An Unexpected Turn

However, before Jiang Nian could even look, Lu Yu quickly turned away, presenting his back to her.
Jiang Nian also reacted, closing the front window, and quickly said, "I didn't do it on purpose."
A "thump" echoed in the quiet courtyard.
Lu Yu exhaled, his fingers gripping the taut towel tightly. He turned to look at the closed window, wiping his face with his wet hands.
He sighed.
He hadn't expected Auntie to open the window. He had thought he'd wash his hair first while she bathed.
Lu Yu tossed the towel into the basin and fetched another basin of water back into his own room.
Jiang Nian sat on the edge of the bed, patting her face, thinking of the scene just now, feeling like she had gone crazy.
Yet, she shamelessly wanted to get a good look.
She patted her face again, then began to bathe. After bathing, she felt much more refreshed. She changed into a sleeveless shirt, opened the back window, and lay on the bed, not calling Lu Yu to pour out the bathwater.
Presumably, at this moment, not only was she embarrassed, but Lu Yu was also embarrassed.
After what just happened, Jiang Nian cast aside her earlier doubts and discomfort, falling asleep not long after lying on the bed. The next morning, she was woken by a whistle. There were footsteps outside. Jiang Nian got up, dressed, and opened her door to see Lu Yu had already set breakfast on the courtyard table.
Lu Yu didn't mention the embarrassing incident from last night, telling Jiang Nian, "Breakfast is ready."
If he didn't bring it up, Jiang Nian wouldn't either.
She nodded gently, "Mm."
Jiang Nian went to the well to wash her face, while Lu Yu entered Jiang Nian's room, took out her bathwater from last night to dispose of, and placed the bathtub in the second room to the east before leaving.
For breakfast, Lu Yu stir-fried a vegetable dish and cooked porridge.
Jiang Nian ate a small bowl of porridge and a steamed bun, then took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen to wash them. She went into her room, unwrapped a piece of chocolate, and put it in her mouth. Finally, she leisurely sat on a small stool in the courtyard, fanning herself with a round fan.
.
More than ten days passed, and the wound on Jiang Nian's head was completely healed.
Lu Yu spent time every day at noon in the vegetable patch, finishing the planting in a few days.
Jiang Nian borrowed a hoe from Feng Mei and tilled the soil in the western corner of the courtyard. She had never done this kind of work since childhood. After a while, her palms hurt a little. She stretched out her hand and saw her palms were red.
"What are you tilling the soil for?"
Lu Yu entered from outside, startling Jiang Nian.
She waved her hand, saying softly, "I want to plant some vegetables in the courtyard too."
After speaking, she noticed Lu Yu holding a watermelon. Jiang Nian was stunned for a moment, instinctively swallowing. She hadn't eaten watermelon since arriving here.
To be honest, she was almost dying of craving.
Lu Yu saw Jiang Nian's gaze linger on the watermelon for a long time, lowered his eyes, and smiled. He told Jiang Nian, "I'll cut the melon. Auntie, come eat some."
"Okay."
Jiang Nian agreed without hesitation. She leaned the hoe against the wall, ran to wash her hands thoroughly, and then sat by the table, waiting for Lu Yu to finish cutting the melon before taking a piece to eat. The watermelon was sweet and juicy. One bite satisfied her taste buds, but it wasn't chilled, lacking that cool refreshment.
Lu Yu ate two pieces of melon, then went to the western wall to pick up the hoe and till the soil. Remembering seeing Auntie standing there when he returned that day, he casually asked, "Auntie, did you decide to plant vegetables here this morning?"
Jiang Nian took another piece of melon to eat, nodded at his words, "Mm."
She ate four pieces of melon in one go, stopping only when her stomach was full.
Lu Yu tilled the soil very quickly. In a short while, he had tilled more than half of a section of land. The courtyard was only about three sections of land. Jiang Nian planned to use one section for vegetables, and the remaining space was still large enough.
Jiang Nian cleared away the melon rinds, wiped the table dry with a rag, and thinking that Lu Yu had returned early today, she asked with some doubt, "Why did you come back so early today?"
Lu Yu's tilling motion paused for a moment, then he continued tilling, saying, "Auntie, I'm going out for a trip in three days. I'll probably be back in over two months."
Jiang Nian was stunned, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.
She remembered that the book said the male lead had never gone out before being promoted to commander. She remembered it so clearly because the author described the male lead's achievements very clearly, but only vaguely described the female lead's story.
She couldn't have misremembered the plot.
However, Jiang Nian thought of how the plot had been disrupted since the male lead returned to save the original owner, so she didn't think too much about it. She told Lu Yu, "Okay."
Lu Yu finished tilling the soil, then ate three more pieces of melon. He went to the well to wash his face and told Jiang Nian, "Before I leave, I want to invite a few comrades-in-arms to our home for a meal."
He raised his head, water flowing down his sharp facial features to his neck. He looked at Jiang Nian, his dark eyes showing a hint of inquiry, "It might be a bit crowded that day, Auntie, do you mind?"
He was still a little worried that Auntie was afraid of strangers and would be timid around people for a long time.
Jiang Nian looked up at Lu Yu. After many days, she once again showed him a faint smile, "I don't mind."
She smiled beautifully, her skin fair, her eyes curved, her hair in two braids.
It was a subtle smile, her eyes bright, as if all the sunlight gathered in those radiant eyes.
This was the first time Lu Yu had seen such a smile on Jiang Nian's face. It was different from the smile on the day she had her accident, and even more beautiful than that day.
Lu Yu snapped out of his daze, quickly lowering his head to cup water and splash it on his face.
.
Lu Yu was leaving in three days, so this meal was arranged the day before he left to inform his comrades-in-arms.
Of course, Commander Song's family and Company Commander Liu's family had to be informed. As for Company Commander Lu's family, Lu Yu also invited them. Everyone was from the same unit, and some things couldn't be handled too awkwardly.
There were also He Yong and Kang Xiu's family. He Yong was also considered a soldier under his command, having served under him for three years.
Lu Yu wanted to go to the unit early in the morning. Jiang Nian prepared to make a trip to the food station and vegetable station. She took some money and banknotes from a tin box, counted them, took ten yuan, put it in her pocket, and hid the rest in the tin box.
Xu Yan leaned on the wall, saw Jiang Nian going towards the money-hiding spot, and curiously asked, "Where are you going?"
Jiang Nian was startled for a moment, looked around, and finally saw Xu Yan's head peeking over the wall.
Jiang Nian: ......
This reminded her of the first day she arrived at the unit, when she climbed the wall and was caught by Lu Yu.
She smiled and said, "Going to the food station to buy some things."
Xu Yan remembered Liu Qiang telling her this morning to go to Deputy Commander Lu's house at noon to help, saying they would eat at Deputy Commander Lu's house at noon. She was wondering about it, planning to climb the wall to ask Jiang Nian. Hearing her say she wanted to go to the food station, she said, "Wait a moment, I'll go with you."
She jumped down from the log. When Jiang Nian walked out of the courtyard gate, Xu Yan also just came out.
Jiang Nian "Oh-ed," "If you go with me, what about your two children?"
Xu Yan smiled and said, "The older one is grown up and can look after the younger one at home. Besides, the two of them won't run around."
After more than ten days of getting along, Xu Yan could be said to have no secrets from Jiang Nian.
Especially since Jiang Nian had given her advice, which made her feel much better these past few days.
The two walked on the road to the food station. Xu Yan looked much better than before. She was wearing a light-colored white short-sleeved shirt with chrysanthemums, light brown pants, small cloth shoes, and her hair in two braids, just like the day she married Liu Qiang.
Xu Yan was originally fairer than Zheng Hong. At this moment, exposed to the sun, her face was rosy, and she had a slight smile.
The wives of soldiers they passed on the road couldn't help but be startled when they saw Xu Yan. Only after they had gone far did they huddle together and whisper, "Was that Xu Yan just now?"
Another soldier's wife said, "It seems so, but why does she feel a little different?"
That soldier's wife also said, "She is different. Look at her before, she always had a gloomy face all day, as if someone owed her money. She and Company Commander Liu would argue every three days, and her voice was louder than a man's."
Speaking of which, she suddenly remembered and asked the soldier's wife next to her, "It seems like we haven't heard Company Commander Liu's family arguing for half a month?"
Another soldier's wife thought for a moment and nodded, "It seems that's right."
.
Jiang Nian saw that Xu Yan's face had more smiles than before. She still remembered that day when she met Xu Yan on the road with Feng Mei; she had a gloomy face, and her whole body was cold and emotionless.
She asked, "How have things been these past few days?"
At this, Xu Yan's face lightened a bit, and she said, "That day I listened to your words. After I returned, I went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and hardened my heart to buy a bottle of face cream. Every day I made myself beautiful, no matter if I was cooking or working, I maintained a beautiful appearance. I treated Liu Qiang as an unimportant person, refraining from arguing with him. When he spoke, I only half-heartedly paid attention."
Speaking of this, she paused, then snorted with a laugh, "You know what? He mostly sleeps with my son. Only these past few days, he's been sleeping next to me every day, wanting to talk to me, but I ignore him."
Jiang Nian felt that Xu Yan had also been hurt deeply, which was why she made up her mind.
If she hadn't made up her mind, then no matter how much she said, it would have been like playing a lute to a cow for Xu Yan.
She was afraid that Xu Yan would be easily swayed by Liu Qiang's sweet words, so she added two more sentences, "Don't be soft-hearted. Once you are soft-hearted, he will take an inch and want a mile."
Xu Yan nodded firmly, "Mm."
At the food station, Jiang Nian bought a fish, three catties of lean meat, and two catties of fatty meat. In this era, lean meat was a bit cheaper than fatty meat. They happened to catch the boss who had just slaughtered a pig. Seeing the fresh pig blood, Jiang Nian couldn't help but ask the boss, "Is this pig blood for sale?"
The boss was cold, finding it strange that someone would buy this bloody stuff, which couldn't be eaten. Seeing that Jiang Nian really wanted to buy it, the boss said, "Yes, how much do you want?"
Jiang Nian: "I want two catties."
Xu Yan tugged her arm, whispering, "Bloody stuff, why are you buying it?"
Jiang Nian smiled and said, "Of course, to eat. You'll know how delicious it is after I make it and you taste it."
Leaving the food station, Jiang Nian and Xu Yan went to the vegetable station to buy some vegetables and spices. Finally, when passing the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Jiang Nian hesitated for a moment, then bought half a catty of white wine from there, planning to use it for cooking.
This was the first time Lu Yu had invited comrades-in-arms to their home for a meal. As Lu Yu's aunt and family, she naturally wanted to make this lunch rich and delicious, at least not to let Lu Yu lose face.
The two carried their full baskets home. After putting the purchased items in the kitchen, they both sat on small stools in the courtyard, tired. Xu Yan fanned her face with her hand, "It's really hot today."
"I'll go home and tell my two children, then come back to help you cook together."
Xu Yan finished speaking, stood up, and went home.
Jiang Nian nodded, "Okay."
After Xu Yan left, Jiang Nian also returned to her room, putting the remaining money and ration tickets back into the tin box. This time, buying things cost eleven yuan. She had taken thirty yuan from the tin box during her hospital stay these past few days, so now eighty-nine yuan remained.
This was considered all her and Lu Yu's assets.
The money Lu Yu had sent home before, if it hadn't been stolen by the Jiang family, could have accumulated over a thousand yuan in four or five years. Lu Yu didn't mention this, but it didn't mean she forgot. Before, she only thought of transmigrating back and didn't want to manage things here, but now it was different.
She would find an opportunity to take back everything the Jiang family had stolen from the original owner over the years.
.
Many people were coming to the house for lunch today, so a lot of cooking had to be prepared in advance.
Xu Yan came to help Jiang Nian. Jiang Nian first chopped the meat and marinated it, then processed the pig blood. Xu Yan cleaned the fish in the courtyard, scaling it. After finishing these tasks, Feng Mei's voice came from outside.
"Oh dear, I should have known to go back to my mother's house a few days later, then I could have come earlier to help you."
As soon as she entered the door, she rolled up her sleeves to help Jiang Nian cook, saying, "I brought you some pickled vegetables my mother made. My mother's pickled vegetables are delicious."
She had just returned home and heard her eldest son, Song Xiang Dong, say that Uncle Lu had come early today to invite them for lunch. That's why she put down her things and rushed over to help without stopping.
Jiang Nian finished slicing the tofu and scooped it into a bowl, "Then thank you, Auntie Feng."
Xu Yan sat by the stove, starting a fire and peeling garlic. Hearing this, she looked at Feng Mei and teased, "Sister Feng is unfair, only giving pickled vegetables to Jiang Nian. Why didn't you give me some too?"
Feng Mei laughed and scolded her, then said, "Yes, yes, yes, I'll let you have a chopstick-full later."
By the time the ingredients were almost all prepared, Lu Yu had also returned.
He came back early today, originally thinking of helping Auntie, and that everything would be ready by lunchtime. Who knew that as soon as he entered the house, he saw three women chatting in the kitchen. Jiang Nian's crisp and sweet voice came from the kitchen, filled with an unprecedented relaxed laughter.
Lu Yu stopped by the well, looking through the window at Jiang Nian turning her head to talk with Sister Feng. The kitchen was very hot, and her cheeks were a little sweaty. Her bangs were damp against her temples, her face fair and rosy. When she smiled, her eyes curved. He didn't know what Auntie Feng said, but Jiang Nian's faint smile turned into a joyful laugh, revealing her white teeth.
This was the first time he had seen Auntie completely relaxed.
She truly looked beautiful when she smiled.
"Deputy Commander Lu is back!"
Xu Yan, sitting by the stove and starting a fire, turned her head and saw Lu Yu standing by the well.
Jiang Nian heard this, suppressed the smile on her lips, and turned to look at Lu Yu, who was scooping water from the well to wash his hands outside the window. After washing his hands, Lu Yu entered the kitchen, wanting to help. Feng Mei waved her hand at him, "With three women here, you don't need a man to come and help."
Moreover, with a man present, the three women wouldn't be as comfortable talking. Feng Mei still wanted to hear Xu Yan continue talking about her and Liu Qiang's past ten-odd days. She also greatly admired Jiang Nian for coming up with this method for Xu Yan to deal with Liu Qiang.
She then thought of her own man and decided to try this method sometime.
The kitchen didn't need Lu Yu, so he went to Commander Song's house and Company Commander Liu's house to borrow long benches and tables. Feeling it wasn't enough, he went to a neighbor's house to borrow another table and two long wooden benches.
All the dishes were prepared. Jiang Nian put a pot on the stove to heat oil, first pouring the fatty meat into the pot to render oil. Feng Mei smelled the faint aroma, her mouth watering. She looked at the stove and cutting board, covered with prepared dishes, and exclaimed in surprise, "Jiang Nian, how can you be so good at cooking? Just looking at the colors you've combined is beautiful, let alone the taste."
Xu Yan also tiptoed to sniff the meat in the pot, echoing with a nod, "Yes, it smells so good."
Jiang Nian smiled, casually saying a few words to brush it off.
By lunchtime, the dishes were coming out of the pot one after another, but there weren't enough plates in the house. Feng Mei and Xu Yan each went home to bring their plates, bowls, and basins.
Jiang Nian made several meat dishes and several vegetarian dishes. The meat dishes included braised fish, stir-fried pig intestines with chili, and braised pork. She originally wanted to make chili chicken, but considering there were children who couldn't eat too spicy food, she changed it to Big Plate Chicken. There was also a pot of Maoxuewang. The spicy chili and rich flavor of the dishes made people drool.
"Oh my goodness, I've never seen such a rich spread of dishes in my life!"
Feng Mei looked at the Maoxuewang, then at Jiang Nian, who had turned pig blood into such a fragrant dish in a flash. Xu Yan was also surprised. They had never eaten pig blood. In the countryside, when the brigade slaughtered pigs each year, they would divide a bit of meat per person and work point, but they had never even seen pig blood.
Three tables were set up in the courtyard. Because there were many people, the men had one table, the women had one table, and the children had one table.
Jiang Nian divided the dishes into three portions. Feng Mei and Xu Yan brought them out one after another. Feng Mei's two children and Xu Yan's children all ran over, jumping and playing in the courtyard, smelling the food, all wishing they could cling to the chairs and not get down.
"What kind of food did Deputy Commander Lu's aunt make? I could smell it from afar."
"Yes, it makes my mouth water."
Commander Song and Company Commander Liu walked in, followed by Zhou Jun, Company Commander Lu, and Platoon Leader He Yong's family. Platoon Leader He's family had a son and a daughter. The daughter was named He Hua, seven years old this year, and the son was named He Shu, exactly six years old this year. Kang Xiu went to find Feng Mei as soon as she entered, asking He Hua to take He Shu to play.
He Shu pushed He Hua's hand away, wanting to go play with Song Xiang Dong and the others.
All around were boys; only He Hua, a lone girl, stood under the tree, watching the boys play. Jiang Nian saw her, and He Hua also saw Jiang Nian. She hesitated for a moment, then pursed her lips and smiled at Jiang Nian.
Jiang Nian also smiled, looking at Kang Xiu, who was constantly trying to find topics to chat with Feng Mei.
She recognized Kang Xiu. The first time she came to the unit with Lu Yu, it was Kang Xiu who mocked her and Lu Yu. Now, she left her daughter alone there. Jiang Nian didn't have much goodwill towards Kang Xiu.
Lu Yu asked Commander Song and the others to sit. Commander Song looked at the rich dishes on the table, his eyes wide with surprise, "Oh my, so abundant?! ()"
He felt heartache looking at the table full of meat and fish.
Not to mention Commander Song, who among those sitting didn't feel heartache? This meal must have cost a lot. Deputy Commander Lu's aunt was truly generous to them.
Jiang Nian secretly observed, finding that Company Commander Liu and Company Commander Lu deliberately sat separately, with Platoon Leader He and Zhou Jun sandwiched in between, and two other platoon leaders sitting next to them.
This time, everyone who should have come to eat came, except Zheng Hong.
Jiang Nian went to the kitchen to get spare chopsticks. Turning around, she saw Lu Yu entering the kitchen from outside, head bowed. She asked, "Why aren't you eating??"
Lu Yu looked at Jiang Nian's face, slightly flushed from the heat, and took the chopsticks from her hand, "Auntie has been busy all morning. You go eat first. I'll give the chopsticks to everyone."
The kitchen was already small. Lu Yu, tall with long legs, stood in front of Jiang Nian like that, making her instantly feel the kitchen had become cramped. She cleared her throat, lowered her head, her voice a little low, "Okay."
Seeing her return to her previous demeanor, completely different from when she was chatting with Sister Feng in the kitchen just now, Lu Yu tightened his grip on the chopsticks a bit, "Auntie, how you are in front of Sister Feng and the others, be like that in front of me. Don't be constrained, we are family."
Jiang Nian was startled, looking up. Lu Yu was only two steps away from her. He was tall, and she had to look up to meet his gaze. Looking into his dark eyes, his brows slightly furrowed, she snapped out of her daze, nodded gently, then pursed her lips and smiled, "Understood."
Lu Yu was momentarily lost in her smile. Feng Mei's voice came from outside the kitchen, "Deputy Commander Lu, why aren't you coming out to eat?"
Looking into the kitchen, she didn't see Jiang Nian. Just as she was about to ask where Jiang Nian was, she saw Deputy Commander Lu turn around, and Jiang Nian also peeked out, saying, "Sister Feng, I came to get chopsticks."
Feng Mei: ......
Deputy Commander Lu was tall, and his aunt was petite. She was blocked by him; Feng Mei really hadn't seen her.
In the courtyard, there were three tables. The men's table was eating and chatting about military matters. The children's table was noisy, fighting over food. But at the women's table, apart from Feng Mei and Xu Yan chatting, and Kang Xiu trying to find topics to talk about with Feng Mei, everyone else was quietly eating.
Kang Xiu secretly looked at Jiang Nian, realizing that Jiang Nian was more beautiful than the first time she saw her. The first time she saw her, she was as thin as a stick, head bowed, sad and silent. Now she often smiled, her skin fair, making Kang Xiu feel a bit envious.
She was already a widow, who was she looking so beautiful for?
During the meal, Feng Mei talked about Commander Song's family, suddenly remembering Old Song's second uncle's youngest son, Song Bai. Song Bai was not young, the same age as Deputy Commander Lu, and still unmarried.
She looked at Jiang Nian, feeling that matchmaking Jiang Nian with Song Bai seemed not bad. Jiang Nian was beautiful, kind-hearted, and gentle, and had no children. Perhaps this matter could really work out.
So, she called across the table, "Old Song, how is Song Bai doing now?"
Commander Song was talking with Lu Yu about his departure tomorrow. Hearing Feng Mei's voice, he impatiently replied, "Still the same!"
Feng Mei then said, "I'm matchmaking for our Song Bai, what do you think?"
When Commander Song's gaze turned over, Feng Mei patted Jiang Nian's shoulder and said with a smile, "What do you think of Deputy Commander Lu's aunt?"
In an instant.
The dining table fell into a strange silence.!