A brown paper-covered diary was handed to Chen Lina.

It was the diary of his late wife, Sun Zhuangnan.

Nie Bozhao took it, flipped it open, took a glance, and said, “Comrade Chen, if you really were a spy, I’d say I wouldn’t be able to outplay you. When did you find this?”

“Actually, not long ago. Just a few days ago.”

“When you came into this room, I was already here. How come I didn’t see you pull out this diary? It was locked up.”

“When you’re writing your drafts or reading, you’re completely immersed in it. If I had emptied this room, you probably wouldn’t have noticed. What’s so strange about that?”

When he was writing his drafts, even if the children were tearing the house apart, he wouldn’t have heard it.

Nie Bozhao removed his glasses, his eyes deep under the light: “A few days ago, Nie Guozhu married the daughter of the head of the 63rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade from the Hongyan Military District.

It’s a military marriage, and since it passed the political review, there’s no problem with his identity.

So I have to believe that you really are from the future. But let’s not talk about that. I only recognize you as my family member.

But, Comrade Xiao Chen, even family members deserve privacy. You shouldn’t have gone through Sun Gong’s diary.

That’s her personal matter. Here’s what we’ll do: we’ll burn it all in the firewall later.”

His little princess was getting more and more diligent with massaging his back.

Since ancient times, it’s been hard to break through the beauty’s defenses.

Nie Bozhao wanted to get angry, but with her little fists pounding just the right amount, he really couldn’t be mad.

She also said, “Today, Sun’s mother came to make a scene again. I couldn’t do anything about it. I even showed Sun Gong’s diary to District Chief Gao.”

Showing Sun Gong’s diary to District Chief Gao was a way to keep Huang Huacai from constantly coming to the base and causing trouble.

However, by doing this, she had exposed some of Sun Zhuangnan’s private matters, which wasn’t exactly… how to say it… very fair or aboveboard.

Alright, based on her understanding of men from her previous life, Chen Lina guessed that he would probably still get angry.

So, she tried to be as gentle as possible, using her two small fists to convey her sincere apology.

In her past life, whenever things didn’t go well or when she made him furious, a little back rub would calm him down right away.

“Now I understand. Back then, you slapped Sun Gong because of her plans to send the child away, right?”

“Hmm.”

“Tell me, why did she want to send that adorable child, San Dan’er, away?”

Nie Bozhao then put down his pen, thought for a moment, and took a handful of raisins out of his pocket. “Ma Nai Zi, we used to eat these when we went down the mines. You eat while I tell you the story.”

It turned out that Sun Zhuangnan’s second sister, Sun Ainan, who was the wife of the personnel chief in the mining district, was a stone woman.

Even the methods to get pregnant were done through surgery.

So, having a child was out of the question.

As for Nie Bozhao, he had initially agreed with Sun Zhuangnan that they would only have one child and focus on their careers.

But after the first child came, there was another, and then another.

By the time the third child was born, Huang Huacai started subtly suggesting that Nie Bozhao should let Sun Zhuangnan send one of the children to Sun Ainan, as raising three children was too much work.

With both of them working, their combined salary of at least 300 yuan a month was more than enough to support a family in the border area.

How could they possibly not afford to raise another child?

Nie Bozhao certainly didn’t agree, and he was very fond of his three sons.

Every time Huang Huacai brought up sending a child away, there would be a big fight, and he’d even kick his mother-in-law out.

The night before Sun Zhuangnan’s car accident, because they were hosting guests from Beijing, she got drunk, took out her diary to write something but ended up not writing anything.

She forgot to lock the drawer.

The next morning, when she handed the diary to Nie Bozhao, he saw from the entries that she had never intended to raise the third child.

During a time when household registration was so important, she had deliberately left the child’s name off the household register, allowing the child to become a “black household,” just so she could later transfer the child’s registration to Sun Ainan.

What’s more, Sun Zhuangnan had written in her diary: “It’s just a cold war. I’m very good at that. One day, I will force him to agree to send the child away.”

That was why Nie Bozhao slapped Sun Zhuangnan.

Afterward, she angrily left the house and had the accident.

As for hiring a nanny, it was like chasing away the daylilies—of course, it was because the daylilies were still thinking about forcing their son-in-law to bow down and send their second daughter’s child over.

Seeing that Nie Bozhao looked quite melancholy under the lamp, Chen Lina quickly said, “Mr. Sun is a hero of the base. I believe that, given Section Chief Gao’s character, he wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“You seem to pity me a lot.”

“Isn’t that so?”

“I heard that men with tragic backgrounds can always win a woman’s heart. Why didn’t I think of that earlier? My childhood experiences could be used as a story too. Do you still want to hear it? We could lie on the bed and talk while chatting?” Nie Bozhao said, in deep regret.

Why didn’t he realize sooner that he could use the sob story tactic?

The little fists on her back immediately loosened. “I only pity you, pity doesn’t mean love. You can continue writing your article. I’m going to sleep.”

“Then at least give me a chance to steal a kiss?” Oh my, such princess behavior.

Nie Bozhao was in agony from the idea.

He took off his black-framed glasses, wiped them, and put them back on.

Wearing a light blue work uniform shirt and pants, he looked serious and composed, but the words he spoke could make anyone laugh.

Chen Lina touched his desk with one hand, pointed to his fair and soft face, and said, “Come on, the princess is in a good mood today. I’ll reward you with a kiss.”

“I’m a researcher. I believe in Marxism and Leninism, not in romantic gestures. I only know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, that’s a principle. Either you stay and sleep in the small bedroom tonight, or I’ll just endure it for now.”

Chen Lina didn’t understand.

How did this man, who looked like an old cadre, become so humorous and affectionate after fifteen years?

Was it because he’d consumed a few baskets of Byron and Shelley’s works?

He went out in his military coat, picked up two small buckets of coal, and stoked the fire, making the living room warm.

Then he added coal to the big bedroom.

Chen Lina rubbed her cold, reddened hands and furrowed her brows.

She didn’t know how other families in the base were managing.

It was only halfway through winter, and she had already used 800 jin of coal.

The base had a quota of 1,000 jin per household for the whole winter, but at this rate, it wouldn’t be enough for her.

She thought, if things got tough, she might have to seal off the fire wall and save some coal overnight.

But when she looked at her three brothers, all wrapped in thick blankets, with red faces, she felt a bit reluctant.

Especially the youngest, who had a small, round bottom and no cloth to make him little pants, with his diaper hanging loose.

The little guy probably didn’t even know that he was born to be given away.

Chen Lina felt that after the New Year, her work should start soon, and at least she should send some coal, chickens, ducks, and fish back home as a supplement.

As New Year approached, Nie Weimin was unreasonably obedient, rarely going out to play.

Even when he did, he took extra care of his white naval uniform.

Both brothers wore naval outfits, coming and going, and they were the envy of all the kids at the base.

But, of course, clothes get dirty, especially white ones.

Although the base had running water, the pipes would freeze in winter, so water usage had to be conserved.

Sure enough, when they woke up in the morning, the pipes were frozen again.

Chen Lina had accumulated a large basin of laundry, waiting for the workers to fix the pipes.

Nie Weimin, dragging the big laundry basin, was waiting for water.

He saw Er Dan digging mud in the corner again and got angry.

Mimicking Chen Lina’s tone, he said, “This dirty kid is Qian Goudan, right? He’s so filthy. Doesn’t he know that his mom has to dip her hands in cold water for a long time to scrub the clothes clean?”

“I’m not Goudan, I’m Erdan.”

“No, you’re Goudan. Er Dan knows how to take care of his clothes and doesn’t make his mom worry.”

Er Dan, looking silly, replied, “I’m Er Dan! Qian Goudan is out playing in the snow. He’s dirtier than me!”

Well, it seemed that Goudan was dirtier than Erdan.

He didn’t even care about his little army uniform, rolling around in the snow.

Just then, Anna and Xiao Chen walked in.

Anna was carrying milk powder, and Xiao Chen was carrying formula.

Oh my, this was a big gift!

“Hello, Aunt Anna. Hello, Uncle Xiao,” Nie Weimin, who had been unusually obedient lately, said as he took the items from Anna and Xiao Chen. “Comrade Chen, we have guests.”

With the New Year approaching, Anna had to return to the farm.

Seeing that Chen Lina was cooking, she kindly went into the kitchen to help.

“I’ll have to go back to the farm tomorrow. Sister, I really appreciate all the care you and Mr. Nie have given me during this time,” Anna said.

Chen Lina smiled and replied, “It’s nothing. Your father is my life mentor.”

“Was it Anna’s father who taught you how to drive?” Xiao Chen’s curiosity was piqued by Chen Lina’s impressive driving skills.

He was eager to discuss it with her, but Chen Lina had this peculiar ability: in public, she was warm and friendly like a spring breeze, but once they were alone, if he tried to engage her in a conversation, she would instantly turn cold as ice.

It was as if she could read him like a child, seeing through him with just a glance.

So, he could only talk to her more when Anna was around.

“Our base has a saying: ‘Hang a pancake on the steering wheel, even a dog can drive.’ I drove a tractor for a year back home. If you ask me, it’s all about being bold and cautious,” Chen Lina said.

In front of others, she always kept her past a secret.

She sensed that not only was the Sun family probing into her background, but Xiao Chen was also trying to uncover her origins.

“I heard that Sun Dabao was arrested, and the Mulan farm has a new security chief. Hopefully, things will improve from now on. The old farm was so corrupt,” Anna said.

“Director Liu Jie Fang is also from the Sun family. He turned the cultural center into a ballroom. They claimed it was for officials to inspect work, but they forced us ‘educated youth’ to dance with all sorts of unsavory characters. He’s behind all of it.”

“When I become the director, I’ll clean all that up. I’m only telling you this, don’t tell anyone else,” Chen Lina replied.

“Director is a top position, and it’s appointed by the mining district. You’re young, how could you possibly become one?” Anna said, skeptical.

Chen Lina smiled but said nothing.

She was competitive and determined that if she set her mind to something, she would achieve it.

“My father used to say he had a pen pal who was incredibly gifted, especially with languages, and he always predicted that she would graduate from university and achieve great things. He held you up as an example to me,” Anna added.

“You need to believe this: adults always think other people’s children are better, but the ones they love most are their own,” Chen Lina replied with a smile.

Of course, in her eyes, Er Dan was as dirty as a little pig, but she still found him somewhat endearing.

When she was truly angry, she would hit him, but afterward, she would feel guilty.

Had she slowly come to love these children?

“Mom, mom, what delicious food did you make? It smells so good!” Little Dirty Pig, covered in mud Er Dan, rushed in at the smell.

“Are you fond of mud-covered little pigs?” Chen Lina teased.

“No, they’re so dirty!” Er Dan said, standing on tiptoe and noticing the golden fried chicken drumsticks, coated with breadcrumbs, which were about to be fried for a second time.

“These are chicken legs, not little dirty pigs,” he said.

“But you’re a little dirty pig,” Chen Lina teased. “Quickly clean yourself up before you come in and eat the chicken legs. Otherwise, I’ll drag a real dirty pig from the farm and let you eat it raw!”

The chickens the base provided were plump and large, enough to last a long time if stewed, but the kids always wanted them cooked differently.

Every time they saw stewed chicken, they cried.

Chen Lina decided to try something different.

She dipped the chicken legs in egg wash, fried them lightly, and then coated them in breadcrumbs before frying them again.

The result was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.

Both kids devoured the chicken legs, their mouths dripping with oil.

Across the street, Qian Goudan was also eating chicken legs, but his mother only knew how to stew them.

Stewed chicken legs couldn’t compare to the crispy, golden ones.

So, Qian Goudan took a few bites, then stared at the Nie brothers with longing.

After a while, he ran back home, crying and complaining to his mother.

Nie Weimin’s brothers were pleased with themselves.

After feeding the kids, Chen Lina had to wash all their clothes.

She put on a pair of cotton gloves issued by the base, and over them, she wore a pair of plastic gloves from Nie Bozhao’s lab, before daring to put her hands into the cold water. Despite all this, her hands still froze stiff after washing a basin of clothes.

If she were their biological mother, Nie Weimin probably wouldn’t feel so guilty. But since she was a stepmother, he worried she might leave if she became upset, so he stayed busy, checking the fire every now and then to make sure it was still burning and running to fetch coal. Even when playing outside, he’d often run back inside to check on her.

He was like a little tail, always following her around. This was love, wasn’t it? Every time she caught him outside, he’d immediately turn red with embarrassment and run off.

Chen Lina was so touched. This must be what it felt like to be needed and loved.

After washing, the clothes hung on the wire and quickly froze solid. They were covered in ice crystals.

Chen Lina went into the house and pressed her reddened hands against the heated brick bed. The pain from the cold was almost unbearable.

“小聂同志, 小聂同志 (Comrade Xiao Nie, Comrade Xiao Nie)”

“I’m here, I’m here, Comrade Xiao Chen, what’s the matter?” Sure enough, the little guy hadn’t gone far. When she called, he immediately came back.

Chen Lina pretended to frown. “I have a problem that’s difficult to solve. I need your opinion.”

“You can say it,” the little guy said, clearly concerned. This was a sign of a child who had heard his parents argue too many times and thought the problems were always because of him.

Chen Lina looked serious. “Well, with the New Year coming up, there’s plenty of meat and eggs from the base, and we can’t finish it all. Anna Auntie is also going back to the farm. I’m thinking of visiting my sister at the farm. Is that okay with you?”

To take care of the kids’ feelings, Chen Lina had been holding back her visit to the farm.

The little guy, with his round head and big eyes, looked unconcerned. “You want to go, just go. What’s the big deal?”

Chen Lina was both amused and exasperated. “Well, if it weren’t for you, I’d have gone long ago!”

“Can we come with you? We want to visit relatives too!” Er Dan peered in from the door.

“What if we run into your grandma?” Chen Lina teased.

Er Dan stood upright and said, “We’ll beat old Yao Po (grandma).”

“Don’t say such things. That’s your grandma. Any arguments between adults are one thing, but you’re children, and you need to respect her. Don’t call her old Yao Po, or people will think I, Chen Lina, didn’t teach you well. They’ll say I’m the one teaching you these things, understand? Anyway, we’re just going to visit relatives. We’ll avoid your grandma’s house. We’ll let Weimin take us there. How about that?”

“Okay!” Nie Weimin shouted, excited for his first visit to relatives.