Military District of Daliao, Office of the Commander of the Fifth Regiment.
Pei Zhengnian held the phone receiver in one hand while jotting down notes with the other.
Sunlight streamed through the glass window, casting mottled shadows on his resolute profile.
His brows would occasionally relax, only to furrow again, as the information from the other end of the line left him both pleasantly surprised and troubled.
After hanging up, Pei Zhengnian stared blankly at the sheet of paper in front of him.
He never expected Shen Nanchu to have just one request—that the house, just like the one in the capital before, must have a bathroom attached to the room.
Pei Zhengnian rubbed his temples. Adding a bathroom wasn’t particularly difficult.
But was he really supposed to handle everything else about the house on his own?
He imagined Shen Nanchu’s dissatisfied reaction upon seeing the house and couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.
Running a hand through his thick hair, Pei Zhengnian thought he might just go bald. Wasn’t this just making things difficult for him?
After some thought, he decided to first resolve the plumbing and toilet issues.
As for the rest, he would wait until Shen Nanchu arrived.
Pei Zhengnian felt this plan was quite sensible, at least it would temporarily ease his anxiety.
Wu Minghui from the Procurement Department was extremely efficient. Within a few days after the house was allocated, he helped Pei Zhengnian purchase all the necessary renovation materials. Trucks piled high with red bricks, cement, and sand filled the courtyard, drawing plenty of curious glances.
Having just been promoted to commander of the Fifth Regiment, Pei Zhengnian’s workload was overwhelming.
He woke up before dawn every day for training and often attended meetings late into the night.
He made use of lunch breaks or evenings to get some work done, and on days off, he would bring along Xiong Lei, Sun Xuelin, and others to help.
Xiong Lei was a broad-shouldered, sturdy man who could do the work of two; Sun Xuelin was meticulous and skilled at detailed tasks.
With their teamwork, progress wasn’t slow.
After more than a month of intermittent work, the house was finally renovated.
The water pipes were connected, the toilet was installed, the master bedroom had its own bathroom, and the walls inside were freshly painted, all looking brand new.
Pei Zhengnian even planted several rose bushes in the courtyard, hoping Shen Nanchu would like them.
Standing inside the house, Pei Zhengnian looked around with a satisfied expression.
Sunlight poured through the newly installed glass windows, casting bright patches on the floor.
The air was still filled with the scent of fresh lime paint mingled with the aroma of wood.
He just didn’t know if this woman, Shen Nanchu, would like it.
Pei Zhengnian felt a bit uneasy. Imagining Shen Nanchu’s critical gaze and sharp tongue, he couldn’t help but smile wryly.
......
Wang Family Village.
Except for the recent rabbit incident, Shen Nanchu’s days couldn’t be more comfortable.
She slept in until she naturally woke, ate whatever she wanted, spent her leisure time reading or binge-watching dramas, and occasionally visited the factory. Her life was enviably carefree.
The shampoo factory had been refurbished and was just waiting for the tea seeds to mature before starting operations.
As for the rabbit pen, Wang Jianguo has been keeping a close watch on it every day. Forget about the oxalis plants—there’s not even a shadow of one left. The villagers all conscientiously follow the rules, afraid of upsetting their rabbit-loving village chief.
Just as Shen Nanchu was enjoying a rare moment of leisure, Pei's Mother and Grandma Pei arrived.
One carried a bowl of mung bean porridge, the other a plate of sliced watermelon.
Earlier, Pei Zhengnian had called from the army, and Pei's Mother had gone to the village committee to take the call.
They had already learned from Pei Zhengnian about the housing arrangements being made by the army.
Both Pei's Mother and Grandma Pei were very supportive of the idea of Shen Nanchu going to the army base to rest during her confinement.
The medical facilities there were excellent, and with Pei Zhengnian around to take care of her, it would be much better than staying in the village.
Pei Zhengnian wanted to surprise Shen Nanchu, so he asked Pei's Mother and Grandma Pei to find another excuse to get her to visit the base again.
It wasn’t that Pei Zhengnian didn’t want to say it himself; he was just afraid that if he mentioned it, Shen Nanchu would immediately refuse.
That was exactly the kind of thing Shen Nanchu would do.
So, Pei Zhengnian resorted to a roundabout approach.
After all, the combined efforts of Pei's Mother and Grandma Pei were far more persuasive than his alone.
“Mom, Grandma,”
Shen Nanchu greeted them lazily, sitting up slightly from the lounge chair.
She wore a loose cotton-linen dress, her long black hair casually draped over her shoulders, shimmering healthily in the sunlight.
When Pei's Mother and Grandma Pei arrived, Shen Nanchu was sitting on the terrace, watching a drama series.
“This mung bean porridge was chilled with well water—try it and see how you like it,”
Pei's Mother placed the bowl of mung bean porridge on the low table in front of Shen Nanchu.
A few goji berries floated atop the porridge, making it look refreshingly appetizing.
“Thank you, Mom.”
Shen Nanchu took the bowl and sipped it slowly.
The soft mung bean paste had a faint sweetness—it tasted quite good.
Pei's Mother and Grandma Pei didn’t rush to speak.
They waited until Shen Nanchu finished eating before starting to chat about everyday matters.
From village gossip to stories from neighboring villages, from the recent weather to future plans.
As they talked, the conversation naturally turned to Pei Zhengnian in the army.
Pei's Mother and Grandma Pei began to put on a heartfelt performance in front of Shen Nanchu.
Pei's Mother sighed, knitting her brows,
“Zhengnian has never been good at taking care of himself since he was young.”
Her voice was full of worry.
“I don’t even know if he’s eating well in the army.”
Grandma Pei immediately chimed in,
“Exactly, the last time we talked, his voice was hoarse.”
She shook her head, her face full of concern.
“He must be training too hard and has no one to look after him.”
Pei's Mother added more fuel to the fire,
“He probably just throws on whatever clothes he has, doesn’t know to buy new ones when they’re worn out. A grown man like him wouldn’t understand these things.”
She glanced at Shen Nanchu, and seeing no reaction, sighed again.
“I heard their regiment has been very busy lately, often working late into the night.”
Grandma Pei patted her thigh,
“Oh dear, how can that be? What if his health breaks down?”
She said anxiously,
“If only someone could be there to take care of him.”
The two of them echoed each other perfectly, their act seamless.
