Old Memories and the Present

Lu Yu said, "Regiment Commander Tang already knows. They will arrive the day after tomorrow."

Although Lu Yu didn't say anything else, Jiang Nian could guess that Regiment Commander Tang and the others must have said something to him.

"Jiang Nian." Lu Yu took Jiang Nian’s hand and squeezed her fingers. "You don't need to think too much. When they arrive the day after tomorrow, we'll entertain them well. Once things are settled here, we'll leave."

Jiang Nian tilted her small face and nodded. "Alright."

Zhou Jun made dinner that evening—two stir-fried dishes, hot cornbread, and porridge. It was currently the hottest time of the year, so the three of them sat at a small square table under a tree to eat. Lu Yu and Zhou Jun had large appetites and ate a lot. Jiang Nian wasn't very hungry; she was full after eating half a piece of cornbread. Just as she put down her chopsticks, an argument broke out behind the neighboring yard wall.

"You shameless little slut! You eat and drink from my son, and yet you want his money! How can you be so shameless!"

"If I had known you were like this, I would have beaten my son to death before letting him marry you."

"You jinxed bastard! You caused my eldest son's death! Why don't you just die? Our family would only be at peace if you were dead!"

"Zhang Dafu, can't you control your mother? Look at how foul her mouth is! What does your brother's death have to do with me? Your mother keeps saying I jinxed him. What does she mean by that?"

"Enough, both of you! Stop arguing and go back to your rooms!" The Vice Regiment Commander’s voice rang out, filled with fury.

Footsteps sounded outside the door as people ran over to watch the commotion. Small arguments occurred every three days and big ones every five; there was never a shortage of spectators.

Xu Yan also ran out. She went to the door to call Jiang Nian, but seeing Lu Yu and Zhou Jun there, she didn't dare speak.

Lu Yu: ...
Zhou Jun: ...

Jiang Nian heard the arguing continue; the Vice Regiment Commander’s words had no effect. She curiously asked Zhou Jun, "What happened to the Vice Regiment Commander’s brother?"

Zhou Jun seemed accustomed to the noise next door and was focused on his meal. Hearing Jiang Nian, he looked up and said, "I heard it from the Vice Regiment Commander. A few years ago, his wife went to the market with his grandmother and eldest son. On the way back, while driving the donkey cart over a slope, his brother somehow fell off. His head hit a rock, and he died. Ever since then, the old lady has been blaming the Vice Regiment Commander’s wife."

Jiang Nian: ... From that perspective, the wife was truly wronged.

The argument lasted until Jiang Nian finished washing up. The old lady's insults were particularly foul, making Jiang Nian frown. She lay in bed, and soon Lu Yu returned. After washing up, he lifted the covers and lay down, his long arm pulling Jiang Nian into his embrace.

Jiang Nian stared at the pitch-black roof beams, reminiscing about the moments they had shared in this place. She turned over and looked up at Lu Yu. "This is the small yard where we first slept in the same room."

Lu Yu smiled. "It was the first time." With that, the man added, "Do you remember the year I massaged your feet in this room?"

Jiang Nian nodded gently. "I remember."

Lu Yu’s eyes were dark. "What I said that night was the truth."

"Wh-what?" Jiang Nian blinked and looked at Lu Yu.

Lu Yu looked down at Jiang Nian, his eyes bright. Jiang Nian looked at Lu Yu, who was inches away, and blinked. Only then did she remember that night years ago when Lu Yu had massaged her feet. Halfway through, he had pulled her feet into his lap and told her to forget Xu Cheng. She had always known Lu Yu’s feelings were buried deep, but she hadn't realized they were that deep.

"Nian Nian..." Lu Yu called her back from her thoughts, his fingers interlacing with hers. This small yard held his feelings for Jiang Nian and had witnessed their journey from acquaintances to lovers.

Lu Yu pulled Jiang Nian closer and kissed her eyelashes. "Go to sleep."

Jiang Nian slept very soundly, not even noticing Lu Yu lying beside her. Lu Yu pulled her into his arms and gently nipped her ear. In the middle of the night, the woman in his arms let out a soft hum, her voice soft as cotton: "I want water."

Lu Yu said, "I'll pour some." He intended to get up, but Jiang Nian wouldn't let go, her head resting on his shoulder as she murmured about being thirsty. Lu Yu chuckled, picked her up, and went to the table to give her some warm water. "Drink." Jiang Nian lazily drank a little and went back to sleep. She slept so soundly that she only woke up after the first bugle call. Zhou Jun went to the regiment, and Lu Yu made breakfast, keeping it warm in the pot. A group of people knew Lu Yu was back and came to find him; he would likely spend the whole day at the regiment.

Jiang Nian spent the day at Xu Yan’s house. In the afternoon, Chen Fang came over with her young daughter. Her eldest son, Tang Yong, was eleven and had gone to school. The little girl with her was Tang Fen, who was seven and would start school later this year. Chen Fang brought the child straight to Xu Yan’s house. Seeing Jiang Nian in the yard, her footsteps faltered, and the smile on her face stiffened for a moment. Jiang Nian saw it but remained composed, greeting her as usual: "Sister-in-law Chen." She stood up with a smile and continued, "Sister-in-law Ping asked me to bring you some things. Did Lu Yu give them to you?"

Chen Fang said, "He gave them to me last night. Thank you."

Jiang Nian could see Chen Fang’s unease, but she didn't see any disdain or mockery in her eyes. Chen Fang seemed to be looking for a topic. Holding Tang Fen’s hand, she asked, "Are you and Zhou Jun having the banquet at his house tomorrow at noon?"

Jiang Nian nodded. "Mhm."

Chen Fang said, "Then I'll come help you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Sister-in-law Chen."

"No need for thanks. We live in the same compound, after all. My sister said you took good care of her over there. It's only right that I come. By the way, how is life over there? Is it good?" Chen Fang spoke a lot, making Xu Yan a bit confused.

Jiang Nian smiled. "Everything is quite good."

In truth, Chen Fang had come today mostly for the sake of her sister and brother-in-law. After all, her brother-in-law was now working under Regiment Commander Lu; sometimes one couldn't afford to burn bridges. Yesterday, when Lu Yu came to their house to tell her and Old Tang about his marriage to Jiang Nian, they hadn't recovered for a long time, their minds going blank trying to figure out how the two ended up together. A brother-in-law and a sister-in-law—if this got out, people would surely gossip.

But on second thought, they weren't biological siblings-in-law. Regiment Commander Lu and Battalion Commander Xu weren't blood brothers. If Jiang Nian married Lu Yu, people might gossip behind their backs, but they couldn't say much else. Last night after Lu Yu left, Chen Fang thought back to the time she and Old Tang went to Lu Yu’s house to act as matchmakers for Jiang Nian. Lu Yu had been so angry then—could it be they already had feelings for each other?

After Lu Yu told his old comrades about the banquet tomorrow at Zhou Jun’s house, the couples talked for a long time that night. Chen Fang had come mainly to say a few words to Jiang Nian to clear the air; she had no objection to her and Regiment Commander Lu’s marriage.

Previously, she had thought of setting up Jiang Nian and Tang Ze. Later, Tang Ze married Sun Ying, and that woman had turned the Tang family into a mess. Sun Ying later did something to wrong Tang Ze; the child she was carrying wasn't even a Tang. Because of this, his grandmother had rushed from their hometown to cause a scene at Sun Ying’s house. If Tang Ze hadn't taken his mother away, the whole base would have known.

A few days before Tang Ze left for the border, he had brought some valuable items to their house to apologize. There had been nothing between them, but Sun Ying had stirred up trouble. Without that woman, Chen Fang had reconciled with Tang Ze and still treated him like her own brother. On the day Tang Ze left, Chen Fang had cried bitterly. Later, on her way back, she had run into Sun Ying with a man, holding a newborn that looked just like him. Chen Fang remembered that man was named Wu Youshan. When Sun Ying was married to Tang Ze, she had seen this man pestering her outside the base several times. She hadn't paid much attention then, but she hadn't expected Sun Ying to do such a thing.

Tang Ze had been living well here, but now he was gone to the border. It was a four-day train ride; how difficult it would be to come home. When his grandmother found out, she nearly cried herself to death, and Old Tang had been angry with Tang Ze for several days. She still remembered the day Tang Ze sat on the bus to leave, saying to her, "Sister-in-law, I was wrong before. Please don't take it to heart. I'll have to rely on you to take care of Mother. I'll send back more allowance every month."

Chen Fang smiled and said, "Are my sister's two kids doing well?"

Jiang Nian nodded and said, "The two kids are in school now and doing well. When I came, Sister-in-law Ping said you were going back to your parents' house."

Once the topic opened up, Chen Fang became more relaxed. She said, "My mother is getting old, and since the kids are about to have a long break, I'll take them back to see the elders and bring them some things."

Jiang Nian knew that after Chen Fang married, she had been constantly supporting her parents' house. Because of this, her grandmother had often criticized her and held a grudge.

Chen Fang stayed for a while and then left. Liu Jian Wu was playing outside, leaving only Xu Yan and Jiang Nian in the yard. Without waiting for Xu Yan to ask, Jiang Nian spoke first: "I married Lu Yu."

Xu Yan was struck as if by lightning, frozen in place, unable to process it.

Jiang Nian bit her lip and continued, "We married in the first lunar month. I came back this time mainly to tell Lu Yu’s comrades." With that, she took Xu Yan’s rough, dry hand. Looking at Xu Yan’s thin hand, Jiang Nian squeezed it tightly. "I was planning to tell you today."

Xu Yan finally came to her senses and gripped Jiang Nian’s hand back, her shock still evident. After a long while, she said, "When did you get together?" She and Jiang Nian had been neighbors for two years, yet she hadn't noticed a thing.

Jiang Nian followed Lu Yu’s explanation to Feng Mai and told Xu Yan, "When Lu Yu was hospitalized after his mission last year, I went to take care of him, and we got together."

It took Xu Yan a moment to smile. Her smile held no trace of mockery; it was entirely sincere. "Regiment Commander Lu is very good. He's handsome, responsible, and capable. Besides, you two aren't biological siblings-in-law. No one can say anything about you being together." Xu Yan gripped Jiang Nian’s hand firmly, her dry eyes growing hot. She lowered her head, not wanting Jiang Nian to see the tears. After a moment, she said word by word, "As long as Regiment Commander Lu is good to you, as long as he puts you first, no matter what others say, you must live well with him. It's not easy for us women to find a good man. When you find one, you must cherish him."

This was Xu Yan’s perspective. Jiang Nian knew Xu Yan’s life was hard, especially since Liu Qiang had betrayed her, turning a cheerful, smiling woman into what she was now. In Xu Yan’s eyes, as long as the partner treated her sincerely, he was a good husband and a good man.

Xu Yan kept her head down. Jiang Nian didn't break her final layer of strong disguise, gripping her hand so hard her fingers trembled. When Liu Jian Wu ran in from the yard calling for his mother, Xu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, looked at the sky, and then said to Liu Jian Wu, "Go wash your hands. Look at all that mud."

Jiang Nian lowered her eyes, feeling pained for Xu Yan. But she had done all she could. As Lu Yu said, perhaps she was living much better now than before. Thinking of the ending where Xu Yan married an old bachelor in the novel, Jiang Nian felt that at least now, Xu Yan was free.

Lu Yu returned in the evening, drenched in sweat. It was clear he had trained hard at the regiment today. Fortunately, they had brought a change of clothes. Lu Yu took a cold bath, changed into clean clothes, washed his dirty ones, and hung them in the yard. After dinner with Zhou Jun, they returned to the room. Jiang Nian was half-asleep when she felt someone lie down beside her. She naturally turned and rolled into his arms.

Lu Yu pulled her in and gave her shoulder a playful nip. He chuckled and said, "How did you know it was me?"

Jiang Nian murmured in her sleep, "You have a scent that's different from everyone else."

Lu Yu sniffed himself but couldn't smell anything.

Jiang Nian woke up naturally the next day. Lu Yu had originally wanted to stay and go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative with her, but Xu Yan came over and said to Lu Yu, "I'll go with her."

Seeing this, Lu Yu knew Jiang Nian had told Xu Yan what needed to be said. He nodded. "Then I'll trouble you."

Xu Yan smiled. "No need to be polite with me."

Liu Jian Ye was out of school today and was playing with Liu Jian Wu and Lu Zhi Jun at home. Battalion Commander Lu’s wife also came over, carrying a basket. She smiled and said, "I happened to be going to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative too. Let's go together."

Xu Yan said, "Alright."

Jiang Nian looked at the old lady. While she was in the room getting her things, she whispered to Lu Yu, "Does the old auntie know about us?"

Lu Yu nodded. "She knows. When I went to find Battalion Commander Lu last night, she was right there." He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Jiang Nian’s ear. "Don't worry about others. Just do what you need to do. I'm here for everything."

Those words filled Jiang Nian with a sense of security. She stood on her tiptoes but still couldn't reach Lu Yu. She pulled his collar, making him lean down, quickly kissed his lips, and ran. Because she ran too fast, she nearly tripped. Lu Yu’s voice came from behind: "Slow down."

Jiang Nian: ... Almost lost face.

On the way to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative with Xu Yan and the old lady, they met the Kang sisters, Kang Xiu and Kang Nan. Kang Nan was heavily pregnant, and Kang Xiu was carrying a basket of vegetables, looking like she had just come from the fields. Their gazes and movements simultaneously landed on Jiang Nian, their eyes filled with disdain and mockery. Kang Nan was particularly offensive. As they passed Jiang Nian and the others, she said, "A slut who seduced her brother-in-law. I don't know how she has the face to come back."