Shen Nanchu set down the bowl of mung beans in her hand.
Her slender fingers gently traced the rim of the bowl as her gaze drifted thoughtfully toward the rolling green hills in the distance.
The conversation between Pei's Mother and Grandma Pei continued, but she had already caught on to the unspoken meaning beneath their words.
Those two elderly ladies were acting far too obviously—it was as if they had “Go visit your man at the army” written all over their faces.
She lowered her head to hide the smile tugging at the corners of her eyes, deliberately pretending not to understand, then picked up a slice of watermelon and began nibbling on it leisurely.
The cool juice of the watermelon burst in her mouth, dispelling the summer heat.
Shen Nanchu squinted, savoring this moment of peace.
Of course, she knew that Pei Zhengnian had recently been swamped with work at the army base.
Pei's Mother and Grandma Pei wouldn’t have asked her to visit the troops without a reason.
Still, she hadn’t expected this man to be so indirect—using his mother and grandmother as intermediaries to “invite” her over.
What exactly was Pei Zhengnian up to? Shen Nanchu’s curiosity was piqued.
“Little Nanchu,”
Grandma Pei, seeing that Shen Nanchu hadn’t responded, simply sat down beside her, her wrinkled hand gently covering Shen Nanchu’s.
“How have you been feeling lately? You need to eat more, don’t hold back. Grandma has money.”
“That’s right, our family is well-off,” Pei's Mother chimed in.
Feeling the warmth of the hand on her own, Shen Nanchu’s heart softened.
Though these two elders were acting as Pei Zhengnian’s matchmakers, their concern for her was genuine.
“Grandma, don’t worry. I won’t be polite about food—I’ll eat whatever I want,” Shen Nanchu teased with a playful wink.
“That’s good, that’s good,” Grandma Pei nodded repeatedly, her silver hair shimmering in the sunlight.
“But you’re carrying a child now. You can’t be without a man to look after you.”
She cast Shen Nanchu a knowing glance.
“Although Zhengnian is at the army, he must be thinking about you.”
Shen Nanchu nearly choked on her watermelon. That topic shift was way too blunt!
She cleared her throat twice, then looked up to meet Grandma Pei’s expectant eyes, finally deciding not to tease these adorable old ladies any longer.
“Mom, Grandma,”
She set down the watermelon rind and wiped her hands.
“How about I go see Zhengnian? Let him take care of me? It just so happens the factory’s been slow lately.”
Pei's Mother’s eyes lit up immediately.
“Really?”
Her voice shot up eight octaves in excitement before she quickly composed herself.
“Th-That’s wonderful! Zhengnian will be so happy when he hears.”
Grandma Pei was even more decisive.
“Then it’s settled! Have Fourth Brother accompany you.”
“I’ll go ask the village chief for leave for you two right now.”
She rose swiftly, as if afraid Shen Nanchu might change her mind.
Shen Nanchu smiled softly, gently touching her slightly rounded belly, suddenly looking forward to seeing Pei Zhengnian.
She was eager to find out exactly what kind of “medicine” he was hiding in that gourd of his.
......
Meanwhile, at the Fifth Regiment base of the Daliao Military District,
Pei Zhengnian was finishing up the final inspection of his newly assigned quarters.
Sunlight streamed through the freshly installed glass windows, casting neat patches of light on the floor.
He crouched down and gently ran his fingers over the wall, making sure no more dust was falling.
“Commander, aren’t you being a bit too meticulous?”
Xiong Lei stood at the doorway, holding a pile of freshly delivered sheets and duvet covers.
“This place is way better than Liu Bing’s apartment. Your wife will definitely be pleased.”
Pei Zhengnian stood up, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. “I hope so.”
His gaze swept across every corner of the room—the newly painted walls, the freshly laid cement floor, and the bathroom he had specially built.
Every detail had been personally overseen by him, all to ensure that the woman could live comfortably.
“Commander, when do you think your wife will arrive?”
Xiong Lei asked curiously.
“Cook Old Zhou heard your wife was coming and specially prepared a lot of ingredients, said he wants to show off his skills.”
Pei Zhengnian glanced at his watch, his eyes brightening with joy. “The day after tomorrow.”
His voice was calm, but inside he was filled with anticipation and nervousness.
“Go tell Old Zhou to have everything ready and come cook at my place.”
“Got it!” Xiong Lei responded loudly.
Sun Xuelin lowered his voice. “Commander, when you pick up your wife, do you want to bring her a bouquet of wildflowers? I heard girls like that.”
Pei Zhengnian was caught off guard by the suggestion.
He imagined himself holding a bouquet, standing on the platform, and instantly felt awkward all over.
“Nonsense!” he scolded sternly, though his ears quietly flushed red. “Get back to work!”
Sun Xuelin’s mouth twitched.
His good advice was ignored, while the Regimental Commander Tian’s silly ideas were followed. No wonder he managed to marry such a beautiful wife.
……
Yuyang County,
The bus station heading to Liu’an Town.
Shen Nanchu stood out distinctly among the crowd.
She was wearing a light green dress today, which made her fair skin look even more radiant.
Her jet-black hair was loosely pinned up at the back of her head, revealing a slender neck.
Though her belly was visibly rounded, her figure remained graceful.
“Time to board.”
The ticket seller shouted loudly, guiding passengers to get on the bus in an orderly manner.
Shen Nanchu found her seat with Pei Yunzhou and sat down.
They had barely settled when a woman carrying a child, burdened with large bags, hurriedly rushed onto the bus.
Perhaps the bus was too crowded, or maybe the woman was carrying too much.
As she reached Shen Nanchu’s side, she accidentally stepped on a passenger’s bag and stumbled, nearly falling with her child in her arms...
At the crucial moment, Shen Nanchu reached out and steadied the woman.
Li Yanhong nearly broke out in a cold sweat, looking at Shen Nanchu with eyes full of gratitude.
“Thank you, comrade.”
“You’re welcome,” Shen Nanchu smiled.
Li Yanhong’s seat was right behind Shen Nanchu’s.
Once Li Yanhong had arranged her belongings and finally breathed a sigh of relief, she felt deeply thankful for Shen Nanchu’s timely help.
Without Shen Nanchu’s steady hand, she might have fallen, but more importantly, her child would have been hurt, which would have broken her heart.
Li Yanhong took a peach out of her bag and offered it to Shen Nanchu.
“Comrade, please have a peach!”
"This is homegrown, really sweet!"
Shen Nanchu politely smiled but didn’t accept Li Yanhong’s kindness.
“Thank you, I just ate, so I’m not very hungry.”
“Save it for Nannan then!”
These were tough times for every family.
Shen Nanchu gently pushed the peaches back to Li Yanhong.
This only deepened Li Yanhong’s fondness for him.
“Sis, are you heading to the army?”
“Yes.”
Shen Nanchu nodded.
“What a coincidence, me too. My Liu Bing is in the Fifth Regiment!”
“What’s your husband’s name? Maybe they know each other!”
Shen Nanchu looked at Li Yanhong’s eager eyes and softly said three words, “Pei Zhengnian.”
“Pei... Pei...” Wang Xiulan’s eyes went wide as saucers, her mouth opening wide enough to fit an egg. “Commander Pei?!”
Shen Nanchu nodded, finding Li Yanhong’s reaction quite amusing.
In her heart, Li Yanhong was wailing silently.
Such a beautiful and kind girl—how did she end up with such a blockhead?
Liu Bing was definitely better.
