Chapter 24.2

In the city hospital.

Zheng Hong had just come and quarreled with Feng Mei. If it hadn’t been for Lu Guosheng’s interception, Zheng Hong would have fought Feng Mei.

She scolded with a sullen face, “Commander Song can control my man, but he can’t control me. If it weren’t for your son, could my Zhijun have broken his leg?!”

Feng Mei stood in front of Song Xiangdong, also with a sullen face, staring at Zheng Hong and scolding, “It’s your son who’s got a quick hand. Shamelessly snatching the school bag from our Xiangdong. He was jealous that Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law embroidered a little boy on Xiangdong’s school bag. I don’t know how you’ve been teaching Zhijun all these years to turn him into this kind of person!”

She talked on and on for a long time, but Zheng Hong couldn’t get a word in.

Xu Yan had a straightforward nature, though she could fight and curse, she was no match for Feng Mei. Feng Mei is not good at playing tricks but she has a sharp tongue. Whenever Zheng Hong wanted to speak, she couldn’t find a chance.

Captain Lu, annoyed, pulled Zheng Hong aside and said sternly, “If you cause any more trouble, go back home. This is a hospital, not your house. Don’t embarrass me outside!”

Zheng Hong’s eyes turned red with anger. “Who are you to lecture me?”

Pointing at Feng Mei, she continued, “It’s because of Song Xiangdong that our son broke his leg. You didn’t protect Zhijun, but you protected Song Xiangdong instead. Who is your son?!”

“That’s enough!”

Captain Lu’s face darkened. “If you make another scene, go back to your parents’ house. I can take care of Zhijun myself.”

With that, he turned and left the ward.

That single sentence crushed Zheng Hong’s bravado. She dreaded going back to her parents’ house the most. Watching Zhijun cry and call her mother with a pouting mouth made Zheng Hong both heartbroken and furious. She turned her head and glared angrily at the gloating Feng Mei.

Song Xiangdong sat on the hospital bed, holding the school bag. He wiped the dirt off the little boy’s eyes with his fingers. Feng Mei turned around and ruffled his hair, saying, “It’s okay. When we get home, Mom will help you clean it up.”

Song Xiangdong nodded. “Hmm.”

There was a middle-aged woman lying on the bed against the wall. She looked like a city girl from her clothes. She had arrived the day before, initially alone and quiet in the ward. However, after the mother of the child who broke his leg arrived last night, the ward had never been quiet since.

The woman turned to look at Song Xiangdong in the next bed. Seeing him always holding a bag sewn from black fabric, she sat up curiously and examined it closely. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the embroidered figure on the bag—a young boy in military uniform.

Though stained with mud and a bit dirty, the exquisite embroidery was evident.

She whispered, “Little one, could auntie have a look at your bag?”

Song Xiangdong turned to her and nodded, passing the bag over.

The woman traced her fingers over the embroidery on the bag and then looked up at Song Xiangdong. He shyly smiled, missing a front tooth, just like the little boy on the bag.

Intrigued, she asked, “Who embroidered this?”

“Aunt Jiang,” Song Xiangdong replied.

Seeing her interest, Feng Mei chimed in, “It was embroidered by our neighbor. I’m not lying, she’s really talented. She finished embroidering this little boy on the bag in just one afternoon. Look at his nose and mouth—they’re just like our Xiangdong at home.”

The woman smiled. “Indeed they are.”

She thought for a moment, then looked up at Feng Mei. “Comrade, I own the state-owned embroidery workshop in our city. When you go back, please tell that comrade I have an embroidery pattern that needs to be completed. If she’s willing, she can come to the workshop, pick up the pattern, embroider it, and return it to me when it’s done.”

Feng Mei was stunned, asking, “Is there payment involved?”

The middle-aged woman smiled, “Certainly, there will be compensation.”

Feng Mei clapped her hands in delight. “Alright, I’ll tell her when I get back.”

Zheng Hong glanced at the middle-aged woman’s bag and scoffed. “It’s just a shabby bag. Anyone can sew one. What’s so special about it?”

Zhijun whispered, “But it’s really nice, Mom. Can you sew one for me?”

Impatiently, Zheng Hong replied, “I don’t want to sew!”

Jiang Nian was discharged on the third morning. She followed Lu Yu to see Dr. Wang in the medical room. Dr. Wang prescribed some medicine, handed it to Lu Yu, and then turned to Jiang Nian, teasing, “Three times in three months. Don’t come back next month. Take care of your health.”

Jiang Nian: …

She didn’t want to come back either.

Lu Yu took her out of the hospital. As they passed the stairs, they bumped into Sun Ying and Wu Youshan going upstairs.

Wu Youshan stepped aside, while Sun Ying lightly bit her lip and looked up at Lu Yu from below. She wanted to greet him, but remembering his cold attitude two days ago, she held back her words in frustration.

Lu Yu glanced at Sun Ying blocking the way, swept a cold look at Wu Youshan beside her, and then looked down at Sun Ying, who was three steps below him, his voice as cold as ever, “Please move aside.”

Wu Youshan pulled Sun Ying’s sleeve. “What’s wrong with you?”

Sun Ying moved aside two steps, watching the brother and sister-in-law walk down the stairs with tears in her eyes looking at Lu Yu’s back, she could not connect the dream man with the cold and indifferent man in reality.

Following Sun Ying’s gaze, Wu Youshan’s face flashed with a moment of coldness. He reached out and pinched Sun Ying’s slender wrist. “Stop looking, there’s still work to do on the second floor.”

Sun Ying nodded. “Hmm.”

After leaving the hospital, Jiang Nian looked at Lu Yu carrying a small cloth bag containing sheets and her change of clothes.

She finally understood completely that the male and female leads were completely at odds.

On the way back to the army, there were many people coming and going on the tree-lined path. When they reached a less crowded place, Jiang Nian suddenly heard Lu Yu say, “Sister-in-law.”

She turned her head. “Hmm?”

Lu Yu said, “I admitted in the hospital that you and I are husband and wife, but I didn’t want to explain it unnecessarily to them. Sister-in-law, don’t misunderstand, and don’t hold a grudge.”

Jiang Nian was stunned. Who was holding a grudge?

She lowered her head for a moment, wondering if it was because of what she said in the ward that day, and Lu Yu thought she was angry?

Jiang Nian pursed her lips, looked at the road ahead, and tentatively asked, “Did you hear what I said in the ward that day?”

Lu Yu said, “Yes.”

Jiang Nian: …

It was already noon when they returned to the family quarters. Jiang Nian had intended to cook, but Lu Yu put down his things, rolled up his sleeves, and said, “You rest, I’ll cook.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Nian obediently ran back to her room, then lay by the window, watching Lu Yu carrying water from the well to the kitchen. She patted her chest, feeling quite regretful.

She had been criticizing others, and the person involved heard everything firsthand.

I wonder if Lu Yu will think that she is a gossipy woman who talks behind people’s backs?

For lunch, Lu Yu made tomato and egg noodles. The noodles were dried, with some leafy greens sprinkled on top. After lunch, he washed the pots and dishes and headed to the team. Jiang Nian stayed at home, taking out the door curtain she had half-embroidered last time and continued working on it.

Xu Yan knew about Jiang Nian’s illness and hospitalization and wanted to visit her, but with Feng Mei still not back and three kids at home, she couldn’t leave. This morning, Feng Mei finally returned, bringing Song Xianghong back with her and giving Xu Yan ten eggs to thank her for taking care of Song Xianghong.

The two women had planned to visit Jiang Nian at the hospital after lunch, but seeing Lu Yu come out of his house, they realized she was already back.

Feng Mei arrived at Jiang Nian’s house first, followed closely by Xu Yan.

Jiang Nian sat on a bench under a tree, watching Feng Mei and Xu Yan chatting away about Zheng Hong. Both of them disliked Zheng Hong, so they found a common topic to talk about. Jiang Nian just listened quietly.

Feng Mei snorted, “Zheng Hong even wanted me to pay for her son’s medical expenses. Why should I? It was Lu Zhijun who first hit Xiangdong. It’s already good enough that I didn’t ask her to pay for Xiangdong’s treatment. She has no shame. Luckily, Captain Lu is a reasonable man.”

Xu Yan said, “If you ask me, this is retribution.”

The worse Zheng Hong’s life was, the happier she felt.

Feng Mei nodded. After speaking, she noticed Jiang Nian embroidering and curiously stretched her neck to look. The cloth was white, and the thread she used was red. She was embroidering a plum tree branch with a few blooming plum flowers. Even though it was not finished, just the branch itself was stunning.

She exclaimed, “Who taught you this? Your hands are so skillful!”

Xu Yan also glanced at it and marveled, “I thought the little boy you embroidered on Xiangdong’s bag was beautiful, but this plum blossom is even more exquisite.”

Jiang Nian had anticipated this question and smiled, “I’ve liked sewing and mending since I was little. I practiced with old clothes at home, and gradually got better.”

Feng Mei sighed, “I’ve been sewing clothes for so many years, and I never learned to do it this well.”

Then she looked at Jiang Nian’s patched clothes and couldn’t help but laugh, “With such good skills, how come your patches on your own clothes are so ugly?”

Jiang Nian: …

Xu Yan laughed too. She looked at Jiang Nian and noticed she looked even better than when she first came to the family quarters. She was still pale, but her face was rounder, no longer emaciated. Her delicate eyebrows curved, her eyes sparkled, especially when she smiled, her eyes seemed to hold a sky full of stars.

Xu Yan stayed for a while and then left, mentioning that the rain from the past two days had spoiled some of her vegetables, and she needed to pick and pickle them.

Feng Mei was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something important and slapped her forehead, “Look at me, I almost forgot something so important.”

Jiang Nian looked up at her, “What is it?”

Feng Mei sat back down on the bench, speaking mysteriously, “Guess who I met at the city hospital?”

Jiang Nian shook her head, “I don’t know.”

Feng Mei smiled, “Xiangdong’s bed was next to a woman who said she was the owner of the state-owned embroidery workshop in the city. She saw the little boy in the military uniform you embroidered on Xiangdong’s bag and was impressed. She asked me to tell you that if you’re interested, you can go to the state-owned embroidery workshop in the city. She’ll give you embroidery work to do and pay you for it.”

She clicked her tongue in amazement, “Who would have thought you could make money from embroidery? I’m really envious.”

Jiang Nian was stunned for a moment, not expecting this to be what Feng Mei wanted to tell her.

It was like her wish had come true. She had been wondering how to make money, and now the opportunity came knocking on her door. Jiang Nian felt a bit happy inside and stood up, placing the door curtain on the table, “Sister Feng, wait a moment.”

She then ran to the kitchen and brought back six eggs to give to Feng Mei.

Feng Mei was taken aback, “What are you doing?”

Jiang Nian smiled, “You brought me a way to earn money, Sister Feng. Of course, I should thank you.”

Feng Mei’s face beamed with joy. She had given away ten eggs that morning and now received six in return. She felt quite pleased.

Jiang Nian thought of Lu Zhijun and Song Xiangdong and asked, “How is Xiangdong?”

Feng Mei replied, “He’s fine, just scraped his arm a bit. But Lu Zhijun is in bad shape. The doctor said he has fractured his left leg and needs a long time to heal. I guess it will take at least a year and a half, and he won’t be able to go to school.”

Jiang Nian nodded. It takes a hundred days to heal a bone injury, and given the medical conditions of this era compared to the new century, it would likely take a long time to recover.

After Feng Mei left, Jiang Nian put away the curtain and started preparing dinner.

Lu Yu had mentioned two days ago that he would take her to the city at the end of the month. She planned to visit the state-owned embroidery workshop then. If she could get embroidery work there, she could earn some money. Since following Lu Yu to the army, she had spent a lot of his money. The two hospital stays alone had cost him quite a bit. If she didn’t start earning money, she wouldn’t feel comfortable staying any longer.

After all, deep down, she wasn’t the real Jiang Nian and couldn’t feel at ease enjoying someone else’s care.

Jiang Nian opened the kitchen cabinet and found a block of tofu. She then went to the vegetable garden to pick some greens. For dinner, she made two dishes. Mapo tofu and stir-fried loofah. She also steamed some rice and made two rice balls with some pickled vegetables.

As dusk fell, footsteps were heard outside.

The voices of Commander Song and Captain Liu reached the courtyard. Jiang Nian brought the dishes to the table in the yard just as Lu Yu walked in. Seeing the two dishes and rice balls on the table, his brows raised slightly, and he felt quite hungry.

Lu Yu went to the well to fetch water to wash his face, and the sound of splashing water filled the courtyard.

Jiang Nian walked out of the kitchen carrying rice and chopsticks. Just as Lu Yu finished washing his face, he turned around and took the bowl from her, sitting down on the bench. He asked, “Do you still feel uncomfortable anywhere today?”

Jiang Nian shook her head, “No, I feel fine.”

She took a bite of rice, glanced at Lu Yu, and asked softly, “Are we still going to the city at the end of the month?”

Lu Yu lifted his eyes to look at Jiang Nian. She was gently biting her chopsticks, her clear eyes revealing a hint of hope. He replied, “Yes, we are.”

Jiang Nian smiled happily, “Okay.”

Her smile was beautiful, her eyebrows curved, her light pink lips slightly parted, revealing snow-white teeth. Two braids hung down on either side of her slender neck, the black hair brushing against her fair skin, making her complexion look even more delicate and white.

Lu Yu was momentarily lost in her smile, but quickly snapped back to reality, lowered his eyes, and focused on eating. In a place where Jiang Nian couldn’t see, his earlobes turned slightly red.

He had always thought his sister-in-law was quiet and reserved, always keeping her head down no matter what she did. So he had never really paid attention to her appearance, but recently he noticed she was quite beautiful.

Especially when she smiled, the sense of dullness around her seemed to disappear instantly.

Ever since Lu Yu mentioned they would go to the city at the end of the month, Jiang Nian had been counting the days. After enduring for twelve days, the end of the month finally arrived. That evening, as Lu Yu returned from the team, he told Jiang Nian during dinner.

“We might not make it back tomorrow. We’ll probably have to stay a night at the guesthouse. I’ll get a letter of introduction first thing in the morning.”

Jiang Nian nodded, “Okay.”

After dinner, Lu Yu washed the dishes and heated water for Jiang Nian to bathe. The weather had cooled down as autumn set in, and the nights were chilly. Jiang Nian used the hot water to wipe herself down before snuggling into her bed.

The next morning, before the bugle call sounded, Jiang Nian woke up.

She got up, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and then started preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Lu Yu had gone out early to get the letter of introduction. By the time he returned, breakfast was ready. After they finished eating, Lu Yu washed the pots while Jiang Nian went to her room. She changed into the clothes Lu Yu had bought her, then stood in front of the mirror hanging on the wall, adjusting her black hair before tying it into a bun. She let some fine bangs fall over her forehead to hide a scar.

She smiled at her reflection, took a cloth bag from the cabinet, and put in some money and tickets from a tin box. Finally, she walked out of the room.

Lu Yu was waiting in the yard.

Hearing footsteps, he turned and saw Jiang Nian approaching. She had tied her hair back, revealing her slender, fair neck, and was wearing the clothes he had bought for her. Her steps seemed lighter than usual.

As Jiang Nian walked towards him, Lu Yu suddenly felt a sense of strangeness.

It seemed like the person in front of him wasn’t his sister-in-law anymore…

“Let’s go.”

Jiang Nian smiled with her lips pursed and headed towards the gate.

Lu Yu watched her petite, delicate figure and responded, “Okay.”

They had to go to the county first and then take a bus from there to the city. The bus was slower than a jeep, so they would likely arrive in the city by afternoon.

As they walked through the family quarters, the familiar military wives greeted Lu Yu. A few of them, walking together, frequently looked back at Jiang Nian, whispering, “How come she looks different from when she first arrived?”

“Yeah, she looks really pretty now, not like a widow at all.”

“I think so too. But look closely, don’t Lu Yu and his sister-in-law look like a couple?”

Another military wife quickly nudged her, “You shouldn’t say things like that carelessly. Be careful, or Lu Yu’s sister-in-law might make you give speeches door-to-door like Kang Xiu.”

Hearing this, the group of military wives couldn’t help but laugh. Kang Xiu had become a joke in the family quarters.

When they arrived in the county, Lu Yu and Jiang Nian waited half an hour for the bus. Many people were heading to the city at this time, and the bus was crowded with no empty seats. The buses of this era couldn’t compare to those of the new century.

Jiang Nian followed Lu Yu onto the bus. After paying the fare, he led her to a standing spot in the middle. The seats were occupied, and many people were standing in the aisle. Being short, Jiang Nian couldn’t reach the handrails above and had to hold onto the seat backs for support.

Lu Yu stood beside her, gripping the overhead rod with one hand. He glanced down at the petite Jiang Nian next to him.

As the bus started moving, Jiang Nian jolted and struggled to steady herself. A firm hand quickly grabbed her arm, helping her regain her balance. She looked at the hand on her arm and then up at Lu Yu, whispering, “I’m okay now.”

“Okay.”

Lu Yu released her arm and turned his gaze forward.

As the bus stopped at several places, more people got on, and the aisle became increasingly crowded. Jiang Nian stood next to a seat occupied by an elderly man who was dozing off. From behind, someone kept pressing against her.

She turned to look and saw a young man. When he noticed her gaze, he smiled maliciously and reached up to grab the overhead rod, trying to take advantage of the situation to get closer to her.

But before his hand could reach the rod, it was seized by Lu Yu’s firm grip. The young man winced in pain, grimacing and yelping, “Who are you? Mind your own business! Let go, or I’ll beat you up!”

**