Chapter 99

When it came time to return to his hometown for the New Year, Lu Weiguo and his family planned to bring gifts, following Shi Tingyu’s suggestion that it was customary to bring a present when meeting someone for the first time.

Seeing how much she valued his family, Lu Weiguo felt deeply moved.

He often heard his comrades talk about the conflicts between their wives and mothers.

For instance, their mothers would act one way in front of their comrades and another way when they were not around.

There were also cases where the wife disliked the mother-in-law, showing a good face when their husbands were present but calling her all sorts of names when they were not.

These stories astonished him.

It seemed like a perfectly good family could turn into enemies.

He believed his parents were good people, as evidenced by how well his elder brother’s wife was treated. After getting married, they lived independently, and as long as they gave some money each month, his sister-in-law could manage the household on her own.

Seeing how his wife behaved, he was even less worried about their future interactions. Genuine care begets genuine care, barring particularly difficult individuals.

With a lot of items to send, Lu Weiguo and Shi Tingyu packed a large bag and went to the post office to mail it.

Shi Tingyu initially wanted to send some money to Lu Weiguo’s parents.

They were, after all, his parents, and they were also helping to take care of her parents who had been sent to the countryside. Now that she and Lu Weiguo were doing well and earning a decent amount, she thought about sending some money to the two elders.

Unexpectedly, Lu Weiguo said, “There’s no need. We’ll give them the same amount as my elder brother. If we send more, my parents won’t accept it, and it wouldn’t look good if my elder brother found out.”

Hearing this, Shi Tingyu dropped the idea. She didn’t want to disrupt the existing harmony and peace of the Lu family because of a momentary impulse.

Before they left, Shi Tingyu called Shi Muhan from the post office.

Since they had bought clothes for her parents, Shi Muhan wouldn’t need to prepare anything for them. Sending too many things to the cowshed could cause problems.

Shi Muhan felt a bit guilty upon hearing that his sister had taken care of everything.

As the eldest son, he hadn’t shouldered the responsibility of looking after their parents, while his younger sister, Shi Tingyu, had been managing everything.

Knowing that Shi Muhan was burdened, Shi Tingyu said, “I’m not short on money now. You save your salary for getting married.”

Shi Muhan thought she was referring to the money their parents had given her, so he didn’t say much, but he still felt guilty.

Shi Tingyu didn’t think much of it. Given the special situation of her parents, too much attention could be detrimental.

Shi Muhan often had missions in the army, and because their parents were sent to the countryside, it had somewhat affected him. With so many eyes watching, there wasn’t much he could do.

Even she, as a married woman, had faced long-standing gossip due to her family’s background, let alone Shi Muhan.

After the call with his sister, Shi Muhan appeared despondent.

Shen Ziming, his long-time instructor and partner, was the first to notice his poor mental state. Feeling responsible, he decided to check on him.

“Is something wrong? You don’t seem well,” Shen Ziming said, sitting on the edge of his bed.

Shi Muhan replied, “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” Shen Ziming continued, “You looked troubled after the call. Did something happen at home?”

Remembering that Shi Tingyu’s parents were sent to the countryside and guessing that the call might have been from her, his heart couldn’t help but ache. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn’t resist his longing and asked, “Is it Xiaoyu? Is she having a hard time in her marriage?”

Shi Muhan glanced at him, not missing the concern and anxiety in his eyes. Thinking about the past, his heart grew cold. “Xiaoyu is doing well. She’s very happy, and her husband cares for her a lot.”

Shen Ziming felt a mix of emotions, unsure whether to feel more relieved or jealous.

That beautiful girl was slipping further away from him.

Since the last time he missed their date, his family had been eager to introduce him to someone new, but he wasn’t interested in meeting anyone.

This strained his relationship with his family.

As a political officer, he found himself at a loss when it came to dealing with his feelings for Shi Tingyu.

Ultimately, reason prevailed, and he buried his feelings, focusing on comforting Shi Muhan.

Shi Muhan either felt annoyed or simply didn’t want to discuss family matters with him. In the end, Shi Muhan mustered up his spirits and saw the visitor off.

That day, taking advantage of their day off, the families in the military camp hosted a farewell party at Zhao’s house, bidding farewell to those they were familiar with.

In two days, the new regimental commander from another military district was to take office, and they were also preparing to leave Jinling.

They say that a military camp is like iron barracks and running water.

Previously, this was just a saying, but now everyone deeply felt its truth.

Shi Tingyu arrived early to help the regimental commander’s wife. She was accompanied by Liu Xiaohong, Su Qiaoyue, Mrs. Zhang, Mrs. Feng, and others. Their husbands were all soldiers under Zhao’s command.

Since their superior leader was being transferred to another military district, these old subordinates also had to bid farewell.

When Shi Tingyu and the others arrived, they didn’t come empty-handed.

She brought some chestnuts and vegetables grown at home.

Upon seeing this, Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, “Your vegetables are the most delicious. We grow vegetables too, but they’re not as tasty as yours.”

“Yeah, Captain Lu gave some vegetables to our Old Feng before, and he kept talking about them for a long time.”

The regimental commander’s wife was somewhat surprised after hearing this. “Really? Then I must taste them well. Today is a good day.”

Shi Tingyu smiled modestly, “I don’t taste them myself usually. It might be because of the seeds.”

No one delved deeper into the matter, as variations in vegetable quality were common.

Shi Tingyu’s culinary skills were well known, and since she had come to help, she didn’t hold back, despite her initial reluctance.

She volunteered to cook, and the regimental commander’s wife felt a bit embarrassed.

Shi Tingyu said, “You can handle the preparation, and I’ll take care of the cooking. It’s a lighter task, and please don’t think I’m lazy.”

The regimental commander’s wife chuckled, “This educated person speaks so nicely. Clearly, she’s the one putting in the effort.”

Amidst everyone’s compliments, Shi Tingyu took on the role of the kitchen master.

The other wives helped with the preparations.

When they started cooking, the other wives stayed nearby, ready to assist and learn some cooking techniques.

After sautéing the onions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, Shi Tingyu added the chopped vegetables to the pot, and soon the kitchen was filled with a rich aroma.

Lu Weiguo was somewhat concerned about his wife, so when no one was paying attention, he quietly went to the kitchen.

Inside, Shi Tingyu was busy stirring the vegetables with a spatula. Seeing plenty of ingredients nearby, he asked, “Do you need any help?”

Everyone was startled to see Lu Weiguo, and the regimental commander’s wife hurriedly said, “It’s Xiaolu! You don’t need to help here. Go have tea with Old Zhao and the others.”

Mrs. Feng and Mrs. Zhang were somewhat familiar with Lu Weiguo.

Especially Mrs. Zhang, who lived next door to Lu Weiguo’s family, knew well about the dynamics between the young couple. She joked, “Sister-in-law doesn’t know this, but Xiaolu is just concerned about his wife.”

Despite normally keeping a poker face, Lu Weiguo couldn’t help blushing this time.

He was simply worried that his wife might be overwhelmed.