Some were happy while others were sad. The Pei family went to bed early after dinner, surrounded by the red waves, but they did not know that their arrival had disturbed the pool of spring water, and the ripples lingered for a long time.
After dinner and coaxing the child to sleep, Liu Erniu tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Her husband, Zhao Hu, the head of a regiment, was sleeping soundly. Seeing this, Liu Erniu became angry and pushed Zhao Hu awake.
"Going on a mission?" Zhao Hu was stunned. Someone pushed him hard and he jumped up from the bed like a zombie. His eyes were wide open and he was not wearing any clothes. He picked up his belt and was about to go out.
"Come back! What are you yelling about so late at night? The children are all asleep." Liu Erniu was both angry and amused.
Zhao Hu came to his senses and rubbed his face. "You prodigal woman, you are using the energy you put into working in the fields on your own masters. Don't you know how strong you are?"
"What are you talking about?" Liu Erniu slapped the captain on the back, and the captain's tan back turned red.
Zhao Hu groaned and complained, "I finally understand. You have never known what gentleness is in your life. You should learn from the second regiment commander's wife. Look at her, then look at yourself. You just keep acting like a spoiled brat every day."
If Cheng Dahua wasn't mentioned, Liu Erniu would not be angry. But as soon as Cheng Dahua was mentioned, Liu Erniu was so angry that she had no place to vent. Zhao Hu got angry and started to get angry:
"I wash clothes and cook meals every day, I serve you delicious food and drink, and I gave birth to three bastards for you. In the end, you want me to learn from Cheng Dahua. What? Learn from her to dress up like a fairy every day and go out to hook up with the masters? Fine, starting tomorrow I won't cook, wash clothes, or take care of the children. I will just sit on the doorstep and chat. I want to see if you can handle it!"
Zhao Hu wiped the spit on his face and said angrily, "What did I say? Didn't I just say one sentence? You are waiting for me to say ten or eight sentences? Well, it's all my fault. Didn't you say you were afraid of waking up the children? Why did you speak so loudly?"
"It's because of you that I'm angry," Zhao Hu admitted. Liu Erniu finally calmed down a little, but still said unhappily, "Come here, let me take a look at your back."
"This slap was too brutal," Zhao Hu muttered, showing his back to his wife. Finally, he remembered to ask, "Wife, you woke me up in the middle of the night, didn't you just want to slap me and quarrel with me?"
"Ouch," Liu Erniu slapped her thigh, "I forgot because you were so angry. I wanted to ask you, what do you think of the new deputy division commander?"
Zhao Hu turned around and looked Liu Erniu up and down. "Are you okay? Why did you wake me up in the middle of the night to ask about the deputy division commander? Are you planning to piss me off to death and remarry? I can tell you, no matter how handsome he is, he is still someone else's man. He has a wife, and she is here to accompany the troops today. Your man is not dead yet, so what are you thinking about?"
Don't think he doesn't know. Deputy Division Commander Pei has only been here for a few days, and the wives of soldiers in the good troops have been asking about him every day, all wanting to give this piece of sweet meat to their daughters, nieces, and relatives. The older girls in the art troupe are even more incredible, and they have formed a group to approach him.
Fortunately, Deputy Commander Pei got married, otherwise he would have been eaten by these women.
Liu Erniu wanted to slap Zhao Hu again, rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don't make a fuss here. I'm asking if your deputy division commander is the kind of person who likes to hear nice things and likes others to flatter him."
"Let me tell you, Cheng Dahua and her husband are both very sweet-talkers. Just today, I caught Cheng Dahua leaving everyone else to curry favor with the new deputy division commander's wife. Fortunately, I was smart and notified everyone to go together, so she didn't get to take advantage of it alone..."
"But if the deputy master likes to hear nice words, and you are such a clumsy mouth that you can't stand up to three others, and you will be suffocated to death if you are asked to say something nice, wouldn't it be a waste for Cheng Dahua's family to get the favor?"
Zhao Hu turned his attention to the deputy division commander's wife, and asked his own wife with interest: "I heard that the deputy division commander's wife looks like a fairy. Everyone who has seen her praises her beauty. Is it true?"
"Isn't it Tianxianer? You haven't seen that guy before..."
Liu Erniu reacted halfway through her sentence, squinting at Zhao Hu with her hands on her hips, "What's wrong with her being pretty? No matter how pretty she is, she's not your wife, so just give up on this idea."
"What are you talking about? You're just asking me out of curiosity," Zhao Hu explained.
Liu Erniu continued to put her hands on her hips.
"Tsk," Zhao Hu admitted. He thought if he continued arguing, he would not be able to sleep tonight, so he decided to end the topic early. He said without taking a breath, "Don't worry. Deputy Division Commander Pei may look young, but he has participated in more battles than me. He dares to fight and is not the kind of person you say he is."
He said this in one breath, then turned over and lay down and fell asleep. Three seconds later, he was snoring loudly, and it was unclear whether he was really asleep or just pretending.
Liu Erniu: “…”
Hu Mei was also talking about the same topic with the fourth regiment leader Song Mao. Compared with Liu Erniu's directness, Hu Mei's questions were more obscure.
"What kind of person is the new deputy commander?"
Song Mao turned a page of the book and answered subconsciously, "Being a human being? Being a human being is good."
There are many illiterate people in the army. Most of the soldiers are from poor families. Some soldiers join the army because they can't make ends meet at home. They can barely read a few words. There are also many illiterate commanders. Anyone who can read has the opportunity to be promoted.
Song Mao was promoted to the position of regiment commander based on his military merits. If he wanted to move up further, he had to learn culture and knowledge. He was also a determined person, so he read books by the light of an oil lamp late at night.
Hu Mei crocheted a stitch and looked up at Song Mao, who was concentrating on reading. "Listen to me carefully."
Song Mao put down the book and said, "You go ahead."
"The old commander is about to retire. Originally, only you and the third commander were qualified to take over. Now suddenly there comes a deputy commander Pei to take over. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that he is the old commander's successor. When the old commander retires, what will you and the third commander have to do?"
Song Mao disagreed and said, "What are you thinking? The division commander is only a few years old this year, and it is still a long way to go for retirement. Even if Deputy Division Commander Pei is the one who is here to take over the position of division commander, Old Song will be convinced."
"We are soldiers, and I will respect you if you are better than me. You don't know that although Deputy Commander Pei is young, his resume is not young. Well, you won't understand even if I tell you, so don't follow my lead."
Song Mao waved his hands, signaling his wife not to worry, and then lowered his head to read.
Hu Mei tightened the hook in her hand and stopped talking.
The next evening after training, Pei Jinan called a few soldiers to help build a flush toilet and a firewood room.
Lu Nong nodded secretly, it seems that the beauty trap is quite effective, except that it makes her waist a little weak... She needs to take care of her waist for a few days.
Pei Ji'an was also busy. He went to the logistics department early in the morning to get some wooden boards and made bookshelves according to the design of the study room by Lu Nong. He worked for a while in the morning and continued in the evening, working overtime to catch up with the work.
As for other furniture, they had to find a carpenter to make it for them. Lu Nong was discussing with Pei Ji'an in the yard where to find a carpenter. Pei Ji'an was hammering nails with a hammer and said to Lu Nong, "There are two villages close to each other at the foot of the mountain. There are markets on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. Tomorrow is the fifteenth day. I'll ask Xiao Zhou to go and ask around."
"No need to ask, the carpenter of Yushui Brigade is called Xie Laosan, he is the carpenter closest to our unit, I will take my sister there tomorrow."
A female voice came from the door, and Lu Nong and Pei Ji'an turned around to look.
A man and a woman were standing at the door. The man had gray hair and was wearing a brand new Type 65 military uniform. He had a serious face and layers of nasolabial folds on his forehead.
This year the entire army changed into Type 65 uniforms and revised the military rank system. Officers' clothes only had two more pockets than ordinary soldiers. At first glance, the man looked like an ordinary veteran, but his cool temperament revealed his extraordinary qualities.
Lu Nong said that the Type 65 military uniform was not as good-looking as the previous ones. The color of the clothes was not as good, and the fit was not as good. She secretly put away the military uniform with military titles that Pei Jianan had changed out of, thinking that one day when Pei Jianan was at home, she would let him wear it for her to see.
The woman looked younger than the man, but her face was also weathered. She was also wearing a Type 65 military uniform. She had a friendly demeanor and looked at Lu Nong and Pei Jinan with a smile.
"Commander, Director Leng." Pei Jinan greeted.
The soldiers working in the yard stopped what they were doing and saluted to greet him. The division commander nodded and told everyone to continue working and not to worry about him.
The soldiers turned around and continued their work.
Pei Ji'an introduced Lu Nong, "This is Commander Li, and this is Commander Li's wife, Director Leng."
Lu Nong: "Hello, Teacher Li, Hello, Director Leng."
"It's incredible. Look at Xiao Pei and his wife. They look like a perfect match when standing together. They make everyone else look like dirt. Xiao Pei was named the most handsome man in the army on his first day. I think Xiao Lu is the most beautiful woman among our military families."
Director Leng joked that it was the first time she had seen such a good-looking and well-matched couple. Ignoring the age difference, this couple could be called a match made in heaven.
"You're joking." Pei Jinan said.
Director Leng shook his head. "You have a cold temper and can't take jokes. Can Xiao Lu stand it?"
Lu Nong tried hard to recall that from the beginning they met, Pei Jianan was indeed a rare talent...but was there ever a time when he was cold to her?
They were polite at first, but politeness was mutual. Lu Nong was even more polite to Pei Jinan, and she treated him as her roommate.
No one knows when Pei Jinan changed from a cold and elegant girl into a pervert. If you ask her if she can stand the pervert, the answer is yes, no. Her waist can't stand it.
Director Leng came over and took Lu Nong's hand. "Little Lu looks young and like my daughter. Come to my house when you have time. My family lives next door. Look, the yard next to you is where Old Li and I live."
Lu Nong readily agreed: "Okay, if my sister-in-law invites me, I will definitely go."
Director Leng was delighted to see this. The wives of the soldiers have been in the army for a long time, and their habits and style have gradually become similar to those of the soldiers. They like to hit the ball in a straight line, don't like to beat around the bush when speaking, and they like people who are generous, straightforward and frank.
陸濃雖然看着嬌弱，卻意外爽快不做作，不得不說屬實令冷主任沒想到，她都做好面對那啥人的心裏準備了。
裴寂安作為副師長已經調來了，冷主任和陸濃這個副師長夫人日後相處那不是一天兩天，很有可能是十年八年，要是來個性子不好，糟心程度可見一斑。
李師長說：“小裴剛來，盡快把家裏安頓好，過幾天就要聯合演習了，到時候十天半個月都回不來，本來想給你安排個接風宴，這下只能等演習回來再說。”
“怎麽樣？沒有意見吧？”
裴寂安肅然道：“沒有意見。”
“沒有意見就好，”師長也嚴肅點頭，下一秒哎嘿換了一副神色，轉頭笑眯眯問陸濃，“小陸同志呢？作為家屬有什麽意見？”
陸濃：“……”好家夥，這臉跟四川變臉藝人似的。
“沒、沒有。”陸濃擺手。
李師長背過手，“沒有就好，咱們軍區的家屬都是好樣的。”
冷主任無奈搖頭，對陸濃說，“這老李就愛吓唬人，屬驢，說變臉就變臉，你千萬別放在心上。”
“走，咱不搭理他們，進屋說，你不是想找木匠嗎？我明兒個帶你去，不遠，就在山下，謝老三的手藝那是沒得說，附近十裏八村大姑娘小媳婦嫁娶都找他打箱子嫁妝。”
陸濃忙點頭：“嗯嗯。”
進了屋，冷主任看見嬰兒床上的小夏崽和繞着嬰兒床追小白狗的顧小淮，驚訝道，“你都生了兩個孩子了？”
冷主任低頭目測陸濃的腰身，又瞧了瞧陸濃的臉蛋兒，“我的天吶，這還真是一點都看不出來……”
“你咋一點不像生過孩子？”
陸濃笑笑，叫住小淮，“小淮快過來，問冷奶奶好。”
小淮停下追小白狗，乖乖走到陸濃身邊，揚起肉嘟嘟白嫩嫩的小臉，奶聲奶氣地說：“冷奶奶好，我是小淮，今年已經三歲了，請多多指教。”
“哎呦哎呦，”冷主任捂着心口，臉上一副被萌化了的表情，“你都三歲啦，怪不得這麽禮貌，誰教你說多多指教這些話的啊？”
小淮撓撓頭，不解地說，“大家都說啊。”
“沒人教他，可能平時家裏人說話被這小子聽去，他自己學會了。”
陸濃替小淮解釋，而後摸了摸小淮的小腦袋，知道自家崽聰明，沒想到如此聰明，這是要上天吧，不但能聽懂大人的話，竟然還能自己總結一套見面說辭。
冷主任抱起小淮，親的不行，“聰明呦，咱們小淮真聰明，奶奶簡直想把你抱回家去養，小淮要不要跟冷奶奶回家？奶奶家也有像你這麽大的小姐姐小哥哥。”
小淮為難，認真想了一會兒搖搖頭，一字一句地說，“小淮是媽媽家的小孩，不能跟冷奶奶回家。”
冷主任被逗笑了，和小淮商量：“行，知道小淮是媽媽的孩子，奶奶不帶你回家，那等你有空去冷奶奶家陪陪奶奶，和小哥哥小姐姐玩，行嗎？”
陸濃朝小淮點頭，表示冷奶奶是個好奶奶。
“嗯嗯，”小淮見親媽點頭，也認真點頭說，“喜歡冷奶奶，去玩。”
吳媽端着茶水走出來，“來，喝點水吧。”
“這位是？”冷主任問。
陸濃給兩人做介紹，“這是我媽，姓吳。媽，這位是李師長的夫人冷主任，特意來問我們家有什麽需要幫助的。”
“冷主任說明天要帶我去找做家具的木匠，媽，明天是個集，我想出門逛逛。”
“行啊，”吳媽聽後語氣熱情起來，“這可太好了，咱們初來乍到兩眼抹黑，有個領路人也能盡快熟悉環境，太謝謝冷主任了。”
“哪裏哪裏，都是應該的。”
冷主任客氣，又和吳媽、陸濃兩人聊了一會兒，三人商量好第二天出門的時間，冷主任親親小淮，依依不舍和小淮告別，走出了屋子。
臨走時還不忘囑咐陸濃：“濃啊，千萬別忘了帶小淮去我家玩。”
“您放心吧，等有時間就去叨擾。”陸濃說。
出了裴家門，冷主任感嘆，“裴寂安一家不得了啊，小裴小陸就不說了，兩人都是人中龍鳳。”
“就說小裴的丈夫娘吳大姐，那通身斯文氣質，一看就是讀過書的。還有他們兩個孩子，女孩兒尚在襁褓暫且看不出，我瞧着他們的小子聰明早慧，将來必定有大出息。”
李師長“嗯”了一聲，說，“你這不是廢話嗎？”
“小裴小陸都是人中龍鳳，他們的父母能孬到哪兒去？生出來的孩子又能差到哪兒去？”
冷主任：“……”
“不稀得跟你說話。”
人家不稀得跟他說話，李師長反而有話說了，“我看好裴寂安這小子，外面都傳他是我的接班人，雖說是瞎話，可裴寂安要真的幹的好，接班就接班，未嘗不可嘛。”
冷主任點點頭，在心裏把對陸濃的重視程度又提了提。
李師長夫妻走後，裴寂安索性放下手頭的活計，進屋看閨女，不想小夏崽十分不給親爹面子，尿了親爹一身不說，尿布裏還散發出一股臭味。
如果裴铮在這裏一定會大喊，“啊！小夏又拉啦！”
而裴铮的親爹裴寂安則面色如常，淡定地抱着小夏崽上樓換衣服換尿布。
換尿布這活兒裴寂安熟，一般只要他家，小夏崽幾乎長在他身上，區區換尿布不在話下。
外面，眼看天色不早，陸濃留幹活的士兵們吃飯，吳媽掌勺，端出飯菜來，幾個兵本不想多吃，結果被哄着吃了一口，再接下來狼吞虎咽差點把舌頭咬掉。
吃完後幾人尴尬笑笑，陸濃遞來茶水給他們，“能吃是福，還沒有能逃過我媽的手藝呢。”
“嘿嘿，謝謝陸同志，您和裴師長說一聲，我們先回營地來了。”士兵們也被陸濃要求喊她陸同志，不過這小子機靈，裴副師長他偏偏把副字漏掉，陸濃也不戳穿他。
“行，趕緊回去吧，早點休息。”
“哎，您也是。”說完士兵們扛着鋤頭和工具走了。
進到屋裏，裴寂安和小夏崽從樓上走下來，陸濃走過去摸摸小夏崽的屁股，“尿布換好了？哎呀，你和你閨女身上好臭，離我遠點。”
裴寂安微抿嘴角。
陸濃卻沒發現裴寂安的表情變化，忙着把書往閣樓書房裏搬，她在心裏感嘆裴寂安靠譜，才一天時間，書房就大體成形，自己想要的設計幾乎一比一還原出來了。
現在就只缺書桌和小榻了。
裴寂安跟在陸濃身後，抱着閨女倚在門邊，悠閑看着陸濃一趟一趟搬書。
陸濃：“……”？？好氣。
陸濃不平衡了，一屁股坐到地上，閣樓是木地板，她和吳媽都是愛幹淨的人，家裏的地擦得铮亮，坐在地上也不髒。
裴寂安抱着小夏崽走進來，居高臨下正對着陸濃。
陸濃勾勾手，“你過來啊，我給你個好。”
裴寂安蹲下身，陸濃從他手裏抱出小夏崽，迅速站起來，耍賴道：“哼哼，現在我抱着寶寶，該輪到你幹活了，快去搬書吧，寶寶爸爸。”
論速度十個陸濃都比不過裴寂安，沒等陸濃反應過來怎麽回事，她本人和小夏崽都已經在裴寂安懷裏了。
裴寂安把陸濃逼到牆角，中間隔着個小夏崽，呼吸交織，在不大的閣樓裏，淺淺的呼吸聲被無限放大。
“啊啊……”小夏崽睜着黑葡萄一樣的大眼珠，滴溜溜好奇地盯着閣樓天窗，不搭理把她夾在中間的父母。
“小騙子，還敢說話不算數嗎？”裴寂安低沉的聲音在陸濃耳邊響起。
陸濃：“……”
不講武德！
她親親裴寂安的嘴角，“好啦，這樣行了吧？”
裴寂安仍不松手，陸濃心虛，只好輕點腳尖，親親裴寂安的嘴唇，親完剛要離開，卻被裴寂安探入，魚水糾纏起來。
裴寂安的大手還不忘捂住小夏崽的眼睛。
良久，小夏崽打了個哈欠，裴寂安才終于松開陸濃，怕她滑倒，伸手扶住她的腰，“騙人總要有懲罰的，你說是不是？濃濃。”
陸濃：“……”哼！老色批。
鬧過後，兩人一起坐到地上，地上四處散落很多本書，裴寂安随手撿起其中的一本詩集，遞給陸濃說，“再讀一遍。”
陸濃剛被占過便宜，面紅耳赤，傲嬌撇頭，“不讀。”
實則她有些莫名不好意思，明明之前也曾給裴寂安讀過這本書裏的詩，明明比讀詩更過分的事情都幹了，□□糾纏、唇齒相交種種事情都做了個遍，孩子也生了，可現在回過了頭來，陸濃也不懂自己為什麽竟會為了讀一首詩不好意思。
裴寂安也不強求，将那本詩集放到一堆書上，拿過一張信紙，抽出胸口的鋼筆，在紙上寫下“琛”、“珍”、“寶”、“玉”等等十幾個字。
“這是什麽？”陸濃不解。
“你覺得哪個字最好？”裴寂安問陸濃。
陸濃搖頭，“這些字寓意都很好，我選不出。”
"Then let's use Chen. This character is the best. You give your daughter the character 'Xia' and I'll give her the character 'Chen.'" Pei Ji'an took out the character 'Chen' and tapped the tip of little Xia's nose and said, "From now on, you will be called Pei Xiachen."
"Pei Xiachen, this name sounds nice."
Lu Nong thought for a moment, then carried little Xia back to the crib in the bedroom and took out two jade pendants given to her by her uncle from the box. One of them had no words on it, while the other had the word "red bean" engraved in the corner.
Back in the attic, she squatted down and handed the jade pendant to Pei Ji'an, saying distressedly, "My uncle gave it to me and asked me to pass it on to my children. I wanted to have someone carve the children's names on the jade, but now I can't find a master who can carve words."
Pei Jinan held Lu Nong in his arms, picked up the jade pendant engraved with "red beans" and rubbed it carefully. He was silent for a while, sighed and said:
"The exquisite dice are filled with red beans. Do you know how deep my love for you is?"
"Red Bean, do you know?"