Chapter 30

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Nian looked up and asked when she saw that he hadn’t left yet.

Lu Yu withdrew his gaze. “If there’s anything, please ask Sister Feng for help first.”

After saying this, he left.

Before long, Feng Mei arrived. As soon as she entered, she took the child from Jiang Nian’s arms. Jiang Nian shook her hands and, hearing the child cry, rushed into the house to make some malted milk. When Feng Mei saw Jiang Nian come out with a bowl of malted milk, she widened her eyes. “Oh my, you’re really extravagant, giving the child malted milk. No matter how wealthy the family is, they can’t afford to waste it like this.”

Jiang Nian was stunned for a moment, then slowly fed the malted milk to the child. “There’s no formula at home, and I didn’t know what else to give him, so I let him drink malted milk first.”

“Porridge, rice gruel, egg custard, he can have a bit of those too. I’ll tell you more about other options later.”

Feng Mei took the bowl from Jiang Nian and slowly fed the child. “How can we afford formulas? My children, Xiangdong and Xianghong, have never tasted formula since they were born. I haven’t even seen the formula myself.”

Feng Mei was skilled at handling children. After the child drank half a bowl of the malted milk, he smiled in Feng Mei’s arms, revealing his pink gums.

She asked, “What’s the matter with this child?”

Jiang Nian sighed. “Do you remember the soldier who followed my husband four years ago? His name is Li Fangda. He hurt his arm and later retired to the countryside.”

Feng Mei nodded. “Of course, I remember.”

She suddenly widened her eyes. “This is Li Fangda’s child?!”

Jiang Nian recounted the events of that day when she and Lu Yu saw Li Fangda and Wu Ying in the city. Feng Mei clicked her tongue. “It must have been Wu Ying who sent the child to the army. But why would she give away her own child? And did Li Fangda just let her do it?”

Jiang Nian shook her head. She didn’t know either.

The child started crying again, and Feng Mei said, “He needs to pee.”

She held the child in a position to help him pee, and Jiang Nian looked and saw that it was true.

Xu Yan heard the child crying and came over, asking Jiang Nian what was going on. Feng Mei, quick to speak, told Xu Yan everything Jiang Nian had shared with her. Xu Yan said to Jiang Nian, “Wait a moment, I’ll get the clothes and bedding Jianwu used as a child. It’s cold at night, we don’t want the child to catch a chill.”

With Xu Yan and Feng Mei’s help, Jiang Nian felt much more at ease today.

As dusk fell, warm yellow lights illuminated the small courtyard. Lu Yu hadn’t returned after being out the whole day. Jiang Nian waited until the child fell asleep before going to the kitchen to cook. Just as she started, the child woke up again, and his loud cries reached the kitchen. On the verge of tears, Jiang Nian put down the spatula and ran to the room, picked up the child, and took him to the courtyard to help him pee, imitating Feng Mei’s actions.

Children are truly carefree. This one, in particular, didn’t mind strangers even at night. After peeing, he started crying for food again. Jiang Nian placed him on the bed and quickly served the food from the pot. Hearing the child’s loud cries again, she ran back to the room to make more malted milk.

“Please, ancestor, stop crying.”

“Woo woo woo, I want to cry too.”

“Please, I’ve already made another batch of malted milk.”

The freshly made malted milk was too hot to drink, and the child cried heart-wrenchingly. Jiang Nian, on the verge of collapse, with red-rimmed eyes, pleaded, “Please, stop crying. I’ll add some cold water for you.”

She walked out of the room with tears in her eyes and ran into Lu Yu, who had just returned home.

The small courtyard was lit up. Lu Yu looked at Jiang Nian standing at the door, her bright eyes glistening with tears. He had overheard everything she had just said. He didn’t expect his sister-in-law to be so…interesting when alone at home.

You’re finally back—

Jiang Nian was on the verge of breaking down. She held back her helpless tears, sniffled, and said, “Go to the kitchen and get me some cold water. The child is hungry.”

“Okay.”

Lu Yu strode to the kitchen, brought in the cold water, and mixed it with the hot malted milk. He then took the child from Jiang Nian’s arms and slowly fed him.

Jiang Nian sat wearily by the bed, watching Lu Yu soothe the child, feeling like she finally had someone to rely on.

She asked, “How is Li Fangda?”

Lu Yu looked at the child who was smiling while drinking, feeling a bit bitter, and told Jiang Nian what he had found out in the city today: “Li Fangda has passed away…”

What???

Jiang Nian suddenly looked up, remembering the time she saw Li Fangda. His complexion was somewhat sallow, he seemed listless, and he frequently coughed. She had thought it was just arm pain and a minor cold.

How could he be dead?

Lu Yu, looking at the child’s bright eyes, was filled with sorrow. “I contacted the police and found Li Fangda’s cousin. It turns out he wasn’t his cousin but the captain’s son from their brigade. Li Fangda had come to the city for medical treatment. His arm injury had relapsed, causing inflammation. Treating it was expensive, so he endured it without getting treatment.”

At this point, Lu Yu’s voice became hoarse, seemingly regretting not paying more attention to Li Fangda’s condition earlier.

“The muscles in his arm had necrotized, affecting the nerves. He didn’t last long after that.”

Jiang Nian felt heavy-hearted, looking at the child happily smiling after drinking the malted milk. Suddenly, she didn’t find him troublesome anymore. She felt a pang of pity for him. “Why did Wu Ying send the child here?”

Mentioning Wu Ying, Jiang Nian noticed the sorrow in Lu Yu’s expression.

Her heart sank, fearing the worst.

Sure enough, Lu Yu’s voice was hoarse as he said, “Wu Ying also passed away. This afternoon, the police received a report that a woman was found hanged in a forest. She matched Wu Ying’s description. We went to identify the body, and it was indeed her.”

Jiang Nian felt a sharp pain in her chest, feeling both sorrow and anger. But she couldn’t say anything. When she had seen Li Fangda and Wu Ying last, she could tell they were very much in love.

She hadn’t expected Wu Ying to follow Li Fangda in death, even ensuring her child was with trusted people before she died.

Jiang Nian’s throat was dry. “What about Wu Ying and Li Fangda’s families?”

Lu Yu replied, “Li Fangda’s fellow villagers said Wu Ying only had a stepfather left. Li Fangda’s parents are still alive. He went back to the countryside tonight to inform them. They will probably come to get the child in a few days.”

“I’ll hold him; you go eat,” Jiang Nian said, getting up to take the child.

Lu Yu said, “No, you go ahead.”

Jiang Nian pressed her lips together and ran to the kitchen. She covered her mouth and sobbed quietly, unsure whether she was crying for Wu Ying or the poor child who lost both parents before turning one.

She remembered the can of malted milk, likely the last food Wu Ying bought for the child with her final bit of money.

After spending a long time in the kitchen, she wiped her tears, ate a few bites, and went to change with Lu Yu.

Although the light in the room was dim, Lu Yu could still see Jiang Nian’s red, swollen eyes. He pressed his thin lips together and finally said nothing, heading to the kitchen. Jiang Nian lay on the bed with the child, playing with him, feeling heartbroken as he laughed.

“Wa… wa…”

The child couldn’t speak, only making “wa wa” sounds. Jiang Nian wiped away her tears, gently pinching the child’s soft cheek. “Auntie will make you some little clothes and warm quilts, okay?”

The child smiled, revealing his pink gums.

Jiang Nian furrowed her brow, holding back her tears, shaking his little hand.

The sheets and quilt the child wet last night had been washed and dried by noon. After putting the child to sleep, Jiang Nian took out the best fabric and needle and thread from the cabinet, planning to make clothes and quilts before the child’s family arrived.

“Sister-in-law.”

A tall figure stood in the doorway. Jiang Nian turned to see Lu Yu walking to the table, taking twenty-five yuan from his pocket and placing it on the table. “This is your payment from Sister Ge.”

Seeing Jiang Nian’s red, tear-stained eyes, Lu Yu finally smiled a little. “Your quilt got wet; you can stay in my room tonight. I’ll sleep in another room.”

Jiang Nian was taken aback and shook her head instinctively. “No need, I dried the quilt today; it’s fine now.”

Lu Yu nodded. “That’s good.”

As he left, he added, “Don’t work on needlework at night; it’s bad for your eyes. Do it tomorrow.”

Jiang Nian looked at the fabric in her hand, thought for a moment, then put it away and lay down with the child.

For the next few days, with Feng Mei and Xu Yan helping, and Lu Yu comforting the child at night, Jiang Nian found some free time. She quickly made two small clothes for the child. The small clothes were easy and fast to make.

After finishing the clothes, she ran out of cotton for the quilt. She went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some cotton. Seeing they sold formula, she bought six bags, spending all the twenty-five yuan she had just earned.

In those days, formula wasn’t cheap. Combined with the cotton, she spent twelve yuan. No wonder Feng Mei said they couldn’t afford it. For an average family, it was indeed too much. When Li Fangda’s parents came to the army to take the child, Jiang Nian had just finished making the quilt.

She put the formula and quilt in a big cloth bag and handed it to Li Fangda’s mother. “This is for the child.”

Li Fangda’s parents seemed to have cried all the way there. Both had red, swollen eyes, especially Li Fangda’s mother, who burst into tears when she saw the child, nearly suffocating from crying.

Jiang Nian stood by, not knowing how to comfort them. She looked at Lu Yu, who remained silent.

She knew that at such a time, nothing anyone said could console them. Losing both son and daughter-in-law was a pain no parent should endure.

Outside, the passing military wives paused at the small courtyard, curious about what had happened at Deputy Commander Lu’s house. Feng Mei had already spread the news, so the entire family quarters knew that the child at Deputy Commander Lu’s house was Li Fangda’s son, who had followed Captain Xu four years ago.

The news of Li Fangda’s family’s tragedy spread quickly, and despite any minor conflicts among the military wives, they all felt a collective sorrow and a desire to help.

Zhu Jun and a few soldiers escorted Li Fangda’s parents as they left, carrying large and small cloth bags filled with eggs and food items the military wives had donated. Lu Yu had mentioned that Li Fangda and Wu Ying’s bodies couldn’t be transported back to their hometown and had to be cremated in the city. The expenses for the cremation were covered by the regiment through a formal application process that took over ten days to be approved.

After the child left, Jiang Nian sat in the house for a long time, only coming out in the evening.

With the child around for the past few days, Jiang Nian had grown accustomed to the noise. Now that the child was gone, the silence felt overwhelming. At mealtime, she went to the kitchen to cook and found that there wasn’t much water left in the jar. She took a bucket to the well to fetch water. Just as she filled the bucket and was about to lift it, she heard hurried footsteps approaching.

Before Jiang Nian could turn around, a wave of warmth engulfed her, and a deep, steady voice came from behind, “Sister-in-law, let me do it.”

Lu Yu took the bucket from her and carried it to the kitchen. The sound of water splashing and then quieting filled the air.

Jiang Nian watched as Lu Yu quickly fetched more water from the well. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong, well-defined arms. The sight of his muscles and the glimpse of his chest and abs through his collar made her heart race.

She quickly turned away, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

She blinked rapidly, silently reminding herself: It’s not yours, don’t look, don’t look!

Jiang Nian patted her cheeks and headed to the kitchen. She hadn’t noticed Lu Yu sitting by the stove lighting a fire. She exhaled, picked up a potato from the cutting board, and heard Lu Yu’s concerned voice, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Jiang Nian froze. “Huh?”

She looked up, seeing Lu Yu approach. He reached out to touch her forehead. The warmth of his touch made her feel guilty, and she took two steps back to avoid his hand. “I’m fine, just a bit hot.”

A hint of doubt flashed in Lu Yu’s eyes.

It was already November, and soon they would be using the fire pit. How could she be hot?

Seeing Jiang Nian lowering her head to chop vegetables, Lu Yu still felt uneasy, worried she might fall ill again like last time. He pressed her wrist gently and checked her forehead again. “You have a slight fever.”

Jiang Nian: …

She struggled a bit, feeling a bit guilty. “I’ll drink some hot water and be fine.”

Lu Yu took the knife from her hand. “Go back to your room. I’ll boil some hot water for you.”

Jiang Nian didn’t argue further, afraid that if she insisted, Lu Yu might notice her embarrassment, which would be even more mortifying.

She went back to her room, sat on the bed swinging her legs, and occasionally glanced at her right ankle. She remembered how Lu Yu had massaged her sprained ankle, which hadn’t hurt since then.

Hearing footsteps outside, Jiang Nian looked up to see Lu Yu entering with an enamel mug. He handed it to her. “Drink some hot water first.”

Noticing her right foot hanging off the bed, he asked, “Is your ankle hurting again?”

Jiang Nian quickly lowered her foot. “No.”

Lu Yu watched as she sipped from the mug, her bangs falling softly by her temples, her eyelashes fluttering. “Sister-in-law.”

Jiang Nian kept her head down, her cheeks still slightly red. She didn’t dare look up and replied quietly, “Yes?”

“If you’re not feeling well, just let me know. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

Jiang Nian awkwardly pursed her lips and nodded gently. “I will.”

That evening, Lu Yu prepared dinner.

He made some porridge and stir-fried two dishes. Jiang Nian sat quietly in the yard eating, her head lowered. Midway through the meal, two strangers arrived—a couple, unfamiliar faces. The man wore a military uniform and looked about the same age as Commander Song.

Jiang Nian didn’t recognize them, but Lu Yu did. He stood up. “Commander Tang, what brings you here?”

Commander Tang was from the Second Regiment. Both regiments were part of the same military district. The woman beside him was his wife, Chen Fang. Commander Tang and Commander Song had a love-hate relationship, often bickering but also being close like brothers in times of need. However, Chen Fang and Feng Mei sometimes clashed when they met.

Jiang Nian also stood up, somewhat nervously pursing her lips, and followed Lu Yu in greeting, “Commander Tang, Sister Chen.”

Chen Fang looked Jiang Nian up and down, growing more fond of her the more she saw, and smiled. “So you’re Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law. I saw you on the way to the supply and marketing cooperative before, but we hadn’t met.”

Jiang Nian smiled. “I remember you now, Sister Chen.”

Commander Tang said to Lu Yu, “I was just talking with Commander Song and thought I’d drop by to chat with you. You go ahead and eat; don’t mind us. We’ve already had our dinner.”

Commander Tang sat on a stool, chatting with Lu Yu, while Chen Fang sat beside Jiang Nian. Seeing that Jiang Nian was almost done eating, Chen Fang asked with a smile, “How old are you this year?”

Jiang Nian’s eyelids twitched, looking up at Chen Fang, who was smiling warmly at her.

Jiang Nian: …

She had a feeling Chen Fang had an agenda.

Jiang Nian bit her lip. “I’ll be 23 after the new year.”

Chen Fang said, “That’s not small, but still very young compared to me.”

Jiang Nian smiled but didn’t know how to respond. She had a faint suspicion that Chen Fang might be trying to set her up. Glancing at Lu Yu, she caught his gaze.

She couldn’t decipher the look in Lu Yu’s eyes, but it felt significant.

“Xiao Nian, is it okay if I call you that?” Chen Fang smiled, seeming quite familiar already.

Jiang Nian shook her head. “No.”

Chen Fang said, “When I see you, I think of my younger brother Tang Ze. He’s five years older than you. Last year, he lost his wife too. He doesn’t have any children either, just living alone. He’s always away training in the military. I told him to submit an application to stay in the military district and stop running around all the time.”

Jiang Nian remained silent.

Chen Fang smiled, “Xiao Nian, when Tang Ze comes back, you should meet him. Maybe you two will hit it off.”

Jiang Nian nervously tugged at her clothes, pursed her lips, and glanced lightly in the direction where Lu Yu was looking at her!