Chapter 24.1

Lu Cheng returned home for his vacation, much to the delight of the two younger members of the Lu family.

On Sunday, with school out, the two siblings set off early from their aunt’s house, eager to visit their eldest brother. They had stayed up late the night before, excitedly planning their trip to town, unable to fall asleep for hours.

By 7:30 AM, Lu Cheng had already finished his morning run. Despite the frigid winter air, he stood in a thin shirt, stirring a pot of corn porridge.

Steam billowed around him, swirling like mist in the gloomy weather. Through the milky vapor, Lu Cheng glanced at the east room. The door remained tightly shut—Wen Ning was still asleep.

“Eldest Brother! What are you cooking?”

“I’m starving!”

Lu Kanglei darted to his brother’s side. Catching Lu Cheng’s sharp look, he straightened his posture, realizing he had been too casual during his run.

“Wash your hands. Breakfast is ready.”

“Okay!”

“I’ll chop the pickled vegetables!” Lu Kangyun fished a handful of salted pickles from the jar, rinsing, squeezing, and dicing them with practiced ease.

The three were busy when the wooden door creaked open. Wen Ning, rubbing her sleepy eyes, got out of bed. She had gone to bed early last night, eager to go to town today, so she woke up promptly.

……

After breakfast, the family of four set off together.

Jiang Rong, who lived next door, pushed open her door to leave. She spotted Lu Cheng’s tall figure in his olive-green military uniform. Wen Ning, walking beside him, looked inexplicably slender and even more attractive than before.

Even Lu Kanglei and Lu Kangyun, who had been her rivals in her previous life, were now hovering around her.

How strange!

Jiang Rong didn’t have time to dwell on Wen Ning’s situation. After all, the woman was merely cannon fodder in the book. Once she ran away and met her fate, she would be out of the way.

The real trouble was He Shanshan, the original female lead of the book, who was arriving with the military today!

Jiang Rong, feeling as if she were facing a formidable enemy, glanced at the empty bungalow in the middle. By this afternoon, it would be bustling with activity.

Wen Ning knew the original female lead from the book was about to join the military, but she didn’t know the exact date of her arrival. She didn’t really care; other people’s lives had nothing to do with her—as long as they didn’t bother her.

The family caught the once-a-day bus into the city, leaving behind the desolate countryside for the bustling urban center.

L City was a thriving industrial and agricultural hub, and its residents enjoyed one of the highest standards of living in the country. Street vendors selling steamed buns, mantou, soy milk, and candied hawthorns lined the streets.

The most eye-catching structures were the three-story department store, the two-story Xinhua Bookstore, and the single-story supply and marketing cooperative with its wide storefront.

It was early market time, and a small chalkboard outside the cooperative listed the day’s new fabric supplies in white chalk:

Red twill cotton: 8 bolts, 16 cents per foot
Plain-colored twill cotton: 12 bolts, 12 cents per foot

A crowd had gathered at the supply and marketing cooperative, all vying for the fabric. They jostled at the entrance, stretching out their hands to exchange money for cloth.

Wen Ning, never having witnessed such a chaotic scene, was immediately intrigued. Grabbing Lu Kangyun’s hand, she tried to push her way into the throng. “Xiao Yun, let’s give it a try!”

But reality proved harsh. Wen Ning’s slender frame and lack of strength made it impossible to squeeze through. Instead, she watched Lu Kangyun, a petite boy, weave through the adults with remarkable agility, like a needle threading through fabric.

He successfully snatched six feet of red cloth.

“Sister-in-law, look!” Lu Kangyun tilted his face upward, grinning to reveal a row of pearly teeth. His almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents as he eagerly sought praise. “I got it!”

“Xiao Yun, you’re amazing!” Wen Ning exclaimed, astonished that a twelve-year-old could navigate such a crowd. Looking at herself, she thought, Well, at least I picked the right person!

“Eldest Brother, Second Brother, I got the cloth!” Lu Kangyun hugged the fabric tightly, her face glowing with pride.

The eldest brother, ever reserved, simply offered a calm “Not bad.” The second brother showed slightly more enthusiasm with a brief compliment before falling silent.

The little girl lingered near Wen Ning, basking in her sister-in-law’s endless praise.

“I never knew you could run so fast!”

“From now on, we’ll take you shopping with us. You can be our vanguard!”

“Xiao Yun, you’re even better than your eldest and second brothers!”

Lu Cheng listened to Wen Ning’s words, which seemed to praise one while subtly putting down the others. Watching her and his younger sister walk hand-in-hand, he couldn’t help but smile.

But I’m a grown man. I can’t possibly squeeze in with all those aunties and grandmas. That would be taking advantage.

…….

After a fruitful morning, the four of them headed to the department store.

Their previous visit had been rushed, but this time Wen Ning took her time exploring. The store was filled with things she had never seen before.

Watches—she had seen Director Yang wear one. They told the time.

Wen Ning was astonished. In the Great Liang Dynasty, she had only been able to estimate the time by looking at the sky.

Radios—she had seen one at Sister Luo’s house. How could sound come from such a long box?

This place was truly amazing, overflowing with treasures.

Lu Kanglei and Lu Kangyun, still children at heart, were already in line to buy peach cakes and milk candies.

Lu Cheng turned to find Wen Ning staring at a radio. He suddenly remembered their hasty wedding. He had given the Wen family eighty-eight yuan as a betrothal gift and bought them a sewing machine, but he hadn’t prepared anything else.

Now that the sewing machine was still with the Wen family, they could consider buying other things.

“You pick a radio,” Lu Cheng said. He still had ten industrial coupons, enough to purchase one.

“Huh?” Wen Ning turned to Lu Cheng in surprise, then looked at the radios. With so many brands and styles, she was completely clueless. She had to ask the salesperson for help. “Comrade, which one is good?”

But having just overheard other customers complaining that the salesperson’s recommendations were overpriced and not good enough, Wen Ning grew anxious.

She quickly looped her arm through Lu Cheng’s and straightened her back. “You recommend a few. My husband will choose—he knows a lot about these things.”

Regimental Commander Lu’s stern face was intimidating enough to scare anyone!

Lu Cheng felt the pressure on his arm. Wen Ning, perhaps worried he would scold her for being too familiar in public, only looped her arm through his briefly, just long enough for the salesperson to notice, before quickly withdrawing it.

The salesperson had initially planned to casually suggest a brand, but upon seeing that the beautiful young woman’s husband was a soldier, he immediately became serious. He recommended a radio that was both affordable and durable.

Wen Ning watched Lu Cheng count out the 120 yuan and ten industrial coupons, her heart aching slightly at the expense.

This radio is truly expensive.

Mother Wen had given her twenty yuan in total, and compared to that, the radio’s price was astonishing.

After buying the radio, they also purchased several bags of pastries and candies that could only be found in the city.

Remembering how Wen Ning had struggled to drink corn porridge and eat sorghum flatbread, Lu Cheng stopped by the grocery store on their way out and bought a bag of white flour and a bag of fortified flour.

Refined grains were precious and naturally more expensive. A bag of white flour cost two yuan and fifty fen, equivalent to two bags of mixed flour, four bags of cornmeal, or five bags of sorghum flour. Families with tight budgets preferred coarse grains.

Though they might be harder on the throat and stomach, at least they could stretch their food supplies further.

Lu Cheng’s high work stipend made it affordable. However, accustomed to hardship, he generously provided living expenses for his younger siblings but hadn’t developed a habit of eating refined grains at every meal himself.

He was simply thinking of the delicate person now living in their home.

The family of four returned to the Family Compound laden with bags. Wen Ning assigned tasks: Xiao Yun carried the cloth, Xiao Lei lugged the pastries, Wen Ning cradled the precious radio, and Lu Cheng took the rest of the miscellaneous items.

Hauling so many purchases drew attention, and several military wives teased Wen Ning along the way.

Everyone in the Family Compound had always believed that managing the household was a woman’s responsibility, and Wen Ning simply wasn’t frugal enough.

“Little Lu’s Wife, you haven’t been here long, and you’ve already bought so much! When you’re in charge of the household, you need to know that firewood, rice, oil, and salt don’t come cheap.”

“Regimental Commander Lu, you’re so patient! If my husband found out I was spending like this, he’d give me an earful!”

Lu Cheng knew that the idle residents of the Family Compound thrived on gossip, able to chatter about everyone from the East End to the West End while cracking sunflower seeds.

He didn’t mind, simply replying, “We’ve only just moved in. We’re still figuring out what we need, so we’re bound to buy more at first.”

“True, those pots and pans are necessary, but those chicken cakes and malted milk powder must have cost a fortune.”

Lu Kanglei and Lu Kangyun, though young, were quite perceptive. They sensed the sour tone in the woman’s words. Lu Kangyun immediately piped up, “Sister-in-law said Second Brother and I need extra nutrition because we’re still growing!”

He left out the rest of Wen Ning’s reasoning: that she needed to strengthen her own weak constitution, and that even though Lu Cheng was strong and healthy, his daily training was so strenuous that he needed extra nourishment too.

In short, there was no reason not to buy these nutritional supplements.