Illness and Misunderstanding

A scorching warmth suddenly rushed into her cold chest. Lu Yu frowned slightly in discomfort. Jiang Nian, however, trembled from the cold, her eyes unconsciously opening slowly. Looking at the warm room and noticing the external force on her shoulder, she weakly turned her head and saw a slender, bony hand grasping her shoulder.

Jiang Nian was startled. Reacting slowly, she turned her head the other way and looked up at Lu Yu, who was sitting sideways on the edge of the bed, half-embracing her. The man's clothes were already soaked, and his neat short hair was covered in water droplets, which slid down his sharp brow to his chin.

Seeing Jiang Nian wake up, a trace of unnaturalness appeared on his face. His other hand held out the fever-reducing medicine to her: "You have a fever. Take the medicine first. I'll take you to the hospital tomorrow."

The warmth in his chest was shockingly hot. Lu Yu endured the strange feeling in his heart and looked up at the half-open door.

Jiang Nian struggled to raise her hand, but halfway up, she lost her strength, and it fell weakly onto the blanket. She looked at the pill being held in front of her, moved her head slightly forward, and used her tongue to sweep the pill held between the man's fingers.

Her tongue was chilled for a moment, and before she could recover, her mouth was filled with a strong bitter taste. Jiang Nian frowned in discomfort: "So bitter, water..."

Lu Yu was dazed.

The scorching warmth quickly brushed past his fingertips, and his palm still lingered with Jiang Nian's breath.

He pursed his thin lips tightly, his earlobes quickly turning red.

Hearing Jiang Nian uncomfortably asking for water, Lu Yu came to his senses and handed her the enamel cup. Jiang Nian said weakly, "I have no strength."

The pill in her mouth quickly dissolved, the bitterness rushing straight down her throat.

When Lu Yu brought the enamel cup to her mouth, Jiang Nian bowed her head and drank a few sips, but there was still a faint bitter taste in her mouth, which was not very comfortable.

Lu Yu was afraid the cold air on his body would transfer to Jiang Nian, and he also felt awkward and unnatural being alone with her at this moment. Therefore, after Jiang Nian finished drinking the water, he helped her lie back on the bed, and only then did he stand up to go out.

"Lu Yu."

Jiang Nian looked at the figure walking to the door and said softly, "I want to eat a milk candy."

She coughed twice, then continued, "The candy is in the cabinet."

Lu Yu said, "Okay."

He turned around and opened the cabinet. In a corner of the cabinet, there were three milk candies. He took one, walked to the window, lowered his eyes to look at the weak and powerless Jiang Nian, looked at her face flushed with high fever and her wet eyelashes, and finally unwrapped the candy wrapper and fed it to her mouth.

Jiang Nian swept the milk candy into her mouth, and the sweet taste immediately covered the bitterness.

She coughed a few more times and asked, "Why did you come back? Has the bridge in the village been repaired?"

Lu Yu clenched the candy wrapper in his palm and replied, "Yes."

Then he quickly turned and left the room. When closing the door for Jiang Nian, he said, "I'll go cook some porridge."

The door closed, and Jiang Nian also closed her eyes, her mind in a mess.

Shouldn't the plot be a two-day rescue?

Why was it resolved in just one day?

If she couldn't figure it out, she simply didn't think about it. Since the current plot had deviated and she couldn't go back, thinking too much would only bring self-inflicted trouble.

Lu Yu cooked some porridge, stir-fried a plate of bok choy, and steamed a bowl of egg custard. When it was done, he brought it to Jiang Nian's room. After taking the fever medicine, Jiang Nian was better than before. She sat weakly leaning against the headboard, with a pillow behind her back, her neck resting against the dirt wall plastered with a layer of newspaper.

The aroma of food spread in the room, and Jiang Nian was indeed a bit hungry.

She took the bowl of egg custard Lu Yu handed over, used a spoon to scoop some to eat, and looked up at Lu Yu standing by the bed. He was still wearing those wet clothes, which clung to his body, outlining his well-proportioned muscle lines. His arms hanging by his legs looked solid and full of strength.

Jiang Nian quickly lowered her eyes, kept her eyes strictly on the egg custard, and said softly, "Go back to your room and change into clean clothes quickly. Be careful not to catch a cold."

Lu Yu said, "I'm fine."

His body was robust, and having been trained in the military, training shirtless on the snow in winter was nothing to him.

Lu Yu turned and placed the stir-fried vegetables and porridge on the small wooden table at the head of the bed: "Eat first. I'll come to clean up later."

Jiang Nian gave an "Okay."

Once Lu Yu turned and left the room, she breathed a sigh of relief.

In her heart, she kept chanting: *See no evil.*

Otherwise, if Lu Yu discovered her little thoughts, and they had to be alone together in the future, it would be extremely embarrassing.

Jiang Nian didn't eat much. After eating a bowl of egg custard and a few bites of vegetables, she was full. She lay down on the bed again, listening to the rain outside. Not long after, there was the sound of footsteps slowly coming from outside. She turned her head and saw Lu Yu entering.

He looked at the bowl of porridge and more than half a plate of food on the table, frowning slightly: "Is that all you can eat?"

Jiang Nian nodded gently: "Yes."

Lu Yu: ...

Her appetite wasn't large to begin with, and she didn't eat much. He didn't expect her to eat even less after falling ill.

How was this different from feeding a chicken?

Seeing that her face was no longer as red as before, Lu Yu knew her fever had subsided.

"Sleep a bit more. When it's light, I'll take you to the hospital."

Jiang Nian said, "Okay."

She watched Lu Yu carry the plate and bowl out of the room, thoughtfully closing the door for her.

Jiang Nian slept again, and when she woke up, it was almost noon.

Lu Yu had come in twice in the meantime to check her forehead, which was always cool, so he didn't wake her.

After Jiang Nian got up, dressed, washed her face, and drank some porridge, she followed Lu Yu to the hospital.

The heavy rain had stopped, and now there was only a light drizzle. She wore a patched coat, holding an umbrella as she followed Lu Yu, stepping in his footprints. His feet were large, and he walked on solid ground, not where the mud formed puddles.

Just as they walked out of the military compound, Jiang Nian heard footsteps and angry growls from behind.

"That bastard, causing my son to fall and break his leg. Just wait until I get there, I'll break his son's leg!"

"Damn it, I don't even know what there is to fight over a ragged schoolbag!"

Jiang Nian was extremely familiar with this voice—it was Zheng Hong.

She turned her head to look at the grim-faced Zheng Hong, who was clutching a cloth bag, lowering her head as she stepped on the mud and ran in a hurry.

Zheng Hong also saw the people walking ahead. Her first glance landed on Jiang Nian. She rolled her eyes and snorted, originally intending to say some nasty words to Jiang Nian, but then she saw Vice Commander Lu walking ahead of her, so she swallowed her words.

Jiang Nian saw through her, the mockery in her eyes undisguised.

She was just a bully who feared the strong and oppressed the weak.

Zheng Hong ignored them, clutching her cloth bag and running very fast, her pant legs splashed with mud.

Lu Yu only glanced at Zheng Hong's back before withdrawing his gaze.

He had learned about yesterday afternoon's incident last night from the soldiers in the regiment. In his previous life, Song Xiangdong had developed a chronic illness due to a high fever, so his body was relatively weak afterward. In this life, to prevent Song Xiangdong from repeating the same mistake, he had ordered Zhou Jun to take the children home first.

Only he didn't expect Lu Zhijun to clash with Song Xiangdong, and the cause was Song Xiangdong's schoolbag.

Thinking of the embroidered schoolbag he saw on Song Xiangdong yesterday morning, Lu Yu asked, and Song Xiangdong told him that Aunt Jiang had embroidered it.

He never knew she had this skill.

The two walked on the tree-lined road. Ahead was a flooded puddle, with muddy water on both sides and many footprints. Jiang Nian looked down at her cloth shoes, feeling that if she walked through here, her feet would probably be covered in mud.

She stopped, hesitating which foot to put forward, when suddenly a figure squatted down in front of her. Lu Yu's deep and powerful voice sounded: "Aunt, let me carry you across."

Jiang Nian gripped the umbrella handle and said softly, "Okay."

She suppressed the urge to curl her lips, feeling that she didn't need to get her feet dirty, and also felt that Lu Yu was really too thoughtful. When he married a wife in the future, she would definitely organize a very grand and wonderful wedding for him.

Lu Yu's clothes were a bit wet, but fortunately, Jiang Nian was wearing a coat, separating them from the moisture.

She leaned against Lu Yu's back, reaching out to hug his neck. When the man stood up, her vision was instantly far from the ground. This was the first time she realized that her usual perspective looking down at the ground and Lu Yu's eye-level perspective were completely different.

He was really tall.

After passing the muddy road, Lu Yu set her down and led her to the hospital.

It was still Director Wang who had examined her last time. Seeing Jiang Nian, Director Wang was startled for a moment and smiled, "Why are you here again?"

Jiang Nian: ...

Of course, she was here to see a doctor.

Otherwise, who would like to run to the hospital for no reason?

Lu Yu said, "She had a fever last night and took a fever-reducing pill."

Director Wang nodded, examined Jiang Nian, and asked where she felt uncomfortable. Director Wang asked a question, and Jiang Nian answered. In the end, after the examination, Director Wang wrote a prescription for Lu Yu: "She caught a cold due to exposure to rain, resulting in a fever and a swollen, infected throat. Having her hospitalized for an IV for two days will be fine."

Lu Yu nodded: "Okay."

Director Wang added, "She has chronic weakness due to poor nutrition, which makes her body fragile. She will fall ill whenever she catches a bit of cold. Nourish her more when there's nothing to do, and she will recover after a few years of conditioning."

After speaking, he looked at Jiang Nian's forehead. There was a very small scar on her forehead, which wasn't really noticeable if one didn't look closely.

Lu Yu said, "Thank you, Director Wang."

Director Wang called outside, "Cai Jing, take this patient to the ward and arrange a bed."

"Coming."

A nurse in an old-fashioned white coat walked in, her hair tied in two braids, with a small red mole under her right eye. Director Wang was startled: "Where is Cai Jing?"

Sun Ying smiled and said, "She went to eat. I'm covering for her."

Director Wang nodded, gesturing toward Jiang Nian: "Take this patient to the ward."

Then he handed her a slip.

Sun Ying took the slip, looked at Jiang Nian, and after withdrawing her gaze, she paused and looked back at her.

She didn't expect to meet her again.

She looked at the man behind Jiang Nian. He was still wearing the same green military uniform as last time, his eyes lowered to the ground, his face cold and handsome. He held a slip in his hand, his fingers long and beautiful, and the aura on his body was a few degrees colder than last time.

Sun Ying's calm heart suddenly thudded a few times. Seeing this strange man again, she felt an inexplicable familiarity, as if they had met before, but she was very clear she had never met him.

And her most frequent interactions with him were only in her dreams.

Since she saw him last time, she had dreamed of sitting opposite him on a train, and then dreamed of going to the hospital to report while he returned to the military. In the dream, it seemed to be another world, a world where she and this person knew each other, and he introduced himself to her, saying his name was Lu Yu.

"What are you still dazed for?"

Seeing Sun Ying motionless, Director Wang raised his head and glanced at her.

Sun Ying came to her senses, her face slightly red, and quickly bowed her head, saying, "Female comrade, please follow me."

Jiang Nian nodded gently, and as she walked ahead, she turned to look at Lu Yu, just in time to meet his gaze.

Thus, the curiosity and doubt in her eyes fell into Lu Yu's eyes without warning. The man frowned imperceptibly, thinking she was still thinking about matchmaking him with Sun Ying, and his voice unconsciously grew a bit colder: "Aunt, go to the ward first. I'll go pay."

"Oh."

Jiang Nian lowered her head and followed Sun Ying to the ward.

Her bed was inside, near the window, and the two beds near the door were occupied. One was a woman of about thirty, with a child of about ten sitting beside her, likely her daughter. One was an old woman, with a middle-aged man sitting beside her, their faces somewhat similar, probably mother and son.

Sun Ying said, "You are this bed."

Jiang Nian said thank you and sat down on the bed. The person at the end of the bed didn't leave but kept standing there. Jiang Nian raised her head curiously, only to hear Sun Ying ask her in a low voice, "Are you his sister-in-law?"

Jiang Nian: ???

She pursed her lips and nodded, "Yes."

Sun Ying smiled somewhat embarrassedly and asked again, "Is his name Lu Yu? The Vice Commander of the military region?"

Jiang Nian: ???

Heavens, how did the female lead know?

Did she run to the military specially to inquire about Lu Yu's information?!

She was currently not in the mood to matchmake the female lead and male lead. The plot was shattered, and she couldn't go back. Moreover, Lu Yu had no such intention, and she didn't want to do extra work that would only cause trouble.

Jiang Nian only nodded: "Yes."

Out of a normal person's reaction, she pretended to be gossipy and asked, "How did you know?"

Sun Ying hesitated, and a voice came from outside: "Nurse Sun—"

Sun Ying said, "I'll bring the medicine to inject you later."

With that, she left.

Jiang Nian withdrew her thoughts and sat on the bed looking out the window. At this time, the county hospital was slightly better than the countryside, built of brick, with green wooden windows and six panes of glass. The glass reflected the images of people passing outside.

After a while, Lu Yu returned, holding two buns and a new bedsheet of old-fashioned coarse cloth. He placed the buns on the table and said to Jiang Nian, "I'll make the bed."

Jiang Nian understood his meaning. Who knew how many people had lain on the hospital bed, and who knew what illnesses the previous patient had. Last time she was hospitalized, Lu Yu had also bought a bedsheet to cover the bed, and when they left, they took it with them. Currently, that bedsheet was still in her cabinet.

After Lu Yu made the bed, Jiang Nian took off her shoes and lay down.

Seeing this, the old woman in the neighboring bed looked at Lu Yu and smiled, "You are so good to your wife."

Lu Yu: ...

Jiang Nian: ...

Lu Yu looked at Jiang Nian, who was leaning against the headboard, and nodded to the old woman: "I should be."

Jiang Nian raised her head instantly, only to see Lu Yu looking at the old woman, ignoring her gaze.

Jiang Nian: ???

Lu Yu had bought a green military canteen and went to fetch water for her, not even glancing at her as he left.

In the ward, the old woman and the middle-aged woman were chatting. Jiang Nian sat quietly on the bed, holding the meat bun Lu Yu had bought for her. Taking a bite, she tasted the rich meat flavor.

The old woman sniffed the aroma, and the woman in the neighboring bed also smelled it. Several people in the ward looked toward her at the same time, their eyes filled with craving for the meat.

Jiang Nian: ...

The bite of meat bun in her mouth was a bit hard to swallow. She put it into her cloth bag and stopped talking.

The old woman said, "Your husband is so good to you. I see him wearing a uniform. Is he a soldier?"

Since Lu Yu had admitted they were husband and wife earlier, she couldn't embarrass him, so she could only force herself to say, "Yes."

The woman beside her also said, "How many years have you and your husband been married? I see you are still young. Do you have children? A boy or a girl?"

Jiang Nian: ...

She had a bit of a headache and lied casually, "We've been married for four years and don't have children yet."

The old woman immediately gossiped, "Married for four years and no children?"

She looked at Jiang Nian's belly and asked curiously, "Is it your problem or your husband's?"

The middle-aged man beside her glared at the old woman, "Mother, can you stop poking your nose into other people's business? You're like this at home, and you're still like this outside. If you're not embarrassed, I am."

The old woman glared back at her son, completely ignoring his words, and asked Jiang Nian again, as if she wouldn't give up until she got an answer.

The woman near the door also looked at Jiang Nian, a hint of schadenfreude on her face. She was also someone who couldn't give birth to a son, having given birth to three daughters in a row. This time, she finally got pregnant again, but almost had a miscarriage. Her mother-in-law and husband believed it was definitely a boy, so they made her stay in the hospital.

Otherwise, she would never have come to this hospital in her life.

Jiang Nian felt that Lu Yu had caused this trouble. If he had explained their relationship, why would she be questioned to the end like this?

She leaned against the blanket, her face looking a bit tired, and lied casually, "My husband is the one who can't."

Lu Yu had just walked to the outside of the ward when he suddenly heard Jiang Nian's words. His brow furrowed, and he pursed his lips as he walked into the ward carrying the canteen.

Instantly, the gazes of the old woman and the middle-aged woman landed on Lu Yu, their faces filled with regret. Even the middle-aged man looked up at him with sympathy in his eyes.

Lu Yu's brow furrowed tightly, thinking of the sentence Jiang Nian had said just as he reached the door.

— *My husband is the one who can't.*

Seeing Lu Yu, Jiang Nian's heart skipped a beat. When he looked over, she quickly lowered her head, not daring to breathe.

Looking at Jiang Nian, who was bowing her head like a quail, Lu Yu placed the canteen on the table. Seeing her clutching the cloth bag, he said, "The meat bun will be bad once it gets cold. It's better to eat it while it's hot."

Jiang Nian pursed her lips, looking at her fingers which were cold like bamboo sticks, and endured her embarrassment, softly saying, "Okay."

She swore she would never speak ill of Lu Yu behind his back again!

Sitting like this was embarrassing. Fortunately, the old woman and the woman beside her were talking.

Jiang Nian took out the meat bun and ate it in small bites, not daring to look at Lu Yu standing by the bed. She only stole glances at his long, straight legs, secretly cursing herself in her heart.

If she had known, she would have said it was her own problem.

"Cough, cough—"

Her throat was burning and painful. When the food passed through her throat, it hurt uncomfortably and triggered an itch, making her cough a few times. A hand appeared in front of her, holding the green military canteen lid filled with warm water, from which steam slowly rose.

Lu Yu's voice came from above: "Drink water."

"Okay."

Jiang Nian raised her head slightly, reached out to take the lid, and drank a sip. Catching sight of Lu Yu looking toward the window, she breathed a sigh of relief and handed the lid back after drinking.

Sun Ying came to give Jiang Nian an injection. She looked at Lu Yu standing by the bed, somewhat dazed.

Why did she dream of a man she had only met once?

"Ouch—"

Jiang Nian raised her head in pain. The needle hole on the back of her hand was bleeding.

Sun Ying came to her senses and was shocked to find that the needle had gone askew. She panicked immediately, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Jiang Nian was about to say it was fine when Lu Yu's deep voice suddenly came from above, and at the same time, the needle in Sun Ying's hand was taken by him.

"I'll call another nurse."

The man walked out of the ward coldly, not giving Sun Ying any chance to explain.

Jiang Nian was also stunned. She looked up blankly at Sun Ying's pale, aggrieved face, pursed her lips, and in the end, said nothing, only lowering her head to press the needle hole on the back of her hand.

Two minutes later, Lu Yu brought another nurse to give Jiang Nian the injection. Sun Ying looked at the man's handsome, cold face, and then thought of his smiling and chatting face in her dream, feeling a bit unable to escape and unable to accept it.

She endured her embarrassment and said softly, "I didn't do it on purpose just now. You don't have to be so angry."

Lu Yu watched the other nurse successfully give Jiang Nian the injection, and said extremely coldly, "As a medical worker, your mistake could easily cause irreversible damage to the patient. If something really happens, an apology won't solve it."

Sun Ying's eyes turned red with grievance.

She came from a good background, had been loved and pampered by her parents since childhood, and coaxed by her friends. She had never been criticized in public. Instantly, she pursed her lips in grievance, tears filling her eyes, her pitiful appearance making the small red mole under her eye look even more charming.

Looking at her like this, Jiang Nian couldn't help but click her tongue.

As expected of the female lead, her look of wanting to cry but holding back was truly charming. Even she, a woman, felt softened.

The old woman's son also turned to look at Sun Ying, a light flashing in his eyes. He looked at Lu Yu and said, "The nurse comrade said she didn't do it on purpose. Why are you so stingy as a man?"

Lu Yu looked at the middle-aged man coldly: "The one in pain isn't your mother."

The middle-aged man was about to argue back, but the old woman slapped the back of his head: "He's right. The nurse comrade's work of curing sickness and saving lives is a big deal. If she harms someone, who will take responsibility? Only you are generous, only you are good!"

After being slapped, the middle-aged man immediately fell silent.

Sun Ying looked at Lu Yu's cold face, covered her mouth, cried, and ran out.

The other nurse carefully finished the injection for Jiang Nian and also quickly went out.

In the hallway, Wu Youshan came out of Director Wang's clinic. Seeing Sun Ying sobbing in a corner at the end of the hallway, he followed her worriedly. Hearing her sobbing aggrievedly, he asked, "Who bullied you?"

Sun Ying cried, "I accidentally poked the needle askew and was scolded by the patient's family."

Wu Youshan was furious: "Poor mountains and rivers produce unruly people. The people in this ragged county town are really troublesome. Who doesn't make mistakes sometimes?"

The IV dripped slowly. Jiang Nian looked at Lu Yu sitting at the end of the bed, sorting out the medicine for her.

It was prescribed by Director Wang.

The IV continued until evening. Jiang Nian slept for a while on the way. Lu Yu frequently checked the IV bottle and reached out to touch Jiang Nian's forehead. The old woman and the middle-aged woman beside them watched, feeling envious yet finding this husband pitiful.

He wasn't functional in that aspect, which meant he would have no offspring in this life. Alas, what a pity for such a handsome young man.

When Jiang Nian woke up, Lu Yu had just returned from the state-owned restaurant. He had bought a portion of millet porridge and a bowl of noodles. After eating dinner, Jiang Nian went to the restroom. When she came out, she saw a man and a woman walking together in the hallway.

The woman was Sun Ying, and she heard her calling the man beside her Wu Youshan.

Seeing Jiang Nian, Sun Ying hesitated for a moment, nodded politely to her, and left.

Jiang Nian's gaze landed on Wu Youshan's back. Wu Youshan was mentioned a lot in the book. He and Sun Ying lived in the same compound and were considered childhood sweethearts; he had liked Sun Ying since childhood. Later, when Sun Ying and the male lead were together, Wu Youshan still refused to give up, occasionally pestering Sun Ying.

She returned to the ward and saw Lu Yu sitting at the end of the bed. Seeing her return, he stood up to lift the blanket for her to lie down. For his meticulous care in all aspects, Jiang Nian indeed felt a bit overwhelmed by his favor.

At the city hospital.

Zheng Hong had just arrived and immediately got into a big fight with Feng Mei. If Lu Guosheng hadn't stopped her, Zheng Hong would have rushed up to fight Feng Mei.

She scolded with a furious face, "Commander Song can manage my husband, but he can't manage me! If it weren't for your son, would my Zhijun have fallen and broken his leg?!"

Feng Mei shielded Song Xiangdong, also glaring at Zheng Hong with a furious face, scolding, "It's your son who is handsy! He shamelessly tried to snatch Xiangdong's schoolbag. He saw Vice Commander Lu's aunt embroider a little boy on Xiangdong's schoolbag and wanted to snatch it out of greed. I don't even know how you've taught Zhijun these past few years to make him behave like this!"

Feng Mei spoke a long string of words, and Zheng Hong couldn't squeeze in a single word.

Xu Yan was a straightforward person. Although she was good at cursing and fighting, she was far inferior to Feng Mei. Feng Mei couldn't play mind games, but her mouth could curse up a storm, leaving Zheng Hong speechless.

Battalion Commander Lu found it annoying, grabbed Zheng Hong, and said with a dark face, "If you keep making a scene, go back! This is a hospital, not home. Don't embarrass me outside!"

Zheng Hong's eyes turned red with anger: "Why are you talking to me like that?"

She pointed at Feng Mei: "It was Song Xiangdong who harmed our son and made him break his leg. You don't protect Zhijun, but instead protect Song Xiangdong. Who on earth is your son?!"

"Enough!"

Lu Guosheng's face was dark: "If you keep making trouble, go back to your mother's house! I can take good care of Zhijun myself."

With that, he turned and left the ward.

Just this one sentence extinguished all of Zheng Hong's momentum. She was most afraid of going back to her mother's house. Looking at Lu Zhijun, who was pouting and crying for his mother, Zheng Hong felt both pained and angry. She turned her head to glare at Feng Mei, who was gloating.

Song Xiangdong sat on the bed, clutching the cloth bag in his hand, his fingers rubbing the little boy's eyes, wanting to wipe off the mud. Feng Mei turned and rubbed his head: "It's fine. When we go home, Mother will wash it clean for you."

Song Xiangdong nodded: "Okay."

Lying on the bed against the wall was a middle-aged woman. Judging by her dress, she was a city person. She had arrived the day before yesterday, and originally the ward was quiet with only her. As a result, two families arrived last night. At first, they weren't noisy, but since the mother of the child who broke his leg arrived, the ward had not been quiet.

The woman turned to look at Song Xiangdong in the neighboring bed, seeing him always clutching a schoolbag patched with black cloth. Curious, she sat up to look closely, and her gaze instantly stuck to the image of the little boy in military uniform embroidered on the bag.

Although it was stained with mud and very dirty, it wasn't hard to see that the embroidery was very good.

She said softly, "Child, can you let me see your schoolbag?"

Song Xiangdong turned to look at her, nodded, and handed the schoolbag over.

The woman's fingers traced the embroidery on the schoolbag, then she looked up at Song Xiangdong. Song Xiangdong smiled embarrassedly, missing a front tooth, looking exactly like the little boy on the schoolbag.

An idea occurred to her, and she asked, "Who embroidered this?"

Song Xiangdong said, "Aunt Jiang."

Seeing that she found it very rare, Feng Mei smiled and said, "It was embroidered by my neighbor. I'm not boasting, but she embroiders very beautifully. In just one afternoon, she finished embroidering the little boy on this schoolbag. Look at that nose and mouth, it looks just like my Xiangdong."

The woman smiled and said, "Very similar."

She thought for a moment, looked up at Feng Mei, and said, "Comrade, I am the owner of the state-owned embroidery shop in our city. When you go back, tell that comrade that I have an embroidery pattern here that needs to be embroidered. If she agrees, she can come to the state-owned embroidery shop to find me. I will give her the pattern to take back, and she can return it to me after finishing."

Feng Mei opened her eyes wide in surprise and asked, "Is there money?"

The middle-aged woman smiled and said, "Of course there is compensation."

Feng Mei happily slapped her thigh: "Great, I'll tell her when I go back."

Zheng Hong turned to look at the schoolbag in the woman's eyes, snorted, and muttered, "A ragged schoolbag, anyone can patch it. What's so rare."

Lu Zhijun said softly, "But it's really beautiful. Mother, patch one for me too. I want one."

Zheng Hong said impatiently, "I don't want to patch it!"

Jiang Nian was discharged from the hospital on the morning of the third day. She followed Lu Yu to Director Wang's clinic. Director Wang prescribed medicine and handed it to Lu Yu, then looked at Jiang Nian and teased, "In three months, you've come three times. Don't come next month. Take good care of your health."

Jiang Nian: ...

She didn't want to come either.

Lu Yu took her out of the hospital. When passing the stairwell, they ran into Sun Ying and Wu Youshan walking up the stairs.

Wu Youshan made way. Sun Ying bit her lower lip, looking up at Lu Yu who was looking down. She wanted to greet him, but thinking of his cold attitude the day before yesterday, she felt a lump in her throat.

Lu Yu looked at Sun Ying standing in the way, his cold eyes sweeping over Wu Youshan beside her, then looked at Sun Ying three steps below him, his voice still cold: "Excuse me, please make way."

Wu Youshan tugged at Sun Ying's sleeve: "What's wrong with you?"

Sun Ying shifted two steps, watching the aunt and nephew walk down the stairs one after another, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Lu Yu's back. She really couldn't connect the man in her dream with the cold and heartless man in reality.

Wu Youshan followed Sun Ying's gaze to look at Lu Yu, who disappeared at the corner, his face instantly turning cold. He reached out to pinch Sun Ying's slender wrist: "Don't look. The second floor is still busy."

Sun Ying nodded: "Okay."

After leaving the hospital, Jiang Nian looked at the bag in Lu Yu's hand, which contained her bedsheet and clothes.

She completely understood now that the male lead and female lead were completely going in opposite directions.

All the way back to the military, there were many people passing on the tree-lined road. When they reached a place with few people, Jiang Nian suddenly heard Lu Yu say, "Aunt."

She turned her head: "Hmm?"

Lu Yu said, "At the hospital, I admitted we were husband and wife just because I didn't want to explain unnecessarily to them. Aunt, don't misunderstand, and don't be angry in your heart."

Jiang Nian was startled. Who was angry?

She lowered her head and thought for a while, wondering if it was because of what she said in the ward that Lu Yu thought she was angry.

Jiang Nian pursed her lips, looked at the road ahead, and tried to ask, "What I said in the ward that day, did you hear it all?"

Lu Yu said, "Yes."

Jiang Nian: ...

By the time they returned to the family compound, it was already noon. Jiang Nian originally intended to cook. Lu Yu put down the things, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Go rest. I'll do it."

"Okay."

Jiang Nian obediently ran back to her room, then leaned against the window, watching Lu Yu fetch water from the well to carry into the kitchen. She patted her chest, feeling very annoyed in her heart.

Of all people to talk about, she had to be heard by the person involved.

She wondered if Lu Yu would think she was a gossipy woman who spoke ill of people behind their backs.

At noon, Lu Yu cooked tomato egg noodles, with green vegetables sprinkled on top. After eating lunch, he washed the pot and bowls and went to the regiment. Jiang Nian stayed at home, taking out the half-finished curtain from last time to continue embroidering.

Xu Yan knew Jiang Nian was hospitalized and thought of visiting her, but Feng Mei hadn't returned, and there were three children at home, so she didn't dare to leave. This morning, Feng Mei had just returned, bringing Song Xiangdong back, and brought her ten eggs to thank her for taking care of Song Xiangdong.

The two originally agreed to visit Jiang Nian after lunch, but seeing Lu Yu coming out of the house, they realized they had returned.

Feng Mei had just stepped into Jiang Nian's house, and Xu Yan followed.

Jiang Nian sat on a chair under the tree, watching Feng Mei and Xu Yan chatting merrily, both talking about Zheng Hong. Since neither of them liked Zheng Hong, they got along very well, and Jiang Nian listened quietly.

Feng Mei snorted, "Zheng Hong even wanted me to pay for her son's medical expenses. Why should I pay her? It was Lu Zhijun who hit Xiangdong first. It's already good enough that I didn't ask her to pay for Xiangdong. She's really shameless. Fortunately, Battalion Commander Lu is a reasonable man."

Xu Yan said, "I say this is retribution."

The worse Zheng Hong was, the happier she was.

Feng Mei nodded, and only after finishing did she see Jiang Nian embroidering. She curiously craned her neck to look. The fabric was white, and she used red thread to embroider a plum branch, with several plum blossoms in full bloom. Although it wasn't finished yet, a single plum branch was enough to amaze people.

She let out an "Oh my": "Who did you learn this skill from? How are you so skilled?"

Xu Yan also took a look, exclaiming in surprise, "I felt the little boy you embroidered on Xiangdong's schoolbag was already very beautiful, but I didn't expect this plum blossom to be even more beautiful."

Jiang Nian smiled, "I've liked sewing since childhood. At home, I often used old clothes to practice, and gradually became proficient."

Feng Mei sighed, "I've been sewing clothes for so many years, why haven't I learned?"

After speaking, she looked at Jiang Nian's patched clothes and couldn't help but smile, "Your skill is so good, why did you patch your own clothes so uglily?"

Jiang Nian: ...

Xu Yan also laughed. She looked at Jiang Nian, finding her even more beautiful than when she first arrived at the family compound. Her skin was still so white, and her face was a bit rounder than before, no longer so thin that it was out of shape. Her eyebrows were curved, her eyes bright, especially when she smiled, her eyes seemed to contain a sky full of stars.

Xu Yan sat for a while and left, saying the rain from the previous two days had ruined some food, and she was preparing to clean up to pickle vegetables.

Feng Mei sat for a while and was about to stand up to leave when she suddenly remembered an important matter and slapped her forehead: "Look at my memory. I almost forgot such an important thing."

Jiang Nian looked up at her: "What is it?"

Feng Mei sat back down on the chair and said mysteriously, "Guess who I met at the town hospital this time?"

Jiang Nian shook her head: "I don't know."

Feng Mei smiled and said, "Xiangdong's bed was near a woman. That woman said she is the owner of the state-owned embroidery shop in the city. She saw the little boy in military uniform you embroidered on Xiangdong's schoolbag and took a liking to it at first glance. She asked me to pass a message to you. If you are interested, go to the state-owned embroidery shop to find her. She will give you patterns to embroider, and you won't embroider for free—there's money to be made."

After speaking, she praised again, "I didn't expect that being good at embroidery could also make money. I really envy you."

Jiang Nian was stunned for a moment, not expecting Feng Mei to talk about this.

It was truly a case of getting what she wished for. She was originally thinking about how to make money, and now this job had found its way to her door. Jiang Nian was also a bit happy in her heart. She stood up and placed the curtain on the table: "Sister-in-law Feng, wait for me a moment."

With that, she ran to the kitchen, took six eggs, and handed them to Feng Mei.

Feng Mei was startled: "What are you doing?"

Jiang Nian smiled and said, "Sister-in-law Feng gave me a way to make money. This is naturally a return gift."

Feng Mei was so happy she couldn't close her mouth. Today she had just given away ten eggs, and now she received six back. To be honest, she was very happy in her heart.

Thinking of Lu Zhijun and Song Xiangdong, Jiang Nian asked, "How is Xiangdong?"

Feng Mei said, "He's fine, only scraped some skin on his arm. But Lu Zhijun is miserable. The doctor said his left leg is fractured and he must rest well. I estimate he won't recover for a year or two, and he doesn't need to go to school either."

Jiang Nian nodded. A broken bone takes a hundred days to heal, and the medical conditions of this era were backward compared to the new century, so he would probably have to rest for a long time.

After Feng Mei left, Jiang Nian put away the curtain and prepared dinner.

Lu Yu had said before that at the end of the month, he would take her to the city. She could just go to the state-owned embroidery shop to take a look. If she could embroider for the shop, she could make some money. Since she followed Lu Yu into the military, she had spent a lot of his money. Just these two hospitalizations had cost him a lot. If she didn't make money, she wouldn't have the confidence to stay.

After all, in her bones, she wasn't the real Jiang Nian; she couldn't peacefully enjoy others' sacrifices for her.

Jiang Nian opened the kitchen cabinet. There was still a piece of tofu. She went to the vegetable garden to pick some vegetables. In the evening, she made two dishes: Mapo Tofu and stir-fried luffa. This time, she specially steamed rice and made two rice balls with some side dishes.

As dusk fell, hurried footsteps came from outside.

The voices of Commander Song and Battalion Commander Lu also reached the courtyard. Jiang Nian placed the food on the table in the yard, and saw Lu Yu pushing the door open. Seeing the two dishes and rice balls on the table, he raised his eyebrows, feeling hungry at this moment.

Lu Yu went to the well to fetch water to wash his face, and the sound of splashing water echoed in the yard.

Jiang Nian brought out the rice and chopsticks from the kitchen. Lu Yu had just finished washing his face, turned to take the bowl of rice from Jiang Nian's hand, sat down, and asked, "Is there anywhere you still feel uncomfortable today?"

Jiang Nian shook her head: "No."

She took a bite of rice, looked up at Lu Yu, and asked softly, "Are we still going to the city at the end of the month?"

Lu Yu raised his eyes to look at Jiang Nian. She was gently biting her chopsticks as she looked at him, a hint of expectation in her clear eyes, so he said, "Yes."

Jiang Nian smiled happily: "Okay."

She looked very beautiful when she smiled, her eyes curved like crescents, her pale pink lips slightly curled, revealing her snow-white teeth. Her slender neck was flanked by two braids, her black hair brushing against her fair skin, making her skin look even more delicate and snow-white.

Lu Yu was dazed for a few seconds by her smile, quickly came to his senses, and lowered his eyes to eat. Where Jiang Nian couldn't see, his ears turned a faint red.

He had always felt she was quiet and taciturn. No matter what she did, she always lowered her head, so he had never carefully noticed her appearance. But these few times, he found she was very beautiful.

Especially when she smiled, that quiet feeling instantly faded.

Since Lu Yu said he wanted to go to the city at the end of the month, Jiang Nian had been counting the days. After twelve days of waiting, it was finally the end of the month. When Lu Yu returned from the regiment in the evening, he said to Jiang Nian during dinner, "We might not return tomorrow when we go to the city. We might have to stay at a guesthouse for a night. I'll go apply for a letter of introduction tomorrow morning."

Jiang Nian nodded: "Okay."

After dinner, Lu Yu washed the pot and bowls, and boiled hot water for Jiang Nian to bathe. Currently, the weather was turning cold, autumn had arrived, and it was a bit chilly at night. Jiang Nian used warm water to wipe her body, then lay in the blanket.

Early the next morning, before the bugle call sounded, Jiang Nian woke up.

She got up, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and went to the kitchen to cook. Lu Yu got up early to apply for the letter of introduction. When breakfast was ready, he had returned. After breakfast, Lu Yu went to wash the pot. Jiang Nian returned to her room, took out the clothes Lu Yu had bought for her before from the cabinet, put them on, walked to the mirror hanging on the wall, combed her black hair, and finally tied it into a bun with a hair tie.

Her sparse bangs fell on her forehead, covering the small scar. She smiled at the mirror, took out her cloth bag from the cabinet, put it on, and took some money and coupons from the iron box to put inside, only then walking out of the room.

Lu Yu had been waiting in the yard after finishing his work.

Hearing footsteps, he turned to look at Jiang Nian, seeing that the aunt who always wore two braids had now tied her hair behind her head, revealing her fair and delicate neck. She wore the clothes he had bought before, and her steps were lighter than usual.

As Jiang Nian walked over, he suddenly had a few illusions.

The person in front of him didn't seem to be his aunt...

"Let's go."

Jiang Nian smiled, walking toward the courtyard gate.

Lu Yu looked at her small and slender figure and replied, "Okay."

They had to go to the county town first, and then take a bus from the county town to the city. The speed of the bus was not as fast as a jeep. By the time they reached the city, it would probably be afternoon.

The two walked in the family compound, and there were many people passing on the tree-lined road. The familiar military wives all greeted Lu Yu, and then several of them walked together, turning their heads to look at Jiang Nian, whispering, "Why does she look different from when she first arrived?"

"Yes, she looks very beautiful, not like a widow at all."

"I also feel that way. Alas, but look closely, do Vice Commander Lu and his sister-in-law look like a married couple?"

Another military wife quickly nudged her, "You can't talk nonsense. Be careful not to let Vice Commander Lu's sister-in-law make you like Kang Xiu, going door-to-door to give speeches."

Hearing this, the military wives couldn't help but laugh out loud. Currently, Kang Xiu had become the laughingstock of the family compound.

After entering the county town, Lu Yu took Jiang Nian and waited for half an hour before the bus arrived. At this time, there were many people going to the city, and the bus was crowded, with not a single empty seat. The buses of this era could not compare to those of the new century.

Jiang Nian followed Lu Yu onto the bus. Lu Yu paid the fare and took her to stand in the middle of the bus. The seats were full, and many people were standing in the aisle. Jiang Nian was short and couldn't reach the handrail above, so she could only hold onto the back of a seat with both hands to support herself.

Lu Yu stood beside her, grasping the bar above with one hand, his eyes lowered to look at the small and delicate Jiang Nian beside him.

The bus started and began to move. Jiang Nian swayed, and before she could steady herself, she was firmly held by a hand. After standing firm, she looked at the hand holding her arm, looked up at Lu Yu, and said softly, "I'm fine."

"Okay."

Lu Yu withdrew his hand and turned to look ahead.

The bus passed several places, and many more people got on, making the aisle increasingly crowded. Jiang Nian pressed against the seat beside her. An old man was sitting on the seat, nodding off. Behind her, she didn't know who it was, but someone pushed her hard.

She turned her head to look. It was a young man. Seeing her look over, he smiled maliciously, then reached out to grasp the bar above, intending to use this posture to take advantage of Jiang Nian.

But before his hand could grasp the bar, his wrist was grabbed by the man beside her. The other party's strength was shockingly great, and his brow furrowed in pain as he cried out, "Who are you to poke your nose into other people's business? Let go! If you don't let go, be careful I'll beat you!"