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An Huan was awakened by the morning bugle.
The sky still seemed dim…
Half-asleep, she reached out beside her, but only felt her son.
Xiao Zheng had gotten up even earlier than the bugle.
“You’re awake?” Xiao Zheng walked in and stood by the bed, looking down at her.
An Huan mumbled, “You’re up so early…”
Her head was full of large, permed curls, and now she was nestled under the quilt with only her messy hair peeking out.
In the past, Xiao Zheng had always thought An Huan’s permed hair reeked of bourgeois style—an eyesore. But now, somehow… he found it a little—cute?
Before he could stop himself, he said, “Sleep a bit longer.”
The moment the words left his mouth, An Huan had already fallen back asleep.
He let out a quiet laugh, the hard lines of his face softening slightly.
By the time An Huan woke again, it was fully bright outside. She could hear voices beyond the room, though she couldn’t make out the words.
She stretched lazily, then got up and dressed.
Xiao Zheng entered carrying a stack of lunchboxes. Dongdong followed obediently behind, and when he saw his mother, he eagerly reported, “Mom, I went to buy buns with Dad!”
An Huan praised him with a smile and turned to Xiao Zheng. “Who were you talking to outside just now?”
Xiao Zheng replied, “It was Sister-in-law Hongying’s younger sister from next door. She said she made red date millet porridge this morning and asked if we wanted a bowl each. I told her I already got congee from the canteen, so no need.”
An Huan nodded. That’s just how neighbors were in times like these—always sharing things with one another.
She went out to the water trough in the Courtyard to wash up. After coming back in and finishing her buns, she noticed that Xiao Zheng wasn’t in a rush to leave for work, so she took the chance to bring up something serious.
“I have a few ideas about fixing up the house that I wanted to discuss with you.”
Xiao Zheng was scrubbing the lunchboxes. “Go ahead.”
An Huan organized her thoughts before speaking. “First, the Courtyard ground is all dirt. It’s fine when it’s dry, but once it rains, it’ll definitely turn into a muddy mess. So I want to pave a path.”
Xiao Zheng nodded. “You’re right. Other households have already done it. The Division Commander’s family got their stone slabs from a stone processing plant in the neighboring county. I’ll write an introduction letter so we can go buy some too.”
An Huan agreed, then added, “The second thing is, I want to dig a cellar in the backyard. It’ll be useful for storing vegetables and such during the winter.”
The main purpose for the cellar, though, was to provide a cover for using her Space. By routinely storing items in the cellar, she could sneak some of the resources from her Space in with everything else.
Xiao Zheng nodded without questioning it. “Sure. When the time comes, I’ll ask the soldiers from the engineer battalion to lend a hand.”
“The third thing is the most important!” An Huan looked at Xiao Zheng seriously. “We need to renovate our toilet so it can flush.”
Even in this era, flush toilets existed—Grandfather An’s house had one.
An Huan didn’t want to be too ostentatious; a basic squat toilet with a flush system would suffice.
Xiao Zheng thought for a moment. “Unlike the city, we don’t have a proper sewage system here. Even a flush toilet would still need a cesspit.”
An Huan said, “Once it’s covered, you won’t see it. It’s still better than a dry latrine… I’ll draw up a design for you to take a look at later.”
Xiao Zheng hesitated.
An Huan blinked. “What’s wrong? You think I’m being fussy?”
Xiao Zheng was blunt as always. “You are being fussy. The grain and vegetables you eat are all fertilized with manure—what’s there to be squeamish about?”
An Huan couldn’t be bothered to argue with him at length. She simply acted coy and said, “Well, I just want to renovate the toilet. Do you agree or not?”
Faced with his wife’s coy and hopeful expression, Xiao Zheng felt a tingling numbness creep over his scalp.
Forget it—so what if she was being a little fussy? She’d followed him all this way to join the army garrison; she deserved to be a little particular.
“Alright. Draw up the plans, and make a list of the materials you’ll need. I’ll figure out how to get them.”
An Huan beamed, cupped his head in her hands, rose on tiptoe, and planted a kiss on his right cheek.
“Thank you. You’re the best.”
Even after stepping out of the house, Xiao Zheng’s steps felt unsteady, and his mind was still in a haze.
He reached up and touched the cheek she had kissed, then suddenly let out a smile.
Yu Baoshan and Ling Hansong walked over and, upon seeing his expression, exchanged a horrified glance.
Ling Hansong clapped him on the shoulder. “Brother, are you possessed or something?”
Xiao Zheng snapped back to his senses, quickly wiping the smile from his face.
Ling Hansong squinted at him, grinning mischievously. “I get that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but take it easy, man. You’re walking like your legs have gone soft.”
Xiao Zheng replied, “Soft my ass. I’m as strong as ever.”
Yu Baoshan gave Xiao Zheng a probing look. “So your wife’s staying this time, huh?”
Xiao Zheng nodded. “Yeah, she’s not leaving. Oh right—Political Commissar, that divorce report I submitted before doesn’t count anymore. I’ll get it back later.”
Yu Baoshan couldn’t hide his disappointment. He mulled it over, then said, “You wouldn’t give me a straight answer before, so tell me now—what exactly made your wife want a divorce? And why the change of heart now? You’d better figure it out thoroughly. Don’t let her flip-flop again in a few days. You’re the Deputy Division Commander of our unit. You’ve got a lot on your shoulders, and you can’t let family matters drag you down.”
A wife cheating on you was never something honorable, and Xiao Zheng wasn’t the kind to go around airing dirty laundry—especially not now. He definitely wasn’t going to bring up old wounds.
He replied, “It was all because we were living apart. That kind of distance causes tension. Now that she’s come to be stationed with me, those issues won’t exist anymore. Don’t worry, Commissar. The two of us will work together and live a good life.”
Yu Baoshan had no choice but to say, “Then I’ll offer my congratulations.”
Ling Hansong looked at Xiao Zheng sourly. “Back when your wife wasn’t here, at least I had you—another lonely guy—to keep me company. Now that she’s here, I’m back to being all alone.”
Xiao Zheng snorted. “That’s what you get for being too picky—turned yourself into an old bachelor.”
Ling Hansong was the same age as Xiao Zheng. He’d had some schooling and wanted to find a girl who was both educated and beautiful. But educated girls weren’t always pretty, and those who were both pretty and educated often didn’t see eye to eye with him. After years of failed matchmaking, he was still unmarried at thirty.
So, yes—he was absolutely jealous of Xiao Zheng’s dumb luck!
He didn’t think he was any worse than Xiao Zheng—if anything, he probably knew a few more characters than Xiao Zheng did!
Yu Baoshan gave a cold snort, then jabbed a finger at Ling Hansong and scolded him: “That kind of thinking you’ve got needs correcting. When you’re picking a wife, you should look for someone hardworking and virtuous—a proper working woman. The ones who are pretty and cultured? That’s petty bourgeois behavior! Marry one of them and she’ll make a fuss all day and drag you down sooner or later.”
Xiao Zheng’s brow twitched slightly—those words didn’t sound like they were meant for Ling Hansong alone.
Ling Hansong grinned cheekily. “You’re absolutely right, Commissar. From now on, I’ll only look for a diligent and virtuous working woman!”
Yu Baoshan finally nodded in satisfaction.
Once they reached the division headquarters building, the three split up—Yu Baoshan headed off toward the political department.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Ling Hansong leaned toward Xiao Zheng and said, “Ask Sister-in-law to introduce someone to me, would you? One of her classmates or relatives, whoever. I’m really in a hurry to solve my personal problems!”
Xiao Zheng gave him a sympathetic glance.
His own kid was almost ready for kindergarten, and Ling Hansong was still single as a stick—yeah, that was rough.
“Alright, I’ll mention it to her.”