The sky outside was gloomy, and the light in the room was dim.

Chen Xu placed Wen Nan on a stool beside the bed. After she was settled, he stood up, “If you need anything, ask Grandma. I’ll go change my clothes.”

Wen Nan took off her hat and placed it on her lap, looking up at Chen Xu, who was already at the doorway, “Brother, I’ll wash your clothes and return them to you. Thank you for today.”

“No need.”

Chen Xu reached the doorway, without turning around, he said to Wen Nan, “I’ll wash my clothes myself.”

Then he went back to his room.

Grandma Chen came in from outside and called out to Chen Xu’s room, “Xiaoxu, quickly change your wet clothes, don’t catch a cold.”

Chen Xu’s voice came from the next room, “Got it.”

Wen Nan took off her raincoat and put it on the cabinet with her hat. Grandma Chen came in and saw the jacket tied around Wen Nan’s waist—it was her grandson Chen Xu’s. She handed the cotton cloth to Wen Nan, “Here, this is a menstrual cloth your aunt made for you. I have a few more almost finished; use this one for now. I’ll bring you a basin of hot water; you should wash up.”

“Thank you, Grandma.”

Wen Nan took the menstrual cloth. It was black cloth with thin cotton inside, somewhat similar to modern sanitary pads.

But it wasn’t as good as modern pads.

Her stomach ached in waves. She hissed, clutching her stomach, placing the menstrual cloth at the foot of the bed and putting Chen Xu’s jacket there. Looking at the tan jacket, her heart warmed. Today, she was lucky to have Chief Chen’s help. Otherwise, if she had walked back alone, she would have been drenched and her trousers would have been dirty, and she might have caught a cold.

When Grandma Chen brought the hot water, Wen Nan closed the door, cleaned herself, changed into clean clothes, and used the menstrual cloth.

After doing all this, Wen Nan curled up on the bed, her hands on her stomach, enduring the abdominal pain. The rain outside intensified, and the temperature in the room dropped. She felt cold, pulled the quilt over herself, and gradually fell asleep amidst the waves of pain.

The thunder roared again.

The yard was already filled with water. Grandma Chen finished making a menstrual cloth for Wen Nan and came out to see Chen Xu laying stones from the kitchen to the entrance of the yard. After finishing, he went under the eaves to clear the water from the roof. His clean clothes were slightly damp from the rain. Grandma Chen said, “Are you going back to the army this afternoon?”

Chen Xu said, “No.”

Zhang Xia’e’s voice came from the other side of the courtyard wall, “Oh my god, it’s finally raining! Wow, the thunder is so loud, like drums!” Then she shouted loudly, “Lao Du, Jianming, are you two still going out this afternoon?”

The voices of father and son came from the house, “No, we’re staying home.”

Grandma Chen took the menstrual cloth to Wen Nan’s room, looked at Wen Nan curled up on the bed, pulled the quilt over her, and then left to prepare lunch.

After lunch was ready, Grandma Chen called Wen Nan. Wen Nan, clutching her stomach, was sweating profusely from the pain. She turned over, her face buried in the pillow, groaning, “Grandma, you and my brother eat first; I’ll get up later.”

Her stomach hurt.

It hurt terribly!

If she were in the 21st century, a single ibuprofen would solve the problem. Here, she had to endure it.

Grandma Chen sighed, pulled the quilt down a little, tucked the messy hair from Wen Nan’s forehead behind her ear, and wiped the sweat from her forehead, “Then sleep a little longer; I’ll call you later.”

Wen Nan weakly said, “Okay.”

Grandma Chen returned to the kitchen. Chen Xu was serving noodles. He looked up, didn’t see Wen Nan, and asked Grandma Chen, “Isn’t Wen Nan eating?”

Grandma Chen took the bowl Chen Xu handed her, “Nannan has a stomachache; let her sleep a little longer.”

Chen Xu served himself a large bowl of noodles, poured on the sauce, turned around, sat on a stool at the kitchen entrance, took a bite of noodles, glanced at the closed door, furrowed his brow, and took another bite.

When he went back to get his clothes, Grandma specifically told him not to let Wen Nan get wet in the rain, otherwise, she might get sick.

Could her stomachache be because of the dampness from his back?

Remembering that when he went back to take off his short-sleeved shirt, he saw a little blood on the back of his shirt, the man suddenly coughed twice. Grandma Chen thought he choked, quickly saying, “Eat slowly, drink some soup.”

Chen Xu: “Got it.”

He lowered his head, quickly finished his noodles, and went back to his room.

Wen Nan didn’t know how long she slept.

When she woke up, the pain had subsided, but any movement caused a warm flow. She was startled, quickly sat up and looked at the bedsheet. Thankfully, it was clean. She turned and checked her trousers to see if they were stained.

After all, the menstrual cloth wasn’t as good as modern sanitary pads.

“Chief Chen, are you home? Chief Chen—”

A strange voice came through the torrential rain, followed by Chen Xu’s clear and magnetic voice outside the window, “I’m home, what is it?”

The person said, “There’s a call from the Huayang County troops in Xiping City. The caller said he’s Wen Guo’s comrade-in-arms and wants you to answer the phone.”

Inside the house, Wen Nan’s hand holding her trousers suddenly froze.

A call from Wen Guo’s comrade-in-arms…

She turned and ran to the door, opening it just as Chen Xu passed by. The man was in clean military uniform. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he turned to look at Wen Nan, who was holding the doorframe with one hand. Her braid was loose, her hair messy, and stray bangs fell over her eyebrows.

Wen Nan saw a sentry in a raincoat and hat standing at the gate, then looked at Chen Xu, “Brother, can I go with you?”

Grandma Chen came out of the house and said to Wen Nan, “The rain is so heavy; don’t go. Just wait at home. Xiaoxu will tell you anything when he comes back.”

Chen Xu looked at Wen Nan’s pale face and nodded, “I’ll be quick. You didn’t eat lunch; go eat first.” Then he glanced at her slender hand holding the doorframe, “I’ll go get my raincoat and hat.”

“Oh.”

Wen Nan opened the door and stood by it.

As soon as Chen Xu entered, he saw his jacket folded on the bed, with Wen Nan’s changed trousers beside it. He quickly looked away, picked up his raincoat from the cabinet, put it on, put on his hat, and left with the sentry without looking back.

Grandma Chen said, “I’ll heat up your food. You must be hungry after sleeping.”

Wen Nan smiled, “I’m okay.”

She rubbed her stomach, combed her hair, took a clean menstrual cloth, and went to the toilet. The toilet was an outhouse. Luckily, it had a roof, otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to use it. After using the toilet, she stood under the eaves looking at the chicken coop. Because of the rain, the chickens had all gone into their nests. The rain had soaked the chicken coop.

Wen Nan reached out, and raindrops fell on her palm, cold.

She hissed, retracted her hand, looked at the closed gate, her heart pounding.

I wonder if this call will reveal who the original owner’s fiancé is?

“Nannan, the food is ready.”

Grandma Chen called from the window.

Wen Nan responded and ran to the kitchen under the eaves, washed her hands, sat at the small table by the kitchen, and ate her cornmeal. Grandma Chen washed dishes by the stove. Seeing Wen Nan eating absentmindedly, she looked towards the gate at the slightest sound. Wringing out the dishcloth, she smiled, “Don’t worry, Xiaoxu will be back soon.”

Wen Nan swallowed the noodles and nodded, “Okay.”

Grandma Chen moved a stool and sat opposite Wen Nan, looking at the heavy rain outside, “Nannan, if this call helps you find out who your fiancé is, that’s good. If not, don’t be too sad. Xiaoxu is always in the army; let him slowly inquire. He’ll find your fiancé eventually.”

She looked at Wen Nan’s hands holding the bowl, several cuts from the sharp grass, and blisters on her hand holding the chopsticks. She knew she had suffered a lot cutting grass these days.

Then she said, “Don’t feel embarrassed staying here; we can take a break if you can’t work.”

Wen Nan finished the soup, put down the bowl, looked up, and smiled at Grandma Chen, “Grandma, I can do it. Xiaomai can teach me what I don’t know.”

After all, practice makes perfect.

And she really didn’t want to freeload.

The guilt was too heavy.

Grandma Chen didn’t say anything more, giving Wen Nan reassurance, “Okay, if you don’t want to work, we won’t. We have enough food.”

Wen Nan smiled, “Thank you, Grandma.”

Grandma Chen asked, “How’s your stomach? Still hurting badly?”

Wen Nan said, “Much better.”

After eating, she washed the dishes, took her dirty clothes to the basin, poured hot water from the thermos, and washed them. It was raining outside, so she couldn’t hang the clothes on the clothesline, so she hung them on the wooden railing at the foot of the bed. After washing her clothes, she took another enamel basin and washed Chen Xu’s jacket.

She wasn’t strong, and her palms were still injured, so she couldn’t wring out the clothes. She could only hang them on the railing at the foot of the bed, placing an enamel basin underneath to catch the water. After washing these, she went to Chen Xu’s room, intending to wash his wet military uniform. Chief Chen carried her back in the rain, so she should do something for him.

Chen Xu’s door was half open.

Wen Nan pushed open the door and saw his washed military uniform and trousers hanging on the wooden railing at the foot of the bed.

The man was strong; the clothes were neatly hung, without a single wrinkle, and not a single drop of water underneath.

This was the first time Wen Nan had been in Chen Xu’s room. It was furnished like Chen Zhou’s room: a single wooden bed, a table by the head of the bed, and a box by the window, probably containing Chen Xu’s clothes. The walls were mud walls, with old newspapers pasted on the wall by the bed. Black beams ran across the ceiling. Wen Nan looked up; it was dark.