Chapter 29 Aren't men just for warming the bed?

She choked and coughed violently, her pretty face instantly turning red, and tears welling up in her eyes.

"Cough...cough cough...Auntie...what did you say!"

Seeing her overreacting, Zhao Xiaohua couldn't help but laugh. She reached out and patted her back to help her catch her breath, teasingly saying, "You little rascal, why are you so thin-skinned? You're from the city, yet your mindset isn't as open as ours, you old country folk."

She leaned closer, lowered her voice, and spoke as if imparting life wisdom: "Let me tell you the truth, what's the use of a man? Isn't he just someone who earns work points during the day and warms the bed at night? If he can't even warm the bed properly, and all he can do is earn work points, then what's the point of having him? Just to sit there and look at him?"

Zhao Xiaohua pursed her lips and continued, "Back then, my husband and I 'discussed' it beforehand. Marrying someone is like buying something; you have to check them out first. What if you marry someone who's all looks and no substance? Wouldn't that ruin your life? Even if you divorce later, people will still gossip about you, saying you're a divorcee, which doesn't sound good. So, it's so important to test things out beforehand!"

Jiang Wanqiu was truly impressed by what he said.

She thought she was quick to accept new ideas, but little did she know that this country grandmother was even more radical than her!

Looking into her mother-in-law's bright, knowing eyes, Jiang Wanqiu's face burned. She could only mumble a vague "Uh..." and said, "It's...it's alright."

Actually, she didn't remember much about what happened last night.

"Okay, that's fine!" Zhao Xiaohua nodded in satisfaction, then quickly changed the subject: "Drink this bowl first to warm yourself up. In a few days, the educated youth from the team should be coming down. I'll go to the village chief today to ask what kind of work is available and arrange something easy for you. You just wait for Wenchang to come back, then you two can pack your things, go to Shanghai, buy some decent clothes, and then attend your sister's wedding in style."

As Zhao Xiaohua spoke, she had already reached the door. Before leaving, she turned back to remind her, "When I go out, make sure all the doors and windows are closed. If any strangers knock on the door, tell them that no one is home and don't open it, understand?"

That moment of rambling made Jiang Wanqiu feel as if she were seeing her mother standing at the door when she was a child, giving her instructions over and over again.

The autumn wind swept up the fallen leaves, creating a swirling motion.

Zhao Delong closed the window and told his wife not to leave it open for so long in the future, as it didn't allow for proper ventilation.

After he finished speaking, he went to the cabinet and took out two packs of "Dashengchan" cigarettes, and wrapped half a pound of brown sugar in oil paper, intending to give them as a gift.

As he tidied up, he said to the woman still sulking on the kang (a heated brick bed), "Honey, Commander Zhao is back today. I heard our grandson is a month old. Shall we go see him? And... our eldest son is all grown up now. Maybe we can try to build a relationship with the commander and get him a clerical job in the army. That would be better than toiling in the fields."

Liu Xiaoxiao, lying on the kang (heated brick bed), turned her head away from him and said in a muffled voice, "You go if you want, I'm not going!"

Zhao Delong sighed helplessly, walked over and sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and said, "What's wrong with you now? Why are you getting angry with me? We're an old married couple, why do you have to act like the young couple Zhao Fu and his family? When you get old, you have to accept that you're getting old."

It would have been better if these words hadn't been said; they were like a thorn in Liu Xiaoxiao's side.

She whirled around, her eyes wide with shock: "You're the old one! Zhao Delong, let me tell you, if you can't do it, you can't do it. Don't make up so many excuses!"

Yesterday, she asked Li Xiujuan and bought the "miracle drug" from Jiang Wanqiu, but the man refused to take it, complaining that she was too old to be shameless and only knew how to do such crooked things.

This infuriated Liu Xiaoxiao so much she nearly fainted.

Zhao Delong blushed with embarrassment, stood up, picked up the things he had prepared, and said, "Fine, fine, I won't argue with you. If you won't go, I'll go by myself!"

After saying that, he left with a dark face, took the favor, and headed straight for the division commander's house at the east end of the village.

At this moment, the home of Division Commander Zhao Changfeng is bustling with activity.

He held his newborn grandson, bouncing him around the room, coaxing him with "oh oh oh" sounds, his face beaming with joy.

On the earthen bed, her daughter, who had just given birth not long ago, was being cared for by her husband, who fed her millet porridge spoonful by spoonful.

Seeing how much her father doted on his grandson, she smiled too, but a hint of worry lingered in her eyes: "Dad, why didn't Mom come back with you this time?"

Zhao Changfeng's smile froze for a moment, and his eyes looked away awkwardly: "Your mother... has something to do at work and can't get away, it's inconvenient for her."

Unfortunately, his daughter on the kang (a heated brick bed) clearly didn't believe him.

Zhao Yunyun vaguely heard people say that something seemed to have happened between her parents, but no one could say for sure what it was.

Judging from her father's expression, the rumors were probably true, but not knowing the details, she didn't know how to start a conversation to mediate.

Just then, the curtain was lifted, and a tall figure walked in; it was Zhao Wenchang.

Zhao Changfeng, as if he had found a savior, immediately changed the subject, looked at the newcomer, and his voice regained its usual booming tone: "Wenchang is here! How is it? Did you and your family find a good match during your visit?"

Zhao Wenchang stood at attention and calmly replied, "Reporting to the commander, everything is fine."

"That's good!" Zhao Changfeng said with a smile. "Then hurry up and get the marriage certificate, hold the wedding, and come back to the unit as soon as possible! You're the only one who can keep those greenhorns under your command in check. These past few days while you were gone, Xiao Zhang was acting as your commander, and he came to the regimental headquarters every day with a long face, asking me when you were going to come back."

Hearing this, Zhao Yunyun, who was on the kang (a heated brick bed), couldn't help but complain: "Dad, look at you! Wenchang just got back, and he hasn't even gotten to know his new sister-in-law yet, and you're already trying to break them up. Can't you let the young couple enjoy their time together a little longer?"

Zhao Changfeng disagreed, saying, "Young man, why are you indulging in this hedonistic lifestyle? Soldiers should act like soldiers. Who hasn't gone through this? When your mother and I got married, I was called back to my unit for a mission that very night. All these years later, your mother hasn't uttered a single complaint."

Zhao Yunyun thought for a moment and then said, "Knowing that my mother has had a hard time following you, why are you still arguing with her?"

“Who said your mother and I had a falling out? That’s right, that’s right…” Zhao Changfeng stopped mid-sentence, “Sigh! Never mind, you young people wouldn’t understand!”

Zhao Changfeng handed his grandson to his daughter, walked over to Zhao Wenchang, and patted the man on the shoulder: "Come on, let's go inside and talk."

As he spoke, he noticed something amiss out of the corner of his eye.