Zhang Xiaoyan didn't know what she was thinking. She never thought that being unable to have children was actually an advantage.

"You said you want your future wife to treat your children like your own, but can she really discipline them? If the children are naughty and disobedient, can she hit or scold them?"

Jiang Lin thought for a moment before saying, "Sure, normally you can discipline your own child however you want, and if they're disobedient, you should discipline them. That's normal."

Zhang Xiaoyan nodded: "Will you have your spouse accompany you to the military after you get married?"

“I hope she can join the military; it would be better for the family. We need to get along.”

Do you hand over your salary?

"Yes, but I will send things home every month, that won't change. Would you mind if I sent things home?"

Zhang Xiaoyan shook her head: "That's normal. Nobody springs from a rock. I also send things home, and you won't stop me, will you?"

"Of course, but I will still prioritize my own family. We can discuss anything properly. I hope that if we have any conflicts or misunderstandings, we can speak up and not keep them bottled up." Jiang Lin tried his best to learn from the points of conflict last time, hoping that the same problems would not occur again this time.

"You're right, I have no objection." Zhang Xiaoyan was very satisfied with Jiang Lin: "By the way, do you know how to hit people?"

Jiang Lin paused for a moment, thinking of her ordeal, and solemnly said, "I am a soldier. I will only protect the country and the people. As for my own family, I will be even more responsible in protecting her. I will never lay a hand on my family. If that day ever comes, the country and the organization will not let me off the hook, and I will not forgive myself. Please rest assured."

"Okay, I'm all set. Do you have any questions?"

"What are your requirements for the bride price? I probably hope to get married as soon as possible," Jiang Lin said honestly.

"I don't ask for a bride price, nor will I ask my family for a dowry. I hope everything can be kept simple." After all, a second marriage is not something to be proud of, so I'd rather save money where I can.

“A bride price is still necessary. Your family can decide on the dowry as they see fit. We can get the marriage certificate directly. You can get to know my child first. I will be changing my post when I return to the unit. Everyone there will be strangers. No one will know about us. Just treat the child as your own. They won’t know about their background.”

This assurance did give Zhang Xiaoyan a great sense of security: "Yes, I'll talk to my family. We can get our marriage certificate anytime. I love children, and I will definitely be a good mother."

Jiang Lin extended his hand: "I hope we can be together for a lifetime."

The two of them quickly came up with a plan, and when they told their families about their decision, both Jiang Ruyu and Li Hongcao said it was not going to work.

Li Hongcao frowned as she looked at her daughter: "Xiaoyan, how can you get married without a banquet? How can you not have a bride price or dowry? Don't talk like a child. We will definitely have a grand wedding for you."

The patriarch, Zhang Jian, looked at his daughter who had suffered so much: "Xiaoyan, don't always think about us. Your parents also want you to think about yourself. Although we are not a very wealthy family, we can still afford a dowry."

Jiang Ruyu frowned and scolded Jiang Lin, "Jiang Lin, you're already in your mid-twenties. Is marriage a joke? You have nothing and someone is going to live with you. What will outsiders think of you?"

Jiang Lin just felt that since it was both their second marriages, there was no need for such a big celebration. He turned to Zhang Xiaoyan and asked, "How about we have one?"

Zhang Xiaoyan shook her head: "Dad, Mom, let's not do it. There's no need for so many formalities. We'll just get a marriage certificate. If you don't feel that's the point, just set off some firecrackers to send me off."

Zhang Xiaoyan turned out to be a very strong-willed girl. Her parents knew her temperament and had no choice but to discuss with Jiang Ruyu what to do.

“Sigh, Jiang family niece, you can see it too, my daughter is a bit stubborn. Once she makes up her mind, we can’t change it. Xiaoyan is a good girl, but we’ve held her back.” Li Hongcao wanted to slap herself twice when she thought about the suffering her daughter had endured. She shouldn’t have let her daughter go to the countryside.

Jiang Ruyu smiled and said politely, "I understand Aunt Zhang's feelings. I can assure you, Jiang Lin is reliable and would never bully your Xiaoyan. Let's not go into any of that. As long as they're both doing well, let them do whatever they want."

"Let them go out and have some fun tomorrow, buy some clothes, and then our two families can have a meal together to get to know each other. They can decide when they want to get married themselves. What do you think?"

Li Hongcao and her husband exchanged a helpless glance and nodded: "Let's leave it at that."

Jiang Lin and Zhang Xiaoyan went out together the next day. At noon, Jiang Lin brought Zhang Xiaoyan back. When Zhang Xiaoyan saw Jiang Zhou and Jiang Chuan, who looked exactly alike, her originally faint smile softened considerably.

"Jiang Lin, how old are they? Can I hug them?" Zhang Xiaoyan's voice was full of gentleness, and if you listened carefully, you could hear a slight tremor.

Jiang Lin nodded at her touched expression: "We're all family now, of course we can."

Zhang Xiaoyan gently got to know Chuan Chuan and Zhou Zhou first. Once they were no longer afraid of her, she carefully picked up Chuan Chuan and then hugged Zhou Zhou into her arms. Smelling their milky scent, Zhang Xiaoyan thought of her own child whom she had never met and whose gender she didn't even know.

She thought, "I may not have the chance to have my own child in this life, but I can still have the chance to be a mother. Even if they are not my children, as long as I treat them with sincerity, they will definitely treat me as their own mother."

The two got married very quickly, without notifying many people except their immediate relatives. They had two tables at a restaurant, got their marriage certificate, and took a family photo with their two children.

The family of four had only spent a week together when Jiang Lin had to return to his unit: "Xiaoyan, I'm going to be transferred to a different post this time. Once I've moved and everything's settled, I'll come back and take you three to the army base. You'll have to work hard taking care of the kids at home during this time. If you need anything, you can come to your sister."

Zhang Xiaoyan nodded obediently: "Don't worry, I will get along well with my brother and sister-in-law, and my sister and brother-in-law. I will also take good care of the child. You just need to focus on your own things."

After marrying Jiang Lin, Zhang Xiaoyan gave the job she had bought from Sun Li to her younger brother and sister-in-law. She wanted to focus on taking care of her child, as she preferred spending time with her child to working.

Jiang Ruyu knew her younger brother was going back to his unit. She had seen how he spent time with Zhang Xiaoyan during this time: "Jiang Lin, I can tell that Xiaoyan really likes children. Don't worry, go back to the army. I will take care of them."