Chapter 19: Silently Making a Big Move

On the way home, Li Sanhua didn’t mention the earlier matter at all, and Lu Youyou once again admired her sister-in-law’s high emotional intelligence.

“Sis, you’re going to the canteen at noon, right? How about I take you for a walk up the mountain when you get back?”

Lu Youyou was curious. “I saw some mountains nearby when we arrived. Can we really go up there? I thought this whole area was a military restricted zone.”

Li Sanhua smiled warmly. “Of course. The mountains behind are quite large. Except for the areas they’ve cordoned off, you’re free to go anywhere. Besides, where else would we get firewood for cooking?”

Hearing this, Lu Youyou felt a flush rise to her cheeks. She had assumed the pile of firewood in the kitchen was a military family quota, but it turned out Li Sanhua and her husband helped gather it.

Once home, Lu Youyou immediately immersed her consciousness into the villa, took out a bottle of external medicinal wine, transferred it into an unlabelled glass bottle, and offered it to Li Sanhua.

At first, Li Sanhua refused adamantly. Her husband and Gu Qingye were sworn brothers; Gu Qingye had already brought fruits and canned goods before, so it felt improper to accept more gifts from Lu Youyou.

“Sis, soldiers often have injuries and ailments. This is perfect for massages,” Lu Youyou said as she handed over a note. “I wrote down how to use it. You’ve helped me so much; this bottle of medicinal wine is nothing in return!”

Li Sanhua thought of Wang Youcai’s knees that ached whenever it rained and the throat irritation he suffered, leaving her speechless as she struggled to refuse.

Lu Youyou smiled gently and pushed the bottle forward.

“Please accept it. We’ll be heading up the mountain, and I’ll need you as my guide. I’m a complete novice and don’t know a thing. I’m counting on you, sis!”

Finally resolved, Li Sanhua grasped Lu Youyou’s hand.

“Sis, to be honest, this medicinal wine touched my heart. I won’t be polite about it anymore. Don’t worry, I promise we’ll come back with a full load!”

Seeing Lu Youyou about to leave, Li Sanhua made up her mind, abandoning her son once again. The cooking squad was all grown men; she accompanied Lu Youyou to keep the young girl comfortable.

The camp canteen remained bustling. Xiao Li was still in his usual spot. When he saw Lu Youyou, his eyes sparkled brightly, and he waved his serving spoon vigorously.

“Hello, sis! Give me your lunchbox, and I guarantee you’ll always have hot meals whenever you go out!”

Xiao Li entrusted the lunchbox carefully to a comrade and gave Lu Youyou detailed instructions before untying his apron and leading her further inside.

“Sis, we’ve brought back the potassium permanganate. Last night, I rubbed it all over the sow. This morning, we fed her bran and celery, but she didn’t eat much.”

He had made two hospital trips yesterday, asking for this and that, receiving several stern looks from the nurse. But as long as the sow and piglets were doing well, he didn’t mind at all.

Lu Youyou immediately slipped into work mode. Xiao Li handed her a form, prepared according to her specifications for observation and record-keeping.

Lu Youyou continued explaining the precautions. Several young soldiers gathered around, some taking notes, fearing they might miss something important.

Though some details differed from what the old squad leader had said, everything seemed practical and effective. They had to write it all down and report back to the squad leader upon his return.

Li Sanhua couldn’t help but watch attentively.

She didn’t quite know how to describe it—Lu Youyou’s earnest demeanor was dazzling. It strengthened her resolve to “steal” such a talented girl away; someone so outstanding belonged in the Women’s Federation!

Just as Li Sanhua was about to step forward for a better view, someone suddenly stood beside her.

“Director Zheng?”

Startled, Li Sanhua recognized the visitor as Zheng Liangong, the head of logistics.

Not only did the catering squad fall under the logistics department, but the welfare and daily lives of military families were also their responsibility.

Zheng Liangong gestured for Li Sanhua to keep quiet.

Worried that he might have reservations about Lu Youyou, Li Sanhua hurriedly lowered her voice to explain.

“Yesterday was urgent, and Comrade Lu just happened to know the technical side, so she helped a bit. Though she’s young, she’s earnest and responsible. I was worried today, so I came to check on her myself…”

Zheng Liangong couldn’t help but smile. Was he here to cause trouble? He didn’t look that fearsome.

“Comrade Li Sanhua, having such talent in the military family team is something we welcome wholeheartedly.”

Hearing this, Li Sanhua quickly changed her tune. “Yes, yes, I was thinking of recommending her to join us!”

Zheng Liangong was momentarily taken aback, having forgotten there was a Women’s Federation. But there was no rush—it could be observed further.

Meanwhile, Lu Youyou felt as if she had returned to her school days.

Surrounded by eager eyes, these young soldiers’ enthusiasm remained undiminished despite the harsh environment. Each was willing to give everything for the uniform they wore.

Gradually, she became fully engaged. Thanks to her photographic memory and having ranked first in her previous life, after removing overly advanced topics, she still captivated her audience completely.

“Sis, I understood everything you said immediately. How does the saying go? Clear and simple, easy to grasp!”

“Sis, your grandfather was amazing. I really want to meet him and seek his guidance!”

Lu Youyou was now quite skilled at embellishing the truth. The original owner’s grandfather had been a renowned doctor who treated mules, horses, cattle, and sheep during the war and had since passed away. As long as she didn’t stray too far, she could say anything.

She pondered briefly. “How about this? I’ll organize all these materials into a booklet when I return. There’s still a lot I need to recall.”

The young soldiers’ eyes sparkled, unable to believe such a surprise was in store.

Lu Youyou smiled. “Don’t rush. The materials are varied, and it’s been some time, so it will take a little while.”

Xiao Li quickly waved his hand, afraid that their unexpected good teacher might get scared off. “Don’t misunderstand, we’re not in a hurry, not at all—we’re just so happy!”

Though conditions in the military were better than civilian life, not all materials were available, especially professional books unrelated to military affairs.

Take pig farming, for example—they mostly relied on the squad leader’s hands-on teaching, and their learning materials were just their own notes.

Now that heaven had sent them a good teacher, how could they not be excited?

Moreover, the teacher’s lessons were lively and easy to understand, unlike their squad leader, who was so strict!

Li Sanhua hadn’t expected this turn of events but felt a certain pride and honor.

Zheng Liangong came and went without informing anyone, as if merely curious to observe.

Under the admiring gazes of all, Lu Youyou carried her homemade food and a jar of pickled vegetables out of the canteen.

Indeed, Xiao Li had packed another jar for her—this time dried radish, still a prized possession of the squad leader.

On the way back, Li Sanhua candidly shared her thoughts. Zheng Liangong’s sudden appearance today had given her a sense of urgency—after all, the logistics department could also recruit social workers.

“Sis, I want to discuss something with you. The Women’s Federation still has an opening in the publicity department, and I want to recommend you.”

Dropping such a big offer suddenly, Lu Youyou was stunned for a few seconds before responding, “Sis, this is so sudden—I’ve never thought about…”

Refusing outright seemed ungrateful, but she truly hadn’t considered working at all.