When Qin Shuyao and Chen Qilan returned to the town from the county seat, they picked up some daily necessities along the way.
Calling their so-called home “bare walls and nothing else” was not an exaggeration at all. Even the quilt and bedsheets they slept on the previous night had been borrowed by Chen Qilan from the unit.
Before Qin Shuyao joined the army as a family dependent, Chen Qilan had been a single man who ate and lived entirely in the unit. This courtyard had only been secured on the day they registered their marriage, when Liao Minliang called Political Commissar Hong to request it.
On the way back, looking at a truckload of daily supplies, Chen Qilan wore a guilty expression.
“I didn’t expect this home visit to turn into a wedding, so I…”
So he had prepared nothing and ended up making his wife suffer.
Hu Jiangnan laughed loudly. “Stop saying useless things, Old Seven. Forget everything else. First thing you should do is hand over your savings book to your wife. That’s our battalion’s tradition.”
“Nonsense! As if you need to teach me that. I handed it over on the day we got married.”
Chen Qilan shot a fierce glare at his talkative comrade and mocked him. “You make it sound like you’re experienced. A single man without a wife, lecturing me?”
This kind of remark was truly lethal.
Not only was Hu Jiangnan’s spirit shattered, several other bachelors also took critical damage.
Seventh Company Commander, I warn you, leave yourself some mercy. You might meet again in the future.
“Hey, Seventh Sister-in-law, how’s your cooking? When are you inviting us over for a meal?”
Someone spoke up, and the rest looked eager.
“Get lost. Eat what meal? Only I get to eat my wife’s cooking. Look at yourselves. Do you think you’re worthy?”
Before Qin Shuyao could say anything, Chen Qilan kicked the leg of the comrade who first suggested eating at his place.
“Can you have a bit of manners?”
Seeing how “rough” Chen Qilan was with his comrades, Qin Shuyao gently pinched his leg.
Then she smiled and said, “Once the house is tidied up in the next few days, I’ll definitely invite everyone over. My cooking isn’t great, but I can manage a few home-style dishes.”
“Home-style dishes are great. I love home-style dishes!”
Hu Jiangnan clapped his hands. “Can I order? I want stewed chicken with mushrooms.”
Chen Qilan laughed and scolded him. “I’ll stew you together with the mushrooms.”
As the vehicle was about to reach the town, Qin Shuyao suddenly exclaimed, “Oh no.”
“We didn’t buy bowls!”
They had bought a large pot and a small pot, basins, plates, chopsticks, and spoons. They had even bought a few new outfits for Huzi and Xiao Jiao.
But they had forgotten bowls.
Chen Qilan rubbed the top of Qin Shuyao’s head and comforted her gently. “It’s fine. I’ll take you to rob… no, to borrow some bowls later.”
By the time they got home, it was already evening.
Two soldiers had been temporarily assigned to look after Huzi and Xiao Jiao. Seeing Chen Qilan and his wife return, the soldier playing with Xiao Jiao immediately stood at attention.
“Hello, Seventh Company Commander. Hello, Sister-in-law.”
“Where’s Huzi?”
Only seeing Xiao Jiao, Qin Shuyao instinctively looked around for Huzi, her expression anxious.
“He was just in the courtyard a moment ago.”
The young soldier hurried to search with her.
As Qin Shuyao stepped outside the courtyard, she saw Huzi carrying a bundle of firewood as he turned into the alley.
The bundle was huge. Huzi’s small body was bent under its weight as he struggled forward, sweat covering his forehead.
“Huzi!”
Qin Shuyao rushed over and took the firewood from his back.
“Auntie, I’m sorry!”
Huzi, who had been hostile toward Qin Shuyao the day before, suddenly bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, leaving her at a loss.
“I’ll be obedient from now on. I can help with chores. I can endure any hardship. I… I…”
He was still just a child. No matter how hard he tried to act like an adult, his fear still showed.
Huzi’s change in attitude was not because he liked Qin Shuyao, but because he wanted to survive with his sister.
That morning at the Geng household, when his sister had been thrown into a water vat by Gao Jinliang and nearly drowned, Huzi knew that place was no longer their home.
Even if Grandma and Aunt treated them well, he could see that Gao Jinliang would sooner or later become the new master of the Geng family.
So he chose Qin Shuyao.
At the very least, he did not see killing intent on this woman’s face. At the very least, he and his sister could stay alive.
Before his mother died, she had called him to her bedside and held his hand, earnestly instructing him.
“No matter who you follow in the future, don’t be stubborn or show off. If you need to apologize, then apologize. If you need to kneel, then kneel. Remember this. No matter how hard it gets, you must survive with your sister.”
He had been only five years old then. His mother’s death forced him to grow up too early, like seedlings pulled up to grow faster.
He was like a resilient weed. No matter how harsh the environment, he could adapt quickly.
He even tried to use his frail body to shield his sister and carve out a small piece of sky for her.
He could endure suffering and humiliation, could please everyone in the world. He would take all the hardship upon himself so his sister would not have to.
Qin Shuyao was a perceptive woman. From Huzi’s ingratiating yet guarded gaze, she understood everything.
In that instant, her eyes filled with tears.
“From now on, this is your home. You don’t need to deliberately please anyone. We are family. We are equals.”
Her voice trembled slightly as she carried the firewood Huzi had chopped and took his hand, leading him back home.
“Brother!”
Xiao Jiao had been restrained earlier. Seeing Huzi return, she was like a rabbit unbound, her steps and voice becoming light and lively.
Huzi hugged his sister.
“Xiao Jiao, from now on you have to listen to Seventh Dad and Auntie, okay?”
Xiao Jiao nodded hard.
Chen Qilan patted Huzi’s shoulder with a bit of force and said with approval, “You’re something else, kid.”
Even though he could tell Huzi was merely pretending to be obedient and ingratiating himself, so what?
They were just two children doing everything they could to stay alive. What fault was that?
The two children no longer resisted Qin Shuyao as they had that morning. Their attitude did a complete turn, becoming obedient like two doll-like puppets.
When Qin Shuyao gave them snacks, they accepted them obediently. When she gave them fruit, they held it carefully in their arms.
Every time they received something, Huzi would teach Xiao Jiao to say, “Thank you, Auntie.”
This eight-year-old brother was trying his best to teach his sister how to survive while relying on others. He had already exhausted all his strength.
Qin Shuyao had worried that she might not get along peacefully with the two children, yet in just one day they had become so well-behaved and sensible. Instead of feeling relieved, her heart felt heavy.
They should have grown up carefree and unrestrained, like birds in the sky or wildflowers in the valley.
As dusk fell, Chen Qilan took Qin Shuyao and the two children out to rob… no, to borrow bowls.
His target was very clear: Political Commissar Hong’s house in the back alley.
Chen Qilan had mentioned before that Political Commissar Hong was named Hong Meisheng, and that he and Liao Minliang had once served under Lu Jinzhong. Because of that, he was particularly fond of Chen Qilan.
Of course, that fondness only existed in daily life.
In the army, Hong Meisheng was always impartial. In fact, because Chen Qilan was Lu Jinzhong’s nephew, his standards for him were even stricter.
Chen Qilan did not even knock. He pushed the door open and swaggered into the vegetable-filled courtyard.
Like a military dog on a mission, he sniffed around as he investigated. When he passed the lit kitchen window, he shouted inside.
“Wow, that smells amazing. Is it braised pork today? Is there a portion for our family of four?”