Chapter 42: Arriving at the Courtyard  

Upon hearing Fu Wenjing’s words, Su Ruanruan immediately perked up and hurriedly asked: “Someone’s coming to pick us up? Who?”  

“My subordinate.” Fu Wenjing replied. “I sent a telegram the day before yesterday, telling him our arrival time. He’ll be driving over to pick me up.”  

“Husband, you’re amazing!”  

As soon as the words left her mouth, Su Ruanruan realized what she had just said and blushed.  

They had been married for so many days, yet this was the first time she had called him “husband.”  

Before saying it, she had felt a little embarrassed. But now that she had actually spoken the word, she found that there was nothing to be embarrassed about at all.  

After all, Fu Wenjing was her husband.  

Realizing this, the warmth on Su Ruanruan’s face faded slightly.  

The dim lighting inside the train compartment cast soft shadows, but Fu Wenjing’s gaze as he looked at Su Ruanruan was bright and shining.  

The two of them stared at each other. The temperature inside the compartment seemed to rise gradually, and the atmosphere grew increasingly intimate.  

Just then, a loud voice came from outside the train window.  

“Company Commander, I’m here!”  

Su Ruanruan and Fu Wenjing turned toward the sound and saw a young soldier standing outside the window, grinning widely at them.  

Fu Wenjing nodded. “Come up and help with the luggage.”  

“Yes, Company Commander! Right away!”  

With that, the soldier turned and ran off. His figure disappeared from the window, but in no time, he was sprinting down the narrow corridor and appeared at the compartment door.  

He was a man in his early twenties, not as tall as Fu Wenjing but still around 1.8 meters, with a straight posture and a lean build.  

Despite his height, he had a baby face, his skin tanned to a warm wheat color. When he smiled, the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears, making him look incredibly cheerful.  

“Company Commander, you’re finally back! We all missed you so much.”  

Compared to his excitement, Fu Wenjing remained much calmer.  

A faint smile played on Fu Wenjing’s lips. “Missed me so I could come back and drill you guys? Alright, save the chatter for later. Let’s get the luggage first.”  

As he spoke, Fu Wenjing gestured toward Su Ruanruan. “This is my wife, Su Ruanruan.”  

Then, turning to Su Ruanruan, he introduced: “Wife, this is Wang Xiaohu.”  

Wang Xiaohu looked at Su Ruanruan with a bright smile. He did not stare inappropriately but instead saluted her with great enthusiasm and called out loudly: “Sister-in-law, good evening!”  

Su Ruanruan quickly returned his smile and nodded. “Hello!”

Wang Xiaohu scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. “Company Commander, Sister-in-law, I’ll go ahead and move the luggage.”  

Though he appeared thin, Wang Xiaohu was surprisingly strong. He slung a bundle over his back, carried one in each hand, and strode forward with swift and steady steps.  

He took three bags, Fu Wenjing took another three, and the last two, which were smaller and lighter, were picked up by Su Ruanruan—one in each hand.  

Since they had disembarked late, the platform was nearly empty.  

They followed the platform out of the station, and as soon as they stepped outside, Su Ruanruan immediately spotted a military-green BJ-212 parked not far away.  

Though it was an off-road vehicle, its design had a somewhat rounded appearance.  

In an era when automobiles were not yet common, it was an eye-catching sight.  

Even in the deep of night, with the surroundings shrouded in darkness and the streetlights dim, the vehicle still stood out prominently.  

Many passengers exiting the station couldn’t help but glance over in curiosity.  

After placing his bags into the trunk, Fu Wenjing promptly took the two bundles from Su Ruanruan’s hands and put them inside as well.  

Su Ruanruan did not rush to get into the car. Instead, she stood to the side and waited.  

In her current body, she had never even seen a car like this before, let alone ridden in one. If she just opened the door and got in without hesitation, wouldn’t that completely break character?  

After closing the trunk, Fu Wenjing quickly walked to the back seat, opened the door, and said: “Wife, get in.”  

Su Ruanruan responded cheerfully, walked over with a smile, and got into the car.  

Once inside, she curiously examined the interior.  

It wasn’t particularly stylish, but it wasn’t unpleasant to look at either.  

The appearance didn’t matter much—what was important was that it was practical.  

Having a car like this was a huge advantage. Not only was it faster, but it was also far more comfortable to ride in.  

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After driving for over an hour, they finally arrived at the Military Courtyard.  

By this time, it was already three in the morning.

If they had been riding an ox cart instead of a car, they might not have arrived even by sunrise.  

Outside the Military Courtyard, there was a sentry post with guards on duty. The vehicle stopped for a brief inspection before being allowed inside.  

It was still very early, and the courtyard was eerily quiet. As far as the eye could see, not a single house had its lights on. Everything was shrouded in darkness.  

The car continued driving deeper into the courtyard, making two turns along the way.  

Since it was too dark outside, Su Ruanruan couldn’t clearly see the roads. However, she wasn’t in a hurry. She would be living here from now on and had plenty of time to familiarize herself with the surroundings.

Finally, the car stopped outside a small courtyard, and all three of them got out.  

Fu Wenjing held a flashlight in one hand and a key in the other as he walked to the entrance and unlocked the wooden gate.  

Su Ruanruan didn’t rush to follow him. Instead, she and Wang Xiaohu went around to the back of the car, took out the luggage from the trunk, and then made their way into the courtyard. Fu Wenjing had already opened the main house’s door and turned on the light inside.  

The lightbulbs of this era emitted a warm yellowish glow, and though they weren’t very bright, they cast a cozy and homely atmosphere.  The room was just as Fu Wenjing had described. Along both sidewalls were kitchen stoves, while against the wall directly opposite the entrance stood a cabinet, next to which was a long wooden table.  

In the corner, there was a large water vat, and beside it, a stand holding a washbasin.  

The bedroom wasn’t very large, with no unnecessary clutter, making it easy to take in the entire layout at a glance.  

As Su Ruanruan was looking around, Fu Wenjing emerged from the eastern room. Taking the luggage from her hands, he said: “You’ve had a long day. Go inside and rest for a while. I’ll bring in the rest of the luggage.”  

Su Ruanruan followed Fu Wenjing into the eastern room, and as soon as she stepped inside, she saw an enormous kang bed.  

The bed was built along the southern wall, with a window above it. The window was already open, but the courtyard outside was pitch black, making it impossible to see anything.  

At the foot of the bed was a kang cabinet, and next to it stood a square kang table.  

The bed itself was truly massive—at least three and a half meters long and two and a half meters wide.  

Not only could someone sleep on it comfortably, but even rolling around wouldn’t pose any risk of falling off.  

A woven bamboo mat covered the bed, and when Su Ruanruan ran her hand over it, she felt a thin layer of dust.  

The bed occupied half of the room, while the other half was furnished with a square table. Against the wall stood a bookshelf, and beside it, a desk.  

Both the bookshelf and the desk were filled with books, and on the desk sat a small table lamp.  

Though dust had settled on the furniture, making it look a little dirty, the arrangement was neat and orderly, a clear sign that Fu Wenjing maintained good discipline.  

Just as Su Ruanruan finished taking in the room, Fu Wenjing returned.