Chapter 28: Allowance

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Allowance

Lu Zhengchuan felt a tickle on his arm. When he looked down, her slender fingers had already pulled away.

"I have some money stashed away at my personal quarters, but after buying the watch, I only have a little over ten yuan left." As Lu Zhengchuan said this, his hand slowed as he went to pull out the money.

"A man needs to keep some money on him," Lu Zhengchuan said, his lips pursed.

But his gaze wouldn’t meet Su Wan’s, and he didn’t seem all that confident.

Su Wan knew how to handle men; it required a delicate balance. Hearing his words, she reached out and gave his firm, muscular arm a squeeze. "A little over ten yuan is fine. That can be your spending money."

"As for subsidizing the families of your comrades, let me think about it some more. You can continue exchanging military grain rations for national ones. But if we really want to solve the financial hardships these families are facing, we need to teach them how to provide for themselves. Otherwise, we’re just treating the symptoms, not the root cause." Su Wan agreed with his general approach but offered her own perspective.

Lu Zhengchuan had already been moved by her kindness the night before. After all, not every wife would be willing to subsidize the families of their husband’s comrades.

Even other battalion commanders like himself had their own families to support.

Besides, Su Wan was pregnant now. It would be perfectly understandable for her to prioritize their child.

’Besides, that’s my child too.’

"Okay, I’ll listen to you." Lu Zhengchuan knew Su Wan was very knowledgeable, a genuinely brilliant person. He didn’t fully understand her yet, but he instinctively chose to trust in her confidence.

Su Wan gave a slight nod.

The two returned to the dining table and started on their respective breakfasts.

Lu Zhengchuan polished off a steamed bun in just two or three bites, eating it with pickled vegetables and great relish. He left the other bun for her. "This is a meat bun. You can try it. If you can’t stomach it, I’ll eat it."

Su Wan had just finished a vegetable bun and taken a sip of porridge. Hearing him, she tentatively picked up the meat bun and took a few bites, but a wave of nausea immediately rose in her throat.

"Ugh." Su Wan clapped a hand over her mouth.

With quick reflexes, Lu Zhengchuan took the meat bun from her and placed a bowl of malted milk drink in front of her.

Su Wan gagged for a moment from the morning sickness. She felt better after drinking some of the sweet malted milk, but she didn’t touch the meat bun again.

"Eat the egg for nutrition." Lu Zhengchuan finished off the rest of her meat bun in a single bite, and at the same time, placed a peeled egg in front of her.

Su Wan’s lips parted, but in the end, she said nothing. ’The intimacy of him eating food she’d just had her mouth on felt a little awkward.’

Thankfully, she was able to eat the egg.

But two was her limit. If it weren’t for the baby’s nutrition, she wouldn’t have wanted to eat at all.

Lu Zhengchuan finished everything that was left, including the rest of her meat porridge.

After breakfast, Lu Zhengchuan quickly and efficiently washed the bowls and chopsticks.

"Do you feel like you’re losing face by washing the dishes?" Su Wan asked softly, standing at the kitchen entrance.

Lu Zhengchuan dried the water from his arms with a towel. "Did someone say something?"

"No, I was just curious. After all, you’re ’a big man’." As Su Wan said the last three words, the corners of her mouth lifted in a subtle, teasing smile.

’She could always sense a hint of male chauvinism in Lu Zhengchuan.’

’He didn’t seem like the type of person who would normally lower himself to do chores.’

"I rarely get to take leave, and I have less than five days left of this vacation. I don’t have much time to spend with you and the baby, so I want to do more while I’m here," Lu Zhengchuan explained.

Su Wan fell silent. ’She’d actually forgotten that Lu Zhengchuan was on leave.’

"When you go on a mission later, will you have to leave the family compound?" Su Wan asked the crucial question.

"...It’s highly likely." After answering her directly, Lu Zhengchuan wasn’t sure what else to say.

"It’s fine. I’ve already thought about this." ’This was the main drawback of marrying a soldier. She had managed just fine in the village, and she would manage just fine here in the compound, too.’

"You should go get to your business."

Seeing that she wasn’t angry, Lu Zhengchuan left with his mind at ease.

Before he left, however, he took the initiative to add, "I’m going to cooperate with the investigation. I’ll ask Xiao Li to come over and help you fire the earthen kiln."

"Alright."

Lu Zhengchuan left and headed straight for his office.

Xiao Li arrived a short while later. "Ma’am, just tell me what you need."

"I just need you to help me add firewood and tend the fire."

With Su Wan directing Xiao Li, the process of drying the earthen kiln went smoothly.

When Aunt Liu came to visit, Su Wan was reclining on a lounge chair in the yard, reading a book.

"Wanwan, you’ve already finished the kiln? It’s a little small, but it looks really good." Aunt Liu circled the kiln, then quickly asked, "When will this be ready to use? Are you sure you don’t need to borrow the large kiln from the factory?"

"Don’t worry, Auntie. It’ll be ready to use in three days. If there’s really a problem, I have other solutions. I definitely won’t delay Xiangju’s wedding banquet."

Aunt Liu’s youngest daughter was named Liu Xiangju.

"Good, good, good. I believe you." Aunt Liu wasn’t worried that Su Wan would actually dare to mess things up. ’That would be like offending her on purpose.’

"Actually, I didn’t come here today to ask about the kiln. I heard that the issue between Battalion Commander Lu and that woman, Zheng Zhizhi, was brought before the leadership. You didn’t get the short end of the stick, did you? How did things turn out?"

Su Wan replied gratefully, "Auntie, it’s all settled. It turns out it was just Zheng Zhizhi’s one-sided obsession all along. The military will be handing down a punishment soon. You’ll hear about it then."

Aunt Liu hadn’t expected the military to deal with the rumors so quickly this time.

But that very afternoon, two official announcements came down.

Zhang Yun and Zheng Zhizhi personally read their letters of apology over the broadcast system.

Instantly, gossip about the Lu Family spread throughout the entire military compound.

Su Wan spent the whole afternoon entertaining a stream of visitors—other wives from the compound, like Zhang Ru, Zhao Qing, and Aunt Liu.

Some were on good terms with her, while others she didn’t know well just came to join in on the gossip.

Su Wan just laughed it all off.

No one dared to say anything untoward to her face, so the atmosphere remained fairly harmonious.

"Ma’am, there’s a phone call for you at the communications office," Xiao Li said as he walked in.

Everyone else looked at Su Wan.

Hearing this, Zhang Ru stood up. "Wanwan, you should go get the call. We’ll head back now. Thanks for your hospitality this afternoon."

With Zhang Ru, the Division Commander’s wife, taking the lead, the other women all rose to their feet as well.

"That’s right, your business is more important. We’ll all be going now."

"Alright, ladies, let’s chat again next time."

Su Wan followed Xiao Li out of the house and got onto the back of the bicycle he had borrowed.

"Xiao Li, do you know who’s calling me?"

"I think it’s your family, Ma’am." Xiao Li had asked when he got the message.

Su Wan was instantly delighted to hear it was her family, but she also felt a pang of guilt. ’After all, she hadn’t mentioned a single word about the situation with Zheng Zhizhi and Zhang Yun to them. They must have heard the news and would surely be worried.’

Sure enough.

When Su Wan picked up the phone, Mother Su’s first words were an angry question: "Wanwan, did Zhang Yun and Zheng Zhizhi bully you?"

"Mom, don’t worry. The matter is already resolved. The military punished both of them, and Lu Zhengchuan stood by my side."

Su Wan knew exactly what her mother wanted to hear, and sure enough, that one sentence was enough to soothe the frantic Mother Su.

"You silly girl, you’re too foolish! If something this big happens again, you have to tell your family! And Xiao Lu, too! How can he claim to have nothing to do with Zheng Zhizhi but not bother to clarify the rumors back in the village?"