Chapter 10: The 1.2-meter-tall room I sleep in?

Although Lin Suisui and Huo Changzheng had been married for five years and their son Doubao was already four, there had only been that one absurd night between them. After that, he’d only come home a handful of times—so few she could count them on one hand. Maybe it was because he was disgusted with her; whenever he returned, he always slept alone and never once touched her again. After being disappointed again and again, Lin Suisui no longer held any expectations.

Especially now that she had come to join him in the army compound, she had already made up her mind to stay within her bounds and fulfill her duties. Though she only had that one brief experience when it came to married life, she wasn’t completely clueless about such matters. After all, she was a married woman, and back in the production team, the older aunties never bothered to censor their “wolfish and tigerish” conversations around her.

So now, when Fang Qianqian gave her a meaningful look, she understood it instantly.

She and Huo Changzheng wouldn’t be sharing a bed, so there was no need to talk about “performance” or whatever—but of course, she couldn’t explain all that to an outsider. After blushing deeply, she still insisted on ordering one 1.5-meter bed and one 1.2-meter bed. Seeing that, Fang Qianqian didn’t push the matter any further. She just smiled mysteriously and said, “Well, 1.5 meters is good—nice and close.”

“…”

Faced with Fang Qianqian’s teasing, Lin Suisui chose to keep quiet. And seeing how shy she was, Fang Qianqian stopped joking as well.

Lin Suisui ended up ordering quite a bit of furniture. Thanks to Fang Qianqian being a loyal customer, the carpenter promised that he and his son would work overtime to finish the job within two weeks. After paying the deposit, Fang Qianqian took Lin Suisui to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Huo Changzheng had collected quite a few ration coupons, so Lin Suisui was able to buy nearly everything they needed for the house this time. By the time all the shopping was done, it was already lunchtime. They ate a simple meal at a state-run restaurant and then took the bus back.

After returning to the compound, Lin Suisui brought everything home and tidied up a bit. By the time she got back to the dormitory, it was already getting dark. When she opened the door, she saw that Huo Changzheng was already home.

He had come back a bit earlier than usual today, but she didn’t ask much. She just told him about ordering the furniture. “I think this much should be enough for now. If there’s anything else you want to add later, we can get it made then.”

Huo Changzheng usually left household matters to her, only asking curiously, “What size beds did you order?”

“One is 1.5 meters, the other is 1.2 meters.”

“Isn’t that too small?”

“No, not at all,” Lin Suisui said matter-of-factly. “You’re used to sleeping on a 1.2-meter bed anyway, right?”

“I’m the one sleeping on the 1.2?” Huo Changzheng frowned slightly.

Seeing that he was about to get upset again, Lin Suisui quickly said, “If you think that one’s too small, then you can have the 1.5. Doubao and I can sleep on the 1.2—it’s fine.”

Doubao was still small; sharing a 1.2-meter bed wouldn’t be too cramped for them. Lin Suisui felt she was being considerate enough. But his expression only grew darker, and she still couldn’t figure out why he was upset.

“If you think the 1.5 is still too small, I’ll go back to the county tomorrow and change the order to a 1.8. That way, you can sleep however you want.”
Being dependent on others, Lin Suisui didn’t dare argue, even if she was right. She could only continue to try and appease him.

But even so, his face remained stormy. “Do you really think this is about a 1.5 versus 1.8 bed?”

“Then what is it about?”

“…”

Huo Changzheng didn’t know if she was pretending to be clueless or if she really didn’t understand, but he couldn’t keep talking to her—he was going to explode from frustration.

“You don’t need to go to the county tomorrow. I’ll sleep on the 1.2. It’s fine—I’m alone anyway.”
After throwing that line, he stormed out.

On the surface, it sounded like he was compromising, but Lin Suisui wasn’t stupid. She knew he was still angry—she just didn’t know why.

Even after she finished dinner and gave Doubao a bath, Huo Changzheng still hadn’t returned. She didn’t care anymore and figured he went to the 309 barracks. She closed the doors and windows, then curled up with her son to sleep.

Lin Suisui slept straight through until morning. The next day, after taking Doubao to breakfast in the cafeteria, she headed straight to Fang Qianqian’s place.

She was eager to learn how to make Western-style pastries. Just thinking about how she could gain a skill to support herself through her own effort filled her with hope for the future.

Fang Qianqian knew she was coming to learn today and had gotten up early to prepare the ingredients. As soon as Lin Suisui arrived, she started the lesson.

“Let’s make egg tarts today,” Fang Qianqian said, beginning her demonstration. “Egg tarts have two parts—the crust and the custard filling.”

Lin Suisui had never heard of an “egg tart” before, but she just followed Fang Qianqian’s instructions step by step.

The custard filling was simple enough to make. The crust, though, was tricky—it involved rolling, folding like a quilt, and took both effort and precision. But Lin Suisui seemed like she was born for this. Her movements were smooth and skillful.

Fang Qianqian didn’t hold back her praise. “Suisui, in the year I’ve been here, I’ve taught a few army wives how to make egg tarts, but you’re the best by far. The oval shape you molded looks even better than mine!”

“Oh, not at all, it’s just luck. It’s all because you’re such a good teacher.”

“Haha, I’ll happily accept that compliment.”

Once the crust was done, Fang Qianqian showed Lin Suisui how to make the custard.

“It’s easy—just mix these ingredients I’ve prepared, and then skim off the foam at the end,” she explained confidently. She trusted Lin Suisui enough not to demonstrate this time, simply giving verbal instructions.

True to form, Lin Suisui executed every step perfectly.

Once everything was ready, Fang Qianqian brought her to the kitchen to bake the tarts.

“What is this thing?” Lin Suisui asked curiously, eyeing the metal box in the kitchen.