"It’s not just the firebricks. The other materials are easy to get, too."
Aunt Liu said, "Do you have anything you need to get? I can take you to see it right now."
She had a fiery, impulsive personality. Once she decided on something, she had to do it immediately.
Su Wan had been resting for a few days and felt fine, so after a moment’s thought, she went with Aunt Liu.
Aunt Liu took her there on a tractor.
"Aunt Liu, I can’t be back too late. Lu Zhengchuan asked me to make him lunch at home. You know he usually eats at the mess hall and doesn’t have anyone to cook home-style meals for him. Now that I’m here, I was thinking I could cook for him more often." Su Wan took the initiative to start a conversation.
Aunt Liu nodded in approval. "Good. That’s how you build a life together. Wanwan, you must live well with Xiao Lu. He has a bright future; you won’t lose out by being with him."
Su Wan sighed softly. "Auntie, I understand what you’re saying. It’s just that sometimes when I see him interacting with other female comrades, I can’t help but feel a little upset."
"Are you talking about those girls from the military’s song and dance troupe?" Aunt Liu was indeed well-informed, but her reaction was a bit unexpected to Su Wan. "Ah, Wanwan, that just goes to show how deep your bond with Xiao Lu is."
"A few years ago, Comrade Xu Yan and the others were always finding excuses to give Xiao Lu all sorts of homemade food. But Xiao Lu actually refused all of it. He doesn’t know the first thing about being gentle with the ladies. He’s always away on missions. If it weren’t for his fast promotions, he probably wouldn’t stand out at all in the military district. After all, he’s barely ever around—he’s either on his way to a mission or in his office writing reports."
"I only pay so much attention to these talented young men in the army because I’m trying to pick a husband for my own girl," Aunt Liu said earnestly.
Su Wan asked tentatively, "Auntie, are you saying that Lu Zhengchuan is a very good marriage prospect?"
"Of course. If he were really messing around with the female soldiers from the song and dance troupe, how could I not know?" Aunt Liu lifted her chin confidently. When it came to intelligence on the officers’ private lives, if she didn’t know something, then no one did.
"You shouldn’t overthink it. It’s not just Xiao Lu who’s popular. If you think about it, there isn’t a single leading officer in the camp who isn’t popular."
"Let me tell you something blunt. If any of their wives were to pass away, believe it or not, there’d be a line of women willing to be their second wife in a heartbeat."
Aunt Liu patted her hand gently. "I’m only telling you these heartfelt things because you’ve helped me so much, Wanwan. Otherwise, I would never say them."
"Auntie, I know. I’ve taken all your advice to heart. It’s just..." Su Wan was stunned that the interactions between Lu Zhengchuan and Zheng Zhizhi were kept so well under wraps.
"Actually, back in our village, there really is a girl who grew up with Lu Zhengchuan."
Aunt Liu’s eyes widened fiercely. "What? You suspect Xiao Lu is involved with that girl? She’s from your village. You can’t be telling me you’re only just now finding out they’ve been seeing each other privately, right? Don’t be so sensitive."
Su Wan knew that if she didn’t reveal a little more, Aunt Liu would start to think she was just someone who didn’t appreciate a good thing when she had it.
"I’m not just making trouble for fun. The letters that everyone in the compound is gossiping about... I didn’t write them at all," Su Wan said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and revealing her delicately furrowed brow.
Even Aunt Liu had to admit she was beautiful.
Perhaps influenced by her beauty, Aunt Liu’s first reaction wasn’t suspicion, but confusion. "What? You didn’t write them, Wanwan? Then how come they have your signature on them, and they were mailed to Xiao Lu from your village?"
"Actually, I only just found out about it myself." In a few brief sentences, Su Wan explained how she had overheard Zheng Zhizhi talking to Zhang Yun.
Aunt Liu slapped her thigh. "You silly girl! How could you hear about something so major and just keep it to yourself?"
"That... what’s-her-name, Zheng Zhizhi! Whose family raised a girl like that? Has she no shame, doing something so disgraceful?" Aunt Liu looked like she wanted to spit right in Zheng Zhizhi’s face.
She’d seen plenty of shameless people in her time; every single one of them deserved to be spat on.
Su Wan gave a bitter smile. "Auntie, it’s not that I wanted to keep it to myself, but aside from what I overheard, I have no proof at all."
Aunt Liu’s eyes widened fiercely again. "Then go to Xiao Lu and have him stand up for you!"
"That’s exactly what I was thinking. But who would have thought that as soon as I arrived at the compound, I’d hear that my reputation was already so terrible."
"...You’ve just had some bad luck." Aunt Liu’s gaze softened with a hint of sympathy. She had a sharp eye for people and could naturally tell that Su Wan wasn’t lying.
"Even for Xiao Lu, it would definitely be difficult to prove the other party is guilty without evidence."
Aunt Liu began to ponder the situation.
"Exactly." Su Wan had a headache just thinking about it. ’Not only do I have to be on guard against Zheng Zhizhi,’ she thought, ’I have to be on guard against Lu Zhengchuan, too.’
’But at least I have Lu Zhengchuan’s written guarantee. That’s the only thing I have in my favor.’
"Auntie, there’s something you don’t know. Lu Zhengchuan and Zheng Zhizhi were childhood sweethearts; they grew up together..."
Su Wan trailed off, leaving her sentence unfinished.
Aunt Liu was a sharp one and immediately understood the reason for her frown.
"Wanwan, are you... thinking that Xiao Lu knows what Comrade Zheng Zhizhi has been doing?" Aunt Liu’s heart skipped a beat. For once, she didn’t immediately refute it. After all, she’d heard enough gossip to know that the more outrageous the story, the more likely it was to be true.
She grabbed Su Wan’s hand worriedly. "If that’s true, then you..."
"Then I’ll divorce Lu Zhengchuan," Su Wan said with certainty.
Aunt Liu sounded a little disapproving. "Divorce? Getting a divorce these days is so shameful."
"Besides, it affects the woman much more. A man can remarry easily, but if you want to marry again, I’m afraid your options will be much more limited. My advice is to try your best to win Xiao Lu back. For example, have a child with him. I know what kind of person Xiao Lu is. His career is very important to him. He’d never ruin his future for some girl he grew up with."
"As long as you don’t make any major mistakes, there’s absolutely no way he can divorce you. Military marriages are protected, you know."
Su Wan had expected this. In this day and age, most elders would advise reconciliation, not separation.
But her goal wasn’t to argue about whether or not to get a divorce.
"Ah, Wanwan, don’t be so anxious. Actually, this business with Zheng Zhizhi is very easy to solve if you approach it from a different angle." Aunt Liu winked at her.
Su Wan immediately leaned in closer to listen.
Aunt Liu whispered a few sentences in her ear.
Su Wan’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, and gradually, a new light sparked within them.
「It took the whole morning to select the firebricks and other materials from the Victory Team, which were then transported directly back to the compound by tractor.」
By the time they finished and got back home, it was already past one o’clock.
"Auntie, I’ll make a bowl of noodles. Please don’t mind the simple meal." Su Wan insisted on having her stay and cooked a bowl of noodles with minced meat.
The sight of meat made her a bit nauseous now, so she gave most of the minced meat to Aunt Liu.
Aunt Liu saw this clearly and was even more pleased. ’Su Wan is a genuine and considerate person,’ she thought.
This made her even more determined to help Su Wan.
After leaving the Lu Family’s home, Aunt Liu was looking around for someone when Zheng Qing, who had been keeping a close eye on Su Wan, eagerly rushed out of her yard. She pulled Aunt Liu aside and asked, "Sister-in-law, what were you and Su Wan up to just now?"
Seeing the unconcealed jealousy in her eyes, Aunt Liu nodded in satisfaction. ’Mm, very good,’ she thought. ’Isn’t this the perfect candidate, delivered right to my doorstep?’