I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

The next day, Yang Zheng got up when the reveille sounded over the loudspeaker.

In the kitchen, Qiaoqiao was changing the coal in the coal stove.

Her petite figure moved with practiced ease and grace.

Yang Zheng felt inexplicably sad. Qiao Mei was only 20 years old, still at the age where she could still be spoiled by her parents.

Now she looks like an old woman who has worked hard for her family for a long time.

Qiaoqiao turned her head and saw Yang Zheng. She smiled with her round face and said, "Brother, there's hot water. Wash your face and brush your teeth. I'll make you some noodles."

After saying that, she went to get a washbasin and a towel.

"Qiaomei, sit down, your brother will do it himself."

Yang Zheng pressed Qiaoqiao down to sit in a chair: "Today, your brother will cook noodles for you and make you lunch."

"Brother, what kind of man cooks? I'll do it," Qiaoqiao objected.

"Who says men don't cook? Master cooks all the time. Listen to me, you should try your brother's cooking too," Yang Zheng said stubbornly.

"Oh well."

I heated up the leftover pig's feet from yesterday, picked some cabbage from the garden, and boiled water. I was just waiting for Zhou Wenhui to get up so I could make pig's feet noodles.

"Qiaomei, how's your relationship with Zhou Wenhui going?" Yang Zheng asked.

"It was pretty good. For the first few days, he was cold and distant, treating me like an enemy. But then we tripped and fell, getting covered in poop and pee, and suddenly he started talking more. In a way, we became comrades who shared hardships together."

Qiaoqiao laughed as she reminisced about the past. It was only in the midst of laughter that she realized how heartbroken she had been, and how all she wanted to do was go home.

"You, you guys fell down?" Yang Zheng was extremely upset.

"It's okay. He didn't have any experience at first, but now I can pick him up easily. After falling down, he started talking more. He would tell me about his brothers on the battlefield, and he would cry as he talked. He had been holding it in, and after talking and crying, he felt normal again."

"He is cultured, insightful, and a very good person."

"Yes, I'm so much happier than Sister Han."

"Who is Sister Han?"

"Han Dan's husband is also a hero. He lost his hands, likes to drink, and often beats people. Han Dan's hands are covered in injuries, and Lin Jie controls all the household expenses. The couple only gets six jin of meat a month. Three jin have to be given to her in-laws, plus cloth coupons, meal coupons, and some of their wages. Han Dan herself is struggling financially, and the vegetables I grow have been a huge help to her."

"Are heroes this harsh?"

"Heroes are human too. They may be great on the battlefield, but back home, they still live the same lives. Lin Jie feels sorry for his parents and always wants to give them more of everything. I'm different. My in-laws are generous. Zhou Wenhui's pay slips are all with me, and my mother-in-law will even leave me extra money. They wish they could go without food themselves and save it all for us."

Qiaoqiao's face was beaming with happiness.

"What touched me the most was when you had that accident. Your father-in-law actually came back from the army and personally went to Huailin City to rescue you. The army is very strict; we can't just call them casually on ordinary days. Brother, we've met some good people."

"Qiaomei, seeing you happy puts my mind at ease."

"Don't worry about me, brother. I have enough to eat and drink. If I need any heavy work, just call the logistics department and they'll send soldiers right away. Also, the union is very considerate of us; they sent us mung beans and sugar for the summer a long time ago."

In her personal life, Qiaoqiao could be considered a high-ranking official's wife.

Yang Zheng smiled with relief: "I'll write to my parents when I get back, so they can rest assured."

"Hmm, brother, do you like that little grass you mentioned yesterday? If you do, it's not impossible to settle down first and then build a career," Qiaoqiao probed.

"Qiaomei, Wenhui and I talked a lot yesterday. I still want to establish my career before starting a family. A man can't just rely on connections; I have to be capable on my own."

"Well... alright then." Qiaoqiao wouldn't force her brother.

"Hey, Wenhui should be awake by now. Don't move, I'll go carry him to the toilet."

"it is good."

It's so great to have an older brother; he'll always spoil me.

Yang Zheng carried Zhou Wenhui to the toilet, rinsed him clean, and did it as easily as if he were playing.

Zhou Wenhui was no longer as reserved as before, and the two chatted and joked around like brothers.

After finishing the pig's feet noodles, Yang Zheng carefully tied the cotton cover tightly to the broken leg, carefully put on the steel prosthesis, and helped Zhou Wenhui walk.

In the living room, in the hallway, in the yard, I walked further and further, feeling more and more at ease.

"Does it stop hurting now?"

"It doesn't hurt. I thought I would never be able to stand up again, but I never expected that I could still walk."

Zhou Wenhui walked with great concentration, leaning on his cane, while Yang Zheng followed behind, afraid that he might fall.

"After a walk and a good sweat, I, Zhou Wenhui, feel alive again."

For people without feet, being able to stand up is an immense blessing.

Qiaoqiao went to the vegetable store. Sister Liu gave her ten catties of egg coupons, and Qiaoqiao bought all the eggs and took them home.

There were 106 in total. 50 were given to my brother's master, and the rest were kept for Zhou Wenhui to eat. Didn't he want to eat scrambled eggs with tomatoes? So we made it for him every day.

There are also dried green beans, dried eggplant, dried fish tails, white chili pepper skins, and pickled cucumbers.

Qiaoqiao packed three large jars of pickled cucumbers. One jar was for her master, one jar was for her colleagues in the workshop, and one jar was for her brother to eat.

Two large bags were filled to the brim, and the eggs were stored in a small bucket filled with burnt coal ash, which prevented the eggs from breaking and allowed them to be stored for a long time.

The dried vegetables are almost gone, but there are still many fresh ones in the garden. I'll cook some more for myself.

Qiaoqiao felt a great sense of accomplishment. She used to grow vegetables to pass the time, and now these dried vegetables are coming in handy.

After tidying up the dried goods, Qiaoqiao started frying tofu. She bought six pieces of tofu today, fried them until golden brown, added pork belly and chili peppers, and packed them into a jar for her brother to take back.

It's getting hot, and cooked food doesn't keep for long, so I asked my brother to take it to his colleagues in the workshop.

My brother receives care from others on a regular basis; he can't just take advantage of them all.

Qiaoqiao also bought a roast chicken, which was also for her brother to take away.

Qiaoqiao looked at them again and again. Although they were all ordinary things, they were still quite presentable.

Zhou Wenhui walked for forty minutes and was soaked to the bone. Only after Yang Zheng repeatedly asked him to stop and rest did he agree.

After filling a basin with hot water and taking a bath, Zhou Wenhui's deathly pale face regained its color.

"That's great, I haven't sweated in a long time," Zhou Wenhui said, sipping his tea.

"Believe me, it won't be long before we have electrically driven prostheses. Then we won't need crutches to move around freely."

"Hahaha, even if there aren't any electrically driven ones, you, Yang Zheng, have to research and develop a pair for me."

"Okay, when I get back, I'll find some books to read and figure out the principle of electrically driven prostheses, then I'll make one for you."

"Then I'll be waiting."

The two brothers are full of expectations for the future.

For lunch, we had scrambled eggs with tomatoes, braised pork, stir-fried green beans with chili peppers, cabbage, and vermicelli soup with meat.

Hey, I have to say, the scrambled eggs with tomatoes were actually pretty good; Zhou Wenhui and Yang Zheng were fighting over them.

After finishing his meal, Yang Zheng headed back to his unit.

Zhou Wenhui said to Yang Zheng, "Come inside with me."

Upon entering the bedroom, Zhou Wenhui took out a pile of meal tickets and a Shanghai watch.

"What are you doing?" Yang Zheng took two steps back.

"Yang Zheng, this is for you. There's no financial motive involved; it's purely to thank you for making me the prosthetic leg."

"You're my brother-in-law, it's what I should do."

"Yes, you're my brother-in-law, so this watch and meal tickets are something I should give you. Yang Zheng, you must have one meat dish and one vegetable dish at every meal. What you eat is up to you, but your colleagues will see."

While thrift is a virtue, some people still only look at appearances. Professionally, Qiaoqiao and I can't help you much; you have to rely on yourself. Financially, we can still help, but if you take it and your health collapses, you'll have nothing left.”

"But...this watch..."

"This watch was a gift from my brother when I went to war. It's a lucky watch, and I'm passing on that good fortune to you."

"You...you have a younger brother?"

"Yes, his name is Zhou Wenjing. In the Soviet Union, seeing you reminds me of him. Yang Zheng, take this. When you're able to do something in the future, Qiaoqiao and I will need your help too."

"I……"

"What? You're afraid we'll cause you trouble later, so you don't dare accept it?"

"No, no. You are my family. I would go through fire and water for you," Yang Zheng explained with a worried expression.

"Then just accept it without hesitation. Stop dawdling and you don't treat me like a brother."

"Okay, I'll take it."

Yang Zheng nodded seriously, took the meal ticket and watch, and thought to himself that he must help Zhou Wenhui stand up and move freely.