Chapter 23

Upon hearing the full story, Zhang Xiangqian felt guilty. He had only caught the first part of the information and rushed to share it, unaware that there was a twist later on.

His good intentions had ended up causing trouble, so Zhang Xiangqian quickly decided to save himself, fearing Xu Zhao would take it out on him later.

“Heh, you should’ve told me earlier! Are we even good brothers anymore? You’ve got a fiancée and didn’t even mention it to me. I’ve been worried sick about your life’s big issues every day, so much so that I’ve sprouted a few white hairs. I’ve been asking everyone I meet if they know any suitable girls for you, and now people are afraid of me. I’ve offended so many people for your sake.”

“You had time to tell the commissar but not to mention it to me? Honestly, this is your fault. If you’d told me sooner, none of this would’ve happened.”

Zhang Xiangqian then turned to Jiang Suihan, his expression exaggerated. “Look at you—Comrade Jiang is such a good girl, so elegant, gentle, dignified, and composed. She’s come all the way to this godforsaken place for you. She’s such an outstanding woman, and yet you kept it all hidden, as if she’s someone you’re ashamed of. Is that how you treat your fiancée? It makes you seem insincere and like you don’t value her.”

Xu Zhao glanced at Zhang Xiangqian coolly. “Your skill at shifting the blame is getting better. Don’t worry, I’ll have plenty of time to settle this with you when we get back.”

Zhang Xiangqian cried out in mock agony, thinking to himself, I’m doomed. Xu Zhao always looked cold but had a calculating mind. If he got angry, Zhang Xiangqian’s days in the unit would be miserable.

Seeing Jiang Suihan as his last hope, he looked at her with a pleading and sycophantic expression. “Sister-in-law, you have to help me. I was only trying to stand up for you. You can’t just let me die like this, or I’m done for.”

Jiang Suihan was startled by Zhang Xiangqian’s sudden “sister-in-law” and nearly choked. She quickly covered her mouth, narrowly avoiding spraying her food.

She coughed several times and, after catching her breath, said, “Good brothers settle accounts clearly. Good luck.”

Zhang Xiangqian was taken aback by her reaction and couldn’t help rolling his eyes. “Fine, you two really are a family. I was just being sentimental.”

Xu Zhao curled his lips. “As long as you know.”

Zhang Xiangqian rubbed his arms, feeling goosebumps rise. Is this really the Xu Zhao he knows?

So shameless.

Jiang Suihan initially didn’t have much of an appetite, but when the bowl of rice noodles was brought to the table, the aroma wafted to her nose, and she suddenly felt hungry.

The ingredients were fresh, with both meat and vegetables. The broth seemed to be made from chicken soup. Before she knew it, she had eaten half a bowl.

The state-run restaurant was quite generous in its servings, giving a portion larger than her face.

Xu Zhao noticed Jiang Suihan had put down her chopsticks. “Are you full?”

He had eaten two bowls of noodles, and Zhang Xiangqian was not to be outdone, also finishing two large bowls. Now he was leaning back in his chair, resting.

Jiang Suihan looked at the remaining rice noodles in her bowl, feeling troubled. “I’m full, I can’t eat any more.”

Half a bowl of rice noodles was her usual portion, and since they would be traveling soon, she was worried that eating too much might make her nauseous.

Seeing that she was full, Xu Zhao didn’t say a word and simply took her bowl, grabbed his chopsticks, and started eating.

Jiang Suihan was stunned by his actions, frozen in place.

She understood the logic—many people in this era couldn’t get enough to eat, and food was precious. It was hard to come by, so no one would waste it. But eating someone else’s leftovers? She couldn’t get past that mental barrier.

Yet Xu Zhao, so matter-of-fact and unhesitant, didn’t mind at all that he was eating her leftovers. He really didn’t treat himself as an outsider.

He had done the same on the train, eating her leftover buns without batting an eye. Now, he was doing it again.

Xu Zhao looked up at her between bites. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Suihan shook her head. “Nothing.”

Forget it, there’s no point in making a fuss. He’s the one eating her leftovers, not the other way around. As long as he doesn’t mind, it’s fine.

The department store in the county, though called a “department building,” was actually just a small two-story building. It wasn’t very large, but when they went inside, they found it well-stocked. Except for a few scarce items that were sold out, most daily necessities were available.

Xu Zhao took out a piece of paper from his pocket. “There are a lot of things missing at home, so I made a list. See if there’s anything else we need to buy. The military base is far from the county, so it’s not convenient to come here often.”

He had been living alone for a long time, staying in a dormitory and eating all three meals in the cafeteria. A few days ago, he had called the political commissar to ask if there were any vacant houses available. Since there weren’t many military families in the family quarters, he figured there should be some, although they might be what others had left behind.

Now that he was married, he couldn’t continue living in the dormitory. Since Zhang Xiangqian had driven them here, he intended to buy everything they needed in one go.

Jiang Suihan leaned closer to look at the list. His handwriting was beautiful, clearly the result of practice.

Seeing her staring at the paper, Xu Zhao asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Suihan snapped out of it, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Nothing, I just thought of something. Your list is very thorough. If we also buy some needles and scissors, that should be enough. If we miss anything, we can always come back.”

She couldn’t very well admit that she was mesmerized by his handwriting. That would be too embarrassing.

Xu Zhao was a meticulous person, even considering small details like buying a few bowls and pairs of chopsticks. Jiang Suihan noticed that he had listed a sewing machine, a bicycle, and a radio, so she asked, “Are we buying these too?”

These three items were major purchases, equivalent to buying a car in modern times. In fact, they were even harder to acquire than a modern car. Nowadays, you can buy any car you want as long as you have the money—there are endless choices in colors, styles, origins, and features. But in this era, even if you had the money, you might not be able to buy these big-ticket items.

Not only were the ration coupons for these items scarce and hard to come by, but the production was low, and supply couldn’t meet demand. Every time new stock arrived, it was quickly snapped up.

“These are part of the dowry. I don’t have the ration coupons for the radio or the sewing machine yet, but I’ll ask around,” Xu Zhao said in a low voice, confiding in her.

“I haven’t touched my salary over the years, it’s all been saved. A few days ago, I called home, and my parents sent eight hundred yuan and some other things. They’re too busy with work to come in person, so they asked me to apologize on their behalf. When they have time, I’ll take you to the capital to visit them.”

Xu Zhao’s father, Xu Zhenguo, was a leader in the capital’s military district, and his mother, Lin Xiuqin, was the head of the Women’s Federation. Both were usually very busy, sometimes not even having time to eat. Xu Zhao’s marriage had been a difficult issue for them, and Lin Xiuqin had even called the political commissar to urge him to help.

Now, their son was finally married, and they were relieved. Lin Xiuqin wanted to come immediately but couldn’t get away from work. Worried that her daughter-in-law might think she was unwelcome, Lin Xiuqin not only sent eight hundred yuan as part of the dowry but also took time to buy a lot of things at the department store to send over, hoping to reassure her that the Xu family was pleased with their new daughter-in-law.

From Xu Zhao’s perspective, he and Jiang Suihan had hurriedly obtained their marriage certificate without holding a wedding banquet. Although this was unavoidable, he felt apologetic toward her. They could hold a wedding ceremony back at the base or in the capital, but it wouldn’t be the same. A belated wedding is still belated, and it’s different. He wanted to make up for it materially as much as possible, ensuring that Jiang Suihan had everything other brides had, if not more.

A girl who was willing to leave the city she had lived in for nearly twenty years to follow him across the country—honestly, he was touched. Although there were external reasons, the undeniable fact was that she trusted him enough to entrust her life to him.

Just the thought of this made Xu Zhao’s heart stir. He felt he needed to do even better to live up to the trust placed in him.

When Jiang Suihan heard the words “betrothal gift,” her face flushed slightly, and she softly asked him, “So, what’s your current salary?”

She was simply curious, guessing it should be around one hundred yuan per month.

Xu Zhao replied, “I did very well on my last mission, so now I’m a battalion-level officer. If everything goes smoothly this time, I should be promoted to deputy regiment level, and my salary will increase to more than one hundred and twenty yuan.”

After a pause, he added, “Don’t worry, taking care of you and Lele is absolutely no problem.”

He assumed Jiang Suihan was worried that she and her younger brother would be a burden to him, concerned that he couldn’t support them. So, he directly told her his monthly salary and quietly disclosed the amount in his savings account.

Jiang Suihan’s eyes widened, clear and bright, filled with surprise and admiration. “That’s a lot. You’re amazing!”

Just now, Xu Zhao had confided that he had saved over three thousand yuan, and he planned to hand over the savings book to her when they returned, so she could manage the household finances.

One had to admit, he was quite perceptive. Before she even had the chance to bring it up, he was already prepared to hand over his salary with a commendable sense of duty.

Xu Zhao’s lips curled into a smile. When he said he could support his young wife and brother-in-law, it was not just an empty promise.

Now that she knew they had this much money, she shouldn’t have to worry about the household expenses like before. He was the man of the house, and it was his responsibility to provide for the family, so she didn’t need to stress over it.

After learning about the situation at the military base, they decided a bicycle was a convenient purchase, although it wasn’t strictly necessary. With the money they had, it wouldn’t be a problem.

With the confidence of having three thousand yuan in savings, Jiang Suihan decisively said, “Let’s go check out the bicycles first.”

The sales clerk lifted her chin, her tone was pleasant enough, not arrogant: “You’re in luck. We just received a new batch yesterday. They’re all high-quality brands from reputable factories, so there’s no question about the quality. The Flying Pigeon brand costs one hundred and fifty-five, while the Phoenix brand is a bit more expensive at one hundred and eighty.”

Jiang Suihan thought that since this would be the first major item purchased for their household and would last for many years, it was worth spending the extra twenty yuan for better quality.

“Let’s go with the Phoenix brand.”

**