After several days and nights of continuous “clattering” between the wheels and rails, the train finally came to a complete stop.
A dozen young Educated Youth who had traveled from Su Shi, moving on unsteady feet, dragged or carried heavy luggage on their shoulders through the bustling crowd filled with voices and whistles, squeezing their way toward the exit.
The exit was quite narrow, forcing the large influx of people to queue up obediently.
Chu Xiangxue was among them. Just as she set her large bundle down to catch her breath, she spotted someone outside the station holding up a sign with her name.
Her new travel companion, Zhao Yan, noticed it too: “Xiangxue! Look! Is that person here to pick you up?”
“Probably.” Zhao Yan’s voice snapped Chu Xiangxue out of her daze. Not wanting to keep anyone waiting, she turned to her new friend: “Yanzi, I’ll go check.”
Zhao Yan waved cheerfully: “Go ahead, I’ll watch your luggage.”
“Thank you…”
Li Yonghui had never seen a photo of his comrade’s sister, but they had spoken on the phone, so his eyes quickly locked onto one person among the group of men and women.
When he saw the young woman running toward him, his assumption was confirmed.
He swiftly folded the paper in his hand, strode forward with long steps, and asked across the meter-high railing: “Chu Yu’s sister?”
Chu Xiangxue nodded repeatedly: “Yes, that’s me. Are you Comrade Li?”
“I’m Li Yonghui.” After confirming, he added: “Go ahead and queue up. I’ll wait for you at the exit.”
“Okay, okay.” Chu Xiangxue had initially felt awkward, completely unprepared and unsure what to say to him. Relieved by this solution, she dashed back.
When she returned, Zhao Yan couldn’t contain her curiosity: “Who is he? Is he here to pick you up? He’s so big—tall and burly.”
“He’s my older brother’s comrade.” He really was quite tall and sturdy. Chu Xiangxue couldn’t resist stealing another glance at the man who stood out like a crane among chickens.
As a native Jiangnan girl, she rarely encountered men who were… so brawny in her surroundings.
Although her brother was also quite tall, he had a more slender build, nothing this exaggerated…
“Wow… your brother is so nice!” Zhao Yan was genuinely envious. Unlike her own brother, who not only never considered her feelings but even persuaded their parents to force her to become an Educated Youth to avoid being sent to the countryside.
Indeed, comparisons are odious. But Zhao Yan was thick-skinned; after feeling down for just a few moments, her curiosity sparked again: “Did you know each other before? It seemed like he recognized you right away.”
“No, we didn’t.” Chu Xiangxue was actually quite curious too.
So when they exited the station and the man took her bundle, she couldn’t help but voice her curiosity: “Did my brother send you a photo of me?”
Li Yonghui looked down, meeting a pair of large almond-shaped eyes. Those eyes were crystal clear, clearly belonging to a girl who had been pampered. Remembering Old Chu’s description of his sister, a smile flickered in his eyes as he replied in a deep voice: “No photo.”
Chu Xiangxue: “Then how did you recognize me?”
Li Yonghui: “Your brother described you over the phone.”
“Ah? What did my brother say?” Chu Xiangxue grew even more curious. Could someone really recognize a stranger just from a verbal description?
“Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“What do you mean?” Chu Xiangxue’s heart skipped a beat, sensing something ominous, yet she insisted, “I want to hear it.”
Li Yonghui’s eyes twinkled with even greater amusement: “Old Chu said his sister isn’t very tall, quite thin, likes wearing two braids, fair-skinned, with particularly large eyes, and looks… silly and easy to fool.”
“…” At 163 cm, Chu Xiangxue—who considered herself of average height—clenched her fists. And who was “silly”?!
=
Chu Yu remained completely unaware that his comrade had spilled all his secrets.
His attention was almost entirely focused on his newlywed wife.
After all, she had left her hometown to follow him across the country.
He couldn’t help worrying about her mood, fussing over her meals and sleep…
Fortunately, the journey wasn’t too long. By the second evening, the train arrived in Jinggu City.
Around 8 p.m., the platform lights cast a dim yellow glow, insufficient to illuminate every corner.
With both hands occupied by large bundles, Chu Yu couldn’t shield his wife and could only anxiously instruct: “Fang Bai, walk in front of me, stay close.”
Gu Fangbai could roughly guess her husband’s concern. If she remembered correctly, human traffickers were rampant in this era, particularly targeting young, pretty girls and small children. Being someone who valued her life dearly, she immediately clutched her small bag and positioned herself directly in front of her Battalion Commander Chu.
With limited train schedules in those days, the station remained crowded even at night.
The couple struggled through the crowd, sweating profusely, before finally exiting the station.
They then spent a few cents to hail a state-owned pedicab to the nearest Guest House.
It was only when Battalion Commander Chu produced their marriage certificate to book a room that Gu Fangbai belatedly realized they would be sharing a bed tonight…
Was she afraid? Not really.
She wasn’t particularly shy either—after years of medical training, she was quite familiar with human anatomy. Ahem… forensic pathology still counted as medicine.
So at most, she felt somewhat awkward, having never been this close to any man before…
“Fang Bai, it’s done.”
Gu Fangbai immediately picked up her small bag and followed.
The room was on the second floor—modest in size with sparse furnishings. The most conspicuous item was the double wooden bed positioned squarely in the center.
Compared to Gu Fangbai’s composure, it was Chu Yu who seemed ill at ease. Setting down the luggage, he cleared his throat: “Are you hungry? Want some biscuits? I’ll prepare some malted milk too.”
The 1960s offered no late-night snacks, but they’d anticipated this and brought some pastries for the journey.
Gu Fangbai was reading the quotations on the wall and shook her head at his question: “I’m not hungry. I’d like to bathe first.” In the summer heat, she felt she was starting to smell.
Chu Yu immediately knelt to unpack, asking as he untied the bundles: “Are your change of clothes in here?”
“I’ll handle it. You’ve had a long journey too—much harder than mine.” Gu Fangbai knelt beside him.
Hearing this, Chu Yu felt reinvigorated. He shifted to block her, beaming: “I’m not tired. You’re the one who needs rest.”
“…” Gu Fangbai was speechless. She simply didn’t want Battalion Commander Chu handling her intimate garments—they weren’t that familiar yet. Unfortunately, her polite refusal went completely over his head, forcing her to be blunt: “There are undergarments inside. I’ll get them myself.”
“What little…” Chu Yu, who had been struggling with the package, froze for a moment. When he realized what his wife was referring to, he shot up as if scalded, backing away while stammering, “You… I… I’ll go fetch hot water.”
Despite his tall and sturdy build, he moved with unexpected agility. Watching the man dart out of the room like a grasshopper, Gu Fangbai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, her earlier discomfort completely vanishing.
Well, Battalion Commander Chu was just too innocent—her own embarrassment seemed almost improper in comparison…
=
The guest house had bathing facilities.
Late at night, Gu Fangbai was the only woman in the female section.
She took a thorough hot shower from head to toe, washing away the dust and fatigue of the day, then returned to her room with semi-damp long hair.
Chu Yu had been efficient, finishing his own preparations half an hour earlier.
While waiting for his wife to return, he kept busy—lighting mosquito coils, fetching hot water, finding towels…
After wiping the bamboo mat on the bed several times and pulling out two clean shirts to use as covers, he finally tucked in the mosquito net contentedly and leaned against the headboard.
Seeing his wife return, Chu Yu immediately slipped on his sandals and grabbed the dry towel he’d prepared earlier from the chairback. “Shall I dry your hair?” he offered.
For a married couple to live harmoniously, they couldn’t remain too distant. Gu Fangbai plopped onto the chair. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
“Alright, I won’t say it next time.” Battalion Commander Chu’s technique proved surprisingly skillful—not only was her scalp free from tugging pain, but the massage made Fang Bai drowsy. She yawned lazily. “What time do we leave tomorrow morning?”
Chu Yu: “The military sends vehicles to the city for supplies daily. We just need to reach the assembly point by 10 AM tomorrow.”
“How far is the guest house from the assembly point?”
“About an hour by bus.”
Meaning, to be safe, they’d need to check out by 8:30 AM at the latest. The timing was manageable, and Gu Fangbai relaxed, then couldn’t suppress another yawn.
Noticing his wife’s exhaustion, Chu Yu silently quickened his movements.
Yet, lacking experience, it still took him half an hour to finish drying her hair—by which time the seated wife had already fallen asleep leaning against him.
Chu Yu gazed at Fang Bai’s lovely sleeping face for a long while before tossing the towel aside, bending to scoop her up horizontally, and gently laying her on the inner side of the bed. He then draped a clean shirt over her abdomen.
Only after confirming he hadn’t disturbed his wife’s sleep did Chu Yu lie down beside her.
Then he turned slightly, staring intently at the girl lying shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
Never since they’d met had Chu Yu felt more acutely aware than in this moment… he was married!
At a time when he’d felt trapped like a cornered beast, his wife had descended into his life like a gift from heaven.
She was beautiful, intelligent, talented—her demeanor soft yet inwardly distant.
Compared to her husband, she clearly felt closer to and trusted her sister Xiangxue more.
Yet this trust and closeness seemed oddly timed, unfitting for two people who hadn’t been in contact for five or six years.
But it undeniably existed. With Chu Yu’s discernment, he could clearly distinguish genuine affection from pretense.
He’d even wondered if Xiangxue had once done Fang Bai some great favor.
But after subtle inquiries with his sister yielded no answers, he stopped pressing for explanations.
As long as it was certain that Fang Bai held good intentions, what was the rush to uncover the true answer?
They had a whole lifetime, didn’t they?
With that thought, the man who had been lying properly went from gently testing the waters by holding hands to turning over and embracing the soft, fragrant warmth in his arms—all in under two minutes.
Of course, Chu Yu didn’t get to hold her for long. Soon, his sleeping wife found him too warm and pushed him away with both hands and feet.
In the end, holding hands as they slept was Battalion Commander Chu’s final act of stubbornness…
=
She hadn’t slept well on the train.
So, even in an unfamiliar environment and with a husband she barely knew sleeping beside her, Gu Fangbai—who was particular about both beds and people—slept soundly through the night.
To be precise, if she hadn’t been woken up at 7:30 the next morning, she could have slept until noon.
Seeing his wife’s drowsy eyes, Chu Yu couldn’t resist leaning in to give her a kiss before asking with a smile, “Did you sleep well?”
His stubble was a bit prickly… Gu Fangbai held back a blush, first rotating her stiff neck and then rubbing her face to wake herself up before moving to the edge of the bed and feeling around for her shoes with her feet: “Not very well. The pillow was too hard.”
She preferred soft pillows. The pillows at the Gu family home were also stuffed with cotton, so suddenly switching to buckwheat hulls was really quite uncomfortable.
Chu Yu reached out to massage his wife’s shoulders and neck: “We’ll pass by the Supply and Marketing Cooperative later and buy two new soft pillows.”
Gu Fangbai: “Do they sell ready-made soft pillows?”
Chu Yu really didn’t know, but he always had a solution: “If not, we’ll buy pillowcases and cotton to stuff them ourselves.”
Gu Fangbai wanted to say that cotton might not be available for sale at this time of year, but her husband meant well. If there was time, it wouldn’t hurt to go…
Chu Yu had a biological clock and woke up at 5:30 in the morning.
While his wife went out to wash up, he laid out the breakfast he had bought earlier.
Besides a lunchbox of porridge, there were also a few steamed buns.
Because they had decided last minute to stop by the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, time was tight. The couple quickly ate their fill, then grabbed their bags and went downstairs to check out.
Unsurprisingly, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative only had pillowcases, no cotton.
Fortunately, Gu Fangbai had been mentally prepared. She bought some candies and pastries before heading to the assembly point.
On the way, Chu Yu suggested: “The sisters-in-law in the Family Compound probably have some stockpiled. We can ask them to exchange some later.”
“It’s fine if they don’t. The weather’s getting hot—a bamboo pillow would work well too.” Without air conditioning in the sweltering summer, a cotton pillow wouldn’t be suitable anyway. One always had to adapt to the environment. After reassuring her husband, Gu Fangbai asked about something else: “Will there be any military wives at the assembly point? Or just young soldiers?”
Chu Yu rarely took the purchasing vehicle and wasn’t very sure: “Even if there are, there won’t be many.”
Since Battalion Commander Chu said so, Gu Fangbai took him at his word.
However, when they arrived at the so-called assembly point after more than an hour of bumpy travel past 9 o’clock, and she saw the seven or eight military wives staring at her as curiously as if she were a giant panda, Gu Fangbai had no idea how to even begin to complain about someone.
Chu Yu: “……”
Author’s Note: Dear readers, I’m stuck on this chapter. After deleting and rewriting, my brain is exhausted, so this is all I have for today. I’ll try to update more tomorrow—sorry, sorry [dog head holding a rose]. (I feel like I’ve written too many period novels and am running out of steam, [bursting into tears][bursting into tears][bursting into tears].)
Tomorrow’s update will still be at 8 p.m.
Keep going crazy for collections!! [Heart][Heart][Heart] Please leave comments!! Please give nutrient solutions!!! This chapter randomly drops 100 red envelopes, mwah! [Covering face peeking](*╯3╰)