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Chang Yuejin’s mouth twitched as he watched Su Su take out a bag of red dates. Is this to replenish his blood? Makes sense—he did lose a lot.
But then she pulled out a small pouch of bright red goji berries, dropping a handful into a cup before pouring in hot water. Chang Yuejin was stunned, glancing at Lin Chuan, whose face had gone from red to a deep shade of black.
Clearing his throat, Chang Yuejin said, “Well, I’ll take my leave now. Take care, Captain Lin.” He turned and left, suppressing his laughter. Goji berries, huh? She really misunderstood…
Lin Chuan looked down at the steaming cup of goji berry tea and felt uneasy. I didn’t hurt *that* part, so why does she think I need this?
“This…”
“It’s for replenishing blood,” Su Su said earnestly, handing him the cup. “The doctor said you lost a lot.”
Lin Chuan opened his mouth to explain but didn’t know how to refute her reasoning. He took a few sips under her watchful gaze.
“Don’t forget to eat the berries too. They’re very nourishing. I went to several stores to find these,” Su Su said with a proud smile.
Lin Chuan internally groaned. I don’t need this kind of nourishment! The wound isn’t even *that* close! Out loud, he muttered, “Alright, I’ll finish it.”
“Why do you look like I’m poisoning you?” Su Su frowned, catching his expression.
Lin Chuan hesitated, then said, “Wife, I have something to tell you.”
Su Su immediately perked up, sensing his serious tone. She stood by the bedside, ready to listen.
Faced with her clear and expectant gaze, Lin Chuan struggled to find the right words. Finally, he mustered his courage, grabbed her hand, and guided it to the uppermost part of his right thigh. Blushing furiously, he said, “The injury is here. Not… there.” He gestured toward his groin for clarification.
Su Su’s face turned scarlet, and she snatched her hand back as though burned. Stammering, she said, “I-I understand.” Her heart raced wildly. Good heavens! This shameless man just almost made me touch… that!
“So,” Lin Chuan continued awkwardly, “you don’t need to prepare goji berries anymore. I don’t need… that kind of help.”
Su Su finally understood the double meaning of goji berries and turned red as a tomato. “The doctor just said they were good for replenishing blood! How was I supposed to know… Anyway, if you don’t like them, don’t drink them!”
Lin Chuan glanced at the cup of tea, then at his embarrassed wife, nervously fiddling with her clothing. He relented. “I’ll drink it.” If she went to such trouble, he couldn’t bear to upset her.
Su Su relaxed, satisfied. “It’s for your recovery, after all. It won’t hurt to drink more.”
And so, from morning to evening, Lin Chuan dutifully drank his red date and goji berry tea. While it did make him feel warm and rejuvenated, he couldn’t shake the slight awkwardness of the situation. During lunch, they shared a surprisingly generous meal with two dishes and multi-grain rice. However, Lin Chuan noticed something troubling: Su Su’s tiny appetite.
“You don’t like the food?” he asked, watching her pick at her meal.
“I do,” she replied, finishing her modest bowl of rice and heading off to wash the dishes.
When she returned, she found Lin Chuan deep in thought. He snapped out of it when she entered. “Someone will be coming soon to take over. You should rest for a while.”
“I’m not tired.” She was, but she didn’t want him worrying.
“There’s an empty bed next to mine. At least lie down for a bit.”
Seeing his insistence, Su Su finally agreed. Before lying down, she made sure Lin Chuan had everything he needed: fresh water, washed fruit, and clean clothes drying on the side. Only then did she kick off her shoes, lay down, and close her eyes. Despite the noise in the hospital, exhaustion soon overtook her.
Lin Chuan also lay down to rest. About half an hour later, someone from the military arrived to speak with him. Lowering his voice upon noticing the sleeping girl nearby, the visitor teased, “Lin Chuan, how could you go for someone so young?”
“If you married someone young, wouldn’t you be able to ‘handle’ it?” Lin Chuan retorted, unfazed.
“I don’t even have a fiancée yet, let alone a wife. Forget it.” Shaking his head, the visitor turned serious. “Given your condition, the unit thinks it’s best for you to recover at home. Once you’re better, you can apply to return.”
“My injuries aren’t that serious. I can manage.”
“Sure, but can you walk? That knife wound was dangerously close to making you disabled.”
“I calculated the risk! I wasn’t going to let it hit anything important,” Lin Chuan argued.
“So you were willing to sacrifice your leg instead?”
Lin Chuan’s face burned with embarrassment. At the time, I really did think it was better to lose a leg than… that. After all, I just got married and haven’t even had the chance to…
“Look at you, completely shameless,” the visitor said, shaking his head. “Anyway, take this time to stay home and focus on your wife. They say the first few months of pregnancy are delicate.”
“What?” Lin Chuan froze, confused.
“Your wife. The soldiers who picked her up said she was vomiting in the car. She might be pregnant.”
“Impossible,” Lin Chuan blurted out. “Absolutely not.”
“Why are you so certain? Are you… sure you’re fine?” The visitor gave him a suspicious look, his gaze drifting downward.
Breaking into a cold sweat, Lin Chuan stammered, “I… I’m fine. Everything’s… functional. She’s not pregnant because nothing’s happened yet!”
“Well, then,” the visitor said, laughing, “your task when you go home is clear: focus on making a baby. Got it?” Lin Chuan groaned. As the visitor left, he added, “The doctors said you’ll be able to walk in a few days. You’ll be discharged in four or five. Get ready.”
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