Leaving the Hospital 

Reluctantly, she followed the woman for a while until they reached the door of an old house. 

It was in a dark alley again, and the door was decorated with door gods, giving off an eerie vibe. 

It was now clear that this wasn’t a bookstore or any kind of shop. But the older woman didn’t seem worried that she might run away, not caring where she stood. 

The woman set down the cart, knocked on the door, and said a few words Lin Miaoyin couldn’t understand. There was a noise from inside as the door opened. 

Lin Miaoyin nervously clenched her fists, holding her breath, staying a little farther back, ready to run at any moment. 

The person who opened the door was another older woman, also wearing a headscarf. She poked her head out cautiously and waved her hand, “Come in.” 

The first woman in the green headscarf turned back and saw her standing so far away, slapped her thigh and said, “Come over here!” 

“Where is this? What’s going on?” Lin Miaoyin hesitated to step forward. 

“Aren’t you here to buy cloth?” the woman asked. 

What? Buy cloth? Didn’t she say books? Lin Miaoyin was stunned. 

But she did want to buy cloth, just not with the cloth tickets, and private production of cloth was difficult. There was very little on the black market, so it was hard to find. 

She stepped forward and asked, “I said I wanted to buy books, are you selling cloth?” 

The woman with the red headscarf gave her a disdainful look. “Look at your outfit, you look like you’ve just come from the mountains. How would I know if you really want to buy books? Buying books is our code. I thought you were someone who was sent to us.” 

Now it made sense to Lin Miaoyin. She had accidentally stumbled into the county’s black market. 

“I do want to buy cloth, how much is it? If it’s not too expensive, I’ll buy some.” 

“It’s not expensive, not expensive. Come in and pick some,” the woman with the green headscarf invited her inside. 

Once inside, the woman closed the door and led her further in, through a courtyard, into a large room in the back. There were sewing machines and piles of cloth. 

“It’s over there, choose for yourself. One piece of cloth is enough for a full outfit. It’s three yuan per piece, all pure cotton.” 

Nowadays, an ordinary teacher made only thirty or so yuan a month, so three yuan per piece wasn’t cheaper than outside, but at least there were no cloth tickets needed. 

Lin Miaoyin walked over to examine the cloth, marveling at how honest the people in this era were. The fabric was pure cotton, good quality, but the colors were dull—only black, white, gray, blue, and green. Other colors were hard to sell. 

But she couldn’t make clothes herself. She could use a sewing machine, but sewing by hand, she figured she’d probably end up poking herself too many times to even manage. 

She looked around again, her gaze landing on the sewing machine. She asked, “Do you sell ready-made clothes?” 

“We do, but they have to be pre-ordered. You need to pay a deposit before we make them.” 

“Do you design the styles, or do the customers decide?” 

“We design them. There are only common styles, we can’t make others. Are you buying fabric or clothes? I’d suggest buying clothes. They cost just one yuan more than the fabric, but you save a lot of time. If you take the fabric home, without a sewing machine, you’ll be hand-sewing for ten to fifteen days before you finish. Plus, you’ll need to know how to cut it. The clothes made with a sewing machine will last longer.” The older woman picked up a finished garment and shook it open to show Lin Miaoyin. 

“Look at how neat and dense the stitching is. We even ironed it for you.” 

Though most people still wore black, blue, and green in those days, cities had started to embrace newer clothing styles. 

The most famous were the clothes made from Dacron, which were durable and came in many patterns. 

Girls in smaller towns could only get a dress or red blazer for their wedding if their families had the means and help from relatives. 

But Dacron, being a synthetic fabric, couldn’t match the softness and comfort of cotton. 

“Don’t you sell Dacron fabric?” Lin Miaoyin asked. 

“We can’t make those styles, and if we use it for plain styles, no one’s interested,” one of the women said. 

Lin Miaoyin thought for a moment and came up with an idea. “If I provide the designs, can you make them?” 

“You can design?” The older woman was skeptical. “Don’t joke around, girl.” 

“I’m not joking. I have a cousin who’s a college student and lives in a big city. She sends me clothes every year, all the latest styles. If we can make them ourselves, they would definitely sell well.” 

Lin Miaoyin smiled lightly. “If you don’t believe me, I can sketch the patterns right now, and you can take a look.” 

The two women exchanged glances and led her to the cutting table, where they gave her a piece of black cloth and some chalk. 

The chalk was like a thin circular piece, similar to a piece of sidewalk chalk, used for marking on fabric. 

Lin Miaoyin quickly sketched out a V-neck puff-sleeve, waist-cinching dress. 

Even in the twenty-first century, this style remained timeless. 

“You must have seen some women wearing dresses like this. They’ve been popular in big cities for a long time, but they haven’t made it here yet. They’re expensive and only sold in department stores. It’s not that people here don’t want them—they just can’t find them. There’s no rule saying we can’t wear dresses like this. Women in big cities wear them all the time.” 

Lin Miaoyin then sketched another dress design. 

She had seen many fashion magazines in her previous life and often bought clothes, so designing patterns came naturally to her. 

The two women were both amazed. They had tried to make new styles before, but it was difficult to create patterns since they couldn’t draw, and imagining them wasn’t enough to make satisfactory clothes. 

“Girl, would you be willing to help us design? We can pay for it.” 

Lin Miaoyin smiled. “I won’t sell them.” 

“Won’t sell?” 

“I want to join you. I’ll provide the designs, and I want a share of the profits.” 

The two women hesitated, their minds in a bit of a muddle. 

Lin Miaoyin wasn’t in a rush. She waited patiently and said casually, “It’s fine if you don’t agree. I’m sure there’s more than one place making clothes. I’ll try somewhere else.” 

“No, no, don’t rush,” one of the women said with a wrinkled smile. “Let us talk to the others for a few days. The fabric and clothes aren’t just handled by us two.” 

Lin Miaoyin knew they were likely part of a black market system, which might be connected to many industries. 

The authorities set limits on the amount of food, meat, and fabric people in cities could receive each month, but it was clear that these limits were not enough to sustain a decent living, especially for those with better-paying jobs who struggled to buy goods. The gaps in the system were filled by the black market. 

She wasn’t aiming to make a quick deal but wanted to use this opportunity to get inside. After all, it wouldn’t be long before the national market opened up. Once reforms kicked in, everyone would want a slice of the pie, and the people from the black market would undoubtedly be the first to seize the opportunity. 

“Then, I’ll order two pieces of clothing from you. I’ll come pick them up in a few days, and you can give me your answer by then,” she said. 

“Okay, okay,” both sides were satisfied. 

Lin Miaoyin chose a blue and a gray fabric, then, remembering Meng Yuanzheng’s height and weight, wrote down the sizes and paid a deposit. 

The older woman gave her a piece of paper with an address on it. 

As the woman was about to see her out, Lin Miaoyin asked, “I still want to buy a few other things. Do you know where I can get them?” 

Since she had already paid the deposit, the woman didn’t suspect anything and gave her directions. 

After thanking her, Lin Miaoyin followed the route and arrived at a rundown street, which was also very concealed, with everyone keeping to themselves. 

She walked around, exchanged some ration tickets for ten pounds of meat, and bought a lot of dried dates, melon seeds, and other snacks. As she walked, she spotted a person squatting in a corner with a lot of old books in front of them. 

Since she needed to buy books, she thought she might as well see if they had anything she needed. 

To her surprise, the books were actually quite useful for the college entrance exam—things like a Xinhua Dictionary, geometry materials, and so on—and they were pretty cheap too. There were also some novels, mainly by Jin Yong and Gu Long. She bought three of them, plus two study-related books, all for just a few cents. 

After leaving the black market, she asked where the proper bookstore was. However, when she arrived at the bookstore, she didn’t find what she wanted, so she ended up buying some pens and notebooks. Feeling satisfied with her haul, she returned to the hospital. 

After staying in the hospital for a few days, Lin Miaoyin was about to go home tomorrow. It was inconvenient to bathe and do laundry here, and she felt like she was starting to smell. 

When she entered the ward, she saw that there were many people gathered—patients from nearby rooms, as well as doctors and nurses. They had seen today’s newspaper and knew that the hero was nearby, so they all came to see what he looked like. 

“He’s so handsome! Look, look, he just looked at me!” said a patient’s family member who was dressed like a student. 

The girl next to her said, “He looked at me too. But it seems like he’s married. His wife isn’t here today. I saw her yesterday when I first came, and she looked so plain and dressed so poorly.” 

Lin Miaoyin, who was stuck at the back and couldn’t get through, thought to herself: Hmph, Tch! 

What do you mean she looked plain? You’re just jealous because my man is good-looking! 

“Hey, excuse me, excuse me, thank you,” she raised her voice. 

The two girls turned around, and at first, they didn’t recognize her. “What are you pushing for?” 

“My husband’s in the ward. Do you think I should go in? I haven’t even asked you why you’re blocking the door!” Lin Miaoyin huffed. 

When the two girls realized that this was the woman they had been talking about. Their faces turned pale as they awkwardly moved aside and quickly left in embarrassment. 

Lin Miaoyin squeezed her way in. When Old Zhu saw her, he happily said, “Miaoyin, you’re back! Come look, you’re in the newspaper!” 

Lin Miaoyin leaned over and saw that half a page of the second section was dedicated to reporting the landslide incident. 

It praised Meng Yuanzheng for saving dozens of people on his own and mentioned that he broke his leg while rescuing others. When the reporter asked why he rushed into the mine despite knowing the danger, he answered with a look of reverence and determination, “Comrade Lei Feng once said, ‘A person’s life is limited, but serving the people is limitless. I want to dedicate my limited life to the limitless cause of serving the people.’” 

The article ended with a passionate call for everyone to learn from Comrade Meng Yuanzheng’s selfless spirit. 

As for Lin Miaoyin and Zhu Wanqin being the first to notice the landslide risk, it was briefly mentioned with just a mention of their names. This was only included because Meng Yuanzheng didn’t want to take all the credit. 

In short, they were just supporting characters. 

Lin Miaoyin chuckled. Since when did Meng Yuanzheng start quoting Lei Feng? Looks like the hero complex runs deep around here. 

In the middle of the article, there was a photo. The photo, taken by a reporter during an interview, showed Meng Yuanzheng in a hospital gown, lying in bed with his foot raised. 

She glanced at it. He really did look handsome yet weary, making her feel pity for him. No wonder so many people came to peer through the window. 

But did she appear in the photo? 

Yes, there was a shot of her back… her back as she prepared Meng Yuanzheng’s malted milk. The caption read: “His wife arrived early on the second day, tirelessly caring for him. Their relationship is very close. Meng Yuanzheng is an educated youth sent to the countryside, and his wife is a local…” 

This reporter really knew how to write. She had to give them credit. 

“This photo’s not bad, but it’s in black and white. Doesn’t do him justice,” Old Zhu said, comparing the photo to the real person. 

Not bad my foot! Don’t I deserve a proper front-facing shot? she thought to herself. 

“Alright, alright, go back if you’re done. He needs to rest,” Lin Miaoyin stood up and told the people outside. 

Upon hearing this, the people finally left one by one. She let out a sigh of relief and picked up the newspaper again. 

Although she didn’t appear in the picture, Meng Yuanzheng did, and that made her happy. 

“Grandpa, do you know how to subscribe to the newspaper? I want to get it for Yuanzheng—he’ll need something to pass the time at home.” 

“Just go to the post office. They’ll deliver it every few days.” 

Old Zhu picked up the newspaper and started lecturing Zhenhua again. “You should learn from your Brother Meng. Look, he’s even on the newspaper. Such an honor for the family.” 

Zhenhua rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to break my legs.” 

“What did you say?” 

The rolled-up newspaper hit him on the head, and he quickly corrected himself, “I’ll learn, I’ll learn. I’ll definitely learn from him.” 

Lin Miaoyin put the newspaper away carefully and packed it into her bag. It was a good keepsake. She should frame it, so her descendants would know that she too had appeared in the newspaper. 

She then placed the bag by the bedside and motioned for Meng Yuanzheng to check it out. After all, Old Zhu was a veteran, and she didn’t want him to know she had been to the black market. 

“What do you think?” she raised an eyebrow. 

“Mm.” Meng Yuanzheng glanced at the contents briefly and gave her an approving look. 

She noticed that he was becoming more expressive these days. He used to be stiff and reserved, but now he often smiled. 

After lunch, she went out again to subscribe to the newspaper and also bought two cans of malted milk she had forgotten to get in the morning. 

The next day, after completing the discharge formalities and saying goodbye to Old Zhu and his grandson, they took the county revolutionary committee’s car back to the brigade. 

She got off the car at the main intersection, and many villagers gathered around. Lin Miaojun and Jin Chengren had already been waiting by the roadside. They brought homemade crutches. 

“Miaoyin and Comrade Meng are back?” 

“Hi, Uncle, Auntie,” Lin Miaoyin greeted. 

“Our Miaoyin and her husband are famous now. They’ve even made it to the newspaper!” said a friendly older woman, clapping her hands and laughing. 

“It’s just luck,” Lin Miaoyin modestly replied. 

“How’s Comrade Meng’s leg? What did the doctor say? Can it be healed? If not, how will he earn work points in the future?” People eyed Meng Yuanzheng’s raised leg, and one woman with a loud voice spoke up. 

Another person chimed in, “Such a handsome young man, what will he do with a limp?” 

Lin Miaoyin was a bit annoyed. Maybe some of them were concerned, but most were just gossiping. Words like that could really hurt, and she didn’t want Meng Yuanzheng to suffer through it. 

“The doctor said Yuanzheng needs more rest. We’ll be heading back now, Uncle and Aunt. We can chat more when we have the time.” 

With that, everyone dispersed. Lin Miaojun moved forward, holding Meng Yuanzheng’s arm as they walked ahead, while Lin Miaoyin and Jin Chengren followed behind, carrying the luggage. 

She purposely walked slowly, waiting until they had fallen behind the other two before speaking up. “Comrade Jin.” 

“Hey, sister-in-law, just call me Chengren,” Jin Chengren replied cheerfully. 

“Chengren, how is Comrade Zhu adjusting at your house?” 

According to the original plot, it was Jin Chengren who had his leg broken, and his relationship with Zhu Wanqin had grown stronger because of that. But now, with Meng Yuanzheng taking on the lead role, her relationship with him had improved instead. 

Jin Chengren frowned slightly at her question, seemingly unsure whether to speak. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

“She might not be used to things since she just got here…” 

“Is it the food or the living conditions she’s not used to? You should take better care of her. After all, a city girl coming to the countryside, it’s normal for her to feel out of place.” Lin Miaoyin used the opportunity to urge Jin Chengren to be more proactive. 

Jin Chengren had his own frustrations, though. The real difficulty he didn’t want to express was that life at home had become tense ever since Zhu Wanqin’s arrival. 

Because his grandfather was a landlord, their family’s background wasn’t ideal. The team assigned them the least desirable tasks, and they could barely make ends meet, thanks to the goodwill of the villagers. 

Zhu Wanqin, however, was from a completely different world. 

She was from a big city, with both parents having respectable jobs. She would probably be going to university soon, but people like him would never have the opportunity to step into a university. 

When she first arrived at their home, everyone was cautious, afraid that something might upset her, worried she might go to the team and complain, which would bring trouble to the family. 

But she remained distant with them. His younger sister had offered to help her with the laundry, but Zhu Wanqin had rejected her, saying, “Don’t touch my things with your dirty hands.” At meals, she constantly complained that the food was dirty or inedible, and accused them of keeping the food coupons she gave. 

The family had always eaten this way, so just because she gave them ration tickets, it wasn’t right for the whole family to switch to fine grains. They couldn’t cook specifically for her either. If they made her cook for herself, she would say they were excluding her. 

It was really a headache. The other person was a delicate young girl, who couldn’t be scolded or punished, and had the backing of the Party secretary. It truly felt like they were serving an ancestor. 

What was strange was that when she was outside with others, she acted so gentle and mild. It really didn’t make sense. 

But what she thought in her heart was one thing, and what she could say aloud was another. Jin Chengren could only reply, “I understand, sister-in-law.” 

What they didn’t know was that someone was watching them leave from a distance. 

Zhu Wanqin waited for them to walk away before leaning on a tree, her fingernails unconsciously picking at the bark. A smile that looked both mocking and proud spread across her face. “Lin Miaoyin, Jin Chengren…” 

… 

At home, she helped the person sit on the bed. The luggage was piled on the table, and Lin Miaojun sighed, “It’s been a few days, but your house looks much cleaner now.” 

“Look at you, as if I’ve never been tidy before.” Lin Miaoyin shot him a glance. 

“Well, weren’t you the one who used to go seven days without washing… Ahem, anyway, we should head back. It’s almost meal time. Mom said not to cook lunch. Once it’s ready, she’ll bring it over.” 

Lin Miaoyin hurriedly handed him the family’s thermos and hot water bottle, along with a bag of red dates and a can of malted milk. 

“Brother, take these back, let sister-in-law nourish herself.” 

Seeing Jin Chengren had already walked into the yard, she secretly slipped ten pounds of grain tickets and two pounds of meat tickets to Lin Miaojun. At his surprised look, she quickly pinched him, stopping him from blurting out anything. 

She leaned in and whispered, “The grain tickets were a reward from the county Revolutionary Committee. The meat tickets were swapped from the black market. Don’t tell anyone, just tell Mother and Father that they were rewards. Sister-in-law is pregnant now and needs to eat better.” 

Lin Miaojun’s eyes widened. He whispered back, “How did you find the black market? If Mother and Father find out, they’ll break your legs.” 

She gave him a smack. “So, don’t say anything. I’ll find ways to get more in the future. If Mother and Father don’t agree, you can just bring sister-in-law to my house to eat. We can’t let my nephew go hungry.” 

“This black market, you’ve got to be careful,” Lin Miaojun said with concern. 

“I know, I know. Just keep quiet. That’s all. Go on, get going.” 

She urged them both to leave. When she returned to the room, she saw Meng Yuanzheng leaning against the head of the bed, staring at the wall with a thoughtful expression, looking distant and intimidating. 

“What’s wrong?” Now that she was closer to him, she no longer held back from small gestures. She reached out and pinched his cheek. 

Since the landslide incident, there had been a subtle, unspoken shift in their relationship. Neither of them had addressed it directly, but they had clearly grown more intimate than just ordinary friends. 

She thought it would be nice if things could stay this way. 

Meng Yuanzheng frowned slightly and turned his face away to avoid her pinch. 

He was upset, but he didn’t say anything. 

Earlier, while he and Lin Miaojun were walking ahead, Lin Miaoyin didn’t even come to support him. Instead, she stayed behind chatting quietly with Jin Chengren. Just now, she was again whispering with Lin Miaojun, even affectionately patting him. 

“If you’re not going to say anything, then fine. I’m going to fetch some water and wipe down the tables and cabinets. The house has gathered dust after being empty for days.” She spoke as she walked out. 

Meng Yuanzheng’s expression darkened. He sat silently on the bed. 

Lin Miaoyin figured he was probably in a bad mood because of his leg injury, so she planned to move him into the yard to get some sunlight while she cleaned. 

She placed the basin on the table and said, “Want me to help you out to the yard to sit in the sun?” 

“No need.” He replied coldly. 

Even though Lin Miaoyin was a bit thick-skinned, she could tell he wasn’t happy. But why wasn’t he happy? 

Post-hospital syndrome? 

“Tell me what’s bothering you, okay? I’ll help you sort it out.” She said, trying to calm him down. 

I’m upset because of you, woman! 

He thought that, but didn’t say it. He wanted Lin Miaoyin to reflect on it herself. He kept up his aloof demeanor. “The ride made me a bit tired.” 

“Okay, then after lunch, you can take a nap. I need to go out for a while this afternoon.” 

When he heard she was going out, he looked up. “Where are you going?” 

His gaze was so intense, it felt as if she was going to abandon him. Lin Miaoyin secretly laughed. “I’m going to my parents’ house to catch some chicks. My brother said he already helped set up the chicken coop.” 

“Hmm.” He responded, returning to his previous demeanor. 

“You’ll be in charge of feeding them. Once they’re raised, we’ll have them for New Year’s.” She smiled as she began wiping the furniture. 

Meng Yuanzheng lay on the bed, his gaze fixed on a spot, deep in thought about who knows what. 

After lunch, she washed the dishes and brought them over to the Lin family. Everyone else was out in the fields, only Cui Fen was home. She hadn’t been feeling well lately, so she stayed back, sitting under the eaves stitching shoe soles. 

Come to think of it, the cloth shoes both Lin Miaoyin and Meng Yuanzheng were wearing were from the wedding dowry—mostly made by Cui Fen and Mother Lin. The original host had only half-heartedly made two pairs and refused to do any more. Thankfully, Cui Fen was kind-hearted and didn’t hold it against her sister-in-law. 

“Sister-in-law, doing needlework?” 

“Ah, Miaoyin, you’re here. Come have a seat.” Cui Fen greeted her and was about to fetch water. 

“No need, we’re family.” Lin Miaoyin held her hand. “I’m here to catch some chicks.” 

“Your brother already got them ready at noon. Let me bring them to you.” Soon, Cui Fen brought over the coop. Inside were two light yellow chicks, about palm-sized. They had been raised for a while already and weren’t as fragile anymore. 

“So cute.” Lin Miaoyin picked up the chicken coop and gently pressed her finger to one of the chicks’ heads. 

“Both of them are female.” Cui Fen laughed. “That reminds me, did you know? They’re planning to build a power station here to generate electricity.” 

Lin Miaoyin paused. She remembered this from the original story. A power plant was built and the nearby villages all got electricity. 

“Hydroelectric power?” 

“I don’t really understand it, but the coal mine on the mountain collapsed, so experts were sent to check it out. They said the mine can’t be excavated anymore, but since our area has high mountains, deep valleys, and a river, it’s possible to build a power plant.” 

“That’s a good thing! Then we’ll be able to use electric lights,” Lin Miaoyin said happily. 

“We’re not sure if it’ll work yet. People in the village are still a bit worried something might go wrong again,” Cui Fen replied. 

Everyone had been shaken by the mountain collapse. Some even believed the mountain god had been angered. 

However, Lin Miaoyin knew that building a hydroelectric power plant was relatively safe. The key was to build a reservoir upstream and install a generator downstream. As she thought about it, she remembered that since they were building a power plant, they could also build a rice milling factory. 

The rice mill would also be powered by hydroelectricity. If it was built, people in the nearby villages wouldn’t have to carry grain up and down the mountain for hours to get it milled at the commune. 

Moreover, the commune only had one rice mill, so they would have to wait in a long line. 

She shared this idea with Cui Fen, who stopped her work of repairing shoes and exclaimed, “Miaoyin, you’re so clever! I’ll talk to father about it tonight.” 

“It was Yuanzheng who told me about it. I don’t know anything about these things,” she laughed. 

Cui Fen nodded, “People with education are really different.” 

… 

After carrying the chicken coop back home, she set up a simple chicken pen, made a chicken feeder out of bamboo, filled it with greens, and poured water into another bamboo tube. 

The chicks had to stay in the coop for a while before being let out to roam, to avoid being eaten by cats or weasels. 

If this were before, Meng Yuanzheng would’ve insisted on doing all of this, but now she wanted to prove herself—she could handle things too. 

After settling the chicks, she went to wash the dirty clothes they had changed out of at the hospital. 

Meng Yuanzheng sat nearby, flipping through the books she had bought for him. While washing, she thought about the three mandatory subjects for the college entrance examination: politics, Chinese, and math. There was no foreign language. For the arts, history and geography were tested, and for the sciences, physics and chemistry. 

Since Meng Yuanzheng came from a high-ranking cadre family, she figured politics and Chinese wouldn’t be a problem for him. As for math, she was terrible at it. But she was good at history and geography. In her previous life, her low scores in math and English had dragged her down, or she wouldn’t have ended up in a vocational college. 

If Meng Yuanzheng chose the arts, she could tutor him. 

“Yuanzheng,” she called. 

Meng Yuanzheng, already used to her changing ways of addressing him, responded calmly, “Hm?” 

“Are you planning to choose the arts or the sciences for the college entrance exam?” 

Meng Yuanzheng paused, then asked, “What do you think I should choose?” 

“Arts. Uh, actually, I’ll tell you a secret. I have a relative who was a teacher ten years ago. When I was about ten, he often taught me history and geography. I used to love going through his books in his study. He taught me how to read,” she said, making it up on the spot. 

Seeing that Meng Yuanzheng didn’t respond, she continued, “Don’t think I’m doing poorly now. I was very smart when I was younger, and I had a good memory. I remember everything I read. If you don’t believe me, ask me about history or geography.” 

As she spoke, she deftly washed the clothes. 

Meng Yuanzheng became interested and thought for a moment before saying, “Alright, then. I’ll ask you, but if you can’t answer, don’t say I’m bullying you.” 

“Ask! Ask anything! If I can’t answer, I’ll call you ‘Father.’ But your questions must be about official history, not folk legends,” she said confidently. 

She had studied history in university, and she was familiar with many historical events. 

Meng Yuanzheng lifted the corner of his mouth and spoke, “I came across the term ‘Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms’ in some books before. I only know that the period was chaotic, but I can’t figure out the order of these dynasties. Can you explain it to me?” 

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms? 

Lin Miaoyin thought, this guy’s pretty impressive. Many people don’t know what dynasty that refers to or may have never even heard of it. 

“Listen carefully,” she cleared her throat. “The order of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms should be: Liang, Jin, Later Tang, then the Ten Kingdoms, then Later Jin, Later Han, Later Zhou, and finally, the Northern Song unification under Zhao Kuangyin.” 

“Oh~” Meng Yuan Zheng nodded thoughtfully. “Why is it called Later Tang?” 

“Because there was already a Tang dynasty before that.” 

“Why did the earlier dynasties last for so many years, but these dynasties disappeared so quickly?” 

“Because this was a chaotic period, with many powerful figures vying for control, much like the Warring States period.” 

“Why did unification only happen under the Northern Song? Why couldn’t the earlier emperors do it?” 

“Because…” 

After answering several questions, Lin Miaoyin felt she was about to give up. But Meng Yuanzheng still had an eager look on his face. 

She patiently explained a few more points, but then Meng Yuanzheng asked, “I forgot the order you just mentioned. Can you say it again?” 

Lin Miaoyin: “…” 

She was getting frustrated. 

“Please, Father, spare me!” she quickly wrung the clothes out and hung them up, then ran out of the room. 

If she stayed any longer, she might lose her temper and kick him. 

Meng Yuanzheng watched her busy figure; a smile appeared in his eyes. He lowered his head and gently traced the text on the book with his fingers, letting out a faint sigh. 

After dinner, it was time for something serious—taking a bath. 

At the hospital, they had just been wiping down and hadn’t bathed properly. Lin Miaoyin was still acting like she didn’t want to talk to him, even during dinner. After boiling the water, she said coldly, “Go bathe. The water’s behind the room.” 

She didn’t help him walk—just stood a few steps away. 

Meng Yuanzheng propped himself up with his crutch and stood up, taking a couple of steps forward. He looked at her seriously. Lin Miaoyin, feeling a bit guilty, quickly glanced away. “What are you staring at?” 

Suddenly, he hooked her finger with his and gave it a little shake. Leaning in close, his voice low and magnetic, he said, “Please don’t be mad, alright? Hmm?” 

His warm breath brushed against her face. 

Lin Miaoyin froze like a statue. Lightning-fast, she jerked her hand back, her whole body breaking out in goosebumps. She took two steps back and shouted, “Are you crazy?!” 

Meng Yuanzheng: “…” 

“Go take a bath! You’ve got too much free time and have gone stupid. Wash your head while you’re at it—maybe you’ll come to your senses,” she said, pretending to be angry. 

“Oh.” Meng Yuanzheng replied with a hint of grievance, supporting himself with a crutch and stepping slowly away. 

Lin Miaoyin bit her lip, rubbing her fingers where he had touched her, still feeling something was off, as if she’d been shocked. Frustrated, she thought: This dog of a man has changed recently, and she needed to be careful. She wasn’t quite ready to accept becoming his wife yet, so she should keep her distance to avoid trouble. 

While thinking this, a sudden loud clattering sound came from behind the house, the sound of an enamel basin hitting the ground. Lin Miaoyin’s heart skipped a beat. Oh, did he fall? 

She immediately ran out to the back of the house. The light was dim, and the curtains were drawn, so she couldn’t see inside. There was no sound. Had he fainted? 

Without thinking further, she lifted the curtain and rushed in. 

As the curtain was suddenly pulled back, a whoosh of air revealed everything inside. 

Meng Yuanzheng was leaning against the wall, struggling to bend down and take off his pants. The empty basin had fallen to the ground. To reduce his workload, he had removed both his underwear and outer pants at the same time, which had gotten stuck around his legs. 

Seeing her enter, he hurriedly tried to cover himself, but she still saw everything. 

Lin Miaoyin froze and quickly covered her eyes. “I heard the noise and thought you fell. I didn’t mean to!” she apologized. 

“I just accidentally knocked the basin over.” He tried to stay calm and steady. “You can go out first.” 

“Oh, okay, you continue, you continue.” She tried to hold back her laughter as she turned around and left. 

Meng Yuanzheng stayed silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and began to struggle with his pants again. But then the curtain was pulled open again with a whoosh, and he hastily covered himself again. 

Meng Yuanzheng: ??? 

But instead of her, only a hand reached through the curtain, holding a stool. 

“You’re not comfortable standing up to take off your pants, so sit down to do it.” Lin Miaoyin said from outside. 

“Thank you.” He took the stool and placed it on the ground. Realizing she hadn’t left, he couldn’t help but ask, “Is there anything else?” 

“I’m worried you’ll really fall, so I’ll stay outside.” Lin Miaoyin looked up at the sky and tentatively said, “And it might not be comfortable for you to sit either, so… should I help you?” 

“Okay!” Before she could finish her sentence, he replied decisively from inside. 

“What did you say?” She almost slipped into the drainage ditch. 

“Aren’t you going to help me take off my pants?”