This round of testing made Jiang Zhen feel more at ease raising the children together with Gu Liancheng. Gu Liancheng walked her out and knew he had been a very unqualified partner.
“Sorry. I’ve been too busy these past few days. I’ll definitely come home tonight.”
Jiang Zhen said, “You’ve already found clues about the bandits—why go home? Hurry up and go fight the bandits.”
That had been Gu Liancheng’s intention as well. “We just got married, and I haven’t gone home for more than ten days straight. Don’t you have any thoughts about that?”
Jiang Zhen said, “If Qi Junshan doesn’t die, that’s when I’ll have thoughts about it.”
“Thank you for your understanding.” Gu Liancheng took an envelope from his pocket. “This month’s allowance—I kept ten yuan for pocket money. The rest is all here.”
Jiang Zhen smiled. “That’s more than we agreed on.”
Gu Liancheng sincerely handed everything over to Jiang Zhen. “At my sister and brother-in-law’s house, my sister manages the money too. In our house, you manage it.”
…
Jiang Zhen returned with more than sixty yuan and said to Gu Jiaoxia, “Big Sister, Gu Liancheng gave this to me. From now on I’ll manage the household money. He only kept ten yuan for pocket money.”
Gu Jiaoxia was very happy. If a man handed his salary to his wife, how could it be just a contract marriage? It must have been said only for outsiders to hear. She felt relieved—but then a new worry arose.
“Is Gu Liancheng going to suppress bandits again?”
Jiang Zhen said, “Not just him. Xiao Qingfeng and the soldiers who suppressed bandits last time are all in training again. Once the bandits are wiped out, ordinary people like us can live peacefully.”
“That’s true. Bandits in Fan City used to be extremely rampant. Even in the city there were many black-hearted people colluding with them. You don’t know—before Liberation, several wealthy households were massacred because they refused to pay protection fees. After that, any family with extra grain paid protection money. Only after Liberation did that kind of thing stop.”
This time Jiang Zhen had used the memories of the corpses to help find clues for suppressing the bandits. The bandit problem should be resolved soon.
…
In the afternoon, after seeing Gu Jiaoxia off, the children impatiently entered the space to make plans.
There were one hundred square meters. Aside from the small wooden house facing forward, the other three sides were open. They planned that in the future, rows of fruit trees would be planted on the left and right sides. The front couldn’t block sunlight, so they would plant climbing vegetables there. For now, they planned to grow yardlong beans and luffa.
After enclosing the area like this, the land inside would be divided into neat plots of about eight to fifteen square meters each. Each plot would grow a different vegetable. The plots would be slightly raised, and the spaces between them would be several dozen centimeters lower, used for walking and drainage.
The seeds the children had brought from Great Aunt’s house included cabbage, tomatoes, chili peppers, eggplants, white radishes, and lettuce stems. That was already quite a rich variety. Each plot planted one type. After sowing the seeds into the soil, they fetched water from the pond to irrigate them. They worked all afternoon, planting every type of seed.
Although the seeds hadn’t sprouted yet, the neatly arranged vegetable plots already looked much better than before. In the future, when poultry were added, fruit trees planted, vegetables grown, and even some grass and flowers planted, this space would become incredible—probably to the point where the children wouldn’t want to leave at all.
Because of the restriction about the secret bean, the children couldn’t tell anyone. Gu Pan asked, “Auntie, when can we tell Little Uncle? If he can come in too, our whole family could have extra meals here.”
Jiang Tang had an extremely good impression of her new father. “Dad gave me his salted duck egg. He’s a good dad.”
Jiang Zhen smiled. “This is my treasure I keep at the bottom of the chest. I want to use it myself and don’t want more people to know about it. Right now supplies are scarce. The land in this space that can grow vegetables is less than two fen. We should keep it for our own use.”
…
They came out of the space and cooked dinner. Since they had spent most of the time farming in the space, working busily made time pass quickly. But in the eyes of the neighbors, Jiang Zhen had stayed home all afternoon with the children and never gone out.
This made An Xiuqing next door feel strange. Coincidentally, her mother-in-law Ji Fengmei had asked her to come over and ask about things, so she came.
“Jiang Zhen, you’re only eating dinner this late? Is it convenient for me to come in?” An Xiuqing asked while standing at the door.
“Come in,” Jiang Zhen said, telling the children to eat in the kitchen while she carried her bowl outside.
An Xiuqing saw that Jiang Zhen’s bowl actually contained white rice and felt puzzled. “Rice is rationed. How can you eat plain white rice every meal?”
“Gu Liancheng’s sister brought it,” Jiang Zhen said. “Isn’t the Qi family’s situation pretty good? Didn’t you eat rice tonight?”
No matter how good the conditions were, they still had to be able to buy it. Each month there was only that much. The Qi family also had to mix sweet potatoes and coarse grains to eat together. But Gu Liancheng’s elder sister really was a good person. In her previous life, after they were transferred elsewhere, she often mailed money and ration coupons.
Thinking of this, An Xiuqing felt a faint trace of regret. If she hadn’t crippled the two children in her previous life, she wouldn’t need to avoid Gu Liancheng in this life. Sigh, there was no point talking about it now.
They had been married for more than ten days. Her days were fine, but her nights were torment. Qi Junshan wasn’t human—he was always thinking of ways to torture her. She truly wished Qi Junshan would die early.
Why was it his uncle’s family that died, instead of Qi Junshan?
An Xiuqing pushed aside her wandering thoughts and began asking around. “You went to find Gu Liancheng today. Did he say when he’ll come back?”
Jiang Zhen spoke directly. “An Xiuqing, you’re not dissatisfied with the Qi family and thinking of returning to Gu Liancheng, are you?”
An Xiuqing hurriedly waved her hands. “How could that be? We’re neighbors. He hasn’t come back for more than ten days. I’m just concerned about you.”
Jiang Zhen said, “Concerned about what? I don’t believe that. You probably just want to see me make a fool of myself. Actually, you don’t need to ask me what he’s doing—you should have heard the news already. He’s gone for training before suppressing bandits. Your husband’s uncle’s family was wiped out yesterday. Wasn’t that done by bandits? The sooner the bandits are suppressed, the sooner we can live peacefully.”
An Xiuqing thought to herself that it really was like that. Since Gu Liancheng hadn’t died in the previous bandit suppression battle, he would probably die in this one.
She looked at Jiang Zhen with sympathy and left one sentence. “Jiang Zhen, my sister is my sister, and I am me. Actually, I don’t have bad intentions. No matter what happens, as long as you raise the Gu family’s two children well, your good fortune will come later.”
Jiang Zhen: …
She really wanted to look at An Xiuqing’s memories right now. But Gu Liancheng and the organization behind him had already given Jiang Zhen an extremely tolerant environment to survive in. She needed to cherish it—she couldn’t do something that would cost someone their life.
Jiang Zhen also looked at her with sympathy. “I know, I understand. It’s the same for you. Only the Qi family suits you best. Stay well in the Qi family—you’ll have endless good fortune in the future.”
An Xiuqing: … Although she intended to stay with the Qi family, Jiang Zhen’s words made her very uncomfortable.
…
When An Xiuqing returned home, her brother-in-law Qi Junhai had come back to get a change of clothes, and they ran into each other. Her heart felt extremely bitter. After she married into the family, Qi Junhai had moved to the hospital dormitory. She deliberately rolled up her sleeves while washing dishes so that Qi Junhai would see the frightening bruises on her arm.
Qi Junhai felt both heartbroken and guilty, and couldn’t help asking with a trembling voice, “Did my older brother hit you again?”
An Xiuqing held back her tears. “No. I just fell by accident.”
Before long, An Xiuqing heard Qi Junhai arguing with his mother in the inner room. The corners of her lips curled into a satisfied smile. Soon Qi Junhai left, and her mother-in-law Ji Fengmei ran into the kitchen to scold her.
“Why did you show those injuries from a few days ago?”
“I was washing dishes and didn’t want to dirty my clothes. I just went next door to ask—Gu Liancheng is in training. He won’t be back for at least ten or fifteen days. After the training he still has to suppress bandits. Jiang Zhen might not see him for a whole month.”
Or maybe she would never see him again. After thinking this, even An Xiuqing didn’t know whether she felt schadenfreude or sympathy.
“Fine. Lock the door at home. I’ll go to the Public Security Bureau and ask whether your uncle’s family’s bodies can be claimed.”
An Xiuqing found it very strange. Her own younger brother’s entire family had been killed by bandits. Ji Fengmei appeared sad on the surface, but people who were truly grieving would be heartbroken everywhere they went. How could she still have the mood to care whether Gu Liancheng came home?
An Xiuqing wasn’t sad either. In her previous life, Doctor Qi had taken care of her, and her uncle’s family had often mocked him with sarcasm. The only one truly sad was Doctor Qi. He was truly a good man.
An Xiuqing thought she had to obtain Doctor Qi. Having been reborn and come this far, there was no turning back.
…
Ji Fengmei found her son at the entrance of the Public Security Bureau, where he was causing trouble demanding the bodies, and told him the situation.
“An Xiuqing is somewhat useful. She asked around and confirmed that the army’s training will last at least half a month—enough time for you to move. You should leave too. Just say you’re going out to handle some connections.”
Qi Junshan said, “I have to kill Jiang Zhen, this hidden danger. Yesterday there was a bandit massacre. If another one happens tonight at midnight, no one will suspect anything. Otherwise, when Gu Liancheng comes back, it’ll be hard to find another chance.”
“The same people again? Then you’ll have to go back to the mountains tonight?”
“Mm. Mom, later tell An Xiuqing to keep her mouth shut. Just say I stayed in the house all night.”
…
In the middle of the night, Jiang Zhen was awakened by a burst of intense and dense artillery fire.
With such heavy firepower—were they suppressing bandits? Wasn’t it supposed to be training? Why were they attacking on the very first night? Jiang Zhen immediately worried about Gu Liancheng’s safety.
The children were also frightened awake.
“Mom, Mom, it’s so loud outside. What’s happening?”
“Auntie, Auntie, I’m scared.”
Jiang Zhen quickly pulled the children onto one bed and hugged them. “Don’t be afraid. It’s probably the army suppressing bandits.”
Before long, Ji Fengmei next door began pounding desperately on the door.
“Jiang Zhen, Jiang Zhen! Didn’t you say it was training? Why are they suppressing bandits tonight?”
How could Jiang Zhen possibly open the door? Soon she heard Gu Liancheng’s elder sister scolding and driving her away.
“Everyone’s already frightened, and you know my brother isn’t home, yet you’re smashing the door. What are you trying to do?”
After driving the person away, Gu Jiaoxia was afraid the people inside might be frightened, so she asked softly, “Jiang Zhen, it’s Big Sister. I came to keep you company.”
Jiang Zhen was already in the courtyard. She opened the door and looked outside. On the distant horizon there were still flashes of artillery explosions, though the intensity was much weaker than before.
“Big Sister, come in quickly.”
After Gu Jiaoxia came in, Jiang Zhen locked the door, and together they moved stones to block it.
The two hurried into the house. Gu Jiaoxia anxiously asked, “How are the children?”
“They’re very frightened.”
“I rode here the whole way. Many families’ children were crying from fear.”
Jiang Zhen said, “I went to see Gu Liancheng this afternoon. He said it was training. I didn’t expect them to suppress bandits tonight. Speed is vital in war—that’s the right approach.”
Gu Jiaoxia felt lingering fear. “Your brother-in-law also said it was training and that they hadn’t found where the bandits were hiding. Even I believed it.”
If even the person sleeping beside them believed it, the bandits would certainly believe it too and relax their guard. That was why tonight’s prepared suppression operation had been so swift and smooth.
Gu Jiaoxia hugged Gu Pan and Jiang Tang in her arms, one in each arm. The two adults held the four children, and amid the uneasy hearts they endured the long night.
When daylight finally arrived, everyone dared to open their doors. Small groups gathered together discussing the artillery fire from last night.
“It must have been bandit suppression.”
“But it ended so quickly. The artillery stopped in the second half of the night.”
“No one knows the situation. If only someone informed could come and tell us.”
…
An Xiuqing also wanted to know what had happened. As soon as the artillery started last night, her mother-in-law had dragged her out of bed and slapped her twice, calling her a jinx. She didn’t understand—wasn’t suppressing bandits a good thing? It avenged her uncle’s family.
Unless someone in this household had connections with the bandits. Qi Junshan, who hadn’t come back last night, was highly suspicious.
An Xiuqing wished Qi Junshan would never return. She went to the entrance of Jiang Zhen’s house.
“Jiang Zhen, let’s go wait at the army gate for news.”
Jiang Zhen frowned. “No one from your family took part in the bandit suppression. Why are you in such a hurry?”
Gu Jiaoxia immediately became alert and said warily, “I know life in the Qi family isn’t good for you, but don’t think about ruining my brother and Jiang Zhen’s marriage. You chose to marry Qi Junshan. If it’s bad, then divorce. Don’t keep thinking about other people’s husbands.”
An Xiuqing felt extremely depressed. What was there to be proud of? If Gu Liancheng didn’t come back from the bandit suppression last night, Jiang Zhen would end up like her in the previous life—a widow. Last time Jiang Zhen remarried with two children. This time she would be a widow with four children. Let’s see how she lives then.
While she was thinking wildly, someone suddenly shouted with delight.
“Isn’t that Gu Liancheng? He must have worried about his family and came back right after suppressing the bandits. Let’s ask him—was the bandit suppression successful? Were they wiped out completely? If all the bandits are gone, we in Fan City can celebrate the New Year peacefully.”