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

Chang Jingxiang looked at the meat on the table and asked his mother in confusion, "Where did this meat come from?"

The pigs in the pig farm are raised for a full year. When they are ready to be slaughtered, they have to be exchanged for work points. Each family doesn't get much, so they are reluctant to eat them. Instead, they are dried and made into cured meat to be eaten during the New Year.

Meat was a rare treat, and even when meat was sold in town, meat coupons were required. Resources were scarce, and meat was hard to come by.

Chang's mother whispered, "This is a wild rabbit that Xiaoyue hunted herself and secretly cooked for us. A few days ago, we had pheasants and wild boars. She said we couldn't let anyone know and had to whisper it."

The hillside behind is overgrown with weeds and almost no one goes up there usually. It is said that wild boars and wolves roam there.

How could a young girl like her, so frail and thin, possibly cope going up there late at night?

She usually speaks in a soft and gentle voice, so she doesn't seem to have that much courage.

Chang Jingxiang had many questions on his mind, but seeing his parents' happy expressions, he forced them down. He would investigate further when he had time.

Chang's father noticed his son's doubts. "Xiaoyue is a thoughtful child. She said she wanted to nourish your mother and me, so she went to get these things. It's hard on her, a young girl."

After only a month of getting to know each other, Chang Jingxiang’s parents couldn’t hide their affection for Lin Yue, which further changed his opinion of her.

From her words, he knew that Lin Yue had done a lot for his parents, and he felt indebted to her, so his emotions were very complicated.

When Chang's mother saw her son frowning and about to say something, Lin Yue came in with two plates of food and a bowl. Seeing that the three of them hadn't started eating yet, she quickly called them over.

"Dad, Mom, you eat, don't wait for me, the food won't taste good if it gets cold."

With a smile, Madam Chang picked up her chopsticks, placed a piece of rabbit meat in Lin Yue's bowl, and said softly, "Let's eat together."

Lin Yue then made two simple dishes of vegetables, made with mushrooms and bamboo shoots she had picked from the mountain, and added some of the last bit of lard she had at home.

The food on the table looked very appetizing, and both Chang's parents ate with relish. Chang Jingxiang was delighted to see this.

After being sent down here, the food was much worse than before, and my parents were not used to it, and they also lost a lot of weight.

In the past month, they have visibly regained their former vitality, and even their appetite is much better than when they were in the capital. This is all thanks to Lin Yue.

Seeing that Chang Jingxiang wasn't eating, Lin Yue assumed the food wasn't to his liking, so she put a steamed bun in his bowl. "Just eat this for now. Mom said you like fish, so I'll go downstairs and buy one, and then I'll cook you something nice."

Chang Jingxiang wanted to say it was delicious, but then felt it was a bit forced, so he didn't say anything more.

Lin Yue didn't eat much, and after she finished, she sat obediently, chatting with Chang's parents.

After finishing the meal, Lin Yue was clearing the dishes when Chang's mother nudged her son, "You help clear the dishes too."

Lin Yue deftly carried the bowls and chopsticks out, smiling as she said, "No need, Mom. You two have a good chat. It's rare for him to come home."

Chang's mother was increasingly pleased with Lin Yue. Since Lin Yue came to the family, her hands hadn't done any work, and she even had someone to talk to every day.

Chang's father picked up the interlocking rings on the kang (a heated brick bed) and started fiddling with them. Chang Jingxiang looked over curiously, and Chang's mother noticed her son's gaze: "Your dad has been fiddling with it for days and can't untie it. Why don't you give it a try?"

Father Chang chuckled and placed the object in his son's hands. "Hehehe, you're getting old, your mind isn't as sharp as it used to be. Here, take a look and see how to solve it."

"What is this?" Chang Jingxiang had seen this before; his comrades in the army had let them play with it before. He just didn't know how this thing ended up in his home.

“This was made by Xiaoyue, for your mother and me to pass the time. And those are too.” He pointed to the bamboo baskets on the ground.

Chang Jingxiang looked at the things in the bamboo basket, his eyes seemed to well up with tears. Lin Yue had noticed details that he himself hadn't even noticed.

I can't quite describe the feeling, but these quiet moments of chatting after a meal are really nice.

Lin Yue brought in a watermelon. When she saw what Chang Jingxiang was holding, she paused and said awkwardly, "These are some rough little things. I made them by imitating what they sell in town."

"Dad, Mom, the watermelon we're eating is chilled with cold water to cool us down."

Mother Chang couldn't wait to pick up a piece and put it in her mouth. "It's so refreshing. You sit down and eat too."

"No, Mom, you guys eat. I'm full. I'm going to go to the yard to digest."

Chang Jingxiang untied the chain lock in his hand, taught his father how to operate it a few times, and told his parents about the photos on the mountain. He then took out his monthly allowance to give to his mother.

Chang's mother pushed his hand away, "From now on, give it all to your wife. Go, give it to her now, so she can talk to Xiaoyue."

I haven't even said anything to you yet. You left without a word right after the wedding. What are you going to make the young girl think?

It's only because Xiaoyue has a good temper. If it were me, I would definitely give you a good scolding. Go and coax her.

When Chang Jingxiang walked out of the house, he saw Lin Yue working in the small garden. Her clothes were damp with sweat, and she was wiping the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.

Under the sunlight, Lin Yue's hair was black and shiny, reflecting the light, reminding Chang Jingxiang of the day when the two of them were in close contact.

Chang Jingxiang felt his body getting hot, and the heat was rising straight to the top of his head. He picked up a ladle from the bucket, scooped up a ladleful of water, and splashed it on his face, which immediately cooled him down.

His movements startled Lin Yue, who stopped what she was doing and awkwardly wiped her hands on her clothes. "I'll boil more water tonight, so you can wash up too."

After saying that, he realized his words were a bit ambiguous, so he added, "It's too hot."

Seeing that Chang Jingxiang remained silent, Lin Yue, feeling awkward, asked, "When are you going back to the mountain?"

Chang Jingxiang thought she was trying to get rid of him, and a hint of displeasure rose in his heart. He kept a sullen face and didn't say anything.

Lin Yue felt that he didn't want to talk to her, so she continued with her work. After a while, Chang Jingxiang finally mumbled, "Tomorrow."

Lin Yue's eyes lit up when she heard this. She put the vegetables she had picked into her basket, walked out of the small garden, and stopped in front of Chang Jingxiang. "Could you please accompany me to town?"

The town is a bit far from the village; it would take most of the day to walk there. And if I went to the clinic to buy medicine alone, I would inevitably be gossiped about and might cause unnecessary trouble.

Lin Yue didn't want to implicate the Chang family because of her own affairs, so she refrained from going, guessing that her grandmother's medicine was almost finished.

Looking at Lin Yueliang's face, Chang Jingxiang's anger, which he had just suppressed, flared up again. He remained silent with a sullen expression.

Lin Yue was a little disappointed, but not angry. "It's okay, you go ahead with your work, we can go again next time."

After saying that, she lowered her head, walked past Chang Jingxiang, and headed into the kitchen.

A deep voice sounded from behind, "Get ready, I'll go borrow a bicycle."

Lin Yue turned around quickly, her face full of smiles, "Okay, thank you, and buy some food while you're at it."

Chang Jingxiang's heart pounded. Without saying a word, he turned and walked out of the courtyard, furious at himself for losing control.