Chapter 17: Pretty Capable

Ge Hongying watched as Wen Xueman walked out of An Huan’s house, a flicker of displeasure crossing her face.

Birds of a feather flock together—those pampered daughters of the bourgeoisie always stuck together.

“Elder Sister.” Ge Hongxia came up, linking arms with her sister and patting her chest in exaggerated relief. “I heard from Old Madam Wang today that Brother Xiao… Deputy Division Commander Xiao really did hit his wife! Thank goodness I didn’t marry him!”

Ge Hongying was stunned. “What?”

Ge Hongxia repeated what she’d heard, mimicking the tone: “…That day at the bathhouse, I even saw An Huan, but I didn’t get close. Didn’t see the slap mark on her face, though.”

Ge Hongying was skeptical. She and Yu Baoshan had known Xiao Zheng for years. While he could be a bit overbearing, he didn’t seem like the type to hit a woman.

She pondered for a while before concluding, “The problem must be with An Huan! Just look at her the other day—nearly set the whole house on fire just trying to cook. And she always acts like some pampered socialite. Plus…” She gave a strange little chuckle.

Ge Hongxia asked, “Plus what?”

Ge Hongying usually prided herself on not stooping to gossip like a typical housewife, but faced with her own sister, she relaxed her standards.

“Back when we were in the provincial military academy, there were already rumors about An Huan. They said she never wanted to marry Xiao Zheng. Apparently, she was in love with someone else. When that man married another woman, she married Xiao Zheng out of spite.”

“What?!”

Ge Hongxia’s shock spurred Ge Hongying to continue, eager now to spill it all. “After they married, An Huan ran back to her parents’ house every couple of days. She didn’t even stay the night sometimes. Who knows where she really was? Xiao Zheng’s been stationed with the Independent Division for four years, and she’s never visited once!”

Ge Hongxia’s mouth hung open. “You mean… she’s been having an affair?”

Ge Hongying leaned in conspiratorially. “Just look at their son, Dongdong. Does he look anything like Xiao Zheng?”

Ge Hongxia hadn’t paid much attention to the child before. Trying to recall, she murmured, “He… kind of doesn’t.”

Ge Hongying gave a cold, mocking smile. “That’s what I’m saying. Xiao Zheng marrying a woman like her—he must’ve been blind. If he’d married you instead, imagine how good life would be. You’re sweet and hardworking.”

“Stop, Sis…” Ge Hongxia lowered her head. Ever since she heard Xiao Zheng hit his wife, any feelings she had for him had vanished.

Ge Hongying understood her sister’s unspoken thoughts. “Alright, alright, let’s not talk about him. Let’s talk about you. I’ll get your brother-in-law to invite Director Ling over for dinner sometime. You can get a good look at him then.”

Ge Hongxia’s face turned crimson. “Isn’t that a bit forward…?”

Ge Hongying playfully tapped her forehead. “Silly girl. Of course I’m not going to blatantly say it’s a setup. I’ve already got the perfect excuse. Since An Huan just arrived, we’ll say we’re hosting a welcome dinner for Deputy Division Commander Xiao’s family. We’ll invite a few senior officers and their wives. No one will suspect a thing.”

Only then did Ge Hongxia feel reassured.

“When the time comes, make a proper spread, show off your homemaking skills. I guarantee he’ll come knocking on his own.”

Ge Hongxia’s cheeks flushed deeper. “Sis…”

Ge Hongying looked at her sister with satisfaction. Her little sister was wonderful in every way. No way she wouldn’t land a good man.

—-

The next day, while working on the road, Xiao Zheng had someone trailing behind him.

“This is Ling Hansong. He’s here to help,” Xiao Zheng introduced, sounding less than thrilled.

He had originally planned to build the path by himself—a perfect chance to show off his capabilities to An Huan. But Ling Hansong, the nosy old goat, insisted on butting in. What help could he possibly be?

Unaware of Xiao Zheng’s inner grumbling, Ling Hansong cheerily greeted An Huan. “Sister-in-law, hello! We met twice before in the provincial capital, though I doubt you remember me.”

He was right. Not even a byte of memory was allocated to him in her brain. But An Huan would never let that show. She smiled politely. “Of course I remember. My husband often mentions you at home.”

Xiao Zheng’s eyebrow arched slightly—my husband? That sounded damn good!

Ling Hansong chuckled. “Really? What does Old Xiao say about me? Something about matchmaking, maybe?”

Bingo. The real reason Ling Hansong came today was to push the matchmaking along.

Xiao Zheng had been dragging his feet—days had passed without even a word. So, Ling Hansong decided to investigate in person.

“I haven’t brought it up with her yet,” Xiao Zheng said.

Ling Hansong gave an exaggerated look of realization.

An Huan smiled. “Oh? You want me to help set you up with someone?”

Ling Hansong grinned. “Exactly! I’m just two months younger than Old Xiao. He’s already got a son fetching soy sauce, and I’m still a bachelor. Sister-in-law, have some pity on me, won’t you?”

An Huan asked, “What are your criteria, then?”

Ling Hansong replied quickly, “None at all, really! Someone like you would be ideal—pretty, capable, someone I can talk to.”

Xiao Zheng scoffed. “How many women out there are like my wife? You’ll be searching forever.”

“Listen to this guy, boasting like a melon vendor.” An Huan gave him a playful glare before turning back to Ling Hansong. “But seriously, matchmaking isn’t something you can rush. I’ll keep an eye out, but I can’t promise anything.”

As she spoke, she gave Ling Hansong a once-over. He stood around 175 centimeters, fair-skinned, with delicate, almost feminine features. In a future era, he might be considered a pretty boy. But for this time period, he didn’t exactly fit the prevailing aesthetic.

She’d have to ask Xiao Zheng for more details about his background later.

Since Ling Hansong was helping out, he’d be staying for dinner, of course. Seeing that there weren’t many ingredients at home, An Huan quietly took out two racks of pork ribs and a slab of pork belly from her hidden stash.

Only after settling into this era’s rhythm did she realize just how scarce supplies were. Even with money, essential goods—like meat, fabric, and other fresh produce—were hard to come by. And even if you found them, you’d need ration coupons. Monthly quotas were fixed, and if you wanted more, you’d have to barter or trade for extra coupons.

That space she had turned out to be more useful than she’d imagined.

An Huan decided to make sweet and sour ribs and braised lion’s head meatballs. She also sent Dongdong to the neighbors to exchange a few eggs for fresh vegetables.

Dongdong returned with a few zucchinis and tomatoes. The eggs, however, were still in his hands.

“The lady said the veggies weren’t worth much—no need to trade for them,” he explained.

An Huan asked which neighbor it was, memorized the name, and made a mental note to return the kindness another time.

As the sun dipped low, dinner was ready, and the road was complete.

At her request, Xiao Zheng had bought a batch of irregularly shaped stone scraps. When laid out, they formed a winding path through the Courtyard, full of rustic charm.

The path in the backyard was more orderly, dividing the space into three main sections—one for the new toilet, one for a shed to store miscellaneous items, and the last for digging a cellar.

But An Huan wasn’t paying attention to the path at the moment. Her eyes were on Xiao Zheng, shirtless.

His deltoids were prominent, lending his entire upper body a powerful, rugged silhouette. His chest was defined, abs clearly outlined in eight distinct blocks, taut and firm, without an ounce of extra fat. His military trousers clung tightly to his hips, the belt cinched snugly, a dark, tapered line drawing down from his waist…

Old scars traced across his torso, adding a raw, masculine edge to his overall bearing.

At night, even when he bathed in the Courtyard, he always kept on a vest—and with his dark complexion, there was never much to see.

So this was the first time An Huan had seen him like this.

How to describe it?

He looked… capable.

“Wife, what do you think? I did most of the work. Ling Hansong just helped a bit. Not bad, right?” Xiao Zheng spoke nonchalantly, but his eyes were fixed on her face, trying to gauge her satisfaction.

…If you’re so capable, why don’t you do something instead of just talking?

An Huan shot him a look, gave a snort, and turned toward the house.

“Dinner’s ready!”

Xiao Zheng stood there, baffled. What did I do wrong now?