Chapter 46 Moving to a New Home: A Tea Party for Military Wives

Gu Beichen easily defused the commotion at the door with a few words and a handful of wedding candies.

Once the crowd had completely dispersed, the entrance to the residential compound finally regained its usual tranquility, with only the rustling of banyan leaves in the breeze remaining.

Su Yue had just slipped into the house through the back door and hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath when the sound of a "putt-putt-putt" engine came from afar, and a delivery truck slowly stopped at the entrance of the courtyard.

"The furniture has arrived." Gu Beichen walked into the house, took off his hat, and casually placed it on the cabinet by the door.

Su Yue nodded, looking at the empty house, a sense of anticipation rising in her heart. Finally, it felt a bit like a home.

"Old Gu! We're here!"

Two cheerful male voices came from outside the courtyard gate.

Su Yue looked up and saw two men, about the same height and stature as Gu Beichen, striding in with warm smiles on their faces.

"Come on, let me introduce you." Gu Beichen put his arm around Su Yue's shoulder and introduced her, "This is Deputy Regiment Commander Zhong Xiaotian, and this is Regiment Commander Lu Zhenting of the Third Regiment."

He then said to the two men, "This is my lover, Su Yue."

"Hello, sister-in-law!"

Hello, sister-in-law!

Zhong Xiaotian and Lu Zhenting shouted in unison, their voices loud and clear, carrying the distinctive strength of soldiers.

Su Yue smiled and nodded to them.

"Hey, you two roughnecks, don't scare your sister-in-law!"

With a clear female voice, two simply dressed but spirited military wives followed them in.

As soon as they entered, their eyes, like searchlights, all fell on Su Yue, scrutinizing her from head to toe.

"Oh my, Lao Gu, is this your little wife from Shanghai?" The woman walking in front had short, neat hair and a loud voice. She walked up to Su Yue as if they were old friends and said with a smile, "She's much prettier in person than the rumors say! That face, that figure, tsk tsk, our commander is really lucky!"

The woman behind her was more reserved, with fair and delicate features. She added with a smile, "Indeed, her skin is as tender as a freshly peeled egg. Those of us who grew up by the sea, exposed to the wind and sun, can't compare."

As Gu Beichen listened to their praise, even his usually cold and aloof lips couldn't help but curl up slightly.

He introduced them: "This is Zhong Xiaotian's wife, Xu Caixia. This is Lu Zhenting's wife, Li Chunyan. You can call them 'sister-in-law' from now on."

"Sister-in-law Caixia, Sister-in-law Chunyan," Su Yue called out readily.

"Oh, sister-in-law is so good!" Xu Caixia was a straightforward person. She immediately took Su Yue's hand, feeling as if she had gained a beautiful younger sister, and was extremely affectionate towards her.

The truck driver had already jumped out of the vehicle and started unloading the furniture along with Gu Beichen and the other men.

The brand-new wooden wardrobe, the square table with simple carvings, and the matching chairs were clearly carefully selected.

Su Yue was about to step forward to see if there was anything she could do to help when Xu Caixia grabbed her arm.

"Come on, sister-in-law, let's not get in the way!" Xu Caixia winked at her, lowering her voice but still clearly saying, "Let those grown men do the work and sweat it out! Women should be lazy when they want to be, otherwise men won't know how to cherish them, don't you think?"

Su Yue was delighted upon hearing this.

These words struck a chord with her.

She was someone who wanted to relax and was very much in favor of this "way of managing a husband".

"Sister-in-law is right!" she sincerely agreed.

Li Chunyan, who was standing next to her, covered her mouth and laughed: "You can't go wrong by listening to Sister Caixia. She's the 'theoretical master' of our family compound. Come on, sister-in-law, let's go to my house, sit down and rest for a while, have some water, and we'll come back after they're done."

And just like that, Su Yue was abruptly "taken away" by her two enthusiastic new neighbors, leaving Gu Beichen with a bewildered expression.

However, seeing Su Yue getting along well with everyone made him happier than anything else.

Upon reaching the entrance of her own courtyard, Su Yue suddenly stopped, turned around, and took out two exquisite little boxes and several bright red apples from her cloth bag.

"My dear sisters-in-law, these are just some small things I brought from Shanghai. They're nothing fancy, so please don't be offended." Su Yue handed the items to them one by one. "It's a small token of my appreciation since we've just met."

Xu Caixia and Li Chunyan were both stunned for a moment.

They came to help purely out of neighborly kindness and never expected to receive any gifts in return.

Xu Caixia opened the box and her eyes lit up: "Oh my! This is a snow cream made in Shanghai! I've only ever seen it in magazines! Sister-in-law, you're too kind!"

These days, face cream is a rare and sought-after commodity, let alone a famous brand.

Looking at the large, round apple in her hand, which exuded an enticing aroma, Li Chunyan was overjoyed and declined, saying, "Sister-in-law, we can't accept this. We're just here to lend a hand."

"Please accept this, sisters-in-law," Su Yue said with a smile. "Bei Chen and I will be living here from now on, and we'll need your help a lot. It's only right that we accept it."

Her attitude was sincere and without any hint of boasting, making it impossible for anyone to refuse her.

Xu Caixia was an honest person, so she didn't refuse anymore and accepted it generously, patting her chest and promising, "Sister-in-law, don't worry! If you need anything in the future, just say the word, and your sister-in-law Chunyan and I will be there for you!"

Li Chunyan nodded with a smile: "That's right! Among the three of us, the men are brothers who would risk their lives for each other, and we women are like sisters! If anyone dares to bully you, they'll have to ask us first if we'll allow it!"

These words instantly bridged the gap between them.

Su Yue was taken to Li Chunyan's house by them.

The house wasn't big, but it was spotless and clean, exuding a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Li Chunyan quickly poured Su Yue a glass of cold water and then grabbed a handful of golden-yellow slices from a tin can.

"Sister-in-law, try this. It's a specialty of Hainan Island—roasted coconut chips. I made it myself; you can't buy it anywhere else."

Su Yue picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. With a gentle chew, she experienced the aroma, crispness, and crunchiness of coconut, along with a rich coconut fragrance and a hint of sweetness, which instantly exploded on her taste buds.

"Delicious!" Su Yue's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed sincerely, "Sister-in-law, your cooking is absolutely amazing! It's better than any snack I've ever had!"

Between women, the best way to break the ice is through food and shared topics.

A single compliment made Li Chunyan beam with joy, and she began to talk non-stop.

The three of them sat on small stools, eating coconut chips and chatting about all sorts of things.

They talked about embarrassing moments of their husbands during training, anecdotes from various families in the military compound, and how to cook delicious food and raise children in a worry-free way.

Although Su Yue had never taken care of children before, she listened with great interest, occasionally chiming in with her own insightful comments, which always made her two sisters-in-law laugh heartily.

Outside, the shouts and laughter of men moving furniture drifted intermittently, mingling with the cheerful chatter of women inside, creating an extremely harmonious and vivid scene.

Holding her water glass, Su Yue listened to Li Chunyan's vivid recounting of how her husband, Lu Zhenting, had gotten drunk and hugged the stone lion in the courtyard, calling it "brother." Su Yue felt incredibly comfortable and relaxed.

For the first time since arriving in this era, I have felt a sense of security, stability, and belonging to the community.

It turns out that the life of a military wife is not all monotony and waiting.

Xu Caixia laughed so hard she slapped her thigh, tears welling up in her eyes.

Li Chunyan also wore a look of disgust, as if she "couldn't bear to look," but she couldn't hide the smile on her lips.

Su Yue was about to say something joking.

Just then, a loud "bang" came from outside—