Chapter 7

The entire village was shrouded in darkness. Qin Muye ran towards the stream.

There were no lights by the stream where clothes were washed. He was worried that Jiang Muning, who was washing clothes in the dark, might have an accident.

As Qin Muye ran towards the stream, his heart was always beating in his throat.

He ran to the stream as fast as he could. From afar, he saw a slender figure, bending over, washing clothes.

“Jiang Muning!”

Hearing the voice, Jiang Muning looked up, and saw Qin Muye running towards her.

Seeing him actually appear, Jiang Muning was still a little surprised.

After all, in the original text, there wasn’t much mention of this cannon fodder original wife, Qin Muye. The text mentioned that Wang Guifen asked him to wash clothes, but it didn’t mention whether Qin Muye came to find her.

Therefore, she was gambling, gambling on his sense of responsibility as a husband.

Qin Muye ran over in a hurry. By the moonlight, Jiang Muning noticed fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

“It’s so late, why don’t you go back? Don’t you know it’s dangerous to wash clothes here?” Qin Muye said sternly.

Although they were all from the same village, there were also hooligans in the village. If someone took advantage of the darkness to bully her…

Qin Muye’s eyes were red, and the veins on his arms bulged from exertion.

Thinking about the sadness of the avalanche, Jiang Muning’s eyes glistened with tears. She looked at him with grievance, “There are too many clothes, I can’t finish washing them.”

Hearing this, Qin Muye finally noticed that there were two buckets of dirty clothes beside her.

It took Jiang Muning two hours to wash only a few pieces.

Seeing that he didn’t say anything, Jiang Muning raised her hands. By the bright moonlight, Qin Muye saw that her small hands were all white from soaking in water, all wrinkled.

“When I was at home, my parents never let me wash clothes. The clothes are so dirty and hard to wash, I’ve been washing for a long time…” Jiang Muning complained in a muffled voice, her voice filled with grievance.

Seeing those white-soaked little palms, his deep eyes were filled with heartache. He said in a low voice, “Go rest there, I’ll do it.”

With that, Qin Muye rolled up his sleeves, squatted down, and prepared to wash clothes.

“I can’t get up, my hands are numb.” Jiang Muning looked at him miserably.

Hearing this, Qin Muye pursed his lips, even his facial lines were filled with coldness.

Did she overdo it? Jiang Muning was thinking about how to make amends when she saw Qin Muye already bending down, skillfully picking her up.

The distance between them narrowed, and Jiang Muning could feel the heat coming from his body.

He carried her to a large stone, carefully patted away the dust on it, then gently put her down.

Seeing his series of actions, Jiang Muning was stunned for a moment.

If she didn’t know he had a white moonlight in his heart, she would have thought he liked her.

After settling her, Qin Muye returned to the stream and began to wash clothes.

Jiang Muning sat there, watching Qin Muye with a sullen face, washing a woman’s blouse, and said in a melancholy tone, “Mom asked me to wash all the clothes for the whole family, so many clothes, I have to wash until dawn to finish.”

With that, she sighed at the right time, and said sadly, “You’re home, Mom is like this, what if you go to the army later and don’t come back for a long time, I don’t know what to do…”

Qin Muye didn’t say anything, he just pursed his lips tighter, his furrowed brows could kill a fly.

Jiang Muning saw that he didn’t say anything, but his washing movements became more rough.

“He really doesn’t like me, he’s indifferent.” Jiang Muning muttered in frustration.

Qin Muye was quick and efficient, and soon finished washing both buckets of clothes.

Then, Jiang Muning walked ahead with empty hands, and Qin Muye carried the two buckets of clothes home.

Seeing them, Wang Guifen was dissatisfied: “It takes so long to wash clothes, you’re so useless, go and hang up the clothes.”

Before her voice fell, Qin Muye put the two buckets on the ground heavily, startling everyone.

“Qin Nuan, you go hang them up.” Qin Muye said with a cold face.

Qin Nuan, who was sitting there cracking sunflower seeds and watching the show, was startled: “Me? No way.”

Qin Muye swept a sharp glance at her, Qin Nuan swallowed nervously, and reluctantly stood up: “Fine, I’ll hang them up, why are you glaring at me so fiercely.”

With that, she reluctantly picked up the buckets and walked towards the clothesline in the yard.

Qin Muye looked at Wang Guifen: “Mom, from now on, whoever’s clothes they wash, don’t throw them all at my wife. Otherwise, don’t expect my salary.”

“How can that be!” Wang Guifen blurted out.

Qin Muye was a deputy regiment leader, and he had a salary of 150 yuan per month. A peasant in the village would be lucky to earn ten yuan a month.

Previously, he would send back thirty yuan every month, and the family’s expenses depended on him.

Qin Muye’s attitude was firm and could not refuse. Wang Guifen dared not get angry at him, she turned her head and scolded Jiang Muning: “You troublemaker, you’ve only been married for two days, and you’ve caused so much trouble.”

Jiang Muning, who was being scolded, timidly hid behind Qin Muye, grabbing the back of his shirt.

Seeing her act like a bullied little wife, Wang Guifen clenched her fist wanting to hit her, but Qin Muye’s gaze was so cold that it could kill, her heart trembled, and she silently lowered her hand.

At this time, Jiang Muning’s stomach growled.

“Go eat.” Qin Muye said, taking Jiang Muning to the kitchen.

As they passed by Wang Guifen, Jiang Muning made a face at her, which made Wang Guifen scold her again.

They arrived in the kitchen, but the food was gone. Jiang Muning was hungry, and she was thinking about what to eat when she heard someone say in a low voice, “Go sit there.”

Jiang Muning raised her head, her clear black eyes fell on him.

Qin Muye didn’t say anything, he rolled up his sleeves and began to cook noodles.

Seeing this, Jiang Muning was happy to be idle. She sat at the square table, her hands cupped under her chin, watching him.

She felt that Qin Muye was much better than she imagined.

Those hands could hold a gun, wash clothes, and cook.

Thinking of Wang Guifen’s eyes that wanted to kill her, Jiang Muning knew that she only had one way to avoid being tortured to death, and that was to follow the army.

After finishing the noodles, Qin Muye washed the dishes, and Jiang Muning, like a lazy cat, was sent back to her room to rest.

In her room, Jiang Muning remembered Qin Muye’s firm attitude when they talked about following the army. She was afraid that she couldn’t persuade him to let her follow the army.

If persuasion didn’t work…

There were no entertainment activities in the evening in the 1980s, especially in the countryside.

At eight o’clock in the evening, everyone was preparing to go to bed.

Qin Muye took a shower and returned to his room. He was about to go to the cabinet to get his straw mat when he saw Jiang Muning lying on the bed, her head covered.

Thinking of Wang Guifen’s scolding tonight, Qin Muye’s eyes flashed with worry: Was she scared?

He sat down by the bed, reached out, and hesitantly placed his hand on the quilt, “Muning?”

Hearing the voice, Jiang Muning slowly emerged from the quilt, looking at him with anticipation.

Looking at that delicate and pure face, Qin Muye’s breath quickened.

“Are you angry?”

Jiang Muning didn’t say anything, she just sat up from the bed.

Before he could speak, Jiang Muning wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips.

Qin Muye’s pupils widened, instantly stunned as if struck by lightning.

Seeing that he didn’t react, Jiang Muning’s soft lips gently bit his lip.

She had thought about it, persuasion wouldn’t work, so she would seduce him!