CHAPTER 5

He let go of me and looked at me as if he wanted to deliver an entire speech, but in the end, it all condensed into a single word:

“Yeah.”

Then he turned on his heel and strode away, his back straight as if he were marching in a military parade, not even bothering to look back once.

I stood in the doorway, watching his figure recede into the early morning light, feeling an odd sense of peace wash over me.

After all, I knew that no matter where he went, that inner voice of his, the one as noisy as a bustling street market, was stuck to me for good.

Gu Changfeng, you’d better come back safe and sound.

You still owe me a real hug—a proper one, not a fleeting breeze of a touch!

—

Once he was gone, the house felt instantly hollow. Without his “cold on the outside, screaming on the inside” thoughts echoing in my mind, life suddenly felt a bit bland.

Still, I didn’t let myself idle.

The sewing machine he had traded his medal for became my ultimate meal ticket. Taking on a few mending jobs at fair prices, it took me only a few days to become the most sought-after tailor in the compound.

The other military wives began bringing over fabric along with fashion magazines, last year’s issues, sure, but packed with this year’s dreams—asking me to tailor their clothes. It gave me a little pocket money and helped me make plenty of friends.

Even Li Aihua, who used to detest me openly, softened up quite a bit after I altered a pair of pants for her daughter free of charge.

The only exception was Sister Wang, who still held a grudge and never missed a chance to take a jab at me.

—

One day, the logistics department distributed winter cabbages for pickling.

In the North, pickled sauerkraut was a seasonal staple, without it, winter just didn’t feel complete. Having learned the art of pickling back in my hometown, my skills were top-tier: perfectly tangy, crisp, and beautifully colored. Excited, I bought a large earthenware crock and set to work pickling the cabbage right in the courtyard.

Sister Wang walked by, watching me toil away, and curled her lip. “Oh, you city girls… can you even handle a job like this? If you end up with a crock of sewage, it’ll be embarrassing for Commander Gu.”

I merely smiled and replied coolly, “Thanks for the reminder, Sister Wang. I’ll be careful.”

Layer by layer, cabbage and salt were neatly packed and weighted down with a heavy stone. I checked on it diligently every single day.

Yet, a week later, when I lifted the lid, good grief! The entire crock gave off a foul, rancid stench of decay!

Sister Wang instantly swooped in as if she had been lying in wait her whole life. “Oh my goodness! And here I thought you were something special, turns out you pickled a pot of gutter water! Now isn’t this wonderful? What’s your Commander Gu supposed to eat when he gets back?”

A crowd gathered around, whispering among themselves. Even the corners of Li Aihua’s lips twitched into a subtle, triumphant smirk.

My face flushed crimson. Before I could say a word, Sister Chen, the army doctor’s wife, stepped forward. She pulled out a cabbage leaf, sniffed it closely, and frowned.

“This didn’t rot naturally… It smells like someone dumped lye in here.”

The atmosphere instantly froze. Every pair of eyes shifted toward Sister Wang in unison.

She went rigid, forcing a strained laugh. “What… what nonsense are you talking about?! Why would I do something so wicked?!”

I raised an eyebrow, my voice dropping to an icy chill. “Because you’re the one who did it. I saw you with my own eyes. Late at night a few days ago, you were sneaking around my pickling crock wearing that red floral padded jacket. You’ve bragged about that jacket all over the compound, anyone could recognize it, no matter how dark it was.”

Sister Wang’s face drained of all color, her lips trembling violently. With the truth laid bare, she had nowhere left to hide.

Everyone stared at her with a mix of utter contempt and fury. In these times of scarcity, ruining food was practically a cardinal sin.

When the political commissar heard the news, he launched an immediate investigation. Sure enough, a bag of lye that hadn’t been disposed of in time was found tucked away in the corner of her kitchen.

With the evidence stacked against her, Sister Wang collapsed to the ground, bursting into a flood of tears.

The fallout was severe: she was publicly denounced for “sabotaging military family unity,” her husband was dragged down by association, and her entire household lost face completely. Out in the compound, no one even bothered to greet them anymore.

As for me, though I had lost a crock of cabbage, the entire compound began to see me in a whole new light: I wasn’t just skilled with a needle, I also knew how to handle malicious people and was by no means a pushover.

Sister Chen even secretly slipped me a few heads of fresh cabbage, offering a warm smile. “Little Sister Lin, you did wonderful. Commander Gu truly hit the jackpot marrying you.”

Hearing those words warmed my heart, making me feel as though I had been handed a wedding blessing all over again.

Looking at the newly pickled crock of cabbage, I couldn’t help picturing Gu Changfeng coming home, eating the sauerkraut noodles I cooked for him, complaining about how “bland” it was while slurping down every last drop in the pot.

Gu Changfeng, while you’re away, I can take care of myself just fine.

But… I miss you so much. I miss that “saying one thing, feeling another” voice in your head, too.

—

Days trickled by, and the field training stretched on for over half a month. Rumors began circulating through the compound, mutterings of a dangerous mission, whispers that someone had fallen… My heart felt as heavy as lead.

Every night, I would startle awake, staring blankly at the ceiling, not daring to let my mind wander too far. I was terrified that if I thought about it too much, that familiar inner voice would vanish forever.

Then, one afternoon, as I was lost in thought by the sewing machine, the door burst open.

Zhang Hao, the young soldier who shadowed Gu Changfeng, stood there, his face deathly pale. “Sister-in-law! It’s bad! The Commander… he’s been hurt!”

A violent buzzing erupted in my head, and the fabric slipped from my fingers.

When I rushed to the clinic, I found him lying on the bed, pale as a sheet. His left arm was wrapped in thick bandages, with blood still seeping through the gauze.

Dr. Chen sighed heavily. “Bullet wound. We extracted the round, but he’s lost a lot of blood, and infection has set in with a soaring fever… Right now, it all depends on whether he has the strength to pull through.”

I grasped his hand, it was cold as ice. Pressing my ear against his chest, I heard only a faint, hollow silence.

“Gu Changfeng… wake up… You promised you’d come back! You big liar…!”

Tears spilled from my eyes, raining down onto his face.

Perhaps those tears woke him. His brows twitched slightly, his lips parting in a faint whisper: “Wanqiu… don’t be scared…”

My heart felt squeezed tightly in a vise.

And then, a faint, weak voice echoed in my mind:

Water… so thirsty…

It was him! It was his inner voice!

Overjoyed, I cried out, “He wants water! Quickly, Dr. Chen!”

After we moistened his lips, his inner thoughts drifted up once more:

Wanqiu… don’t cry… it breaks my heart…

I sobbed and laughed all at once, squeezing his hand tight. “You still have your strength! Listen to me, let me tell you everything: the pothos plant has grown new leaves, the clothes I made got so many compliments, and the sauerkraut out in the yard smells amazing…”

That inner voice gradually grew clearer:

Sauerkraut… want to eat it…

Sobbing between laughs, I nodded. “Alright! Once you get better, I’ll make you sauerkraut noodles with extra meat!”

Meat… Wife… is the best…

Dr. Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief. “It’s a miracle! His vital signs are all stabilizing!”

—

I stayed up all night by his bedside, rambling on about anything and everything, responding to every clumsy thought that drifted out of his mind.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed into the room, his fever broke completely.

He opened his eyes to find me slumped against the bed. The look in his gaze was so impossibly tender, it felt as though he wanted to wrap his entire world around me. He shifted his hand to touch my cheek, but the movement pulled at his wound, forcing a soft grunt from his lips.

I snapped awake, meeting his clear, conscious gaze.

His voice was raspier than ever as he squeezed out just three words: “I’m back home.”

And with that, I threw myself into his arms, weeping like a child.

Only this time, they were tears of pure joy, and even if the entire military compound heard me, I couldn’t care less!