“Did it thunder? No!”

Shen Huaichuan glanced suspiciously out the window.  

But outside, the moonlight was bright and clear, without even a hint of wind.  

“Not thunder outside—it’s baby’s tummy rumbling.” 

Zhou Qiqi’s face flushed red as she covered it with her hands, speaking in a tiny voice.  

So embarrassing!  

This was supposed to be a crucial moment of their “secret pledge of love,” yet she had to make such a noise!  

But she couldn’t really blame herself—this body had suffered from long-term malnutrition. She hadn’t eaten anything since noon, and after so many hours and expending so much energy, she was genuinely starving.  

“Baby? What baby?”

Shen Huaichuan didn’t understand her joke, and Zhou Qiqi was too embarrassed to explain. She quickly changed the subject, saying she was hungry and asking if he had any food—even plain noodles would do.  

She really couldn’t hold out any longer.  

“No, there’s nothing. And no stove either.”

The political commissar had assigned him this small courtyard a month ago, giving him an ultimatum to get married within three months.  

But since he had assumed Lin Yao wouldn’t agree, he hadn’t bothered buying any household items. Normally, for meals, he just brought food back from the canteen.  

Luckily, he still had some military ration biscuits from his last mission in his backpack. He broke off half a piece and handed it to her.  

Staring at the small, stale-tasting block, Zhou Qiqi nearly cried. This was real suffering.  

But for the sake of her health, she bravely took a bite.  

The biscuit was made of wheat flour compressed under high pressure, with a bit of saccharin added. It tasted like chalk and was nearly impossible to swallow. If she tried washing it down with water, it turned into a sticky paste in her mouth.  

After forcing down half a piece and easing her stomach ache, Zhou Qiqi flat-out refused to eat any more.  

“This is disgusting. I’d rather just wash up and sleep—at least then I won’t feel hungry.”

Shen Huaichuan didn’t argue. He simply wrapped up the remaining half and put it away.  

By the time Zhou Qiqi finished washing up, he was already sitting on the edge of the bed in the bedroom, clearly waiting for her.  

The room had a double bed with military-green sheets. At the foot of the bed was a neatly folded “tofu block” blanket—clearly where Shen Huaichuan usually slept.  

Now that she was no longer starving, Zhou Qiqiq’s mind started racing.  

Were they really going to sleep together already? Wasn’t this… a little too fast?  

She wasn’t ready!  

Then again… it wasn’t entirely out of the question. She’d already seen him naked, after all. Whether she hesitated or not, the outcome was the same—might as well get it over with. Who knows, maybe it’d be a good experience?  

Swallowing hard, she sat down beside Shen Huaichuan—only for him to immediately jerk away as if electrocuted, dropping an envelope in the process.  

“What’s this?”

Curious, Zhou Qiqi opened it and found it stuffed full of “Big Unity” bills—probably over 300 yuan—along with some grain coupons, meat coupons, and other vouchers.  

As expected of a regiment commander—his savings were impressive!  

Unlike Xu Shu, who was so stingy he had to borrow money just to scrape together 100 yuan!  

Just as she was marveling at this, Shen Huaichuan spoke up.  

“This is two months’ worth of salary and allowances. You can use it for now. The remaining 2,000 yuan is in a savings passbook—the commissar’s been keeping it safe for me since the last move. I’ll get it back for you later.”

“H-how much?!”

Zhou Qiqi’s jaw nearly hit the floor. In this era, the average person only earned 20 to 30 yuan a month—yet he had 2,000 yuan in savings?!  

She hadn’t even had that much in her bank account before transmigrating!  

Shen Huaichuan didn’t even blink. “If it’s not enough, there’s more at home.” 

“N-no, it’s enough.”

Swallowing hard, Zhou Qiqi happily patted the bulging envelope—then, with great reluctance, pulled out ten bills and handed the rest back.  

“I don’t need that much. Just give me 100 yuan to buy some things for the house. As for the future, you can give me 50 yuan a month for household expenses.”

After some thought, she decided this ratio was reasonable. But Shen Huaichuan made no move to take the money back, merely raising an eyebrow.  

“It’s all yours. Spend it or save it as you like. If you run out, there’s more at home.”

With that, he walked out of the room, saying he was going to borrow a blanket to sleep on the floor in the living room.  

Zhou Qiqi let out a sigh of relief. Though she felt a little regretful, she was honestly exhausted.  

But before falling asleep, she made sure to firmly remind him:  

“Then just leave the door unlocked-don’t bother knocking and waking me up.”

Shen Huaichuan nodded in agreement.  

…

BANG BANG BANG! BANG BANG BANG!

“Who’s knocking at this hour?!”

The middle-aged man had just fallen asleep when the knocking startled him awake. Muttering under his breath, he pulled the blanket over his head, ready to go back to sleep.

“I’ll go see who it is.”

The woman beside him set down the book she was reading, took off her glasses, and was about to get up when the man stopped her. Rubbing his eyes, he threw on his coat. “No, I’ll go. Keep reading.”

The knocking outside continued, growing even more urgent.  

“Who is it?!”  

The man frowned, already resolved to give the late-night visitor a piece of his mind. But the moment he opened the door, his expression softened. “Huaichuan?”

Shen Huaichuan saluted. “Political Commissar Lei!”

“Come in, quick!”

“Weren’t you on a mission? How’d you get back so fast? Did something happen?”

“No, the mission’s already completed.”

Shen Huaichuan shook his head stiffly, then pulled out a brown paper envelope and handed it over, speaking urgently.  

“I’m here to submit my marriage report.”

Political Commissar Lei was stunned. Shen Huaichuan had even requested an extra two days for this mission, saying he needed to discuss marriage matters with Lin Yao. But given Lin Yao’s previous attitude, he hadn’t held out much hope.  

Snapping out of his surprise, Lei’s face immediately lit up with amusement.  

“You rascal! Usually so tight-lipped, frowning every time Lin Yao’s mentioned—I thought you were completely clueless about this stuff! Turns out you were just quietly getting things done!”

As he opened the envelope, he called out to the house.  

“Shuhua, come quick! We’ve got happy news!”

Zhou Shuhua had already gotten up and brought over a thermos, pouring Shen Huaichuan a cup of hot water with a smile.  

“I was wondering who was knocking at this hour. Rushing over to submit a marriage report—afraid the girl might change her mind, huh? Young love these days is nothing like ours back then! So sweet!” 

“It’s not Lin Yao.”

Shen Huaichuan sat rigidly, his brow furrowing slightly, a trace of distaste flashing in his eyes.  

Political Commissar Lei and his wife had already opened the envelope. Inside was a single page—a household register—with an unfamiliar name written on it: Zhou Qiqi. They were both shocked, speaking in unison.  

“What’s going on?”

Shen Huaichuan’s expression returned to its usual sternness as he briefly explained what had happened.  

He skipped over many details, simply stating that he hadn’t been careful and had ended up embracing a female comrade in public. Many onlookers had seen it—especially Zhou Qiqi’s fiancé—damaging her reputation.  

Political Commissar Lei and his wife exchanged glances, their expressions turning serious. In this era, a woman’s reputation was no small matter.  

“As a soldier, if something like this happens, it’s only right to take responsibility for the female comrade.”

Political Commissar Lei spoke gravely, making his stance clear immediately.  

“I’ll submit the report first thing tomorrow morning. You go back now and get her settled.”

Beside him, Zhou Shuhua added,  

“This was all so sudden—your place is practically a barracks, empty as it is. Alright, tomorrow I’ll bring the logistics team over to deliver a stove, coal briquettes, rice, flour, and the like. At the very least, we’ll get the household fires going.”

Shen Huaichuan nodded, then asked, “Do you have any spare blankets?”

Zhou Shuhua blinked in surprise but quickly nodded.  

“Yes, yes! There are new ones in the top cabinet of the storage room. Come with me to get them!”

Shen Huaichuan had only asked for a blanket, but when he left the storage room, he was carrying far more. His left arm held the blanket, his right hand gripped two tins of malted milk powder and a net bag of orange preserves. On his way out, he casually picked up a thermos filled with hot water.  

And tucked into his pocket—a savings passbook.  

Zhou Shuhua stood at the door, watching Shen Huaichuan leave “fully loaded,” her brows furrowed in thought.  

Political Commissar Lei closed the door and draped a coat over his wife’s shoulders, teasing,  

“What, feeling stingy now that he took the things our son bought with his first paycheck?” 

Zhou Shuhua rolled her eyes. “Oh, get out of here. Do I look that petty to you?”

She tightened the coat around herself and walked back to the coffee table, picking up a red-backed photograph. Staring at the thin, malnourished face that looked like a bean sprout, she mused,  

“I just feel like something’s off with Huaichuan. Before, when we told him to buy things for Lin Yao, he’d make excuses and refuse. I thought the kid was just stingy. But now, with a different wife, it’s like he’s a completely different person?”

“This whole thing… it’s strange.”

“No, tomorrow I’m calling the military hospital to talk to Lin Yao. I need to find out what really happened!”

Shen Huaichuan’s parents weren’t around. As the Women’s Director of the Haiziwan Military Dependents’ Zone, this was something she had to look into.  

“Wouldn’t you find out tomorrow when you see her anyway?”

“Just remember to prepare everything properly. After all, she’s Huaichuan’s wife now—we have to take good care of her.”