Chapter 23.2

Lou Luhui’s words hadn’t just shut off his sister’s prospects with other officers—they were downright petty! A grown man, holding a grudge against a young girl? That kind of passive-aggressive remark had to be intentional, right?

And being admired by a woman wasn’t something to be proud of? Was Lou Luhui out of his mind?

However, the situation was beyond his control. Despite the rage boiling inside him, Qian Sheng had no choice but to swallow his pride.

Perhaps deep down, in a place he wasn’t willing to admit, he knew that what he and his sister had done was wrong. That’s why he had no grounds to argue.

But he couldn’t let his sister’s reputation be tarnished. Qian Sheng was still counting on her marrying well to support the family.

He tried to salvage the situation, but he hadn’t anticipated that Lou Luhui wouldn’t give him the chance.

Lou Luhui immediately turned away, gently guiding his partner by the arm as they walked together to the ice hole.

Seeing this, Tang Dahai, holding a shovel, chuckled and quickly followed them. He didn’t forget to encourage the group: “Come on, lads! Give it your all! Whether or not we have a delicious dish on the table tonight is up to you!”

The crowd responded enthusiastically, and soon everyone was either breaking holes or lowering nets into the water.

Qian Sheng hesitated for a few seconds, but ultimately, he was too ashamed to stay any longer. He decided to head back and ask his sister what exactly had happened.

No one cared whether Qian Sheng stayed or left.

Lou Luhui took off his thick coat, leaving only a thin jacket. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing muscular arms, and stood with his legs spread apart as he forcefully stirred the fishing net in the ice hole.

After a while, when he felt it was about right, he exerted his strength, and the net he pulled up contained several lively, flopping fish.

Tian Mi let out a surprised gasp, not understanding how they had managed to catch fish so easily, and she looked eager to give it a try.

Seeing this, Lou Luhui didn’t stop her. In a warm voice, he asked, “Want to give it a shot?”

Tian Mi nodded enthusiastically.

“Do you have enough strength?”

At these words, the young girl instinctively struck a pose like Popeye, even lifting her chin to show she was strong enough.

This unexpectedly amused the officers who had been sneaking glances at her. All of them let out stifled giggles, “Pfft! Pfft!”

Even Lou Luhui was amused. He pressed his frostbitten fist to his lips to stifle the smile already spreading across his face.

Tian Mi awkwardly lowered her arms. Maybe… she should just dive into the ice hole and disappear for a while.

This was beyond embarrassing… total social death!

“Still want to play?” After a brief pause, the man gently asked.

“…Yes!”

As for pride… lose it a few times, and you get used to it.

Tian Mi was definitely considered strong among girls.

Following her partner’s instructions, she stirred the fishing net in the water and then lifted it up, pleasantly surprised to find that on her first try, she had actually caught fish! Although it was only two palm-sized little fish, she was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

It was at this moment that Tian Mi realized that those videos she had seen before, where fish jumped out automatically after drilling a hole, were rare occurrences.

In reality, once the ice was broken, fish would indeed be attracted to the area due to the oxygen entering the river.

But to actually catch the fish, you still needed to set the net and bait.

Apparently, what they were doing was just small-scale fun. Even in a whole day, they might not catch much fish.

There were those veteran fishermen who made a living from this. The night before, they would mark out a huge square, then drill hundreds of holes of varying sizes along a straight line. After that, they would use lines and rods to spread out specially made nets, aligning them with the holes.

Once everything was set, they would leave it overnight, and by the time they retrieved the nets in the morning, it would usually be a bountiful harvest.

Tian Mi really wanted to witness a scene like that.

She imagined that, at that moment, the fishermen’s faces would surely be beaming with joy.

At dinner that evening.

A large bowl of fish caught by Tian Mi and Lou Luhui was served.

Tian Yu had lived in the North for eight years, and when she cooked, her dishes had incorporated the local flavors.

For example, the medium-sized dish of mixed fish she made included a generous amount of glass noodles.

Tian Mi had only ever heard of pork stewed with glass noodles, but fish stewed with them was a first.

Of course, the taste was just as amazing.

So by the time dinner ended, the whole family was sitting back, holding their full stomachs.

Tian Mi thought to herself, she couldn’t keep eating like this without moving around. She had to find a way to get back on the river.

Exercise and making money—it could kill two birds with one stone.

So after Lou Luhui left, Tian Mi, while knitting wool, casually asked her eldest sister: “Jie, do you guys stay cooped up at home during the winter? Don’t you go out and have fun?”

Tian Yu was busy winding yarn into a ball.

A few days ago, she had noticed that the sweater she had worn for several years was falling apart in certain places. So, she decided to unravel it, wash the yarn, let it dry, and wind it into a ball. Then, she would add some new yarn and knit a new sweater.

Hearing the question, she continued to focus on the yarn without looking up: “What’s there to have fun with? It’s freezing outside. Back in the day… I wouldn’t say too long ago, maybe ten years or so, this place was desolate. If it weren’t for the tens of thousands of demobilized soldiers who were resettled here to clear the land, there wouldn’t have been any entertainment—there weren’t even people around. The place was full of weeds and marshes. Later, more educated youth came, and the military set up camp. After more than a decade of hard work, we finally have what we see today. But to me, it still feels empty. What kind of fun could there be?”

She then lowered her voice and said mysteriously: “I’ve heard from some of the villagers that back in the days, just after liberation, there were old men who would tell stories, and they were really popular. You don’t see that anymore now…”

After rambling on for a bit, Tian Yu suddenly realized and looked up: “Are you bored? How about I ask the quartermaster next time to save a set of sheep knucklebones for you to play with?”

Did she just think of her as a child?

Tian Mi’s face flushed with embarrassment, and she said with a helpless laugh, “Jie, I’m twenty.”

Tian Yu laughed too, her face lighting up: “So what if you’re twenty? Even if you were thirty, you’d still be a child in my eyes.”

Her words were sweet, making Tian Mi’s heart feel warm, though something about it felt off. Before she could figure it out, she heard her sister shout:

“Hey! Hey! Wait… Mi Yatou, is your yarn tangled? Quick, untangle it.”

Tian Mi looked down, and sure enough, it was.

Forgetting her earlier confusion, she quickly reached out and carefully untangled the knot around her wrist.

After continuing to wind the yarn, Tian Yu added, “We spend half the year in winter here. Apart from the occasional movies the military shows, we military families don’t have much entertainment. At most, we visit each other’s homes, sit on the heated kang, chat, and talk about the latest news…”

As she spoke, she realized these activities probably weren’t that appealing to a young girl. She glanced back and, noticing the kids weren’t paying attention, whispered, “Next time, Jie will take you to play cards—now that’s fun…”

“Ahem…” Chen Gang discreetly cleared his throat in reminder.

Tian Yu chuckled at her sister and ignored her husband, grumbling again, “The men have plenty of activities though. They go hunting in the mountains, fishing in the river, play ping-pong, have snowball fights, ice skate… They’re always busy with something. I don’t know where they get so much energy from. If you ask me, when we finally get a break, it’s best to just stay home and relax.”

Finally reaching the topic she was waiting for, Tian Mi felt a sense of relief and casually asked, “They fish in the river too? Isn’t it cold?”

Tian Yu scoffed, “Who knows? There’s even a winter swimming competition. Last time, your brother-in-law wanted to join, but I gave him a good talking-to. Swimming in water when it’s minus several dozen degrees? That’s just asking for trouble.”

“Ahem…” Chen Gang reminded his wife again, trying to maintain some dignity.

Annoyed by him, Tian Yu turned to glare at him, “If your throat’s acting up, go drink some sugar water.”

Their little chubby daughter, who had been lying on a thick mat at her dad’s feet, playing with her toes, suddenly perked up at the mention of sugar water and climbed up: “Guo Guo wants sugar water too!”

“None for you!” Her mother responded firmly.

Guo Guo stuck out her round belly and pouted, demanding, “Why does Daddy get some?”

Tian Yu, exhausted by her daughter’s endless craving for sweets, didn’t know whom she took after. Definitely not her! Eyeing her husband, who was trying not to laugh, she coaxed, “Mama’s just tricking Daddy. It’s actually medicine. Do you want some?”

The little girl quickly shook her head upon hearing it was bitter medicine and sweetly declared that she wouldn’t fight with Daddy for it and that he could have it all.

Her filial words made everyone in the room laugh. Clearly, their little sweetheart wasn’t one to rely on.

After the laughter died down, Tian Mi steered the conversation back to the previous topic, explaining, “Winter swimming does have its benefits.” Of course, it also had drawbacks, but those didn’t apply to her.

“Benefits? What kind?” Tian Yu asked.

“The rapid changes in temperature can improve respiratory and cardiovascular functions.” It’s also good for the skin.

“What? Who needs to improve their breathing? Isn’t that nonsense?” Tian Yu felt her sister was talking nonsense—if a person couldn’t breathe, wouldn’t they be dead?

Tian Mi… How should she explain this?

On the side, Chen Gang, who had been playfully rubbing his stubble against his daughter, noticed Tian Mi’s thoughts. “Mi Yatou, are you thinking of swimming in the river?”

How did her brother-in-law figure that out? Was he a mind reader?

“You’re thinking of swimming in the river?” Tian Yu stopped what she was doing and looked at her sister seriously.

Tian Mi shook her head like an honest person, “No, I’m just unfamiliar with things around here, so I was asking out of curiosity.”

That attitude… Looks like it’s best to act first and explain later, or maybe wait until summer when the ice melts?

Back in her room, Tian Mi lay on her bed deep in thought.

Being able to breathe underwater wasn’t something she planned on telling anyone.

So, from her family’s perspective, it was natural for her elder sister to worry about her.

But… she still needed to figure out a way to make money. Was she supposed to sneak around every time? Especially since this was a military base—how could she possibly escape everyone’s notice? Not to mention, she wasn’t just planning to catch fish but to sell them for money.

And this time, she wanted her elder sister to help her. After all, in temperatures below freezing, she’d need to stay warm after coming out of the water.

Maybe she could tell her sister that she could hold her breath underwater for ten minutes?

That Spanish guy from the future could hold his breath for 24 minutes and 3 seconds. Her 10 minutes didn’t seem so unreasonable, right?

No matter how she turned it over in her mind, it didn’t feel right. Frustrated, Tian Mi flipped over in bed.

Forget it, there was no rush for this. She should first figure out whether there was a legitimate way to do business here and then proceed step by step.

With this thought, her mind relaxed, and Tian Mi, snug in her warm bed, fell asleep almost immediately.

The next day.

Tian Mi didn’t sleep in again. When she heard the wake-up call, she got up right away.

She had laid out her clothes on the heated kang bed the night before, so when she put them on, they were still warm.

After quickly dressing and pinning up her long hair, she stepped out of the room.

She happened to run into her brother-in-law heading out and her yawning elder sister.

The couple turned to look at her when they heard the door open. Tian Yu frowned, “Why are you up so early? Go back to bed!”

“I’m fully rested. I went to bed at eight yesterday, so I’ve already slept nine hours. Scientifically speaking, adults only need seven to eight hours of sleep a day.” Of course, that wasn’t really true—Tian Mi would’ve loved to sleep in, but she couldn’t justify freeloading without doing any work.

“You cheeky girl, always talking nonsense—science, huh? Which science?” Tian Yu said, laughing in exasperation.

Tian Mi’s eyes sparkled. “Maybe… medical science?”

With that, she giggled and dashed off to the bathroom.

“This girl…”

“Letting your younger sister help with some work is a good thing,” Chen Gang, seeing through Tian Mi’s unspoken intentions, felt even fonder of his sister-in-law.

Tian Yu, annoyed, gave her husband a smack. “What are you trying to say? She’s my sister. I’m happy to take care of her.”

Chen Gang was speechless. He gently grasped his wife’s hand. “What do you think I mean? Wife, Comrade Xiao Yu, I’m just saying that if she helps out, she’ll feel more comfortable staying here. Didn’t you notice?”

“Is that so?”

Tian Yu wasn’t dumb; she immediately understood her husband’s meaning and felt a little uncomfortable inside. “I get it. You go ahead with your morning exercises.”

“Then I’m off. The cafeteria is serving mantou today, so we can buy some. You don’t have to worry about breakfast; let Laoda^[1]The eldest child take some money to the cafeteria for breakfast.”

The military cafeteria is cheap, and many military families sometimes prefer to buy food instead of cooking, which costs about the same as making it themselves, just with less oil and seasoning.

Since the kids at home are growing, Tian Yu mostly cooks lunch and dinner herself, buying ready-made meals occasionally in the morning. Her family never lacks food.

It’s fair to say that their family’s meals are among the best in the entire family area.

“I understand. You go ahead, and call on your brother-in-law when you come back.”

“…Sure!”

Once her husband left, Tian Yu no longer needed to prepare breakfast, so her movements slowed down.

She went to the children’s room to wake her two sons, telling them that the cafeteria had mantou today and they would miss out if they got up late. The two little boys quickly rolled out of bed.

Tian Yu chuckled as she placed the money tickets on the table, then called out to her sons, who were hurriedly dressing, before heading to the washroom. Upon entering, she told her sister, “We’re not cooking today; we’ll eat ready-made food. The cafeteria has mantou.”

“Should we send Chen Xun and Chen Zhao? Can they bring back congee? Should I go with them?” Tian Mi asked, laying out a clean towel on the rack, feeling a bit uneasy.

“Do you really need to? Chen Xun is already 13 years old. I let him buy breakfast by himself when he was five or six. All the kids in the family area do that.”

Tian Mi twisted open her moisturizing cream and carefully scooped out a small amount with her finger to apply to her face.

In her heart, she thought about all the luxury skincare products she’d once used and couldn’t help but shed a few sympathetic tears for herself.

Tian Yu was unaware of her sister’s struggles. She squeezed out a tiny bit of toothpaste with a pained expression and started brushing her teeth.

Tian Mi quickly adjusted her mood. Hearing the loud and rhythmic chants from outside, she curiously asked, “How long is morning exercise?”

Tian Yu mumbled through her brushing, and since she couldn’t articulate it clearly, she focused entirely on brushing her teeth.

After rinsing her mouth, she replied, “About half an hour… Oh, right, didn’t you say you were bored yesterday? Come on, I’ll take you to see how the soldiers do their morning exercises. It’s quite orderly and looks nice to watch occasionally.”

What?

Because she was bored, her elder sister wanted to take her to see men?

What kind of heavenly sister was this?

Soldiers! Groups of soldiers!!

… Hiss—

Tian Mi’s heart raced, but she maintained a composed facade. “Um… Is that really okay?”

“What’s wrong with it? Are you going or not ah?”

“I’m going! If I don’t go, I’m not a woman!” Her voice was exceptionally loud!

“…”