“…I’ll cook on rest days from now on, and we’ll eat at the cafeteria on weekdays.” After returning home, Chu Yu didn’t let his wife lift a finger, diving alone into the kitchen to wash the newly purchased pots, bowls, and utensils.
In the living room, Gu Fangbai wasn’t idle either. She was carefully cutting red paper with scissors—also bought from the small shop. The red paper came in large sheets, and she planned to cut dozens of A4-sized pieces to wrap candies for distribution at the wedding banquet. Hearing his words, she hesitated and asked, “Are there many sisters-in-law who eat at the cafeteria year-round?”
This question stumped Chu Yu. As a bachelor who had lived in single quarters, how would he have paid attention to the movements of women in the Family Compound? But he quickly grasped his wife’s concern: “Are you worried about gossip?”
Gu Fangbai stacked the cut red paper to the side and pulled out a new sheet, intending to cut a few red “double happiness” characters: “Of course. There are already plenty of people watching us. If we eat at the cafeteria every day, won’t we be accused of bourgeois tendencies?”
Who knows, some might even write malicious anonymous reports. Wouldn’t that greatly diminish the effect of her rushed marriage into the Chu family?
Chu Yu frowned, shaking the water off the chopsticks before placing them in the chopstick holder once he was sure no residue remained: “You’re right. I’ll wake up earlier from now on to prepare breakfast and lunch before heading to the camp.”
“I know how to cook.” Gu Fangbai glanced back toward the kitchen, then added helplessly: “You don’t need to feel indebted to me. We’re going to spend our lives together—one-sided efforts will eventually lead to conflicts.”
Chu Yu paused in his dishwashing. He did feel indebted to Fang Bai; given her qualifications, he truly wasn’t the best choice.
Even though he firmly believed the Chu family’s current decline was temporary and they would eventually be rehabilitated.
But how long would this so-called rehabilitation take?
A year? Five years? Ten years? Or… longer?
Because of these uncertainties, facing his wife who had married beneath her station, Chu Yu couldn’t help but feel deep-seated inferiority, always wanting to take better care of her.
Seeing the Battalion Commander fall silent because of her words, Gu Fangbai put down her scissors and stood up, walking into the kitchen.
She felt too shy to hug him directly from behind, instead leaning back-to-back against him, half-joking and half-serious as she said: “Only allowed to be sentimental this once, Battalion Commander Chu. Remember, we’re a proper married couple, no different from other families. When it comes to household chores, sharing the load is what makes it lasting.”
Although she’d never even had a boyfriend before, she’d watched plenty of videos—so she could be considered well-informed… right?
Chu Yu didn’t speak, simply turning around to hold his wife tightly in his arms. In this moment… he even felt somewhat envious of his own good fortune.
Gu Fangbai raised her hand, patting the man’s sturdy back comfortingly, her tone laced with laughter: “Shall we cook dinner together?”
Chu Yu buried his face in his wife’s neck, mumbling in a muffled voice: “…Mm.”
=
Gu Fangbai indeed knew how to cook.
Not exceptionally well, but she understood basic home-style dishes.
So, when the couple squeezed into the kitchen together at five in the evening, she deftly began slicing salted meat.
After all, this was their first meal in their new home. Even if they might not live here long, Gu Fangbai valued ceremony and didn’t want to just make do.
Unfortunately, fresh meat couldn’t be bought today, so she had to take out a piece of cured meat brought from Su Shi.
Along with the green peppers and cabbage sent over by her sisters-in-law, she could stir-fry a decent meat dish.
Chu Yu watched closely from the side, noticing his wife’s impressive knife skills with some surprise. “I thought your uncle and aunt wouldn’t let you cook,” he remarked.
Gu Fangbai continued working without pausing. “Since I was little, Auntie said that while sewing and cooking don’t need to be done often, one should know how—they’re essential life skills.”
Of course, that was only part of the reason. The most important factor… was Gu Fang’s upbringing.
Though she disliked recalling it, she was indeed born into an extremely patriarchal mountain family.
Then, as in many clichéd stories, the family suffered not only from poverty but also from impoverished mindsets.
Even though she handled all the household chores from a young age and strived to be top of her class, upon graduating middle school, her so-called parents weighed her like merchandise, seeking the highest bidder for a marriage.
Whether their daughter was willing, or whether the prospective groom was a widower or remarrying, didn’t matter.
All they cared about was securing a large sum by the time their daughter turned 18—enough to buy their son an apartment in the county town and cover his wedding expenses.
It sounded unbelievable, especially in the 21st century.
But this was reality, and Gu Fang was truly one of countless victims of patriarchal families.
Fortunately, perhaps born rebellious and thorny, Gu Fang never succumbed to the family’s brainwashing, no matter the beatings or verbal abuse.
Even more luckily, when young Gu Fang resisted with her small frame, she received help from many people—classmates, teachers, police officers, and even neighbors from the same village.
She met Grandma when she was 16.
During another fierce rebellion against her parents, refusing an arranged meeting, she fled and tumbled down a mountain… suffering a brain hemorrhage, ruptured spleen, spinal cord injury, and multiple soft tissue injuries throughout her body.
If the neighbor’s older sister hadn’t been concerned enough to follow and call the police and an ambulance, Gu Fang would likely have died at 16.
Died at that tender age when, despite being a good student, she lacked perspective and struggled like a trapped animal, unable to find the right way to protect herself.
The reason was simple: medical expenses were enormous.
Her parents wouldn’t pay to save what doctors deemed a “money-losing burden” likely to be paralyzed—especially since they had no money.
It was then that Grandma, visiting the hospital for her own check-up, overheard nurses discussing how to raise funds for Gu Fang and stepped in to help.
In the elderly lady’s words, she had more than enough money and made charitable donations every year—consider it accumulating blessings for the Chu family.
Grandma didn’t even plan to meet the poor girl she was helping, content to be a generous benefactor.
It was Gu Fang who, after being discharged, sought her out to thank her for saving her life, presenting an IOU and vowing to work hard to repay the medical expenses when she grew up.
Then, because of a face strikingly similar to one in Grandma’s memories, the two gradually grew closer.
From that day on, under Grandma’s care, Gu Fangbai not only escaped her pitiful existence but was gradually pampered into a young lady who never had to lift a finger for household chores.
Of course, during this period, her parents—who only wanted to suck their daughter dry—did try to come looking for her. But each time, they were scared off by a long list of exorbitant medical bills.
Later, when Gu Fang was admitted to university, she went a step further by transferring her household registration away, completely severing ties with her past.
Speaking of university, if it were up to her, she would have preferred to become a frontline police officer.
After all, during her most difficult times, she had repeatedly received help from the police, and she yearned for that five-pointed star that symbolized hope.
Unfortunately, due to the severe injuries she had sustained back then, even after recovery, she still failed the physical examination for the police academy. In the end, she settled for her second choice: forensic medicine.
Looking back, Gu Fang’s life could be described as tumultuous…
She spent 16 years as an unloved and neglected child, only to encounter a benefactor when she was on the brink of death. She then enjoyed 12 years of affluent living, and now, she’s even caught up with the trend—traveling through time to the 1960s.
Although her journey of repaying kindness was progressing smoothly, Gu Fang couldn’t help but feel somewhat unwilling to abandon the knowledge she had acquired.
But if she were to apply what she had learned, how could she reasonably explain the source of her knowledge in an era when forensic science was poorly understood?
If only she could become Gu Fangbai—repaying her debt of gratitude while still holding on to her past expertise—how wonderful that would be.
Sure enough, Gu Fangbai let out a silent, bitter laugh to herself…
Human desires are endless; no sooner do you gain one thing than you start wanting another…
Chu Yu had no idea that, in just a short while, his wife’s mind had already raced through countless thoughts.
After hearing his elder brother and his wife’s perspectives, he felt both admiration and regret: “When I was a child, my family had servants, so I never learned to cook. It wasn’t until I joined the army and the company commander tossed me into the Cooking Crew for a year that I finally learned to tell the five grains apart. As for that girl Xiangxue, she’s even worse—at best, she can boil noodles or make egg-fried rice.”
Gu Fangbai had an incredibly thick filter when it came to Xiangxue, so she instinctively replied, “She can just find a man who knows how to cook in the future.”
Chu Yu choked up, suddenly at a loss for words…
Right, he really shouldn’t have brought up that brat. His wife was more tolerant of his sister than she was of herself—hadn’t he noticed that she was already chopping vegetables with gusto?
Unaware of the sour jealousy brewing in her husband’s heart, Gu Fangbai nudged him with her elbow when she saw him standing idly by: “Go get two small clips from the drawer and help me pin back the stray hairs on my forehead.”
There was a window in the kitchen, and although it was only a few loose strands, the wind kept tickling her forehead.
Chu Yu tilted his head for a closer look and indeed saw a few strands of hair fluttering in the breeze on his wife’s forehead. He reached out his hand and, as if petting a cat, smoothed the stray hairs upward while asking, “Which drawer?”
“The small drawer in the middle section when you open the wardrobe door.” After answering, Gu Fangbai lifted her wrist and rubbed her forehead again.
Seeing this, Chu Yu also reached out to help rub it before striding off to the bedroom.
However, after retrieving the small clips, he fumbled several times while trying to clip his wife’s hair, only managing to figure it out after a few attempts.
Then Battalion Commander Chu proudly declared: “My hands are quite nimble.”
Gu Fangbai, whose forehead was now slightly sore… Heh.
=
For dinner, besides the stir-fried salted pork,
Gu Fangbai also used three eggs to steam a bowl of scallion-steamed egg custard.
Considering Battalion Commander Chu’s particularly hearty appetite, she also used the Northeast soybean paste given by Sister-in-law Lin to stew a large, heaping bowl of vegetables.
Gu Fangbai thought there would be leftovers, but to her surprise, Battalion Commander Chu cleaned the plates completely.
To put it mildly, the amount of food she ate in a whole day couldn’t compare to what he consumed in a single meal. Wouldn’t he really feel stuffed?
Noticing the doubt in his wife’s eyes, Chu Yu smiled as he cleared the dishes and explained, “I don’t eat that much. There’s a young soldier in our third company who can eat over twenty steamed buns in one meal.”
“That’s an extreme case, isn’t it?”
“True, but my appetite is normal for a man. You’re the one who eats too little.”
Fang Bai didn’t think she ate too little, but since Battalion Commander Chu wasn’t overstuffed, she didn’t dwell on it further and stood up as well.
Seeing his wife follow him into the kitchen, Chu Yu stopped her: “I’ll wash the dishes. You go get ready. We’ll head to the bathhouse later.”
Fang Bai said, “I’ll just wipe the table.”
“No need for that either. I’ll take care of all the cleaning after meals.”
Alright then. Fang Bai didn’t insist and turned back to the bedroom.
It was only when she opened the wardrobe to pick out a change of clothes that she belatedly realized—tonight was the legendary wedding night, wasn’t it?
After all, they were already legally married, in their own home, and sharing a bed.
One could say the timing, conditions, and circumstances were all perfect… everything was set.
How to put it? Once this thought crossed her mind, no matter what she did afterward, Fang Bai’s thoughts kept drifting off track.
And compared to shyness or fear, she was more curious. After all, the descriptions in books made that sound too wonderful.
When she was single, it was one thing, but now with a handsome man right in front of her—and a perfectly legal one at that—being coy or hesitant seemed like a waste of time.
However… reality was that despite all her preparations, Comrade Gu and Battalion Commander Chu ended up sleeping a completely chaste night… in the same bed.
The reason was both amusing and frustrating.
In Chu Yu’s understanding, only after holding a wedding banquet could they be considered truly married.
So even though he held his wife close, kissing her again and again, and even though he was so restless he tossed and turned, the Battalion Commander gritted his teeth and held back.
What could Fang Bai do? She couldn’t just pounce on him recklessly, could she? Anyway, it wasn’t her who was about to get a nosebleed.
=
The next day.
When Fang Bai woke up, it was already past 7 a.m.
While this would be considered quite early in later years, at this time, it was actually quite late.
Sure enough, while washing up in the kitchen, she noticed through the window that the clotheslines strung between the trees were already full of freshly laundered clothes.
And this was the case in front of every household.
In other words, among this row of single-story homes, she was the last one to wake up.
Thankfully, Battalion Commander Chu, who had gone into the city to shop at some point before leaving, had already washed their clothes and hung them outside.
Otherwise, if theirs were the only doorstep left bare, she would have become even more famous in the Family Compound.
Only this time, it wouldn’t have been for a good reason…
It seemed she needed to adopt the habit of early to bed and early to rise from now on. Fang Bai spat out the toothpaste foam and made this resolution as she rinsed her mouth.
After washing up, she ate the breakfast prepared by Battalion Commander Chu and gave the house a quick tidy.
Then… she didn’t know what to do next.
Fang Bai wasn’t too keen on going outside. Stepping out meant having to socialize with strangers.
She wasn’t afraid of socializing, but she didn’t particularly enjoy it either.
But at home, aside from listening to the radio, there didn’t seem to be any other entertainment.
Fortunately, after pacing idly between the bedroom and living room a few times, Fang Bai finally remembered her plan from the previous night. She took out a notebook and started drafting an article.
But she had only written about five hundred words when the open wooden door was knocked on.
Without a proper desk at home, Gu Fangbai sat at the dining table in the living room, where she could see the doorway just by looking up.
The front door was open, and standing there was Sister-in-law Lin.
She closed her notebook, stood up while screwing the cap back onto her fountain pen, and greeted her with a smile: “Sister-in-law, you’re here? Come in and sit.”
Lin Xifeng then stepped over the threshold and asked curiously, “What are you busy with? I saw you writing something?”
Gu Fangbai replied vaguely, “Just jotting down some thoughts.”
“Oh, I almost forgot—Fang Bai is an editor at the newspaper office. Out of everyone in the Family Compound, you’re the most educated.” Lin Xifeng only knew a few characters, which she had learned during the army’s literacy campaign a few years back.
Learning had been a struggle back then, and if not for the fear of embarrassing her husband, Old Yue, she wouldn’t have persevered.
Because of this, Lin Xifeng held educated people in the highest regard.
She placed the bundle she had brought on the table and was about to state her purpose when she saw Fang Bai already taking out a teacup to pour water.
She quickly stopped her: “Oh, I won’t be staying long. No need to pour water—I’m not thirsty.”
Despite this, Gu Fangbai handed her a glass of sweetened water and then took two pieces of Taosu from the drawer, arranging them on a small plate and sliding it over: “Sister-in-law, try the Taosu from our Su Shi. The taste varies from place to place.”
“Oh, you… Didn’t you give me a pack of Taosu yesterday? Put them away—just the sweet water is enough for me.” Lin Xifeng was genuinely taken aback. Even with Old Yue’s monthly income of just over a hundred, they couldn’t afford to be so generous.
If they entertained every visitor like this, how much money would they waste in a month? How would they manage to get by?
But as an outsider, she felt it wasn’t her place to say too much, so she bit her tongue.
Gu Fangbai, however, immediately sensed what was left unspoken. She blinked playfully: “Don’t worry, Sister-in-law, I’m not that recklessly generous. It’s just that my Battalion Commander Chu said that Regimental Commander Yue and you have been so kind to him… I actually feel like we don’t have enough at home to entertain you properly.”
“Oh, it’s more than enough, more than enough. You’ve been very thoughtful.” Delighted that her efforts were acknowledged, Lin Xifeng beamed, finding the sweetened tea exceptionally sugary. At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel happy for Little Chu—he had truly married a wife who was perfect in every way.
Speaking of marriage, Lin Xifeng quickly swallowed the sweet water in her mouth: “Look at my memory! I came to bring you some clothes.”
Looking at the small bundle pushed toward her, Gu Fangbai asked in confusion, “What clothes?”
Lin Xifeng replied mysteriously, “Open it and see.”
Influenced by her tone, Gu Fangbai’s mind raced with guesses. But even prepared as she was, she was still stunned when she saw the unexpected green Jun Zhuang: “…Is this a women’s military uniform?”
Lin Xifeng nodded with a smile: “Go try it on and see if it fits.”
Gu Fangbai shook out the clothes and estimated they would fit, so she wasn’t in a hurry to try them on. Instead, she pressed further: “Where did this uniform come from? Am I allowed to wear an official military uniform?”
“Just for the wedding day.” After saying this, Lin Xifeng teased, “Early this morning, Little Chu came to our house and said he might not have enough time, so he asked me to help apply for a wedding outfit for you from the organization. He specifically requested a brand-new one… I’ve already ironed it for you.”
Gu Fangbai wasn’t particularly concerned about such things—she was the type to remain extremely calm.
Marrying a man who handed over his entire salary, was handsome, had a great figure, a stable personality, and an excellent job was already a huge win for her. Most importantly… it allowed her to repay a debt of gratitude.
There were never perfect people or things in this world.
So when it came to wedding attire, she had originally planned to just wear an unworn long dress.
Unexpectedly, Battalion Commander Chu was so thoughtful. In this era, being able to wear a formal military uniform for the wedding—even if borrowed, even if just for one day—was considered a great honor.
Lin Xifeng took a bite of peach crisp and asked with a smile, “Happy?”
Gu Fangbai nodded openly: “Very happy, thank you, Sister-in-law.”
“Hey! You’re quite straightforward… Go try it on for size. If it doesn’t fit, we’ll have to exchange it.”
She really did need to try it on. After asking her sister-in-law to make herself at home, Gu Fangbai went to the bedroom.
The summer military uniform consisted of only two pieces, so she quickly returned to the living room.
Lin Xifeng stood up, circled her once, then nodded with satisfaction: “Good, good! With your looks and figure, if we add some rosy cheeks later, you’ll look just like those cultural troupe soldiers. So pretty!”
Gu Fangbai had already checked herself in the mirror before coming out. The uniform wasn’t particularly stylish, but its significance outweighed everything. Fortunately, she was pretty to begin with, and with a more elaborate hairstyle in the afternoon, she could definitely enhance her appearance.
As for the rosy cheeks… she’d pass. She couldn’t appreciate that style.
Worried about wrinkling the uniform, Gu Fangbai returned to her room and changed back into her previous dress. When she came out again, she proactively asked her sister-in-law about interesting happenings in the family compound.
She wanted to write about Chu Yu but worried about his sensitive position. She could only praise soldiers’ bravery and military wives’ contributions from her perspective.
Later, she could cautiously and reasonably mention Battalion Commander Chu—that would be safer.
Now that Sister-in-law Lin had visited, Gu Fangbai naturally seized the opportunity to learn more.
Completely unaware of these underlying thoughts, Lin Xifeng was enthusiastically engaged in conversation for over two hours.
When the normally not-so-talkative Sister-in-law Lin finally left, she marveled to herself: Fang Bai seemed so reserved and quiet at first glance, but turned out to be quite chatty. Her throat was getting hoarse from all the talking…
=
Considering the soldiers’ work schedules, the wedding banquet was set for 6:30 PM in the small cafeteria.
To avoid extravagance, only three tables were arranged—for leaders, comrades-in-arms, and close sister-in-laws.
While Chu Yu was running between home and the cafeteria, extremely busy, the bride Gu Fangbai only needed to sit in the bedroom and get prettied up.
And she barely had to lift a finger during the process.
The sister-in-laws had early on selected the most skilled and fortunate among them to braid her hair beautifully.
Gu Fangbai had to admit—their skills were far superior to hers.
So throughout the entire preparation, she only needed to dab her lips with “rouge” made from soaked red paper and pin a few small plastic red flowers in her hair.
Oh, and one sister-in-law suggested using burnt matches to darken her eyebrows, but Gu Fangbai declined, worried her makeup might smudge halfway through and become embarrassing…
This preparation—which would seem quite humble by future standards—was filled with the sister-in-laws’ enthusiasm and laughter. The noise “overwhelmed” this typically aloof girl, warming her with their infectious energy…
And time, amid everyone’s banter and teasing, quickly reached the moment for fetching the bride.
At that moment, Lin Xifeng, who had stepped out several times to check the situation, finally came running joyfully back to the bedroom: “Quick! Quick! Fang Bai, your lip color has faded. Put on more rouge! The groom is here to fetch his bride, and there’s a whole group of young men with him—they look like they’re here to snatch the bride!”
Hearing this, the other sisters-in-law immediately burst into laughter and went to block the bedroom door adorned with red double happiness characters, saying briskly:
“Don’t worry! They can’t snatch her away! If Battalion Commander Chu wants to marry a good girl like our Fang Bai, he’ll have to put in some effort!”
“That’s right! At least sing a song!”
“That won’t do! Singing is too easy – he should dance instead!”
“Hahaha… Would that even be worth watching?”
“……”
Author’s Note: Next chapter still tomorrow at 8 PM.
Despite all my precautions, my low immunity finally caught up with me and I’ve caught a cold. You really shouldn’t stay up late – I’ve been staying up late for years, thinking I was young and it didn’t matter, but these past two years my health has deteriorated. I’ve developed hives and keep getting systemic inflammation [crying bitterly]. If I don’t start being more careful, serious illness will come knocking soon. So my dear readers, please don’t stay up late – it’s so damaging to your health. [Heart][Heart]
Still desperately seeking collections!! [Heart][Heart][Heart] Please comment!! Please give nutrient solutions!!! This chapter will randomly drop one hundred red envelopes, mwah! [Peeking while covering face](*╯3╰)