and finished high school. The army needs educated young people, so he should be selected.”

However, he knew quotas could be replaced by those with connections, which was why he brought it up. If Lin Hong truly wanted to enlist, it would be best to talk to Lao Hu.

Lin Ting appreciated her husband’s thoughtfulness but shook her head. “Let’s wait until fall recruitment. He should at least get his diploma first.”

Then she asked, “What do you think about Danier and Furong joining the army?”

Huo Xiao hadn’t considered this. When he was in the army, his cousins were still children. “Why do you ask?”

Lin Ting explained Danier’s marriage situation and concluded, “They’re still too young to marry. It’s better for them to wait and explore opportunities while in high school.”

Huo Xiao disliked Second Aunt’s interference but couldn’t intervene much. After a pause, he said, “I’ll keep an eye on female soldier recruitment.”

Lin Ting smiled, kissed his chin, and said, “If you can help, do it. If not, don’t stress over it.”

Huo Xiao, trying to stay composed, immediately lost control. He flipped her over, pressing her beneath him, and kissed her passionately.

That afternoon, Lin Ting got up, rubbing her sore waist, vowing to “punish” her greedy husband that night. She finally understood—he didn’t come home to rest; he only had one thing on his mind. She had no idea where he got all that energy…

_

“Are you up? Come help me arrange the patterns,” Hu Xiu said. She wanted to make a tablecloth from homespun cloth, but the patterns varied, and she was picky about matching them.

Lin Ting loosely tied her long hair, reassured her children that she’d help them with crafts later, and went to assist her mother-in-law first.

After some time, she picked the two best-matching pieces. Satisfied, Hu Xiu said, “Alright, I can handle the rest. Go do your own thing.”

“Do you need help cutting?” Lin Ting asked.

“No need. It’s just a tablecloth,” Hu Xiu replied.

Since she wasn’t needed, Lin Ting gathered a piece of paper, a ballpoint pen refill, a candle, and scissors.

_

When the meal was ready, Guoguo couldn’t sit still. “Mom, what craft are we doing today?”

Miaomiao, though silent, watched eagerly.

“Today, I’ll make a little paper snake that spins on its own,” Lin Ting said. Most of their “crafts” were actually small physics experiments.

She drew a spiral on paper and cut along the lines. Then, she inserted the pen refill into the candle and hung the paper spiral on it.

Just then, Tang Wenlan arrived.

Seeing the table cluttered with paper scraps and scissors, she smiled. “Paper cutting? You’re so patient. No wonder your kids love sticking to you.”

Before Lin Ting could explain, Guoguo interjected, “It’s not paper cutting! It’s a moving snake!”

Miaomiao nodded. “Yes, a paper snake!”

Tang Wenlan was puzzled. “What snake?”

Lin Ting invited her to sit, poured tea, then lit the candle. Instantly, the hanging paper began to spin.

Tang Wenlan gasped. “Wow! It really moves!”

The children cheered, then asked why it happened.

Lin Ting explained simply.

Tang Wenlan barely understood terms like “heated air” and “air molecules” but got the gist. “Tingting, can you read?”

Lin Ting nodded. “Yes.”

“That’s good. The organization can arrange an easier job for you,” Tang Wenlan said. She had come on her husband’s orders—Xing, the political commissar, needed to inquire about job placements for military wives.

“But,” she added, “do you even want to work? It’s optional.”

Tang Wenlan herself didn’t work. Her education was limited, and her husband’s salary—over a thousand yuan a year—was enough.

Lin Ting definitely wanted a job. She had planned to wait a bit since she was new here, but now that her sister-in-law brought it up, she replied, “If there’s a suitable one, I’d like to work.”

Tang Wenlan sensed she had high standards but knew good jobs were scarce. Awkwardly, she asked, “What kind of work do you want?”

Lin Ting preferred teaching but wasn’t sure if the local school needed teachers. “Could you tell me what jobs are available?”

Just then, Hu Xiu came out to grab her needlework and overheard. “What kind of work?”

Lin Ting explained the conversation.

As a mother-in-law, Hu Xiu had no reservations. Smiling, she asked, “Wen Lan, does the junior high school need teachers?”

Tang Wenlan hesitated, thinking, “You’re bold.”

Still, considering Captain Huo’s influence, she replied politely, “Teaching junior high isn’t easy. You need at least a high school diploma.”

It’s not that Tang Wenlan looks down on Lin Ting. In fact, she has a good impression of her, mainly because she is pretty.

Most military wives from rural areas are illiterate, so junior high school teachers are usually city-born military wives. Lin Ting is literate, but teaching junior high students requires a high level of education.

Unlike other places where simply reading Mao’s Selected Works and the Little Red Book ^[2]political texts widely studied in China during the Cultural Revolution. could get you a military school diploma, military primary schools require real qualifications.

Hu Xiu didn’t notice Tang Wenlan’s hesitation and proudly said, “My wife is a college student. She can even teach high school!”

Tang Wenlan’s eyes widened. “A college student?”

Hu Xiu straightened his back. “That’s right!”

Lin Ting felt embarrassed.