80 village women marry military officers; it was supposed to be a fake marriage.

Seeing the dejection on Lin Yue's face, Chang's mother felt very reluctant. "Do you want to learn? Your father and I can teach you."

"Really?" Lin Yue's eyes lit up with excitement, but then she lowered her head. "But I'm not very smart. I'm afraid I won't be able to learn it."

Chang's mother took her hand and placed it in her own. "Xiaoyue, as long as you want to learn and study diligently, you will definitely be able to learn. Do you want to learn?"

Lin Yue used to watch her younger sister read and learn to read with envy, doing chores on the sidelines while watching. She wanted her sister to secretly teach her, but she was always rejected.

"You're so stupid. You can't even learn something this simple. I don't think you're cut out for studying. I still need to study. My time is very precious."

From then on, Lin Yue never mentioned literacy again. When she received her marriage certificate, she could only stare blankly at the photo.

When she was sold, the man produced a receipt written by her mother, but she had no idea whether it was real or fake because she couldn't read a single word and couldn't even write her own name.

Thinking of this, Lin Yue felt very unwilling, and she nodded heavily, "I want to learn."

"Alright, starting today, we'll learn five characters every day."

"Thank you, Mom."

In this way, besides doing chores, cooking, and taking care of Chang's parents, Lin Yue also diligently studied how to read. She learned very slowly, but she worked very hard, and whenever she had time, she would squat on the ground to write.

Mother Chang felt very sorry for Lin Yue, so she secretly slipped her some Xuan paper and said, "Just write it secretly at home, and burn it when you're done. Don't let anyone else see it."

The Chang family's home was ransacked; almost all their books and notebooks, including paper and pens, were confiscated. They managed to keep some through connections and secretly read them at home.

If others see it, it will cause unnecessary trouble, so they are very careful.

After finishing writing the front, Lin Yue wrote the back, filling it with dense writing. In just one month, she had filled a thick stack of pages.

There are only three people in the family, so apart from housework and cooking time, they still have a lot of time to study.

However, Lin Yue is very sensible. She will set aside some time to chat with Chang's parents, listen to them talk about their trip to Beijing, Chang Jingxiang's childhood, and his experiences in the army.

“Jingxiang was also very naughty when he was a child. He would jump around and sometimes even act cute with me.”

As I grew older, I became quiet and reserved, always serious and not saying much, especially after joining the army, where I became even more serious.

His soldiers were all afraid of him. Every time they saw him, they were timid and hesitant. When they spoke to us, they always acted like it was business.

He probably only speaks gently to Xiaoya; otherwise, Xiaoya is always the one who initiates contact, he never takes the initiative.

Father Chang frowned and interrupted her, "Ahem, what are you saying?"

Chang's mother realized, "Oh, right, I was talking about his classmate. We live in the same military compound."

Lin Yue simply smiled and said nothing.

Lin Yue would also tell Chang's parents about things in the village, what she had heard from others, and the legends and stories told by the elders.

Mr. and Mrs. Chang listened very attentively, especially interested in the legends and stories. Sometimes, when Lin Yue was cooking, they would follow her into the kitchen so she could continue her storytelling while cooking.

Since Lin Yue arrived, she has never let Chang's parents do any work. She has taken care of all the chores, big and small, around the house.

They prepared a variety of meals every day, making even simple fare delicious. In just one month, both parents gained a lot of weight.

Lin Yue would also make some little gadgets to amuse Chang's parents, such as slingshots, spinning tops, rubber bands, and clay whistles, which Chang's parents enjoyed immensely.

Chang's parents grew increasingly fond of Lin Yue, and Lin Yue experienced a warmth she had never felt before.

The family was having a great time and forgot about Chang Jingxiang; no one thought to go up the mountain to take a look.

Chang Jingxiang hadn't received any news from his parents for a month, and he was a little worried. He had just received his monthly allowance, so he decided to go home and check on them.

He pushed open the courtyard gate and saw that there was no one in the yard. Hearing a sound from the kitchen, he first pushed open the kitchen door and saw Lin Yue wiping away tears while tending the fire, making "woo woo woo" sounds.

He didn't say anything, gently closed the door, and went into his parents' room.

When Chang's mother saw her son return, she happily pulled him aside and said, "You've finally decided to come back! Let me see if you've gained or lost weight? Are you tired from working?"

Chang Jingxiang let his mother pull him around without getting angry. "Mom, I'm fine. How are you and Dad? Do you get along well with her?"

Mrs. Chang smiled and looked at Mr. Chang, "Excellent! Our family is so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law. It makes me even happier than if you and your father had been promoted."

Look at your dad and me, we've both gained a lot of weight. Life is tough now, but with Xiaoyue around, we're so happy.

"If things could stay like this forever, it wouldn't matter if I stayed here and never went back to the capital."

Chang Jingxiang was always worried that his parents would not be used to life here. After they arrived, they were also not used to it and became depressed.

Unexpectedly, after only a month, my parents seemed much happier, and their health had also improved significantly.

His worries lessened considerably, but when he thought of Lin Yue's crying back just now, he felt that Lin Yue must be unhappy, otherwise she wouldn't have secretly hidden away to cry.

Lin Yue takes good care of her parents, but these are things she doesn't need to do, which is very unfair to her.

"I saw her crying. Maybe she didn't feel good and probably wanted to leave as soon as possible."

Mother Chang paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Hey, she's burning the words she wrote. Xiaoyue is such an interesting girl. She never cries when she's suffering or tired. She didn't even cry when she scraped her leg a few days ago. She just couldn't bear to part with the words she wrote."

Those papers couldn't be seen by anyone. She had to burn them every few days after writing on them, and each time she burned them, she cried until her eyes were red and swollen.

Just then, Lin Yue's voice came from afar, "Dad, Mom, dinner's ready."

Chang's mother took her son's hand and walked towards the kitchen, "Come on, let's see what delicious food Xiaoyue has made."

Lin Yue was happily setting the dishes on the table. Apart from her red eyes and nose, there was no sign that she had just been crying.

Lin Yue's skin has become much fairer, her figure has become fuller, she seems to have grown taller, and her features have become more refined.

Chang Jingxiang stared intently at the girl who had become beautiful, his gaze meeting Lin Yue's, whose eyes also lit up.

Lin Yue wiped her hands on her apron. "I didn't know you were coming back. I'll make some more."

"No, I'm not hungry."

"It's okay, you and Mom and Dad eat first, it'll be ready soon."