Rebirth: Sensational Military Wife in 70s...

Chapter 31: Private Talk at Dinner

During dinner, Shi Tingyu mentioned her encounter with Granny Lu earlier that day.

Lu Weiwei paused in his eating and put down his chopsticks. "Don't worry about it. Just refuse directly next time you encounter such a situation."

Shi Tingyu smiled. "I did refuse."

Lu Weiwei thought for a moment and decided to give his wife some advice. Some old ladies can be very persistent, and it's often hard to deal with them.

His wife was quite shy and might struggle with standing firm.

"If you come across someone like that again and they won't take no for an answer, just tell them to come to me. Say you can't make the decision, and push it onto me."

This piqued Shi Tingyu's interest.

"You can deal with those women?"

"Of course," Lu Weiwei said, his voice slightly lowered.

"What would you do if Granny Lu came to you?"

Lu Weiwei's expression grew momentarily awkward. "Actually... Granny Lu did come to see me."

Shi Tingyu raised an eyebrow, surprised that the old lady had approached Lu Weiwei. "She wasn't scared of you?"

"Maybe... she was," Lu Weiwei said, recalling how Granny Lu seemed a bit timid.

Shi Tingyu became curious. "Tell me exactly what happened."

After thinking carefully, Lu Weiwei recounted the encounter with Granny Lu, including how he suggested that her daughter might do the cooking and save money.

Shi Tingyu laughed out loud when she heard that part.

Lu Weiwei was puzzled by her reaction. "What's so funny? Was I wrong to say that?"

"No, not at all," Shi Tingyu said, appreciating his handling of Granny Lu. "When they don't experience the consequences themselves, they don't understand the difficulty until it affects them directly."

Lu Weiwei looked at her, his heart stirred by her smile, which made her eyes crescent-shaped.

Indeed, the discomfort only hits home when it's personally felt.

Shi Tingyu offered him a serving of vegetables with her chopsticks. "This is a reward for you."

Lu Weiwei was momentarily stunned by the gesture.

Shi Tingyu rarely served him directly, and whenever she did, it was either with a shared or serving utensil, never with her own chopsticks. This was the first time she used her own chopsticks to serve him.

It felt like the invisible barrier between them had lessened.

"Why aren't you eating?" Shi Tingyu noticed he was staring at the food and asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm eating now," Lu Weiwei said, quickly finishing the food she had served him.

Shi Tingyu didn't realize the significance of her gesture. She usually only used serving utensils unless guests were present.

Even though they were married, their relationship was still relatively new, and she hadn't yet adjusted to using personal utensils for him.

Lu Weiwei, on the other hand, noticed this change and was pleased.

Shi Tingyu continued, "Since I didn't take that two yuan, you really don't mind?"

Lu Weiwei looked at her and said firmly, "It's not about the money. If you don't want to do it, then don't. Whether it's two yuan or two hundred, it's not worth it."

Shi Tingyu laughed, "If she had really given me two hundred, I might have considered it."

Lu Weiwei looked at her, noticing her rare money-oriented side, and said gently, "You don't need to worry about money. My salary is all yours."

Shi Tingyu blushed slightly at his words and quickly changed the topic. "Alright, let's finish dinner."

Lu Weiwei nodded and quickly finished his meal.

As they were close, Shi Tingyu's hand occasionally brushed against Lu Weiwei's arm as she served him. He didn't seem to mind or pull away.

After dinner, when Shi Tingyu went to clean up the dishes by the well, she noticed how close they had been sitting. She tried to stay calm and rationalized it as a natural result of chatting.

Indeed, talking can bridge gaps between people.

They washed dishes together by the well, with Shi Tingyu occasionally helping by pressing the water for him.

As Shi Tingyu washed, her thoughts wandered.

"Weiwei, now that summer is coming and it gets dark later, should we set up a light in the yard for winter? Otherwise, it will be hard to see while washing dishes."

Lu Weiwei efficiently washed the dishes and replied, "Sure, I'll take care of it when the time comes."

It's often said that working together as a couple is less tiring. They completed the task quickly and efficiently.

After washing the dishes, Lu Weiwei prepared hot water for Shi Tingyu to bathe. Although there was a public bathhouse in the camp, it was hot, and people preferred to bathe at home to avoid waiting in line.

For winter, they would need a larger setup. Lu Weiwei had ordered a bath bucket and cover for Shi Tingyu to use at home.

The cover, like a mosquito net, would make bathing in cold weather more comfortable.

Shi Tingyu couldn't remember when the bath cover was invented, but it was either late 1970s or early 1980s.

Lu Weiwei had ordered it based on her description, though it was still summer and not yet needed.

As Shi Tingyu bathed in the bucket, she felt a bit awkward but looked forward to the day when reforms would bring more products and improve living conditions.

She could bathe in the space if needed, using the spiritual spring water, but she wasn't sure about it.

Most people bathe in a large basin left in the sun to warm up, but she needed to bathe daily, especially after sweating from dinner.

While bathing in a separate room, Shi Tingyu heard a flicker in the light, and the room went dark after a few seconds.