After the meal, Qin Mu finished washing the dishes. When he saw the clothes still fluttering in the corner of the yard, he hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took them down.
“The clothes from this morning haven’t been brought in yet. I’ll do it for you.”
Inside the room, Jiang Yao was sitting at the desk writing something. Someone who usually slept right after eating was now fighting off drowsiness because of sudden “overtime,” her eyes watery as she yawned.
“Okay, got it.”
Seeing that she didn’t even turn her head, Qin Mu looked at the clothes in his hands. After a moment of silence, he sat on the edge of the bed and began folding them.
Jiang Yao’s old clothes were full of patches, and some seams had come undone. He took out a needle and thread to fix them, folding one piece before moving on to the next.
At the very bottom were Jiang Yao’s undergarments.
Two thin straps and two large bowl-shaped cups.
Qin Mu recalled the glimpse he had seen that day and found it hard to believe something like this could actually be worn.
Taking advantage of Jiang Yao not looking, he quickly folded the two pieces and tucked them inside the rest of the clothes.
After writing for a while, Jiang Yao folded the paper and slipped it into her pocket. Planning to take a nap, she turned her head and saw a man sleeping… quite peacefully, along with a neat stack of folded clothes.
Her gaze shifted to the clothes.
【Xiao Hei, did he fold my clothes?】
Xiao Hei yawned. 【Yeah. While you were busy, he not only folded your clothes but also mended them—and even studied your underwear for quite a while.】
Jiang Yao: 【……】
She wanted to say something, but it didn’t feel quite right. They were husband and wife—technically, folding clothes wasn’t a problem.
Forget it. She’d just be more careful next time.
Yawning, she lay down on her side of the bed, pulled the blanket corner over her stomach, and quickly fell asleep.
When she woke up, it was to a burst of noise. She scratched her head, got up, and checked the time.
Two o’clock.
At this hour?
The workers building the bathing room had arrived!!!
She hurriedly pushed the door open. What she saw was a courtyard full of men…
Including her man.
Qin Mu was wearing his training uniform, working with the soldiers to build the wall. Grandma was on the other side of the yard, setting out sweet water to cool. Jiang Yao walked over.
“Grandma, is there anything I can help with?”
“No need. I’m just here to set out water for them. When the time comes, I’ll go inside to cook. Xiao Mu made the sweet water earlier—so don’t say I’m working alone again.”
Jiang Yao pouted playfully. “Grandma~”
Song Yulan was completely won over. She had never had a daughter in her life—how could she not cherish such a sweet, caring, and considerate granddaughter-in-law?
“Alright, go get some soybeans. Let’s wash them and sprout some bean sprouts.”
Song Yulan was skilled at sprouting beans—it tasted especially good stir-fried.
Jiang Yao had loved it the first time she tried it. Before, she had been too busy working and trading goods to learn, but today she finally had the chance.
She brought out a basin of soybeans.
While washing them, Song Yulan explained the process.
“Soak the soybeans in warm water overnight until they swell. Wash them clean, drain the water, put them in a bowl, and cover them with a clean cloth.
Every day, change the water once. Drain it each time, and wash the cloth as well. Keep doing this, and by the fourth day, they’ll be ready to eat.”
“This amount won’t be enough. We’ll prepare another basin later. Since we just moved in, we should make more. When we have time, we’ll take the bean sprouts around to visit neighbors and get to know people.”
In a place like this compound, socializing was inevitable. Since they had just arrived, they needed to build connections and avoid being labeled as unfriendly.
Jiang Yao agreed immediately. Although she usually disliked scheming and social maneuvering, if it came her way, she wouldn’t hold back—especially with Grandma and Qin Mu backing her up.
If people don’t offend me, I won’t offend them. But if they do… I’ll dig up their ancestral graves!!!
Qin Mu and the soldiers didn’t finish work until seven in the evening. It was late, but the water pipes for the bathing room and toilet were fully installed and usable that very day. The walls just needed time to dry.
Jiang Yao and the old lady had originally prepared buns, but seeing how exhausted and sweaty they were, they went back into the kitchen and cooked two large portions of noodles with sauce.
When Qin Mu came to carry the food, Song Yulan personally followed to serve them larger portions.
“Grandma of the regiment commander, this is enough.”
Song Yulan filled a big bowl for each of them. “You’ve worked seven or eight hours—how can we not at least feed you properly?”
Qin Mu said firmly, “Eat your fill before going back.”
“Yes, sir!”
In the end, the group of young soldiers left Qin Mu’s courtyard patting their full stomachs and burping.
There was no need for Jiang Yao to clean up dishes or tables—her only job was to eat.
After dinner, she went to inspect the bathing room, then instructed Qin Mu to run a wire to use as a clothesline.
“This is a heated wall. In winter, we can hang clothes here so they won’t freeze solid.”
She also had Qin Mu make a small wooden box for soap, a place to hang towels, and a spot for toothbrushes.
Song Yulan came over to take a look. The three towels were hung neatly side by side.
“This does look nice.”
Qin Mu glanced at Jiang Yao, who was enthusiastically explaining everything. Aside from her… particular interests, she didn’t seem to have any major flaws.
“Grandma, you go take a bath first tonight. I’ll bring you a stool.”
“Alright.” She had already seen the stool Jiang Yao had specially asked Qin Mu to make that afternoon—with armrests, too.
Qin Mu went to fetch it. Jiang Yao tugged at his clothes and pulled him out of the bathing room. “I’ll get Grandma’s clothes. You… go find something to do.”
“Mm.”
Qin Mu went to feed the chickens, checked the vegetable garden, and, seeing nothing else to do, returned to the room to make the bed.
When Jiang Yao came back after her bath and saw the bed already made, she yawned and said naturally, “Go wash. I heated some water for you.”
Qin Mu looked at the sleepwear she was wearing and asked for the clothes she had worn during the day.
“I’ll wash them together after I bathe.”
“They’re in the basin.”
“Is your underwear in there too?”
Jiang Yao: !!!
Xiao Hei mimicked Qin Mu’s tone: 【Is your underwear in there too?】
Jiang Yao: 【Why are you chiming in? Of course I hid my underwear! I already said I wouldn’t let him wash it. With his strength, he’d stretch it out of shape—how would I wear it then? My little buns are still in their growth phase—they need shaping!】
Xiao Hei: 【Sister Yao, you’re already twenty-one. Is there still room for growth?】
After hearing this, Qin Mu’s ears turned slightly red. He cleared his throat. “Is your underwear in there? I won’t scrub it too hard.”
Jiang Yao blinked. “My underwear isn’t very dirty. I just changed it yesterday.”
“So you’re not washing it?” Qin Mu took in her expression.
“No need. I can wear it one more day.”
“Mm.”
Jiang Yao let out a sigh of relief, thinking he wouldn’t say anything more. But just before leaving, he added, “Then wash it tomorrow night.”
Jiang Yao: ……
Xiao Hei: 【Then wash it tomorrow night~ Sister Yao, this is the first time you’ve been outplayed by a man, right?】
Jiang Yao collapsed onto the bed, gritting her teeth. 【Whose side are you on? Teaming up with Qin Mu to annoy me?】
Xiao Hei: 【No, no—I’m just enjoying the show. I think Qin Mu really wants to live a proper life with you. Why not just go along with it? This husband is great—he does the work, washes the clothes, takes the lead in bed—you can just lie back and relax.】
Jiang Yao snapped, 【Go to sleep!】