The kitchen echoed with clanging and banging. From the sound of it, Qin Lan seemed less like she was cooking and more like she was performing surgery on a fish.
“Old Lu! Come take a look. Is this how you’re supposed to scrape fish scales? I’m telling you, this is harder than stitching up a patient!”
Leaning against the kitchen doorway, Lu Yongjie laughed so hard he could barely stand.
“Qin Lan, you’ve been a head nurse for too long. You see every living thing as a patient. You’re scaling a fish, not debriding a wound.”
Qin Lan shot him a glare and slammed the knife onto the cutting board.
“Go away and stop causing trouble. I promised I’d make something delicious for Ruan Wen, and I’m going to do it properly.”
Ruan Wen happened to be carrying out the medicinal meal she had prepared for Grandpa when she heard those words. A warm feeling stirred in her heart.
Walking over naturally, she took the knife from Qin Lan’s hand.
“Auntie, let me do it. I’m good at cleaning fish.”
Qin Lan froze.
She watched as Ruan Wen expertly scraped off the scales and removed the innards in one smooth sequence. The fish seemed completely obedient in her hands.
The same hands that held silver needles with such precision handled greasy kitchen work just as skillfully.
“You… you really know how to do this?”
Qin Lan felt a little embarrassed.
She had boasted about cooking, yet her daughter-in-law was clearly more capable than she was.
And this daughter-in-law was supposedly a pampered capitalist heiress!
“Our cook, Aunt Wang, taught me when I was younger,” Ruan Wen replied casually, making up an excuse while continuing her work.
“Auntie, why don’t you go rest? I’ll cook lunch.”
“No way!”
Qin Lan immediately objected.
Then, realizing she sounded too harsh, she softened her tone.
“I’ll help you instead. Yes, I’ll be your assistant.”
And so, a head nurse and a former rich young lady ended up working side by side in the kitchen—one cooking, the other passing garlic and ingredients.
The atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.
Watching from the doorway, Lu Yongjie nodded with satisfaction.
The house finally felt like a real home.
After lunch, Lu Jingheng changed into his military uniform.
Clearly, he was preparing to return to his unit.
Walking into the living room, he found Ruan Wen reading the newspaper aloud to Lu Zhenhua, who listened with great interest.
“I’m heading back.”
He said it almost as though he were speaking to the air.
Lu Zhenhua barely lifted his eyelids.
“Go ahead. The army keeps you busy. With Little Ruan here at home, you don’t need to worry.”
Ruan Wen stopped reading and looked up at him.
She simply nodded.
That was her acknowledgment.
Lu Jingheng’s throat tightened slightly.
This woman really couldn’t spare him even one extra word.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a stack of ration coupons and several large-denomination bills and placed them on the table.
“Use these for household expenses. Keep track of the spending.”
His voice was stiff and formal.
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left.
His strides were long and fast, and from behind he almost looked as though he were fleeing.
Ruan Wen glanced at the money and coupons.
Without comment, she gathered them neatly and placed them inside her small cloth bag.
Lu Zhenhua watched everything unfold and smiled like a crafty old fox.
“This brat is all bark and no bite. He looks fierce, but his heart’s warm.”
Ruan Wen smiled but said nothing.
That afternoon, with little happening around the Lu household, Ruan Wen decided to take a walk and familiarize herself with the area.
The military compound was large.
Rows of red-brick houses stood neatly aligned.
Flowers and shrubs decorated the courtyards, and children ran around laughing and playing.
The place was full of life.
Not far from the Lu residence, she passed several military wives gathered together chatting.
“Isn’t that Battalion Commander Lu’s new wife?”
“That’s her? She’s certainly beautiful. But I wonder how strong she is. I heard she’s a rich capitalist’s daughter. Can someone like that actually do any work?”
“Exactly. Look at her delicate skin. She looks like she’d blow away in a strong breeze. Could she handle the work around our compound?”
The gossip wasn’t loud, but it was just loud enough to reach Ruan Wen’s ears.
She didn’t stop walking.
Her expression didn’t change.
She merely nodded politely toward the women and continued toward the cooperative store near the compound entrance.
Her calm and dignified response left the women somewhat embarrassed.
Suddenly, they no longer felt comfortable continuing their gossip.
“Mom! Mom! Little Brother fell!”
Just as Ruan Wen reached the cooperative store, a shrill cry pierced the air.
A girl of seven or eight came running over, stumbling as she grabbed the sleeve of a military wife who had been talking nearby.
She was crying so hard she could barely get the words out.
Everyone rushed toward the commotion.
A short distance away, a boy around four or five years old lay on the ground.
His forehead had struck the sharp corner of a concrete step.
Blood streamed down his face, creating a frightening sight.
“Oh no! What do we do?”
“Get him to the clinic!”
“That corner was sharp. What if he cracked his skull?”
The boy’s mother—who happened to be the loudest gossiping wife from earlier—was completely panicked.
She held her son and cried helplessly, unsure what to do.
“Don’t move him.”
A cool, calm voice rang out.
Everyone turned.
Ruan Wen had stepped forward.
She crouched beside the boy, examined the wound, then addressed the terrified mother.
“Sister-in-law, do you happen to grow eclipta grass in your yard?”
The woman blinked blankly.
“Huh? Yes… I think so.”
“Pull some up. Wash it thoroughly and crush it into a paste.”
Her tone was calm yet commanding, making people instinctively trust her.
Another military wife reacted quickly and ran off.
Moments later, she returned carrying a handful of dark green crushed herbs.
Using clean water, Ruan Wen gently cleaned the area around the wound.
Then she spread the herbal paste evenly over the injury.
Within moments, the blood that had been flowing steadily slowed and then stopped.
“The bleeding stopped!”
Someone gasped.
Even the boy’s crying gradually quieted.
Ruan Wen stood.
“This is only emergency first aid. Take him to the clinic immediately and let a doctor determine whether he needs stitches. That way he won’t be left with a scar.”
The mother finally came back to her senses.
Clutching her son, she thanked Ruan Wen repeatedly before hurrying away.
The military wives looked at Ruan Wen very differently now.
The curiosity and skepticism from earlier had transformed into genuine admiration.
“Battalion Commander Lu’s wife is something else.”
“Seriously. She stayed calm under pressure and even knew herbal medicine. She’s far more capable than the rest of us running around in panic.”
Ruan Wen ignored the attention.
She bought two pounds of flour and a bottle of soy sauce before heading home.
She didn’t need anyone’s approval.
But she certainly didn’t mind using her abilities to silence criticism.
That evening, Lu Jingheng drove home in a military jeep.
The moment he entered the house, the aroma of food greeted him.
Lu Yongjie sat on the sofa reading a newspaper.
Seeing his son return, he grinned.
“Back already? Perfect timing. Dinner’s almost ready. Ruan Wen made braised pork today. Smells incredible.”
Lu Jingheng paused while changing his shoes.
Walking into the dining room, he found three dishes and a soup already arranged neatly on the table.
Everything looked and smelled delicious.
As for Ruan Wen—
She sat at a desk by the window beneath the glow of a table lamp.
A thick, yellowed medical book rested in her hands.
The soft light outlined her profile.
Her long eyelashes cast quiet shadows across her cheeks.
Unlike many wives, she didn’t rush over to greet her husband the moment he came home.
In fact, she hadn’t even noticed his arrival at first.
She was completely immersed in her own world—focused, peaceful, and untouched by the bustle around her.
The scene was entirely different from the spoiled, frivolous image he associated with wealthy young ladies.
It also seemed completely at odds with the cold, businesslike agreement between them.
Something in Lu Jingheng’s heart stirred.
A strange itch spread through his chest.
Clearing his throat, he announced,
“I’m home.”
Only then did Ruan Wen look up.
She closed her book.
“Mm. Go wash your hands. Dinner’s ready.”
Her tone was as calm and indifferent as if she were speaking to a stranger.