Granny Li finally emerged from the communal kitchen, pointing a finger at Lin Mojia.
“Young Lin, our family quarters don’t have this kind of atmosphere of bullying women and children! I will definitely speak to your parents about this.”
Granny Li had retired from the hospital’s internal medicine outpatient department many years ago and lived alone in the western room of this eastern small courtyard, but she was by no means an ordinary solitary elderly person.
Her children each had their own achievements and families, and most of the apprentices she had mentored were still working and held important positions. Any dean, vice dean, or head doctor from Suzhou Hospital who passed by the eastern courtyard would make a point to come and greet her.
Granny Li had always been this way; if she disapproved of something, she had to speak up. She and Jiang Lizhu weren’t close—one could even say their relationship was cool—but observing from the sidelines, she saw things more clearly.
It was hard to say about before, but from her pregnancy through her confinement and beyond, Jiang Lizhu had behaved herself. Apart from work, she rarely went out. Xiao Jinzhu had never come to visit. Jiang Lizhu hadn’t tried to curry favor with the Lin family through Xiao Jinzhu either.
Today, Xiao Jinzhu showed up empty-handed, making vague and insubstantial remarks. Lin Mojia, even more overbearing and unreasonable, immediately launched into a harsh reprimand. At the root of it, they thought Jiang Lizhu was easy to bully now that her father, brother, and husband weren’t around.
“No, please, Granny, don’t misunderstand Brother Mojia…” Xiao Jinzhu was genuinely starting to get anxious and scared. She turned to look at the tall military man who was completely shielding Jiang Lizhu and the child behind him.
“This big brother, you’re mistaken. Brother Mojia wouldn’t actually hit anyone. He was just trying to scare her… I’ll apologize to A-Li on behalf of Brother Mojia. A-Li also hit Brother Mojia.”
“Let’s just apologize to each other, and let this matter rest.”
Xiao Jinzhu tried hard to mediate gently, not wanting the situation to escalate to the point where Vice Dean Lin and his wife would find out. She and Lin Mojia were still only engaged, and their treatment differed in some ways from that of a truly married couple.
Besides, objectively speaking, Jiang Lizhu had struck first. While they might be in the wrong, Jiang Lizhu and her child had suffered no real harm from start to finish. It would be best to let the matter drop, apologize to each other, and not pursue it further.
“The one who stirs trouble is the cheap one. He deserved that slap! I only regret that my strength wasn’t enough to really make it hurt,” Jiang Lizhu shifted her child’s weight, her hands always firmly protecting her son.
The kick she hadn’t been able to land, this soldier brother had landed for her. Only now did Jiang Lizhu feel her anger had subsided.
Of course, it would have been even better if she could have delivered that kick herself, and then the soldier appeared to send him flying. Jiang Lizhu only regretted it for a moment before letting it go.
Stepping back forward, Jiang Lizhu’s tone was gentle but carried an unquestionable firmness. “Also, don’t call me A-Li. It’s disgusting! I really, really dislike you. Please have some self-awareness!”
Jiang Lizhu felt she would soon leave Suzhou to join the army and didn’t want to give Xiao Jinzhu any chance to disgust her. So-called adult civility was worthless to her. She simply disliked Xiao Jinzhu and would loudly declare it to the world.
“You…” Xiao Jinzhu’s eyes reddened. Jiang Lizhu’s righteousness and directness were not so easy to counter. She hadn’t expected that after not seeing her for a while, Jiang Lizhu had become so sharp-tongued, prickly, and rebellious, with no regard for Lin Mojia’s background and status.
Perhaps it was because Jiang Lizhu had resigned from the hospital that she felt she had nothing to lose.
“This young man looks familiar… are you…” Granny Li helplessly glanced at the outspoken Jiang Lizhu, then looked curiously at the soldier who had remained silent but descended like a god and kicked someone flying.
Some of the younger generation in the hospital family quarters had also joined the army. Granny Li’s memory was still decent, but she couldn’t immediately recall which family this young man belonged to.
The soldier was exceptionally handsome and possessed a remarkable aura. Once seen, he was hard to forget.
A sudden connection occurred to Granny Li. As everyone knew, Jiang Lizhu was a military spouse, having married a soldier a year ago!
But amidst the many rumors Granny Li had also heard, Jiang Lizhu’s officer husband was said to be a remarried man over forty with several children from a previous marriage.
It was rumored that Jiang Lizhu hadn’t joined him in the garrison after getting pregnant, and no in-laws had come to look after her, precisely because the remarried officer’s family relations were too complicated, leaving no place for Jiang Lizhu and her child.
“Hello, my name is Gu Mingyan. I’m Lizhu’s husband and the child’s father. Also, I am 25 years old. Both Lizhu and I are in our first marriage,” Gu Mingyan nodded politely to Granny Li, who had spoken up for them several times. After introducing himself, he also publicly clarified the rumors.
This also indicated that he had heard quite a bit before rushing over.
Gu Mingyan turned sideways, looking down at Jiang Lizhu, whose eyes also showed surprise and who hadn’t recognized him at all, and at the baby in her arms. The little one had turned his head too, chubby, fair, and plump, long since stopped crying. “I’m back.”
“Sorry it took me so long to come see you both.”
Gu Mingyan’s eyes held apology. As a husband and father, he had failed in his duties. A glimpse revealed the truth; in the past year or more, while he was unaware and absent, Jiang Lizhu must have faced many difficulties.
Looking up, Jiang Lizhu saw a face that was fifty or sixty percent similar to her son’s: thick, dark, sword-like eyebrows; peach blossom eyes that looked affectionate even at a dog; a high, straight nose bridge; pale, thin lips. His features were remarkably handsome and enduring.
The baby in Jiang Lizhu’s arms, with his natural baby fat, most resembled Gu Mingyan in those captivating peach blossom eyes. His nose was most like Jiang Lizhu’s. It was still hard to say who the other features favored more.
But with those identical peach blossom eyes, anyone could tell at a glance they were father and son. This was also the source of Granny Li’s feeling that he looked familiar.
Furthermore, Gu Mingyan stood out in this small courtyard, even in the entire family quarters. He was estimated to be over 1.85 meters tall. Having such a build and height in this era, even in the military district where food wasn’t a concern, was rare.
Even rarer was the bewitching, refined, and noble temperament Gu Mingyan naturally exuded. No wonder the original host, upon their first meeting, thought Gu Mingyan came from an extraordinary background. Upon learning the “truth” of his grassroots rural origins, she felt so disappointed and couldn’t help but transfer her resentment and blame onto him.
“You… you came back just in time,” Jiang Lizhu, too surprised, accidentally let the tears that had been welling in her eyes for so long roll down. She blinked hard, then continued her complaint.
“My son and I were just enjoying the sun at our own doorstep, and this couple—one came to offer fake concern, the other came to falsely accuse me, and they scared our son into crying. The doctor said if a little kid gets scared, it’s easy for them to have night terrors and fevers. Our son is still so, so young.”
Gu Mingyan looked at the mother and son, who shared the same face shape and delicate nose. The shock and anger in his heart were stirred again. He turned to look at Xiao Jinzhu and Lin Mojia, his gaze turning even colder.
Gu Mingyan came from a rural background and was a deputy regiment leader who had risen through the ranks entirely by repeatedly performing outstanding feats. He had personally killed not a few enemies during missions. His gaze, carrying a hint of killing intent, was not something ordinary people could withstand.
“As for the slander and defamation against Lihzhu and me, I will pursue this matter to the end,” Gu Mingyan stated plainly. As a soldier, his reputation was not just his own affair. Jiang Lizhu, as a military spouse, was also under the protection of the military. Her reputation was equally not to be defamed.
“I’ll apologize to you. I’m sorry,” Xiao Jinzhu frowned and decisively apologized. The rumors in the family quarters and hospital couldn’t be traced back to her, but Lin Mojia had spoken those words and left evidence.
But even though she wasn’t yet truly married into the Lin family, if Gu Mingyan pursued Lin Mojia, she would inevitably be affected.
And with Gu Mingyan’s appearance, her worst suspicions were confirmed. This man was truly Jiang Lizhu’s officer husband. Just by looking at his appearance and aura, one could tell how absurd the rumors were and how badly they had misled her.
Lin Mojia, after being tugged by Xiao Jinzhu and receiving several signaling glances, gritted his teeth and apologized, “I’m… I’m sorry. I, I only heard it from others.”
“That’s something you’ll have to explain to the police,” Gu Mingyan’s expression didn’t soften. Neither he nor Jiang Lizhu needed this belated and obviously insincere apology. These two just needed to face the consequences of their reckless words and spreading rumors.
“Brother Mojia…” Xiao Jinzhu looked at Lin Mojia with heartache, feeling he had endured humiliation for her sake.
Before the two could speak again, Jiang Lizhu raised an eyebrow and interrupted, her tone dripping with disgust, “Hey, if you want to kiss and cuddle, go back to your own home. I don’t want to watch!”
“You’re simply…”
Lin Mojia’s face turned livid with embarrassment. He struggled to swallow the rest of his words, grabbed the aggrieved and hesitant Xiao Jinzhu, and pulled her away quickly.
“I told you long ago, there was no need to bother. She’s just not the type to be grateful! This eastern small courtyard… should have been demolished and rebuilt back then!”
Those two were finally gone, and Jiang Lizhu felt her eyes could finally rest. She turned and looked towards the kitchen door. “Granny, thank you for speaking up for me.”
“Auntie Han, Doctor Chen, thank you too. If needed later, I’ll trouble you to tell the truth.” Jiang Lizhu also thanked Auntie Han and Doctor Chen, who had come into the courtyard.
“Ah, child, you just suffer because of that sharp tongue of yours,” Granny Li said, but inwardly, she now had a completely new impression of Jiang Lizhu, who had been so daring with her words and actions today.
“One handsome, one pretty. You two are a perfect match. Hurry up and take your man back to rest.” Granny Li’s eyes held a teasing glint. She couldn’t bring herself to say the kind of embarrassing things Jiang Lizhu did, like about kissing and hugging.
Jiang Lizhu showed not a trace of embarrassment. Smiling brightly, she nodded, glanced at Gu Mingyan, and headed first towards her small eastern room.
Gu Mingyan, following the address Jiang Lizhu had provided in her letter, had asked for directions all the way from the front gate of the family quarters, through the central courtyard, and in through the western low gate of the eastern small courtyard. He quickly walked back near the low gate, retrieved his luggage, and then followed her into the small eastern room.
By the desk near the foot of the bed in the small room, Jiang Lizhu had already poured water for both herself and Gu Mingyan. “Have a glass of water. Go wash up and take a bath, then you can hold your son.”
Jiang Lizhu noticed the faint ring of stubble around Gu Mingyan’s mouth. Trains in this era were very slow. Traveling all the way from his military unit to Suzhou couldn’t have been easy for him.
“Okay,” Gu Mingyan was indeed thirsty. Putting down his luggage, he walked over and drained the entire mug of warm water.
“The thermos is by your foot near the desk. Help yourself if you need more. The water was boiled yesterday, so it’s not very hot anymore,” Jiang Lizhu said, taking a sip of her own warm water and looking down at the baby in her arms. “Baby, are you thirsty? Mama will feed you.”
“Ah wu,” the little one kicked his arms and legs, happily responding, and grinned at Jiang Lizhu. Crystal-clear drool immediately dripped from the corners of his unable-to-close mouth.
Jiang Lizhu and Gu Mingyan couldn’t help but smile along. Gu Mingyan took the initiative and said, “You hold the child. I’ll feed him.”
“Mm, okay,” Jiang Lizhu directed Gu Mingyan to get the baby’s special bowl and spoon, then to get a handkerchief to tuck under the little one’s double chin. Gu Mingyan then began feeding him, somewhat unskilled but extremely carefully.
“Ah puh puh puh…” The little one spilled half of what he drank, but overall, he still showed some face for his new father, Gu Mingyan.
“Baby’s had enough. Go clean yourself up,” Jiang Lizhu wrinkled her nose, no longer hiding her disgust at Gu Mingyan’s body odor. It was truly pungent.
“Mm, okay, right away,” Gu Mingyan looked embarrassed. Compared to his sweet, milky-smelling wife and son, he, having traveled for two days and three nights by train, was indeed smelly and disheveled.
Gu Mingyan quickly gathered his towel, clothes, and other items. Taking the wooden basin Jiang Lizhu pointed him to, he walked towards the small bathroom at the back side of the adjoining room.
This bathroom had been added on by the original host after she moved in, paying someone to build it. It had running water and drainage. It was less than four square meters total, very small, but still much better than the communal toilet in the family quarters. Jiang Lizhu had Aunt Mei rinse and clean it every day; it was very clean inside.
In the sweltering heat of the dog days, Gu Mingyan could bathe without hot water. Closing the door, he quickly washed up.
Back in the main room, once Gu Mingyan was out of sight, Jiang Lizhu, who had been pretending to be calm, let out a long breath.
“So those eyes come from your dad…” Jiang Lizhu murmured. Gu Mingyan’s appearance was unexpectedly handsome, and his physique was also very good.
Jiang Lizhu, who had a bit of a thing for good looks, rolled her eyes thoughtfully. With Gu Mingyan’s face and physique, she suddenly felt that the future of joining him in the military garrison held promise. It wouldn’t be too unbearable after all.
The desire for food and sex is part of human nature. Jiang Lizhu suddenly realized that she, too, was just an ordinary member of the common lot of mortals in this world.