Chapter 84: Teaching Zhou Xiaohua to Sing ~

Zhou Chongshan was half a head taller than everyone else. As soon as he showed up, he immediately drew the attention of those around him.  

Lin Yuyao also saw him. The fury that was about to erupt on her face was forcefully suppressed at that moment.  

Zhou Chongshan was her future golden ticket.  

There was no way she could leave a bad impression in front of him.  

“It’s… it’s nothing, just a misunderstanding, nothing serious.”  

Lin Yuyao forced a smile, trying to appear composed and graceful.  

However, Zhou Chongshan’s gaze never landed on her.  

The tall man walked straight to Jiang Rou’s side. Seeing her small face filled with anxiety, he lowered his voice and asked,  

“What’s going on?”  

Jiang Rou, noticing Zhou Chongshan’s arrival, also observed Lin Yuyao’s shift in emotions. She knew that the situation was finally coming to an end.  

She looked up and briefly explained the entire sequence of events to him.  

After listening, Zhou Chongshan’s expression remained largely unchanged.  

He turned to Lin Yuyao and asked,  

“Comrade Lin, are you hurt?”  

Lin Yuyao’s heart skipped a beat. This was the first time Zhou Chongshan had taken the initiative to speak to her.  

She immediately responded with excitement: “No, no! I’m not hurt at all.”  

Seeing this, Zhou Chongshan withdrew his gaze at once and turned to glance at Song Yan, who was standing there dumbfounded.  

Ever since Song Yan had learned of Lin Yuyao’s identity, he had been completely stunned.  

He simply couldn’t understand—how did this sneaky, suspicious woman suddenly transformed into a comrade in their Military Unit?  

Zhou Chongshan’s sharp gaze swept over him.  

Song Yan shuddered on the spot.  

His young mind spun rapidly, trying to process the situation.  

Without hesitation, he stood at attention and saluted Lin Yuyao.  

“Comrade Lin, I apologize! I misunderstood you just now! I sincerely offer my apology here! But you should also be more mindful of your behavior. Since you are one of us, you shouldn’t be doing anything sneaky or suspicious.”  

Song Yan was, after all, a hot-blooded young man, as stubborn as a rock. Even now, he refused to back down completely from his own perspective.  

Lin Yuyao’s mouth twitched at his words.  

Her smile stiffened, barely holding together.  

This kind of apology—she didn’t want to accept it at all.  

But Zhou Chongshan was standing right in front of her.  

Even if she didn’t want to endure it, she had to.  

Forcing a casual expression, she repeatedly said: “It’s fine, it’s fine.”  

Since Lin Yuyao had already said it was fine…

Zhou Chongshan took Jiang Rou’s hand and turned to leave.  

Jiang Rou, however, still managed to nod at Lin Yuyao as she was pulled away, as if offering a brief greeting.  

In an instant, the men who had been gathered around Lin Yuyao scattered like startled birds and beasts. Instead, they quickly reassembled around Jiang Rou, chatting with enthusiasm.  

Lin Yuyao watched their retreating figures from a distance.  

It was like a small world of its own.  

A world she simply couldn’t step into…  

Would her plans still go smoothly?  

---

 

Zhou Family’s House  

The new house had already been built. The men, having just finished their work, washed their hands and wiped away their sweat. Now that their task was done, they were preparing to return to the Military Camp.  

Jiang Rou wanted to keep them for dinner.  

But all of them politely declined.  

They had already indulged at noon, enjoying Jiang Rou’s scallion oil-braised chicken, and in the afternoon, each had eaten several qingtuan. They had already taken full advantage of the good food.  

Staying for dinner would simply feel too shameless.  

Since they insisted, Jiang Rou didn’t press any further. She simply told them that if they ever wanted to eat again, they were welcome to visit.  

Most of these men were still unmarried. After witnessing Zhou Chongshan and Jiang Rou’s affectionate relationship today, their hearts were stirred with longing.

Really… wanted to get a wife!

As the crowd dispersed.

“Company Commander He.”

Jiang Rou secretly glanced at the man with glasses—He Donglai.

He Donglai turned around, adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, and slightly furrowed his brows. His calm face showed a hint of doubt as he looked at Jiang Rou.

Jiang Rou gestured for him to come over.

Then, the two of them walked to the side, finding a quiet spot to talk.

As He Donglai approached, Jiang Rou took out a bamboo basket from her hands and handed it to him.

“Company Commander He, you’ve been running around all day helping our family build a house. It must have been exhausting. Please take this as a token of my gratitude—bring it home and eat it.”

He Donglai accepted the bamboo basket from Jiang Rou, whose face was filled with a warm smile.

Lifting the cloth covering the basket, he saw neatly arranged green rice balls inside.

His eyes froze for a moment.

When he looked up again, his gaze was filled with disbelief as he stared at Jiang Rou.

How could she… how could she know?

The shock in He Donglai’s heart was immeasurable.

He had always believed that he had hidden all his emotions well, yet this seemingly harmless Jiang Rou had seen right through him.

The composed and steady man suddenly felt a little flustered.

However, He Donglai quickly regained his composure.  

He shook his head and refused.  

“Sister-in-law, I can’t accept this.”  

He Donglai had his principles. Among all the men who had come to help today, none had received anything—only he was being offered a gift. It didn’t feel right for him to accept it.  

Jiang Rou was rejected, but she still smiled lightly.  

She spoke softly.  

“Company Commander He, don’t you want to take it home for your wife to try?”  

At those words—  

He Donglai’s pupils trembled ever so slightly again.  

She had completely seen through him!  

That afternoon, when he had been eating snacks, he had hesitated while holding the green rice balls. He had wanted to ask Jiang Rou for a few to bring home.  

But he wasn’t thick-skinned enough—he couldn’t bring himself to say it.  

And now—  

Jiang Rou had said it for him.  

“Company Commander He, your wife is from the south. She will definitely like these. Besides, I borrowed some millet from her last time—consider this my way of returning the favor. Just take them home.”  

In the end, the bamboo basket was firmly placed into He Donglai’s hands.  

His palm tightened around it.  

After hesitating a few times, he finally nodded.  

“Thank you, sister-in-law.”  

He Donglai’s voice was low. He accepted the green rice balls, but in his heart, he knew he would have to return the favor someday.  

Jiang Rou watched as He Donglai walked away with the basket in hand.  

She hoped that this would help bring a little progress between him and Song Qingqian.

---

On the other side—  

Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua were running in and out of the new house.  

The joyful sound of the children’s footsteps, bouncing and hopping around, replaced laughter and filled the Zhou family’s courtyard with liveliness.  

That evening—  

Inside the bedroom, under the dim yellow light—  

Jiang Rou and Zhou Xiaohua sat on the bed in their underclothes, not yet ready to sleep. A small table had been placed on the heated brick bed, with several small bowls neatly arranged on top.  

Each bowl contained a different amount of water.  

They were lined up in a row.  

Jiang Rou held a chopstick in her hand, gently tapping the bowls while adjusting the water levels, adding or removing small amounts.  

After a few attempts—she was done!  

“Xiaohua, listen!”  

Jiang Rou sat cross-legged, pulling Zhou Xiaohua into her lap.

Then, holding the chopstick, she lightly tapped the bowls.  

“Do~ Re~ Mi~ Fa~ Sol~ La~ Ti——”  

She was teaching Zhou Xiaohua to sing.  

Just as she had mentioned before—singing didn’t necessarily require the mouth.

It could be done with the hands too.