Chapter 33.1

Jiang Nian’s heart skipped a beat as she blinked and asked, “Why are you coming out?”

Lu Yu closed the door behind him and replied, “The food station is quite far, and it’s cold on the way. You stay inside; I’ll go and be right back.”

Jiang Nian pursed her lips, looking at Lu Yu’s determined expression, feeling warm in her heart. She hadn’t expected that even with a fever, Lu Yu would think of taking care of her and not letting her get cold. Unable to persuade him otherwise, Jiang Nian said, “I’ll go with you.”

She couldn’t bear to let him, a sick person, go to the food station on such a cold day. Her conscience wouldn’t allow it.

Lu Yu remained silent, which Jiang Nian took as an agreement.

He glanced at Jiang Nian, with half of her face covered by a red scarf, revealing only her nose, eyebrows, and eyes. Her long, naturally curled eyelashes had dewdrops on them due to the cold weather, making her eyes shimmer beautifully.

Lu Yu looked away, his gaze falling on the snowman in the yard. He noticed the red chili peppers stuck on its nose and two branches on its head, smiling slightly. “Did Sister-in-law make this snowman alone?”

Jiang Nian pursed her lips, a hint of arrogance in her eyes. “Yes, I made it alone out of boredom.”

Lu Yu commented, “It’s very cute.”

Jiang Nian blushed inexplicably, turned around, and said, “Wait for me.”

Soon, Jiang Nian came out of the house again, holding a navy blue scarf in her hands, and handed it to Lu Yu. “I knitted this scarf for you. Try it on.”

Lu Yu looked at the scarf in Jiang Nian’s hands, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he hoarsely said, “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”

He took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck. The warm wool pressed against his skin, shielding him from the biting cold. When Jiang Nian asked if he felt warm, he smiled and replied, “Yes, I do.”

Just as they stepped out of the house, they heard Gu Xia and Xu Yan next door arguing. Shortly after, Liu Qiang came out shouting, “What are you arguing about? Isn’t our house chaotic enough every day? And you, second aunt, manage your son well. How old is he compared to my son? A ten-year-old hitting a five-year-old, does that make him a man?”

Gu Xia dared not argue with Liu Qiang, afraid he would send them back. Here, they could eat warm corn pancakes and sleep in a relatively warmer room, much better than their drafty house in the countryside.

It was like night and day.

Xu Yan retorted angrily, “Liu Qiang, you better send them away later!”

Gu Xia added, “We’re not leaving. Our house is falling apart. If you send us back, are you trying to freeze us to death?”

Xu Yan scolded, “Stop shamelessly living in my house. This is the family quarters. Liu Qiang’s application to the higher-ups is almost due. Whether you leave willingly or not, you’ll have to go!”

Liu Erzhu and Liu Li stayed inside, exchanged glances, and began packing their belongings, planning to stay for another free lunch before leaving. If Gu Xia didn’t leave, they, father and daughter, would still have to go.

Seeing Liu Erzhu and Liu Li packing, Gu Xia felt a sharp pain in her eyes due to anger.

Xu Yan snorted coldly, showing no kindness to Gu Xia and Gu Shan. After they left, she planned to have a serious talk with Liu Qiang. If they ever faced another snowstorm in the future, she wouldn’t allow them to come over. They were a shameless family.

Especially Gu Xia and Gu Shan, they were simply shameless.

Jiang Nian and Lu Yu walked away and couldn’t hear the arguments in Xu Yan’s courtyard anymore.

But they should be leaving soon. The soldiers had returned from the rescue mission in Lecheng County, and everything was fine there. If they continued to stay, it wouldn’t just be Xu Yan unwilling to tolerate them; even the unit wouldn’t allow it. After all, Liu Qiang’s application only allowed them to stay for a month. Beyond that, they either had to leave or Liu Qiang would have to reapply.

However, expecting Liu Qiang to reapply was out of the question.

Jiang Nian went to the food station and bought two pounds of meat, then went to the vegetable station to buy some vegetables. Lu Yu carried everything. By the time they reached the army base, it was almost lunchtime. Shortly after they entered the base, a military guard called out from behind, “Comrade Jiang, someone is looking for you outside.”

Jiang Nian couldn’t imagine who would be looking for her at this time.

She glanced at Lu Yu, who said, “Go out and see.”

The two walked out of the base and saw Ge Mei waiting outside in a thick coat, scarf around her neck, and a hat on her head, stomping her feet to keep warm. Jiang Nian was somewhat surprised to see her.

Since Lu Yu had sent the embroidered picture over last time, Ge Mei hadn’t contacted her for several months.

She had thought their first collaboration had failed.

Seeing Jiang Nian, Ge Mei smiled and said, “Long time no see. I’ve come to see you again.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “Let’s talk inside. It’s cold out here.”

Lu Yu went to the guard room to sign some papers, and the military guard allowed Ge Mei inside. On the way back, Ge Mei talked about what had happened to her in the past few months. After receiving the embroidered pattern from Deputy Commander Lu, Ge Mei was amazed. When she handed it to the boss of Hongcheng, he praised it endlessly.

Originally planning to find Jiang Nian again, Ge Mei had some health issues and spent a month in the city hospital. After returning home, she focused on recovering. If it weren’t for her years of experience at the state-owned embroidery shop and her outstanding skills, she might have lost her position as director.

Listening to Ge Mei recount her past few months, Jiang Nian thought of how Feng Mei had met Ge Mei in the hospital before. Concerned, she asked, “How’s your health now?”

Ge Mei smiled bitterly and touched her stomach, “I had to have my uterus removed. The pain in my abdomen is gone, but…”

She sighed, “I just feel like something’s suddenly missing.”

Fortunately, she already had a son and a daughter, and she was getting older. She had no intention of having more children.

Lu Yu felt these words were not suitable for him to hear. He quickened his pace, soon distancing himself from them.

Jiang Nian didn’t know what comforting words to say. She had never had children herself, nor had she been married in real life, so she couldn’t relate to Ge Mei’s feelings on this matter. However, she felt deeply sorry for her.

At this time of day, there were many military wives on the road. Seeing Jiang Nian walking with a woman dressed much like a city dweller, and Ge Mei being so tightly wrapped up that her face was hidden, many people were curious about who she was.

Arriving at their door, they saw Gu Xia talking to two women at the family quarters gate. Ignoring Gu Xia, Jiang Nian walked into the courtyard with Ge Mei.

Glancing sideways, Gu Xia noted that last year, the neighboring house had been empty, but now someone lived there. Also, Xu Yan seemed to get along well with her. Gu Xia then asked the elderly lady she was talking to, “Who is she?”

The old lady replied, “She’s Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law, a widow. Her husband was also a soldier.”

Gu Xia clicked her tongue and said, “Living together as brother-in-law and sister-in-law? Aren’t they afraid of gossip?”

With that remark, the two elderly women exchanged a look that indicated they didn’t approve of Gu Xia. They all knew a bit about the kind of family Deputy Commander Lu came from, having spent a considerable amount of time there. When addressing older people, they either called them “sister-in-law” or “aunt.” 

To be honest, the older aunts hadn’t really spread rumors about Jiang Nian.

“Come on, let’s go buy some vegetables.”

The two old ladies walked away together, ignoring Gu Xia.

Clicking her tongue, Gu Xia took a glance at Jiang Nian’s yard and went back to her house and ran into Xu Yan splashing water in the yard, splashing mud onto her pants leg. Gu Xia immediately frowned, “Are your eyes covered in chicken poop?”

Xu Yan rolled her eyes, “Can’t you watch where you’re going?”

Gu Xia was about to retort when Liu Qiang came out of the house. She immediately kept quiet and turned back to her room. She scolded Xu Yan in front of Liu Erzhu and Gu Shan, then brought up seeing Jiang Nian at the door earlier, “I don’t know where a widow like her gets the nerve to live with her brother-in-law. She definitely has ulterior motives. Her husband dies, and she’s already trying to climb onto her brother-in-law.”

She kept going on about ” brother-in-law and sister-in-law” for quite a time.

Liu Erzhu frowned, “What does it have to do with you? You are always causing trouble.”

After saying that, he turned around and lay down on the bed. He had no time to listen to Gu Xia’s nonsense. Liu Li said nothing, quietly sitting at the foot of the bed. In contrast, Gu Shan was curious, “Mom, is that woman the same as the widow Yu from the head of our village?”

Gu Xia replied, “Yes, just like the widow at the head of the village. They’re both seducing men like foxes.”

Liu Erzhu covered his ears, not wanting to hear any more of Gu Xia’s words.

Back at home, Ge Mei removed her scarf and hat after they walked in the house. Jiang Nian saw she had lost a lot of weight, with her eye sockets even appearing sunken, showing how difficult the illness had been for her.

Ge Mei took out a piece of fine cloth from her bag, cradling it in her arms with another paper bag containing drawings and silk threads. She unfolded the drawings and said to Jiang Nian, “This is the embroidery pattern this time. Although it’s not large, it’s much more difficult than the last one. I found out this client is from the Hongcheng area, with a background even more prominent than our previous client. He also mentioned that if this embroidery turns out perfect, he plans to cooperate long-term with the state-owned embroidery shop. Jiang Nian, this is a great opportunity.”

Jiang Nian suddenly felt the weight of the cloth in her hands. She pursed her lips and nodded, “I will do my best to make it perfect.”

Everyone has different tastes, and while she wasn’t completely confident in her embroidery skills, she was about eighty percent sure. Even so, she worried about customers who might not like her embroidery patterns.

Seeing her concern, Ge Mei smiled and said, “I saw your last embroidery; it was very good, no problem at all. I believe this time will be no different.”

Jiang Nian smiled modestly, “Thank you.”

She carefully put away the embroidery drawing in a cabinet and asked, “Did they mention when they would come to pick it up?”

Ge Mei asked, “Can you finish it before the end of the year?”

Knowing this embroidery was a bit complex and with only twenty days left until the new year, Jiang Nian hesitated. Ge Mei thought for a moment before saying, “It might be tight. Let me talk to the client from Hongcheng again, see if we can extend the deadline to after the new year.”

Jiang Nian added, “I should be able to finish it in twenty days. Sister Ge, don’t mention extending the deadline to the boss from Hongcheng. It’s our first collaboration; pushing back the delivery date might not leave a good impression.”

Ge Mei hadn’t expected Jiang Nian to think so much for her. Her admiration for Jiang Nian grew, feeling even more confident that she had chosen the right person. However, she still felt a bit apologetic, “I rushed you this time. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

She then took out a packet of biscuits and a bottle of milk from her bag, saying, “My daughter-in-law brought these back. I’ve kept some aside for you to try.”

Jiang Nian accepted the milk and biscuits graciously, thanking Ge Mei. Glancing at them, she noticed the biscuits were an older style, two biscuits with cream sandwiched between them. The milk was in a glass bottle of an unknown brand. The fact that Ge Mei’s daughter-in-law could afford such biscuits in this era hinted at her impressive job.

After placing the items in the cabinet and closing it, Jiang Nian said, “Sister Ge, please sit down. I’ll go cooking.”

Ge Mei replied, “I’ve been on the road for a while; I can’t sit still. I’ll help you.”

Seeing Ge Mei already rolling up her sleeves, Jiang Nian didn’t object. They entered the kitchen where Lu Yu had already kneaded the dough and lit the stove. Jiang Nian was surprised at his resilience; he had a high fever in the morning, yet now he seemed perfectly fine. She said, “I’ll take care of it. You can rest in the room.”

“Okay.”

Lu Yu washed his hands and glanced back before leaving the kitchen. Seeing his sister-in-law and Ge Mei talking, he noticed Jiang Nian had changed a lot compared to before, especially in how she interacted with others, showing less timidity.

At noon, Jiang Nian made mixed sauce noodles, and Lu Yu kneaded the dough. Ge Mei asked Jiang Nian what vegetables to prepare and took the initiative to help. She watched Jiang Nian dice the meat and prepare the vegetables. Before she knew it, Jiang Nian had nearly finished making the sauce. Smelling the fragrant aroma, Ge Mei exclaimed, “I didn’t expect you to be so good at both embroidery and cooking. Your skills are wasted not being a chef at a state-owned restaurant.”

Jiang Nian smiled modestly and deflected the praise.

While she was filling the pot with water to cook the noodles, she heard Ge Mei ask, “Is that your brother-in-law?”

Jiang Nian nodded, “Yes.”

Ge Mei smiled, having lived most of her life and met many people, she was adept at judging character, especially as a businesswoman. She thought Lu Yu was quite a remarkable person at first glance. Thinking about his relationship with Jiang Nian, she didn’t inquire further.

The fragrance of mixed sauce noodles wafted through the courtyard, its rich meat aroma drifting far. It reached Feng Mei’s house and Xu Yan’s as well.

Feng Mei wrinkled her nose as she sat cross-legged on the bed, telling Old Song, “Goodness, they’re having meat again. I think Lu Yu’s salary is spent entirely on food. How will he have money to marry in the future?”

Commander Song sipped from his enamel mug, glancing at Feng Mei, “None of your business.”

Besides, if Lu Yu was willing to buy meat for his sister-in-law, who could stop him? Moreover, he had achieved great success a few months ago, earning a substantial subsidy. Even if his sister-in-law ate meat every now and then, they could afford it.

Xu Yan also caught wind of it.

Liu Qiang was eating corn pancakes, watching Jianwu’s mouth watering with desire. He glanced at Jianye and finally looked at Xu Yan, whose expression was sour, indicating she hadn’t been happy since Second Uncle’s family arrived.

He knew what his second aunt was like, but since they were relatives, it wasn’t easy to say anything. The table was small, and both families were squeezed together. Jianye and Jianwu’s elbows were almost clashing. Liu Qiang glanced at Second Aunt who was munching on fried potatoes with effort, feeding Gu Shan vegetables as she ate. The two families were sharing a plate of potatoes and a dish of pickled vegetables, mostly consumed by the Gu family.

Xu Yan angrily dropped her chopsticks, and Liu Qiang glared at her before turning to Liu Erzhu, saying, “Over there, they’ve already finished clearing the snow. There’s nothing holding you back now. You guys should leave early tomorrow so you can make it home by evening.”

Liu Erzhu nodded, “Hmm, we’ll leave tomorrow.”

Gu Xia glanced at Liu Qiang’s expression, always a little afraid of him. However, Gu Shan wailed, “I don’t want to go back! I want to stay here!”

“Shut up!”

Liu Erzhu glared at Gu Shan. Gu Xia was unwilling, and the two began to quarrel.

Liu Qiang couldn’t be bothered and went back to his room. Gu Shan grabbed Gu Xia’s sleeve and said, “Mom, I want to eat meat! Did you smell the meat from next door? It smells so good. I want to eat meat.”

Not only Gu Xia but also Liu Erzhu and Liu Li smelled it. They had gone a year without eating meat. Gu Xia sniffed and spoke bitterly and enviously, “What a spendthrift woman.”

Jiang Nian made a considerable amount of lunch. She thought there would be some leftovers, but to her surprise, it was entirely consumed.

Ge Mei put down her bowl and chopsticks, helped Jiang Nian clean up, and laughed, “Not to exaggerate, but the food in the state-owned restaurant can’t compare to yours. You’d make a fortune if you were a chef there. There’d be a line out the door every day.”

Jiang Nian couldn’t help but smile at Ge Mei’s compliment. She added water to the stove and waited for it to heat up before starting to wash the dishes.

In reality, it wasn’t that the chefs at state-owned restaurants were bad. Every era had its great chefs. She didn’t dare claim her cooking was unique; she simply used more oil and spices when stir-frying, making the sauce richer than that of state-owned restaurants. Moreover, the fragrance of her homemade mixed sauce noodles had a special touch—it was a recipe passed down in their family.

She still remembered her father saying, “The specialty of our restaurant is the mixed sauce noodles. No one can imitate that taste.”

Because she had to catch the afternoon bus, Ge Mei left right after lunch. Jiang Nian saw her off outside the barracks and returned. On her way back, the sky started to snow again.

Lu Yu stayed in the room. Jiang Nian walked inside and saw Lu Yu sitting on the bed, flipping through a newspaper. His head was low, seemingly hearing her footsteps. He looked up at her, his voice low and slightly hoarse, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Nian said, “I boiled some hot water. It’s time for you to take your medicine.”

“Mm.”

Lu Yu put down the newspaper, took the enamel cup and pills Jiang Nian handed him, swallowed the pills in one gulp, and washed them down with water. He handed the cup back to Jiang Nian and looked at her, almost eye level with him, “Does sister-in-law like embroidering?”

He didn’t want her to do something she disliked just to help with household expenses. Even if she did nothing, he could support her.

Jiang Nian replied, holding the enamel cup in her hands, explaining, “I didn’t have a chance to do this at home. Now that I have the opportunity to try it, I don’t want to give it up.”

“Good that you like it.”

He stood up, his tall and imposing figure giving Jiang Nian a strange sense of pressure. Jiang Nian hesitated for a moment, then saw Lu Yu brush past her shoulder and walk out of the room, saying, “I’m going to the team.”

“Oh.”

Jiang Nian snapped back to reality and walked out of the house, seeing Lu Yu’s departing figure.

She felt a huge gap between people.

Earlier, when she had a fever and cold and was hospitalized for three days, Lu Yu had caught a fever, took some medicine, and seemed fine afterward.

Jiang Nian cleaned up the kitchen and returned to the room, taking out the embroidery drawing from the cabinet. She carefully examined the drawing on the paper, then took out some fine cloth. After studying the drawing again, she began to sew.

This project was a bit rushed; she had to finish it within twenty days.

She sat at the end of the bed, leaning against the window, stitching meticulously under the bright light according to the pattern on the paper. She stitched until the sky darkened slightly. She turned on the light and continued, her neck and shoulders stiff and sore from hours of bending.

As dusk fell, a thin layer of snow covered the courtyard, and the night chill began to set in.

Jiang Nian rubbed her neck and placed the embroidery on the bed, preparing to go to the kitchen to cook. Just as she stepped out of the house, she remembered that Lu Yu hadn’t returned yet at this hour. Thinking that he had a fever and a cold today, she was worried that he might faint and be sent to the hospital.

After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Nian decided to step out of the courtyard gate. She locked it behind her and headed towards the team. Although she couldn’t enter the compound, at least she could meet some soldiers outside and inquire about Lu Yu’s condition.

If he were healthy she wouldn’t be worried, but the main thing was that he was still sick.

As she walked along the road, she ran into Xu Yan. Jiang Nian paused, catching up to ask, “What’s wrong with you?”

Xu Yan sneezed coldly, “I’m going to find Liu Qiang and ask him to come back and control his shameless second aunt. I’m so annoyed. Only Liu Qiang can keep them in line at home.”

After venting, she asked, “What are you up to?”

Jiang Nian replied, “I’m looking for Lu Yu.”

The two walked together towards the team. They happened to meet soldiers coming out, most of whom recognized Jiang Nian and Xu Yan. They greeted them, “Sister-in-law Jiang, Sister-in-law Xu.”

Jiang Nian was somewhat unaccustomed to this and nodded slightly in response, keeping her lips sealed.

Xu Yan has changed a lot over the past six months. Her personality had returned to what it was almost two years ago. She smiled at the soldiers, “Are you going to the cafeteria?”

“Yeah.”

Other soldiers chimed in, but many of them paused for a few seconds to look at Jiang Nian before leaving with smiles and laughter.

Before long, Liu Qiang came out. As soon as he appeared, Xu Yan started complaining to him about his second aunt. Liu Qiang furrowed his brow and said impatiently, “They’re leaving tomorrow. Just endure one more night.”

Seeing Jiang Nian outside as well, he asked, “Sister-in-law of Deputy Commander Lu, why are you here too?”

Xu Yan interjected, “She’s here to find Deputy Commander Lu.”

“He’s talking to the Chief of Staff. I’ll go find him.”

Liu Qiang was about to turn around and go back inside when Jiang Nian hurriedly stopped him, “Captain Liu, no need to trouble yourself.”

Seeing Liu Qiang looking at her, Jiang Nian continued, “I don’t have anything urgent. You and Xu Yan go back home first. I’ll wait here for a while. Maybe Lu Yu and the Chief of Staff are discussing important matters.”

Liu Qiang hesitated for a moment, thinking that the Chief of Staff had summoned Lu Yu with a serious expression, so he relaxed and went home with Xu Yan first.

After a while, the area outside became empty. Jiang Nian hugged her arms and stomped her feet. The wind blew on her face like a knife, causing a tingling sensation.

She blew warm air into her hands, patted her frozen cheeks, and vaguely heard voices from inside. She turned her head and saw Lu Yu and Commander Song, along with a man of similar age to Commander Song. She guessed he must be the Chief of Staff Liu Qiang mentioned.

“Hey, isn’t that your sister-in-law?”

Commander Song nudged Lu Yu’s arm. Lu Yu’s eyebrows raised slightly, and he turned to look at the woman standing at the door with two braids and a red scarf around her neck. Her cheeks were red from the cold, and her eyes were squinted against the wind, with a few snowflakes resting on her hair and shoulders.

Lu Yu’s heart skipped a beat. He said to Tao Ming and Commander Song, “I’m going back first.”

“Go ahead, go ahead. Oh, and tell your Sister-in-law Feng I’ll be back later.”

Lu Yu said, “Okay.”

Tao Ming glanced at Jiang Nian outside the door, then looked at the figure of Lu Yu rushing out anxiously. “Is that Xu Cheng’s wife?”

Captain Song nodded. “Yes.”

Speaking of Xu Cheng, Tao Ming sighed. “It’s a pity for such a good soldier. His wife is also suffering at such a young age…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but Commander Song knew what he meant.