Commander Zhou's words implied that those promoted exceptionally would naturally be allocated good housing, specifically in the officers' quarters. The original owner of the house had retired and left, leaving it vacant for over a year.

When I opened the door, I felt that everything was dirty. The previous owner was not a hard worker, and the kitchen window was covered with grease.

Captain Chen strode in, looked around, and got a sense of what was going on.

"Hey sis, the plumbing and heating in this house are fine, it's just that some parts are old. You said the people moving in don't have much furniture, so why don't we build a couple of cabinets and put them in? It's cheaper than buying them. Also, just hire someone to clean this place, you're not exactly a manual laborer." He said the last sentence when he saw Qin Xiaoyu rolling up her sleeves to get some water.

Qin Xiaoyu thought about it and realized that even if she worked hard all day, it would be better for the workers to do a clean job. So she simply gave Captain Chen fifty yuan and told him to do whatever he wanted.

After taking care of all these matters, she drove to Aunt Wang's house, not to ask for any folk remedies, but because she had important business to attend to.

When he returned home in the evening, Zhou Xing's family was all there. Surprisingly, Commander Zhou was in a good mood and drank a little wine. What was even more remarkable was that Zhou Xing's mother also drank a small cup with him.

Although Qin Xiaoyu had only been in contact with the Zhou family for a little over a year, she already knew them well enough.

Zhou Xingma has a certain alcohol tolerance, but she absolutely never breaks her vow of abstinence unless there is a major event.

"Why is Mom in such a good mood?" Even Zhou Yue, the silly girl, could tell something was wrong.

"What's your mood? What's wrong with having a drink?" Commander Zhou once again fiercely defended his wife.

Zhou Yue and Qin Xiaoyu were forced to shut up after being fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection).

"Little Fish, I heard you had someone clean Dr. Deng's house?" Commander Zhou really does know everything.

"Yes, otherwise he would have been completely clueless when he first arrived, and he wouldn't have had any savings, so he wouldn't have been able to settle down here," Qin Xiaoyu quickly explained.

"See, thanks to Xiaoyu's keen observation, I overlooked all of these things." Commander Zhou nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, that reminds me. We have too many bedding sets at home. Let's send two sets over tomorrow. Oh, and Zhou Yue and I will go buy some clothes for the kids and send them over. The kids on the farm dress differently from those in the city. We don't want their classmates to laugh at us." Zhou Xing's mother was even more thoughtful.

"No need to buy, I'll make it!" Zhou Yue perked up again.

"You can rest now. By the time you finish, it will be summer!" Zhou Xing's mother glared at her.

Qin Xiaoyu knew that the Zhou family was kind and righteous, and that they would do anything to help their son's saviors. So she just listened to their argument with a smile and did not stop them.

Three days later, a dusty, military-green truck drove into the military compound.

Qin Xiaoyu and Zhou Yue waited at the door. Deng Jianyan's wife was a timid and unsophisticated woman who seemed to have never seen much of the world; her voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's buzz.

His eldest daughter, Xiaojin, was ten years old and a head taller than Hanhan. Her features resembled Deng Jianyan's, and one could see the outline of a southerner. His son, Lisheng, was two years older than Hanhan and also taller. He looked like his mother, but was timid. He clung to Deng's clothes and wouldn't let go. After being scolded a few times, he ran to the side with tears in his eyes, sucking his thumb and refusing to speak.

Qin Xiaoyu gave the two children a handful of candy and sent them aside. Qin Xiaoyu took out a handful of coins, threw them into a new pot, placed them in Deng Dasao's arms, and gestured for her to open the door.

This is a custom when moving; the housewife is required to carry a pot into the house, with money inside, signifying that she will have no shortage of food and clothing.

Firecrackers were popping and crackling when Deng Jianyan rushed back. He had been staying in the hospital for the past few days and hadn't come over.

When the door opened, Deng Jianyan and his wife were standing at the doorway. Their faces showed no emotion, but when they looked at each other, they were overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

The neat and beautiful house in front of them seemed so far removed from their lives, like a dream. They had to keep reminding themselves that it was real, really real.

"Xiaoyu, thank you. I never expected that a chance encounter on the train would change my life so drastically. Don't worry, I will give you an explanation." Deng Jianyan only went into the house for a quick look before handing everything over to Deng Dasao and turning to leave.

"Husband, where are you going?" Sister-in-law Deng was a little confused.

“Go back to the hospital. There’s a little fish here. Just listen to her,” Deng Jianyan said without turning his head.

Qin Xiaoyu had no choice but to take Sister-in-law Deng into the house, teach her how to use the gas stove, and show her the new bedding and the child's clothes.

She could only manage a soft "thank you" through her throat.

"Xiao Jin, come here." Qin Xiaoyu called Xiao Jin into the kitchen, pointed to the gas stove and said, "This is hard to learn. You teach your mother a little, I'm afraid she'll break it and it will start a fire."

"It's very simple, she's just not smart enough to learn it." Xiao Jin said dismissively. She walked over and skillfully turned the stove on and off in one go, as if she had done it hundreds or thousands of times.

"Hehe, okay, you teach Mom."

It took almost a day to settle Deng Jiaquan in. Qin Xiaoyu hadn't met Deng's sister-in-law at the farm, but now that she did, she realized that there was probably no love between Deng Jianyan and her; it was just a compromise.

It was very late when Qin Xiaoyu brought Zhou Yue home.

“I don’t think Mrs. Deng is good enough for Dr. Deng,” Zhou Yue sighed.

"What's the big deal? As long as they're happy, that's all that matters. Marriage is like shoes; only the wearer knows if they fit. Let's not guess." Qin Xiaoyu didn't want Sister-in-law Deng to feel pressured right after moving to the city, even though it was something she had to go through.

"But seriously, after hearing what happened in the mountains, this guy is a real man." Zhou Yue was extremely fond of Deng Jianyan. Qin Xiaoyu interpreted it as him saving Zhou Xing, so Zhou Yue, as the older sister, naturally looked at him differently.

However, Deng Jianyan said something that was puzzling: what did he mean by giving her an explanation?

Zhou Xing was discharged from the hospital soon after; his injuries were not serious and he could recover at home. For some reason, Deng Jianyan prescribed a whole bunch of traditional Chinese medicine, and from that day on, the Zhou family's house was filled with the aroma of herbs.

"Every medicine has its side effects, and it's not exactly a good thing. You don't need to take it all the time, do you?" Qin Xiaoyu couldn't bear to watch Zhou Xing's mother diligently decocting medicine every day.

“Dr. Deng prescribed it, it can’t be wrong.” Zhou Xing’s mother was quite superstitious about Deng Jianyan.

This year, after the start of spring, the weather suddenly warmed up after mid-March. Winter clothes were almost too warm to wear.

Qin Xiaoyu was thinking about Tang Wenwen, so she got her a few large outfits and sent them over.

Tang Wenwen stayed at home all day, eating and sleeping like a madwoman, and her body became rounder, with her belly becoming alarmingly large.

Qin Xiaoyu looked at the clothes in her hand and realized she had taken them for nothing.

"Sister-in-law, you don't need to take it. Anyway, I don't want to go downstairs. I'm getting clumsy and clumsy," Tang Wenwen said with distress.

"You think having a baby is so easy? Now you know how difficult it is!" Qin Xiaoyu said, looking at her with a disappointed expression.

"You talk like you've given birth yourself." Tang Wenwen looked at her helplessly.

Qin Xiaoyu realized she had spoken out of turn, her face flushed red, and she refused to say anything more.