At daybreak, the bugle suddenly rang loudly through the military compound.
Su Man was startled awake by the stirring sound. She shot upright, dazed for two seconds before realizing she was no longer in the drafty woodshed — nor on the way to being sold to a fool — but inside Lu Zhan’s dorm room.
The wooden bed beneath her was hard, yet the blanket carried a pleasant soap scent. She looked toward the floor: the bedding there was already gone, and the military coat had been folded into a neat tofu-block square against the wall.
“Since you’re awake, get up. We’re going out.”
The man’s deep voice came from the doorway. Lu Zhan had already returned from morning training, wearing a sleeveless undershirt with a towel around his neck. Heat steamed off him; sweat slid along the bronze lines of his muscles, full of raw strength.
Su Man blushed and hurriedly combed her messy hair. “Where to?”
“The Civil Affairs Bureau.” He walked in and drank from an enamel mug.“Didn’t you rush to marry me last night? What, regretting it after sunrise?”
Her heart tightened. She instantly put on a smile and jumped off the bed.
“How could I? I’m afraid you might regret it, Commander.”
The Civil Affairs Bureau wasn’t far — they rode in a military jeep.
The driver was a guard named Xiao Zhang, who kept sneaking glances at Su Man through the rearview mirror, thinking: She’s really pretty… no wonder she took down the regiment commander, the famous iron tree that never blooms.
At the photo counter, the photographer frowned at them.
“Comrade, why are you standing so far apart? A train could run between you! Closer!”
Lu Zhan stood ramrod straight like at attention and stiffly shuffled nearer to Su Man.
“Miss, smile! It’s a wedding, not an execution ground.”
Su Man inhaled, steeled herself, and suddenly tilted her head onto Lu Zhan’s shoulder with a sugary smile. Her hair brushed his neck.
His muscles instantly tensed; instinctively he wanted to dodge — but forced himself still.
Click!
Stamp — seal — done.
Two bright red marriage certificates landed in Su Man’s hands. Touching the warm covers, a huge weight lifted from her heart.
From this moment on, she was a military officer’s wife — legally protected Mrs. Lu. Zhao Guihua would never touch her again.
“Let’s go back,” Lu Zhan said, pocketing the certificates without emotion.“Now that we’re married, we can’t stay in the dorm. The family housing I applied for is approved.”
Because of his rank, Lu Zhan received a small independent courtyard on the east side of the compound. Only three one-story rooms, but with a yard and its own kitchen — excellent conditions for that era.
The jeep stopped at the gate.
“We’re here.” He got out first and picked up Su Man’s tiny bundle of clothes.
She followed, already planning her future — grow vegetables, raise chickens, maybe start a small business…
“From now on, this is home.”
He pushed the half-closed wooden door.
At the moment the hinges creaked—
Su Man’s ears twitched.
Something was wrong.
From instincts honed in her previous life dodging city inspectors, she sensed faint airflow above — the warning of a falling object.
Her body reacted instantly. She sprang backward like a cat.
“Watch out!”
Too late.
Lu Zhan, though a trained scout, had his hands full and no guard up in his own home. He looked up—
Splash—!
A basin of cold water mixed with white flour dumped over his head.
Clang!The enamel basin hit the ground and spun.
Time froze.
Su Man stared.
The fearsome “Living Yama” Lu Zhan had turned into a complete snowman.
Flour paste clung to his cap, eyebrows, eyelashes. Only his terrifying black eyes showed through. Thick batter dripped off his jaw. His neat uniform looked like it had rolled through a flour vat.
“Hahaha! Hit him! Big dumb bear turned into big white bear!”
“Erbao run! Don’t get caught!”
Two small figures jumped out from behind the locust tree.
The older — about eight, buzz cut, wolf-cub fierce eyes.The younger — about six, chubby, still holding flour, laughing hard.
So these were the two orphans Lu Zhan adopted — the sons of fallen comrades.
Lu Wen and Lu Wu.
The compound’s notorious little troublemakers.
Lu Zhan inhaled deeply; flour fell off his face.
“LU WEN! LU WU!”
The roar shook the leaves.
He threw down the bundle and yanked off his military belt.
“If I don’t beat your butts blooming today, my surname isn’t Lu!”
The boys split and ran into the house, practiced escape artists.
“Bleh! Bad stepmother! We don’t want a stepmother!” Erbao shouted.
The older one aimed a slingshot from the window at Su Man.“Get out! This is our house!”
Lu Zhan trembled with anger. In the army he could tame any soldier — but these two were his comrades’ only blood. Hit hard — heart hurt. Hit light — useless.
Previous blind dates either cried away or disliked the burden.
And today — the very day he married — they pulled this stunt.
“Stand still!” He rushed forward with the belt.
A pale hand suddenly pressed his flour-covered arm.
“Zhan-ge, don’t.”
Su Man had walked up. Holding back laughter, she wiped flour from the corner of his eye with a handkerchief.
“You’re really getting mad at kids? Such a waste of flour.”
He looked down at her. Her soft scent calmed his anger unexpectedly.
“Move.” His voice stayed cold, but the belt lowered.“They need discipline.”
“Will beating them work?” she raised an eyebrow.“The more you hit them, the more they hate you — and think I’m the bad woman breaking the family.”
“…Then what?”
She bent down, picked up the dripping basin, glanced at the flour.
“What a pity. This is good flour — enough for many steamed buns.”
She turned toward the two wary pairs of eyes and smiled meaningfully.
“If they’re kids, you use kid methods.”
She stuffed the basin into Lu Zhan’s arms and dusted her hands.
“You go wash and change. Leave this to me.”
He eyed her skeptically. “You can handle it?”
Her peach-blossom eyes shone confidently.
“Dealing with men — I’m still learning.”
She gave a chilling little laugh.
“But dealing with naughty kids…”
“I’m a professional.”