Mu Guiying looked at herself in the mirror, unable to hold back the surge of grievance. She let go of the vest she had lifted and crouched on the floor, hugging her knees as she cried.
After weeping for a while, she finally calmed down.
Mu Guiying washed her hair and also cleaned the blood-stained Dacron shirt and pants.
Carrying the basin, she went to hang the clothes to dry.
On a dry early summer night, leaving the clothes outside overnight would surely dry them completely.
Suddenly, Mu Guiying looked down and saw Gu Yunche’s white shirt with light gray stripes draped over the back of a chair. The back of the shirt was also stained with blood.
After hanging her clothes, Mu Guiying took advantage of the indoor light to wash Gu Yunche’s shirt as well. She scrubbed it twice with soap, cleaning it thoroughly.
She knew Gu Yunche was particular about cleanliness—in modern terms, he had a bit of a cleanliness obsession. Since she was the one who had dirtied the shirt, it was only right for her to wash it clean.
Meanwhile, Gu Yunche lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
He didn’t know what had come over him, but every time he closed his eyes, he recalled the moment he had fed Mu Guiying sugar water mouth-to-mouth. He couldn’t help but reminisce about the girl’s unique fragrance and the soft touch of her lips.
Gu Yunche abruptly sat up. Wearing a white vest, he brushed aside the stray hairs on his forehead.
“Gu Yunche, what are you thinking?”
He felt he must have been too bored to entertain such random thoughts.
Gu Yunche took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself and fall asleep quickly. Just as he lay down, he heard the sound of splashing water outside.
His years of firearms training had sharpened his hearing and vision. He easily identified the direction as coming from Mu Guiying’s room—she was either washing clothes or…
Gu Yunche paused, warmth creeping up to his ears. He pulled the blanket over his head to block out the sounds from outside.
The next day, Gu Yunche woke up early. He folded his blanket into a standard “tofu block,” packed his belongings into his suitcase, and then took his washbasin to fetch water for washing up.
As he opened the door, Gu Yunche saw his shirt billowing on the clothesline, tangled with a woman’s vest nearby. Fluttering in the wind beside them was Mu Guiying’s white shirt with red floral patterns.
So, it really was her washing clothes last night.
Watching the two garments entangled in the wind, Gu Yunche’s ears flushed red.
He set down the basin and hurried over to untangle his shirt.
At that moment, Mu Guiying pushed open her door, yawning as she stepped out to fetch water for washing her face and brushing her teeth. She immediately saw Gu Yunche retrieving his shirt.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Gu Yunche glanced up.
Mu Guiying raised her hand in greeting.
She smiled awkwardly and said, “Regiment Commander Gu, good morning!”
Distracted, Gu Yunche accidentally tugged down Mu Guiying’s vest as well, causing the bamboo clothespin to clatter to the ground.
Mu Guiying watched as Gu Yunche’s already somewhat flustered expression nearly cracked.
Her fingers, which had been raised in greeting, slowly lowered one by one. She pointed awkwardly at the cotton women’s vest in Gu Yunche’s hand.
“Um… Regiment Commander Gu, that’s mine!”
Gu Yunche’s face flushed red, the color spreading from his cheeks down to his neck and up to the tips of his ears. He glanced at the women’s vest he had accidentally taken down.
Striding over, he tilted his head and pushed the vest, which felt as if it were burning his hand, into Mu Guiying’s arms.
“I accidentally pulled it down. Here, take it back!”
With those words, Gu Yunche turned and strode back into his room with lightning speed.
Mu Guiying felt as if an oversized red shrimp had floated before her eyes as she stared at the cotton vest handmade by a rural woman from the 1980s.
She suppressed a laugh. "With just this style, Gu Yunche could get so flustered? If I showed him a bikini or some lace lingerie, wouldn't he get a nosebleed?"
The thought of the stern and imposing Gu Yunche making such a fool of himself lifted her spirits. Humming a tune, she went to collect the clothes first—after all, she was still wearing the Party branch secretary's wife's outfit.
When Mu Cheng came out to brush her teeth and wash her face, she noticed Gu Yunche's washbasin, mug, toothbrush, and towel all laid out. She found it even more amusing.
Gu Yunche was too embarrassed to come out and run into her again, hiding inside and waiting for her to finish before he'd return to his room!
Mu Guiying brushed her teeth leisurely, deliberately making him wait and stay put inside.
As she washed her face with soap, the icy well water felt refreshingly cool. But when she bent over, the wound on her back stretched and ached. She quickly rinsed off the foam, straightened up, dried her face, and went back inside.
Through the window, Gu Yunche watched Mu Guiying finish washing up and return to her room.
Annoyed, he punched the wall with his hand.
"How could I have taken hers…"
He was utterly embarrassed!
Even more embarrassing were his thoughts—he shouldn't have overanalyzed it. It was just an accidental mix-up with the clothes.
Gu Yunche glanced at his reddened earlobes in the small round mirror hanging on the wall.
These next few years were crucial for the regiment—tactical breakthroughs, field training—he couldn't afford to think about resolving personal matters. But for someone like Gu Yunche, who had received higher education and studied abroad, free love and marriage were perfectly normal. He had natural physical needs and marital desires, but he could wait a few more years to consider marriage.
With that thought, Gu Yunche felt much more at ease and pushed the door open to go wash up.
During breakfast, Mu Guiying served porridge to the Party branch secretary and others.
The Party branch secretary's wife had steamed buns and boiled eggs early in the morning, and even packed a small cloth bag of eggs for Mu Guiying to eat on the road.
But no one at the table had much appetite, each lost in their own thoughts.
Gu Yunche also noticed Mu Guiying's restlessness.
After a moment's contemplation, he reassured her, "Don't worry, Liu E wouldn't dare bring people to snatch you away. We'll leave right after breakfast."
Mu Guiying nodded.
Gu Yunche observed her simple and neat hairstyle—a high ponytail that swayed playfully as she spoke and nodded, giving her a youthful, lively, and charming look that was quite appealing.
After breakfast, the two set off. The Party branch secretary saw them to the village entrance and slipped Mu Guiying 10 yuan before they left.
The Party branch secretary had arranged for Xiao Wu, a driver from the county town who came to collect materials, to give them a ride to the county bus station.
Only after getting in the car did Mu Guiying feel somewhat at ease.
After all, in the original story, Liu E had called her relatives to block the road, and relying on the "law doesn't punish the masses" mentality, they intentionally injured both her and Gu Yunche.
However, in the book, they weren't leaving the village for the capital but heading to the county town to get their marriage certificate.
As the vehicle passed the large locust tree at the village entrance, Mu Guiying recalled the book's plot.
She quickly said to Xiao Wu, "Let's take the left road—it's closer."
In the original story, Xiao Wu had taken a longer route to cozy up to Gu Yunche, who was from the capital, and ended up running right into Liu E and her blockade.
This time, Mu Guiying suggested changing the route.
Gu Yunche gave a slight nod. "Comrade Xiao Wu, we're in a hurry. Please take a shortcut."
Since Xiao Wu knew Mu Guiying was from the village and familiar with the roads, he had no choice but to turn left.
Mu Guiying felt pleased but still uneasy.
Her arrival had altered the course of events—did that mean others might also act unpredictably?
With this thought, Mu Guiying, sitting in the back, kept glancing outside to check the situation.
Gu Yunche, in the passenger seat, glanced at the rearview mirror and noticed her restlessness.
He turned to ask her, "What are you worried about?"