Unable to endure the hardships of rural life, she returned home to arrange a marriage with a militar

The Shu family originally owned bicycles, but they were confiscated after the soldiers searched the premises.

Shu Yun took a bus and got off near the commune. Luckily, she caught a ride on an oxcart to a nearby village. The driver was an elderly man who was very hospitable. "Girl, which house are you going to?"

Shu Yun steadied herself by pulling on the handrail of the oxcart. "Grandpa, I'm going to the army."

"The military? Are they here to visit relatives?"

Shu Yun: "Yes, my husband is in the army."

As she said this, Shu Yun was a little shy, her cheeks flushed, and those two words felt strangely hot to the tongue.

"Military wife, military wife, you're amazing!" the old man praised generously.

The oxcart took Shu Yun all the way to the village entrance. Shu Yun wanted to get off the cart, since it wasn't far from the army base and she could walk there in a short distance. However, the old man was very kind and insisted on taking her to the army base.

“Girl, just sit here and relax. It’s not far from the army base. I’m just doing this on the way. If you walk, the road is steep and stray dogs might suddenly appear. It’s more convenient to sit here.”

Shu Yun could only thank the old man, "You've really gone to so much trouble."

The old man waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. You city kids are so polite. I'm from Hongzhuang Village nearby. Last year, most of this road was washed away by a flash flood, and it was difficult to walk on. It was the military officers who led people to repair it. If they hadn't repaired it, we wouldn't be able to do this work to supplement our income. You're a military officer's family member, so it's only right that I help out. Don't be so polite with me."

The old man spoke with nothing but gratitude for the local troops, who often helped rural areas reclaim wasteland, build infrastructure, and join the villagers during busy farming seasons to assist in agricultural production.

At the same time, the people also love and respect the soldiers very much, and they often bring water and vegetables to the troops. The phrase "the bond between the military and the people is as close as fish and water" is the most fitting description.

Shu Yun chatted with the old man all the way. The oxcart slowly arrived at the gate of the army. Shu Yun tried to hand the old man some money, but the old man refused to accept it, saying, "It's not worth it."

The old man wore a straw hat and a faded white jacket. His dark face was etched with wrinkles from years of hard work. Shu Yun couldn't bear to take the hard-earned money of the working people, so she insisted on putting the money in the oxcart. "I am a soldier's family member. I must follow the example of the soldiers and not take a single penny from the common people. This is what you deserve for your labor, sir. Take it."

Old Liu said helplessly, "This girl."

Shu Yun was very happy to meet such kind-hearted people who were always warm-hearted in these simple days. It warmed her heart for no reason.

The camp gate was closed, and Gu Jun hadn't come out yet. Shu Yun didn't disturb him and just waited at the gate. The sentry on guard watched for a while, then stepped forward and asked, "Comrade, is there anything I can help you with?"

Shu Yun, holding her lunchbox, said politely, "I'm here to see Commander Gu Jun. I have an appointment with him."

The sentries perked up. Was it Commander Gu, whom they knew? A girl had actually come to their door! What had they missed?!

"Please wait a moment, we will report right away."

The sentry disappeared in a flash. Shu Yun only had time to reach out her hand before she could even say anything. "Fine."

It was lunchtime, and the soldiers on the training field had dispersed. Just as they were about to go to the mess hall for lunch, a sentry ran over and said, "Commander Gu, there's a female comrade outside looking for you."

"Female comrade!" Upon hearing this, the group of soldiers who were originally rushing to the canteen to grab food stopped in their hurry. They all sensed the gossip and, not afraid of Gu Jun, teased him, "Female comrade? Commander Gu, you're up to something."

Gu Jun returned to the army late yesterday and hadn't found anyone to share the happy news of his marriage yet. Now, with a straight face, he said, "It's my love, we just got our marriage certificate yesterday."

The words were spoken calmly and without any emotion, but somehow they gave off a smug, boastful vibe.

A chorus of gasps rose and fell from the crowd. Had they fallen behind the times? The last time they heard about it was when Gu Tuan made a girl cry during a blind date. How come he's getting married the next second?

A large group of young men, forgetting about their meals, pushed and shoved each other as they followed Gu Jun to the entrance of the military base.

When Gu Jun saw the graceful girl standing outside, his face softened like a gentle spring breeze, all traces of his previous sour expression vanished, and his voice became so soft as if he were afraid of scaring the girl away, "How long have you been here?"

As she spoke, she took the cloth bag from Shu Yun's hand, saying, "Let me take it."

"Oh my, Gu Tuan is so gentle and considerate."

Another burst of laughter erupted.

Gu Jun's face darkened, and he turned his head with a sinister look. "You're itching for a beating, aren't you? You'll have extra practice this afternoon."

A series of wails made Shu Yun cover her mouth and chuckle; they were all energetic young men.

Only then did everyone notice Shu Yun, who had been half-hidden by their group leader Gu. They were stunned for a moment, and some of the younger ones blushed. It was Gu Jun who spoke up, "What? Aren't you going to call for help?"

Everyone then came to their senses and greeted in unison, "Hello, sister-in-law."

Gu Jun waved his hand, "Alright, go back now."

The group of people, feeling a little shy and busy going to eat, scattered and left. Shu Yun smiled and said, "You guys have such a good relationship."

Gu Jun: "Yes, they are all brothers who have been on the battlefield together." Then he added: "They didn't mean any harm just now."

Shu Yun nodded. "I understand. I'm not that petty."

The military dependents' home was located behind the camp, very close by. It was only a short walk from there. After registering their information at the entrance of the military dependents' home, Gu Jun led Shu Yun into the home.

It was probably lunchtime, and the courtyard was very quiet. Inside were rows of red brick and white-walled buildings, and further in were small, earthen-yellow bungalows, neatly arranged. The walls looked old and mottled, but each household was very clean and had a lively atmosphere.

However, even the cleanest place can't compare to the grandeur of an apartment building. Gu Jun observed Shu Yun's expression and tentatively asked, "Would you like to go in and take another look? The back row is almost finished. After the inspection, we can move in. If you like the apartment building, we can apply for another one."

Shu Yun shook her head. It wasn't like she had never lived in an apartment building before. In her previous life, she lived in a house the size of a matchbox every day. She had had enough of that and didn't have the same longing for apartments as people do now.

Besides, she didn't want to climb stairs every day before going out; climbing up and down was too tiring.

"Let's go to the bungalow instead. Haven't our houses already been allocated? Take me to see our new home."

Seeing that Shu Yun's expression was normal, Gu Jun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing Shu Yun refer to our new home, his heart was filled with even more excitement.

The house Gu Jun was assigned had a neighbor's house on the left side, separated by only one wall, and on the other side was a small road. Across the road was another bungalow, but it was some distance away from theirs.

The bungalow was built of yellow mud, with only the outer layer coated with cement. Over the years, it had turned yellow and black, and moss and weeds had climbed up the base of the walls. It must have been uninhabited for a long time.

Gu Jun unlocked the door with his key, but before he could even introduce himself, a piece of broken tile fell from the roof. Gu Jun reacted quickly and pulled Shu Yun away, preventing her from being hit.

With a "crack," the tile shattered on the ground. Gu Jun and Shu Yun looked at each other, and the atmosphere became somewhat silent for a moment.