[Period Military Marriage] [Sweet Life as a Military Wife] [Bullet Comment Warnings] [Face-Slapping and Putting Scumbags in Their Place] [Rugged, Fatherly Hero] [Ensemble Cast in the Military Compound] [Building a Career] [Mutual Firsts, Age Gap]
In the winter of 1977, Su Taoli's stepsister stole her spot at university and branded her "ideologically unsound." She was about to be sent away for hard labor and reform.
With nowhere else to turn, she dug out an old marriage contract left by her grandmother, boarded a green train, and headed to the northwest to find the man rumored to be cold and utterly unapproachable.
Lu Zhengye, the youngest regiment commander on the border, could make soldiers cry during training and suspects tremble during interrogation. But when he saw Su Taoli standing in the wind and sand with a small bag, he fell silent for a long moment before saying, "We'll register the marriage first. We can settle the score later."
Everyone in the military compound waited for a laugh.
How long could a delicate young woman last in the desert?
But who could have guessed that whenever hot water was poured into the old enamel mug in Su Taoli's hands, words appeared on it:
[High alert ahead! Sister-in-law Liu will be falsely accused of stealing ration coupons tonight!]
[Stop them! Warehouse Three will collapse tomorrow!]
[Don't eat that bowl of noodles. There's a trap in it!]
[Regiment Commander Lu talks tough, but his heart's racing at 130!]
And so, the whole compound's way of life changed.
While others scrambled for meat coupons, she helped the other military wives open a canteen.
While others waited for job assignments, she opened night classes and helped military wives earn certificates.
While others called her spoiled, she built greenhouses, made cold cream, and repaired radios, turning wasteland into a gold mine.
Only Lu Zhengye grew more and more strange.
In the daytime, he kept a cold face in front of everyone. "Su Taoli, watch yourself."
At night, he cornered her behind the door and murmured hoarsely, "Try calling me Regiment Commander Lu again."
Su Taoli blinked. "Didn't you say we were just sharing a life together?"
The man leaned down and nipped her earlobe. "I've changed my mind. Let's share the rest of our lives."
