Chapter 21

Watching the car drive further and further away, Shi Tingyu felt a sense of melancholy that was hard to put into words.

Lu Weiguo reached out and held her hand, “This Lunar New Year, we’ll visit our hometown, and by then we’ll be able to see them.”

It was already the end of May, with almost half a year left until the end of the year, and Shi Tingyu suddenly felt like time was passing so slowly.

After seeing off her parents, Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo returned to the residential area of the research institute, only to find members of the Red Committee coming to move things out.

Once the items were handed over, the house would be taken back.

They had already taken what they needed from the house, leaving behind large pieces of furniture that they couldn’t take with them.

Shi Tingyu stood there watching, feeling uneasy inside. Even though she had only lived here for a short time, this place gave her a different feeling.

Neighbors whom she could greet in passing before now seemed to avoid her like she was a jinx.

At that moment, a man in his fifties with glasses came down from upstairs. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Shi Tingyu and called out, “Xiao Yu?”

Both Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo turned to look.

The man was Professor Li, the one Shi Tingyu’s father had contacted to find Lu Weiguo.

“Uncle Li,” Shi Tingyu called out.

Professor Li smiled and nodded. Upon seeing the tightly closed gate of the Shi family, he felt a sense of nostalgia.

“Xiao Yu, Captain Lu is reliable. You should live well with him, so your parents can rest assured,” Professor Li said.

Lu Weiguo looked at him in surprise. Did this person know him?

Shi Tingyu thanked him solemnly, “I will.”

Anyone who came to greet her at this moment left a deep impression on her.

Lastly, Professor Li patted Shi Tingyu’s shoulder, looking somewhat desolate, and left.

The matter between the Shi couple had spread throughout the residential area of the research institute.

Some young people who didn’t know the situation might criticize them, but colleagues who had worked with the Shi couple knew that they were being set up.

Despite the lack of evidence, this incident had led to the relocation of the excellent researchers to the countryside.

They sighed at the unpredictability of life and felt a sense of injustice.

This time it was the Shi family, who would it be next time?

Seeing Shi Tingyu feeling sad, Lu Weiguo said, “Let’s go home.” Staying here only made her more upset.

Shi Tingyu looked back at him. His eyes were full of determination, and in her mind, she heard Professor Li’s words again.

Captain Lu is reliable, live well with him.

Suddenly, she reached out her hand to him.

Lu Weiguo lowered his gaze, looking at her fair and tender hand, and held it firmly.

Back at the military compound residential area, Shi Tingyu looked at the flowers replanted yesterday, finally feeling some familiarity.

She went back to her room, wrote a letter to Shi Muhuan, and briefly mentioned her parents’ relocation.

Lu Weiguo helped her send the letter.

In the evening, Shi Tingyu wanted to cook, but Lu Weiguo insisted on getting food from the cafeteria for her. She had been through a lot, and he wanted her to rest.

Shi Tingyu didn’t say much, but she felt his kindness.

Life had to go on, she thought to herself, tomorrow she would get back on track.

The next morning, with Lu Weiguo still on leave, he familiarized Shi Tingyu with the daily routine.

Especially the supply trucks that came every three days between the military compound and the town. Military wives often hitched a ride to town if they needed something, as bicycles were scarce and not as convenient.

Today, everyone in the residential area saw the rumored daughter-in-law of Captain Lu for the first time.

Although they had heard of the beauty of Captain Lu’s wife, seeing her in person still left them speechless.

Is she… is she too beautiful?

Especially standing next to the fierce and intimidating Captain Lu, the contrast became even more apparent.

Lu Weiguo helped Shi Tingyu onto the supply truck, and instinctively, the others made way for her.

It wasn’t that they were giving up their seats for Shi Tingyu, but rather that the intimidating presence of Captain Lu made them somewhat timid.

Once Shi Tingyu was seated, Lu Weiguo got into the front cabin, squeezing in with the soldiers inside.

As he left, the expressions of the military wives in the truck relaxed.

Just a moment ago, under the gaze of Captain Lu, they dared not even breathe heavily. But looking at Shi Tingyu’s beautiful face, even those who were usually laid-back suddenly became shy.

A woman with long hair wearing a Dacron shirt broke the silence, “You must be Xiao Yu, I’m from Instructor Feng’s family. You can call me Sister Feng. My man and yours have been partners for many years. If you ever need help, feel free to come to me.”

Sister Feng had heard about the Shi family’s situation from Feng Wei and expressed sympathy for Shi Tingyu’s experiences.

Shi Tingyu smiled and nodded, “Thank you, Sister Feng.”

Seeing Shi Tingyu’s smiling face and lack of arrogance, the other military wives started to strike up conversations.

“Xiao Yu, aren’t you afraid of your cold-faced Captain Lu?”

“Yeah, Sister Shi, I just saw Captain Lu and my legs were shaking.”

“I say, Captain Lu is lucky to have found such a remarkable lady like you.”

“Sister, your hands are really beautiful. Like fresh spring onions.” Someone, envious of Shi Tingyu’s hands resting on her knees, remarked admiringly.

Feeling overwhelmed by the attention, Shi Tingyu’s smile felt frozen on her face.

Among these women, those who called her Xiao Yu held higher official positions than Lu Weiguo, or were at the same level, while those who called her Sister held lower positions than Lu Weiguo in their families.

Lu Weiguo had explained this to her before.

Perhaps due to Lu Weiguo’s unique characteristics, there was always curiosity about how they interacted.

In the midst of all these gazes, Shi Tingyu felt a particular set of eyes on her.

She turned her head slightly and saw a woman with two twisted braids on her right side. Despite the era, the woman still had fair skin and a delicate appearance.

Their eyes met, and Shi Tingyu clearly felt the other woman’s unease.

Shi Tingyu looked away, but not long after, she felt that scrutinizing gaze on her once again.

This time, Shi Tingyu didn’t turn to look, dismissing the earlier eye contact as an accident.

However, she couldn’t help but steal glances at the woman’s face, planning to ask Lu Weiguo later if he knew her, unsure if it was appropriate to have any connection with someone just days after getting married.

The supply truck stopped in the town.

The back of the truck was quite high, and as soon as the truck stopped, Lu Weiguo got off and waited in front of the truck bed.

When it was time for Shi Tingyu to get off the truck, he reached out his hand to help her down.

Shi Tingyu handed her hand over, feeling much more at ease about holding hands with him now since the last time he held her hand.

Lu Weiguo practically half-supported, half-carried Shi Tingyu off the truck.

He nodded at the few military wives and then walked off with Shi Tingyu.

This time, they were planning to buy some vegetable seeds to plant in the yard.

Shi Tingyu had a green thumb and believed the vegetables would grow well.

Although Shi Tingyu had never planted vegetables before, whether in her previous life or in this one, she knew how to grow flowers, and the principles were similar.

As for what vegetables to plant during this season, that was up to Lu Weiguo.

Coming from a rural background, Lu Weiguo bought cucumber, tomato, loofah, eggplant, and chili seeds, along with some scallions. Once planted, they would have a good supply of fresh vegetables for a while.