Chapter 35

Confirming his wife’s decision to hand over the gold, Lou Luhui knelt down again and began inspecting each small gold ingot carefully.

“What are you looking for?” By now, the kang had started working, and the room was gradually warming up. Tian Mi took off her thick coat and crouched down beside him.

Lou Luhui pulled a small blanket from the edge of the bed, motioning her to sit beside him. “In the old days, many prominent families liked to stamp their family insignia on gold. I’m checking to see if there are any marks.”

Ah… Tian Mi nodded in understanding. She’d seen similar things in historical dramas before, so she picked up one ingot and began examining it.

Perhaps because these pieces of gold hadn’t come from a single family, or maybe Liu Shu had been careful, but after inspecting each ingot, they found no distinctive marks.

There were 350 pieces in total, and by the end, both of their eyes were a bit strained.

Lou Luhui stood up, retrieved a small leather bag from the cabinet, and carefully packed all the gold inside. He turned to his wife and asked, “If you’re certain about turning it in, I’ll take this to see Commander Wang tomorrow morning?”

Tian Mi rubbed her sore neck and said, “Turn it in. It’s not ours, so we can’t keep it.” She believed in karma, and the idea of spending ill-gotten, blood-stained money just didn’t sit right with her.

Of course, she knew that part of her selflessness stemmed from her confidence in her own ability to earn money.

Her talent for moving freely underwater opened up limitless opportunities for her.

Rather than clutching this batch of gold and feeling uneasy, she could always try salvaging the unclaimed treasures lying on the ocean floor for centuries.

Though both types of wealth might be unearned, it was strange how knowing the origin—or not—made all the difference in how one felt about it.

And even if she didn’t find anything valuable, once the economy improved, she could make a comfortable living just fishing.

Finally, she only asked, “Will this gold help everyone out?”

Lou Luhui’s gaze softened, and he answered with certainty, “It’ll be a huge help.”

Tian Mi smiled. “That’s good.”

With one worry off her mind, drowsiness set in, and she covered her mouth to stifle a yawn.

“Feeling sleepy? Do you still want a bath?” Lou Luhui, just having put the bag away, turned and saw her eyes misty with sleepiness. He instinctively reached out to steady her by the waist.

“Is the hot water ready? I’d like to soak a bit to relieve the fatigue.” Tian Mi buried her face in his chest, unable to suppress another yawn.

“Yeah, it should be ready. Just sit here for a moment; I’ll go adjust the water for you.” He patted her back, settled her on a stool, and left the room to prepare her bath.

The next morning.

Even though the reveille hadn’t sounded, Lou Luhui woke up at his usual time.

He gently patted his wife, who had dozed off in his arms and stirred when he moved. “Sleep a bit longer. It’s still snowing heavily outside; I’ll make breakfast today.”

Hearing this, the still-drowsy Tian Mi sleepily let out a “hmm” and drifted right back to sleep.

Seeing her fall back asleep so quickly, Lou Luhui couldn’t help but chuckle—and felt a bit of regret. He’d have to pace himself more in the future; his wife’s stamina was on a different level from his own.

Though he wanted to keep holding his wife and sleep a bit longer, the matter of the gold weighed on his mind, so he quietly got out of bed.

As he dressed and opened the door, he wasn’t surprised to find that the snow had piled up to his knees again. This was even after he’d cleared it once in the middle of the night; otherwise, the door might not have opened at all.

Lou Luhui grabbed the shovel beside him and skillfully began clearing the snow, stopping only once he could fully push the door open.

His plan was to go find Lao Chen first, just as he and Tian Tian had discussed the night before.

The gold was not something that needed to be kept from everyone, and his elder brother-in-law was someone he could trust. Not only did he believe in Chen Gang’s character, but if they encountered any unforeseen situations, he’d have someone to rely on.

Most importantly, they were now brothers-in-law, bonded by marriage, making them a natural team…

After more than ten years in the military, Chen Gang’s routines were deeply ingrained. Even though there was no need for morning exercises today, he still woke up right on time.

Seeing Lou Luhui approach, wading through the snow with something in hand, he paused his own snow-shoveling and asked, “What brings you here? And what’s that you’re carrying?”

He stepped aside, signaling for Lou Luhui to come in.

Lou Luhui brushed the snow off his coat but didn’t enter. Instead, he stood under the eaves and, in a low voice, briefly explained his purpose.

“…Are you serious? You’re not joking?” Chen Gang was silent for a long moment before he found his voice again, his tone slightly hoarse with disbelief.

Lou Luhui didn’t find his reaction surprising. If he hadn’t seen the hundreds of gold ingots himself, laid out on the floor, he wouldn’t have believed it either.

Seeing is believing. Without further explanation, he simply unzipped the corner of the bag, revealing a flash of gleaming gold.

Chen Gang’s Adam’s apple moved rapidly, his breathing grew a little heavier, and after several seconds, he closed his eyes, wiped his face, and awkwardly muttered, “My sister-in-law really is…”

What is she, exactly?

Fearless!

Resolute!

So much gold, worth a fortune, and she was ready to hand it over to the organization just like that.

Many might see this act as naive, even foolish.

But Chen Gang couldn’t help but admire her. Though he prided himself on being a loyal soldier, devoted to the country and the people, he couldn’t say for sure that he wouldn’t feel tempted by such a massive fortune.

However, he quickly remembered that with this gold, the soldiers could have thick clothes, coal, food…all the essential supplies. His appreciation for his sister-in-law deepened.

Although officially, this gold would be handed over to higher-level forces for the sake of protocol, with Commander Wang and Commissar Liu’s influence, they’d likely be able to keep a third of it for their unit.

Even a third would make winter more comfortable and warm for the soldiers.

With this thought, Chen Gang abandoned his snow-shoveling and, after shouting to his wife, who was making breakfast in the kitchen, hurried off with his brother-in-law to the commander’s home.

By the time Tian Yu came out, the two men had already disappeared into the vast whiteness of the snow.

She propped up the shovel that had been tossed aside and muttered to herself, “What are they rushing off for? Didn’t even close the door properly…”

Commander Wang was already up and clearing snow at his doorstep, along with two guards, using the opportunity to get some exercise. Seeing the two men approach, he looked a bit surprised. “What brings you here? What’s that you’re carrying?”

Chen Gang’s expression was serious. “Commander, there is indeed something important.”

Commander Wang’s eyes sharpened as he scanned the two men and, after a moment, handed his shovel to a guard and led them inside. “Come in!”

In the study, Commander Wang picked up the kettle to pour the two men some hot water.

Chen Gang quickly reached over. “Commander, let me do it.”

Once he had the kettle, he didn’t pour water right away but instead took the tea canister that Lou Luhui knowingly handed over.

“Heh, you two stinky brats just had to go after my good stash, didn’t you? This is my last half-can of tea…hey, hey! Use less…use less!” Seeing Chen Gang take a generous pinch, Commander Wang quickly tried to retrieve his tea canister, worried.

This time, he didn’t dare leave it on the table but locked it securely in a cabinet.

It wasn’t easy for an old man like him to save up a bit of tea.

Chen Gang pretended not to hear, divvying up the tea into two cups before slowly brewing it.

Commander Wang, realizing that they must have good news given their relaxed manner, sighed and, after a brief hesitation, made himself a cup of tea as well.

In his mind, he thought, well, he’d go and ask his old friend, Liu Laotou^[1]老头 – Old fellow/Old man, for more later.

After each of them had taken a few sips of the fragrant tea, Commander Wang asked, “All right, what’s this good news?”

Chen Gang glanced at Lou Luhui, indicating that he was the one with the news.

Seeing this, Commander Wang shifted his gaze to Lou Luhui.

“It’s like this, Commander Wang. Last night, while having dinner at Lao Chen’s house, Tian Tian—my wife—overheard that our unit was short on supplies and wanted to give her humble contribution,” Lou Luhui explained.

Chen Gang’s face twitched; he felt like he didn’t even recognize the phrase “humble contribution” anymore.

Completely unaware of the details, Commander Wang’s expression softened further. He smiled and praised, “Comrade Xiao Tian is a good kid; her awareness is commendable.” He gave a thumbs-up to show his approval.

There was nothing to it, he simply had a good impression of Tian Mi.

Whether it was saving someone from a frozen lake a few days ago at the risk of her own life or her suggestion to donate this time.

However, even though the team was facing difficulties, it wasn’t to the point where a young girl needed to donate money.

Commander Wang lit a cigarette and said, “Even though our team is in trouble, it hasn’t reached this level. Lou Luhui, go back and tell Comrade Xiao Tian that we soldiers can’t take from the common people. I appreciate her intentions, but we can’t accept it.”

Chen Gang chuckled lightly. “Commander, this time is different. Just take a look at how much was handed over.”

Commander Wang frowned. Handed over not donated?

“What kind of riddle are you two playing at?” 

Lou Luhui picked up the bag from the floor and placed it on the table, unzipping it to show the commander.

Commander Wang leaned in to take a look, and when he saw what was inside, his pupils suddenly constricted.

As if worried the impact wouldn’t be strong enough, Chen Gang directly tipped the bag over, spilling all the gold out onto the table.

With a clatter, hundreds of gold ingots piled up on the surface, with a few slipping and falling to the floor.

Lou Luhui bent down to pick up the fallen ingots. “There’s a total of 38.4 catties here.”

Dozens of catties of gold had a definite visual impact.

The cigarette in Commander Wang’s hand slipped from his fingers. He never expected that a young girl who talked about donating would directly offer the equivalent of half a year’s funding for an entire brigade of over nine thousand soldiers.

Hmm?

“You just said… it’s ‘handing over,’ not ‘donating’? So where did this gold come from?”

At this, Lou Luhui’s expression darkened slightly as he succinctly recounted the source of the gold, filling in the less coherent parts of his wife’s explanation.

Thus, the origins of the gold, when heard by Commander Wang and Chen Gang, raised no issues at all.

Commander Wang slowly sat back down on the stool, picked up the extinguished cigarette that had fallen on the table, struck a match to relight it, and took a couple of deep puffs to calm himself before he seriously remarked, “Comrade Xiao Tian is truly a remarkable woman. On behalf of the soldiers, I want to thank her sincerely.”

“Commander…” Lou Luhui immediately expressed his wife’s concerns, his voice thick with emotion as he added, “Tian Tian’s concerns are valid. I can protect her, but with mountains and rivers in between, her family far away will indeed have worries that I can’t address. Tian Tian isn’t one to seek fame; the reason she approached you is because she hopes you can help keep this confidential, and that’s for her own good.”

Commander Wang, hearing this for the first time today, learned that there were still some twists and turns in the fate between his proud subordinate and Comrade Tian.

He didn’t look down on Liu’s family for their troubles, but in his heart, he admired the young woman’s brave defiance even more.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he looked expectantly at his two subordinates. “I think I heard before that the Tian family has two younger sisters?”

His wife had been urging their son to get married for the past two years, but he wasn’t in a hurry. After all, he got married when he was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, and their eldest son was only twenty-two, with the younger son even younger at twenty—there was really no rush.

But the Tian family girls were great! Just look at the eldest, Tian Yu—cheerful and generous; the second, Tian Mi—smart and courageous. They were all from the same family, so the other two sisters must not be lacking either.

In Wang’s eyes, regardless of whether they took after Tian Yu or Tian Mi, they were both rare good girls, and good girls should be reserved in advance.

Listening to the commander’s increasingly reasonable analysis, the two brothers-in-law simultaneously darkened their faces, feeling even more frustrated… If they were looking for partners, why compare them to his wife?

This was simply intolerable!!

Chen Gang took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Commander, the youngest sister just turned 14 during the New Year!”

As for the third sister being 17, he thought it best not to mention that; the commander’s eldest child was a smiling tiger^[2]Man with a big smile and evil intentions., while the second was a hot-tempered firecracker—neither would be suitable.

Interrupted from his daydreaming, Commander Wang smacked his lips in regret. He was about to say they were a bit young, but then seemed to recall something and looked at his sullen subordinate.

Lou Luhui felt a sudden sense of foreboding.

Sure enough, Commander Wang chuckled, “It’s nothing. I remember you’re nine years older than little Comrade Tian Mi, right? By this calculation, Laozi’s eldest son can afford to wait. The younger one is fine too! Just pick one!” His attitude was incredibly generous.

Lou Luhui…

Tian Mi woke up to the sound of the earth protesting.

“Awake?”

Tian Mi was a bit dazed and turned to look at her husband, who was sitting on the edge of the bed reading. After a moment, she asked blankly, “Is that… a strong wind outside?” Was it not an earthquake?

Lou Luhui reached for the clothes at the end of the bed and handed them to his wife, comforting her, “Mmh, the wind has picked up. Don’t be afraid; there will always be strong winds for two or three days after a heavy snow. Just stay cozy at home for the next few days.”

Knowing that it was his wife’s first experience with the “Yan’er Pao,” Lou Luhui stayed by her bedside, worried that she might be frightened.

“Isn’t this too loud? Is this really what you call a Yan’er Pao?” Tian Mi slipped into her clothes and listened to the terrifying roar of the wind outside, which seemed ready to blow everything away. She still found the noise exaggerated.

“Yes, it’s the Yan’er Pao. It’s going to be very cold outside for the next few days, so try not to go out.”

Tian Mi put on her shoes and gathered her long hair. “Even if you told me to go outside, I wouldn’t dare to!” With her small frame, she wouldn’t be able to withstand even a single gust of wind.

Despite her words, she was still curious about what was happening outside.

So, she pulled back the curtains, wanting to peek through the window.

But to her surprise, the wooden shutters outside the glass window were closed. Tian Mi felt a bit relieved… Yes, without that layer of wooden protection, the glass window would probably have been broken by now.

Lou Luhui reached out to pull the curtain back, putting his arm around her shoulder as they moved outside. “Want to see?”

Tian Mi shook her head. “No need to look; I can probably guess… um… it’s probably dark and chaotic, with howling winds?”

“Haha… that’s a very accurate description.”

Around nine in the morning, after sleeping for a full thirteen hours, Tian Mi felt refreshed as she held her bowl to eat breakfast, while Lou Luhui recounted the process of handing over the gold.

“… Commander Wang’s suggestion is not to use the term ‘handing over.’ Since it’s anonymous, it would be more appropriate to say it was a donation.”

“Is there a difference between the two?”

“Handing over might come with a larger bonus, but there will likely be many checks afterward. After all, this isn’t a small amount. Tian Tian, I’m not being alarmist. If it’s labeled as handing over, there will always be people who dig deep and suspect that you might have hidden more than what you handed over. At that point, it will lead to a prolonged tug-of-war, and it won’t be easy to keep your identity hidden…” Lou Luhui handed his wife the peeled egg, seriously analyzing the outcomes of both options with her.

Tian Mi understood that her husband was speaking the truth; she never underestimated human nature. The reason she used the term “handing over” was not because she was foolish and couldn’t differentiate between “handing over” and “donation.”

But she understood that since she had honestly disclosed the source of the gold, Commander Wang would know that she was not the true owner of the gold. Therefore, she did not have the right to present it as a gift.

Of course, if the Brigade Commander suggested it be treated as a gift, she wouldn’t refuse his goodwill out of pride.

In fact, she had thought about this point before deciding to turn over the gold.

She anticipated that Commander Wang would suggest treating the submission as a gift in order to avoid any subsequent troubles.

More than thirty catties of gold is indeed a significant amount for an individual.

However, for the military, it might just be enough to cover half a year’s expenses for a brigade. So while the sum was large, it wasn’t enough for the higher-ups to specifically send someone to investigate who the owner of the gold was, especially under the guise of a gift.

Perhaps her reward would be somewhat smaller, but at least it ensured her safety.

“So, if it’s considered a gift, what kind of reward can I expect?” she asked.

“You’ll be issued a Certificate Of Honor.”

Seeing his wife looking a bit disappointed, he smiled and added, “Don’t underestimate this certificate. Commander Wang will find a way to get it signed by the top leader himself. That’s worth more than money.”

Indeed, Tian Mi felt her breath lighten considerably.

After a long pause, she asked in disbelief, “Are you serious? The top leader himself? How could that be? This gold may seem like a lot to us, but isn’t it nothing in the eyes of the top leader?”

Lou Luhui reached out and lightly tapped her cheek with his finger. “Dozens of pounds of gold—almost a million—is quite significant… Commander Wang has his connections and can bring this matter to the top leader’s attention. Just wait; you should be able to get it without any issues.”

A family heirloom!

If she could really get a document from that great leader, she would treat it as a family treasure!

Tian Mi’s face flushed with excitement, and her palms began to sweat.

Just when she thought the rewards ended there, her husband continued, “Commander Wang also said he can’t take advantage of a young girl like you, so he will give you three thousand yuan and two slots for soldiers as rewards.”

No, that was too much, Tian Mi clutched her chest; this was really generous.

“If you’re not satisfied, we can discuss it further.”

“Satisfied… Very satisfied!” One shouldn’t be too greedy; this was already very good.

Three thousand yuan? How many times would she have to go fishing to earn that?

As for the soldier slots… “Our Unit also has female soldiers, right?”

Lou Luhui quickly understood: “You want to give one of the slots to your sister?”

Tian Mi nodded, swallowed the last mouthful of porridge, and got up to clear the tableware.

She pushed away her husband’s outstretched hand as he reached for the bowl and said with a smile, “You made breakfast, so you shouldn’t have to wash the dishes too.”

Lou Luhui frowned. “Why not?”

Tian Mi shook her head and walked into the kitchen, placing the dishes into the pot.

The water in the iron pot was already quite hot. She lifted the wooden lid off the water jar, scooped out two ladles of water to dilute the heat, and then said, “You cook, I wash the dishes, or I cook and you wash the dishes—it’s very fair. Life is long, and if one person does all the work while the other just enjoys the results, over time, the one who gives everything will eventually feel resentment. We want to last a long time together, so why not actively avoid conflicts that can be prevented?”

Lou Luhui followed his little wife into the kitchen, watching her as she bowed her head to wash the dishes. He listened to her soft voice without offering any further arguments.

He merely leaned against the doorframe, watching her busy figure.

His heart felt incredibly soft. A long-lasting relationship? 

How wonderful!

“So, you want to give the soldier slot to your sister?” he asked.

Tian Mi nodded. “My third sister will turn 17 during the New Year. She has such a gentle and soft personality, and she’s a bit timid. You know our family situation, especially with my older brother and sister-in-law’s character; I really can’t rest easy.”

Lai Di’s personality is too gentle, and with her delicate, flower-like appearance, she draws a lot of pity. In just a couple more years, when she blossoms, she’s bound to attract attention. It’s better to keep her under her nose, where she can protect her.

In this world, there’s no place safer than the army.

In fact, she had discussed this matter with her elder sister before. They initially planned to wait until Lai Di finished middle school before bringing her over, but now that there was an opportunity for her to enlist, they could do it earlier.

She did want to bring Pan Di along as well, but the little girl was too young to enlist.

There was no middle or high school on the island, so bringing her over would mean attending school in the city, a place where she wouldn’t know anyone. It would be better for her to finish high school back home first.

Hmm… She’d better wait until the wind and snow stop and then call her two sisters to get their opinions.

“By the way, Lai Di, she’s my third sister. She has been out of school for a few years and is only now in the first year of middle school. Can she enlist? What types of positions are available for female soldiers?” 

“We don’t have many female soldiers here. Most of them work in the communication room or the medical station. To work at the medical station, you only need to have graduated from elementary school and pass the training and assessment. However, it’s better to have a middle school diploma later on,” Lou Luhui replied, placing the clean dishes his wife had washed into the cabinet and handing her the cloth hanging on the wall to dry her hands.

After wiping her hands, Tian Mi handed the towel back to her husband and said, “That’s the least I can do. I’ll keep an eye on her.” She needed to ensure she graduated from high school too! It was just that harsh.

“What do you want for lunch?” The topic came to an end, and Lou Luhui glanced at the time. It was almost ten o’clock. Although it was a bit early to start cooking lunch, they had nothing to do, so it was better to think about what to eat.

Tian Mi shook her head. “I just finished breakfast. How about we brew some milk tea first?”

“What’s milk tea?”

“This!” Tian Mi took out the treasured frozen milk from the spot near the window, where the temperature was the lowest, and looked at him with sparkling eyes.

Lou Luhui suddenly had a sense of foreboding.

Sure enough, his wife’s next words struck him like a thunderbolt.

What’s this milk tea, and why does he have to use his tea leaves? Those were hard-earned…

Flesh hurts…

But he still had to give in; after all, it was his sweet little wife asking.

Oh well, he could always go over to Commander Wang’s side and get some more…