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◎The King of Scrolls, Day Forty-Two◎

Shen Xinglian and Jiang Renzhou exchanged a glance, both seeing relief and smiles in each other's eyes.

The dumplings are put into the pot and tumble in the boiling water, just like the lively and warm atmosphere in the house at this moment.

Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened, while inside the small house, laughter and the enticing aroma of food filled the air.

In a sense, this is a belated reunion dinner, and also the beginning of a new life.

They all began to live their lives earnestly in this world.

All doubts and troubles are left outside; at this moment, there is only family, loved ones, and boundless anticipation for the future.

After dinner, Zhou Qingyu took out his father's letter.

As he had said, the letter contained a tone that was initially somewhat reluctant, but ultimately expressed respect for his son's choice and invited Jiang Wanzhou to visit his home in Beijing when it was convenient for him. He also enclosed some national grain coupons and cloth coupons as a gift for Jiang Wanzhou.

This letter and the substantial gift completely dispelled the Jiang family's last remaining concerns.

As night deepened, Zhou Qingyu was placed in the army's temporary guesthouse.

Although we were reluctant to part, the rules could not be broken.

As she saw him off, Jiang Wanzhou stood at the courtyard gate, the moonlight bathing the two of them.

"Go back quickly, it's chilly outside." Zhou Qingyu pulled her collar up for her, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against her wrist, feeling its warmth.

“Yes,” Jiang Wanzhou nodded, “You tomorrow…”

"I'll go get my marriage certificate filed first thing tomorrow morning, then I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative. I also need to buy some sugar figurines for Mingyuan," Zhou Qingyu planned with a smile. "Wait for me."

"good."

Watching his tall figure disappear at the end of the moonlit path, Jiang Wanzhou turned and went back into the house.

She stroked her wrist.

This time, her wait finally yielded the most satisfactory answer.

The next day, Jiang Wanzhou woke up just as dawn was breaking. With something on her mind, she couldn't sleep soundly.

She got up quietly. There was already some noise in the kitchen. Jiang Renzhou was preparing breakfast, and the aroma of rice porridge wafted over.

She walked into the courtyard, took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze, and felt her whole body filled with energy.

She picked up the shoe sole that she had left on the stone bench the night before, which was not yet fully sewn, and ran her fingers over the dense patterns on it.

Jiang Wanzhou was thinking that she had to finish quickly so that she could wear these new shoes when he came to pick her up.

"Up so early?" Shen Xinglian came out carrying a basin of hot water. Seeing her, she smiled. "Can't sleep with your heart full of sweetness?"

Jiang Wanzhou smiled shyly and took the hot water to wash her face.

The cool water splashed on her face, making her more awake. "Xingxing, I want to go to the supply and marketing cooperative in a bit to see if they have any nice red cloth, and then go to the village to buy some new cotton."

She wanted to make a new quilt cover for her wedding.

“Okay, I’ll go with you after breakfast.” Shen Xinglian nodded understandingly. “I also need to buy some thread.”

The atmosphere at the breakfast table was relaxed and pleasant.

Although Jiang Renzhou was still not very talkative, he was noticeably more friendly towards Zhou Qingyu, and even took the initiative to ask him what his plans were for the day.

Mingyuan kept pestering Zhou Qingyu, calling him "Uncle Zhou" repeatedly, and asking when the sugar figurine would arrive.

Zhou Qingyu patiently answered everyone's questions, but her gaze always seemed to fall on Jiang Wanzhou, intentionally or unintentionally.

Seeing that she seemed to have a better appetite than usual, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

He finished eating quickly, put down his chopsticks and said, "Wanzhou, brother, sister-in-law, I'll go to the team headquarters to submit the report in a bit."

"Mm." Jiang Renzhou waved his hand.

Zhou Qingyu looked at Jiang Wanzhou again, her eyes gentle: "Wanzhou, I'll be back before noon."

"Okay, be careful on the road," Jiang Wanzhou replied softly, feeling reassured.

After Zhou Qingyu left, Jiang Wanzhou and Shen Xinglian cleaned up the dishes and went to the supply and marketing cooperative together.

The supply and marketing cooperative on the island is small, but it has a fairly complete range of goods.

Two women were carefully selecting fabrics at the counter.

It's probably because the island wants newcomers to stay, and it's also a border area, so there are several kinds of red cloth.

Jiang Wanzhou touched a piece of maroon cotton cloth that was the best color and felt the thickest, mentally calculating the cloth coupons and money.

“This color is festive; it’s suitable for making a quilt cover or an overcoat, and it’ll put on a good tone,” Shen Xinglian advised from the side. “I still have some new cotton here; you can use that for now.”

Jiang Wanzhou nodded, made up her mind to buy enough fabric to make a quilt cover, and carefully selected the thread.

Stepping out of the supply and marketing cooperative, the sun was shining brightly, its warmth comforting me.

They inevitably encountered some acquaintances on the way. Their eyes fell on the red cloth in their hands, and then they looked at Jiang Wanzhou with a knowing smile and a hint of inquisitiveness.

Jiang Wanzhou lowered her head slightly, her cheeks flushed, but her heart was filled with sweetness.

Back home, Jiang Wanzhou couldn't wait to get to work.

She spread the red cloth on the kang (a heated brick bed), measured its size, and mentally planned what simple patterns she would embroider on the quilt.

Shen Xinglian then took out her cotton ration coupons and some scraps of cloth she had saved, saying she wanted to make a new schoolbag for Mingyuan and a pair of insoles for her future son-in-law.

The two women, an aunt and a sister-in-law, sat in the courtyard, one cutting cloth and the other spinning thread, as sunlight filtered through the gaps in the grapevines, creating dappled patterns.

Occasionally, they would exchange acupuncture techniques or chat casually, creating a peaceful and warm atmosphere.

Yesterday's turmoil at the dock seems like a distant memory, and life has returned to its usual steady, forward-moving track.

Zhou Qingyu returned just as expected around noon.

He was holding not only the sugar figurine for Mingyuan, but also a neatly wrapped package made of old newspapers.

“Wanzhou,” he walked up to Jiang Wanzhou, handed her the package, his eyes sparkling, “Take a look at this.”

Jiang Wanzhou put down her needlework and took the needle with curiosity.

Opening the newspaper, I found several textbooks that were neither new nor old.

“This is…” Jiang Wanzhou looked up at him in surprise.

These books are a rarity on the island.

“I borrowed these from the team’s technicians, and these two new ones were brought from Beijing through someone.” Zhou Qingyu lowered her voice, but her tone was encouraging.

“I noticed you loved reading back in the Red Star Brigade. Now that things are gradually improving, you’ll find that knowledge is useful someday. Take some time to read, and I’ll teach you if you don’t understand anything.”

Jiang Wanzhou's heart skipped a beat, and a warm current surged through her body.

She hugged the books tightly and nodded vigorously: "Yes! I will definitely read them carefully!"

Shen Xinglian watched from the side, a gratified smile on her face.

She could tell that Zhou Qingyu genuinely respected and cared for Wanzhou, which was more important than anything else.

Lunch was a simple dumpling soup, along with leftover cornbread from breakfast.

But the atmosphere at the dinner table was exceptionally harmonious.

Zhou Qingyu recounted the process of submitting the report to the team headquarters, saying that the leaders were very supportive and told them to just follow the procedures.

He then handed the sugar figurine to Mingyuan, who was staring longingly at it. The little guy, who was just over a year old, held up the crystal-clear Sun Wukong figurine and ran around the yard with great joy.

In the afternoon, Zhou Qingyu was also busy. She rolled up her sleeves and reinforced the loose fence posts in the Jiang family's yard, and also checked the roof tiles.

When Jiang Renzhou came home from get off work, he saw the newly renovated courtyard and Zhou Qingyu, who was busy and sweating profusely, but he didn't say anything.

He silently took out the vegetables and washed them by the well, watching Mingyuan play around.

As the sun sets, the sea is dyed a brilliant golden-red.

Zhou Qingyu is going back to the guesthouse again.

Before leaving, he quickly slipped a small paper packet to Jiang Wanzhou when Shen Xinglian and Jiang Renzhou weren't paying attention.

Jiang Wanzhou returned to the room, quietly opened the package, and inside were several fruit hard candies wrapped in pretty candy wrappers.

There was also a small note with Zhou Qingyu's neat handwriting: "Wanzhou is sweeter than sugar."

Looking at those few short lines of text, Jiang Wanzhou's heart felt as if it had been softened.

She carefully put the candy away, peeled off just one and put it in her mouth. The rich orange flavor instantly melted on her tongue, sweetening her heart.

I hope the days to come will be as sweet as this candy.

The mornings on the island are always awakened by the salty sea breeze and the resounding bugle calls.

In the Jiang family's courtyard, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, mingling with the delicate aroma of rice porridge.

Jiang Wanzhou sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, twisting a fine hemp thread between her fingers, carefully examining the nearly completed shoe sole against the sunlight.

The soles are thick and tightly stitched with the strongest hemp thread, and a few bamboo leaves are embroidered on them with a lighter thread. The stitches are fine and even, showing care and attention.

These are new shoes for Zhou Qingyu, to wear on the day he comes to pick her up to get their marriage certificate.

The thought of "getting a marriage certificate" made Jiang Wanzhou's ears burn slightly.

Zhou Qingyu acted swiftly, urging them every day. Hearing that the leader had already given his approval, he was just waiting to complete the procedures and choose a date to go to the county to collect the certificate-like document that symbolized their legal marriage.

"Wow, these soles are so well-made, they could probably last ten years." Shen Xinglian brought out a basin of washed clothes and hung them on the wire in the yard to dry, the water droplets glistening in the morning light.

Looking at Jiang Wanzhou's focused yet sweet profile, she couldn't help but tease her.

If there's any regret in modern times, it's the emotional state of Wanzhou.

I never expected to get what I wanted here.

Jiang Wanzhou smiled, and deftly pricked a small hole in the sole of her shoe with the tip of a needle: "What isn't of good quality in this era?"

"Is the food better, or the people better?" Shen Xinglian smiled, shaking the water droplets off her hands.

Just then, a commotion came from outside the courtyard gate, a mixture of children crying, adults shouting, and the dull thuds of heavy objects being moved.

Shen Xinglian and Jiang Wanzhou exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

I haven't heard of anyone moving into this row of family compounds recently.

I was originally going to have Zhou Qingyu apply for the one next door.

Jiang Wanzhou walked curiously to the gate of the courtyard and saw that the gate of the courtyard next door, which had been empty for a while, was wide open, and several orderly soldiers were busy moving furniture inside.

A tall, serious-looking man in a brand-new military uniform stood in the courtyard directing the troops; his shoulder insignia indicated that he was the deputy regimental commander.

A little girl with pigtails stood at his feet, tugging at the man's trouser leg and sobbing.

A young woman wearing a floral shirt and blue trousers was struggling to lift a heavy wicker trunk from a cart.

The moment she looked up to wipe her sweat, Shen Xinglian and Jiang Wanzhou were both stunned.

It's Su Xiaomei.

She looked thinner than I remembered, with a hint of weariness in her eyes.

When Su Xiaomei saw Shen Xinglian standing at the gate of the neighboring courtyard, looking radiant and composed, a look of surprise flashed across her eyes for a moment, which was then quickly covered up by a deliberately warm smile.