《Reborn in the Seventies: Pampered Wife, Owning some Farmland》 Chapter 1 In a private hospital room. ¡°Director Meng, the task you entrusted me with is done,¡± a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, spoke softly to the frail, emaciated middle-aged woman on the hospital bed. The middle-aged woman addressed as Director Meng gave the man a weak glance, nodding her head lightly. In a feeble voice, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Jiahao.¡± Zhao Jiahao sighed for Director Meng. Over the years, Meng has done countless good deeds, but why doesn¡¯t good come to good people? ¡°Director Meng, it was not hard work for me,¡± Zhao Jiahao replied. Looking at Director Meng lying on the hospital bed, Zhao Jiahao remembered how he might not have been so successful if he hadn¡¯t met Director Meng those years ago. ¡°Director Meng, if your two elder brothers were to find out about this, I¡¯m afraid there would be trouble,¡± Zhao Jiahao felt this was something he should say to Director Meng. The thought had been spinning in his mind, and he decided to speak it out loud. Meng Yunhan looked through the window towards the sky, ¡°Jiahao, do you think there really is such a thing as retribution in this world?¡± Zhao Jiahao thought for a moment before carefully answering, ¡°Director Meng, the business world is a battlefield.¡± A self-mocking smile tugged at the corner of Meng Yunhan¡¯s mouth. If she hadn¡¯t been so heartless those years ago, she wouldn¡¯t be waiting for death all alone now. Her past mistakes had led to her current solitary demise. But there was no such thing as a regret pill in this world. Yun Hao, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry, my child. ¡°Director Meng, Director Meng¡­..¡± She heard the familiar voice of Jiahao, but her eyelids were very heavy. In her life, she didn¡¯t owe her two brothers and their wives anything, but she owed that man and her unborn child. It was retribution, all of it. It was retribution for abandoning them, for hurting her own child, retribution. A tiger would not eat its offspring, yet what did she do? She discarded the birth of her child just to return to the city. Tears rolled hotly down her cheeks. But she could not go back now. ¡°When will you ever get up to cook?¡± A noisy voice suddenly reached her ears, but Meng Yunhan chose to ignore it. She knew she was lying in the hospital bed, probably nearing her end. Once her brothers find out that she had sold the company and donated all the money she had accumulated over the years, they would most likely cause commotion in her hospital room. But she had already done right by them. Over the years, she was aware of what they¡¯ve done, she simply chose not to quibble. If it weren¡¯t for them, she would not have been dispatched to the countryside and resorted to such cruel actions just to return to the city. The least she could do now was not to sever ties with them. Regardless of who was right or wrong, they could never go back to the past. Over the years, she had grown tired. Truly tired. The faint sound continued to reach her ears. Meng Yunhan still didn¡¯t respond. She assumed it was a nurse or a doctor coming to check on her, so she didn¡¯t open her eyes. Yun Hao glanced at his newly wedded wife. Seeing her with her eyes closed, he wondered if she was tired from yesterday¡¯s events. She was the woman he lovingly married. Yesterday, despite her refusal, he ignored her cries and forced himself on her. ¡°Mother, I will cook.¡± Yun Hao spoke softly to the elderly woman standing in the yard, careful not to wake the woman asleep in the room. Seeing her son acting like this, Yun¡¯s mother was beyond enraged. As Yunhan¡¯s mother, she knew Yunhan did not want to marry her son. Hence, her animosity towards Yunhan grew. Her youngest son happened to be a soldier who got allowances every month and was not bad-looking. Meng Yunhan¡¯s disdain was a mystery to her. Meng Yunhan was a daughter of the proletariat and totally not a match for her son. If her son was not so adamant about marrying Meng Yunhan, she would not have agreed. Chapter 2 Yet on this first day, at this time, she still hadn¡¯t gotten up. That¡¯s why the previous scene played out, wanting to wake her up to make breakfast. However, she ended up waking the youngest son instead. ¡°Ahao, we can¡¯t spoil this daughter-in-law, she should be the one doing these kitchen duties.¡± Mother Yun advised earnestly, hoping her youngest son wouldn¡¯t spoil his wife too much. Otherwise, the woman might just end up ruling over him. She had three sons and two daughters. The eldest two sons had already married and moved out. The daughters have gotten married too. Now, the elderly couple is living with their youngest son. Mother Yun was a virtuous woman herself. However, she couldn¡¯t stand Meng Yunhan, who never took their youngest son seriously. If it weren¡¯t for the village chief¡¯s troublemaker son taking a liking to Meng Yunhan, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to marry their youngest son. Because of this, Mother Yun felt a burning anger towards Meng Yunhan and wanted to make life difficult for her. ¡°Mom, she was very tired last night,¡± Yun Hao was explaining, a suspicious flush coloring his dark face. Mother Yun knew exactly what her son was implying; after all, she had experienced it too. After realizing that Meng Yunhan was now a part of their Yun family, and remembering it was her first time, she decided not to nag any further. However, the meal was already prepared, and the whole family was waiting for the daughter-in-law. What a sight this was! ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go and check on her.¡± Before Mother Yun could lose her temper, Yun Hao immediately tried to soothe her and went to wake her up. When her youngest son left, Mother Yun turned her complaints towards Father Yun. ¡°Dad, this daughter-in-law doesn¡¯t act like a new daughter-in-law at all! Who doesn¡¯t have breakfast prepared early on their first day after the wedding? But here she is, waiting for Ahao to cook.¡± Father Yun tried to comfort her, ¡°It must be because of Xiaohao.¡± Xiaohao had finally gotten married, and his wife was so beautiful. He probably couldn¡¯t control himself and ended up tiring out his new wife. Although Mother Yun had considered this possibility, she was still discontent with Meng Yunhan¡¯s attitude. ¡°I still need to teach her how to be a good daughter-in-law.¡± Father Yun agreed with a smile, ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Back in the day, Mother Yun was the daughter of a shop owner. She was beautiful and well-educated, which captivated Father Yun. Because of the war, the Wang Family experienced a great ordeal, and he brought her back to their hometown. Over the years, she birthed and raised his children, and now her hair was graying. ¡°Shufang, you¡¯ve worked hard all these years.¡± Throughout the years, Father and Mother Yun seldom had any quarrels. This sudden statement from Father Yun made Mother Yun feel slightly uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed. ¡°What do you mean ¡®hard¡¯? Now that Ahao is married, our tasks are completed.¡± All the while reminiscing. Yun Hao gently opened the door, the light clearly illuminating his wife¡¯s face. He remembered the moment he first laid eyes on Yunhan: her gentle, willow leaf-shaped eyebrows, her round, big eyes with a teardrop mole at the corner, her cherry-like small mouth, her fair skin. He fell in love with her at first sight. He knew what it was like to be infatuated since he only came home once a year because of his military service. He never thought that she would agree to marry him in the end. He knew it was because of another man, but he was content nonetheless. ¡°Hanhan, Hanhan, Hanhan¡­¡± Honestly, looking at her sleeping so soundly, he really did not want to wake her up. But he had no choice; his parents were waiting in the living room. Soon, his older brother would be bringing the kids over to meet her. Chapter 3 Upon hearing this address, Meng Yunhan couldn¡¯t stop her tears from flowing. It had been so long since someone called her this way, it seemed as if a few people in her memories had done so. Yun Hao was actually quite good-looking, but because of his cold temperament, it showed up on his face like a frigid frost, causing him to seem unapproachable. However, Yun Hao too inherited the excellent genes of his parents, and his distinctly chiseled face now revealed a trace of gentleness. ¡°Hanhan, Hanhan¡­¡± Yun Hao saw that Meng Yunhan still showed no response, but there were crystal clear tears in the corner of her eyes, which hurt his heart. His tone carried a hint of urgency as he called out to her. Upon hearing this affectionate address, Meng Yunhan wanted to open her eyes to see who had come to visit her. But as soon as she opened her eyes and saw a handsome face with a flicker of familiarity, she froze completely. It took her a while to utter a name in disbelief, ¡°Yun Hao¡­¡± Yun Hao felt a little dejected, it seemed his wife held some resentment towards him. ¡°Hanhan, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Yun Hao tried to pull up the corners of his mouth into a smile, but perhaps due to Meng Yunhan¡¯s gaze, his smile disappeared instantly. ¡°Yun Hao, am I dreaming?¡± Meng Yunhan stared unblinkingly at Yun Hao, her eyes full of tears. Was she dreaming? How could she see Yun Hao? Did something happen to Yun Hao after she left Qingzhao Village years ago? Had she ended up in the Underworld? Otherwise, how could she see a young Yun Hao? After all, it had been decades. Yun Hao was a little confused, what was going on with Meng Yunhan? But seeing her tears, his heart ached deeply. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± He must have been too rough last night, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. ¡°Yun Hao, Yun Hao¡­¡± Meng Yunhan clung emotionally to Yun Hao¡¯s neck, crying loudly, the noise attracting the attention of Yun Hao¡¯s parents in the main hall. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You go and see,¡± Yun Hao¡¯s father asked his mother to go check, as it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him, as a father-in-law, to go. Yun Hao¡¯s mother was also worried that something was wrong with Meng Yunhan, so she got up to go see her. Yun Hao¡¯s body tensed up, feeling very stiff. He could feel a pair of arms hugging tightly around his neck and hear her crying. What was wrong with her? Yun Hao was even more flustered now, not knowing how to comfort a girl, and felt somewhat helpless. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yun Hao¡¯s mother heard the sorrowful crying of her daughter-in-law as she walked towards the bridal room. Upon entering, she saw that her daughter-in-law¡¯s hands were tightly wrapped around her son who was sitting on the edge of the bed. The intimate gesture made Yun Hao¡¯s mother blush slightly, but at the same time, she felt less dissatisfied with Meng Yunhan. Meng Yunhan was still excited about seeing Yun Hao in his youth, when she heard and saw a familiar figure ¨C her mother-in-law from memory. She was taken aback, her eyes wide open in disbelief as she cried out, ¡°Mother-in-law¡­¡± She must have arrived in the Underworld, otherwise, how could she also see a young mother-in-law. Yun Hao¡¯s mother coughed slightly, ¡°It¡¯s time to eat.¡± Then she turned around and left without looking back. Seeing the level of intimacy between Xiaohao and his wife, it was clear that she still cared about Ahao, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have clung to him so tightly. Hearing his mother¡¯s voice, Yun Hao wanted to push Meng Yunhan away, but he was reluctant to do so. This was the first time she had been so affectionate to him, and he was unwilling to let go. Looking at his mother¡¯s retreating figure and then out at the scenery outside, Meng Yunhan was once again stunned. It seemed like she had returned to Qingzhao Village. Was this time-travel or reincarnation? Chapter 4 Feeling her body stiffen, Yun Hao gently pushed Meng Yunhan away, ¡°Hanhan, are you not feeling well?¡± Meng Yunhan scanned the room, overwhelmed by her memories. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, she had somehow returned to the day after they were initially wed. She recognized the hand-crafted paper cutouts, which she had torn down the day after their wedding. Hadn¡¯t she died? She had felt her life slowly ebbing away, so how had she ended up back in time several decades when she opened her eyes? ¡°Yun Hao, Yun Hao¡­¡± Her voice quivered with shock that refused to recede. ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here.¡± Yun Hao instinctively held her hand, his voice potent enough to carry over into the main hall where his parents were. ¡°We¡¯ve grown old, we¡¯ve grown old.¡± Yun Hao¡¯s father exclaimed, recalling his wife¡¯s words about the great affection that the young couple shared, often seen in each other¡¯s arms. ¡°Shall we wait for them to eat?¡± Yun Hao¡¯s mother¡¯s joy mingled with her reluctance to interrupt the newlyweds. As long as Meng Yunhan treated her son well, she, as the mother-in-law, would naturally reciprocate. ¡°Shall we eat first?¡± Yun Hao¡¯s father asked tentatively, hoping his wife would make the call. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat first.¡± They would finish their meal before the young couple finished their lovey-dovey session and joined them. In the bridal chamber. ¡°Yun Hao, Yun Hao¡­¡± Meng Yunhan softly loosened her hold on Yun Hao while calling his name. She pinched her cheek hard, feeling the pain. She¡¯d really returned- she was truly back. ¡°Why did you pinch yourself?¡± Seeing Meng Yunhan pinch her own cheek, Yun Hao¡¯s heart ached; he chastised her with a stern face. ¡°Yun Hao, Yun Hao.¡± Meng Yunhan threw her arms around Yun Hao again, while he enjoyed her embrace, a faint smile playing upon his lips. ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here. Did you have a nightmare?¡± Although Yun Hao¡¯s tone was somewhat stern, it was also laced with concern and care. Meng Yunhan still couldn¡¯t wrap her head around it. How did she come back? Though she¡¯d occasionally heard the young girls at her company talking about rebirth and time travel. Even recently, Jiaojiao, the daughter of her friend Jiahao, was chattering about re-birth and time travel, stating that she wondered what it would be like to experience it. But she never thought that one day, such a thing might happen to her. Was this because of her recent thoughts about this man and their days in Qingzhao Village? Was this only a fleeting moment, or a mirage? ¡°Yun Hao, Yun Hao¡­¡± Meng Yunhan held onto Yun Hao¡¯s neck tightly, fearful that if she let go, he would disappear. Ever since she had been bedridden, Yun Hao would occasionally come to her mind. Thinking about the things he did for her, she realized that he also cared for her, and that she willingly married him back then. So, she had been feeling guilty every day. Yun Hao, being held tight by his wife, felt a surge of sweetness fill his heart. She still cared for him, still had him in her heart. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have hold onto him this tight. Here they were; one was still bewildered, attempting to wake up from their haze. And the other was reluctant to let go of their embrace. Time slipped by like this. Outside in the yard, Yun Hao¡¯s eldest and second brother had arrived with their children. But they only saw their parents at home. They couldn¡¯t see Yun Hao and Meng Yunhan; they couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mother, where¡¯s the youngest brother?¡± Yun Hao¡¯s mother responded, her eyes sparkling with amusement, ¡°They haven¡¯t gotten up yet.¡± Chapter 5 Zhao Fang, the second son¡¯s wife, started to feel uneasy. They were both daughters-in-law, but when she used to get up late, she was scolded by her mother-in-law. Now that it was Meng Yunhan¡¯s turn, her mother-in-law couldn¡¯t help but beam with joy. Was it just because Meng Yunhan was an educated youth? The eldest son¡¯s wife felt a bit uncomfortable too. But who could help it if the one in charge favored the younger brother? If they said anything, their mother-in-law wouldn¡¯t spare them. So they swallowed their dissatisfaction. Fortunately, there was no work to be done in this winter day, so they didn¡¯t need to go to work. Although Yun Hao was nestled quietly in his wife¡¯s arms, he could still hear the voices from the yard. ¡°Hanhan, let¡¯s get up.¡± If they didn¡¯t show up soon, their sisters-in-law would probably be unhappy. Yun Hao wiped the tears from the corners of Meng Yunhan¡¯s eyes with his fingers, his heart hurting for her. But Meng Yunhan just lowered her eyelids. Soon she looked up at Yun Hao, resolved in her heart: Even if this was a dream, she would continue this dream, never waking up. ¡°Okay.¡± Meng Yunhan was beautiful, but her laughter was even more so, almost making Yun Hao not want to leave the house. Yun Hao took out Meng Yunhan¡¯s sweater, wool pants and cotton jacket, but a shy Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t dare to look at Yun Hao. By the time they finally left their room, it was already ten minutes later. Meng Yunhan touched her black hair, thinking of how she had lost all of her hair due to undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. And this dream had taken her back to her once lost husband. Upon seeing everyone in the room, Meng Yunhan smiled and greeted her father-in-law and mother-in-law first, then blushed as she said, ¡°Dad, Mom, sorry for waking up late.¡± Her parents-in-law saw Meng Yunhan¡¯s tear-stained eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Meng Yunhan was already stunning, and now, with her eyes reddened from crying, her beauty wasn¡¯t diminished. Instead, it added an extra touch of frailty to her, making her even more beautiful. ¡°Only this time.¡± Her mother-in-law quasi-joked, as she noticed the second daughter-in-law¡¯s changed expression. She served tea to her parents-in-law, and her mother-in-law gave Meng Yunhan a ring while glancing at her two daughters-in-law. ¡°This is for you. When your sisters-in-law first joined the family, they each had one too.¡± Meng Yunhan was a bit taken aback; back then, her mother-in-law had never given her a ring. Yun Hao picked up the ring and put it on Meng Yunhan¡¯s finger in front of everyone. Meng Yunhan had the strange feeling that the previously oversized ring now fit perfectly on her finger. She didn¡¯t dwell on this further. She cheerfully greeted her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, and gave a red envelope to each child. Upon seeing the red envelopes, Zhao Fang, the second son¡¯s wife, finally broke into a smile. The eldest of the Yun family, Yun Hai, had always known that his younger brother was fond of the petite and handsome Meng Zhiqing. Now taking a closer look, Meng Zhiqing really was beautiful, making her and his brother a perfect couple. This was really like praising one¡¯s own melons while selling them. Yun Hao was the tallest in the family, standing over 1.8 meters, while Meng Yunhan barely passed 1.6. One was sturdy, the other petite. Where could they see the golden boy and jade girl? It wasn¡¯t that Yun Hao was unattractive. Yun Hao was the handsomest among the children of the family. Because he was a soldier, he had developed a muscular build, making him look quite sturdy. Furthermore, compared with Meng Yunhan¡¯s fair and smooth skin, one was white, the other black. Chapter 6 ¡°Auntie, Auntie, you are really pretty.¡± Yun Mingying, Yun Family¡¯s eldest daughter is already three years old and she already knows the difference between pretty and not pretty. ¡°Our Niuniu is also growing up to be pretty.¡± Meng Yunhan strokes Niuniu¡¯s head, smilingly saying. In the previous life, she didn¡¯t like children at first, but as age caught up, she began to find others¡¯ children adorable and couldn¡¯t help wanting to take them home. However, after suffering a miscarriage, she lost her qualifications to be a mother. Now, when seeing children, she displays patience and love. ¡°Seeing how much you like children, you should have a kid with Yun Hao soon,¡± Zhang Cuihua joked. She had previously worked in the same team and had some contact, but back then she found Meng Yunhan a bit arrogant. Now, seeing her so kind to Niuniu, she could tell that she genuinely liked children. Yun Hao knew his wife hadn¡¯t had breakfast yet. ¡°Sister-in-law, you guys chat.¡± Yun Hao takes Meng Yunhan to breakfast, not wanting his wife to be hungry. Yunhan¡¯s parents knew where they were going. The family continued chatting while the kids also played around. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Meng Yunhan completely forgot about having to eat. After acquiring cancer, she seemed to lose her sense of taste. As a result, she couldn¡¯t eat and needed nutritional supplements, or being fed intravenously. ¡°Hanhan, are you not hungry?¡± Yun Hao¡¯s deep eyes instinctively looked at Meng Yunhan¡¯s stomach. Could it be that after all this time, she isn¡¯t hungry yet? Or has she just gotten used to feeling hungry? ¡°Not hungry.¡± Before she could finish speaking, a gurgling noise from her stomach rang out. Meng Yunhan felt a little embarrassed. She felt hungry. Has she really returned to her second day of marriage? Yun Hao saw Meng Yunhan daydreaming again, he placed her on a stool, and looked into the pot. As soon as he lifted the lid, he saw the food. After serving a full bowl of food, he planned to give it to Meng Yunhan, but she was still stunned. ¡°Hanhan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Could it be that she misses her parents? And that was why she wept so heartbreakingly this morning. Currently, Meng Yunhan couldn¡¯t distinguish between reality and dreams. If this was a dream, why could she feel hungry a while ago? If this was reality, then had she really been reborn on the second day of her marriage? Did she have a chance to make up for things in this life? Could she give birth to a child? Could she live a good life with this man? Meng Yunhan was still confused. ¡°Yun Hao¡­.¡± Yun Hao was also sitting next to Meng Yunhan. Though he liked it when she called his name, nobody else in the house called him in such a formal manner. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still alive.¡± All the signs indicated that she had been reborn. She was truly reborn. Yun Hao thought Meng Yunhan would say something sweet, but her next sentence scared him. ¡®I¡¯m still alive¡¯? Did Hanhan want to end her life? ¡°Hanhan, I know you were reluctant to marry me, but now that you have, you¡¯re my woman.¡± Yun Hao said seriously with a stern face. Meng Yunhan had lived with Yun Hao for some time in her previous life and knew his temper. ¡°Yun Hao, in this life, I want to have your child.¡± With that, Yun Hao¡¯s heart softened instantly. The corners of his mouth slightly tugged upward, ¡°You can only have a child with me. If there¡¯s another man, I¡¯d kill him.¡± A perfectly normal sentence, yet he made it sound so unpalatable. It wasn¡¯t heartwarming, nor was it sweet. Chapter 7 But Meng Yunhan knew he was a very stubborn man and had his own principles. Last time, he wouldn¡¯t let her leave Qingzhao Village just because she intentionally had an abortion. ¡°Yun Hao, Yun Hao¡­..¡± Seeing his wife¡¯s eyes well up with tears again, he wondered why he never thought of her as being so prone to crying before. Why was she so weepy today? She was almost like a crybaby now. ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here, darling, let¡¯s eat,¡± Yun Hao¡¯s lips curled up slightly, indicating his mood was good. Throughout life, there are four great joys: the relief of a long drought, meeting old friends in a distant land, the joy of a wedding night, and the pride of academic success. For him, yesterday was a great joy, and today is also a great joy. His wife told him she wanted to have his children, which symbolized spending the rest of their lives together. How could he not be happy? Yet, he didn¡¯t show it on his face. However, his actions revealed it. He transferred all the meat and vegetables in his bowl to Meng Yunhan¡¯s. Looking at the overflow of food, Meng Yunhan whined, ¡°Yun Hao, I can¡¯t finish it all.¡± Sweat popped out on Yun Hao¡¯s forehead, ¡°If you can¡¯t finish it, I¡¯m still here, aren¡¯t I?¡± Although Yun Hao does not have a finicky nature, he was the youngest and his parents and older siblings doted on him. He never went hungry, even in the worst times. However, he never ate leftover food from someone else¡¯s bowl before, but now he was willing to do so for Meng Yunhan. This showed how much he cared for her, viewing her as the one he wanted to spend his life with. While eating, Meng Yunhan sneaked a look at Yun Hao, who was seriously eating, but he sensed his wife was spying on him. After they finished and cleaned up, the room became even more lively. ¡°Yun Hao¡­¡± ¡°Are you cold, Hanhan?¡± Yun Hao thought Meng Yunhan was cold since it was winter now and he was afraid that she hadn¡¯t dressed warmly enough. ¡°I just wanted to call you.¡± Meng Yunhan felt being reborn was a gift from heaven, giving her a second chance to live. This life, she wanted to treat Yun Hao well, to bear his children, unlike last time, she would be alone all the way till the end. Her two older brothers, growing more selfish and greedy as she grew wealthier, always aiming to gain something from her. This life, she planned to sever ties with them. Yun Hao actually felt sweet inside as well. After chatting for a while, Meng Yunhan went to cook. This morning she didn¡¯t cook and planned to make up for it at noon. Since she had succeeded in her business in the past, she naturally had more socializing events, dining out, visiting hotels, and eating at western restaurants became common. Therefore, she indirectly learnt how to cook some simple dishes. Hence, at noon, even though the three sisters-in-law were cooking together, Meng Yunhan was leading. The plain white radish was made into mixed radish shreds. The stored cabbage was turned into stir-fried cabbage. Potatoes were braised with streaky pork. She also prepared several other dishes. Eldest sister-in-law, Zhang Cuihua, and second sister-in-law, Zhao Fang, were a bit surprised seeing Meng Yunhan¡¯s cutting skills and efficient movements. They heard that Meng Yunhan, though beautiful, did not know how to cook. This, is called not knowing how to cook? The food they made not only looked good but also smelled very appetising. This aroma attracted the children, playing in the yard. ¡°So fragrant, so fragrant¡­¡± The older kids couldn¡¯t hold back and gathered around the kitchen door, peeking in. ¡°We will eat soon, just wait a little longer.¡± Meng Yunhan said with a gentle smile, her voice pleasant to hear. The children, upon hearing their young aunt, obediently nodded their heads. Chapter 8 Zhang Cuihua and her younger sister, Zhao Fang, exchanged glances. They were aware of the children in the family. Could it be because their younger sister was a teacher in the village¡¯s elementary school? Indeed, because Meng Yunhan was the youngest of the educated youth, and because of Yun Hao¡¯s influence, she had become the village school¡¯s language teacher even before marrying Yun Hao. Yet they could not deny that the younger sister was particularly magnificant, who seemed very gentle with twinkling eyes that always appeared to be smiling when she spoke. At the lunch table, everyone was full of praise for the dishes served. Yun¡¯s mother was aware of the culinary skills of her daughters-in-law, she knew these dishes must have been prepared by Ahao¡¯s wife. Yun Hao was extremely proud. This was made by his wife, he realized her culinary skill was exceptional. After dinner, there was no need for Meng Yunhan to lift a finger, as the two sisters-in-law went into the kitchen to clean up. In fact, they wanted to build a good relationship with Meng Yunhan in hopes of learning a few of her cooking tricks. The elders and children all admired the younger sister¡¯s cooking skills. During this time of food coupons¡¯ era where just about everything was rationed, sometimes vegetables were just boiled or blanched to eat, or occasionally stir-fried with a dab of oil. After saying goodbye to the elder brothers and their families, Yun Hao was concerned about Meng Yunhan and advised her to rest in her room. Meng Yunhan felt a bit tired and went to take a rest in her room. However, resting on the bed while tossing and turning, she could not fall asleep due to her excitement. Reborn. She was reborn, and she planned to keep this secret for a lifetime. Looking at the ring on her hand, this lifetime was different from the very beginning. She remembered that in her previous life, her mother-in-law disliked her, which led to her sisters-in-law also disliking her, and she just minded her own business. But in this life, she had done nothing at all. Now she was still in a state of confusion and needed a good sleep to figure things out. In the room of Yun¡¯s father and mother. ¡°Mom, after the New Year, I¡¯m going back to the army on the third day of lunar month. Hanhan is still young and doesn¡¯t understand many things, so I¡¯m counting on you to guide her.¡± ¡°You truly care about your wife.¡± Indeed, how could a mother not take care of her son¡¯s wife when he got married at this age? Well, as long as this daughter-in-law treats her son well, then she as a mother-in-law will treat this daughter-in-law well. In her previous life, because Meng Yunhan despised Yun Hao, the Yun Family treated her badly, and the two sisters-in-law would occasionally instigate negative feelings. This led Meng Yunhan to maliciously have a miscarriage, causing the whole Yun family to be displeased with her. Of course, upon rebirth, Meng Yunhan will soon understand this point. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m so much older than her; in a way, I am ¡®an old cow eating tender grass''¡±, Yun Hao joked half-heartedly. Yet, there wasn¡¯t a trace of a smile on his face, making him seem stoic. ¡°Hmph¡­.¡± Yun¡¯s mother, recalling the incidents of today and yesterday, coughed lightly and asked, ¡°What made her cry this morning?¡± Yun Hao wanted to make an excuse to fool his parents, ¡°She was missing her parents.¡± Yun¡¯s mother seemed to have heard that Meng Yunhan¡¯s parents had passed away, and that she had two older brothers. When she thought of this, she began to sympathise with her daughter-in-law, who was not much older than her grandson. ¡°I will take care of her for you. But son, you are not young anymore. While I¡¯m still capable, you should have a child soon, so I can help you with the child.¡± Yun¡¯s mother was only worried about her son. This daughter-in-law was very beautiful, and it was only after they had a child could her son truly keep his wife. Chapter 9 Through all these years, the Yun matriarch had adapted to this life, and her lofty temper and personality had changed somewhat. A suspicious blush crept up on Yun Hao¡¯s face. The Yun patriarch shot his son a glance, fearing his indifference to the matter at hand, and spoke gravely, ¡°Ahao, you are almost thirty in two years, your elder brothers¡¯ children are already so big, but there¡¯s no news of a child from you. Being in the military, you can only return home once a year. How long will you delay before you have a child?¡± Yun Hao remained confident, matching his adversary¡¯s move with serenity. Despite a barrage of attacks from his parents, he remained unmoved. Sharing a glance, the Yun patriarch and matriarch felt utterly helpless towards their youngest son. Although neither of them was a cold person, their youngest son, who rarely smiled or spoke, caused them to wonder whether he behaved the same way in front of his wife. No wonder it took him so many years to bring a wife home, what with his lack of sweet words that most girls loved to hear. ¡°Ahao, don¡¯t keep a straight face when you are with your wife.¡± Heeding his wife¡¯s silent call for action, the Yun patriarch advised painstakingly. ¡°Mom, Dad, I should get going first.¡± Yun Hao got up and left, his action striking his parents like a blow to a ball of cotton. But at least their youngest son was now married, finally, they could breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Husband, Ahao¡¯s wife cooked quite well today, even better than the professional chef hired yesterday.¡± The Yun matriarch exclaimed. The Yun patriarch nodded in agreement. In the newlywed¡¯s room. Upon returning to his room, Yun Hao saw his wife, with her big eyes wide open, looking around. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to take a nap?¡± Meng Yunhan looked at Yun Hao with a smile, her eyes shaped like crescents, ¡°Yun Hao, you are so good.¡± Yun Hao wanted to question what made him ¡®good¡¯. ¡°Hanhan, wait a moment.¡± Meng Yunhan then watched as Yun Hao took out a tin box from the cupboard and handed it to her, ¡°Hanhan, these are my savings over the years.¡± Savings? Looking at the tin box, Meng Yunhan remembered that Yun Hao had given her money before, but she had not used it. The Yun family had also given her betrothal money, which she believed was still in the box she had brought from the capital city upon moving to the village. As for this marriage, she had initially agreed to marry Yun Hao in a desperate situation. She had sought out Yun Hao after being harassed by the village head¡¯s hooligan son because Yun Hao was the only villager in the military service, and the thug was afraid of him. In order to avoid the ruffian, she had married Yun Hao, completely unaware of his feelings for her. She learned about those much later, after their divorce, from Yun Hao¡¯s elder brother. But during those young and reckless years, she believed even in the most trying times that whatever decisions she made were the right ones. So, she had quickly returned to the city after getting into college without giving herself a chance to regret. She was too stubborn back then. ¡°For me?¡± ¡°You are my wife, so of course, I give it to you,¡± Yun Hao seriously stated. After some thought, Meng Yunhan accepted this, but then wondered about his parents, ¡°Does your mother know you¡¯ve been keeping private money?¡± Private money? ¡°If you want to keep it as your private stash, I have no objection. I get a stipend of more than forty yuan and a ration subsidy of thirty kilos every month.¡± In these times, that wasn¡¯t little. She couldn¡¯t exactly remember how much she had received for her ration subsidy per month, and how much household food ration she had collected as per the public distribution system. Chapter 10 ¡°Yun Hao, why are you so kind to me?¡± Would you have wanted to kill me if you remembered what happened in our previous life? Yun Hao cleared his throat lightly, ¡°You¡¯re my wife, should I treat other women well if not you?¡± His words were as harsh as ever. But she also knew that this man just had a tough tongue. ¡°Yun Hao, I want to sleep holding you,¡± Meng Yunhan said openly. Yun Hao did feel a little uncomfortable at this, but in no more than an instant, he took off his military overcoat, lifted the blanket a bit, and got into bed. Seeing Yun Hao in bed, Meng Yunhan¡¯s little arm reached out to hug his waist, while Yun Hao¡¯s big hand firmly embraced her. ¡°Yun Hao, all of this feels like a dream to me.¡± Yun Hao leaned over to give Meng Yunhan a serious kiss, still expressionless, ¡°It¡¯s not a dream.¡± Meng Yunhan was stirred by the moist sensation, glancing subconsciously at Yun Hao. ¡°Yun Hao, Yun Hao¡­¡± Feeling the warmth and softness of a woman in his arms, a woman who was still moving and whom he loved, Yun Hao, a man, couldn¡¯t resist her pleading gaze. Little Yun Hao gradually showed a reaction, and Meng Yunhan, who had lived through one lifetime, immediately felt the change in Yun Hao¡¯s body, her body instinctively tensing up. ¡°Yun Hao¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Yun Hao tried hard to curb his desires flooding his heart, reprimanding himself: disgraceful. ¡°Just holding you like this is enough.¡± Yun Hao thought about how he made Meng Yunhan faint last night, he didn¡¯t dare to touch her now, and could only tolerate his yearning. Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t dare to move, although she really wanted to promise him. She was willing to bear his children, after all, the college entrance exam would be resumed next year. But what if she got pregnant now? What about the child she had aborted? How was she going to deal with that? She felt guilt for that child, the child she had abandoned before it was born. ¡°Yun Hao, can you talk to me about your life in the military?¡± A minute passed. Two minutes passed. Five minutes passed. There was still no sound, so Meng Yunhan finally looked up at Yun Hao, ¡°Can you not talk about it?¡± ¡°Hanhan, would you like to follow me into the army?¡± Yun Hao wondered how he could cope without his wife close to him, used as he was to being this intimate with her. He was considering letting his wife follow him, but then thought, if his wife did join him, his food allowance might not be enough for both of them. What kind of life could he give her if he spent his stipend on food? He could not bear the thought of his wife suffering with him in the army. At home, her parents could take care of her, and they had their own land. Whatever food she felt like eating was available. Additionally, she was earning a wage as a teacher every month. ¡°Join the army?¡± To be honest, Meng Yunhan was not willing to join the army. She had decided to go to college in this life, but decades had passed since she had set eyes on middle school or high school textbooks in her previous life so getting into college would be difficult. She needed to prepare for her university entrance exams while teaching at home. Yun Hao immediately noticed her hesitation. It wasn¡¯t an absolute yes, so it seemed she also was not willing to follow him into the army. The thought sank his heart like a stone into the depth of the ocean. ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± ¡°I just got married, it wouldn¡¯t be great if I were to follow you into the army now. We should at least wait a year or two,¡± Meng Yunhan suggested, sensing his anger. Wait for a year or two? Chapter 11 ¡°Why is my wife so sure about one or two years?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible.¡± As long as his wife could accompany him with the troop, it was a good start. Seeing the children of his two brothers, he also craved to have his own, wanting as pretty a daughter as his wife. His own daughter would surely be more beautiful than his nieces. If his eldest sister-in-law Zhang Cuihua and second sister-in-law Zhao Fang knew about Yun Hao¡¯s thoughts, they would definitely be speechless! ¡°Tomorrow is New Year¡¯s Day, do you want to go to the county?¡± Yun Hao said so because he wanted to take Meng Yunhan to the county to shop. They got married yesterday, and she didn¡¯t make any preparations, not even her wedding dress¡ªit was all provided by his side. He understands that she didn¡¯t want to marry him yesterday, but today was different, she cared so much about him today. As her man, he couldn¡¯t let his wife be wronged anymore. He knew he would end up mistreating her or causing her to suffer. Serving in the army year-round, marrying him would be like living a widow¡¯s life, in nicer terms, being a soldier¡¯s wife. But there¡¯s no woman who wouldn¡¯t wish for their man to accompany them, is there? In the future, he could only satisfy her materially as much as possible. ¡°Why do we need to go to the county?¡± Meng Yunhan looked at Yun Hao very seriously and uttered this sentence. Yun Hao was straightforward, saying without any reluctance, ¡°To get you some belongings.¡± Meng Yunhan was taken aback, but then a smile appeared on her face as she shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t need to acquire anything.¡± In this era of grain and cloth shortage, you have to carry food coupons and introduction letters whenever you go out. Besides, she didn¡¯t need to add anything. After living a good life for decades, she would definitely find it uncomfortable to return to the life before liberation overnight. It¡¯s the same as saying it¡¯s easy to go from frugality into luxury, but it¡¯s quite hard to accept the reverse. But she was prepared to make up for it, prepared to be a good wife for the rest of her life. Eats well, only needs to feed one mouth, sleeps well, only needs one bed. She knew that most people live like this nowadays. If others could live this way, so could she¡ªMeng Yunhan. Seeing a desk in the room, the warm water bottle placed on the desk, and a porcelain jar printed with: ¡°Serve the People.¡± There were also several new porcelain basins, each printed with a large ¡°Happiness¡± character. The pillows were embroidered with mandarin ducks, and the quilts were all provided by Yun Hao¡¯s family. Yun Hao thought Meng Yunhan was trying to economize, ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll go to the county.¡± ¡°Yun Hao, rather than going to the county, it would be better to stay home and accompany me.¡± No sooner had the words fallen, Meng Yunhan felt her face heating up. She closed her eyes in embarrassment, pulling the quilt over her head. She was chiding herself internally: How could she be so shameless? Didn¡¯t she know to restrain herself, how could she utter those words? In her previous life, she lived for decades. After her divorce, she had relationships, but none of them went further. In other people¡¯s eyes, she was a workaholic, a strong woman, but how did she become a lovesick woman after her reincarnation? Yun Hao¡¯s heart was filled with sweetness. He had been swept over and over by waves of candy today. His wife must have him in her heart, there must be him. All that he gave had been correspondingly returned, not just a whim of passion. Finding her shyly hiding in the quilt, out of fear that she might suffocate, Yun Hao forcefully pulled the quilt away from her face, seriously stating, ¡°You can¡¯t cover yourself.¡± Meng Yunhan dumbly stuttered out a reply. Yun Hao didn¡¯t say anything more, just held her closely, listening to her heartbeat, as if only in this way could he believe that she had really married him, that she was now in his arms, and this wasn¡¯t a dream. Chapter 12 ¡°Yun Hao, who for many decades was accustomed to keeping a cold expression, was perhaps even more dreadful when he laughed than when he cried! ¡®Yun Hao, do you like me?¡¯ Meng Yunhan asked, her pretty eyes glistening as she gazed at him, hoping to hear his answer. Actually, she was unsure whether Yun Hao had liked her in the past. But if he didn¡¯t, why was it that they got married as soon as she suggested it? Just a couple of days later, they had their wedding ceremony. Moreover, a number of things were prepared in advance. In her previous life, she had two marriages. The first was to Yun Hao. For a chance to return to the city, she heartlessly aborted their child. Her second husband was a business associate. They were both not young anymore and were playfully nudged together by a friend. However, due to her heavy workload, their time together was short. They hadn¡¯t had any children when she found out that she was the problem. Not long after, they divorced. Despite her two marriages, she had never truly experienced love. She wanted to know whether Yun Hao agreed to marry her right after she proposed because he liked her. She was also anxious: if another girl had proposed to Yun Hao, would he have married her instead? To her, love was a distant concept. She felt no love, let alone passion, towards Yun Hao. Staring into her bright eyes, Yun Hao just looked at her disinterestedly and said, ¡®Go to sleep.¡¯ Feeling disappointed, Meng Yunhan said nothing more, and the atmosphere instantly grew oppressive. Yun Hao could sense her disappointment, but he wasn¡¯t sure how to comfort her or how to even say those words. He simply couldn¡¯t get the words out. All he could do was to hold her closer, expressing his feelings through actions rather than words. But Meng Yunhan, her eyes tightly shut, seemed to have blocked out everything. Was she overthinking this? Considering the sum of her ages in this life and the previous one, she was like an old granny. Why was she still so engrossed in these love affairs? She was truly an incurable romantic. Perhaps his embrace was too warm, or perhaps she had reached enlightenment, but she peacefully fell asleep in his arms. Alas, Meng Yunhan missed out on Yun Hao whispering into her ear, ¡®How could I marry you if I didn¡¯t like you?¡¯ It was his appreciation for freedom that resulted in him getting married only when he was approaching thirty. Making him ten years older than Meng Yunhan. By the time Meng Yunhan woke up again, it had already started getting dark outside. She hastily got up from her bed. She put on her cotton dress, cotton pants, and cotton shoes, and headed outside. A glance at the clock made her realize that she hadn¡¯t begun preparing dinner yet. As she reached the door, she stopped in her tracks, suddenly remembering Yun Hao. Why wasn¡¯t he in their room? She entered the main room, and found Yun Hao chatting with his parents. Embarrassed at her sudden appearance, she instinctively apologized, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I overslept.¡¯ Mother Yun, seeing her daughter-in-law apologize once again, understood her dilemma and wasn¡¯t annoyed at all. ¡®Hanhan, come and eat. I asked Ahao to wake you up, but he said you were too tired from working yesterday and cooking noon meals today. He wanted you to sleep longer.¡¯ Mother Yun was very friendly to Meng Yunhan. Meng Yunhan felt a bit uncomfortable with this. In her previous life, her mother-in-law found faults with her and used to oppress her. Now, in this life, she¡¯s being so friendly¡­It was something she wasn¡¯t completely accustomed to yet. Chapter 13 And Yun Hao pulls the spacing-out Meng Yunhan to sit down. ¡°Hanhan, tomorrow is New Year¡¯s Eve. If you have anything you want to buy, you can go with Ahao to town or even to the county.¡± Yun¡¯s mother continued, the initial dowry was only two hundred yuan, but yesterday when they went to pick her up, she only had a suitcase, she hadn¡¯t bought anything, which seemed somewhat humble, hence Yun¡¯s mother said so with good intentions. ¡°Mom and Dad, I don¡¯t have anything to buy. Tomorrow is New Year¡¯s Eve, I will help you around.¡± Meng Yunhan spoke in standard Mandarin. She hadn¡¯t spoken the local dialect for decades, she could no longer speak it. Luckily, Yun¡¯s mother could also speak Mandarin. Although she had been living in Qingzhao Village for more than thirty years, her Mandarin had also changed a bit. Because the Yun Family knew Meng Yunhan was a educated youth from the city who spoke standard Mandarin, it was not surprising at all. ¡°Okay.¡± Yun¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes were filled with smiles, she originally thought that Meng Yunhan was reluctant to marry Ahao, but now it seemed that the young couple were very affectionate. She wouldn¡¯t have to wait long to have grandchildren. Her daughter-in-law was so beautiful, Ahao was also handsome, their children would definitely be very good-looking. Yun Hao served her half a bowl of rice and handed it to her. Yun¡¯s father watched his son¡¯s little actions with a face full of smiles. The men of the Yun Family were all quite¡­ indulgent¡­ to their wives. After dinner, Meng Yunhan diligently cleared up the dishes, washed them, and even heated water for washing faces and feet. ¡°Ahao, you must treat your wife well.¡± Yun¡¯s mother sighed, now that her youngest son was also married, she had no regrets in this lifetime. ¡°Mom and Dad, you go back to your room first!¡± Then he stood up and left. Yun¡¯s mother gave Yun¡¯s father a blameful look, ¡°Look at your son.¡± Yun¡¯s father looked at his wife with amusement, ¡°Isn¡¯t he your son too?¡± Yun¡¯s mother gave Yun¡¯s father a disgruntled stare and went back to her room. In this weather, everyone just burrowed in bed, it was too cold. Meng Yunhan tidied up the kitchen and turned to see Yun Hao standing at the door. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± She had been busy all the time and hadn¡¯t noticed him at all. ¡°Are you done with your chores?¡± ¡°I¡¯m done already, do you want to wash your face and feet?¡± She was now used to washing up before bedding, it felt awkward not to. ¡°Ok.¡± Yun Hao answered, not revealing any other emotions to Meng Yunhan. Only after they¡¯d finished everything did the couple carry their kerosene lamp back to their room. ¡°Go to bed early.¡± Yun Hao barely squeezed these words out. In fact, he really wanted Meng Yunhan, last night was just a prelude, he didn¡¯t get his fill. Meng Yunhan, lying on the bed, stared into the dark room, her eyes rolling towards the man who held her in his arms. She was surprised that there were no other actions from him yet? She remembered in her previous life, whenever he was at home, except for those special days, he would take her to bed all the other times. It was because she disliked it and grew more and more cold towards Yun Hao. Moreover, due to her youth and naivety in handling matters, the Yun Family never showed her a smiling face. But things changed in this life. ¡°Go to bed.¡± Yun Hao could not sense Meng Yunhan¡¯s surprise at all. If it wasn¡¯t for his willpower suppressing his desire, he¡¯d have taken her to the depths of pleasure long ago. He wouldn¡¯t be holding his beautiful lady without making a move. ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping all day, I¡¯m not sleepy, let¡¯s talk!¡± Meng Yunhan knew Yun Hao was cold. Not to exaggerate, on a hot, scorching summer day, as long as he was there, his chilled air would dispel the heat. Chapter 14 But she had been reborn and wanted to spend her life with him. Living day by day with a frosty countenance was going to take some getting used to. And she needed to properly train him. Yun Hao remained silent for a long time. Thankfully, the current Meng Yunhan was brimming with patience. ¡°Sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow.¡± Just like that, his words extinguished her passion. Was he truly as cold as ice? ¡°Have you been like this since you were a child?¡± Meng Yunhan was somewhat baffled. Was his temperament innate or learned? There was a long silence again. ¡°Sleep.¡± Meng Yunhan felt so despondent she wanted to vomit blood. Was he really that impervious? Meng Yunhan was disheartened. She didn¡¯t seem much like a dainty lady at the moment. It almost made Yun Hao pounce on her, but his last shred of sanity held him back. She needed to help with making the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner tomorrow. If she couldn¡¯t get up, her sisters-in-law would likely gossip. They almost caused trouble today. Yun Hao understood human nature, but he seldom spoke about it; his actions spoke for him. Over the years, Yun Hao also sent money back to his family home. Otherwise, Zhang Cuihua and Zhao Fang would have caused an uproar. The Yun family matriarch had a stern talk with her daughters-in-law before arranging the wedding. She feared they¡¯d make a fuss during Meng Yunhan¡¯s ceremony, or sow discord by claiming preferential treatment to the youngest son. Sunrise hadn¡¯t even broken, but Meng Yunhan was already awake, as was the content Yun Hao, who was holding her. He was used to waking up early after many years in the army but, reluctant to let go of the soft woman in his arms, he continued lying with her. ¡°It¡¯s not morning yet.¡± Seeing Meng Yunhan getting out of bed, Yun Hao immediately pulled her back, uttering the sentence with a stern face. Did preparing breakfast require daylight? Meng Yunhan looked blankly at him, prompting Yun Hao to lean in and press a kiss to her soft, red lips. Meng Yunhan was shocked at Yun Hao¡¯s audacious move. She felt the heat from his lips transfer to hers. She snapped out of her trance after five minutes, too embarrassed to look at Yun Hao. ¡°It¡¯s not early. I should go cook,¡± she said quickly, before getting dressed and heading out the door. Finally, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Yun Hao¡¯s mouth. The Yun family matriarch woke up to see her daughter-in-law bustling about in the kitchen and her son stoking the fire. With a smile, she went back to her room, ¡°Wake up, your son and daughter-in-law have already prepared breakfast.¡± Yun¡¯s father looked surprised. He glanced at the window only to find that it was still dark. They¡¯d already prepared breakfast? After breakfast, they started preparing for the day¡¯s activities. Meng Yunhan and Yun¡¯s mother busied themselves in the kitchen, while Yun Hao and Yun¡¯s father were occupied with hanging couplets. ¡°Mother, we can make carrot balls with these carrots.¡± Yun¡¯s mother trusted her daughter-in-law¡¯s cooking skills. Hearing Meng Yunhan¡¯s suggestion, she immediately agreed, ¡°Alright.¡± Before long, the eldest son of the Yun family, Yun Hai, along with his wife and children, arrived with New Year¡¯s gifts. The second son of the Yun family, Yun Lei, also came bearing gifts with his wife and children. Zhang Cuihua, the wife of the eldest son, and Zhao Fang, the wife of the second son, immediately went into the kitchen to help. Zhang Cuihua was determined to learn cooking from her youngest sister-in-law, Meng Yunhan. Throughout the day, even the children were eagerly anticipating the dishes prepared by their youngest aunt. Thus, the kitchen was filled with harmony. In the evening, everyone gathered to celebrate the New Year. Meng Yunhan was a little tired. Having been bedridden in the hospital, she wasn¡¯t accustomed to sleeping through the night. But ever since her rebirth here, perhaps because of Yun Hao¡¯s presence, she found herself sleeping peacefully every time. Chapter 15 Yun Hao also realized that Meng Yunhan was getting tired. Their sisters-in-law had already taken their children and left, and now only the brothers remained at home. ¡°You should go to bed.¡± Yun Hao said, his voice dry. Yun Hai and Yun Lei exchanged glances. Their youngest brother hadn¡¯t changed at all, even after getting married. He was still so curt when he spoke. Couldn¡¯t he use a few more words? Thankfully, their sister-in-law didn¡¯t take issue with that. ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± In fact, Meng Yunhan had been leaning on Yun Hao the whole time. If she was too tired, she would lean on him for support. ¡°Go to bed.¡± Yun Hao repeated. At this point, Yun Hai, as the eldest brother, couldn¡¯t just stand by and spoke up as well. ¡°Sister-in-law, if you¡¯re exhausted, you should go to your room. We brothers will keep watch.¡± Meng Yunhan responded politely, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go to my room first. Thank you, big brother and second brother.¡± After Meng Yunhan excused herself, Yun Lei turned to Yun Hao, ¡°Ahao, tell her that she doesn¡¯t need to be so polite in the future. We¡¯re all family.¡± Yun Hai had inherited their father¡¯s honesty and straightforwardness. People often said, ¡®the eldest is naive, the second is cunning¡¯, and this rang true with Yun Lei who now kept score for the team. ¡°She¡¯s always like this. She¡¯ll get used to it and change eventually,¡± Yun Hao responded casually. His thoughts had followed Meng Yunhan. It was so cold, wouldn¡¯t she be freezing without his warmth? ¡°Ahao, Meng Yunhan is your wife. You shouldn¡¯t always have such a stern face. Speak some pleasant, soft words.¡± Yun Lei knew that his youngest brother had been this way since childhood, but if he continued to treat his wife this way, what would she think as she stayed at home alone year-round? Yun Hai agreed with Yun Lei¡¯s words, ¡°Ahao, your second brother is right. Yunhan is educated and even though she¡¯s accommodating, you should still learn to give her a smile, especially considering the amount of time you¡¯re away from home.¡± In fact, both Yun Hai and Yun Lei were quite envious of their youngest brother. He had married a well-behaved, good-looking woman who cooked well. But would this aloof demeanor of his scare Yunhan? ¡°Big brother, second brother, how do you appease your wives?¡± Yun Hao also knew he lacked expressiveness, so he humbly asked his older brothers for advice. Yun Hai and Yun Lei exchanged glances, both taken aback by Yun Hao¡¯s question. Yun Hai coughed lightly, awkwardly concluding, ¡°Women need to be appeased.¡± Yun Lei barely suppressed a chuckle, ¡°Ahao, women¡­ as long as you satisfy them in that regard, they¡¯ll be obedient.¡± Yun Hai cringed even more. Could they really say that in front of Ahao? ¡°Second brother, what are you saying?¡± Yun Lei grinned, ¡°Big brother, I didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡± Yun Hai didn¡¯t really know how to refute that. It was a fact. It was a topic they had never brought up before Ahao, and the second brother, too, realized that Ahao was a married man. But looking at the delicate Yunhan, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what she had to put up with. Yun Hao didn¡¯t react and stood still. Yun Hai and Yun Lei exchanged a helpless glance at Yun Hao¡¯s lack of reaction. ¡°Ahao, you¡¯re usually not at home. Now that you are, you should treat Yunhan well.¡± Yun Hai coughed lightly. As the eldest brother, he spoke these profound words. ¡°Hm.¡± Yun Hao finally responded. ¡°Ahao, let me teach you a few tricks. Women, you can¡¯t reason with them. If she makes a fuss, just take her to bed.¡± Chapter 16 ¡°What¡¯s Shitou talking about?¡± Yun Hai was frustrated again, why does his second younger brother only add chaos? These three younger siblings really can¡¯t be compared to the second one. ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m just passing on a few tricks to Ahao, look at him, with his stern face, I¡¯m afraid women may find it hard to approach him. Just by standing there, he can scare the kids into crying, you may not know, every time Ahao returns home, the children stop their noise as soon as they see their little uncle,¡± Yun Lei was just teasing, but he was also telling the truth. This made Yun Hai unable to counter his second brother¡¯s words. The children are indeed scared of their little uncle. ¡°Big brother, second brother, when I go back to my army unit, please take care of home,¡± Ahao requested. Yun Lei then started teasing, ¡°Big brother, big brother, look Ahao can actually say such words, it¡¯s really rare.¡± Then he earnestly said, ¡°Ahao, don¡¯t worry about this! Home has me and big brother, right? As for your wife, she¡¯s now teaching in the village primary school, only during the busy farming season she will work in the fields for a few days, we will arrange lighter work for her during that time.¡± Since their father was an accountant back then, he is now the accountant of the village. His elder son had been recommended to be an accountant too, while the second son was the scorekeeper. ¡°We, your second brother and I, can guarantee this,¡± Yun Hai also readily agreed. Despite the fact that younger brother had just got married a few days ago, he could tell that the newly married couple¡¯s relationship was really very good. As the eldest brother, of course, he had to take care of them appropriately when the little brother wasn¡¯t home, and there were their parents as well, right? The three brothers were sitting around the fire in the kitchen, chatting and talking. Not until the sound of firecrackers came, the three brothers went back to rest. On the morning of New Year¡¯s Day, Meng Yunhan got up and went to the kitchen. Yun¡¯s mother had already gotten up too. Both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were busy in the kitchen. As soon as they finished cooking, their two sons brought their wives and children to their house. After everyone ate, they started exchanging New Year greetings. Meng Yunhan handed out a few red packets. She stole a glance at Yun Hao and just happened to catch his gaze, which made her embarrassingly look away. ¡°Ahao, take your wife to say New Year greetings,¡± Yun¡¯s father urged. Because Meng Yunhan is a new daughter-in-law, she has to be taken to give New Year greetings. This is a tradition! ¡°Okay.¡± The children couldn¡¯t sit still. As soon as Yun Hao left, they took their dry food and went out to play. When they got to the village head¡¯s house, Meng Yunhan also saw the rogue Zhao Tian. She was surprised how she could remember him so clearly after so many years. If it weren¡¯t for him harassing her and trying to take advantage of her back then, she wouldn¡¯t have resorted to such a desperate measure to marry Yun Hao. But seeing Zhao Tian now, it can be said that they have a grudge that spans two lifetimes. Zhao Tian was startled by Meng Yunhan¡¯s sharp gaze. He wondered how Yunhan, who had only been married to Yun Hao for a short time, had already started adopting Yun Hao¡¯s cold demeanor. ¡°Little Tian is not married yet, is he?¡± Yun Hao wondered, staring at him daringly. Zhao Tian suddenly felt chilly all over. ¡°No¡­.¡± Zhao Tian involuntarily took a step back. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s step outside.¡± Zhao Tian wanted to refuse, but Yun Hao¡¯s piercing gaze made his whole body stiff. Meng Yunhan curled her lips, looking like a little girl. Yun Hao inadvertently saw this when he glanced her way. Zhao Tian was reluctant, he didn¡¯t want to go out, but he was dragged out by Yun Hao, while Meng Yunhan continued to laugh and chat with the village¡¯s head¡¯s wife. Chapter 17 By the time Zhao Tian and Yun Hao returned, Meng Yunhan was close to running out of topics for small talk. She heaved a sigh of relief at their return. Once they left the head of the village¡¯s house, Meng Yunhan asked quietly, ¡°Did you hit him?¡± But if Zhao Tian had been hit, he would¡¯ve reacted long ago, right? He couldn¡¯t possibly look the way he did if he had been assaulted, right? Yun Hao glanced elsewhere and continued walking, ¡°No.¡± He didn¡¯t hit him to death. Meng Yunhan was unaware of Yun Hao¡¯s added clarification, but nonetheless mumbled, ¡°He tried to take advantage of me previously.¡± Yun Hao knew full well that if it weren¡¯t for Zhao Tian, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up marrying her. ¡°I¡¯ll discipline him next time,¡± he concluded. In these past few days, Meng Yunhan had grown accustomed Yun Hao¡¯s indifference. If he could avoid speaking, he would. In reality, such a man was suitable for daily life. Although he appeared cold, he accomplished more than those who talked a lot. He would cook breakfast with her, tidy up the room, organize the bedding. He was meticulous about everything. ¡°Okay.¡± Meng Yunhan smiled radiantly. The two continued their New Year¡¯s greetings. ¡°Isn¡¯t this little Yunhan? You got married and didn¡¯t come back to visit the educated youth site?¡± Meng Yunhan looked at the woman in front of her, sorting through her memory. It seemed that this person didn¡¯t exist in her past. ¡°I¡¯ve been a little busy these few days.¡± Meng Yunhan politely responded, unable to recall the woman, but didn¡¯t want to make the situation awkward. ¡°Little Yunhan, is this your man?¡± The woman glanced at Yun Hao, whom she recognized. She didn¡¯t think highly of Meng Yunhan¡ª all delicate and petite. As the youngest of the educated youths, everyone treated her exceptionally well. When the village school needed a teacher last year, people didn¡¯t expect Meng Yunhan to take the position. No one knew when Meng Yunhan hooked up with this man. Otherwise, how could an educated youth like her, tainted as she was, have become a teacher? The woman, Wang Minfang, was very dissatisfied. Minfang, a high school graduate, was still doing fieldwork while Yunhan, a middle school graduate, had become a teacher. How could she swallow this bitter pill? ¡°Yes, this is my man.¡± Meng Yunhan formally introduced Yun Hao to Wang Minfang. Upon hearing her say the last few words, there was a slight upward twist to Yun Hao¡¯s lips. It was barely noticeable. Yet if someone who was close to him noticed it, they would be surprised. When did their captain ever show any other expressions? ¡°Hello, I am Yunhan¡¯s friend, Wang Minfang.¡± Wang Minfang knew Yun Hao was a cadre in the army. Even though she detested Meng Yunhan, there was still social etiquette to observe. If only she could return to the city, that would be great. She¡¯d had enough of this place. These days, there weren¡¯t many girls left in the educated youth station. Everyone else either returned to the city or got married. She also wanted to return to the city, but without connections, it was exceedingly difficult to do so. Upon hearing the name Wang Minfang, Meng Yunhan¡¯s memory flooded back instantly. She finally remembered. Wang Minfang, the one who instigated her decision to force a miscarriage back then. The Yun family treated her poorly and Yun Hao always maintained a cold demeanor. She couldn¡¯t find a hint of warmth in the Yun family. She was young and naive then, thinking that returning to the city would free her from living under the scrutiny of the Yun family. She believed that returning to the city would improve her life, but was that really the case? Chapter 18 Yun Hao didn¡¯t even look at Wang Minfang. ¡°It¡¯s getting late.¡± Meng Yunhan knew what Yun Hao meant: It¡¯s getting late, and it was time to go home. Couldn¡¯t this man say a few more words? ¡°We should go home. I¡¯ll come to visit you at the Educated Youth residence in the future.¡± With that, Meng Yunhan grabbed Yun Hao¡¯s sleeve and started walking towards home. Wang Minfang was left alone, her little face puffing up in anger, resembling a bloated frog. On the way home, neither of them spoke. Meng Yunhan kept thinking about Wang Minfang. In this life, she had to stay away from that Wang Minfang. She seemed to resent others¡¯ happiness. To put it in modern parlance, she suffered from envy. Such a disease needed treatment. Seeing that Meng Yunhan was not talking, Yun Hao, too, did not know what to say. So neither of them spoke on reaching home. Yun¡¯s parents looked at each other. Why did the initially joyful couple return like this? Did they quarrel? Yun¡¯s father shook his head. How was he supposed to know? ¡°Third child, tomorrow is the second day of the new year time for the bride¡¯s homecoming. Do you think Hanhan should go?¡± Yun¡¯s father asked. He remembered Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t inform her family when they got married. Tomorrow was the day for a newlywed to visit her parents. Should they let their new daughter-in-law take their son home? Meng Yunhan thought about her harsh elder brothers. After their parents¡¯ accident, they were afraid of being sent to the countryside, so they sent her, a junior high graduate, instead. ¡°No need. My parents are dead. Only my elder brothers are left at home, and they don¡¯t want me back.¡± Meng Yunhan¡¯s words were subtle, but Yun¡¯s parents understood instantly. So that¡¯s how it is, so that¡¯s how it is. Seeing the frail maiden sent to the countryside, now they knew the reason behind it. ¡°Third child, take Hanhan back to the room to rest.¡± Yun¡¯s mother pitied Meng Yunhan. Her parents were dead. No wonder she cried so hard that day. Indeed, people tend to sympathize with the weak. Yun Hao noticed something off about Meng Yunhan. He held her smooth little hand with his warm, big one and led her to their bridal chamber. ¡°Hanhan ¡­.¡± ¡°Yun Hao, Yun Hao.¡± Meng Yunhan remembered the adoring parents she once had. After their accident, there was a slot for someone in their family to go to the countryside. Her selfish brothers, however, pushed her, a fifteen-year-old girl who had never done farm labor, out. Later, with the addition of their wives, they very conveniently forgot about their sister from the same mother. In her past life, after miscarrying, she did eventually get accepted into a university. However, it wasn¡¯t the city university where she originally resided. Nevertheless, she worked hard, and even after graduation, she took some detours, spent years proving herself, and finally achieved something. That¡¯s when those two brothers came to her door with their wives and children. She didn¡¯t want to recollect her past life¡¯s affairs. She just wanted to live a good life in this one. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Yun Hao felt her teardrops rolling down, hot and big. Looking at him, Meng Yunhan asserted, ¡°Yun Hao, you must be nice to me in this lifetime.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yun Hao answered quickly, pulling his petite wife into his embrace. Meng Yunhan hugged Yun Hao back. Anyone would think they were deeply in love just by looking at them. But that was not the case. In this life, Meng Yunhan just wanted to live a good life, and give birth to the child she owed from the past life. And to have a child, she needed the child¡¯s father, of course. Chapter 19 As for Yun Hao, he has wanted to marry Meng Yunhan ever since he met her years ago. But at that time, she was too young and he didn¡¯t know how to express his feelings. Now that Meng Yunhan has married him and become his wife, he wants to give her nothing but the best. Meng Yunhan leaned against his robust, slightly muscular shoulder until her face started to ache. She then let go of him but her flushed face hung low, not daring to look at Yun Hao. Yun Hao didn¡¯t show much of a reaction. ¡°Fancy a nap?¡± ¡°At this hour, I should go and cook.¡± Meng Yunhan randomly touched her face. Ever since she came back, she had become more prone to tears, turning into a crying ghost. As her career flourished, she stopped allowing herself to shed tears because this was the path she chose for herself. ¡°Hanhan, don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s not pretty.¡± Meng Yunhan gave Yun Hao an annoyed look. ¡®Me crying is unattractive? I inherited my mother¡¯s beauty and I am much better looking than him.¡¯ He is so tanned, while no matter how much sun she got, a few days of shade would return her to her fair complexion. Yun Hao wasn¡¯t upset at all after that glare. In fact, he seemed rather cheerful. That night, Meng Yunhan thought they would just cover themselves with the blanket and go to sleep like usual. But as soon as she lay in bed, she was pounced upon by a tall, muscular man. ¡°Not going to sleep?¡± Meng Yunhan¡¯s eyes darted about. ¡®This man on top of me¡­ he wouldn¡¯t try anything else, would he?¡¯ ¡°Not sleeping.¡± Yun Hao gave a casual but affirmative reply, and then supported his words with actions. ¡°Yun Hao, no more¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­.¡± Meng Yunhan felt like she was floating in a lonely sea, not knowing where the water might carry her. She was very tired, very thirsty, and very sleepy. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s dawn.¡± Yun Hao glanced outside. After an indeterminable amount of time passed, Meng Yunhan fell asleep again. The man got up, poured hot water from the flask, and began to wash Meng Yunhan¡¯s face. Then, he got up himself. Mother Yun noticed her daughter-in-law hadn¡¯t gotten up and her son was in very high spirits and even had a smile on his face. So she knew what must¡¯ve happened. After all, she had been there herself. ¡°Third child, try to control yourself a bit more.¡± Mother Yun advised subtly. She knew her son was about to return to the army and was infatuated with his wife. But he had gone too far; the wife had just come and certainly couldn¡¯t be acclimated yet. While Mother Yun chided him verbally, she kept busy with her hands. ¡°When your wife wakes up, boil her a couple of eggs, give her a good boost.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± So when Meng Yunhan woke up again, it was already bright outside. She hopped right out of bed promptly. Today was the second day of the month, would her two sisters-in-law talk behind her back if they knew she overslept? Chapter 20 Regardless, Meng Yunhan had to get up, forcing herself through every bit of the process. She tried to summon the energy to tidy herself up, but it felt like every bit of her strength had been sucked out. She moved step by step out of her bedroom door. The Yun Family¡¯s two daughters had arrived early. Seeing their brother, but not their sister-in-law, was a bit unsettling to them. You didn¡¯t return to your parent¡¯s home, but we, the daughters who are married off, came back. Why aren¡¯t you here to greet us? Do you look down on us? Of course, the two sisters-in-law were displeased, but out of respect for Yun Hao¡¯s presence, they didn¡¯t show their dissatisfaction. Today¡¯s visit was to look after their parents and to see how Yun Hao and his wife were doing. Meng Yunhan struggled her way into the main room. All eyes turned to her, and she greeted them with a weak smile. Yun Hao saw that she was awake and walked over to her. Following this, the two sisters-in-law watched as their sister-in-law went out with Yun Hao. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with the third sister-in-law?¡± Yun Men, the youngest sister-in-law, asked surprisedly, ¡°Did my brother hit her?¡±. On the other hand, the eldest sister-in-law, Yun Shuang, pinched Yun Men, ¡°You¡¯ve already had a child, don¡¯t you understand?¡± Their mother couldn¡¯t believe that her son would act this way and felt sorry for her childless daughter-in-law. Looking at Yunhan¡¯s legs, she sighed emotionally, wondering if two eggs were enough to replenish her strength. Yun Men still looked lost. ¡°Mom, even though my little brother just got married, this¡­¡± Yun Shuang was too embarrassed to finish her sentence. Although she had been through marriage, childbirth, and rearing children, she still found it hard to discuss such matters with her younger brother. ¡°Your little brother is returning to the army unit tomorrow.¡± their mother sighed. If he had stayed at home, she would certainly have spoken to him about this matter. However, he was returning to the army the next day, so how could she bring it up? After a long delay, Yun Men finally realized the situation. She was staring at the spot where they left for a long while before finally moving her gaze. ¡°My third brother is quite something,¡± she said. Her words were met with a knock from their mother, ¡°Don¡¯t say that in front of your third sister-in-law. She¡¯s very sensitive.¡± ¡°Mom, I think my little brother and his wife have a great relationship. Now you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Yun Shuang was like a comforting blanket. She remembered how worried their mother was when she found out that her son would marry Meng Yunhan. Now, she could finally put her worries to rest! ¡°I don¡¯t need to worry indeed. Your sister-in-law is quite skilled at cooking. I just don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to eat her dishes at noon today.¡± their mother laughed lightly. Earlier, she saw her youngest son took his wife to the kitchen as soon as she woke up. ¡°Mom, will our sister-in-law join Ahao in the army?¡± As the eldest sister, Yun Shuang was worried about her little brother who was almost thirty and just got married. Now he was married, yet she was concerned about them having a baby. Ahao was a soldier and could hardly come back home throughout the year, but what about having a baby? They couldn¡¯t wait for several more years before starting a family, so she decided to ask. ¡°Ahao didn¡¯t mention anything.¡± their mother instantly understood her daughter¡¯s worries, but if her daughter-in-law left as well, her teaching job might be jeopardized. Could Ahao¡¯s income alone support his wife and child? ¡°Mom, little brother will be thirty next year. Look at the village, the people his age already have several children.¡± Their mother knew this all too well. She had repeatedly brought up this topic with Xiaohao, but he had always managed to divert the topic. Now he was finally married, and she wanted to be a grandmother as soon as possible. Chapter 21 ¡°Sister is right. At brother San¡¯s age, he should already be a father to several children.¡± Mother Yun pondered for a moment, ¡°But he cannot go to the army yet.¡± Seeing that her persuasion hadn¡¯t swayed their mother, Yun Shuang sighed, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re not understanding what I mean. I¡¯m saying they should be together, only then can you quickly hold a grandson in your arms.¡± ¡°Shuangshuang, I understand what you mean, but your sister-in-law is a teacher. If she goes with the army, someone else will take her job. In the future, it will be tough for your younger brother to raise the child alone. Let them work things out first.¡± When Yun Meng¡¯s eyes lit up, she said, ¡°Sister, mother makes a good point, though Brother San receives an allowance every month, it would still be difficult to support his wife and child alone. Even a mere shallot costs money, just like people in the county.¡± Yun Shuang was at a loss for words, as her mother and sister seemed to have a long list of thoughts in response to her simple statement. ¡°When the summer vacations begins, let Hanhan go and visit him.¡± Mother Yun also wants a grandchild, but she would not risk her daughter-in-law¡¯s job for it. ¡°Since mother has thought it through, I have nothing more to say.¡± Yun Shuang loved her youngest brother dearly. Seeing that he was nearing thirty without marrying, she was anxious. Now that he had finally found a wife, she was relieved. In the kitchen. ¡°Why are you making me steamed egg custard? Isn¡¯t it a bit strange to have me eat alone?¡± ¡°To replenish your strength.¡± Yun Hao pulled her to sit on the stool. He covered the pot and sat next to Meng Yunhan, tending the fire. ¡°Why do you need to nourish me? Does mother-in-law know?¡± Would it be a problem if mother-in-law knew her son was cooking a special meal for her? She didn¡¯t want a small meal to cause a disruption at home. In her previous life, she tasted all sorts of delicacies until she ultimately lost her taste buds. ¡°Mother knows.¡± Yun Hao bluntly responded, seemingly silencing Meng Yunhan ¡°Yun Hao, it¡¯s all your fault.¡± Meng Yunhan thought about her still weak legs and wished she could take a bite out of him. She pleaded with him the night before, but he didn¡¯t listen, and it ended embarrassingly, especially when her sister-in-law looked over with a suspicious expression. Yun Hao was busy stoking the fire. A few minutes later, the egg custard was ready. He took it out and placed it in another dish. Handing her a small spoon, he said, ¡°Eat!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten.¡± Seeing that Yun Hao didn¡¯t want to eat, and considering she was actually quite hungry, Meng Yunhan devoured the entire dish. ¡°Yun Hao, you go and chat with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. I will prepare lunch.¡± It was about time to prepare lunch. Feeling full brought back some energy. ¡°Your eldest sister and younger sister are there.¡± Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t know what to say. However, she explained patiently, ¡°They are the guests.¡± ¡°Just go!¡± Seeing that Yun Hao wasn¡¯t moving, Meng Yunhan had to resort to her coaxing tone, ¡°How about this, after lunch, I¡¯ll take a rest?¡± Seeing that Yun Hao still wouldn¡¯t move, Meng Yunhan got up and tried to guide him out. She nearly fell over in the process, thanks to Yun Hao¡¯s quick reflexes, saving her and preventing a potential embarrassing fall. ¡°Be careful.¡± An embarrassed Meng Yunhan gave Yun Hao a few taps, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, all your fault.¡± ¡°I will call sister and the others.¡± Meng Yunhan¡¯s face turned red. Chapter 22 ¡°Yun Hao, I can handle it.¡± Meng Yunhan bites her teeth and stands upright. If you ignore her trembling legs, she might be able to bluff it through. ¡°We¡¯re all family.¡± Meng Yunhan knows the meaning behind Yun Hao¡¯s words, but it¡¯s because she knows that she doesn¡¯t want to leave a bad impression on her two sisters-in-law. ¡°I¡¯m aware of my body¡¯s condition, don¡¯t worry.¡± Yun Hao stared at her for a long time before finally agreeing. He left the kitchen then. And Meng Yunhan began to prepare lunch. Looking at the peanuts, she planned to make a multi-flavored peanut dish, which is a great appetizer. Meng Yunhan hadn¡¯t been alone in the kitchen for long before Yun Shuang, Yun Men and their mother came to help. Seeing Yun Shuang in the kitchen, dragging her tired, aching body to cook, she recalled a moment ago when their brother glanced at them and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late.¡± Yun Shuang was used to her brother¡¯s cold demeanor and didn¡¯t react immediately. What did he mean ¡®it¡¯s getting late¡¯? In the end, the three women guessed for half a day before figuring out he meant it was almost noon. ¡°Hanhan, you tend the fire, let your eldest sister and younger sister cook.¡± The mother-in-law understood and sympathized with her daughter-in-law. She saw her trembling legs so she gave her a less strenuous task. ¡°Yeah, sister-in-law, you tend the fire, we¡¯ll handle the cooking.¡± Yun Men also suggested cheerfully. Meng Yunhan appreciated their kindness, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tend the fire. Those are peanuts; later, we¡¯ll make a multi-flavored peanut dish for them to enjoy with their drinks.¡± ¡°Multi-flavored peanuts?¡± Yun Men moved closer to see the peanuts mixed with flour and appeared to contain eggs. The mother-in-law had eaten food prepared by this daughter-in-law before, and it was better than anything the women in the family could make, though a little greasy. However, since it was New Year¡¯s, she had nothing negative to say and hoped for a happy holiday. The four women in the kitchen were bustling with activities. The men in the main room were having an animated chat, and the kids outside were also having a great time. ¡°Little brother, are you going to take your wife with you to the army this time?¡± Li Yong knew his wife doted on his younger brother. After so many years, he had gotten used to his brother-in-law¡¯s icy expression, and his wife discussed this matter the night before. ¡°No.¡± He answered briefly and clearly. Zhang Jiang, the brother-in-law, didn¡¯t see his brother-in-law often, but he had heard about him from his wife. ¡°Brother, there¡¯s a soldier in our village; his wife went with him.¡± Zhang Jiang thought about his son who was already a few years old, unlike his brother-in-law who was just married. He was somewhat afraid of his brother-in-law, with his cold face which was not welcoming. ¡°Too harsh.¡± Zhang Jiang and Li Yong looked at each other: their brother-in-law was as terse as always. ¡°Ahao, you have to think it through.¡± Father Yun also sighed, if his son insisted on taking his daughter-in-law along with him to the army, the parents would not object. ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through.¡± Father Yun couldn¡¯t force his son. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± A cry of shock came from the kitchen, Yun Hao sprang up as fast as a sprinter, leaving Zhang Jiang and Li Yong, the two brothers-in-law, staring, stunned at the spot where he had been. ¡°Hanhan¡­¡± Meng Yunhan had not expected that she would cut her hand while peeling potatoes, nor that her sister-in-law would scream out aloud although she herself hadn¡¯t made a sound. Chapter 23 ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Seeing Yun Hao¡¯s anxious expression, Meng Yunhan gives him a brilliant smile and softly utters these words. Yun Hao also sees that Meng Yunhan has grazed her skin a bit. He instantly places her finger in his mouth and sucks on it, spitting out the blood. Yun Shuang and the others were taken aback by Yun Hao¡¯s action. ¡°Ahao, you take Hanhan to rest in your room for a little while. We already have everything prepared for the meal, all that¡¯s left is to stir-fry.¡± After all, there were three of them in the kitchen; they could manage the cooking. ¡°Mom, eldest sister, little sister, I¡¯m fine; it¡¯s just a minor cut.¡± She insists she doesn¡¯t need rest for something so trivial. ¡°And it¡¯s already stopped bleeding.¡± As Meng Yunhan spoke, she held out her hand for them to examine. Indeed, the blood had stopped. Astonishingly, the blood flow had ceased as soon as Yun Hao had sucked on the wound. ¡°I¡¯m fine, you go keep my brother-in-law and my sister¡¯s husband company.¡± Meng Yunhan spoke in a hushed voice, conscious of the curious gazes directed at her. Yun Hao knew what she was referring to, that it was hard to change the situation, so he nodded lightly and left. ¡°Sister-in-law, my third brother treats you so well.¡± Yun Men teased with a joyous laugh. She felt relieved that their typically aloof third brother had finally shown some warmth, a rare occurrence indeed. ¡°My brother-in-law treats you well, too.¡± Meng Yunhan, refusing to deceive, expressed her belief that both brother-in-laws treated their wives well. Their households were pleasant, with kind parents, granting them the freedom to live out their own little lives behind their separate doors. The women then resumed preparing their meals. Yun Shuang and Yun Men tasted Meng Yunhan¡¯s cooking and found it to be excellent. Even though they had made similar dishes, Meng Yunhan¡¯s turned out better. Seeing how hard she worked, Yun Shuang and Yun Men didn¡¯t trouble Meng Yunhan to wash the dishes after the meal. So Meng Yunhan went back to her room to prepare the red envelopes. She prepared three red envelopes, one for each child, each containing one dollar. After seeing them off, Meng Yunhan finally got to take a proper rest in her room. When Meng Yunhan woke up, she found Yun Hao sitting next to her. ¡°What time is it?¡± Meng Yunhan felt much better this time compared to when she previously woke up. Her body seemed to have regained some energy and her legs didn¡¯t feel as weak. ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Meng Yunhan was somewhat surprised. She had apparently slept for two or three hours. ¡°I don¡¯t want to move.¡± Meng Yunhan lounged lazily on the bed. Since discovering she was in the late stages of cancer in her previous life, she had been confined to a bed. Even her business dealings were conducted from there. She didn¡¯t have a fond memories of beds, but now she truly didn¡¯t want to get up. Perhaps her current body was still recovering. The previous night had been so intense with this man that her strength hadn¡¯t fully returned. Yun Hao spoke tenderly, although his face remained cold, his voice carried the slightest hint of warmth, ¡°Are your legs still sore?¡± ¡°Yun Hao, you¡¯re going back to the army tomorrow, right?¡± Meng Yunhan felt a pang of reluctance at his departure. ¡°Yes.¡± Yun Hao responded indifferently. Fortunately, Meng Yunhan was used to Yun Hao¡¯s poker face, otherwise she would definitely have taken offense, maybe even causing a ruckus. ¡°The next time you come back, will it be during the New Year?¡± Meng Yunhan ventured to ask, her voice cautious. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± In truth, Yun Hao wanted to say: if you miss me, you can come to the army to see me, but being the ice-cold man he was, he could not bring himself to utter such words. Chapter 24 Meng Yunhan knew of Yun Hao¡¯s aloofness. If she wanted to change him, it wasn¡¯t something that would happen overnight. There would be plenty of time in the future, and she was determined to alter him. Saying a few more words was not wasteful chatter. But saying a few less words would change the meaning entirely. ¡°Will you write to me?¡± Meng Yunhan asked shyly, her head bowed. Her flushed face and reddened neck were already betraying her embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯ll write,¡± Yun Hao agreed, touching her slightly coarse hair. Her hair quality was good, and it was long. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get up!¡± Meng Yunhan cheerfully rose from the bed. Despite having rested, her legs felt a little unstable, as if they yearned for intimate contact with the ground. ¡°Hanhan, stay in bed. I¡¯ll bring the food,¡± he said. ¡°No, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Meng Yunhan adamantly disagreed. No matter what, if she could get up in the morning, she could do so now. She didn¡¯t want her mother-in-law to think she was feigning. Yun Hao couldn¡¯t argue, so he helped her into the main part of the house. Yun¡¯s mother simply reheated the leftover food from noon. The entire family gathered for the meal. ¡°Ahao, you¡¯ll be heading back to the army tomorrow. Hanhan, you have to understand.¡± ¡°Mother, I know.¡± His mother didn¡¯t ask them to clear the table, but instead sent them to rest. Meng Yunhan, with a commanding tone, said, ¡°Yun Hao, when you¡¯re in the army, you must write to me every month.¡± Yun Hao nodded lightly. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Yun Hao, you must keep your distance from the other female nurses and soldiers.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Yun Hao, you must think of me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He wondered why she had started crying again. She was such a crybaby. ¡°Yun Hao, what am I to do? You haven¡¯t even left yet, and I miss you already.¡± Meng Yunhan clung to Yun Hao¡¯s waist, stifling her sobs. Seeing her in such a state, Yun Hao was unsure how to console her and felt a bit panicked. Joining the army had crossed his mind, but he immediately dismissed the idea. Life was hard, genuinely hard. At least at home, his elder brothers could help, and her days might be a bit better. But at the army, even buying a few vegetables would require careful planning, and having a meal with meat demanded calculation. ¡°Yun Hao, Yun Hao¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here.¡± Meng Yunhan¡¯s bright eyes looked at Yun Hao affectionately. Remembering how she had been that day, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep.¡± Chapter 25 Meng Yunhan¡¯s father and mother were awake, and his mother had already prepared the food. She glanced at the door of her son and daughter-in-law¡¯s room, knowing that they must have been loving each other throughout the night again. ¡°Ahao, Ahao.¡± It was not strange for her to call out, given the late hour. Ahao should be getting on his way to the county. Upon hearing the noise outside, Yun Hao began to tidy up. After washing himself and cleaning Meng Yunhan, he finally got dressed and got out of bed. ¡°Come eat.¡± His mother coughed lightly, noting her son¡¯s invigorated appearance. Indeed, he was a young man, full of energy. As for her daughter-in-law, Meng¡¯s mother did not ask anything, not knowing if she would be able to get out of bed today. Who knows? Perhaps she would check on her after her son left. ¡°Mom, let Hanhan sleep a little longer.¡± Yun Hao said earnestly. He didn¡¯t mention that it was his fault Meng Yunhan couldn¡¯t get up. ¡°Ahao, please take good care of yourself in the army. You¡¯re a married man now.¡± His mother would always remind him, an unshakeable routine. Her other children were around her, she could see and take care of them. But this son was far away from her, it was hard to see him even once a year, and his job was also dangerous. She asked him to take care of himself, now that he has a wife waiting for him at home. ¡°I will.¡± Then Yun Hao said, ¡°Mom, Hanhan is still young. If there¡¯s anything she doesn¡¯t know, please teach her.¡± Hearing these words, his mother¡¯s heart was somewhat sour, but she also agreed immediately, ¡°On this part, rest assured. From the interactions over the past few days, I can tell she is a well-behaved child. Only her body is a bit weak, I will take good care of her. By the time you both give me a plump and white grandson, I will be satisfied.¡± The father coughed lightly, ¡°When you are outside, think about your family more, don¡¯t be too competitive.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Go and tell your wife!¡± The father patted his son on the shoulder, he was worried about his son in the army. However, that was the son¡¯s own decision, he can only remind his son to protect himself. The father sighed again, ¡°If it was not for the hardship in life back in those days, I truly wouldn¡¯t let Ahao join the army.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, it¡¯s all in the past.¡± Those days when they ate Guanyin soil, surviving on tree roots to fill their bellies are over. The harsh days are all gone. The children have all grown up, those who should get married have married, those who should take wives have taken wives, their mission is complete. When Yun Hao returned to the room, he saw his wife sleeping sweetly. Gently stroking her tender and smooth face, he thought, ¡°I could be a king who doesn¡¯t hold court.¡± However, he has his comrades too and a household to support. He cannot let this bit of lingering romance make him forget his ambitions. ¡°Hanhan, I¡¯ll make you willingly follow me in my military service. Wait for me.¡± Yun Hao bent down and left a kiss on her forehead. He then packed up his things and left without looking back. By the time Meng Yunhan woke up and saw the humble room devoid of that familiar person, the thought hit her that he had returned to the army without a word to her. Not even a farewell, he hadn¡¯t told her anything. Unable to stop her tears, they dropped onto her quilt, soaking it in patches. He was gone, he was gone. He left, he left without telling her, he didn¡¯t say a word, he just left like that. Chapter 26 In the hall. ¡°You go and check on her, and comfort her a bit,¡± Father Yun suggested, noticing there hadn¡¯t been a sound from his daughter-in-law¡¯s room yet nearing lunchtime, fearing she might be crying again. Mother Yun felt it a little awkward hearing this but decided to go and check. As she pushed open the door, she was met with a pair of red-rimmed eyes. She¡¯s simply not used to it, she is unwilling to part. Back then she, as a mother, couldn¡¯t bear parting either, but it took a long time to get used to it. She could empathize with the feeling of reluctance. Not knowing what more could be said, Mother Yun let countless words pool into one sentence, ¡°Hanhan, you are a military wife. You need to get used to this.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine.¡± Meng Yunhan hadn¡¯t expected Mother Yun to enter directly. She turned her gaze towards the sound, her eyes meeting her mother-in-law¡¯s concerned gaze. She swallowed back her tears. She had lived longer than her mother-in-law in her past life and this life combined. She couldn¡¯t behave frivolously. She didn¡¯t understand what was happening, she had come back to rectify things with Yun Hao, but in these few days, they were inseparable. He had left abruptly without telling her or bidding her goodbye, which was why her tears flowed. ¡°Clean up a bit, it¡¯s time for lunch,¡± Mother Yun said, walking out of the room and gently closing the door behind her. ¡°How is she?¡± Father Yun asked with concern as soon as Mother Yun returned. Mother Yun sighed, ¡°She¡¯s crying alone there, her eyes are swollen.¡± ¡°It seems our daughter-in-law truly cares about our son. It¡¯s not as the rumors suggest,¡± Father Yun said, visibly relieved. ¡°Those old women are jealous because they can¡¯t get my son to marry a fool as their daughter-in-law,¡± Mother Yun said indignantly. She had been worried before, seeing Meng Yunhan often ignoring her son. It seems now, that was just a girl¡¯s modesty. Coming into her family she changed, showing their son a lot of care. Despite their son being cold towards his wife, his wife didn¡¯t hold it against him. Father Yun laughed conceding, ¡°That¡¯s right, Hanhan is not only obedient, but also respectful to her siblings-in-law. She¡¯s also good at cooking. Now they just need a child.¡± Meng Yunhan got up as soon as Mother Yun left. While getting dressed, she glanced at her hand and realized her hand was bare. Her heart tightened and she was nearly tearing up the next moment. Ever since Yun Hao had put the ring on her finger, she had treasured it, never removing it from her hand. But now, it had disappeared. Meng Yunhan frantically searched in the bed, but she couldn¡¯t find it anywhere. She tidied up quickly without daring to keep her mother-in-law waiting much longer. After searching the entire room and still not finding the ring, she left the room. She wondered when did she lose it? At what moment exactly did she lose it? Why didn¡¯t she remember anything? Was it in the kitchen, or somewhere in the hall? In her past life, she never had any nice things. But this ring was given by her mother-in-law, a symbol of approval. It was put on by her man and held a different significance. That¡¯s why she never took it off. But now it was gone, completely vanished. Chapter 27 Meng Yunhan was on the verge of tears, not even noticing the numbness in her legs. ¡°Hanhan, time to wake up. Dinner will be ready soon.¡± Yun¡¯s mother noticed her red eyes and instinctively softened her voice. This daughter-in-law of hers was even younger than her own daughter. Her parents had died when she was young, and now that her son wasn¡¯t home, Yun¡¯s mother decided to treat her daughter-in-law like her own child. Meng Yunhan looked at Yun¡¯s mother and forced a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother, I¡¯ve overslept again.¡± Yun¡¯s mother glanced at her belly and joked, ¡°I used to be young too.¡± Meng Yunhan turned even more embarrassed. She didn¡¯t know how much her mother-in-law had heard and her face was flushed with confusion. Yun¡¯s mother laughed again. Her daughter-in-law was really shy. After dinner, she wouldn¡¯t let Meng Yunhan clean up. Meng Yunhan¡¯s face flushed even more. She returned to her room. As soon as she returned to her room, she remembered about the ring and started searching for it, but once again, she found nothing. She had already looked in the kitchen but found nothing, because the kitchen was very clean. And the living room was clear at a glance. Where could the ring have gone? Could Yun Hao have taken it? But why would he take the ring? Meng Yunhan could only lie on the bed thinking about it, unable to sleep for a long time. Her body ached and she still thought about the ring and Yun Hao. The ring symbolized her mother-in-law¡¯s approval. She hadn¡¯t looked at the ring closely because she hadn¡¯t had the peace of mind to do so. The ring was a good beginning. Now at New Year¡¯s, the women didn¡¯t have to work, and the men took turns. She appeared to be teaching. She should have brought the textbooks. She suddenly remembered something else, that was to go to the waste collection station. If she could retrieve the lost items, it would be great. She could use the excuse of getting textbooks for the children to go to the collection station, but she couldn¡¯t bring out anything good. What should she do now? Her hands clenched and her brows furrowed. But in the next moment, she was somewhere else, and she was completely unaware of it. When she recovered her senses, she found herself standing in a strange place, feeling a little scared of the deserted surroundings. Fear arose in her heart, but she dismissed it immediately. She wasn¡¯t afraid of death in her previous life, why should she be afraid now? With her heart pounding, she looked around and called out tentatively, ¡°Is anyone there? Is anyone there?¡± There was no echo, no sound of footsteps, just the loud thumping of her own heartbeat. She looked down at her feet, it was muddy ground. Walking a little further, she saw a thatched cottage, a very rustic one, ¡°Is anyone there?¡± But no one responded after a long time. Meng Yunhan was puzzled. She was supposed to be in her room just now, how did she end up in this unfamiliar place? ¡°Is anyone there? I¡¯m sorry for the disturbance,¡± she had to leave here and find out where this place was, only then could she leave and go back. This place gave her a feel of fear and she didn¡¯t want to be trapped here. She was afraid that everything that happened previously was a dream, and that she¡¯s finally awoken from it. Unfortunately, after a long time, there was still no response from anyone. Chapter 28 Meng Yunhan knew it was rather rude to push open the door like this, but there had been no response for a long time. She was truly afraid that she might be trapped there forever and never see Yun Hao again. Gently, she nudged the door, which creaked open. Taking one glance, Meng Yunhan could clearly see the situation inside the room. The interior was decorated somewhat like the small temples seen on TV. The painting on the wall was glaringly obvious. Could she really be confined here? With this question in mind, Meng Yunhan stepped in and bowed to the person in the painting, apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you. I just want to know how to get out.¡± However, there was no response from the painted figure. Meng Yunhan decided to leave, as it was not right to disrupt the tranquility. Stepping out of the thatched house, Meng Yunhan continued to cry out, ¡°Is anyone there? Is anyone there?¡± She was incredibly worried. If she were truly trapped here, alone in the middle of nowhere, what should she do? However, no one responded to her calls. How should she exit? How can she escape? ¡°Get out, get out. If I don¡¯t leave shortly, I¡¯ll get really anxious.¡± Meng Yunhan¡¯s face was full of worry and fear; she was genuinely terrified. But at the next moment, she froze. Because she had exited. Still sitting on the bed and looking at her surroundings, she realized she was in her new room. What on earth was happening? How had she managed to return? Wasn¡¯t she in a place devoid of people? What had she done in that place? What had she said? She tried to recall what she had said earlier. It seemed like she had been saying she wanted to go back, and then she was back? And what kind of place was that? Why had she ended up in that odd place? How did she end up in such a bizarre situation? Did she somehow drift off to sleep and end up there? And how had she initially arrived in that place? Her mind felt fogged up; she couldn¡¯t make sense of her feelings. When Yun Hao was around, she never encountered such situations. Why did these things only happen after Yun Hao left? In her past life, she had braced no such events. It seemed like there was an additional ring in this life. Could it have something to do with the ring? However, what link could the ring possibly have with that place? Could it be that the ring requires a drop of blood to open this space? Meng Yunhan held her breath as she cautiously touched the position of her left ring finger. The next moment, she found herself back in the desolate location. The look on Meng Yunhan¡¯s face was of utter shock. In her past life, she had faced many significant incidents, but none made her as startled as this. What on earth was going on? The next moment, she silently wished to go back and found herself returned to her room. She didn¡¯t dare to test it anymore; she just wanted to understand what was happening. She wracked her brain to remember, had there been such supernatural occurrences in her past life? And what was that place called? She suddenly remembered Jiaojiao mentioning something about a space, time-traveling, and reincarnation. Could that place be what they call a ¡°space¡±? If that space was used for what she thought it was, she knew she had a reason to rejoice. A smile of utter delight spread across her face. Was this the reward for her reincarnation? She really wanted to thank the heavens for allowing her to return and make amends. If that place was indeed a ¡°space,¡± then she could cultivate grain, grow vegetables, and even raise livestock there, ensuring her family lived comfortably. A smile spread across her face, and she quickly touched her right hand, and just by thinking ¡®enter¡¯, she found herself back in the ¡°space.¡± She began to examine her surroundings again meticulously. Chapter 29 Honestly, this space isn¡¯t all that big, just about an acre, with a thatched hut occupying several dozen square meters. There¡¯s also a well visible. Could this well water be the spring water Jiaojiao mentioned, capable of improving one¡¯s constitution? Meng Yunhan got excited as if she had won a lottery. While there are lottery winners every time, having a place like this can¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll win every round. Blissful as she was, she headed straight for the well. Looking at the clear water, she almost scooped up a handful to drink. But in the next moment, her rationality pulled her back. She needed to test this water first. If it didn¡¯t live up to what Jiaojiao said, she would be in trouble. As for the land in this space, she planned to start planting some vegetable seeds to get a better understanding of it. There¡¯s no rush, no rush. Now, going to the recycling station had become a lot easier. Here was Meng Yunhan, holding a porcelain jar of drinking water from the well, and stepping lively towards a tree in the courtyard. She intended to conduct a trial. Suddenly, the sky seemed bluer, and her body¡¯s aches and pains seemed to have vanished. She seemed to remember that because it was winter, she usually didn¡¯t work and only ate two meals a day. But because of the New Year celebrations these past days, she¡¯d been having three meals a day. Meng Yunhan looked at the snow-covered mountain village and thought good snowfall promises a rich harvest. Now that Yun Hao had left, she needed to start living her life again. She would visit her relatives when the summer vacation came. She was careless concerning him in her previous life, and so naturally didn¡¯t pay much attention to his affairs. At that time, very few women were willing to marry a big, burly man. Those elegant, scholarly types were more likely to win a girl¡¯s heart. But having lived once already, Meng Yunhan knew that those kinds of men only existed in novels. Living day to day required someone who could shoulder a workload. A man who didn¡¯t, could only manage a flirtation. And yet she also understood that there were many men who only pretended to be otherwise. If not, there wouldn¡¯t be terms like ¡°phoenix man,¡± ¡°scumbag,¡± and ¡°cheap man.¡± Anyway, in this life, she was committed to Yun Hao. She knew very well that she didn¡¯t yet love him to the point where she couldn¡¯t live without him, but there was a saying that familiarity brings fondness. Not to mention that in her previous life, she knew that Yun Hao liked her. It was just that he didn¡¯t know how to express it. Frankly, such a man was really unattractive. But after all she had been through, love was now a thing of the past for her. In this life, she just wanted to be a good daughter-in-law, a good wife, and a good mother. ¡°Hanhan, it¡¯s cold outside.¡± Yun¡¯s mother was sitting by the window, making shoes. Looking up, she saw her daughter-in-law in the yard and called out to her. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re making shoes.¡± Meng Yunhan noticed at a glance that Yun¡¯s mother was making shoes. She didn¡¯t know how to make shoes herself, but she could knit. When she first started her business, she did all kinds of work. ¡°Yes, making shoes.¡± Seeing that her daughter-in-law was talking to her, Yun¡¯s mother followed the conversation. She glanced at her daughter-in-law¡¯s shoes, suspecting that she didn¡¯t know how to make her own. Should she make a pair for her? ¡°Mom, do you have any wool yarn?¡± Asking this, Meng Yunhan felt a bit embarrassed. She definitely could have bought it at the supply and marketing cooperative in town. Why did she have to ask her mother-in-law? But the words were out, and she needed to think about how to get around them. ¡°I want to knit¡­ a sweater for Ahao.¡± Speaking of this name, Meng Yunhan hesitated for a long while before she finally uttered it. Chapter 30 In her past life, she either called him by his full name or simply called him. ¡°Hanhan, do you know how to knit?¡± Mother Yun¡¯s eyes lit up as those who could knit were few. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± It wasn¡¯t long before she saw Mother Yun coming out with a large bag of items. Mother Yun saw Meng Yunhan and immediately attended to her, ¡°This is some leftover wool, take a look.¡± ¡°Your two sister-in-laws are not very good at knitting, I knitted for their children,¡± said Mother Yun with a sigh. Her two daughters-in-law could make shoes and embroider, but they couldn¡¯t knit. The reason Mother Yun could knit? Of course, because she had learned it when she was young. Meng Yunhan looked at the wool, picked out some blue wool and needles, ¡°Mother, I can finish knitting in two days, then we can send it to Ahao.¡± Mother Yun nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± So Meng Yunhan took these things back to her room and started working. Meng Yunhan spent most of her time knitting, when night came she would go into the space, because it was daytime there. This way, she managed to knit a sweater in two days, and spent another day knitting pants. ¡°Hanhan, your handiwork is really good.¡± Mother Yun looked at the sweater and pants her daughter-in-law had knitted, exclaiming. ¡°Mother, I am going to go to town tomorrow to send it to Ahao. He can still wear it for two more months.¡± Upon hearing that her daughter-in-law wanted to send it to her son, she immediately agreed, ¡°Good, good.¡± ¡°Do you know Ahao¡¯s unit address?¡± Father Yun also glanced at the knitwear, marvelling at his daughter-in-law¡¯s skill. Meng Yunhan shook her head. Father Yun handed an envelope to Meng Yunhan, ¡°This is Ahao¡¯s address.¡± ¡°Thank you, father.¡± Meng Yunhan holds the envelope and the knitted clothing and returned to her room to write a letter to Yunhao, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. She had been struggling for a long time, Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t know where to start. She held the pen and struggled for a while but finally started writing. When she finished with these, Meng Yunhan packed up the sweater and pants, waiting to go to town the next day. The village was a two hour walk from the town. Though she wanted to sleep early, Meng Yunhan couldn¡¯t. She ended up knitting a pair of socks for Yunhao. The following day, Meng Yunhan got up early to cook. After breakfast, Mother Yun reminded her of some things and Meng Yunhan took the items and left for town. Save for the first day of the New Year when she followed Yun Hao out to celebrate, Meng Yunhan spent the rest of her days at home, because they had killed the pigs before the New Year, finished their tasks, kept some meat for banquets and killed a few chickens for marriage celebration, so there were only two chickens left at home, so there wasn¡¯t much work to do at home. All the way, whenever Meng Yunhan met someone, she smiled and greeted them. Upon arriving at the town, it took Meng Yunhan quite some time to find the post office where she mailed the items and almost the rest of the afternoon to find the recycling center. An old man in his fifties was at the door. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m Meng Yunhan, a teacher in Qingzhao village. School is about to start, and I¡¯m here to find some notebooks.¡± Because Meng Yunhan was pretty and ate poorly in the countryside, she appeared delicate. But her spirits were high. ¡°Looking for notebooks?¡± The man looked at Meng Yunhan and immediately liked her for her politeness and delicacy. During the New Year period, very few people came by and he was alone there. Chapter 31 ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Having conducted business for so many years in her previous life, Meng Yunhan knew that a welcoming smile would leave a good impression on others. ¡°Proceed then.¡± She smiled and entered the place. Inside was a large warehouse, but it was rather messy. Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t seem to mind. She bent down and started to search, sneaking a glance at the elderly man in a small house outside. Seeing that he had gone back into his room and stopped paying attention to her, she started sorting with a divided focus. When she found unique items, she put them into her storage space, a skill she had practiced many times at home. Meng Yunhan selected a few items from the haphazard pile. There were many impressive items in this town, which were already difficult to come by. It would be best to visit the county town once. But she could only apply for that opportunity next time. ¡°Old man, these are all. How much do they cost?¡± Meng Yunhan handed the books she had picked out to the elderly man guarding the gate to evaluate. He glanced at them and waved his hand, ¡°You don¡¯t need to pay. If you feel obligated, just bring me a pound of liquor next time.¡± Meng Yunhan readily agreed, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll bring it to you when I come to town next time.¡± The old man tied up the books for Meng Yunhan, who thanked him and left with her findings. ¡°If my son hadn¡¯t left, he could¡¯ve married by now. This girl is indeed beautiful.¡± The old man lamented. Meng Yunhan found a secluded area to put the books into her storage space. Then, she headed to the supply and marketing co-op to buy some yarn for herself. Some items in the co-op required both ration coupons and money, but for some less common things, no money was involved. Like this yarn. Few people usually bought it. So, Meng Yunhan bought five pounds in one breath. These could be used to knit two sweaters, but since these items didn¡¯t require coupons, they were naturally a bit expensive. After buying the items, Meng Yunhan headed for Qingzhao village on foot. Even though she had had a few days to recover, her physical strength still couldn¡¯t match a man¡¯s. So when she returned home, it was already past one o¡¯clock. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Seeing a thin layer of sweat on Meng Yunhan¡¯s forehead, Yunhan¡¯s mother brought out the food from the pot for her. ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± While eating, Yunhan¡¯s mother continued making shoes. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°These are books I found at the salvage station, not many. I¡¯ll ask the village chief to take a trip to the county in a few days to see if I can get more. Then, the children can have books without having to buy them.¡± Meng Yunhan knew that in these days, many people were trying to stretch their pennies. After the tuition fees, some books and notebooks were reused, and the latter could only be used twice at most. ¡°That¡¯s a good deed.¡± The village teacher also used to go to the salvage station to find books. The more Yunhan¡¯s mother looked at Meng Yunhan, the more satisfied she felt. She was someone who knew how to make a living. Previously, at fifteen or sixteen, she was alone in this unfamiliar place, which could make people defensive. Having finished her meal, Meng Yunhan tidied up and bade farewell to Yunhan¡¯s mother before going back to her room. She was ready to visit her storage space and see what good stuff she had found at the salvage station that day. Once she had closed the door, she couldn¡¯t wait to enter her storage space. Looking at these odds and ends, she arranged them one by one and put them neatly in the thatched cottage. She was so happy that she was all smiles. Chapter 32 She also got a few sheets of stamps. Originally, the post office clerk was not willing to sell them to her, but she told a little white lie saying that her little brother collected stamps and also said that she had been saving up money for such a long time. Finally, the clerk was persuaded to sell her those parcels of stamps. Meng Yunhan couldn¡¯t help wanting to kiss them since these stamps, being decades old, could fetch a fortune. As for those rare and famous paintings, they made her laugh with delight. Mulled over her laughter, she mockingly slapped herself. When had she become this money-minded? In her previous life, she had given away all of her money. But in this life, it was as though she had never seen money before. After she had money, she learned how to enjoy it. Yet having had a taste of harder times, she didn¡¯t splurge like the rich second generation. She had created a business and knew about the struggle. Back then, she wanted to make a penny worth two. At that time, it was as if she was fighting for her life. She couldn¡¯t let her brothers look down on her, and she couldn¡¯t regret it because she had no way out. If there was an opportunity, a good chance, she was willing to donate these rare books and paintings. Today, she also saw some high school textbooks, which were incomplete. However, she still planned to study hard, try to get admitted, and then take a year off from studying or take her child to school with her. A remote place. ¡°Commander, Commander, a parcel has arrived for you.¡± Yun Hao was about to return to his dormitory when he heard the shouting behind him. Yun Hao stopped in his tracks, and saw his Deputy bringing a parcel to him, a curious smile on his face. This deputy is Lu Jianjun; they have worked together for a long time. Why would Lu Jianjun be so curious, you ask? Of course, there¡¯s a reason. Their Commander, who had reached his thirties without a wife, has returned with a smile on his face this time. As a veteran, he recognized it at first glance. But the Commander was tight-lipped, and it was really hard to get anything out of him. It had only been a few days since the Commander returned to the army, and a parcel had already arrived. Glancing at the handwriting, it was a bit sloppy, like a man¡¯s handwriting. However, when he felt it, it was somewhat soft, and he couldn¡¯t determine what was inside. ¡°Commander, isn¡¯t it food? Why don¡¯t you open it up and take a look?¡± Suggested Lu Jianjun. Some comrades occasionally receive packages of food from home, and those who are good friends can share a bit. Yun Hao¡¯s parents had sent food to him a few times, but not very often. When Yun Hao took the package and saw the handwriting on it, he knew it wasn¡¯t written by his family. A new member has been added to his family now, it was likely his wife. Whatever his wife mailed him, how could he let others see? On the spot, he put on a stern face, ¡°Deputy Lu seems to have a lot of free time. Go run ten laps on the training ground.¡± Dare to tease him, and you will have to pay the price. Lu Jianjun was stunned, watching Yun Hao¡¯s retreating figure with surprise on his face. Once Yun Hao was out of sight, several men appeared behind Lu Jianjun, one of them slung an arm around his shoulder and said, ¡°Deputy, it seems like I¡¯ve won!¡± ¡°Lu, we all knew about the Commander¡¯s temperament, I bet that this parcel was sent by our sister-in-law.¡± Chapter 33 Lu Jianjun turned his head and glared at a few show-offs, ¡°Stand at attention, about face, run ten laps.¡± ¡°Commander Lu, please no!¡± ¡°Commander Lu, we are sorry.¡± ¡°Commander Lu, we are sorry.¡± ¡°Too late.¡± So, in a short while, a few agile figures were seen running around the training ground. The others were no longer curious; these youngsters must have somehow annoyed Yun Hao again. As the camp commander, Yun Hao didn¡¯t have his own separate house, but he did have a single-occupancy dormitory. The room was quite simple, equipped with a desk, a small desk lamp, a pen holder with a few pens, some military books, and a bed. The military green quilt on the bed had been neatly folded into a cube by him. At that moment, he was sitting on a stool, staring at a package in his hand for a long time before finally unwrapping it. When he saw the blue articles inside, an expression of surprise crossed his face. Although his mother had knitted sweaters for him before, they were not like this. This must have been knitted by his wife. There were knitted sweaters, knitted trousers, and knitted socks. There was even a letter hidden in the folds. Yun Hao held the letter without opening it for a long time, feeling a rush of emotion, longing, and nervousness. After taking a deep breath, he finally unfolded the letter: Yun Hao, I don¡¯t know what to write. This is the sweater and trousers I knitted for you. Try on them and see if they fit. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know how to make shoes, so all I can do is knit. Everything at home is fine. I have grown accustomed to my new role. Your mother and father treated me well, but I miss you, Yun Hao. Take good care of yourself in the military and don¡¯t get hurt; I would find it heart-wrenching. Yun Hao was overwhelmed with emotion. He knew that many eyes must have already scanned this letter. But even so, this was his most precious letter. Again and again, he stared at those words with admiration. His wife¡¯s handwriting was even better than his. Just looking at it, one could hardly guess that it was written by a young girl of about ten. Little did he know that in her previous life, Meng Yunhan had lived for more than fifty years. It was beyond challenge to have her change all at once. And yet, Meng Yunhan had overlooked this fact. In fact, Yun Hao didn¡¯t know at this point; the superior officers of their entire army were aware of the beautiful penmanship of Yun Hao¡¯s wife. He carefully tucked the letter inside a book. As for the knitted clothes, he took off his jacket right away and began to try them on. The blue sweater fit him perfectly. His wife truly had a discerning eye. At this moment, the praised Meng Yunhan was busy in her own space. When she saw that the tree she had focused on recently sprouted a new bud, she almost jumped with excitement. The Well Spring Water really works, really works! Look at the tree sprouting new buds. So, she brought some vegetable seeds from home and started to work hard. With her small arms and legs, she could only do it slowly. She divided more than one-acre land into several areas, planned to use a large piece for corn, a separate piece for wheat, reserved a very small piece for vegetables. She just considered this vegetable plot as experimental farmland. ¡°Hanhan, Hanhan, why do you keep watching this jujube tree whenever you have free time?¡± Yun¡¯s mother finally asked when she saw her daughter-in-law standing under the jujube tree again. ¡°Mother, mother, it is sprouting new buds!¡± Meng Yunhan stared at the jujube tree and wondered why it was not growing leaves, blooming, and bearing fruit as said in the legend. Chapter 34 Upon hearing Meng Yunhan¡¯s words, Yun¡¯s Mother came over and also noticed the new bud. She had not paid attention to it before, and only now, listening to her daughter-in-law, did she realize it was the case. ¡°It¡¯s just the beginning of spring, the new buds should only appear half a month later. Very peculiar indeed,¡± Yun¡¯s Mother said, finding it very strange. Meng Yunhan, achieving this result, beamed, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s due to the New Year¡¯s weather.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Yun¡¯s Mother agreed. Meng Yunhan looked at the jujube tree, her smile radiant. If the tree could speak, it would surely say something like: ¡°Please don¡¯t smile so radiantly, it¡¯s unnerving.¡± ¡°Mother, I already told the village chief yesterday. We¡¯re going to the county tomorrow,¡± Meng Yunhan said, knowing that having an ox-cart made travelling to the town much faster. Yun¡¯s Mother knew what her purpose was, ¡°Okay.¡± When Yun¡¯s Father returned, the three of them gathered around for a meal. Yun¡¯s Mother brought up the topic again. ¡°Your elder brother will accompany you to town tomorrow,¡± Yun¡¯s Father, generally satisfied with Meng Yunhan, was still concerned about her traveling far from home. Since they were going to the county to buy seeds anyway, it made no difference to have the eldest son go along. He had already informed the village chief of this plan. ¡°That sounds good.¡± Meng Yunhan, without much thought and unaware of Yun¡¯s Father¡¯s plans, simply thought it was a coincidence that her elder brother also had to go to the county. After cleaning the tableware and tidying up the kitchen, boiling hot water for washing, Meng Yunhan finally headed back to her room to drink some Well Spring Water. Not long after working in the space, she started having diarrhea. She was satisfied with everything else, except the toilet. But despite her dissatisfaction, she had to bear with it. After leaving the restroom, Meng Yunhan couldn¡¯t help but smell her own body. She heated water in the kitchen again and took a bath. Luckily, she moved quietly and didn¡¯t wake up Yun¡¯s Father and Mother. ¡°Third sister-in-law, when we get to the county, you go choose notebooks at the waste collection station. We will go buy seeds.¡± Before they even reached the county, Yun Hai told Meng Yunhan their divided approach would save time, as a round trip would take up a whole day. Of course, they could take the passenger bus, but it only ran twice a day. ¡°Alright.¡± Meng Yunhan was invigorated, looking forward to the trip to the county. In her previous life, she had only been to the county twice ¨C when she arrived and when she left. But, this life would be different. ¡°Miss Meng, if you have too many things, just wait for us at the entrance of the waste collection station.¡± The village chief also came along this time. In fact, the village chief was satisfied with Meng Yunhan. Now that she was married to Yun Hao, he was even more courteous. He was well aware of Yun Hao¡¯s tactics. All he could do was restrain his good-for-nothing son from causing further trouble. ¡°Okay.¡± Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t object. Her purpose for coming to the county was to look for good things, so she had to economize on other living necessities. Upon arrival, Meng Yunhan immediately alighted from the cart a few steps away from the waste collection station. Meanwhile, the ox-cart continued on its way. The county¡¯s waste collection station was definitely much larger than the town¡¯s. An old lady was in charge of it. ¡°Old lady, I¡¯m a teacher from the village. I came here to choose some notebooks for the children as school is starting soon.¡± Subtly, Meng Yunhan gave the old lady two coins. The old lady¡¯s face broke into a broad smile,¡±Go on, go on.¡± She hadn¡¯t expected someone to give her money today. Wasn¡¯t this equivalent to her wages for two days? Why wouldn¡¯t she be overjoyed? Chapter 35 Meng Yunhan watched the old lady making shoes, and went into the warehouse, starting to pick things one by one. She was surprised to find some furniture made of sandalwood. Though it was just a stool, Meng Yunhan looked around carefully and cautiously moved it into her space, then lowered her head and continued to search. She felt as guilty as a thief. Although she had experienced the ruthlessness of business battles, this was only the second time she was hiding things like this. But if she didn¡¯t, many artifacts would be destroyed. Now she could only suppress her guilt and continue to select items. Clutching a large stack of books, she left the scrap station. Finally, she didn¡¯t have to feel like a guilty thief anymore. Holding a large stack of books and heading towards the supply and marketing committee, she saw the oxcart coming to pick her up. Meng Yunhan turned back to look at the scrap station. How long had she been in there? They had sold all the seeds. ¡°Sister Yan, are these all books?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Looking at that pile of things, and seeing the dust on Meng Yunhan, they knew she had truly been working hard to find them. ¡°Miss Meng, get on the cart, we¡¯ll go eat later.¡± There were restaurants at that time, just affiliated with the government. The three men ordered dozens of steamed buns and three meat dishes, and Meng Yunhan, after a steamed bun and a bit of vegetable, was full. The men, however, had no such reservations. Their hearty and voracious eating reminded her of Yun Hao. She wondered how he was doing in the army now. She had mailed the letter over ten days ago; she had no idea if he had received it or would reply? Then the four of them took the oxcart towards Qingzhao Village. When they got back to Qingzhao Village, it was already dark. Yun Hai dropped Meng Yunhan off, said hello to her parents, and left. ¡°Mom and Dad, you guys should go to bed. I will have some dinner and then go to sleep.¡± ¡°We left some food warm for you in the pot.¡± Meng Yunhan took the oil lamp to the kitchen. After a while, she returned to her room with the lamp. Back in her space, while organizing things, she had a smile on her face. Her trip to the county was quite fruitful, obtaining rare books, medical texts, a sandalwood box, sandalwood stool, artworks, and some high school textbooks. When she first saw this sandalwood box, Meng Yunhan collected it without much thought. Now, looking at it again, she found it was empty. She immediately put the rare books and artworks in the sandalwood box. It was fortunate that the rare books take no space, and that in her previous life she had learned about them when she had paid a lot for a rare book to secure a big contract. Closing the box, Meng Yunhan went to bed. She was truly tired from concealing her treasures at the scrap station and then the jostling ride home on the oxcart. She pulled the blanket over herself and soon fell asleep. When the school started, Meng Yunhan went to teach. She was a language arts teacher. Qingzhao Village was a large village with thousands of residents. Children made up one fourth of the population, and one tenth of them were able to attend school. There were five classes, each with a teacher. Having only started teaching last year, Meng Yunhan taught first and second grade language arts. Perhaps because of her experience in her previous life, Meng Yunhan taught with great patience. The children quickly grew fond of this beautiful teacher who told them stories. Chapter 36 In her previous life, Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t initially like children because they were noisy, causing headaches. But as she grew older, she gradually began to like children. However, by the time she had this change of heart, it was too late and she was filled with regret. But in this world, there is no medicine for regret. Every evil you commit will inevitably be paid for. At the age of fifty something, she was diagnosed with cancer. Less than two years later, she passed away. ¡°Hanhan, you have a letter.¡± Yun¡¯s father brought a letter back from work. Not long after the school started, Yun¡¯s mother bought two pigs to raise them. After school, Meng Yunhan would gather feed for the pigs. Occasionally, Meng Yunhan would help Yun¡¯s mother with her private plot of land. She wanted to learn how to get seeds and how to plant vegetables from Yun¡¯s mother. She didn¡¯t know how to grow vegetables. Even though she spent a few years in the countryside in her previous life, she had forgotten everything after so many years. Now, she had to start learning all over again in this life. Yun¡¯s mother was very satisfied with having such a diligent daughter-in-law. But Meng Yunhan, with her tiny body, was unwilling to eat the daily egg supplement. How could she eat alone while others didn¡¯t? However, as Yun¡¯s mother insisted, Meng Yunhan became more diligent. Every day, not only would she attend classes, but upon returning in the afternoon, she would immediately start collecting pig feed. With Yun¡¯s mother being satisfied, Yun¡¯s father was satisfied as well. ¡°Thank you, father.¡± Upon receiving the letter, a bright smile appeared on Meng Yunhan¡¯s face. Yun¡¯s mother, curious, asked Yun¡¯s father, ¡°What do you think Ahao wrote?¡± As a mother, she knew her son well. Whenever he wrote home, his letters were usually brief and contained nothing more than inquiries about the family. ¡°You should know your son¡¯s character.¡± Yun¡¯s father just hoped that his son would really change. The cold look of his would scare a timid person into crying. Even his nephews and nieces behaved very obediently when he was around. Yun¡¯s mother had nothing to say. Sighing, she said, ¡°Among all my sons and daughters, he¡¯s the only one who¡¯s so cold.¡± As the youngest son, he should have been lively and naughty. But he had always been like this since he was a little kid, rarely crying. Now that he had brought a wife home, she felt relieved of her greatest worry. As soon as Meng Yunhan returned to her room, she carefully opened the letter and slowly unfolded the pages. After seeing the handwriting, Meng Yunhan chuckled. It was indeed in character. His writing was as cold as him. He had responded in the same format as she had written to him. After reading the letter, Meng Yunhan smiled. This man was still as cold as ever. If this were her previous life, she would have been angry by now. But not only did he show tenderness, but he also let her know that this man had his own principles. Little did Meng Yunhan know, Yun Hao had spent several days writing this letter before he was satisfied enough to send it. Meng Yunhan did not respond immediately. During the day, she attended classes, tended to the pigs, and was busy in her empty space. She had been experimenting with the well water. Although it was not as powerful as the legend, its effects were not inferior. It had been classified by Meng Yunhan as a growth promoter, a top-quality cosmetic, and a nourishing product. With daily application, her skin, originally very fair, was now radiant and tender as a baby¡¯s skin. After all the life experiences, her naivety disappeared and she was glowing with charm. Meng Yunhan still wore two braids and had bangs that covered her full forehead. She was wearing the wool coat she brought from her house and was also wearing two pieces of padded coat and trousers. Chapter 37 Perhaps due to recuperation, she felt like she had grown a few centimeters taller. ¡°Yunhan, we¡¯re going to the mountain to pick mushrooms tomorrow. Do you want to go?¡± Zhang Cuihua went to her mother-in-law¡¯s side to invite Meng Yunhan and also planned to pick some fresh wild vegetables on the way. They had been eating potatoes, sweet potatoes, and radishes all winter, or frozen cabbage. They hadn¡¯t had any fresh vegetables. Since Yunhan was the tutor of Zhang Cuihua¡¯s children, there was no need to make the relationship awkward. Moreover, if Yunhan went, there would be no need for her to deliver food to her mother-in-law¡¯s. ¡°Sure, I appreciate the invitation, sister-in-law.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be starting early.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Zhang Cuihua didn¡¯t linger for long. With pigs to feed, chickens to care for, and the head of the household coming home from work soon, she needed to go home to cook. She saw her youngest son returning home and knew Yunhan was back from class as well. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going with sister-in-law to pick wild vegetables and mushrooms tomorrow.¡± In her previous life, Meng Yunhan never did such a thing. The wild vegetables and mushrooms were always brought to her by her sister-in-laws. ¡°Be careful,¡± Yun Hao¡¯s mother already started to care for her daughter-in-law. The two had gotten along well in just over a month¡¯s time. ¡°Okay.¡± The mother and daughter-in-law continued cooking. For her first time going up the mountain, Meng Yunhan prepared a bit. She carried a small basket on her back, held a sickle in her hand, and wore a pair of rubber shoes. When she first came to the country, she brought two pairs of leather shoes. When they got married, Yun Hao had bought her another pair of leather shoes. However, for work, she bought rubber shoes because she couldn¡¯t make cloth shoes. ¡°Cuihua, is this your sister-in-law?¡± Even though Meng Yunhan had been in Qingzhao Village for three years, she spent most of her time at the Youth House other than when she was working. ¡°Yes, this is my sister-in-law.¡± Zhang Cuihua introduced her. ¡°Sister-in-law, this is Mrs. Zhang, this is Mrs. Yu, and this is Qing Mei.¡± Meng Yunhan greeted them one by one. The five of them then started to climb the mountain to pick mushrooms, probably because it rained yesterday. Although Meng Yunhan had lived for several decades in her previous life, she didn¡¯t know which mushrooms were edible and which weren¡¯t. However, she did know about some prized fungi. The group not only picked fungi but also some wild vegetables. Meng Yunhan, while they were not looking, carefully dug the places where fungi grew into her space, along with some wild vegetables. It was getting late and they had picked enough, so they returned home together. After the spring rain, mushrooms and wild vegetables had started to sprout in some places, attracting more than just their group to the mountain. After returning home, Meng Yunhan began to clean up what they had gathered. ¡°Hanhan, why did you pick so much? With the current weather, we can¡¯t dry it all out at once.¡± Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t respond: If her mother-in-law knew about her space and the soil, she wondered if she would have a fit. Despite her complaints, Yun Hao¡¯s mother helped sort out the harvest. ¡°Hanhan, the busy farming season will start in a few days. You should stay home, take care of the kids, and cook.¡± Reflecting on the coming rice planting season, Yun Hao¡¯s mother felt her petite and delicate daughter-in-law was better off cooking at home. ¡°Mom, let me work,¡± counter-proposed Yunhan, who did not want her mother-in-law to work in the fields while she stayed home. Despite the kindness her mother-in-law had shown her recently, cooking her eggs every day, she couldn¡¯t agree to it. Looking at her daughter-in-law¡¯s smooth, delicate hands, Yun Hao¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her working in the fields. ¡°Just cook at home. You¡¯re skilled in the kitchen.¡± Chapter 38 ¡°Mother, that won¡¯t do. Normally, I¡¯m only at school. Finally, I have an opportunity to work in the fields. Let me go,¡± She stated, not wanting to hear her sisters-in-law gossip about her being lazy and taking advantage of the situation during the busy farming season when meals were supposed to be served in the cafeteria. Seeing her determination, Yunhan¡¯s mother relented. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll all go work.¡± The farm work during this season was exhausting, but having her eldest and second son help out in the cafeteria could make things easier. When Yunhan¡¯s father returned home, his wife shared their plans with him. Actually, he had been observing as well. After their youngest son left, his dutiful daughter-in-law not only attended school but also gathered pig grass daily and maintained the household. ¡°They don¡¯t know the whole picture. Every time I step foot outside, the old women start criticizing our daughter-in-law for being pampered. It infuriates me,¡± his wife complained. Yunhan¡¯s father gently patted her back, ¡°There¡¯s no point in damaging your own health over what those old women say.¡± His empathetic response diffused her anger slightly. ¡°Of course, their gossip isn¡¯t worth my energy. But I get furious when I think about how our hardworking daughter-in-law is criticized for being delicate.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart. They are just envious that Hanhan is a teacher and enjoys a comfortable life.¡± Yunhan¡¯s mother was well aware that their jealousy mainly stemmed from Hanhan having a respectable job as a teacher. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Hanhan is an excellent teacher. Even the naughtiest children behave well under her supervision,¡± she said, appreciating the importance of education despite living in Qingzhao Village for several decades. Hence, she encouraged literacy in both their sons and daughters. Knowledge was a possession that no one could steal away from them. If her sons hadn¡¯t been educated, one of them wouldn¡¯t have become an accountant, while the other wouldn¡¯t have been able to work as a clerk. ¡°Hanhan has grown up a lot since she got married,¡± Yunhan¡¯s mother sighed. She had always known that their youngest son didn¡¯t share the same affection for their red guard daughter-in-law. Initially, she had intended to suppress her daughter-in-law¡¯s pride. But seeing the loving relationship between them dispelled such thoughts. Now, after spending over a month with her, she was increasingly satisfied. Although her youngest daughter-in-law had spent the least amount of time with her, she got along best with her. ¡°She¡¯s married now, of course she ought to have grown up,¡± Yunhan¡¯s father replied. He knew that his wife had a soft spot for those who were educated, but their daughter-in-law truly had a filial piety. She could do all the household chores and was quite efficient at it. ¡°If she gives me a grandson, I¡¯ll be more pleased,¡± Yunhan¡¯s mother admitted. She knew that her daughter-in-law was dutiful but was worried about her youngest son nearing thirty without a child of his own. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. They are living separately right now, and a baby simply can¡¯t be rushed,¡± he advised. Yunhan¡¯s mother knew he was right but the desire for a grandchild was too strong. After talking for a while longer, they went to sleep. Meanwhile, Meng Yunhan had been studying and working in her realm for a long time, collapsing in bed only after exhaustion hit. Meng Yunhan had been assigned to cook in the cafeteria. Thanks to her mother-in-law¡¯s insistence on her good cooking, Meng Yunhan was put straight to work at lunchtime. Meng Yunhan tended to the meal preparations with skill and composure, not leaving any scope for criticism. Her mother-in-law wore a smile, saying how everyone had put on weight since Meng Yunhan started cooking for them. Zhang Cuihua felt slightly displeased but didn¡¯t show it on her face. Chapter 39 As for Zhao Fang, if she were here with her temper, hearing her mother-in-law¡¯s words of praise for her sister-in-law, she would certainly have lost her temper by now. So as Zhang Cuihua listened to her mother-in-law heap praise on Meng Yunhan, and Meng Yunhan noticed that her older sister-in-law¡¯s face seemed off, she couldn¡¯t interrupt her mother-in-law¡¯s commendations and could only manage a helpless smile. In reality, she understood why her mother-in-law was praising her so much; it was because many local women had been stirring up trouble behind her back recently. She genuinely wanted to learn how to be a good daughter-in-law, so unlike her past life, she earnestly completed duties she had once refused to do. Zhang Cuihua felt slightly resentful but couldn¡¯t find any words to retort. At home, it wasn¡¯t just her mother-in-law praising Yunhan, her father-in-law was also very pleased, the kids adored their younger aunt, and even her husband suggested she improve her relationship with her sister-in-law. Additionally, Yunhan¡¯s cooking skills were truly impressive. No matter the dish, her version always seemed to taste better than Cuihua¡¯s own attempts. Even the youngest daughter often mentioned her Third Aunt, again and again. By noon, some people began to notice that the food was tasting better than it had before. Upon enquiring, they found out that it was all thanks to Meng Yunhan¡¯s cooking. Meng Yunhan, being a teacher, returned to school after ten days of farm work. In addition to the chores at home, she also helped with the children and went out to collect pig feed. Finally, the busy farming period had passed and the weather was starting to warm up. Meng Yunhan took the opportunity of needing textbooks to make several trips to the town. Of course, each trip was never fruitless. Every time she went to town, she would bring something; perhaps some vegetables or mushrooms. Once, she even carried a jug of wine to the recycling station. As a result, she became more and more familiar with the old fellows in the town. ¡°Hanhan, summer vacation is only a month away. What are you planning to do?¡± Yunmu pulled Meng Yunhan aside and asked her. Over the past few months, she had seen her son and daughter-in-law exchanging letters, and naturally wanted to hold a grandchild soon. The only way that was going to happen was if Yunhan went to the army camp. ¡°Mother, are you suggesting I should go to the army camp?¡± Although Meng Yunhan wasn¡¯t truly an eighteen-year-old girl, after thinking carefully, she understood Yunmu¡¯s intentions. After living with her young daughter-in-law for a few months, Yunmu knew that she was a smart woman who often understood her intentions before she even voiced them. ¡°Hanhan, I know summers can be very hot, but Ahao isn¡¯t getting any younger.¡± Meng Yunhan blushed at her mother-in-law¡¯s blunt words. ¡°Mother, wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate?¡± Was she suggesting that she leave Qingzhao Village to go to the army camp? She hadn¡¯t gone there even once in her previous life; in fact, she subconsciously avoided soldiers after returning to the city once. Now she was supposed to go there? She was a bit apprehensive about getting along with the other army wives and worried about causing conflicts that might affect her husband¡¯s career. Though she could tolerate others right now, it didn¡¯t mean she would do nothing if she were constantly provoked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it. When summer vacation arrives, you can go to the army camp. If you don¡¯t want to, your eldest brother can take you there. It¡¯s risky for a woman to travel alone,¡± Yunmu said, showing some hesitation. ¡°Mother, I can go and visit Ahao on my own, we don¡¯t have to trouble my eldest brother. I managed to travel here on my own in the first place,¡± said Meng Yunhan, who was a woman in her forties. Having her brother-in-law accompany her might make Cuihua even more resentful. ¡°Are you planning to go alone?¡± Chapter 40 Mother Yun wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust her daughter-in-law, but after all, they were going on a long journey, and she was somewhat worried. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve been the one going to the town¡¯s junkyard to pick textbooks these past few times.¡± Mother Yun was aware of this, her daughter-in-law was the only one among all the teachers who went to the junkyard. ¡°Hanhan, we¡¯ll discuss this later.¡± Mother Yun felt she should tell her husband about this and have him make the decision. ¡°Alright.¡± Meng Yunhan obediently agreed. Meng Yunhan went to the town again to choose textbooks from the junkyard, and she also informed her uncle that she was going to be on holiday and might not have any news to share for several months. And because she had been so busy, Meng Yunhan completely forgot about Mother Yun¡¯s previous suggestion that she visit the army. ¡°Hanhan, you¡¯re about to be on holiday in a couple of days, have you packed your things?¡± Mother Yun brought up the topic again, which suddenly made Meng Yunhan remember. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve been so busy lately, I honestly forgot.¡± Meng Yunhan truly had forgotten. Mother Yun was displeased a bit but didn¡¯t show it. She had indeed been busy lately, but that doesn¡¯t mean she should forget about her son, does it? Poor Ahao- forgotten by his own wife. Meng Yunhan was, of course, unaware of this, because in her past life she hadn¡¯t learned how to be a good daughter-in-law and was still at the learning stage in this life. ¡°After summer break, get yourself ready to visit Ahao at the army base.¡± Mother Yun left these words and walked away without looking back. Meng Yunhan was completely stunned. What happened to her mother-in-law? Was she angry? But why is she angry? Meng Yunhan reviewed the previous conversation and concluded that her mother-in-law must be genuinely upset because she had forgotten about it? But it shouldn¡¯t be like this! After thinking for a long time, Meng Yunhan still couldn¡¯t find a reasonable explanation. Nevertheless, she started packing for her trip to the army base. ¡°Hanhan, when you¡¯re at the army, take good care of Ahao.¡± Mother Yun held Meng Yunhan¡¯s hand and said this tenderly. Meng Yunhan knew that her task was to take care of Yun Hao. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of Ahao.¡± She had enough food and some meat in her storage. In these lean times, they could live a slightly better life. The only problem was the sweltering heat. After having enjoyed air conditioning for years, she was finding it hard to adapt to the heat. But if her in-laws could live with it, so could she. In this era, everything needed ration coupons. Because of the scarce production, buying a big item like a fan was expensive, costing at least several hundred. Moreover, many places still didn¡¯t have electricity. Even if they managed to buy a fan, without electricity, they couldn¡¯t use it. ¡°Take care of yourself when you¡¯re at the army base.¡± Seeing that her daughter-in-law readily agreed, Mother Yun also gave Meng Yunhan some advice. ¡°My dear third daughter-in-law, your eldest brother will be here soon to take you to the county.¡± Meng Yunhan tried to refuse, but her in-laws were adamant that her brother-in-law should accompany her. She had to agree. She was mulling over buying some small gifts for both families when she returned. ¡°Is our third sister-in-law ready?¡± Yun Hai came over after having breakfast. Meng Yunhan had planned to travel light, but Mother Yun packed many things. Apart from Meng Yunhan¡¯s two sets of clothes for changing, she filled the suitcase Meng Yunhan originally brought from the city with lots of things: dried mushrooms, dried fruits, cured meat, a bag of flour, and rice. Mother Yun was afraid that the rations assigned to Yun Hao might not be enough for the young couple. So, she packed quite a lot. Chapter 41 So, Meng Yunhan¡¯s suitcases were packed to the brim. Yun Hai tied Meng Yunhan¡¯s suitcase to the back of his bike. After saying goodbye to their parents, the two of them headed for the town. They spoke little along the way. But Yun Hai also knew that all three children at home liked this sister-in-law, Meng Yunhan. Once they reached the town, Yun Hai left his bicycle with someone he knew, and they boarded a bus to the county city. Along the way, Meng Yunhan sat by the window, gazing at the passing scenery, a strong smell of diesel pervaded inside the bus; it was unpleasant to her nose. She glanced to her side; her ¡®Big brother¡¯ was already asleep, eyes closed. She imagined if the person next to her was Ahao, she would probably have already fallen asleep leaning on his shoulder. The bus swayed along the journey, leaving Meng Yunhan feeling a little dizzy. Upon reaching the county, Yun Hai, carrying the suitcase, prepared to go to the train station. The county, which hadn¡¯t undergone any expansion and wasn¡¯t very big, could be taken in with a single glance. ¡°Sister Yunhan, let¡¯s go buy train tickets first?¡± Yun Hai wondered if they could get sleeper tickets. If they weren¡¯t available, they would need to buy hard-seat tickets instead. ¡°Alright, Big Brother.¡± They went to the train station and bought tickets for a bus scheduled to leave at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Seeing that it was already late, Meng Yunhan proposed they should eat first, then suggested Big Brother go back first. She intended to visit the scrap station because seeing all these good things going to waste was insufferable to her. Despite coming to the county a few times, she just couldn¡¯t bear seeing it. They went to the inn¡¯s restaurant and ordered two dishes. Yun Hai was familiar with this place as he visited the county several times every year. ¡°Sister Yunhan, after our meal, I will send a telegram to Ahao, and he will come to pick you up.¡± He knew the address, yet as the eldest brother who had been in the army for over a decade, he hadn¡¯t visited even once. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother.¡± Meng Yunhan also knew she had to rely on Yun Hai at present, especially considering there was more than a year left before the college entrance examination. Meng Yunhan had originally wanted to pay, but Yun Hai refused. This amount of money was not a problem for him, as the eldest brother. ¡°Big Brother, after you send the telegram, you should go back first. My train is at three o¡¯clock. By the time you reach the village, it will be dark.¡± Meng Yunhan reasoned. Yun Hai thought for a moment, still a bit worried. ¡°Sister Yunhan, will you be alright on your own?¡± The journey from the county back to the town took two hours, and the bus didn¡¯t go there every day, there were only a few services. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯ll be fine on my own, there are only a few bus services anyway.¡± Yun Hai of course understood that, but if he didn¡¯t see Yunhan off personally, how would he explain to their parents when they asked about it? ¡°But¡­.¡± ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯ve come to the county several times; nothing will happen.¡± Meng Yunhan reassured earnestly. Yun Hai of course knew this. When she first came to Qingzhao Village alone, and later when villagers went to the county, Yunhan had also accompanied them to select some textbooks to bring back. After seeing off Yun Hai, Meng Yunhan checked the time and glanced around, she threw her suitcase into a vacant space and headed for the scrap station. Thankfully, she was wearing a sky-blue shirt that wouldn¡¯t easily get dirty at the scrap station. The woman designated to collect the scrap was still there, fanning herself with a straw fan likely due to the hot weather. Upon seeing Meng Yunhan, her eyes lit up as each of the girl¡¯s visits promised money. ¡°Young girl, are you here to choose textbooks again?¡± ¡°Yes, Elder Sister.¡± Meng Yunhan stretched out her hand and slipped money into the woman¡¯s hand amidst their friendly banter. The woman¡¯s face lit up with an even brighter smile. ¡°Young girl, find what you need!¡± Meng Yunhan immediately went in to select items. Chapter 42 They were doing it covertly, but it was far better than having them destroy these things, wasn¡¯t it? Having so reasoned in this way, Meng Yunhan set her heart at ease. This time Meng Yunhan had been careful to keep tabs on the time. After hurriedly picking out a few items, she bid farewell to her aunty and set off for the railway station. She reached the platform just in time to catch her train. As the train¡¯s noise grew louder and the speed increased, Meng Yunhan felt a pang of nervousness. ¡°My dear, where might you be off to?¡± The older lady sitting opposite Meng Yunhan saw this young girl, wearing two large braids and a neat bang, and couldn¡¯t help but admire her beauty. So, she asked where she was headed. It would be nice to have a companion for the journey. ¡°To the army camp,¡± replied Meng Yunhan shyly. The people around her instantly understood. So this beautiful girl was a wife to a soldier. Throughout the journey, Meng Yunhan was overwhelmed by the attention. As she looked out at the scenery, she noticed that compared to decades later, there were much fewer tall buildings, expressways, high voltage power lines, or so-called greeneries. The problem of food and clothing had not yet been resolved, but the revolution should be coming to an end soon. When that happens, college entrance exams will be reinstated, land will be packed for homes, and individual businesses will be encouraged. The army camp. Yun Hao¡¯s face broke into a smile upon receiving a telegram. ¡°Boss, is it a letter from sister-in-law?¡± Lu Jianjun knew well that the only thing that could bring a smile to his boss¡¯s face was his sister-in-law¡¯s letter. Could that be the case this time also? ¡°Jianjun, I¡¯ll have to leave the camp operations to you for a couple of days.¡± Yun Hao slapped Lu Jianjun¡¯s shoulder and walked ahead without another word. Lu Jianjun stood dumbfounded before exclaiming, ¡°Boss, can it be that sister-in-law is coming?¡± He could not think of any other reason that could cause the boss to leave the camp. But Yun Hao, the boss, had already gone far ahead, prompting Lu Jianjun to quickly catch up. ¡°Boss, is sister-in-law coming? Shall we arrange a welcome ceremony?¡± Before he could finish the sentence, he felt a chill go through him. He wondered why his boss always reacted this way. If Yun Hao had heard this, he would surely have given a cold stare: Old tricks never fail. ¡°Boss, how long will sister-in-law stay this time?¡± He seemed to have heard the boss say that his wife was a teacher. Was she coming here because it¡¯s summer holidays? Yun Hao was clearly irritated, giving Lu Jianjun a cold stare, but that did not prevent the latter from going on, ¡°It¡¯s very hot here, isn¡¯t it? Without any fans, how will sister-in-law endure this heat?¡± Yun Hao¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I think you¡¯re more suited for the role of a political commissar than the deputy commander.¡± Lu Jianjun went silent instantly, his expression one of shock. ¡°Boss, no. Please, no.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Yun Hao didn¡¯t understand one thing: why did he have such a talkative soldier in his army? Apart from being a chatterbox, Lu Jianjun was great in every way. Lu Jianjun immediately replied with a grin, ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll keep quiet. Really, I will. But think about it, we¡¯re used to the heat, sister-in-law isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You talk too much.¡± Off went Lu Jianjun, hopping away cheerfully. But it wasn¡¯t until Yun Hao took it to heart that the matter was resolved. He was also very curious. What kind of woman was she, really, that Yun Hao kept her so close to his heart? He was extremely eager to know. Many lady nurses and female performers fancied Yun Hao before, but Yun Hao never paid them any attention. Chapter 43 The battalion commander was finally married. Now, they had a sister-in-law to welcome and naturally, they were curious. All in the battalion were probably eager to know this news! Meng Yunhan on this side was oblivious, she hadn¡¯t yet arrived in the army base. The news of her arrival had already reached the ears of the whole battalion. Meanwhile, Meng Yunhan was at home, eating eggs ¨C salted eggs prepared by her mother-in-law. She wondered if Yun Hao would come to fetch her? Although she knew the address, lugging the suitcase to the army base was admittedly a hassle. After all, there weren¡¯t any taxis available at the moment. ¡°Commander, has sister-in-law arrived yet?¡± whispered a soldier standing next to Yun Hao. They¡¯d been waiting all morning but there was no sign of her, which prompted the question. The commander was his idol and he was thrilled to be in the presence of him today. However, Yun Hao just stood there, staring straight ahead. The train might have been delayed for some reason. ¡°Commander is that¡­is that our sister-in-law?¡± The soldier asked tentatively, noticing an elegant woman struggling with her suitcase approaching them. Yet before their commander could respond, he saw that he was already in action. ¡°She¡¯s here.¡± Meng Yunhan heard his cold voice. She was accustomed to his indifference, and watched him take her suitcase. ¡°Hello, sister-in-law.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Meng Yunhan greeted back with a smile. ¡°Commander, let me carry the suitcase for you!¡± But Commander Yun didn¡¯t spare the soldier a glance and continued lugging the suitcase towards the military vehicle. The soldier trailed after them, his heart filled with disappointment, all he wanted was to help carry sister-in-law¡¯s suitcase! Yun Hao sat in the back with Meng Yunhan. He had so many things he wanted to tell Hanhan, however they had an additional passenger in the front. ¡°Ahao, you look tanned and thinner,¡± Meng Yunhan said. She knew that romantic words weren¡¯t Yun Hao¡¯s style, so she bypassed the topic to show her concern. Yun Hao held Meng Yunhan¡¯s hand tightly, ignoring the sweat in his palms from the heat, he refused to let go. Meng Yunhan also felt the clamminess of their intertwined hands, leaning on his shoulder while Yun Hao intentionally relaxed his shoulders to make her more comfortable. Closing her eyes, Meng Yunhan breathed in his scent, suddenly feeling a sense of peace. Yun Hao knew Meng Yunhan was tired from the train ride, so he deliberately controlled his breathing to be more relaxing. He missed her so much. Ever since his mother wrote about his wife coming for the summer vacation, he¡¯d been anticipating it. That moment, when he received the telegram, he was finally at ease. Not seeing her for a few months, his wife seemed even more beautiful. Her skin was glowing, her eyelashes longer like tiny brushes. The soldier drove seriously, sneaking a glance at the ones sitting behind before remember to focus on the road again after being dismissed with a cold glance. Reaching the base, Yun Hao reluctantly woke Meng Yunhan. A little confused, she asked, ¡°Have we arrived? Where are we?¡± Then she snapped back to reality in an instant. ¡°I fell asleep.¡± Resting her head for a moment, she¡¯d unintentionally dozed off. Meng Yunhan was even more embarrassed. She wondered how long she had slept from the station to the base. Meng Yunhan stepped out of the vehicle, being steadied by Yun Hao, feeling somewhat dazed. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Yun Hao said, carrying her suitcase and walking side by side with Meng Yunhan. ¡°Oh¡­..¡± Meng Yunhan had barely walked a few steps when she could feel stares coming in from all around. Of course, she noticed those assessing glances. But why were they so astonished? Chapter 44 Yun Hao cast a frigid glance, and those around immediately left, not daring to look his way again. Though they didn¡¯t speak, Yun Hao consistently matched his steps to Meng Yunhan¡¯s. ¡°This is my dorm.¡± As a commander, he didn¡¯t apply for a military family house, but he did have a room to himself. As soon as Meng Yunhan entered, she noticed the somewhat sparse room, a desk, a metal bed, and a small cupboard. The room was not large, but it was very neatly organized. ¡°Ahao, isn¡¯t this bed a bit small?¡± It would not be small for one person, but for two, it seemed rather tight, considering that the bed was only one meter wide. Yun Hao cast a deep look at the bed, a smile edging his lips, ¡°Not small.¡± He intended to sleep with her snug in his embrace. Meng Yunhan corner of her mouth twitched violently. Not small? ¡°You rest for a while, I¡¯ll go to the cafeteria for food.¡± Yun Hao had originally planned to dine outside, but Hanhan fell asleep, so he had to return to the base. It was quite some time already, he wasn¡¯t sure if Hanhan was very hungry. Meng Yunhan watched him go, lying on the bed made with tofu-like precision; the bed was indeed a little firm. Yun Hao was quick, returning with two porcelain bowls. ¡°Hanhan, eat first.¡± Meng Yunhan stared at the towering pile of food, her appetite nowhere as large. ¡°I can¡¯t finish it, I¡¯ll give you half.¡± ¡°Eat first.¡± The cafeteria staff knew his wife had arrived and had added two eggs for the wife. Meng Yunhan while eating, surprisingly found two fried eggs at the bottom of bowl; she immediately picked one up for Yun Hao. ¡°We¡¯ll have one each.¡± Yun Hao wanted to refuse, but Meng Yunhan was insistent, so each ate a fried egg. ¡°This time I came, my mother told me to take good care of you. But looking at it now, we don¡¯t cook at home, so how can I nourish you?¡± ¡°Nourish my health?¡± ¡°Yeah, to nourish your health.¡± Yun Hao was somewhat regretful. If he had known earlier, he would have applied for a military family house, but what to do now? He just thought that Yunhan would only stay here for a few days before going back. But it seemed like she would spend her entire summer vacation here. ¡°Hanhan, how long did your mother ask you to stay?¡± Meng Yunhan thought for a moment, ¡°I can go back anytime before school starts, probably before the harvest season I suppose.¡± The harvest season is usually at the end of July, and now it¡¯s early July, and she still has half a month left. Half a month¡¯s time? Yun Hao felt a little downhearted, to be honest, he wanted to keep Yunhan in the army, but he was afraid Yunhan would not agree. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water to wash up.¡± Listening to Yun Hao¡¯s words, Meng Yunhan¡¯s face blushed. She had completely forgotten about this. Okay, she had been focusing on the man before and when she arrived at the base, her attention was on the base, so how would she notice her own smell. Actually, after drinking spring water, even if Meng Yunhan sweats, it gives off a pleasant scent, absolutely not like the sweaty smell of those men. Watching the man stride off, why did she feel like he did this on purpose? The next moment, Meng Yunhan discarded the thought, squatting down to open her suitcase, taking out the stuff inside, and instantly it was considerably emptier. Should she buy a stove? Does she even have a stove right now? ¡°Hanhan, I¡¯ve brought the water.¡± As soon as Yun Hao returned with the water, he spoke to Meng Yunhan. Meng Yunhan looked around the room. Surely he didn¡¯t expect her to wash in the room, did he? Chapter 45 ¡°Ahao, isn¡¯t there any place to take a shower?¡± And this squadron, isn¡¯t there a place specifically for military wives? ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll apply for it first, you just make do today.¡± Yun Hao¡¯s colder demeanor seemed to have softened a lot. Meng Yunhan also felt surprised that Yun Hao suddenly spoke so much to her, this man was always succinct. ¡°Alright, but do we really have to bathe in the room?¡± Even though in this weather, even if there was water in the room, it would dry up quickly. ¡°You can clean your body with a cloth for now.¡± Yun Hao knew, he initially thought his wife¡¯s visit was just for a few days, but now she would stay for almost half a month, of course he had to apply for a house temporarily. He believed he will get it by tomorrow. So Yun Hao cleared his throat, took out a new towel, and walked out, he would have liked to stay if he could. Meng Yunhan closed the window, even took the bed curtain from his room to block everything outside the window, found clothing, and began to clean herself. It felt unfamiliar, but after doing so, she felt much better than before. Meng Yunhan kept telling herself, it¡¯s decades ago, they couldn¡¯t even fill their stomachs, let alone care about other things. When Meng Yunhan had cleaned herself and put on her clothes, only then did she open the door. Yun Hao walked straight in, picked up the water and left. When Yun Hao came back, he was carrying a bucket of water. ¡°What do you need the water for?¡± You¡¯re going to bathe, but surely you¡¯re not also doing it in the room. ¡°For use at night.¡± At first Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t react, but when she did, her face flushed a radiant red. This man really was detestable. What a rascal. He was even thinking about nighttime activities. ¡°Rest for a bit.¡± Rest for a bit? ¡°But I can¡¯t sleep, I¡¯ll go and wash the clothes.¡± Meng Yunhan glanced at the clothes she just took off, preparing to wash and dry them. ¡°I¡¯ll wash them.¡± Yun Hao took the bundle of clothes, put them in a basin, and carried it out. Meng Yunhan immediately followed, ¡°Ahao, let me wash them myself!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wash, you¡¯ll not be able to sleep tonight.¡± With that, Yun Hao left without a second thought. Meng Yunhan was left stunned, played for a fool again. How did she not know that he used to be such a lustful man? Asking her to rest was just for tonight? Meng Yunhan had no words, looking at the closed door, she lay on the bed with her eyes closed, contemplating if this man was actually going to torment her all night. Because this was the military barracks, and quite a distance from the houses for military families, in this place for washing and cleaning up, only Yun Hao was there. Yun Hao¡¯s large hands gently scrubbed the clothes, afraid of tearing them if he used too much force. But his movements were quick, washing clothes, trousers, and Meng Yunhan¡¯s underwear. Previously, Meng Yunhan might still be wearing vests, but after reincarnation, she had bought good-quality cotton from the town and made herself several pieces of underwear. So, when Yun Hao washed this piece of underwear, his slightly dark face had a hint of blush, his hands moving even more gently. However, if his soldiers found out, they would surely drop their jaws in shock. Their normally cold and unsmiling commander, actually washing clothes for his wife! Was this still their distant and cold commander? Chapter 46 Hearing the sound of the door opening, Meng Yunhan, who was lying in bed with closed eyes, opened them with a smile, also seeing the man hanging his clothes on the rope at the corner of the wall. Especially when she saw her underwear ¡ª her face flushed with embarrassment, burning hot. ¡°Can¡¯t you sleep?¡± After hanging up the clothes, Yun Hao closed the room door and came toward the bed, naturally sitting on the edge of the bed. Before Meng Yunhan could answer, he added, ¡°Is it too hot?¡± It was kind of hot, but tolerable. She had gotten used to days without air conditioning or a fan. ¡°Not hot.¡± Yun Hao grabbed a palm leaf fan from the desk and fanned Meng Yunhan. She wasn¡¯t used to this kind of treatment. In her reincarnation, they had only been together for a few days around their wedding. After that, it had been correspondence ¡ª with replies taking two months at a slow pace and a little more than a month at a quick pace. Consequently, over half a year, they had only exchanged a few letters. One wrote about matters at home, another giving brief instructions to take care of the family. Rarely was the army ever mentioned. ¡°Ahao, don¡¯t you want to rest?¡± Meng Yunhan tentatively asked. She felt somewhat tongue-tied. This man seemed to know everything but would never express it. Yun Hao didn¡¯t respond. He feared that once he lay down, he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself. His heart was in tumult, yearning to possess her totally. He often thought of the thrill of their wedding nights. When he missed her, he would take out her letters, smelling her lingering scent and falling asleep. Meng Yunhan decided to ignore Yun Hao. This man was as cold as ever, despite her being his wife. Couldn¡¯t he give her a smile? Instead, he always looked as if she owed him something. A true ice-face. Feeling the cool breeze on her skin, Meng Yunhan gazed at Yun Hao. Putting everything else aside, Yun Hao was indeed handsome ¡ª with clearly defined features. Despite the sunburn, his skin was smoother than other men¡¯s, lacking large pores. And his eyes were attractive. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Yun Hao¡¯s icy voice echoed in the pink, bubble-filled room, instantly shattering the flirtatious atmosphere. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡± She really couldn¡¯t. Although she had been on a train for over two days, she had slept all the way back here. Even now, despite being fed and bathed, she couldn¡¯t sleep. ¡°Sleep.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Close your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Meng Yunhan obediently closed her eyes. Feeling her hand enveloped by his large, warm hand, Meng Yunhan knew this man was ¡®smilingly sullen¡¯. She had spent a long time searching for the right words to describe him. Now, without a doubt, he treated her well. And she was learning how to be a good daughter-in-law. Because of guilt, she wanted to treat Yun Hao well, too. Looking at her in this pink coarse cloth dress, Yun Hao realized how good she looked in it. Meng Yunhan, lulled by the cool breeze, drifted off to sleep again. The next time she woke up, there was an aluminum lunch box on the desk. ¡°Awake?¡± Yun Hao was the first to notice that Meng Yunhan had woken up, and his gaze drifted over to her. Rising from bed, Meng Yunhan was somewhat in a daze. With each awakening, Meng Yunhan felt she was dreaming, hence her befuddlement. ¡°Ahao, I fell asleep again.¡± Again, she had unabashedly slept by his side. Chapter 47 ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner. Wait a bit, I¡¯ll take you for a wander.¡± Yun Hao thought about how Lu Jianjun was directly sent away before when he came to see his wife. He hadn¡¯t felt appreciated enough, how could he let others see her? ¡°A wander?¡± Meng Yunhan did want to wander around, but she also knew that there was a high chance she would be watched as soon as she went out. After all, Yun Hao is the commander and he is cold. Perhaps many people would like to see the woman who married an indifferent man. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, never mind. I already applied for the military housing just now, tomorrow it will be sorted.¡± From then on, he could eat his wife¡¯s cooking every day. ¡°That fast?¡± How did he manage to move so quickly? ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Meng Yunhan got up and started eating, but she couldn¡¯t finish a bowl of rice. However, she also couldn¡¯t allow it to be wasted. Yun Hao saw that she couldn¡¯t eat any more, but she was trying to force it down. He took the bowl of leftovers from her. Meng Yunhan was aghast there. That is her leftovers. Yun Hao ate it all in a few mouthfuls, washed the dishes, and brought them back. ¡°Do you want to go out?¡± Yun Hao asked Meng Yunhan. Meng Yunhan wanted to go out, but she didn¡¯t want to be the center of attention whenever she did. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yun Hao saw her struggling with the decision and couldn¡¯t help but soften his voice a lot. Meng Yunhan also knew that in this era, there was no hand-holding or embracing in public. If there were such people, they would only draw strange looks. It wasn¡¯t like the future where there were lots of people hugging and kissing on the streets. At this time, even for a married couple, when staying at a guest house, without a letter of introduction, they would give you two rooms instead of one. As soon as Meng Yunhan and Yun Hao left their room, the soldiers from other rooms all looked over and greeted warmly, ¡°Hello, sister-in-law.¡± ¡°Hello, sister-in-law.¡± ¡°Hello, sister-in-law.¡± ¡°Hello, sister-in-law.¡± ¡°Hello everyone.¡± Seeing soldiers along the road greeting her, Meng Yunhan kept a standard smile on her face. So the soldiers who greeted Meng Yunhan all unanimously thought that their sister-in-law was not only beautiful but also very gentle. Even some people whispered: How did the commander marry such a beautiful wife? Is the sister-in-law not afraid of the fierce commander? Of course, those were people who were still single. They didn¡¯t know the classic saying, men conquer the world, women conquer men. Yun Hao was always acting cold, but he couldn¡¯t bear the soldiers¡¯ curiosity about Meng Yunhan. Meng Yunhan felt her smile was stiff from entertaining these lovely soldiers. It was more tiring than negotiating, but she was very happy. Initially, she subconsciously rejected the military because of Yun Hao, but this time, she saw their warmth, loyalty, and integrity. ¡°Commander, this is the sister-in-law!¡± As soon as Lu Jianjun heard about it, he came right away. Although he was asking Yun Hao, his sight was on Meng Yunhan. ¡°Sister-in-law, hello. I¡¯m Lu Jianjun.¡± ¡°Hello, Ahao has been bothering you. ¡± Meng Yunhan said politely. Yun Hao snorted coldly. Lu Jianjun suddenly felt cold air climbing up his spine, Commander could be so petty. ¡°Sister-in-law, please don¡¯t say that. The commander takes care of us.¡± He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt that they would suffer more in the following days. Brothers, I¡¯m sorry, it seems we¡¯re all going to suffer together. ¡°You¡¯ve got too much free time¡­¡± Chapter 48 Lu Jianjun shivered and quickly said to Meng Yunhan, ¡°Sister-in-law, I just remembered that I have something to do, I¡¯ll go ahead.¡± Then he ran away at full speed. A smile tugged at the corner of Meng Yunhan¡¯s mouth. This man was too adorable. She hadn¡¯t realized it before, but now that she had, she wanted to know more about him for some reason. ¡°Ahao, don¡¯t keep a straight face. Smile,¡± Meng Yunhan teased Yun Hao, but because of the height difference, she couldn¡¯t quite reach his chin to tease him. Yun Hao¡¯s face looked even worse. This made Meng Yunhan laugh even more. It seemed like she would need to tease Yun Hao more often in the future to strengthen their marital bond. ¡°Can I see a little one? I want to,¡± Meng Yunhan said in a coquettish whisper. Yun Hao¡¯s expression remained stern, but inside, he was a mess. Seeing her so energetic, he hoped she would be able to handle his advances later that night! Of course, Meng Yunhan, who was currently flirting with Yun Hao, had no idea. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. Meng Yunhan was shocked. She had just stepped out for a while, and he was asking her to go back already? Didn¡¯t he say earlier that they would go sightseeing together? But they had barely walked a few hundred meters from the dormitory. They hadn¡¯t even started touring the base yet? ¡°Ahao, we haven¡¯t finished sightseeing yet.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Yun Hao said, taking the lead to walk back to the dormitory. Despite her quickest pace, Meng Yunhan couldn¡¯t keep up with Yun Hao. But Yun Hao deliberately slowed down so Meng Yunhan could catch up. Initially, she thought he wouldn¡¯t be swayed by the weather, but it seemed she had been wrong. His mood had changed as suddenly as the weather ¡ª clear one moment, cloudy the next. Wasn¡¯t it said that women were fickle? But why were men fickle too? Just like it¡¯s impossible to fathom a woman¡¯s heart, a man¡¯s heart seemed equally deep and mysterious. As soon as they got back to the dormitory, Yun Hao closed the door and locked it from the inside. Previously, Yun Hao wouldn¡¯t have bothered to take these extra steps, but now things were different with Meng Yunhan around. Meng Yunhan could feel Yun Hao¡¯s eyes intensely fixated on her, as if he wanted to devour her whole, causing her to feel a bit nervous. ¡°Ahao, what are you trying to do?¡± ¡°To¡­ pleasure¡­ you,¡± Yun Hao said, slowly approaching Meng Yunhan. Meng Yunhan¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s still daylight, and people might hear,¡± she replied. Meng Yunhan was a modest girl and didn¡¯t want their intimate activities to be overheard ¨C how embarrassing would that be! ¡°I¡¯m not afraid,¡± Yun Hao replied, pulling Meng Yunhan towards him and planting a passionate kiss on her lips. Meng Yunhan was pulled towards him and before she could react Yun Hao had already kissed her. She found herself melting into his arms, completely weak-kneed. Meng Yunhan suddenly felt Yun Hao trying to tear her clothes off and immediately stopped him. Yun Hao finally let her go. ¡°Don¡¯t tear it, we have no fabric.¡± They didn¡¯t have any extra cloth tickets. Yun Hao also remembered the cloth tickets, and gently wrapped his arms around her, The next day. Meng Yunhan woke up needing to pee and feeling hungry. She didn¡¯t know what time it was now? The curtains were still drawn, blocking out the light from outside. Seeing that the lid of the aluminum lunchbox on the table had been lifted, had she slept until the afternoon? Could it be? Chapter 49 Meng Yunhan hastily got dressed, took care of her biological needs, washed her face, returned to her room, closed the door behind her, and then began to eat, using her aluminium lunch box. Even though the meal was cold, she was truly famished. After eating the meal, she drank some fruit from the space and went back to sleep. Indeed, after repressing his desires for several months, a man just couldn¡¯t help himself once he gave in. Didn¡¯t that man know that he had training today? She had no idea when he fell asleep last night, as she had passed out again. Now, her¡­legs were somewhat weak and numb. How was he so energetic, Meng Yunhan immediately shook her head, how did she become such a lustful woman. Because as soon as she relaxed, Meng Yunhan fell asleep again. Yun Hao came back, and she didn¡¯t even notice. ¡°Hanhan, Hanhan.¡± Yun Hao came back and felt a little heartache seeing that Meng Yunhan was still sleeping. He had already controlled himself last night, but she was just too inviting, so in the end he really didn¡¯t control himself. If it weren¡¯t for his training today, he might have kept going until dawn. Meng Yunhan was awakened, she groggily glanced at Yun Hao, somewhat bewildered, after a few seconds, ¡°Ahao, have you finished your work?¡± How had she slept for so long? ¡°Finished work, we¡¯ll be moving soon.¡± Meng Yunhan jumped up in alarm, because this was not her own home, Meng Yunhan was fully clothed. ¡°I¡¯ve packed up everything, and people are cleaning there.¡± ¡°Hired people to clean?¡± Meng Yunhan was a little startled, how could they hire people to clean? ¡°Hanhan, it¡¯s not an apartment building, just a bungalow.¡± The house was vacated because military wives who got apartments didn¡¯t want to live in bungalows anymore. Though it was somewhat simple, it had more space, and included a kitchen and a bathroom, which of course made things more convenient. It also got them away from the over-exuberant soldiers. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Yun Hao picked up his suitcase and headed off to the place where they will be staying for more than half a month. ¡°Regiment leader, sister-in-law.¡± Lu Jianjun immediately greeted Meng Yunhan at the door. Meng Yunhan was a bit embarrassed, originally the task of cleaning should have been hers, but these lovely soldiers had done it instead. ¡°Thank you, guys.¡± ¡°Sister-in-law, we¡¯ll go back first.¡± Lu Jianjun had felt the chill, and immediately asked his men to leave quickly, otherwise the regiment leader would come back and punish them again. Meng Yunhan wanted to stay for dinner, but they ran off as fast as if they were being chased by wild dogs. ¡°Why did they run that fast?¡± Meng Yunhan looked at Yun Hao, somewhat bewildered. ¡°They have something to do.¡± Yun Hao was very concise, and immediately carried the suitcase into the room. Looking at the room which was cleaned neatly, he took out some sheets and quickly made the bed. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Yun Hao brought out two aluminium lunch boxes from the kitchen, handed one to Meng Yunhan, and gestured for her to start eating. ¡°Does the canteen¡¯s car need to go to town to buy groceries?¡± ¡°Yeah, it needs to go.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with them to town tomorrow to buy oil, and pick up a few other things, so we can officially start cooking tomorrow.¡± With so much food in the space, she certainly wanted to feed Yun Hao well. ¡°By the way, invite your band of brothers to dinner, get to know them a bit.¡± Yun Hao was reluctant to have other people over for dinner, but since Hanhan was so enthusiastic about inviting his brothers, he didn¡¯t want to refuse. Chapter 50 ¡°Just whip up something simple.¡± Yun Hao knew too well how much these old fellas could eat; there¡¯s no way he was going to let Hanhan, who was already drained, get exhausted cooking as well. Meng Yunhan hadn¡¯t even finished the food in her aluminum lunch box, and Yun Hao scooped up the leftovers to eat. Meng Yunhan wasn¡¯t surprised anymore; this man was a stickler for not wasting food. After mentally repeating this, she finally calmed down. Yun Hao was about to fetch water for Meng Yunhan, but she stopped him. ¡°I can get it myself.¡± ¡°Hanhan, are you able to walk?¡± Meng Yunhan¡¯s face turned crimson. Couldn¡¯t this man stop asking obvious questions? ¡°Would you help me wash?¡± Meng Yunhan said, her face burning with embarrassment. Yun Hao broke into a smile. ¡°Sure.¡± Now it was Meng Yunhan¡¯s turn to feel more embarrassed. Even though they were a married couple and had shared moments of intimacy, it was still really awkward to face things head-on in broad daylight. Seeing her silent and somewhat annoyed, Yun Hao realized his wife was feeling shy. He decided to bathe first, unwilling to subject his wife to his sweaty odor. As soon as Yun Hao left, Meng Yunhan picked up the enamel jar on the table. The next moment, it was filled with water. She took a drink, and one sip of spring water made her feel much more comfortable. But the thought of being tormented the whole night again brought back her worried expression. A strong man could be too much for her to handle. But a weak one wouldn¡¯t appeal to any woman. Yet a strong one was both a blessing and a curse. Such a contradiction ¨C and a real headache. Well, from experience, a harmonious couple¡¯s life could boost their relationship. But she couldn¡¯t handle it all the time. She was still too weak. Struggling to keep up with her husband¡¯s pace. And would their harmonious marital life lead to an early pregnancy? What about the child from her past life that she had aborted? She had overlooked this before. It was only now that she realized and was reminded of it. After her remarriage in her previous life, she had consulted many old doctors of traditional Chinese medicine because she¡¯d been unable to conceive for a long time. She was, therefore, knowledgeable about ovulation stuff. But none of it was reliable. There were no contraception tools now. What if she got pregnant? In her past life, she wronged the aborted child. This life, she wanted to make amends. But if she became pregnant now, would the child still come back to her? And if she did get pregnant this time, she couldn¡¯t possibly resort to abortion, could she? Meng Yunhan was torn again. Knowing Yun Hao had returned, Meng Yunhan still struggled with this matter. Yet to Yun Hao, she looked deep in thought, either about tonight or the dinner party tomorrow. ¡°Hanhan¡­..¡± A sudden voice startled Meng Yunhan, who was a little guilty. Looking up, she saw Yun Hao covered in droplets of water, making her swallow hard. She cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Have you finished bathing?¡± Yun Hao was visibly pleased with Meng Yunhan¡¯s response. ¡°Done.¡± Yun Hao continued to rub his hair with a towel, but with his short crew cut, there was no need to. Meng Yunhan finally saw everything clearly. Just go with the flow. If she really was pregnant, she would have the baby. She would never repeat the stupidity of aborting her child again. Chapter 51 It seems it was in the year 81 or 80, when they passed the law that a couple could only have one child. This was also the year in which they began to implement family planning. Yun Hao was a soldier, and it would be a great pity to quit the army simply to have a second child. Now it¡¯s July, the due date is next April. If they strive a bit, she could be pregnant with their second child after the college entrance examination. Meng Yunhan, thinking this through, no longer hesitated, her smile at Yun Hao was even more sincere. ¡°I want to take a bath.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yun Hao went to the cafeteria with his thermos, and of course, came back with a flask of hot water. Meanwhile, Meng Yunhan started to take a shower in the kitchen. After the bath, Meng Yunhan washed her clothes and also Yun Hao¡¯s. She hung them on a rope stretched in the yard. It was still early. Last night was only the appetizer, Yun Hao continued to eat a lot tonight. Although he knew to restrain himself and just teases Meng Yunhan in the middle of the night and lets her be. As soon as he heard the wake-up bell, he instantly calls Meng Yunhan to get up. The mess crew would be off to buy groceries soon. Actually, he could get some vegetables from the mess crew. That¡¯s public property after all. It¡¯s better if his wife goes to town and buys what she needs. ¡°Hanhan, Hanhan¡­..¡± Meng Yunhan felt heavy on her eyes, she heard the noise coming from his side, grabbed something with her hand, and continued to sleep. Seeing her cute sleepy face, he really couldn¡¯t bear to wake her, blaming himself, why couldn¡¯t he let her go just for once last night. Only blame my wife for being irresistible. If Meng Yunhan heard this, she would definitely rebut: blaming me, huh? Meng Yunhan finally opened her heavy eyelids, she looked at Yun Hao in a daze, and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m dreaming, I¡¯m dreaming.¡± A person who is really dreaming wouldn¡¯t say such a thing. Yun Hao helplessly looked at Meng Yunhan, ¡°Hanhan, you have guests today. Wait till you come back from buying groceries, you can sleep some more.¡± Yun Hao has been changing for Meng Yunhan. Previously, kind words like these, Yun Hao would absolutely never say, not even to his parents. But now he¡¯s saying them to a woman he¡¯s liked for several years, whom he¡¯s been married to for half a year. It¡¯s real care, real love, that has made him change. Meng Yunhan finally woke up, she got out of bed rolling, but when she saw Yun Hao, she grabbed the quilt to cover herself, her small face flushing red. ¡°You go out first.¡± Yun Hao wanted to tease Meng Yunhan originally, but seeing her this shy, as time¡¯s short, he finally gave up on that thought. He¡¯s already been dressed in his uniform. Meng Yunhan quickly put on her shoes and braided her hair into two braids, wearing a pair of leather shoes on her feet. The two of them, one in front, one behind, Yun Hao escorted Meng Yunhan to the canteen, gave an exhortation and quickly left for training. The leader of the mess crew, seeing Meng Yunhan, immediately called her sister-in-law, and took her to town to buy groceries. Thanks to Meng Yunhan¡¯s outgoing nature, she unintentionally garnered some information from their chatter. Once they reached the town, the driver dropped Meng Yunhan off a few steps away from the supply and marketing cooperative and told her to stay there after doing her shopping. He also told her when they would be back roughly. Meng Yunhan, money and coupons in hand, was all composed as she entered the supply and marketing cooperative to buy daily necessities. Chapter 52 Cooking oil, soy sauce, and some various odds and ends¡ªthese things cost Meng Yunhan ten yuan, plus some coupons. As for meat, it was completely beyond reach because she only had money, no meat tickets. With some spare time, Meng Yunhan found out about a junk station managed by an old man. She slipped him a dollar for the same reason she had before, she browsed a bit, then finally left with her textbook. They agreed to meet there and wait, which didn¡¯t keep Meng Yunhan waiting too long. Once at the military unit, Meng Yunhan took the things she bought back to the bungalow. After putting away her purchases, she strolled around a nearby village, returning with two chickens, some eggs, and some vegetables in hand. The young sentry standing guard, seeing Meng Yunhan¡¯s vegetables, straightened his back. Because it was hot, apart from the sounds coming from the training field, there weren¡¯t many people around at this time. Once home, Meng Yunhan hurriedly cooked. There was a big pot left over, and some bowls and chopsticks. Meng Yunhan fried some shredded potato, made mushroom soup, and cucumber salad. When Yun Hao came back, he smelled the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m back, and dinner¡¯s almost ready.¡± Seeing the smile on Meng Yunhan¡¯s face was something he¡¯d been looking forward to: coming home after work to a virtuous wife who, with a smile on her face, served delicious food. ¡°Good.¡± Meng Yunhan immediately called Yun Hao to eat. When Yun Hao saw the two chickens, he asked, ¡°Hanhan, where did you buy these?¡± If you went to the state-run store to buy chicken, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find. Meng Yunhan showed a brilliant smile, as if she had gotten a bargain, and said, ¡°I bought them in the village. I just went to try my luck, but I didn¡¯t expect to be able to buy them. I also bought some vegetables and some potatoes, and it didn¡¯t require any coupons.¡± Yun Hao knew that buying meat required meat tickets. He had some saved, but not many. He had actually forgotten to give her the household¡¯s money and coupons. ¡°You must be hungry, let¡¯s eat.¡± It was clear that Hanhan had put a lot of thought into buying these things from the villagers.¡± After all, private trade like this usually bumps up against socialist restrictions. ¡°Eat more.¡± Meng Yunhan knew Yun Hao¡¯s appetite so she cooked enough rice for three people. Her small bowl of rice, added to the vegetables, were enough to fill her up. Yun Hao, after six months, could finally taste his wife¡¯s cooking again. He had a great appetite and ate all the leftover food. The happiest thing for a cook is seeing the diner enthusiastically finishing all the food. ¡°We also have plum juice, I¡¯ve been chilling it with cold water. Let me get it for you.¡± Meng Yunhan got up to go to the kitchen and brought back a large bowl of sour plum soup. Yun Hao looked at the sour plum soup in the bowl. If anyone else had brought it, he wouldn¡¯t have drank it, as he wasn¡¯t accustomed to these sour and sweet flavors. But since Hanhan made it, he would of course drink it down. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I have some. I drank some of the sour plum soup I made earlier.¡± Thinking about the guests coming in the evening, Meng Yunhan discussed the dinner menu with Yun Hao, ¡°Ahao, I was thinking of stewing one chicken and using the other to make potato stew, frying shredded potatoes, making cucumber salad, yuxiang eggplant, mushroom soup, will that be enough?¡± Yun Hao thought about his wife having to cook all these dishes, and wondered if she¡¯d be tired, ¡°That¡¯s enough, that¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t steam rice. They can get rice from the canteen.¡± Chapter 53 ¡°Is this okay?¡± ¡°Very good. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± Yun Hao knew he needed to leave soon. ¡°Ahao, you haven¡¯t told me how many people there are?¡± They surely can¡¯t wait for the food to be made, only for it not to be enough, right? The Regiment commander, Deputy Regiment commander, Political Commissar, three Company commanders, and the Deputy Battalion commander. ¡°Ten people.¡± As for sisters-in-law and the like, maybe next time! Although the underground trade wasn¡¯t as strictly controlled as before, it would still be investigated if known. ¡°Okay.¡± They¡¯re all grown men, so after these dishes, there still needs to be pancakes. ¡°Hanhan, this is going to be hard on you today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, you go train quickly!¡± Yun Hao left. Meng Yunhan began to get busy. Only after killing chickens, peeling vegetables, and preparing everything did Meng Yunhan feel some fatigue. She returned to her room, closed the door, and entered the space. She looked at the space, which had been expanded bit by bit over more than half a year. There were fruit trees, corn, sweet potatoes, and rice planted. Various types of vegetables, fresh mushrooms, chickens and there was not a spot of vacant land. Looking at these assets, Meng Yunhan entered the thatched hut, the area which even though had grown to now over three acres, however, the thatched hut had never changed. She tidied the books she had seen in town today and other things, categorizing them all. The thatched hut didn¡¯t look big, yet the number of things it could store was increasing, and it wasn¡¯t crowded at all. After tidying up, she left the space, feeling that it was probably quite late. Immediately, she started to make chicken stew with mushrooms ¨C the freshness of the mushrooms in the chicken stew was incredibly delicious. When Yun Hao got off work and brought back a table, he smelled the fragrance coming from the kitchen. He put the table in the yard then went to help in the kitchen. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± Upon hearing this voice, Meng Yunhan finally raised her eyes to look, ¡°It¡¯ll be ready soon.¡± She saw a small cupboard in the kitchen, and some bowls, chopsticks and basins ¨C she had no idea where he borrowed these from. Turns out, these were from the canteen. ¡°Captain, we¡¯re here,¡± came Lu Jianjun¡¯s voice from outside. Indeed, Lu Jianjun was also very curious about how good sister-in-law¡¯s cooking was. Could she capture a man¡¯s heart through his stomach? He had high expectations for Meng Yunhan¡¯s cooking skills. Following Lu Jianjun was a large group of men, no, it should be a group of big bosses. Some of them were carrying stools, and some were carrying lunchboxes. When Yun Hao came out with each dish, these big bosses unconsciously swallowed. Especially Commissar Gu, who, looking at these dishes, knew that this sister not only wrote nice characters but also had good cooking skills, was pretty and now had been married to Yun Hao, the ¡°cold king¡±. ¡°Regiment Commander, it seems like sister-in-law¡¯s cooking is definitely good.¡± They were already hungry, and though they had food in their lunch boxes, it couldn¡¯t compare to this stir-fry. Not to mention the chicken stew with mushrooms was topped with green onion, which looked quite appealing. Then there was the potato chicken stew. Yun Hao brought out the last dish, then sat down, ¡°Eat.¡± ¡°Xiaoyun, where is your wife? She¡¯s been tired all afternoon, let her eat too.¡± Commissar Gu looked at these dishes, hoping to see what the younger sister looked like who managed to attract the cold king. ¡°Eat.¡± Yun Hao said once again, his expression still ice-cold. Chapter 54 Yun Hao was a soldier trained by Commander Tang. He knew Yun Hao¡¯s temperament, apprehensive that they, the big shots, would intimidate his wife, so he was indeed rather protective. But he forgot that Yun Hao was also fiercely protective of his own, whether they were his soldiers or his relatives. Lu Jianjun dared not speak. The political commissar knew clearly that the battalion commander did not want to hear this title, yet he insisted on using it. A commissar¡¯s combat ability was incomparable to the battalion commander¡¯s. Furthermore, the commissar had been at the receiving end of the battalion commander¡¯s retaliations multiple times. Why couldn¡¯t he learn? Of course, these words were merely Lu Jianjun¡¯s internal musings and he did not voice them aloud. As for the three company commanders, they were eating in silence. They spoke, they ate, the sister-in-law¡¯s cooking was too delicious, even better than the cafeteria¡¯s specially prepared stir-fry dishes. ¡°Xiaoyun, you can¡¯t treat our sister-in-law like this, preventing her from coming to the table.¡± Political Commissar Gu originally wanted to tease more, but seeing everyone starting to eat rapidly, he said nothing more and joined the food scramble. Commander Tang couldn¡¯t help but sigh in admiration: Such a beautiful person, and she cooks incredibly as well. Especially this pancake, it¡¯s delicious. So he didn¡¯t remind Commissar Gu when he was speaking. They must have gone to great lengths to get this chicken. This sister-in-law indeed has some skills. His mind was preoccupied, but his hands continued to move, unfaltering. Meng Yunhan was originally planning to join them for the meal, but Yun Hao told her not to come out. Hence, she was left dining alone in the kitchen. Hearing only the sounds of gulping and chewing from outside, with no conversation, she knew they must be too busy to speak. Only when the sounds resumed did Meng Yunhan come out with the plum juice. ¡°There¡¯s chilled plum juice here.¡± Meng Yunhan said, smiling at them. The few men, hearing the crisp and pleasing sound of her voice, all turned their eyes to Meng Yunhan. She was even more beautiful than their cultural soldiers, with a demeanor so appealing, and her smile was so approachable. Political Commissar Gu sighed again: Ice-faced King must have done good deeds in his previous life, otherwise how could he marry such a graceful, beautiful woman? One cold as ice, the other warm as a spring breeze. If one were to compare them to seasons: one was like a cold winter¡¯s day, the other was like spring renewal. ¡°Sister-in-law, let me, let me.¡± Lu Jianjun eagerly reached for the pot of plum juice, even though there was only one bowl. He prayed there would be some juice left for him in the pot. ¡°Hanhan, this is the regimental commander, this is the deputy regimental commander, this is the political commissar, this is the deputy battalion commander, these are three company commanders.¡± Everyone: ¡°¡­¡± They have names, they have names and they have names. The Ice-faced King from before has now become the Jealous King. ¡°Ahao, thank you all for looking after him all these years.¡± Meng Yunhan¡¯s face remained adorned with a smile. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re being too polite.¡± Commissar Gu was quick to chime in, he simply could not understand, how did Ice-faced King manage to marry such a gentle woman? Commanders Tang and Zhang exchanged glances, only able to offer a resigned smile at Commissar Gu¡¯s interruption. Why couldn¡¯t they see just how much the battalion commander cherished his wife? Finally, they had seen the company off, Yun Hao¡¯s face remianed impassive throughout. When Lu Jianjun and the three company commanders left, they carried out the tables and chairs they had brought in. Yun Hao helped Meng Yunhan clean up the kitchen. Indeed, when men and women worked together, tasks were not as tiresome. Chapter 55 ¡°Hanhan, we should buy fewer chickens in the future.¡± What if they really get discovered and get caught? We¡¯ve got mountains here, and I¡¯ve got free time, so I can go hunting in the mountains. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful. I¡¯ll always say that they are from relatives. Those families won¡¯t tell the truth because they need to make money.¡± She has been raising chickens in her place, and now she has dozens of them. So, this time, she planned to nourish him. When she followed her sister-in-law into the mountains to pick mushrooms, she saw some people picking medicinal herbs, which she transferred to her place one by one. She had previously collected some medical knowledge at the waste station, intending to use it to nourish him. Being soldier often means having many hidden injuries, especially him. Coming into the position of a battalion commander at such a young age must come at a considerable cost. ¡°Mom, let me help nourish you properly.¡± Although he has perfect abs, he also has some scars on his body. In her last life, she seemed to have heard a phrase by chance: the scars on the soldiers are their military medals. ¡°What would a big guy like me need to be nourished?¡± But his wife, still so skinny, why hasn¡¯t she gained weight yet? His allowance has increased recently, but it wasn¡¯t enough to provide a decent life for his wife. ¡°Of course, it needs nourishment, your body has a lot of scars.¡± Yun Hao fell silent. His wife noticed, she was concerned about him. ¡°Alright,¡± he agreed immediately, not wanting to upset his wife or make her unhappy. He wanted to give her the best of everything. After tidying these, he heated the bathwater. That night, Yun Hao didn¡¯t press Meng Yunhan. But the two held hands and slept peacefully. Qingzhao Village. Yun¡¯s mother chased away some heat with a straw fan, ¡°Honey, can Hanhan take good care of Ahao?¡± Yun¡¯s father felt his wife was worrying too much. Their daughter-in-law is very good at taking care of people. Haven¡¯t you seen how much the children from the two daughter-in-laws¡¯ families love their little aunt? ¡°Aren¡¯t you asking if Ahao will take care of his wife?¡± Yun¡¯s mother¡¯s thoughts were seen through by her husband, she smiled awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about Hanhan¡¯s first time going to the military, there are so many men there, you know Ahao¡¯s temperament, I¡¯m just afraid she may not be able to take care of him properly. And now that the young couple is together, won¡¯t she get pregnant? They¡¯ve never been parents before, and I wonder if they¡¯d notice. You also know that Ahao is so clingy to Hanhan, what if they aren¡¯t careful and hurt the child?¡± Yun¡¯s father felt a bit of a headache. His wife really worries too much. Although Ahao may not understand, he is smart and will soon guess whats going on. As for Hanhan, she is educated, she should know, right? Yun¡¯s father thought about it, started worrying, and thought what his wife said made sense. ¡°Shall we write a letter?¡± Yun¡¯s mother gave Yun¡¯s father a glare, acknowledging her worry after earlier calling it excessive. ¡°A letter? By the time it reaches the military, Hanhan might already be back.¡± Yun¡¯s mother thought writing a letter was unreliable. But how about sending a telegram? How would she do that? Now she had no solution, and nothing could be done. ¡°If this won¡¯t work and that won¡¯t work, then what should we do now? Why didn¡¯t you subtly say something earlier?¡± Yun¡¯s father is a father-in-law, of course, it¡¯s not good to say these things to his daughter-in-law, but why did his wife forget this fact? Yun¡¯s mother became awkward, but she wouldn¡¯t admit defeat, ¡°Maybe we¡¯re overthinking, let¡¯s sleep, let¡¯s sleep.¡± Chapter 56 Father Yun knew that his old wife had genuinely forgotten about this, ¡°There should be other military wives in the army camp, and Hanhan should also know about this. We don¡¯t have to worry too much. When Hanhan comes back from school, we just need to take extra care of her.¡± ¡°No, no, no. Let Hanhan come back after school resumes. If she does get pregnant, she won¡¯t be able to avoid the busy farming season. You have to write her a letter tomorrow, asking Hanhan to stay there until school starts.¡± Mother Yun thought this way because she hoped that in these two months, they would conceive a child. She was also worried that if they did get pregnant, the strenuous farm work would harm her health because Hanhan is too skinny. Father Yun agreed without a choice, ¡°Okay, okay, okay.¡± Their son had a stipend, and the daughter-in-law being in school each day had her per diem, enough for the young couple. As soon as they resolved this issue, they no longer felt hot and quickly fell asleep. Truthfully, after Meng Yunhan left, Father Yun and Mother Yun felt somewhat unaccustomed. But thinking about their son who was fighting on the front lines the whole year, they had no choice but to accept this new reality, no matter how hard it was. Often, after Mother Yun prepared a meal, she would call Meng Yunhan¡¯s name, and only when no one answered, she¡¯d remember that the daughter-in-law had gone to the army to see her son. Life for Meng Yunhan in the army was peaceful. Every day, she would step out for a walk and return home carrying vegetables. Every day, she would stew eggs for Yun Hao plus the Tianma she dug up from the hill behind Qingzhao Village, and therefore, she transplanted them to the Spatial Spring Water area. In her previous life, she had dealt with medicinal herbs, and therefore she recognized many of them. Yun Hao didn¡¯t want to eat it, but under Meng Yunhan¡¯s gaze, he didn¡¯t have a choice. So in the end, they split it in half. Whenever Meng Yunhan had free time, she would browse medical texts, seeking remedies to improve physical health. She tried to use her mushroom picking trips to find ginseng or Lingzhi mushrooms, but she found none. However, she did come across wild Angelica and Huang Qi. There were also wild Goji berry trees, blueberry trees and others in the Spatial Spring Water area. Yun Hao was becoming stronger and more energetic. He attributed this to having his wife looking after him and so, he felt better. He was completely unaware that this owed to both Meng Yunhan¡¯s supplements and the Spatial Spring Water¡¯s dual effects. Now, Yun Hao still enjoyed tormenting Meng Yunhan until late into the night, only leaving her alone at the break of dawn. Yet, he appeared refreshed the very next day. ¡°Captain, what exactly has your sister-in-law been feeding you?¡± He wondered why Yun Hao was energetic as if he had consumed chicken blood. He had trained them till they were on the verge of crying for mercy. He felt like he couldn¡¯t take it any longer and wanted to ask about it. Could he finally get a break? Yun Hao stared at Lu Jianjun, refusing to speak. Thus, Lu Jianjun was the one to retreat, ¡°Captain, haven¡¯t you noticed? Your skin seems a bit fairer.¡± Clearly, they were tanned due to the daily sun exposure, but the captain not only didn¡¯t get tanned, he seemed fairer. This was irrational. Only after hearing Lu Jianjun did Yun Hao notice that his skin was somewhat fairer than Jianjun¡¯s. However, this didn¡¯t necessarily indicate anything. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± If not, he didn¡¯t want to delay going home to his wife. Of course, Lu Jianjun noticed the captain¡¯s disdainful gaze and suddenly realized that ever since his sister-in-law arrived, his status had been dropping. Back to the point. ¡°Captain, I just wanted to ask what delicious food has your sister-in-law been making for you?¡± Yun Hao glanced at him, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re really idle.¡± Was this happening again? Chapter 57 Captain, can you not do this? I really can¡¯t stand it, you know? Yun Hao knows that Lu Jianjun might be a bit off-beat at times, but he also recognizes his capabilities, or else he wouldn¡¯t have become the deputy captain or survived several near-death experiences. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s thanks to your sister-in-law and her chicken soup she¡¯s been making for me for the past three days!¡± He¡¯d said this twice already, but his wife always managed to brush it off with some excuse. But honestly, he found it endearing. His wife cared about him and took care of his health. He couldn¡¯t exactly say he didn¡¯t need it, afraid that doing so might make her stop showing such affection in the future. So, he intentionally let her coax him. Lu Jianjun opened his eyes wide, full of astonishment. Things the captain didn¡¯t want to discuss were rarely pried from his lips. But this time, this one time, the captain had actually spilled the beans. What¡¯s more, why did he always feel like the captain was showing off? The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the captain was indeed flaunting something. Captain, are you alright? ¡°Captain, your sister-in-law really cares for you.¡± The chicken she uses for the soup isn¡¯t something you can just buy when you feel like it. Even with money, it¡¯s hard to always get such chicken. She¡¯s impressive, always able to secure chicken on time. They all thought that the chicken she¡¯d used for the party that day was a special treat. But the fact that she¡¯d managed to acquire more chicken left them marveling at how much she was willing to give, and how much she deeply cared for the captain. Why is it that as a man, no one cares for him in this way? ¡°After lunch at home, come have chicken stew at mine.¡± With that, Yun Hao swiftly left. This left Lu Jianjun doubting his ears. The captain was actually inviting him over for chicken? He didn¡¯t mishear, did he? The next moment, he rushed off to fetch his lunch before heading to the captain¡¯s house to enjoy the chicken. Meng Yunhan had indeed made chicken stew, with angelica, goji berries, and gastrodia tuber added. Yun Hao never asked where Meng Yunhan got these ingredients from. And Meng Yunhan never explained. Because Yun Hao trusted his wife implicitly. Even if one day Meng Yunhan admitted to some wrongdoing, Yun Hao would still stand by her as his wife. Three years of devotion had finally yielded a return. Yun Hao wished to continually indulge his wife. Although he was usually a cold person, he was a man of few words, preferring to express himself through actions. Yun Hao took care of all the firewood and water chores at home. If it wasn¡¯t for Meng Yunhan insisting on doing the laundry herself, he would have taken over that task as well. ¡°Hanhan¡­..¡± Upon hearing that voice, Meng Yunhan knew without having to guess that it was Yun Hao. ¡°Lu Jianjun will be coming over in a bit.¡± Meng Yunhan blinked in surprise. There hadn¡¯t been any visitors over the past few days, but now they were inviting deputy captain Lu Jianjun over for dinner? ¡°Alright.¡± Just as they plated up the food, Lu Jianjun arrived. ¡°Hello, sister-in-law, I¡¯m back.¡± Lu Jianjun was a fan of Meng Yunhan¡¯s cooking skills, but the captain had barred him from visiting. Now that the captain invited him, he rushed over immediately after getting his meal. ¡°Sit, sit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Lu Jianjun smelled the aroma of the meat and the unique scent of the herbs. ¡°What is this, sister-in-law?¡± Did the captain also need herbal supplements? ¡°Can¡¯t you keep your mouth shut?¡± Yun Hao cast him a cool glance. Lu Jianjun wasn¡¯t afraid of their captain in the presence of Meng Yunhan. ¡°Sister-in-law, this chicken smells so good. What did you put in it?¡± Meng Yunhan glanced at Yun Hao. This man had never asked about it. ¡°Angelica, gastrodia, goji berries, and pot seal cooked with chicken.¡± Chapter 58 ¡°Sister-in-law, isn¡¯t this medicinal?¡± Does the commander still need replenishing? However, the commander has been much more spirited lately than before, could it be because of this supplement? ¡°It is, you should eat more of it.¡± Meng Yunhan was just being polite, enabling Lu Jianjun to relax. Lu Jianjun took a piece of American Ginseng and found it really delicious. Yun Hao didn¡¯t say a word, but he picked up his eating pace. He slightly regretted inviting him for dinner, even eating couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut. Lu Jianjun saw the commander¡¯s changes, hesitated for a moment, and then joined him without a word in the food grabbing. Because Lu Jianjun joined them, what could have been two meals of stew chicken was finished in just one. Lu Jianjun had three bowls of soup and some chicken and supplements, he was utterly full. The chicken soup was really delicious. ¡°Commander, Sister-in-law, I should go now.¡± Lu Jianjun could feel the commander¡¯s increasingly cold gaze. He promptly finished eating and took off. After seeing Lu Jianjun leave, Meng Yunhan chuckled, ¡°Ahao, are you jealous?¡± She had only chatted politely with Lu Jianjun, and yet this man was radiating coldness all this time. Yun Hao coughed lightly, ¡°No.¡± He then started clearing the tableware. Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t offer to help, she cooked, he washed dishes, such harmony, she wouldn¡¯t want to raise a chauvinistic man who can¡¯t do anything. ¡°Hanhan, where did these herbs come from?¡± He had pretended not to know before, but now that Lu Jianjun had mentioned it, he wanted to know more. Meng Yunhan explained, ¡°When I went to pick mushrooms in the mountain with my sister-in-law, I dug up these herbs and dried them. I brought them over this time.¡± ¡°Most of these herbs are found deep in the mountains.¡± Yun Hao stared at Meng Yunhan. There are wild animals deep in the mountains, after all, the villagers organize hunting trips each year. ¡°Not really deep in the mountains, just by the side. The villagers do not know value of these herbs, so they are considered to be just weeds. My maternal grandfather¡¯s side has a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, I recognized these herbs from browsing his medical books.¡± Listening to Meng Yunhan¡¯s explanation, Yun Hao held Meng Yunhan tightly in his arms, ¡°Hanhan¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know how to voice his gratitude, so he just wanted to hold her like this, to express his thanks with warmth. But Meng Yunhan really wanted to shout: Pervert! Before passing out, she had a thought: She had asked for it. By nurturing this man¡¯s health, she was now punishing herself. A little over half a month had passed, Meng Yunhan suddenly realized that her period, which should have already arrived, was late. She was stunned. That evening, Yun Hao wanted to hold Meng Yunhan, but she stopped him, ¡°Ahao, I might be pregnant.¡± Pregnant? Pregnant with what? Yun Hao was stunned for five minutes, he stared at Meng Yunhan, ¡°What do you mean?¡± For the first time, Meng Yunhan saw him acting foolishly, she could not refrain from laughing and gave him a kiss on his cheek. With a face full of joy she said, ¡°You¡¯re going to be a father.¡± The silly man must have thought of this, he just dared not confirm it, hadn¡¯t he? A father? Yun Hao immediately placed his hand on Meng Yunhan¡¯s belly, is his child in there? ¡°Hanhan, is this true?¡± Yun Hao was no longer the aloof commander in that moment, but a naive young man. Chapter 59 ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. I didn¡¯t notice before, but I¡¯m several days late now¡­ I¡¯m usually very regular.¡± Meng Yunhan felt a bit awkward explaining her menstrual cycle to a man; it wasn¡¯t something she was accustomed to. After the initial excitement, Yun Hao¡¯s face fell. He and his wife had been intimate for just over half a month, and now suddenly there was a baby on the way. When he first found out his wife was pregnant, he was happy, thinking that now she had his child, she would stay with the Yun Family forever. But the next moment, he sobered up¡ªnow, he was going to have to be abstinent. His wife was right there, within sight but out of reach. But the thought of his wife carrying his child made him willing to care for her. He was nearly thirty. He wanted to have children too. ¡°Hanhan, do you feel unwell?¡± As a man, he didn¡¯t really know how to care for a pregnant woman. Now that he had to get her home, he was worried. ¡°I¡¯m fine, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Meng Yunhan felt that this man was being overly concerned about her and could sense the tension in her body. ¡°Are you really okay?¡± Yun Hao was still not at ease. His wife was usually fine with everything but tended to hide her grievances and wouldn¡¯t talk about them. ¡°Of course I¡¯m good, relax. It¡¯s less than a month old. It¡¯s probably the size of a grain of rice right now.¡± The size of a grain of rice? How did Hanhan know this? ¡°I read it in a book.¡± Meng Yunhan quickly added. Yun Hao stared at Meng Yunhan¡¯s belly with disbelief and yet felt deeply moved. ¡°Hanhan, why don¡¯t you stay in the military camp until I can get leave during the New Year and take you home then?¡± Yun Hao wanted to take care of Meng Yunhan, afraid she would have to work if she went back. He didn¡¯t care about others, but he couldn¡¯t let his pregnant wife work so hard. ¡°No way, I must go back before the school term starts.¡± Meng Yunhan wasn¡¯t so whimsical to want to stay with Yun Hao. He took life-threatening risks when he was on a mission. If she stayed with him all the time, he would be distracted. Back in Qingzhao Village, her mother-in-law would take care of her. Even if her mother-in-law wasn¡¯t happy with her, she would let her be for the sake of the child. She had always maintained good relations with her mother-in-law¡¯s family in this life. ¡°Why?¡± Yun Hao was reluctant to have his wife leave. ¡°We don¡¯t understand these things. If we go back, we¡¯ll have the guidance of your experienced mother. I¡¯ll be safer too.¡± Meng Yunhan wasn¡¯t pretending. In many cases, newlywed couples can make some silly mistakes when they become parents for the first time. Having her experienced mother-in-law there would help her better protect the baby in her belly. Yun Hao couldn¡¯t refute her because everything she said was true. ¡°I¡¯ll take you back when the time comes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it then.¡± Plans always fell short of changes. Meng Yunhan, touching her belly, was indeed pregnant ¨C but was this her deceased child from her past life? If not, she had to conceive again at this time next year. ¡°Ahao, would you prefer a boy or a girl?¡± Meng Yunhan, leaning against Yun Hao¡¯s chest, looked at his face, then pulled back her gaze to ask him a question that many first-time parents ask. A boy or a girl? ¡°I like both.¡± Meng Yunhan knew that in rural areas, people generally preferred boys over girls. If she gave birth to a daughter, wouldn¡¯t her mother-in-law and others be upset? Unless they have a son first. But whether she gives birth to a boy or a girl isn¡¯t entirely up to her. Yun Hao also noticed Meng Yunhan¡¯s momentary gloom. He also thought about it. The villagers always valued sons over daughters. If his wife gave birth to a daughter first, she would probably worry. Chapter 60 ¡°Hanhan, I¡¯d love to have a daughter, I hope she takes after you.¡± But then he thought of the boys who might deceive and woo his daughter, and he instantly felt uneasy. Maybe it¡¯s better to have a son, seducing other people¡¯s daughters instead. Of course, Meng Yunhan had no idea about Yunhao¡¯s thoughts; otherwise, she would have been completely taken aback. Meng Yunhan knew that Yunhao was trying to comfort her. ¡°Hanhan, go to sleep. I¡¯ll fan you,¡± Yunhao said as he held the fan, embracing her tightly, refusing to let go. He was afraid of offending Meng Yunhan. ¡°I¡¯m not hot. You should sleep too. I¡¯m really fine.¡± Meng Yunhan took a deep breath, comforting whilst seeing the carefulness in Yunhao. ¡°Hanhan, you sleep first. When you¡¯ve fallen asleep, I¡¯ll sleep.¡± After being with Meng Yunhan, the couple had considerably more conversations. The things they said in the evening were more than what Yunhao would say in an entire day. Meng Yunhan knew how stubborn this man was and decided to only close her eyes and sleep. Perhaps because of her pregnancy, Meng Yunhan quickly fell asleep. Yunhao reached out and touched Meng Yunhan¡¯s stomach. Their child was growing inside her, a little bit each day. They were having a child, they were actually having a child. Yunhao was filled with excitement that night, only briefly falling asleep just before dawn. But when Meng Yunhan woke up, she suddenly remembered the time and instantly got up to cook. When she entered the kitchen and saw the porridge simmering in the pot, her eyes filled with tears. She wondered when this man had fallen asleep. He was naturally prone to getting heated, and add on the summer heat, she didn¡¯t know when he finally slept. This man didn¡¯t have sweet words to offer, but his actions moved her deeply. When Yunhao came back, he was holding a letter. ¡°A letter from Mom and Dad.¡± Yunhao held the letter, but did not open it. ¡°Do they want me to go back?¡± Meng Yunhan felt she should return home since it was the busy farming season. ¡°Possibly.¡± Yunhao responded without revealing any emotion. Meng Yunhan grabbed the letter and began reading it. As she continued reading, she blushed more and her face became redder. She then abruptly shoved the letter to Yunhao. Yunhao quickly read it and coughed lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s do as Mom and Dad say and go back before school starts.¡± Meng Yunhan gave Yunhao a quick glance, her face still flushed. Her in-laws had thought far ahead. But in the end, they got it right. Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t have to guess; her pregnancy must have something to do with the spring water. ¡°Should we tell Mom and Dad about the pregnancy?¡± Meng Yunhan was against it because she was afraid that if they found out, they would insist on coming to fetch her. It was a busy farming season and having them come to fetch her would be inconvenient. Now that she was pregnant, they needed to start preparing for the baby. ¡°What do you think, Hanhan?¡± Yunhao wanted to tell them, but he would only do so with his wife¡¯s approval. He wasn¡¯t a stoic man anymore. ¡°I heard it¡¯s best not to tell people before three months, or else the baby might be taken back by heaven.¡± She remembered hearing this from someone. After hearing what Meng Yunhan said, Yunhao had no choice but to keep the news to themselves. ¡°Hanhan, I may have to go on a mission in a few days, which will likely take about ten days.¡± If he¡¯d known that his wife would get pregnant, he wouldn¡¯t have accepted this mission. ¡°Be careful out there. Don¡¯t worry about me. My mother-in-law said all my sisters-in-law worked in the fields while heavily pregnant. I¡¯m not even one month along yet.¡± Chapter 61 Yun Hao didn¡¯t think so. It was different for others, they were used to doing heavy labor, but his wife was different, if it wasn¡¯t for moving to the countryside, she would probably never have to do any farming. If Zhang Cuihua and Zhao Fang, his two sisters-in-law, knew what Yun Hao thought, they would definitely have a few words to say about it. ¡°No, you¡¯re pregnant now. It¡¯s not like before. We¡¯ll see if I can go back with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go back alone when the time comes, you should wait to come back during the New Year!¡± In the military, it wasn¡¯t possible to take leave whenever you wanted to. Yun Hao fell silent. What his wife said was very reasonable, leaving him with no room to refute. After finishing their meals, Yun Hao cleared away the dishes, then he rubbed Meng Yunhan¡¯s belly before leaving the house. ¡°Colonel?¡± Lu Jianjun noticed that the colonel was wearing a stern face again. After his sister-in-law¡¯s visit, the colonel rarely displayed any smiles, though only once, but still, there was one. He seemed to have improved, yet now he looks unhappy again. Something must be wrong. Could it be that his sister-in-law is going back? It seemed she had been on base for a month now, and he had visited her quite a few times. ¡°Proceed.¡± It wasn¡¯t just Lu Jianjun who noticed Yun Hao¡¯s edginess, even Commissar Gu noticed it. Could he be troubled about going on a mission? As soon as he thought of his wife, Commissar Gu immediately understood. This Xiaoyun, he cares too much for his wife, who happens to be not only beautiful but also has amazing cooking skills, and on top of all that, she¡¯s gentle and virtuous. Despite his reluctance, Yun Hao eventually left the house. ¡°Hanhan, behave well at home. The firewood is already prepared, enough for you to use. As for the water, I asked a soldier to help. He will come to fetch water for the house every day, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Meng Yunhan really wanted to say that she truly wasn¡¯t worried. Fetching water was not a problem for her, right? When she was alone at home, she only used at most two buckets of water each day, which she could fetch herself. ¡°Ahao, I will take good care of myself at home. You should also look after yourself when you¡¯re out.¡± Meng Yunhan was not worried about not being able to manage on her own, but she was concerned about his safety when he was out. There was no danger during their training in the military, but once they left the military, anything could happen, especially considering many of the missions were secret, about which she had never inquired in detail. ¡°Hanhan¡­¡± Yun Hao hugged Meng Yunhan tightly. Ever since he found out that Meng Yunhan was pregnant, Yun Hao dared not touch her anymore and could only hold hands and¡­ kiss her occasionally. ¡°I will take care of myself.¡± Meng Yunhan knew this man was worried about her, but that didn¡¯t mean he could avoid his duties just because of his concerns, right? She hoped that they wouldn¡¯t interfere in each other¡¯s careers and would trust each other. In her previous life, she did oppress him, but in this life, she still wouldn¡¯t revolve her life around him. She wanted to provide a comfortable future for their child, for him. Meng Yunhan sent away the reluctant Yun Hao, starting her ensuing homebound days. Every two days, the kitchen was filled with water. She started to love sleeping, spending her days in utter bliss. For the sake of her child, she would cook eggs every day, and even stew chicken to nourish her body. She also had fruits, and never skimped on herself. All these items were available in her space. There was no way she would skimp on her child. Meng Yunhan spent each day reading medical books, and books for high school, preparing for the college entrance exam. She didn¡¯t have to worry about English or Chinese, but subjects like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and History, it had been decades since she last studied them, having already returned these to her teacher. Chapter 62 These ten days, Meng Yunhan led a very content life. But it aroused curiosity among the military wives who had been in the army for a month, but had rarely seen the wife of Commander Yun. Even the two regiment leaders were a bit curious, but all held their peace and did not go to see her. When Yun Hao came back from outside, the first thing he did was not to go to the office to hand over, but to go home to see his wife. His wife was pregnant, and even though he didn¡¯t show it on the outside, he was still very worried about her, worried that she was alone at home, not taking care of herself, not eating well, not sleeping well? Would the child in her belly bother him? ¡°Commander¡­.Commander¡­¡± Seeing the actions of his regiment leader, Lu Jianjun couldn¡¯t help but wrinkle his brows, can you finish the report before going to see your sister-in-law? Your sister-in-law is such a big person, it¡¯s not like she will disappear, right? It can be said that Yun Hao ran home. Meng Yunhan was reading a book, when suddenly she heard the sound of the door being pushed open. She threw the book in her hand into the air and looked up to confront a pair of slightly red eyes. Before she could react, she was tightly embraced by a strong pair of arms. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Seeing his red eyes, she knew that he had not rested well these ten days. As for his sweaty smell, Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t mind. Yun Hao had a lot to say, but holding the woman in his arms, he didn¡¯t know what to say. He is not Lu Jianjun, he doesn¡¯t know how to say sweet words. Only through action can he prove that he really missed her. Meng Yunhan was hugged until she felt a bit of pain, but she didn¡¯t cry out, waiting for the man holding her to let her go on his own. After an unknown amount of time, Yun Hao finally let go of Meng Yunhan, looking her up and down. Seeing that she not only didn¡¯t lose weight, but rather gained some, he breathed a sigh of relief and put down his worries. ¡°Hanhan¡­..¡± ¡°You smell very strong.¡± She wanted to see how this man¡¯s embarrassed expression, which was somewhat cute. Even though they are married, he still keeps a straight face. Isn¡¯t he tired? She was tired on his behalf. Yun Hao felt embarrassed, the next moment raised his arm to smell, his face was a little bit unsightly. Next, Meng Yunhan saw Yun Hao change his clothes and head to the kitchen. Meng Yunhan chuckled. Seeing his defeat, she found it very cute. Because of the hot weather, Yun Hao took a cold shower. When he returned to the room, there was only the scent of the handmade soap made by Meng Yunhan on his body. ¡°Hanhan¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been very good these few days, and the baby has been very obedient and didn¡¯t fuss.¡± Of course, Yun Hao knew. He kissed Meng Yunhan¡¯s forehead and embraced her again, ¡°Hanhan¡­.¡± Hearing him call her name infatuatedly, Meng Yunhan also felt very satisfied. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I¡¯ll go cook.¡± The sun outside was going down, it was time to cook. ¡°I¡¯ll cook, you lie down.¡± ¡°She was not yet due to give birth and could take care of herself. ¡®I¡¯ve been lying down all day, I should get up and move around.¡± Meng Yunhan got up, put on her shoes, and followed Yun Hao. Yun Hao was cooking, while Meng Yunhan prepared the dishes, she made pancakes. ¡°Ahao, I sent a letter back to my parents.¡± Yun Hao paused, ¡°What did you write back?¡± Was it to stay, or to go back? ¡°That I would return home before the start of the school, I didn¡¯t tell them about my pregnancy to keep them from worrying.¡± Going back before school starts? Now it¡¯s early August, in just over a ten days, his wife will be going back. Chapter 63 ¡°Ahao, don¡¯t worry. I will join you at the military with our child when the time comes.¡± Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t mention when, she merely said she would bring the child with her to the military. Yet, to Yun Hao, this made him excited ¨C thinking that Meng Yunhan would come to the army right after giving birth. Little did he know, this event would occur several years later. When he found about this, you cannot imagine how disappointed he felt. But that¡¯s a story for later. ¡°Alright.¡± Their reunion was brief ¨C it was already the 21st, and Meng Yunhan planned to go back the next day. ¡°Ahao, I¡¯m leaving tomorrow.¡± Meng Yunhan was also somewhat reluctant to part with Yun Hao. In this one month they spent together, even though he was a stoic guy, he had shown her much tenderness. ¡°I¡¯ll send you off.¡± No way Yun Hao would let Meng Yunhan depart alone, especially now as she was pregnant. If something happened to her on the road, he would be worried. ¡°Ahao, I don¡¯t need you to send me off. I¡¯ll catch the train on my own. You keep your leave for coming back to visit us during the New Year, okay?¡± Meng Yunhan asked, with a hint of coquetry in her voice. Yun Hao did not respond. Meng Yunhan continued to coax him by shaking his arm, ¡°Ahao, is it okay? Is it okay?¡± But Yun Hao still said nothing. ¡°Ahao, I¡¯m not asking you to come back when I give birth, I just hope you¡¯ll come back during the New Year.¡± As she spoke, Meng Yunhan¡¯s eyes began to well up with tears, picturing herself alone with a big belly while her elder brothers¡¯ families would be celebrating with joy. Emotions of a pregnant woman fluctuate rapidly. Yun Hao, who was calm before, became flustered all of a sudden and quickly wiped away her tears, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely come back during the New Year, don¡¯t cry.¡± Meng Yunhan, feeling the sadness of separation, burst into a more poignant sob. This was the first time Yun Hao had seen Meng Yunhan cry in the past month. Despite his attempts to console her, she burst into tears, leaving him feeling anxious and helpless, ¡°Hanhan, don¡¯t cry. Please don¡¯t cry.¡± Yun Hao really didn¡¯t know how to comfort her at all. Meng Yunhan sobbed for a while before she finally stopped crying, but her eyes were still red. Seeing this, Yun Hao¡¯s heart ached even more, and he kissed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely come back during the New Year.¡± He made a promise to her. But he still missed his wife deeply. ¡°Hanhan¡­.¡± ¡°Ahao, I¡¯ll miss you.¡± If it were in the past, Meng Yunhan wouldn¡¯t have been able to express her feelings, but now she managed to voice them aloud. Yun Hao also missed his wife terribly, but he did not express it in words. His silence communicated his reluctance. Meng Yunhan knew asking this man to utter sweet words was impossible. But she could sense his reluctance in his actions. No matter how reluctant they were, how hard parting was, they eventually had to say their goodbyes. After taking half a day off, Yun Hao saw Meng Yunhan off to her car. Right before she got on the train, Meng Yunhan turned around, disregarding everything else, and embraced Yun Hao. Some onlookers were pointing and whispering, yet when they saw Yun Hao¡¯s military uniform and realized Meng Yunhan was his wife, they immediately stopped. Yun Hao reciprocated her hug tightly until the train¡¯s horn blared again. With great difficulty, Yun Hao pushed Meng Yunhan away. ¡°Get on the train now!¡± No matter how reluctant, Meng Yunhan had to leave because the train was about to depart. Chapter 64 She got on the train, but her gaze fixed outside, only when she saw the figure outside gradually fading into the distance did Meng Yunhan settle down on the berth. It was a first-class train ticket Yun Hao had bought for her. Outside, Yun Hao waited until the train disappeared from his sight before he trudged back to his military base with heavy steps. Meng Yunhan stared out of the train window, yet her thoughts were filled with Yun Hao. In her heart, Yun Hao was becoming increasingly important. The current her did not feel like the same woman who had struggled in society for decades, rather, she was entwined in an innocent, girlish love. After three days¡¯ journey, Meng Yunhan arrived at the county. She disembarked from the train and lightly picked up her luggage, heading for the supply and marketing cooperative. After buying some items, she made a quick trip to the recycling station before hurriedly boarding the coach from the county to town. After running a quick errand at her uncle¡¯s place, she headed home, burdened with her suitcase. By the time Meng Yunhan arrived home, the sun had already set across the hill. Because of the busy farming period, when Meng Yunhan returned home to the Yun family in Qingzhao Village, no one was at home. She knew that the farming season had begun. Tired, Meng Yunhan moved to the kitchen to prepare a simple meal before retreating to her room. Mr. and Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t even realize Meng Yunhan had returned until they came home. Mrs. Yun cried out in surprise the next day when she finally saw Meng Yunhan. ¡°What happened, what happened?¡± Mr. Yun rushed over to look. ¡°Dad, mom.¡± Meng Yunhan greeted them with a bright smile. ¡°Hanhan, when did you come back?¡± Mr. Yun was taken aback. They had just been talking about their daughter-in-law the night before. Now, seeing her so early in the morning was a real surprise. ¡°I came back yesterday. I was a tad tired, so I cooked a bit and then went to bed.¡± Meng Yunhan replied, a bright smile on her face. Mrs. Yun looked at Mr. Yun intently, then went over and took hold of Meng Yunhan, saying, ¡°Hanhan, why did you come back? It¡¯s the busy farming season now.¡± ¡°Mom, I might not be able to work anymore.¡± Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t hide anything. While she was young, if she worked and accidentally miscarried, she would be devastated. So, she admitted it. Mrs. Yun was initially taken aback, but soon, some idea seemed to dawn on her. Her gaze glued on Meng Yunhan¡¯s stomach, her voice filled with excitement and deliberate suppression, ¡°Hanhan, did your period not come?¡± If Meng Yunhan were just a teenager, such a question from Mrs. Yun would undoubtedly make her blush. But Meng Yunhan was not, she only shyly lowered her head and after a while, she silently nodded. Mrs. Yun immediately took Meng Yunhan to sit down, ¡°Hanhan, you have to be careful now that you¡¯re carrying. You can¡¯t lift anything heavy, you should just rest and lie down.¡± ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not confirmed yet, is it?¡± But Mrs. Yun didn¡¯t think so. She was eager to see her son¡¯s lineage continued, ¡°After the farming season, I¡¯ll take you to the town for a check-up. And for the next several days, you shouldn¡¯t work. I will let them know.¡± It was the farming season, and anyone who could work, should work. Hence Mrs. Yun said so. Thinking to share this joyful news with Mr. Yun, Mrs. Yun left Meng Yunhan to find her husband. When Mr. Yun also learnt of this, the three of them sat down at the dining table together. ¡°Hanhan, you should listen to your mom, just stay at home. You must not do heavy work.¡± Mr. Yun advised. He remembered that when they worked in the past, the daughter-in-law would be busy at home. Several times, women in the village who had been married for only a short time had miscarried without even knowing they were pregnant. Chapter 65 ¡°Yes, Hanhan, whatever you want to eat, we have at home. You can cook it all. We have to nourish you well.¡± Yun¡¯s mother was worried. Her petite and delicate daughter-in-law might struggle a lot when she gives birth, she needed to ensure she was well-nourished. The chicken eggs from before finally had a purpose. They were ecstatic, her daughter-in-law got pregnant within just over a month after she started living with their son. This is great news, great news indeed. ¡°Mom, I can only handle light tasks.¡± After breakfast, Yun¡¯s parents reminded Meng Yunhan again before they happily set out for the day. Although Meng Yunhan said that she couldn¡¯t handle heavy tasks, she was still capable of feeding the pigs. There she was, with a bamboo basket on her back, gathering pig feed. However, the basket wasn¡¯t as full as usual. The news of Meng Yunhan¡¯s return had spread like wildfire throughout the village. Some people were seething with jealousy. Zhang Cuihua, the elder sister-in-law, and Zhao Fang, the second sister-in-law, were huffing and puffing with anger when they found out Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t need to work and only stayed at home. Even when Meng Yunhan gave them things, they didn¡¯t show a hint of courtesy. But, Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t mind and focused on her household chores. It wasn¡¯t until school started that she began her classes. Only Yun¡¯s parents knew about her pregnancy; no one else in the village was aware of this. When the farming work was over, Yun¡¯s mother took Meng Yunhan to the town for a check-up. Indeed, she was pregnant, and it already had been over two months. Yun¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t be happier. Soon enough, everyone in the village knew about it. Naturally, Zhang Cuihua and Zhao Fang also found out about it. You might ask if they were bitter? No, they were not. Although they were the apple of the mother-in-law¡¯s eye during their pregnancies, it wasn¡¯t like they weren¡¯t green with envy. ¡°Mom, I heard Hanhan is pregnant.¡± Zhang Cuihua brought ten eggs to the door, trying to suss out what was going on. As an older sister, she felt the need to show concern since her younger sister-in-law was pregnant and had brought gifts for their children before. ¡°Yes, she is pregnant.¡± Yun¡¯s mother was thrilled. Her younger son was almost thirty, and by this age, the elder son¡¯s second child was born. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, congratulations mom.¡± Zhang Cuihua congratulated her, a bitter smile on her face. Thinking about it now, her sister-in-law was indeed very fortunate. Bringing to mind their circumstances back in the day, she felt a pang of bitterness. However, she had forgotten that life in the countryside was tough back then. If it weren¡¯t for the fortune their father brought back, how could they have raised all their children? When Zhao Fang came, she didn¡¯t bring any eggs. She would rather trade any eggs she had for a bag of salt. Despite having been set up independently after their marriage, they received food every year. Now, as her youngest brother got married, why wasn¡¯t he given independence? Were their parents planning to depend on their youngest son in their old age? ¡°Is elder sister-in-law here? I¡¯ve heard that the youngest sister-in-law is pregnant, so I came to see her.¡± Zhao Fang arrived empty-handed, but she didn¡¯t show a hint of embarrassment. Zhang Cuihua just didn¡¯t have Zhao Fang¡¯s thick skin. Yun¡¯s mother, however, happily said to her two daughters-in-law, ¡°Yes, she is pregnant, already over two months. Now that your younger brother isn¡¯t home, it¡¯s up to us, the old couple, to look after her.¡± Zhang Cuihua stood there, speechless as her mother-in-law announced the news before she did. They were eager for Meng Yunhan to split as well, but with their younger son not at home, if she dared to raise the issue of partition, she feared Yun Hai would teach her a lesson. After all, Yun Hai truly cherished his youngest brother. Chapter 66 As for Zhao Fang, she was quick-witted and shared the same thoughts, knowing that her mother-in-law would surely admonish her due to what Yun Lei had told her the previous night. ¡°Mother, this sister-in-law is just pregnant, and you¡¯ve had the experience. With you by her side, she¡¯ll surely give birth to a chubby child.¡± Zhao Fang was intelligent not to specify a son or a daughter. Fearing that she might commit a faux pas later. Zhang Cuihua cast a deep look at her second daughter-in-law. Having been sisters-in-law for so many years, how could she not know her character? Thinking of Yun Lei reminded her of Yun Hai. Both were daughters-in-law of the Yun family. Yun Hao, her third brother-in-law, treated Meng Yunhan, his wife, so well, even though they had only met a few times. Usually indifferent, he was so kind and gentle to her, and so was the second brother to his wife, albeit she was stingy. Consequently, every time she was criticized by Yun Hai, saying, ¡°You are the eldest sister-in-law, and you should yield to these two,¡± she was infuriated. Why should she, as the eldest sister-in-law, have to give in? Why couldn¡¯t the other two yield to her? No matter how envious she was, Zhang Cuihua had to swallow her resentment. Life had to go on. Setting everything else aside, Yun Hai was quite excellent, otherwise, her parents wouldn¡¯t have allowed her to marry him. ¡°Sister-in-law is physically weak, mother. If there is anything, just call me.¡± Zhang Cuihua thought that since her third brother-in-law was a military cadre, her son might also become a soldier in the future, so she better maintain a good relationship with them. The sister-in-law was actually very nice ¨C gentle and beautiful, and all the children liked her at home. Zhao Fang cast a deep glance at Zhang Cuihua. She was surprised that the eldest sister-in-law would say such words today, but when she thought about the third brother-in-law, she immediately understood. ¡°Mother, the eldest sister-in-law is right. If you need anything, just let us know.¡± Zhao Fang quickly echoed Zhang Cuihua¡¯s words. Over the years, how would Yun¡¯s mother not know her daughters-in-law¡¯s temperament? But hearing them say this, she was quite satisfied. Although they had some small ulterior motives, they were all for their own families, which she, as a mother-in-law, could disregard. ¡°Good.¡± Seeing that it was getting late, they didn¡¯t delay much before leaving. However, Meng Yunhan ran into Wang Minfang on the way. Looking at Wang Minfang¡¯s manner, it seemed she had intentionally waited here for her. But what did she want to say? ¡°Meng Yunhan¡­¡± Meng Yunhan slightly raised her eyes to look at Wang Minfang and asked indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Wang Minfang didn¡¯t like Meng Yunhan acting like this, envious of her being a teacher, not afraid of the sun or rain, yet realizing that she was pregnant now, she might not be able to handle the job as a teacher. Seeing her calm and unruffled demeanor, Wang Minfang was incredibly envious. If she hadn¡¯t married Yun Hao, how could she have such a comfortable life now? Who didn¡¯t know that Yun Hao was a military cadre and received allowances every month? As soon as she remembered that Meng Yunhan was married to a man who was always risking his life, capable of losing it at any time, she was no longer envious. ¡°I heard you¡¯re pregnant, congratulations.¡± Wang Minfang suppressed her unhappiness, a forced smile on her face. To outsiders, she appeared genuinely congratulatory. However, having struggled in society for so many years, Meng Yunhan was sensitive to emotions and could tell. She knew that Wang Minfang disliked her, and that by cornering her here today, she certainly wanted to find out something from her. After all, a person like Wang Minfang was always seeking her personal gain. Meng Yunhan responded distantly yet politely, ¡°Thank you!¡± Chapter 67 Wang Minfang wanted to voice her plans outright, but seeing the aloofness and the cold flash in Meng Yunhan¡¯s eyes, she could only temporarily suppress her motives. ¡°Hanhan, you should go home now!¡± Wang Minfang said with a smile, whispering gently. However, Meng Yunhan was deep in thought. Why would Wang Minfang appear here? Did she come intentionally to congratulate her? The chances of that were minimal. Then, she must have come to gather information. She was pregnant and at most could work as a teacher until the end of the year. After the new year started, her body wouldn¡¯t allow her to keep teaching anymore, so someone would take her place during that time. Wang Minfang must be planning on this. If she did intend on doing so, she could give her a push. After all, news of the restoration of the college entrance exams in October had arrived. She would give birth in April, and between caring for the child and studying, she wouldn¡¯t have extra time to teach. Having figured this out, Meng Yunhan felt a little more at ease. ¡°Hanhan is home.¡± Because of the busy farming period, Mother Yun had stopped working. ¡°Mother¡­¡± ¡°In a couple of days, it will be the Mid-autumn Festival.¡± Mother Yun sighed. It was a day of reunion but her son was in the army and her daughter-in-law, who was almost three months pregnant, couldn¡¯t have her son with her every day. ¡°Yes, the Mid-autumn Festival. I will make mooncakes then.¡± She remembered that every Mid-autumn Festival in her previous life, she would order special mooncakes in advance and distribute them to every employee. ¡°Mooncakes?¡± She had eaten mooncakes when she was young, but she didn¡¯t know how to make them. Every Mid-autumn Festival, they would usually just make some glutinous rice cakes. ¡°Hanhan, do you know how to make mooncakes?¡± Meng Yunhan nodded with a smile, ¡°I learned from my mother.¡± Saying this, she thought of her own mother. She had left just a few years ago, but including the time from her previous life, it was already decades. The memories had already become blurred. ¡°Let¡¯s make mooncakes then.¡± Meng Yunhan thought of making mooncakes and realized she needed molds. So, she drew a picture and asked Father Yun to make them. Father Yun was skilled in handicrafts, so he quickly made the molds in his spare time. On the day of the Mid-autumn Festival, no one went to work. They all stayed at home to celebrate. Every household was given grain, so the holiday was very jubilant. Yun Hai and Zhang Cuihua, along with their children, and Yun Lei and Zhao Fang, along with their children, all came to the Yun Family¡¯s home. Of course, both families brought meat and other things. Meng Yunhan and Mother Yun were already busy in the kitchen. Father Yun was initially making glutinous rice cakes, but Yun Hai and Yun Lei took over the task upon arrival. As soon as Zhang Cuihua and Zhao Fang entered the kitchen, they saw their two sisters-in-law busy with something. They moved closer to find that they were making something that looked like what they had seen in the cooperative store, but they never knew that their sisters-in-law could make it. ¡°Mother, sister-in-law.¡± Both women greeted in unison. ¡°Big sister-in-law, second sister-in-law.¡± Meng Yunhan greeted her sisters-in-law with a smile. The events of this day from her previous life, which she had always ignored, leapt back into her memory at the sight of them. Although she married Yun Hao and didn¡¯t split from the family back then, they still had separate kitchens. She didn¡¯t bring gifts when she came for the festival, so she was snubbed by her sisters-in-law. Even Mother Yun resented her, so that Mid-autumn Festival had left her in a fit of rage. Chapter 68 At that time, she was tough and had no concept of yielding, which made her life somewhat bitter. Seeing that the Yun family did not like her, she never thought of improving their relationship. She only had a simple thought back then: If you are not nice to me, I cannot be nice to you. Therefore, her relationship with the Yun family was quite cold for two years. ¡°Mom, what should we do?¡± Zhao Fang immediately asked enthusiastically. The mooncakes look quite delicious. I didn¡¯t expect that my younger sister-in-law had such cooking skill, I really should not have underestimated her. She went to the army for just over a month and she got pregnant, she is really lucky. Before getting married, my younger brother-in-law put in a lot of effort to get her into the village primary school. After they got married, he cherished and loved her even more. My mother-in-law and father-in-law also value this sister-in-law a lot. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhao Fang has her own plans, and does not intend to provoke any trouble. Today is the day of reunion, yet my brother-in-law is not at home. ¡°Choose the vegetables and light the fire,¡± Mu Yun instructed her daughter-in-laws without any hesitation. Zhang Cuihua and Zhao Fang did not show any discontent, after all, their cooking skills were not as good. The kids at home knew that they were coming over today. They were so excited that it made them jealous. A few children were making rice cakes, while Yun Hai and Yun Lei were doing it slowly. This meal is really sumptuous. When the children found out that their delicious mooncakes were made by their aunt, they liked her even more. ¡°Aunt, please make mooncakes again next time,¡± Xiaoxiao pulled on Meng Yunhan and said sweetly. Mother Yun was afraid that her granddaughter would bump into her daughter-in-law¡¯s belly, she looked at Zhang Cuihua and gestured her to take the baby away. Zhang Cuihua was slightly jealous seeing her daughter loving her aunt so much. ¡°Sure, we will make mooncakes next time,¡± Meng Yunhan agreed. Even the older children wanted to say the same thing, but they were embarrassed due to their age. So, when Xiaoxiao said it, they all mentally agreed while nodding their heads. Mother Yun looked at her younger daughter-in-law who loved the children and gave a satisfying glance at her belly. She sighed in her heart: It¡¯s almost three months now, why hasn¡¯t she given birth yet. ¡°Aunt, you are really good,¡± Xiaoxiao praised, her mouth sweet with compliments. As the youngest child and a girl in Yun Hai¡¯s family, she was dearly loved by Yun Hai and Zhang Cuihua. Meng Yunhan indulgently tickled her nose. Xiaoxiao wanted Meng Yunhan to hold her, Zhang Cuihua¡¯s heart jumped with fright, she quickly stepped forward, picked up her daughter and said sternly, ¡°It¡¯s time to go back to sleep.¡± She feared her daughter might do something that would cause her more worry. The wellbeing of her sister-in-law¡¯s belly was crucial, her brother was almost thirty years old. Xiaoxiao wanted to say something, but her mother, Zhang Cuihua, covered her mouth quickly. ¡°Mom, I will take Xiaoxiao back first.¡± Zhang Cuihua¡¯s actions were a bit extreme, Mother Yun just glanced at her and waved her away. Zhao Fang clearly understood what her sister-in-law was worried about. She sneered in her heart: My sister-in-law is really too cautious. She tried so hard to please my younger sister-in-law, but who knows whether she will accept it or not. Mother Yun walked over to Meng Yunhan and whispered, ¡°Yunhan, you should go and rest first.¡± Although her daughter-in-law was pregnant and was exempt from heavy chores but lighter ones like picking pig fodder and feeding the pigs were never stopped because of her pregnancy. Look at today¡¯s meal for instance, she started preparing early and sat down only when it was time to eat. That¡¯s why Mother Yun was always thoughtful about her daughter-in-law and encouraged her to rest. Chapter 69 ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going to lie down for a while.¡± She had become somewhat heavier since conceiving, and if it weren¡¯t for the spring water she drank every day, she wouldn¡¯t be as energetic. Although she was young and had no risks related to pregnancy of older age, she was understandably anxious about the unborn child, especially after having had a tough experience in her previous life. Zhao Fang was somewhat disgruntled. How come her mother-in-law favored her sister-in-law so much? It¡¯s just pregnancy. Many women in the village work in the fields even when they¡¯re pregnant. But when it comes to the third sister-in-law, it¡¯s as if she¡¯s a Bodhisattva being worshipped. She seemed to have forgotten that she too didn¡¯t work once she got pregnant. Although Meng Yunhan didn¡¯t work in the fields, she taught in the village elementary school and received a salary for it. Even though Meng Yunhan had returned to her room, she didn¡¯t rest after drinking the spring water. Instead, she went to the dimensions to work. The crop there was ripe, and she couldn¡¯t simply watch it without harvesting. When she was done, she tidied up a bit, left her room, and helped her mother-in-law make dinner. As there were leftovers from lunch, they only needed to prepare a few vegetarian dishes for dinner. ¡°Ahai, now that Yunhan is pregnant, will she be able to continue her teaching job?¡± Zhang Cuihua asked, as she had just thought about it. ¡°She should continue to teach this year. But she probably can¡¯t go to school once the spring starts next year.¡± Yun Hai didn¡¯t quite understand the underlying meaning of his wife Zhang Cuihua¡¯s words. Zhang Cuihua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Ahai, if Yunhan does not teach anymore, is there anyone to replace her?¡± Finally Yun Hai looked up at his wife Zhang Cuihua seriously, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Zhang Cuihua hesitated, then muttered in a low voice, ¡°My cousin from my mother¡¯s side is in junior high. Could he¡­?¡± ¡°Zhang Cuihua, let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t hear that.¡± Zhang Cuihua was taken aback; she didn¡¯t expect her husband to get so angry. It even frightened their daughter in her arms, making the little girl tremble. She hurriedly comforted the child by patting her back. Yun Hai didn¡¯t say anything more while anxiously gazing at his daughter in his wife¡¯s arms. He was indeed very caring towards this daughter who had a sweet disposition. ¡°Don¡¯t think about that anymore, your cousin is from another village, he can¡¯t teach in our village,¡± Yun Hai spoke softly to Zhang Cuihua. Zhang Cuihua was not pleased, ¡°Why not? Wasn¡¯t Yunhan¡¯s position secured through some connections made by my brother-in-law?¡± Seeing that his wife was so straightforward, Yunhai frankly replied, ¡°Even though Ahao had exerted some influence, Yunhan is capable. Otherwise, how could she possibly get a teaching job in the village?¡± Zhang Cuihua was somewhat discontent, ¡°Aren¡¯t they all just junior high school students?¡± Yun Hai gave Zhang Cuihua a stern look which instantly silenced her. ¡°Apart from the fact that your cousin isn¡¯t from our village, have a look at his attitude. Isn¡¯t he just a junior high school student, yet he¡¯s earning so much for the little amount of work he does while being at the job.¡± Zhang Cuihua didn¡¯t know what to say in return. Her cousin was only earning a meagre amount because despite being a junior high school student, he was doing women¡¯s work. ¡°If he becomes a teacher, his family¡¯s condition will improve,¡± Zhang Cuihua continued to persuade. Yun Hai snorted coldly, clearly unimpressed with his wife¡¯s cousin, ¡°Drop it. Don¡¯t think about it anymore.¡± ¡°But¡­..¡± ¡°Zhang Cuihua, Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already agreed to this?¡± Yun Hai reacted instantly, looking intently at his wife Zhang Cuihua. Chapter 70 Zhang Cuihua, being scrutinized by her own husband, nervously lowered her head. ¡°Zhang Cuihua, this is a matter you agreed to, it¡¯s up to you to handle it. And let me remind you, if anything happens to your younger siblings, don¡¯t blame Ahao for being tough on you.¡± Yun Hai glanced at his wife, couldn¡¯t she see? Whenever her family had problems, they would come to her, but when they no longer needed her, it was as if they wished she¡¯d disappear. After all these years, hasn¡¯t she learned anything? Zhang Cuihua shuddered, feeling frightened thinking of her younger brother-in-law. ¡°Ahai, what should we do?¡± Yun Hai didn¡¯t want to get involved, but after all, she was his wife, the mother of his three children, he really didn¡¯t want to interfere. ¡°You should stop visiting your family recently, they know the consequences from your side. Cuihua, this might sound harsh but, for these years, avoid mixing too much with your family. For the sake of our three children, your younger brother has become a commander at such a young age, if the eldest son and the second son want to join the army, they will have to rely on him. As for your younger siblings, you see how she conducts herself, she¡¯s also a capable person.¡± Whether Zhang Cuihua wanted to admit it or not, her young brother-in-law was already a commander at such a young age and seemed to have the potential to become a general. Her youngest sister-in-law was adored by her mother-in-law and also showed excellent cooking skills. At school, her children were all special to her and even her own children thought of her every day. ¡°Alright then, I won¡¯t go back.¡± Every time Zhang Cuihua thought about the troubles that could occur at her parent¡¯s side, she felt a headache. Yun Hai breathed a sigh of relief, his wife still cared more about their children rather than endlessly grabbing things from her family. ¡°Cuihua, if your youngest sister-in-law no longer serves as a teacher, it will surely be taken over by someone in Qingzhao Village. Don¡¯t forget, there¡¯s also the youth school, where there are high school students, all are villagers. If a distant cousin of yours from outside comes to teach, I¡¯m afraid the villagers wouldn¡¯t accept that.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Zhang Cuihua felt a bit disappointed. Yun Hai didn¡¯t continue to persuade, he was afraid if he said too much, she wouldn¡¯t listen anyway. And about the matter with her younger sister-in-law, was anyone going to approach her? It seemed like he¡¯d have to talk to his parents about it tomorrow. Yun Hai¡¯s actions moved quickly. After wrapping up his work, he went straight to the Yun family to speak with his parents about the matter. ¡°Son, did someone say something in front of you?¡± Yun¡¯s father guessed the reason why his son had come to mention this matter. Yun¡¯s mother also looked at Yun Hai. Of course, Yun Hai wouldn¡¯t mention his wife, ¡°No, I just suddenly thought of this matter.¡± ¡°Did your wife say something?¡± Yun¡¯s mother, as a mother, immediately saw through her son¡¯s evasion. She suspected that his wife had been whispering in his ear, otherwise why would he only react now when his younger daughter-in-law had been pregnant for so long? Yun Hai felt some embarrassment, his mother had hit the nail on the head. ¡°You go home first.¡± Yun¡¯s father fell silent for a moment, then told his son. Yun Hai nodded his head before leaving. Yun¡¯s mother¡¯s face was clouded with gloom, ¡°This Zhang Cuihua, at first we, the Yun family, married her because she seemed filial. In the initial years, she was moving things from our family to hers. If not for my son pleading for her, I would have sent her back to the Zhang family.¡± Yun¡¯s mother was rather displeased with Zhang Cuihua, especially after learning that her eldest daughter-in-law had been moving things to her parent¡¯s house, that made her even more dissatisfied.