Wen Yan thought: This step should be solid enough.
Jiang Baizhou’s dazed mind gradually regained its senses. His Adam’s apple trembled, and he clenched his teeth tightly to keep from laughing out loud.
How on earth did she manage to say such a set of “perfunctory and insincere” words in such a flat tone?
It was obviously fake at first glance, yet the speaker carried a hint of sincerity.
It was the kind of situation where you knew she was talking nonsense, but you could still sense her genuine, clumsy attempt to comfort you.
A smile crept into Jiang Baizhou’s eyes. As for why Wen Yan didn’t want a divorce, he didn’t feel the need to dig deeper.
After all, this was the outcome he wanted too.
“Alright, we won’t get a divorce.”
[Ding! Initial System task completed. The Military Spouse Support System is now officially activated. You are not only the ones behind the soldiers but also independent individuals. Please pursue your dreams freely. This System will provide you with the best assistance.]
[Rewards being distributed…]
Knock, knock, knock.
“Battalion Commander Jiang, the political commissar has asked for you and Comrade Wen to come over.”
Both of them turned their heads at the same time, thinking of the divorce telegram.
Wen Yan grabbed Jiang Baizhou’s arm, her pupils dark and bright. She pursed her lips, her small face serious and tinged with a hint of “threat.”
“You promised not to get a divorce. You can’t go back on your word. A man’s word is his bond, and a soldier must be loyal to the country, loyal to his family, and loyal to his character!”
Jiang Baizhou looked down. Her fair, delicate fingertips had turned red from the force of her grip, and the clean, rounded nails revealed a crescent of pearly white.
It was a hand completely different from his own.
His eyes darkened slightly, a faint smile spreading across his face. Was she nervous?
She really piled on the pressure.
“Don’t worry, I won’t go back on my word.”
If he thought Wen Yan loved him to the point of obsession, he must have water in his brain.
But he was quite certain that the current Wen Yan genuinely didn’t want a divorce.
Having received his assurance, Wen Yan immediately let go of his arm, without a trace of reluctance.
Jiang Baizhou stood up and said, “I’ll go out and ask. You stay here and warm yourself by the fire. I’ll be right back.”
“Alright.”
Wen Yan wrapped her hands around the stone stove, warming herself earnestly. She scooted her feet forward a bit. The person who had just “confessed her feelings” now poured all her affection into the fire.
Jiang Baizhou couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. He felt like he wasn’t as appealing as this basin of fire.
He walked toward the door and, as he passed, placed Wen Yan’s hat back on her head. Wen Yan looked up.
“There’s a draft when the door opens.”
Their room had no barrier at all; half the warmth would escape as soon as the door opened.
“Oh, thank you.”
As she said this, Wen Yan pulled down her hat, tightened her scarf, and wrapped herself up tightly. Then she turned her body sideways, facing away from the door—she was very good at taking advice.
Jiang Baizhou’s smile deepened. Every one of Wen Yan’s actions took him by surprise.
Most people would probably say: “It’s fine, no problem,” right?
“Battalion Commander Jiang?”
“Coming.”
Jiang Baizhou turned around, opened the door just a crack, and quickly closed it again. He spoke with the young soldier outside.
Inside the room, Wen Yan warmed herself by the fire while checking the rewards issued by the System.
[Initial reward completed: Basic Living Essentials Pack ×1, Complete Woodworking Techniques Guide, Three-Dimensional Map.]
Wen Yan quickly scanned the notes. The Living Essentials Pack contained ten jin each of flour, rice, millet, soybeans, cornmeal, eggs, and cotton, as well as three boxes each of tooth powder, soap, clam oil, snowflake cream, and frostbite ointment. These were stored in the System space, though the System space currently could not store external items.
The other two items were exactly as described. There were two tasks.
[Assist the reclamation team in improving living conditions, produce wooden items such as farming tools. This is a long-term task, with rewards distributed in stages.]
[Help the agricultural reclamation advance team avoid the marshland, reduce casualties.]
The advance team was probably scouting the terrain before reclamation. She’d ask Jiang Baizhou about it later.
Wen Yan silently warmed herself by the fire, studying the Complete Woodcraft Guide in her mind.
A cold wind accompanied by a creaking sound blew in. She didn’t move, only turning her head after she felt the door close.
The first thing Jiang Baizhou saw upon entering was Wen Yan “spacing out” by the firelight. He quickly shut the door.
Stamping his feet and shaking his head at the doorway, he held up a tin thermos flask with an indiscernible pattern and said:
“I got some hot water. Warm yourself up first. Your luggage will be brought over in a bit.”
“Mix some fried flour paste to tide you over. You must be hungry after the journey. Not sure if the canteen still has food at this hour. After we come back from the Political Commissar, I’ll find some other food.”
“We’ll go to the Political Commissar’s in twenty minutes. Don’t worry, I’ll do the talking.”
Jiang Baizhou placed the thermos on the ground, turned to fetch his enamel mug, and asked Wen Yan if she minded.
Wen Yan’s thoughts disengaged from the System data. She shook her head, indicating she didn’t mind.
Jiang Baizhou gave an “mm” of acknowledgment, feeling a subtle, indescribable pleasure.
Nevertheless, he first poured some hot water into the mug to rinse it, splashing the water onto the ground.
Then he pulled a small brown paper packet from his pocket and carefully poured all the brown powdered flour inside into the enamel mug.
It looked exactly like poisoning someone in a TV drama.
Soon, Wen Yan, wearing gloves, was holding the warm, chipped enamel mug, blowing on the steam.
Inside the mug was the fragrant fried flour paste. Mixed with water, its color wasn’t appealing at all, but the aroma was wonderful.
Wen Yan took a sip. The fragrance of wheat, with its soft, cottony granular texture, warmed its way down into her stomach.
This small handful of fried flour paste was incredibly precious in 1958, no less so than lobster or abalone in later times.
Wen Yan watched as Jiang Baizhou went out and came back in again, carrying firewood and dry grass.
Because they ate from a communal pot, the earthen kang bed wasn’t connected to the stove. The fire hole for heating the kang was underneath it.
Wen Yan watched Jiang Baizhou light the fire and add fuel.
Illuminated by the firelight, his eyelashes were long enough to cast shadows, his nose bridge high and straight, his thin lips slightly pressed together, his jawline sharp. His eyes were gentle when he smiled, but carried a touch of aloofness and seriousness when he wasn’t.
Handsome!
Couldn’t see his physique, wrapped up in the cotton-padded jacket.
But his legs were ridiculously long!
His hands were nice too.
Even the veins standing out on the back of his hands from exertion looked better than anyone else’s.
Wen Yan’s gaze was open and unabashed, causing Jiang Baizhou, who had his back to her, to tense his muscles.
He’d only been doing reclamation work lately, hardly any training besides push-ups.
Wen Yan looked him over twice with a purely appreciative eye. Handsome, plus the ability to arrange everything properly—extra points.
Appreciation over, she withdrew her gaze and resumed studying.
Jiang Baizhou, tending the fire, relaxed his tensed muscles slightly, letting out a barely perceptible sigh.
Amidst the crackling of the burning wood, Wen Yan read three pages of the Complete Woodcraft Guide, not a slow pace.
In her previous life, she was a mechanical engineer, spending years in the lab.
Dealing with all sorts of manual machinery every day, she had also dabbled in carpentry. The data provided by the System was very detailed, suitable for learning.
Fifteen minutes later, Jiang Baizhou took Wen Yan’s empty mug. Out of habit, he poured hot water into it, swirled it around, and the plain water took on a slight oily sheen and a pale tint.
He blew on it a few times, then gulped it down without fear of scalding. As soon as he drank it, he realized something was off and looked at Wen Yan.
He really hadn’t meant it—it was just a subconscious habit of not wasting anything.
“I didn’t—”
Wen Yan looked up, wearing an expression of sudden understanding as if she had learned something new, and said, “This is good, no waste.”
Jiang Baizhou’s embarrassment was met with indifference, and he casually agreed, “Yes.”
Sigh… It seemed like he was the only one with impure thoughts.
After the little episode, the two of them went out together to meet the political commissar.
Bai Shanshan was pacing back and forth outside, looking anxious, and her eyes met Wen Yan’s.
Who she was waiting for went without saying.
All unfavorable factors had to be nipped in the bud.
Wen Yan immediately turned sideways and asked in a clear, loud voice, “Jiang Baizhou, do you want to divorce me?”