Chapter 16

Jiang Nian fell into the bath basin and scraped her arm against the edge of the basin, causing a small scratch. She grabbed the edge of the basin, taking a moment to steady herself. Just as she was about to stand up, she heard rapid footsteps approaching outside.

The footsteps suggested that the person was about to burst through the door.

“I’m fine!” Jiang Nian quickly shouted, fearing that Lu Yu might rush in and see her in this embarrassing state.

Lu Yu being embarrassed was one thing, but her being embarrassed was a bigger deal.

The footsteps halted outside the door and the man’s deep voice, tinged with worry, called out, “Sister-in-law, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Nian, supporting herself with the basin, stood up and rubbed her arm where it had been scraped. She called out, “Nothing, I just saw a mouse under the cabinet. I had scared it away.”

She made up an excuse.

In this era, living in a house with earthen walls was common to have mice.

“That’s good then.”

The footsteps gradually receded.

Jiang Nian sighed in relief, quickly dried herself off, got dressed and opened the window for ventilation. The summer heat was stifling, especially when washing with the door and windows closed, making the hot air even more unbearable.

When she opened the window, she saw Lu Yu sitting in the yard eating. In just a short while, the man had already eaten three pancakes.

Lu Yu took a sip of egg drop soup, looked up and saw Jiang Nian standing at the window. The top two buttons of her shirt were undone, revealing her collarbones and a small hollow. Her skin looked like gleaming white snow in the lamplight, her hair damp and messy against her cheeks, draped over her thin shoulders.

She stood there, looking up at the moon.

After a moment, she lowered her eyes and looked at him.

Their gazes met unexpectedly and Lu Yu choked on the soup he had just swallowed, and coughed several times.

This was the first time since they had known each other that he had ever looked away in panic.

Jiang Nian, puzzled, thought for a moment and said softly, “Eat slowly. There’s more in the pot. If it’s not enough, I can make more.”

“That’s enough.”

Lu Yu quickly finished his meal, gathered the dishes and strode to the kitchen. After washing the pots and bowls, he went to the east room to help Jiang Nian empty the bathwater. As soon as he entered, he smelled the clean scent of soap, which seemed to seep in like a spider’s web through his nostrils.

He lowered his head, picked up the basin, and carried it out.

As he poured the water in the yard, he said to Jiang Nian, “Captain Lu will bring Zheng Hong back tomorrow to make a public self-criticism in front of the entire regiment and apologize to you.”

Jiang Nian paused, looking at the shadow extending into the doorway.

After a moment, a soft voice came from inside, “Okay.”

“Lu Yu…”

Jiang Nian called out to Lu Yu as he was about to leave. She stopped at the door, nervously gripping the door frame. Seeing him turn around, she bit her lip and said, “I’ve been thinking about it all day. I still think that lady from the hospital is quite good-looking. Maybe you should give her a chance?”

Lu Yu: …

He frowned. “You don’t need to worry about my affairs. It’s late. You should get some sleep.”

Watching Lu Yu’s tall, lean figure retreat, Jiang Nian closed the door in frustration, leaning against it and tapping her head lightly against the wood.

Why isn’t the story going like in the book?

Wasn’t Lu Yu supposed to like Sun Ying?

She pondered this for a while but couldn’t figure it out. Instead, she remembered something else.

She decided to try hitting her head against the wall again to see if she could return to her original world.

Walking over to the hard earthen wall, she touched her no-longer-sore forehead and gently bumped it against the wall. Feeling the pain, she prepared to clench her teeth and give it a harder try. But then she remembered Lu Yu saying that Zheng Hong would make a thorough self-criticism and apologize to her in front of the entire regiment tomorrow.

Jiang Nian rubbed her forehead, temporarily setting aside the idea of hitting the wall again.

She thought,”If I’m going to die, I’ll wait until Zheng Hong apologizes first. At least if I return to the future, I won’t have any regrets from this era.”

At this moment, Jiang Nian was convinced that hitting the wall would definitely allow her to return.

She took off her shoes and lay on the bed, gradually falling asleep to the sound of cicadas outside. She didn’t wake up until the bugle call the next morning. Hearing footsteps outside, she sat up and stretched her neck to look outside. She saw Lu Yu heading out in his military uniform.

Jiang Nian rubbed her sore arm from the fall yesterday, dressed, and went outside. The fresh morning air was delightful. She took a deep breath and headed to the well to wash up. Deciding to buy some vegetables later to prepare a hearty dinner for Lu Yu. She still had some meat left at home and planned to make braised pork.

Lu Yu made stir fry potatoes with meat and cooked porridge for breakfast. There were also two steamed white buns warming in the pot, obviously left for her.

Jiang Nian ate one bun and drank a bowl of porridge. After washing the dishes, she went to the vegetable stand.

The news that Captain Lu’s wife was going to make a deep self-criticism had spread throughout the entire regiment.

In this era, with no television and limited entertainment activities, any small commotion would have everyone eager to get a front-row seat.

After lunch, Lu Yu brought the dishes into the kitchen. While adding water to wash them, he asked Jiang Nian who had just walked in from outside, “Sister-in-law, are you going to the training ground later? If so, I’ll ask Sister Feng to take you there.”

Jiang Nian, standing at the doorway, nervously tugged at her clothes and asked softly, “Can I go?”

Lu Yu seemed to smile briefly before replying, “Of course, why not?”

He put the washed dishes in the cabinet and looked at Jiang Nian standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “If she’s going to apologize in front of the entire regiment, it’s only reasonable for the person she’s apologizing to be present.”

Jiang Nian: …

She realized Lu Yu had a sly side to him too.

Worried that Jiang Nian might feel uncomfortable in a crowd, Lu Yu added, “Just follow Sister Feng. I’ll let her know and once Zheng Hong has finished her self-criticism, she’ll bring you back. You don’t need to stay out long.”

Jiang Nian nodded lightly, “Okay.”

After Lu Yu left, Jiang Nian swept the kitchen floor and washed the vegetables she had just bought. Once done, Sister Feng arrived and hurried her out the door. “Quick, quick, it’s already started. If we’re late, we’ll miss the excitement.”

Jiang Nian put down the cloth she was holding and followed Sister Feng.

It took about ten minutes to walk to the training ground. Sister Feng, eager not to miss anything, pulled Jiang Nian along in a run. By the time they arrived, Zheng Hong was already reading the conclusion of her self-criticism.

Zheng Hong stood on the steps at the front of the training ground. Surrounded by soldiers in uniform. Despite the scorching sun, they stood straight, watching her with a variety of expressions. The right side was crowded with military wives, mothers, and many children, creating a lively scene.

“Look at her face, as red as a monkey’s butt! Serves her right!” Sister Feng nudged Jiang Nian to look at Zheng Hong’s face and Jiang Nian couldn’t help but smile inwardly.

Zheng Hong had her head almost buried in her chest, clutching the paper, now wrinkled from her grip, as she read the self-criticism her husband had written for her. Captain Lu was standing in the audience, with his head down so that his expression could not be seen.

“I shouldn’t have insulted Comrade Jiang Nian with my words. Here, I want to offer a deep apology to Comrade Jiang Nian. Comrade Jiang Nian, I am sorry.”

“Hahahaha!”

“Oh my, that’s hilarious.”

“You see, she usually walks in a twisted way, but now she’s standing there so serious. I’m not used to it.”

The military wives chattered loudly, their voices rising over each other. The recent incident where Zheng Hong had feigned a sprained ankle to get Captain Liu to fetch her meals had already spread. Now, the wives looked at Zheng Hong with disdain, amusement, and mockery.

Some of the older women among the military wives whispered among themselves, saying that Liu Qiang and Zheng Hong were both at fault. If Liu Qiang hadn’t had some intentions, he wouldn’t have helped her despite her requests.

The military wives had warned their husbands to stay away from Zheng Hong to avoid being tricked like Captain Liu.

Zheng Hong’s reputation was now thoroughly ruined.

After reading the self-criticism, Zheng Hong listened to the laughter and chatter from the military wives in the audience. Her face flushed with humiliation. Her face turned red and her fingers were so tense that she tore the pages of the self-criticism. She wanted to find Lu Guosheng but when she turned around and saw that he had disappeared.

Clutching the letter of self-criticism, she turned and ran away with her head down.

“Hahahahaha!”

The military wives burst into laughter. Sister Feng, holding Jiang Nian’s hand, laughed so hard she couldn’t straighten up her waist. Pointing at Zheng Hong who was running away, she said. “Look at her, running like a rat!”

Jiang Nian couldn’t help but laugh, but then she heard voices from the left.

“Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law looks so beautiful when she smiles.”

“I wish I had such a beautiful wife.”

Zhu Jun saw the people around him staring at Jiang Nian and snorted, “You guys better stop dreaming. Even if Jiang Nian wants to remarry, it has to be with Deputy Commander Lu’s approval.”

Someone leaned over and asked the hopeful guy, “Do you think you could pass Deputy Commander Lu’s test?”

The guy glared at him, “Go to hell!”

“Hey, no need to curse!”

Jiang Nian blushed deeply upon hearing their conversation.

Sister Feng turned and glared at them. “If you keep teasing Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law, I’ll tell him you’re bullying her.”

“No, no,Sister Feng, we were wrong!”

They quickly turned and ran away.

Sister Feng tugged at Jiang Nian with amusement. “We’ve seen the excitement. Let’s go back now.”

Jiang Nian returned to the family quarters with Feng Mei. As they passed Captain Liu’s house, they saw Xu Yan standing outside. When she saw them, Xu Yan smiled briefly before turning back to the yard where her children were calling her.

Feng Mei was surprised. “The sun must be rising in the west today! Xu Yan actually smiled?”

Jiang Nian understood. This was probably Xu Yan’s most satisfying day in the past two years.

Back at home, Jiang Nian took a nap. When she woke up, she glanced at the sun’s position, estimating it was around five or six in the evening. She fetched water from the well to wash her face and went to the kitchen to prepare a lavish dinner for Lu Yu.

This might be her last meal in this era.

As evening fell, the aroma of food wafted through the family quarters.

Jiang Nian’s cooking smelled the most enticing, making everyone’s stomachs grumble with hunger.

Commander Song and Lu Yu arrived at the gate. Commander Song sniffed the aroma coming from inside and glanced at Lu Yu. “Boy, since your sister-in-law arrived, your meals have been getting better every day.”

Lu Yu smiled but said nothing.

After parting ways with Commander Song, Lu Yu entered the yard. Jiang Nian had just finished cooking and brought out the dishes from the kitchen. For the first time, she smiled at Lu Yu without avoiding his gaze. Usually, she would speak with her head lowered, but today she cheerfully called out, “Dinner’s ready.”

Lu Yu, fetching water from the well, froze and stared at Jiang Nian as she ran back into the kitchen and came out with a plate of steamed white buns and stir-fried pork with peppers. Seeing him still standing there, she frowned slightly and said, “Why are you still standing there? Wash your hands and come eat.”

Lu Yu snapped back to reality. “Mm.”

He bent down, washed his face with the cold well water, and then looked at Jiang Nian, who was sitting at the table with her hands supporting her chin, gazing at the four dishes and a soup in front of her.

Today, his sister-in-law was acting a bit out of the ordinary.

Could it be because Zheng Hong had apologized to her in front of the entire regiment?

Lu Yu sat at the table, looking at the lavish dinner. After working all afternoon, he was indeed hungry.

The cost of this meal in terms of meat and vegetables could feed an average family for over ten days. But Lu Yu didn’t say anything. To him, as long as his sister-in-law was happy, she could do whatever she wanted.

He took a bite of a bun, then picked up a piece of tender, juicy braised pork and ate it. Noticing Jiang Nian’s bright and expectant eyes on him, she said, “How is it? Is it delicious?”

Lu Yu swallowed his food. “Delicious.”

Jiang Nian smiled again.

She picked up a bun and took a bite, then bit into a piece of braised pork. “If it’s good, eat more.”

After this meal, there won’t be another.

Lu Yu frowned slightly, looking at the table and sensing something was off about his sister-in-law. Was she really this happy just because Zheng Hong apologized?

He looked up at Jiang Nian again, meeting her smiling eyes once more.

Lu Yu: …

After dinner, while washing the dishes, Lu Yu heated some water and brought it to Jiang Nian’s room. As he poured the water, he saw her standing in front of a wall, staring at it in a daze.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Sister-in-law, what are you thinking about?”

Jiang Nian snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the water in the basin. The water’s surface reflected Lu Yu’s handsome features. His thin lips were tightly pressed together, and his dark eyes stared at her, seemingly trying to discern something.

She looked at the reflection and said, “I was thinking if your brother would feel lonely over there.”

Lu Yu frowned deeply, wanting to say something but ultimately remaining silent. He picked up the bucket and left.

After Jiang Nian finished bathing, Lu Yu came in to dump the bathwater.

She stood by the door, hands on the door frame, watching Lu Yu walk towards the south side of the yard. It was only when his figure disappeared from view that Jiang Nian closed the door.

She let out a breath,turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at the half-moon outside the window. She sat there until deep into the night when the only sound left was the chirping of cicadas. Slowly, she stood up, walked to a mud wall, and pressed her hand against it. She touched her forehead.

Taking a few deep breaths, she stepped back.

Clenching her fists, she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and ran headfirst into the wall——

**

Ayalee: Auchh ..୧(⁄›˅̭‹ ∖)୨

Btw do check out my other translation projects:

Marrying The Ex’s Uncle (Completed)
You Treat Me As If I Have A Sickness (Ongoing)
The Green Tea Supporting Character Disgusts The Male Lead (Ongoing)
I Confessed to the Male Lead’s Brother by Mistake (Completed)