Chapter 33.2

She had recently been troubled by the academic performance of her two children. Hearing that Ruan Mingfu was an educated youth only increased her favorable impression of her.

Ruan Mingfu didn’t know what to say and just smiled with her head lowered.

“Comrade Ruan, where is your hometown?”

“Haicheng City.”

“That’s a big city…”

The sisters-in-law chatted briefly with Ruan Mingfu before turning their attention back to Hu Wanning. They didn’t neglect her, occasionally including Ruan Mingfu in the conversation when discussing interesting topics.

The atmosphere among them was quite harmonious.

Ruan Mingfu relaxed considerably and listened intently to their gossip.

“…Do you all know what happened yesterday?”

“Oh,” Sister-in-law Lin immediately knew what was coming and quickly took over the conversation, “How could we not know? It was such a big deal, and it even led to a fatality.”

The group sighed, their faces showing sympathetic expressions.

“Such a tragedy, those despicable relatives really deserve punishment.”

In these times, everyone had a few troublesome relatives, but pushing someone to this extent was rare.

These weren’t relatives. They were like wolves and tigers.

“Such a pity,” Wang Juhua shook her head, “I heard the leaders in the unit were originally planning to arrange for her to work in the kitchen. Though it wouldn’t earn much, it would at least ensure survival. Who would have thought that overnight…”

The army couldn’t ignore such a tragic situation, especially after it had reached this point.

Who would have thought…

Sister Lin sighed, “It’s a shame they didn’t wait a bit longer.”

Ruan Mingfu’s eyes widened in shock.

So, was the army planning to help them?

Li Xianglan spoke bluntly, “They probably didn’t want to continue living.”

“What about the child?” He Cuixiang asked, “How will the child be arranged? I heard the child is only two or three years old and can’t even speak yet.”

The army wouldn’t adopt out children.

Every family already had plenty of children, and with the scarcity of resources, it was unthinkable to take on the burden of another child.

It would only add to their burdens.

Wang Juhua looked at Hu Wanning seriously and said, “You mustn’t be soft-hearted or foolish. Raising someone else’s child is like being a stepmother—if you don’t do it right, you’ll end up being criticized by everyone. You’re still young, you could still have another child.”

“Well,” Hu Wanning shifted the baby to her other arm, “I have him to deal with. I can’t possibly handle another child.”

Sister Lin spoke, “When they come to talk to you about it, just don’t agree.”

“I’ve heard they’ve already contacted several families, all of whom have good conditions.”

Hu Wanning and Xu Zhu’s family had good conditions and only one child, making them prime candidates.

Ruan Mingfu blinked, “What about me?”

“Oh,” Sister Wang waved her hand, “You’re not married yet. They won’t consider you.”

Ruan Mingfu blinked again.

That’s fine then. She herself was still a child.

The group continued chatting for a while, and Ruan Mingfu’s eyes sparkled with interest in their gossip.

“It’s getting late, I need to go back to cook,” Sister Wang glanced at the sky and stood up. “Those kids at home eat like they’re starving, and one meal can fill a whole pot.”

When she talked about her children, Sister Wang’s face showed clear disdain.

They were at the age where they were most annoying—seven, eight, or nine years old—making them a constant source of trouble.

“Wait a minute, I’ve just made some pickled vegetables. Take some with you,” Hu Wanning said, not waiting for a response. She handed the baby to Ruan Mingfu and quickly went inside.

Ruan Mingfu looked down and met the baby’s soft, smiling face.

“Sister… Sister…”

The group of women was about to leave quickly when they heard the child’s voice.

“You know how to call sister at such a young age?”

“How does Wanning raise her children? This little one is so chubby.”

For He Cuixiang and Li Xianglan, two newly married people, the little boy’s smile instantly touched the softest part of their hearts, and they wished they could have a chubby baby like this right away.

“If you call her sister, what should you call me?”

“Yes, what should you call me?”

The little chubby one blinked his grape-like eyes, gazing at the four expectant women. Under their eager gazes, he buried his face in Ruan Mingfu’s arms and turned his back to them.

“Hey, this little guy has quite a personality.”

“Look at that round head. This child has been smart from a young age…”

Hu Wanning, holding a few pickled vegetable chunks, heard them discussing something.

“What are you talking about?”

“Wanning, you weren’t here just now,” Sister Lin said, indicating that she was on good terms with Hu Wanning. “Your son just called me ‘sister.'”

“Really?!”

Hu Wanning was genuinely thrilled. Her son had never been very active since birth, and speaking had been particularly challenging for him. After calling her and Xu Zhu “mom and dad” a few months ago, he has been silent. If he wants to do something, he just hums a few times. Xu Zhu is so anxious that he wants to send him to the hospital, but the little fat boy keeps talking a lot.

That had made Xu Zhu very happy. But the next day, the little boy went back to being silent.

When Xu Zhu suggested taking him to the hospital again, the boy started talking once more…

They eventually understood. It wasn’t that her son couldn’t speak, he was just lazy…

The conclusion had left Hu Wanning and Xu Zhu speechless.

“Good boy, come call Mommy.”

Hu Wanning patted her son’s bottom, but he wriggled even more into Ruan Mingfu’s arms and didn’t even glance at his mother.

“You little rascal!”

Hu Wanning, annoyed, patted her son’s bottom and then turned to the other sisters. “Here, take these and use them to add to your meals.”

Seeing that they might refuse, Hu Wanning continued, “They’re just a few pickled vegetable chunks, not anything precious. If you keep refusing, just take the dishes you brought back with you.”

In the summer, there were plenty of vegetables from the fields, like beans and water spinach… they were more than they could eat.

It would be a waste to let them go to waste. So she’d give some away here and there, and eventually, the vegetables would be gone.

The pickled vegetable chunks were seasoned with salt, making them crisp and refreshing. Even if not eaten immediately, they were quite tasty when sliced and mixed with porridge.

“Then I won’t be polite.”

“Don’t be polite,” Hu Wanning handed each of them a few chunks, enough for a meal.

After the sisters left, Hu Wanning began sorting the dishes they had brought.

Ruan Mingfu, holding the little chubby boy, said, “Sister-in-law, let me help you.”

In these times, it was customary not to visit someone empty-handed.

Even the four sisters, including the newly married Li Xianglan and He Cuixiang, brought a few candies. Hu Wanning handed all the candies to Ruan Mingfu, making her both amused and exasperated.

She wasn’t a child, after all, and didn’t crave candy.

“They’re all wives of the captain under Old Xie,” Hu Wanning explained. “They’re close to us, so you can get to know them better in the future.”

Ruan Mingfu understood.

They were allies, which explained their warmth towards her.

“Although Sister Wang sometimes speaks harshly, it’s just that she’s blunt. She’s not a bad person. Sister Lin has a gentle disposition and is quite easy to get along with. As for the other two newly joined sisters, you’ll see how things go.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded thoughtfully.

The relationships in a small village are already a headache, and it will only be more complicated if the family compound involves the troops in the front.

Hu Wanning smiled as she looked at Ruan Mingfu. “When I first came here, I was just as lost. Take your time, people here are generally quite easygoing.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded.

“Sister-in-law, let me help you.”

*

As the weather grew hotter, Ruan Mingfu sat in front of the door in a light floral dress, enjoying the breeze.

The green dress made her skin look even whiter.

She sat by the door, fanning herself. To her left was the little chubby boy, and lying at her feet was Goudan.

As the temperature soared, Goudan was also struggling.

It panted heavily, its red tongue hanging out, its belly pressed tightly against the ground, hoping to catch a bit of coolness.

Ruan Mingfu used the fan to cool off Goudan.

Realizing that she was trying to help him cool down, Goudan lifted his head and barked a few times at Ruan Mingfu.

As Xie Yanzhao entered, he saw Ruan Mingfu smiling.

She had gathered her hair into a bun, which highlighted her elegant and slender neck. The fresh and simple dress made her appearance seem even more refined.

She now had a bit of the ethereal quality of a summer lotus.

Ruan Mingfu looked up and saw Xie Yanzhao striding toward her. However, his charm seemed less pronounced today as Ruan Mingfu’s attention was drawn to the green melon he was holding.

“Where did you buy the watermelon?”

During the summer, the three essentials are air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and watermelon!

In this era, without air conditioning or Wi-Fi, watermelon was a satisfying treat.

Given the military district’s remote location, if Ruan Mingfu had to carry a whole sack of watermelon and take a two-hour round trip, she’d rather do without.

But having it delivered to her doorstep was another story.

Ruan Mingfu stood up, delighted. “Where did you buy the watermelon?”

The melon was large and round, its skin glossy and shiny. It looked like a great watermelon!

“From a fellow villager,” Xie Yanzhao said, seeing how much she liked it. “If you want, I can buy a few more later.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded vigorously.

“I’ll go with you.”

However, Xie Yanzhao didn’t answer her. Instead, he went straight to the kitchen to get a basket. He placed the watermelon in the basket and then put it into the well to cool it down with cold water.