In her memories from her past life, Meng Ying had also been to the northwest region. Back then, as an agricultural graduate student, she had gone to monitor saline-alkali soil, planting cotton and other crops. But she had never seen such vast stretches of yellow sand and Gobi desert—magnificent yet desolate.
After a bumpy ride, the car finally arrived at the base of the Northwest Military Region. After passing inspection, it drove into the camp. The further they went, the higher the walls became and the denser the guard posts. A solemn dark green iron gate stood imposingly at the intersection. The courtyard was filled with tall poplar and sea-buckthorn trees, their leaves rustling in the wind, carrying an air of solemnity and tranquility.
Further inside was the military family compound, where rows of red-brick dormitories stood neatly arranged, almost all with their own private yards.
Before Meng Ying could finish taking it all in, a deep voice interrupted her thoughts.
“We’re here. Get out.” Meng Ying glanced at him, then slowly stepped out of the car. Lu Tingzhou, still holding the luggage, took out the key first and opened the door, paying no attention to Meng Ying behind him.
Pushing the door open, a tidy little courtyard came into view. There were three rooms: a bedroom, a living room, and a kitchen. It wasn’t very large, but it was enough for two people to live in.
Entering the living room, the furnishings were simple, with not much furniture. It was clear that it had been carefully maintained, but there was little sign of daily life. Meng Ying guessed that Lu Tingzhou probably didn’t cook and rarely used the kitchen at home.
Lu Tingzhou placed the luggage on a nearby stool and glanced at her. “The canteen isn’t serving food at this hour. I’ll get you dinner later.”
Meng Ying entered the room and looked around, but after such a long train ride, she felt sore and exhausted all over, just wanting to get a good night’s sleep. So she didn’t mind not having food right away.
“I want to take a bath.”
Lu Tingzhou paused, narrowing his eyes slightly. “The bathroom is over there.”
Meng Ying sensed the coldness in the man before her and immediately glared. “Go boil some hot water for me.”
She always spoke in a commanding tone, which made Lu Tingzhou’s expression darken even more. His thin lips pressed tightly together, his jawline tense, and he gave her a cold look.
Seeing him standing there unmoved and looking quite fierce, Meng Ying couldn’t hold back anymore. She had traveled thousands of miles to find her husband, enduring so much hardship on the train. And as soon as she arrived, he was acting harshly—unwilling to carry her on his back, and now at home, he didn’t even crack a smile or bother to boil hot water for his wife.
She knew the original host had been wrong to bring up divorce, but she couldn’t stand the way this man treated his wife of three years.
She plopped down on the stool, pouting in grievance. “You heartless man! I came all this way just to see you, and this is how you treat me? You won’t even boil hot water for me—what else are you good for?”
Her tone was full of complaints. Seeing her aggrieved face, Lu Tingzhou panicked for a moment. In the army, he was used to dealing with tough, unyielding men who wouldn’t utter a sound even when injured. He never expected a woman to start crying over a disagreement.
He had never encountered such a situation before, clenching his hands into fists. “Hey… don’t cry.”
“I’ll go boil water. Wait here.”
With that, he set aside his pride and immediately rushed to the kitchen to fetch water and light the fire. Within five minutes, smoke began to fill the kitchen.
Meng Ying sat on the stool. From this angle, she could see him bending over to add water to the pot, and her heart felt much better.
Not long after, he walked out carrying a bucket of water. Seeing Meng Ying still looking sulky, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and he spoke awkwardly, "I’m sorry… I was rude earlier. I didn’t mean it. Please don’t be angry."
His apology was earnest. Meng Ying stood up, snorted at him, and then went into the bathroom. Lu Tingzhou followed behind, placing the bucket on the floor, still somewhat at a loss.
When Meng Ying finished bathing and came out, Lu Tingzhou was sitting on a chair in the room, writing something quickly. His broad back was turned to her, his profile stern, yet with an added touch of focus.
She ran over to see what he was writing.
At first glance, she saw the four large characters: "Divorce Report." The towel in Meng Ying’s hand fell to the floor with a thud, and she plopped down on the edge of the bed, sobbing loudly.
The sound was so loud that Lu Tingzhou couldn’t possibly ignore it. He quickly turned around and saw her crying pitifully, her face full of grievance. Her delicate nose was flushed red, and even the corners of her eyes were tinged with crimson.
Lu Tingzhou was baffled, thinking she was still angry about what had happened earlier. "Why are you crying again?"
Meng Ying raised her head and glared at him. "What do you think? You don’t want me anymore, and I’m not allowed to cry?"
A flicker of surprise and confusion crossed Lu Tingzhou’s face. He didn’t understand what she was talking about, so he could only frown, his expression growing even colder.
Meng Ying stood up and walked to the table, picking up the paper and tossing it at him. "You want to divorce me?"
"Huh?" Lu Tingzhou was genuinely taken aback. "Isn’t that what you asked for?"
Meng Ying wiped her tears and began to act unreasonably. "At that time… I was just angry. I wrote that letter impulsively. I never thought you’d actually agree. You didn’t even try to comfort me. I… I’m so miserable. In the village, people say I’m living like a widow, with my husband gone for three years without a trace. I was so sad I wanted to die, so I wrote to let you know my situation. But I never expected you wouldn’t even try to stop me. I had to travel thousands of miles to find my husband, and now you still want a divorce? You’re just a scoundrel who abandons his wife!"
She dumped all the blame onto him in one breath, her tone both aggrieved and sorrowful.
This time, Lu Tingzhou was completely stunned. He didn’t understand how things had come to this, but what she had just said—that he hadn’t returned for three years—was indeed his fault. He had thought that as long as he sent his allowance back regularly, her life in the village wouldn’t be difficult. But he had forgotten that he was now a husband and needed to take responsibility for his family.
A trace of guilt flashed across his face. He cautiously approached Meng Ying, took a towel from the rack in the room, and gently wiped her tears, his movements soft and careful, afraid of hurting her skin.
"I’m sorry… It’s my fault. I thought you were doing well in the village." Lu Tingzhou apologized sincerely, his tanned face showing a hint of earnestness.
Meng Ying stopped crying, though her nose was still sniffling. She gave him a reproachful look and asked, "So, are you still going to divorce me?"
Lu Tingzhou thought for a moment, then looked at her deeply, noticing the expectation on her face. He couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Finally, his throat moved a few times. "No, we won’t."
Meng Ying immediately wiped away her tears and smiled, her face glowing once more. She proactively extended her hand, saying, "Lu Tuanzhang, hello, I am your wife, Meng Ying from Kaoshan Village!"
Lu Tingzhou's gaze fell on her delicate hand. After a moment of contemplation, he reached out and shook it. The soft, warm touch sent an inexplicable flutter through his heart—a sensation he had never experienced in his thirty years.
Meng Ying quickly withdrew her hand and sat on the bed, continuing to dry her hair. "I'm going to sleep. Tonight, I want to eat meat. Go buy some; I'll cook."
The topic shifted so abruptly that Lu Tingzhou was momentarily stunned. He realized this little wife of his was completely different from what he had imagined, the contrast striking him profoundly. After a brief pause, he nodded in agreement.