Chapter 35

Zhu Jun said, "I'll go right away."

The sound of water splashing came from the yard. Jiang Nian picked up the spatula on the chopping board and stirred the dumplings. She said to Lu Yu, "Move the bench in the yard to... your room. We'll have the New Year's Eve dinner in your room."

She originally wanted to say the kitchen, but the kitchen was a little small. If she moved a table in, it would be a little crowded for three people to sit.

Lu Yu said, "Yes."

But he stood there without moving. Instead, he arranged the firewood in front of the stove. Jiang Nian looked at him in confusion and wanted to urge him, but she didn't dare to speak. Who knew that after Zhu Jun came in with water, she heard Lu Yu say, "Move the table in the yard to my room."

Zhu Jun said, "Okay."

Jiang Nian: ???

After the dumplings were out of the pot, Lu Yu and Zhu Jun walked into the house with the New Year's Eve dinner. Jiang Nian also walked into the house with dumplings and chopsticks. This was the first time that Lu Yu and Zhu Jun had eaten such a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner. Zhu Jun couldn't help but shed tears when he saw the delicious New Year's Eve dinner.

He thought that he would just have a casual meal with a few comrades in the dormitory this year. After all, the canteen was not open at night. He didn't expect that his sister-in-law would let him come to her house for the New Year's Eve dinner.

His sister-in-law was a good woman, but she was slandered by Kang Xiu and Zheng Hong.

Zhu Jun sometimes recalled that he was angry for his sister-in-law.

Jiang Nian felt that she had cooked a lot for this New Year's Eve dinner. Didn't she expect that Zhu Jun and Lu Yu had the same big appetite? She cooked so many dishes that the two of them had basically finished eating. After Zhu Jun finished eating, he smiled and said, "The meal cooked by my sister-in-law is so delicious."

Jiang Nian almost wanted to laugh at the compliment.

Zhu Jun helped to carry the bowls and plates to the kitchen. When he was about to leave after packing up, he was stopped by Lu Yu. Lu Yu handed Zhu Jun two aluminum lunch boxes that he had prepared in advance: "Go back and give some dumplings to the people in the dormitory."

Zhu Jun immediately stood at attention and saluted Lu Yu: "Thank you, deputy commander!"

He walked out of the kitchen with two aluminum lunch boxes and waved to Jiang Nian: "Sister-in-law, I'm leaving."

Jiang Nian made a lot of dumplings. She cooked a pot of dumplings tonight and brought some to Zhu Jun's comrades, but there was still a steamer left.

To stay up all night on New Year's Eve is equivalent to guarding the wealth of your own family.

Lu Yu and Jiang Nian stayed in the kitchen. Lu Yu washed the pots and bowls while Jiang Nian sat in front of the stove and warmed himself by the fire. Through a door and a wall, Jiang Nian heard the laughter of children from Xu Yan's and Feng Mei's homes. Song Xianghong said in a loud voice, "Dad, I want some New Year's money too."

"Yes? Yes? Yes? You all have some. Is two cents enough for each of you?"

Song Xiangdong and Song Xianghong said, "Yes."

"Sister-in-law."

"Hmm?"

Jiang Nian raised her head and looked at Lu Yu who was standing under the light bulb. The man was bent over and scrubbing the pots and bowls with a rag. Seeing Lu Yu didn't say anything, she asked again, "What's wrong?"

Lu Yu said, "We're leaving on the third day of the New Year. We've bought a train ticket on the evening of the third day and will arrive on the morning of the fourth day."

Jiang Nian: "Okay."

There was silence in the kitchen afterwards. Lu Yu poured the water into the swill bucket and washed the dishes again with clean water: "Sister-in-law, are you going back to the Jiang family this time?"

Jiang Nian didn't expect Lu Yu to bring up this matter.

She pursed her lips, raised her head and looked at the man's angular chin, and asked tentatively: "If I go back, can you go with me?"

She thought a lot during this time. If she went back alone, she would definitely not be able to deal with the group of rogues in the Jiang family. Even if she wanted to ask the captain on her side and the captain on the Jiang family's side, she would have nowhere to turn. But it would be different with Lu Yu. If the Jiang family really made trouble, Lu Yu would definitely be able to deal with it.

Jiang Nian looked down at her thin arms and legs. She couldn't even beat Zheng Hong, let alone Jiang Guo and his wife.

Lu Yu glanced at the broken hair on Jiang Nian's forehead and the tangled eyebrows, and replied: "I'll go with you."

He almost guessed his sister-in-law's purpose.

On the night of New Year's Eve, snowflakes were falling again. Jiang Nian looked out the window and suddenly felt somewhat comfortable.

After Lu Yu finished his work, he also sat in the kitchen. The two of them were speechless. Jiang Nian talked a lot when he was in the New Century, but here he didn't say anything he could, so as not to reveal himself. He sat there until after twelve o'clock. Jiang Nian couldn't stand it anymore and yawned.

Lu Yu said, "Go to sleep."

"Okay."

Jiang Nian stood up and pulled her clothes tightly together. As soon as she walked out of the stove door, she sneezed by the cold air. The snow was not heavy and melted as soon as it hit the ground. She pushed open the door and just walked in, she heard Lu Yu say, "Sister-in-law, wait a minute."

She turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lu Yu didn't say anything, went into his room, and came out again in the blink of an eye. He walked towards Jiang Nian and handed her an old-fashioned letter bag. It looked very interesting. ? was a little thick, and facing Jiang Nian's puzzled eyes, he explained: "This is the subsidy I have been holding back for the past two months. It was given to me at the end of the year. I kept one hundred for myself for this trip home."

However, there is no bonus and usual subsidy this year. Because of Liu Qiang's matter, the subsidies and bonuses of the Second Regiment this year have been cancelled. This matter is very serious and has affected the Second Regiment. The head also came to investigate some time ago. I am afraid that it will be difficult for Liu Qiang to be promoted in the future.

Jiang Nian looked at the letter bag and felt that her hands were a little heavy and she couldn't lift it. She blinked and finally took it under Lu Yu's insistence: "Then I will keep it for you first, and I will give it to you when you need it."

Lu Yu said: "Keep it for yourself, buy whatever you want, don't hold it for me."

After that, he said: "Go to sleep."

Jiang Nian held the letter bag and watched Lu Yu's figure disappear at the door before she went into the house, closed the door, took out the money in the letter bag and counted it. There were a total of 600 yuan, plus the last 700, which was 1300.

If it was in the new century, Jiang Nian would not think that 1300 was more than that, but in the 1970s, it was a considerable amount.

Jiang Nian sewed the large sum of money on the patched pants, stacked them up and put them in the cabinet. When she returned to her hometown, she would see if she could take the money to the post office to deposit it. Then she would give it to Lu Yu. If he didn't want it, she would keep it for him first. She

would return the money to him when Lu Yu got married in the future.

Jiang Nian went back to the room and exchanged the hot water in the thermos for cool water. She washed and wiped her body carefully, and then went to bed. This was her first year here.

She slept too late last night, so Jiang Nian got up late the next day.

Lu Yu rested from the first day of the Lunar New Year until the seventh day. He got up early in the morning and cooked dumplings, and fried two dishes. After they were done, he heard the sound of slippers coming from Jiang Nian's room, so he put a thermos filled with hot water at her door: "There is hot water outside the door."

Jiang Nian's hand had just been placed on the door bolt when she heard Lu Yu's voice, her voice still carrying the sound of the previous She woke up drowsily: "Okay."

She opened the door to get the thermos, washed up, and took out a brand new set of clothes from the cupboard. They were a cotton coat and pants she had made before. She felt that windbreakers and other things were not as warm as cotton coats. The color of the cotton coat was light orange, and she specially picked the fabric that would make her skin look white. The T-pants were made of light brown fabric. She wore shoes that Lu Yu bought for her in the market.

The popular shoes that everyone in the market liked, to her, were old-fashioned, but they were Lu Yu's heart.

Jiang Nian still combed her hair into two braids as usual, looked at herself in the mirror, and smiled happily.

New Year, new atmosphere, on the first day of the new year, it is a good thing to smile more.

Breakfast was eaten in the kitchen. When Jiang Nian walked into the kitchen, Lu Yu had just put the dumplings on the table. The man lowered his head, and first he saw a pair of black leather shoes with buckles, which he bought for Jiang Nian the last time he went to the market with her. Then he saw a pair of light brown pants.

"I got up late."

Hearing Jiang Nian's voice, Lu Yu raised his eyes again, and what he saw was Jiang Nian's beautiful white face. She was different today, with a smile between her eyebrows and white teeth, and her voice was crisp and sweet: "The rice you cooked smells so good."

Lu Yu was stunned for a moment before he came back to his senses. He had not yet adapted to Jiang Nian's sudden change.

Jiang Nian also felt that she seemed to be too happy, so she pursed her lips and smiled softly: "Today is the first day of the new year, I am too happy."

Lu Yu smiled: "Sister-in-law, smile more, it looks good."

Jiang Nian: ...

He said this, and she didn't know how to respond.

Jiang Nian smiled again, and then pursed her lips again.

Suddenly, she felt like a little fool, smiling foolishly so early in the morning.

Lu Yu handed Jiang Nian chopsticks, his eyes paused on her light orange cotton coat for a few seconds, and praised her generously: "The new clothes look good."

Jiang Nian hesitated and replied: "Thank you."

What kind of embarrassing and confusing topic is this?

Jiang Nian felt awkward for some reason. She lowered her head and ate quietly. She heard Lu Yu say, "Some children will come over later." Jiang

Nian looked up: "Huh?"

Lu Yu explained, "To wish us a happy new year."

"Oh."

Jiang Nian remembered that when she was young, she was the same. Every New Year's Day, she would go to other people's homes to wish them a happy new year, and then receive New Year's money. In the end, parents would return all the money to their children. This is the so-called money exchange.

Lu Yu was right.

Not long after the meal, the children of Feng Mei and Xu Yan came. The purpose of the New Year is to have fun. Jiang Nian didn't know how much New Year's money to give to the children. She remembered that Captain Song said last night to give two children 20 cents each, so she took out 80 cents and divided it among the four children.

The four children happily bowed to Jiang Nian and said, "Happy New Year, Aunt Jiang."

Jiang Nian smiled and said, "Happy New Year."

Song Xianghong stretched out his hand to Jiang Nian and handed him two candies: "Aunt Jiang, here are some candies for you."

Jiang Nian said, "Thank you."

Song Xianghong held the candy in his mouth and spoke unclearly: "Aunt Jiang, my second uncle will come over this afternoon and will bring us a lot of delicious food. I'll give you You take some."

Jiang Nian smiled: "Then auntie is waiting for you with delicious food."

Liu Jianye and Liu Jianwu stood hand in hand. Liu Jianwu was younger. Looking at the candy in Jiang Nian's hand, he thought of the candy his mother gave him last night, which was also sweet. Liu Jianye was older and had a little embarrassment on his face. Since the second grandmother and the others left, his mother had quarreled with his father several times, saying that it was because of his father that they had no subsidy for the New Year.

Jiang Nian noticed Liu Jianye's mood and patted him on the shoulder: "Jianye, shouldn't you go to school this year?"

When it came to this, Liu Jianye's mood was obviously much better, grinning: "Well, my mother said that she would send me to school in the summer."

Then he would be able to go to and from school with Song Xiangdong.

After breakfast in the morning, Lu Yu went out to pick someone up, and he still hadn't returned until almost lunchtime.

Jiang Nian washed her hands and was preparing lunch when she heard Feng Mei's loud voice coming from the courtyard gate: "Jiang Nian, don't cook at noon, come to my place to eat."

As she spoke, she walked into the kitchen. Seeing Jiang Nian scooped a bowl of cornmeal, she snatched it and put it in the bag, then grabbed her hand and walked away: "Come on, Deputy Commander Lu and his men will be back soon." Jiang

Nian was taken home by Feng Mei. Commander Song was stunned for a moment when he saw Jiang Nian. Finally, when Jiang Nian went to the kitchen to help, he stopped Feng Mei and glared at her: "Today is New Year's Day, don't you? Do something for me and don't try to match Song Bai with Deputy Commander Lu and his sister-in-law."

He knew better than anyone what was going on in his wife's heart.

Feng Mei waved her hands impatiently: "I know."

Lu Yu and his friends arrived home at 2:30 in the afternoon. Jiang Nian helped Feng Mei pick vegetables and heard the happy voices of Song Xiangdong and Song Xianghong coming from the yard.

"Second Uncle!"

"Second Uncle, I miss you."

"Oh, you have such a sweet mouth."

Jiang Nian heard a strange voice. The man's voice was loud and bold, unlike Lu Yu's low and cold voice.

"Uncle Lu, Uncle Zhu."

The two children called Lu Yu and Zhu Jun again.

Captain Song saw several people in the yard from the window and waved, "You are finally back, come in and warm up."

"It is Song Bai who is back."

Feng Mei looked at Jiang Nian happily, patted the coarse salt foam on her hands, and dragged Jiang Nian to go into the house: "Come on, let's go to the house and sit for a while, talk, and cook later."

Jiang Nian: ...

If she can't see what Feng Mei means at this time, she is really a fool.

So she waved her hand and said, "It's getting late, the whole family is waiting for dinner."

Feng Mei also knew that she was a little anxious: "Yes, yes, cook first."

Feng Mei was the main cook for this meal, and Jiang Nian was just helping out. She heard Zhu Jun's voice in the kitchen: "Deputy Colonel Lu, you don't have to come out. Deputy Colonel Song and I will serve the dishes."

Lu Yu's low voice revealed no emotion: "No problem."

The kitchen was not big. Zhu Jun came in first. Seeing Jiang Nian sitting in front of the stove, he smiled and said, "Sister-in-law."

Song Bai also called out, "Sister-in-law ." . "

Feng Mei responded from the window: "Hey."

Song Bai was stunned for a moment, looked at Feng Mei on the left, and then followed Zhu Jun's line of sight to look at Jiang Nian who was sitting in front of the stove. He was attracted by the woman's sparkling eyes at first sight. There was no light on in the stove, and the light was a little dim, but Song Bai still saw that her skin was white and rosy, she had two small braids, and was wearing a light orange cotton coat.

It was a completely unfamiliar face.

Song Bai was about to ask Zhu Jun who she was when his sight was blocked by a tall figure. Lu Yu was standing next to the stove, wearing the army green windbreaker that Jiang Nian made for him. He stood sideways and looked down at Jiang Nian: "Are you cold?"

Jiang Nian shook her head: "No."

She had been sitting in front of the stove, warming herself by the fire, and her body was warm.

Lu Yu said to Song Bai and Zhu Jun, "Serve the dishes."

Feng Mei was getting corn cakes at the moment. She turned around to look at Song Bai and said in a loud voice, "Song Bai, how long will you stay this time?"

Song Bai was holding a large bowl of cabbage stewed with vermicelli, and turned around and said, "I can't leave for the time being. The leader asked me to lead the troops here first."

Feng Mei frowned and asked, "It hasn't been long since you were transferred there. You were promoted from battalion commander to deputy regiment commander. What? They transfer you back and then demote you?"

Song Bai said, "No demotion. Let me report to the third regiment first. We have to wait for notification for the details."

As they spoke, the three of them went out with the dishes. Jiang Nian only heard Song Bai's voice, but didn't see his appearance because he was blocked by Lu Yu.

Feng Mei picked up the chopsticks and said, "Let's go and have dinner."

The room was not big, with only a table and four benches. There were several dishes on the table. Captain Song and Song Bai sat next to each other, Lu Yu and Zhu Jun sat next to each other, Song Xiangdong and Song Xianghong sat on a bench, and the remaining bench was for Jiang Nian and Feng Mei.

Jiang Nian followed Feng Mei into the room and looked up to see Song Bai sitting next to Captain Song.

The man was wearing a winter military uniform, with neat and tidy hair, raised eyebrows, and dark and bright eyes. Although he was Captain Song's cousin, the two did not see any similarities. Song Bai's appearance was of the type of flamboyant and handsome, which was completely different from Lu Yu's calm and low-key temperament.

The book didn't describe Song Bai's appearance. Jiang Nian learned it from Feng Mei. Now she felt that Feng Mei didn't exaggerate.

Song Bai's appearance was indeed worthy of Feng Mei's praise.

However, it had nothing to do with her. She

didn't care whether Song Bai would like her or not. She didn't have that thought, and she didn't want to have any ties or concerns in this era.

What if...

what if one day God opened his eyes and let her go back? If there were ties and concerns in this era, the one who would be uncomfortable would always be the one left behind.

"Let's sit here."

Feng Mei pulled Jiang Nian to sit on the bench. Next to her was Feng Mei, and next to her was Lu Yu. The man tilted his head to look at the back of her hand. Her fingers were a little red from the fire.

"Are you cold?"

Lu Yu asked again.

Jiang Nian shook his head and whispered, "Not cold, my hands are still warm."

Song Bai sat opposite Jiang Nian. He looked at Jiang Nian from time to time, then glanced at Lu Yu, raised his eyebrows for a moment, and joked, "Lu Yu, how long have you been married since I left? Why didn't you inform me of your marriage?"

Jiang Nian: ...

Captain Song: ...

Feng Mei: ...

Zhu Jun: ...

Lu Yu handed Jiang Nian a pair of chopsticks, but before he could say anything, Captain Song took the lead, "What are you talking about? That's Lu Yu's sister-in-law, Xu Cheng's wife."

Song Bai: ???

Lu Yu's sister-in-law?

Captain Xu's wife?

Song Bai couldn't imagine the beautiful girl in front of him as Xu Cheng's wife. He asked, "Xu Cheng is here too?"

He thought Lu Yu had brought Xu Cheng to the army.

There was some silence at the table for a while.

Zhu Jun started to explain: "Deputy Regiment Song, Captain Xu died half a year ago."

Song Bai's face changed slightly, and he tightened his chopsticks. He said to Jiang Nian: "I'm sorry."

After that, he lowered his head and drank a sip of soup.

He really didn't expect that the woman opposite was Xu Cheng's wife. Xu Cheng died, and Lu Yu should take his sister-in-law to live here, so that they can take care of each other. Song Bai raised his eyes and glanced at Jiang Nian who was eating quietly opposite, and felt a little more guilty.

He really shouldn't have mentioned this on the first day of the new year.

Captain Song talked to Lu Yu about the things in the Second Regiment. Knowing that Song Bai was going to the Third Regiment for the time being, Captain Song snorted, "You go to the Third Regiment and give Old Tang a hard time. I get angry when I see him showing off in front of me!"

Because of the trouble in Liu Qiang's family, the Second Regiment lost all its bonuses and subsidies. Every time Old Tang saw him, he would say a few bad words to him.

Song Bai didn't know what was going on yet, Feng Mei spoke quickly and told him what happened that day again, and then she snorted angrily: "If it weren't for Liu Qiang's relatives, we wouldn't be able to put a chicken on the table today!"

After dinner, Jiang Nian and Feng Mei cleaned up in the kitchen together. Song Bai came over with the last plate and saw Jiang Nian standing in front of the chopping board, bending over and stretching forward to wipe the dust on the corner of the wall. She took the initiative to take her rag and said with a smile: "You are not short enough, I will do it."

Jiang Nian: ...

Who is short?

Who is short? !

Feng Mei couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.

Jiang Nian: ...

Seeing Jiang Nian pursing her lips and looking a little unnatural, Song Bai realized that he had said something wrong, and coughed lightly and said, "Sister-in-law, I just said it casually, don't forget it."

Feng Mei asked, "Who are you calling sister-in-law?"

Song Bai: ...

He glanced at Jiang Nian: "Deputy Colonel Lu's sister-in-law."

"Sister-in-law."

Lu Yu walked into the kitchen, glanced at Song Bai who was cleaning the stove, and said to Jiang Nian: "Would you like to sit for a while or come home with me?"

Almost as soon as Lu Yu finished speaking, Jiang Nian responded: "Go home."

After saying hello to Feng Mei, and seeing that Feng Mei still wanted to keep her and wanted to take this opportunity to match her with Song Bai, Jiang Nian felt like she was facing a formidable enemy, and followed Lu Yu. She walked very quickly, as if there was a dog following her.

Lu Yu had a smile on his face: "Why are you running so fast?"

Jiang Nian said without turning his head: "I'm cold."

So they returned home, Jiang Nian walked into the house first, and Lu Yu followed behind. He added more dry firewood to the brazier and burned it vigorously. The house was warm. He half-knelt on the ground, raised his eyes and looked at Jiang Nian who was sitting on the bed making clothes: "Are you still cold?"

Jiang Nian pursed his lips and smiled: "Not cold anymore."

Lu Yu stirred the brazier and stayed in the house for a while before leaving.

.

"Uncle, I'll take two candies to Aunt Jiang."

Song Xiangdong and Song Xianghong each held a candy in their hands and held them up for Song Bai to see. Song Bai smiled and said, "Take it if you want, no need to tell me."

Seeing them walking out, Song Bai continued, "Take a few chocolates too."

Song Xiangdong said, "Okay."

Feng Mei felt a little distressed when she heard it, but she felt relieved when she thought that it was for Jiang Nian. In the past six months, Jiang Nian has made a lot of delicious food for her, so it's right to give her a few more chocolates.

Seeing Song Bai washing his hands and about to leave, Feng Mei called him, "Wait a minute."

"What's wrong?"

Song Bai stopped.

Feng Mei was afraid that Captain Song would hear her, so she asked in a low voice: "Do you have someone you like in your heart?"

Song Bai raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled: "Sister-in-law, don't think about introducing me to someone. I am unstable. When I can't stay here anymore, I will apply to be transferred to the border."

For him, it is more challenging there.

If there is any unstable situation, he can lead the troops there and have a chance to make merit.

Feng Mei knew that he was still thinking about running to the border as soon as she heard it. He wanted to run away before, but was suppressed by Old Song. His application form was also blocked by Old Song. Later, he had no choice but to apply to the leader to transfer Song Bai to the military sub-district to settle his character. He didn't expect that he still had this idea after returning.

She said unhappily, "You are the only son in your family. If you don't think about yourself, you should also think about your parents. You think about going to such a far place every day. Let's not talk about whether it is stable or not. Even if you come back, it will take four or five days by train. It is so inconvenient to go

back and forth." Song Bai knew that his sister-in-law was worried about him, so he didn't say anything more.

When he was about to leave, he heard Feng Mei continue, "I have been thinking about introducing Deputy Colonel Lu's sister-in-law to you for several months. You have met her today. What do you think of her? But I have to say a few words first. Although Deputy Colonel Lu's sister-in-law is not talkative, she is very capable. She cooks delicious meals and can embroider. Now she can make a lot of money embroidering for a state-owned embroidery house."

Song Bai: ...

Seeing that Feng Mei wanted to continue talking, Song Bai stopped her and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry about my affairs, and don't make nonsense of me anymore. She is Xu Cheng's wife, and she is half my sister-in-law."

Sometimes he really felt that his sister-in-law's mouth would cause trouble. Xu Cheng

was his brother when he was alive. He died in front of others, but he was thinking about his wife afterward. Is that what a human being should do?

You should not cheat on your friend's wife. He still understands this principle.

Besides, Lu Yu is also his brother. If he really marries Lu Yu's sister-in-law, will Lu Yu call him brother?

Song Bai feels that it is more difficult for Lu Yu to call him brother than to collapse a tree.

There was a little snow on the first day of the new year, but it stopped after a while.

Early in the morning of the second day of the Chinese New Year, Jiang Nian was awakened by the sound of a horn. She endured the cold and got up to put on her clothes. When she went out, Lu Yu had already prepared the meal. No one knew where he had gone. Jiang Nian had finished her breakfast and Feng Mei came right after her: "Let's go and watch them catch fish."

Jiang Nian washed the pots and bowls and asked in confusion: "Who is catching fish?"

Song Xiangdong and Song Xianghong followed Feng Mei. Song Xiangdong said: "Let's go to the next village. "We can go fishing in the big river."

Feng Mei said, "It's the bridge that Lao Song and his team rescued last year. The river is very big. Every winter when it freezes, Lao Song and Lao Tang will go there to dig a hole in the ice. We can only go fishing during the Chinese New Year. The rest of the time we are busy in the army. We used to be able to skate on the ice."

Jiang Nian felt that he had finally found an entertainment to kill time here.

She changed into a pair of shoes, put on a red scarf, and followed Feng Mei to the bridge in the next village. It took more than half an hour to walk there. On the way, Jiang Nian asked, "Sister Feng, are you not going back to your parents' home?"

Feng Mei said, "I'm not going back this year. How can I have extra money to go back? I used to rely on the year-end subsidies and bonuses to go back to my parents' home, but now there is no sign of them."

When Feng Mei said this, she was angry with Liu Qiang.

Jiang Nian knew that Feng Mei was still blaming Liu Qiang. Not only Feng Mei, but probably many of the military wives in the second regiment's family compound were blaming Liu Qiang. However, she did know that Xu Yan went back to her parents' home with Liu Qiang and their two children early in the morning.

They were expected to come back in a few days.

When we arrived at the bridge, the sun was high in the sky. Jiang Nian saw from a distance that Captain Song was sitting cross-legged on the ground, holding a wooden pole in his hand. The other end of the pole extended into the ice hole. I don't know if there was a fish hook or what he used as bait.

There were several people coming together. Lu Yu sat at the other end, fishing in a serious manner. Song Bai and Lu Yu sat together. I don't know what they were talking about, but they were smiling. Also coming this time were Captain Lu, Captain He, and Zhu Jun. In addition to them, there were several soldiers who jumped into the ice hole with their bare chests in the middle of winter.

Jiang Nian: …

She felt like she was about to freeze to death. Are these people made of iron?

But when she thought about the fact that in the new century, there was a group of people swimming under a bridge every winter, she didn’t quite understand this sport.

When Jiang Nian turned her gaze, she saw a familiar face out of the corner of her eye. It was Captain Tang whom she met outside the army that day.

“Dad, Second Uncle——”

Song Xiangdong and Song Xianghong saw them, let go of Feng Mei's hand and ran over first. The two squatted on the left and right of Captain Song, and kept asking if they had caught any fish. Captain Song was so annoyed that he shouted, "Don't talk yet."

As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Mei shouted at the top of her voice.

"Did you catch any fish?"

Captain Song turned around and shouted, "Bullshit, all the fish in the river were scared away by those stinky boys swimming."

Hearing this, Jiang Nian couldn't help but smile.

Feng Mei squatted next to Captain Song and watched in a serious manner. Jiang Nian went to Lu Yu and saw that there was a fish as long as his forearm in the basket next to him. She was surprised: "Did you really catch a fish?"

Lu Yu and Song Bai turned around to look at her at the same time. They thought it was Sister-in-law Feng who came over, but it turned out to be Jiang Nian.

There was still some smile in Lu Yu's dark eyes: "I caught it."

Jiang Nian squatted beside Lu Yu, quietly looking at the hole in the ice. After a while, the rod began to shake. Lu Yu lifted it hard and threw the fish onto the ice. Captain Song saw it from a distance and cursed: "Damn it, I'm going to change the nest."

After that, Captain Song came to Lu Yu's side and stayed away from the group of guys on the other side of the bridge.

Song Bai stood up and picked up the fish into the basket. A man's voice came from the other side: "Song Bai, are you scared? What are you doing sitting there? Two years ago, we ended in a tie. Do you dare to compete again this year?"

The person who spoke was Tang Ze. The two of them didn't know each other unless they fought. This time, Song Bai came back and was transferred to the Third Regiment. He and Tang Ze met each other every day. Moreover, Song Bai was the deputy regiment commander and was superior to him. Tang Ze wanted to compete with him whenever he had the chance.

Song Bai chuckled, stood up and walked over: "Come on, whoever loses will wash his socks for a month."

Tang Ze said: "No problem!"

Jiang Nian looked at Song Bai's back. The man ran quickly along the river, unbuttoning his clothes as he ran. She remembered that the plot in the book only showed Song Bai twice, and there was no plot about him being transferred back.

Did the author deliberately not write it, or was it because the plot changed?

She recalled the dream she had that night. The handwriting in the book gradually faded, and only the plot of the heroine Sun Ying getting married was clearly written. Those two pages described Sun Ying wearing red clothes and sitting at home waiting for the groom to come. On the other side, it described a man coming in, and his appearance and figure were different from Lu Yu.

The plot stopped abruptly at the critical moment, and Jiang Nian didn't know whether the man was the groom.

Her eyes followed Song Bai all the time, but she was thinking about the plot in her mind. Captain Song was concentrating on making a nest. Feng Mei noticed that Jiang Nian's eyes were always fixed on Song Bai in the distance, and smiled proudly, thinking that Jiang Nian should be interested in Song Bai.

Lu Yu followed Jiang Nian's line of sight and looked over. The soldiers coming out of the water were all dressed. Tang Ze jumped into the ice mouth in shorts. Song Bai had clothes at his feet and was only wearing shorts. Jiang Nian stared at that place without blinking. The man pursed his thin lips for a few seconds and said, "What are you looking at?"

Jiang Nian's thoughts were still immersed in the plot. When she heard Lu Yu's question, her eyes focused and she suddenly saw Song Bai wearing shorts and naked upper body. Like Lu Yu, he was tall and had long legs, broad shoulders and narrow waist, and... and he also had abdominal muscles.

Her mind didn't react, but her mouth was one step faster: "Abdominal muscles."

As Song Bai plunged into the ice mouth, Jiang Nian realized what she said!

She clasped her fingers awkwardly, turned her head stiffly, and bumped into Lu Yu's dark eyes. She didn't know if it was because of the shame in her heart, but she vaguely felt that Lu Yu looked at her with a bit of surprise and disgust.

Feng Mei heard it, and after a while of trying to figure out what Jiang Nian said, she couldn't help laughing.

Jiang Nian: ...

Captain Song just opened the ice mouth and heard Feng Mei's laughter. He was startled and raised his tiger eyes to stare at her: "You tiger woman, why are you grinning?"

Seeing Feng Mei was about to say something, Jiang Nian stood up suddenly, glared at her with a red face: "Shut up!"

After saying that, he didn't dare to look at Lu Yu: "I feel a little cold, I'll go back first."

Then he turned around and ran away.

When Captain Song saw Lu Yu throw away his pole and walk away with his basket, he shouted, "Where are you going?"

Lu Yu said without even turning his head, "Going home."

Captain Song had just finished making a nest, and when he glanced at the place where Lu Yu had just sat, he said angrily, "Damn it, if I had known he would come back, I wouldn't have spent so much effort making a nest."

Seeing Feng Mei still laughing, he angrily shouted, "Stop laughing!" It was cold, but Jiang Nian's face was burning.

She ran all the way home, and the cold wind couldn't blow away the heat on her face. Now she wanted to slap herself twice, why did she suddenly say the word "abdominal muscles" in front of Lu Yu. Not to mention others, she felt like a hooligan now. Hearing the footsteps behind her, Jiang Nian couldn't help but look back and saw Lu Yu following her. Even if she was jogging, Lu Yu could catch up with her by walking normally with big steps, but he didn't. He just kept a distance from her and followed her not too close. Jiang Nian: ... She really wanted to dig a hole in the ground and crawl in. The two of them returned to the unit one after the other. As soon as Jiang Nian got home, she crawled into the house, took off her scarf, took off her shoes, and crawled into the quilt. She wished she would never come out for the rest of her life. When people are sensitive to embarrassment, even their hearing is the most sensitive. Jiang Nian heard the sound of Lu Yu pushing open the stove door, and the sound of footsteps walking back and forth in the yard, followed by the sound of splashing water, and then the sound of scraping fish scales. Her ears were like radars, listening to Lu Yu's movements, and she gradually fell asleep. She was awakened by Lu Yu's call. "Sister-in-law, it's time to eat." Jiang Nian covered her head with the quilt and replied, "I'm not hungry." "I stewed fish soup." "Then put it aside first, I'll eat it when I wake up." There was no movement outside the house. Jiang Nian thought Lu Yu had left. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she heard the other party's deep and magnetic voice: "I'm coming in." Jiang Nian: ??? She sat up suddenly, and when she pulled back the quilt, she saw Lu Yu walking in with fish soup. There were a few pieces of fresh fish in the bowl. Their eyes met unexpectedly. The room was dark, and Lu Yu had his back to the light. Jiang Nian couldn't see his expression clearly, but could vaguely see the man's angular outline.

The delicious smell of fish soup filled the room.

Jiang Nian pursed her lips, lowered her head and didn't dare to look at Lu Yu.

"Don't be hungry, it will hurt your stomach."

Lu Yu put the fish soup on the table, turned around and went out. Not long after, he brought a plate of vegetables and steamed buns in, glanced at Jiang Nian who was hanging her head: "Sister-in-law."

Jiang Nian didn't raise her head: "Hmm?"

She thought Lu Yu was going to talk about the bridge. After waiting for a while, she heard him say: "Eat it while it's hot."

After that, he left.

Jiang Nian didn't raise her head until the door was closed, and she let out a breath of shame.

"Lu Yu."

Song Bai's voice came from outside. Jiang Nian just picked up the bowl and shook it. She lowered her eyes gloomily.

It's really her own fault.

There were some ice chips on Song Bai's hair. He looked around and saw Lu Yu carrying a bucket into the kitchen. He walked over shamelessly and said, "I smell fish soup, come over for a bowl."

Lu Yu said, "You've finished it."

Song Bai, "Huh? Nothing left?"

"There's a bowl of soup left."

Lu Yu took out a bowl from the cabinet and sprinkled something in it. Song Bai didn't notice it and smiled, "That's enough, buddy."

Then he took the bowl and drank a big sip of fish soup. When he swallowed it, his brows wrinkled and he clicked his tongue, "How much salt did you put in?"

Lu Yu glanced at the half bowl of fish soup left and smiled, "A handful."

Song Bai:...

so salty.

Really, such a good fish was ruined by him.

Song Bai put down the bowl, picked up a clean bowl, scooped a bowl of cool water from the vat and gulped it down, wiped the water stain on his chin with the back of his hand, sat in front of the stove and warmed himself by the fire: "I was frozen to death just now."

Lu Yu glanced at Jiang Nian's room: "Wasn't he quite fierce just now?"

Song Bai sneered: "Don't I want to be suppressed by that kid Tang Ze? I just can't stand him saying that I'm scared, but this time I beat him again... It's a tie."

After saying that, he stretched out his hand to the stove to warm himself, and when his hand was warm, he brushed off the ice on his head: "Where's your sister-in-law?"

Lu Yu added hot water to the pot, preparing to make some hot water for Jiang Nian to drink: "Eat in the house."

Song Bai sneered: "The rice you cook is too salty, but your sister-in-law can still eat it. I really give you face."

Lu Yu didn't say anything. Song Bai touched his stomach and went back to eat some of his sister-in-law's food. Song Bai ate the meal cooked by his wife. He was not very hungry at the moment. He remembered what his sister-in-law said, that Lu Yu's meal was especially delicious, even more delicious than the meal in the cafeteria, so he said, "I'll have a meal at your place tonight and taste your cooking skills."

Lu Yu glanced at him and said, "My sister-in-law is not feeling well. I'll cook for you tonight."

Song Bai didn't say anything. He roasted the fire for a while and said, "I heard from my sister-in-law that you will go back on the third day of the junior high school. Hometown? Tomorrow."

Lu Yu: "Yes, I will go back on the third day of the New Year, and come back before the seventh day."

Song Bai stretched his head in front of the stove to warm his hair, and waited until the ice on his hair melted into water, then raised his head: "I have nothing to do anyway, why don't I go back with you, and go see Xu Cheng and burn some paper for him."