Chapter 20: Chapter 20: My Sacred Duty is Loyalty

Before long, Su Tang walked out from inside, holding a piece of clothing.

“I passed the service station on the way back and popped in for a look.”

“You’ve been wearing that undershirt for ages. It’s time for a new one.”

With that, Su Tang handed the light-blue undershirt to Lu Xiao.

When Su Tang first arrived in the Northwest, she’d noticed that Lu Xiao only had four or five articles of clothing in his entire wardrobe.

Although he usually wore a uniform and didn’t need many civilian clothes, he couldn’t just keep wearing clothes covered in patches, could he?

’Lu Xiao took care of her. It was only right that she buy him some new clothes.’

Lu Xiao’s gaze fell on her slender, pale fingers resting on the blue fabric. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly before he reached out and took the shirt.

“Thank you.”

The material was soft—cotton, probably. It felt very smooth to the touch.

’In that instant, the feeling of being cared for by a woman made Lu Xiao’s heart leap with joy.’

“Well, go try it on. I’m going to find Sister-in-law Zhang Cui.”

Su Tang waved her hand dismissively. ’It’s no big deal. Why is he being so formal, thanking me for it?’

Before heading out, Su Tang grabbed a few White Rabbit candies from a box to take to Zhang Cui.

Lu Xiao watched her back as she left, then looked down and felt the shirt in his hands. He headed into the inner room to change.

It was already past mealtime. Zhang Cui was watching her child while sewing a shoe sole.

Her husband, Wang, was out on a mission and hadn’t been back for over half a month.

“Busy, Sister-in-law?”

Su Tang knocked as she came in. Zhang Cui looked up, saw it was her, and said with a smile, “You’re the only one who bothers to knock anymore. Come on in.”

Su Tang came forward, sat down, and unwrapped a White Rabbit candy to offer to Mai Sui.

“Ooh, what a rare treat! Where did you get this?”

Zhang Cui bit through the thread she was holding, her eyes flashing with a hint of envy as she looked at the candy.

Sugar was a luxury, and creamy candy was even more so—it was about as rare a treat as one could find.

But then, remembering Su Tang’s background, Zhang Cui figured it probably wasn’t such a rare item for her after all.

“Lu Xiao bought them. We’re just trying them for fun. Does it taste good, Mai Sui?”

Su Tang replied, teasing the non-verbal Mai Sui with the White Rabbit candy.

Little Mai Sui was quite responsive, gurgling happily.

Zhang Cui reached out and stroked Mai Sui’s head. “Brother Lu used to pinch pennies on every steamed bun. Look how much he dotes on you now.”

Su Tang knew Zhang Cui was just joking.

’Even if Lu Xiao was frugal, he certainly had enough money for a steamed bun.’

“By the way, I heard Hu Lili was released.”

Zhang Cui set the insole she was working on aside and said this to Su Tang.

Hearing this, Su Tang looked up at Zhang Cui. “Did she pay the compensation?”

’If she had, how could I not know about it?’

At this, Zhang Cui glanced around before leaning in closer. “Hu Jianjun went to see one of the old cadres in our family compound.”

When Hu Jianjun decided to swallow his pride, he really went all out.

He made an emotional appeal to their old connections, and naturally, someone was willing to plead Hu Lili’s case.

That person even paid the compensation money for her.

“Let’s hope she’s learned her lesson,” Su Tang said casually. ’If Hu Lili still doesn’t learn after all this, then she’s truly brainless.’

’It’s not like all the other men in the world have dropped dead, leaving only Lu Xiao.’

’If she just behaved herself in the family compound and kept her job as a kindergarten teacher, she could surely find a good man.’

“I wouldn’t be so sure. If she were capable of learning her lesson, she wouldn’t be Hu Lili.”

Zhang Cui shook her head helplessly. “Brother Lu saved her life. Besides, in Hu Lili’s heart, none of the other men in this entire compound can compare to Brother Lu.”

Realizing what she’d just said, Zhang Cui quickly clamped her mouth shut.

“Look at me, running my mouth again.”

Su Tang’s hand, holding the candy, paused. She simply smiled without saying a word.

She had told Zhang Cui about her hospital interview and mentioned that she’d run into Zheng Jinxin.

Zhang Cui had clearly known something but didn’t say it aloud.

In this day and age, people believed it was better to tear down a temple than to ruin a marriage.

Even if there had been something between Zheng Jinxin and Lu Xiao, he was married now. There was no point in saying anything.

When Su Tang returned to her own place from Zhang Cui’s, Lu Xiao was already making dinner of his own accord.

Su Tang sat in a chair, resting her chin on her hand as she watched the busy man.

Lu Xiao didn’t have much of a chauvinistic streak; they basically took turns with things like cooking.

He would also take care of other chores around the house whenever he had free time.

’He was handsome, tall, and well-built. No wonder other people liked him.’

“Lu Xiao, I heard you saved Hu Lili’s life?”

Lu Xiao, who was in the middle of putting noodles in the pot, was so startled by her sudden question that he nearly dumped them all in at once.

“Who told you that?”

Lu Xiao feigned nonchalance, continuing to cook the noodles with practiced calm.

Su Tang poured herself a glass of water. ’As if he wouldn’t know who told me, even if I didn’t say. It was clearly something everyone in the family compound knew. Otherwise, how would Zhang Cui, who’s lived here for years, know about it?’

“Forget it. It’s your secret, I have no right to ask.”

Su Tang raised an eyebrow slightly and stood up to go into the other room. After a moment of silence, Lu Xiao finally spoke. “It’s true.”

The sound of her retreating footsteps stopped, then changed direction, heading back toward the kitchen.

The woman wore a set of well-fitting work clothes, and her long hair, tied up, gave her a gentle and graceful look.

She put her hands in her pockets and leaned against the doorframe, her eyes crinkling as she smiled. “A hero saving a damsel in distress, huh?”

Lu Xiao crouched down and added a handful of firewood to the stove. “She was sick once, almost died right here in the compound. I carried her to the hospital on my back.”

“Hu Lili was just a young girl back then. As it happened, Hu Jianjun wasn’t around that day, and I was the only man in the family compound.”

“The others couldn’t handle Hu Lili, who was writhing in pain after accidentally ingesting pesticide.”

Lu Xiao just never expected that this act of saving a life would eventually turn into such an unfortunate entanglement.

In his eyes, Hu Lili was like a little sister from next door; he had no romantic feelings for her.

If he had liked her, why would he have ever agreed to his family’s arrangement to marry Su Tang?

Fate was a truly unpredictable thing.

Seeing how frankly Lu Xiao answered, Su Tang nodded slightly in understanding.

’At least he’s being honest,’ she thought.

The tiny trace of jealousy in her heart vanished without a trace.

“Lu Xiao, I don’t care about the past, but we’re husband and wife now. If you…”

“Su Tang.”

Before Su Tang could finish, Lu Xiao suddenly stood up and walked toward her, one step at a time.

Looking at the man’s serious face and his cold, intense eyes, Su Tang couldn’t help but swallow nervously.

“You…”

’That look in his eyes is so fierce, so scary. Did what I just said make him angry? He’s not going to hit me, is he?’

Su Tang took a step back, about to turn and leave.

The corners of Lu Xiao’s lips curved into a slight smirk. The moment she turned, he reached out, his hand landing on the doorframe, blocking her way.

Su Tang’s forehead bumped into his palm as she heard him say one thing.

“Su Tang, I am a soldier. A soldier’s sacred duty is loyalty.”

His loyalty was to his country, and it was to his family.

His words, which sounded so much like a confession, made Su Tang’s face instantly flush a deep red.

’Does he even know what he’s saying?!’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep