Chapter 47.1

The man had a lean and powerful waist and abdomen, appearing taut and strong.

Moreover, he even had eight-pack abs!

Jiang Nian’s heart skipped a beat. She resisted the urge to reach out and touch, her face turning slightly red as she turned away and asked, “Have you eaten?”

Lu Yu saw Jiang Nian blushing, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “I have.”

With that, he turned and went back into the house, returning fully dressed.

Jiang Nian sighed inwardly: to see but not touch.

She went to the well to wash her face with cold water until the heat in her cheeks subsided. She heard Lu Yu’s voice by her ear, “The water in the well is cold.”

Jiang Nian replied, “It’s… fine.”

She deliberately used cold water to cool down.

Lu Yu watched Jiang Nian almost flee in embarrassment, his smile deepening. He took a hoe and went to plow the soil in the west corner of the wall. When Jiang Nian finished eating and came out, he asked, “Did you go with Sister Feng to buy seedlings?”

Jiang Nian placed the seedlings in a shady spot and replied with her head lowered, “Yes.”

Lu Yu had already gone to the team after plowing half of the field. In the afternoon, Xu Yan came over. Jiang Nian noticed that in the two months since they last met, Xu Yan had lost a lot of weight.

She sat in the yard watching Jiang Nian tidy up the silk threads and smiled, “Jiang Nian, how have you been in the city these past two months?”

Jiang Nian smiled back, “It’s been alright.”

Xu Yan didn’t say anything more. In the past, she would chatter endlessly, but now she sat quietly as if she were watching Jiang Nian tidy up the silk threads, yet also seemed absent-minded.

Jiang Nian frowned slightly, lifting her head to look at Xu Yan for quite a while without any response.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Could it be… Xu Yan was depressed?

As soon as this thought occurred to Jiang Nian, she was startled. She gently placed the silk threads in the basket and said softly, “Xu Yan, would you like some pastries? I brought some back from the city.”

Xu Yan smiled and shook her head, “No, thank you.”

Jiang Nian pursed her lips slightly, “How are Jianye and Jianwu?”

Xu Yan smiled again, “They’re at home, both children are very well-behaved and obedient.”

From then on, it was mostly Jiang Nian asking and Xu Yan answering.

Jiang Nian became more certain that something was wrong with Xu Yan’s state of mind.

She regretted a bit that two months ago, when Xu Yan came to her asking for advice on what to do, she didn’t give her a solution but instead advised her to let things be. If she had known this would be the outcome, she would have helped Xu Yan again, even if Liu Qiang scolded her.

Jiang Nian lowered her head, feeling a warmth in her eyes.

She sniffed, holding back the urge to cry, and went back inside to fetch four pieces of milk candy for Xu Yan. Xu Yan shook her head, and Jiang Nian smiled slightly, “They’re for Jianye and Jianwu.”

When Xu Yan took the milk candies, Liu Jianye and Liu Jianwu happened to arrive at Jiang Nian’s house hand in hand. Liu Jianwu, being younger and not understanding much, smiled and called out, “Aunt Jiang.” Liu Jianye, a bit older at seven, had a somewhat gloomy expression, politely addressing Jiang Nian, “Aunt Jiang.”

Xu Yan turned to them, beckoning, “Come here quickly, Mom has something good for you.”

Liu Jianye and Liu Jianwu walked over. Xu Yan extended her hand, holding four milk candies in her palm, and said, “Both of you, hold out your hands. Mom will give you two each.”

Liu Jianye looked at Xu Yan and smiled, “I’ll do as Mom says.”

Jiang Nian turned her head towards the kitchen doorway, trying hard to hold back tears in her eyes. Perhaps everything was her fault from the beginning. She shouldn’t have intervened in Xu Yan’s affairs.

But if she hadn’t intervened, Xu Yan might have already married that old bachelor by now. Suddenly, she felt that Xu Yan’s storyline might be a dead end—no matter how she tried to change things, Xu Yan’s fate would remain the same.

“Xu Yan,” Jiang Nian called softly.

Xu Yan finished distributing the candies, then turned to Jiang Nian, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Nian hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn’t say what she wanted to: “It’s nothing.”

“I’m going back. Jianwu needs to sleep,” Xu Yan said, standing up and taking Liu Jianwu’s hand.

Jiang Nian looked at Liu Jianye and directed her words to Xu Yan, “I’d like to spend some time with Jianye. Is that okay?”

Xu Yan nodded, “That’s fine.”

After Xu Yan and Liu Jianwu left, Jiang Nian said to Liu Jianye, “Jianye, have a seat. Aunty has something to ask you.”

Liu Jianye was a bit reserved, hesitating before slowly moving to sit on a stool. His gaze at Jiang Nian didn’t resemble that of a seven-year-old. It held a weariness as if he had experienced too much.

Jiang Nian squeezed the basket in her hand. “Jianye, tell Aunty, besides this morning, have there been any other times when your mom and dad argued?”

At the mention of arguing, Liu Jianye’s expression noticeably hardened.

He lowered his head, fingers tightly intertwined. Jiang Nian noticed that like Xu Yan in the past, Liu Jianye’s fingers were picked at and scabbed over in places where they had bled. She reached out and held his hand, “Don’t pick at it.”

Liu Jianye’s body stiffened for a moment, then he whispered, “They argued once a month ago.”

Jiang Nian asked, “Was it about Captain Lu and Zheng Hong?”

Liu Jianye nodded, “Yes, after Mom was pulled back by Dad, Dad asked Mom if she wanted to marry Captain Lu, and deliberately sprained her ankle in front of him. No matter how Mom explained, it was useless. Later, Dad rarely let Mom go out.”

Although Jiang Nian couldn’t see Liu Jianye’s expression, she could sense his anger from the trembling in his small hand.

He continued, “Mom sits in the yard every day, and Dad ignores her when he comes back. Now Mom sleeps with me and Jianwu.”

A seven-year-old, speaking clearly and logically, recounted the events of the past month to Jiang Nian.

Liu Qiang not only emotionally manipulates Xu Yan but also subjects her to cold violence.

No wonder Xu Yan has reverted to her previous self, but the situation now seems more severe than before. Jiang Nian had thought that if Zheng Hong left, Xu Yan might change and life between Liu Qiang and Zheng Hong would improve. She didn’t expect things to turn out like this.

“Aunty,” Liu Jianye raised his head, eyes red with tears held back, “Can you help my mom again?”

“I know that before, it was because Aunty helped my mom that she was happy for a few months. Can Aunty help my mom again?” Tears finally streamed down Liu Jianye’s cheeks, “Aunty, if my mom continues like this, she will die.”

In this moment, Liu Jianye revealed his childlike vulnerability, crying as he wiped his tears, “I can do without my dad, but I can’t be without my mom.”

Jiang Nian tightened her grip on Liu Jianye’s hand, unable to refuse despite her inner struggle. After hesitating for a while, she finally said, “Okay.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Jianye stood up and deeply bowed to Jiang Nian, “Thank you, Aunty.”

After Liu Jianye left, Jiang Nian was lost in thought for a long time. Xu Yan’s current situation—she could only resolve it by leaving Liu Qiang. However, if she left Liu Qiang, she would surely be married off by her family to an old bachelor. Either way seemed like a dead end.

The only way out was for her to earn money and treat Liu Qiang like air. As long as she earned money, she would have confidence and wouldn’t have to endure Liu Qiang’s whims.

Jiang Nian looked down at the silk threads in the basket and decided to go to the city to find Sister Ge in a couple of days to see if she had any connections. If there was a job suitable for Xu Yan, she would consider this favor as something she owed Ge Mei.

She wanted to feel a bit better in her heart and couldn’t bear to watch someone beside her walk towards a dead end.

In the afternoon, Jiang Nian embroidered a small pattern, and by the time she finished, it was already dark. She went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. When the food was ready and brought out to the yard, Lu Yu noticed that Jiang Nian’s expression was off. Frowning slightly, he asked, “What happened?”

Jiang Nian snapped out of her thoughts, shook her head, and said, “It’s nothing.”

She took a bite of corn pancake but before she could pick up any vegetables, Lu Yu had already squatted down beside her, reaching out to touch her forehead.

Suddenly overwhelmed by the man’s presence, Jiang Nian’s calm heart couldn’t help but skip a few beats. His hand on her forehead brought warmth.

Lu Yu frowned, “You don’t have a fever.”

Jiang Nian awkwardly lowered her head and choked on a bite of steamed bun, “I’m fine.”

Lu Yu stood up and sat across from her. His deep black eyes fixed on Jiang Nian’s face, “Is something bothering you? You can tell me, don’t keep it to yourself.”

Jiang Nian felt that since returning from the city, Lu Yu’s attitude towards her seemed different. He was closer and more caring than before.

After thinking for a while, she decided not to tell Lu Yu about Xu Yan, “Really, it’s nothing.”

“Is it related to Xu Yan?” Lu Yu looked at her.

Jiang Nian didn’t expect Lu Yu to guess so accurately, “Yes.”

She hesitated for a moment before telling Lu Yu what Liu Jianye had shared with her today. Lowering her head, she poked at the potatoes with her chopsticks, “Sometimes I wonder, what did Xu Yan gain from marrying Liu Qiang all these years? Women don’t necessarily have to follow the path of marriage. They can have many choices.”

But in this day and age, women have too few choices. For the vast majority, their only option is to marry a good man.

If Xu Yan were to leave Liu Qiang, her situation would be even more miserable than it is now.

Lu Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly for a moment, his gaze at Jiang Nian carrying a hint of unfathomable depth. “What Sister-in-law said is right. Women can have their own careers, just like you.”

Jiang Nian looked up at him. “What?”

Liu Yu asked, “Who did Sister-in-law learn embroidery from?”

Jiang Nian suddenly became alert. “As I mentioned before, I’ve loved embroidery since I was young. I didn’t have the chance when I was little, but I got the opportunity to do it here.”

“I see.”

Lu Yu lowered his head. Whether he believed her or not, Jiang Nian felt quite nervous.

“Jiang Nian.”

The man spoke with a low voice.

This was the first time Lu Yu had called her by name when they were alone. Jiang Nian’s back broke out in a cold sweat. She gripped the chopsticks tighter and swallowed saliva twice before saying, “What is it?”

Liu Yu raised his head, his dark gaze enigmatic. “We are not real relatives.”

“I know.”

“You are still very young.”

Jiang Nian couldn’t figure out the meaning behind his words. “And then?”

Liu Yu’s eyes were deep and dark as mist. “If you want to remarry, I won’t stop you.”

Huh??

Jiang Nian didn’t understand how the topic suddenly shifted to this. They were clearly talking about Xu Yan’s affairs, so how did it suddenly come to her?

The courtyard was quiet, the sound of Lu Yu’s chopsticks against the bowl was crisp.

Jiang Nian ate this meal with mixed feelings. After she finished, Lu Yu stood up and put the dishes in the kitchen, washed the pots and bowls, and boiled water for Jiang Nian to take a bath. He added dry firewood to the stove and turned to look at Jiang Nian who was sitting in the yard in a daze.

Although the old professor’s words were ambiguous last time, he understood.

No matter how intelligent a person is, they couldn’t possibly extrapolate a variety of pastries based on a few words from others. In that year when handling Uncle Xu’s affairs, he had eaten meals cooked by sister-in-law at home, which tasted completely different from those made by Jiang Nian.

Given the experiences of Xu Yan’s family and Zheng Hong, the former timid Sister-in-law who seldom spoke couldn’t have handled it. The former sister-in-law was foolishly filial. How could she, in just half a year, completely let go of more than ten years of affection and turn cold-hearted and rational to demand debts from the Jiang family?

During the two months Jiang Nian spent in the embroidery shop, he had indirectly tested Ge Mei. It was impossible for someone without a master’s instruction to have such excellent embroidery skills and knowledge of various stitching techniques and patterns.

The current sister-in-law initially disguised herself quite well.

But a person’s true nature would gradually reveal itself. Lu Yu didn’t know who she really was, but she was indeed Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian sat in the yard for a while. It wasn’t until she heard Lu Yu pouring water that she snapped out of her thoughts.

She stood up, glanced nervously at Lu Yu walking into the kitchen, feeling as if he knew something, especially those deep, sharp eyes that seemed capable of seeing through her disguise. Jiang Nian bit her lip and hurried back into the house.

“Sister-in-law.”

Just as she reached the door, Lu Yu called her.

Jiang Nian gripped the door frame, stiffly turned to look at Lu Yu. “What is it?”

Lu Yu walked over with a few pieces of firewood. He was very close to Jiang Nian, lowered his head to look at her, his eyes carrying a smile. “Are you full?”

As he spoke, the scorching breath lingered between their noses.

Jiang Nian tightened her grip on the door frame, looked at Lu Yu’s pitch-black eyes, shook her head, then nodded. “I’m full.”

Lu Yu walked into the house, added some more firewood to the brazier, and said, “Keep the fire burning. You won’t feel cold when you bathe later.”

“Okay.”

Lu Yu adjusted the brazier and said, “Don’t worry about Xu Yan’s matters. There’s been a change in Liu Qiang’s position.”

Jiang Nian breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and asked, “What change?”

“There’s been a transfer order from above. Liu Qiang will be training troops outside more frequently in the future, maybe coming back once every month or two. It’s best for him and Xu Yan to be separated.”

Lu Yu added, “Have you thought about asking Sister Ge for help in finding a job for Xu Yan?”

Sometimes Jiang Nian really suspected that Lu Yu could read her mind.

Lu Yu looked at Jiang Nian and said, “The only capable person you know here is Sister Ge. I guess you might ask Sister Ge to help Xu Yan, but she can’t help with this matter. Liu Qiang’s mother is far away from here, and there are several grandchildren at home who need to be taken care of. Xu Yan’s mother is not reliable. Even if Xu Yan is arranged to find a job in the city, what about the two children? Do you think Xu Yan can let go of the two children?”

Jiang Nian pursed her lips and didn’t say anything.

She hadn’t thought about these aspects. She just wanted to help Xu Yan.

A shadow was cast over her eyes. Jiang Nian blinked and looked at Lu Yu’s feet beside hers. The man had long and straight legs, and he was very close to her. Jiang Nian looked up in confusion, only to find that Lu Yu was almost leaning against her.

Jiang Nian subconsciously took two steps back. Lu Yu grabbed her wrist and pulled her in front of him, rubbing his fingertips on Jiang Nian’s smooth skin. He spoke in a hoarse voice, “There’s a stool behind you. Don’t bump into it.”

“Oh.”

Jiang Nian curled her fingers, trying hard to ignore the tingling and strangeness on her wrist, wanting to break free from Lu Yu’s grip. Then she heard him ask, “Did you love Xu Cheng?”

Jiang Nian suddenly raised her head and immediately replied, “I did!”

Feeling that she had responded too quickly, she slowed down her voice, “Of course, I loved him. He was my husband, my man. If I didn’t love him, who would I love? Lu Yu, rest assured, even if you just said you agree to my remarriage, I won’t remarry. I will definitely be loyal to your brother. You don’t have to worry that I would think about marrying someone else.”

Lu Yu lowered his head a little more, his breath hot on Jiang Nian’s face. “What if I wanted you to consider remarrying?”

Jiang Nian was stunned for a moment, looking at Lu Yu who was so close that they could almost touch. Her heart suddenly felt out of control, and a terrible, absurd thought emerged from the depths of her mind.

Lu Yu’s behavior towards her seemed a bit off.

This thought arose like wild grass, proliferating uncontrollably. She blinked, feeling everything before her was somewhat absurd and unreal.

Lifting his grasp from Jiang Nian’s hand, afraid to continue lest he scare her off, he said, “It’s cold outside. You should go back inside. I’ll bring you some bathwater.”

Jiang Nian withdrew her hand in a daze, turned, and sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at where Lu Yu had held her hand.

That patch of skin felt as if it had been scorched by a branding iron, hot and tingling.

She pursed her lips and looked inside the room. Lu Yu poured water into the bathtub, his back bent as he did so. His white shirt stretched tight against his waist and back, outlining the contours of his well-toned muscles. She remembered the first time she met Lu Yu. He had shown a proper sense of restraint, speaking and acting as a younger brother-in-law should, never overstepping boundaries.

But now, it seems different.

At this moment, her mind was clearer than ever before. Since when had Lu Yu started acting differently towards her?

Was it since she moved to the state-run embroidery shop?

If Lu Yu hadn’t just now said that he wanted her to consider remarriage, she wouldn’t have thought along these lines.

After the gushing sound of water subsided, Jiang Nian blinked and quickly turned her head to look out the window as Lu Yu stood up. Even at this moment, she felt more sensitive than ever. Despite looking outside, she still sensed Lu Yu glancing at her before leaving.

After the door closed, Jiang Nian breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly finished bathing and crawled into bed, falling asleep amidst tangled thoughts.