As she spoke, Su Tang scooped a bowl of chili sauce for Zhang Cui to take home.  

“Before you came to the family compound, we thought you were some delicate city girl who’d never lifted a finger,” Zhang Cui said with a laugh, sighing. “Turns out you can’t just believe the rumors. Little sister, you and Lu Xiao are the perfect match.”  

Before Su Tang arrived, Zhang Cui’s husband, Old Wang, had said Lu Xiao wouldn’t be able to handle such a pampered young lady.  

Everyone said city folk were fragile and high-maintenance.  

Lu Xiao was a rough-and-tumble man. Who’d have thought he’d end up marrying such a delicate flower?  

But after actually spending time with Su Tang, Zhang Cui understood—whether they got along wasn’t just up to Su Tang.  

Lu Xiao might seem cold on the surface, but in reality, he adored Su Tang more than words could say.  

Hearing Zhang Cui’s words, Su Tang smiled without responding.  

She and Lu Xiao were just two people sharing a life together.  

Here in the remote northwest, she had no connections, no familiarity—the only person she knew was Lu Xiao.  

According to the timeline, the hardest times were still two years away.  

Su Tang’s parents had sent her to the northwest to escape the turmoil, but they themselves couldn’t leave.  

She had no idea what would happen to them then.  

Though Su Tang wanted to help, there was nothing she could do.  

After seeing Zhang Cui off, Su Tang portioned out the remaining chili sauce, planning to deliver some to Aunt Wang, Sister Li, and the others later.  

In a place like the family compound, social niceties mattered.  

Give and take made for smoother relationships.  

By the time Su Tang finished delivering the gifts and returned home, Lu Xiao had already finished training and was back.  

He washed his hands and placed a letter on the table.  

“It’s from Shanghai.”  

Hearing this, Su Tang’s eyes lit up, and she hurried over to open it.  

A letter from Shanghai could only be from her parents.  

Su Tang’s feelings toward them weren’t particularly deep.  

After all, she’d only just arrived in this world before they put her on a train to the northwest.  

But when she thought about the novel’s ending—how the original Su Tang’s life had fallen apart after losing her parents—she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow.  

No matter what, she was here now, living as their daughter. That meant she was Su Tang.  

After reading the letter, she let out a slow breath.  

Seeing this, Lu Xiao asked, “Are Professor Su and his wife doing alright?”  

“My parents are planning to go stay with my aunt for a while. Her family lives on an island.”  

More importantly, Su Tang’s uncle was stationed there. If they went to the island, life would at least be a little easier for them.  

“That’s good. When things settle down, your family can reunite.”  

Sensing Su Tang’s low spirits, Lu Xiao offered a few words of comfort.  

Su Tang turned to look at him and suddenly asked, “Our family—aren’t you coming?”  

The words struck Lu Xiao’s heart, and for some reason, his throat felt dry.  

The phrase “our family” made him feel, for the first time, an inexplicable intimacy.  

As if it had bound him and Su Tang together completely.  

“When the time comes, I’ll take you to Shanghai if I can.”  

Seeing the unreadable look in Lu Xiao’s eyes, Su Tang almost laughed. He was so easy to tease.  

But it was also kind of endearing.

Su Tang got up to start cooking, while behind her, Lu Xiao clenched and unclenched his fists.  

During afternoon drills, Chang Jia noticed Lu Xiao seemed distracted.  

Even Old Chen picked up on it.  

“What’s going on with you?”  

During a break, Chang Jia walked over and asked.  

Lu Xiao was wiping his face with a towel and frowned at the question.  

“What do you mean?”  

“You’re spacing out. Did your little princess give you some kind of trouble?”  

Chang Jia had always thought Su Tang was fairly considerate.  

Since coming to the family compound, she hadn’t caused any issues for Lu Xiao.

There’s no way Lu Xiao would be in a bad mood because of her, right?  

“It’s nothing.”  

Lu Xiao paused while drinking water, remembering Su Tang’s words, and shook his head.  

He figured Su Tang’s remark had simply been an invitation to a friend—not to her husband.  

And the root of his frustration was that, deep down, he actually wanted her to see him as her husband.  

That was why he’d been distracted all afternoon.  

Their first meeting hadn’t exactly been pleasant.  

She’d proposed abstaining from marital duties, and he’d said he’d send her back once things stabilized.  

Wasn’t that essentially telling Su Tang they’d divorce someday?  

“Quit overthinking it. I’ve got good news for you—I heard the hospital is looking for a nurse.”  

“Isn’t your little princess a medical student?”  

Chang Jia clapped Lu Xiao on the shoulder, sharing his insider info.  

As a smooth-talking bachelor, gathering intel came effortlessly to him.  

Lu Xiao looked up, hesitating, but Chang Jia grinned. “Relax, it’s not an assigned position. To get into the hospital, she’d still need to pass some kind of exam.”  

Hospitals were different from other workplaces—they were places for saving lives.  

If you wanted to work there, you had to have real skills.  

But Chang Jia wasn’t worried. Lu Xiao had mentioned before that Su Tang studied medicine abroad.  

Her university was one of the top-ranked overseas—there was no way she lacked the qualifications.  

“Thanks, brother.”  

With this news, a rare smile appeared on Lu Xiao’s face.  

Even though Su Tang hadn’t brought up work lately, he sensed she still wanted a job.  

She was educated, worldly—coming to the remote northwest had already been a step down for her.  

Now, being cooped up at home with nothing to do? No way she was happy about that.  

Chang Jia waved off the thanks. He and Lu Xiao had been brothers for years.  

If Lu Xiao’s life was going well, he was happy for him.  

After training, Lu Xiao hurried home to share the news with Su Tang.  

She was in the middle of brewing coffee, and the rich aroma hit him as soon as he stepped inside.  

“You’re back?”  

Seeing Lu Xiao, Su Tang greeted him with a smile before turning back to the coffee.  

While organizing her things earlier, she’d discovered a bag of coffee beans in her suitcase.  

Since there was no coffee maker here, she’d improvised—grinding the beans with a mortar and pestle.  

It was a little coarse, but after filtering it through cheesecloth, it was passable.  

Boredom had driven her to try brewing a cup.  

The beans were incredibly pure—even better than what she’d had in the modern era.  

“Coffee. Want to try some?”  

Holding out an enamel mug, Su Tang offered it to Lu Xiao.  

The mix of East and West was almost comical, but she didn’t have proper coffee cups.  

If she’d brought those along, there’d have been no end to the gossip.  

Clutching his cap, Lu Xiao stepped forward and took it.  

“Smells good.”  

After a brief assessment, he took a sip—and nearly spat it out.  

Is this medicine?* It was so bitter.  

Watching his expression, Su Tang barely held back a laugh.  

“Too bitter? Probably needs more sugar. Here, let me add some.”  

She stirred in another spoonful of sugar.  

Lu Xiao frowned, reluctant to drink more, but under Su Tang’s expectant gaze, he forced himself to take another sip.  

It was better, but the bitterness lingered.  

“By the way, Chang Jia mentioned the hospital is short on nurses.”