Lin Yuanchao immediately approved the plan.
It would save manpower, resources, and money while still getting the job done—there was no reason not to approve it.
After the meeting ended, Wen Zhongcheng hurried back to the First Regiment. Starting today, it would be their turn on duty, so he needed to go back and arrange everything. The two regiments would rotate every two days, which meant he would be very busy.
As for Qin Mu, he stayed behind to ask about Lin Shu.
“Qin Mu, don’t worry. Lin Shu has already voluntarily resigned from the military arts troupe and will no longer be allowed to rejoin. She’s currently being kept at home. Tonight, your Aunt Ling and I will bring her to your house to apologize.”
During this time, he and his wife had been taking turns guiding Lin Shu, correcting her thinking, and making her write daily reflections. He refused to believe that this wouldn’t make her give up on Qin Mu.
Qin Mu couldn’t say whether he was satisfied with the outcome or not. As long as the proper procedures were followed, it was fine.
Although he didn’t want Lin Shu coming to his house, she did owe Jiang Yao and his grandmother an apology.
…
Qin Mu came home a bit late at noon. When he arrived, Jiang Yao was sitting in the yard enjoying the breeze. He noticed she had changed her clothes and walked over.
“Did you wash the clothes you changed out of today?”
Jiang Yao lazily lifted her eyelids and yawned. “No. Why are you asking?”
“I’ll wash them.”
With that, Qin Mu headed straight to the washroom. There happened to be a basin of soaking clothes there. He carried it under the tap, picked up some soap, and started scrubbing.
Jiang Yao was still half-asleep until Xiao Hei suddenly shouted, [Your husband is washing your clothes!]
[What?!]
She jumped up immediately and rushed to the washroom—only to see Qin Mu gently rubbing her bra.
A certain image suddenly flashed through her mind, and her face instantly flushed red.
She hurried over and grabbed the basin. “Why are you washing my clothes?”
Even she didn’t notice the hint of embarrassment in her voice.
“Your hand is injured.”
Jiang Yao looked down at her fingers and subconsciously curled them. “My hand is fine. I can wash clothes.”
Qin Mu pressed his lips together. “If your fingers are broken, don’t touch water.”
He knew about her injury because she hadn’t slept peacefully the night before. In the middle of the night, she had brushed against a hangnail and whimpered.
Qin Mu wasn’t a deep sleeper. Hearing her, he had taken out a flashlight to check and discovered that she had torn off a piece of skin, leaving another bit sticking out. Most likely, she had pulled it herself in her sleep.
He used small scissors to trim it, then applied some ointment.
When he saw today that she had changed clothes, he knew she had touched water. That was fine—but washing clothes herself wasn’t.
Jiang Yao bit her lower lip. “Then I’ll wash my underwear myself.”
“I’ve already scrubbed it.”
Xiao Hei: [I’ve already scrubbed it—what are you even shy about? That’s probably what brother-in-law means.]
[Shut up!]
Jiang Yao handed the basin back to him, speaking awkwardly, “Then… be gentle. Don’t stretch them out of shape.”
“Okay.”
He answered seriously.
Xiao Hei: [Can you two talk normally?]
Jiang Yao gritted her teeth. [What’s not normal? I’m just telling him not to ruin my underwear, not asking him to grope anything! Why is your mind so dirty?]
Xiao Hei: [(o´・ェ・｀o) You’re the one with dirty thoughts. I wasn’t thinking that at all.]
Qin Mu paused slightly, his movements becoming gentler, his ears turning red.
Jiang Yao blinked. Not me being dirty anyway!
She slipped away.
Back on the bed, she rolled around and lay spread out like a starfish, sucking on a White Rabbit candy while thinking about how to get those boxes into the military.
[What if I just drop them at the division commander’s bathroom door?]
She and her grandmother had already visited Commander Lin’s house. Even though Lin Shu had caused trouble before, he was still Qin Mu’s superior, so basic courtesy had to be maintained.
Xiao Hei: […Can we pick a normal place? What if someone uses it as toilet paper?]
[…That wouldn’t happen, right? Then I’ll just throw it into their yard.]
Xiao Hei: [When?]
[After Qin Mu leaves. I’m going to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy an ice pop.]
Thinking about ice pops made her remember refrigerators again.
(〒︿〒)
Her wallet was empty—she couldn’t afford one.
Xiao Hei immediately read her thoughts. [Forget about a refrigerator. They’re limited right now. Domestic production won’t catch up for several more years. You already stand out enough with the “three big items and one sound.” If you add a fridge, you might attract trouble.]
It was better to stay low-key for now.
Jiang Yao: …
She stared at the ceiling and kicked her legs in frustration.
[Why did I end up in this lousy era where I can’t even eat ice pops whenever I want?!]
Outside the door—
Qin Mu had just wrung out the clothes and grabbed the door handle. Hearing that, he immediately turned and strode toward the supply and marketing cooperative.
“I want five ice pops.”
The sales clerk Xiao Juan couldn’t help asking, “Regimental Commander Qin, are these for your wife?”
“Mm.”
“Too much cold food isn’t good for a woman’s health, especially since your wife is still recovering. Maybe buy fewer.”
Qin Mu thought it made sense. “Then two.”
He handed over six cents, then glanced at the soda nearby and asked for two bottles as well.
“That’s twenty cents.”
“Alright.”
After paying, Qin Mu wrapped the ice pops in oil paper and ran home.
Another clerk, Yang Mei, asked, “That was Regimental Commander Qin, right? What did he buy?”
Xiao Juan said enviously, “Two ice pops and two sodas for his wife. You don’t know—he originally planned to buy five!”
In summer, most people only bought one ice pop to satisfy a craving. For him to buy so many at once—he really doted on his wife.
Jiang Yao already had a good reputation in the compound, thanks to her and the grandmother visiting every household a few days ago.
It was rare for a granddaughter-in-law and grandmother-in-law to get along so well. Some people had tried to stir trouble by saying Qin Mu was wasting money on big purchases, but Song Yulan didn’t fall for it.
She said Jiang Yao had taken such good care of her in the village that Qin Mu buying those things was only right.
Life hadn’t been easy for the two of them, but Jiang Yao had been truly filial—doing all the hard work while Song Yulan cooked and gathered wild vegetables.
They had relied on each other for three years, and Song Yulan said she had long treated Jiang Yao as her own granddaughter.
Yang Mei pursed her lips and said nothing. She wouldn’t admit how envious she felt.
Before marriage, her husband used to buy her ice pops and soda too. But after a year, that treatment was gone.
In her mind, all men were the same. Qin Mu was willing to do this now only because Jiang Yao had just moved in.
Just wait—once time passed, who knew what their life would become.