Chapter 22

“Hiss—” The sudden sound of someone sucking in a breath broke the stunned silence.

Chen Gang rushed forward a few steps and placed the scalding hot soup bowl on the table, then instinctively glanced at his wife.

Normally, his wife would be complaining while tenderly helping him find some ice for his burnt hand.

Unfortunately, this time, his gentle and adorable wife didn’t even notice him. At this moment, her eyebrows were furrowed, glaring at Lao Lou as if he were a class enemy. “You—let go! How did she become your girlfriend? Picking her up is one thing, but do you understand what you’re doing?”

Tian Yu, thinking her little sister had been deceived, was completely thrown off.

Her foolish little sister—could she have misunderstood that Lou Luhui picking her up meant they had an established relationship?

How could this be?

Even though she was quite satisfied with Commander Lou, there still needed to be some formal process. How could they determine their status so vaguely?

“Honey…” Chen Gang extended his scalded, reddened fingers, trying to get some attention.

“Move aside!” Tian Yu pushed her husband’s hand away and grabbed her sister, pulling her toward the house.

As she left, she threw out a quick, “You all go ahead and eat.”

“Pfft,” Zhou Jianshe couldn’t help but burst into laughter, amused by both Chen’s awkwardness and Lou’s darkened expression.

Serves them right for showing off and making us single guys suffer.

Then, unsurprisingly, he was met with icy glares from both men.

Zhou Jianshe turned around, showing them the back of his head.

Tsk, if you’ve got the guts, why not use that on your women instead? What’s the point of glaring at me?

“Silly girl, tell your sister, how did Lou introduce himself when he met you?” As soon as they entered the room, Tian Yu hurriedly asked.

Facing her older sister, Tian Mi wasn’t embarrassed. She answered honestly, “At first, he didn’t say he was my boyfriend—I was the one who confirmed our relationship.”

Tian Mi then recounted, in her sister’s incredulous gaze, the misunderstanding caused by Li Hongjuan, and how she went along with it. She also briefly mentioned the various ways Lou had cared for her along the way.

After listening to her sister’s explanation, Tian Yu smacked her lips a few times. “Lao Lou is indeed quite impressive. You don’t know how many people have tried to set him up with someone. If he wasn’t so outstanding, I wouldn’t have overlooked the fact that he’s much older. But, in the end, his virtues outweigh his flaws… That said, I was wondering why he took such an interest in you from just one photo. Turns out, he’d already seen you before.”

Tian Mi curved her brows in a smile and shared the story of seeing his back at the supply and marketing cooperative. “We were fated.”

“Definitely destined!” Tian Yu nodded repeatedly, then began offering advice. “But you can’t be overly moved by a man’s small acts of kindness. You still have to keep your eyes open and keep observing.”

Tian Mi understood. “Don’t worry, sister. I know. It was just a coincidence at the time, but thinking about it later, with such a well-rounded man, wouldn’t I be foolish not to lock it in?”

Ha! This girl! Tian Yu laughed, giving her sister’s arm a playful pat, impressed by her quick thinking.

Her second sister was so clever and not distant with her, which completely reassured Tian Yu.

She had been overreacting earlier, being too excited. In her mind, her second sister was still just a little girl.

It was just like back then—if it weren’t for her husband’s reminder, she would’ve completely forgotten that her younger sister was already of marriageable age. Old habits really are hard to break, but she needed to change!

She had to remember, her second sister was now a twenty-year-old adult.

As for the matter with Qian Jingjing, she would mention it to her sister after dinner. If that girl sought her out, Tian Mi should be prepared.

Hmm… she should also ask Chen to talk to Commander Lou about it later.

Now that Lou Luhui was officially her brother-in-law, Tian Yu’s perspective on the Qian siblings trying to interfere had definitely changed.

Now that her younger sister and brother-in-law had officially established their relationship, it was basically set in stone. The Qian siblings would likely stop trying to meddle; otherwise, their sense of propriety would definitely be in question.

No one had touched their chopsticks yet outside.

Only the chubby little girl, Guo Guo, who was over two years old, couldn’t hold out due to hunger and was being fed by her father while sitting on his lap.

When the two sisters came out of the room, everyone looked over.

Guo Guo immediately stopped eating, stretching her arms out toward her mother, asking to be held.

Tian Yu quickly walked over, scooped up her daughter in one swift motion, blocking the little girl from coming over to give her a kiss, and enthusiastically urged everyone to start eating.

Her attitude toward Lou Luhui had taken a complete 180-degree turn, so warm that even Chen Gang felt a pang of jealousy. He had a strong feeling that his status in the family was about to take a serious nosedive.

Of course, all that jealousy faded when he looked at his wife’s glowing face and constant smile. His expression softened as he joined her in laughing.

Oh well, as long as she’s happy.

Tian Yu was in such a good mood today that she allowed her husband to drink, but only one cup—around two or three ounces. Chen Gang, who had a slight fondness for alcohol, cherished this moment, completely forgetting any feelings of jealousy.

The family gathered together, and despite the howling winds and falling snow outside, the warmth and liveliness of their reunion couldn’t be dimmed.

Tian Mi sat between her elder sister on the left and Lou Luhui on the right, smiling with her eyes curved as she listened to everyone chatting about all sorts of things.

“Everyone eat up! Look at this huge spread—I’ve been busy all day with this. Nobody’s leaving until it’s all finished,” Tian Yu said as she stood up, ladling a generous bowl of lamb stew for each person.

Zhou Jianshe was the first to respond, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry! With your cooking skills, I promise we’ll finish even the broth and green onions!”

“Haha, I’m holding you to that. If you don’t finish, you’re not leaving.”

“I won’t leave, definitely won’t. We’ll sleep on the floor here tonight!”

“Haha.”

After dinner.

Knowing that the Tian sisters had much to catch up on after being apart for so long, Lou Luhui, Zhou Jianshe, and Chen Gang cleaned up the dishes together. After sitting down for a cup of tea to digest, they excused themselves to leave.

As they were about to head out, Lou Luhui turned to Tian Mi and asked, “I still have one more day off tomorrow. The soldiers from the unit are organizing an ice-fishing trip. Would you like to come watch?”

Fishing for some extra cash!  

Tian Mi quickly nodded. “Of course!”

As expected, Lou Luhui wasn’t surprised at all and smiled. “Then I’ll come pick you up at 8 a.m. tomorrow.”

“Won’t 8 a.m. be a little late? Don’t military personnel usually get up quite early?”

Without changing his expression, he replied, “Not too late. The soldiers have things to do in the morning, so they won’t be free until after 8.”

That meant she could sleep in tomorrow and shake off the exhaustion from the long trip! Realizing this put Tian Mi in an even better mood. Holding her niece, who had grown very fond of her, she grabbed the little girl’s chubby hand and waved to Lou Luhui. “See you in the morning!”

Lou Luhui chuckled softly. Not wanting to pat the little girl on the head, he instead patted the chubby little niece who somewhat resembled Tian Mi and responded in his deep voice, “See you in the morning!”

After that, he pulled along Zhou Jianshe, who had been enjoying the show, and left.

Seeing this, Tian Yu gave her husband a knowing look.

Chen Gang got the hint and followed them outside.

As soon as they stepped out, they heard Zhou Jianshe’s sly voice: “You’re not being honest, huh? Why didn’t I know that the soldiers had things to do tomorrow morning? Are you just making this up to fool little sister-in-law?”

Lou Luhui was in a good mood, his lips curved in a slight smile in the darkness. Hearing Zhou Jianshe’s teasing, he lazily replied, “Yeah, you wouldn’t understand. You don’t have a girlfriend, so you don’t get the fun in this.”

What the… Zhou Jianshe laughed out of frustration.

Just as he was about to declare proudly that he was single and following the national policy of delayed marriage, they heard footsteps approaching from behind.

Both men turned around, and Lou Luhui asked, “Why did you come out?”

Chen Gang replied, “Let’s go to your place for a bit. I have something to discuss with you about Qian Sheng.”

Hearing this, both Lou Luhui and Zhou Jianshe frowned.

Meanwhile, back inside.

After the guests had left, Tian Yu introduced her three children to Tian Mi once again.

The two boys were already quite grown. Chen Xun, now 13 years old, was the same age as Pan Di. He was very handsome, looking neither like Chen Gang nor much like his mother, but more like Tian Hongxing. If not for their differing generations, this boy and the young Xiangyang would surely be mistaken for brothers by everyone.

Although they say nephews resemble their uncles, this resemblance was uncanny, especially considering that the uncle was the younger of the two.

The second child, Chen Zhao, was 10 years old, the same age as Xiangyang. He looked exactly like his father, with delicate features—like a miniature version of Chen Gang, which made for a rather amusing sight.

As for the little girl, Guo Guo, Tian Mi lovingly jiggled the sweet, milky-smelling child in her arms and gave her another kiss on her rosy cheeks. She was simply too adorable! Tian Mi hadn’t expected such a pleasant surprise—this little girl looked about 60-70% like her.

Genetics really is a fascinating science.

“Why did you buy so many things?” Tian Yu asked while her younger sister played with the little girl. She was rummaging through the bag, which, according to Tian Mi, was filled with gifts she had bought for them in Shanghai.

Tian Mi waved it off. “It’s not that much, just some practical stuff. Like those soaps and towels—they don’t require ration tickets over there, and they’re cheap.”

“But it still must’ve cost you a lot of money,” Tian Yu said, frowning, torn between feeling bad that her sister had spent so much—likely a hundred or two hundred yuan—and wondering how to ask where she got that much money.

Tian Mi, however, took the initiative and said, “I earned it myself. I’ll tell you more later.” With the kids around, it wasn’t the right time to explain. The way she made money could be considered too risky for others.

When it came to earning money from fishing, since she intended to continue building up her savings this way, she knew it would be impossible to keep it a secret.

Rather than letting them speculate wildly, it would be better to reveal a partial truth herself.

Tian Yu wasn’t aware of her sister’s thoughts. Though she still had concerns about how her younger sister was making money—worried it might be through illegal means—this wasn’t the right time to discuss it. So, she pulled out the children’s new clothes and started holding them up to each child to see if they fit.

Soon, her mood lightened again. No doubt about it—big city clothes really did look nicer. “Chen Xun, Chen Zhao, go try these on and see if they fit. If not, I’ll alter them for you.”

Getting new clothes outside of the New Year was a rare treat. The two boys were delighted, shyly thanking their unfamiliar second aunt before grabbing the clothes and heading to their room to change.

“Looks good, but it’s too expensive. You could have saved half the cost by just buying the fabric. Don’t buy these things next time. Da Jie doesn’t need them. You’re a young woman; you should plan to save money for yourself. You can’t just spend carelessly. What if one day you need money and your pockets are emptier than your face?” Tian Yu muttered as she looked over the clothes Tian Mi bought for Guo Guo, her heart aching at the sight of the delicate lace.

This silly girl, how much did she spend on all this?

Tian Mi laughed, amused by her sister’s expression. “Don’t worry, Jie, I’ve got my own savings. Plus, when I came over this time, Dad gave me a hundred yuan.”

Hearing this, Tian Yu froze for a moment, then sighed after a few seconds. “Dad’s had a hard life too. When I got married, times were tough. He went behind Mom’s back and borrowed 20 yuan to give me as a dowry, even added 16 stools. Because of that, when I married into the Chen family, even my mother-in-law held me in higher regard.”

Her mother-in-law was a kind old lady, but it seemed like mothers- and daughters-in-law were naturally at odds. In the beginning, both of them had prejudices against each other, and it took them half a year to truly get along.

Mentioning Tian Hongxing made Tian Mi think about her father, who had been so busy sending her off and even wiped away a tear. Her smile faded as she murmured, “Jie, I’m planning to send some money to Dad soon. I don’t really need it, but I’m afraid there’s not much left at home. If Mom finds out, she might cause a big fuss.”

Luan Hongmei… was a topic none of the sisters wanted to touch.

“Mi Yatou, don’t blame Mom. You’ll understand when you become a mother. It’s not easy for her either,” Tian Yu fell silent for a while, then put down the clothes in her hands and sat beside her sister, reaching out to take her daughter.

But by now, the chubby Guo Guo had already been bribed by the pile of sweets and snacks her second aunt had brought. Her head was full of candy-coated dreams, and she had forgotten all about her mother.

As soon as she saw her mom reaching out, she immediately turned away, burying her face in Tian Mi’s neck, her chubby little arms wrapped tightly around her second aunt’s neck. She quickly protested, “No, no! Want second auntie!”

Tian Yu, exasperated, gave her plump bottom a light smack and scolded, “I see, you just want the candy! Let me tell you, don’t even think about it. You’re only allowed two pieces a day.”

Upon hearing this, the little chubby girl immediately wilted under the threat. She turned her head, her round, rosy cheeks showing the most pitiful expression, on the verge of tears as if to plead.

Then, seeing her mom’s stern face unmoved, the little girl switched tactics. She held out her chubby little hands in a friendly gesture and grinned, revealing tiny rice-like teeth, “Mama, hug! Guo Guo loves Mama the most.”

“Ah, you little rascal! You must take after your dad, you’ve got eight hundred tricks up your sleeve.” Despite her words, Tian Yu couldn’t resist her daughter’s charm and pulled her into a tight hug, covering her with affectionate kisses.

“Jie, what did you mean by what you said earlier?”

Tian Yu’s actions froze again, and she turned to look at her sister with a sigh. “You’re older now, so I can tell you. You know between Changqing and I there were three children and mom lost all of them, right?”

Tian Mi nodded, then quickly shook her head. “I knew some were lost, but I didn’t know it was three.”

Tian Yu wasn’t surprised by this, her expression growing numb. “It’s normal you didn’t know. In fact, none of the younger generation in the village knows.”

For some reason, seeing her elder sister like this made Tian Mi’s heart sink. She had a gut feeling that what came next would be more tragic than she could have imagined.

Sure enough, Tian Yu’s face darkened with sorrow once again. “Actually, it wasn’t like that.”

“What wasn’t?”

“Actually, it wasn’t that Mom lost three children over six years. To be precise, she was risking her life to get pregnant, and in less than eight months, she miscarried three times. Each time, the child wasn’t yet three months old.”

Buzz!

Tian Mi felt as if someone had struck her head hard. It took a long time for her to regain her senses. She opened her mouth, but her vision blurred. She wanted to ask why things had to be this way, but it felt like her throat was stuffed with cotton, and she couldn’t get a word out.

Fortunately, Tian Yu didn’t need her to ask and continued, “Actually, you had an older brother, not Changqing, but a twin brother who was born with me. He was my elder brother too.”

What came next from her older sister’s lips was a heart-wrenching story, one that seemed to tear apart the very soul of a mother.

It turned out that the twin brother born with her sister was named Tian Changxi, the true eldest grandson of the Tian family. Tian Changxi was intelligent and well-behaved from a young age, earning the hopes and affections of their grandparents and parents alike.

Little Changxi lived up to their expectations. By the time he was five, he had memorized many medical formulas.

The old man (grandfather) often taught his eldest grandson to read, write, and identify medicinal herbs, guiding him by hand.

Life at that time was harmonious and happy. Even though the grandparents favored their eldest grandson more than their eldest granddaughter, they still treated her kindly enough.

But it all shattered like an illusion in the fifth year of Tian Changxi’s life.

Tian Yu still remembered that morning vividly. Her brother had complained of a headache when he woke up.

Their mother, Luan Hongmei, initially thought it was just a cold. She gave him ginger water and tucked him under a blanket before going out to work.

When she returned at noon to prepare lunch, she found that her son’s face had grown worse than it was in the morning. She rushed to her father-in-law to have him take a look.

At that time, the family hadn’t split up yet, and Luan Hongmei was still a young wife, married for only a few years.

In fact, the old man, who only had one son, had never considered dividing the family, and the younger generation had thought the same.

But the old man was in a hurry to visit a patient in a neighboring town, so he didn’t pay much attention to his grandson’s symptoms. Seeing that the boy had a fever and chills, he hastily diagnosed it as a child’s common cold, prescribed medicine, and left.

As he left, he even scolded his daughter-in-law, who didn’t want him to go. He insisted that a patient couldn’t wait and that he had to go. In this sense, he was a dedicated doctor.

However, by the time the old man returned after stabilizing his patient’s condition, his clever and obedient eldest grandson was gone.

It was acute meningitis.

By the time they realized something was seriously wrong, there wasn’t even enough time to take him to the hospital—the child passed away.

Luan Hongmei was driven mad by the shock and even grabbed a kitchen knife, intending to harm the old man.

She stubbornly believed that if the old man had been more thorough, or if he hadn’t gone out, Changxi might have had a chance to survive, instead of dying painfully in her arms.

For a mother, the pain was no different from having her heart ripped out.

Afterward, in his grief and fearing that his wife would become even more unhinged, Tian Hongxing suggested that they split the family.

Back then, the situation caused such an uproar that the villagers, feeling pity for Luan Hongmei’s heartbreak as a mother while also respecting the highly esteemed Tian patriarch, all kept silent. As a result, even after decades had passed, many people still didn’t know that Tian Yu had a twin brother.

Later, it became easier to guess what happened. Luan Hongmei was stuck in a dead-end mindset, believing that as long as she got pregnant again, Changxi could reincarnate and return to them.

No matter how much Tian Hongxing argued with her, urging her to take care of her health, she wouldn’t listen.

She resorted to extreme measures to force Tian Hongxing to comply—threatening to drown herself, hanging herself, or self-harming with a knife. 

In short, she did whatever she could, believing that as long as the child was successfully reincarnated, as long as Changxi could come back, there was nothing she wouldn’t do.

She… had gone mad.

But her body was too weak. Both physically and emotionally, she was on the verge of collapse. How could she possibly carry a child to term?

After three consecutive miscarriages, the elderly patriarch and matriarch believed this was their karmic retribution. Even though their daughter-in-law cursed them, they silently endured it and focused entirely on helping her recuperate.

Soon after, Changqing was born.

At this point, Tian Yu’s expression turned bittersweet. “Actually, Changqing resembles Changxi a lot, especially when he was younger—at least an eighty percent likeness. Now you understand why Grandpa, Grandma, and Mom favored him so much, right?”

After hearing the whole story, Tian Mi didn’t know how to react.

It took her a long while to come up with only one sentence: “They’re all pitiful people.”

Tian Yu tugged at her lips. “Yes, they’re all pitiful people. They used to hate me. They hated that it wasn’t me who died. At the time, I was five years old, and they thought I was too young to understand or that I’d forget it all by now.”

At this, she looked at her sister, her eyes reddening. “But that’s not true, Mi Yatou. They didn’t know how much those words hurt. Even though I was very, very young back then, I never forgot. I’ve remembered it all these years.” That’s why, even when the opportunity arose, she never chose to go back. Keeping her distance like this was just fine.

Tian Mi pursed her lips and hugged her elder sister in comfort.

“I’m fine, it’s been so many years. I used to resent them, but eventually, I stopped. Our mom… she’s actually lost her mind. It’s not worth it to keep living in resentment for her. I’m doing well now. Just remember, we’re married women. There’s no need for much contact with Grandpa and Grandma. As for Mom, I won’t ask you to be especially kind to her, but don’t hold grudges—it’s really unnecessary. After all, we’ve married far away. In the future, we won’t have much contact. All that’s required is to send some respect and filial piety every year.”

“This is for sure.” Even if she didn’t know the tragedy behind it, Tian Mi wouldn’t neglect her filial duty.

The conversation took an unexpectedly heavy turn, and the sisters fell silent, sitting quietly together.

“Gege! Guo Guo wants to play hide and seek too!” The chubby little girl’s voice, full of innocence, jolted the sisters out of their melancholy. Following her gaze, they spotted two heads quickly retreating.

Tian Yu quickly wiped her eyes and jokingly scolded, “Who did you learn to be sneaky from? Come out!”

As the older brother, Chen Xun helplessly walked in front. “Aren’t you adults supposed to be talking? I sensed something was off and didn’t want to be the target of your anger, so I thought I should be careful.”

“You little rascal, you actually know about being targeted?” 

“I’m 13, going on 14 soon; what don’t I know?”

“Yes, yes, yes, my son is the smartest. Come over and let Mom see if the clothes fit.”

Watching her elder sister get up and circle around her two sons, tugging at their hemlines and sleeves while chatting about how the sizes were similar, how they just needed to roll the sleeves up a bit to wear them next year, Tian Mi couldn’t help but smile. Earlier, she had been teased for being extravagant, but now she was being praised for knowing how to buy clothes a size bigger.

As the laughter and chatter filled the air, Tian Mi thought to herself that it was good to look ahead and not make things difficult for herself.

The next day, Tian Mi was awakened by her sister.

Still a bit dazed, she groggily asked, “What time is it?”

“It’s seven o’clock. Get up!” Tian Yu, used to taking care of the children, treated her twelve-year-old sister like a child, kindly handing her warm clothes.

Tian Mi secretly pulled up the blanket to cover her face, trying to reason with her. “I plan to sleep until 7:30. Can I have just another half hour?”

“No way!” Tian Yu firmly refused, pulling the blanket away. After saying that, she felt she had been too harsh and added, “Just today, tomorrow you can sleep as long as you want, okay?”

Tian Mi tidied her messy long hair and reluctantly sat up. While putting on her clothes, she asked, “Is there something special happening today?”

Tian Yu pouted. “What could it be? Just a bunch of ladies. Ahem, I mean, they’re all family members from the army. They heard you were coming and wanted to see you. That Qian Jingjing is also here.”

Remembering her sister’s mention of Qian Jingjing last night, Tian Mi understood right away. She wasted no time and quickly crawled out of bed.

Once she stood up and slipped on her shoes, she pretended to be proud and teased her sister, “Jie, don’t worry! Your little sister will definitely dazzle them and bring you back some face!”

“Ha ha, that’s right! I love that kind of attitude! Dress up a bit nicer. By the way, I have a butterfly lipstick that your brother-in-law got through a lot of favors. I’ll lend it to you so you can look beautiful!” She said excitedly, getting ready to fetch it.

Tian Mi quickly stopped her sister. How ridiculous! Not to mention that her lips were already getting redder, so she didn’t need any lipstick at all. Besides, it was a gift from her brother-in-law; what would it look like for her, the sister-in-law, to use it?

“Jie, look at me! My lips are red enough, I don’t need any lipstick. We can easily outshine them with our natural beauty.” As long as it could deter her sister’s sudden whims, she could say anything without shame. Indeed, as Tian Yu carefully examined her sister, she noticed Tian Mi’s lips were quite rosy. Although she was impressed, she abandoned the idea of making her use lipstick: “Then you get ready; I’ll head out first.”

Listening to the commotion outside, Tian Mi wondered if there were at least ten people. Should she be happy about the attention, or lament that her boyfriend was too popular?

When they talked about dressing up, it was just a casual look.

Since the room wasn’t cold, Tian Mi wore the only bright-colored, big red sweater she had found in the city. 

The sweater was oversized, slightly loose on her, just covering her hips. She paired it with a more fitted pair of pants. 

After getting dressed, she side-swept her braid and loosely braided it down the front.

Once she was all set, she looked in the mirror and felt a bit like she had returned to the future.

In fact, she knew quite a few hairstyles, but given the current environment, she didn’t want to stand out too much. Tian Mi was quite aware of the times and dressed as close to the era as possible.

With these slight modifications, it was her last stubborn attempt to embrace fashion. 

As Tian Mi comforted herself like this, squatting down to put on her shoes, the noisy chatter outside suddenly fell silent without warning.

She turned her head, puzzled about what had happened, when suddenly the women erupted into even louder voices:  

“Has Regiment Commander Lou eaten?”  

“Why did Regiment Commander Lou come to Tian Saozi’s house so early?”  

“He must be looking for Political Commissar Chen about something?”  

“Hey, I think Regiment Commander Lou is here to find a partner!” This comment came from a woman in her thirties. With no suitable girls around her, she had no plans to get related to Lou Luhui, so she felt free to say whatever she wanted.

As soon as those words were spoken, everyone’s expression stiffened.

Including Qian Jingjing, who was sitting in the corner, her face blushing with shyness.

Qian Jingjing knew her brother had chosen a Regiment Commander for her and that he was from Beijing, a college student. But she never expected this Lou Luhui to be so handsome.

In her eyes, she and Regiment Commander Lou matched far better than Tian Saozi’s sister.

Now hearing such a cutting remark, she naturally felt displeased and even directed some resentment at the speaker.

However, she managed to keep her composure, showing no emotions on her face, and subtly directed her gaze at the tall and handsome man to assess him.

Just when everyone thought Lou Luhui wouldn’t respond to them, they were surprised to hear his straightforward reply: “I’m here to take my partner out to see the soldiers ice fishing.”

What?  

What the hell?  

Wasn’t it said that they were getting to know each other?

What? So they’re already a couple?

So… it’s officially settled then?

Everyone was left stunned by the news.

Suddenly, with a “creak,” the tightly closed door was pulled open from the inside.

Everyone instinctively looked over.

And then, time seemed to freeze.  

What a stunning girl! How could she be so beautiful! This was the unspoken thought of most people who couldn’t read.  

Those who had some education might not openly praise her, but they were amazed that the phrases “flower-like beauty” and “pure as jade” weren’t exaggerations; there truly were people who could be as beautiful as a flower.

But—  

She doesn’t look like Tian Yu at all! Isn’t this a scam?  

Moreover, with a girl looking like that, how could they dare to compete for Regiment Commander Lou?  

Would they just lie through their teeth?  

They wanted to find a partner, not create enemies!

Ah!  

What’s going on?

How can this girl be so beautiful that it’s impossible to feel angry?

Lou Luhui didn’t care about the complicated feelings of the military wives. After declaring his relationship status, he strode over to his partner.

Seeing her little face made rosy by the bright red outfit, he couldn’t help but soften. He said, “Go wash up first. Once we finish eating, we’ll set off.”

Tian Mi smiled at the watching sisters, raising her eyebrows in a polite greeting before answering, “Okay, I’ll be quick—no more than ten minutes.”

“Take your time; we’ll leave after you’ve eaten well.”

“Good. By the way, have you eaten?”

“I’ve eaten already, and I brought you something delicious.”

“…”

The two exchanged questions and answers, creating a remarkably harmonious atmosphere that left the watching sisters astonished.

So it turns out that the cold and somewhat fierce Regiment Commander Lou was like this when it came to his partner?  

And then they remembered that dazzling girl, which made everything fall into place.

Not just the men, but even the women felt happy seeing this.

Some quick-witted ones even asked the proud Tian Yu, “Xiao Yu, I remember you have two more younger sisters, right? Do they have suitors?”

Hearing this, Tian Yu couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time: “My two younger sisters are still young!”

Qian Jingjing didn’t catch the rest of the conversation; Tian Mi’s appearance was just too much of a blow to her.

She had always prided herself on her looks and had reaped many benefits because of her beauty throughout her life.

But when the beauty she was proud of was completely overshadowed by someone else, it felt like having her spine crushed—excruciatingly painful.

She should just leave.

Men cared about looks.

There was no need to waste time on a man who was more attractive than herself.

But Lou Luhui was too outstanding; he was so handsome that she couldn’t help but feel unwilling not to try.

So, after a moment of hesitation, Qian Jingjing finally mustered the courage to ask, “Regiment Commander Lou, are you going fishing? I’ve never seen it before, would it be okay to take me along?”

“It’s not convenient!” Lou Luhui shot her a fierce glare, recalling what Lao Chen had told him last night. He wished his gaze could be even more intimidating.

Qian Jingjing’s face turned ashen.

The other quietly watching sisters felt a familiar vibe; Regiment Commander Lou was still as fierce as ever.

Go home!  

Hurry up and go home!