“Eh? What are you two standing here for? Dongzi, come over and help your sister-in-law move some things.”
At some point, Chen Aihe had appeared at the doorway, neatly rescuing Shen Chengdong from the awkward moment.
Jiang Rou poked his arm lightly with her finger, signaling him to hurry and lend a hand. Then she quickly pulled a milk candy from her cloth bag, peeled off the wrapper, and slipped it into his mouth. “This is your reward. You’ll have to keep working hard from now on~”
Meeting her trusting gaze, Shen Chengdong stiffly nodded. The words that had risen to his lips were cut short by Chen Aihe’s urging voice. That night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. In the end, he resolved to find an opportunity soon to tell her about leaving the repair shop.
The next morning, Chen Aihe called Jiang Rou over, took thirty yuan from the money box, and instructed: “This is the compensation from Han Laosan. If he brings the clock back, you return twenty-five to him.”
“Mm, alright.” Jiang Rou tucked the money into her pocket. Suddenly recalling Aunt Lan’s words from the night before, she hesitated, then asked: “Mom, didn’t you promise to give me the wedding gift money? When do you plan to hand it over?”
Chen Aihe froze for a moment, then slapped her forehead hard. “Look at me, I completely forgot! I’ll give it to you right now. Your sister sent a telegram yesterday saying she’s out of money. Lucky you reminded me—otherwise I nearly used that money to send to her first. Your father won’t get his wages until the start of next month.”
In the past, Jiang Rou would have swallowed her grievances and let her sister take the money. But this time, she refused to compromise.
“You know as well as I do that the house has so many broken things, and it’s practically empty… furnishing it will cost a lot.”
Chen Aihe agreed it was only right, and quickly pulled another thirty yuan from the money box. “This is all the wedding gift money. Take it. If it’s not enough, Mom will help you figure out more.”
“Thank you, Mom.” Jiang Rou accepted the money, her feelings tangled. She hadn’t wanted to play such little tricks, but she truly didn’t want Jiang Qiuyu to get the benefit.
An hour later, Jiang Rou and Shen Chengdong arrived at the courtyard house with tools in hand.
Han Laosan was already waiting outside, clutching the mantel clock, eyes anxious. The moment he saw them, he hurried forward with greetings, thrusting the clock into Shen Chengdong’s arms, his tone overly polite—afraid they might refuse to return the money.
Shen Chengdong set down his bucket and broom, examined the clock carefully, and only when he found no fault did he nod toward Jiang Rou. She drew out the twenty‑five yuan and handed it back, courteous yet distant.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Han Laosan took the money and slunk away.
By seven or eight in the morning, the courtyard was alive with neighbors busy at their own tasks. Jiang Rou led Shen Chengdong into what would be their future home, a smile finally lighting her face.
“There’s too much to tidy here. Put the clock on the cabinet first—it’s heavy to keep carrying.”
He placed it where she directed, then went to inspect the broken bed. Luckily, the frame was intact; it only needed repairs. No carpenter required—he could handle it himself.
On the way over, Jiang Rou had rattled off a long list of things to buy, leaving him no chance to confess.
Rising from the bed, he thought to seize the moment alone to tell her the truth, but she chirped happily instead: “Chengdong, you’re amazing—there’s nothing you can’t fix. Working in a bicycle shop is a waste of your talent.”
She spoke without thinking, but he heard every word. He asked quietly: “Then what do you think I should do?”
“You—” Jiang Rou recalled the plot of the book, where her husband made his fortune in transport. So she said lightly, “At the very least, you should be fixing cars. That would suit your skills!”
Seeing her eyes shine, Shen Chengdong made up his mind: whatever it took, he would secure a job with a transport team. He never mentioned the repair shop again, planning instead to surprise her once he found new work.
All morning, they worked side by side—she swept, and he repaired the bed. The clatter of tools rang like a cheerful melody, leaving them tireless.
Near noon, Jiang Rou set down her broom to deliver lunch to her cousin. She reminded Shen Chengdong to eat, then carried the freshly steamed buns toward the military hospital.
Her elder cousin, Han Yuanshang, had once served in a neighboring province. Wounded on duty, he was now recuperating in Beijing.
The bus ride from the courtyard to the hospital took over twenty minutes. Jiang Rou hugged the lunch box tightly, afraid the buns would cool. When she arrived, the ward was quiet. Han Yuanshang lay with eyes closed, seemingly asleep. She tiptoed closer, but just as she neared, he suddenly opened his eyes. Recognizing her, a smile flickered in them. “Did my mother send you here?”
Jiang Rou sat down on the stool by the bed, smiling as she answered, “Auntie’s busy today, so she sent me instead. How are you feeling?”
“Not bad.” Han Yuanshang’s complexion was still fairly healthy. Though thinner than before, his eyes remained sharp and spirited—no trace of someone who had just brushed past death.
Jiang Rou lifted the lid of the lunch box. The fragrance of meat buns drifted out, and he sniffed appreciatively. “Did you buy these? Smells wonderful~”
“No, Chengdong made them.” At the mention of Shen Chengdong’s cooking, Jiang Rou’s pride was unmistakable. She had never tasted food better than his.
Han Yuanshang raised his brows in surprise. He hadn’t expected that rough‑looking man to be capable of such delicate work.
“Go on, try one. The flavor’s first‑rate.” Jiang Rou handed him chopsticks, her eyes full of anticipation.
Her eager look made him chuckle. He picked up a bun and took a bite. Instantly, the rich meatiness filled his mouth, mingled with the unique freshness of mushrooms. Chewing, he praised, “You’re right—it’s excellent! Looks like you’ve found yourself a treasure.”
Jiang Rou’s smile bloomed, her face soft and radiant. “Mm! He really is wonderful.”
Han Yuanshang gave her a long look, then teased, “If Tang Ce saw you like this, he’d probably die of jealousy.”
Tang Ce, who also lived in the courtyard, had grown up alongside them. Now Han Yuanshang’s comrade, he had long harbored feelings for Jiang Rou. But she only regarded him as an elder brother, never as someone she could marry.
“Don’t talk nonsense. If my mom heard you, she’d beat you for it.” She said that because Tang Ce’s mother and Chen Aihe were notorious for quarreling whenever they met. Once it became known that Tang Ce liked Jiang Rou, the battles only escalated. His decision to enlist had partly been to escape that tension.
Han Yuanshang dropped the teasing, his expression turning serious. “By the way, I need a favor. I brought Lightning back with me this time. My mom’s careless and busy—could you look after him for a few days? I’ll take him home once I’m discharged.”
Lightning was a little puppy, once a promising military dog but retired after an injury. Han Yuanshang had adopted him. Known for his intelligence, Jiang Rou had already heard of him, and her eyes lit up.
“Of course! Perfect timing—I’m moving, so I’ll have space to keep him.”
Han Yuanshang hadn’t known she was moving. After asking a few questions, his expression grew thoughtful. “When is Jiang Qiuyu coming back to the city? I heard she got engaged in the countryside?”
“Mm. Her fiancé is one of the educated youth there—seems to have a decent background.” Jiang Rou didn’t want to say more.
But Han Yuanshang noticed her unease, his face hardening. “What’s wrong? Has she been secretly bullying you again?”
“No. She’s not in Beijing—how could she bully me?”
In the past, when he asked this, Jiang Rou would naively insist that Jiang Qiuyu treated her well, dismissing all the old grievances as nothing.
Ever since that dream, it was as if a veil had been lifted from Jiang Rou’s mind. Looking back on the past, she could no longer convince herself that Jiang Qiuyu had never meant her harm.
At that moment, Han Yuanshang picked up a set of keys from the table and held them out to her. “These are the bicycle keys. I can’t ride while I’m injured—give them to Shen Chengdong to use.”
Jiang Rou accepted them without fuss. “Thanks then~ When you’re discharged, I’ll make sure Chengdong cooks something delicious for you!”
“I want dumplings with three‑fresh filling.”
“No problem~ You don’t even have to wait until you’re discharged for that.”
By the time Jiang Rou left the ward, half an hour had passed. Carrying the now‑empty lunch box, she turned into the stairwell—and bumped straight into someone. She lifted her head, ready to say “sorry,” only to find it was a familiar face.
“Sister Wen? What are you doing here?”
Meng Wen instinctively covered her bruised wrist, forcing a smile. “Xiao Rou, it’s you. I came to visit a colleague. What about you—why are you at the hospital?”
Her movement was quick, so Jiang Rou didn’t notice the injury. She pointed back toward the corridor. “My cousin’s hospitalized here. I came to bring him lunch.”
Meng Wen froze for a moment. “You mean… Han Yuanshang?”
They had all grown up in the same alley. Jiang Rou nodded. “Yes, that’s him. You must have heard—he was injured a while ago, and now he’s recovering here.”
“Oh.” Meng Wen tightened her grip on her wrist, as if she felt no pain at all. “Well… you go on then. I still need to visit my colleague.”
Seeing her haggard look, Jiang Rou felt something was off, but she didn’t press.
Back at the courtyard house, Shen Chengdong had already repaired the double bed. The rooms were spotless inside and out. Jiang Rou’s eyes widened in amazement. “You cleaned all this? Incredible~”
She had thought it would take days before the place was livable. But now, it was so clean they could move in tomorrow.
Shen Chengdong set down his tools and smiled at her. “Do you think we need to buy anything else? I can go later.”
Remembering her cousin’s request, Jiang Rou decided to bring it up. She explained about fostering Lightning, then asked, “Are you afraid of dogs? If you mind, I can refuse.”
Seeing how much she wanted it, Shen Chengdong shook his head. “No taboos. If you want to keep it, then keep it.”
Jiang Rou’s eyes curved with delight, her voice soft as she said, “Alright.”
The afternoon sun was warm, the world hushed. Shen Chengdong gazed at her rosy lips, unable to resist leaning closer. Jiang Rou stared at him blankly, and before she could react, his lips pressed down. The heat of the kiss stunned her. By the time she came back to herself, he had already pulled her tightly into his arms. Sensing her distraction, his movements grew more insistent, the tingling sensation dizzying. She could only wrap her arms around his strong waist, letting him kiss her deeply.
The golden sunlight suddenly felt intrusive. Dazed, she thought: this new home definitely needed beautiful curtains.