Chapter 14: Gu Qingye Is This Wealthy?!

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The moment Lu Youyou boarded the truck, she found herself surrounded by gazes from every direction—some friendly, others merely eager for a spectacle. She had no energy to spare, so after offering a polite greeting, she fell silent.

It was Li Sanhua who took the initiative to introduce her. “This is Comrade Lu Youyou. She’ll be living in the family compound from now on, so let’s all get along and help one another!”

Li Sanhua did not know the details of the case, but one thing was certain: Lu Youyou had suffered unjustly because of it.

Taking the lead, Li Sanhua began to clap. She was an old hand in the family compound and had always commanded respect, so everyone else joined in to welcome Lu Youyou.

At present, Lu Youyou’s appearance could hardly be called impressive.

The mixture of clam oil and soot was still smeared across her face, making her look dark and sallow. She had not changed her clothes either. Although they did not smell particularly bad, she looked like an ordinary woman who had been worn down by a long journey—and, most importantly, she was not very attractive.

Several military wives exchanged glances behind her back.

A: “Battalion Commander Gu is such a fine-looking man, yet his taste is nothing to write home about!”

B: “Aside from being young, in what way is she better than my cousin from my mother’s side?”

C: “Hey, tell me—if that person found out Battalion Commander Gu had married someone like this, wouldn’t she be furious?”

D: “Isn’t that the truth? This is going to be entertaining!”

The truck sped along for about an hour before stopping at a military camp nestled at the foot of a mountain.

Security was extremely tight. Lu Youyou had to get out twice just to register, and in the end they stopped before a tall wall.

They had arrived at the family compound.

“Comrade Lu, Battalion Commander Gu has already applied for a house. Go back and rest for a while. When it’s time for lunch, I’ll take you to the mess hall.”

Li Sanhua carefully explained the layout of the compound to Lu Youyou.

“The army’s supply truck goes into town once a week. If you want to go to the city, just wait by the compound gate at the appointed time. Everyday necessities are available at the servicemen’s cooperative, just outside the east gate. I’ll point it out to you later…”

Having been entrusted with the matter, Li Sanhua explained everything in painstaking detail. When they passed her own home, she even went inside and returned with a packet for Lu Youyou.

“This is the money and ration coupons Battalion Commander Gu left for you. He left in such a hurry that there wasn’t time to organize the household. Buy whatever you need.”

Lu Youyou weighed the thick envelope in her hand and gained a new appreciation for Gu Qingye’s thoughtfulness.

Not bad. At least he was not the sort of man who simply spread his hands and left everything to someone else. She still had to save his life, of course, but the quality of service she provided was not guaranteed otherwise.

“Thank you, Sister-in-law Li. I’m completely lost here, so I’m truly grateful for your help!”

Li Sanhua smiled. “Why thank me? You should thank your Battalion Commander Gu for being so considerate!”

She teased, “You don’t know this, but before he left, Battalion Commander Gu specially brought a gift to my door and insisted that I take good care of you. I’ve lived in this family compound for so many years, and this is the first time I’ve seen a man dote on his wife so much!”

Even with her face smeared like a little stray cat, Lu Youyou’s cheeks flushed faintly.

“Since he entrusted me to you, he must hope I can learn from you. I’ve only just arrived, so I’ll be relying on your kindness!”

Since Gu Qingye had shown such sincerity, she ought to return the favor somehow.

A man who could entrust both a large sum of money and his future wife to someone must have a good relationship with the family of a battalion commander. Everyone liked to carry a sedan chair for one another; a few pleasant words cost her nothing.

Gu Qingye had applied for the innermost courtyard in the second row, only three houses away from Li Sanhua’s.

Li Sanhua pushed open the gate. “I’ve had the inside and outside swept down, and there’s basic furniture too. It just hasn’t been arranged properly. Why don’t I help you straighten things out this afternoon after lunch?”

Lu Youyou quickly waved her off. “No need to trouble yourself. I’ll just get the bedroom ready first. I can take care of the rest bit by bit. There’s no hurry.”

Li Sanhua said warmly, “Don’t be shy. Neighbors are supposed to lend one another a hand. We’ve all come through the same way!”

“No, truly, you can see that I don’t have many things. A little tidying will be enough. We can deal with the rest after Gu Qingye comes back.”

Li Sanhua covered her mouth and laughed. “Exactly. Your Battalion Commander Gu is a capable man. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to let you put him to work!”

What could Lu Youyou say? She could only lower her head bashfully.

Good grief, Gu Qingye. Had he really not considered how thin her skin was before making such a public display?

Li Sanhua handed Lu Youyou the keys and tested the light inside the house.

“The keys to the main gate and the rooms are all here. Electricity has been connected throughout the family compound. Look—the switch is right here.”

“Oh, and the water jar outside is full as well. You can use it directly.” Li Sanhua pointed toward the large jar in the courtyard.

Lu Youyou’s eyes widened. She truly had not expected Li Sanhua to be so considerate, and she hurried to thank her.

Li Sanhua waved it off. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back. I’ll come for you at lunchtime.”

After seeing Li Sanhua off, the first thing Lu Youyou did was collapse onto the wooden sofa for a while. She had been tossed about for an entire day and night and was utterly exhausted.

The sofa was terribly hard, but she had no desire to move. She merely turned her neck and surveyed the room.

There were three rooms facing the courtyard: a central main room, with a small room on either side. A separate kitchen had been built in the courtyard.

The house was quite clean, with cement floors and freshly whitewashed walls. There were tables, chairs, and beds, though everything was bare and unused. Gu Qingye had probably never stayed here even once.

The courtyard was not large, but Lu Youyou was satisfied all the same. At least it was a private residence with its own entrance.

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Her gaze completed a circuit of the room and landed on the envelope in front of her.

Lu Youyou forced herself upright. The instant she stood, every joint in her body cracked. Grimacing, she shuffled over to the table and opened the envelope—then nearly jumped out of her skin.

There were twenty crisp ten-yuan notes, along with a small stack of change. There were also plenty of ration coupons: industrial goods coupons, cloth coupons, grain coupons, sugar coupons… everything one could need.

Gu Qingye was this wealthy?

Lu Youyou simply did not know enough about the army. Even a platoon leader in a frontline unit earned at least fifty yuan a month, to say nothing of the allowances Gu Qingye received for missions. At his rank, he took home at least a hundred yuan a month.

His departure had been so sudden that he had not had time to withdraw the money from his savings account. He had scraped together the loose change and ration coupons by asking his comrades, while the ten-yuan notes had been borrowed from his superiors.

Who could have imagined that the icy, sternly indifferent war hero had married a woman who looked like this?

It was not only the women in the family compound who were curious about Lu Youyou. Gu Qingye’s comrades were even more intrigued.

The most curious of all was Regiment Commander Jiang Tong. Though he was furious that Gu Qingye had been so thoughtless, he still handed him the money. In the end, he gave him a solemn warning to settle down and live properly after getting married.

Around noon, Li Sanhua arrived right on time. When she saw Lu Youyou making the bed, she immediately took hold of the sheet and began helping.

It was the height of summer, and Lu Youyou had no desire to sleep beneath a thick mattress, so she first laid down the old bedding from the educated youth compound as padding.

“Little sister, take a look around and make a list of whatever the house is missing. This afternoon I’ll take you over to the cooperative, and we can borrow a handcart too. Even if you buy a lot, it won’t be a problem.”

Lu Youyou was bent over, stretching out the quilt. At that, she said, “That would be wonderful. I was just thinking of buying a summer sleeping mat, along with cups, a washbasin, and things like that.”

Li Sanhua began listing the advantages with the familiarity of someone reciting her own household treasures.

“You came at the perfect time if you want a summer mat. Several nearby villages make them. It’s an old craft that’s been passed down for generations—sturdy and durable. The army goes out to purchase them regularly, which gives the villages another source of income and makes life more convenient for us too.”

Li Sanhua knew Lu Youyou was young and was afraid she might find life there too hard.

“Our place may be a little remote, but the logistical support is quite good. Apart from the men being sent out on missions every few days, life is actually much more comfortable than back home!”

Lu Youyou straightened and smiled, her brows and eyes bright as a painted scene.

“Yes. It’s much more comfortable than back home.”

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