"Director Wu, I'll have to trouble you with these items."
Pei Zhengnian checked the list one more time to ensure everything was correct before handing it over to Wu Minghui.
"As soon as the materials arrive, I'll gather the crew and get to work right away."
"Once the new home is ready, I’ll treat you to a meal. Director Wu, you must honor us with your presence."
There was more to those words than met the eye!
Wu Minghui grinned broadly. "Sure, no problem. Just make sure the drinks keep flowing!"
"Absolutely."
Pei Zhengnian exchanged a knowing glance with Wu Minghui.
The two of them understood each other perfectly.
Liu Bing, left out of the conversation, felt a pang of discomfort.
But he couldn’t bring himself to casually invite Director Wu to dinner and drinks like Pei Zhengnian—his pockets were simply too empty.
"Last I heard, your wife is expecting?"
Wu Minghui suddenly recalled something.
"You’re not rushing to finish the house so your wife can recover here after childbirth, are you?"
"That’s right."
Pei Zhengnian nodded.
The military base had its own hospital, and if Shen Nanchu went into labor unexpectedly, being there would be far more convenient.
If she stayed in Wang Family Village, finding even a midwife would be difficult, let alone a proper doctor.
Pei Zhengnian had already thought everything through.
Once the rooms were ready, he planned to bring both Shen Nanchu and Pei's Mother over so that his mother could lend a hand if needed.
"You’re quite the doting husband."
Wu Minghui looked at Pei Zhengnian with admiration.
"Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this. You’ll have the materials by tomorrow."
"That’s fantastic. Thank you, Director Wu."
Gratitude filled Pei Zhengnian’s eyes.
With this settled, construction could begin soon.
Pei Zhengnian couldn’t wait to see Shen Nanchu’s reaction when she saw the house.
Suppressing his excitement, he kept the news of his promotion and the housing allocation to himself for now. He planned to surprise her during his next visit home after the renovations were complete.
Last time, on his birthday, Shen Nanchu had surprised him. This time, it was his turn to prepare something special.
The only question was—what kind of house would she like?
He’d have to give that some serious thought.
Learning from his past mistake of gifting compressed biscuits (after taking advice from the other military wives), Pei Zhengnian decided not to consult them this time.
Instead, he returned to his office and called the Wang Family Village committee. Wang Jianguo happened to pick up.
"Zhengnian! Were you looking for Nanchu? I’ll go get her. Call back in ten minutes."
"Uncle, no need. This time, I’m looking for my sister. Could you call her over? And please don’t let Shen Nanchu or Pei Yunxi know it’s me calling."
Pei Zhengnian quickly stopped Wang Jianguo.
"Alright then."
Wang Jianguo hung up, puzzled.
Why was Pei Zhengnian calling for Pei Yunxi instead of Shen Nanchu? And why the secrecy?
Baffled, Wang Jianguo went to fetch Pei Yunxi.
Pei Yunxi, equally confused, picked up the phone.
Wang Jianguo sat outside, ears perked to catch any snippets.
By the time Pei Yunxi finished listening to Pei Zhengnian’s instructions, one thought dominated her mind—her brother must be head over heels for his wife.
Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths to prepare a surprise for her?
"Brother, don’t worry. I’ll handle it."
"Mission accepted!"
On the other end of the line, Pei Zhengnian exhaled in relief.
"Keep this between us."
"Got it! It stays with me."
After hanging up, Pei Yunxi found Wang Jianguo staring at her with curiosity.
She maintained perfect composure.
"Uncle, my brother said he’ll be back soon and wants to surprise the family. He asked me to keep it quiet."
The lie was plausible, and Wang Jianguo bought it without question.
Meanwhile, Shen Nanchu remained blissfully unaware of Pei Zhengnian’s scheming. She was currently strolling through Wang Family Village’s ventures like a supervisor, with Zheng Tongwei in tow.
Her lake-blue floral dress draped elegantly over her rounded belly.
From behind, her slender figure showed no signs of pregnancy. From the front, her radiant face outshone the beauty of spring itself.
Faced with such loveliness, Zheng Tongwei could only grind his teeth in frustration.
Her Ladyship had brute strength—she kicked a rabbit cage, sending it collapsing. "This wobbles so much, a stray cat could knock it over! Tear it down and rebuild it. Dig the posts a foot deeper and double-layer the bamboo slats in a crisscross!"
Zheng Tongwei: "Got it."
[Dislike Points +66]
Her Ladyship was meticulous—she frowned at the sloppy feeding logs. "What’s 'a handful'? What time did they drink? How much? Go watch the rabbits eat and fill in the details!"
Zheng Tongwei: "Sure."
[Dislike Points +66]
Her Ladyship knew her stuff—the limewater was as thin as rice-washing water. "This is supposed to disinfect? Mix it again! The planks need to be soaked through before the rabbits go in!"
Zheng Tongwei: "Fine, fine."
[Dislike Points +66]
...
Just as Zheng Tongwei braced himself for another round of nitpicking, Shen Nanchu abruptly stopped.
The unfinished frustration lodged in his chest, leaving him fuming.
Shen Nanchu—this woman was downright malicious!
[Dislike Points +666]
The system stifled a grin. Mustn’t laugh too hard.
Did Shen Nanchu miss Zheng Tongwei’s seething yet suppressed rage?
Not a chance.
Why?
Because she was doing it on purpose.
Life in Wang Family Village was peaceful—too peaceful. She needed a little entertainment.
And if she could farm some dislike points along the way? All the better.
Zheng Tongwei took several deep breaths before marginally calming down.
His gaze at Shen Nanchu carried a hint of resentment.
"Does Pei Zhengnian know you’re this demanding?"
Shen Nanchu pretended to ponder.
"Maybe? Possibly? Probably."
"You drive him this crazy too?" Zheng Tongwei sounded incredulous.
"Yep." Shen Nanchu nodded.
Compared to what Pei Zhengnian endured, Zheng Tongwei had it easy.
Honestly, she wondered if Pei Zhengnian was a saint in a past life—his patience was inhuman.
Ah, well.
No use trying to squeeze dislike points from the male lead.
If she could, she wouldn’t have to resort to side characters like Zheng Tongwei.
Speaking of which, it had been a while since she’d seen the female lead, Jiang Shuyi.
Had she changed tactics?
Shen Nanchu was curious.
Just then, Wang Jianguo approached, and the two struck up a conversation.
"Uncle, I haven’t seen Jiang Shuyi lately. Where’s she been?"
"Which Jiang?"
Wang Jianguo blinked, momentarily confused.
"Jiang Shuyi."
"Oh, Jiang Shuyi?"
Shen Nanchu’s clarification jogged his memory.
"Her grandmother’s seriously ill. She asked for two weeks’ leave to go home."
Wang Jianguo hadn’t objected—after all, the girl had connections.
Gone home?!
Shen Nanchu fell silent.
She hoped this wasn’t just an excuse.
But it probably was.
As for what Jiang Shuyi was up to—well, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.
...
