Chapter 36

Lu Yu placed the lid on the pot and remarked, “No need.”

Song Bai was momentarily puzzled. Before he could inquire further, Lu Yu continued, “The house has been empty for six months. I’m not sure of its current state. There might not be a place to stay there. I’ll spend the night at the neighbor’s. We can head back together when we get the chance.”

Song Bai felt reassured upon hearing this.

Jiang Nian stayed in her room for a long time, emerging only as darkness fell. She carried the bowl and chopsticks to the kitchen, assuming Lu Yu had already left. However, upon entering, she found him seated by the stove, starting a fire.

After a brief hesitation, she boldly walked in, placed the bowl and chopsticks on the table, and began to rinse them with hot water. Lu Yu said, “Leave them. I’ll wash them later.”

“It’s no trouble.”

Jiang Nian quickly rinsed them with hot water.

With night descending, Jiang Nian tried her best to forget the morning’s embarrassment. “What would you like for dinner? I’ll cook.”

Lu Yu replied, “Mixed noodles.”

Jiang Nian wasn’t afraid that Lu Yu would say it aloud. She feared he might say “anything is fine.”

So Jiang Nian started kneading the dough. Lu Yu got up and took out frozen pork, as hard as a rock, and chop it. Jiang Nian stood by the chopping board, kneading dough in an enamel basin. Lu Yu stood in front of the chopping board, and as he chopped the pork, his arm unavoidably brushed against Jiang Nian’s.

He glanced at Jiang Nian, who kept her head lowered. In the depths of his dark eyes, a hint of indiscernible curiosity flickered.

After half a year of getting along with her, even though his sister-in-law’s personality has gradually changed, he still noticed the difference.

For example, Xu Yan’s family.

Things were not like this in Xu Yan’s family in the previous life. According to the trajectory of the previous life, Xu Yan and Liu Qiang would have divorced now, but in this life, the two of them live together and their lives are much better than before. Another turning point is Zheng Hong. Zheng Hong’s current situation is completely different from that in the previous life.

Both these people had crossed paths with his sister-in-law.

Lu Yu recalled the day he returned and saw the meat in the cabinet. He knew it was from Xu Yan, but he didn’t understand why she had sent it.

Perhaps now he had his answer.

His gaze remained on Jiang Nian. The intensity of his curiosity in his eyes grew stronger. If not for his sister-in-law’s subconscious changes and reactions today, he wouldn’t have pondered these matters deeply.

In his memory, though he had met his sister-in-law only twice, those encounters were enough to show him that whether in this life or the last, his sister-in-law was a reserved, timid, and introverted woman. Could a person really change so noticeably in six months?

“Is it finished yet?”

Jiang Nian finished kneading the dough and noticed that Lu Yu hadn’t finished chopping the meat yet. This puzzled her. Judging by his speed, it shouldn’t take so long.

Lu Yu withdrew his gaze and collected his thoughts. “Almost done.”

Jiang Nian washed her hands, and after Lu Yu finished chopping the meat, she prepared the vegetables and heated the oil. After a while, the sauce was ready, and the noodles were cooked. Soon, the mixed noodles were done. Jiang Nian scooped out the noodles, poured the sauce over them, and served them to Lu Yu.

After dinner, Lu Yu washed the pots and bowls.

Seeing Jiang Nian adding water to the pot, he asked, “Do you need anything else?”

Jiang Nian replied, “I want to take a bath.”

“You go to your room. I’ll heat the water.”

Lu Yu sat in front of the stove and added a few sticks of firewood. After Jiang Nian returned to her room, he went to the second room on the east side, brought back a large basin, cleaned it, and carried it to Jiang Nian’s room. After the water boiled, he brought the bucket back to her room.

The sound of splashing water echoed. Jiang Nian sat on the edge of the bed and saw Lu Yu’s cold, handsome face through the drifting water droplets, his face flickering with the light.

“Done.”

Lu Yu stood up and walked out, closing the door behind him.

It wasn’t until footsteps sounded outside that Jiang Nian undressed. The fire in the room blazed brightly, but the water still felt cold when she touched it. After Jiang Nian finished washing and drying herself, she put on her clothes, crawled into bed, shivered for a moment, and then called out, “I’m done washing.”

When Lu Yu pushed open the door, he saw Jiang Nian sitting on the bed, tightly wrapped up. Only her face, heated by the hot water, was exposed, glowing with a blush. Strands of damp hair clung to her temples, and droplets of water hung on her eyelashes, making her bright eyes shimmer.

Especially when looking at someone in dim light, she inexplicably gives off a bit of a pitiful and delicate aura.

Smelling the fragrance of soap in the room, and glancing at the woman wrapped in a quilt on the bed, a blush crept up Lu Yu’s ears. He awkwardly lowered his head, picked up the basin, and poured the water into the outside drain.

After pouring the water, Lu Yu went to close the door. His hand grasped the doorframe, and his gaze uncontrollably fell on Jiang Nian again. His Adam’s apple bobbed a few times.

“Sister-in-law.”

Jiang Nian looked up. “Yes?”

Lu Yu stared at Jiang Nian’s fair and pretty face, then suddenly looked away, his voice slightly hoarse. “Go to bed early. We’ll leave early tomorrow.”

Jiang Nian nodded. “Okay.”

The third day of the New Year was a sunny day. Jiang Nian got up early, and when she went out, Lu Yu had already prepared breakfast. After eating, she went to the kitchen to pack the walnut cookies and brown sugar sponge cake made on New Year’s Eve into a small cloth bag, along with some candies from the cabinet. These would come in handy.

Lu Yu saw her packing the pastries but didn’t ask much. After tidying up, the two headed to the county. It took four hours to reach the city by bus, and with a 4 p.m. train, they needed to leave now to arrive by 1 p.m.

The third day of the New Year had the most people traveling to visit relatives.

Luckily, there were still two empty seats when they boarded the bus. Jiang Nian sat by the window, staring at the retreating bare trees and roads. They arrived at the city by 1 p.m., and Lu Yu, carrying a large cloth bag, led Jiang Nian to the train station. They bought two lower berths for the 4 p.m. train home.

They first went to a state-run restaurant for lunch. As they were leaving, they ran into Ge Mei and a couple entering. The man’s features resembled Ge Mei’s, indicating he was her son, and the woman beside him was his wife.

Ge Mei didn’t expect to meet Jiang Nian here and smiled. “What brings you here?”

Jiang Nian smiled back. “We’re heading back home. Our train is at 4 p.m.”

Ge Mei glanced at her watch. “Oh, it’s already 2:50. Not much time left. When will you be back?”

Jiang Nian looked up at Lu Yugai, who replied, “We’ll be back on the seventh.”

Ge Mei smiled. “That’s not too late.” She turned to Jiang Nian. “I was planning to visit you tomorrow. The embroidery you did for the Hongcheng client was very well received. The day after I delivered it, they placed a large order with the state-run embroidery shop. This time, the embroidery piece is larger and requires a frame. The project duration is two months. If you come to the shop, I’ll apply for you to stay in the dormitory temporarily. How about that?”

Jiang Nian smiled. “No problem.”

She was happy because this was the only job she could rely on her skills for in this era. If she could make a career out of it, she could rely on herself for everything in the future. Although Lu Yu didn’t mind providing for her, she always felt guilty about it.

Ge Mei only discussed these preliminary details with Jiang Nian and planned to go over everything in detail when she returned on the seventh.

Watching Jiang Nian and Lu Yu leave, the man next to him, Ge Zhisheng, retracted his gaze and sat at the dinner table with Zhou Ai and Ge Mei. “Mom, is she the skilled embroiderer you mentioned?”

Ge Mei nodded. “Yes, doesn’t she look young?”

Ge Zhisheng smiled. “She looks about the same age as Xiao Ai.”

His wife, Zhou Ai, asked, “Mom, is that man her husband? Is it alright to separate the couple for two months?”

She and Ge Zhiseng had a good relationship, and although they worked in different factories, they spent every evening together. The thought of being separated for two months felt unsettling.

Ge Mei took a sip of water. “That’s her brother-in-law. Her husband passed away, but don’t mention this in front of her; it’s not appropriate.”

Zhou Ai and Ge Zhisheng understood.

The train left at 4 p.m., and since many people had returned home for the New Year, the train was less crowded than her first trip. They arrived at 6 in the morning the next day.

The berths on the train were very hard, and Jiang Nian felt uncomfortable after sleeping all night.

Lu Yu carried all the luggage, leaving Jiang Nian with just a small cloth bag. They left the train station and headed to the bus station, boarding a bus back to the county. Jiang Nian dozed off during the ride, and they eventually arrived. They ate lunch at a state-run restaurant and then found a donkey cart to take them back to the village for two cents.

When they arrived, the villagers greeted Lu Yu. “Lu Lao’er is back.”

Lu Yu smiled. “Yes, just visiting home.”

Some of the older women glanced at Jiang Nian, surprised by her new appearance. Even Aunt Zhao, who was chatting with a few women while basking in the sun, recognized her in disbelief. “Xu’s daughter-in-law? Is that you?”

Jiang Nian smiled. “Happy New Year, Aunt Zhao.”

Aunt Zhao was taken aback by Jiang Nian’s transformation. She was better dressed, her face had filled out, and she looked much healthier and prettier compared to her previously gaunt appearance.

She hadn’t expected Lu Lao’er to take such good care of his sister-in-law.

The villagers, especially the older women and young wives who knew Jiang Nian, were equally surprised. She used to be timid, always keeping her head down and avoiding people. Now, she greeted them with a confident smile.

Jiang Nian’s purpose for this visit was to reclaim the money taken from her over the past four years by her family. She might need the villagers to testify about her mother’s behavior and how she had taken money and food from her after marrying into the Xu family.

Otherwise, if she only relied on her words without any witnesses, the effect would be minimal.

That’s why this time she brought some pastries and candies. After tidying up the house, she planned to give each aunt a couple of candies and a piece of pastry to sweeten their mouths. As the saying goes, “Eat someone’s food, speak for them; take someone’s hand, be soft-hearted.” She hoped they would help her get back the money and tickets taken from the original owner.

The house had been unoccupied for half a year and lacked human warmth. When Lu Yu opened the door and entered the house, he saw a thick layer of snow in the courtyard. He went around the three rooms. Father Xu’s roof had collapsed under the weight of the snow, making the bed unusable. Xu Cheng’s room wasn’t much better; although the roof hadn’t collapsed, there were several holes, causing snowmelt to drip down and wet the bed.

Jiang Nian followed Lu Yu’s footprints to his room, looking up at the roof. It was leaking air and water was dripping down the walls. The bedding at the head of the bed was wet, but luckily the two quilts folded on the other side were fine. She put down her small cloth bag, folded the wet bedding corner, and told Lu Yu, who walked over, “This side is a bit better.”

Lu Yu looked up and put his large green bag on the table. “I’ll patch it up; it should be good for a couple of nights.”

The roof was covered in snow, making Jiang Nian worried. She jumped off the bed to stop him but saw Lu Yu had already grabbed the wall and leaped up.

Jiang Nian: …

Lu Yu cleared the snow around the holes, preventing further dripping. He found a wooden board, threw it up, and then climbed to the roof to cover the holes. He planned to repair the house in summer, as it was the house he and Xu Cheng grew up in and the only one left for the Xu family.

Jiang Nian, shivering, stomped her feet and cleaned the house with a broom. When she finished, Lu Yu had also completed his task.

There was no dry firewood at home, so they couldn’t make a fire. Just as Jiang Nian was worrying, Lu Yu came in with a pile of dry wood.

She was stunned and curiously asked, “Where did you get the dry wood?”

Lu Yu placed the wood on the ground and lit it with straw. “I stored it in the stove room before leaving in the summer; it should last us a couple of days.”

As the fire burned, Lu Yu stood up. “Warm yourself by the fire; I’ll go clear the courtyard.”

Jiang Nian’s fingers were numb with cold. She glanced at Lu Yu, “Why don’t you warm up first?”

“No need, I’m fine.”

With that, he took a broom and went outside.

Watching the door close, Jiang Nian rubbed her hands and sat by the fire. The warmth gradually dispelled her chill. Outside, Aunt Zhao’s voice called, “Lu Lao’er, are you clearing  the snow?”

Lu Yu replied with a laugh, “Yes.”

Aunt Zhao asked, “Where’s your sister-in-law?”

“Inside the house.”

Jiang Nian heard Aunt Zhao’s voice, opened the door, and saw her coming in with a smile. She sat by the fire and asked Jiang Nian how she had been during the past six months in the army, if she had gotten used to it, and about her health. Noting Jiang Nian looked much better, Aunt Zhao was pleased.

Jiang Nian smiled and answered all her questions.

Aunt Zhao remarked, “You’ve changed so much. I almost didn’t recognize you. By the way, after you and Lu Lao’er left, your mother and brother came by twice. Seeing the door locked, they left cursing, saying that you didn’t even go to see them after you left.”

Snorting, Aunt Zhao continued, “They never complained when they were taking your stuff. When Mrs. Li next door told your mother you were injured, did you know what she said?”

Seeing Aunt Zhao’s angry face, Jiang Nian knew it wasn’t anything good. She guessed, “Did she say I’m lucky enough not to die?”

Aunt Zhao sneered, “We were not so angry when she said this. But she said you’re a money-losing burden and it didn’t matter if you died.”

Jiang Nian: …

She couldn’t decide whether to blame the author for writing such a horrible character or herself for ending up with such troublesome relatives.

Seeing Jiang Nian not crying like before when hearing her mother curse her, Aunt Zhao was surprised. It seemed the Xu family’s daughter-in-law had really changed in six months.

Jiang Nian got up, took some walnut cakes, red sugar cakes, and candies from her cloth bag, and handed them to Aunt Zhao. Aunt Zhao was wide-eyed, unfamiliar with the rare treats except for the candies.

“Aunt Zhao, these are for you. Thank you for looking after me all these years. Please help me give these to the other aunts next door.”

She divided the treats, giving Aunt Zhao more as thanks for her help over the years.

Aunt Zhao, surprised by the generosity, said, “I’ll accept them and share them with my daughter-in-law.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “Did Gangzi get married?”

Aunt Zhao beamed, “He got married three months ago, and she’s pregnant. The Zhao family finally has hope.”

The Zhao family is a nice family. Aunt Zhao’s husband is a simple, honest and warm-hearted man. Zhao Gang took Aunt Zhao’s surname because Aunt Zhao’s husband married into the family. However, their family is much happier than Liu Qiang’s second uncle’s family.

Aunt Zhao soon left, distributing Jiang Nian’s treats to the neighbors and praising her. The neighbors now saw the Xu family’s daughter-in-law in a new light.

She laughed more, could speak well, understood social etiquette, and no longer hid when she saw people.

After Lu Yu finished sweeping the snow, Jiang Nian called him into the house. She and Lu Yu each grabbed the two corners of the quilt, propped it over the brazier and warmed it hard until the dampness faded a little before putting it on the bed.

After finishing all these, it was already dark.

Lu Yu said to Jiang Nian, “I’ll go to the brigade to buy some vegetables for dinner.”

Jiang Nian, warming herself by the fire, nodded. “Okay.”

There is no electricity in the countryside here, so we can only light kerosene lamps at night.

At this time, the brigade was quite busy. Lu Yu bought some vegetables and chatted with the brigade leader and a few others. Having a soldier in the family, especially one of deputy regiment commander level, was considered a great honor. The brigade leader and others kept Lu Yu for a long chat. Lu Yu also mentioned his plan to visit the Jiang family the next day, hoping the brigade leader could join them on the trip to the neighboring village.

The brigade leader and the others were well aware of the situation and were more than willing to help. Given Lu Yu’s rank, he could bring benefits to the village when new policies and reforms came from above.

When Lu Yu left the brigade, it was completely dark.

He walked home by moonlight. Passing the educated youth point, he remembered what his sister-in-law had told him about the professor living in the cowshed who had taught her many things, including how to make pastries.

Lu Yu glanced towards the cowshed about a mile away from the educated youth point and decided to head there, guided by the moonlight.