Deng Qin hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.
As soon as she entered the room, she was startled by the sight of blue floral patterns covering every surface.
This… this was really Commander Gu's dormitory?
"Um… sister-in-law, I came to return the handkerchief." Deng Qin handed over the freshly washed handkerchief with both hands. "Thank you for… helping me out today."
Shen Yu didn't take it immediately. Instead, she pulled over a chair for Deng Qin to sit and casually poured her a mug of water.
"What's there to thank? Just standing up for what's right when you see injustice."
Deng Qin held the cup, secretly observing Shen Yu.
This sister-in-law was really beautiful, and also quite fierce.
And so capable—she even dared to scold Liu Hongmei.
"Sister-in-law, today… I really want to thank you." Deng Qin mustered her courage and looked up. "If it weren't for you, I would have been scolded again today. Actually… about that medicine…"
"Alright, alright." Shen Yu interrupted her. "With these things, once it happens, it'll happen again. If you keep being so soft, she'll walk all over you."
The words were crude, but the reasoning was sound. Deng Qin's face paled, and she bit her lower lip without speaking.
Seeing her submissive demeanor, Shen Yu sighed inwardly.
This girl was truly soft—no wonder she was bullied so badly in the early parts of the original story.
"You're Deng Qin, right?" Shen Yu suddenly asked.
Deng Qin nodded. "Yes, the 'Qin' that means refreshing and pleasant."
"That's a nice name." Shen Yu leaned closer, staring into her eyes. "I heard you haven't been made a permanent employee yet? Do you want to be?"
Deng Qin's hands trembled.
"I do… I dream about it every day." The young woman's voice choked up slightly. "But my family background isn't good. Sister Liu said… someone like me should be grateful just to stay on as a temporary worker with a clay rice bowl. The iron rice bowls are reserved for those with proper roots and backgrounds."
"What nonsense!"
Shen Yu slammed the table, startling Deng Qin so much that tears nearly fell again.
"Bad family background is old history! Policies are changing now—why should anyone be judged by their origins?"
Shen Yu cursed without hesitation: "As long as your skills are solid, who dares say you're not good enough? What does Liu Hongmei have besides a loud voice? Your skills are better than hers, and you're more careful. Why should she get the iron rice bowl while you're stuck with a clay one?"
Deng Qin felt a surge of warmth in her heart from Shen Yu's words. No one had ever said such things to her, and she had never dared to think this way herself.
But years of insecurity left her without confidence. "But… but she's senior, and her brother-in-law is in the logistics department…"
"What about the logistics department? The logistics department serves the soldiers—it's not their family's private business!"
Shen Yu sneered. "If you really want to turn things around, you have to learn to catch her mistakes. Today's expired medicine was one. Next time something like this happens, you need to learn to keep evidence."
She patted the back of Deng Qin's hand. "Little sister, let me tell you something. In the military, ability is what matters most. If you can give injections so well that all the soldiers praise you, I'd like to see who dares touch you."
"Sister-in-law…"
Deng Qin's eyes reddened. "Why are you helping me? I have nothing to give you, and I might even drag you down…"
Shen Yu smiled, a meaningful smile.
To latch onto the future big shot's coattails, silly girl.
Of course, she couldn't say that.
"Because I like honest people?" Shen Yu blinked. "And I can't stand those who bully others with their power. Let's call it a united front."
The phrase "united front" struck Deng Qin as novel, yet it also stirred a faint unease within her.
She was accustomed to reflecting on herself whenever something happened; it was the first time she had heard that one could form an alliance to fight back after being wronged.
"Sister-in-law, I…"
Just as she was speaking, footsteps echoed from outside the door, followed by the sound of a key turning.
Gu Huai'an pushed the door open, carrying two aluminum lunchboxes in his hand.
As soon as he entered and saw someone sitting in the room, he paused, his brow furrowing slightly.
Deng Qin was so startled that she immediately stood up, flustered and unsure of what to do. "C-Commander Gu!"
Gu Huai'an didn't respond. His gaze bypassed this timid quail and landed squarely on Shen Yu, who was lounging in a rather unrefined manner. His tone was sharp. "Why are you bringing just anyone into the house?"
His harsh tone frightened Deng Qin so much that her face turned pale.
Shen Yu shot him a glare, walked over, and took the lunchboxes from him. "Can't you speak properly? You scared the poor girl. She came to return a handkerchief. Where are your manners?"
Gu Huai'an took off his cap and hung it on the wall.
"Once you're done returning it, leave quickly," he said, unfastening his uniform collar button as he walked to the washstand to pour water and wash his hands. Without turning around, he added, "It's getting dark, and the road isn't easy to walk. If you trip or bump into something, don't come back blaming my regiment for the uneven paths."
This was a blatant order to leave.
Deng Qin didn't dare stay a moment longer. In a panic, she set down the empty cup in her hand and bowed to Shen Yu and the man's retreating figure.
"Th-then, I'll be going now! Goodbye, Sister-in-law! Goodbye, Regimental Commander!"
With that, the little rabbit scurried along the wall to the door, pulled it open, and dashed out in a flash.
Once the door closed, Shen Yu placed the lunchboxes on the table and turned to glare at the man who was wiping his face with a towel. "Are you a dog with a temper? Why were you so harsh with that young girl?"
Gu Huai'an tossed the damp towel onto the rack, pulled out a chair, and sat down, spreading his long legs apart.
"I'm afraid you'll lead her astray."
He lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said, "That girl is timid, not like you, full of mischief, scheming with every blink of your eyes. Don't go filling her head with your twisted ideas."
"How am I filling her head with twisted ideas?" Shen Yu opened the lunchboxes and handed him a pair of chopsticks. "I'm teaching her how to survive in this ruthless world. Besides…"
She leaned closer, her eyes curving into a smile. "I think that girl has great potential. If we help her now, we might even benefit from it in the future."
Gu Huai'an picked up a bite of shredded potatoes with his chopsticks and snorted coldly.
"Benefit from what? Do I need to benefit from a little nurse? I think you're just bored and stirring up trouble."
He pointed his chopsticks vaguely in Shen Yu's direction as a warning. "Hurry up and eat. Once you're done, stay put and stop scheming about things that don't concern you."
"Alright, alright."
Shen Yu pouted, paying no heed to his words.
In these times, to live well, one not only needed money but also people.
Gu Huai'an alone wasn't enough—she wanted to nurture the saplings around her, too, so that one day they would grow into a forest. Even if a storm were to come, she would have a place to take shelter.
Thinking of this, Shen Yu couldn't suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth.
Looking at the rough man across from her, who was eating with his head down, she felt a surge of delight.
"What are you thinking about? Smiling like a fox," Gu Huai'an suddenly looked up, tapping the edge of her bowl with his chopsticks.
Shen Yu snapped back to attention, picked up a slice of meat, and placed it in his bowl, smiling with a flattering expression. "I was thinking of you, dear husband. Thinking about how brilliant and dashing you are, even when eating."
Gu Huai'an paused mid-action, nearly choking.
He glanced at her, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.
"Eat properly! Cut out the sweet talk—I’m not falling for that."
"As you wish!"