Those few people were stunned when they saw Wen Nan. One younger man smiled, “Today, I finally get to see Chief Chen’s cousin. She’s just as everyone in our regiment says.” He looked at Chen Xu, raising an eyebrow, “Chief Chen, you need to keep a close eye on your cousin. The unmarried men in our regiment are all interested in her. You’ve got to be careful and pick a son-in-law you like.”

Wen Nan: ???

What does that mean?

She’s only been here for three days, how did word spread throughout Chen Xu’s regiment?

Wen Nan looked up in confusion, just meeting Chen Xu’s gaze. The man cleared his throat and said to the man, “There’s no rush about my sister’s matter.”

The speaker was He Shan, the fifth battalion commander of the first regiment, and a neighbor of Commander Kang. He was a straightforward person, smiling at Wen Nan and introducing himself familiarly, “Chief Chen’s sister, my name is He Shan. I’m older than you, you can call me Brother He.”

Wen Nan wasn’t intimidated, smiling generously, “Brother He.”

Zhao Yingchang and Commander Kang glanced at Wen Nan. They seemed to know what the other was going to say, exchanging a look before Commander Kang spoke, “Wen Nan, what happened yesterday was my wife’s fault. It was her doing that caused you to be scolded by Aunt Hua. I apologize on her behalf.”

Although Zhao Yingchang was biased towards sons over daughters when it came to his children, he was clear-headed in matters of rank. After Commander Kang apologized, he followed suit, “Wen Nan, your uncle also apologizes. My wife is thoughtless and scolded you. I’ve already scolded her, so don’t take it to heart and don’t bother with her.”

The two wives didn’t appear, but their husbands apologized to her, someone younger in generation.

If Wen Nan didn’t forgive them, she would end up looking unreasonable.

She smiled, then said generously, “It’s alright, I didn’t take it to heart.”

Chen Xu looked at the smile on Wen Nan’s face, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. After she finished speaking, she lowered her eyes, as if she didn’t want others to see her emotions. Chen Xu looked at Zhao Yingchang and Commander Kang, his voice carrying a protective tone, “Chief Zhao, Commander Kang, there won’t be a second time for this incident yesterday.”

In other words, if there was a second time, he would go to seek justice for his sister.

Zhao Yingchang and Commander Kang understood his implication, especially Commander Kang. Yesterday afternoon, in the regiment, Chen Xu had specifically spoken to him, telling him to control his wife. Wen Nan was Chen Xu’s sister, and to have been unjustly slandered and accused without reason, if it happened again, it wouldn’t end so easily.

Commander Kang was already upset by his wife, and hearing Chen Xu’s words, he was even angrier. So, when he got home, he argued with Lin Meizhen, telling her not to go cut grass, to avoid working with Chief Chen’s cousin and causing more trouble.

Wen Nan also understood Chen Xu’s meaning. She looked up at Chen Xu, her heart warm. The man picked up the basket and turned to walk forward. Just as he passed the entrance to Tuan Zhang Du’s house, he saw Tuan Zhang Du opening the gate, pulling up his trousers, and wiping his mouth. Tuan Zhang Du also saw the group of people outside, stunned for a moment. Seeing Wen Nan and Zhao Xiaomai, two young girls, he quickly let go of his trousers, not wanting to lose face.

Zhang Xia’e was wiping the table in the yard. Turning her head, she saw Commander Kang in the crowd outside, and finally couldn’t help but ask the question she’d been holding back all night, “Commander Kang, what were you arguing with your wife about yesterday? What did she do? Why were you arguing so fiercely?”

Commander Kang’s face stiffened, and he didn’t speak.

Tuan Zhang Du’s forehead twitched in anger. He turned and glared at Zhang Xia’e, “You damn woman, if you can’t speak, shut up! Don’t embarrass me!”

After saying that, he went out, forcefully closing the gate, then waved his hand, “Let’s go, to the regiment.”

Wen Nan was speechless towards Zhang Xia’e.

She found that this person never considered the occasion when speaking or acting.

Watching the group walk quickly, Wen Nan jogged to catch up with Chen Xu, “Brother, give me the basket. Xiaomai and I are slow walkers. We’ll go to the grassland from the stone bridge.”

Chen Xu said, “Okay, be careful, and go home if it rains.”

Wen Nan smiled, “Okay.”

She took the basket and put it on her back, walking behind Zhao Xiaomai. Earlier, in the crowd, Zhao Xiaomai had been clutching the straps of her basket, her head down, quietly standing against the wall, shy and afraid of crowds, not even daring to look up at people. Zhao Yingchang, Zhao Xiaomai’s father, didn’t notice any of this. Wen Nan thought of her father in the 21st century; he was just like Zhao Yingchang.

Unworthy of being a father!

After Chen Xu and the others had gone far, Zhao Xiaomai finally relaxed. She stood close to Wen Nan, looking up enviously at her. Wen Nan turned to her, “What’s wrong?”

Zhao Xiaomai’s eyes shone brightly, “Wen Nan, you’re so amazing, you’re not nervous talking to so many people.”

Wen Nan’s heart ached. She reached out and pinched Zhao Xiaomai’s finger, “One day, you’ll be like me.”

Zhao Xiaomai lowered her head. She felt she would never have that day.

The two left the family quarters and walked past the stone bridge. Wen Nan took out a pair of thread gloves from her pocket and handed one to Zhao Xiaomai, “Let’s each have a pair of thread gloves. Our hands won’t hurt so much when we cut grass.”

Zhao Xiaomai was startled. After recovering, she slowly took the glove Wen Nan handed her. This was the first time she had ever seen thread gloves. Since she was little, she had done so much work, her hands constantly blistered at first, then covered in thick calluses. Her parents never asked if her hands hurt, nor did they ever buy her a pair of gloves. It was rare for rural people to wear gloves while working.

Zhao Xiaomai’s eyes felt a little sore. She sniffed and returned the gloves to Wen Nan, “I don’t need them, my hands don’t hurt, you keep them.”

Then she grabbed Wen Nan’s hand and looked at it. Her hands were soft and white, making the wound on her palm look quite frightening. They were both girls, but she and Wen Nan were completely different. She had her grandmother’s love in her hometown, and Grandma Chen and Chief Chen’s love in the family quarters.

To Zhao Xiaomai, Wen Nan was lucky.

Seeing Zhao Xiaomai insist on not wearing the gloves, Wen Nan had no choice but to put them on herself. The two parted ways at the crossroads, one to cut grass for the cows, the other to cut grass for the pigs. When Wen Nan arrived at the grassland, the others had already arrived, except for Lin Meizhen.

Wen Nan cut grass wearing the gloves. With the protection of the gloves, the wound on her palm didn’t hurt as much. She had just finished cutting a basket of grass when the wind picked up, and soon raindrops began to fall. Wen Nan stood up, raised her hand to shield her eyes, and looked at the sky. The clear blue sky of the morning was now gray, a flash of lightning splitting the gray sky in two, followed by a deafening roar that echoed through the sky.

A thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl on the grassland shouted to Wen Nan, “Big sister, it’s raining, we need to hurry and send the grass to the cow shed.”

Wen Nan said, “Okay.”

She put down her sickle, bent down, and quickly stuffed the pile of grass beside her feet into the basket. Unexpectedly, as she exerted herself, her lower abdomen suddenly ached sharply, a pain that pulled downwards, intensely painful, in waves.

Wen Nan knew this pain all too well; it was the pain of her period.

Wen Nan frowned in discomfort, stuffing all the grass on the ground into the basket. In the short time she bent over, the raindrops had already wet her back, sticking to it and feeling chilly. She carried the basket, opened her umbrella, and walked towards the cow shed. The others on the grassland also carried baskets, holding umbrellas over their heads, running towards the cow shed.

Zhao Xiaomai also rushed over from the crossroads and walked with Wen Nan. She noticed that Wen Nan’s complexion was not right, “Wen Nan, what’s wrong with you?”

Wen Nan shook her head, “Nothing.”

She touched her aching lower abdomen, running very fast. Zhao Xiaomai ran with her, but when they were about to reach the cow shed, Wen Nan suddenly turned a corner and ran to a large tree, leaning against the trunk, her face embarrassed as she looked at Zhao Xiaomai. Zhao Xiaomai was a little confused, looking her over from head to toe. Seeing that she wasn’t injured, but her face seemed even paler, “Wen Nan, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“I’ve started my period.”

Zhao Xiaomai was stunned, clearly not understanding what she meant. Wen Nan suddenly felt a warm flow between her legs, her face turning pale, she said to Xiaomai again, “I’ve started my period, I can’t walk anymore.”

If she continued walking, her trousers would probably be soaked with blood.

This was so unlucky. It couldn’t have come at a worse time. She had no memory of the original owner’s period cycle.

Zhao Xiaomai finally reacted, went behind Wen Nan and took a look. She was wearing dark blue trousers, and the crotch area was visibly darker. Anyone could tell what it was. Zhao Xiaomai’s face flushed red, both shy and anxious, “W-what should we do?”

Wen Nan really regretted not wearing a jacket when she came out, so she could wrap it around her waist to cover herself.

She looked at Zhao Xiaomai, seeing that she was only wearing a shirt, and sighed helplessly, putting the basket on the ground and handing the umbrella to Zhao Xiaomai, “Xiaomai, put down the basket first. I’ll watch here. Go back and get me a jacket. I can wrap it around my waist to cover it.”

“I’ll go right now.”

Zhao Xiaomai anxiously squatted down to unload the basket from her back, took the black umbrella from Wen Nan, and rushed into the rain. The rain wasn’t heavy, just a light drizzle. The dirt road was covered with a layer of moisture, leaving muddy footprints with each step. Some people running back in the rain saw Wen Nan under the tree and looked curiously at her.

I wonder what she’s doing standing there in the rain?

The thunder roared in the sky, and lightning split the gray sky.

Wen Nan stood under the tree. The tree was large, and its lush branches and leaves formed a natural large umbrella overhead. Listening to the deafening thunder, her heart trembled with fear, and a chill ran down her spine. She was afraid a bolt of lightning would strike her, as it’s not safe to stand under a tree during a thunderstorm.

The rain grew heavier, and the ground was soon completely wet. Cold air enveloped her with the heavy rain, and Wen Nan shivered, rubbing her arms with one hand while pressing down hard on her aching lower abdomen with the other.