Chapter 48.1

In the afternoon, Wang Dahe brought back the sewing machine he had bought. When the neighbors saw the car parked in front of the Xu house, they followed out of curiosity and saw it was a sewing machine. Their admiration was evident. Having a sewing machine and a bicycle at the Xu household was impressive. Even having just one of these items would have been a point of pride back home.

Xu Zhao really cared for his little wife. He made sure they had all the essentials for a marriage, bought breakfast from the cafeteria every morning, and sometimes washed clothes himself. He had raised the standard for married men in the family compound by a considerable amount. The other wives, seeing their husbands lounging around like idle lords after work, were even more frustrated.

Jiang Suihan wasn’t very skilled with the sewing machine yet and moved awkwardly, afraid of pricking her hand with the needle. After a few more attempts, her speed gradually improved.

Unknowingly, an hour had passed. She finished a white vest, examined it thoroughly, and found, despite the initial crooked stitches, there were no other major issues.

She was quite impressed with herself. She thought she was pretty good.

Jiang Suihan eagerly showed Xu Zhao the vest, her eyes sparkling: “Try it on and see if it fits.”

Her gaze seemed to sparkle with joy, and her voice unconsciously lifted, spreading her good mood.

Xu Zhao took the vest and, without hesitation, undressed right in front of her.

Jiang Suihan’s eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly turned away, blushing furiously.

Seeing her so shy, Xu Zhao couldn’t help but tease her: “It’s not like you haven’t seen it before.”

Jiang Suihan’s face turned even redder. That had been at night, in the dark, where nothing was visible, not now with the lights on.

His face is getting thicker and thicker, and his moral integrity is completely shattered.

“Are you done yet?”

Xu Zhao put on the vest: “All set. You can turn around now.”

Jiang Suihan carefully turned back around. Xu Zhao had a great physique—broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The white, loose-fitting vest looked sharp and casual on him.

“It seems a bit big. Have you lost weight recently?”

Xu Zhao replied, “Training has been intense lately, but the vest is very comfortable, and I like it.”

Jiang Suihan, knowing she shouldn’t comment on military matters, said, “Do you want me to alter it to be smaller?”

Xu Zhao moved his arms and said, “No need, it’s fine as is. I prefer loose clothing.”

Jiang Suihan was pleased to see the item she made being appreciated: “Then I’ll make you another one according to this size, and you can wear it alternately in the future.”

The vest was relatively simple to make and quick to finish.

Xu Zhao didn’t want Jiang Suihan to overexert herself: “I have clothes to wear. First, make clothes for yourself and Leyun.”

Jiang Suihan shot him a look: “Your clothes are worn out, and your socks are full of holes. How can you still say that?”

She had mended all of Xu Zhao’s worn-out socks and clothes yesterday. Despite his polished appearance, he was quite careless about his personal belongings.

Xu Zhao awkwardly touched his nose, not arguing.

Seeing it was getting late, Jiang Suihan asked him to take a shower while she cleaned up.

Xu Zhao’s shower was quick, taking less than five minutes.

Jiang Suihan saw him wearing the white vest and was immediately speechless: “Why are you wearing that one? It hasn’t been washed yet. Change it now.”

Xu Zhao was reluctant to take it off: “It’s fine, it’s clean enough.”

Fabric from the factory had been handled by many people and picked up a lot of bacteria.

Jiang Suihan glared at him: “Are you changing or not?”

Under her intense gaze, Xu Zhao changed into the fresh clothes she had prepared and took the vest downstairs.

Jiang Suihan asked, “What are you doing with the vest?”

Xu Zhao replied, “I’m going to wash it so I can wear it tomorrow.”

It’s just one piece of clothing—what difference does it make whether he wears it tomorrow or the day after?

Jiang Suihan felt a bit exasperated but didn’t push further: “Do as you like.”

In the morning, she woke up with some muscle soreness, a slight discomfort that was still bearable.

Jiang Suihan glanced at the time. It was already past nine, and she had overslept again.

When she opened the door, Wu Guihua, brimming with excitement, grabbed Jiang Suihan’s hand and exclaimed, “You passed. Xiao Jiang, you passed!”

Jiang Suihan was taken aback for a moment, then realized, “The announcement is out?”

Wu Guihua, thrilled for Jiang Suihan, explained,”It was posted on the notice board of the family compound right after it was published this morning, and your name was the first one.”

Jiang Suihan, being educated and a university student, was going to teach at a primary school. Wu Guihua was very pleased. If Zhao Xiaojun could be assigned to the class taught by Jiang Suihan, that would be even better.

Although Wu Guihua had not read much herself, she understood that a good teacher was crucial for a child’s development. Her younger son was not fond of reading, complained of dizziness at the sight of books, and was focused on taking over the family business and joining the army, thinking reading was useless.

However, Wu Guihua didn’t share this view. While higher education was not attainable right now, she believed that education was still important. Factories in the city required literacy; without it, one would not even be considered for carrying heavy packages. She did not want her son to be like her husband, who found military life harsh. She hoped her son would at least complete high school and become a steady, ordinary worker in a factory.

Jiang Suihan thanked Wu Guihua for bringing her the good news first thing: “Sister-in-law, come in and sit for a while. I’ll get you a cup of tea.”

Wu Guihua looked around the courtyard, noting its cleanliness. In one corner, there was a small vegetable patch with fresh green sprouts, and in another, a few flower plants added a touch of vibrancy to the yard.

Seeing Jiang Suihan calmly sitting and having tea with her, Wu Guihua couldn’t help but worry: “Aren’t you going to check?”

Her calm demeanor made Wu Guihua, who was ten years older, feel a bit inadequate.

Jiang Suihan sipped her tea and said, “Don’t worry, the notice is posted there, it won’t go anywhere. Sister-in-law, have some tea. This was sent by Xu Zhao’s comrade, and I find it quite nice.”

Wu Guihua, who was unfamiliar with tea, tasted it and noted, “The first sip was a bit bitter, but it turned sweet on the second sip. It’s quite good.”

She felt a bit embarrassed, unsure if she was describing it correctly, and worried Jiang Suihan might laugh at her.

Jiang Suihan smiled and said, “If you like it, I’ll give you some to take with you later.”

Wu Guihua waved her hands and said no, every time she came to Xiao Jiang, she never went home empty-handed, how could a person be so shameless as to take advantage of others for nothing.

Jiang Suihan said it didn’t matter, she was able to pass the exam to become a teacher in a military primary school thanks to the primary school textbooks borrowed from Zhao Dajun, it was just a thank you gift.

Wu Guihua quietly revealed: “What’s the big deal? You are capable. You may not know that Wang Liying’s younger sister did not pass the exam. I heard that she is making a scene at home and is shouting that she wants to go find Principal Cai.”

She was at the scene. Wang Lijuan ran excitedly to the bulletin board, but did not see her name on it. She looked incredulous and kept saying that it was impossible and that there must be something wrong. She pushed through the crowd and ran back home.

Jiang Suihan was surprised for a moment: “She didn’t pass the exam?”

Wu Guihua looked at Jiang Suihan and said, “I looked at the notice posted this morning, and her name was not on it. You, Dai Jia, and Commander Qin’s wife all passed the exam. Someone overheard the two Wang sisters quarreling at home. Wang Lijuan said there was something fishy going on, and she was going to ask Principal Cai to seek justice. She also mentioned your name, saying that you and Principal Cai knew each other before, and Principal Cai must have leaked the exam questions to you.”

Who is Principal Cai? She is the chief of staff’s partner. How could someone of such status help others cheat? Even if we take a step back, Xiao Jiang is a college student, the person with the highest academic degree in the entire staff compound. For her, taking the exam is as easy as drinking water.

Wu Guihua reflected on it and thought there might be some truth to it. Otherwise, why would Wang Lijuan focus so much on Jiang Suihan if there was no personal grudge?

Feeling she had uncovered the truth, Wu Guihua frowned and patted Jiang Suihan’s hand: “It’s not his fault if a man is exceptional. Don’t let those irrelevant people make you and Xu Zhao upset. Trust is crucial in a marriage.”

Jiang Suihan was momentarily stunned by the shift in topic and didn’t immediately respond.

She smiled and nodded: “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

Wu Guihua felt a bit awkward after her comment, worried Jiang Suihan might be displeased or think she was meddling.

“Almost forgot to mention, there’s a vehicle going to the county tomorrow, around seven in the morning. Since you said you need to buy a lot of things from the department store, we can go together. The kids are about to start school, so I need to get some fabric to make new clothes for them.”

Children grow quickly, especially boys who tear their clothes playing outside. The elder son is going to the county for school and can’t keep wearing old clothes.

Wu Guihua had been saving fabric coupons for months, enough to make new clothes for her elder son and pants for her younger son. Any leftover scraps could be used to make a small jacket for her younger daughter.

Jiang Suihan’s eyes lit up. She had been here for nearly half a month, and aside from a trip to the market and the village, she hadn’t had the chance to explore other places. The opportunity to go out was perfect.

“That sounds great. Where should we meet?”

Wu Guihua shared her advice: “Just outside the military compound. Be early to get a good spot.”

There were only a few seats on the vehicle, and arriving late would mean sitting in the back, exposed to the sun and bumps.

Jiang Suihan agreed: “Alright, I’ll get up at six tomorrow morning. I should be able to make it.”

Wu Guihua was momentarily speechless, as she had never seen a married woman sleeping until eight or nine in the morning. She was relieved Jiang Suihan’s mother-in-law wasn’t living with them. Otherwise, it might have caused some tension.

In the village back home, people are busy with fieldwork, getting up around five in the morning. She used to be like that too. Although she doesn’t have to work in the fields now that she’s in the military, preparing breakfast for the men and children in the family means she has to get up early. Otherwise, there’s simply no time. Plus, she doesn’t want her husband and children to go to work and school on an empty stomach.