Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 36

Ye Fanglan was sitting by the door, sorting vegetables, while her son, Li Mingjie, played marbles with a few other children nearby.

“Sis, look who’s here!” Ye Fangfei jumped off her bicycle, beaming as she looked toward the door at the pregnant woman approaching.

Fanglan looked a little plumper than Fangfei remembered, her cheeks rosy, and she looked healthy.

“Little sister, what a surprise! What brings you here?” Fanglan exclaimed as she stood up too quickly and wobbled slightly to the side.

Fangfei’s eyes widened in alarm, and she hurried over to steady her.

“My sister! Take it slow, you really need to be careful. What if you fall in this condition?”

Shen Cuijuan, equally alarmed, dashed over from the bicycle, grabbing Fanglan’s another arm.

“It’s fine, really! I just got too excited seeing you,” Fanglan said with her usual carefree laugh, patting her belly. “I was planning to visit once I heard you were opening a shop, but the baby’s almost due, so I didn’t want to get in the way.”

“Don’t be so formal with us,” Fangfei said, helping her sit down. “I’ve been too busy preparing for the shop opening to come see you properly. When’s your due date?”

“Half a month away,” Fanglan replied, smiling warmly. She affectionately took Cuijuan’s hand. “And this must be Cuijuan, right? You’re looking even prettier as you grow up.”

Blushing, Cuijuan said softly, “Fanglan sis, I’m Cuijuan. When my brother married my sister-in-law, we met once. You even gave me a handful of candies, which I saved—but Zhanqiang swiped most of them that night.”

Fanglan laughed heartily. “No worries! I still have some. Come on, I’ll get them for you inside.”

She still treated them like children.

Fanglan waved at the little chubby boy playing in the yard. “Mingjie, your aunt Fangfei and Aunt Cuijuan are here—come greet them!”

Li Mingjie was three, plump and adorable. He didn’t remember Fangfei, but he still ran over obediently and greeted them as his mother had taught.

“Auntie, Auntie Juan!”

“Oh, my good nephew!” Fangfei ruffled his cheeks and brought over the egg cakes from the bicycle. “Your auntie brought you some treats.”

Fanglan had already opened the door. “Fangfei, Cuijuan, come in.”

The staff quarters of the grain station consisted of rows of red-brick houses. Li Dongsheng had two rooms: a living room and a bedroom, with a kitchen beside it and a shared bathroom.

The living room was neat and tidy, with a tea table in the center, two sofas nearby, and a fan on the table.

Fanglan gestured for them to sit, pointing the fan toward them, then busied herself pouring water.

Fangfei placed two packs of pastries on the tea table and took the kettle from her. “Sis, let me do it. Sit down, don’t tire yourself.”

Seeing Li Mingjie sweating under the hot sun, Cuijuan took him to the tap to wash his hands and face, then gave him a pastry. “This is made by your aunt—it’s really tasty.”

After taking care of the little boy, she handed one to Fanglan. “Sis, you try it too.”

Fanglan smiled, taking it and sitting beside Cuijuan. “Cuijuan, every time I met your sister before, she’d praise you. I envied her for having such a wonderful sister-in-law. I wish I had a little sister like you too.”

She chuckled and sighed. “But luck wasn’t on my side—my husband’s an only child, so I don’t even have someone to chat with. You’ll have to come often. We may not be sisters-in-law, but we can be like sisters.”

“Sis, as long as you don’t mind, I’ll come see you often,” Fangfei replied.

Sipping her tea, feeling the cool breeze from the fan, Fangfei listened to their warm conversation. Fanglan’s words made Cuijuan relax and smile, shedding all her previous shyness.

No wonder Fanglan could enjoy life so comfortably.

The cool wind brushed Fangfei’s face. She sighed in contentment—the first time she had felt a fan’s breeze here. If not for tight finances, she would have bought one for herself; it would make sleeping at night much more comfortable, without waking up hot multiple times.

“Sis, how much was this fan?” Fangfei asked.

Fanglan laughed. “Your husband said over 100. I didn’t want it, but he insisted, so I only found out after it arrived.”

Although she felt a twinge of guilt over the expense, it also made her heart feel sweet. Li Dongsheng wasn’t extravagant, he just couldn’t bear seeing her uncomfortable at night.

Fangfei smiled knowingly. “Your husband cares so much about you. You’re lucky.”

Fanglan playfully glared at her. Before she could reply, Cuijuan hurriedly chimed in, “Auntie, my brother is very good too. He’s just busy with the military. Once he’s back, he’ll care for you properly.”

Fangfei laughed. “Cuijuan, I don’t know about him, but I know you treat me well!”

Cuijuan blushed, realizing Fangfei was teasing.

By now, it was almost noon. After chatting briefly with her sister, Fangfei got ready to leave.

“No way, you’re staying for lunch!” Fanglan insisted.

“Sis, the shop opens the day after tomorrow. We have so much to prepare. After this busy period, I’ll come visit properly,” Fangfei said.

Fanglan tugged on her and Cuijuan, refusing to let them leave. “It’s just a little while. My husband will be off work soon. I’ll cook a few dishes, and you can eat before you go.”

“My grandparents are still at the shop. If Cuijuan and I don’t return, they’ll be waiting,” Fangfei explained.

Realizing she couldn’t keep them, Fanglan relented. “Alright then, the day after tomorrow, my husband and I will come early. I can’t help much, but he can assist a little.”

Fangfei smiled and nodded, gently patting little Li Mingjie’s head before leaving the staff quarters with Cuijuan.

Before leaving, she noticed the basket of flyers. Fangfei handed them all to Fanglan. “Sis, give these to your husband. He can distribute them at work—our opening promotion runs for the first three days.”

“Oh, you even printed flyers?” Fanglan laughed, glancing at the discounts. “I’ll have my husband hand them out this afternoon, and I’ll help spread the word here at the quarters too.”

“Thanks so much, sis and brother-in-law,” Fangfei said gratefully.

Walking along Renmin North Road, Fangfei and Cuijuan suddenly spotted two familiar figures near a small courtyard in front of two shops.

“Isn’t that Shen Zhanping and Liu Wenjing?” Cuijuan whispered.

Ever since the last argument, Cuijuan had stopped calling them brother and sister-in-law, addressing them by name instead.

“That’s them,” Fangfei confirmed, eyeing their backs. She tugged Cuijuan’s sleeve. “Stop here. I’ll go see what they’re up to.”

Cuijuan engaged the handbrake and parked the bicycle.

“Wait here. I’ll check nearby,” Fangfei said, crossing the street toward a small inn beside the courtyard.