Chapter 171 No man can resist the allure of stockings

Jiang Wanqiu seemed oblivious to the fire in her eyes, slowly sitting back down on the edge of the bed. She picked up the apple she had been peeling and continued peeling it in circles, her voice light and airy: "You chose your own path. Now that you're married, live your life well. Stop making a scene all the time. Who are you trying to impress?"

"Jiang Wanqiu!" Jiang Wanxia trembled with rage. What did she mean by "living a good life"? This was clearly a provocation! A mockery of her!

She gritted her teeth, staring intently at Jiang Wanqiu's calm face, wishing she could pounce on her and scratch it raw. But with Zhao Wenchang standing beside her like a door god, she wouldn't dare, even if she had the greatest courage in the world.

In the end, all she could manage to squeeze out were a few words: "You just wait!"

After saying that, he rushed out of the ward without looking back.

Jiang Wanxia did not go directly back to her mother-in-law's ward; she stopped at the corner of the corridor.

Leaning against the cold wall, his chest heaved violently, his mind filled with Jiang Wanqiu's arrogant and condescending attitude.

After a moment, he quietly slipped his hand into his pocket and rummaged around for a bit.

Just now, when no one was paying attention, she saw this good thing on Jiang Wanqiu's bedside table.

She hid in the stairwell and carefully unfolded the neatly folded piece of paper.

The neat penmanship displays a string of Chinese medicine names, along with instructions on usage and dosage.

She recognizes this prescription!

When Jiang Wanqiu was a child, she had a severe case of urticaria. Her whole body was covered in red bumps, and she was so itchy that she couldn't sleep all night and cried uncontrollably. Later, her grandmother somehow got hold of this remedy, and after applying it for two doses, she recovered.

Urticaria...

Jiang Wanxia's mind flashed to Gu Feiyan's anxious face. It just so happened that his sister was also suffering from this illness...

A cold smile slowly crept onto Jiang Wanxia's lips.

She carefully folded the prescription and put it in her innermost pocket.

It seemed that Zhao Wenchang's warning that day had an effect. For the next few days, until Zhao Wenchang was about to be discharged from the hospital, Qian Xiaoxia and Jiang Wanxia did not cause any more trouble, and they finally had some peace and quiet.

On the day of his discharge, the attending physician came to make his final rounds, carefully examining Zhao Wenchang's wounds and giving him a long list of instructions, such as not lifting heavy objects, getting plenty of rest, and eating a light diet.

As soon as the doctor left, Jiang Wanqiu turned around and saw that Zhao Wenchang had quickly packed up all their belongings, filling two net bags to the brim.

She frowned, rummaging through the bedside table and under the pillows, muttering to herself, "That's strange, where did I put it..."

"What are you looking for?" Zhao Wenchang asked as he walked over, noticing her anxious expression.

“I can’t find the prescription for treating urticaria that I wrote for Gu Feiyan a few days ago.” Jiang Wanqiu turned the pillow and bed sheet over. “I couldn’t find it a couple of days ago. I thought I had just stuffed it into some book. I’ve searched everywhere today, but it’s still not here.”

Upon hearing the name "Gu Feiyan," Zhao Wenchang's brows furrowed involuntarily.

He reached out his large hand and pressed down on Jiang Wanqiu's hand, which was still rummaging around. Her hand was small and soft, and he completely enveloped it in his palm.

The man's voice deepened, tinged with a hint of bitterness: "You care so much about his affairs?"

Jiang Wanqiu was taken aback by his question, looked up, and met his deep eyes.

Only then did she belatedly realize the implication in his words, and explained somewhat helplessly, "He helped me a lot while you were away, so I should at least repay his kindness."

Zhao Wenchang's brows remained furrowed. He stared at her for a while before saying in a muffled voice, "Stop looking. It's just a prescription. If it's lost, it's lost. Let's take care of business today."

He pulled her to her feet: "I've already contacted the logistics department. Today we'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative and the department store to get everything we need for the wedding."

Upon hearing the word "marriage," Jiang Wanqiu's attention was immediately drawn to it.

She then asked, "Speaking of which, regarding the logistics department... that Minister Du, did he say anything more afterward?"

"Him?" Zhao Wenchang snorted coldly. "He's barely keeping his own life in order. He's already been demoted and spends his days writing self-criticisms at home. The new minister was transferred from a military reclamation farm. His name is Li Weiguo. He's upright and incorruptible, and doesn't care about family ties. He and I have a very good relationship."

...

By the time the group had settled in their home, it was already afternoon. A military green jeep was quietly parked at the entrance of the military district.

Jiang Wanqiu helped Zhao Wenchang into the car carefully, saying worriedly, "Your wound has just healed. Are you sure you'll be alright after all this?"

Zhao Wenchang sat in the car, his long legs stretched out, making the space inside seem a bit cramped. He looked at her nervous expression and found it both amusing and heartwarming.

"Don't worry," he reassured the woman, "I've suffered much worse injuries, this little one is nothing."

Sitting next to him, Xiao Ping'an puffed out his little chest and proudly chimed in, "That's right! My dad is amazing! He used to fight bandits in the mountains. He was slashed several times by Japanese spies, and his intestines were almost spilling out, but he still managed to run more than ten kilometers and capture that spy alive!"

Jiang Wanqiu was shocked to hear this. Looking at Zhao Wenchang's nonchalant demeanor, she felt that this man was simply unbelievable.

"It's not that far-fetched!" Zhao Wenchang flicked Ping An on the forehead. "Stop bragging about your dad!"

The jeep sputtered to life.

The driver was a young soldier who knew Zhao Wenchang well. As he drove, he chatted with him: "Hey, Battalion Commander Zhao, have you heard? That Minister Du from the Logistics Department resigned a couple of days ago and went back to his hometown."

Jiang Wanqiu was somewhat surprised: "You went back to your hometown? Is it because of his son? Didn't you say it was just a demotion?"

"He definitely got punished, but mainly he was too ashamed to stay there any longer." The young soldier clicked his tongue twice and continued, "His precious son, Du Wenxiu, was sent to a local farm for reform, right? But after only two days, someone found him drowned in the river next to the farm."

"Drowned?" Jiang Wanqiu exclaimed in surprise.

"That's right!" the young soldier said vividly. "I heard that he tried to escape in the dark at night, but it was too dark, and he accidentally slipped and fell in. The river was fast and cold, and by the time he was pulled out the next day, he was soaked and bloated."

As Jiang Wanqiu listened, she realized that apart from being surprised, she didn't seem to feel anything else.

She subconsciously turned to look at Zhao Wenchang, only to see him looking out the window, his profile appearing particularly hard and cold in the light and shadow.

He seemed to sense her gaze, turned his head, a half-smile playing on his lips, and his deep, unfathomable black eyes held an unreadable emotion.

"That's really...surprising," he said slowly, but there wasn't a trace of surprise in his voice.

The young soldier driving the car continued talking, adding to himself, "It's strange, the farm's gate was locked properly, I don't know where Du Wenxiu got the key and ran away."

Jiang Wanqiu subconsciously glanced at Zhao Wenchang again.

The man remained calm and composed, only uttering a curt "Who knows?"

She looked away, lowered her eyes, and stared at her hands folded on her knees.

She suddenly remembered what Zhao Wenchang had said before: the newly arrived logistics minister, Li Weiguo, was transferred from a military reclamation farm and had a very good relationship with him.

Some things are better left unthought out.

This man was much tougher and... much more reliable than she had imagined.

Upon arriving in the county town, the car stopped at the busiest intersection.

The four split into two groups. Xiao Ping'an went with the driver to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy cigarettes, alcohol, candy, tea, and decorations such as paper-cuts of the Double Happiness symbol and streamers for the guests on the wedding day. Zhao Wenchang, on the other hand, took Jiang Wanqiu straight to the largest and most impressive department store across the street.

Zhao Wenchang led Jiang Wanqiu straight to the fabric counter, waved his hand, and said loudly to the sales clerk wearing a blue cloth jacket, "Comrade, take out your best fabric and buy a few feet for my wife to make a new dress."

The saleswoman was a woman in her thirties with very shrewd eyes. She looked Zhao Wenchang up and down in his crisp military uniform and Jiang Wanqiu in her pretty face, and immediately beamed with joy.

"Oh, PLA comrade, are you buying your wife a wedding dress?" She nimbly peeked out from behind the counter, greeting her warmly. "But let me tell you, these days fashionable girls, who still buys fabric and makes their own? It's time-consuming and laborious, and the styles are outdated! Come, come, come this way, we just got a new batch of ready-made clothes, all the latest styles shipped from Shanghai!"

Without waiting for their agreement, he led them around the fabric section to the ready-made clothing section on the other side.

The clothes here are indeed different. Unlike ordinary counters where they are folded, they are hung up one by one on wooden hangers, which looks high-end.

"Young lady, take a look at this," the saleswoman said, taking down a bright red, modernized cheongsam and holding it up against Jiang Wanqiu. "Look at this fabric, these buttons, so elegant! Wear it to your wedding day, and you'll be the most beautiful one there!"

Looking at her tight waist and the slit that went down to her thighs, Jiang Wanqiu felt a little uneasy and asked in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, in this weather in Northeast China, won't it be a bit cold wearing this?"

"Hey! What's the big deal!" The saleswoman immediately took down a beige woolen short coat from the side. "Wear this over your coat, it'll look good and keep you warm. You can take it off when you get inside, it won't take any time at all!"

She was very quick-witted. Seeing that Jiang Wanqiu was still hesitating, she rolled her eyes and took out a paper package from a glass counter.

"And this, paired with this cheongsam, it's absolutely stunning!"

Inside the paper package was a pair of black socks, as thin as cicada wings.

"These are really good stuff, they're called 'stockings,' they're the most fashionable in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai area. Our department store just got some, and so many young girls are lining up but can't get their hands on them!"

Zhao Wenchang frowned, staring at the dark object with a puzzled look: "White legs covered in this dark thing, how can that look good?"

"Oh, my comrade PLA soldier, you wouldn't understand!" The saleswoman gave Jiang Wanqiu a "you're so old-fashioned" look and shoved the stockings into her hands. "Girl, listen to me, go in and try them on! If they don't look good, you don't have to pay! When you wear these, your legs will look so slender and long, I guarantee no one will be able to take their eyes off you!"

Jiang Wanqiu pinched the smooth fabric, her cheeks burning slightly.

She had seen all kinds of stockings in her past life, so she naturally knew how lethal they were to men.

But considering she was pregnant, wasn't it a bit... excessive for her to be so openly flirting with Zhao Wenchang?

The sales clerk was shrewd and immediately noticed their hesitation, so she used her trump card.

She deliberately put on a serious face and said to Zhao Wenchang, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Comrade, this is such a joyous occasion. You wouldn't be thinking of buying something nice and expensive for your daughter-in-law because you're worried about the cost, would you?"

These words struck Zhao Wenchang squarely at his pride.

How could a battalion commander like him allow his wife to be outshone by others on their wedding day?

The man frowned, then made a deep decision: "Buy it! Whatever other young girls have, Jiang Wanqiu must have too!"

After saying that, he took off the woolen overcoat, cheongsam, and stockings all at once and handed them to Jiang Wanqiu, saying, "Go ahead and try them on."

Jiang Wanqiu was both annoyed and amused by his domineering attitude, and walked towards the fitting room with the clothes in her arms.

"Hey, comrade, you come in too!" the saleswoman called out from behind. "That cheongsam has a zipper on the back, she won't be able to zip it up by herself!"

The fitting room wasn't big; a thick curtain separated a small space, inside which hung a half-length mirror and was illuminated by a dim light bulb.

When Zhao Wenchang followed him in, his tall figure filled the already cramped space completely.

Jiang Wanqiu's face turned even redder. With her back to him, she listened to the man's steady breathing behind her, her heart pounding.

She bit her lip, her fingertips trembling slightly as she unbuttoned her old clothes. The clothes slipped down, revealing her smooth back and rounded shoulders.

In the mirror, she saw the man behind her swallow hard, his deep eyes burning with passion.

She dared not look any longer and hurriedly put on the bright red cheongsam.

The silky fabric clung to my skin, carrying a slight coolness.

The tight cut instantly accentuated her shapely figure. The bright red color further highlighted her exposed skin, making it appear like the finest mutton-fat jade, so delicate it seemed to glow.

"Help...help me." Her voice was barely audible.

Zhao Wenchang hummed in response, his voice slightly hoarse.

He stepped forward, his warm chest almost touching her back. His rough, calloused fingertips traced the skin of her back, sending shivers down her spine.

Jiang Wanqiu froze, her whole body going limp.

He seemed to enjoy her reaction, moving extremely slowly. The cool metal zipper pull began to climb upwards from his fingertips, little by little.

Jiang Wanqiu could clearly feel that as the zipper closed, every inch of her beautiful back was tightly wrapped by that piece of bright red fabric, and finally disappeared from his sight.

His eyes grew increasingly dark, as if a storm was brewing.

He pulled the zipper all the way up, but his hand didn't leave. His burning palm was pressed against the button on the back of her neck, making her heart tremble.