Chapter 347 So-called Understanding

Jiang Zhizhi told Zhou Xiye in detail about every change during her pregnancy, and casually described the process of giving birth.

But Zhou Xiye knew that childbirth was the most painful time, and she didn't say anything because she didn't want him to worry.

He held her tightly in his arms and kissed her again and again.

The spring night was long, and it started raining again in the latter half of the night. Jiang Zhizhi mumbled in her sleep, "It's raining, so Xiao Zhouji and Shangshang can't go out. They'll be very unhappy."

But I forgot to ask how long Zhou Xiye would be home this time.

I was also a little hesitant to ask.

Since we know he's back from a business trip, he won't be staying home for very long.

...

Zhou Xiye barely slept all night. When he heard noises coming from the living room, he quietly got up and went out.

The two children had already gotten up and were crawling inside the fence. When they saw Zhou Xiye come out, they quickly crawled towards him, giggling all the while.

Little Zhou tried to stand up by grabbing the railing. After a few attempts, he could only lift his bottom slightly off the ground before he plopped back down. In the end, he gave up and clapped his hands, watching his father with amusement.

Shangshang is quite clever. After sitting down, she stretched out her little hands, wanting a hug, and made "ah ah" sounds with her little mouth.

Looking at the two adorable little faces, Zhou Xiye's heart softened, and he bent down to pick up Shangshang.

As soon as the little boy saw this, he immediately turned around, giggling, and quickly crawled away, afraid that if he was too slow, he would be taken away.

Shang Shang was picked up and happily rocked her little body, moving her arms and legs around.

Fang Hua watched with a smile as Zhou Xiye frantically held Shang Shang, saying, "This little girl is really happy today; she's not usually this active."

Zhou Xiye squatted down, holding his daughter, and looked tenderly at his son who had crawled away: "Little Zhou, do you want Daddy to hold you?"

Whether the little guy understood or not, he clapped his little hands, shook his little head vigorously, and giggled.

Fang Hua explained from the side, "He's very mischievous, he'll be fine in a little while."

She then chatted with Zhou Xiye about the two children: "Shangshang and Xiao Zhouji are well-nourished and were well cared for in Zhizhi's belly, so they have always been very healthy and much stronger than other children of the same age. Some children can't even crawl at seven or eight months old. Look how well we crawl and how steadily we sit."

Looking at the two children, Zhou Xiye finally understood Zhang Zhao's feelings.

Jiang Zhizhi woke up a little late and only remembered while washing her face that last night, Zhou Xiye had asked her very seriously if their son's nickname could be changed.

I couldn't help but laugh while brushing my teeth. I definitely can't change it. Little Zhouji still likes his name very much. Whenever I call him, the little guy's eyes squint into slits with joy.

After washing up, Zhou Xiye was holding Shangshang and feeding her very soft noodles.

Little Zhou was already trying to grab the spoon from Fang Hua's hand, and the scene was a little chaotic.

After feeding the two children and putting them back in their enclosure, the adults brought up the children's names again while eating.

Zhou Chengzhi immediately suggested, "I've already thought of several. Little Zhou Ji can be named Zhou Tong'an, and Shang Shang can be named Zhou Ru'an. What do you think? Aren't the meanings good? If you don't like this one, there are a few more..."

Jiang Zhizhi just smiled, because she knew that these two names were already the best-sounding names Zhou Chengzhi had given his children; there were also names like Zhou Zhiqiang and Zhou Minghua.

After hearing the list of names and observing Jiang Zhizhi's reaction, Zhou Xiye remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'll think about it carefully today."

Fang Hua then asked curiously, "Nishino, how many days will you be able to stay at home this time?"

Zhou Xiye looked at Jiang Zhizhi again: "Five days. This time you came back from a meeting."

Jiang Zhizhi tightened her grip on the chopsticks, her face visibly saddened. She had guessed that Zhou Xiye's return wouldn't last long, but she hadn't expected it to be so short... so short that he and Xiao Zhouji and Shang Shang didn't even have time to develop a good relationship before they had to separate.

Zhou Xi's ambitions also plummeted; he felt distressed and helpless.

Fang Hua exclaimed in surprise, "How could it be such a short time? Only five days? Does that mean you have to leave soon?"

Her voice trembled with anxiety: "Only five days?! That's too short! Couldn't we stay a few more days?"

Zhou Chengzhi frowned and glanced at her: "What nonsense are you talking about?! That's the military, not child's play. Now, the commander of the Northwest Field Army is already very fortunate to have five days off."

Fang Hua stared at Zhou Chengzhi, then, afraid of frightening the two children, said, "Yes, yes, your thoughts are great, and your responsibilities are heavy. My son grew up without his father by his side, and now my grandchildren are also growing up without their father by their side..."

His eyes reddened as he spoke: "This is why I didn't let Nishino join the army. Why should we sacrifice our youth and our descendants?"

Jiang Zhizhi was already very upset, and when she heard Fang Hua was about to cry, she quickly comforted her: "Mom, Xiye has no choice in the matter. If you keep acting like this, how will Xiye be able to work in the future?"

Fang Hua burst into tears: "It's not that I can't understand, it's that I feel sorry for you. I don't have a daughter. If I had a daughter, I would never let her marry a soldier. What's the point of having someone who won't be there for you when you're pregnant and giving birth?"

The more she talked, the more tears she shed.

Jiang Zhizhi quickly grabbed a towel to wipe Fang Hua's tears: "Mom, I can understand him. Don't be sad. I can take the kids to see him later. He can come back when he has a vacation."

Fang Hua took the towel and wiped her tears herself: "Holidays? Their holidays are always given to those who need to go home, as if their homes are just a woman's responsibility, and they don't need to come back. They can always see other people's difficulties, but they never think about how hard their own wives have it."

Zhou Chengzhi's expression turned somewhat unpleasant: "Look at what you're saying!"

Fang Hua glared at him with tears in her eyes: "Did I say something wrong? Tell me yourself, when you were working at the grassroots level, didn't you always give up your holidays to others and let them go home first?"

Zhou Chengzhi said with a stern face, "Isn't that what we should do? We are cadres, so we should take the lead..."

"You take the lead, so we're just supposed to stay home and take care of the kids?"

Zhou Xiye reached out and put his hand on Fang Hua's shoulder: "Mom, don't be sad. I will definitely come back when I have time off."

When his son spoke up, Fang Hua didn't know what else to say, so he muttered softly, "It's not easy to have two children, and it's not easy for Zhizhi either. Sometimes you shouldn't just think about your work, but also think about your wife and children."

Zhou Chengzhi disliked Fang Hua's womanly views, but dared not speak up, for fear that another argument would break out.

Jiang Zhizhi's sadness was lessened a lot by Fang Hua's actions. Thinking that Zhou Xiye had only been home for five days, she decided to ask for leave to rest and spend the next few days with Zhou Xiye and the children.

When she asked for leave, the hospital leaders naturally had no objection. Putting aside Jiang Zhizhi's identity, her professional skills were also very strong.

Zhou Xiye was at home, watching his two children crawling around on the floor, seriously thinking about names...