A 1970s Military Marriage: The Cold-Faced Soldier and His Sweet Educated Youth

[Arranged marriage to love + sweet romance in a bygone era + everyday family life]

[Cold-faced veteran × down-on-her-luck, delicate educated youth]

My parents died, and everyone in the village had their eye on me. To protect myself, I married Lu Mingjian, a cold-faced soldier who had just returned from the army.

A single contract, each of us getting what we wanted.

He wanted me to behave and fend off pressure to marry; I wanted his protection to get through a difficult time.

Everyone said he was as hard as iron and had no regard for others.

But on a stormy night, he rushed out for me, and when he was badly injured, he held tightly to my hand.

With supplies scarce, we huddled together for warmth.

When our first child was lost in a miscarriage, he said with red-rimmed eyes, “We'll have another.”

Through the long nights, he turned restraint into tenderness, whispering hoarsely in my ear, “My... Zixi.”

With his iron will and tender heart, he built me the warmest of nests.

[No System, no transmigration, no pocket dimension, no golden finger, no being reborn]

One-on-one romance, both leads are romantically inexperienced. The blurb doesn't do it justice, so please give the story a try.