"It must be twenty degrees below zero today," Old Hei cursed, finding it almost impossible to move in the biting cold.
A real fight would be a tough one.
Sixth Son's face was stern. "It probably is."
The snow was too deep; they had to send people to clear the base first. Otherwise, training would be impossible. Clearing the snow alone took the entire morning, and it would likely continue into the afternoon.
On their way to the mess hall, Old Hei overheard many people discussing the cracked skin cream they had been issued.
"You guys aren't kidding, I used it yesterday, and my ear swelling went down! Remember how my ear was swollen like a bun before?"
"I applied it to my feet, and they're much better today."
"I smeared it all over my body. It used to itch so much I couldn't sleep, but last night I finally slept well!"
"..."
Old Hei looked unconvinced, but his gaze couldn't help but drift towards Sixth Son, who was eating with his head down. Indeed, Sixth Son's face, previously red and swollen, seemed to have improved significantly. He rubbed his eyes, unsure if it was an illusion. But his own skin itched. After sweeping snow all morning, his frostbite had worsened. He could have endured it, but hearing everyone's praise, he felt compelled to try.
Sixth Son lowered his voice, "Old Hei, didn't I tell you? This cream really works!"
Old Hei still scoffed, "What a sissy thing to say, I'm not using it!"
However, he found an opportunity, took the cream, and secretly applied it to himself. To his surprise, the moment he applied it, he felt a noticeable difference. He let out a comfortable sigh and quickly covered his entire body. Before he finished, he heard a voice from outside, "Old Hei, are you done yet? How long have you been hogging the outhouse, are you constipated?"
Old Hei quickly hid the cream and pretended nothing was wrong as he walked out. "Who's constipated? Watch out or I'll beat you!"
The person outside sniffed the air near him. "What's that smell on you?"
"What smell? Sh*t smell!" The person recoiled in disgust and quickly entered the outhouse. The more he thought about it, the stranger it felt; why did the smell of feces have a hint of fragrance? Most people wouldn't notice, but Sixth Son recognized it instantly. It was the scent of the cracked skin cream, a blend of medicinal herbs with a touch of bitterness.
"Old Hei, when are you going to do that handstand shower?"
Everyone showered in the communal bathhouse. If he did a handstand shower, it would surely attract a crowd. Old Hei froze, his face almost buried in the basin.
Sixth Son leaned in. "Don't hide it. I know you used the cracked skin cream."
Old Hei stiffened, his eyes wide with anger. "Are you a bloodhound?"
Sixth Son ignored his embarrassed rage and chuckled. "How is it? Does it work really well?"
Old Hei pushed his hand away. "Get lost, it's just so-so, not that great!"
Sixth Son shook his head and sighed, his mouth was truly stubborn. But that didn't negate how good the cream was. A craze for cracked skin cream swept through the army, and no one felt ashamed to use it. In the end, Old Hei couldn't escape the handstand shower. Later, everyone learned that the medicine was a free donation from a group called Zhen Shan Tang, run by a woman named Cheng You. Even later, they discovered this woman was Qi Chengyan's wife.
...
Qi Chengyan meticulously wrote down the events at the army base and compiled them into a letter, which he sent to Cheng You. Reading it, she couldn't stop laughing. Yan City was also experiencing snowfall, and she wondered when she would see him. Just as she put the letter away, she heard Song Qinglan's voice before she saw her.
"Cheng You! Look, A Yan sent us a letter!"
She had never dreamed that Qi Chengyan would write to her and Qi Shengwen. Although the letter was less than half a page, just a few brief sentences, she reread it countless times. Perhaps spending time with Madam Feng had mellowed her temperament considerably. Looking at the letter, tears welled up uncontrollably. When she entered the room, she saw the thick letter in Cheng You's hand. But she was used to it; Qi Chengyan would send letters to Cheng You every so often, often filling several pages.
"Is that so? What did he say?" Cheng You asked politely.
Song Qinglan immediately began chatting with her. He hadn't said much, just thanked them for their support of Cheng You and urged them to take care of their health. These few simple sentences were enough for her to savor many times over. Cheng You looked at her thoughtfully. Song Qinglan had many flaws, but she was slowly changing them. The past could not be revisited; dwelling on it was less productive than looking towards the future.
Just then, a voice interrupted Song Qinglan's words: "Cheng You, you deliberately harmed me!"
The furious voice startled Song Qinglan immensely. She looked closely and saw it was Xu Nanxi. "What are you doing? Can't you speak properly!" He had almost scared her to death.
Cheng You understood perfectly why Xu Nanxi was so angry. Chen Qin had given him the interview as promised. He had excitedly written the article and submitted it to the editor-in-chief for review. The newspaper's policy was that interns could become temporary workers if they had ten published articles. Once they received their graduation certificates, they could become official employees. Zhen Shan Tang's donation of medicine to the border soldiers was a benevolent act with significant propaganda value, aligning with social trends. As soon as he submitted the draft, the editor-in-chief praised him profusely, stating that this piece needed to be printed immediately. Before Xu Nanxi could bask in his glory, the Yan City Daily published a news article about Zhen Shan Tang. Furthermore, it was more comprehensive than Xu Nanxi's report. He then realized he had been tricked; Cheng You must have briefed Chen Qin from the start! For the same questions, Chen Qin's answers to the Yan City Daily were more concise.
Cheng You had no intention of hiding anything and admitted it directly. "Isn't it normal for me to trick you? I've never hidden my dislike for you and Feng Xue from the beginning. Yet you tried to use Grandpa Feng to suppress me and force me into submission. Let me tell you clearly today: I have no intention of giving face to anyone."
Xu Nanxi's face darkened. He finally understood why Feng Xue had described Cheng You as a "rock in a dung heap." Her temper was indeed as foul and stubborn as ever, unyielding to any persuasion.
"Aren't you afraid I'll tell Grandpa Feng?"
Song Qinglan sneered, "Are you threatening my daughter-in-law? That's a threat, isn't it? It's hilarious. Come on, I'll go with you to the Feng family. You tell Grandpa Feng this to his face, and let's see his reaction!"
Cheng You raised her head, looking down at him with disdain. "Haven't you bothered to find out where this is? This is a military compound! My husband is a full regiment commander, and my father-in-law is the commander of the military region. You're threatening me?"
Song Qinglan clicked her tongue and shook her head, her critical gaze scanning him from head to toe. "You look like a decent person, so why are you so wicked?"