Chapter 20.1

The adults stopped talking, and the noisy children also quieted down sensibly.

The piece of tofu that Jiang Nian was holding with her chopsticks fell onto the table with a plop, and her eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

What was going on?

Wasn’t this meal supposed to be Lu Yu treating his comrades? How did it come to be about her?

Commander Song raised his head and glared at Feng Mei with a stern face. “What are you trying to matchmake for? Just eat your meal!”

Last time, she wanted to arrange a marriage for Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law, and after he scolded her a few times, he thought she had calmed down. Unexpectedly, today, in front of so many people, she brought it up again, and now she wanted to match Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law with his cousin?!

Not to mention Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law being a widow, what about his cousin’s character? Is he a person who can settle down after marriage? He was always thinking about going to the border battlefield. It’s not that he cursed his own cousin, but what if Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law really married Song Bai, and someday…

Commander Song held his breath and glared at Feng Mei again. “Eat your food!”

Feng Mei: …

“Alright, I’ll eat. Why so fierce?”

Feng Mei muttered, lowering her head and poking at the pig’s blood with her chopsticks. She leaned over to Jiang Nian and asked, “What do you think? Song Bai was transferred to a sub-military district last year and is now a deputy commander. He’s quite capable.”

Xu Yan chimed in, “Captain Song… oh no, now we should call him Deputy Commander Song, is quite handsome too.”

Jiang Nian: …

She gave an awkward but polite smile. “Sister Feng, thank you for your kindness. I have no plans for myself at the moment. Let’s settle Lu Yu’s lifelong matters first, then I’ll think about it in three years.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Mei sighed. “Alright then.”

She also felt she was being a bit hasty. After all, the woman’s husband had not passed away long ago. Thinking of this, she sneaked a glance at Lu Yu over there. He was talking to Old Song, his face calm and unreadable.

Kang Xiu, hearing Feng Mei’s words, thought of her sister in the countryside, who had not married this year either. If she could be matched with Commander Song’s cousin, her sister would become a deputy commander’s wife, and she would be a deputy commander’s sister-in-law.

Thinking of this, she secretly looked at Feng Mei, planning to find an opportunity to talk to her another day.

So Kang Xiu ate heartily, stuffing her mouth with meat. Her family hardly had meat throughout the year, and it was impossible not to crave it. Moreover, this widow’s cooking was really delicious. She turned to He Hua at the children’s table and said, “Watch your brother and give him more meat to eat.”

After saying that, she glared at He Hua.

He Hua gripped her chopsticks and nodded obediently, “I understand.”

With their mother’s words, He Shu became even more demanding, instructing He Hua to give him this piece of meat and that piece of meat. In the end, He Hua hardly ate anything while He Shu’s stomach was bulging from being so full.

Feng Mei glanced at Kang Xiu, not bothering to deal with such a woman.

Jiang Nian turned her head to look at He Hua. The little girl sat quietly, eating the leftovers on her plate, her expression wooden. In this era, families that valued boys over girls were quite common.

After the meal, Commander Song and the others left.

As Jiang Nian was tidying up the dishes, she felt Lu Yu’s gaze fleetingly sweep over her.

She was holding a stack of dishes when a pair of long, slender hands appeared in front of her.

“Let me do it.”

Lu Yu took the dishes and glanced at Jiang Nian. Seeing her wiping the table with a cloth, he hesitated for a moment before saying, “Sister-in-law.”

Jiang Nian paused her actions and looked up at him. “Hmm?”

There was a table between Lu Yu and her. He stood with his back to the light, and Jiang Nian squinted against the sunlight. Finding it ineffective, she raised her hand to shield her eyes and asked, “What is it?”

Lu Yu pursed his lips lightly, his gaze lingering on Jiang Nian’s face for a few seconds before he looked away. “You don’t need to rush into marriage. I can support you.”

With that, he walked off with the dishes.

Jiang Nian: ???

Who said she was in a rush?!

Jiang Nian gripped the rag tightly, biting her lip in frustration, and furiously scrubbed the table until it gleamed.

By noon, the aroma of the meal at Deputy Commander Lu’s house wafted through the entire family quarters.

Zheng Hong held her son’s hand, trying to ignore the smell. She took a piece of peach crisp from the cabinet and gave it to Lu Zhijun. “We’re not envious of their food. We’ll eat peach crisp.”

Lu Zhijun pouted, finding peach crisp unappealing for the first time.

He threw the peach crisp on the ground in a fit of pique, huffing, “I don’t want to eat peach crisp!”

Then he ran off.

“You little rascal, if you have the guts, never eat it again!”

Zheng Hong cursed angrily, quickly squatting down to pick up the peach crisp and dusting it off. She took a couple of bites herself, but the peach crisp tasted the same while the aroma of the meat made her feel like it was hard to swallow.

At this moment, she regretted not going with Lu Guosheng.

Zheng Hong finished the peach crisp without much enjoyment and went out to find Lu Zhijun. She saw two people coming out of Deputy Commander Lu’s house, one was Feng Mei, and the other took her a moment to recognize.

It’s Xu Yan?

After a few days, Xu Yan seemed to have transformed, not only dressed beautifully but her skin was fairer. Usually, she had a resentful look, but now she seemed like a young girl, chatting and laughing with Feng Mei.

Zheng Hong touched her own face, feeling a pang of jealousy.

“Lu Zhijun!”

Zheng Hong yelled at Lu Zhijun, who was playing with other kids under the tree. This shout also made Feng Mei and Xu Yan look over. Xu Yan saw Zheng Hong angrily run over and grab Lu Zhijun by the arm, dragging him home while scolding, “Who gave you the guts to give your mother attitude? A few pieces of meat make you so greedy, you’re truly worthless.”

Xu Yan gave Zheng Hong a disdainful look, especially when she thought of the messy affairs between Liu Qiang and Zheng Hong over the past two years, which made her even more frustrated.

She and Sister Feng could tell that Zheng Hong was making a jab at them, and Sister Feng was the first to object, shouting at Zheng Hong, “You’re just sour grapes. Jiang Nian’s cooking is delicious, and you say your son is greedy, but you didn’t see your husband stuffing meat into his mouth one chopstick after another. Why don’t you say your husband is worthless too?”

Zheng Hong’s face turned red with anger, but she didn’t retort, dragging the crying Lu Zhijun back home and slamming the door.

Xu Yan snorted coldly, and she and Feng Mei took their children home.

Jiang Nian woke up from a nap and heard footsteps outside. She slipped on her cloth shoes and walked out, seeing Lu Yu carrying a bucket of water to the kitchen. The previously messy yard had been tidied up.

The sound of water splashing came from the kitchen.

Lu Yu came out with the bucket and said to Jiang Nian, who was standing at the door, “Sister-in-law, I’ve filled the water jar.”

He placed the bucket by the well and continued, “I’ll clean the toilet later and sweep the yard. I’ll also get some watermelons from a comrade’s wife later. You can cut and eat them whenever you like.”

“I’ve also spoken to Zhu Jun. He’ll come by every few days to fill the jar. If you need anything, you can find Sister Feng or Sister Xu. I’ll invite them over for a meal when I get back.”

Jiang Nian leaned against the doorframe, listening to Lu Yu methodically arrange and handle everything. She thought he truly was a good man.

He could defend the country on important matters and take care of the household in small matters.

She thought whoever would marry Lu Yu would be very fortunate.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but recall the female lead Sun Ying in the hospital. The current storyline was completely deviating from the original plot in the book. She wondered who Lu Yu would marry in the future and who Sun Ying would end up with.

But none of this concerned her anymore.

Lu Yu filled the bucket with water, and seeing Jiang Nian lost in thought, he called out, “Sister-in-law?”

Jiang Nian snapped back to reality and looked at Lu Yu, hurriedly nodding, “I heard everything.”

Lu Yu frowned slightly, nodded, and carried the bucket to the kitchen, then left the courtyard.

The yard was clean, and the kitchen’s water jar was filled. Jiang Nian sat idly on a small bench under the tree, fanning herself with a round fan.

Before she knew it, it was time for dinner.

At noon, they had finished all the food, leaving the plates spotless. 

For dinner, Jiang Nian planned to make spicy pork noodles. Last time, Lu Yu had eaten a lot of the mixed sauce noodles, so she figured he probably liked noodles. For the noodles to be springy, the dough needed to have less water. After kneading the dough, it had to be rolled into thin strands, coated with oil, and then stretched into fine noodles before cooking.

She cut the meat and chilies, heated oil in the pan, added the meat first, and once it was almost cooked, she added the ginger and chilies. Finally, crush a few cloves of garlic and it is ready to serve.

After taking the dishes out of the pot, Jiang Nian poured water into the pot. When the water boiled, she pulled the noodles one by one and put them into the pot. By the time she finished, Lu Yu had returned.

Jiang Nian washed her hands and turned towards the kitchen door. Lu Yu stood there, carrying a burlap sack with several watermelons in his left hand, a bag of flour, a small bag of rice, and a cloth bag in his right hand. He looked laden with goods, yet there was no sign of fatigue on his face.

He placed the watermelons under the shade of a tree and carried the other items into the house. Lu Yu put the flour and rice into the cupboard and handed the cloth bag to Jiang Nian. “Sister-in-law, I bought you a pair of shoes according to your size. Try them on, and if they don’t fit, I’ll exchange them tomorrow morning.”

Jiang Nian took the cloth bag, feeling a warm surge in her heart as she looked at Lu Yu’s handsome face under the light. She hugged the bag and smiled, “Thank you.”

Lu Yu, meeting her smiling eyes, looked away awkwardly, his voice hoarse, “We’re family. No need to thank me.”

Jiang Nian lowered her head, smiling, and said, “I made spicy pork noodles. Have some.”

Lu Yu nodded, “Okay.”

Jiang Nian went into her room, took out the shoes from the cloth bag. They were old-fashioned light orange sandals, matching the outfit Lu Yu had previously bought for her. This set might seem outdated in the New Era, but it was quite nice for this time period.

She changed into the clothes and shoes Lu Yu bought, let her hair down over her shoulders, and looked at herself in the mirror hanging on the wall. Since coming to the army with Lu Yu, she had been eating well and sleeping well, her cheeks no longer sunken, and her face looked healthy and plump. She smiled at herself in the mirror, her reflection showing a woman with long hair, wearing a shirt, with rosy lips and white teeth, looking exactly like she did in the New Era.

“Sister-in-law.”

Lu Yu’s voice came from the doorway, holding an enamel bowl. “Dinner is ready…”

His words trailed off. His gaze landed on Jiang Nian, the warm yellow light reflecting the brief flash of amazement in his eyes.

Jiang Nian, startled by Lu Yu’s sudden appearance, felt her heart skip a beat. She bit her lip lightly, nervously tugging at her clothes, and turned to face Lu Yu, asking shyly, “Does it look good?”

Lu Yu averted his gaze, “It looks good.”

Fearing she wouldn’t believe him, he repeated, “You look very good.”

After speaking, he turned and walked to the bench in the yard, eating a big bite of noodles, thinking about what Sister Feng had said about wanting to introduce Sister-in-law to Song Bai.

He took another bite, his dark eyes deep in thought.

Jiang Nian changed her clothes and came out, sitting opposite Lu Yu. She picked up her chopsticks and started eating the noodles he had already mixed.

After dinner, Lu Yu packed the clothes he needed for the trip the next day, while Jiang Nian washed the dishes and kneaded some dough to rise overnight. She planned to get up early and make some buns for Lu Yu to take on the road. She had saved some of the meat for this purpose.

Lu Yu would be gone for more than two months, and she suspected he was given a task by the military district.

Jiang Nian boiled water for a bath. After bathing, Lu Yu emptied the bathwater. Knowing she had to get up early, Jiang Nian went to bed early but woke up at dawn.

She hurried to the bathroom, then washed up at the well, and saw Lu Yu kneading dough in the kitchen. She wiped her hands and went to the kitchen, stopping Lu Yu from making steamed buns. “I’m not making steamed buns.”

Lu Yu looked up, “Hmm?”

Jiang Nian took the pre-salted pork from the bowl, along with some green onions and other vegetables, and said, “We’ll make buns and dumplings. You can take some with you for the trip.”

As the saying goes, dumplings before a journey and noodles when returning. She wanted Lu Yu to have a good meal before he left.

Lu Yu felt a warm current in his heart as he saw Jiang Nian preparing to chop the meat filling. He took the knife from her, their fingers inevitably touching, a faint, easily ignored tingling spreading from his fingertips to his chest.

He cleared his throat, gripping the knife handle. “I’ll chop it.”

Jiang Nian nodded lightly, “I’ll prepare the vegetables.”

Lu Yu quickly chopped the meat, and Jiang Nian swiftly wrapped the dumplings. She cooked a batch for Lu Yu to eat first and then continued making buns. She placed the buns into the steamer and added plenty of firewood to the stove.

She ate a few dumplings herself, then went back inside, opened the cabinet, took out some milk candies and chocolates, and placed them on the table under the tree. Seeing Lu Yu look up at her, she said softly, “Take these to eat on the road.”

Fearing he might refuse, she added, “I still have more.”

Lu Yu took a big bite of the dumpling, a trace of warmth in his deep voice, “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”

He grabbed the milk candies and chocolates, saying, “If you want anything, go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy it. Don’t save money. I’ll be back in about two months.”

Jiang Nian nodded gently, “Okay.”

After the buns were steamed and cooled, Jiang Nian boiled ten eggs. She then wrapped ten buns and ten eggs in a clean cloth bundle for Lu Yu. She knew he had a big appetite and was embarking on a day-long train journey.

As Lu Yu left, he carried a large military green bag containing spare uniforms and food. Walking out of the courtyard, he glanced back and saw Jiang Nian still standing outside, watching him leave.

He recalled leaving home and his sister-in-law standing outside, watching him as he walked away. Memories flooded back after two years.

Feeling warmth in his eyes, Lu Yu waved to Jiang Nian, “Sister-in-law, I’ll be back soon.”

The sound of a horn filled the air, uplifting spirits.

Gradually, Jiang Nian withdrew her gaze, turned, and returned to the courtyard. Everything seemed unchanged, yet something felt missing.

After washing the pots and pans, Jiang Nian plows the ground in the west corner. Tomorrow, she will buy some vegetable seedlings at the neighboring village market.

“Xu Yan!”

Liu Qiang’s angry shout came from the neighboring courtyard. Jiang Nian, washing her hands at the well, hurriedly stood up, ran to the wall, and peeked over it.

In the yard, Liu Jianye held Liu Jianwu’s hand at the kitchen door. Liu Jianwu looked frightened, and Liu Jianye squeezed his hand, whispering, “Brother is here, don’t be afraid.”

Tears welled up in Liu Jianwu’s eyes as he looked up pitifully at Liu Jianye and asked, “Brother, when will Dad and Mom stop fighting?”

They hadn’t fought for several days, so why today?

Liu Jianye frowned, watching his mother quietly sitting on a stool, mending shoe soles, while his father stood under the shade of a tree, glaring angrily at her, as if he would strike at any moment.

He hated his father and Aunt Zheng.

“Say something!”

Liu Qiang snatched the shoe sole from Xu Yan’s hand, his chest heaving with rage, but she remained calm.

It felt like punching cotton, stifling and uncomfortable.

During this time, Xu Yan seemed like a different person. Before, she couldn’t stop talking about Zheng Hong, either cursing them both or accusing him of chasing after her like a dog smelling shit. Since Zheng Hong read the self-criticism at the training ground, Xu Yan had slowly changed.

She seemed… quieter.

During this time, she hadn’t mentioned Zheng Hong in front of him, nor picked fights for no reason. She dressed up nicely every day, even spending money on cosmetics. Initially, he thought Xu Yan was doing well like this, quiet and peaceful, and life could continue smoothly.

But she wasn’t just quiet, she treated him as if he were invisible.

Returning home during this time, seeing Xu Yan speaking gently to the children and smiling at Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law, but she only looked at him coldly.

Seeing Xu Yan coldly raise her head and extend her hand, he said, “Return the shoe sole to me.”

Liu Qiang: …

He frowned tightly and squeezed the shoe sole hard, deflated under Xu Yan’s cold gaze. He softened his tone a bit. “Yan Yan, what’s wrong with you?”

Xu Yan took the shoe, lowered her head, and continued mending, saying indifferently, “Isn’t being quiet and not making trouble is what you want?”

That sentence left Liu Qiang speechless.

Liu Qiang wanted to say more, but it was late, and he had to hurry to the team, so he said, “I’ll be back for lunch.”

With that, he strode away.

Only after Liu Qiang left did Liu Jianwu dare to wipe his tears and cry, “Mom.”

Xu Yan put down the shoe, walked over, and rubbed her youngest son’s cheek, saying with a smile, “Jianwu is a little man. Crying isn’t manly.”

“Mom.”

Liu Jianye looked at the tears in his mother’s eyes and said, “When I grow up, I’m taking you away from here.”

Xu Yan was stunned for a moment, looked at Liu Jianye, who was only six years old, touched his head lovingly, and said, “Silly son, Mom is fine.”

“Xu Yan——”

A clear and pleasant voice came across the wall, and the three of them turned to look.

Jiang Nian waved to Liu Jianye and Liu Jianwu, then looked at Xu Yan and gestured with her finger. Xu Yan saw a little head popping up on the wall and felt somewhat relieved after being upset by Liu Qiang. She said to Liu Jianye, “There are two pieces of peach crisp in the cabinet in my room. Take your brother to eat.”

Liu Jianye nodded, took Liu Jianwu’s hand, and left.

Xu Yan hurried over, climbed on a wooden stump, and leaned against the wall, chatting with Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian asked, “If Liu Qiang apologizes to you tonight and sweet-talks you, would you soften?”

Xu Yan hesitated for a moment, lost in the words ‘sweet-talk’ that Jiang Nian had just said.

How long has it been?

It seemed like Liu Qiang hadn’t coaxed her in two years. Before Zheng Hong arrived, her relationship with Liu Qiang wasn’t particularly good, but life was still enjoyable. But these two years, apart from quarreling with Liu Qiang, he was indifferent to her.

Thinking of the pain she had endured for two years, Xu Yan gritted her teeth and shook her head at Jiang Nian.

“Even if he talks until the sky collapses, I won’t soften.”

Jiang Nian smiled faintly.

Not bad, not bad, she has aspirations.