Chapter 35: The date is set on the ninth day of the first lunar month

Jiang Yanshu turned to look at his sister, who was grinning ear to ear, and helplessly shook his head, his eyes filled with affection.
“Alright then, Huaijin, you take my little sister home first. Look at this girl, she’s so happy her smile is practically reaching the back of her head!”

Lu Huaijin followed Jiang Yanshu’s gaze and saw Jiang Piyu smiling brightly at him. He raised his hand and gently patted her head.

“Brother Yanshu, how about you all ride back with me?” Lu Huaijin offered.

Jiang Yanshu quickly waved his hand and declined with a smile. “No, no, don’t bother. We don’t want to be third wheels.”

“Our ox cart is parked just behind. My wife, Yanwen, and I will ride that back—no need to trouble you.”

Lu Huaijin nodded. “Then we’ll head out first.”

Jiang Yanshu waved them off with a smile. “Alright, go on now. See you later!”

Lu Huaijin led Jiang Piyu to the jeep, opened the passenger door, and helped her in. The vehicle started and slowly made its way toward Jiefang Village.

Once in the car, neither of them spoke for a while. The silence made Jiang Piyu feel awkward, so she broke it.

“Huaijin-ge, how long are you staying this time?”

“Twenty days, including New Year and marriage leave.”

Hearing the word “marriage,” Jiang Piyu felt both excited and shy.

“Then… when are we getting married?”

“How about the ninth day of the lunar new year?” he asked.
“That way you can spend the New Year with Uncle Jiang and Auntie.”

“Okay.” Jiang Piyu nodded, her wide eyes looking up at Lu Huaijin as he focused on the road. Her cuteness made him reach out and stroke her hair again.

Suddenly remembering something, she asked, “Huaijin-ge, since you’re back for the New Year—what about the kids? Did they come with you?”

“No, they’re at their maternal grandmother’s.”

“Usually, she’s the one taking care of them. I give her fifty yuan a month for their living expenses.”

“I can’t apply for military housing until I’m married. Once we get married and return, I’ll be able to apply.”

“Ah Yu, once that’s done, I’ll bring the kids over to live with us. You don’t need to worry about them…”

“If I’m not home, just don’t let them go hungry during meals…”

“They’re pretty well-behaved. If they do anything wrong, you can discipline them.”

“Don’t worry. Just know—I’ll always be on your side.”

“Oh, I get it… I’ll get along with them just fine.”

“Where does their grandmother live? Is it far from the military base?”

“They’re on base too. The kids’ biological uncle is also a soldier.”

“Then why didn’t he raise them? Why did you adopt them instead?” Jiang Piyu asked, confused. By right, if the children had family, Lu Huaijin shouldn’t be the one adopting them.

“Their father was a soldier under my command. He died during a mission…”

“Their mother left them and ran off with someone else after she found out.”

“Their uncle… has his own wife and kids to take care of, so…”

From the way he spoke, Jiang Piyu pieced together the rest. “Was it because the aunt didn’t want them?”

“Mm, our Ah Yu is so smart,” Lu Huaijin said, once again reaching out to stroke her hair.

Lu Huaijin drove Jiang Piyu back home, and just as they arrived, Li Shuzhen had just finished collecting eggs from the chicken coop.

Seeing the two of them, she smiled and walked over.
“Ah Yu, you’re back.”
“Huaijin, you’re back too…”

“Auntie.”
“Yes, I’m back, Auntie Li.”

“That’s good. Are you staying for dinner tonight?”

“No, Auntie, I’m going home to eat. My parents are waiting for me.”

“Alright then, I won’t keep you. It’s rare for you to come back—your parents must really be looking forward to seeing you.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

“Ah Yu, here, take these things…” Lu Huaijin took the items from the back seat and handed them to Jiang Piyu, then grabbed two paper bags from the trunk and gave those to her too.

Li Shuzhen, understanding the moment, took the items from her daughter’s hands and walked away to give the young couple some space.

Jiang Piyu took the two bags and asked, “What’s this?”

“New Year gifts for you. Alright, I’m off now. See you tomorrow.”

“Mm, okay. See you tomorrow,” Jiang Piyu said with a bright, toothy smile as she waved goodbye to him. Lu Huaijin gave her a lingering look before reluctantly getting in the car and driving away.

Back in her room, Jiang Piyu opened the bags to find two sets of clothing.

One bag held a black padded coat, dark blue flared jeans, and a gray knit sweater for layering.

The other clearly contained wedding attire: a bright red padded coat, wide-legged blue jeans, and a pair of black fleece-lined high-heeled ankle boots.

She was very satisfied. The man had good taste—he didn’t get her one of those loud red floral cotton coats for the wedding. And all the sizes were exactly right—she wondered how he even knew.

When Li Shuzhen came in, she found her daughter admiring herself in the mirror, wearing the red coat.

Yes, her daughter was stunning—like a fairy, she thought proudly.

“Sweetheart, did that Lu boy buy you those clothes?”

“Mm,” Jiang Piyu nodded. “He bought two sets.”

Li Shuzhen looked at the clothes laid out on the bed and was a little surprised. They didn’t look cheap—definitely department store goods.

“Sweetheart, a few days ago your Aunt Juying came over and said they’d like you two to get married after the New Year. They’ve picked the date—the ninth day of the first lunar month.”

“If you agree, I’ll ask your father to go give them a reply.”

“Mom, I agree. You can have Dad go let them know.”

“We’re going to get married sooner or later anyway. Might as well do it over the New Year when everyone’s free.”

“Ai, alright. If you’re okay with it, I’ll have your father go talk to them.”

“It’s just… my heart can’t bear it. My daughter just came home, and now she’s about to get married…”

As she spoke, Li Shuzhen grew a little emotional. Standing behind Jiang Piyu, she wiped away a few tears.

Seeing her mother’s movements through the mirror, Jiang Piyu suddenly felt reluctant to leave home and her family as well.

She had been here for quite a while now, and every member of the family had treated her with such kindness. She never had to do anything at home. In the shop, she only handled the money or the scales occasionally when her sister-in-law was too busy—most of the time, she just did the bookkeeping.

All the heavy and tiring work was done by her two brothers and sister-in-law. They never let her lift a finger.

“Mom, it’s okay. Even after I get married, I’ll still be your daughter.”

“The Lu family lives nearby, so it’ll be easy for me to come back and visit.”

“When that time comes, I’ll come home every day. Don’t get sick of me, alright?”

Jiang Piyu wrapped her arms around Li Shuzhen’s neck, resting her head on her mother’s shoulder as she playfully acted spoiled.

“What are you talking about? I’d be happy if you came back. How could I get sick of you?”

“But once you’re married, it’s not the same as being at home. Just come back to see your father and me every now and then…”

“You can’t be running home every day. After all, you’ll be someone’s daughter-in-law—people will talk.”

Li Shuzhen adored it whenever her sweet, lovable daughter batted her big eyes and pouted like this. It warmed her heart and made her feel incredibly lucky—this was truly her own daughter.