Inside the company dormitory, the soldiers of Squad One sat upright in neat rows.
Huo Guangji sat at the front with a frown, his voice cold and serious.
“Squad One, listen up. Today’s meeting topic is as follows: what kind of gift can make your wife happy? You have ten minutes for free discussion. After that, divide into three groups and report back to me. Understood?”
“Understood!”
After the synchronized response, the men quickly split into three groups.
But the moment they tried to start discussing, everyone became stumped.
“The captain wants to figure out how to coax sister-in-law?”
“Of course! Who else would he be coaxing?”
“But what do women even like? I wouldn’t know! Back home, even the cows I herded were all bulls!”
“Go ask Brother Fushui! He’s got a wife—he’s experienced!”
The younger soldiers all turned hopeful eyes toward Liu Fushui.
Liu Fushui scratched his head awkwardly.
“Uh… I don’t really know either. My wife and I were matched by our families, and I… I’ve never really bought her gifts before.”
“Brother Fushui, if even you don’t know, then we definitely don’t! At least give us an idea!”
After thinking for a while, Liu Fushui finally said,
“If you ask me, useful things are best. One time I bought my wife a jar of hair cream, but she said she worked all day long and had no use for it. Told me to return it instead.”
The moment he said that, someone immediately agreed.
“Right, right! My second brother once bought my mother those fancy city pastries, and she also said they were useless. Said it would’ve been better to buy a bamboo rain hat because the house needed one! Captain, just think about what sister-in-law lacks and buy her that!”
What did Qin Yu’e lack?
Huo Guangji frowned and thought for a long time.
Honestly, she lacked everything.
Living in the guesthouse now, almost everything they used had been pieced together from odds and ends.
Even the washbasin the three of them used didn’t have a proper stand.
The comb she used had been picked up secondhand and was missing a tooth.
After a long silence, the men all stared at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.
In the end, Huo Guangji frowned again.
“Further discussion required.”
“Aiya…”
The entire squad of grown men looked troubled, nearly scratching holes in their heads.
If even the captain himself didn’t know what sister-in-law needed, how were they supposed to know?
Finally, Liu Fushui came up with an idea.
“Captain! Why not just buy her some clothes? Down at the market below the mountain, I saw lots of young women buying fabric. There are all kinds of floral cloth there. You buy the material, pay a little extra to have it tailored, then bring it back and give it directly to sister-in-law. Convenient and sincere!”
The bachelors nearby immediately praised him.
“Brother Fushui really is different from us unmarried men!”
“Exactly! Every word makes sense!”
“Captain, listen to Brother Fushui!”
“Alright.” Huo Guangji nodded. “I’ll head down the mountain and buy clothes.”
Aunt Liu and Qin Yu’e each carried a child in their arms while chatting and laughing as they walked down the mountain road.
Unlike when Qin Yu’e first arrived, this time they had a military cart giving them a ride down the mountain. The bumpy journey rocked the two little children sound asleep.
Little Zhuyue, nestled in Aunt Liu’s arms, even mumbled in her sleep.
“Little bunny… little bunny…”
Qin Yu’e couldn’t help laughing.
“This child absolutely adores those rabbits. She practically wants to sleep holding them every day.”
Looking at the chubby little face, Aunt Liu felt nothing but affection and kissed her repeatedly.
“Speaking of Captain Huo, he’s actually not bad. Going into the mountains to hunt bears—that kind of bravery goes without saying. And he even caught rabbits for the children. No matter what, it shows he cares about them in his heart.”
Then she added softly,
“Xiao Qin, it’s not easy for a woman to survive in this world. Just look at how attached the children are to Captain Huo. Children’s eyes can’t tolerate falsehoods.”
Naturally, Aunt Liu was trying to persuade Qin Yu’e on Huo Guangji’s behalf.
Qin Yu’e merely smiled without replying.
She was just the cannon-fodder original wife. Forgiveness wasn’t going to get her anything.
Seeing her reaction, Aunt Liu lowered her head and didn’t dare continue.
Even if she wanted to help, this was still a matter between husband and wife. Saying too much wasn’t appropriate.
After sighing, Aunt Liu quickly changed the subject with a smile.
“Xiao Qin, just a little farther now. The market’s right ahead!”
Qin Yu’e looked up and saw a small village at the foot of the mountain in the distance.
Many villagers had already gathered near the entrance, and colorful cloth banners hung everywhere. Clearly, this was a common gathering place for nearby villages.
The two women quickened their pace while Qin Yu’e gently woke the children.
“Xiao Feng, Xiao Yue, wake up! We’re at the market!”
The two little ones instantly opened their eyes. The moment they saw the bustling market ahead, they squealed excitedly.
“Mom! So many people! So many people!”
“Yes, and lots of delicious food too! Mommy will buy you something tasty later.”
Qin Yu’e lovingly rubbed her daughter’s head.
She had brought quite a bit of money today.
The guesthouse lacked many necessities, and she planned to buy some supplies.
The children also needed proper clothes. Right now, they wore altered adult clothing, which inevitably didn’t fit well.
They also needed sewing supplies and cutting tools.
Qin Yu’e had long been planning to start a small mending and laundry business at the military camp—helping soldiers patch clothes. It might not earn much, but income was still income.
The market was lively, with stalls selling all sorts of things.
Right at the entrance stood a fried rice cake stall. The sweet aroma drifted straight into the noses of the two children.
Little Zhuyue stared at the stall and drooled openly, while Qingfeng’s saliva had already dripped onto his clothes.
Qin Yu’e couldn’t help laughing at the sight.
She quickly led them forward and asked,
“Comrade, how much are the fried rice cakes?”
“Little sister-in-law, five cents each! Want two for the children? Homemade bean filling—smells amazing!”
“Alright, then give me four.”
Qin Yu’e paid readily and bought four fried cakes.
Xiao Feng and Xiao Yue each got one, and she turned around and handed two to Aunt Liu as well.
Aunt Liu waved her hands frantically in shock.
“No, no! These are for the children! How could I eat them? Hurry and save them for the kids!”
Smiling, Qin Yu’e stuffed the fried cake into Aunt Liu’s hands.
“Aunt Liu, everyone’s taken such good care of us since we arrived. It’s only a small snack! Besides, didn’t you bring me corn paste this morning? If you don’t eat it, then you’re treating me like an outsider.”
“This… this…”
Aunt Liu didn’t know what to say. She quickly wiped her hands before accepting it with a grin.
“Alright then! Later, I’ll treat everyone to steamed buns!”