Chapter 24: Big Cities Are Still the Best

Rong Jingchen looked up at Ye Muqi, who was standing at the doorway of the second bedroom.

Suddenly, he couldn’t help but think—maybe he should’ve come back a day earlier. That way, he could’ve taken Ye Muqi around to get familiar with the area. After all, she had just arrived and didn’t know anything about the surroundings.

But he had to report to the military district tomorrow and wouldn’t have time to accompany her.

“Will you be back for dinner tonight?” Ye Muqi asked.

“Yes,” Rong Jingchen nodded. “As long as I’m free, I’ll come back.”

In the past, even when he had free time, he usually stayed in the dormitory.

But now that he had brought Ye Muqi here, he figured he should come home more often to keep her company. He couldn’t just leave her alone in the house all the time.

“Alright, I’ll make dinner for you then.” Ye Muqi yawned. “I’m going to bed. Good night.”

“…Good night.”

Then Rong Jingchen watched his little wife walk into the room and close the door behind her.

Honestly, he had finally made up his mind to live like a proper married couple with her. But now, she didn’t even want to share a room with him—he couldn’t help but feel just a little upset about it!

…

The next morning, when Ye Muqi woke up, Rong Jingchen was already gone—who knew how long ago he’d left.

Ye Muqi didn’t mind. After freshening up, she grabbed something quick from her supermarket space and got ready to head out.

They had arrived too late yesterday, and since she came by car, all she could do was look outside the window. But it was already dark, and she hadn’t seen much. Now that she was new here, she definitely needed to go out and explore the neighborhood. She didn’t even know where the front gate of the residential compound was.

Ye Muqi picked up the key—obviously left for her by Rong Jingchen—and went out. Just as she stepped downstairs, she ran into someone.

Two women, who appeared to be military wives and slightly older than her, were walking together with baskets in hand filled with fresh green vegetables, white radishes, and a bit of meat—clearly just came back from grocery shopping.

They were walking shoulder to shoulder, chatting and laughing. When they saw Ye Muqi, they were stunned, their faces full of surprise.

In the military family compound, everyone sees each other daily—especially people living in the same building.

“You must be new here. Which family are you from?” One of them, a woman with her hair in a bun, immediately greeted Ye Muqi warmly.

Since everyone in the compound was a family member of someone in the military, asking “which family” wasn’t unusual.

“She’s really pretty. Which lucky guy snagged such a beautiful wife?” the other said with a cheerful smile.

They both looked at Ye Muqi, who was delicate and stunning, and their eyes showed genuine envy.

“Rong Jingchen’s family,” Ye Muqi replied with a smile. Since they all lived here, they’d find out sooner or later anyway—no need to hide it.

“Comrade Rong’s wife? But I heard…” The bun-haired woman looked surprised, then suddenly stopped mid-sentence and covered her mouth.

Ye Muqi thought of what Yin Daquan had said in the car last night. It seemed the gossip about Rong Jingchen marrying an ugly wife had spread throughout the military district—even the spouses knew.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s all those people talking nonsense,” the woman quickly apologized, realizing her reaction wasn’t appropriate.

“It’s fine,” Ye Muqi said, truly not bothered, and waved it off.

She glanced at the fresh vegetables in their baskets, wondering if they were grown and sold locally or bought at a market.

“Can I ask where you bought your vegetables?” she asked.

“You’re new, right? Not familiar with the area?” The bun-haired woman eagerly pointed outside the gate. “Go out and turn left, walk about ten meters, then turn right. There’s a small makeshift shop there. In the morning, they sell vegetables at the entrance. Inside, they also have rice, flour, oil—everything you might need. If your household needs anything, you can just go there.”

“The family compound is quite far from the city. Going to town is a hassle, so most of us don’t go often. Luckily, that little shop opened up—makes life a bit easier,” the other woman added.

Ye Muqi nodded. It had taken over an hour to drive here from the train station yesterday—definitely not convenient if they had to go into town just to shop.

The bun-haired woman was genuinely friendly. They chatted for quite a while before she suddenly remembered she had to go clean her house and let Ye Muqi go.

After saying goodbye, Ye Muqi walked to the shop they mentioned.

It was a two-story house with a vegetable garden in the back. From the look of it, the shop owner lived there.

“You must be new here,” the shopkeeper—a middle-aged man—said as he saw Ye Muqi’s unfamiliar face.

Though he hadn’t heard anything about anyone recently getting married in the compound…

He walked over with a smile, limping a bit.

“Don’t be scared, miss. I got injured in the war. That’s why I retired and started this small business to get by,” the man explained when he noticed her delicate appearance, afraid she’d be startled.

A wounded veteran?

“I’m not scared. You’re a hero,” Ye Muqi said, her admiration for soldiers deeply rooted.

“Not at all, not at all,” the man smiled warmly. “What can I get for you, miss? Not much left today. If you can wait, I can pick some fresh veggies from the garden.”

Ye Muqi glanced at the shelves—just simple wooden racks with baskets of produce. Most of the fresh vegetables were nearly sold out. On the bottom shelf were items that stored longer: garlic, ginger, and dried chilies.

Vegetables were just part of the shop—the inside was a small convenience store that catered to the compound’s needs.

Ye Muqi bought some rice and left.

When she got far enough away and no one was around, she stored it all in her space, then continued walking toward the city.

There were too few people living in the compound. Opening a store here wouldn’t be ideal.

There was already someone selling vegetables, and as for opening a restaurant—most families would probably prefer to cook at home. It would be hard to keep a business going.

“No wonder that lady said going to town is inconvenient…” Ye Muqi wiped the sweat from her forehead, slightly out of breath.

She had already walked quite a distance—so far that the military compound was nowhere in sight—and still hadn’t managed to catch a ride.

After resting a bit, she continued walking until she finally got on a vehicle.

…

Beijing City—now this was a big city, a world apart from Bada Town.

As Ye Muqi walked along the street, watching the bustling crowds, many of them stylish and well-dressed, and seeing all the open stores, she felt the lively atmosphere.

“Big cities really are the best,” she sighed in awe.

So many people, so many shops, and none of that harsh competition from her previous life—wasn’t this basically a goldmine?

She thought of the money she had stashed away in her space. The original host had always had a generous allowance. Later, when she started learning to cook—even though she wasn’t very good—she still earned a salary.

Before coming to Beijing, her parents had given her extra money. Ye Zhengfeng even handed over all the money Rong Jingchen had sent since they registered their marriage.

With the money she had now, opening a small shop shouldn’t be a problem…

Right?