It was not long before Huo Qiang returned with an aluminum lunchbox.
He walked over to the table and slowly lifted the lid with his slender fingers, his gaze unobtrusively settling on Ruan Yingying’s face.
His tone was calm.
“I got there late, so there wasn’t much left in the mess hall. Just make do with this.”
The moment the lid was lifted, a rich aroma immediately filled the room.
It was pork stewed with cabbage and glass noodles, still steaming hot.
A layer of pork fat glistened on the surface of the broth, the cabbage had been stewed until tender, and several pieces of pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat were half submerged in the soup.
Ruan Yingying had been hungry all day. The moment she smelled the hearty food, her eyes lit up slightly.
She had no time to care about Huo Qiang’s words about making do.
She hurriedly reached for the chopsticks, moving so quickly that even Huo Qiang was a little surprised.
He remembered an occasion in the past when he had brought back similar food from the mess hall. She had only taken one look before complaining that it was too greasy, too crude, and that the lunchbox had a strange smell.
In the end, she had even thrown down her chopsticks without taking a single bite.
This time, he had already prepared himself for her complaints.
But she…
Ruan Yingying took the chopsticks and was just about to lower her head and start eating when the corner of her eye caught sight of him standing beside the table, motionless, with a somewhat unnatural expression on his face.
Thinking that he might be hungry too but was too embarrassed to say so, she stopped and gently pushed the lunchbox toward him.
She raised her head and murmured, “You haven’t eaten either, have you? Why don’t you… eat some with me? There’s quite a lot. I can’t finish it all by myself anyway.”
Huo Qiang froze for a moment, clearly not expecting her to say that.
He looked into her clear eyes. There was only innocent curiosity in them, without the disgust or reluctance he remembered.
The inexplicable heaviness and guardedness in his heart seemed to be lightly touched by something.
He did not answer. Instead, he suddenly turned and walked away.
Ruan Yingying held her chopsticks in midair and watched his back, feeling somewhat puzzled, along with a faint sense of frustration she could not quite explain.
If he did not want to eat, then fine. But why walk away without saying anything?
Or… did he dislike the fact that she had touched the lunchbox?
She pursed her lips and decided not to think about it anymore. Just as she was about to continue eating, Huo Qiang returned.
He placed a very clean cotton handkerchief on the table beside her hand.
His voice remained emotionless.
“Wipe them.”
Ruan Yingying was stunned at first. Following his gaze, she looked at the chopsticks in her hand, then at the handkerchief.
Her memories suddenly became clear.
The original owner had a habit of wiping her utensils with her own handkerchief before eating.
And Huo Qiang’s action seemed to show that he had long since become accustomed to and accepted this particular fussiness of hers.
She had not expected this rough looking, intimidating man to be… rather considerate.
At that thought, an awkward yet inexplicably warm feeling quietly crept up to her ears.
“Thank you.”
She spoke softly, picked up the handkerchief, which still carried a faint clean scent of soap, and hurriedly wiped the tips of the chopsticks.
Her movements were quick, almost as though she were trying to conceal her embarrassment.
Then she lowered her head and began eating.
The food in the lunchbox was at just the right temperature.
The pork was tender and flavorful, the cabbage naturally sweet, and the glass noodles smooth and springy.
Ruan Yingying ate with great relish and complete concentration, temporarily forgetting her earlier embarrassment and failing to notice the complicated, unreadable gaze that lingered on the top of her head for a long time.
After a while, Huo Qiang composed himself and looked toward the door.
“I’ll head back first.”
Ruan Yingying was immersed in the satisfaction of finally filling her stomach, her entire body completely relaxed.
He was leaving?
Where was he going at this hour?
Hearing this, she instinctively raised her head. The lingering fragrance of the food was still in her mouth when the question slipped out.
“Where are you going?”
Huo Qiang had already turned and reached the doorway. His hand was resting on the doorknob when he suddenly stopped.
He did not turn around.
His entire body stiffened for a moment.
Several seconds later, he slowly turned back. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his deep eyes were filled with obvious confusion, along with a trace of coldness that seemed almost offended.
Was this woman pretending not to understand, or was she deliberately humiliating him?
Back when their arguments had been at their worst, she had pointed at his nose and said that seeing him made her annoyed. She had said that there could be no room for both of them in this house and had forced him to establish the rule that whoever stayed, the other had to leave.
After that, whenever she briefly returned, he would automatically go squeeze himself into the cold communal dormitory.
What now?
Had she forgotten all of that?
Or did she think it was amusing to toy with him like this?
He stared heavily at her for several seconds.
Yet she seemed to have asked the question casually. After asking, she simply lowered her head again and focused on finishing the last few strands of glass noodles in the lunchbox, eating with complete concentration.
Her completely unconcerned, almost matter of fact attitude caused the frustration in Huo Qiang’s chest, which had been somewhat eased by the aroma of the food, to surge up again, even heavier than before.
Forget it.
He could not be bothered to argue with her.
After all, they were people who were about to divorce. Their current arrangement was nothing more than temporarily living together for the sake of the child.
So Huo Qiang forcibly swallowed the sharp questions that had risen to his lips and simply replied indifferently.
“I’m going back to duty.”
With that, he did not linger. He turned around, gripped the cold doorknob, and pulled the door open.
The biting chill of the winter night instantly swept over him, scattering the last trace of warmth in his heart.
After finishing her meal, Ruan Yingying felt extremely tired and soon fell asleep without realizing it.
She slept unusually deeply.
It was not until the next morning, when the northwest wind seeped through the cracks in the window, that she slowly woke up.
No.
More accurately, she had been frozen awake.
The wind in Mocheng was as sharp as blades.
Ruan Yingying curled up beneath the blankets, her breath forming faint white clouds in the air, while her hands and feet were icy cold.
She struggled to get up and went to check the stove.
The embers from the previous night had already gone out completely, leaving behind nothing but a pile of pale gray ashes.
She had to get the stove going again.
Recalling the steps Huo Qiang had used the day before, she found some wood shavings and small pieces of firewood for kindling. She carefully placed them inside the stove and struck a match.
The flames successfully caught the shavings, crackling softly.
Ruan Yingying was delighted. She quickly picked up several pieces of black, shiny coal and carefully placed them inside, imitating Huo Qiang.
The flames licked at the coal.
At first, everything seemed fine, but soon, a thick cloud of smoke suddenly poured out from the stove opening and the gaps, quickly filling the entire room.
“Cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!”
Ruan Yingying stumbled backward from the smoke, tears welling in her eyes.
Covering her nose and mouth, she squinted and leaned closer for a look.
Her heart sank.
The edges of the coal pieces were somewhat dark, and they felt damp to the touch.
Clearly, they had absorbed moisture.
No wonder there was so much smoke, along with that strange smell.
This smoke would not do!
She was not alone anymore. There was a fragile little life growing inside her. How could she breathe in such pungent coal smoke?
At the thought, Ruan Yingying did not dare hesitate.
She quickly used the fire tongs to put out the burning pieces of coal.
The coal had become damp and could no longer be used.
There did not seem to be any dry coal stored in the house.
At this hour, Huo Qiang had probably already gone for morning training and would not be back anytime soon.
Was she really supposed to endure this ice cellar of a house until he returned?
Leaving aside whether she could bear the cold, what if he came back and saw this?
Would he misunderstand again and think that she was complaining about the poor conditions, even to the point of making a fuss over starting the stove?
Ruan Yingying bit her lower lip.
Forget it.
It was better to rely on herself than ask others for help.
She had just arrived and was still unfamiliar with the family compound and its surroundings. She might as well use this opportunity to go outside, familiarize herself with the area, and buy whatever she needed.
Once she made up her mind, she walked over to the several camphorwood chests she had brought from Shanghai.
Most of the original owner’s clothes were brightly colored and made of fine fabrics. Some were even excessively conspicuous and carried what people at the time would consider a strong capitalist flavor.
After searching for quite a while, she finally found a thick maroon cotton padded jacket at the bottom of one of the chests.
Its style was relatively simple and plain. Although the material was still quite good, at least it was not as eye-catching.
She put on the cotton padded jacket, wrapped a gray knitted scarf around her neck, then walked to the chest of drawers.
She pulled open a drawer and took out the kraft paper envelope Huo Qiang had given her at the hospital.
Besides money, it contained a stack of various ration coupons, including grain coupons, cooking oil coupons, cloth coupons, and more.
She carefully searched through them and, sure enough, found several coal coupons marked with the words “Civilian Coal.”
She carefully tucked the coal coupons and some loose change into the inner pocket of her cotton jacket before leaving the house.
The family compound was already lively.
Some people were hurrying home with vegetable baskets, some were washing clothes with basins at the communal water tap, and others were gathered in groups chatting.
When they saw her come out, the conversations around her immediately became quieter.
Ruan Yingying pretended not to notice and kept walking.
The family compound was larger than she had imagined. Several rows of red brick houses stood in neat formation, each with a small open area in front. Some people had planted vegetables there, while others had hung clothes out to dry.
The whole place was filled with the strong atmosphere of everyday life.
As she walked, she suddenly spotted a familiar face.
A short distance ahead, Ding Furong and several other military wives were walking home with vegetable baskets, chatting and laughing.
“How about we make dumplings tonight? My Old Yang loves them.”
“Sure. I have two jins of pork at home.”
“Then we’ll get some cabbage too. That’ll do nicely!”
As they spoke, Ding Furong happened to glance over and see Ruan Yingying.
The smile on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by an expression mixed with wariness and disgust.
The other women noticed her as well. They exchanged meaningful looks and sized Ruan Yingying up from head to toe.
The woman before them was wrapped in a brand new maroon fitted cotton jacket. Its bright color looked particularly conspicuous against the gray winter morning.
The jacket cinched tightly around her waist, emphasizing her graceful figure. It was almost impossible to tell that she was pregnant.
“Tsk, look at that waist. It’s as slender as a willow branch. Now look at us. We’ve worked ourselves into old wooden barrels, and you can barely find our waists anymore.”
“Please, what’s there to compare? She’s the kind who has never lifted a finger around the house. Food is brought straight to her mouth and clothes are held out for her to wear. She can’t even carry a little bundle herself and has to rely on Miss Xue’er to help her…”
“Miss Xue’er has such a good heart. Who in the whole compound doesn’t know that? But even someone with a good heart can’t keep letting herself be bullied like this!”
The group acted as though Ruan Yingying did not exist at all, continuing to talk as they walked.
They sounded as though they were merely discussing ordinary household matters, but every sentence carried a subtle hostility toward Ruan Yingying.
She shook her head and was just about to turn back when the corner of her eye suddenly caught sight of something on the ground.
It was a dark blue cloth wallet.
Ruan Yingying bent down and picked it up.
The wallet was not new. The edges had already worn white, but it had been washed very clean. There was even a crookedly written character, “Ding,” on the outside.
It should belong to Ding Furong.
She opened it and found several grain coupons, meat coupons, and a few loose bills.
Compared with the money in the envelope Huo Qiang had given her, it was not much, but in this era, it was still an important part of a household’s daily expenses.
Ruan Yingying looked up.
Ding Furong and the others had already gone quite far.
She hesitated.
Should she catch up and return it?
Considering Ding Furong’s attitude toward her, she might become suspicious again and think that Ruan Yingying had some ulterior motive.
But if she did not return it…
Ruan Yingying held the thin wallet in her hand and sighed.
No matter what Ding Furong thought of her, this was important to her.
She could not simply pretend she had not seen it.
She stepped forward in the direction Ding Furong had taken.
But after only a few steps, the little one in her belly suddenly kicked.
The force was not light.
Ruan Yingying immediately stopped and placed a hand over her abdomen, waiting for quite some time before recovering.
When she looked up again, Ding Furong was already nowhere to be seen.
Ruan Yingying became somewhat anxious.
She was still unfamiliar with the compound and did not know which row or which house Ding Furong lived in.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to ask from house to house.
The first person to open the door was a woman in her forties. She was wearing an apron, with flour still stuck to her hands.
When she saw Ruan Yingying, she clearly froze for a moment. Her eyes were filled with wariness.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Excuse me, do you know where Sister in law Ding Furong lives?”
Ruan Yingying tried to make her voice as polite and courteous as possible.
“She dropped her wallet. I found it and wanted to return it to her.”
The woman looked her up and down, still suspicious.
“Ding Furong? Why are you looking for her?”
Who in the entire compound did not know that Ding Furong and the Huo family had a grudge?
The two families rarely interacted.
“To return her wallet.”
Ruan Yingying took out the wallet and showed it to her.
The woman glanced at it but still did not completely believe her.
“Her house… I think she went toward the back. I’m not sure exactly which one it is. You should ask someone else.”
The door closed.
Ruan Yingying could only continue walking.
She asked two more households and received much the same response.
Some said they did not know, while others merely pointed vaguely in a direction.
Along the way, she clearly felt several pairs of eyes secretly watching her from behind. Whenever she turned around, they quickly looked away.
Obviously, everyone thought she was going to cause trouble for Ding Furong and were now waiting to see what would happen.
Ruan Yingying could only smile bitterly to herself and continue searching.
As she walked, she recalled the route they had taken when they arrived the previous day. She roughly figured out which direction Ding Furong’s home should be and checked the house numbers one by one.
Finally, when she reached a house in the middle of the third row, she heard movement from inside.
It was indeed Ding Furong’s voice, but this time, it was filled with panic.
“Ermao! Ermao, what’s wrong? Don’t scare Mom!”
Ruan Yingying’s heart tightened.
Without thinking about anything else, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.
“Sister in law Ding? Sister in law Ding, are you home?”
There was a burst of frantic movement inside.
Then the door was suddenly pulled open.
Ding Furong’s face was covered in tears.
When she saw Ruan Yingying, she froze for a moment before her expression immediately changed.
“What are you doing here?!”
“Your wallet…”
Before Ruan Yingying could finish speaking, she saw a little boy of about five or six years old lying on the floor behind Ding Furong.
His face was bluish purple. Both hands were clutching his throat, his chest heaving violently, yet he seemed unable to draw in any air.
A terrifying wheezing sound came from his throat.
Based on her professional knowledge and experience, Ruan Yingying immediately recognized what was happening.
It was an asthma attack!
The condition often occurred during autumn and winter, and once an attack struck, it could become life threatening.
At the thought, Ruan Yingying immediately tried to move into the room.
“The child is having an asthma attack! We need to hurry…”
“Leave my Ermao alone! Who knows if you’re a weasel coming to pay a New Year’s visit to the chicken, with some ulterior motive?”
Ding Furong did not even bother to hear the rest of Ruan Yingying’s words.
She quickly blocked her from entering, her eyes filled with wariness and disdain.
Ruan Yingying was stunned by her sharp reprimand. The hand she had extended instinctively withdrew, and a trace of awkwardness and helplessness crossed her face.
Just now, she had been focused entirely on the child’s critical condition and had not thought about anything else.
Only when Ding Furong so bluntly blocked her did she suddenly realize that, in the other woman’s eyes, she was probably still nothing more than someone who meant trouble and could not be trusted.
As they spoke, quite a few people had already gathered outside to watch.
One of the military wives who usually had a decent relationship with Ding Furong saw how agitated she was and how serious the child’s condition appeared. She could not help stepping forward and grabbing Ding Furong’s arm, urgently lowering her voice as she persuaded her.
“Furong, don’t be stubborn at a time like this. I think Comrade Ruan really does know medicine. Otherwise, she couldn’t have saved the old commander…”
But Ding Furong was frantic with worry and deeply prejudiced against Ruan Yingying. How could she possibly listen?
Instead of backing down, those words only made her even more stubborn.
She abruptly shook off the other woman’s hand and glared fiercely at Ruan Yingying before giving a cold snort.
“Bah! I don’t trust her. I’m going to find Miss Xue’er…”
Miss Xue’er had graduated properly from nursing school and was someone even Director Ji recognized as a promising medical professional.
That was what a proper medical practitioner should look like!
But Ruan Yingying?
A spoiled young lady who could neither carry anything heavy nor do any work, who had previously known nothing but crying and throwing tantrums, had suddenly learned medicine?
Who would believe that?
As for the time she had saved the old commander, perhaps she had simply gotten lucky.
Or perhaps… she had used some improper method!
She could not gamble her son’s life on this.
With that thought, Ding Furong hurried toward the medical clinic.
Before leaving, she even threw out one final instruction.
“I’m going to get Miss Xue’er! Watch the door for me. Don’t let anyone in!”