Chapter 26

“Sister, where are the scissors? I need them,” Jiang Leyun called as he ran downstairs.

Jiang Suihan turned and said, “They’re outside. I’ll go get them for you.”

Xu Zhao glanced at his younger brother-in-law, feeling like the younger brother was a block in his way with Jiang Suihan. He really wanted to kick him aside.

The three of them worked diligently and eventually finished cleaning the house.

Looking at their refreshed home, they all smiled.

Xu Zhao checked his watch and said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the cafeteria.”

Jiang Suihan looked at her dirty clothes and said, “I’ll wash my face first. Wait for me.”

She wanted to take a shower but didn’t want to make everyone wait, so she just washed her face and redid her hair.

Xu Zhao walked ahead, introducing the place as they went. “The family compound has its own cafeteria, though it’s a bit far. I’ll show you the way since you’re new here. You can’t go to the army cafeteria. There was a case where a family member went there by mistake and got a reprimand.”

Jiang Suihan listened attentively, nodding from time to time. She knew she wouldn’t act out of line until she was familiar with the area. It was important to avoid causing trouble for herself and Xu Zhao.

No wonder Xu Zhao said it was a bit far. The nearest cafeteria was about two kilometers away. She regretted not bringing a hat. The sun was so strong, and the UV rays were intense. Staying outside for half an hour would make it hard to avoid getting tanned.

On the left were several apartment buildings, four or five stories high, lined up with distinctive historical features.

Xu Zhao said, “Those are newly built apartments from a couple of years ago. Zhang Xiangqian’s family lives there. Their home is the third building from the front on the right.”

Several women were gathered around the faucet, washing vegetables and chatting about their daily lives, creating a lively atmosphere.

“Hey, look over there! Isn’t that Captain Xu? Who’s that young woman with him? She looks quite pretty.”

“Ah, you don’t know? I heard from Old Zhao at home that Captain Xu took a week off recently. He might have gone back home to get engaged or married. He’s not young anymore, and his family must have been anxious. That girl might just be his new wife.”

“She looks fair-skinned but a bit skinny, like someone from the city. City girls can’t handle the hardships here. I bet she won’t last a few days before crying to leave. Remember the last one at Captain Zhang’s? She didn’t even stay two months before heading out. I bet this one won’t be any different.”

“Poor Captain Xu, finally getting a wife, only to end up alone again if she leaves.”

“She’s so frail, with such a slender waist, it looks like a gust of wind could blow her over. Having a child won’t be easy for her.”

“Chen Xiaohong, watch your mouth! Did she take your rice or steal your money that you have to curse her like this? You’re so full of yourself, but you haven’t even managed to give birth to a son despite being so well-fed!”

Wu Guihua scooped the vegetables out of the basin and splashed water right into Chen Xiaohong’s face.

Chen Xiaohong, who had three daughters, dreamed of having a son. Despite being a plump mother, her daughters were all skinny and small, working hard around the house from a young age. Some people in the family compound couldn’t stand it and advised Chen Xiaohong to treat her daughters better, but she would stubbornly say that daughters belong to others’ families, so they don’t need to eat much.

Chen Xiaohong wiped her face and glared angrily at Wu Guihua. “What did I say wrong? Anyone can see that she’s so weak, and having children will be difficult. It’s obvious. I don’t even know Jiang Suihan, so why would I curse her? Wu Guihua, don’t you dare accuse me of things I didn’t do. I’m not afraid of you.”

She was just being blunt, saying whatever came to her mind without much thought. As she said, she didn’t know Jiang Suihan and had no malice towards her.

Wu Guihua rolled her eyes at Chen Xiaohong. “Then just keep quiet and wash your vegetables properly. If Commander Zhang comes home with no dinner, you’ll get an earful.”

Chen Xiaohong scoffed and snapped back, “You worry about your own meals. I’ll make sure to have a son next time.”

Wu Guihua just had two sons, and she liked to show off in front of Chen Xiaohong. But Chen Xiaohong wasn’t backing down. She’d write to her mother and ask for a remedy to have a son. She refused to believe she’d be unlucky enough never to have one.

Wu Guihua couldn’t care less about Chen Xiaohong’s affairs and thought, whether you have a son or not, what does that have to do with my family? She gave a half-hearted smile and said, “Oh, good luck with that,” before walking away.

Chen Xiaohong was fuming at Wu Guihua’s sarcastic tone, biting her teeth. So what if she had a son? Just wait and see.

Meanwhile, Jiang Suihan and Xu Zhao were oblivious to the fact that they had become the talk of the family compound. Jiang Suihan, who disliked the sun, walked under the shade of the trees as much as possible.

Xu Zhao found her antics amusing, watching her as if she wanted to carry a tree as a sunshade. He thought to himself that he should get her an umbrella soon.

It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria was crowded with people waiting to eat.

Xu Zhao quickly gave directions, “I’ll go get the food, you and Lele can stay here in line. That way, it’ll be quicker.”

There was a board up front with today’s menu. When Jiang Suihan saw that they had mushroom stew with chicken, she quickly asked the staff for a portion, along with some scrambled eggs with scallions.

She came out of the line holding a lunchbox and looked around, spotting Xu Zhao waving at her from a seat ahead on the right.

As she got closer, she noticed a middle-aged man sitting next to him. He looked to be in his forties, with a square face and well-defined features, exuding a naturally authoritative presence.

Jiang Suihan guessed that this man might be a leader in the army.

Xu Zhao introduced them, “This is Political Commissar Zhou. And this is my wife, Comrade Jiang Suihan.”

Jiang Suihan quickly stood up, “Hello, Political Commissar Zhou. I’m Jiang Suihan, and this is my younger brother, Jiang Leyun.”

She knew about Political Commissar Zhou. Xu Zhao had mentioned him back in Mingjiang City, saying that he had been a great help. Without him, Xu Zhao’s application to join the army wouldn’t have gone through so smoothly.

Political Commissar Zhou raised his hand to motion her to sit down. Though his expression was serious, his tone was warm. “Please, sit. No need to be so formal. You’re quite the beautiful young lady. Xu Zhao, you’re a lucky man.”

Finally, the troublesome matter was resolved, and he wouldn’t have to be nagged by Xu Zhao’s mother to find Xu Zhao a wife anymore. Now, he could sleep peacefully at night.

Jiang Suihan smiled lightly, “You’re too kind. We really have to thank you for your help. Without your consideration, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. We’ve just arrived, and our home is still a mess, but once everything is settled, we’d love to have you over for a meal. I’ll cook some of our hometown dishes for you to try.”

Her cooking skills were decent, and with some practice, she should be able to manage a few of her specialties.

Political Commissar Zhou’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Alright, I’ll definitely take you up on that. I told you, Xu Zhao, you’re a lucky man. You’ve brought home a real treasure, so treat her well.”

Fate truly works in mysterious ways. He and Xu Zhao’s parents had been so worried about Xu Zhao’s marriage, and who would’ve thought that a seemingly random match would turn out so well?

Jiang Suihan seemed like a fine young woman, with delicate beauty, clear eyes, and a confident demeanor. It was evident she came from a good background. Now that the issue with the Jiang family’s status had been resolved, she and Xu Zhao were a well-matched pair.

Jiang Suihan noticed that Xu Zhao was quite popular in the army, with many people greeting him. They even ran into Wang Dahe and a few other soldiers along the way.

Wang Dahe grinned and said, “Hello, Captain! Hello, Sister-in-law!”

The soldiers with him echoed his greetings. They were all quite young, with a bit of youthful innocence still on their faces, curiously looking at Jiang Suihan.

Xu Zhao responded with a faint “hmm.”

Jiang Suihan smiled and said, “Hello, everyone.”

After the couple had walked a distance away, the soldiers chuckled together and murmured about how beautiful the Sister-in-law was and how gentle her voice was. They joked that they wouldn’t mind having such a wife, even if their standards had to be lowered by half.

Jiang Leyun was holding Jiang Suihan’s hand, skipping along the way. It was clear that the little one was in a good mood.

The water was carried back by Xu Zhao, and after finally taking a comfortable bath, Jiang Suihan felt much more relaxed.

Jiang Suihan called out toward the bathroom, “Is the water enough? Do you need more?”

Back at home, Jiang Leyun had always bathed alone, so Jiang Suihan felt reassured, though she did worry a bit about the child not washing thoroughly.

Jiang Leyun replied loudly, “It’s enough. I’ll be done soon.”

Jiang Suihan sat under the eaves to dry her hair, holding a notebook in her hand, writing and drawing. She was calculating how much they had spent today.

From today, she will start keeping accounts.

Xu Zhao was squatting in the yard, pulling weeds with great effort, never taking a break.

Seeing him working hard while she was leisurely cooling off made Jiang Suihan feel a bit guilty. “Stop working so hard, come inside and rest. The sun is so strong outside, be careful not to get heatstroke.”

Without turning his head, Xu Zhao replied, “I’ll come in after finishing this bit.”

Unable to persuade him, Jiang Suihan got up and returned to the living room, picked up the thermos, and poured water into Xu Zhao’s enamel cup so that it would be cool enough to drink later.

“Everyone’s at home, I see.” Wu Guihua walked into the yard, smiling. “Captain Xu is here too. I saw you heading towards the cafeteria at noon, so I thought you were going there for lunch and didn’t come over to disturb you. Is this your wife? She’s so pretty.”

Xu Zhao introduced Jiang Suihan, “This is Sister Wu. Sister, this is my wife.”

Wu Guihua’s husband, Captain Zhao, wasn’t in the same regiment as Xu Zhao, but they were both in the same military unit, so they knew each other.

Jiang Suihan quickly invited her to sit down but realized that the house was empty and there were no chairs, which was a bit awkward.

She apologized, “I’m sorry, Sister. The house is a mess, and there’s nowhere to sit. Please don’t mind it. I’ll go inside and get you some water.”

Wu Guihua stopped her, not wanting her to fuss, “No need to trouble yourself. We didn’t come here for tea. We saw that you just arrived and thought you might have a lot to organize, so we came over to see if we could help. I brought some peanuts we cooked this morning for you to try.”

Captain Xu’s wife was indeed very pretty, with fair and tender skin. She spoke gently, like an educated person. Hopefully, she would be easy to get along with.