Chapter 33

On the bright red wedding bed, spring intertwined with the pair of lovebirds.

Lou Luhui woke from his dreams, and in that half-dreaming state, a familiar fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose. Cradled in his arms was the soft body of his beloved, prompting him to smile as he instinctively held her a little tighter.

That’s right… he was married.

He had married the lotus flower he fell in love with at first sight.

Today was their wedding day.

From now on, his sister-in-law could no longer stop him from sleeping with his wife; they were now officially a couple.

Caught up in the bliss of love, Commander Lou’s intelligence dropped significantly. After cherishing the moment for a while, he gently loosened his hold.

Then, he shifted back slightly, lowering his head to take in the sight of his still-sleeping wife.

Tian Mi was beautiful, he had always known that, but now that she faced him, with her snow-white skin and rosy lips, her thick black hair cascading around her, she formed a striking visual contrast with the bright red pillows and blankets, adding an inexplicable allure to her previously sweet appearance.

Lou Luhui didn’t know how long he had been staring; all he knew was that when he became fully awake, his face was mere inches from his wife’s.

His lips were about to brush against her soft, slightly swollen red lips.

Just as he was about to kiss her… a fragment of memory abruptly surfaced in his mind.

In that instant, he froze.

After drinking, people usually experience one of two situations: either they have no memory at all or their memories are crystal clear.

Lou Luhui was clearly in the latter category.

He seemed to have… lost his composure?

Not only did he insist on sleeping with her, but he also bumped her head and arm several times?

Realizing this, Lou Luhui immediately reached out to touch Tian Mi’s head and arm, relieved to find no bumps or bruises. 

It was then that he felt a slight pain in his collarbone… right, Tian Mi had bitten him in anger.

The reason seemed to be… he had nearly stripped her when he… fell asleep?! 

After realizing the foolishness of his actions, Lou Luhui rolled his throat a few times.

…This wasn’t good.

Although Tian Mi had a sweet appearance, she could indeed scratch when angry.

Just as he was thinking about how to coax her, the person in his arms turned over. Soon, her thick eyelashes began to flutter, clearly indicating she was about to wake up.

Sure enough, those fan-like curled lashes blinked a few times before opening.

Lou Luhui forced himself to ask, “Awake?”

Tian Mi lay flat on the bed, looking at him. After a few seconds of confusion, her memory quickly returned. She furrowed her brows, about to speak when she saw him rubbing his forehead, looking as if he had a hangover.

Tian Mi…

Tian Mi held back a laugh and played along: “Is this a headache?”

Lou Luhui felt a little relieved and continued to feign weakness: “Yeah… it’s a bit throbbing.”

A throbbing headache… Tian Mi was almost laughing out loud inside, but she managed to sit up with a concerned look, gently helping him lie back down. “Then rest for a while; I’ll make you a cup of strong tea.”

Thinking he had escaped unscathed, Lou Luhui obediently lay back down in bed.

It wasn’t until he sipped the overly sweet tea that he realized his little trick had been seen through.

He struggled to swallow the oddly flavored tea… and chuckled.

Fine, he had been childish.

Regardless, Lou Luhui had resigned himself to his fate; as long as he was with his partner, he would do one bizarre and childish thing after another, things he had never done before.

He pulled her onto him with one hand.

Tian Mi chuckled, “Are you going to lie to me again next time?”

Lou Luhui tilted his head and planted a peck on his wife’s red lips, softly laughing as he promised, “I won’t lie to you.”

“This is the first time; if there’s a next time, I’ll… mmm… mmm…”

Before she could finish her threatening words, they were swallowed by his kiss.

Although both of them were inexperienced, they had stolen kisses quite a few times recently.

As newlyweds, they could ignite passion anytime, anywhere.

So gradually… kissing was no longer enough.

From there, everything flowed naturally, though the beginning was a bit awkward and could even be described as “grueling.”

Honestly, after everything rushed to an end, Tian Mi breathed a sigh of relief.

For a girl, the first time is really not very friendly, especially when the partner is strong and well-built. The experience was overwhelming; she felt she hadn’t enjoyed it at all.

Lou Luhui also seemed to be in discomfort, as the veins on his neck and forehead had popped out.

The most critical thing was that he seemed to have suffered a blow to his pride.

Tian Mi found it amusing. She wondered if people in this era had access to knowledge about such things.

Though she lacked experience, she knew that a man’s first time usually lasts only a short while, but she wouldn’t be silly enough to explain that to him.

After all, she was a little fairy.

With this thought, Tian Mi, feeling a rare pang of conscience, leaned over and kissed the man’s neck in comfort.

However, she clearly realized that her knowledge was just theoretical. For instance, the man who hadn’t quite finished on the bed was someone not to be trifled with; just a light kiss had once again sent her into the tiger’s den.

Then, Tian Mi deeply experienced the explosive power of the man’s waist…

The next day.

Tian Mi was awakened by hunger.

It was quite ridiculous; she had even had an extra meal before going to sleep last night.

She reached out to tug at the lamp cord by the headboard, and once the dim bedroom brightened up, she frowned and raised her wrist to squint at the clock’s hands.

Hmm… it was a bit better than she had expected; it was only… ten-thirty in the morning.

She took a deep breath, exhaled, and looked around the room, but she didn’t spot the culprit.

Tian Mi didn’t rush to get up; instead, she lay back and moved her limbs a bit to confirm that nothing was wrong before slowly getting out of bed.

There wasn’t anything particularly painful, but everything felt a bit awkward.

On the wardrobe in the bedroom, there was a half-length mirror. After getting dressed, Tian Mi instinctively glanced at herself.

Tsk… her complexion was a bit pale, but her lips were red and full, which counted as another kind of beauty.

Forget it; considering how pretty she looked, she wouldn’t argue with the annoying man.

After cheering herself up, Tian Mi opened the door and stepped out.

“Awake?” Hearing the movement, Lou Luhui put down what he was doing, a smile on his face as he quickly approached her.

“Are you making dumplings?”

Lou Luhui led her to the washroom. Both of them liked cleanliness, so their washroom was even more refined than the one in her sister’s house. There was an extended rack for hanging clothes and towels, a washstand made of cement, and a half-length mirror on the wall above it. They even had separate wooden footbaths and bathtubs…

“I’m making lamb dumplings; I’m not good at anything else,” Lou Luhui replied to her question as he handed her a toothbrush with toothpaste already applied.

“Um…  Hui Hu worked hard~!” Tian Mi took the toothbrush, sweetly flattering him.

“Cough… It’s not tough; you were the one who had it tough… Yesterday… you’re not angry?” Lou Luhui subtly assessed his wife’s expression and noticed she didn’t look too well—she appeared noticeably paler than usual. He realized he might have gone a bit overboard yesterday.

Tian Mi paused in her action of reaching for water, “Why would I be angry?”

Since he had promised not to lie to his wife, he felt awkward but decided to honestly explain, “I overheard some comrades say that on the second day of marriage, wives might give their husbands the cold shoulder.”

“You guys… still talk about this?” Tian Mi looked at her husband with a complicated expression, feeling once again that she was seeing him in a new light.

Lou Luhui quickly shook his head, “I just heard a bit; don’t worry, I would never discuss these things with others.” What a joke—his own wife, the treasure he wanted to keep hidden away, he wouldn’t talk about such personal matters with anyone else. He knew how many of his comrades regretted missing out on their wives.

Though reassured by her husband’s promise and willing to trust his character, Tian Mi still muttered, “When men gossip, it seems like there’s nothing women can discuss.”

Lou Luhui touched his nose and didn’t respond, but he was unwilling to leave; he just leaned against the wall, watching her brush her teeth.

How… could anyone bring such joy to everything they did?

As Tian Mi was halfway through brushing her teeth, she suddenly felt a heavy weight against her back as the man pressed against her like a giant teddy bear.

She helplessly found it funny, “Don’t get too close…”

Lou Luhui rested his chin on his wife’s slender shoulder and, hearing her words, smiled as he rubbed his cheek against hers. “I don’t mind it being dirty.” As he said this, he leaned in and gave her cheek a quick peck.

Tian Mi rolled her eyes but indulged his clinginess, thinking of it as carrying a big, fluffy creature on her back.

So, the two of them became inseparable, sticking close together wherever they went.

After Tian Mi finished getting ready, she patted the large hand that had been resting on her waist. “Alright, I’m hungry…”

Halfway through her sentence, she felt something was off with the touch of his hand. Looking down, she indeed saw a pair of hands covered in flour.

And the bright red jacket she had specially taken out for her wedding was now speckled with a layer of white.

Taking a deep breath, she tried not to get angry; it was only the first day of their marriage, and she had to maintain her little fairy image.

But this outfit was something she had specifically saved to wear on her wedding day.

Brand new! 凸(艹皿艹 )

“On Monday, Commander Wang will hold a meeting regarding this incident of family members not following the rules. At that time, you will also be recognized separately and awarded; do you want to speak on stage?” As he prepared to make dumplings again after satisfying his little wife’s hunger, Lou Luhui conveyed the organization’s decision.

Tian Mi placed the dumplings she had wrapped behind Lou Luhui’s neatly arranged dumplings.

She liked to pinch the edges of her dumplings, giving them a rounder shape, while Lou Luhui’s were clearly just folded in half, showcasing his personal style.

Tian Mi had a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder and felt out of place with her one item in the neatly arranged row, so she reached out to move it to the other side, arranging it separately. Only then did she feel comfortable. “Wasn’t the reward already given? Didn’t I wear that outfit yesterday?”

“That was part of it, but there should still be other forms of rewards. You can bring it up yourself, like asking for a bonus or some work. Although the military will arrange jobs for military families, you can’t just nitpick. If you want to work, this is a chance to be picky, as long as you can handle it. After all, you saved two lives. If you were a soldier, that would at least earn you a third-class merit.”

“Well… I’d rather not give a speech. I don’t like being the center of attention. As for work, I’ll go to Mei Saozi’s this afternoon to find out about the publicity officer job. I’m more interested in that, and the time is flexible.”

Lou Luhui chuckled. “Okay, no rush. I’ll pass your thoughts along to Commander Wang later.”

“By the way, did you go call Mom to come eat lunch?” Tian Mi glanced at her watch; it was almost eleven.

Now that she had a watch, Tian Mi would occasionally check it, not to show off, but because it felt nice to finally be aware of the time; it really wasn’t easy.

Right, this watch was an imported one that her mother-in-law bought from Beijing. It looked great.

Lou Luhui was taken aback by his wife’s question; he really had forgotten.

Seeing this, Tian Mi fell silent for a moment and then said, “Maybe we should just have a daughter in the future.”

Lou Luhui…

Since Mr. Lou had made a big bowl of lamb filling, he then kneaded a dough ball to wrap all the lamb, making nearly three hundred dumplings. It was quite a big project.

Of course, Mrs. Zhong Yuxiu, who had hardly ever stepped into the kitchen her whole life, was also brought in to help when her daughter-in-law called her to eat. She spent an hour or so busying herself.

Later, Tian Mi simply had Lou Luhui call over her elder sister’s family so everyone could enjoy a hearty meal together.

In the end, everyone was holding their bellies, and there were still over a hundred dumplings left.

After finishing the meal and taking a short break, Lou Luhui returned to the regiment.

Recently, he had been absent for various reasons. Even though today was a rest day, he still felt uneasy.

As for Tian Mi, she held her mother-in-law’s and elder sister’s hands and went to Aunt Mei’s house.

Yes, since Aunt Mei and Mrs. Zhong Yuxiu were close friends, Mei Saozi was now referred to as “Aunt Mei.”

Of course, since it was her first time officially visiting as a soldier’s family member, she politely brought a gift… a plate of lamb dumplings.

In this era of scarcity, that was already considered a generous gift; whether it was flour or meat, they were both fine foods.

Commander Wang should have mentioned her job situation to Aunt Mei, and with the added endorsements of her mother-in-law, Zhong Yuxiu, and her sister, Tian Yu, even the usually indifferent Ruan Mei would have a natural liking for Tian Mi due to these flattering identities.

So, it wasn’t long after everyone sat down that Aunt Mei proactively presented all the job options available.

Tian Mi wasn’t naive; she could tell from the several positions mentioned by Aunt Mei that most were clerical roles, which showed that she genuinely wanted to help.

However, among those jobs, there was no position for a publicity officer.

After exchanging glances with her sister, she didn’t beat around the bush but directly asked, “Auntie, I heard my sister say that there’s a publicity officer position in the family area. Is anyone doing it?”

“Not at all. Do you want this job?” Aunt Mei was a bit surprised but quickly realized that she had said too much; the Lou family wasn’t short on money.

She gently explained, “The reason the publicity officer position has always been unfilled is that it requires writing skills, and most military families don’t have enough education. Those who do tend to prefer teaching or working as salespeople in the military cooperative. After all, both of those jobs are respectable with higher salaries. The publicity officer role is easier but pays quite a bit less.”

It wasn’t that Tian Mi looked down on the salary difference of those two jobs; it was just that she wanted a position with more flexible hours, rather than a typical nine-to-five job.

After all, she was still considering going out to work in the future, and even if not now, she would definitely take action once it got warmer.

But she didn’t show this on her face. Instead, she asked shyly, “Aunt, may I ask how much each of those two jobs pays?”

“What’s inconvenient about that? The teacher’s salary is about the same as the salesperson’s, around 32.8 yuan and 31.6 yuan, respectively. The publicity officer’s salary is about a third less, only 22.4 yuan. However, the ticket subsidies are roughly the same for all of you, but they’re very minimal. For example, for fabric tickets, you might save up for a year, and it might not even be enough to buy a coat.” At that time, there weren’t many confidentiality measures; everyone’s salaries were quite transparent, and a little inquiry would reveal everything. Ruan Mei straightforwardly shared this information.

Zhong Yuxiu actually thought it would be great if her daughter-in-law chose the publicity officer position. Their family wasn’t short on money; what they provided for their children was enough for them to eat and wear for a lifetime, plus they could raise kids. Moreover, her son’s salary was more than sufficient to support the family.

But nowadays, young people had their own ideas, and she wouldn’t say much; she just quietly sipped her tea.

In fact, Tian Mi had initially been drawn to the publicity officer position, so she asked again, “Then, what exactly does the publicity officer do?”

Having mentally prepared herself, Ruan Mei wasn’t surprised this time. She explained attentively, “The job isn’t difficult. You’ll need to write two or three articles a month. The content just needs to align with current policies. If you find anything unclear at first, you can also refer to what the military’s publicity department posts…”

This was essentially feeding her with information, and Tian Mi understood immediately, breaking into a grateful smile.

Seeing how quickly the young girl grasped the information and smiled so endearingly made Ruan Mei’s heart feel warm. She was pleased that her friend had found such a wonderful daughter-in-law.

Smart, beautiful, and loyal—she was simply the perfect daughter-in-law in a mother-in-law’s eyes.

Thinking about this, Ruan Mei felt a bit envious of her friend. So, she took a sip of tea and continued, “Also, there’s a class for the family members every week. This just started recently as a consequence of Liu Xiuju’s influence. This kind of thing won’t last long, maybe around two months. Once all the family members have a firm grasp of it, it should change to a monthly ideological and political course.”

Tian Mi understood immediately again. In fact, the soldiers in the military had more intensive ideological and political lessons. This frequency wasn’t too high, but the family members were used to being idle. Now, because of Liu Xiuju, they would have to attend a large class every week. She thought everyone would surely be cursing her behind her back.

“So, that means currently I only have to work two or three days a week, right?” With half the work days cut down but only losing ten yuan, this was quite a deal.

“This is great! Just this one, Mei Zi, arrange this for my daughter-in-law,” Zhong Yuxiu directly decided, seeing that her daughter-in-law clearly liked the job.

Ruan Mei shot a glance at her friend, then turned to Tian Mi for final confirmation. “Are you sure? Once the job is settled, it’s hard to change it.”

Hearing this, Tian Mi pretended to be shy, saying, “It’s mainly because my husband, Lao Lou, isn’t getting any younger. I thought if I got pregnant, a lighter job would be more convenient for me in the future, whether it’s during pregnancy or taking care of the child.”

Tian Yu quietly pinched her sister’s waist, thinking that the little girl had no shame in her words. They had just been married for a day, and here she was talking about getting pregnant, without a care about what the elders might think.

However, the elder sister was overthinking it. Zhong Yuxiu really wanted grandchildren, but her daughter-in-law and son had just gotten married. Being a newlywed herself, she understood that young couples wanted to enjoy their life together for a while longer.

Moreover, her daughter-in-law was still quite young, just over 20 years old, so she couldn’t bring herself to urge her to have children just yet.

She never expected, though, that her daughter-in-law would give her such a big surprise.

Really, Zhong Yuxiu held her daughter-in-law’s hand tightly, almost moved to tears, but then worried that the young girl might feel pressured, so she comforted her, “Tian Tian, there’s no rush for children. We’ll just let nature take its course, yes, let nature take its course.”

Seeing her mother-in-law on the verge of tears, Tian Mi quickly patted her back to soothe her.

In truth, this wasn’t all just to comfort; she had thought about it seriously.

She really liked children, and having one at this age would be perfect. Ideally, she wanted to have two—one boy and one girl would be best. With almost six years left until the college entrance exams resumed in ’77, that wouldn’t affect her going to university.

I have to say, at this moment, Ruan Mei admitted she felt a bit envious.

She envied her friend’s luck; she got married later and would have children later too. But she and Yuxiu were the same age, and yet Yuxiu was already thinking about holding grandchildren.

Thinking about her own son, who would be 23 during the New Year and had no thoughts of settling down, every time someone mentioned introducing him to a potential partner, he would just change the subject. It was infuriating!

After deciding on the job, the group chatted for a while longer.

The topics were varied, but the main focus was to strengthen their bond.

When it was time to say goodbye, Tian Mi even asked Aunt Mei for some past publicity materials. Since she had decided to take this job, she would take it seriously.

Evening.

Ms. Zhong Yuxiu declined her daughter-in-law’s warm invitation, insisting on not being a meddlesome mother-in-law and continued staying at her friend’s house.

This action made Tian Mi feel both touched and amused.

When Lou Luhui returned home, Tian Mi had already timed it perfectly and set the dinner on the table.

“Go wash your hands; dinner is ready,” she said. There weren’t many leftovers from the wedding banquet, but there were still one or two pounds of meat and vegetables, which the supply officer had sent over with the young soldiers.

So tonight’s dinner was quite lavish. Besides the leftover dumplings from lunch, Tian Mi also cooked a fish.

Lou Luhui took off his coat, hat, and gloves, hanging them on the rack before heading to the kitchen to wash his hands.

He walked over, wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist, pulling her into a warm embrace. After exchanging a sweet kiss, he sat down to eat.

At the dinner table, Tian Mi told her husband that she had confirmed the job as a publicity officer.

“As long as you’re happy. When do you start working?” Lou Luhui placed a piece of fish from the belly onto her bowl.

With a smile in her eyes, Tian Mi put the fish into her mouth and said, “Probably Monday. I’ll take these couple of days to familiarize myself with the duties of a publicity officer.”

“No rush, take your time.”

“Don’t you think the salary for the job I chose is too low?”

Knowing his wife was being playful again, Lou Luhui chuckled softly, “Don’t worry; your husband can support you.”

“Is it okay to call you ‘Huihui’ now? Didn’t you say I shouldn’t? Why are you calling it yourself?” Tian Mi shot her husband an amused glance, remembering how red his face turned the first time she tried calling him that after learning from her mother-in-law.

Lou Luhui clearly recalled the embarrassing moment as well. He cleared his throat awkwardly, “It’s fine to call it privately.”

Such a heavy idol burden!

“By the way, do you have time tomorrow? Mom is leaving, and we should at least see her off,” Tian Mi changed the topic.

“I’ll drive. I’ve borrowed a car from Commander Wang to take Mom to the train station,” Lou Luhui said. After saying that, he suddenly realized what his wife meant and frowned, “Are you going too? It’ll take several hours round trip; it’s too cold.”

There are many ways to be filial to one’s parents; it’s not necessary to personally see them off. Besides, that’s his mother—he should be the one to take her. Tian Mi didn’t have that obligation.

Tian Mi had no idea her husband was being overly considerate; she just smiled and asked, “Shouldn’t we see her off?”

She wasn’t pushing; after all, relationships are reciprocal. She could tell how well her mother-in-law treated her—she wasn’t blind to that.

Besides, they had been getting along well these past few days, so a send-off wasn’t a big deal.

“If you’re worried about Mom getting upset, there’s no need; she won’t mind these things.”

Tian Mi thought to herself, one or two disappointments wouldn’t be a problem, but if it accumulated to several… that would be a different story.

It wasn’t too troublesome to sit in a car for a few hours wrapped in a thick coat.

She instinctively sweet-talked him, “Seeing Mom off is also a little gesture from me. After all, she’s been good to me—a rare good mother-in-law. And I also don’t want to part from you. What if it rains or snows, and you can’t come back? We might be separated for several days…”

Sure enough, once she said that, Lou Luhui fell silent, just looking at her deeply.

At that moment, Tian Mi had no idea what was happening.

But after he finished eating, washed the dishes, and then carried her to the bathroom, Tian Mi was stunned.

“I took a bath during the day!”

“It’s fine; I’ll help you wash again.”

“Thanks, but really, you don’t have to!”

“No need to thank me…”

“…”

In the end, Tian Mi’s voice was almost gone…

Yes, she was a pig, sweet-talking a man. 

Ha…

TN:

3 chapters unlocked today. Happy New Year everyone. May this year bring you more blessings, joy, and success in all your endeavors. And hopefully, if you’re like me, you’ll achieve all your New Year resolutions you couldn’t last year.