These past couple of days, many women in the compound had been buying vegetable seedlings in the county town.

When the two arrived at the vegetable garden in the afternoon, the diligent ones had already planted their vegetables and were watering them.

There was a ditch running through the middle of the garden, channeling water diverted from the river. This cement-lined ditch flowed with water during spring and autumn.

In summer, if it didn’t rain for a long time, the ditch would eventually run dry.

A few women were fetching water with worn-out buckets and old basins to irrigate their vegetables.

Su Banxia held a small shovel, while Zhang Xiaolan carried a hoe over her shoulder.

Zhang Xiaolan said, “Don’t rush to plant yet. First, you need to dig a trench with the hoe like this, then make small holes to place the seedlings in.”

Su Banxia found it rather troublesome.

But then again, she was only planting casually.

“Sis, you focus on your own planting. I can’t trouble you again today.

You go ahead and plant yours. I’ll take my time with mine.”

Zhang Xiaolan smiled. “Alright then, I’ll start first.”

Zhang Xiaolan planned to finish her own planting first and then help Su Banxia.

However, Su Banxia walked around the perimeter of her plot, measuring its width in steps and its length in meters.

Then, using her small shovel, she began digging holes at equal intervals.

She dug one hole and placed one seedling in each.

Two neat rows of eggplants, two rows of peppers, two rows of tomatoes, two rows of cucumbers and beans, and finally three rows of scallions.

Since she didn’t use a hoe to dig trenches, her planting progressed relatively quickly.

Zhang Xiaolan couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh my, I say, girl, this isn’t planting vegetables—you’re practically lining them up like soldiers! Why plant them so neatly?”

As a genuine farmer, Zhang Xiaolan had to admit this was the first time she’d seen anyone plant vegetables this way.

Su Banxia worked unhurriedly, planting one seedling after another.

Under the blazing sun, her face flushed pink, and a fine layer of sweat beaded on her forehead.

“Sis, when they grow up, they’ll look better this way.”

Zhang Xiaolan burst into laughter, her cheerful voice echoing across the garden.

“You’re really something else, girl. The more I see, the more I like you.”

By the time Zhang Xiaolan finished digging her trench, Su Banxia had already planted half her seedlings.

Zhang Xiaolan had intended to help, but it seemed her assistance wouldn’t be needed.

By the afternoon, Su Banxia had finished planting her seedlings. Using the bucket Zhang Xiaolan had brought, she fetched water and watered the seedlings before the two headed back.

On their way home, Zhang Xiaolan said, “Tomorrow, I’ll take you up the mountain to forage for wild vegetables. The greens in the woods have just sprouted—they’re really fresh right now. We can gather plenty, dry some for winter, and enjoy the rest.”

“Sis, you’re truly amazing.

I really admire you now. You can do everything. Battalion Commander Li is so fortunate to have married someone as capable as you.”

Now that she thought about it, Jiang Guo’an seemed rather pitiable in comparison.

In the army, he had worked hard to build a good reputation, but because he married someone like the original host, he became the subject of gossip wherever he went.

Not only was his hard-earned reputation ruined, but he also couldn’t even enjoy a warm meal at home.

After working himself to exhaustion all day, he returned to a messy house with no one to mend his clothes.

It was less like marrying a wife and more like inviting a demanding ancestor into his life.

Zhang Xiaolan had to acknowledge this.

Although she and her husband argued from time to time, she had never shortchanged Li Jianguo when it came to food.

He was the sole breadwinner supporting the entire family—how could she not ensure he ate well?

Feeling a bit embarrassed by Su Banxia’s praise, Zhang Xiaolan said, “Oh, don’t say that, girl.

I’m not really all that capable. It’s just that our Old Li, like your Battalion Commander Jiang, has it tough.”

As she spoke, Zhang Xiaolan felt the urge to advise Su Banxia to be more considerate.

Upon reflection, people change gradually—it doesn’t happen overnight.

Some things, if said too often, become tiresome.

Su Banxia was a clever girl. With gentle guidance, this young couple could build a good life together.

Su Banxia smiled. It was true—life wasn’t easy.

But Jiang Guo’an’s struggles weren’t her doing.

Regardless of what the original host was like, she had been given a chance to live well, and she intended to seize it.

When Su Banxia returned home and washed her hands, she accidentally touched the spots where the blisters had burst earlier, hissing in pain.

After resting for a while, she was about to start cooking when Jiang Guo’an returned.

Time flew when one was busy.

As soon as Jiang Guo’an stepped inside, he noticed the vegetable seedlings that had been soaking in the basin in the corner were gone. A complex emotion flickered in his eyes.

Su Banxia was sitting at the table, applying gentian violet to the blisters on her palms. Jiang Guo’an took off his cap, dusted it off, and hung it on a nail by the door.

He strode over to the table and saw five or six burst blisters on Su Banxia’s palms.

Remembering what Li Jianguo had said, Jiang Guo’an felt a tightness in his chest.

He pulled up a chair and sat beside her, silently taking her hand.

“You’re not treating this correctly. It could get infected. You need to apply it in one direction.”

Su Banxia tried to pull her hand back, but Jiang Guo’an’s grip was too firm.

In a commanding tone, he said, “Stop moving. I’m not going to eat you.”

Su Banxia: “…”

Even if you wanted to, I doubt you could stomach it.

She rolled her eyes at him. She knew he meant well, but his tone was so grating.

Jiang Guo’an asked, “From planting vegetables?”

“How did you know?”

“Li Jianguo told me. The whole compound knows you’ve been working in the backyard these past couple of days.”

Su Banxia assumed people were gossiping about her again and pouted. “They talk behind my back when I go out gambling, and they still talk when I’m out farming.

Don’t they have anything better to do than stuff their faces and gossip all day?”

She felt inexplicably irritated.

Jiang Guo’an glanced up at her.

Not much skill, but quite the temper.

“They weren’t saying anything bad. They just said you’ve improved a lot and are becoming more capable.”

Jiang Guo’an knew that when someone was trying to change, they needed encouragement, not criticism.

“Pfft, with those mouths of theirs—barely educated beyond elementary school—what kind of nice things could they possibly say?”

Seeing her agitation, Jiang Guo’an thought, As if you’re so cultured yourself.

But to avoid unnecessary conflict, he kept that comment to himself.

He dipped the cotton swab in gentian violet and disinfected her wounds, making her grimace in pain. But she refused to cry out in front of him.

She didn’t want to give him reason to laugh at her.

After tending to her injuries, Jiang Guo’an said, “Don’t get your hands wet tonight. Let’s have dinner at the canteen.”

The canteen?

This surprised Su Banxia.

He had never taken her to the canteen before.

In the original host’s memories, when she first arrived, Jiang Guo’an always had a stern expression.

At first, he had still lived in this house—until she became addicted to gambling.

Su Banxia snapped out of her thoughts.

It seemed he had changed now, too.