Liu Defa walked in carrying his meal tray, his expression extremely grim.
“I was informed about Comrade Jiang Li’s report from the very beginning. I approved and supported it!”
“If you have any objections, you can come to me directly! Making a scene like this in public, in the dining hall—what kind of behavior is that?”
Seeing Liu Defa arrive, Liu Yanfang immediately lowered her head, her voice shrinking to almost a whisper.
“Liu… Mr. Liu, I didn’t mean anything else, I…”
“If you didn’t mean anything, then sit down and eat properly!”
Cutting her off, Liu Defa’s gaze sharpened.
After staring at her for a few seconds, he turned to Jiang Li, his expression softening.
“Comrade Xiao Jiang, continue your work. If there are any issues, report them directly to me. You’ve just arrived—many people may not be familiar with you. Don’t let that affect you.”
Jiang Li naturally understood what mattered most. She wouldn’t let Liu Yanfang’s provocation affect her mood.
When she sat down, Zhou Xiaoyun gave her a thumbs-up, her face full of admiration.
“Sis, you’re amazing.”
Fortunately, the afternoon passed peacefully without any further trouble.
By the time work ended in the evening, Jiang Li and Zhou Xiaoyun walked out together. From a distance, they saw Si Nanchen waiting at the gate.
Jiang Li was slightly stunned to see him there again, her heartbeat quickening unconsciously.
The next moment, her arm was lightly pinched.
“Jiang Li, is that your husband?”
“He looks so good—great build too! You two are really well-matched!”
“Oh wow, he even came to pick you up after work. That’s so thoughtful!”
Zhou Xiaoyun teased with a grin, winking at Jiang Li.
Although there was still some distance between them and Si Nanchen, Zhou Xiaoyun’s voice wasn’t quiet. Jiang Li had no idea how much he might have heard.
Her cheeks warmed slightly. She shot Zhou Xiaoyun an annoyed glance, then walked over to Si Nanchen after seeing her off.
“Didn’t I say I could go back by myself tonight? Why did you come again? Have you been waiting long?”
“Just got here.”
Si Nanchen ignored her first question and handed her a bag—it was filled with still-warm steamed buns.
“I bought them on the way. They’re still hot.”
“I don’t know if the food at the cafeteria suits your taste, so just have these first.”
Taking the buns, Jiang Li felt a warmth in her heart.
She knew Si Nanchen was attentive, but she hadn’t expected him to be so considerate in this way.
On the way home, things were much the same as in the morning.
But it had rained in the afternoon, and a section of the dirt road had become uneven.
Si Nanchen tried to avoid the bumps, but the bicycle still jolted.
Jiang Li let out a small cry and instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist.
In that instant, both of their breaths quickened, their bodies tensing.
Feeling her touch at his waist, Si Nanchen tightened his grip on the handlebars, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.
Jiang Li quickly realized what she had done and hurriedly let go, though her fingers still clutched the edge of his clothes.
“The road… it was a bit bumpy just now…”
“Mm. Sit steady.”
Si Nanchen replied hoarsely, his throat moving slightly.
After a brief silence, perhaps to ease the awkwardness, he looked ahead and spoke softly.
“How was work today? Did it go smoothly?”
Jiang Li, whose heart had still been racing, thought of her small victory at the cafeteria and smiled, her eyes curving.
“It went well. I met new colleagues—the girl you just saw.”
“And the leaders support my ideas. My colleagues are helping me find materials too. Everything’s pretty good.”
She deliberately skipped over Liu Yanfang’s trouble, sharing only the good news.
Hearing this, the tension in Si Nanchen’s heart eased, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
“That’s good.”
Half an hour later, they arrived home.
As soon as Jiang Li entered, she smelled the aroma of food.
Seeing two dishes and a soup already laid out on the table, still steaming, she looked at Si Nanchen in surprise.
“You made this?”
“Got it from the cafeteria—ready-made. I just reheated it when I got back.”
Si Nanchen parked the bicycle in the yard and walked inside, placing his hat aside casually.
“You’ve been working all day. It’d be too tiring to cook after coming back, so let’s just make do with this.”
Jiang Li looked at the food on the table, then at Si Nanchen washing up, and suddenly felt a lump in her throat.
All the hardships of her past life had been left behind.
But now, experiencing even this small bit of care and thoughtfulness felt almost overwhelming.
“You’re busy too. You really don’t have to go through the trouble… this is already very good…”
After washing his hands, Si Nanchen walked over. Seeing Jiang Li still standing, he pulled out a chair and handed her chopsticks.
After dinner, while Jiang Li was cleaning up, she saw Si Nanchen putting on his coat and shoes at the door.
“Get some rest early. I’ll head out.”
As the door closed, Jiang Li paused slightly.
Although they had been living like this for some time, she felt it was becoming increasingly unfair to him.
Unexpectedly, after she finished cleaning and tidying up, Si Nanchen returned.
“There was a temporary issue at the dorm. The gate’s closed, and I can’t get in right now.”
Seeing him standing there awkwardly, Jiang Li couldn’t help but smile.
“So tonight…”
“I’ll sleep on the floor.”
Standing at the kitchen doorway, Jiang Li watched as Si Nanchen took out bedding from the cabinet and skillfully set up a makeshift bed on the floor. She sighed softly.
No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t find any fault in him.
If she had to pick something, maybe he just didn’t talk much.
Realizing her thoughts, Jiang Li chuckled inwardly.
Maybe… she should buy a bed tomorrow.
After all, going back and forth to the dorm every day wasn’t a solution.
He might not mind, but she felt guilty.
Besides, if the other soldiers saw this going on for too long, they might start talking.
As for sleeping on the floor…
Looking at Si Nanchen’s tall frame, Jiang Li turned and went out to the yard to tend to the seeds and soil.
For a soldier, hard boards and sleeping on the ground were probably normal.
But she couldn’t simply accept that as it should be.
The next day, as usual, Si Nanchen rode his bicycle to take Jiang Li to the Agricultural Bureau.
At the gate, Jiang Li got off and straightened her wind-tousled hair.
“I’ll head in now. Be careful on the road.”
Seeing him nod without moving, she smiled and turned to walk inside.
Not long after she entered the office, Liu Defa came in excitedly.
“Xiao Jiang, come—I’ll take you to see our precious experimental field.”
“I’m telling you, the seedlings there are corn seedlings we’re observing. They might become a key focus for future selection and promotion!”
“We’ve all placed great hopes on this treasure!”