Chapter 36. He hadn't even seen her body. ...

Chapter Thirty-Six: He hadn't even seen her body.

Her period started the next day, after Ling Jianwei left for the camp.

Perhaps due to the recent travel and changes in environment, her lower abdomen felt a little uncomfortable. However, she was lucky and didn't have much menstrual cramps, so she filled a hot water bottle and warmed her stomach.

At noon, Ling Jianwei drove back from the camp. When she entered the house, she was sitting in a chair, hunched over and holding a hot water bottle.

There's a heated cushion on the chair; I bought it yesterday.

There are three small sweet potatoes cooking in the pot, which I bought at the farmers' market yesterday.

Ling Jianwei asked anxiously, "Why do you look so pale? Are you sick?"

Li Yue smiled awkwardly: "I've started my period, and my stomach is a little uncomfortable."

He reached out to check her forehead temperature. Li Yue said she didn't have a fever, which was normal, and her stomach didn't hurt much either. However, after he lifted the pot lid, his brows furrowed even more: "Is this all we're having for lunch? Why didn't we go to the cafeteria?"

She was feeling a bit lazy and didn't want to go out, only saying, "I suddenly want to eat sweet potatoes, but I'm not hungry. Why did you come back?"

He said he had something to do when he got back, and then took two more lunchboxes and went out: "I'm going to get my food first."

"You didn't eat either?"

"without."

If she hadn't come back, I don't know how casually she would have eaten a few bites.

Today, the cafeteria served stir-fried cabbage and stir-fried celery with dried tofu, which Li Yue said was quite delicious.

Ling Jianwei looked at her and said helplessly, "You'll say anything is delicious as long as you're given food."

He then glanced at a corner of the room and said, "Since we're going to build something anyway, let's also build a cutting board and a sink for washing vegetables, so it'll be easier to cook later. We can bury a thick water pipe to run outside and connect it to the drainage ditch..."

Li Yue thought he must be the kind of man who was good at infrastructure, and replied, "Okay, you arrange it."

Ling Jianwei seemed thoughtful: "No other requests?"

Since transmigrating here, her material desires have indeed decreased to the minimum. As long as she has something to eat and a bed to sleep in, she's content. Or perhaps Li Yue really doesn't care about these things now, and all she can think about is getting into the factory as soon as possible.

So he said, "I believe in your design."

He chuckled and tapped his chin: "Alright, at least make this house feel like a home."

Soon, three men arrived. They were rural craftsmen whom Ling Jianwei had invited to build the small house. They got right to work, digging a pit outside the house with shovels and picks.

These three men had previously built toilets in the compound and were very familiar with the process. After Ling Jianwei made arrangements for them, she returned to camp.

The sun came out a bit in the afternoon, and it felt warm on people. Li Yue watched them dig a hole. Two women who were at home taking care of their children came over and chatted with them for a while.

My neighbor, Li Jinqiu, has three children, the youngest of whom is still breastfeeding. She's not at work right now, and she came over with her baby in her arms. She said, "Deputy Battalion Commander Ling really knows how to take care of people. I've mentioned it to him several times, and he suggested we add a room in the back. It would be so convenient. Every time, he said he'd probably be transferred in a couple of years, so why waste the money? But it's been seven or eight years now, and he still hasn't been transferred. I'm so tired of talking to him."

Li Yue teased the baby wrapped in a cotton dress and asked her what her name was.

"Let's name her Miaomiao. When do you and Deputy Battalion Commander Ling plan to have a child?"

Li Yue laughed awkwardly: "We just got married and haven't planned to have children yet."

Li Jinqiu said repeatedly, "You two are newlyweds, and you're only 18. There's really no need to have a child so early. It's not too late to wait a couple of years. Once you have a child, it will be difficult to even get a full night's sleep."

“Yes, yes,” Li Yue replied, “It is indeed very hard work.”

However, to be fair, children in that era ran all over the yard after they could walk, and everyone was raised in a free-range manner, unlike children in later years who were very pampered and all of them were money-devouring beasts.

Li Jinqiu's family was allocated a two-bedroom apartment, housing five people. Since the child is young, it's manageable. She said, "Right now, my child and I eat at the cafeteria. We only cook for ourselves when Lao Lü has time, just to have a snack... By the way, are you planning to go back to work?"

"I'm planning to, but I'm still looking into it," Li Yue replied.

Li Jinqiu said, "Let Deputy Battalion Commander Ling find you an easy job, even a temporary one. You don't have any children now, so having a job will make you feel more secure."

Li Yue agreed, saying, "That's what I think too."

...

These past few days, Li Yue had nothing to do, so she asked Ling Jianwei to take her to the county town to buy some yarn and knitting needles, planning to knit him a thin sweater vest so he could wear it next spring.

He asked with a smile, "Why do you always knit me things, but don't you knit yourself a new one?"

Li Yue said, "I don't need to weave for now, I'll weave for you first."

Although it's cold in winter, when the sun comes out, the women would gather together to knit sweaters, and she would join them for a chat.

One of her sisters-in-law noticed that she knitted the sweater with nimble movements and that her fingers were slender and fair. She said, "Xiao Li, your hands are so beautiful. They look like they belong to someone who does some kind of artistic work."

Li Yue smiled and said, "Knitting a sweater is also an art."

The weather was sunny for several days in a row, and the three craftsmen were very efficient. They said they would take advantage of the fact that it wasn't snowing yet and quickly build it up before slowly decorating the interior.

So the septic tank was dug, cement was applied, the foundation was laid, and water pipes were installed... By the time her period ended, the little house was also built.

According to Ling Jianwei's plan, the door will be located on the left wall of the main entrance, and the interior will be designed with a washbasin, laundry sink, squat toilet, and shower area.

The open space next to them was large, so their bathroom was also spacious. Li Yue said, "What a luxurious bathroom."

Ling Jianwei raised her eyebrows at her: "Ah, a wider width is more convenient, you can do a lot of things."

Li Yue: "Hmm?"

Did she misunderstand?

But judging from his meaningful expression, she probably didn't have any ulterior motives. In fact, in all the days they'd been married, their intimacy had been limited to kissing; he hadn't even looked at her body.

The night the craftsmen finished roofing the hut and covering it with asbestos tiles, a heavy snow fell.

Ling Jianwei was taking a break that day. When she woke up in the morning, the curtains were not fully drawn. Li Yue saw a long icicle hanging under the eaves and said, "The snow outside must be very thick. Fortunately, the roof is sealed. The craftsmen also said that it would snow heavily for at least one day. We're taking a break today."

Ling Jianwei opened her eyes and looked around, then hummed in response before closing them again. She hugged her and said, "Sleep a little longer."

Li Yue's face was buried against his chest as he held her, and she asked in a muffled voice, "Have you finished handing over the work?"

"alright."

"I heard from Sister Chunlan that Battalion Commander Cheng is already working at the regimental headquarters."

"I went there the day before yesterday."

Li Yue: "Oh, so you're the acting battalion commander now."

"Um."

"Then I'll call you Battalion Commander Ling."

He clicked his tongue, his eyes still closed: "What guidance do you have?"

Li Yue said softly, "That's right, my job... have you inquired about it for me? I can start as an apprentice, and it doesn't matter if the salary is low."

He then opened his eyes: "Are you really determined to become a ceramicist?"

"yes."

“I made some inquiries, and they said that since you are a high school student and come from Beijing, they can arrange for you to teach elementary school Chinese.”

Li Yue: "But I just want to play with mud and make ceramics."

He was still puzzled and worried: "That factory isn't close to here. Public transportation and shuttle buses aren't as convenient as in Beijing. It takes half an hour to cycle here. It's scorching hot on sunny days, damp on rainy days, and slippery on snowy days... Even if I have time to take you, what if I don't?"

Li Yue said, "Then how about I live near the factory or stay in the dormitory if there is one, and only come back on weekends?"

Almost instantly, he grabbed her arm, his face darkening: "Don't even think about it. What's the difference between that and living apart? What's the point of you accompanying me to the military base?"

Helpless, Li Yue could only act coquettishly, hugging him and rubbing her face against his chest: "But I'd rather learn to make ceramics. Teaching children isn't bad, but I want to follow my heart's interest first."

"What if you don't want to make ceramics anymore? Then you can switch careers?"

Li Yue said, "Let's see how it goes first. If it really doesn't work out, I'll change careers and follow your arrangements."

"real?"

"Um."

Ling Jianwei sighed and patted her head: "If you want to play in the mud, then go ahead and play, but if I feel it's not appropriate one day, I have the right to stop you."

Without thinking too much, Li Yue just wanted to get into the factory first, so she looked up at him and readily agreed, "Okay!"

Looking at her radiant face, he was still puzzled. Touching her cheek, he suddenly called out, "Yue—"

“?” Li Yue stared at him.

He smiled faintly: "I guess I still don't understand you."

Li Yue paused for a moment, unsure how to respond to his sigh.

In an instant, he pressed her head down and placed it in his arms: "But we have plenty of time in the future, and I can slowly understand you."

Li Yue remained silent in his arms for a long time before finally uttering, "Ling Jianwei, I'm hungry."

He grabbed her hair and said fiercely, "Carry it."

Li Yue obediently replied, "Oh."

A few minutes later, he got up and brought back a bowl of porridge, two eggs, and a steamed bun from the cafeteria.

Although he doesn't need to go back to camp today, he has to stay home and write his year-end summary.

After eating and getting warm, Li Yue went outside. The world was a blanket of snow and ice, and two children were building a snowman. She went over to offer some guidance: "That snowman's head is flattened."

The two children said disdainfully, "Auntie, you can pile yours, we'll pile ours."

Li Yue: "It's not impossible."

She immediately went back into the house, found a fruit knife to use as a craft knife, and started piling them up next to the children.

But instead of building a traditional snowman, she picked up a small twig, carved a white camellia out of the snow, and made a snow-white little rabbit holding the white camellia.

A little girl saw it and exclaimed repeatedly, "How beautiful!"

She then asked, "Auntie, can I build a little dog?"

Li Yue: "Sure."

Soon, a lifelike puppy appeared before them... The children who passed by all praised it, and Li Yue, as an art student in the new century, regained a little dignity.

Gradually, more and more children came, all wanting toy horses, sheep, and cats.

Li Yue said, "We're almost out of clean snow."

The little boy was very enthusiastic: "I'll go roll a snowball and bring it to you."

Soon, the open space in front of their house looked like a zoo. Some children would hug the little animals she had made, run home, and then excitedly run back to ask for another one.

Li Yue was exhausted, her hands were frozen red.

Ling Jianwei walked over and saw this scene. Only then did she realize that she could mold anything into something that looked like a clay figure, and seemed to have a talent for it... So that's why she wanted to play with mud?

I think I understand her a little now.

But the next moment, his gaze fell on her hands, and the man frowned, saying seriously, "Alright, dismissed. Go back to your rooms now."

The children swarmed off, each grabbing a kitten and a puppy. Ling Jianwei said to Li Yue, who was squatting on the ground, "You go back inside too."

He pulled her icy hands back home, rubbing them with his own warm palms while scolding her: "Your hands are frozen like popsicles, aren't you afraid of getting frostbite?"

Li Yue looked up at him and said nonchalantly, "It should be fine."

That nonchalant expression made his teeth itch with rage.

Li Yue sat quietly by the stove, warming herself by the fire. Ling Jianwei returned with lunch, and after eating, having nothing to do, she decided to boil water and take a hot bath before it got too cold at noon.

While waiting for the water to boil, she sat down by the stove to knit a sweater. Ling Jianwei sat down beside her, doing nothing but watching her nimble hands work together seamlessly to stitch the needle.

After chatting for a while, he said it was so comfortable to warm himself by the fire, and he insisted on going out into the snow to freeze... Li Yue noticed that he was still angry, and her eyes curved into a smile: "How about I build you a snowman? What do you want?"

Ling Jianwei opened her mouth to speak, but found that she had no way to deal with her. So she stopped talking to her, pressed her shoulders, leaned over and bit her lips for a long time before stopping.

Li Yue felt her face was covered in wet streaks, but she still smiled and said, "Ling Jianwei, you really don't want anything? I can make anything out of you."

Looking at the girl who had no idea what he was angry about, the man said coldly, "I don't need anything."

"Really don't want to?" Li Yue looked at him. "I actually really want you to do something for me."

"explain."

Looking at the man whose face had been etched with anger since he woke up in the morning, Li Yue smiled slightly and said, "Why don't you help me take a bath?"

Ling Jianwei: "!"