Chapter 12 Arrival at the Base

Gu Qiuyue's fingers curled up slightly, she frowned slightly, and an expression mixed with helplessness and stubbornness appeared on her face, as if some unpleasant memories were evoked.

"In the countryside," she began, a barely perceptible rasping in her voice, as if stating a cruel truth. "Working, rushing to harvest and plant, competing with others for water, fighting for ridges... that's common. I just do a lot of farm work, so I have more strength."

Xie Shiyu didn't ask any more questions, but only uttered an ambiguous monosyllable from the depths of his throat: "Hmm."

Gu Qiuyue didn't care whether he believed it or not, but she was not afraid of him checking it out. As long as she didn't say anything, no one would have thought of traveling through a book. Thinking of this, she turned her gaze back to the scenery outside the car window.

After a while, the clanging sound of train wheels hitting the rails was gradually replaced by the noisy voices of people at Wucheng Station. A moist and warm air with the unique scent of southern grass and trees rushed into the carriage, instantly dispelling the dullness of the journey and sweeping away the last trace of dryness and coldness left in Beijing.

Gu Qiuyue followed Xie Shiyu off the bus, her eyes curiously scanning the bustling crowd on the platform and the indigo mountain outlines in the distance. The greenery here was richer, the air was thicker, and everything was fresh.

Xie Shiyu picked up the luggage of the two people with quick and decisive movements. His gaze lingered on Gu Qiuyue's calm profile for a moment. The doubt about "not looking like an ordinary country girl" on the train did not disappear, but was temporarily suppressed by the more urgent task of settling in.

He subconsciously used his body to block Gu Qiuyue to prevent her from being squeezed.

A grass-green military jeep was already waiting outside the station. The driver, a young soldier, saluted Xie Shiyu loudly, "Thank you, Battalion Commander!" Xie Shiyu returned the salute, put the luggage away, and motioned for Gu Qiuyue to get in the car while introducing her, "This is Chen Weiguo from the motor company."

"Hello, sister-in-law!" Chen Weiguo said loudly again.

Gu Qiuyue smiled at him, "Hello!"

As the car drove out of the city, there were endless rice fields and lush forests on both sides of the road.

Xie Shiyu sat in the passenger seat, turned his head, and introduced in a low and steady voice: "The base is at the foot of the mountain in front. The living area, service center, and clinic are all over there." He pointed in another direction and said, "There is a regular bus to the city that stops there. There are two buses a day, so it's quite convenient." He deliberately added the last sentence, his eyes sweeping across the rearview mirror, observing Gu Qiuyue's reaction.

Gu Qiuyue listened attentively and looked out the window. The barracks were neat and tidy, and occasionally people in military uniforms could be seen.

The car finally turned into a relatively old bungalow area and stopped in front of a row of gray houses.

Xie Shiyu got out of the car first and opened the back door, with a barely perceptible apology in his eyes: "We're here... The conditions are rather simple, sorry to have troubled you." He pointed to one of the courtyard gates, the paint on the door frame was peeling off.

Gu Qiuyue got out of the car and walked into the courtyard. The house was indeed old and the walls were mottled, but as he said, there was a small courtyard. Although it was deserted, it was obviously tidied up. There was also a well covered with bluestone slabs in the corner.

Her gaze lingered on the well and the wasteland for a moment, and she had already made up her mind. Compared to the cramped tube-shaped building, this bungalow with a yard was a pleasant surprise.

"It's nice to have a yard." Her voice was calm, without any grievance in it. Instead, there was a hint of imperceptible satisfaction. The corners of Xie Shiyu's tense mouth seemed to relax for a moment.

Pushing open the half-open wooden door, the furnishings in the room were simple, almost crude: there was an earthen stove on the right, and nothing else. This could probably be considered a small kitchen.

Opposite was a relatively empty room with a bumpy concrete floor and the only furniture was an old wooden table and two chairs.

Further in were two rooms, but only one had a bare bed frame and a wooden cabinet with peeling paint. The window was small and the glass was covered with thick dust. The other room was empty.

Gu Qiuyue put down the small package in her hand, walked straight to the window, pushed open the creaking window, and the afternoon sun slanted in, illuminating the dust flying in the air. Her gaze once again turned to the small courtyard outside the window, and the barren land seemed to come alive in her eyes.

Xie Shiyu put down his luggage, rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning without saying a word. He moved swiftly and forcefully, sweeping the floor and wiping the dust, showing his military style of being swift and decisive.

Gu Qiuyue also rolled up her sleeves and joined in. She picked up a rag and wiped the table. Her movements were quick and there was a neat rhythm in the turns of her wrist.

Xie Shiyu was wiping the cabinet when he caught a glimpse of her movements from the corner of his eye. The scene of the two people being knocked down in the alley jumped out of his mind uncontrollably again. He frowned slightly and his hands slowed down a beat.

"Hey! Captain Xie, have you picked up your new bride?" A hearty and enthusiastic female voice broke the hustle and bustle in the house and Xie Shiyu's thoughts.

Standing at the door was a woman in her forties with a round face and a big smile on her face. She was holding a winnowing basket filled with freshly picked vegetables.

Xie Shiyu stood up straight, a polite smile on his face: "Mrs. Zhang." He turned to Gu Qiuyue and introduced, "This is Mrs. Zhang who lives next door."

Mrs. Zhang stepped in, her eyes flickering over Gu Qiuyue warmly. "Oh, what a pretty girl! Captain Xie is so lucky!" She placed the dustpan on the table and then, familiarly, picked up the broom to help sweep the floor. "You must have had a hard time all the way here. This house is a bit old, but it can be cleaned up and lived in. We have a military compound here, and the neighbors are all very honest. Just let us know if you have any problems."

As she swept the floor skillfully, she began to introduce things like a bamboo tube pouring beans: "To buy vegetables, turn right outside the courtyard gate and walk five minutes to a small market with fresh food. To get water, go to the public tap at the east end. You have to queue when it's crowded. The man surnamed Li at the west end is very nice. The man surnamed Wang at the south end is a bit talkative, so just ignore him..."

"Captain Xie, you haven't ordered the furniture yet? Are you thinking of picking it up from the logistics department?" Mrs. Zhang asked as if she suddenly remembered something.

"It's ordered, but it needs to be made now, so it probably won't be delivered today." Xie Shiyu said as he wiped the glass. "A few guys from the team will move the furniture from my dormitory in the camp over here to use as a temporary solution."

Just as he finished speaking, the gate of the courtyard was opened and several young soldiers came in, some holding or carrying things.

"Hello, sister-in-law!"

"Hello, sister-in-law!"

Without exception, these little soldiers stole a glance at Gu Qiuyue and then quickly looked away.

Gu Qiuyue couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at these energetic little soldiers.

Xie Shiyu didn't have many things in the single dormitory, just a wardrobe, a bed frame, a desk, and a stove for cooking and boiling water. However, from what Xie Shiyu said, it seemed that he didn't ask anyone to dismantle the bed frame.

However, since they had moved in, Xie Shiyu did not ask them to move back. He directed the soldiers to put the things in the designated location and sent them away.