Chapter 82: His Little Wife, Looking at Him Was Enough  

No one had expected Jiang Rou to pull a prank at this moment.  

Not only did she do it herself, but she also pulled Zhou Xiaohua into the fun.  

Zhou Xiaohua froze for a moment.  

Then, she broke into a bright, toothy grin.  

Her small mouth opened slightly, her eyes curved into crescent moons, and her laughter was filled with pure joy.  

Jiang Rou laughed along with her.  

On the side, Zhao Guifen, Da Huzi, and Er Huzi laughed even louder, their laughter hearty and unrestrained.  

Meanwhile, Zhou Xiaochuan was completely flustered.  

In the past, whenever people gathered around to laugh at him, it was either because he had no parents, or because they mocked him for being the child of a lunatic, calling him a little crazy one.  

His body tensed, and his dark eyes tightened with wariness.  

But in the midst of the cheerful laughter, he slowly realized—  

This time, the laughter wasn’t ridicule.  

And the way everyone looked at him was filled with nothing but warmth.

The little wolf cub slowly relaxed, his face inexplicably turning red.

Amidst the cheerful laughter, he grabbed the chicken leg in his hand and took a big bite.

---

That day’s lunch.

On both sides of the courtyard, separated by the wall—

On one side, laughter soared. On the other, astonishment filled the air.

Jiang Rou’s waterless scallion oil braised chicken was devoured in just a few bites. They wished they could even chew the bones and swallow them along with the meat.

At the bottom of the large bowl that held the chicken, a layer of glossy sauce remained.

The men tore apart their steamed buns, dipping the soft, snow-white bread into the sauce before eating it.

Not only did it carry the rich flavor of the chicken, but also the unique aroma of wild scallions.

In the end, the large bowl was wiped completely clean, as if it had been washed with clear water.

---

After a satisfying lunch, the men did not rest. Under Zhou Zhongshan’s leadership, they continued working with great enthusiasm, building walls and constructing the new house.

Gradually, the surrounding walls took shape. Next came the most challenging part—the roof.

To build the roof, the beams had to be installed first.

The beams were the backbone of the entire house.

If this part was not done well, a slight mistake could cause the entire roof to collapse.

Jiang Rou sat in the courtyard, making green rice cakes. From time to time, she lifted her head to glance at the men working not far away.

She noticed the glasses man who had first caught her attention. He had taken out a notebook and some blueprints.

Zhou Zhongshan stood side by side with him. From time to time, the two gestured toward the roof of the new house, discussing something.

The distance was a bit far, making it impossible to hear what they were saying.

However, it was still clear that Zhou Zhongshan and the glasses man were the ones leading the project.

Zhou Zhongshan held the highest military rank among them and was also the head of the household. It was not surprising that he took the lead.

But this glasses man…

He seemed to hold considerable authority as well.

Jiang Rou was just feeling curious when someone suddenly called out.

“Company Commander He, is this the right position?”

Song Yan had already climbed onto the roof and was adjusting the placement of the wooden beam.

As soon as the glasses man heard this, he immediately looked up and began discussing with Song Yan, who was on the roof.

Jiang Rou, who had been kneading the green rice cakes, suddenly froze mid-motion.

A thought flashed through her mind.

The surname He…

And a Company Commander…

Jiang Rou quickly recalled someone—He Donglai.

He Donglai, the husband of Song Qingqian.

Jiang Rou had once lamented Song Qingqian’s unfortunate situation, so she naturally had some memory of He Donglai.

But—

Something was wrong!

Something was very wrong!

In the original story, as a contrasting figure to the female lead, the description of He Donglai was quite similar to that of Zhou Zhongshan.

Both came from rural backgrounds, both were rugged men, and both were clueless when it came to romance.

However…

The He Donglai in front of Jiang Rou, though possessing the physique of a soldier, was entirely different in style compared to the rugged Zhou Zhongshan.

He could hardly be called a rough man.

Wearing glasses and dressed in a white navy uniform, He Donglai even carried a refined, scholarly elegance.

A man like this, paired with Song Qingqian, who was born into a wealthy family, seemed like a perfect match—a talented man and a beautiful woman.

How could their marriage have ended in such a tragic way?

Jiang Rou couldn’t help but feel a wave of shock in her heart.

It seemed that everything in this world—the real, living people in particular—was vastly different from what she had read in the original text.

She needed to understand things more deeply.

Before long, Jiang Rou had made a full steaming tray of green rice cakes, ready to be cooked.

She picked up the tray and walked toward the kitchen.

---

On the other side—

The men on the new house’s roof were working tirelessly, their energy burning as fiercely as the afternoon sun.

Under the hottest part of the day, they sat high in the air, handling the heaviest tasks. Large beads of sweat streamed down their foreheads.

Not a single one of them uttered a complaint about being tired. Instead, they worked harder, their momentum only increasing.

But the scorching sun was relentless, making their whole bodies feel unbearably hot.

One man, unable to endure the heat any longer, simply took off his shirt and continued working bare-chested.

However, the moment he did, Zhou Zhongshan immediately shouted: “Put your shirt back on.”

“Commander Zhou, working with our clothes on is uncomfortable. This isn’t a military camp—there aren’t any dress regulations here…”

The shirtless man complained.

Zhou Zhongshan, exuding his natural authority, repeated firmly: “Put your shirt back on.”

Standing beside them was He Donglai.

He adjusted his glasses and quickly understood.

He explained on Zhou Zhongshan’s behalf: “Regiment Commander Zhou has a wife and child at home. It’s inappropriate for you to be shirtless here. Put your clothes back on.”

“Oh! I totally forgot! Sister-in-law is here!”

The man suddenly realized and hastily put his shirt back on.

Then, without another word, he threw himself back into work with renewed effort.

This small incident was nothing noteworthy in the grand scheme of the day.

Only Zhou Zhongshan was aware of the brief surge of displeasure in his chest—one that flared up and then quickly faded.

He had no desire for Jiang Rou to be staring at another man’s bare chest!

Though Zhou Zhongshan was a rough man, he could be surprisingly meticulous when it mattered.

From the very first day he met Jiang Rou—

He had noticed that the soft, delicate girl, who blushed so easily, would openly stare at his chest.

And not just a fleeting glance—her gaze carried an unmistakable look of appreciation.

Later, after they became husband and wife, sharing the same bed—

His little wife not only snuggled against his chest every night but also, in the haze of sleep, often reached out to touch him.

Especially his abs.

More than once, deep in the night, Zhou Zhongshan had to grab Jiang Rou’s small hand and pull it out from under his shirt.

Yet, even in her sleep, she would stubbornly hold on tight.

Jiang Rou would only behave herself for a while.

Otherwise, her restless nature was bound to make a comeback.

Faced with one piece of irrefutable evidence after another, Zhou Chongshan gradually came to understand that his little wife was different from ordinary people.

Moreover, she had a particular fondness for strong and well-built men.

Just like this morning.

Jiang Rou had been leaning over the wall, staring at their group of men.

From that moment on, an inexplicable sourness had settled in Zhou Chongshan’s heart.

His little wife only needed to look at him, and that should be enough!