Chapter 35: They Kissed

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: They Kissed

"I’m not being bossy." Lu Zhengchuan was dazzled by her smile, his voice growing a little deeper. A tenderness he himself hadn’t noticed spread across his face.

"From the moment I married you, I’ve only ever wanted to build a good life with you. Now that we’ve cleared up our past misunderstanding, you’re not still angry, are you?" Lu Zhengchuan asked again.

Su Wan turned away with a haughty tilt of her head, deliberately avoiding a direct answer. ’You can’t spoil a man,’ she thought. ’To keep him interested, I have to maintain a sense of mystery.’

"About the matter with Zheng Zhizhi, I know you’re innocent now." Su Wan reached out and stroked his buzz cut, which felt a little prickly.

But she didn’t pull her hand away, continuing to meet Lu Zhengchuan’s gaze. "How do you want me to make it up to you?"

Lu Zhengchuan stared at her, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His gaze lingered on her rosy lips.

"Do you want to kiss me?" Su Wan rose onto her tiptoes, closing the distance between them.

The color of Lu Zhengchuan’s eyes deepened. He placed a large hand on the small of her back, pressing her closer. "Su Wan, have you forgotten? I’m your husband."

"Hmm?" Su Wan didn’t understand.

She had just raised her eyes, not yet having time to react, when a fervent kiss descended upon her.

Su Wan’s eyes flew wide. Enveloped in the man’s embrace, she had no strength to struggle. His soft lips moved against hers, and her breathing grew ragged. Before long, her body went soft in his arms.

Feeling her start to slump, Lu Zhengchuan easily pulled her back up with one hand.

「A few minutes later.」

Su Wan buried her face in the crook of Lu Zhengchuan’s neck, refusing to let him see her crimson face. Her mind reeled with memories of their wedding night, when they had simply turned off the lights and spent it in darkness.

In her memory, the pain of that night had far outweighed the pleasure. It was her first time, after all, and to top it off, the man she’d married was hardly small-framed.

Suddenly, Su Wan’s face flushed. She abruptly slapped Lu Zhengchuan’s shoulder and pulled away, unable to stop herself from looking down at him.

Looking a little uncomfortable, Lu Zhengchuan took two steps back and tugged at his pants, a futile attempt to hide the obvious.

"AHEM. If there’s nothing else, I’m going to go take a bath."

Lu Zhengchuan turned and walked out, his steps noticeably hurried.

Su Wan followed him out of the bedroom, a smirk playing on her lips as she called out, "Lu Zhengchuan, where are you going?"

"To the communal bathhouse."

"PFFT." Su Wan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Lu Zhengchuan glanced back at her, not forgetting to add, "Move slowly and be careful."

"I know." Su Wan chuckled, watching him leave.

’I’m pregnant, and besides, it’s broad daylight. It’s not like anything was really going to happen.’

"Sister-in-law, what were you and Big Brother talking about?" Zhang Yun came out of the kitchen, wiping her dripping hands on her apron.

Despite her still-flushed face, Su Wan calmly answered Zhang Yun’s curious question. "It’s nothing. Your big brother was feeling hot and sweaty and wanted to take a bath to cool down."

"Oh, Big Brother is so particular. It’s normal to sweat in the summer," Zhang Yun said, not suspecting a thing. Seeing Su Wan’s crimson face, she added with concern, "Sister-in-law, are you hot too? Maybe we should buy a fan. Since you’re pregnant, the heat must make you even more irritable."

"Buy a fan?" Su Wan shook her head. "No rush. We can buy one after we finish firing the pottery bowls and have earned some money."

Su Wan herself didn’t feel particularly hot. She was more sensitive to the cold than the heat.

Lu Zhengchuan was often away from home, and Zhang Yun would have to return to her village. Buying a fan seemed like a waste. Besides, her university acceptance letter could arrive at any time, and she might not be staying in the family compound much longer.

But since nothing about the future was set in stone, she didn’t mention it to Zhang Yun.

"Alright."

「In the afternoon.」

After finishing lunch and taking her son to school, Zhao Qing returned to continue helping Su Wan make pottery plates.

Lu Zhengchuan, dressed in an undershirt and army-green pants, was renovating the toilet. He was installing a ceramic squat toilet, which was much cleaner than the old squatting trench lined with stone slabs and wouldn’t let odors waft up.

Zhao Qing found herself glancing over at him several times.

Su Wan stood to the side, painting the already-fired pottery plates.

"Wanwan, how much does it cost to have Battalion Commander Lu install one of those squat toilets?" Zhao Qing asked, fishing for information.

"Not expensive. You just need sand, bricks, and the ceramic toilet bowl. It can all be done for five yuan." Lu Zhengchuan had installed one at her family’s home in the village, so she knew the price.

Most families in the compound could afford five yuan.

It was just a question of whether they were willing to part with the money.

"That ceramic toilet bowl... is that the one you just fired?"

"That’s right." Su Wan nodded. "I have no problem firing small pottery and porcelain items like this myself."

Zhao Qing couldn’t help but marvel, "Wanwan, you’re incredible! I never would have imagined making these things myself."

"I learned from someone else. Our county has a lot of artisans," Su Wan said.

Zhao Qing smiled. "That’s still because you’re clever. I’ve been watching you fire pottery bowls for half the day, but if you actually asked me to do it, I’m sure they would just crack."

Zhang Yun nodded along beside them. "That’s right, Sister-in-law Zhao. I also think my sister-in-law is amazing."

Zhao Qing originally disliked Zhang Yun for siding with an outsider against one of their own, but she hadn’t given her a hard time for Su Wan’s sake. After just one day together, she discovered the girl was truly simple-minded, believing anything anyone said.

She suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Su Wan, who had to look after such a grown-up child.

"Xiao Yun, go call Aunt Liu over to see the finished product. Tell her one set is ready."

Su Wan was putting Zhang Yun to work like a hired hand.

Zhang Yun, completely oblivious, was happy to be given a task. "Got it, Sister-in-law! I’ll go right now."

Aunt Liu arrived quickly, bringing along her daughter, Liu Xiangju, who had just gotten off work.

Liu Xiangju was wearing a woman’s military uniform with a skirt, which was very fashionable for the times.

Her hair was in a single thick braid down her back, with a few black clips pinning her hair back from her forehead and revealing her full, round face.

While not delicately featured, she had a face that radiated good fortune, with smiling, crescent-shaped eyes that gave her a sunny and approachable air.

"Sister-in-law Lu, are these the pottery bowls you made? They’re beautiful!" Liu Xiangju said, lovingly handling a plate decorated with pomegranates and the red "double happiness" character.

Aunt Liu inspected the quality of the plates and bowls and, finding them very well-made, nodded in satisfaction.

"Liu Lang, what are you doing standing in the doorway? Hurry and get in here."

Aunt Liu turned and waved. Su Wan looked over and saw a familiar figure.

Liu Lang, dressed in a military uniform, strode inside.

He smiled shyly. "Auntie. Hello, Sisters-in-law."

"Battalion Commander Lu!"

Liu Lang saluted Lu Zhengchuan.

Lu Zhengchuan, who was mixing cement, simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Su Wan watched Liu Lang approach, her brows knitting together slightly. Her mind was filled with the dream she’d had about him.

’That’s right. Liu Lang had appeared in one of her precognitive dreams.’

"Liu Lang, come take a look at these plates and bowls. Do you like them?" Aunt Liu waved him over.

Looking bashful and earnest, Liu Lang walked over.

Su Wan stared at his face for a few moments and noticed the mole at the corner of his eye. She was now positive: he was definitely the man from her precognitive dream.