Chapter 4

Several boats were docked at the pier, and one was nearly full. Seeing them approach, the boatman hurriedly called out, "Ride? We'll leave right away if you're coming."

Jiang Mingchuan took Jin Xiuzhu aboard, paid the fare, and the family of three sat down. The boatman then slowly pushed off using his pole. Most of the people around them were visiting relatives and chatted in their local dialect, which Jin Xiuzhu couldn't understand.

When they arrived at the town, the family switched to another boat, much smaller than the first, only able to accommodate four or five people.

Jiang Mingchuan explained to Jin Xiuzhu, "There are many waterways here, so most people travel by boat. It's not very convenient to go out. If you need to buy anything, you can tell the people at the military supply and marketing cooperative, and they can bring it back when they restock."

In the past, he didn't mind being alone, but things were different now; he had a family to support.

Thinking about this, he felt a heavier burden on his shoulders, but it also gave him a sense of belonging.

The boat traveled for over an hour before stopping. A few large stone slabs roughly formed the disembarkation point. Jiang Mingchuan carried the child ashore first, then turned around and lifted Jin Xiuzhu down, holding her under her armpits and gently setting her on the ground.

Jin Xiuzhu could now face all this without changing her expression, though she still felt a bit embarrassed and remained silent during the journey.

This was a mountain path, narrow, but recently many people must have walked it, as the snow and mud mixed together made it quite muddy.

Jiang Mingchuan led the way, saying, "We're almost there."

However, even with his definition of "almost," they still had a long way to go. By the time they reached their destination, Jin Xiuzhu was covered in a light layer of sweat.

The young soldier guarding the gate recognized Jiang Mingchuan, saluted him, and opened the gate to let them in.

From the outside, nothing seemed special, but once inside, Jin Xiuzhu discovered a whole new world. The place was vast, with rows of houses arranged neatly like chess pieces on a board, and every plant and tree around revealed orderliness.

She saw a long line of people marching past nearby, shouting "one-two-one" in unison, exuding a grand presence.

Jiang Mingchuan led her towards the family quarters. The further they went, the more vibrant the atmosphere became. They even encountered several women chatting along the way, eyeing them curiously.

Jiang Mingchuan didn't know them, so he didn't greet them and headed straight for his residence.

In front of the family quarters stood two rows of five-story buildings, but they weren't yet fully constructed, and only a small number of people had moved in. Behind these were rows of older, single-story houses, closer to the foot of the mountain, where Jiang Mingchuan lived.

As Jin Xiuzhu walked deeper into the area, her heart sank until Jiang Mingchuan stopped to unlock the door. She looked at the dilapidated house in front of her and felt dizzy. Didn't her second sister "Jin Xiuzhu" say she would enter the city and live a good life?

It didn't seem that great.

Noticing that Jin Xiuzhu hadn't followed, Jiang Mingchuan turned around and sensed her mood. He thought for a moment and explained, "After the family quarters were built two years ago, many families came over. At that time, I was living in the barracks and only applied for a house after adopting He Yan. This was the only one left."

However, he was often busy and sometimes wouldn't return for ten days or half a month due to training, leaving He Yan with the neighbors. He spent little time at home, which is why it looked a bit messy.

He had originally planned to visit his adoptive parents' home during the New Year holiday to inform them of his intention to get married. Then, he would return and finalize the wedding date with the woman introduced by his sister-in-law. By next year, the family quarters should be completed, and they could move in directly.

But unexpectedly, something happened on this trip, and he needed to apologize to his sister-in-law.

Still, since he promised to marry Jin Xiuzhu, he would keep his word.

Jiang Mingchuan asked Jin Xiuzhu and the child to rest while he grabbed a broom from the entrance to start cleaning.

---

In the courtyard of the neighboring house.

Qian Yufeng rushed in with a basket of vegetables, and upon seeing her mother-in-law peeling vegetables at the door, she said hastily, "Mom, I heard that Battalion Commander Jiang brought a woman and a child back. From the looks of it, they don't seem to have a casual relationship."

Her family was from a nearby village, and they visited frequently. Vegetables were expensive in winter, so she went home almost every other day to get some. Her sister-in-law never complained, and whenever her husband received a subsidy, Qian Yufeng would take some back to her own family.

She had been feeling bored lately, as her close friends among the military wives had returned to their hometowns for the New Year. On her way back, someone stopped her to tell her about this, and since her husband and Jiang Mingchuan were good friends who often interacted, everyone came to ask her about it.

How could she know what was going on? She hadn't even seen the woman yet. Wasn't Jiang Mingchuan introduced to a potential partner by the wife of the regiment commander? She had met her twice, and she was truly beautiful.

Aunt Wu frowned, thinking Qian Yufeng was being too gossipy. "Don't spread rumors. Battalion Commander Jiang is such an upright person. There must be a reason for this."

But Qian Yufeng wasn't deterred. "What reason could there be? He brought them straight home."

Aunt Wu looked at her suspiciously. If he really brought someone home, that would indeed be strange. Who would dare do such a thing in these times, risking public condemnation? She cautiously asked, "Did you perhaps misunderstand? Could the woman be the one he was introduced to? They might be serious, and having a meal together isn't unusual."

"Oh, if it was her, I wouldn't be so surprised. But Zhang Zhihua and others saw them. They said the woman has long hair and dark skin, clearly from the countryside. And Jiang Mingchuan was carrying a two- or three-year-old girl."

Aunt Wu fell silent. She remembered that it was Qian Yufeng who had brought news before that Jiang Mingchuan's potential partner had skin as white as tofu and spoke softly, not looking like someone who had ever been married or had children. Instead, she seemed like a wealthy family's daughter. At the time, Aunt Wu scolded Qian Yufeng for her lack of tact, fearing that her words might cause trouble if overheard.

Qian Yufeng didn't think much of it, just feeling uncomfortable. "Didn't he say he'd be back in half a month? If he's back now, should we return half the money?"

And the rice and oil, which she had taken back to her family.

Before Jiang Mingchuan left, he placed He Yan with them and provided plenty of supplies, quite generously.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wu's face darkened. "Stop focusing on trivial matters. Battalion Commander Jiang has never wronged our family. And think about our Xiaojun. When he almost drowned playing by the river, it was Battalion Commander Jiang who saved him. In a way, he's our benefactor."

These words silenced Qian Yufeng, who lowered her head without a word.

Aunt Wu was angry at her attitude. "What others say is their business. Don't stir up trouble. At least stay out of Battalion Commander Jiang's affairs. Have some conscience."

Qian Yufeng quietly protested, "I didn't say anything."

Aunt Wu didn't believe a word. When her son wanted to marry Qian Yufeng, she wasn't happy because she was too talkative, always prying into other people's lives, driving away the family's good fortune with her gossip.

Qian Yufeng was a bit afraid of her mother-in-law and tried to salvage the situation. "I'm just worried about He Yan. Battalion Commander Jiang's previous potential partner was so nice, always smiling and friendly. I wonder what this one is like..."

Seeing her mother-in-law's stern face, her voice grew softer, unsure where she had gone wrong again.

Aunt Wu didn't want to talk to her anymore and waved her hand, urging her to leave. She found Qian Yufeng annoying.

What kind of logic was that – smiling meant someone was good?

Qian Yufeng obediently took her basket of vegetables to the small kitchen. To her surprise, she saw a six- or seven-year-old boy wiping the stove with a rag, standing on tiptoes.

Embarrassment flashed across her face, and she forced a smile. "Xiaoyan is here too. Where's Xiaojun? Why didn't he go out to play with him?"

He Yan looked back at her, shook his head, and obediently said, "Xiaojun and Forward went out. I don't like to play."

The Aunt Wu outside sighed inwardly upon hearing this. It wasn't that he didn't like to play; it was because the child was too sensible. Clearly two years younger than their Xiaojun, he already knew how to help with work and chores.

Qian Yufeng didn't think much of it. Seeing the boy obedient and well-behaved, she couldn't help but grin and say, "You're going to have a stepmother soon. Aren't you happy?"

After saying this, she deliberately teased him, "Your stepmother is going to have a baby for you. Your dad won't love you anymore."

Upon hearing this, the old lady outside turned grim and angrily scolded towards the kitchen, "Why are you telling him these things? We still don't know what's going on, yet you're here spreading rumors."

She thought Qian Yufeng had a pig's brain, blurting out anything.

Qian Yufeng shrank her shoulders in fright, knowing she had said the wrong thing again. She quickly laughed it off and tried to salvage the situation, saying to the boy, "Auntie was just joking. Don't take it seriously."

He Yan shook his head and forced a smile, "I know."

Qian Yufeng let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly put down the basket, picked up the water bucket, and walked away.

Aunt Wu outside ignored her and said to the kitchen, "Xiaoyan, don't listen to your aunt's nonsense. Your dad is a good person. Even if he gets married, he won't stop loving you."

As Qian Yufeng walked to the well to draw water, she agreed, "Yes, yes. Your dad loves you very much."

Aunt Wu paused, then pulled a long face and said to her, "Make a few more dishes for lunch. Later, I'll bring them over with the children."

Qian Yufeng hastily agreed.

In the kitchen, He Yan lowered his head, his eyes slightly reddened. He understood everything. His biological father was dead, his biological mother didn't want him, and his uncle and aunt wouldn't feed him. If Uncle Jiang didn't like him either, no one would like him. He was a little afraid that Uncle Jiang would marry someone else.

—

Jiang Mingchuan swept the house inside and out, making it look somewhat cleaner. Then he went out to buy some daily necessities and brought back a meal from the canteen. "I have something to do and will be going out for a while. I'll bring dinner back for you. Take your time eating."

Without saying much more, he left after putting down the food.

The room was a bit dim, so Jin Xiuzhu moved a stool and took the food box to the door to eat.

She would take a bite and then feed the child a bite.

The child was also well-behaved, opening her mouth obediently when fed and not crying or making a fuss.

Halfway through their meal, Aunt Wu came over with He Yan, holding two bowls of food.

Seeing the mother and daughter squatting at the door to eat, she was slightly taken aback but quickly smiled and introduced herself, "I live next door to you. My son is Wu Erzhu, and he was comrades-in-arms with Captain Jiang. Hearing the commotion here, we came over to check. We specially cooked a couple more dishes for lunch and brought them over for you."

Jin Xiuzhu stood up. Hearing that they knew Jiang Mingchuan, she smiled, "You're too kind. Please come in and sit down."

She wanted to call someone to serve tea and water but quickly held back the words and turned around to fetch a stool.

"No need, no need. There's something going on at home. I don't want to trouble you. I just came to deliver the food. I'm worried you might not have any dishes for lunch."

As she spoke, she placed the food on the stool. When she approached, He Yan tightly tugged at Aunt Wu's sleeve, following behind.

Fu Yanyan, standing beside the stool, saw him and subconsciously took a step back, lowering her head and biting her lip hard.

Although Jin Xiuzhu was being polite, she didn't actually refuse. Not only did she take the stool, but she also wiped it clean with a cloth before placing it by the door for her to sit. She said apologetically, "We've just arrived, and there's no hot water at home. Our hospitality isn't great."

Aunt Wu's smile widened, and she waved her hand. "I understand. You eat first. The main reason is that my son heard the noise and was eager to see his father."

As she spoke, she pushed He Yan forward. He Yan glanced at Jin Xiuzhu and quickly lowered his head.

Aunt Wu felt some sympathy for the child and, despite the risk of offending someone, deliberately brought He Yan over to gauge the situation.

To be honest, she didn't hold much hope for the woman Jiang Mingchuan had previously considered as a match. It wasn't that the woman was bad or anything—it was just that she hadn't truly met her and had only heard others talk about her. Everyone said the woman was good and that after her husband died, her in-laws bullied her terribly. They described how pitiful she was. However, she managed to take over her husband's job at the textile factory amidst all those nasty relatives and became a regular employee. Now, somehow, she had connected with the wife of the regiment commander, who was introducing her to the young and promising Jiang Mingchuan. It didn't seem like she was naive.

Hearing this, Jin Xiuzhu looked at He Yan, her smile unchanged. "On the way here, Mingchuan told me that the child is sensible and well-behaved and asked me to love him more in the future."

She then looked at Aunt Wu and said, "Auntie seems like a warm-hearted person, so I'll speak frankly. My child and I are also pitiful people. Without Captain Jiang, we wouldn't know how to survive. In the future, we may have to trouble Auntie to take care of us more."

These few short sentences conveyed many meanings. He Yan heard that this auntie and sister were like him, saved by Uncle Jiang. He felt a sense of relief, as if he had found comrades-in-arms.

And Aunt Wu could tell that this mother and daughter would become a family with Jiang Mingchuan and He Yan. However, these words didn't offend her; instead, she felt that they regarded her as family.

In other words, the daughter-in-law's guess was correct. But seeing that Jin Xiuzhu had already spoken to this extent, she couldn't continue probing. She could only go along with it, saying, "Your family of four is indeed destined to be together. Mingchuan and Xiaoyan are both good kids. Life will definitely get better and better."

Jin Xiuzhu nodded with a smile, "Thank you for your auspicious words."

After eating and sending the guests away, Jin Xiuzhu let the two children play while she washed the dishes in the kitchen.

Once Jin Xiuzhu left, He Yan relaxed a bit. Looking at Fu Yanyan, who hadn't said a word, he assumed she was timid. After thinking about it, he took the initiative to speak like a little adult, "Hello, little sister. My name is He Yan. You can call me big brother later."

Upon hearing this, the silent Fu Yanyan gripped her hands tightly. She hadn't expected to meet him so soon, her nominal older brother.