Chapter 29

Xu Zhao asked, “Why are you lying so far from me? Do you prefer sleeping next to the wall?”

He didn’t mind the closeness.

He thought he was quite presentable, and many people had complimented his looks since childhood. He didn’t think she would avoid him so much.

Jiang Suihan bit her lip, realizing that Xu Zhao could joke as well.

“I’m just not used to sharing a bed.”

Xu Zhao pulled her closer and adjusted her blanket. “Sleep now. I won’t do anything.”

He hadn’t reached the point of ignoring Jiang Suihan’s wishes. He understood she needed time to adjust to their new relationship, and he did too. He hoped that such things would happen when they had a foundation of mutual feelings.

He could give her time.

Jiang Suihan felt a bit awkward. She wanted to say she didn’t doubt his character, but she felt that any explanation would be unclear, so she simply murmured, “Okay.”

The bed was small, and their arms touched, with the warmth from each other’s bodies coming through their thin clothing.

Jiang Suihan wanted to turn over but was afraid of disturbing Xu Zhao, so she held back. She had thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep in an unfamiliar place, but she quickly fell asleep.

A sudden sound in the quiet bedroom woke Xu Zhao.

He looked down to find Jiang Suihan sprawled on top of him like an octopus, her legs draped over his, and she was inching closer to him. Half of his body was hanging off the bed, and if she moved any closer, he might fall off.

He had never seen someone with such poor sleeping posture. Concerned about being pushed off the bed in the middle of the night, Xu Zhao hesitated for a moment before reaching out to hold Jiang Suihan, keeping her securely in his arms.

The next morning, Jiang Suihan woke up, glanced at her watch, and saw it was just past nine. She had slept soundly.

She opened the curtains to bright sunlight, signaling another good day.

Jiang Suihan stretched and fixed her hair before heading downstairs.

Jiang Leyun was at the table, writing carefully, one stroke at a time.

Jiang Suihan asked, “Where’s your brother-in-law?”

Jiang Leyun set down his pen. “Someone came to call him earlier. He went out.”

Yesterday there was still some weed left, but now the yard was clean and tidy. Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but marvel at Xu Zhao’s diligence. He had quietly removed the weeds early in the morning.

This made her, who was used to sleeping in, feel a bit guilty.

In the kitchen, breakfast was ready: steamed buns with vegetable and vermicelli filling, and a bowl of soy milk.

Jiang Suihan took the breakfast outside, enjoying the gentle breeze. She sipped the soy milk, which was a bit sweet and not too bean-flavored, and found it quite tasty. The steamed buns were delicious, even better than meat buns.

She ate one bun and drank most of the soy milk, feeling about seven-tenths full.

Jiang Suihan split the remaining bun in half and gave one half to Jiang Leyun.

Jiang Leyun’s eyes revealed his desire to eat, but he didn’t reach for it. He swallowed and said, “Sister, you eat it. I don’t want it.”

The little guy was speaking contrary to his true feelings.

Jiang Suihan stuffed the bun into his mouth. “I’m full and can’t eat this much. You help me finish it.”

Thus, the siblings sat side by side under the eaves, each holding half a bun.

When Xu Zhao came in, he saw this scene and thought to himself that siblings really did resemble each other, especially in their sitting and eating posture.

He first went to the living room to get a glass of water, and when he came out, he was holding an enamel mug.

Jiang Suihan asked, “Don’t you need to go to the army today?”

She hadn’t seen him in the morning and thought he might have returned to the army.

Xu Zhao replied, “I still have a day off. I’ll report back tomorrow. I plan to visit a nearby brigade later. There’s a carpenter there who can make some furniture. It’s much faster than asking the logistics department.”

The logistics department had many tasks and might not have time to help with making furniture. Xu Zhao had inquired and found out which village had a carpenter.

The house still felt too empty. The previous regiment commander had moved almost everything that could be moved and sold what couldn’t be moved, leaving the house quite bare.

Jiang Suihan eagerly said, “Then I’ll go with you.”

Xu Zhao said, “The road isn’t good, and it will be very sunny.”

He knew she didn’t like the sun and was concerned she might regret it halfway.

Jiang Suihan insisted, “I can wear a hat.”

Xu Zhao reminded her, “There are no hats at home.”

They had forgotten to buy hats at the department store the day before. There were too many small items to remember, and the hats slipped their minds.

Jiang Suihan thought for a moment and said, “I can borrow one from Sister Wu. I’ll go now. Remember to wait for me.”

After finishing the last sip of soy milk, she rushed out the door, disappearing in no time.

Xu Zhao shook his head and smiled, realizing she was really eager to go.

Jiang Leyun moved closer to Xu Zhao and said, “I want to go too.”

Xu Zhao patted his little brother-in-law’s head. “It’s not convenient this time, so you can’t come.”

Jiang Leyun instantly became unhappy. Unable to throw a tantrum, he pouted and stood gloomily by the door.

Xu Zhao had to comfort him, “I’ll take you to the market next time. How does that sound?”

Jiang Leyun cheered up instantly. “Then it’s a promise. You can’t back out.”

Xu Zhao agreed, “Okay.”

Wu Guihua’s home was easy to find. Following the road, she turned right and politely asked a neighbor for directions, arriving quickly.

Wu Guihua pulled out a slightly used straw hat. “The brigade is a bit far from the base. How will you get there?”

Jiang Suihan said, “We’ll probably ride a bicycle.”

It was fortunate they had bought a bicycle; it was very foresighted.

Wu Guihua asked, “Who did you borrow the bicycle from?”

In the family compound, there are only a few households with bicycles—barely enough to count on one hand. Since Jiang Suihan has just arrived, she probably doesn’t know quickly who owns a bicycle. It’s possible Xu Zhao borrowed one himself.

Jiang Suihan had no intention of hiding the fact that her family had a bicycle—it wouldn’t stay a secret for long: “We have one at home. We bought it in the county yesterday.”

Wu Guihua immediately showed an envious expression: “Having a bicycle at home is indeed much more convenient. Captain Zhang’s family also has a bicycle. His spouse works at the supply and marketing cooperative in town and often rides it back and forth. I won’t keep you any longer—you still need to go to the brigade. Don’t waste time, the sun is getting hotter. If you go earlier, you’ll be back sooner.”

She had seen the newly purchased bicycle at the department store. Even the cheapest ones cost over a hundred yuan. She also noticed the beautiful silver watch Jiang Suihan wore on her wrist, further confirming that Xu Zhao’s family was indeed wealthy.

Her husband’s rank is higher than Xu Zhao’s, so his salary is a bit higher too, but he still has to support their extended family back home—her brother-in-law’s wedding, her sister-in-law’s schooling, and her mother-in-law’s medication. These expenses are all covered by her husband’s salary. Whenever he gets paid, he sends a large portion back home, leaving only a small amount for their own use, which is never enough.

With three children, and the two older sons being able to eat a lot, their food supply is always insufficient. Her sons often go hungry, and if her family had conditions like the Xu family, she wouldn’t need to pinch pennies every day.

For women, marrying is like a second birth, and Wu Guihua felt a twinge of jealousy towards Jiang Suihan for marrying Xu Zhao. From what she saw when she visited Xu’s house yesterday—Xu Zhao was out in the yard pulling weeds in the hot sun, and when Jiang Suihan offered to help, he stopped her, worried she would get sunburned. Unlike her own husband, who wouldn’t even bother to pick up a fallen soy sauce bottle.

Worried about the safety of her brother alone at home, Jiang Suihan made another trip to Wu Guihua’s house to leave Jiang Leyun there. Wu Guihua’s eldest son had just turned twelve last month, her younger son was nine this year, and her daughter was five.

Jiang Leyun was quite happy to see children his age. He hadn’t played with friends for a long time. Seeing his sister and brother-in-law leave on the bicycle didn’t upset him. He took out some cookies from his pocket, broke them, and shared them with his new friends.

The road was indeed difficult to navigate—bumpy and uneven. Sitting on the rear seat was quite uncomfortable. Jiang Suihan felt like she was being shaken apart and deeply regretted not bringing an old piece of clothing to cushion the ride.

When they finally arrived, she jumped down, her legs feeling weak and almost making her fall. Fortunately, Xu Zhao quickly supported her, preventing a close encounter with the hard ground.

The village was called Shangxi Village. At the entrance stood an old tree with a large canopy. A group of children were playing under the tree. When they saw newcomers, they swarmed around them from a distance.

Bicycles were a rare sight. Only the brigade leader’s family had one. The brigade leader treasured his bicycle, rarely lending it out. He always cleaned it before putting it back in the house.

A slightly older child, looking wary, mustered up the courage to ask, “Who are you? What are you doing in our village?”

Jiang Suihan took out two candies from her pocket and smiled: “We’re from the area nearby. If someone can take me to find the best carpenter in the village, I’ll give them these two candies.”

No child could resist the lure of candy.

The fastest child ran up to Jiang Suihan, drooling and loudly declared, “I know, Second Uncle is the best carpenter. I’ll take you, he’s right ahead.”

He called another child from the group to join them. The two led the way while Xu Zhao rode the bicycle with Jiang Suihan following behind.

The child stopped in front of a house and shouted, “Second Uncle, are you home? Someone is looking for you.”

An older man in his sixties came out: “Xiaohuzi, are you trying to call me to death with your shouting?”

Xiaohuzi scratched his head and grinned: “I’m just bringing you some work. See, they’re looking for you.”

Xu Zhao explained their purpose: “Hello, sir. We’d like to have some furniture made.”

Second Uncle, the village’s seasoned carpenter, often received requests for custom furniture. He opened the door and said, “Come in.”

Xiaohuzi looked at Jiang Suihan eagerly, clearly hoping for some candy.

Jiang Suihan kept her promise and gave him an extra piece.

The two children, thrilled with their treats, ran off excitedly.

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