Chapter 4

After most of the passengers on the bus had disembarked,only then did Lu Yu, who was carrying his bag, start to walk. Jiang Nian, with her head lowered, followed behind him, wondering what had happened while she was asleep. She glanced at Lu Yu’s tall figure in front of her, bit her lip, and decided not to ask. According to the original owner’s personality, asking would certainly arouse suspicion. It was better to pretend that nothing had happened.

They arrived in the city at 1:30 in the afternoon, just in time for lunch. Lu Yu took Jiang Nian to a state-owned restaurant to eat. Jiang Nian occasionally looked at the streets on either side. This era lacked the high-rise buildings and wide roads of the new century, and the city dwellers’ attire was only slightly better than that of the countryside. There were no private shops, only those with state-owned signs.

Lu Yu ordered two bowls of shredded pork noodles. Jiang Nian sat opposite him, glanced at Lu Yu and then lowered her head.

Lu Yu wasn’t wearing his military uniform but a white shirt and army green pants. No matter where he sat, his posture remained straight. Lu Yu quietly ate his noodles, his expression unreadable, making it impossible for Jiang Nian to guess what he was thinking.

She was actually quite afraid that Lu Yu would abandon her. He was the first person she saw in this era and the only person she could rely on now. If he got angry and left her behind, she wouldn’t know what to do next.

After some thought, she asked, “Am I causing you trouble?”

After asking this, Jiang Nian inwardly cursed herself for asking such a leading question.

Lu Yu stopped eating and looked at his sister-in-law sitting opposite him. She was eating the noodles in small bites, her head lowered, and from his angle, he could only see the top of her head. He realized she might have overheard the old lady on the bus and explained, “Don’t take what I said on the bus to heart. The old lady misunderstood our relationship. I promised to take care of you, and I won’t go back on my word.”

Hearing this, Jiang Nian felt relieved. Regardless of the misunderstanding, his promise not to abandon her was reassuring. Until she finds a way to return to her own time, Lu Yu is her only support.

After finishing their meal, they headed to the train station, arriving around three o’clock. They waited in the waiting room for a while before boarding the train. Lu Yu had bought two lower berths. As soon as Jiang Nian’s bottom touched the seat, she wanted to lie down, but she restrained herself, sitting quietly by the window with her shoulders hunched. Lu Yu put away their luggage and looked at her lowered head. “This train will arrive at nine tomorrow morning. If you’re tired, you can lie down for a while.”

Jiang Nian nodded but remained seated. 

Lu Yu went to fetch hot water. As people gradually boarded, the carriage became crowded. The train was an old-fashioned green train, but having a bed was a blessing compared to sitting all night.

Jiang Nian lay on the berth, closed her eyes, and pretended to sleep, trying to distance herself from her surroundings. The sound of the train was loud. As dusk fell, the carriage lights came on. Lu Yu took pickles and steamed buns out from his bag and said to Jiang Nian, “Make do with this for tonight. We’ll arrive in the morning.”

Jiang Nian took the steamed bun and said, “This is already very good.” For her, it wasn’t appetizing, but for the original owner, it was already quite good. The original owner had rarely eaten white buns growing up. After eating, she drank a cup of hot water that Lu Yu handed over and then went back to sleep.

She felt like she was living like a pig since she crossed over, eating and sleeping all the time.

The train arrived at nine in the morning the next day. 

Lu Yu led Jiang Nian out of the train station. From a distance, someone was waving at them, “Deputy Commander Lu, Deputy Commander Lu!”

The person was Zhu Jun, a soldier from Lu Yu’s unit. He ran over and Lu Yu frowned, “You should be training at this time. Why are you here?”

Zhu Jun smiled, “Commander Song knew you were returning today. So, he sent me to pick you up.” 

He glanced at the woman standing beside Lu Yu, her head wrapped in bandages and her head lowered. He looked at Lu Yu questioningly, “Deputy Commander Lu, aren’t you going to introduce her?”

It was rare to see a woman with Deputy Commander Lu. So, he was quite curious.

Lu Yu said, “This is my sister-in-law.”

Zhu Jun’s expression changed. He knew about Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law. Deputy Commander Lu had gone back for a funeral. His family had lost their elder years ago, and now his older brother was gone, leaving only a widow. Lu Yu must have brought her back because he didn’t want to leave her alone.

No wonder he had requested approval for a courtyard before he left, saying he would have a family member joining him here in the army.

Zhu Jun said, “Hello, sister-in-law. My name is Zhu Jun.”

Jiang Nian lifted her head and was about to smile, but remembering the original owner’s timid nature, she quickly lowered her head and said, “My name is Jiang Nian.”

Although Jiang Nian only raised her head briefly, Zhu Jun noticed her fair skin, curved eyebrows, and bright eyes. Even without smiling, she was pretty. If she were his sister-in-law, he wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone either.

Lu Yu and Zhu Jun chatted as they walked out of the train station. The three of them then got into an old-style jeep and headed to the army base.

The army base was far from the city, taking four hours to reach there. Zhu Jun, who needed to return the vehicle, left first. Lu Yu, carrying his large bag, led Jiang Nian along the road toward the family quarters. As they walked, Jiang Nian looked around, noticing the orderly layout of the base and the sound of soldiers training with impressive vigor. As they went further, the family quarters came into view.

Rows of neatly planned small courtyards lined the road. Two or three military wives were walking together on the road. One of the women, familiar with Lu Yu, noticed the woman following him and curiously asked, “Deputy Commander Lu, who is that?”

A quick-talking military wife chimed in, “Do you even need to ask? She must be the new wife Deputy Commander Lu brought back.”

“Bullshit!” The first military wife elbowed her. “Deputy Commander Lu went home for a funeral, not a wedding.”

Jiang Nian: …

As expected, there is gossip everywhere.

Lu Yu, concerned that Jiang Nian might feel uncomfortable, looked at Feng Mei and explained, “Sister-in-law, don’t misunderstand. This is my sister-in-law. All the Xu family members  are gone. It’s not safe for my sister-in-law to be alone at home. So, I brought her here to the family quarters so she could be looked after by the neighbors which will give me peace of mind knowing that she will not be alone.”

When Feng Mei heard that it was Deputy Commander Lu’s sister-in-law, she knew whose wife she was. She glared at the gossiping wife and then turned to Lu Yu, “A few days ago, Zhu Jun and the others were cleaning the courtyard. I asked him why you needed the next-door courtyard, and now I see it was for your sister-in-law.”

She glanced at Jiang Nian, who kept her head down and didn’t greet anyone. Feng Mei, understanding her situation, refrained from forcing a conversation. “You should take your sister-in-law home quickly.”

Lu Yu nodded and led Jiang Nian away.

The woman who had earlier suggested Lu Yu had married, Kang Xiu, looked at Jiang Nian who was obediently following Lu Yu, and then turned to Feng Mei, “Look at how dejected she is.”

Feng Mei glared at her. “What do you expect? Her husband just died. Should she be smiling at everyone?”

The other military wives laughed and joined in chiding Kang Xiu.

“Why are you picking on a widow?”

“Yeah, it’s not easy for her.”

“Mind your own business and stop gossiping.”

With everyone chiming in, Kang Xiu’s face turned red with embarrassment, and she remained silent.

Lu Yu unlocked the gate to the small courtyard. Jiang Nian followed him inside and took a quick look inside. The courtyard had three low walls, two rooms on the east side, and two rooms on the south side. From the outside, it was clear that one was a kitchen, and the other was a sleeping room. Near the kitchen was a well. The courtyard had been cleaned in advance and looked quite tidy.

Lu Yu said, “Sister-in-law, you’ll sleep in the first room on the east side. I’ll sleep in the room next to the kitchen for now. Once your injuries heal, I’ll move to the dormitory.” He took Jiang Nian’s belongings from the military-green bag. “I left money for Zhu Jun and the others before leaving. They have bought everything that was needed. So, you can go to your room and take a rest.”

Jiang Nian nodded, took the cloth bag Lu Yu handed to her, and went to the first room on the east side. She understood Lu Yu’s intention, he wanted to avoid any gossip about them living together.

Just as she took a few steps, she heard a commotion from the neighboring yard. A woman’s sharp voice pierced through the wall, her words full of anger and insults.

“Liu Qiang, you dog! I’ll fight you to the death! How dare you flirt with Zheng Hong? Why don’t you brag about it to the team? Brag about how you, Liu Qiang, are an unfaithful dog eyeing other men’s wives!”

“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll really hit you!”

“Come on, hit me! Who’s the coward now!”

The argument was escalating.

There were footsteps outside approaching the neighboring yard. They were children and women from the neighborhood who were eager to watch the spectacle. Everyone knew that Captain Liu’s family fought every few days. There was never a moment of peace.

With the door closed, Jiang Nian couldn’t see outside but could hear children and women talking about Liu Qiang’s family fighting again.

Lu Yu frowned and put down his bag. “I’ll go check it out.”

Jiang Nian, hugging her cloth bag, nodded. After Lu Yu left, she lifted her bright eyes and hurried to the wall. She found a tree stump at the corner, placed it under her feet, and peered over the wall to watch the commotion.

She couldn’t help it, she had a curious heart.

In the neighboring yard, Captain Liu had several scratches on his face from Xu Yan. Lu Yu stepped in to separate them. Seeing him, two older women also joined in to help calm things down. The yard was bustling with activity.

Xu Yan with disheveled hair and clothes askew, cried and cursed, “I bore a son for your Liu family, and you flirt with Zheng Hong behind my back. If it weren’t for others, would you two have ended up in bed together?”

Her words grew increasingly harsh.

Liu Qiang, seething with anger, pointed at Xu Yan’s nose. “If you keep this up, I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

Xu Yan, undeterred, pushed her chest forward. “Come on, tear it! Let’s see if you dare!”

Two older women held Xu Yan back while Lu Yu restrained Liu Qiang, trying to mediate the couple.

Jiang Nian listened to Lu Yu’s sternly reprimanding Liu Qiang and Xu Yan’s relentless accusations about Liu Qiang and Zheng Hong’s past misdeeds. She was engrossed when suddenly she noticed Lu Yu’s eyes looking in her direction.

Jiang Nian: …

She quickly ducked, jumped off the tree stump, and dashed into the first room on the east side.

**