Chapter 206: Too Bad There Was No Fourth Day
After arriving and dropping off their luggage at the military family guesthouse, the first thing Ning Xiyue noticed wasn’t her own house — but her eldest brother’s newly purchased home.
It was a small countryside courtyard not far from the base.
Song Jiayin’s relatives hadn’t finished moving out yet, so they couldn’t live there immediately, but they could go inside to take a look.
And indeed, a lived-in house was nothing like her own shabby little place.
The courtyard wasn’t large, but it was well-maintained and neatly arranged. It was divided into two parts: the right side was a vegetable plot divided into small sections, already planted with some winter crops, while the left side had a small paved yard with a well beside it.
Even though the original owners were in the middle of moving out, the courtyard was still clean and tidy — a complete contrast to her own drafty, four-walled wreck.
“Mom, Sister Jiayin is here!” A boy of about ten shouted toward the house after leading them inside.
The aunt, who had been loading things onto a cart, dropped what she was holding and rushed over excitedly when she saw Song Jiayin.
“Jiayin! I was just about to go find you. This load should be the last one. Once we finish moving this, I’ll give you the keys. Why don’t you wait here so it’s easier for all of us?”
Hearing that she could get the keys soon, Song Jiayin was delighted. After checking with Ning Xiyue, she quickly agreed, “Alright, we’ll sit and wait. Auntie, there’s no rush. Take your time — we’re not in a hurry.”
“Good. I’ll finish packing then. You two have a seat.” The aunt pointed at the benches on the right side of the yard, then called to the little boy again, “Xiaoliang, pour some tea for Jiayin and her friend.”
Ning Xiyue and Song Jiayin sat on the bench, waiting for the house to be handed over. As they waited, Song Jiayin excitedly chatted about her plans for the property — which vegetables she would plant where, and so on, sharing all of it with Ning Xiyue.
Before long, the aunt and her son happily left with the last of their belongings, riding off with her husband to their new home in the city. Song Jiayin, now holding the keys, walked excitedly into what was officially her new home.
“Yueyue, come on, let’s go check it out.”
Song Jiayin grabbed Ning Xiyue’s hand and pulled her enthusiastically inside.
The house wasn’t big — just a standard countryside layout: one kitchen, one living room, and two bedrooms.
Now that the belongings were gone, the place looked spacious. The furniture had been left behind — it was all still in good condition and perfectly usable.
“These pieces were too bulky for Auntie to take. Since your brother and I think they’re still usable, we negotiated to buy them together with the house. That way, we only need to add a few new pieces, and we can move in right away. It saves us a lot of trouble.”
With the new home officially hers, Song Jiayin was in such a great mood that she wanted to share everything with Ning Xiyue.
Ning Xiyue understood that giddy excitement all too well — the joy of receiving your very own home.
She quietly listened, occasionally responding with a few words.
Then, Song Jiayin turned to her with a suggestion: “Yueyue, why don’t you and Auntie move out of the guesthouse? I can tidy this place up and you can stay here. It’s always more comfortable in your own home.”
“That’s not necessary.”
Ning Xiyue declined without even thinking and smiled as she offered her advice:
“Sister Jiayin, now that you’ve got the house, you and my brother should take this opportunity to properly decorate it — make it your own. Replace what needs replacing, add what needs adding. Once it’s done, you can even prepare the wedding room here. We can help you out when we’re in Hushi — it’s killing several birds with one stone.”
Although half of the house belonged to her brother and their parents could stay there, if she and her second brother also moved in, people would start gossiping.
Ning Xiyue had no desire to give anyone that chance.
More importantly, there were only a few rooms, and no bedding or essentials prepared. With so many family members, moving in would be troublesome — less comfortable and far less convenient than staying in the guesthouse.
It wasn’t like they had nowhere else to stay in Hushi. They had a place they could move into immediately — one that was convenient and comfortable.
Ning Xiyue was already planning to find an excuse to bring her parents to her courtyard. The system’s renovation speed was ridiculously fast — that house would be move-in ready in no time. And best of all, it would be their home, free from gossip.
She continued explaining the advantages of quickly decorating and furnishing the house.
Song Jiayin, hearing her reasoning, abandoned the idea of having them stay and instead grew interested in the topic of home decoration, asking Ning Xiyue for advice and ideas.
But what advice could Ning Xiyue give? She didn’t want to meddle in someone else’s business.
It was clear that Song Jiayin already had a plan in mind.
And since it wasn’t her house — not a place she’d be living in — her opinions wouldn’t really matter. Worse, if their ideas clashed, or if Song Jiayin didn’t like the results after following her advice, it could create unnecessary tension. That could harm not only her relationship with Song Jiayin but also her sibling bond with her brother.
Ning Xiyue didn’t want that. So she just gave a silly smile and shook her head apologetically.
“Sorry, Sister Jiayin. My mind’s completely blank right now. If you asked me what I wanted for dinner tonight, I might be able to come up with a few ideas.”
Song Jiayin burst out laughing and said it was fine.
She then shared her own plans for decorating the house, and Ning Xiyue nodded along, agreeing with her.
After walking around the house a few more times, the two of them finally left.
Over the next few days, Yun Xiulan and Ning Hai were busy preparing for Ning Qingzhi’s wedding — meeting with Song Jiayin’s parents to discuss details or helping Ning Qingzhi buy wedding supplies.
This left Ning Xiyue and Ning Qingyuan with plenty of free time.
Ning Qingyuan followed Comrade Ji to observe training exercises at the base.
Ning Xiyue, meanwhile, found excuses to go out wandering on her own.
On the first day of her wandering, she returned with two traditional red wedding basins and a red “Double Happiness” thermos, giving them to her parents — and hinted that she was looking for a rental house for the family.
On the second day, she came back with two red wedding quilts and other bedding, placing them in front of her stunned parents and brother.
On the third day, she returned with a large electric fan decorated with a “Double Happiness” sticker — and a small portable radio for her second brother.
On the fourth day…
Unfortunately, there was no fourth day.
Because when she returned on the third day, her family stopped her at the door.
