He Chengfang took Sutan’s hand and explained, "Sutan, you are actually a very good person. If you weren’t married to Zhou Jianfeng, I would have really wanted you to be with Hechengming!"
"You know our family’s situation. My father passed away early, and for all these years, my mother has been the one raising us. We’ve suffered so much, and it wasn’t until Hechengming became an officer that our family’s condition finally improved a little."
"The people who used to bully us now wouldn’t dare to, and we finally feel like we can stand tall."
"Even though Zhou Jianfeng hasn’t touched you, you are married after all. If you get a divorce, you’ll carry the label of a divorcee, which would have too great an impact on Hechengming’s future!"
"Sister Fang, I understand everything you’ve said," Sutan replied, her demeanor natural. She curled her lips into a smile. "If I were you, I would have just as many concerns."
"I was naive in the past, forced into marriage by my family. I’ve just crawled out of the fire pit; I won’t be jumping back into one for the next three to five years."
"I am only twenty this year. After I divorce Zhou Jianfeng, I definitely can’t go back to my parents’ house. The only thing I need to consider now is how to support myself."
"Hmm, you’re right."
Seeing the sincerity in Sutan’s expression and realizing she wasn’t just brushing her off, He Chengfang felt relieved while simultaneously feeling a pang of pity for her.
"My mother used to say that we women are like dandelions—wherever we land becomes our home. Your younger brother hasn’t married yet, so your parents certainly won’t agree to let you return. Once he does marry, they will be even less likely to let you back in. So, you must work hard."
"If possible, you must buy a house for yourself. No matter the size, you need a place to call your own."
This was also Sutan’s thought.
As the ancestors said, if you can believe a man’s words, you can believe a sow can climb a tree. Relying on a man is just digging your own grave.
After seeing He Chengfang off, Sutan took out the dumpling filling she had hidden away that morning and made another meal of dumplings.
After eating, she set a pot of water on the stove and began to pack.
All her belongings added up to a single bundle; the rest was just the bedding on the bed, which she would roll up tomorrow morning after waking.
Her gaze fell on the sewing machine by the window. Sutan hesitated for a second, then decided to take it.
The marriage was something Zhou Jianfeng insisted on, and the woman he was looking for was his business. If she cleared out this house, it would be her rightful compensation.
And, of course, there was the bicycle outside.
Sutan planned to wake up early tomorrow and use the bicycle to move her things over bit by bit.
Meanwhile, Li Weidong, who had just finished dinner, was dragged over by Hechengming to clean the house.
Holding a broom, Li Weidong asked curiously, "Tell me, what kind of trick are you playing, dragging me here to clean in the middle of the night?"
"Who did you rent this place to?"
Li Weidong and Hechengming were partners; Hechengming was the battalion commander, and he was the instructor. He was two years older than Hechengming, yet Hechengming was more composed.
They had worked together very happily over the years.
Because Hechengming was handsome and capable, everyone from unit leaders down to the aunts and neighbors in the residential compound wanted to set him up with someone.
But Hechengming was as stubborn as a block of wood. Even when the star performers from the Art Troupe stood in front of him, he remained unmoved.
The entire military district assumed he intended to be a monk for life.
That he had dragged him here to clean at this hour told his veteran instructor’s intuition that Hechengming’s unusual behavior was because of a woman.
Li Weidong was burning with curiosity. The woman capable of stirring the heart of the most famous monk in the military district must be an absolute beauty.
Li Weidong nearly wore his tongue out trying to get an answer, but he couldn’t pry Hechengming’s mouth open.
"I remember you still have some mud bricks at home. You know how to build a *kang*. Build one for me tonight!"
Hechengming’s request left Li Weidong dumbfounded.
Recovering his senses, Li Weidong scoffed, "I’d say you’re being quite unreasonable. Dragging me here to clean at night is one thing, but you’re also eyeing my mud bricks and making me build a *kang* overnight!"
"I can build it for you, but first, tell me: which girl have you set your sights on?"
Hechengming stared at him. "Not doing it? Then I’ll find someone else."
Before he could finish, he started to walk out, forcing Li Weidong to grab him in a hurry. "Can’t you show a little humility when asking for a favor?"
"If you don’t tell me now, I’ll find out sooner or later!"
Li Weidong threw the broom at Hechengming’s feet and turned to leave.
Hechengming called out, "This house is mine—you know it, and I know it!"
Li Weidong hummed. This guy either doesn't find a partner, or he keeps his treasure hidden away. He had been sneaking over here in his spare time lately; he didn’t believe he wouldn’t eventually see the girl.
Li Weidong rode his family’s tricycle, making trip after trip to deliver the mud bricks.
Hechengming found red bricks and some shredded straw from elsewhere to use for mixing the mud.
Once Li Weidong returned, the two split the labor: Hechengming was responsible for mixing the mud, and Li Weidong for building the *kang*.
Beichuan was, after all, in the north. Even with a stove in the room, the winter nights were cold enough to wake a person up.
That was why most households in the compound had built *kangs*. In the winter, they would light the fire early, spread out the bedding, and lie in bed, warm and cozy, watching television and eating sunflower seeds.
Hechengming’s three rooms were larger than Zhou Jianfeng’s, so he decided to build a large *kang* measuring two meters by two and a half meters.
The two men worked quickly, and in less than three hours, the *kang* was finished.
A newly built *kang* had to be thoroughly heated to dry out the moisture in the mud before it could be used.
Hechengming, thinking Sutan would likely move her things over tomorrow, went to find more firewood to heat it.
Covered in mud, Li Weidong sat on the ground and let out a sound of disbelief. "Good grief, the sun really must have risen from the west today!"
"Building a *kang* in the middle of the night is one thing, but you’re even heating it. Are you not planning to sleep tonight?"
"You head back."
Hechengming crouched down, the fire already lit.
Outside, the wind whipped, making a whistling sound through the *kang* vent.
Li Weidong pestered him for a long while, but when Hechengming still wouldn't say a word, he went home to sleep.
Hechengming might be a dog who could go seven days and seven nights without sleeping and still be full of energy, but he couldn't compete with that.
Besides, keeping this "dog" company wasn't nearly as good as sleeping next to his soft, warm wife.
With the *kang* heating up, Hechengming cleaned the other two rooms thoroughly. Looking at the dirt on the floor, he felt it would be inconvenient for Sutan to use, so he hopped on the tricycle Li Weidong had left behind and busied himself with the work, going back and forth.