Chapter 16 – First Night in the Family Compound

Ye Qing had no idea about any of this.

Not long after Qin Ye left, Gao Hao arrived to help her move all her belongings from the hostel. She was currently organizing the clutter in the courtyard.

She grouped all the branches and broken furniture together to use as firewood. It could be used for cooking, drying out the kang (heated brick bed) and the stove, and also saved gas.

Gao Hao had told her that gas was rationed in this place. Every three months, someone would come to deliver a new gas cylinder and take away the old one. If they used too much, they’d have to resort to burning wood.

Firewood had to be gathered from the back hill. Ye Qing had taken Nannan once and brought back a bundle. These past two days, they planned to cook with firewood and thoroughly dry the kang, so that when Qin Ye returned, there would be a place for him to rest.

She laid a mattress on the small bed in the secondary bedroom—it was just right for her and Nannan to sleep on.

Just as she finished making the bed, Sun Fang arrived, holding a head of cabbage and two radishes. She shouted loudly: “Qin Ye’s wife! Are you home?”

Back then, people in rural areas were used to addressing women that way. Although Ye Qing wasn’t quite used to it, she didn’t object.

She opened the door and saw Sun Fang standing there. She quickly greeted her: “Ah! Sister-in-law, you’re here? Come in, come in!”

Sun Fang placed the cabbage and radishes on the ground and said: “It’s just early spring now, and the spring cold snap has come again. There’s no other vegetables at home, so take this cabbage and radish for now. Once this cold spell passes, I’ll take you to reclaim land and plant vegetables!”

Ye Qing had just been worrying that she didn’t know how to plant vegetables. Hearing this, she quickly agreed: “That would be great! Thank you, sister-in-law. I’ll wait for you to call me.”

Sun Fang looked around the room and exclaimed: “Young people really do know how to tidy up! Look how bright and clean you’ve made the place! It’s not like my house, looks like a dog’s den every day.”

Ye Qing smiled, not knowing what to say. At that moment, Nannan ran over holding a wooden doll. “Mommy, this was a gift from Brother Huzi. Can I play with it?”

Ye Qing looked down at the doll in her hands. It was clearly hand-carved, a little rough, but very expressive. It had been played with for quite a while—the surface had a soft shine from wear.

Sun Fang’s smile widened. “That was carved by my husband for the kids. It’s really sturdy! After the eldest used it, the second child did, and now it’s the third’s turn! Let her play with it, it’s fine. One of these days, I’ll ask my husband to carve one for Nannan too.”

“But…”

She looked up at Ye Qing and said: “I heard you argued with that old woman from Executive Secretary Sun’s family on the train? That old lady’s been known for being unreasonable! Just the other day, she got into a fight with the neighbor’s wife! She lives just ahead of you, so be careful. Don’t offend her lightly.”

“Technically, someone at Executive Secretary Sun’s rank shouldn’t be allowed to bring family with the army, but it’s because his mother makes trouble. His wife and kid really couldn’t stand living in the countryside anymore, so the army made an exception and let the whole family come along. They thought things would get better with her under his watch, but turns out… tsk tsk!”

Thinking of what had happened on the train, Ye Qing gave a bitter smile. “I understand, sister-in-law. I’ll be careful.”

Now that she knew the toy’s origin, Ye Qing patted Nannan’s head and said: “Go ahead and play, but be careful not to break Brother Huzi’s toy.”

Nannan responded cheerfully and dashed off. Sun Fang didn’t linger long either. After chatting for a bit more, she left.

Ye Qing didn’t go to the canteen for dinner. During her last trip to the city, she had already bought enough rice, oil, and seasonings, and now that Sun Fang had brought a cabbage, it was enough for the two of them.

She scooped two bowls of flour, added an egg and a bit of salt, kneaded it into a moderately soft dough, then rolled it out into thin sheets and cut them into hand-pulled noodles.

In the large pot, she added oil, stir-fried sliced meat, then added the cabbage. After stir-frying everything together, she poured in water. Once it boiled, she put in the noodles—and didn’t forget to crack in two eggs.

This noodle-making method was something Ye Qing had learned from her grandmother. It was called cabbage stir-fried noodle soup, especially suited for cold weather. After eating it, one’s whole body would feel warm and cozy.

Perhaps because there was snowfall nearby, the day felt particularly cold. As she ate the steaming hot egg noodles, Ye Qing felt that life here was already much better than when she was back in her old hometown.

But she couldn’t help wondering—could Qin Ye manage to get a hot meal while out doing disaster relief?

Suddenly, she remembered—this snow disaster had appeared in the book too!

This mission was also the one that Li Lan participated in. In the book, Qin Ye was injured during the mission, and it was Li Lan who saved him. When he was hospitalized, it was also Li Lan who stayed with him and took care of him the entire time.

Because of that, their relationship quickly warmed, laying the groundwork for future developments. It could be said that this snow disaster was their first real encounter and the starting point of their romance.

If the story were to unfold just like in the book again, what would she do? Her barely-settled days would be gone in an instant.

Looking at Nannan, who was eating happily, Ye Qing felt it was necessary to hold on to this marriage. She couldn’t let the female lead take away her hard-won happiness so easily.

Tomorrow, she would go find out if Nurse Li Lan from the Military Hospital had joined the mission.

That night, she held Nannan in her arms and slept on the small bed in the secondary bedroom. The howling northern wind blew past the windows, but inside, the room was as warm as spring.

Living like this gave her a deep sense of security. If life could always stay like this, she wouldn’t even want to strive anymore.

But the plot of the book was pushing her to get moving. If she were to become cannon fodder, there would be no such good days. Not having it in the first place was one thing—but having it and then losing it would be unbearable.

Early the next morning, Ye Qing carried a few eggs and went to visit Political Commissar Zhang’s home. It would be rude not to return a favor—she had to repay the kindness from yesterday.

When Sun Fang saw the eggs in Ye Qing’s hand, she quickly refused. “What are you doing? That cabbage wasn’t worth anything! If you do this, I won’t talk to you anymore!”

Ye Qing smiled and said: “The child’s growing, and eating well is important. It’s just a small gesture of mine—sister-in-law, please don’t refuse.”

Sun Fang couldn’t argue further and accepted the gift.

Ye Qing got straight to the point and asked: “Do you know the nurse from the Military Hospital—Li Lan?”

Without thinking much, Sun Fang immediately said: “Of course! She’s the niece of the Brigade Commander’s wife. A nice girl, very capable.”

“And you know what? For this snow disaster mission, no one wanted to go, but she volunteered to go. Even my husband praised her! Said she has high awareness, can endure hardship—she’s a good one. Whoever marries her will be lucky.”

“You know her too?”

Ye Qing smiled faintly. “What a coincidence. I met her on my first day here. Alright then, I’ll let you get back to your work—I’ll be heading back now.”

But inside, waves of unease surged in her heart. Li Lan really had gone!

A mission no one else wanted, and she volunteered? That confirmed it—she was a Reincarnator! The book had said so, and now this lined up perfectly.

Today was the second day since Qin Ye left. According to the plot, he was injured on the third day and sent back immediately afterward. That meant—tomorrow.

No, she had to go to the Military Hospital tomorrow too! She couldn’t let Li Lan take this opportunity.

The entire day, Ye Qing kept busy organizing the new house while thinking about what excuse she could use to appear at the hospital without raising suspicion.

The next day, after lunch, Ye Qing carried Nannan in her arms and headed out.

In the afternoon, the hospital wasn’t very crowded.

She immediately spotted Gao Hao waiting outside the operating room. Gao Hao saw her too, but before he could react, the doors of the operating room swung open. A nurse pushed Qin Ye out on a gurney—and Li Lan was standing right beside him.