Chapter 32

Jiang Nian saw Lu Yu holding a cold steamed bun and quickly took the bowl from his hand. “Don’t eat cold food. Let me make you some hot dumpling soup.”

Lu Yu coughed into his fist a few times. “It’s not necessary.”

“It’s no trouble.”

Jiang Nian smiled with a good mood, then looked up at Lu Yu. “You should go to my room first. It’s warmer there.”

The warm yellow light shone on Jiang Nian’s smiling face, and Lu Yu felt a warm current rising in his heart. He suppressed the itchiness in his throat, held back the cough, and asked in a husky voice, “You seem very happy, sister-in-law?”

Jiang Nian lowered her head to push corn cobs into the stove, and casually replied upon hearing Lu Yu’s question, “Of course I’m happy that you’re back.”

Having said that, she didn’t think much about it and got up to get flour from the cabinet. When she saw Lu Yu still standing at the kitchen door, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Why are you still standing here? Go to my room to warm up for a while. After I finish cooking, I’ll come to your room to light a fire and dispel the cold.”

Lu Yu, rare to see Jiang Nian so light-hearted and happy, was momentarily distracted. Regaining his senses, he replied, “I’m not cold.”

He then went to his own room to light a fire and dispel the cold.

Jiang Nian shivered from the cold and noticed Lu Yu was wearing less than her. She felt he must be pretending not to feel cold. While cooking, Jiang Nian heard Lu Yu coughing occasionally in his room and suspected he had caught a cold. After finishing cooking, she served Lu Yu his meal and called out, “Dinner is ready.”

She took the last piece of ginger from the cabinet, and when Lu Yu walked into the kitchen, he saw her chopping vegetables on the cutting board. “What else are you doing?” he asked.

Jiang Nian replied, “I’m making ginger brown sugar water for you to drink, to dispel the cold.”

Lu Yu felt warmth in his heart. He sat on the stool with the warm dumpling soup. It was the first warm meal he had eaten in over twenty days, and the hot soup warmed his stomach and dispersed the cold that had accumulated there.

Having spent many years in the army, every time he returned from a rescue mission, all he had was a cold dormitory and teasing from his comrades. This was the second time he had returned in the middle of the night and eaten warm soup made by Jiang Nian’s hands.

Lu Yu ate three bowls of dumpling soup. After finishing, he washed the pot and bowls. Jiang Nian went back to her room to get some brown sugar, boiled ginger brown sugar water, and served it in a bowl for Lu Yu to drink. She finally noticed that Lu Yu had lost even more weight.

He had lost a lot of weight in the two months he was away. Now, after just twenty days, he had lost the flesh he had slowly gained back over the past few months, making his sharp facial features even more pronounced.

Jiang Nian thought to herself that she should make more delicious food to help Lu Yu regain his strength.

Although the door was closed, the cracks were still leaking cold air. Jiang Nian shivered from the cold. She put the remaining ginger in the cabinet. “What do you want to eat tomorrow? I’ll make it for you.”

“Cough—”

After Lu Yu finished drinking the ginger soup, he coughed for a while. His complexion wasn’t good. Jiang Nian was worried, so she walked over and checked his forehead. It was warm, indicating he didn’t have a fever.

Suddenly, everything darkened before his eyes. A faint smell of soapberry rushed into his nose. It was the same fragrance he had smelled every night when he went to her room to pour out the bathwater. Her warm hand felt fine, and her slender fingers stayed on his forehead for a few seconds before she moved them away.

Perhaps due to his illness, Lu Yu suddenly wanted Jiang Nian to stay with him and keep her warm hand on his forehead.

He suddenly began to cherish the feeling of being remembered by someone.

During this snowstorm rescue mission, he had thought most about Jiang Nian at home, wondering if she would encounter trouble alone, or whether she would be targeted again by malicious rumors.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Jiang Nian saw him bowing his head in silence, his face pale and unresponsive. She couldn’t help worrying.

Lu Yu came back to his senses and placed the empty bowl on the table. “It’s nothing. It’s late. Sister-in-law, you should go to bed.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Jiang Nian was concerned because his symptoms indicated he had caught a cold. There were no medicines at home, so she planned to buy some from the health clinic the next day.

Lu Yu said, “I’m fine.”

Seeing that he was really okay, Jiang Nian relaxed for the time being. She went back to her room and crawled back into bed, feeling the warmth from the blanket. Her trembling body finally relaxed.

Jiang Nian felt that the weather was too cold.

The more she thought about it, the more she missed the New Century era with its heated floors, where you could stay indoors in winter wearing short sleeves and eating ice cream. Now, reminiscing about that feeling was simply nostalgic.

Being awakened by the cold just now, Jiang Nian was no longer sleepy. She stared at the dark beams, thinking about the dream she had that night.

Since the female protagonist Sun Ying didn’t marry the male lead, who did she end up marrying?

Could it be Wu Youshan?

The cold wind outside howled, and Jiang Nian remained awake until dawn. She decided not to sleep anymore. After lying in bed for a while, she got up, dressed, and shivered as she did so. After putting on her clothes, she used a bit of cold water mixed with hot water from the thermos to wash her face and brush her teeth. After tidying up, she went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

She planned to make some pumpkin porridge, a few pastries, stir-fry a couple of dishes, and add some leftover sticky rice cakes from yesterday. However, she also needed to make a few scallion pancakes. She noticed Lu Yu liked them a lot and always finished the ones she made.

The kitchen was adjacent to Lu Yu’s room, separated by a wall. Every now and then, she heard him coughing, which worried Jiang Nian. She was afraid that if this continued, he might develop pneumonia. Since she had used up all the hot water, she added more water to the pot and started to boil it.

Once the water boiled, she let it cool a bit and then poured a cup. Holding the enamel cup, she walked to Lu Yu’s door. “Lu Yu, are you awake?”

“Yeah.”

His voice sounded hoarse.

Jiang Nian pursed her lips. “Can I come in?”

There was a moment of silence inside, then he replied, “You can.”

Jiang Nian tried to push open the door slowly. The day was getting bright, but the room was still dim. She could see Lu Yu lying in bed, covered with a thick blanket. He was wearing a thin white shirt inside. When he saw her enter, he sat up, leaning against the wall where newspapers were pasted, his handsome face somewhat pale and sickly, his thin lips a bit dry.

This was the first time Jiang Nian had entered Lu Yu’s room when he was present.

Perhaps because it had been uninhabited for over twenty days, despite having lit a fire, the room was still chilly.

Jiang Nian pulled the light switch, causing Lu Yu to briefly close his eyes and furrowed his brows slightly, as if uncomfortable with the brightness. She approached the bed with the cup of hot water and handed it to him. “Drink some hot water to soothe your throat. After I finish breakfast, I’ll go to the health clinic to buy you some medicine.”

“Mm.”

His voice was even hoarser than before.

Lu Yu reached out to take the enamel cup, and his fingers lightly brushed against Jiang Nian’s fair hand. Her hand was cold, and the chill spread through his fingertips all the way to his heart. Jiang Nian let go of the cup as he took it, and she used the hand that had just held the hot water to touch Lu Yu’s forehead again. It was surprisingly hot.

Jiang Nian paused for a moment, tried again, and looked at Lu Yu’s weary eyes and brows. A worried expression flashed across her face. “You have a fever.”

“I’m fine.”

He repeated the same words as always.

After finishing the hot water, Lu Yu suddenly grabbed her wrist, his fingertips gently rubbing the smooth skin of her wrist, barely noticeable.

Hoarsely, he said, “Sister-in-law.”

Jiang Nian turned around. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Yu’s eyes were dark, and the dimly lit room didn’t let in much daylight. He asked, “Where are you going, sister-in-law?”

Jiang Nian was a bit puzzled by Lu Yu’s behavior at the moment. So, she explained, “I’ll go to the clinic to see if they are open, but there should be a night shift in the clinic, right?”

Lu Yu lowered his gaze, looked at the slender wrist held in his palm, and lightly pursed his thin lips. Suddenly, he let go of her hand and said, “I’d like to drink more hot water.”

After saying that, he coughed violently a few times.

Jiang Nian said, “I’ll pour you some more.”

She took the enamel cup back to the kitchen, poured another cup of hot water, and then carried it to the adjacent room. “Drink this first. I’ll go buy fever-reducing medicine.”

Jiang Nian was now extremely grateful that she wasn’t sleepy. She had discovered Lu Yu’s fever early, or he would have suffered longer. 

The wind outside was strong. Jiang Nian went back to her room, put on the red scarf she had knitted, and wrapped it around her neck. She then hurried to the health clinic. After running a few steps, she unexpectedly met Feng Mei on the road and exclaimed, “Sister Feng, where are you going?”

Feng Mei turned around and saw Jiang Nian. Her hair was tied behind her head, and she wore a light pink cotton coat, complemented by a bright red scarf. Her face was fair and lovely, hardly resembling a widow. She looked more like a young girl waiting to be married. “Old Song has a fever. I’m going to the health clinic to buy him some fever-reducing medicine.”

Jiang Nian was somewhat taken aback. “Commander Song has a fever too?”

Upon hearing this, Feng Mei chuckled. “What’s the matter, Deputy Commander Lu has a fever too?”

Jiang Nian nodded. “I’m also planning to go to the health clinic to buy fever-reducing medicine. I’ll also get some cold and cough medicine.”

Seeing Feng Mei’s nonchalant demeanor, Jiang Nian couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Do they get sick like this every time they come back from a snowstorm rescue mission?”

The sky was gradually brightening, but it was still overcast today.

Walking under the trees, Feng Mei replied, “It’s not like this every year. In previous years, the snow was even heavier than this year. Soldiers who went out for rescue missions mostly fell ill upon returning, and the health clinic couldn’t keep up. Think about it, despite their strong bodies, after staying in the snowy field for more than twenty days in winter, barely eating enough and poorly clothed, they ate cold dry rations and drank snow water. Their clothes and shoes were soaked through with snow, and there were no replacements. Even the strongest bodies can’t endure this. It would be strange if they didn’t get sick. Old Song said that a group of patients returned a few days ago, and they are the last to return.”

Thinking of Lu Yu’s hard work over the past twenty days, Jiang Nian felt even more sympathetic towards the soldiers. 

She touched her face, feeling cold. “Then I must take good care of Lu Yu.”

Feng Mei smiled. “You’re really a conscientious sister-in-law.”

Jiang Nian smiled but didn’t say anything more. Together with Feng Mei, she went to the health clinic. With many people falling ill these days, the staff at the clinic were all on rotating shifts, their eyes showing signs of fatigue. However, whenever they saw a soldier or a family member of a soldier coming over, they would carefully inquire about their condition and prescribe medicines accordingly.

Jiang Nian described Lu Yu’s symptoms. After the nurse from the clinic brought the medicine, Jiang Nian and Feng Mei walked back together. On their way back, they ran into Chen Fang and several military wives.After the last time Chen Fang and Feng Mei had tried to match Jiang Nian up with a partner, they disliked each other every time they met. Either you glared at her or she glared at you.

After Chen Fang left, Feng Mei snorted, “Looks like Commander Tang is sick too.”

As they reached the doorstep, Xu Yan, dressed warmly, came out and was surprised to see Jiang Nian and Feng Mei, “Where did you two go?”

Feng Mei replied, “To buy medicine.”

Xu Yan smiled, “That’s right, I am going too.”

Feng Mei asked, “Is your second uncle still causing trouble?”

At the mention of them, Xu Yan’s face darkened. She coldly said, “When they saw Liu Qiang return, their initial arrogance disappeared. They’ll be gone by dawn. If they stay any longer, I won’t be able to tolerate it.”

Jiang Nian sympathized with Xu Yan, having such troublesome relatives.

As soon as Zheng Hong left, another person came.

After exchanging a few words, Xu Yan went to the clinic, while Jiang Nian and Feng Mei each went home. Jiang Nian immediately took a fever-reducing pill and went to Lu Yu’s house, bringing him another cup of hot water. “Take the fever-reducing medicine first. I’ll make food. After we eat, you can take the cold medicine.”

This was the first time Lu Yu had been so carefully looked after since arriving at the army.

He nodded, his voice still hoarse.

Jiang Nian went to the kitchen and made some pumpkin porridge, fried two dishes, reheated some plain steamed buns and sticky rice cakes. When the meal was ready, she specifically brought it to Lu Yu’s room, placing it on the small wooden table beside his bed. “It’s cold outside. Don’t get out of bed. Eat here, and I’ll clean up after.”

Watching Jiang Nian bustling around, Lu Yu’s eyes warmed slightly.

He wasn’t so fragile that he needed such meticulous care. Even with a fever, he could go to the team and train without a problem. But seeing Jiang Nian treating him like a fragile patient for the first time, Lu Yu had a sudden improper thought—to lie in bed a few more days.

Jiang Nian brought dry firewood from the kitchen to Lu Yu’s room and started a fire. She poked the firepot, using sparks from the kitchen to ignite more wood, ensuring a good blaze warmed up the room. Looking at Lu Yu, who was eating, she asked, “Do you want more porridge?”

Lu Yu nodded, “Yes.”

So Jiang Nian went back to the kitchen, scooped another bowl of porridge for Lu Yu, ate a few bites herself in the kitchen, swept away the fallen leaves in the yard, and after a flurry of activity, she felt warm all over and not cold at all.

After a while, when Lu Yu finished eating, Jiang Nian brought him cold and cough medicine, watching him finish before she cleaned the dishes in the kitchen.

Sitting by the stove, Jiang Nian remembered when she was sick before, and Lu Yu had taken care of her tirelessly, even more attentively than she was now. After a moment of thought, she decided to go to the food station at noon to get a pound of meat and make Lu Yu mixed sauce noodles for lunch.

Thinking this, she went back to her room, tied a red scarf around her neck, and said through the window of Lu Yu’s room, “I’m going to the food station. I’ll be back soon.”

Lu Yu’s voice came from inside the room, “I’ll go.”

He was still sick; why would he go out on such a cold day?

“No need, you rest in bed. I’ll be back soon.”

As Jiang Nian finished speaking, footsteps were heard inside, followed by the door opening. Lu Yu, wearing winter military uniform, his hair a bit longer than before, and a hint of stubble on his face, looked less stern and more wild than usual.