After the buns were steamed, it was about time to prepare dinner.

Shi Huaiming and Zhenzhen continued working in the kitchen—cleaning fish, slicing meat, and picking vegetables.

The stove roared to life again. Oil sizzled in the wok, and one dish after another filled the house with fragrant aromas.

Eight dishes were laid out on the table. Zhenzhen also rinsed a handful of millet and started cooking millet porridge.

Shi Huaiming took off his apron and hung it up, then said to Zhenzhen, “I’ll go get Old Zhou.”

Old Zhou was still living in a single dorm room at the school and wasn’t staying here.

While Shi Huaiming went to fetch him, Zhenzhen went next door to invite Li Shuang and her family.

Li Shuang, He Shuo, and He Ziran followed Zhenzhen over. As soon as they walked in, Li Shuang sniffed the air and said, “Wow, what have you made? It smells amazing in here.”

Zhenzhen smiled and led them to the table. “Just something simple.”

Seeing the table full of dishes, He Shuo said, “You call this ‘something simple’? Looks like you were cooking all afternoon!”

Zhenzhen smiled modestly. “It didn’t take that long.”

While He Shuo and Li Shuang didn’t sit down right away, little He Ziran was already leaning over the table.

After watching the food for a while, he turned and said, “Auntie, that scallion pancake you made last time was really good.”

Zhenzhen looked at him and said, “If you like Auntie’s cooking, eat more tonight.”

He Ziran brightened up. “Okay!”

While the four of them chatted, Shi Huaiming arrived with Old Zhou.

As soon as Old Zhou entered, he laughed and said, “Ah, I feel a bit shameless coming over just to mooch some wine.”

Shi Huaiming had prepared some white liquor.

After inviting everyone to sit at the table, he went back inside and brought out a bottle.

The cups were already set—one for each adult, except for little He Ziran.

As Shi Huaiming poured the drinks, when he got to Li Shuang, she shook her head. “I don’t drink this.”

Zhenzhen didn’t drink either, so it was just the three men enjoying the wine.

This dinner was mainly to thank Li Shuang, so Shi Huaiming expressed his gratitude first.

When Zhenzhen had just arrived, she was extremely nervous—dazed and flustered, slow to react to everything. In his mind, she was still just a kid. So, in a way, he had entrusted her to Li Shuang for half the day.

“All right, enough,” Li Shuang cut him off halfway through. “You’ve already treated me to dinner.”

Since she said that, Shi Huaiming stopped talking.

Old Zhou chimed in, “My wife is coming in a couple of days. When she arrives, you all have to come to our place for drinks.”

He Shuo quickly responded, “You’d better mean that!”

Old Zhou laughed. “Of course I do!”

Zhenzhen glanced at Old Zhou.

He looked even older than her eldest brother, Shi Huaizhong, and had a rugged, rough appearance.

She quietly thought to herself that his wife was probably from the countryside too.

It would be nice to get to know her—someone else she could talk to.

After a few more casual exchanges, the conversation at the table shifted. With three military men present, they began talking about their experiences in the army—narrow escapes, brushes with death, and life-and-death moments on the battlefield.

Shi Huaiming had never shared these stories with Zhenzhen before.

She listened intently, heart pounding at every word.

Hearing those experiences gave her a deeper understanding of what it meant to “protect the country and defend the people.”

When men drink, they eat slowly.

Li Shuang didn’t enjoy lingering too long. Once she had eaten enough, she said to Zhenzhen, “Hey, let’s head into the room?”

Zhenzhen was also full, so she said goodbye to the three men and followed Li Shuang into the room.

Once inside, Li Shuang said, “Right, let me show you how to use sanitary pads.”

“Okay,” Zhenzhen answered softly, and went to the drawer to retrieve the yellow paper packet containing them.

Li Shuang took the packet, opened it, and pulled out the sanitary pads.

Zhenzhen felt a little embarrassed at the sight of the sanitary belt—especially since there were still three men talking outside.

Although the door was closed and Li Shuang kept her voice low, Zhenzhen still felt self-conscious.

Li Shuang placed the sanitary belt on the writing desk, then grabbed a few sheets of toilet paper. As she demonstrated, she explained, “Fold the toilet paper like this and place it inside. The one I bought for you is a good one—it has a leak-proof lining.”

Zhenzhen listened carefully and nodded along.

Li Shuang then held the prepared belt in front of Zhenzhen’s stomach, gesturing as she continued, “You place it underneath like this, then tie the straps around your waist so it won’t fall off. Got it?”

It was actually quite simple to use.

Zhenzhen nodded and whispered, “Got it.”

Li Shuang smiled and rolled the belt back up, putting it into the yellow paper pouch.

After setting it aside, she asked Zhenzhen curiously, “So what did you do back in the countryside when you got your period?”

Zhenzhen looked at her and replied, “Rags and old cotton—whatever we had at home. If you weren’t careful, it would leak.”

Li Shuang said, “I wouldn’t last a single day living like that in the countryside.”

Zhenzhen took a soft breath. “The conditions there are poor. There’s no other choice.”

Li Shuang looked at her and said, “But hasn’t Shi Huaiming already made it out? He’s a big official now. You don’t need to keep making do. Use what you need to use.”

Zhenzhen smiled faintly and nodded.

She didn’t resist what Li Shuang was teaching her—because she wanted to become a woman like her.

Right now, Li Shuang was something of a role model in her eyes.

Li Shuang, on the other hand, didn’t have much genuine interest in Zhenzhen. They didn’t have many topics in common.

They came from different worlds—different upbringings, different life experiences, and completely different perspectives. Naturally, they didn’t have much to talk about.

Most of the time, it was Li Shuang teaching Zhenzhen something new.

To put it more vividly, it felt like Li Shuang was taking care of a child.

As the two were talking, there was a knock at the door.

Before Zhenzhen could turn around to open it, He Ziran’s voice came through the door crack.

He called out to Li Shuang, “Mom, I’m sleepy. I want to go home and sleep.”

That ended the conversation. Li Shuang turned to Zhenzhen and said, “I’ll take Ziran home to sleep.”

Zhenzhen nodded and walked out of the room with her, seeing her and He Ziran to the gate.

But just as Li Shuang was about to leave with He Ziran, Zhenzhen quickly called her back.

She asked her to wait a moment, then turned and went back into the kitchen.

When she returned, she was holding a plate of steamed buns and a cloth bag of sourdough starter.

She said to Li Shuang, “Sister-in-law, take a few buns home to eat. And this is some of the sourdough I kept.”

It was thoughtful of her.

Li Shuang smiled, “Well then, I won’t be polite.”

She had eaten one of Zhenzhen’s buns during dinner earlier—filled with savory juices, incredibly tasty.

Taking the food, Li Shuang left with He Ziran. Zhenzhen closed the door behind them and went back inside.

She didn’t go interrupt the three men who were still drinking and chatting. Instead, she returned to her room.

At the table, Shi Huaiming and He Shuo still looked sober, but Old Zhou was clearly drunk.

His face and ears were flushed red. He tapped the table with his fingers and started rambling, “The three of us brothers—your wives, one’s fashionable and pretty, the other’s gentle and pretty. My wife, though…”

His head wobbled uncontrollably, and he didn’t finish the sentence.

He Shuo, sitting beside him, smiled and said, “Your wife is your blessing.”

Old Zhou nodded again. “Yes, she is my blessing—she gave me four sons in a row!”

He Shuo raised his glass. “Then here’s to you and your four sons!”

After they drank, He Shuo said, “I want a daughter. Next time, I must have a daughter!”

Then he turned to Shi Huaiming and asked, “Do you want a boy or a girl?”

Shi Huaiming replied, “Either is fine.”

He Shuo grinned at him, “Hey, with someone like Xiaomianhua—your kid will definitely be adorable. If you have a daughter, how about we set up a child betrothal with my Ziran?”

The moment Shi Huaiming heard the words “child betrothal,” his head started to ache.

He gave He Shuo a hard jab with his elbow. “Get lost!”

He Shuo yelped, “Damn, you hit hard!”

Shi Huaiming retorted, “If I didn’t knock you out, I already went easy on you! This is the new era, new society, New China, and you’re talking to me about child betrothals? Do me a favor, Commander He, and carve ‘freedom in marriage’ on your forehead!”

He Shuo swore back, “You son of a…”

Then muttered, “I was just joking.”

Shi Huaiming wagged his finger in front of him. “Even as a joke, that’s not okay.”

He Shuo grumbled, “Fine, fine…”

After Li Shuang left, Zhenzhen sat alone in her room.

The men had been drinking and their voices were loud—she heard every word, especially the mention of a child betrothal.

She leaned forward onto the writing desk and blinked silently.

Since there were classes tomorrow, Shi Huaiming, He Shuo, and Old Zhou didn’t drink too late. Once they were about done, they began wrapping up.

When Zhenzhen heard them getting up, she quickly came out of her room to help Shi Huaiming see the guests off.

Old Zhou was drunk enough that he staggered as he walked.

Shi Huaiming helped him up and said to Zhenzhen, “I’ll take him back.”

Zhenzhen nodded. “Be careful on the way.”

He Shuo wasn’t as drunk, and since his home was just next door, he went back on his own.

Once home, he grabbed the hot water flask and went to the washroom to clean up. Afterward, he entered the bedroom, where Li Shuang was leaning against the headboard reading.

He got into bed, and Li Shuang closed her book and set it aside.

She didn’t turn off the light immediately, and instead turned to look at He Shuo and said, “They invited me to dinner, but just look at how drunk you guys got.”

He Shuo relaxed completely and said, “You don’t drink, and now you won’t even let us drink?”

Li Shuang couldn’t be bothered to argue.

She turned on her side, resting her hand on He Shuo’s arm, lowered her voice, and changed the subject: “Hey, let me tell you—Shi Huaiming and Xiaomianhua live in separate rooms.”

He Shuo had been drinking, and his mind was a bit slow.

He turned his head toward Li Shuang and asked without thinking, “What do you mean?”

Li Shuang gave him a light slap. “What do you think I mean? They’re husband and wife, but they live in two separate bedrooms.”

Now understanding, He Shuo reflexively replied, “No way.”

Li Shuang was confident. “Just now, Xiaomianhua took me into her room. That bedroom is clearly lived in by just one person—there’s no sign anyone else shares it. When I noticed it, I couldn’t believe it either, so I looked more carefully. After checking, I’m certain—she lives there alone.”

He Shuo still couldn’t believe it. “With a wife like that at home, he can hold himself back?”

Li Shuang said, “You’re a man—how would I know?”

A man…

He Shuo suddenly sucked in a breath. “You know what… if it’s Huaiming, it actually might be possible…”

Shi Huaiming was a textbook idealist—detached from reality, even.

Li Shuang looked at He Shuo. “You think he looks down on Xiaomianhua?”

He Shuo thought for a moment. “Not necessarily. It’s probably more like… there’s no romantic feeling between them. He doesn’t want to force himself to do something against his heart. Let’s say, just as a comparison, your parents arranged a marriage for you. You married someone you felt absolutely nothing for. Would you be willing to…?”

“Of course not!” Li Shuang cut him off immediately. “Wouldn’t even let him touch me!”

He Shuo spread his hands. “Exactly.”

Li Shuang said, “But aren’t men supposed to not care about that stuff? Like animals.”

He Shuo protested, “Who says that?”

Li Shuang gave an example right away: “Xu Zhimo. Forced by his father to marry Zhang Youyi. He despised her, didn’t like her at all, and still ended up having two kids with her!”

He Shuo replied, “That’s an exception. Exceptions don’t represent everyone. Huaiming is another kind of exception.”

Li Shuang was getting sleepy and didn’t feel like dragging the conversation on.

She reached out to turn off the light, pulled the blanket over herself, and said, “Sleep.”

He Shuo: “…”

He had just gotten into the conversation, and now it ended so abruptly!

–

After everyone left, Zhenzhen cleaned up the dishes on the table.

She scraped together the leftovers into one container, planning to feed them to Dabai the next day.

By the time Shi Huaiming returned after walking Old Zhou home, Zhenzhen had already cleaned up the kitchen and dining area.

Shi Huaiming said to her, “You’ve been busy all day—go to bed early.”

Zhenzhen nodded. “You too, Third Brother.”

“Alright.”

He had drunk some alcohol and really was ready for bed.

He gave his head a light shake, rubbed his brow, and headed to his room.

Zhenzhen took some clothes to the bathroom to wash up, then returned to her own room.

She turned off the light and lay in bed, curling up and hugging the blanket in silence.

She stared blankly like that for a while.

Then, snapping out of it, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

There was no point in overthinking.

All she could do was try her best to live each day well.

Morning came, and the air felt crisp and freshly washed.

Zhenzhen opened her eyes in bed, gradually becoming fully alert.

She turned on the light, gave a long stretch, and started getting dressed.

In a good mood, she washed up and cooked breakfast, reviewing last week’s lessons as she worked.

Once breakfast was done, she took last night’s leftovers out to feed Dabai and played with him for a bit.

Just as she was coming back with the empty bowl, Li Shuang had returned from the cafeteria with her breakfast.

They greeted each other, and Li Shuang smiled. “Xiaomianhua, I was too lazy to light the stove. Can you heat up those buns you gave me last night?”

It was a small favor, and Zhenzhen readily agreed. “Sure.”

Li Shuang went to get the buns and handed them to Zhenzhen. While they were heating up, she sat and chatted casually, never mentioning the matter of Zhenzhen and Shi Huaiming sleeping in separate rooms.

When the buns were hot, she took them and went home.

He Shuo came back from training, and after breakfast, the household split off to school and work.

At her work unit, Li Shuang first went to find Awen. She returned the starter dough and also gave her two buns.

The buns were wrapped in brown paper and still warm.

Awen looked puzzled as she accepted them. “What’s this for? I already had breakfast.”

Li Shuang said, “Xiaomianhua made them. I brought them for you to try—thanks for lending me the starter.”

Awen scoffed, “I don’t want them. Take them back and eat them yourself.”

Li Shuang replied, “Just take one bite—they’re really good.”

Awen rolled her eyes. “Her? What delicious thing could she possibly make?”

Li Shuang said, “You’re talking too much. Just try it and you’ll know.”

Awen looked at Li Shuang, then at the buns.

After hesitating a moment, she opened the brown paper, brought the bun to her mouth, and took a bite.

With that one bite, savory broth and meat filled her mouth, wrapped in soft, chewy dough.

She chewed a few times and swallowed, and her eyes lit up like someone had flipped a switch.

She suddenly turned to Li Shuang and asked, “She… really made this?”

Li Shuang nodded. “Tasty, right?”

Awen nodded vigorously and took another bite.

As she chewed, she seemed to realize she was getting too enthusiastic. She quickly straightened her face and muttered, “It’s just okay.”

Li Shuang snapped, “Get lost.”

Not bothering with her anymore, she turned and went about her work.

Awen stood by the counter, and before long, both buns were gone.

Even though she’d already had breakfast, she still felt like she could eat two more!