Shen Niao had only just woken up when she learned that Wu Qingchuan had been called away on a mission.
Faced with the young soldier whose face was so red he didn’t know where to look, she accepted the breakfast he had brought and smiled as she thanked him.
“Thank you, Comrade. Sorry to trouble you with the trip.”
The young soldier blushed even harder.
“N-No need to thank me.”
After stammering out his reply, he turned and marched away. After taking two steps, however, he realized he was moving both arms and legs on the same side. Flustered, he hurriedly corrected himself.
Shen Niao chuckled softly.
After closing the door, she opened the lunch containers.
One held two pan-fried buns and a boiled egg.
The other contained mixed-grain porridge—a simple congee made from rice and millet.
She realized life here wasn’t nearly as harsh as Shen Su had complained.
For example, last night’s dinner had been quite good: spicy stir-fried crab, mushrooms with greens, steamed white rice, and kelp soup with sliced pork.
Then again, perhaps the sea was calm these days, allowing the supply ships to arrive on time.
Actually, she had already stocked her space with plenty of steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and other prepared foods from state-owned restaurants, along with many piping-hot dishes.
But since food was readily available for now, she had no intention of touching those supplies.
After breakfast, Shen Niao washed the containers and left them outside the door before entering her space.
Her personal information had changed considerably.
Host: Shen Niao
Gender: Female
Age: Nineteen
Height: 168 cm
Weight: 110 jin (55 kg)
Strength: 15 (Very Low)
Intelligence: 35 (Low)
Appearance: 30 (Low)
Exchangeable Items: Any
Space Level: Level 3
Storage: 300 square meters (100 square meters used)
Note: Item value does not matter. As long as both parties agree, an exchange can be completed.
She looked over her intelligence, strength, and weight.
All of these changes were thanks to the Marrow Cleansing Pills.
Not only had they allowed her to lose weight painlessly, but they had also improved both her physical strength and mental capacity.
She still had three pills left.
Shen Niao planned to finish them before taking a break to see whether her weight would rebound.
Closing her status screen, she tapped the water-drop icon and began searching different worlds again.
After several attempts, a pop-up finally appeared under the Martial Arts World category.
Library Pavilion Master.
She opened it.
The exchange panel was filled with martial arts manuals.
Among the familiar titles were Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, Dog-Beating Staff Technique, and Nine Yin Manual.
Less familiar ones included Soul Capturing Technique and Netherworld Ghost Hand.
After browsing through the dazzling collection, her eyes settled on the very first book.
Basic Body Strengthening Technique.
She needed to improve herself first.
Cultivation could wait.
She didn’t even understand the basics of immortal cultivation yet.
She might as well start by strengthening her body.
The question was…
What could she trade to someone from a martial arts world?
After pondering for a while, her gaze landed on the Wang Mazi kitchen cleaver she had bought.
The Great Steelmaking Campaign had lasted for several years.
Not only had the nation’s steel quality improved dramatically, but those advances had found their way into everyday life.
Take this Wang Mazi cleaver, for example.
Made from carbon steel, it was exceptionally hard and could be sharpened to a razor’s edge.
While it couldn’t quite slice through iron like mud, chopping bones was effortless.
Trading it for a copy of Basic Body Strengthening Technique shouldn’t be a problem.
The moment she decided, Shen Niao listed the cleaver on the exchange panel.
She even gave it an impressive name.
Frost Edge Hidden Blade.
After listing it, she waited.
The other party didn’t accept immediately.
She wasn’t worried.
Maybe they simply weren’t online.
Leaving the space, Shen Niao changed into a green floral dress.
She threw a white shirt over it as a light jacket to protect herself from the sun.
She tied the two front corners of the shirt into a knot, then grabbed a straw hat and placed it on her head.
She had bought the hat at the farmers’ market.
A local craftsman there sold all kinds of woven goods.
Besides the hat, she had purchased quite a few woven baskets and containers.
For this particular hat, she’d tied a ribbon around the crown that matched the green floral pattern of her dress, giving it a modern beach-style look.
Just as she was about to head out, someone knocked on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
When she opened it, she found a woman carrying a basket and wearing a blue headscarf.
The woman’s eyes immediately filled with undisguised amazement.
“You’re Regiment Commander Wu’s fiancée, aren’t you? My name’s Zhang Cuihua—Li Jianguo’s wife.”
Li Jianguo?
The same Regimental Commander Li who had helped call Wu Qingchuan over yesterday.
Smiling, Shen Niao greeted her politely.
“Hello, Sister-in-law. Just call me Xiao Shen.”
Like her husband, Zhang Cuihua was warm and outgoing.
Ever since last night, she’d been extremely curious about Commander Wu’s future wife.
The family compound had been buzzing with gossip.
The officers who had seen her all claimed she was extraordinarily beautiful.
If she moved into the military compound, she’d undoubtedly become the prettiest military wife there.
This morning, after hearing both men had suddenly been dispatched on a mission, Zhang Cuihua thought Shen Niao must be alone and decided to come introduce herself—and see just how beautiful this woman really was.
She hadn’t expected…
…her to be this beautiful.
That smile alone was more dazzling than a blooming canna lily in midsummer.
And her voice—
Soft and sweet.
Even that simple “Sister-in-law” made Zhang Cuihua feel her bones go weak.
Still smiling, Zhang Cuihua glanced at Shen Niao’s outfit.
“Xiao Shen, just call me Sister Cuihua.”
“You’ve come to live here with your husband, right?”
“I happen to be free today. I’ll take you around so you can get familiar with the area.”
“Come have lunch at my place too.”
“My kids are at school, so I’d only be eating by myself anyway. Just think of it as keeping me company.”
Shen Niao had already planned to look around.
Having someone show her the area was much better than wandering around blindly.
Besides, she also intended to build good relationships with the people here.
After all, she’d be living in the family compound for nearly a year.
“Alright, Sister Cuihua.”
“Thank you for the trouble.”
She agreed immediately.
Seeing that Shen Niao wasn’t pretentious at all, Zhang Cuihua was delighted.
She was naturally straightforward and enthusiastic.
The type she disliked most were people who hemmed and hawed over everything.
Did Shen Niao really think she’d come simply because she was curious?
Of course not.
It was because her husband and Commander Wu were close friends.
Now that Commander Wu’s wife had arrived, naturally she wanted to help look after her.
Before coming, Zhang Cuihua had worried that, as someone from the capital, Shen Niao might look down on her.
Who would’ve thought this delicate, flower-like beauty would actually have such an easygoing personality?
Shen Niao had no idea that Zhang Cuihua already held her in such high regard.
As a woman from the twenty-first century, Shen Niao had indeed been pampered growing up.
But that only meant she was somewhat particular about the quality of life.
She had never been a spoiled, difficult person.
After all…
In modern society, being overly fussy was a quick way to end up with no friends.
The two women left the guesthouse together.
Before leaving, Shen Niao informed the guesthouse manager that she’d be eating lunch at the military family compound.
If the young soldier came by with another meal, he could simply take it back and eat it himself.
When Zhang Cuihua learned that Wu Qingchuan had even arranged for someone to deliver meals to Shen Niao, she clicked her tongue several times.
“A man really changes once he has a wife.”
“Even someone as cold as Commander Wu has become more human.”
Shen Niao snorted inwardly.
He hasn’t even fallen for me.
Naturally, she couldn’t say that aloud.
Instead, she lowered her head shyly.
“It’s mainly because we haven’t moved into the family compound yet.”
“There aren’t any restaurants nearby.”
“If he didn’t ask someone to bring food, I’d end up going hungry.”
Then she asked curiously,
“By the way, Sister Cuihua… how often does the supply ship come?”