Chapter 13: Giving Away

Tiantian, according to the book, was a beautiful girl but utterly naive—a true airheaded sweetheart.

Whether she was truly foolish or not, Chen Yufeng didn’t care. She just loved how sweet and obedient she was.

As soon as her father arrived, the little girl quietly slipped into the master bedroom to sleep.

Not only did she go to bed by herself, but she even imitated Chen Yufeng by gently patting Mimi, worried that her sister might wake up.

Han Chao had left last night and only returned tonight. His fair-skinned face was now covered in a layer of stubble. As soon as he stepped inside, he said, “Feng’er, there was trouble at the new recruits’ camp. The deputy battalion commander, Xu Liang, had his gun tampered with—it nearly went off. I spent the whole day investigating who was behind it. Here at home…”

Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly paused.

He had only been gone for a day. When he left yesterday, the windows had only bare glass, and the bed was still covered with old military-issued bedding. But now, just one day later, there were curtains on the windows—beautiful pink ones. There were also paintings on the wall above the bed, depicting two chubby little girls holding carp, symbolizing good fortune.

Looking into the living room, he noticed that the gray, military-issued sofa had been fitted with bright pink covers.

This wife of his…

Han Chao had been on the battlefield for seven years and had never once had to worry about the household finances—because she managed everything so well.

Of course, while Tiantian’s words were direct, and Han Chao certainly wasn’t without such thoughts, he was the same as before he went to war.

He had taken the initiative in marriage.

But when it came to intimacy, it had to be Chen Yufeng’s choice. If she wasn’t willing, he wouldn’t force her.

Chen Yufeng patted the bed sheet, gesturing for Han Chao to sit down, and said, “Brother, my father came by today.”

The mention of Chen Fanshi immediately darkened Han Chao’s tone. “What did he want?”

“I don’t know yet, but I suspect it has to do with the antiques from my family,” Chen Yufeng replied.

Han Chao had planned to tell her about the antiques on their way to the capital.

But seeing how it was her first time leaving home, he didn’t want to upset her during the journey, so he had held back.

In reality, seven years ago, before heading to the battlefield, he had already seen some of the antiques in the military museum. There was a golden snuff box, a recipe book, and a set of calligraphy scrolls. All three had originally belonged to the warlord Zhang Henshan, who had gifted them to Chen Yufeng’s grandfather, Zhou Conglong.

However, when Chen Fanshi donated them, he had falsely claimed they were passed down from his own father.

Of course, merely donating antiques wouldn’t have been enough for the military district to grant him such a large market. So, he embellished the story—glorifying and exaggerating it.

He claimed his father had been a veteran militia member and even went so far as to say that he was the one who had killed Zhang Henshan.

Before the liberation, old militia fighters were given the same status as Red Army veterans. By leveraging this claim, Chen Fanshi secured recognition as a “second-generation revolutionary.”

That was the real reason why the military district had handed over the Daqingshan Wholesale Market to him—allowing him to lease it out and collect rent.

“What do you plan to do?” Han Chao asked after finishing the explanation.

“These next couple of days, my dad should be coming over. When he does, take a day off and stay home. Let’s wait for him together,” Chen Yufeng said. She wanted to see what nonsense Chen Fanshi would come up with this time.

“Alright,” Han Chao agreed. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled open a drawer with a sharp motion.

Since they hadn’t spent much time together, they were still practically strangers despite being husband and wife. Chen Yufeng had cleaned that drawer before and knew there was a gun inside. Seeing Han Chao open it in the middle of the night startled her—was he that angry? Was he about to grab his gun and go after her father?

But instead, Han Chao pulled out a dark, coiled object and said warmly, “Feng’er, this braid looks nice.”

For a moment, Chen Yufeng thought it was a pig’s tail. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was her own cut-off braid. It finally dawned on her—he hadn’t said anything back then, but deep down, he had really hoped she wouldn’t cut it off.

Braids were outdated and unfashionable. In the book, she had always kept her hair in braids, which made her the subject of ridicule among the young women in the military district. They used to laugh at her, saying her two thick braids looked just like pig tails.

Thinking of this, Chen Yufeng asked, “Brother, do you like braids?”

Han Chao didn’t answer, but his eyebrows softened, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Chen Yufeng blurted out, “Then you should grow a long braid. I think it would look great on you.”

As soon as she said it, Han Chao’s eyebrows shot up. Frightened that he’d get angry and take it out on her, she quickly turned and ran.

But no matter what, she refused to let her hair grow out again. Being a couple meant learning to live with each other, and though she was willing to trust Han Chao, she had to remain in control of her own life. She wouldn’t be like the timid, spineless, and constantly bullied little wife from the book.

Her hair—she had cut it short, and it would stay short forever!

The next day, Han Chao had to work, but he left her a phone number. “If you need anything, just call the duty office. No matter how busy I am, I’ll come right away,” he assured her.

After finishing her chores, Chen Yufeng took another trip to the Daqingshan Wholesale Market.

And once again, she spotted a business opportunity.

She saw a rice noodle shop selling mutton noodle soup.

A long line stretched out the door. Many customers couldn’t find seats and had to squat on the ground while eating.

She bought a bowl to try. The rice noodles were made from ordinary aged rice, lacking aroma, and they weren’t chewy enough to slurp up properly. As for the mutton, instead of tasting rich and flavorful, it reeked of an overpowering gamey smell.

There wasn’t a single decent restaurant in the area.

Chen Yufeng thought, If Wang Guoguo were here and opened a rice noodle shop, business would be booming.

She immediately inquired about shop rental prices.

That’s when she hit a snag.

Although the monthly rent was affordable, all the storefronts belonged to the military district. To lease one, you had to pay a 3,000 yuan security deposit upfront to ensure compliance—no selling contraband, no fake goods, no illegal activities.

Three thousand yuan was a hefty sum.

Opening a shop was definitely feasible, but first, she had to figure out how to come up with the money.

For now, though, that wasn’t her top priority. The most pressing matter was enrolling her two daughters in school.

After asking around, she learned that children in the military district could attend the preschool free of charge. Not only that, but the school provided meals. Since today was Sunday, there were no classes, but tomorrow she could register them.

This only made her even more determined to get things moving.

At lunchtime, she made rice noodles for the girls.

She had also bought some mutton. A steaming hot bowl of rice noodles in mutton broth—rich and savory—would be perfect.

“Miss, why are you taking pictures of me?” Suddenly, Mimi’s voice rang out from outside.

Meanwhile, Tiantian said, “Miss, if you want to take pictures, just come inside. Why are you taking them from outside?”

Chen Yufeng immediately stepped out of the house.

A plump woman in her forties stood outside the courtyard wall, holding a camera and smiling at them.

“Excuse me, are you from the military district? What are you doing outside my house?” Chen Yufeng asked.

The woman’s camera whirred, and a photo popped out. She smiled and introduced herself, “My name is Ma Jinfeng. I’m the director of Jinfeng Coal Mine. I came to the military district for some business, and when I saw your two daughters, I couldn’t resist taking some pictures—they’re just too adorable.”

Chen Yufeng reached out for the photo. Ma Jinfeng hesitated for a moment before handing her the one of Tiantian, but she kept the one of Mimi.

“I’d like to keep this one,” Ma Jinfeng said. “She’s such a lovely child—the more I look at her, the more I like her. Is that alright?”

“No,” Chen Yufeng replied firmly. “That’s my daughter’s picture. Please give it to me.”

This was no coincidence. Ma Jinfeng wasn’t just passing by.

In the book, Ma Jinfeng had been Mimi’s adoptive mother. It was Zhang Yanli who had arranged for Mimi to be given to her.

So today, Ma Jinfeng hadn’t simply happened upon their home—she had come specifically for Mimi.

Seeing that Chen Yufeng was insistent, Ma Jinfeng reluctantly pulled out a few more photos and handed them over. She then praised Mimi, “What a bright child! Look at those sharp little eyes—so clever and full of spirit!”

Chen Yufeng took the photos and went inside. She retrieved five yuan from under the mattress, stepped back outside, and handed it to Ma Jinfeng.

“This is for the pictures. Please take it,” she said.

“I took those photos because I love kids. Why would I charge you for them? Besides, I want to give this camera to your daughter,” Ma Jinfeng said, trying to hand over the camera.

Chen Yufeng responded with a meaningful smile, wrapping her arms protectively around Mimi.

“Don’t just give away your camera to anyone. And I will never give my daughter away. Please leave.”

Ma Jinfeng was momentarily stunned and subconsciously repeated, “Not giving her away?”

“My daughter will never be given to anyone. No one.” Chen Yufeng said firmly.

According to the book, Ma Jinfeng didn’t want Mimi out of genuine love.

Although she was getting older, she hadn’t given up hope of having her own child. From a superstitious perspective, raising a girl with boyish features was believed to increase the chances of later giving birth to a son. So, after much deliberation, she had finally made her choice—Mimi, introduced to her by Zhang Yanli.

To Ma Jinfeng, Mimi was merely a stepping stone, a means to an end.

She had money and indulged Mimi unconditionally, which eventually spoiled the child beyond control.

At this moment, Ma Jinfeng was still standing outside the courtyard in a daze, while Chen Yufeng had already turned and gone back inside.

She had reached her limit. She had no interest in exchanging even a single extra word with this woman who had ruined Mimi’s life.

That day, Chen Yufeng noticed a sudden change in Mimi—she had become particularly well-behaved.

Mimi had always been a troublemaker who avoided any real work. But today, she was persistently trying to help Chen Yufeng.

While Chen Yufeng was cutting meat, the little girl tried to grab the knife. When she was scooping up the rice noodles, Mimi eagerly handed her bowls, buzzing around like a busy little squirrel.

“Mimi, why are you being so hardworking today? What’s going on?” Chen Yufeng asked.

“Because there’s a mama who said her daughter will never be given away. So, her daughter wants to be a good girl!” Mimi beamed, her little face radiating sweetness.

A pair of chopsticks silently slipped into the boiling water.

At that moment, Chen Yufeng suddenly realized how she should be raising Mimi.

Because of Zhou Yafang and Su Hong, who constantly suggested that if things didn’t work out, she should give Mimi away to free up household registration space for a son, Mimi had been living in fear—terrified that she would be sent away.

She resented her father’s frequent outbursts, not because she was naturally bad, but because she feared that once a son was born, she would be abandoned.

Simply telling her she wouldn’t be given away wasn’t enough.

What a child needed was an attitude—a firm and unwavering stance from her mother.

If Chen Yufeng made it absolutely clear that she would never let Mimi go, Han Mi would naturally become a well-behaved child.