Chapter 26

Chapter 26

“Mi Yatou, it’s time to go,” Tian Yu knocked on her sister’s bedroom door, holding her chubby daughter in her arms.

“Coming!” Inside, Tian Mi quickly got off the kang bed, put on her shoes, grabbed the letter from the table, and then opened the door.

Tian Yu’s eyes landed on the flowers on the table, and she chuckled again. It seemed the Regiment Commander was just like a lovestruck youngster when it came to romance.

Tian Mi, having already been teased the entire evening, was now thick-skinned and ignored her elder sister’s laughter. She put on a thick coat, grabbed her hat and gloves, then reached out toward the little chubby girl, “Let me hold Guo Guo.”

Hearing this, Tian Yu didn’t hold back. Although her second sister looked slim, she was strong. The little chubby girl was only a little over two years old, but solidly built, quite heavy, and difficult to carry for long.

After stepping outside, Tian Yu locked the door and linked arms with her sister, heading toward her husband’s office.

Their younger sister had decided to get married, so they had to make a phone call home and notify their father to prepare the necessary documents. “I wonder if Chang Qing really ended up marrying that Wang something Hong. Dad hasn’t sent us a telegram, so probably not, right? Ugh, it’s worrying. If someone like her really joins the family, Lai Di and Pan Di’s future won’t be easy, and Xiang Yang probably won’t fare any better either.”

Hearing her sister’s rambling, Tian Mi frowned as well. “If it comes to that, we can tell Dad to have Tian Chang Qing and his wife live with our grandparents. Anyway, they have a good relationship.”

“I’m just worried that this Wang-whatever-Hong might be tough and refuse.”

Her sister could never seem to get Wang Hongyan’s full name right, which Tian Mi found amusing, but she didn’t bother to correct her. “No need to worry too much. I wrote a separate letter to Pan Di and her siblings. I also made sure she memorized our phone number here. That little girl is incredibly sharp.”

Talking about how clever Pan Di was, Tian Mi couldn’t help but share the story of how Pan Di once helped her by gifting cigarettes to get an introduction letter.

“Really? Si Mei’s got skills like that?” It was the first time Tian Yu had heard this. When she left home, Pan Di was only five years old.

Over the years, while she had sent things to her younger sisters, she had never written them separate letters. It was always just a few extra lines added to the letters she sent to their father, Tian Hongxing.

Now, after hearing her second sister’s description, the little girl, who had started to feel somewhat distant, suddenly seemed alive and familiar again. She regretted not writing sooner. “Have you sealed that letter yet? If not, let me add a note too, separately for Lai Di and the others. Or maybe we can wait until tomorrow to send it? I can buy some nice things for the girls at the market to include.”

Tian Mi’s eyes remained warm and smiling. She loved hearing her elder sister ramble. Despite the traumas of their childhood, her elder sister had grown into such a good, capable, and kind person.

It was truly wonderful!

“Quick… quick, look, that’s Battalion Commander Zhu…” Suddenly, her arm was shaken, followed by her sister’s hushed but excited voice.

Tian Mi instinctively wanted to turn her head but was quickly pulled back. Tian Yu, panicking, whispered, “Slow down! Just casually glance over, like you’re not interested. If you do it like before, he’ll know we’re talking about him!”

Tian Mi got the hint and subtly glanced in the direction of the man across the way.

“So, did you get a good look?”

“I just caught a general glimpse. He looks sharp.”

“And he’s not bad-looking either—thick eyebrows, big eyes, and quite tall. It’s just unfortunate that his luck’s been terrible…” Tian Yu sighed again.

“Has Uncle Tian come back? Did he solve the problem?”

At Hongtao Town’s police station, Tian Hongxing had just returned from patrol. Although he was sweating all over from riding his bike, his face and head were still feeling the sting of the cold.

As he poured himself a cup of hot water to warm up, he sighed about getting older. “It’s all just trivial matters. I gave them a verbal warning and left it at that.”

Since a family in Shengli Village filed a report after quarreling with their neighbors a while back, similar cases had started to pile up.

There were only three people in the station, including the station chief. Lately, even taking turns, the trio had been biking so much their legs had practically worn thin.

While they were complaining about when they might get another police officer added to the team, the phone rang. Han Wei, who was sitting nearby, picked it up. “Hello… oh, okay, okay, I’ll call him right now.”

After placing the receiver on the desk, Han Wei looked at Tian Hongxing, who was sipping his tea with his eyes closed, and said with a hint of resentment, “Uncle Tian, it’s for you.”

Hearing this, Tian Hongxing opened his eyes and instinctively asked, “Who… oh, is it my daughter?”

“Yes, it is.” Who else could it be? Han Wei thought about the beautiful girl he had missed out on and internally sobbed like a storm. He decided to cancel his plan of buying extra cigarettes for his father after getting paid.

Realizing it was his daughter, Tian Hongxing figured they had settled her marriage arrangements. Smiling, he quickly got up and picked up the phone. “Is it Yu Yatou or Mi Yatou? … Oh, Mi Yatou… Good, good, once you’ve set the exact date, give Dad another call… Alright… Hahaha… The new son-in-law sent his regards to me? That’s great… I’m doing well, don’t worry about things at home… Chang Qing, huh?”

Talking about his eldest son, Tian Hongxing couldn’t help feeling a bit frustrated, but phone time was precious. “Yeah, he married Wang Hongyan. The two of them don’t like the food at home, so they’ve been living with your grandparents. I’ll send you all a letter in the next few days with more details… Oh, you also sent a package home? Don’t waste money, save it for yourselves. We’re doing fine here; Dad can still make a living. Lai Di, Pan Di, and Xiangyang are all doing well too… I’ve sent Lai Di back to school… Alright, Dad knows. I’ll keep an eye on them and won’t let them get bullied… Oh, right, Chun Xiu got married. She asked me to let you know. She married that educated youth, Sun Jun.”

The call didn’t last long. Neither side wanted to waste public resources, so they sped through the conversation. It took less than three minutes to finish everything.

After hanging up, Tian Hongxing’s face was still beaming with joy. Even the frustration caused by his eldest son had dissipated. 

Hmm… this new son-in-law seems well-mannered, even knows to send greetings.

Satisfied, he hummed a little tune as he sat back down, slowly sipping his tea. Then, looking at Han Wei, who was sulking for some unknown reason, he happily said, “My Mi Yatou is getting married, to that Regiment Commander I mentioned before. Isn’t that great!”

Han Wei… don’t say anything; my heart hurts even more.

“Time flies. You and Chun Xiu are already talking about marriage. In another seven years, my Chen Xun will be twenty. In the blink of an eye, I’m going to be a grandmother. Life, huh, it’s so strange. When you’re young, you can’t wait to grow up, but once you hit thirty, time seems to fly by. Now, I just wish it would slow down…” On the way back, Tian Yu sighed about life, and then something else came to mind. “By the way, why did Chun Xiu marry an educated youth? Is he reliable?”

Tian Hongxing had seven younger sisters, and each of those aunts had several children.

Altogether, there were dozens of cousins. Because of the big age gaps, they weren’t all that familiar with each other. Tian Yu only remembered Chun Xiu because she was the same age as Mi Yatou and used to play with her second sister when they were little.

Hearing this, Tian Mi couldn’t help but think about the time she had advised Chun Xiu and how the advice wasn’t taken. But marriage was a personal choice, and she shouldn’t have interfered. Even back then, her words probably annoyed Chun Xiu.

In the end, she only replied, “She must’ve found someone she liked. When we send the package home, let’s include a gift too.” After all, Chun Xiu had shown her kindness before, and as a close cousin, it wouldn’t feel right to not send something.

Tian Yu nodded, “We should send a gift. Let’s pool some money and buy a pair of pillowcases.”

“Isn’t that a bit too little?”

“It’s not too little. We were never that close to begin with. For relatives we won’t have much contact with in the future, there’s no need to be overly generous. I’m not trying to be stingy, but if we send a whole bundle of fabric this time, just watch — a string of cousins will start calling us with wedding announcements, essentially asking for gifts.” Every family is struggling. With dozens of cousins, not even counting those on her mother Luan Hongmei’s side, who could afford to keep up with all of them? It’s not like they’re direct siblings.

She didn’t want to think too poorly of her cousins, but that’s just human nature. Who doesn’t like getting a little something for free? She liked it too.

“How about we don’t send anything to Chunxiu either?” Tian Mi frowned, not wanting to deal with the hassle.

“We still need to send something to Chunxiu. Didn’t you say she helped you before? Plus, you two were close growing up, so it’s only right to honor that sisterly bond. But have Dad quietly give the gift when he goes to the wedding.”

Tian Mi grumbled, “Dealing with all these social obligations is such a pain. Life would be simpler alone.”

“What are you saying? You’re about to get married. Oh, by the way, your brother-in-law gave you an envelope this morning. Was there money inside?”

Mentioning this, Tian Mi didn’t even know what expression to make.

That man didn’t just give her money; he even slipped her a savings book, all while looking worried that she might refuse it.

Was she that kind of person?

Of course not!!

They were about to get married, so she wasn’t going to act all high and mighty. If he gave it, she’d take it. Refusing would be foolish.

Still, the amount of money surprised her. Even accounting for his salary and bonuses over the years, it seemed like too much.

She had been in a rush this morning and planned to ask him about it later.

By evening, the sky was growing dusky.

When Lou Luhui once again returned with Chen Gang in a familiar fashion, not only were Tian Mi and her family used to it, but the other residents in the family compound were too.

As soon as they stepped inside, the rich aroma of food greeted them, making the men, who had been busy all day, even hungrier.

“You two sit for a bit. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.” Tian Yu called out from the kitchen after hearing them enter.

Chen Gang went into the kitchen and took the knife from Tian Mi’s hand. “Second sister, let me handle this. Didn’t you agree with Lao Lou to go check out the house?”

Before Tian Mi could answer, Tian Yu was already shooing her out. “Right, right, I almost forgot. Mi Yatou, you go ahead, your brother-in-law can take care of things here.”

Tian Mi didn’t stand on ceremony. She winked playfully at her fiancé, who was standing by the kitchen door, then untied her apron and hung it on the wall. “Sis, you guys go ahead and eat later, don’t wait for us.”

Without looking up, Tian Yu replied, “Got it, go quickly before it gets too dark.”

“…” 

A regiment-level officer could get a three-bedroom, one-living-room house, roughly 90 square meters.

Though it was called a three-bedroom, one-living-room house, it was really just a standard gable-roof brick house, the most common type nowadays.

There were only two such houses left vacant in the family area.

Lou Luhui didn’t mind where they lived. He had originally planned for Tian Tian to go with her eldest sister to take a look during the day and let him know. He only needed to handle the application.

But the young girl had said that it was their home, and she wanted him to accompany her.

He had to admit, her words really tugged at his heart.

“Which one should we check out first?” Tian Mi asked as she put on her coat, about to reach for her scarf, but Lou Luhui beat her to it.

He gently wrapped the scarf around her neck, his movements as delicate as if he were handling a fragile crystal doll.

Feeling sweet inside, Tian Mi lifted her face and smiled at him.

Who wouldn’t love being pampered? Especially when the person spoiling her was a super handsome guy — and hers, at that.

Pride swelled within her!

Seeing her reaction, Lou Luhui’s lips curled into a smile too. After tying the scarf, he placed a hat on her head.

When his hand lowered, he couldn’t help himself and brushed against her lovely crescent-shaped eyes. His fingers tingled… a soft, numbing sensation.

Tian Mi blinked, then blinked again. Wait… did he just touch her eyelashes?

“Shall we go?” Lou Luhui’s eyes gleamed with amusement, but his expression remained innocent.

Tian Mi…

The two available houses were quite far apart.

One was at the far west end, the other at the far east.

Her sister and brother-in-law lived right in the middle, so no matter which direction they chose, it would take about ten minutes to walk there.

The houses were regiment-level and about the same layout, so there wasn’t much to pick at. Now it was just a matter of seeing which had better lighting and a nicer environment.

Ah… actually, it wasn’t just those two factors to consider. The neighbors’ personalities were important too.

Tian Mi stood next to Lou Luhui with a polite yet gracious smile, playing the role of a proper lady, not saying a word.

“…Our place is great! Meizi^[1]Younger sister/girl, come be neighbors with me. We can cook together, do laundry together, and even go to the market together…” Liu Xiuju extended an enthusiastic invitation, but she was secretly scheming.

This girl was around the same age as her eldest daughter, and people of the same age got along well. Once she had won her over, she could then have her whisper sweet nothings in her pillow, persuading Regiment Commander Lou to put pressure on her husband, Lao Zhu. She didn’t believe he wouldn’t come back after that. As long as he returned to her bed and she got pregnant, Lao Zhu would be hers for good.

Completely oblivious to the fact that the two men were in different regiments and not directly in the same chain of command, Liu Xiuju thought her plan was flawless.

After patiently waiting for Liu Xiuju to finish her lengthy speech, Tian Mi shyly glanced at her fiancé and said, “Saozi, I can’t make this decision. I’ll listen to Comrade Lou on this.”

Lou Luhui…

Liu Xiuju gave a look as if to say, “You’re kidding, right?” and said, “Come on, Tian family girl, that’s not what you said yesterday. That temper of yours…”

“Let’s go!” Lou Luhui cut her off, giving her a cold glance before turning to leave.

There was no need to look at this house any further; the neighbor was too much trouble.

With the nature of his work, he would often have to go on missions in the future. Naturally, he didn’t want Tian Tian to be mistreated by the neighbors while he was away.

Tian Mi was laughing inside, but she kept a composed expression, politely bidding farewell to the stunned Liu Xiuju, then followed her fiancé like a well-behaved wife.

Lou Luhui had intentionally slowed his pace. Seeing her catch up, he chuckled softly, “You’re quite the little troublemaker.”

“In situations like this, it’s more effective for you to step in than for me. Besides, don’t men like it when women give them face in front of others?” Unable to hold hands, Tian Mi pinched two fingers around the hem of his coat and swayed them gently, speaking in a coquettish tone.

“You don’t need to give anyone face on purpose; just follow your heart.” Lou Luhui stopped walking, briefly holding her hand, and looked at her with a serious expression. 

To him, a man’s dignity was something earned by his own efforts.

Tian Mi’s eyes twinkled. “So… does that mean I can yell at you in public?”

Lou Luhui thought about it seriously for a few seconds before answering, “If it’s my fault, you can!”

“Pfft…” His seriousness was both touching and funny, and it stirred up some mischievous thoughts in Tian Mi.

She quickly restrained her smile, raising her chin in a mock haughty manner and demanding, “So, what you’re saying is that if it’s not your fault, I can’t lose my temper at you in public?”

By now, Lou Luhui could clearly see she was teasing him, and he laughed. “You can, but I hope we don’t argue too often in the future.”

He started walking again, leading her toward the house on the far west side. “…Arguing hurts the relationship. A lifetime together is a long time, and since we grew up in different regions and environments, there may be differences in how we see things or in our habits. So, there will be many things we’ll need to adjust to together. I can’t promise that everything will always meet your expectations, and I can’t guarantee that we won’t argue, but I hope we can try to keep arguments to a minimum. In the future, if there’s anything about me you don’t like, you can tell me, and I’ll try to improve…”

His words were simple, but they were sweet.

Compared to grand promises and exaggerated declarations, Tian Mi liked Lou Luhui’s down-to-earth approach much better.

He was truly putting thought into answering her, even though he knew she was only teasing him.

At that moment, Tian Mi suddenly lost her desire to tease him. She pressed her lips together and asked softly, “When did you start thinking about these things?”

“You mean about how couples should get along?”

“…Yeah!”

“Actually, not long ago…” He chuckled briefly, then turned to look at the girl beside him and asked suddenly, “Do you know where I first saw you?”

Although she didn’t know why the topic had changed, Tian Mi shook her head cooperatively. “Where?”

“At the Chaoyang River. At the time, Zhou Jianshe and I were temporarily assigned to assist with a task. After the task was completed early, we called Commander Wang and went to visit our old squad leader… who is now the county party secretary in your county. The Liu family’s issue was resolved with his help…”

Upon hearing this, Tian Mi suddenly understood. No wonder Liu Shu had fallen so quickly, and Liu Xiangdong had left in disgrace. So that’s how it was. “I’ve never properly thanked you for that. Thank you!”

Lou Luhui teased himself, “No need to thank me. In situations like that, anyone would lend a hand if they could. Besides, my intentions at the time weren’t exactly pure…”

Tian Mi laughed again.

“We were traveling by boat then. One morning, around four in the morning, we landed near Chaoyang Village. We hadn’t rested for long when you showed up. Afraid of scaring you, Zhou Jianshe and I kept quiet, but to our surprise, you jumped straight into the water.”

“Ah… was it that time?” Tian Mi recalled. It was the day of the market fair, so they had met each other on the same day. That really was… fate.

Lou Luhui, unaware of her inner thoughts, responded with a smile, “Yes, that time. You stayed underwater for so long that Zhou Jianshe and I thought something had happened to you. Just when we were about to jump in to save you, you resurfaced—with a fish in hand.”

Tian Mi rubbed her nose. “At the time, Liu Xiangdong had his eye on me, and I was worried my family wouldn’t be able to hold him off from marrying me. I just wanted to earn some money and go to my eldest sister.”

At this point, she looked up at him with a soft smile. “See? Even if we hadn’t met in Chaoyang Village, we would’ve still met later on—just a little later.”

“That’s right! We were fated to be together,” he declared firmly.

Wasn’t it destiny? A bond that transcended time.

Since the topic had come up, Tian Mi decided to slip in a personal note. She casually added, “Actually… I’m really good in the water. You know, we grew up by the river, and I can hold my breath underwater for about ten minutes.”

She expected him to be incredulous, but he was only mildly surprised before he praised her, “I’ve heard some Navy divers, through years of training, can achieve that. I didn’t expect you to figure it out on your own. You’ve got talent, but even so, don’t get careless.”

Tian Mi let out a small breath of relief. “Mm, I’ll be very careful.”

Lou Luhui raised a hand to pat her head and continued, “It was back then, when you emerged from the water. You looked incredibly beautiful, like a lotus rising from the pond.”

At this, the man seemed a little embarrassed.

Tian Mi felt her ears heating up too. She… hadn’t known that. It was a bit awkward.

“Ahem… I just thought you were a very pretty girl at the time, didn’t think much more because you seemed so young.”

What?

Who was young?

Who exactly are you calling young??

Tian Mi’s shyness quickly disappeared as she stiffened, glancing down at her chest… then, not feeling very confident, she hesitated. Although… it wasn’t particularly big, it was somewhere between a B and C, right? Clothes looked great with that size, didn’t they?

“No, no, ahem… that’s not what I meant. I meant your age. Yes, your age! I thought at the time you weren’t even 18 yet…” Lou Luhui hadn’t expected her to misunderstand, and seeing her actions made him feel like he was about to catch fire.

No way… no more lamb for dinner tonight.

“Then… what happened next?” Tian Mi realized she had been too eager to assume the role. She! Was! Not! Young!

Lou Luhui…

After a few moments of mysterious silence, Lou Luhui suddenly burst into laughter. “Later, when my sister-in-law wanted to introduce me to someone, I noticed her eyes looked a bit like yours…”

They didn’t need to say more; they exchanged smiles.

At that moment, they had just arrived in front of the westernmost house.

Lou Luhui took out his keys from his pocket, unlocked the door, and opened it. He led Tian Mi a little further away, saying, “Wait a moment for the smell inside to dissipate.”

By now, it was getting dark, and Tian Mi shamelessly swayed their joined hands, asking in a playful tone, “So, from the moment you figured out I was the eldest sister’s sister, did you start thinking about how we would get along after marriage?”

Lou Luhui replied, “Mm, I thought a lot about it.” He cherished their meeting, always careful and anxious about it.

Noticing this, Tian Mi smiled gently, choosing not to say anything more, and just pulled him to stroll around the house.

There wasn’t much to see, as the houses in the family quarters were largely the same, and the surroundings lacked the beautiful landscaping of modern neighborhoods.

But… since this was the place she would be living in the future, Tian Mi thought even the weeds left uncut on the ground were special.

“Who lives next door?” After getting a better look at the house’s layout, Tian Mi leaned against Lou Luhui’s arm, resting most of her weight on him.

“It’s Lao Chen’s partner, Regiment Commander Tang from the Third Regiment.” Lou Luhui pulled her closer into his embrace, making her more comfortable.

“Ah! I’ve met his wife. She’s really nice! So, let’s take this place, then?” 

“Sure, I’ll go apply for it tomorrow. Do you want to see more?” The man leaned down, tentatively planting a light kiss on the girl’s forehead.

In the dim light, their blushing faces were well hidden. Tian Mi raised her hands to grasp the sides of his waist, saying, “Um… no need to look anymore; it’s already dark…”

“Alright! We’ll head back in a bit.” Lou Luhui’s voice was husky, drawing closer to her with a heated intimacy.

In a romantic moment, even a simple action could stir up passion between the couple.

As both of them held their breath, on the verge of touching each other…

Cheng Yaojin appeared once again^[2]From the saying: Cheng Yaojin ambushes the enemy [半路殺出個程咬金] – Used to describe a situation where someone shows up unexpectedly and disrupts a plan. It is also used to describe … Continue reading.

Tang Dahai shouted loudly at his own doorstep, “Lao Lou! Is that you?”

Fuck!

The fairy was really angry!

How much longer would this go on? Was it so wrong to want to kiss a man?

Flushed with adrenaline, Tian Mi yanked on Lou Luhui, who was startled into standing straight, and tiptoed up to kiss him boldly.

“Hiss…”

She was too forceful.

Bumped… bumped their lips together.

She really couldn’t eat meat tofu anxiously^[3]Eager for action really didn’t yield the best results~she hated it!

TN:

5 Chapters unlocked today. Merry Christmas!!!!🎊