Listening to Su Tang’s words, Zhang Cui felt that what she said made sense.  

The people in the family compound were always quick to adapt to the prevailing wind.  

Hu Lili had, after all, lived in the compound for many years, so everyone tended to side with her.  

But because of this, Su Tang seemed a bit out of place.  

Su Tang’s idea was actually quite good.  

As they were talking, Zhang Cui lowered her head to look at Maisui’s rosy little face. She reached out and gently touched it, her face full of tenderness.  

“This awful weather has dried the child’s face out.”  

Seeing this, a thought suddenly flashed in Su Tang’s mind—some knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine she had learned.  

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately grabbed Zhang Cui’s hand.  

“Sister-in-law, I have an idea. We can make some medicinal sachets. The climate in the northwest is dry, and many people suffer from sore throats and dry skin. I know a bit about herbs and which ones can help with these problems. If we make some throat-soothing and skin-moisturizing sachets, everyone will definitely find them useful.”  

Zhang Cui’s eyes instantly sparkled at the suggestion: “What a great idea! You educated folks really are different—your ideas are so practical.”  

The women here were all used to laboring in the fields, enduring wind and rain all day without complaint.  

But the harsh northwest weather, with its biting wind, left everyone’s faces dry and rough.  

No matter how much moisturizer they applied, it didn’t help.  

As she spoke, Zhang Cui glanced down at her own rough hands and smiled sheepishly.  

“These hands of mine are only good for rough work. I’m no good at embroidery or delicate things, but sewing cloth bags is no problem.”  

Su Tang smiled and patted Zhang Cui’s hand: “Sister-in-law, let’s divide the work. I’ll handle preparing the herbs, and you can sew the bags. How does that sound?”  

“Sounds perfect!”  

Zhang Cui agreed readily, standing up with Maisui in her arms.  

“I have some clean old clothes here that Mai Sui’s father can’t wear anymore. They’re perfect for this—all washed and clean.”  

Zhang Cui dug out some old clothes and fabric scraps, while Su Tang carefully selected the most suitable materials for the sachets.  

She chose some coarse, breathable fabric. Though the colors were plain, they were practical.  

Looking at the old clothes, Su Tang thought of her checkered tablecloth at home.  

The tablecloth wasn’t being used, but it would be perfect for making sachets.  

“Sister-in-law, I’m going home to grab something. Wait for me!”  

With that, Su Tang dashed home. Lu Xiao was just about to cook noodles but didn’t even have time to ask if she wanted any before she rushed off again.  

She also took a small box with her.  

Inside were some medicinal herbs that Su Tang’s father had specially given her, worried that she wouldn’t adapt well to life in the northwest.  

These herbs were quite valuable, but Su Tang needed them now.  

She didn’t hesitate to use them.  

“Sister-in-law, do you think this fabric will work?”  

Su Tang hurried back and held up the checkered cloth.  

Zhang Cui leaned over to look and nodded: “Yes, let’s use this. We’ll sew a few small bags first and see how they turn out.”  

With that, the two of them sat on small stools in the yard and began sewing the sachets.  

Though Zhang Cui’s hands were rough, her movements were deft, and she quickly sewed several neat little bags.  

Meanwhile, Su Tang prepared the herbs. She selected ingredients like mint, honeysuckle, and licorice for their throat-soothing properties, as well as angelica root and astragalus for moisturizing the skin. She carefully ground them into powder and filled the sachets with the mixtures.  

“Sister-in-law, smell this—how does it seem?”  

Su Tang handed a throat-soothing sachet to Zhang Cui.  

Zhang Cui took it and brought it to her nose, her face breaking into a satisfied smile: “It smells wonderful—just the scent alone is soothing.”  

The faint herbal aroma softened the harsh, knife-like winds of the northwest.

The two of them were busy working when Maisui suddenly started crying. Zhang Cui quickly set aside her task to soothe the child.  

“This little one, always causing trouble for me.”  

Zhang Cui fed Maisui, and only then did the child settle down to sleep.  

Once Maisui was asleep, the two women resumed making the medicinal sachets.  

The herbs Su Tang had brought were of the highest quality—if bought outside, they would have cost a pretty penny.  

Zhang Cui could tell the difference between good and bad ingredients, and seeing how Su Tang didn’t seem the least bit reluctant to use them, she couldn’t help but remark,  

“Actually, the people here aren’t all that bad. It’s just that Hu Lili keeps spreading nonsense, which is why everyone misunderstood you.”  

Hearing this, Su Tang smiled. “Sister-in-law, are you worried I’ll overthink it?”  

“I know who’s good and who’s not. The reason I’m doing this is to make my own life a little easier.”  

Su Tang wasn’t a saint, nor was she that selfless.  

If she weren’t the one benefiting from these efforts, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.  

After all, she’d be living in the family compound for a long time—she just wanted to make her days more comfortable.  

“Right, right. You’ve got a clear head, little sister.”  

As they worked, they chatted, and Zhang Cui started telling Su Tang about Lu Xiao’s past.  

“Brother Lu back then—now that was a real tough man. Always had a stern face and barely spoke. We all thought he’d never get married in his life. But then you came along, and he completely changed.”  

“What do they call it? ‘Even iron has its tender side,’ right? I think the two of you are the perfect match.”  

Su Tang listened, a faint smile on her face.  

She remembered Lu Xiao’s bright red ears, the way he fumbled awkwardly, and thought to herself—this man, who seemed so cold on the outside, actually had a soft side.  

“Sister-in-law, was Lu Xiao really that serious before?”  

Zhang Cui nodded. “Absolutely. He was strict with himself—always the first to arrive for training and the last to leave. He took care of us families, sure, but he just didn’t talk much.”  

She paused, then added with a laugh, “But ever since you came, he’s clearly different. He smiles more now, and sometimes even jokes around with us.”  

“Having a wife changes a man. Just like my Old Wang—cut from the same cloth.”  

The two were chatting happily when the braised vegetables Zhang Cui had been cooking on the stove were ready.  

“Stay for lunch. I’ll make you hand-pulled noodles today.”  

Su Tang initially wanted to refuse, but seeing the sincerity in Zhang Cui’s eyes, she had no choice but to agree.  

How thoughtless of her—she’d completely forgotten it was noon when she rushed over to Zhang Cui’s place.  

After tidying up their things, they went inside, and Zhang Cui skillfully began making the noodles.  

Her hand-pulled noodles were no worse than those from a restaurant. Su Tang ended up eating two big bowls, prompting Zhang Cui to tease her about being obsessed with the rustic food.  

After the meal, Su Tang said goodbye to Zhang Cui and returned home with the finished sachets.  

Lu Xiao had already eaten and was chopping firewood in the yard.  

He was wearing a worn-out military uniform, wood chips clinging to his face, sweat trickling down his forehead and dripping onto the ground.  

Lu Xiao looked up when he saw Su Tang, setting down the axe and wiping his brow.  

Noticing the sachets in her hand, he asked, “What’s that?”  

Su Tang handed him one. “These are medicinal sachets I made with Sister-in-law Zhang. They’re for soothing throats and moisturizing skin. Want to try one?”  

Lu Xiao took the sachet and sniffed it. “Smells nice. So this little thing can really help with dry throats and skin?”