After finishing her breakfast and tidying up a bit, Annette took some food coupons and cash, locked the door, and headed straight for the compound gate.
By the time she arrived, a slightly worn-out white minibus was already waiting. Quite a few people had taken their seats, including Jean Zhang and Dr. Charlotte Shaw.
Annette glanced at the two women with an expressionless face. What a coincidence.
She ignored everyone and boarded the bus, heading straight to the last row. A middle-aged woman sitting near the back turned and greeted her with a warm smile.
"Annette, heading to the market too?"
Annette nodded slightly. "Yeah, just going to have a look."
She remembered this woman—Rachel Holmes—the wife of the logistics director. In the compound, she was known as the "Big Sister" type. Anytime there was a conflict or domestic squabble, Rachel would be the one to mediate.
She was basically the unofficial head of the women's committee.
When the original Annette and Stuart used to fight, Rachel had tried to intervene a few times. But Annette had been too fierce, never giving anyone face, so Rachel eventually stopped getting involved. Still, she always greeted her with a smile when they met.
Seeing Annette respond politely now, Rachel's smile widened.
"The market's quite lively this year. I heard there'll be acrobatics and an opera show too, and things are cheap. You should buy some yarn, maybe knit a sweater for Stuart."
Annette's expression froze a little—she didn't even know how to knit.
And besides, with the way things were between her and Stuart, did Rachel really not know? Why was she still trying to matchmake them?
Rachel paid no mind to her silence and kept talking:
"Stuart's a good man. Sure, he's a bit older, but that's only because he served so long on the frontier. He's skilled and competent—definitely going places."
"I mean, how many men at twenty-nine can say they've gotten to where he is, all on their own? You two are already married, so just be patient with each other. That's how you build a good life."
"And really, what kind of grudge can a couple hold? You share a bed—can't that fix anything?"
Annette sat there, stunned. What kind of wild, blunt relationship advice was that?
She had no idea how to respond, so she just kept smiling awkwardly while listening to Rachel's endless chatter on marriage and harmony.
Still, through the conversation, Annette learned more about Stuart: he'd enlisted at seventeen, had a stellar record, and used to be a legendary soldier in the northwest before transferring to this quieter unit three years ago.
For a man with no background or connections, getting this far by age twenty-nine was no small feat. It also meant he was highly capable.
Thinking about all that, Annette realized a man like that must have deep patience and self-control—yet he'd endured the original Annette's temper all this time. Maybe he really wasn't so bad.
Meanwhile, up front, Charlotte and Jean kept glancing back.
Jean leaned close to Charlotte, whispering,
"Annette's been acting weird lately. She's even chatting with Rachel now. You think she wants to make things work with Stuart?"
Charlotte's smile stayed sweet, but her tone held a hint of irritation.
"No idea. If they can live peacefully, I suppose that's a good thing. Annette is pretty, after all."
Jean snorted.
"Pretty? What good is that? She doesn't look like someone who can keep a home. Did you see Stuart's thermal shirt last night? The cuffs were all frayed. What's the point of marrying a woman like her?"
Even though Annette had saved her son, Jean's long-held grudges hadn't faded one bit.
Charlotte didn't reply. She turned to look out the window. She'd liked Stuart since he transferred here three years ago. She hadn't dared say anything when he supposedly had a fiancée back home.
But then, out of nowhere three months ago, Stuart married Annette—a spoiled city girl with a nasty temper.
Charlotte still felt bitter about it.
After an hour of bumpy travel on muddy roads, the minibus finally arrived at the bustling Huangtown Market.
As Annette followed Rachel off the bus, she was instantly overwhelmed.
This… this was what they called a "lively market"?
It was held on a dried grain field, swarming with people. Carts pulled by donkeys and oxen, bicycles, shouting vendors—the entire place was a chaotic mess.
The stench of animal waste filled the air.
And people were eating in this?
Annette thought to herself—this place could cure anyone's OCD.
Rachel, ever the enthusiastic host, waved her over.
"Come with me, Annette. It's not every day you get to visit the market. Let's buy some meat and make dumplings tonight. I remember your man loves dumplings."
Well, who didn't love meat dumplings in this era? They were practically a luxury.
But what really caught Annette's attention wasn't the dumplings—it was the way Rachel had said "your man."
It sounded old-fashioned and even a little cringey… but oddly enough, it made Annette feel a strange sense of possession.
She trailed after Rachel, marveling at the crowds—so many people in patched-up clothes, yet everyone looked genuinely happy.
Rachel, thinking Annette had never seen a country fair before, kept narrating:
"Just after the New Year, and right before spring planting—folks don't have much money. If this were right before the holidays or harvest time, the market would be even busier. Lots more snacks back then. Look over there! Someone's selling offal soup—want a bowl?"
She didn't wait for a response, already dragging Annette by the arm.
Before Annette could fully adjust to the, uh, "aroma," she found herself in front of a blackened food stall. A massive pot bubbled over an open fire, filled with frothing organ soup.
The stench of boiled intestines and mutton hit her full force.
She grimaced. "You go ahead, Rachel. I'll walk around by myself."
Rachel didn't press her. "Alright, come back when you're done. I'm definitely getting a bowl—love the stuff."
Annette wandered off, browsing here and there. Everything fascinated her. It felt like she was walking through the set of a historical drama, except this was all real—the clothes, the faces, even the warmth in strangers' smiles.
It soothed something in her heart. Maybe things weren't so bad. Maybe, since she was here, she should slow down and find a way to grow in this new world.
Feeling much lighter, she turned to find Rachel again—and ran right into her.
Jean and Charlotte were also with her.
Seeing Annette empty-handed, Rachel looked surprised.
"Didn't see anything you liked? There's some nice yarn over there. Dr. Shaw got a lovely skein—dark blue. Very classy."
Annette's eyes caught Charlotte trying to subtly hide her bag of yarn behind her back.