As He Zhilan was thinking about how to comfort Kang Xing, fortunately, Kang Xing just asked one question without further probing, then put on a face of grievance, and said, "Sister-in-law! The last time you came, you darned our deputy regiment commander’s socks, and you don’t know, the deputy flaunted them in front of us for quite a long time. If you have time, could you darn ours too? Next time the deputy shows off, we’ll have the confidence too!"
"Why bother with darning? You guys have hands and feet, can’t you do it yourselves? Sister Zhilan is Uncle He’s daughter-in-law, darning socks for her husband is fine, but what’s the point of darning socks for you guys?" Chen Ya’nan gave Kang Xing a look of disdain, "You were sent back for matchmaking, and you even complained that the girls weren’t pretty enough!"
In the past two years, Kang Xing had been called back home once for matchmaking, and ended up disliking the girl for not being pretty enough. This had become a well-known amusing story throughout the whole unit.
"Exactly, Kang Xing, that’s where you went wrong. Even if she’s not that pretty, at the very least, she’s someone who could darn your socks!" He Zhilan teased him, then looked around the crowd and asked, "How come I still don’t see Niu Rang? He wasn’t here last time I came, and it’s been such a long time, he’s still not back?"
"Niu Rang’s been out on a mission for a long time now! No clue what he’s up to, it’s already been two months, and he hasn’t returned even once. The deputy hasn’t told us what he’s doing, when he’ll come back, nobody knows," Kang Xing sighed, "Honestly, even though Niu Rang always used to tease me, now that he’s not been around for so long, I really do miss him."
He Zhilan instantly understood and thought to herself that it seemed rare for He Teng to be away on a mission for such a long time, two months. Anyone who knew him would probably miss him.
After standing around and chatting for a while, the group dispersed. On her way back home, what He Zhilan was thinking about was what Kang Xing and the others had said – that He Teng had been showing off the socks she had mended for him?
She always felt that such childish behavior was unlike something He Teng would do.
But then again, she thought, if He Teng could even steal a kiss from her, boasting about something might not be impossible for him.
When she got home, the first thing He Zhilan did was look for He Teng. When she saw him sitting in the living room reading a book, she walked over and sat beside him, peering at him with a grin until it made him so uncomfortable that he couldn’t continue reading his book.
"Why are you acting crazy as soon as you get back?" He Teng furrowed his brows, "Why are you staring at me for no reason?"
"I just haven’t seen you for over an hour, and I missed you, that’s all!" He Zhilan responded playfully with a grin, then got up and said, "I’m going to take a shower!"
Then, she went straight into He Teng’s bedroom to fetch the pajamas she had left there last time, while her toiletries had stayed in the bathroom ever since she last left.
However, by the time He Zhilan came out after her shower, He Teng was no longer in the living room, but had instead locked himself in the bedroom, and all He Zhilan’s belongings had been moved to the adjacent room.
He Zhilan, looking at the tightly closed door, was so angry she almost broke her white teeth grinding them. Was He Teng treating her like a ghost, keeping her at bay ?
The next morning, as soon as it was light, He Zhilan got out of bed, ready to join the political commissar’s wife on a ride to the city. As she stepped out, she happened to see He Teng walking out of the next room’s door. Thinking of He Teng’s sneaky behavior the night before, He Zhilan, unable to contain her irritation, walked over and stomped on He Teng’s foot, snorted, and after venting her frustration, she pouted and went to the bathroom to wash up.