Eldest Brother Lin's family soon left, leaving only Third Brother Lin sitting on the chair. He stammered out a sentence.
"Second Brother, I haven't finished my meal yet..."
Nan Sheng was exasperated, amazed he could still think about food at a time like this.
In the end, Third Brother Lin finished his meal before leaving, repeatedly promising he would never dare to anger his sister-in-law again or lay a hand on his nephew.
Lin Han didn’t take his words seriously. If he dared to misbehave again, a few kicks wouldn’t be enough—he’d have to break his legs!
Nan Sheng could tell Lin Han was in a bad mood. No one wanted to come home and immediately clash with their family.
"You didn’t have to say those things. They won’t get any advantage over me anyway."
Lin Han shook his head. "It’s what I should do. You’ve suffered a lot these past days."
Sizhe and Siqi had been hiding in the kitchen the whole time, only coming out after everyone left. Seeing their parents needed to talk, the children cleared the table and went outside.
Alone together, the atmosphere was still a little awkward. Nan Sheng suggested Lin Han take a nap—traveling was exhausting, especially after drinking.
Lin Han was indeed tired, but being fastidious, he washed his face, feet, and wiped himself down before collapsing, fresh and damp, onto Nan Sheng’s bedding.
Nan Sheng covered her face. Is this really okay?
Before she could utter a word of protest, Lin Han was already asleep.
Siqi, who usually napped, saw her father sleeping and placed her small pillow right next to his, snuggling up to him just like she did with her mother.
Nan Sheng sighed at the sight of the two, then went to sit in the small living room. Sizhe, who had just returned from answering nature’s call, looked at her curiously.
"Aren’t you tired, Mom? Why aren’t you napping?"
Nan Sheng couldn’t help complaining to her son. "Your dad took my spot. Where am I supposed to sleep?"
Sizhe gave her a strange look, thinking, Why are you asking a kid about this?
"Of course you sleep with Dad!"
In his mind, Sizhe wondered how his mother could still be shy around his father after having children. That wouldn’t do—especially since he was looking forward to moving with her to the military base.
Nan Sheng thought, How can I sleep with someone I barely know? I wouldn’t even know where to put my hands and feet! But there was no point explaining this to the little rascal.
Lin Han slept until past four in the afternoon. While he was asleep, the Village Chief had dropped by, insisting he come for dinner that evening. When he woke up, he found a new set of clothes laid out by the bed—had his wife made them for him?
It had been ages since he’d had new clothes. Lin Han eagerly changed into them. Aside from the shoulders being slightly loose, the fit was perfect.
Feeling a little self-conscious in his new outfit, Lin Han stepped out of the east room and saw his old clothes already hanging on the clothesline, fluttering in the wind.
Nan Sheng was in the kitchen rolling out noodles. Since lunch had been heavy, she decided to skip cooking dishes for dinner.
When Lin Han approached, she mentioned the Village Chief’s visit. "Should we go straight to Uncle Feng’s place, or have a bowl of noodles first? I made them with a mix of wheat and corn flour—they’re very chewy."
Lin Han quickly said he’d like a bowl. Smoothing out the wrinkles on his clothes, he thanked her. "The clothes fit perfectly. You worked hard."
Nan Sheng looked up. Even in casual wear, Lin Han still carried himself with an upright, imposing air, though the distance between them seemed to lessen. She explained,
"I didn’t make them. My mother did. There’s another set in the wardrobe—take it with you when you return to the military academy."
Hearing this, Lin Han felt a surge of gratitude toward his mother-in-law. "Let’s take the kids to Wangshan Village tomorrow. We’ll buy some things in town to bring to your parents."
Lin Han knew his in-laws didn’t think much of him. Back then, if not for Nan Sheng’s insistence on marrying him, he would have given up.
Now that he saw how wonderful his wife was, he wanted to improve relations with her family. Since he’d be away often, he’d need their support at home.
Nan Sheng had prepared cold noodles—light and refreshing, loved by both adults and children. From her letters and the short time they’d spent together, Lin Han could tell his wife had a refined palate.
His military allowance was generous, and Nan Sheng had her own salary, so he didn’t plan to interfere. His first wife had never managed to save money either.
When Lin Han arrived at the Village Chief’s house, Lin Guozheng was also there. In front of outsiders, he didn’t show his dissatisfaction with his son, though he spoke little.
The Village Chief was genuinely happy for Lin Han, who had not only been promoted to battalion commander but was also attending military academy for further training.
Lin Guozheng, however, felt conflicted. Watching his second son’s family thrive while his other children struggled, he wondered if Lin Han would help his brothers in the future once he and his wife were gone.
But he couldn’t bring himself to say it outright—Lin Han’s achievements had nothing to do with the family. He’d earned them through his own blood and sweat.
After dinner, father and son walked out together, but neither spoke a word.
Back home, Lin Han washed off the smell of alcohol. The thought of sharing a bed with his wife made him nervous.
But when he locked the door and entered the room, he found his daughter sound asleep in Nan Sheng’s blankets, while his own bedding was placed a good half-meter away from them.
Well, so much for worrying.
That night, in his dreams, Lin Han relived the scene from earlier that day—Nan Sheng standing in the cornfield, wearing a floral blouse and a wide straw hat, turning to smile at him as golden cornstalks swayed behind her.
The image was so beautiful that he woke up early the next morning needing to wash his pants.
As he scrubbed, he sighed, wondering if he should talk to his wife about it. There’s no avoiding this—it’s bound to happen sooner or later.
By the time Nan Sheng woke up, Lin Han had already cooked corn porridge and was slicing potatoes. He’d loved the sour-spicy potato stir-fry she made the day before.
After washing up, Nan Sheng started frying the dish. Since Siqi couldn’t handle spice, she set aside a portion before adding chili and vinegar.
Lin Han kept the fire going and handed her plates, proving himself quite attentive.
"Wife!"
"Hmm?"
Nan Sheng was fishing out boiled salted duck eggs from the pot—perfect with porridge. By now, she’d grown used to being called "wife" and no longer felt awkward about it.
"Have you thought about moving to the military base?"
Nan Sheng paused. "What’s the rush? Aren’t you studying at the academy for another year?"
Lin Han explained, "You work for the government. Even if you come with me, I wouldn’t expect you to stay home doing chores. If you agree, I’ll need to file a request early to arrange a job for you in the nearest town."
Nan Sheng replied quickly, "Then go ahead and file it. Once everything’s settled, the kids and I will join you."
She justified it to herself—the children missed their father, so she had no reason not to go. It’s definitely not because I’m tempted by him!
Sure, Lin Han was good-looking, fit, responsible, and respectful—but that didn’t mean she was tempted!
After breakfast, Lin Han borrowed a bicycle. He rode with Sizhe, while Nan Sheng took Siqi, and the family headed to town.
At the supply and marketing cooperative, Lin Han bought two cans of fruit and two packs of biscuits. Turning to Nan Sheng, he asked,
"Wife, do we still have any meat coupons left?"
There certainly was—last month when Lin Han sent his military allowance, he included some extra money, which Nan Sheng hadn't used yet.
So the couple bought another two pounds of meat and a bottle of liquor. Nan Sheng thought to herself, This man is quite generous—he really doesn’t hold back when it comes to spending on his in-laws.
