Han Yao, Lin Ruo, and Xu Xiuqing walked one behind the other. Xu Xiuqing was surprised to see the couple heading into the courtyard right next to hers.
"Captain Han, will you and your wife be living here in the future?"
Hearing the word couple made Han Yao's mood brighten. He smiled, answering warmly, "Yes, we'll be living here from now on."
"That's wonderful! We'll be neighbors from now on." Xu Xiuqing turned to Lin Ruo gratefully. "Captain Han's wife, if you ever need help, just let me know."
Lin Ruo forced a smile. "Sister, your child is still dirty. Take him back to change into clean clothes."
"Yes, yes, then you two go ahead. I won't keep you busy."
After Xu Xiuqing entered her yard, Lin Ruo immediately turned to glare at Han Yao.
"What nonsense were you talking about just now?"
Han Yao didn't argue and simply stepped into the courtyard.
As Lin Ruo followed, she heard several voices coming from inside. The soldiers Han Yao had assigned to tidy up were bustling about.
Before she could ask, seven or eight men came out together.
"Hello, Captain Han! Hello, sister-in-law!" they chorused loudly.
At the front was Zhou Shi, grinning from ear to ear.
"Sister-in-law, we've already cleaned the whole house for you. You and Captain can just lay out your blankets and rest."
Lin Ruo's lips twitched violently. She wanted to curse or throw something, but in the end, she held it back.
Han Yao coughed lightly. "Return to the team once you've finished cleaning up."
"Yes, Captain! Goodbye, sister-in-law!"
The soldiers, after greeting Lin Ruo again, quickly dispersed like the wind.
Soon, only Han Yao and Lin Ruo remained in the compound.
Seeing Lin Ruo's expression darken, Han Yao swiftly changed the subject.
"You should look around and get familiar with the house. After breakfast, I'll take you to buy anything we're missing. As for the cafeteria—"
"I'm not going to the cafeteria," Lin Ruo cut him off. "You go and bring back some food."
It was dinner time, and she knew without hesitation the cafeteria would be packed. She could already imagine the stares and gossip her presence would cause.
She had had enough commotion on the way here. If others wanted to crowd the cafeteria, let them. She wasn't going.
"Alright then. Wait at home—I'll bring food back," Han Yao said, turning to leave. He couldn't help the slight curve of a smile tugging at his lips.
After all, he had achieved his goal. Whether they went to the cafeteria or not no longer mattered.
Left alone at last, Lin Ruo finally took stock of the yard.
Three walls stood tall like fences. In the middle ran a path about one meter wide, paved with blue bricks and gravel, leading directly to the main hall.
There was a pressurized well in the yard, with a square pool made of red bricks beneath it. The extra space had been cultivated into tidy vegetable plots.
An apple tree and a Chinese toon tree stood there too, though in March the weather was still unstable, and the trees had yet to sprout.
The house consisted of three main rooms and two side rooms. Bedrooms flanked the central hall.
The west bedroom had been divided into two smaller rooms, each with bunk beds, while the adjoining side room also held a single bed.
On the east side, a side room connected to the main hall had been turned into a kitchen, with a back door leading to the backyard.
Against the wall stood a firewood shed with some unused logs stacked inside. The rest of the backyard had been neatly organized into more vegetable plots.
Thus ended their first day settling into the compound.
Although the place was simple, it had clearly been arranged with care. The yard was clean, the rooms orderly, and everything gave off a sense of new beginnings.
Lin Ruo stood quietly for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the vegetable beds and the bare branches of the trees. A complicated feeling rose in her chest—half resistance, half anticipation.
Inside the house, Han Yao's deep voice carried out as he arranged a few last things. For the first time, this unfamiliar courtyard began to feel faintly like a home.
After completing her tour, Lin Ruo thought the yard was quite nice considering the current conditions.
The only thing she wasn't satisfied with was the toilet in the backyard. But since she wouldn't be staying long, she could tolerate it. After all, she was only here temporarily, so there was no reason to be picky.
She only hoped the army would be more efficient.
After Han Yao left the yard, he went straight to Political Commissar Lu. When the commissar saw the divorce application, his face darkened and he scolded Han Yao like a superior reprimanding a reckless recruit.
"Didn't you say last night you didn't want a divorce, you brat? Huh? What's this then?" Commissar Lu's eyes widened, his voice thunderous.
"Political Commissar, please, don't be angry. This is just a temporary measure," Han Yao explained hurriedly, afraid the man's temper would flare further.
"She's too insistent. If I don't submit the divorce application now and she finds out later, she'll think I lied to her."
"Temporary? You little brat, are you plotting against me too?" Political Commissar Lu snatched up the book on his desk and threw it at Han Yao.
At the same time, his anger softened a little. "Alright, I know what to do. But you'd better watch your mouth."
He took out his seal, stamped the application with the words Not Approved, and shoved it back at Han Yao.
"I've bent the rules for you, kid. If you can't handle this, don't call yourself my soldier. You've got two days off. Use them wisely—win that girl over. Now get out!"
Han Yao carefully put the book back in its place, bowed in thanks, and left quickly.
Checking the time, he realized Lin Ruo hadn't eaten breakfast yet. He hurried toward the cafeteria.
Meanwhile, as Lin Ruo stepped into the front yard, two unexpected "acquaintances" appeared in the west courtyard. She sighed inwardly—enemies really do cross paths.
It was the old woman and her daughter she had met on the train.
"Why are you here? Do you plan on living in this yard from now on?" Old Lady Niu's expression soured when she saw Lin Ruo in the neighboring courtyard.
She had hoped for an honest family to move in next door. But now, remembering how Lin Ruo had dislocated her arm on the train, she instantly felt she had lost the upper hand.
Her daughter, Niu Lanhua, craned her neck over the fence to peek inside, sneering.
"What terrible luck! How unlucky I am to have you as my neighbor."
"What's your husband's rank, huh? Deputy Battalion Commander? Battalion Commander? To marry someone as ugly as you, he must be either unattractive himself or have awful taste—and his position can't be that high."
Niu Lanhua had been spoiled by Old Lady Niu since childhood. With a brother who was a deputy battalion commander, she had grown up domineering, saying whatever she pleased at home and in the village.
So when she saw Lin Ruo again, her anger surged. She remembered how she had been humiliated on the train, and completely forgot her brother's warning to hold her tongue.
Several military families were chatting nearby. They had originally come to see what Captain Han's wife looked like. Instead, they stumbled into an unfolding drama.
The wife of Battalion Commander Han versus the mother and sister of Deputy Battalion Commander Niu—right from the start, it was clear sparks would fly.
The watching sisters-in-law's eyes lit up. They loved a bit of gossip, and this was fresh melon to chew on. They eagerly speculated, certain there must already be bad blood between these families.
Lin Ruo had no interest in sparring with them. She turned, intending to go back inside, but someone deliberately blocked her way.
If she didn't fight back, she knew she would feel suffocated—unable to eat, unable to sleep, always stewing in frustration.
What's more, there were onlookers watching from outside. If she backed down now, others would think she was an easy target.
Lin Ruo arched an eyebrow, stepped forward, and swept her sharp gaze across Old Lady Niu and her daughter.
Her cold eyes locked onto them, and then her crisp, cutting voice rang out, exploding in their ears…