Along the south wall was a long heated kang bed, and on the wall above it was a large window fitted with actual glass panes.
Sunlight streamed through the glass onto the kang, filling the whole room with brightness and making it feel warm and comfortable.
“This room is basically the living room,” Lu Huai explained. “We eat here, and when guests come over, we entertain them here too.”
Only then did Qiao Zhenzhu notice a wooden sofa set and a tea table placed against the north wall.
In the north, homes with a kang usually didn’t bother with sofas and tea tables as well, so this setup was pretty uncommon.
It had clearly been specially prepared according to the original owner’s habits.
Too bad the original owner hadn’t appreciated it at all.
There was another door on the east wall. Opening it led into the original owner’s bedroom.
That’s right—aside from their wedding night, the two of them had slept separately ever since.
This bedroom also had a large heated kang beneath the south-facing window.
The kang was built against three walls and was about two and a half meters wide.
If two people fought—or rolled around—on top of it, they could tumble however they liked without worrying about falling off the bed.
Realizing what she was thinking, Qiao Zhenzhu’s face instantly reddened.
At the end of the kang was a large storage cabinet for quilts and pillows.
Beside it stood a row of red wardrobes. They weren’t made from any expensive wood, but they were brand new—obviously custom-made for the wedding.
There was another window on the north wall. It wasn’t especially large, but a desk had been placed beside it.
Next to the desk was a bookshelf.
Su Mujin walked over and glanced at the books on the shelf, inwardly exclaiming in alarm.
Give it a little more time, and if even one of these books was discovered by the wrong people, neither she nor Lu Huai would have an easy time.
Without hesitation, Qiao Zhenzhu swept every book on the shelf into her space.
Several books lying on the desk were collected as well.
The drawer was locked, but she remembered the original owner’s luggage contained a key. She quickly found it and opened the drawer smoothly.
There wasn’t much inside—a diary and several letters.
Qiao Zhenzhu didn’t bother reading them. She stuffed everything into a bag and tossed it into a corner of her space.
Lu Huai quietly watched from the side, emotions flickering in his eyes that only he himself could understand.
After clearing out the bookshelf area, Qiao Zhenzhu turned to him.
“There’s dust all over the furniture. Go get some water and let’s clean up together.”
“I’ll fetch the water.”
Lu Huai carried a bucket out to the hand pump in the yard and quickly returned with a full bucket.
“Don’t do it. I can wipe everything down myself in no time,” Lu Huai said.
Qiao Zhenzhu ignored him completely.
“You sweep away the cobwebs up high. I’ll wipe down the tables, chairs, and benches.”
Seeing how determined she was, Lu Huai could only speed up his work.
The more he did, the less she would have to.
Half an hour later, the two eastern rooms and the kitchen had all been cleaned spotless.
There were two more rooms on the west side, laid out exactly the same as the eastern ones.
Lu Huai was about to go clean those too, but Qiao Zhenzhu stopped him.
“We’re not living there for now, so there’s no need.”
Thinking she didn’t understand the situation, Lu Huai explained, “I’ve been staying on the west side…”
“You don’t want to live in the same room as me?” Qiao Zhenzhu shot back directly.
She didn’t like beating around the bush or playing vague little games.
They were already legally married. If there was something to say, it was better to say it plainly.
Caught off guard by the question, Lu Huai pressed his lips together.
“It’s not that I don’t want to—”
“Then that means you do want to.” Qiao Zhenzhu smiled brightly. “Great, then it’s settled!”
Hearing her say that, Lu Huai quickly relaxed.
If even Qiao Zhenzhu, a woman, could be this straightforward, what did he, a grown man, have to be awkward about?
“Alright.” Lu Huai smiled and agreed. “I’ll stay on this side too.”
After returning from the train station and cleaning for so long, it was already lunchtime.
Qiao Zhenzhu had just been about to take some food out from her space when someone started knocking loudly at the courtyard gate.
Whoever it was was calling out as they knocked.
Lu Huai listened carefully.
“It’s Political Commissar Zhang’s wife from the east side. I’ll go take a look.”
“I’ll come too.”
Qiao Zhenzhu followed him outside.
With his long legs, Lu Huai walked faster and reached the gate first to open it.
“Sister-in-law,” Lu Huai greeted with a smile. “What brings you here?”
Huang Qiuying looked to be around thirty years old, fair and plump, with a cheerful smile on her face.
“I heard from Old Zhang that you came back,” she said. “You haven’t been home for days, so I figured there probably isn’t much food in the house. I came to invite you over for a meal.”
Lu Huai and Political Commissar Zhang were quite close privately, and he had often eaten at their home before.
But this time, Lu Huai politely declined with a smile.
“No need, Sister-in-law. Zhenzhu and I can just cook something ourselves at home.”
“Zhenzhu?” Huang Qiuying froze. “Qiao Zhenzhu came back too?”
Qiao Zhenzhu stepped forward with a smile.
“What kind of question is that, Sister-in-law? This is my home. If I don’t come back here, where else would I go?”
Huang Qiuying hadn’t even noticed her earlier. Now, seeing Qiao Zhenzhu walk out smiling and speak to her in such a familiar tone, her eyes widened.
Without thinking, she blurted out:
“Did you take the wrong medicine or something?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Huang Qiuying’s face filled with embarrassment.
“Uh… that’s not what I meant… I just…”
“No need to be nervous, Sister-in-law, and no need to explain. I understand,” Qiao Zhenzhu said with a smile. “Before, I’d just left home and wasn’t used to things yet, so I didn’t talk much with everyone. It’s normal that you’d find it strange. I’ll get used to it eventually.”
Get used to it eventually?
Huang Qiuying’s eyes widened like copper bells.
Qiao Zhenzhu had only gone back to her parents’ home once—how had she come back like a completely different person?
She was clearly still the same person, with the same exquisitely beautiful face.
But maybe because her smile was so radiant, even her features seemed softer now.
She no longer carried that untouchable arrogance that kept people at a distance. Instead, she made people instinctively like her.
Faced with such a face, Huang Qiuying truly couldn’t bring herself to stay cold.
She quickly broke into a smile.
“Zhen… Zhenzhu, then you and Lu Huai should both come eat at my place!”
This time, Qiao Zhenzhu didn’t refuse.
“Sure! Thank you, Sister-in-law!”
Seeing her actually agree, Huang Qiuying suddenly felt oddly flattered.
“Good, good! Then let’s go?”
“Sister-in-law, you head back first. Lu Huai and I will come over in a little while.”
“Alright,” Huang Qiuying agreed readily. “I’ll wait for you two at home, but you must come!”
After Huang Qiuying left, Qiao Zhenzhu immediately dragged Lu Huai back inside.
Lu Huai still looked confused.
“What’s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?”
“To prepare a gift, obviously!” Qiao Zhenzhu replied as if it were only natural. “We can’t go to someone else’s house for a meal empty-handed! Besides, whether I can build a good relationship with Sister-in-law depends on this. I’m counting on her to help me integrate into the military wives’ circle!”