Chapter 29: The Army Wives Shopping Trip

That day, Lin Momo went to the supply store with Li He and Liu Qian. Joining them was Luo Yumei, the wife of Battalion Commander Sheng Li from the Third Battalion.

Military families usually went shopping when the soldiers received their allowances.

Because allowances came with ration coupons, it was the time to buy all the household necessities.

Before even stepping into the supply store, the four women heard a noisy commotion inside—clearly, many army wives had already arrived.

“Give me six feet of blue cloth and a pound of cotton. My daughter is coming—I need to make her a padded jacket,” said Ge Mei inside the store.

“Mum, Xiaohu still doesn’t have a padded jacket this winter,” a younger woman replied.

“That’s Huo Daniu’s daughter-in-law, Xu Guilan,” Li He whispered to Lin Momo.

The four of them entered the supply store.

“What clothes does a child need? I’m making one for my daughter first,” Ge Mei motioned to Xu Guilan to hand over the money and coupons.

“I’m not giving you the money,” Xu Guilan said, then walked out of the store.

“You’ve got some nerve!” Ge Mei stormed after her.

“Good thing Xu Guilan can stand her ground. Otherwise, everything in that house would’ve gone to the daughter,” Luo Yumei shook her head.

“I heard her daughter is arriving soon,” added Liu Qian, who lived next door to Commander Huo’s family.

“Momo, you’d better keep an eye on Commander Cheng,” Li He leaned in and whispered. “Old Lady Huo once wanted to introduce her daughter to your husband.”

“Really?” Lin Momo was a bit surprised. So this was about Cheng Jinghao’s original body (before she transmigrated).

“It wouldn’t go that far. Trying to interfere in a military marriage? Even if Old Lady Huo didn’t know better, Commander Huo definitely would. She probably just wants to find someone within the military district,” Luo Yumei said.

“Who knows? Anyway, their house just got even livelier,” Liu Qian shook her head.

Previously, Ge Mei and her daughter-in-law would have a small fight every three days, a big fight every five. Now with the daughter returning too, it was going to be even more chaotic.

Lin Momo came mainly to buy fabric and to use up her nearly expired ration coupons.

“Buying fabric to make clothes for Commander Cheng?” Li He noticed she was picking all dark-colored fabric.

“Yeah,” Lin Momo nodded. She didn’t need more clothes herself—she had plenty from the original owner, and her family had bought her more recently.

Li He was mainly buying things for her kids.

“I’d like a sanitary pad,” Liu Qian whispered to the saleswoman, handing over her money and coupons.

Hearing Liu Qian ask for a sanitary pad made Lin Momo silently thank the heavens that she had transmigrated with her modern backpack.

In this era, menstrual pads were washable and reusable.

Even someone like Commander Cheng Jinghao, with his rank, couldn’t guarantee a new pad coupon every month after marriage. That meant one pad had to be reused for several months.

For someone from the modern world like Lin Momo, this was really hard to accept.

Luo Yumei was also someone who didn’t mind spending money—she used up every last coupon.

“You’re not saving your sugar coupons? What if the kids want more later—where are you going to find more?” Liu Qian teased her.

“I can barely get enough for myself, let alone the kids,” Luo Yumei laughed. She had a sweet tooth—she even needed sugar in her plain water.

“Only your husband, Commander Sheng, would indulge that. Try that with any other man,” Li He joked.

“Well, that’s true. My mother-in-law wrote again, pressuring us to give her a grandson,” Luo Yumei sighed.

She and Sheng Li had been married for years. They had a daughter the first year, but since then, nothing. They’d gotten checked—both were healthy.

“Don’t stress yourself. I didn’t have my boys until several years after getting married,” Liu Qian said, referring to her six-year-old twin sons.

“Yeah, I know. Besides, we’re far from the capital—what can she do? My Sheng Li says having a daughter is good enough for him.”

Liu Qian and Li He laughed. Luo Yumei was always cheerful, and the joy of shopping quickly wiped away her worries.

The four army wives strolled and chatted happily as they walked out.

“Are those women from the military district?” a few young girls whispered from a distance as they watched the four of them.

“She probably is. None of the village women look that polished.”

“Exactly. Did you see the youngest one? I think her clothes are from a department store.”

“Probably from a big city one, too.”

“Her husband must be an officer,” one of the more delicate-looking girls added.

“If she followed him with the army, then yeah, he’s definitely an officer.”

These girls were newly arrived educated youth from nearby villages. Today was their day off, and they happened to be shopping at the supply and marketing co-op for daily necessities.

In the meantime, the seeds Lin Momo had planted in her potted plants had begun to sprout tender shoots.

She observed them carefully every day.

“I don’t think you ever paid this much attention in elementary school science class,” Cheng Jinghao teased with a laugh.

“Of course not. This feels way more meaningful.” Lin Momo wiped her hands clean.

“Here’s the bonus from the last mission.” Cheng Jinghao handed her a stack of money.

Because this mission was a special case, the bonus hadn’t been distributed along with the standard pay.

“One hundred and fifty?” Lin Momo counted — fifteen large-denomination bills.

“Yeah. A hundred is the mission bonus. The fifty is injury compensation.” Cheng Jinghao nodded.

“I’d rather not have that fifty.” Lin Momo clutched the money tightly.

No military wife would want that kind of allowance.

“Alright, I’ll be more careful next time. No more injury pay, okay?” Cheng Jinghao pulled her into his arms and kissed her lightly.

“Mm.” Lin Momo replied softly, snuggled against his chest.

After lunch, Cheng Jinghao began planting vegetables in the greenhouse, lining one corner with sweet potatoes.

Once the seeds were planted, it was time to start maintaining the greenhouse temperature.

“Snow season’s almost here. I’ll be on leave in a few days — let’s make a trip to the city for supplies,” Cheng Jinghao said after he came out of the greenhouse.

Some of the things they took from the supermarket still needed a plausible source. The military district wasn’t like other places — there were always eyes watching.

“Alright.” Lin Momo nodded. “Try on this jacket.”

It was a black-gray cotton-padded coat she had sewn from a duck-down quilt. It looked very warm.

“Anything you make looks great.” Cheng Jinghao hadn’t even tried it on yet, but was already praising it.

“You’ve got several new ones now. Make a couple for yourself too.”

“I have clothes to wear,” Lin Momo replied.

After all, there was still the original supply store stock — but the fabrics were either black or blue, colors she really didn’t like.

“Then let’s check out the department store when we go.”

Lin Momo shot him a look that clearly meant you can figure that one out yourself.

The scene from their last visit to the Cangnan department store was still fresh in her mind — was that even a department store?

“Do Cangnan grain depots carry soybeans?” She’d promised Li He she’d teach her how to make fermented soybeans.

“Depends. Sometimes they do.” Soybeans weren’t commonly used in southern Tibet.

“Hmm.”

“If you really need them, I can ask someone to get a few.”

“Cangnan has a black market?” Lin Momo’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“No.” Cheng Jinghao laughed, amused by her expression. Transport here was tough — everything had to be brought in officially.

“Aww, okay then.” Lin Momo instantly deflated.