The 60s Island: The Daily Life of a Capitalist Young Lady with the Army - Chapter 17: This Address... Really Is Quite Direct

Chapter 17: This Address… Really Is Quite Direct

Xu Xiangsi’s gaze shifted from the food to his slightly lowered head, carrying a hint of scrutiny.

“Was it you who closed my door?” she asked lazily, her voice still tinged with the hoarseness of someone just waking up.

Long Peiye’s hand, holding the pen, paused almost imperceptibly before he slowly raised his head, his eyes somewhat evasive, unable to meet hers directly.

“Mm,” he mumbled vaguely.

Xu Xiangsi raised an eyebrow. “What? Was my open door for ventilation bothering you?”

A faint blush crept up the base of Long Peiye’s ears, and his voice lowered slightly. “No.”

He hesitated for a moment but decided to tell the truth. After all, this kind of thing couldn’t be hidden and would only make him seem petty.

“When I came back, I saw you were asleep.”

“Your… your blanket had slipped down, and your clothes… had ridden up a bit.”

He tried to describe it in the most neutral tone possible, but the discomfort on his face was impossible to conceal.

“I thought it wasn’t appropriate for a female comrade to be like that, and you might catch a cold, so… I just closed the door for you.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiangsi was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling with a teasing glint. “Oh, Battalion Commander Long, I didn’t expect you to be such a gentleman!”

Long Peiye felt a bit embarrassed by her laughter and stiffened his expression, speaking earnestly. “Isn’t this just the most basic morality and respect as a person?”

Xu Xiangsi pursed her lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

After all, she had encountered far too many sleazy men in the past.

Long Peiye cleared his throat, trying to steer the conversation back on track. He opened all the food containers and placed the chopsticks in front of her. “You must be hungry, right? Let’s eat first. This food was just brought back from the canteen and is still warm.”

Xu Xiangsi didn’t stand on ceremony either. She pulled out the chair opposite him, sat down, and picked up her chopsticks.

As the containers were opened, the aroma grew even richer.

Steamed rice, braised pork in brown sauce, stir-fried greens, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes—a well-balanced mix of meat and vegetables that looked quite appetizing.

Seeing her about to start eating, Long Peiye added, “I didn’t know what you like to eat, so I just picked a few dishes at random.”

“If there’s anything you don’t like or anything you’d prefer, just let me know. Next time, I can have them prepare something special or skip that dish.”

Xu Xiangsi picked up a bite of greens, chewed it carefully, and her eyes lit up slightly.

“I’m not picky,” she said. “I eat whatever’s available. I’m quite easy to feed.”

She then tried a piece of the braised pork in brown sauce and nodded in satisfaction. “For army mess hall food, this is really good—better than some dishes at state-run restaurants in Shanghai.”

This wasn’t flattery but a genuine compliment.

Hearing this, Long Peiye felt somewhat relieved. At least when it came to food, she seemed satisfied.

“The army cooks are all skilled chefs,” he said, recalling the announcement made at the regiment headquarters during the day. “By the way, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“I’ve informed the key officers and a few leaders in the battalion about our marriage.”

“Three days from now, I’d like to invite them over for a simple meal at home, to introduce them to the place and let them meet you.”

Xu Xiangsi’s hand, holding the chopsticks, paused mid-air as she looked up at him.

Long Peiye observed her reaction and continued, “When the time comes, I’ll cook. You won’t have to worry about it.”

Xu Xiangsi understood perfectly.

This was necessary socializing for him as a battalion commander, and she, as his nominal wife, naturally had to attend and play her part.

As long as she wasn’t expected to exhaust herself with the preparations, it was all fine by her.

She smiled faintly. “Alright, I have no objections.”

“These are your comrades. Leaders and subordinates—how you entertain them is your business. I’ll just cooperate.”

She thought to herself: since he was doing the cooking and putting in the effort, all she had to do was show up and play the part of the “dutiful” battalion commander’s wife. It wasn’t a bad deal.

She could also take the opportunity to see what the families of the officers on the island were like, getting a feel for the environment in advance.

Seeing her agree so readily without any sign of reluctance or difficulty, Long Peiye’s tense nerves relaxed considerably.

“That’s good.” He breathed an inward sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face. “You’ve been tired these past few days. Rest well tonight.”

“Tomorrow, there’s nothing much to do. I’ll take you to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy whatever you need, and… I’ll take you to the seaside for a stroll, so you can familiarize yourself with the surroundings.”

Hearing that they were going to the supply and marketing cooperative, Xu Xiangsi’s eyes lit up. A trip to the seaside sounded nice too—a perfect chance to relax.

“Great!” she agreed cheerfully.

Soon, the food was mostly finished between the two of them.

Full and satisfied, Xu Xiangsi put down her chopsticks, leaned back in her chair, and watched Long Peiye.

Without a word, Long Peiye stood up and began clearing the bowls, chopsticks, and lunchboxes from the table.

His movements were swift and practiced, clearly something he was used to doing.

Xu Xiangsi crossed her arms and leisurely followed him to the kitchen doorway, leaning against the doorframe as she watched him washing dishes by the sink.

Under the dim yellow light, his broad back looked especially dependable.

“Hmm, not bad, Battalion Commander Long,” she said with a laugh, drawing out her words. “There might be a reward later.”

Long Peiye paused in his dishwashing, turning his head slightly. The warm yellow light cast a soft glow on his face, and his eyes held a trace of amused resignation at her teasing.

“Your reward… it’s not just another one yuan, is it?”

He recalled the one yuan she had “rewarded” him with on the ship and couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Xu Xiangsi raised an eyebrow. “What? Think it’s too little?”

Long Peiye turned back to the dishes. The sound of running water filled the air as his voice, tinged with laughter, came through. “Not at all, not at all. I was just thinking that, with you alone, Miss Xu, I could save up quite a bit of pocket money.”

Xu Xiangsi laughed at this, stepping forward and lightly patting his sturdy shoulder with her slender fingers.

“Good awareness! Stick with me, and I guarantee you’ll rise from poverty to prosperity, enjoying the finest things in life!”

Her tone carried a bold, almost swaggering confidence, as if he were truly a subordinate in need of her guidance.

Long Peiye chuckled softly, the low sound brushing lightly over Xu Xiangsi’s heart like a feather.

“Alright then, I’ll follow Miss Xu’s lead,” he said, lowering his head slightly. His eyes held a hint of teasing, but there was also a fleeting seriousness in them.

“But…” he shifted his tone, his voice growing more measured, “you can’t speak like that outside from now on. It’s easy for people to seize on your words and accuse you of promoting Capitalism. After all, these days… the poorer you are, the more honorable.”

Xu Xiangsi’s smile stiffened slightly.

She had forgotten this detail—her usual casual jokes were indeed somewhat inappropriate in this era of red flags waving high and everyone striving to be progressive.

“Sorry,” she pursed her lips, with a touch of genuine apology, “that was careless of me. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

She looked up at him, her gaze clear and bright: “And I’ll try my best… not to cause you any trouble either.”

Long Peiye watched her rare display of seriousness and obedience, feeling a slight stir in his heart. The smile in his eyes softened.

“Well then, thank you for your understanding, my wife,” he said half-jokingly and half-seriously, with a trace of unconscious intimacy in his tone.

“Wife?”

Xu Xiangsi was momentarily stunned—this form of address… was certainly direct.