The next morning, Tang Jin followed her usual routine—she first went for a five-kilometer run.
On her way back, just as she reached downstairs, she unexpectedly ran into Pan Jinfeng.
It had been over half a month since she had transmigrated here, and this was the first time she had run into her. She had almost forgotten such a person existed. Pan Jinfeng lived in the same building as her, just one floor below. She was the wife of Deputy Battalion Commander Wu Guanqun.
In the past, she had colluded with Zhang Peipei to ruin the original Tang Jin’s reputation. Pan Jinfeng wanted to help her husband compete for the position of full battalion commander, while Zhang Peipei wanted to win Mu Heng. The two had hit it off immediately.
“Tang Jin! Long time no see,” Pan Jinfeng said with a sneer. “You look pretty good lately. Did you finally sleep with Battalion Commander Mu? If not, I can teach you another trick.”
Pan Jinfeng had gone back to her parents’ home for half a month, but now she suddenly noticed something different about Tang Jin’s temperament.
Where was that classic red-and-green outfit she always wore?
“The private matters between my husband and me are none of your concern,” Tang Jin replied calmly as she continued walking upstairs. She had no interest in dealing with someone like her. For petty people like this, she couldn’t be bothered wasting words.
But Pan Jinfeng refused to let it go.
“Oh? ‘Private matters’? Since when did you become so civilized? With your country bumpkin manners, Battalion Commander Mu wouldn’t fancy you even if the sun rose in the west. I kindly offered you some tricks and you’re not even grateful!”
She was puzzled. In the past, whenever she offered Tang Jin advice, Tang Jin would be extremely thankful—almost bringing out every bit of food in her house to share with her. But now she was saying she didn’t need her concern.
Tang Jin reached the second floor, unlocked her door, and left Pan Jinfeng with nothing but the loud bang of the door closing.
When she walked inside, she realized that Mu Heng had not gone out to train today. Instead, he had cooked millet porridge, boiled a few eggs, and prepared a cucumber salad.
Ten extra points for the man. He even made breakfast for her.
Tang Jin felt secretly pleased.
Seeing her come in, Mu Heng said calmly, pretending not to care, “I can only make simple dishes. Come eat.”
Tang Jin washed her hands and drank a cup of warm water before sitting down.
Smiling, she praised him. “This is already very good. Isn’t there a saying that a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen?”
Neither of them mentioned what had happened between them the night before. It was as if nothing had happened. They casually talked about cooking instead.
Mu Heng had to admit that Tang Jin spoke very elegantly. He now enjoyed talking with her very much and genuinely wanted to continue living with her.
“About that landlord you mentioned yesterday—what’s going on with that?” Mu Heng finally asked. The question had been bothering him all night.
“Oh, I’m planning to open a clothing shop on Furong Street. He’s the landlord of the store,” Tang Jin explained while sipping her millet porridge and peeling an egg.
After hearing her explanation, the anxiety in Mu Heng’s heart finally eased.
“If you open a shop on Furong Street, the rent must be expensive. Do you have enough money?” Mu Heng actually didn’t oppose Tang Jin doing business.
That morning he had seen the design sketches she drew the night before. The skill of the drawings, the unique styles, and the color combinations all showed her natural talent for fashion design.
“Not enough. I only have a little over five hundred yuan right now. I’m planning to borrow the rest,” Tang Jin said honestly.
She suddenly felt that Mu Heng seemed different today—he was actually concerned about her. Maybe it was because of last night?
Thinking about it made her cheeks flush slightly.
When Mu Heng heard she planned to borrow money from someone else, he felt irritated. This woman would rather borrow from others than rely on him.
“How much do you need? I’ll give it to you.”
Mu Heng earned eighty yuan a month. He had given Tang Jin thirty yuan monthly for the past four months since they got married. Because he often ate at the canteen and had few expenses, he had saved quite a bit over the years.
Tang Jin immediately looked up, her eyes lighting up.
“Really? Borrowing from you works too. Two thousand yuan. I’ll pay you back.”
She suddenly remembered that Mu Heng spoke with a strong Beijing accent. She had once wondered if he was a rich second generation or an official’s son.
Maybe he really was wealthy.
“No need to pay me back. We’re husband and wife. Our property is shared anyway,” Mu Heng said, unhappy that she insisted on drawing such clear lines between them.
“Alright. If we ever get divorced someday, I’ll return it to you—with interest.”
Tang Jin said it casually and without concern.
But Mu Heng suddenly lost his appetite. The way she talked about divorce so lightly—as if discussing the weather—made his heart sink.
Did she really not care about him anymore?
“You said you had three days off. Today’s the last day, right?” Tang Jin suddenly remembered.
“Yes. Tomorrow the army is holding a celebration ceremony. Family members can attend.”
The way he said it sounded almost like an invitation.
Tang Jin originally wanted to say she was busy, but since she was borrowing two thousand yuan from him, she decided to go.
“Alright. I’ll go with Sister-in-law Xiulan then.”
“I’m going to the city this morning. I’ll ask Brother Yang to accompany me to a furniture factory. I need to customize some things. I might not make it back for lunch—you can eat at the canteen,” Tang Jin said. She still had many things to do today and needed to leave soon.
“I’ll go with you. I’m free today,” Mu Heng said immediately.
The moment he heard she was going to meet that Yang guy again, there was no way he would let her go alone.
Tang Jin didn’t think much about it. If she had a ready-made driver, why not?
“Alright.”
The two went downstairs together. Just as they stepped out, Pan Jinfeng opened her door.
Tang Jin quickly looped her arms around Mu Heng’s arm and threw Pan Jinfeng a triumphant smile.
Pan Jinfeng nearly exploded with anger behind them.
“Fox spirit!”
How had Tang Jin become so pretty after just half a month?
Well… she had always been pretty, but those tacky clothes had hidden it. But the dress she wore today looked so beautiful.
And Mu Heng didn’t seem to dislike her anymore?
That realization made Pan Jinfeng grind her teeth in anger.
No way. She had to go find Zhang Peipei.
Meanwhile, Zhang Peipei was rehearsing with the art troupe. Tomorrow she would still be the lead singer, and the performance was to celebrate Mu Heng’s achievement.
It was her stage.
She had to seize this opportunity and make Mu Heng see her in a new light.
So she rehearsed especially seriously.
“On the golden mountain of BeijingShines light in all directionsChairman Mao is that golden sunHow warm, how bright…”
“Peipei! Peipei! Someone’s looking for you!” Mao Xiaoling shouted loudly. She was tomorrow’s host and was good friends with Zhang Peipei.
Zhang Peipei’s singing was interrupted, and she walked over with an annoyed expression.
“Who’s looking for me?”
“Pan Jinfeng,” Mao Xiaoling replied. She knew her well—Pan Jinfeng often came to see Zhang Peipei.
Zhang Peipei walked out reluctantly.
In truth, she looked down on Pan Jinfeng. The woman was poorly educated, rustic, and loud—almost like a shrew. Zhang Peipei only dealt with her because she used her to ruin Tang Jin’s reputation.
But Pan Jinfeng thought she had climbed up to a powerful connection. After all, Zhang Peipei’s father was the regiment commander—her husband’s direct superior.
She believed that pleasing Zhang Peipei would help her husband get promoted.
So whenever something happened with Tang Jin, she rushed to report it.
“What is it? Hurry up. I’m rehearsing,” Zhang Peipei said impatiently, her tone arrogant.
“I just saw that little vixen Tang Jin linking arms with Battalion Commander Mu as they left. She even showed off in front of me. Tell me—while I was gone these two weeks, why did she suddenly stop making trouble? When did Battalion Commander Mu start liking her?” Pan Jinfeng asked, confused.
Tang Jin had changed too much in just half a month.
“Mu Heng couldn’t possibly like her. She must be using her so-called ‘amnesia’ as an excuse to cling to him,” Zhang Peipei said angrily. Just hearing that Mu Heng might like Tang Jin made her furious.
“Amnesia? When did she lose her memory? I feel like she recognizes me. Maybe she’s pretending,” Pan Jinfeng said, remembering the way Tang Jin looked at her earlier. That definitely wasn’t the look someone gave a stranger.
“Yes, she must be pretending. Otherwise Mu Heng would never pay attention to her,” Zhang Peipei said. She also believed Tang Jin’s amnesia was fake—the way Tang Jin spoke to her that day had been full of sarcasm.
“So what should we do? We have to find a way to expose her,” Pan Jinfeng said angrily.
“No hurry. She’ll definitely attend tomorrow’s celebration ceremony. When the time comes, we’ll find a way to make her embarrass herself. A country bumpkin from the countryside probably doesn’t know anything. Then we’ll take the chance to expose her,” Zhang Peipei said with a sly grin.