Chapter 20.2

That night, when Qian Sheng got home, he walked in to see his wife, who had become plump and changed in appearance after giving birth. A flicker of disdain flashed in his eyes.

His wife was of average looks to begin with, and now she seemed clumsier than a pig. The effort he put into marrying her was merely because he saw connections behind her father.

It’s worth noting that old man had several close comrades, the worst of whom was a brigade commander. Just a little help from him would be enough for Qian Sheng to rise quickly.

But unexpectedly, after two years of marriage, his father-in-law showed no signs of helping him. He was still lingering in the position of deputy commander.

Ge Yun didn’t notice her husband’s disdain. She greeted him with a smile, holding their six-month-old son, and asked gently, “Are you back? Are you hungry? I’ll get you some food.”

Upon hearing this, a smile spread across Qian Sheng’s face as he took the chubby baby and gave him a little shake. “Thank you for your hard work, Comrade Xiao Yun. If you’re tired, just rest. I can handle it myself.”

Qian Sheng was reasonably good-looking and usually knew how to charm people, which Ge Yun appreciated. Her cheeks flushed a shade of red at his words. “What are you saying? I’m at home; there’s no comparison to how hard you work outside. Go rest up.”

After saying this, she hurried to the kitchen to serve the food.

Once she had set the table and prepared everything, she returned to get a soft cushion to place on the chair. After ensuring everything was ready, she took the baby back and invited her husband to eat.

“Have you eaten?”

Ge Yun hadn’t actually eaten yet; she had been waiting for her husband. But seeing him already focused on his meal, she figured she would just grab a dry biscuit later. She smiled and replied, “I’ve eaten.”

Qian Sheng had only asked out of habit, a courtesy that seemed ingrained in his soul.

After a meal that vanished in the blink of an eye, he let out a burp. “In the future, you can serve less. I can’t eat this much.”

Worried her husband would feel guilty, Ge Yun didn’t explain that the portion was meant for both of them. She had planned for him to eat well first so she could take care of the baby for a while and then eat.

So, she gently replied, “Okay, I understand.”

After finishing dinner, Qian Sheng poured himself a cup of tea, sipping it as he reflected. Although Ge Yun had become a bit foolish and plump, her cooking skills were genuinely excellent, and she was a virtuous woman. It was just a pity that she couldn’t help him much.

Wait a little longer, his father-in-law loved his daughter dearly, he would eventually come to rely on this connection, and besides, flattering words didn’t cost a dime.

Of course, he prided himself on being clever and understood well the principle of not putting all his eggs in one basket. “Comrade Xiao Yun, my sister will be visiting in a couple of days and will stay for a while.”

Upon hearing this, Ge Yun’s expression froze momentarily. Her impression of the sister-in-law she had only met once was far too vivid: a two-faced person.

In front of outsiders, she was overly warm, calling her “Saozi” at every turn, but when no one was around, she showed a different side, mocking Ge Yun for not being worthy of Qian Sheng.

Those words, even though she had heard them two years ago when they had just married, still made her feel a pang in her heart when she thought back on them.

Her smile faded, but her tone remained gentle. “Why is Xiao Mei^[1]Little sister coming over? Is there something going on?”

Qian Sheng didn’t want to share his thoughts about Lou Luhui with his wife—she wouldn’t understand. He brushed it off casually: “Mom called and said my sister is 20 now and should be looking for a partner. I thought of finding her a soldier.”

His sister had a good appearance and a pleasant temperament, and he had confidence that even if Chen Gang’s little sister-in-law came over, it wouldn’t matter.

Men are all the same; who doesn’t love a pretty face?

Thinking this was truly the reasonable opinion of his mother-in-law, Ge Yun felt it was best not to say anything more. “I understand. I’ll tidy up the room for my sister later.”

Inside, she silently mourned for that unknown soldier, hoping he would keep his eyes wide open.

Qian Sheng looked pleased. “With a wife like you, what more could a man ask for!”

Ge Yun’s face turned red again. She thought, fine, for her husband’s sake, she could endure a bit with her sister-in-law.

The steam locomotive puffed heavily as Tian Mi awoke once more to the sound of “clank-clank.” It was already the next morning.

“Awake? Are you hungry?” Lou Luhui set aside the book he had borrowed from the little girl to pass the time and smiled as he saw her groggily sitting on the edge of the bed.

Tian Mi was still a bit dazed. She covered her mouth and yawned, instinctively asking, “Where are we?”

Lou Luhui replied, “In two hours, we’ll arrive at Suozhuang Station. It’s a big station and should stop for a while. Do you want to wash up and eat first?”

At this, Tian Mi raised her hand to rub her cheeks and turned to look out the window.

The sun was rising, brilliant and vibrant.

“What time is it?” she asked again.

“Almost seven.”

Tian Mi nodded; she was fully awake now.

Usually, she woke up around five in the morning. One reason was that her biological clock had adjusted to an early sleep and rise routine, and another was her instinctive vigilance in an unfamiliar environment, which made her sleep restless.

Last night, due to Lou Luhui’s unexpected arrival, her mind was far from calm despite her outward composure, and it took her a long time to fall asleep.

Of course, her tossing and turning yielded results.

To silence Aunt Li, she had admitted that the two were a couple, which the clueless man clearly misunderstood.

She hadn’t found the opportunity to explain at the time.

Later, as dusk fell, she lay in bed contemplating for a long time.

Lou Luhui himself was far superior to the vague image she had pieced together in her mind.

Her character had received strong affirmation from her older sister and brother-in-law, both of whom had been through it themselves.

He had also helped her resolve the predicament she was in because of Liu Xiangdong.

Now, he had come specifically to pick her up.

Their interactions maintained a considerate balance that didn’t make her feel awkward.

In short, he was an outstanding man in every aspect, and there seemed to be no need for her to act overly coy.

What was there to deny? 

She really liked this man.

While thinking that he was great, he also liked her—how wonderful it was to have mutual affection.

To take a step back, how foolish would she be not to seize such an excellent man and mark him as hers? Was she not afraid of missing out on such an opportunity?

Perhaps because deep down she acknowledged his identity as her partner, she felt a bit awkward when facing Lou Luhui, but it was the kind of bashfulness that comes at the beginning of a relationship.

Ahem, this was all part of the romance; movies portrayed it this way.

“Are you going to wash up too?” Tian Mi’s mind was racing with thoughts, but she showed no signs of it on her face. When she stepped out of the train compartment with her toiletries, she realized her new partner had followed her out.

Lou Luhui shook his head. “I’ve already washed up. The aisle is crowded; I’ll keep you company.”

There were indeed many people. When Tian Mi had first seen it a few days ago, she had been stunned.

The aisle of the compartment, the connections between two compartments, the tea room, the restroom—every nook and cranny was packed with people.

To avoid the awkwardness of squeezing into such cramped spaces, she had been careful not to drink too much water in the past few days.

Taking into account the time spent queuing and squeezing in and out, it was common to wait two hours just to use the restroom.

So, many people who weren’t too particular would rather hold it in until the next stop and solve the problem by the roadside.

Thinking of these overwhelming difficulties made Tian Mi’s scalp tingle. She looked up at her partner, who was as hard to “marry” as someone on a quest for the sacred scriptures, and asked, “We’ll be there in a day, right?”

Lou Luhui was amused by the little girl’s pitiful expression. This time he couldn’t help but reach out to pat her head, assuring her, “Yes, there’s one big station and two small ones. We should arrive before six in the evening.”

At this, Tian Mi finally smiled.

She had a sweet appearance, and when she didn’t smile, she still brought joy to others just by being there.

Now that she smiled, Lou Luhui couldn’t help but lose focus for a moment. He envisioned her with a bright smile, bursting forth like water from a dam.

Once again, he felt that fate was truly wonderful.

Tian Mi didn’t notice her partner zoning out. She called out to Li Aijuan, who was chatting with someone else, “Auntie, could you keep an eye on our luggage?”

Li Aijuan waved her hand. “Go on, go on. Oh, and bring me a pot of water.”

Tian Mi let out an “Oh!” and reached out to grab the military water bottle that Aunt Li was handing over.

However, Lou Luhui was quicker, snatching the water bottle up first.

“Oh, Xiao Lu will definitely be a caring husband in the future,” Aunt Li joked, enjoying teasing the young couple, especially as she watched their awkward and shy reactions—it doubled her amusement.

Tian Mi buried her head in the man’s clothing, silently urging him,  

Hurry up!  

Hurry up!!

In the aisle, Tian Mi kept her hand on Lou Luhui’s shirt, closely following his steps.

She had no choice; there were people pushing from behind and squeezing from the front, like sardines in a can.

The two of them moved awkwardly through the aisle, their faces flushed.

Tian Mi fared a bit better; at around 168 centimeters tall, she was considered tall among girls, but in the mixed crowd, she didn’t stand out much.

Especially when she was pressed tightly against her partner, no one could see her pink cheeks at all.

Lou Luhui, on the other hand, had it rough. In the dense crowd, he stood out like a crane among chickens, impossible to miss.

Fortunately, his fierce demeanor, along with the green military uniform with four pockets, kept the curious passengers from staring too intently.

“Come on, hurry up ahead!”

“Hey, move aside! Move aside!”

“Why are you pushing? Don’t you see there are people in front?”

“Damn it, who stepped on Laozi’s foot?”

“.”

The journey to the restroom felt like facing yet another ordeal. Although most people had good tempers, complaints and curses would occasionally break through the noise.

If it weren’t for the urgent need to use the restroom, Tian Mi would have seriously considered giving up and not going at all.

It was just too hard!  

Just as the two finally moved to the last carriage with a restroom, a sudden rush of people flowed backward from the front.

The incident happened too suddenly, accompanied by gasps and curses. Lou Luhui reacted quickly, using his legs to steady himself while one hand blocked the force of people leaning back, and with the other, he reached for the small hand behind him. He grasped it firmly and pulled the person in, wrapping an arm around their waist.

Thanks to his swift reaction, although they stumbled a few steps, they didn’t fall.

As for Aunt Li, who was behind Tian Mi, even though she hadn’t been affected, she still cursed a few times at the people ahead.

TN: Wasn’t she looking after their luggage? How did she end up behind them? Or is there another Aunt Li? Or did the pushing reach all the way to the carriage they were in?

As for Tian Mi, she was completely dazed.

Even after steadying herself, she mechanically released her hold on her partner’s slim waist, but her mind was still racing with thoughts of that well-defined waist!

“Cough! Are you okay? What were you thinking about?” Lou Luhui, finally realizing the brief embrace they just shared, felt like his waist was on fire.

The sensation of the girl crashing into him was also beyond his experience.

She was so soft!  

Just like when she smiled, all soft and cuddly.

Tian Mi, naturally too shy to voice her inner thoughts, feared saying something inappropriate, so she stammered, “N-no, I wasn’t thinking about anything! What happened up ahead?”

The shift in topic felt a bit awkward, but both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

“Someone probably fell.”

“Ah? Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, they’re fine. They’ve already gotten up.”

Hearing this, Tian Mi relaxed; thankfully, if there had been a stampede, it would have been a disaster.

At that moment, the line in front started moving again.

Lou Luhui took a small step forward but realized the small hand on his shirt had disappeared.

He paused, turned slightly to look back, and said, “Be careful, don’t fall.” He glanced down at Tian Mi’s hand, his gaze carrying a significant implication.

Seeing this, Tian Mi couldn’t help but smile. She raised her hand, just about to grab his shirt again, when unexpectedly, his big hand reached out and grasped hers.

Tian Mi looked up in surprise.

Without turning around, Lou Luhui felt the softness in his palm and explained in a deep voice, “This way, it’s less likely you’ll fall!”

If her ears and neck weren’t still red, she might actually believe he had no other intentions.

The weather was nice that day, and without any environmental delays, the train was only about twenty minutes late.

Having traveled by train so many times, Lou Luhui was able to predict the timing accurately. At 5:49 PM, the train arrived at the destination on Tian Mi’s ticket.

Hongchun Station.

Unlike the boarding point, Hongchun Station was a major stop.

To Tian Mi, this so-called major station was nothing more than a small, shabby pavilion compared to the boarding point.

Here, aside from a solitary, dilapidated platform and the train tracks, everywhere she looked was barren, with yellowing weeds.

In the distance, there were faintly some towering branches against the dim background.

The sky had darkened, and although she couldn’t see clearly, she guessed it was likely a forest.

About thirty or so people disembarked at Hongchun Station.

Everyone was carrying various bags, and from their fluent Mandarin, aside from complaints about the cold or swollen legs from sitting too long, Tian Mi realized they were all young people from the city who had come to support the construction efforts.

There were also young people in Chaoyang Village, but neither she nor her original self had much interaction with them.

Thus, she couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at this group.

“Let’s head out of the station first. It’ll take a few minutes to reach the road. I asked a friend to come pick us up. Are you cold?” Lou Luhui said, carrying three bundles as he stepped ahead to lead the way.

Tian Mi was wearing a newly made cotton jacket and pants underneath, topped off with her partner’s military coat he had specially brought for her. With a scarf wrapped around her head, she was bundled up like a ball and didn’t feel cold, but walking was a bit cumbersome.

Plus, the clothes were really heavy! o(╥﹏╥)o

“I’m not cold! Are we going to the guesthouse tonight?” Before coming, Tian Mi had already received a travel guide from her sister.

After getting off the train, they still had to transfer by bus for quite a while, and they definitely wouldn’t make it today.

Lou Luhui nodded. “Yeah, we’ll head back to the army camp tomorrow morning.”

Just as Tian Mi was about to ask something else, someone shouted excitedly, “Look! Quick, look! What is that? Could it be a wolf?”

This shout immediately stirred the crowd.

“How could there be wolves here?”

“This isn’t Shanghai; it’s the deep mountains and forests. I heard there are bears here, even swamps!”

“Wah… We can’t possibly be eaten by wolves on our first day here… Wah, I want to go home.”

This cry seemed to completely ignite the fears of the young people who had left their homes, and more than half of them started to sob.

Tian Mi felt a bit nervous as well, grabbing onto her partner’s arm and walking closely beside him.

“Don’t be scared, it’s not a wolf; it’s a roe deer!” Lou Luhui quickly reassured the girl, then raised his voice to calm the flustered young people behind them.

As soon as they heard it was a roe deer, those who had done a bit of research immediately relaxed.

Some enthusiastic individuals began explaining to the others who were still confused.

Tian Mi also felt relieved; as long as it wasn’t a large predator, she was fine.

Seeing the young people calming down, Lou Luhui turned to the girl again and said, “Don’t be afraid!”

Tian Mi smiled, her eyes curving, and didn’t release her hold on his arm. “I’m not afraid!”

Saying this, she leaned forward to take a look.

Sure enough, she could vaguely see a group of bouncing deer in the distance.

Thinking about the silly legends surrounding dumb roe deer, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Do they always show up in groups like this?”

A team of deer delivering meat? Isn’t that a bit too polite?

Seeing her smile, Lou Luhui also felt his mood lift. He knew that life here was much harder than in the south, and he was genuinely worried that the girl might get scared.

Unexpectedly, she was braver than he had imagined. After all, if she weren’t bold, how could she have jumped into such a deep river to catch fish?

“There are many animals here, like roe deer, wild geese, and wolves. They usually appear in groups, especially the wild geese; they come in such numbers that it’s overwhelming,” he explained to his partner as they walked.

His voice was deep and resonant, combined with his military uniform, giving off a sense of reliability and stability. Not only Tian Mi, but even the young people following closely behind gradually relaxed in the calm tone of his voice.

The group, laden with bags, climbed two hills and turned a corner, soon arriving at the roadside.

Two vehicles were already parked at the side of the road—one was a small Liberation truck, and the other was a minibus.

The minibus was clearly there for the young people, who would be picked up by the relevant departments and then scattered among various military groups or farms. As for who would go to the military group and who would go to the farm, it would all depend on luck.

Tian Mi wasn’t paying attention to the young people because Lou Luhui’s friend, a dark-skinned man as tall as an iron tower, was already laughing and approaching to greet them.