“There’s a vehicle in the city that goes directly to the military district. Take this comrade and the children there first to get acquainted with the place. I’ll come pick you up later.”
He Huai had no idea what signal Little Zhang was giving him, but he couldn’t simply leave the woman and children unattended.
Little Zhang recalled that there was indeed another vehicle at this hour. He immediately picked up the two children and said to Xu Dahua, “Sister-in-law, come this way.”
He Huai opened the front passenger door. “Get in.”
Su Manning obediently sat down. The windows were open, and there had not been much of a smell inside the car.
But the moment she got in, the breeze carried the faint fragrance and sweet scent of a young woman straight into his nose.
Her skirt brushed past her fair hands, neatly arranged as it hung to her ankles, outlining her full hips and slender waist.
For the first time, He Huai felt that the June weather was so unbearably hot. His mouth was dry and parched, and even his nose felt dry and painfully sore.
“It’s still early. I’ll take you to buy some things. Otherwise, it won’t be convenient the next time you come to the city.”
Su Manning was delighted. She had brought only one suitcase, containing a few changes of clothes and pills made from various precious medicinal ingredients. She had already been planning to buy everything else again after arriving here.
“Thank you, Brother He.”
Once they entered the supply and marketing cooperative, she began buying things in bulk, afraid she might have forgotten something.
She was not short of money. Her parents’ compensation had amounted to several hundred yuan, and she had saved several hundred yuan from her own wages as well. On top of that, Eldest Uncle and Auntie had given her money before she left. At present, she had more than two thousand yuan in hand, along with quite a few different kinds of ration coupons.
Just as she was about to pay, He Huai had already taken out his money. “I’ll pay. You only need to use your coupons.”
Su Manning felt a little awkward. She did not think much of it when she spent her own money, since she did not feel that she had bought too much. But if someone else paid for her, she felt embarrassed.
The things altogether cost more than twenty yuan—nearly half a month’s wages for a worker.
“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll pay, Brother He.”
She instinctively grabbed the hand with which he was holding the money. Her snow-white arm formed a striking contrast against his wheat-colored skin.
It was soft, tender, and smooth, with a trace of coolness. He Huai’s mind filled with the four words “ice-like skin and jade-like bones.”
He caught her snow-white arm with his other hand and said in his usual gentle voice, “It’s our first meeting. Consider it a meeting gift.”
Su Manning thought he meant the kind of meeting gift an elder brother gave his younger sister-in-law, and her face instantly flushed red.
Good heavens, she had not even met him properly yet.
If she ultimately refused to be with He Yan, would it not be unbearably awkward whenever she thought of He Huai spending money on her today? She would be mortified.
Unfortunately, he was gripping her arm with considerable force. His palm was rough and frighteningly hot, leaving her no room to resist. All she could do was watch as he took out the money and handed it over.
Su Manning could only thank him softly. “Thank you, Brother He.”
“You’re welcome, Comrade Su.”
The last three words rolled from his tongue with a trace of lingering tenderness, low and alluring.
Su Manning instinctively rubbed her slightly itchy ear.
She raised her eyes toward the man and saw that his expression remained as indifferent as ever. Only a hint of gentleness showed in his eyes, giving her the feeling that an elder was caring for a junior.
The faint ripples that had begun stirring in her heart dissipated as well.
She had to admit, this was exactly the type of man she liked.
Steady and calm, aloof and restrained.
Compared with He Yan, He Huai’s features were more sharply defined, his contours more striking and fluid, and he was also more mature.
But she generally did not pursue brothers who were close to each other.
She was afraid that if she pursued one of them and the two brothers fell out, she would end up with neither of them—and with a damaged reputation besides.
She simply had not expected that the eldest brother of the He family, who looked so aloof, would actually be gentle beneath the surface.
After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, He Huai drove to pick up Little Zhang.
Perhaps because the tractor was filled with women heading to the military district, Xu Dahua finally seemed less nervous, and there was much more of a smile on her face.
Su Manning got out of the car and greeted her. When she was about to return to the vehicle, He Huai had already opened the back door.
Little Zhang sat in the driver’s seat, took a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away his sweat, and turned around to ask Su Manning, “Comrade Su, did you meet that Comrade Xu on the train?”
Su Manning said, “Yes. Is there a problem?”
Little Zhang sighed. “There’s only one battalion commander named Zhou Zhu in our military district, but he remarried three years ago. His wife is a nurse at the hospital, and her family has quite a few connections. When Battalion Commander Zhou got married, he even invited Battalion Commander He and me. Battalion Commander He didn’t go, but I did enjoy a good meal.”
He Huai frowned. “It’s him?”
There were quite a few men in the military district who had married women in the countryside, then obtained promotions after rendering meritorious service and registered their marriages with women in the city.
Few rural women could read or write. Many couples merely held a wedding feast without registering their marriage. Besides, soldiers might not return to their hometowns even a few times in an entire year. As long as the man claimed that he was already divorced, marrying again would not constitute bigamy.
Even if the matter became a scandal, the woman would ultimately be the one at a disadvantage. At most, the man would have his post transferred.
He Huai had some impression of Zhou Zhu because He Yan had once served under Zhou Zhu.
“A few years ago, when Battalion Commander He was promoted to deputy battalion commander, Zhou Zhu kept saying that he was divorced. He even specifically asked Political Commissar Su to arrange for him to attend a social gathering.”
“Of those four children, the youngest looks only about two years old. If that child is Zhou Zhu’s, this matter is going to become a major scandal.”
“Besides, Zhou Zhu’s wife is not someone to provoke. Her father is a technician at a nearby farm, and her mother is the head nurse at the hospital. Both of them have rendered meritorious service.”
Su Manning’s brows drew tightly together. “Then what should we do? Sister-in-law Xu gave birth to four children and has continued caring for the elderly in her hometown all this time. Even if she has received no official credit, she has certainly done her share. Surely she can’t be denied justice altogether?”
Afraid that she would develop a bad impression of soldiers, He Huai explained, “Don’t worry. The military district will have a way to deal with this sort of matter. Besides, the Battalion Commander Zhou Little Zhang mentioned may not be the person Sister-in-law Xu is looking for.”
Su Manning nodded, knowing that there was no way to hurry this matter.
When Little Zhang started the vehicle, she quickly took out a piece of candy and put it in her mouth to ease her discomfort.
She had suffered from motion sickness in her previous life, and in this life it was even worse.
Especially once they entered the mountain villages, where the roads were full of potholes. It felt like riding a roller coaster, and the jostling made her even more nauseated.
Little Zhang drove quickly and steadily, but there were simply too many uneven stretches of road.
Su Manning was suddenly tossed upward, and her full chest bounced along with her. Frightened, she immediately covered her breasts.
She was very satisfied with her figure, but there was one drawback: undergarments were difficult to buy.
It was not that they did not have her size. Rather, the undergarments of this era were not supportive enough and could easily cause the breasts to sag.
Therefore, ever since she had begun developing, she had made her own undergarments. They provided enough support, but because they made her chest too firm and prominent, she could not make overly large movements; otherwise, it would be indecent.
Seeing that Little Zhang was immersed in the art of driving, she hesitated before turning her head toward He Huai, who sat upright and steady beside her.
“B-Brother He, is the vehicle going too fast?”
The young woman’s soft voice stirred waves in his already turbulent heart.
Seeing her body bob up and down from the jolting, ripe as a peach, He Huai’s ears unconsciously reddened.
He gave a light cough and instructed Little Zhang solemnly, “Little Zhang, slow down.”
A tractor was approaching from the opposite direction, its noise deafening. Little Zhang did not hear him clearly. “What?”
As they turned a corner, Su Manning fell directly toward He Huai.
He Huai’s body abruptly stiffened.
The young woman’s soft breasts pressed against his hand. Her waist was so slender it seemed as though it could snap with a bend, and her skin was as white as jade.
His throat bobbed. Suppressing the restlessness in his heart, he shouted coldly, “I told you to slow down.”
Little Zhang shuddered. Who had provoked this cold-faced Yama?
Hadn’t he merely been driving a little faster than usual?
It had been so hard to encounter a fairy. He had even wanted to show off his driving skills a little.
Though he grumbled inwardly, his foot did not stop moving, and the vehicle quickly slowed down.
Su Manning’s cheeks flushed. His arm had been so thick and hard that the impact had made her chest ache a little.
She sat up straight and lifted a hand to sweep her hair back, concealing the embarrassment on her face.
So coquettish.
Those three words surfaced in He Huai’s mind.
His gaze could not help being drawn toward her, and he kept stealing glances at the woman beside him, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not.
The fingertips that had touched her skin rubbed together unconsciously.
For a moment, he actually rather wanted to ask Political Commissar Su:
Had He Yan saved his life?