Chapter 25

A large crowd surged forward—no one could have imagined the new recruits causing trouble on their very first day. Everyone craned their necks to see what was going on.

Lu Cheng paid little attention to the commotion, confident that Wang Zhigang could handle it. What caught his eye instead was Wen Ning, adorably struggling to squeeze through the crowd. Her small frame simply couldn’t wedge in.

He stepped forward, took her arm, and led her away. “Stop gawking at the spectacle. With your tiny frame, you’d never get out of there.”

Wen Ning: “…”

She was thoroughly annoyed.

Lost in her disappointment, Wen Ning didn’t even notice that Lu Cheng was still holding her hand.

Back in their room, she exclaimed with undiminished enthusiasm, “How could they start fighting on the first day? Unbelievable!”

She vaguely recalled the original novel’s plot—He Shanshan had indeed faced a rough start.

Her family, favoring sons over daughters, had planned to give her job to her brothers, forcing her to become a Sent-Down Youth in the countryside.

Life in the countryside was tough for city girls. But He Shanshan wasn’t a fool. Desperate to escape, she’d met Wang Zhigang, who was home visiting, and they fell in love at first sight.

He Shanshan and Wang Zhigang were deeply in love. Their marriage would help her avoid being sent away. However, Aunt Wang had her eyes on someone else from their own family. She didn’t want an outsider like He Shanshan marrying in.

Although Aunt Wang’s objections couldn’t stop the marriage, she made no effort to hide her disdain for her new daughter-in-law.

But He Shanshan, the heroine of the story, endured her mother-in-law’s harsh treatment with patience, gentleness, and diligence. In the end, she won her over—and even helped reform her wayward brother-in-law, bringing peace to the family.

Wen Ning rested her chin on her hand, mulling over the plot, when a crisp sound startled her.

Lu Cheng set down a steaming enamel mug of hot water on the table.

After taking a few sips, Wen Ning couldn’t help but complain, “You’re so indifferent. Why don’t you care about any of this?”

“Why should I meddle in other people’s family affairs? Besides, it’s so crowded over there. Isn’t it uncomfortable to squeeze in?”

“Xiao Lei and Xiao Yun even climbed a tree to watch!” Wen Ning exclaimed. Having been raised with strict manners, she had never climbed a tree herself—and couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. “I want to learn how to climb trees too.”

“Why would you want to learn that?” Lu Cheng looked bewildered. “Those two are still kids. Once they grow up, they won’t be climbing trees for fun anymore.”

……

The commotion didn’t last long. When Lu Kanglei and Lu Kangyun returned, they brought all the juicy details.

“Sister-in-law, you should’ve seen Aunt Wang! She was so fierce, scolding everyone nonstop,” Lu Kangyun said, having grown especially fond of Wen Ning. Since her elder brother showed no interest in gossip, she naturally sought out the best listener. “But Brother Wang’s wife—so gentle. She didn’t say a single word in return.”

“Brother Wang kept trying to calm them down,” Lu Kanglei added. “In the end, it was Director Yang from the Women’s Affairs Office who finally mediated.”

Director Yang was often called in to handle domestic disputes and neighborhood quarrels.

As the crowd dispersed, she instructed everyone to return home. But Wen Ning, still curious, couldn’t help slipping out again for another peek.

Near the blue brick wall, she spotted Jiang Rong tiptoeing around outside the Wang family’s courtyard, furtively peeking in.

Looks like she’s not giving up.

Wen Ning recalled the novel again. In the original plot, when He Shanshan first arrived with the military, she hadn’t caused any trouble. So why had Aunt Wang suddenly exploded today?

Could Jiang Rong be behind this?

Wen Ning turned back and headed inside. Only then did she remember—she hadn’t started her propaganda posters yet!

Director Yang had tasked her with creating public safety posters about the dangers of coal stoves, heated brick beds, and general health risks.

Drawing the brick bed was easy—there was one right in their home.

Lu Cheng, kneading dough for dinner, watched her circling the bed with a notebook, studying it from all angles.

“What are you doing?”

“I need to draw the brick bed,” Wen Ning replied.

“Just getting a good look at it.” Her curiosity about the bed outweighed even the drawing. Thanks to years of art training, a single glance gave her a clear mental blueprint of the structure.

Images came to life in her notebook:

• First Panel: A winter scene in the compound. Coal and briquettes burned for warmth, but the family had forgotten to ventilate. They slept soundly on the heated brick bed.
• Second Panel: Thick smoke filled the room. Adults woke up coughing—one rushed to open the door, the other tried to rouse the children and elders.
• Third Panel: The family was being rushed to the hospital.

But she froze. She didn’t actually know what a hospital looked like.

In the Great Liang Dynasty, she only knew of medicine shops and the Imperial Medical Academy—nothing like modern hospitals.

Director Yang had said that emergency patients would get injections and IV drips. What even were those?

……

After dinner, as Lu Kanglei and Lu Kangyun got ready to return to their aunt’s house, Wen Ning seized the opportunity.

“Let’s go to the military hospital,” she suggested casually.

Lu Cheng had just donned his military coat to escort the boys home. At her words, he turned sharply, scrutinizing her face. She didn’t look pale.

“What’s wrong?”

“I…” Wen Ning couldn’t admit she just wanted to see what a hospital looked like. The original owner of her body had definitely been to one—she’d even gone to the county hospital last year when Lu’s mother passed away.

So she had to fake a reason. “I’m not feeling well. I want to get checked out.”

“Where does it hurt?” Lu Cheng’s eyes scanned her from head to toe.

“Ah, just… unwell,” Wen Ning stammered. His sharp gaze made her feel like he could see right through her. She blurted, “My chest feels tight. A little nauseous.”

She reused the symptoms from her last bout of motion sickness.

People here didn’t go to the hospital for minor issues. Medical fees weren’t cheap. But Lu Cheng didn’t question her further. “We’ll go now. There’s someone on duty. I’ll take you.”

Lu Kangyun grew anxious. “Sister-in-law, are you in pain?”

“I’m fine,” Wen Ning reassured her, though she couldn’t overplay it. “Seeing a doctor will help.”

Lu Kanglei stayed quiet, lips pressed tightly, sneaking glances at her, then looking away—only to sneak another glance.

As they neared their aunt’s house, Lu Cheng didn’t go in. He told the boys, “Go home and sleep. No fooling around. I’ll take your sister-in-law to the hospital.”

“Got it, Big Brother.”

The night air was chilly, the stone path glistening from melted snow like a scene from a traditional painting.

Wen Ning walked calmly, even smiling and greeting familiar neighbors. Only when she noticed Lu Cheng watching her did she quickly start pretending to look frail.

The hospital wasn’t far, only a ten-minute walk from the compound. Family members were allowed treatment, but most avoided going unless absolutely necessary.

As they walked, Wen Ning suddenly noticed something strange—Lu Cheng wasn’t walking ahead of her as usual.

He was tall with long legs and usually took big strides, never checking if she could keep up.

But today, Lu Cheng walked slowly, staying right beside her. The quiet rustling of their thick coats brushing together caught her attention.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. Lowering his gaze, he recalled how she’d struggled at the train station. He reached out and offered his coat. “Hold onto this. I’ll pull you.”

Wen Ning blinked in surprise. What’s gotten into Lu Cheng today?

This isn’t like him at all! Doesn’t he always care about military discipline?

Seeing her hesitate, Lu Cheng gently took her hand and pressed it to his coat. “Hold on tight. If you fall, I’ll have to carry you back.”

In the hazy night, Wen Ning tugged playfully at his sleeve. Her eyes sparkled. “You still want to carry me?”

Only then did Lu Cheng realize what he’d just said—his thoughts had drifted back to the night he carried her onto the kang…

“You wish!” Wen Ning tilted her head back, a quick dimple forming. “I’d never agree!”

This man was so rigid and old-fashioned, always scolding her. Why should she indulge him?

…….

They approached a three-story white building. Wen Ning stared at it, wide-eyed. As they drew closer, the sharp medicinal scent grew stronger.

The hospital’s entrance bore four red characters: Military District Hospital. Inside, a few people milled about—mostly soldiers in green and staff in white coats.

“Lu Cheng!”

Just then, a man in striped hospital pajamas with a transparent tube coiled around his arm called out. He was a comrade hospitalized for an old injury and still on an IV drip.

As Lu Cheng exchanged a few words with him, Wen Ning observed the bottle of clear fluid connected to his arm.

So this is an IV drip. How amazing.

After registering, Wen Ning sat in the examination room, nervous. She could only resort to familiar lies, using motion sickness symptoms and hoping to escape quickly.

“My chest feels tight, a bit nauseous, just… unwell. But I’m much better now. A good night’s sleep should fix it.”

The doctor looked up, clearly recognizing Lu Cheng—the most promising officer in the military region. Word had spread about his wife joining him.

What a lovely couple, the doctor thought.

But hearing her symptoms, he set down his pen with a knowing look.

“Sounds like pregnancy.”

Wen Ning: ?

Lu Cheng: ?