Cute
The day Gu Sheng returned was sunny, with no rain. The rainy season was damp and hot. He wore a neat, crisp military uniform and hurried into the courtyard.
No one at home knew he was coming back today.
Zhan Mingzhao was the first to notice him. “Brother-in-law?! You’re back.”
Gu Sheng nodded but did not speak. He was thinking of his wife, and with his long strides, he walked straight into the house.
As soon as he entered, he heard Gu Xiangyi say in surprise, “Brother, you’re back!”
The moment Gu Xiangyi finished speaking, two little cannonballs shot out from behind the room door. Guobaorou and Little Tangyuan each hugged one of his legs and looked up at their father.
Gu Sheng lifted both of them into his arms. Their bodies suddenly rose higher. Little Tangyuan blinked her moist, bright eyes, her pupils reflecting Gu Sheng’s figure, and called out in a milky voice, “Daddy!”
“Daddy!!” Guobaorou’s voice was even louder.
Gu Sheng said, “Take Daddy to see your mother.”
“Received!”
The siblings replied in unison. They wriggled out of their father’s arms with a whoosh, impatient to act as messengers, running while shouting, “Mom, Daddy’s back!”
In the bedroom, Zhan Aiping said, “I know, I know. With such a big commotion, it’d be hard for Mom not to know—”
“Wife.”
As if in the blink of an eye, the man who had appeared out of nowhere was already sitting by the bed, gazing at her. The brim of his cap slightly covered his forehead, revealing beneath it a handsome face with hard, sharp lines.
Zhan Aiping’s heart unconsciously sped up. The man’s familiar yet unfamiliar scent instantly wrapped around her, making her feel a little awkward, even though they were already an old married couple.
After not seeing him for a while, this man had become darker, and somehow seemed even more handsome.
He was clearly already past thirty, already the father of three children, yet he was still so attractive.
Gu Sheng bent down and kissed her face. Comrade Little Zhan bristled at once and pushed his face away. “I’m already like this and you can still kiss me? You really aren’t picky when you’re hungry.”
During this postpartum confinement period, even Zhan Aiping disliked herself.
Gu Sheng moved closer and smiled. “I don’t dislike my wife of hardship.”
Zhan Aiping said, “You’re the husband of hardship. I dislike you!”
“Wife, you’re just awkward.” Gu Sheng picked up his youngest daughter. Little Marshmallow, still wrapped in swaddling clothes, was extremely well-behaved. She was not afraid of strangers, and the first time she saw her father, she opened her mouth and smiled.
“Comrade Youyou, Comrade Yuanyuan, Regiment Commander Gu has a few questions for you — did Mom miss Daddy during this time? If you answer well, Daddy will personally make something delicious for you…”
Veins seemed to pop on Zhan Aiping’s forehead. “You’re not allowed to say anything, not allowed! Comrade Gu, the organisation does not approve of coercion and bribery!”
Unfortunately, her words had no effect. The two little ones eagerly raised their hands to answer.
“She did, she really did! After Daddy left, Mom didn’t like smiling anymore. She was so hard to coax.”
“Just now, Daddy’s photo was still on the table, but now it’s gone.”
“Look! Mom’s face is red!”
…
The voices rose one after another, making Zhan Aiping puff up with anger. “You little traitors. This is no fun anymore. This family is no fun anymore. You’re all traitors.”
“Two little spies.”
Gu Sheng smiled and pinched her face. “A dead duck with a hard beak. Wife, I’ll cook old duck soup for you later.”
Zhan Aiping rejected it at once. “Not eating it!”
Gu Sheng smiled gently and kissed her lips. “Wife, I’ll make you something delicious.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Fine. She would bend for a bite of food.
“Hurry up and go!”
Gu Sheng went to shower, change clothes, and cook. The two little tails followed behind him, constantly running around and reporting everything to their mother.
“Mom, Daddy finished showering!”
“Mom, Daddy has your photo in his clothes!”
“Mom…”
Zhan Aiping thought that her little cubs really knew how to eat from both sides. Shameless little things.
Gu Xiangyi said from the side, “Sister-in-law, your two little soldiers are really lively.”
It would be wonderful if she could also give birth to a pair of twins like this in the future.
Zhan Aiping said, “These two red-and-blue little soldiers switch sides constantly. One moment red, one moment blue.”
Fence-sitters, leaning whichever way the wind blew.
Little Tangyuan said, “We will always obey Director Zhan’s leadership.”
Guobaorou said, “Director Zhan’s instructions are the highest instructions.”
Zhan Aiping: “…” Two little flatterers. Hypocrites.
She looked at her milk-scented little daughter beside her. Marshmallow had her watery eyes open, looking at her mother, her little mouth opening and closing.
…In the future, would there be three of them?
Three would be enough to form a Party group.
Not long after Gu Sheng returned, he found a way to take half a month of leave to accompany his wife. Zhan Aiping’s postpartum confinement was also extended.
With the experience of the first two children, raising only one little baby this time was much easier for the couple. Marshmallow looked soft and gentle, did not cry or fuss at night, and was very easy to raise.
“Our child really is well-behaved.” Zhan Aiping could not help sighing emotionally.
Gu Sheng said, “Isn’t this exactly what you wished for?”
Zhan Aiping said, “I just find it hard to believe.”
Why were the children of two troublemakers like them all so quiet and obedient?
“Our little Marshmallow looks so soft and obedient. Before, when she was in my belly, she was so restless. I thought she would be a little troublemaker, but after being born, she’s this quiet.”
“Comrade Gu, we have two daughters. I’m really afraid they’ll be bullied by other men after they marry.”
Gu Sheng: “…” Their daughter was stronger than her brother.
Zhan Aiping sighed. “Marry anyone but a soldier.”
Gu Sheng: “!? You regret it?”
“Mm, I feel especially wronged.” Giving birth really was the most undignified, weakest, and most uncomfortable time. It was a time when one especially needed one’s husband by one’s side.
Gu Sheng smiled and pulled her into his arms. “Then we won’t let our daughters marry soldiers.”
Zhan Aiping said, “I couldn’t even do it myself, so I won’t force my daughters.”
Gu Sheng’s eyes and brows carried a smile. “Our family will follow Director Zhan’s decisions.”
“Our daughters’ marriages will all be up to you.”
Zhan Aiping shook her head. “I don’t want to marry off my daughters. Hurry up and become some division commander or army commander. Then our daughters definitely won’t have to worry about marrying. They can take their time choosing.”
Gu Sheng: “…I’ll work hard.”
Zhan Aiping smiled and patted his face. “As a father, you need to set a good example.”
“If you have time these next few days, go show off in front of Regiment Commander Luo and his wife. Otherwise, those two will keep thinking that because I gave birth to a daughter, your face will change.”
How could Zhan Aiping fail to see Zhang Lirong’s little thoughts next door? She was judging others by herself.
Gu Sheng said, “That couple really is…”
“I’ll take Yuanyuan to dance for him.”
Zhang Lirong waited and waited, and finally waited until Gu Sheng next door came back. But after getting a daughter, he was still all smiles.
Gu Sheng carried his eldest daughter and went to stroll in front of Regiment Commander Luo. Little Tangyuan hugged her father’s neck, her little head peeking out over his broad shoulder. In a sweet, delicate voice, she said to Regiment Commander Luo, “Uncle Luo, do you want to watch me dance?”
Little Tangyuan quite liked calling him Uncle Luo, because it sounded like “Little Radish.” But her parents said she was not allowed to call him Uncle Radish.
Gu Sheng only felt that his hands were a little itchy. He did his best to suppress them, lest he forcibly press down his daughter’s head. Truly, as a steel-like man who had been in the army for more than ten years, he really could not bear this voice.
His biological daughter Little Tangyuan’s voice was so sweet it was especially affected. Clearly, she fought even better than her brother, and her personality was reckless and innocent, yet she loved acting spoiled in that sweet, delicate voice.
If it were the child’s mother calling him in that sweet, delicate voice, then he could—
Gu Sheng held his daughter Little Tangyuan tighter with a cold face.
His daughter had developed this sweet, coquettish, spoiled personality at such a young age entirely because of her own mother, Zhan Aiping. Comrade Little Zhan fell for this completely.
She liked her daughter acting spoiled with that delicate voice. As soon as her little daughter acted spoiled, Comrade Little Zhan became like a foolish ruler, deceived by her treacherous-consort daughter.
His wife, Da Pingping, believed that everyone liked daughters who knew how to act spoiled and be sweet. That was why she had made him carry their daughter to show off in front of Regiment Commander Luo and make him envious.
But…
Deep down, Gu Sheng felt that a man like Regiment Commander Luo, who had also been in the army for more than ten years, definitely would not like a little girl who spoke in such an affected, sweet, coquettish way.
Gu Sheng pinched Little Tangyuan’s face and said perfunctorily, “Look, my daughter is cute, isn’t she?”
“Meow, meow, meow—” Little Tangyuan held her own face and meowed several times.
Her mother really liked hearing her imitate a cat! She sounded very alike!
Gu Sheng could not help showing a look of disdain. “…”
Regiment Commander Luo: “…”
Regiment Commander Luo glanced at Gu Sheng, whose face was as frosty as ice and whose brows were slightly furrowed. When Regiment Commander Gu talked about his daughter, he did not look as if he were deliberately showing off. As for the little girl in his arms, she looked thirty to forty percent like Gu Sheng. She wore playful braids, had a fair, tender little face and cherry-red lips. Her voice was very sweet, and the words she spoke made one’s ears soften.
She was… a little cute!
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