Chapter 66

Xu Wen could tell that Lu Yuanzheng's voice sounded calm, but upon careful listening, he could still hear sadness hidden in his words.

She said softly, "Lu Yuanzheng, I really want to understand you, but I don't want you to be sad. You don't have to say anything you don't want to say."

Lu Yuanzheng shook his head: "It's not a big deal, there's nothing wrong with it. Didn't Old Song say during dinner just now that my last name is Wei, not Lu?"

"Wei from Weizhuang Commune?"

Lu Yuanzheng nodded and chuckled: "You are really smart. Do you know where the commune stores grain now?"

"Yeah. I passed by it a few times. It looks like a very grand ancient building."

"It is indeed very impressive. According to records, it has a history of 100 years. However, my grandfather told me that it was actually built during the Ming Dynasty. Its original name was Shude Hall. But later... it was called a landlord's manor, and then it was confiscated.

This manor has nine courtyards and more than 200 houses. It is similar to the Siheyuan you see in Beijing, but it also has the defensive function of ancient architecture.

Xu Wen knew that during those special times, some things were hard to tell right from wrong.

She calculated the time in her mind and realized that the confiscation should have happened long before Lu Yuanzheng was born. She wondered, "How come you are so familiar with that place?"

"It's my home after all!" Lu Yuanzheng said calmly, "In fact, I didn't feel anything before I didn't know about it, but later I heard about it by accident and always wanted to go and take a look, so I climbed over the wall and sneaked in a few times.

Although I was not born there, my father was.

He was more unfortunate than me. He was born a young man for a few days. When the country was in trouble and everyone had a hard time, he spent most of his time in the bullpen on the street... Anyway, after my father died of illness, my mother remarried. She was pregnant with me at that time."

Xu Wen's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he held Lu Yuanzheng's hand tightly.

Lu Yuanzheng sensed Xu Wen's emotional fluctuations and turned to comfort her: "It's okay, it's all over."

Later, Lu Yuanzheng's mother married into the Lu family.

She was not pregnant at that time, so no one in the village knew about it.

Lu Yuanzheng's grandfather was once the steward and family slave of the Wei family. He was released by Lu Yuanzheng's grandfather to start his own business before the Wei family fell into trouble, so that he would have a way out.

Grandpa Lu and Grandpa Wei have a very good master-servant relationship, and are generally described as the master's confidants.

So even though he regained his freedom after liberation, he still paid close attention to the Wei family and secretly provided financial support from time to time.

Before his death, Lu Yuanzheng's biological father asked him to promise to take care of Lu Yuanzheng's mother.

So when they told outsiders that the second son of the Lu family married Lu Yuanzheng's mother, they were actually just giving her a shelter.

Because Lu Yuanzheng's stepfather, the second son of the Lu family, had been weak and sickly since childhood, and his body gradually withered and became as thin as a stick when he grew up, the doctor predicted that he would not live more than ten years old.

No girl in the area dared to marry him.

Although it was particularly unfortunate, it was very suitable for Lu Yuanzheng's mother. The two of them could take care of each other under the same roof.

Not long after Lu Yuanzheng was born, his stepfather passed away.

Lu Yuanzheng's mother was also a lady from a prominent family. After the family experienced a major change, she had to endure no less than Lu Yuanzheng's father.

As a strong mother, she endured it all for her child.

All of Lu Yuanzheng's nobleman habits that were ridiculed when he first joined the army were influenced by his mother.

Her mother was a real rich lady, a lady from a prominent family, and the wife of a wealthy family.

But her body was not under her will. As she grew older, she began to relax and fell ill.

He passed away not long after that.

After that, Lu Yuanzheng lived with Grandpa Lu for a few more years.

One time I heard my grandparents arguing. After I learned about my life experience, I would often sneak to the manor when I missed my parents.

It’s not that I still have a dream for Gongzi, I just want to see the place where my parents lived.

Lu Yuanzheng had never been a young master served by servants, and he did not have many regrets about the past of the Wei family.

None of his biological father, stepfather, and mother had ever let him down, and except for his grandpa and grandmother, no one in the Lu family treated him as their own brother.

Grandpa treats him better than his own grandson, otherwise grandma wouldn't have let the cat out of the bag during the argument with grandpa.

All in all, he was lucky. Regardless of whether his surname was Wei or Lu, he was well taken care of.

When he was fifteen or sixteen years old, his grandparents died of illness due to hunger, so he packed his bags and joined the army.

At that time, I was afraid that I was not old enough, so I lied about my age.

After joining the army, he performed outstandingly and was first promoted to deputy squad leader and later to squad leader.

At that time, Lian Zhenxing was the instructor and Song Xueqin was the company commander.

The two of them jointly recommended Lu Yuanzheng to apply for military school.

There are very few places for military academy entrance exams, and many people are eyeing them.

During the Lu Yuanzheng expedition, there was another outstanding soldier who was also from the same hometown.

Once, the two of them went back on vacation at the same time, and the fellow villager accidentally heard about Lu Yuanzheng's expedition.

After all, there is no impenetrable wall in the world, and some secrets will always be exposed to the sun inadvertently.

As a human being, sometimes we make mistakes just by thinking wrongly.

His fellow villagers reported Lu Yuanzheng, saying that he had a bad background and should not take the exam.

But at that time, Song Xueqin and Lian Zhenxing tried to keep the matter secret.

Lu Yuanzheng took the exam as scheduled and was admitted to the military academy with excellent results.

Song Xueqin waited until the results came out before questioning Lu Yuanzheng about the matter. Lu Yuanzheng did not lie and honestly confessed the fact that there was actually no evidence at all.

Song Xueqin and Lian Zhenxing both breathed a sigh of relief.

This is not a big problem, after all, his surname is Lu now, and his stepfather and grandfather are both farmers.

However, after the results came out, some people were dissatisfied and reported Song Xueqin and Lian Zhenxing, accusing them of covering up for the student.

Later, the higher-ups naturally came to investigate. Whether they said there was nothing wrong with Lu Yuanzheng's background or not, there was also something wrong.

The problem is that he is the posthumous child of the Wei family. The problem is that he was born and raised in the Lu family and is just an ordinary farmer's child.

The investigation team meant to deprive Lu Yuanzheng of his place in the military academy and only retain his military status.

Song Xueqin and Lian Zhenxing were not happy, so they ran to the head of the group and begged for mercy and guarantee.

In the end, Song Xueqin took a downgrade in order to continue his studies at the military academy.

He was demoted from company commander to platoon leader. He also became Lu Yuanzheng's guarantor. If Lu Yuanzheng made any mistakes in the future, he would bear joint liability.

Fortunately, Lu Yuanzheng worked hard and achieved excellent results in the military academy. After graduation, he directly applied to the front-line combat troops and made meritorious contributions many times.

As a direct supervisor, Song Xueqin was gradually promoted back.

But compared to Lian Zhenxing's promotion path, there are many more twists and turns.

Xu Wen felt uncomfortable listening to this, "So you have been on the front line all this time for Uncle Song?"

"Not all of them. People fight for their dignity, and Buddha accepts a stick of incense. At that time, I was young and hot-headed, and a little immature. I wanted to make some achievements to show those people, and also to win face for Old Song. But after being on the battlefield all the time, my mentality gradually changed. What meritorious service and proof to show others are just a joke in the face of life and death.

My greatest wish is that every time I go out to fight, I will return with all my comrades in arms!"

Xu Wen pursed his lips. This was the most difficult wish to achieve.

There is no war without casualties.

No wonder he wasn't very happy during the Chinese New Year even though he was lucky enough to be alive.

He was sadder than anyone else to lose so many comrades at once, and he even blamed himself.

But perhaps it can be pieced together from many people that in the battle to capture the island, they were themselves a suicide squad that landed on the island.

It is normal not to be able to come back, but coming back is a pleasant surprise, commonly known as picking up a life.

That's why he returned to the village to entrust his son to the care of others when he was on a long expedition.

Duo Jue Lu Yuanzheng was good at strategy and was able to respond to situations with inspiration, saving half of the company by himself.

After a moment of silence, Xu Wen asked, "You adopted Dongsheng because you thought he was a bit like you?"

"Well. Dongsheng is luckier than me. He is the orphan of a martyr. He can hold his head high and live a proud life knowing his life experience in the future." Lu Yuanzheng looked sideways at Xu Wen, "You, the stepmother, are doing better than me! If he is asked to choose between the two now, he will choose you instead of me."

Xu Wen blinked: "Why do we have to choose between the two?"

Lu Yuanzheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Yes! There will never be such a day."

There were only a few places selling things on the central island, but Xu Wen was very interested in shopping there.

Probably because Lu Yuanzheng was by my side.

Also, I've been on the island for so long that it's rare for me to come out, so it's fresh.

The conditions on the island are already very harsh, and it is inevitable that people will have some bad emotions after staying in such a large place for a long time.

As they self-deprecatingly say, “It’s almost like being in jail.”

And except for their island, all other islands are real archipelagos, connected to each other on the seabed, and the distance between islands is very close.

The islands are of different sizes. Some can be defended by an entire company, while others cannot even be defended by a squad.

There is no need for a phone between two neighboring islands, just shout.

Anyone who can swim can swim around.

However, their island has the least connection with the main island and is almost an isolated island, so its location is extremely important.

Otherwise, Lu Yuanzheng and his men would not have risked their lives to take over the island.

Xu Wen bought some cotton yarn and breathable fabric, planning to make clothes for Dongsheng when he returned to the island, and also picked out a pair of shoes for him.

The residents of this island are a minority, and the clothes they sell are particularly exotic.

Xu Wen also picked out a set of clothes for herself, and after thinking about it, she matched one for Dongsheng. She gestured with them and asked Lu Yuanzheng, "Do you think Dongsheng and I look good in parent-child outfits?"

"What is parent-child wear?"

"It means parents and children wear clothes of similar style and color, but in different sizes."

"Then why don't I have it?" Lu Yuanzheng questioned, sounding a little aggrieved.

"Ah?" Xu Wen wondered, "Don't you usually wear a military uniform?"

She had mentioned buying clothes for Lu Yuanzheng before, but Lu Yuanzheng had always refused, saying that he couldn't wear everyday clothes.

Xu Wen thought about it and it was indeed true. During the long expedition, their clothes from head to toe were all military uniforms, from winter to summer.

Later on, he was no longer responsible for buying or making clothes.

Why did you think of asking for it again today?

"I can wear it at home at night." Lu Yuanzheng lowered his eyes and looked at the clothes she was holding in her hands. "Didn't you say it's parent-child wear?"

Xu asked: "..."

He couldn't help but smile. He wasn't short of clothes, he was just short of "parent-child clothes."

Xu Wen picked out another outfit for Lu Yuanzheng. After paying, the two walked a few steps forward. Xu Wen added, "I forgot to mention it. When men and women wear clothes of similar colors and styles, it's called 'couple' outfits."

Lu Yuanzheng's eyes were originally fixed on the jewelry beside him. When he heard Xu Wen's words, he raised his eyebrows and suggested, "How about returning the Dongsheng one?"

Then it is not parent-child wear but just couple wear.

Xu asked: "..."

You are really promising!

Lu Yuanzheng led Xu Wen to a jewelry store, which also sold ethnic jewelry, mainly made of silver.

It is divided into face ornaments, chest ornaments, waist ornaments, hand and foot ornaments, etc.

It is beautiful, but most of the jewelry seems too big to Xu Wen.

The earrings are the same, they are big and long, and they look tiring on the ears, but they are really beautiful.

Xu Wen chose a hairpin, which was said to be a human-shaped bone hairpin. It was finely carved with distinct black and white and intricate patterns.

Lu Yuanzheng picked out a very distinctive bracelet for her, then took her back to the clothing store, borrowed a room, and they both changed their clothes.

Without Dongsheng present, the two of them were just wearing couple outfits.

Seeing Lu Yuanzheng looking happy and proud, Xu Wen couldn't bear to remind him that most of the men and women here were wearing the same clothes.

Xu Wen wore a tight-fitting top with a stand-up collar, a large front, narrow sleeves and a fluttering front. The sides and cuffs of the top had delicate double-sided embroidery, and she wore a long skirt underneath.

Men's clothes are similar to women's, but the styles are much simpler and look more neat.

Xu Wen rarely saw Lu Yuanzheng wearing anything other than a military uniform, and was a little surprised.

The longer the journey, the more amazing it is. Xu Wen looks different and more beautiful in this kind of clothes than usual.

Lu Yuanzheng sighed and asked the shop owner to help Xu Wen with a local hairstyle.

There were not many customers in the store at that moment, so Lu Yuanzheng and Xu Wen bought a set of clothes at once. The boss was of course very happy and made them for Xu Wen without saying a word.

After Xu Wen had combed her hair, Lu Yuanzheng personally pinned the hairpin on her hair.

The shop owner praised the dress in broken Mandarin and suggested that she wear a pair of floral shoes.

So Xu Wen picked out another pair of shoes at her house.

The shop owner got excited and started talking a lot in the local dialect.

Xu Wen couldn't understand what he wanted to express, but the more Lu Yuanzheng listened, the smile on his face deepened, and he even replied with a few words.

Leaving the clothing store, Lu Yuanzheng held Xu Wen's hand out of habit.

Xu asked him, "Do you understand their dialect?"

“I can get a general idea.”

"What did she say?"

"She praised you for being beautiful! She praised me for being so lucky to have married such a beautiful wife! She also wished us a happy and harmonious life forever."

Xu Wen thought that Lu Yuanzheng's smile just now probably meant this, and he sighed: "It feels like you know everything."

Not only the expeditionaries, but also the other officers and soldiers, everyone knows a lot of things other than fighting.

If fighting and shooting are their essential professional skills, then they have too many auxiliary skills.

I can drive, do electrical work, do plumbing work, build houses, farm, paint, pave roads, cook, and speak many dialects...

One soldier can handle all the miscellaneous daily work.

Lu Yuanzheng shook his head: "We are all forced to do hard labor because of our lives. You are the real talent. You can make ice, generate electricity, and do things we have never seen before."

"Mr. Lu, do you know what this behavior of ours is called? It's called business mutual flattery."

"Um?"

"It's a kind of social etiquette. Say something that the other person likes to hear to make the other person happy and yourself happy."

Lu Yuanzheng raised his lips and said, "Then you should be happy. I can praise you for the rest of my life!"

"Oh, the fancy way of flattering is called rainbow fart."

Lu Yuanzheng: "..."

"Hey!" Xu Wen saw something and pulled Lu Yuanzheng into the grocery store next door. "Boss, is this cassava flour?"

The boss understood but couldn't speak, so he nodded.

"Give me some of this."

Xu Wen bought some tapioca flour and paid for it.

Lu Yuanzheng took the cassava flour from the boss and carried it himself, wondering, "What are you buying this for?"

"It's for food!"

Xu Wen also picked out some pots, bowls, pans, and utensils.

"These kitchen staff have them all."

"But we can't always go to the kitchen to borrow. Besides, the house will be built soon, so we have to buy some things of our own."

"That's right." Lu Yuanzheng nodded, "We can move in in two days."

The two of them walked around and bought some daily necessities and food.

As the time for leaving the island approached, I hurried to the port with the things I bought.

"Wow!" Shi Lei almost didn't recognize the two people.

He looked at how Lu Yuanzheng and Xu Wen were dressed, and then at the bags in their hands. He took the heavier bags from Xu Wen and held them in his own hands, saying, "Are you two here for a meeting or a date? Do I still need to get on the boat? Or should I swim back?"

Lu Yuanzheng nodded happily: "As expected of an instructor, you have a high level of awareness. Go ahead!"

Shi Lei: “…”

I really want to slap Lu Yuanzheng’s face with the pot in my hand.

Xu Wen's hands were empty, and he felt a little embarrassed: "Thank you!"

I rowed the boat back, and halfway through, it started raining without any warning.

It was a sunny day when we arrived and no one brought rain gear.

Lu Yuanzheng took off his gown and let Xu Wen cover his head with it. He and Shi Lei walked forward with their eyes closed. The rain was too heavy to see.

The wind started to blow, and it was a headwind.

Lu Yuanzheng and Shi Lei rowed desperately for a long time but the boat didn't move.

But if they stopped, the boat would move back into the wind without hesitation.

Just as we were about to reach the island, the rain stopped.

Lu Yuanzheng: "..."

Xu asked: "..."

Shi Lei: “…”

Shi Lei sighed: "God is not kind. It's bad enough for me, a lonely man, to follow you two as a high-wattage light bulb, and now you pour rain on me! I'm not going to seek the scriptures, why are you making things difficult for me?"

Lu Yuanzheng was about to say something to him when he saw Xu Wen pointing at the island with a look of surprise on his face: "Look! A rainbow!"

Lu Yuanzheng and Shi Lei looked in the direction her finger pointed and saw a large rainbow shrouding the sky above the island.

What a nice view!

Xu Wen murmured, "If only there was a camera that could record this scene."

Lu Yuanzheng said: "There is no camera, but there is still a way to record this scene. Let's call our island Rainbow Island?"

Xu Wen nodded: "No matter how big the storm is, there will always be a rainbow after the rain."

"Yes!" Shi Lei agreed, "This is a good name. This island was bought by our comrades at the cost of their lives, and now it is built by us. The hardships before are like the wind and rain just now, and in the future the island will surely be as gorgeous and beautiful as this rainbow."

Lu Yuanzheng made the decision: "It's settled then! Our island will be called Rainbow Island from now on."

Back on the island, Lu Yuanzheng urged Xu Wen to take a shower.

Now, because Xu Wen has desalinated some seawater, if the water supply is sufficient, the fresh water she makes can be used for bathing.

Lu Yuanzheng arranged for someone to build a small tent to serve as a women's bathroom for his sister-in-law and children to take a bath.

The tent is the same tent, but the bathroom is definitely not the same bathroom.

A simple shower was added, which is just a small water pipe connected to a bottle with some holes punched in it.

The water supply comes from large buckets placed high outside the tent.

There is enough sunshine on the island. You can sunbathe all day and take a warm bath at night.

The only drawback is the limited water supply.

Even if everyone is frugal, it is often still not enough.

When Xu Wen came back from the bathroom, Dongsheng was looking through the things that Lu Yuanzheng had brought back with her.

Dongsheng is still young and isn't really interested in new or old clothes.

He took out a few small wooden toys, turned to look at Xu expectantly and asked, "Mom, are these for me?"

Xu Wen nodded: "Yes! Do you like it?"

Dongsheng nodded repeatedly: "I like it."

He put the toy aside, rummaged through it again, pointed at the tapioca flour and asked Xu Wen, "Mom, what is this?"

"This is called tapioca flour. It can be used to make a lot of delicious things."

"Is it something better than ice porridge?"

“It’s a different flavor.”

"I want to eat."

"Okay, I'll make it for you tomorrow."

The next day, Xu Wen broke her promise, but Dongsheng was not angry with her.

Because Xu Wen was sick.

There was a sudden heavy rain halfway through the journey. Although it didn't last long, it was heavy, a bit cool and windy.

Even after taking a warm bath and drinking the brown sugar ginger tea made by Lu Yuanzheng, Xu Wen still caught a cold.

This made Lu Yuanzheng feel particularly guilty. He kept regretting not coming back earlier and that he shouldn't have gone shopping.

However, he particularly likes the parent-child outfits he bought.

I don’t have the chance to put it on during the day, so I change it every night when I get home.

Frankly speaking, their clothes are not as breathable or comfortable, but he just likes to wear them.

However, Xu Wen thought that he just liked to wear "couple outfits" or "parent-child outfits."

Not to mention Lu Yuanzheng, even Dongsheng, after knowing about parent-child outfits, put them on happily and ran out to tell everyone he met that their whole family had parent-child outfits.

Fortunately, the people on the island have become immune to their family's unusual lifestyle and style.

Jealousy is envy, but it won't be so strange anymore.

Once Xu Wen recovers, we’ll be ready to move.

The residential area, which is now the family area, has been basically completed.

Rows of two-story wooden buildings were neatly lined up on the open space.

The reason why it is on the second floor is because the air here is humid. During the rainy season, the first floor may be uninhabitable, so the second floor is for sleeping.

The house is divided into one bedroom and one living room and two bedrooms and one living room.

Those with children can choose a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment, while those without children can choose a one-bedroom, one-living room apartment.

As soon as the houses were built, many married officers and soldiers began to write letters back home, asking their families whether they wanted to join them in the army.

Because if the island continues to develop, there will be money to be made.

I can earn more work points than at home, and most importantly, my family can be together here. It’s just that I don’t have much freedom to go in and out, and the environment is still a bit poor.

But, someone has to pave the road, right?

Xu asked several of their sisters-in-law who were already on the island to move there first.

Xu Wen chose a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment that was closest to the sea.

Two rooms refer to the bedroom upstairs, and one living room refers to the downstairs.

There is also a small kitchen on the first floor.

The house still looks newly built, very primitive, and has a faint smell of tung oil.

Tung oil is used to waterproof.

The houses are similar to townhouses. Each house has a separate door but is close together with no wall in between.

The room is still not very big, after all it is two floors and a little spacious.

But there is still a lot of room for transformation.

For example, you can build a yard in front of the house.

There is a terrace on the second floor, which can be enclosed to make a sun room, or just a roof can be built to make a sun terrace.

There is also space for a bathroom on the second floor, but it cannot be used for the time being because the pipes have not been laid yet.

All in all, you can move in right away or renovate the place before living there.

Xu asked Lu Yuanzheng: "Can I live in this house forever?"