Chapter 55

Jiang Nian tightly pressed her lips together, fingers curled tightly on her lap. Lu Yu used the towel to wipe the water droplets from Jiang Nian’s hair, his fingers brushing over her scalp, sending a surge of electricity through her body. She could barely sit still as the towel moved from her scalp to the ends of her hair.

Lu Yu lifted Jiang Nian’s dark hair, exposing a section of her snowy white neck that was normally covered by her long locks.

The towel wrapped around her long hair, damp with the water it absorbed.

The extreme contrast between the black hair and the snowy white neck created a strong visual conflict for Lu Yu. His steady breath gradually grew heavier. As the towel moved to the hair ends, becoming gradually damp, his gaze shifted from her dark hair to the exposed neck.

It was delicate, fragile, as if a little force could break it.

A deep crimson climbed up in Lu Yu’s eyes. He forcibly restrained his base and vile thoughts, focusing on drying Jiang Nian’s hair attentively.

“Is it done?”

Jiang Nian asked softly.

Behind her, Lu Yu’s voice was low and husky, “Almost.”

The warm yellow light cast their shadows on the ground. Jiang Nian watched as the tall shadow suddenly sank. Perplexed, she turned around and saw Lu Yu, who had been standing a moment ago, now half crouching. Even in this position, he was still taller than her.

Jiang Nian looked up slightly, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Yu looked into her eyes, “Drying the ends of your hair.”

Jiang Nian murmured an acknowledgement. After Lu Yu finished drying her hair, she quickly stood up and went to the cutting board to prepare vegetables, “You should go and prepare the fish, or we won’t be able to stew the fish soup on time.”

“Okay.”

Lu Yu’s Adam’s apple bobbed a few times. He took the towel and walked out.

While hearing the sounds of water pouring and fish scales scraping outside, Jiang Nian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Nian stir-fried a dish and made five pancakes. Suddenly, she heard Song Bai’s voice from outside the door, “Sister-in-law, I’m here to freeload on dinner again.”

Without turning around, Jiang Nian said, “I’ll make a few more pancakes.”

Song Bai placed two pounds of meat on the table and looked at Lu Yu cleaning the fish, “What, not welcoming me?”

Lu Yu lifted an enamel basin and gave him a cool glance, “Don’t you feel it yourself?”

Song Bai: …

Jiang Nian cut the fish into pieces, prepared the side dishes and seasonings. Song Bai took the initiative to come and light the fire, but was driven away by Lu Yu. He sat by the stove watching the fire. After dinner was ready, Song Bai came back to serve the food. Jiang Nian said, “I made a few more pancakes. If you guys don’t have enough, let me know, and I’ll make more.”

Lu Yu picked up his plate, “It’s enough.”

Song Bai carried the fish and smelled the fragrant aroma, which was completely different from the fish soup stewed by his sister-in-law, “Sister-in-law, it’s enough to eat.”

They carried the food out. Jiang Nian took out chopsticks from the cabinet and handed a pair to each of them.

“Thank you, sister-in-law.”

Song Bai looked up at Jiang Nian and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Jiang Nian kept her head down, her long black hair draped over her shoulders, slightly damp and still not completely dry, her skin fair, lips rosy. Her eyes were as they were when he first saw her, filled with stars from the sky.

Song Bai paused for a moment before regaining his composure with a light cough, accepting the chopsticks.

Lu Yu furrowed his brows slightly, a coldness passing through his eyes. He stood up and sat to the left of Song Bai, motioning for Jiang Nian to sit beside him.

Jiang Nian glanced at Lu Yu’s sharp profile, sensing that he seemed somewhat displeased. Could it be because of something within the regiment?

She knew Lu Yu had been busy these past few days, and now that the Dragon Boat Festival had passed, there had been no news from Commander Song.

Lu Yu picked the tenderest pieces of fish for Jiang Nian and skillfully removed the bones for her. “Eat more,” he said.

Jiang Nian nibbled on her chopsticks and murmured softly, “Okay.”

Song Bai rolled up a pancake and took a few bites before sensing something amiss. He glanced at Lu Yu, who was carefully removing fish bones for Jiang Nian. His brow furrowed slightly, and upon noticing his gaze, Lu Yu raised his eyes and asked, “Do I have something on my face?”

Song Bai: …

Taking a big bite of the pancake, he chuckled, “No, why are you so harsh when you talk to me recently?”

Lu Yu lowered his gaze and took a bite of his own pancake. “You must have misheard.”

Song Bai chuckled, “Well, let’s hope that’s the case.”

Jiang Nian didn’t understand the exchange between Lu Yu and Song Bai, assuming it involved something that couldn’t be spoken of between the Second and Third Regiments. She ate quite a bit during the meal. When she got up to clear the dishes, Lu Yu stopped her, “Stay in the room.”

Jiang Nian nodded, “Okay.”

Watching Jiang Nian return to her room, Lu Yu moved Song Bai’s chair aside before leaving, “Sweep the floor.”

“Sure thing.”

Back in her room, Jiang Nian found the wash basin still there. She sat on the edge of her bed, continuing her embroidery by the light. She sat on the edge of the bed, embroidering in the light of the lamp, and waited for Lu Yu to finish his work and pour the bath water for her. Otherwise, she would have to pour it out basin by basin by herself.

After a while, footsteps approached from outside.

Jiang Nian looked up to see Lu Yu walking in. She smiled, “Help me pour out the water.”

Seeing Jiang Nian’s smile, Lu Yu’s own lips curved slightly. “Sure.”

With his strength, he lifted the large basin and walked out. After pouring the water into the second room to the east of the bathing room, he returned to Jiang Nian’s room. “Come out and lock the gate.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Nian put down her embroidery and followed Lu Yu out. Song Bai had already left the courtyard, but Lu Yu closed the courtyard gate before leaving, leaning against it. He placed his hand on the back of Jiang Nian’s head, kissing her deeply on the lips before pulling away. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

With that, he opened the courtyard gate and left.

Seeing Lu Yu leave, Song Bai raised an eyebrow. “Why did you close the gate?”

Lu Yu replied calmly, “Just checking if the gate would close properly.”

In the courtyard, Jiang Nian stood rooted to the spot until the wet sensation on her lips grew clearer. She bit her lip, never expecting Lu Yu to kiss her just before leaving.

Patting her slightly flushed cheeks, Jiang Nian returned to her room, dried her hair again, and went to sleep. She slept until dawn, waking up groggily to silence outside. Rubbing her eyes, she put on clothes and headed outside. There was no one in the kitchen, and the table in the yard was empty with the gate locked.

Lu Yu hadn’t returned.

Suddenly, Jiang Nian felt a pang of emptiness in her heart. After washing up by the well, she waited to make breakfast, but Lu Yu still hadn’t returned. This was unprecedented. She walked to the wall and stood on a wooden block, calling out to Feng Mei’s courtyard, “Sister Feng, is Commander Song at home?”

Feng Mei ran out of the kitchen with a bowl in hand. “He ran off in the middle of the night without a word to me.”

So that was it.

Jiang Nian marinated the fish at home that day and continued embroidering in her room. She spent the whole day at home, and still Lu Yu hadn’t returned for twenty days. Feeling the house empty after Lu Yu left, Jiang Nian tidied up the vegetable garden. She had been embroidering at home every day, and her days were spent either eating or embroidering. When it was dark outside, Jiang Nian walked out of the kitchen and looked at the neighboring room. Since Lu Yu moved to the dormitory, he had never come back to live here.

Jiang Nian stood outside for a while, pushed the door and walked in, and the room was as clean and tidy as before.

The furnishings in her room were the same as his. A bed, a small table, and a wooden cabinet with several books on top. Jiang Nian had just picked up one of the books when she heard Xu Yan’s voice outside. It sounded like Liu Jianye had a fever. Jiang Nian put down the book and walked out of the courtyard, meeting Xu Yan at the doorstep.

Jiang Nian asked, “What’s wrong with Jianye?”

Xu Yan sighed, “He has a fever. I’m going to the clinic to buy some fever-reducing medicine.”

“I’ll accompany you.”

It was somewhat dark on the way, and Jiang Nian thought it would be good to keep Xu Yan company. Xu Yan smiled and agreed.

As they walked to the clinic, Xu Yan said, “Jiang Nian, you know, I’m actually quite happy now.”

Jiang Nian looked at Xu Yan’s smiling face. “Is it because Liu Qiang is not around?”

“Yes.”

Xu Yan continued, “After Liu Qiang left, Jianye has been smiling more than before. You know Jiang Nian, my biggest concern is Jianye. Before Zheng Hong came, Liu Qiang treated me and Jianye well. But after Zheng Hong came, Jianye had to witness what kind of person his father became.”

Jiang Nian squeezed Xu Yan’s hand. “It’s all in the past now.”

After buying the fever-reducing medicine from the clinic, Jiang Nian returned to her room and went to sleep. Her daily routine was eating, embroidering, and waiting. It had been twenty days since Lu Yu left, and there was still no news. At the end of the month, Ge Mei called her. Jiang Nian answered the call at the military guard office.

“Jiang Nian, I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “What time is your train tomorrow?”

Ge Mei replied, “At 7 PM. Also, there’s something else. I met the new director today. Her surname is Peng, Peng Yin. She brought along an embroiderer, her niece.”

Ge Mei paused for a moment. “Jiang Nian, your embroidery deadline is extended to July 20th. Take your work to the state-run embroidery shop. The boss from Gangcheng will personally come to collect the embroidery on that day.”

“Jiang Nian suddenly understood what Ge Mei meant: “Sister Ge, thank you.”

Ge Mei said, “After I stabilize in Yuan City, I’ll call you.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Jiang Nian stood by the phone for a while.

It seemed that the new director was not easy to get along with. She left the military guard office, but just as she reached the door, she saw Tang Ze and Sun Ying walking towards her. Tang Ze smiled, “Younger Sister.”

Jiang Nian nodded, “Hmm.”

Sun Ying gave her a cold glance, as if they had deep-seated grievances. Jiang Nian ignored her and turned back to the family quarters.

Lu Yu had been gone for a month, and Commander Song had also been away for a month.

In mid-July, the weather grew hotter. Jiang Nian sat in the courtyard, fanning herself with a fan. Feng Mei came over after lunch,

Regarding Commander Song’s absence for a month, it seemed like there was no hurry. Feng Mei smiled and said, “Probably some mission again. Anyway, it’s all military secrets, let’s not worry about it.”

“Right.”

Feng Mei moved closer to Jiang Nian on the bench and said, “Captain Tang is getting married.”

Jiang Nian was surprised, “So soon?”

She thought Tang Ze and Sun Ying had just started dating. Marriage should take some time. She didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.

Feng Mei said, “I didn’t expect it either. I heard they applied for marriage a month ago, and the application was only approved a few days ago. I’m quite curious. What did that nurse see in Captain Tang? A widower…”

“Sister Feng, let’s not gossip about other people’s affairs.”

Jiang Nian interrupted Feng Mei, “Did Xiangdong got the day off today?’

Feng Mei replied, “He had yesterday afternoon off. I’m going to the supply and marketing cooperative later to buy a bag of pastries. It’s Xiangdong’s birthday tomorrow, so I’ll get him something tasty.”

Mentioning birthdays reminded Jiang Nian of her and Lu Yu’s birthdays last year.

Last year, she was only thinking about how to go back and survive in this era, and hadn’t thought about these things in detail. But she only knew that the original owner’s birthday was in September. As for Lu Yu’s, she really didn’t know.

There weren’t detailed records of Lu Yu’s birthday in the book, and the original owner’s memory didn’t include any scenes of Lu Yu celebrating his birthday.

When Lu Yu came back, she planned to ask him indirectly.

Xiangdong’s birthday was tomorrow. Jiang Nian planned to make a cake-like pastry for him. She didn’t have any tools now, so she couldn’t bake the dough. In the afternoon, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought some things. On the way, she met Deputy Commander You’s wife, Hou Lian. When Hou Lian saw Jiang Nian, she was stunned for a moment, then turned and left.

Jiang Nian was too lazy to pay attention to her.

Last time Hou Meng caused Xiangdong to fall into the river, Deputy Commander You’s family didn’t come to the Song family to see Xiangdong. None of them knew how Deputy Commander You got to his position.

However, a few days ago, Feng Mei said that Deputy Commander You was not well-regarded by the political commissar.

Jiang Nian returned to the courtyard, and Chen Fang came soon after.

As soon as Chen Fang came, Feng Mei also came. She wanted to see what Chen Fang wanted with Jiang Nian now. Now she wasn’t afraid of setting Jiang Nian up with Tang Ze again, but she was afraid that Chen Fang would come up with some other tricks. Chen Fang turned to look at Feng Mei, “Why are you following me?”

Feng Mei said, “I’m just visiting.”

Chen Fang: …

Jiang Nian put the things in the stove, and when she came out, she saw Chen Fang holding a neatly folded red cloth, not knowing what it was. Chen Fang walked over and smiled, “Jiang Nian, you can embroider right?. Can you help me?”

Feng Mei looked over curiously.

Jiang Nian smiled, “What does Sister Chen want me to do?”

Chen Fang shook out the cloth in her hand, a piece of red cloth, “Tang Ze is going to get married, and I’m thinking of hanging a red curtain in his room for a festive touch. But just red feels too plain. I want you to embroider a pair of mandarin ducks on it. Since Tang Ze’s parents are not here, it’s just me and his brother here. His brother is busy with the regiment’s affairs every day and has no time to take care of him. It all falls on my shoulders. In our family quarters, only you can embroider. Can you help me with this once?”

Feng Mei clicked her tongue, “Jiang Nian embroiders to earn money every day. If you ask her to embroider mandarin ducks, won’t you delay her money-making? If everyone asks Jiang Nian for help like you do, Jiang Nian might as well stop embroidering and just embroider for our family quarters.”

Chen Fang: …

She found Feng Mei’s mouth really annoying.

Chen Fang looked at Jiang Nian and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you work for nothing. How about this, you embroider it, and I will give you five yuan as payment?”

Jiang Nian shook her head and smiled, “Sister Chen, just bring me the thread, no need to pay. We can exchange it for something else.”

Although it was just neighbors, private transactions involving money were not allowed, especially in the military. If it got out, it would ultimately affect Lu Yu.

Chen Fang smiled, “Okay, you tell me what kind of thread you need.”

Jiang Nian told Chen Fang, and Chen Fang nodded, ‘I’ll go to the supply and marketing cooperative.”

After Chen Fang left, Feng Mei pulled Jiang Nian and poked her head: “Why don’t you want money? That’s five yuan, you can buy several kilograms of meat.”

Jiang Nian looked at Feng Mei and told her the pros and cons. Feng Mei’s face changed and she sounded a little scared: “If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known. I’m telling you, Jiang Nian, don’t do it if anyone asks you to embroider something. If you really get into trouble, it will be troublesome.”

Not long after Feng Mei left, Chen Fang came and gave the silk thread to Jiang Nian, cut two pounds of meat for Jiang Nian, bought three pounds of eggs, and asked Jiang Nian when the embroidery would be finished. She was a little anxious.

Jiang Nian said, “Within two days.”

Afterwards, she curiously asked, “When will Captain Tang get married?”

Chen Fang smiled and replied, “The date is set. He will be getting married on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month.”

Jiang Nian didn’t expect it to be so soon. She said, “Don’t worry, Sister Chen, I’ll give it to you as soon as possible on the evening of the fifth.”

It was already the third day today, indeed a bit rushed.

She truly hadn’t expected Sun Ying to marry Tang Ze so quickly. After Chen Fang left, Jiang Nian first went to the kitchen to make pastries. After they were done, it was already dusk. She ate a few bites casually and then turned off the lights in the courtyard, returned to her room, pinned the embroidery frame where she needed to fix the picture, and started embroidering.

Mandarin ducks are good to embroider, but it’s a bit rushed to embroider a pair of mandarin ducks on both sides of the curtain.

Jiang Nian embroidered late into the night before going to bed. The next day, she ate something quickly and continued embroidering the curtain. When Feng Mei called her for lunch at noon, she finally put down the curtain, went to the kitchen to get two exquisite plates of pastries, and brought them over. Feng Mei’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw them. “Did you make these?” she asked.

Jiang Nian smiled and said, “Yes, try them.”

She handed Feng Mei a piece, and Feng Mei took a bite and wanted another. She didn’t stop until she finished one plate, feeling a bit reluctant to stop. Carrying the two plates of pastries, Song Xiangdong happily kept calling Auntie Jiang, and even Song Xianghong ran over and hugged Jiang Nian’s leg, sweetly calling her Auntie Jiang.

Jiang Nian smiled and patted their heads. Song Xiangdong went into the house and fetched Jiang Nian some candy and a few peach pastries. “Auntie Jiang, have some candy, have some peach crisp.”

“Thank you.”

Jiang Nian took the candy. After finishing the meal at Feng Mei’s house, when she returned home, she also brought some to Xu Yan’s house. Liu Jianye and Liu Jianwu stood respectfully by Xu Yan’s side, smiling shyly. “Thank you, Auntie Jiang.”

Song Xiangdong and Liu Jianye were of similar age, but their personalities were completely different.

In the end, it was still influenced by their families.

Jiang Nian had been embroidering mandarin ducks in her room these past two days and finally finished embroidering the mandarin duck pattern on the fifth day. When it was dimly dark, someone knocked on the courtyard gate from outside. Jiang Nian knew it was Chen Fang coming to pick up the embroidered curtain.

She folded the embroidered curtain and walked to the courtyard to open the gate. Just as she was about to call Sister Chen, she saw Lu Yu, who had been away.. He was still dressed in his military uniform, with some dust on his clothes. His handsome face looked somewhat tired, with a hint of stubble, showing that he hadn’t rested well for several days. Next door, came the voice of Commander Song: “Meizi, hurry and fetch me some water. I want to soak my feet.”

“Sister-in-law.”

“I’m back.”

His voice was low, and his deep black eyes were tightly locked onto Jiang Nian’s fair and pretty face. It had been a month since he last saw her, and he felt like it had been a long time.

Jiang Nian came to her senses and smiled, “Lu Yu.”

She only called his name, but it made Lu Yu’s eyes reveal an uncontrollable dark shade. Outside the gate, military wives and comrades passed back and forth, and Lu Yu concealed his emotions, his lips curved with a smile. “Go in.”

Jiang Nian held the red curtain and turned to walk into the courtyard. “Have you had dinner tonight? If not, I’ll cook for you. What would you like to eat?”

“Anything you make is fine.”

Lu Yu closed the gate, latched the bolt, turned and looked at Jiang Nian’s back as she walked into the house, and followed her straight away. Jiang Nian stood by the bed, placing what she held in her hands on the bed. She bent over, her fitted blouse outlining her slender waist.

“I’ll make braised pork for you later, and stir-fry a couple of vegetarian dishes… Ah!”

As soon as Jiang Nian stood up, her back crashed into the steaming arms. The man’s breath instantly enveloped her like mist. Through the thin clothes, Jiang Nian could clearly feel the beating heartbeat from Lu Yu’s chest. Lu Yu hugged her tightly, lowered his head, and breathed hot air on her ear with his thin lips: “Jiang Nian…”

“I miss you.”