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The Yan Household.
Lin Jinghe had just returned from her mother’s house. After freshening up, she climbed into bed, scooted closer to the man beside her, and asked curiously:
“Hey, Old Yan, let me ask you something. You went to Commander Gu’s house for dinner today, right? What does his wife look like? Is she really as ugly as people say? Covered in freckles, with buck teeth?”
Deputy Commander Yan shifted his gaze away from his book and looked at his wife.
Shaking his head solemnly, he said, “Nonsense! Jinghe, you shouldn’t listen to the gossip outside. Commander Gu’s wife is very pretty—prettier than your Cultural Troupe’s Ling Sitian. And her cooking skills? Absolutely top-notch. I’m telling you, you really missed out by not being there today.”
Lin Jinghe had no objection to his praise of Li Xia’s cooking. But saying that Li Xia was even more beautiful than Ling Sitian? That was impossible!
“How is that possible? Ling Sitian is the star of our Cultural Troupe. How could Commander Gu’s wife, a village woman, possibly be prettier than her? You must be talking nonsense just because you got a free meal! I’m done talking to you—I’m going to sleep!”
Lin Jinghe couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore. She turned over, pulled the blanket up, and closed her eyes.
There was no way she’d believe that Gu Weicheng’s rural wife was truly beautiful. If she were really as stunning as Yan Ziming claimed, why had she avoided coming to the army base to live as a military spouse for so many years?
…
When Li Xia woke up, she found that Gu Weicheng had already left.
She walked into the courtyard and, as expected, saw that the clothes he had changed out of last night had already been washed and hung up to dry. Just like the night before, she had only washed her own undergarments after her bath, yet somehow, all the laundry had been done.
Breakfast had been neatly packed in a meal container, and there was even a note reminding her to eat while it was still warm.
“Tsk tsk, what a model husband,” Li Xia sighed in admiration.
An An rubbed his sleepy eyes as he stumbled out. “Mommy, what’s a ‘model’ husband?”
Children were always the cutest just after waking up, especially when they were as adorable as An An.
Li Xia walked over and poked his chubby little cheek. “Mommy was praising Daddy, saying he’s a model husband.”
An An didn’t fully understand, but he nodded earnestly in agreement. “An An wants to be a model, too!”
He had no idea what a ‘benchmark’ meant, but as long as Mommy praised him for it, he wanted to be one.
“Good! Such excellent traditions should be passed down from one generation to the next.” Li Xia chuckled.
“Xiao Li! Xiao Li!” A voice called out from next door.
Li Xia quickly stepped outside and saw Sister-in-law Tao standing by the courtyard wall, waving at her.
“Sister-in-law, I’m here! What’s the matter?”
Sister-in-law Tao said, “There’s a market fair in town today! I was thinking, since you just arrived with the military family relocation, you probably haven’t been to the market here yet. Do you want to come along? It’s really lively, with plenty of farm produce and goods for sale—and the best part is, no coupons are needed.”
Upon hearing about the market fair, Li Xia became interested and turned to ask An An, “Do you want to go?”
Children loved excitement, so of course, An An wanted to go. He nodded eagerly. “Mommy, I want to go!”
Without wasting any time, Li Xia quickly tidied up, got An An ready, and headed out with Sister-in-law Tao.
On the way, Sister-in-law Tao explained that the market fair was only held once a month. Li Xia was lucky—she had just arrived and already had the chance to experience it.
The market was bustling with activity, selling everything imaginable—food, drinks, clothes, and household goods—all handmade by the locals.
The most commonly sold items were handcrafted goods, such as woven bamboo backpacks, rattan chairs, flower baskets, travel trunks, and even baby carriages. Since Yun City was home to many ethnic minorities, there were also stalls selling beautifully patterned handwoven fabric, showcasing intricate and exquisite designs.
Li Xia held An An’s hand as they strolled through the market, dazzled by the variety of goods on display.
Her eyes soon landed on a finely crafted rattan chair. If she placed it in the courtyard, it would be the perfect seat for relaxing in the cool breeze.
Sister-in-law Tao, however, had a different focus. Seeing that Li Xia was fixated on items that couldn’t be eaten or worn, she pulled her toward a stall selling free-range chickens.
“You can buy chickens and eggs here. We should stock up while we can—if we miss this chance, we’ll have to wait another month before the market comes around again.”
The people selling at the market were all authorized through the commune, representing public businesses rather than private sellers, so it wasn’t considered speculative profiteering.
Sister-in-law Tao bought an old hen, planning to make a nourishing soup with it, and also picked up a few dozen eggs.
Li Xia, on the other hand, chose a younger chicken—she found old hens too tough. She wanted to make Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, so a tender bird was more suitable. She also bought some eggs, though not too many, since there was still plenty left at home from the last purchase.
The chicken was still alive, its feet bound with rope, and it struggled fiercely, flapping its wings in a desperate bid for freedom.
Li Xia hesitated, uneasy about handling it. “Can you butcher it for me now?” she asked. “It’s flapping too much—I don’t think I can hold onto it.”
Hearing this, Sister-in-law Tao burst into laughter, nearly doubling over. “Hahaha, Xiao Li, chickens have to be slaughtered fresh! If you have it killed now, by the time we finish shopping and get home, it won’t be fresh anymore. Here, let me hold it for you. What’s there to be afraid of?”
Hearing this, Sister-in-law Tao effortlessly grabbed two chickens with one hand.
The chickens flapped their wings a few times in protest, but with two firm smacks from her, they instantly quieted down.
Li Xia: “……”
Respect, Sister Tao. Absolute respect.
As they continued through the market, Li Xia spotted a stall selling sugar figurines and decided to buy one for An An—a Monkey King design.
An An had recently read the story of The Monkey King’s Havoc in Heaven in an old storybook and had been fascinated by it.
The sugar figurine master was an elderly man wearing a hat. Looking at the scorching sun overhead, Li Xia couldn’t help but wonder—isn’t he hot wearing that?
However, as soon as the old man’s gaze landed on her, an inexplicable flicker crossed his eyes. Then, with a deep sigh, he murmured,
“At last, your soul has returned to where it belongs.”
Li Xia’s heart jolted in shock. She stared at the old master in disbelief and asked, “Master, what do you mean by ‘my soul has returned’?”
The old master murmured, “This is where you truly belong. This is the place where you and he will continue your destined fate.”
Li Xia was even more bewildered. What does he mean by saying this is where I belong? What does he mean by ‘my soul has returned’?
Didn’t I transmigrate into a book? Could it be that… I was originally the real protagonist?
And who was the ‘he’ the old master was referring to?
Who am I supposed to reunite with?
Is it Gu Weicheng?
“Master, what exactly do you mean? Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Li Xia had countless questions swirling in her mind.
Just then, a commotion erupted from the crowd, followed by panicked cries.
“Chenchen, what’s wrong? Chenchen, don’t scare Mommy! Spit it out! Hurry, spit it out! Help! Somebody help us!”
Li Xia looked over and saw a young woman clutching a toddler, barely over a year old, frantically shaking him.
The child’s lips had already turned slightly purple.
Li Xia immediately recognized the signs—**the child was choking on food.**
Not long ago, her phone had frequently shown videos about ‘what to do if a child chokes—never shake them and instead use the Heimlich maneuver’.
Yes, the Heimlich maneuver!
Li Xia quickly handed An An over to Sister-in-law Tao for safekeeping and rushed toward the distressed mother.
“He’s choking! You can’t shake him like that. Let me do it—I know what to do!”
Without hesitation, Li Xia carefully took the child from the woman’s arms. Holding him upright, she placed one fist between his navel and ribcage, pressing inward with the palm facing in.