The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the sound of a rooster crowing could be heard outside the window.

When Fang Qiao opened her eyes, there was no one beside her.

She got up, put on her clothes, and got out of bed. She saw a glass of water on the table, still steaming.

Winters in the north are already dry and cold, and with a stove lit indoors, the air becomes even drier.

Sleeping in such an environment for a night will leave you with a dry mouth and throat the next morning. A glass of water to soothe your throat is the perfect solution.

The water in the enamel cup was at the perfect temperature, and the taste of the spring water was different from that of well water.

Fang Qiao drank the spiritual spring water in the cup in one gulp, then opened the door and came out of the main room.

The eastern sky was beginning to lighten, and white smoke was billowing from the kitchen chimney.

Fang Qiao walked over and saw Aunt Cheng busy around the stove, while Wang Yun sat in front of the stove helping her stoke the fire.

Fang Qiao greeted Wang Yun and said to Aunt Cheng, "Aunt, you're up so early. Why didn't you sleep a little longer?"

"I'm used to being busy at home, so I can't fall asleep when it's time to sleep. Besides, getting up earlier means I can eat earlier. I have to go back to the village to work later, so I can't be late."

As Aunt Cheng spoke, she called to Fang Qiao, "Bai Dong went to the duty room in the cowshed to deliver food to his driver. He'll be back in a bit. I'll make you some hot water so you can wash your face first."

"Let me do it." Wang Yun stood up and took the initiative to pick up the thermos.

Fang Qiao did not refuse Wang Yun's kindness.

She carried a washbasin, while Wang Yun carried a thermos and added some hot water for her.

Just as Fang Qiao was washing her face and brushing her teeth, Wang Yun said, "Xiao Qiao, Cheng Bodong is back, so I won't be staying at your house anymore. After breakfast, I'll move back to the educated youth settlement."

Fang Qiao nodded: "Okay, I'll have Bai Dong help you move it later."

"No need, there's not much stuff, I can carry it myself." Wang Yun waved his hand: "You know there are a few gossipy women in the village who can make up stories out of nothing. If I carry it myself, it'll save them a chance to gossip."

"Then remember to borrow the floor cart from your third aunt's house."

"Know."

After finishing speaking, Fang Qiao washed her face and applied face cream to prevent chapped skin.

At this moment, Cheng Baidong also returned from outside.

Once everyone was present, we started eating.

Aunt Cheng was frugal. Apart from cooking a bowl of noodles for Wang Yun and stewing an egg for the old lady, everyone else's breakfast consisted of porridge made with mixed grains, and their dry food was cornbread with salted radish.

Cheng Baidong hadn't eaten such a simple meal in a very long time.

He took a few bites of the cornbread, but couldn't eat anymore, so he turned around and took out a can of braised pork from the cupboard, poured it into a bowl, and considered it a dish.

Aunt Cheng was heartbroken: "Bai Dong, why are you opening this can so early in the morning? This is good stuff, you should save it for the New Year to entertain guests."

“Aunt, now that you’re back at your parents’ home, you’re a guest. As your nephew, it would be disrespectful of me to just let you eat dry cornbread with pickled vegetables if I didn’t bring out something nice. Please eat with peace of mind.” Cheng Baidong smiled and put a piece of braised pork on his aunt’s plate.

Aunt Cheng quickly waved her hand: "Oh, I don't want to. Bai Dong, listen to me, you're my nephew from my mother's side, what kind of guest am I? We're family, we can eat anything, good or bad, there's no need to be so polite."

“If your nephew offers you food, just eat it. Don’t be so polite. Refusing it makes you seem like a stranger.”

When the old lady spoke, Aunt Cheng stopped being polite and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, I'll eat, I'll eat."

Cheng Baidong put two more pieces of meat on Fang Qiao's plate.

There weren't many pieces in the can of meat. Fang Qiao glanced at it, picked up one of the two pieces of meat from her bowl, and put it into Cheng Baidong's bowl. "You eat too."

Cheng Baidong immediately smiled, took a bite of the steamed bun with the braised pork, and after finishing, he didn't forget to praise Fang Qiao: "The meat that my wife put on my plate is so delicious."

Noticing the teasing looks from the elders around her, Fang Qiao couldn't help but blush and glared at him, saying, "Just eat your food and stop being so sarcastic."

After the meal, Wang Yun borrowed a handcart from her third aunt and carried the items back to the educated youth settlement.

After tidying up the kitchen, Aunt Cheng was about to return to Qiaozhuang.

"Mother, I'm leaving now. If you ever want to come stay with me again, just ask someone to send me a message, and I'll come and pick you up."

The old lady waved to her: "Go back, drive carefully."

Qiaozhuang wasn't far, but it wasn't close either. Aunt Cheng had walked there, and it would take her another ten or twenty minutes to walk back. So Cheng Baidong simply had his driver, Xiao Liu, drive her back.

Watching the military green jeep disappear from sight, Cheng Baidong reached out and took Fang Qiao's hand, squeezing it gently, and said, "Why are your hands still so cold?"

"My hands and feet get so cold every winter, what can I do?" Fang Qiao sighed.

"I'll make you some hemostatic herbs for a foot soak tonight, and you'll be all better in less than a week."

Fang Qiao's heart skipped a beat when she heard Cheng Baidong mention the blood-clotting herb.

Although he said that there were large quantities of this stuff in the space and it wasn't precious at all, she still felt that using a spiritual herb that was hundreds of years old for a foot bath was too extravagant and a waste of resources.

However, since this was Cheng Baidong's kind intention, he couldn't refuse, so he could only gently remind him, "Take it easy, don't pluck it all out."

"Don't worry, this thing is easy to care for, you can't pluck it all off."

As the two walked back, they met Wang Yun, who was returning the flatbed cart, at the door of Aunt San's house.

Wang Yun had something to say to Fang Qiao, so Cheng Baidong went home first.

As soon as Cheng Baidong left, Wang Yun said to Fang Qiao with great interest, "Xiao Qiao, I just passed by the cowshed, guess what I saw?"

Fang Qiao asked cooperatively, "What did you see?"

"I saw that old hag Huang Yan beating and cursing that good-for-nothing, her voice was howling like a ghost, it was so pitiful! Oh my, I really don't know how that family has so much energy, they were freezing in the cowshed all night and they were still making such a fuss."

"What happened?"

"It seems that Cheng Hongmei slept with that hooligan all night, and Huang Yan saw her before she even woke up this morning. This was terrible. Huang Yan was so angry that she rushed up to the hooligan and started scratching and beating him, leaving him with a bruised and swollen face, and even smeared cow dung all over his face."

Wang Yun's eyebrows shot up, his tone brimming with undisguised schadenfreude: "You didn't see the scene; it was quite a spectacle."

Fang Qiao curled her lips into a smile: "Dogs fighting, serves them right!"

Just then, a polite male voice came from behind: "Excuse me, ladies, do you know where Battalion Commander Cheng Bodong lives?"

Fang Qiao and Wang Yun turned around at the same time.

Behind him were three men dressed as cadres. One of them was older, about thirty years old, while the other two were very young, probably in their early twenties, all riding bicycles.

Fang Qiao didn't recognize anyone, but she recognized one of the young men riding her family's bicycle.

Wang Yun immediately recognized Officer Sun, who had repeatedly refused her request for help in the People's Armed Forces Department's duty room the previous night.