Chapter 39: Happy Days with Big Brother

“Brother, how long can you stay this time?” Nan Qiao suddenly thought of the question, closed her book, and looked at Nan Zhou eagerly, waiting for his answer.

“I can probably stay for three to five days. I filed my leave report rather abruptly, and there are still tasks waiting when I get back, so I can’t stay too long.” This leave had taken a lot of back-and-forth with his superiors to get approved—he naturally couldn’t stay for too long.

“Are you going home afterward?”

“No, going home would just waste time on the road. Let’s see if Mom and Dad can come here during the New Year. We can spend it together here.” Nan Zhou thought for a moment. He couldn’t bear the idea of his sister spending the holidays here alone, not even for a single day.

“By the way, can you speak with foreigners fluently in their language?”

“Yes, why?” Nan Qiao blinked, confused by the sudden question.

“A comrade of mine is working in the town nearby. I might go see him in the next few days. Maybe there’s a chance to get you out of here.” Nan Zhou spoke thoughtfully. Small towns like this might not have many people who could speak foreign languages, but with the current foreign exchange tasks assigned to local governments, there might just be an opportunity for Nan Qiao.

“It’s alright, Brother. I’m doing fine here. If an opportunity does come, I can apply on my own. Let’s not owe too many favors—and with your position being sensitive right now, we still need to be cautious.”

“I understand. Just asking to see if there’s a chance.” Nan Zhou knew well that some things were sensitive and should be handled carefully—he would never cross that line.

“Mmhm.” Nan Qiao nodded.

“Big Brother, here—drink this. I made this sour plum juice myself.” She looked at him with anticipation, waiting for his reaction after he tasted it.

Nan Zhou took a sip, and a flash of surprise passed across his usually cold face.

“It’s delicious. The ones I’ve had before were always too sweet—this one is just right. Refreshing.”

“I’m glad you like it. I’ll make it for you every day,” Nan Qiao said, clearly pleased.

Just then, outside the yard, Sheng Yanchuan arrived and saw the two of them laughing and chatting. If he hadn’t known Nan Qiao’s older brother was coming, he would’ve been drowning in jealousy.

He had just returned to the village and heard a few village women gossiping about how a young man in military uniform had come back with Nan Zhiqing, looking very dashing and heroic.

The moment Sheng Yanchuan heard this, he knew Nan Qiao’s brother had arrived. He’d been fidgety at home ever since.

Finally guessing that Nan Qiao must be awake from her nap by now, he brought over half a watermelon.

But still, seeing Nan Qiao so relaxed and cheerful around another man—even if it was her brother—made Sheng Yanchuan feel a little sour. He only wished Nan Qiao would act that way only with him.

“Big Sister Nan Qiao! We brought you watermelon!” Tao Rong shouted from outside the gate.

Sheng Yanchuan snapped out of his thoughts and walked over to the entrance.

Nan Qiao looked toward the voice and was momentarily surprised before composing herself and introducing them to her brother, “This is Sheng Yanchuan, the second son of the family that owns this courtyard, and his little sister, Tao Rong.”

“Tao Rong, come in!” Nan Qiao stood up to greet them. Nan Zhou followed behind her, his sharp eyes sizing up Sheng Yanchuan.

“Big Sister, Mom asked us to bring this over. She said your brother is here, so we brought some watermelon to help cool off,” Tao Rong said as she tugged her brother along to place the watermelon on the table.

“Then be sure to thank Auntie Xiumei for me,” Nan Qiao replied, giving Sheng Yanchuan a meaningful look—clearly signaling him to stay quiet.

Sheng Yanchuan understood her gaze. This was his chance to make a good impression—there was no way he’d mess it up.

“Mom also told me to thank you for the sauce and jerky. It was really delicious!” Tao Rong added happily.

“As long as you liked it.”

While Nan Qiao chatted with Tao Rong, Sheng Yanchuan, feeling Nan Zhou’s intense stare, placed the watermelon on the table and stood up, saying, “Comrade Nan, we’ll leave you to chat. We won’t intrude any further.”

“Thanks for the watermelon,” Nan Zhou nodded politely.

Sheng Yanchuan had originally planned to stay and chat, maybe make a good impression. But Nan Zhou’s cold demeanor and the faint hint of hostility in his gaze made it clear they weren’t welcome.

So, feeling awkward, Sheng Yanchuan left with Tao Rong.

Still, he couldn’t help but sigh. No wonder this guy was a regimental commander—those eyes were seriously intimidating.

No matter how long he’d roamed the black market, keeping subordinates in line with just a glance, even he felt a little nervous under that stare.

Come to think of it, with Nan Qiao’s family all being upright and respectable, suddenly his identity as a black market “young master” felt… a bit inappropriate.

He wasn’t sure when—or how—he could freely conduct his business again…

“Do they come by often?” Nan Zhou asked after cutting the watermelon and bringing it out, sitting down.

“Now and then. They live next door. Auntie Xiumei sometimes looks after us.”

“Alright. Besides studying, one more thing—no dating in the village. Protect yourself.”

Nan Qiao guiltily picked up a slice of watermelon and took a bite, mumbling, “I know… Brother, try this—it’s really sweet.”

Nan Zhou also took a slice. It really was sweet. “There’s a lot of watermelon here?”

“I think Auntie Xiumei grows some. Occasionally the supply cooperative sells it, but not often.”

“Alright. If you want some, we’ll buy it ourselves. People in the village love to gossip—don’t give them anything to talk about.”

“I know, I know! Brother, how come I never realized you nag even more than Dad?”

“What, are you complaining now?” Nan Zhou gently tapped her forehead and chuckled.

“Of course not. Brother, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” Nan Qiao, for once, spoke with rare seriousness.

“As long as you know.” It wasn’t that Nan Zhou liked to nag—he just really couldn’t stop worrying about her.

The two of them spent the afternoon chatting idly in the courtyard. It wasn’t until Nan Zhou finished preparing dinner that Shen Nian returned.

The moment she stepped into the courtyard and saw Nan Zhou carrying dishes out, her steps faltered. She looked around at the familiar surroundings. This was her home, right?

Then who was…

“Hello, you must be Shen Nian. I’m Nan Qiao’s older brother, Nan Zhou.”

“Ah, hello Big Brother. I’m Shen Nian. I’ve heard Qiao Qiao say you were coming.”

“Go wash your hands and eat with us,” Nan Qiao called from inside the house.

“I… I don’t think I should. You and your brother should eat together. I don’t want to intrude,” Shen Nian politely declined. Her brother had come from far away—she didn’t want to be a third wheel.

Not to mention, the meal had been cooked by Nan Qiao’s big brother. She really felt too embarrassed to eat it.

“Come on. I can’t eat with you just watching me, can I?” Nan Qiao teased, amused by her hesitation.

“Alright then, since you insist so sincerely, thank you, Qiao Qiao and Brother Nan Zhou, for dinner!”

“In that case, let me contribute something.” Shen Nian pulled out a lunch box from her bundle and presented it to Nan Qiao like a prized offering.

“What’s this?” Nan Qiao took the box and asked.

“I saw the supply cooperative in town selling braised beef this afternoon, so I queued up and bought some. You have no idea how long that line was!”

“Let’s cut some, and you keep the rest for yourself,” Nan Qiao said, taking the box into the kitchen.

“No, just cut it all! What’s the point of saving it if we don’t eat it now?” Shen Nian trailed after her, protesting.

“We won’t finish it—there’s already a lot of food.”

“Alright then, we’ll save the rest for tomorrow.” Shen Nian glanced at the dishes on the table and admitted Nan Qiao had a point.

“Come on, sit down and eat,” Nan Zhou said, bringing out the dishes and calling to Shen Nian, who was still tailing behind Nan Qiao.

“Thank you, Brother Nan Zhou.”

“Just call me Big Brother like Qiao Qiao does.”

“Alright then, Big Brother. I also have an older brother at home—you remind me of him. You feel very familiar.”

Nan Zhou smiled lightly at that but didn’t say anything.

Nan Qiao came out of the kitchen and added, “Big Brother, Shen Nian is also from Hu City. Her dad even knows our dad.”

“Oh? Really? What a coincidence.”

Shen Nian nodded and said, “My dad works at the Hu City Bureau of Commerce. He met Uncle Nan once back when Hu City was running foreign exchange initiatives.”

“That is quite the coincidence. It’s rare that you two ended up here together.”

“Yes! That’s why I think it’s fate that I met Qiao Qiao!” Shen Nian said as she affectionately wrapped her arms around Nan Qiao’s arm and clung to her.

“That’s good. You two can look out for each other.”

“Don’t worry, Big Brother! I’ll take good care of Qiao Qiao!” Shen Nian raised three fingers beside her ear in a solemn little pledge.

Nan Zhou smiled slightly at the gesture, while Shen Nian’s heart skipped a beat. Oh my god… Nan Qiao’s brother is seriously good-looking!!!

“Come on, let’s eat.”

After the meal, the three of them chatted in the courtyard for a while before heading back to their rooms to rest.

Nan Qiao hadn’t done much all day. She ended up binge-watching a drama in her space late into the night and didn’t go to sleep until it was well past midnight. Early the next morning, yawning, she came out of her room and saw her brother already exercising in the courtyard.

“Brother, do you never sleep? Why are you up so early?”

“I do this every day. I’m used to it. I already fetched water for you—go wash up. I’ll go to the fields with you later.”

“You should just stay home or go explore a bit. You rarely get a break, and you’re still doing chores? When we see the village chief later, I’ll ask for a few days off so I can take you around.”

“Mm, good idea. I’ll also head to town soon to see my old comrade. If you’re free, come along.”

“Sure!”

After washing up, Nan Qiao saw Shen Nian come out of her room too. After the three of them had breakfast, they headed to the fields.

Nan Qiao originally wanted her brother to rest, but Nan Zhou was adamant about helping, so she didn’t push it.

“Brother, seriously, just do a little. I don’t need to work so hard for some measly rations—we don’t need to go all out!”

“I know. Out of everyone in the family, I bet your little vault is the fullest.” Nan Zhou whispered teasingly, making sure Shen Nian didn’t hear.

“Oh please, it’s just average. If it weren’t for help from Mom, Dad, you, and Second Brother, I wouldn’t have much!” Nan Qiao beamed with a grin.

“You little rascal…” Seeing her being cheeky, Nan Zhou couldn’t even muster a temper.

“Comrade Nan, is this your relative?” a woman they passed on the road asked.

“Yes, this is my older brother. He came to visit me,” Nan Qiao answered cheerfully. She recognized this auntie—her surname was Wang, and she got along well with Auntie Xiumei. She lived just next door to her.

“Ah, I thought so! You two look alike—both very good-looking.”

“Brother, this is Aunt Zhao, Auntie Xiumei’s neighbor,” Nan Qiao introduced.

“Hello, Aunt Zhao. I’m Nan Qiao’s older brother, Nan Zhou.”

“Oh, oh! Nice to meet you! I heard someone say yesterday a man in military uniform had come. You’re from the army?”

“Yes, I’ve been in the army for a few years. I hadn’t heard from Nan Qiao since she came to the countryside, so I came to check in.”

“No worries, everyone in our village is nice—not like some riffraff from other villages. She’s safe here.” Aunt Zhao reassured him warmly.

“Indeed, the local customs here are pretty good.”

“Exactly! Our village is one of the more prosperous ones in the area. We may not be eating extravagantly, but we definitely don’t go hungry.”

Nan Zhou nodded and smiled slightly without saying more.

Just as they reached the fields, they ran into Dong Jiayan, Wang Yuman, and Su Mu.

Nan Qiao wasn’t planning on engaging, but Dong Jiayan clearly wasn’t planning to let her go.

“Nan Qiao, is this your brother?” Dong Jiayan stepped forward, blocking the way.

Nan Qiao frowned slightly. “What do you want?”

“Nothing really. Just thought that since your brother’s here—and we’re classmates—it’s only polite to say hi.”

“You’ve already seen him. Why even ask? It’s not like this is your first time.” Nan Qiao’s tone was irritated. She was really sick of these girls with their constant passive-aggressive remarks—every word full of petty schemes.

“Hello, Big Brother. I’m Dong Jiayan.”

“Big Brother, I’m Wang Yuman. Do you remember me? We met once before,” Wang Yuman said with shining eyes.

“Hello,” Nan Zhou nodded in greeting. He did recognize them—he used to pick up Nan Qiao from school during past leaves, so he’d seen these girls before.

But hadn’t Qiao Qiao told him she wasn’t friends with them anymore? What was going on now?

After Nan Zhou politely greeted them, Nan Qiao quickly pulled him away, not giving them a chance to cause trouble.

She could understand Dong Jiayan’s behavior, but Wang Yuman’s reaction was harder to read.

In the past, no matter what nonsense Qin Fang or Dong Jiayan stirred up, Wang Yuman always stood quietly in the background, detached and observing. This was the first time she had taken the initiative to step forward.

Nan Qiao’s eyes drifted to Nan Zhou, giving him a once-over…

Hmm… understandable.

But since when? They’d hardly even met.

Could it be… love at first sight??

Click click click… Nan Qiao sized her brother up again, quietly marveling in her mind.

Nan Zhou shivered under her stare. “What’s with that look?”

“Oh, nothing… Just marveling at my brother’s overwhelming charm.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Nan Zhou flicked her forehead.

“But seriously, I remember you used to be on good terms with them. What changed?”

“They’re not good people. One’s manipulative, one’s dumb, and the other just watches from the sidelines. Honestly, I wasn’t smart enough back then to see through them.”

Hearing that, Nan Zhou didn’t need to ask anymore. He understood clearly.

“But that guy earlier—is that the one you mentioned?”

Nan Qiao nodded awkwardly. “Yeah… His name is Su Mu. But let’s not bring that up anymore… I regret my stupidity.”

“As long as you regret it.” Nan Zhou already didn’t like the guy—too soft and weak. How would he protect his sister? Even the guy who brought watermelon yesterday was better…

Ugh, no! What am I even thinking? That one isn’t okay either… Nan Zhou spiraled into his own overprotective thoughts again.