At the military's group wedding, my best friend and I swapped husbands.

Zhao Dayong rubbed his hands together: "My goodness, this is so lavish! We haven't eaten this well even during the New Year!"

Chen Jianjun laughed, "Thanks to Commander Bai and Technician Bai, we've also benefited."

Bai Rongbei said, "Thank you all for your hard work. Please have a seat."

Everyone sat down, and the plump auntie served each person a large bowl of noodles, poured mutton soup over it, and added a few pieces of mutton and radish.

Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan also sat down, looking at the dishes on the table, feeling warm inside.

"Eat up, eat up, don't be shy!" the plump auntie urged.

Zhao Dayong first picked up a piece of mutton and stuffed it into his mouth. It was so hot he was panting, and he mumbled, "Delicious! So delicious!"

Bai Rongbei ate with composure, but quickly. He picked up a piece of shredded potato, took a bite of noodles, and nodded, "It tastes good."

The plump auntie laughed: "If Commander Bai said it's good, then my skills are acceptable!"

Bai Si'an held the chopsticks with his left hand, his movements a little awkward, but still quite steady.

He ate quietly, occasionally glancing at Lin Weiwei beside him.

Lin Weiwei was engrossed in eating. The mutton was stewed until tender, the radish was soaked with broth, and the noodles were chewy. She was sweating as she ate.

Su Wanwan ate in small bites, but her eyes couldn't help but glance at Bai Rongbei.

Seeing that he had almost finished the soup in his bowl, she hesitated for a moment, then picked up the spoon and added another spoonful for him.

Bai Rongbei glanced at her, said nothing, and continued eating.

Su Wanwan blushed slightly, but felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

The meal was enjoyed with great enthusiasm.

Zhao Dayong and Chen Jianjun chatted about interesting things in the regiment, Liu Aiguo occasionally chimed in with a few technical questions, Aunt Pang talked about the everyday matters in the family compound, Lin Weiwei chimed in from time to time, and Su Wanwan listened quietly, occasionally smiling.

The warm sunshine shone in the courtyard, and the wind from the Gobi Desert blew in, carrying the dry, earthy smell, but it couldn't dispel the lively atmosphere and delicious aromas around the table.

After finishing their meal, the plump auntie insisted on clearing the dishes: "You all rest, I'll wash them! You're tired from working, take a break, we still have work to do this afternoon!"

Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan felt too embarrassed to help, so they tidied up as well.

After washing the dishes, the plump auntie said, "I have some things to take care of at home, so I'll head back now. Call me if you need any help tonight."

"Thank you, Auntie!" the two said sincerely.

The plump aunt waved her hand and left.

The afternoon's work mainly involved finishing up.

Reinforce the edges of the ceiling again, and apply a layer of cement to the wainscoting inside the toilet for waterproofing and moisture protection.

A small step was built at the entrance to make it easier to come and go.

Bai Rongbei and Zhao Dayong continued working on the roof, Bai Si'an and Liu Aiguo plastered the walls, and Chen Jianjun repaired the steps.

Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan were also busy, helping to hand over tools, mix cement, and clean up the garbage in the yard.

As the sun gradually sets in the west, the temperature on the Gobi Desert begins to drop.

Bai Rongbei came down from the roof and dusted himself off: "That's about it."

Zhao Dayong jumped down, hands on his hips, looking at the brand-new toilet: "Hey! I have to say, it's actually pretty well-built! Much better than public toilets!"

The toilet was small, with red brick walls, cement plaster, and an tarpaulin ceiling with wooden strips pressing down the edges.

The door was made of old wooden planks; though simple, it could be closed tightly.

The floor inside was smooth, the wainscoting was clean, and there was a small ventilation window in the corner.

Bai Si'an walked out, his hands and clothes covered in cement stains.

He adjusted his glasses and examined the item carefully: "The basic functions are fine. Once the cement dries completely, it will be ready to use."

Lin Weiwei peered into the doorway and exclaimed excitedly, "Great! We finally have our own toilet!"

Su Wanwan's eyes lit up: "So clean."

Bai Rongbei glanced at the sky: "Let's stop here for today. We'll do another one tomorrow."

Zhao Dayong and his group packed up their tools and prepared to go back.

Bai Rongbei said, "I'll have to trouble you again tomorrow."

"Commander Bai, you're too kind!" Zhao Dayong said readily. "Anyway, we're off tomorrow and don't have much to do, so we came over to lend a hand and we'll get it done in no time."

Chen Jianjun and Liu Aiguo also nodded.

After they left, the courtyard became quiet.

The setting sun painted the sky orange-red, and the wind on the Gobi Desert picked up, making people feel chilly.

Bai Rongbei said to Su Wanwan, "Boil some hot water and wash up."

"Okay." Su Wanwan nodded and turned to go to the kitchen.

Lin Weiwei then pulled Bai Si'an, asking, "How's your shoulder? Let me see."

"It's nothing," Bai Si'an said, but still let her unbutton her shirt to take a look.

The gauze was clean and there was no blood seepage.

"You've been honest." Lin Weiwei breathed a sigh of relief. "You didn't do anything reckless today."

Bai Si'an's lips curved into a smile: "I value my life very much."

"Good to know." Lin Weiwei helped him button up his shirt. "What do you want to eat tonight? Wanwan and I will cook."

"Anything is fine," said Bai Si'an. "As long as there's something to eat."

"Your requirements are quite low," Lin Wei smiled. "Alright, we'll see how it goes."

Dinner was simple: we heated up the leftover mutton soup from lunch, added some noodles, and stir-fried some cabbage.

In the end, Bai Rongbei cooked the meal.

Seeing that the two girls were exhausted, he told them to go and rest, while he quickly prepared dinner.

During the meal, Bai Rongbei said, "Tomorrow I'll invite a few more people and try to finish the other one in one day."

Bai Si'an nodded: "There are still enough materials left."

Lin Weiwei asked, "Are we going grocery shopping again tomorrow?"

"Okay," Bai Rongbei said, "Buy more, meals are included."

Su Wanwan said softly, "I'll cook tomorrow. We can't keep relying on Aunt Pang for help."

"Okay." Bai Rongbei glanced at her. "Tell Lin Weiwei what you need and have her buy it."

Lin Weiwei patted her chest and said, "Leave it to me!"

After finishing their meal and washing up, everyone went back to their rooms.

Lin Weiwei lay on the bed and whispered to Su Wanwan, "Wanwan, I think we're slowly getting used to each other."

Su Wanwan hummed in agreement: "It seems so."

"Bai Rongbei and Bai Si'an are actually quite good," Lin Weiwei said. "Although one is reserved and the other is cold, they are both very practical."

"Mmm," Su Wanwan replied, her mind filled with the image of Bai Rongbei draping a coat over her shoulders and teaching her how to knead dough.

"Oh, right," Lin Weiwei suddenly remembered something, "We need to make a good impression when we fix the toilets tomorrow! We can't let them keep thinking we're pampered young ladies."

Su Wanwan smiled and said, "Okay."

The two talked and gradually fell asleep.

After a busy day, Bai Rongbei and Bai Si washed up and went straight to bed.

Bai Rongbei got up before dawn the next day.

He tiptoed out the door, borrowed some tools from the battalion headquarters, and called a few of his comrades who were off duty that day.

In addition to Zhao Dayong, Chen Jianjun, and Liu Aiguo from yesterday, there are three more people.

They were all soldiers from the regiment, young and strong. When they heard that Regiment Commander Bai needed help repairing his toilet, they came without hesitation.

By the time everyone had arrived, it was already broad daylight.

Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan also got up, washed up, and quickly made breakfast.

Breakfast was simple: I cooked a pot of millet porridge, heated up yesterday's cornbread, and chopped some pickled vegetables.

With many people working, they ate quickly.

After finishing their meal, Bai Rongbei led his men to the neighboring courtyard, where Bai Si'an's toilet hadn't been repaired yet.

There were still materials left, piled up in the yard.

Bai Rongbei assigned tasks: two people to dig holes, two people to lay bricks, two people to mix mortar, and one person to assist.

Because of his leg and shoulder problems, Bai Si'an was responsible for drawing lines and providing guidance.

Lin Weiwei and Su Wanwan's tasks were: to buy groceries, cook, and help out.

"Sister-in-law Fatty will be coming over to help us cook later, so we need to hurry up and go buy groceries," Lin Weiwei said to Su Wanwan.

Su Wanwan nodded: "Mm!"

The two of them carried baskets to the service center.