“It’s fine.”
Jiang Ni used a stick to gather the weeds he had cut into one pile so they could be thrown away later.
But the original owner’s body had never done manual labor before. After only a few movements, Jiang Ni began to feel an ache in her lower back.
She rubbed her waist a couple of times.
Fu Ruichen noticed the movement.
His eyes narrowed slightly. He stood up, took the tools from her hands, and set them aside.
“Go inside and rest.”
Jiang Ni had achieved exactly what she wanted. She smiled sweetly.
“All right. I’ll go inside first. You’ll have to do the rest yourself.”
By the time the sky had grown completely dark, the soil in the courtyard had all been turned over.
Fu Ruichen returned from the bathhouse.
Jiang Ni was lying on the bed in the bedroom, already half-asleep.
After everything she had done that day, she was exhausted.
Suddenly, she heard a noise.
She looked up and saw Fu Ruichen opening the wardrobe and taking out a blanket, apparently preparing to leave.
Confused, she asked, “Fu Ruichen, where are you going?”
“I’m going to sleep on the floor in the living room.”
Jiang Ni rubbed her eyes and propped herself halfway up.
“Why are you sleeping on the floor? Aren’t you going to sleep with me?”
Fu Ruichen’s sharp gaze shifted again.
He hadn’t forgotten that on their wedding night, the two of them had been drunk. When Jiang Ni woke up and found him in her bed, she had become furious and beaten and cursed him.
“The bed is too small. It’ll be cramped with two people.”
Jiang Ni secretly laughed.
Wasn’t that exactly what she wanted?
Although that was what she was thinking, she blinked innocently and said, “But I’m a little scared sleeping alone. Can’t you stay and sleep with me?”
Fu Ruichen tightened his grip on the blanket.
How many times had she acted spoiled in front of him today?
If she weren’t wearing that exact same face, he would have thought the woman standing before him wasn’t Jiang Ni at all.
Yet his feet seemed to have been filled with lead. He couldn’t make himself move.
In the end, Fu Ruichen pulled the light cord and lay down on the bed.
Jiang Ni had never dated anyone in her previous life, much less shared a bed with a man.
Now that there was a man lying beside her, his quiet breathing right next to her ear, the experience felt strangely novel.
Her mind was filled with thoughts of Fu Ruichen’s abs.
She wanted to touch them.
But if she suddenly reached over and touched him, wouldn’t she scare him?
As Jiang Ni thought about it, sleep gradually overcame her, and she drifted off.
Meanwhile, the man beside her lay stiffly on the very edge of the bed, his hands folded over his abdomen.
Listening to Jiang Ni’s steady breathing, he didn’t move an inch the entire night.
When Jiang Ni woke the next morning, the space beside her was already empty.
After washing up, she stood in the courtyard for a while, studying its layout.
She soon came up with a simple plan.
Just then, Fu Ruichen pushed open the door and walked in.
Jiang Ni immediately ran over and grabbed his arm.
“Ruichen, you’re back. I was just about to talk to you about something.”
Fu Ruichen gently steadied her.
“What is it?”
“There isn’t anywhere to bathe in the house. I want to build a little bathing shed on the east side of the courtyard. What do you think?”
Fu Ruichen looked toward the eastern side.
There was already a tree growing there, and there was just enough space beside it to build a small structure.
Without the slightest hesitation, he said, “Sure.”
Jiang Ni raised her eyebrows.
He agreed that quickly?
“Then we’ll build the bathing shed on the east side, and use the middle and western parts of the courtyard to grow vegetables.”
Jiang Ni pointed toward the patch of soil in the middle.
“I want to grow carrots, eggplants, and green beans. Oh, right, are there any vegetables you particularly like? I’ll buy those seeds too.”
Her large almond-shaped eyes sparkled with anticipation and excitement.
The hard lines of Fu Ruichen’s face softened slightly.
“I’m not picky.”
Jiang Ni smiled.
“Then I’ll buy several different kinds and rotate them. We’ll plant ginger, scallions, garlic, and things like that in the vegetable patch on the western side, since it’s close to the kitchen and it’ll be convenient to pick them.”
Even Fu Ruichen found it somewhat unbelievable.
When she had mentioned buying household necessities the night before, he had still been somewhat suspicious.
But now she was planning out the vegetable garden in such detail.
She really seemed determined to settle down and live with him.
Fu Ruichen didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm.
“You can arrange it however you like.”
“Okay. But…” Jiang Ni hesitated. “I don’t know how to grow vegetables.”
In her previous life, Jiang Ni had tried growing a few potted plants on her balcony, mostly scallions and cilantro.
But she had never actually grown vegetables properly.
Fu Ruichen didn’t think it was a difficult problem.
“Aunt Hong and Aunt Ying in the family compound know how. If you need help, I’ll ask them to come over.”
Hearing that there was someone who could help, Jiang Ni breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s great.”
“Let’s go inside and have breakfast first.”
Breakfast at the military unit consisted of several steamed buns and a plate of shredded potatoes. It was simple and light.
Jiang Ni looked at the two white-flour steamed buns in front of her, then at the coarse-grain buns in front of Fu Ruichen.
Her delicate brows lifted slightly.
“Ruichen, did you specifically bring these buns for me?”
Fu Ruichen nodded while eating.
The previous evening, he had noticed that Jiang Ni had left more than half of her bun uneaten. He figured she didn’t like the coarse-grain ones, so that morning he had specifically gone to the mess hall and asked for two white-flour buns for her.
Jiang Ni’s heart immediately warmed.
He was surprisingly attentive.
He had actually noticed such a tiny detail from the previous evening.
White-flour buns were such a precious rarity these days. She had no idea how he had managed to get them from the army kitchen.
“Thank you, Ruichen.”
The more Jiang Ni looked at him, the more she liked him. Her eyes practically sparkled as she gazed at him.
Meeting her gaze, Fu Ruichen’s heart gave a sudden flutter.
He handed her the chopsticks and lowered his head.
“Eat.”
Fu Ruichen was accustomed to eating quickly. After swallowing a few mouthfuls, he looked up at Jiang Ni.
“Zhiqi will be here later. He’ll take you to the supply cooperative to buy what you need.”
“Okay. Then come home for lunch. I’ll cook for you.”
Fu Ruichen looked slightly surprised.
“You’ve learned how to cook?”
He remembered that when they had gotten married, Jiang Ni had been a pampered young lady who had never lifted a finger around the house.
She had been extremely delicate and spoiled.
Jiang Ni blinked.
“I learned recently.”
Fu Ruichen didn’t question it.
But when he thought about her delicate, soft appearance, he hesitated.
“With your condition… it’d be better if you didn’t do that kind of work.”
Then he added, “I can bring lunch home.”
Besides, there was meat at the military unit, which would help provide her with more nutrition.
Jiang Ni shook her head.
“I’ve only just learned how to cook, and now I really enjoy making my own food. Let me cook, okay?”
That part was true.
In her previous life, apart from watching fashion shows, Jiang Ni’s biggest hobby had been cooking.
She had even created an account on social media specifically to edit and upload videos of the food she cooked every day. Her videos actually received quite a lot of views.
Seeing how determined she was, Fu Ruichen said, “Then be careful. If you need anything, ask Aunt Ying in the western compound or Aunt Hong in the eastern compound for help.”
Jiang Ni smiled brightly.
“Got it.”
She smiled at him like that again.
Fu Ruichen’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
“I’m leaving.”
“Come back soon.”
“Mm.”
After breakfast, Zhang Zhiqi drove Jiang Ni to the supply cooperative.
On the way there, Jiang Ni had already made up her mind.
Today, besides buying some everyday necessities at the supply cooperative, she also planned to make a trip to the black market.
In this era, goods at the supply cooperatives had to be purchased with ration coupons. Quantities were limited, and the selection wasn’t very comprehensive.
Only the black market could provide many of the things she wanted.
Jiang Ni arrived at the supply cooperative with Zhang Zhiqi.