Fierce
Two new people had arrived, filling up the Jiang family’s house. Luckily, the house was spacious, with a large courtyard outside, lush green trees, and fruitful vegetable gardens, creating a vibrant atmosphere with occasional sounds of chickens and ducks.
Zhan Aiping arranged the schedule, assigned tasks, and organised everything in an orderly manner. Although there were many people in the house, it was not chaotic. Everyone did their own tasks, and the five children were also well taken care of. Zhan Aiping hung ribbons around a few children and attached charts nearby, recording their eating, drinking, and restroom times, making it easy to understand at a glance.
Regarding Shen Liqing’s mother, Chen Yulan, Zhan Aiping didn’t assign her any tasks and just let her accompany Shen Liqing.
Chen Yulan looked at her two grandchildren and Shen Liqing, who was comfortably sitting during her postpartum period, feeling a bit uncomfortable. It seemed that her daughter didn’t need her here.
Even though two people were going through their postpartum period, everything here was orderly, without any noise or disputes. All the management of the children was under “Doctor Zhan’s” control. Even if Chen Yulan raised objections, no one supported her. The care and management of the children were solely determined by “Doctor Zhan”.
This wasn’t her home, and even her daughter was living in someone else’s home. She wasn’t the mistress of the house here, and no one listened to her, not even when she tried to speak up.
Chen Yulan said, “Even if she’s a doctor, so what? Young people don’t know how to take care of children. I’m an experienced person. Let’s go back to your own home. I’ll definitely take care of you properly. You can’t neglect the children. I don’t think Doctor Zhan can necessarily take care of the children well.”
“I think the children might be dressed a bit too lightly? Should we…”
Chen Yulan kept talking incessantly in front of Shen Liqing.
Shen Liqing regarded her words as if they were the wind blowing past her ears. If she were asked to take care of her during her postpartum period, she would think she was going crazy.
Luckily, she had come to the Jiang family, and they were going through the postpartum period together. Shen Liqing smiled slightly, “Mom, just relax. Take a break and go for a walk around. The scenery nearby is nice. Consider it as a way to relax. I don’t need your help here. My postpartum period is quite comfortable every day. Look, the children are eating and sleeping well, quiet and peaceful. It’s so nice. So, please stop nagging here.”
“Let’s stay quiet for a while and listen to some music.”
Zhu Hui had gone to study in the county. She lent her old-fashioned record player to Zhan Aiping, who brought it to the Jiang family. They played some music, all symphonies, with delightful violin and melodious piano…
Chen Yulan fell silent, feeling even more stifled as she listened to the beautiful piano music.
These young women were really good at enjoying life.
Chen Yulan said, “You’re still listening to this music? Do you want to have a couple of cups of coffee?”
Shen Liqing said, “Mom, do you want coffee? We have some at home.”
Chen Yulan was shocked, “Isn’t it for foreign guests? How do you have it?”
Shen Liqing said, “The coffee plantation isn’t far from here.”
Chen Yulan: “…”
At this moment, Zhan Aiping brought over two cups of steaming hot milk. “Be careful, let it cool down for a bit before drinking.”
She had a good relationship with the nearby commune, and many villagers were loyal listeners of her “Science Story Broadcast.” Zhan Aiping often traded for buffalo milk, and those who raised buffaloes were familiar with her. When Shen Liqing and the other woman were in their postpartum period, she also exchanged a lot of buffalo milk.
Nowadays, there were refrigerators in the hospital, so buffalo milk could be frozen and stored for some time.
“Auntie, why don’t you have a cup too?”
Chen Yulan couldn’t resist the aroma of the milk and went outside to have some warm milk.
Seeing her leave, Shen Liqing breathed a sigh of relief. She thanked Zhan Aiping, “Ping Ping, you’re amazing. Thanks to you, our little postpartum Centre is running smoothly. Both Qin and I are very comfortable.”
Zhan Aiping had jokingly called their setup a “small-scale postpartum Centre” before, and now Shen Liqing was using that name to describe the Jiang family directly.
Qin Lanfang also chimed in happily, “Yes, thanks to you, everyone is not panicking. We’re all at ease.”
With Zhan Aiping around, if the children had any problems or discomfort, she could always find the cause. She was also a breastfeeding specialist. For the two women in their postpartum period, if they had any discomfort or questions, Zhan Aiping could answer them. So, what else could they worry about?
Zhan Aiping chuckled, “Do you think I’m just a nominal leader? Of course, I can manage this little postpartum Centre well.”
“Amazing, impressive,” Shen Liqing admired, “Really, I now realise that Doctor Zhan, you have such broad knowledge. It seems like you know everything, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
Zhan Aiping replied, “Just listen to more of my science stories, and you’ll broaden your horizons too.”
Shen Liqing couldn’t help but smile, “Alright, I’ll listen to your science story broadcast every day from now on.”
He Lingling came over and sighed sorrowfully, “I also want to stay in your little postpartum Centre.”
Unfortunately, she hadn’t given birth yet. When she did, this postpartum Centre would probably disband.
Shen Liqing advised, “You, sighing so much, be careful not to frown when your child is born.”
He Lingling said, “I’m coming to hug your two little fishes. Hopefully, my family will also have a smooth and slippery one, so I won’t worry.”
He Lingling was very envious that Shen Liqing had smoothly given birth to a pair of twins.
Shen Liqing said, “…”
After He Lingling came and went, Qin Yanfang and Zhao Jing, a couple, came to deliver crucian carp. There were several fresh crucian carps and tender water tofu. Zhan Aiping asked Jiang Meihui to cook crucian carp soup.
In the evening, Jiang Meihui cooked a large pot of crucian carp soup, along with crisp slices of Chinese yam and lotus root, as well as a pot of old hen soup with a thick layer of chicken fat on top. Some of the chicken fat was scooped out, and the rest was used to cook greens.
There was also millet porridge in another pot, along with soft steamed buns, and a few sugar-coated scrambled eggs.
Chen Yulan looked at these dishes, her eyes wide open.
In Shanghai City, although there is plenty of supply and demand for goods, everything needs to be bought with money. However, it’s different here. Take this crucian carp, for example, you can just catch it directly from the water. The Chinese yam and lotus root slices are free, and the vegetables are grown in the yard, while the chickens are also raised.
Thinking about childbirth, several families had prepared by raising chickens early on. Before Captain Jiang left, he even exchanged some chickens with fellow villagers, just waiting to help his wife recover.
The Wang family also prepared chickens. Qin Yanfang and her husband came to congratulate them and also brought three chickens they raised in the hospital. Now that both families had chickens, it was just right. Without a refrigerator, cooked chicken meat couldn’t be stored for long before it went bad, but live chickens could be kept indefinitely. Eating together, they could enjoy chicken meat several times.
Jiang Meihui chuckled, “Try my cooking.”
“This tofu is ordinary. Next time, I’ll personally make tofu for you to try. The tofu I make is tender and fragrant. Many people like it. Every day, they ask me to make tofu. I have to be a ‘Tofu Beauty.’ The tofu scraps I make are also incredibly fragrant.”
In this day and age, no chef will let anyone starve, even if it’s just tofu scraps and wilted leaves, she could cook up a delicious meal. This was also why Jiang Meihui could maintain her sturdy physique.
The crucian carp soup cooked by Jiang Meihui was delicious, and everyone praised it. Qin Yanfang said, “Tomorrow, let’s ask Dr. Zhao to catch a few more crucian carps.”
“Don’t think that because he’s a gastroenterologist, he’s doing serious work. I guess he studied gastroenterology because he’s not picky. He eats everything from the mountains and rivers. He can collect honey, catch fish, pick mushrooms…”
Jiang Meihui said, “You’re blessed to be with him.”
Zhan Aiping added, “Indeed, you have a guaranteed blessing.”
Zhao Jing said, “If you get a stomach-ache, I’ll treat you directly.”
Qin Yanfang’s face darkened, “Don’t jinx me.”
Qin Yanfang tasted the fish soup and sighed, “It’s a pity. Others struggle to cook without rice, but we have rice and grains at home, yet neither of us is very good at cooking. It’s such a waste.”
Zhan Aiping praised, “Both the Jiang family sisters-in-law cook deliciously.”
Of course, she wouldn’t say that her family’s old cook was the best cook.
Jiang Meihui was flattered by their praise, “Next time, I’ll personally make noodles for you. How about pork rib noodles?”
“Sounds great! We’re looking forward to tasting Sister Meihui’s cooking.”
Chen Yulan, drinking the soup, didn’t say much. She went back to Shen Liqing’s side and saw that there was crucian carp soup, chicken soup with vegetables, millet porridge, Chinese yam and lotus root slices, sugar-coated scrambled eggs… Although each serving wasn’t large, it was still abundant.
Everything tasted delicious.
Chen Yulan felt sour in her heart, thinking that Shen Liqing’s sister-in-law hadn’t been able to eat so well during her confinement.
“Qingqing, how can you be like this? You still have to raise two children in the future. Don’t spend money recklessly. How much food do you have to eat during your confinement? Your sister-in-law couldn’t eat as much as you.”
Shen Liqing sipped the fish soup and said, “I have to eat well during my confinement. How many times can a woman go through confinement? And I haven’t eaten much. Old Wang’s salary is all managed by me.”
Although Shen Liqing had been lazy for a year without working, due to her laziness, she didn’t do much physical activity and naturally didn’t eat much either. She just drank some tea, ate casually, and coupled with her habit of staying up late and getting up late, she could stretch a meal for a whole day. Wang Youli’s salary wasn’t spent much.
Because she didn’t go out to work, her clothes and shoes didn’t wear out. Since she didn’t go out to see people, she wore Wang Youli’s old military uniform as pyjamas at home, which was enough to get by.
Wasn’t she a unique kind of saver?
Because she didn’t work, she didn’t eat much, her clothes didn’t wear out, and she didn’t need to patch or buy new clothes. She didn’t even need to spend money on pretty little leather shoes…
When she got married, Wang Youli made her some beautiful clothes, and she still wore those few outfits carefully. They still looked good.
Later, when she got pregnant and went to work, she also received a salary. She could eat for free at school and even get fruits at the hospital. The two of them didn’t spend much money.
“You manage his salary?” Chen Yulan widened her eyes.
Shen Liqing realised she had spoken too much and quickly changed the subject, “Yes, I manage it. He lets me eat and buy whatever I want. I don’t have to save money for him. I just go along with him. I listen to him. I never save money. I spend as much as I have. Earlier, I even asked someone to buy me some Qieliang fabric from Shanghai. I wanted to make a beautiful dress.”
“Mom, look, I’m raising twins. Don’t I have to eat better?”
Chen Yulan swallowed her saliva, speechless, “You didn’t leave him anything?”
Shen Liqing said boldly, “What’s there to save? I want to eat fish and meat heartily. Mom, we shouldn’t miss out on good days and suffer ourselves.”
Chen Yulan advised, “You should save money in the future. What if you urgently need money? Are you going to borrow money from others? Tear down the east wall to repair the west wall? Our family can’t afford to lose face.”
Shen Liqing hesitated, “Well… there’s no way. By then, Dad, Mom, and my brother and sister-in-law will support me a little, and I’ll get through the difficulties.”
Chen Yulan snorted, “You should save money now. Don’t eat recklessly. If my son-in-law finds out that you’re so extravagant, won’t he dislike you?”
Shen Liqing reassured her, “I’m raising the children from his family. I have to eat and drink well. We’ll talk about saving money later. Why should I be the one to save money? It should be him, Wang Youli, who should hurry up and get promoted and get a raise. He has to work hard to support his children and his wife.”
“If his salary increases, why save money?”
Chen Yulan was stunned, “…What kind of thinking is this?”
Shen Liqing said, “It’s just a mindset for living a normal life. I married a good husband. I’ll live well with him. Why should I suffer? Mom, stop talking. You’re delaying me from drinking my chicken soup.”
Chen Yulan stared at her drinking chicken soup. The chicken soup in the white porcelain bowl smelled so good, with a layer of yellow chicken fat floating on top. Even though it only had ginger and green onions, it was so delicious that it made people drool. The chicken was tender and fragrant, making it irresistible.
How could she eat so well?
“When I was in confinement, I didn’t eat as well as you do now,”
Shen Liqing said, “I guess I’m just lucky. These two fish are like little koi.”
“Mom, do you think I’ve hit the jackpot? I can randomly find a pen pal and still end up with such a good officer husband. Hehe, and I even gave birth to two little koi.”
“You—” Chen Yulan felt both blocked and uncomfortable in her heart. “Don’t make things sound too good.”
Her daughter eats so well during confinement, with so many people taking care of her. Not only does she eat better than her, but even better than her sister-in-law.
The children drink milk that’s clearly better than her grandson’s. Look at these two siblings, they’re both so strong.
Chen Yulan felt extremely uncomfortable in her heart.
In her heart, her grandson from her son came first. Her grandson can’t compare to the treatment of Shen Liqing’s children, which makes her feel uncomfortable.
Chen Yulan went to cook a bowl of meat soup for Shen Liqing. She was still reluctant to put meat in the soup, so she ended up cooking a messy pot of mixed meat soup. She was about to bring it to Shen Liqing to help her recover.
Jiang Meihui saw the bowl of soup and couldn’t bear it. She spoke up, “Is this how you city folks waste food?”
Chen Yulan said, “What waste of food? This is good stuff, it’s for my daughter’s health.”
Jiang Meihui pushed her aside and said, “Don’t come into my kitchen anymore. I can’t stand seeing people waste food. We country folks eat bran and vegetable stems, and even those are edible when cooked. You city folks eat meat, but is what you cook even edible?”
“I’ve been wanting to say this. Look at how you’ve wasted this meat. It’s even got maggots in it. Even pigs wouldn’t eat it in this heat.”
Chen Yulan was pushed aside by her. She was furious. “Who said this is your house?”
Jiang Meihui stood her ground. “This is my brother and sister-in-law’s house, so it’s my house too!”
Chen Yulan was so angry she could hardly speak. But she couldn’t do anything because she was in someone else’s house. Even when she threw a tantrum, no one would take her side. With a stern face, Chen Yulan carried the bowl of meat soup to Shen Liqing’s bedside.
Her face looked very ugly as she threatened, “Qingqing, let’s not stay in other people’s homes anymore. It’s uncomfortable to stay in someone else’s home, and I can’t take care of you properly either.”
“If you keep this up, Mom will go back. If I go back, who will take care of the two children when you finish your confinement?”
Shen Liqing didn’t care at all. “It’s okay, Mom, if you want to go back, go ahead. I really don’t need you to take care of me here.”
“Are you stupid?” Chen Yulan scolded her, “How can you handle two children on your own without your mom nearby?”
Shen Liqing said, “There’s still a day-care Centre here, and someone’s taking care of them. If I really can’t handle it, I’ll send them to the day-care Centre and let the aunties take care of them.”
“But—can that be the same? My grandson and granddaughter would be treated unfairly.”
“I—” Chen Yulan said firmly, “I can’t just leave easily. You, you’re my own daughter. I can’t let you have regrets, nor can I let my two grandchildren go uncared for.”
Shen Liqing responded, “Don’t worry about me. I’m living comfortably, and your two grandchildren are also living well. I’ve been here eating and drinking well for the past year or two. I wasn’t even working before, just staying at home and enjoying myself. Lao Wang doesn’t even let me do any housework.”
“If taking care of the kids becomes too much, I’ll just quit my job and stay home to take care of them.”
Chen Yulan exclaimed in shock, “You haven’t worked for a whole year?”
“And you’re not doing housework?”
She criticized, “What kind of wife doesn’t do housework? Who behaves like you as a wife? Look at your sister-in-law. She has to work, take care of her husband, and serve her in-laws. That’s what a proper wife does. That’s how women hold up half the sky.”
“A woman should be managing the household.”
Shen Liqing replied, “Well, I just happened to marry a good man. Mom, Lao Wang is exactly as you said. He’s a good person, and he even wrote me a promise letter, remember? I showed it to you. Besides not quitting smoking, he’s done almost everything he promised. Oh, and since I got pregnant, he hasn’t smoked either.”
“Mom, you really have a good eye. I followed your advice and ended up marrying a good man.”
Chen Yulan’s face turned pale, and she was left speechless by Shen Liqing’s words.
Fuming, she stormed out into the yard.
Zhan Aiping entered the house, and Shen Liqing sighed before speaking to Zhan Aiping and Qin Lanfang about her mother. She had so much to say: “My mom, sometimes I really doubt if she’s my real mom.”
“I’ve come to realize that deep down, she doesn’t want me to live well, or better than her, or better than my sister-in-law.”
“Most parents look for a good match for their daughters, but my mom? The poorer the family, the more she praises the guy. She’d tell me, ‘This guy is good, though his family is a bit poor, but he’s hardworking and honest. Life may be tough at first, but it’ll get better, just like with your father and me.’”
“She told me not to judge a man by his wealth, that a woman should endure hardships with her husband and support him.”
“My mom may have chosen to endure hardship with my dad and eventually made life better, but that doesn’t mean I have to choose a man with bad conditions and suffer alongside him.”
Shen Liqing sighed helplessly, “Why should I live a hard life?”
“Since she didn’t want me to find someone from a good family, I just found someone on my own. Like my husband, Lao Wang. Even though he’s a military officer, my mom was quite satisfied when I told her I’d move to the frontier with him, enduring hardships together and supporting his career. The moment she heard that, she was all for it.”
Shen Liqing sighed again and gave a wry smile. “I still don’t know if she’s truly thinking about my well-being, or if she just hopes I won’t live too comfortably.”
“Just now, when she heard about me living well and enjoying myself, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Seeing her reaction made me feel so cold inside.”
“What kind of real mother doesn’t want her daughter to live a good life? Even with Chen Yuan, I could let it go, but she’s my own mother…”
Zhan Aiping said, “There are people in this world who are jealous when their daughters live well.”
Shen Liqing replied, “My mom is just biased. She even said she can’t stand seeing me live better than my sister-in-law.”
“Honestly, it’s so frustrating,” Shen Liqing continued. “How do I get her to leave? She’s stubbornly staying here because she probably fought with the family back home and wants my dad and my brother to beg her to return.”
“Now that my mom is gone, my sister-in-law must be overjoyed. How could they possibly beg her to return? They’re probably hoping she stays here a little longer. You have no idea how difficult she can be. Thankfully, this isn’t happening at my own place.”
Zhan Aiping said, “How about I give you an idea that might work for you?”
Shen Liqing eagerly asked, “What idea?”
Zhan Aiping smiled, “Just tell her you want to write a letter to your family, or give your sister-in-law a call, and tell her how well you’ve been living here, what you ate during your recovery period, and how well your mom has been ‘taking care’ of you. You can even take some photos of the dishes you’ve had and tell your mom that you’ll send them to your sister-in-law.”
Shen Liqing said, “Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I get it now…”
After all, it’s all about playing passive-aggressive, isn’t it?
Her mom wouldn’t dare let her sister-in-law find out just how comfortable Shen Liqing was living here.
“My sister-in-law has a strong personality. Her family isn’t well-off, but she’s particularly good at winning over my brother, keeping him completely under her thumb. I figured it out a long time ago—my mom is afraid that I’ll marry well, afraid that my life will be better than my brother’s, and afraid that my kids will be better off than her grandson…”
In just two or three days, Shen Liqing managed to “send” her “dear mother” back home.
After Chen Yulan left, Shen Liqing felt much more at ease. Even though her mother treated her like that, she still felt hurt deep down. But she came to terms with it: “In the end, life is something you create for yourself. Don’t wrestle with your own heart. Just like the sunflowers in my yard, as long as you keep facing the sun, there will always be sunshine.”
Zhan Aiping smiled and said, “You have such a carefree attitude. No worries, a good mindset, and you’re so open-minded. That’s why you enjoy everything you eat, and even though you’re lazy as can be, you’re still healthy.”
Shen Liqing: “…”
Jiang Meihui had been using the ointment Zhan Aiping gave her and was also drinking a daily dose of traditional Chinese medicine. Zhan Aiping had also given her some pills, and Jiang Meihui was taking everything on schedule. She thought Zhan Aiping was not only beautiful but also trustworthy in her treatments.
Every morning, she eagerly checked her face in the mirror, hoping the swelling would go down, hoping the ugly red and white pimples would disappear. The white pus that came out of the red pimples was unbearable. Although it had been this way for a long time, and she didn’t pay much attention to it anymore, not even liking to look in the mirror, it still bothered her.
Before, whenever she took medicine, she would eagerly check the mirror every day, but unfortunately, the mirror always showed her disappointing results.
One day, as she looked in the mirror, Jiang Meihui noticed that many of the pimples on her face had disappeared. She raised her hand to touch her face—it felt smoother than before. As soon as she finished, she regretted it. She scolded herself: “My hands have bacteria! How could I touch my face without washing them first?”
Zhan Aiping had advised her not to touch her face, to hold back the urge, and only apply medicine to her face after washing her hands.
Jiang Meihui resisted the urge to touch her face. She kept staring at the person in the mirror, looking and looking, then happily said, “It really seems like a lot of them have gone down.”
A few days later, the red marks on Jiang Meihui’s face faded even more, leaving only some shallow scars. Once those fell off, fresh skin would be revealed.
“Doctor Zhan, you… you really are a miracle worker! My face is getting better!” Jiang Meihui now loved looking at herself in the mirror and could hardly wait to see her face every day.
Zhan Aiping smiled, “Not bad, it’s healing very well.”
Jiang Meihui, like her older brother, had a large face, but her features were delicate and pretty. Once the redness and swelling on her face subsided, she looked cute and delicate, and her smile was particularly endearing.
Shen Liqing and Qin Lanfang both congratulated her, “Your face looks so much prettier!”
“Congratulations!”
Jiang Meihui beamed from ear to ear.
Zhan Aiping said, “Now you can go out and start looking for a match.”
Given Jiang Meihui’s taste, there were certainly many soldiers who would suit her—big, strong guys with large frames and big heads.
Jiang Meihui blushed with happiness, “No rush, no rush. I’ll take my time looking.”
Zhan Aiping nodded, “True, when your brother comes back, there will be plenty of people returning with him, so you can take your time choosing.”
Jiang Meihui scratched her palm and said, “Doctor Zhan, I don’t really want to marry a soldier.”
Zhan Aiping was puzzled, “Why not?”
“I feel like soldiers aren’t attentive enough. They’re too rough. I want to find someone who’s more considerate and caring.”
Zhan Aiping: “…?”
She wanted someone big and strong, with a large head, but also attentive, with a good personality and caring?
Zhan Aiping teased, “Do you also want someone who can thread a needle and sew clothes?”
Jiang Meihui giggled, “If I could find someone like that, it would be great! Doctor Zhan, even though I can cook, I really can’t do any sewing.”
“It would be perfect if the man could sew.”
She sighed, “I just worry I won’t be able to find a guy like that.”
Zhan Aiping blinked, thinking to herself, My own man is just like that.
“Your standards are really high.”
Jiang Meihui replied, “I know, right? I’ve always known it would be hard for me to find a partner.”
“No worries, take your time.”
Jiang Meihui smiled and said, “Dr. Zhan, you’re such a kind person. You didn’t call me a toad wanting to eat swan meat, and instead, you encourage me.”
Zhan Aiping said, “You’re just being picky because you haven’t met the one you like yet. Once you meet someone you’re really into, you won’t care about standards anymore.”
Jiang Meihui’s eyes lit up, “Exactly! I just haven’t met someone I like yet.”
“Dr. Zhan, I don’t even know how to thank you.”
Zhan Aiping smiled, “Well, how about you make me something delicious?”
Jiang Meihui was an excellent cook, especially when it came to noodles and tofu. The noodles she made were delicious, and her homemade steamed buns were a hit. Her tofu dishes were tender and flavourful, receiving endless praise.
Jiang Meihui asked, “What do you want me to make for you?”
Zhan Aiping replied, “Make me some shumai.”
“Shumai? I’ve never heard of that.”
Zhan Aiping explained the recipe in detail. Jiang Meihui was stunned, “You use dough to wrap glutinous rice? Why not just make steamed buns instead?”
Zhan Aiping laughed, “You can try making buns too.”
“Alright, next time I’ll try making buns and also this glutinous rice in dough.”
While Jiang Meihui was experimenting with the recipe, the men returned. With Captain Jiang and Gu Sheng, two tall men, the house suddenly felt smaller. Off to the side, Wang Youli hurried to see his son and daughter.
Captain Jiang and Wang Youli were eager to check on their wives and children. Zhan Aiping pushed the stroller out, bringing the two kids to sit and chat with Gu Sheng in the main hall.
Knowing they were returning today, Zhan Aiping had been too anxious to sleep well the night before, only relaxing once she saw them.
Gu Sheng stood before her in his military uniform, his sleeves neatly rolled up to the elbows, revealing strong, muscular arms. He wore a hat, and the face under the brim was even more rugged and handsome, though he had tanned considerably.
The two of them stared at each other without speaking. Gu Sheng held his wife’s hand, wanting nothing more than to scoop her up and take her home immediately.
He picked her up and affectionately nuzzled her face. “Wife, let’s go home right away.”
Zhan Aiping wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing. Her husband was so eager, like he was standing at the starting line, just waiting for her to give the word so he could rush her home.
“What about the kids? Are you only taking me home?”
In the stroller, the two little ones sat on soft blankets, curiously watching their parents. They were now able to sit and crawl, each with four small white teeth just starting to emerge.
The little one, Tangyuan, held a cloth tiger toy, drooling as she looked up curiously. “Ma?”
Her brother echoed, “Ma?”
Gu Sheng asked curiously, “Are our kids calling for their mom?”
Zhan Aiping replied, “I don’t think they’re calling me ‘mama.’ They’re just making sounds that resemble ‘mama’ and ‘papa.’”
“Really?” Gu Sheng smiled at the two little ones, “Good babies, say ‘papa’ for your old man.”
Zhan Aiping was speechless, “…”
She reached out to rub Gu Sheng’s handsome face, both amused and exasperated, “Stop acting so high and mighty in front of the kids!”
What was with all this “old man” talk? He had such a rough edge to him.
But their two little ones were quite cooperative, as if responding to their dad’s command. They looked up curiously and said, “Ba?”
“Ba?”
——It was like the sudden croaking of frogs, filling the air.
Gu Sheng was equally stunned: “Are they really giving me this much face?”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Gu Sheng looked down at his wife with a grin, “Do you think they’ve been missing their dad every day? Otherwise, why would they call out ‘papa’ the moment they see me?”
“You’re dreaming,” Zhan Aiping’s mouth twitched as she ruthlessly crushed his daydream. “Your son and daughter have almost forgotten what you look like.”
“I don’t believe that. Someone in the family must have been thinking of me. Why else would I keep sneezing all the time? If it’s not the kids missing me, I think I know who it is—turns out it’s my wife who’s been thinking about me.”
“Since you miss me so much, I definitely need to comfort you properly.”
“Shameless.” Zhan Aiping struggled to get down from him, but Gu Sheng held her tightly. With her strength alone, she truly couldn’t break free.
Gu Sheng looked at her leisurely, enjoying the feeling of overpowering her. It was like a tiger toying with its prey under its paw. “Stop struggling, it’s useless.”
Zhan Aiping: “…All those years of hard work, only to be set back to square one. Some people stay out too long and become wild, have you forgotten you’re at the bottom of the hierarchy at home?”
“You think you’re all high and mighty just because people listen to you outside? When you’re home, you’re still at the bottom.”
Gu Sheng gazed at her indulgently, “That only counts once we’re home. This isn’t our home yet.”
Zhan Aiping: “…Let’s hurry and go home. I’m embarrassed to be seen like this.”
“Before we go, we should at least say goodbye.”
Inside, both families were happily reunited. Wang Youli was overjoyed to see Shen Liqing and the pair of fraternal twins. “Which one is the older sister and which one is the younger sister?”
Shen Liqing, speechless: “What younger sister? There is no younger sister; that’s the younger brother.”
“Oh right, I forgot.” Wang Youli was so excited to see the children that he had mistakenly referred to them as sisters.
“Look, the one who looks like me is the sweet and sour fish, and the one who looks like you is the pickled fish.”
Wang Youli picked one up, “This one looks sturdy, must be the pickled fish?”
“Nonsense,” Shen Liqing said, “She looks like my sister.”
“The one who looks like you is the other one.”
Wang Youli: “…Really?”
“You have no eye for this.”
Wang Youli: “…”
Their side was lively and cheerful, while over there, Captain Jiang was holding his own big “chicken pan” baby, feeling extremely excited. “This kid looks just like me, big head means smart.”
Qin Lanfang smiled, “Yes, big head means smart.”
“So sturdy, much more solid than those sweet and sour pork kids. Even though they’re twins, none of them is as ‘big’ as ours.”
Qin Lanfang smiled, “Yes, he is big. It took a long time to give birth to him.”
Upon hearing this, Captain Jiang’s heart ached for her, and he immediately said, “Lanfang, you’ve worked hard. We won’t have any more after this one.”
…
“Brother! Brother, you’re back!” Jiang Meihui’s eyes lit up when she saw her big brother. “Brother! You’re really my brother! How did your hair grow back? How do you have hair now?”
Jiang Meihui was completely shocked. No one had told her that her bald-headed brother actually had hair now.
Can getting married really make your hair grow back?
Captain Jiang looked at her, exasperated, and said, “Why can’t I have hair?”
Jiang Meihui replied, “Didn’t you once tell me that only bald people are smart? There’s even a phrase to compliment smart people—’clever to the extreme’. So, are you no longer aiming to be a clever person now?”
Captain Jiang: “…”
“I knew you were lying! You also said that the longer the hair, the less knowledge one has. But look at Dr. Zhan, her hair is so long, and she’s way smarter than you, with more knowledge too.”
Captain Jiang blinked: “My dear sister, your mouth is really something.”
“How did your face get better? Did Dr. Zhan treat it for you?” Captain Jiang raised his hand, trying to pinch Jiang Meihui’s face.
Jiang Meihui quickly dodged, “Don’t touch my face with your dirty hands! They have bacteria!”
Captain Jiang: “…”
“Do you still want to find a partner or not? If you do, you should start buttering me up.”
Jiang Meihui responded, “I don’t need to butter you up. I’m on good terms with Dr. Zhan.”
…
In his rush to get home, Gu Sheng set his wife down and hurriedly began packing up their belongings, determined to take his wife home immediately.
Zhan Aiping watched him in amusement, seeing how frantically he was moving.
Captain Jiang tried to persuade him to stay longer, “Why the rush? Stay another couple of days with your wife.”
“My wife and I still need to properly thank your wife, Dr. Zhan.”
Gu Sheng flatly refused, “No, we’re heading home now. We’ll see you later.”
Captain Jiang: “…”
He quickly found a few soldiers to help carry their things. Gu Sheng grabbed his wife’s hand, pulled the baby stroller along, and the family of four headed home.
Gu Sheng walked so fast that even Wang Youli, trying to catch up, couldn’t keep pace.
Captain Jiang sighed, “Can’t they stay long enough for a meal?”
Wang Youli said, “I didn’t even get a chance to thank Dr. Zhan before he whisked her away.”
“He’s practically inhuman.”
Captain Jiang put his hands on his hips, “Exactly.”
Gu Sheng and Zhan Aiping finally returned to their own home. Although they hadn’t stayed there for a while, they had arranged for someone to clean it, so it was spotless. Now, it was just the two of them and their two little babies, and everything felt exactly the same as before.
With no one else around, Gu Sheng wrapped her in his arms tightly, as if he wished they could be conjoined twins, never to be apart.
Zhan Aiping, caught in his affectionate embrace, felt both sweet and embarrassed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “Look at you, all eager and impatient. Anyone can tell what you’re thinking. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about? Is it shameful to want to hold my own wife?”
Zhan Aiping sighed helplessly, “The kids are watching.”
“Then let the kids learn from it.”
“Don’t act recklessly.”
Zhan Aiping urged him to go take a bath and cook, while she fed the kids some egg yolk and rice porridge. Later, while she was eating, Gu Sheng played with the two kids. Despite having been away for a while, there seemed to be some lingering “diaper bond” between him and the babies—they hadn’t forgotten their dad.
“Wife, did you teach the kids to say ‘dad’? Or did you show them my picture? Why else would they be so close to me?”
**Nomad: He will never know torture the twins inflicted to a picture of him**
Zhan Aiping replied, “Whoever plays with them, they get close to.”
“They’re truly my good son and daughter.”
Zhan Aiping: “…You certainly have a high opinion of yourself.”
Gu Sheng smiled and looked up at her with gentle eyes, making Zhan Aiping a little uncomfortable. She kicked his leg lightly.
“Wife, you’re just being coy. You missed me like crazy but won’t admit it. When others get shy, they blush, but when you do, you avoid me and shut me out.”
Zhan Aiping, trying to sound tough, said, “Really? Me? Shy? I’ve never been anything but thick-skinned.”
Gu Sheng’s peach blossom eyes softened as he looked at her, his voice dripping with affection. “Back at the Jiang house, your face was red as a tomato.”
Zhan Aiping: “!”
“I rushed back in such a hurry because I was afraid you’d dig a hole and hide in it.”
Zhan Aiping, flustered and irritated, retorted, “When did I blush? Stop making things up. I don’t believe you.”
“Believe it or not, I saw it. Making the mighty Dr. Zhan blush—that’s no easy feat.”
Gu Sheng laughed, savouring the memory. “You’re shy around people you’re close to, aren’t you?”
Zhan Aiping, expressionless, said, “I just didn’t want to hurt my reputation as Deputy Director Zhan.”
As a dignified deputy director, how could she let herself be carried around like that?
“I’m still a deputy director, so stop with the hands. If you try anything again, there’ll be a hospital bed waiting for you.”
Gu Sheng teased, “You’re still as fierce as ever, like a wild little cat with claws. But I’m not afraid of you. Come on, I’ve got a gift for you.”
Zhan Aiping was curious, “A gift? Did you sew me another cloth tiger?”
Gu Sheng rolled his eyes in mock disdain, “Look at you, thinking so small. A cloth tiger, really?”
He handed her a box. When Zhan Aiping opened it, she was surprised to find a jade bracelet inside.
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