Chapter 64.2

When Jiang Nian returned, Lu Yu and the others had already left. Zhang Xiao was walking in the yard to digest her food. When she saw Jiang Nian coming back, she smiled and said, “Sister Jiang, Deputy Commander Lu has boiled some hot water for you to wash up. They went back to the dormitory first.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “Okay, you should go to sleep soon. We’ll leave early tomorrow.”

She returned to her room, washed up, and lay on the bed. Looking at the pitch-black beams, she lost her sleep. Tomorrow she will go to Commander Song’s place. Jiang Nian didn’t know if Commander Song had died in the winter at the beginning of the year or at the end of the year.She was afraid that if there was no change after she went there, what would happen if something happened to Commander Song again after they left?

Jiang Nian did not sleep well that night and felt dazed the next day. She did not get up until she heard footsteps in the yard. She put on her clothes and walked to the cabinet. She looked at herself in the round mirror hanging on the wall. Her face looked a little haggard. Jiang Nian rubbed her face, then opened the door and walked out.

Lu Yu and the others were already there, making breakfast in the kitchen. Zhang Xiao was sitting by the well, washing her face with steam rising from the basin. After she finished, she poured water for Jiang Nian, who had dark circles under her eyes. Zhang Xiao paused and asked, ” Sister Jiang, did you go steal a cow last night?”

Jiang Nian: …

Zhang Xiao’s words made Lu Yu and the others turn to look at Jiang Nian. Jiang Nian helplessly lowered her head to wash her face and brush her teeth. After finishing, she went back into the room and applied some cold cream, which improved her complexion slightly.

Breakfast consisted of pumpkin porridge and stir-fried cabbage with potatoes. After eating, they rushed to the county to catch the bus. Jiang Nian and Lu Yu each brought several changes of clothes packed in Lu Yu’s large military green bag. Zhu Jun and Song Bai also carried one. This year, they were all visiting relatives for the second day of the Lunar New Year.

The station was crowded, and after they boarded, there was only one empty seat left. Jiang Nian let Zhang Xiao sit while she stood nearby.

The bus was packed, and Jiang Nian’s petite figure was almost engulfed in the crowd. 

Lu Yu held the upper handrail with one hand and the guard of the seat with the other, protecting Jiang Nian in his territory. Jiang Nian held the left handrail and chatted with Zhang Xiao. Song Bai lowered his eyes and glanced at Jiang Nian. She seemed to trust Lu Yu very much and was not affected by the crowded crowd around her at all.

As the car moved, it bumped and braked from time to time on the road. Jiang Nian’s back always hit Lu Yu’s solid and powerful chest uncontrollably. The man looked down at Jiang Nian’s curled eyelashes and resisted the urge to kiss her forehead.

People got off the bus one after another along the way.

“Sister-in-law.”

Song Bai stretched his long legs to block an empty seat and let Jiang Nian sit down.

Jiang Nian’s legs were tired from standing, but Lu Yu guided her to sit in the seat by the edge. As soon as she sat down, her legs felt relieved, but she suddenly remembered Lu Yu’s injury. When she tried to stand up, Lu Yu firmly pressed her down. Jiang Nian hesitated and looked up at him. “You sit, I won’t sit.”

She tried to get up again but was firmly pressed down by Lu Yu. With his strong grip, she had no room to resist. Lu Yu said, “I’m fine.”

Jiang Nian couldn’t help but worry, looking down at his hip. Lu Yu’s body reacted by tightening, and he put his hand on Jiang Nian’s head to turn it over: “Don’t look.”

Jiang Nian: …

After four hours, the bus finally reached the city. They hurried to the train station and bought tickets for the 6 PM train. They originally planned to buy a sleeper berth for Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao, but they were sold out. They had to settle for five seats. It would take one day and two nights from here to Dongshi city. They were used to standing in the military, but they were worried that Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao couldn’t handle it, especially since Zhang Xiao was pregnant.

Zhu Jun wanted to persuade Zhang Xiao to stay at the embroidery shop  to avoid hardship on the road, but Zhang Xiao refused. She wanted to be with Zhu Jun and Sister Jiang. Sitting for a day and two nights was fine for her. So they casually ate in the waiting room and boarded the train during the ticket check.

The train was crowded, and Song Bai helped Zhu Jun with the luggage while Zhu Jun took care of Zhang Xiao. On Lu Yu’s side, he led Jiang Nian inside. They reached the train compartment, where Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao sat together, Zhu Jun and Lu Yu sat in a row, and Song Bai sat across from Jiang Nian, leaving an aisle between them. Jiang Nian specifically had Zhang Xiao sit by the window to avoid people passing by.

Jiang Nian sweated a lot during this trip. She took off her light beige scarf from around her neck and stuffed it into a small pocket. She fanned herself with one hand. The peach-colored cotton-padded jacket with mandarin collar and frog buttons accentuated her fair and delicate skin. Jiang Nian tied her hair up in a bun, revealing a slender neck. Her eyelashes were curled, and she occasionally blinked as she looked out the window.

The people around couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Nian several times. After all, it was rare to see such a beautiful and fair-skinned woman. Lu Yu furrowed his brows slightly, his gaze coldly sweeping over the men who kept looking at Jiang Nian.

The people around were glanced at by Lu Yu, and they all turned their gazes away quietly.

The men next to Song Bai seemed familiar and appeared to be office workers from the city. They whispered quietly about where Jiang Nian was from and whether she had a boyfriend. Song Bai frowned and turned to look at Jiang Nian. His voice was not loud but enough for several people to hear: “Sister-in-law, are you thirsty? I’ll go get some hot water.”

Jiang Nian nodded, “I’m thirsty.” She turned to ask Zhang Xiao, “How about you?”

Zhang Xiao also nodded, “I’m thirsty too.”

Song Bai took the kettle for them and went to the other end of the train compartment. When the others heard Song Bai call her “sister-in-law,” they were all stunned, somewhat surprised to see Jiang Nian had actually gotten married. They all thought she still looked like an unmarried female comrade.

Lu Yu stood up and walked to Jiang Nian’s side. He was tall with long legs, and when he stood aside, he blocked everyone’s view. He rested his hand on the seat above and slightly bent down, looking at the faint sweat on Jiang Nian’s face. He suppressed the urge to wipe her sweat, asking softly, “Are you tired?”

Jiang Nian nodded, “A little.”

Jiang Nian had taken several trains with Lu Yu, but this was the first time she felt so tired. Thinking they still had another day and two nights of train ride ahead, Jiang Nian felt uncomfortable all over. Lu Yu said, “I’ll go find the conductor later. If there are people getting off the sleeper berth midway, let the conductor keep it and I’ll take you there.”

Hearing this, Jiang Nian looked up at Lu Yu and smiled, “If there’s a sleeper berth, you go first. Take care of your injuries properly. I’m fine, really.”

Lu Yu chuckled softly, and Jiang Nian raised her eyebrows slightly, “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.”

Lu Yu’s gaze uncontrollably fell on Jiang Nian’s slightly parted lips. As she spoke, he could see a hint of pink tongue. When she looked at him, her slender neck was lifted, and his Adam’s apple moved a few times. He lifted his eyes to look out the window. “If you’re tired, take a nap. I’ll stand here and block you. I won’t let you fall.”

“I’m not sleepy.”

Jiang Nian reached out and gently pulled Lu Yu’s hem. Sensing the tug on his clothes, Lu Yu lowered his gaze, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Nian said, “You sit there. I’ll let you know when I feel sleepy.”

Lu Yu didn’t say anything or move. He didn’t really want to sit over there. Instead, he wanted to stand beside Jiang Nian to shield her from the gaze of those people. Seeing him not moving, Jiang Nian tugged at his sleeve. Her small gesture went unnoticed by others, but Lu Yu clearly saw it.

“Alright.”

He turned and sat opposite Jiang Nian, stretching out his long legs to cover both of Jiang Nian’s slender legs within his own.

Song Bai returned with three kettles. When Zhu Jun poured water for Zhang Xiao, he found it a bit inconvenient and suggested to Jiang Nian, “Sister-in-law, let’s switch seats. I’ll sit on the outside so I can keep an eye on things, and you can sit by the window in case you get sleepy.”

Before Jiang Nian could respond, Lu Yu got up first to make way.

Jiang Nian: …

Zhu Jun chuckled and moved over. Jiang Nian sat by the window, her small cloth bag taken away by Lu Yu. “There are fruits in the bag. Eat some when you’re hungry.”

Jiang Nian shook her head. “I’m not hungry.” 

She took a sip of water and leaned back against the seat, looking out the window. The train had departed at 6:30, and it was already dark outside. She leaned forward a bit, propped her elbow on the table, chin in hand, absentmindedly tapping her fingers below her ear. She watched as the old-style train station gradually receded into the distance.

To be honest, she hadn’t traveled in sleepers much, especially not in this era.

Lu Yu got up to talk to the conductor about the sleeper berth, and soon returned.

Jiang Nian didn’t sleep well last night. The train started moving. Looking at the reflection flying by outside the window, she gradually became sleepy. The hand supporting her chin shook. Lu Yu held her head in time to prevent her from hitting the table. The man said helplessly,”Sit properly and sleep.”

“Oh.”

Yawning, Jiang Nian rested her head against the backrest and gradually fell asleep.

But she would turn her head from time to time in her sleep, restless. Lu Yu pressed her head against his arm, helping her find a comfortable position. Zhang Xiao watched Jiang Nian and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Sister Jiang sleeps as soon as she gets on a train. I really admire that. It’s lucky we’re here; if she were alone, who knows if someone might take advantage of her while she’s asleep.”

Lu Yu: …

Song Bai: …

Zhu Jun: …

Zhu Jun looked at Zhang Xiao and smiled: “You are right.”

The men around glanced at Lu Yu and then at Jiang Nian. His handsome and stern face, dressed in a knee-length military green coat, even sitting down, exuded a disciplined demeanor. It wasn’t just him; the young man across from him and the man next to him also had a military air about them.

Jiang Nian slept deeply. By midnight, Lu Yu and Zhu Jun stood up, and Zhang Xiao lifted Jiang Nian’s legs onto her seat. She shifted a bit, resting her legs on the opposite seat, and Lu Yu took off his coat to pad the window for her comfort. They were used to standing all night in the military; it wasn’t a problem.

Song Bai stood up and suggested Lu Yu to sit down. “Don’t push yourself with your injury. Even though it’s better, rest as much as you can.”

“Okay.”

The three took turns dozing off until they heard a loud “thud.” They all opened their eyes; it was the kettle falling off the table. But Jiang Nian, who had been sitting by the window, was nowhere to be seen, with only Lu Yu’s military green coat draped over her seat.

Lu Yu quickly got up and headed towards the restroom area, while Song Bai checked the other end. After a search, Zhu Jun noticed Jiang Nian’s feet peeking out under Zhang Xiao’s clothes on this side, and he alerted Lu Yu and Song Bai, calling softly, “Sister-in-law is here.”

Lu Yu and Song Bai hurried over.

Zhu Jun pointed to Jiang Nian’s feet covered by his coat beside Zhang Xiao’s legs. Lu Yu bent down and grabbed his military green coat, pulling it back to reveal Jiang Nian, who was almost slipping under the table, her whole body tightly wrapped in his coat. Her small face was flushed from sleeping, seemingly bothered by the train compartment’s lights. She wrinkled her brow and mumbled something before pulling the coat over her face and continuing to sleep.

Lu Yu: …

Song Bai: …

Zhu Jun: …

Jiang Nian was petite, with a small frame. Curled up like that and covered by Lu Yu’s coat, if you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t even notice there was a person there. Lu Yu held Jiang Nian’s legs to steady her and let her sleep more comfortably.

After this little mishap, none of them felt like sleeping anymore.

Jiang Nian slept deeply until the sun came out the next day. Her head had been muffled in Lu Yu’s coat all night. Throughout, Lu Yu would occasionally tug at the coat to let her head poke out for some air, but Jiang Nian reacted like a startled rabbit each time, reaching out to pull the coat over her head again, much to Lu Yu’s bemusement.

Jiang Nian sat up, her hair all tousled from sleep, a few strands stuck to her face. A red mark was imprinted on her cheek from leaning against the window. She sat with her head against the window, eyelids half-closed, looking drowsy. Lu Yu sat beside her. “Had a good sleep?”

Jiang Nian gave a muffled “Hmm.”

Zhang Xiao asked, “Sister Jiang, what’s wrong with you?”

Jiang Nian rubbed her neck and handed the coat to Lu Yu, standing up and stamping her legs. “My arms and legs ache from sleeping.”

Zhu Jun: …

With the way sister-in-law sleeps, it would be odd if her arms and legs didn’t ache when she woke up.

Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao queued up together for the restroom, then washed their faces. In the morning, they ate some pastries and steamed buns. Lu Yu took out apples and oranges from his bag, and Zhu Jun washed an apple and handed it to the two of them.

Jiang Nian took a bite of the apple and asked Lu Yu, “How’s your injury?”

Lu Yu replied, “It’s nothing.”

Jiang Nian noticed that Lu Yu always said “it’s nothing” in front of her. Even in the hospital, when he endured the pain to sit up, he would still say “it’s nothing.”