"Okay, I'll do as you say." After agreeing, Li Qingming continued, "Then change your clothes and let me wash them?"

Xia Xiaoli took the clothes and changed, but the zipper was in the back. Xia Xiaoli came out of the bathroom.

"Help me zip it up?" Xia Xiaoli asked Li Qingming with her back to him.

Li Qingming reached out to zip up the zipper and saw Xia Xiaoli's fair skin; his face instantly turned bright red.

Xia Xiaoli was just as nervous, as this was the first time she had asked Li Qingming for help.

"Okay." Li Qingming took Xia Xiaoli's skirt to wash it. "Let's go, we'll come back later. There's no rush. I don't wear skirts to work, it's inconvenient."

Xia Xiaoli is here to learn, so she rarely wears skirts except during breaks.

"Okay, whatever you say." Li Qingming put the skirt in the basin and took Xia Xiaoli out.

When you come to Beijing, you definitely have to eat Peking duck.

Li Qingming had attended a military school here before, so he was quite familiar with the environment and it wasn't his first time here.

The two of them had dinner, and it was only a little past five o'clock when they went to see a movie together.

The movie was an hour and a half long, and it ended around 7 p.m.

Back at the guesthouse, Xia Xiaoli had to go to work the next day, so she went to bed early.

Li Qingming couldn't sleep at night. Xia Xiaoli's sleeping posture was not good, and she would slowly lean against Li Qingming, which made him feel a surge of desire all night. It was like this before when they lived in the family compound. Every morning, Li Qingming would carefully cover her with a blanket and never mention the things that Xia Xiaoli aroused his desire at night.

He got up early to cook porridge for Xia Xiaoli. Political Commissar Xu had said that one should be careful with one's wife. The porridge would be very hot, so one should bring a basin of water and put the porridge in to cool it down so that Xia Xiaoli could eat warm porridge when she woke up.

It's best to fry the eggs until cooked through, and serve them with some side dishes.

Xia Xiaoli woke up just as the cooked breakfast was taken out. The summer weather was so hot that her face was swollen when she woke up.

"Get up, wash up, have breakfast and I'll take you to work. I'll cook lunch and bring it to you." Li Qingming said to Xia Xiaoli.

"Mmm!" Xia Xiaoli nodded, still half asleep.

Take your clothes and go to the bathroom to change.

After washing up, Xia Xiaoli sat down to eat breakfast.

After finishing their meal, Li Qingming went out with Xia Xiaoli to familiarize himself with her route to work.

Upon arriving at the hospital entrance, Xia Xiaoli said to Li Qingming, "I'm going in. Why don't you go and have a look around by yourself?"

"Okay, I'll bring you food when you get off work at 11:30. I'll cook all the shrimp I brought from home," Li Qingming said to Xia Xiaoli.

When Xia Xiaoli heard that Li Qingming was going to cook for her and bring it over, she didn't refuse. She nodded demurely and said, "Then, I'll go to work now."

"Go ahead and take care of yourself," Li Qingming added.

Xia Xiaoli glanced at Li Qingming, then lowered her head and went inside.

Watching Xia Xiaoli's retreating figure as she went inside, Li Qingming didn't leave until she was completely out of sight.

When Xia Xiaoli went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy beef, her favorite dishes were stir-fried beef with celery, stir-fried eggs with dried shrimp, and a stir-fried green vegetable dish.

Living in Fucheng for years has given me a preference for light and healthy food.

I bought half a chicken to take home; it'll be perfect for making soup at noon.

The first thing Li Qingming did upon returning was to bring a small bowl to soak the dried shrimp in water so that they wouldn't be too hard when he stir-fried them with eggs later.

"Young man, are you cooking?" An old woman came over to cook and saw that young Li Qingming was cooking. She had seen him cooking porridge that morning and greeted him warmly.

Li Qingming nodded and said, "Yes, that's right!"

The old woman looked at Li Qingming; he was tall and big, and she could tell he was a soldier.

"Young man, are you here to take care of your family?" Most people staying in guesthouses are tourists from other places, visiting relatives, or staying in guesthouses because a family member is sick.

“Yes, that’s right, they’re here to visit relatives,” Li Qingming replied.

"I see you can do everything. Young man, do you have a girlfriend? If not, I'll introduce you to someone." The old woman took a liking to the young man at first glance; he seemed honest and simple.

She has a keen eye for people her whole life, and she's also very anxious because she has a daughter who is still unmarried.

Li Qingming smiled even more broadly, scratching his head as he replied to the old woman, "Auntie, I'm married. My wife and I live here. She's here to study, and we'll be leaving after half a month. Thank you for your kindness."

"Oh, I see! Apologize!" The old man's face showed obvious disappointment, then he said, "Your wife must be a very good person, otherwise how could she have met such a good young man like you?"

“My wife is indeed a very good person. She is very beautiful and gentle with me.” Li Qingming had more to say when Xia Xiaoli was mentioned.

The old woman noticed the change in Li Qingming's expression.

"Then you must be very happy. I noticed you a long time ago; you've been busy doing everything." The old woman chatted as she washed.

While chopping vegetables, Li Qingming responded to the elderly man: "I feel very happy. My wife is very shy and speaks very softly. Whenever we meet, she always becomes shy without realizing it. I am afraid that if I stare at her, she will not dare to look up at me."

"You can tell they're newly married. That's just how girls are." The old woman could tell right away. She was definitely an experienced woman. She leaned closer to Li Qingming and said, "When a girl is shy, as her husband, you should get closer, hold her hand, say some nice things, hug her, and kiss her. The relationship will gradually become more intimate. If she's always shy, it's because she's never said any nice things."

"Is that so?" Li Qingming's cheeks and ears turned red after hearing what the old man said.

Since their marriage, he has never held hands or kissed Xia Xiaoli. Apart from when Xia Xiaoli was asleep, she always leaned against him because of her sleeping posture, there was nothing else he did that was excessive.

The old woman saw the expression on Li Qingming's face.

She laughed and said, "You're a guy, so you have to take the initiative. You're both married now. When a girl is shy, it's not because she's resisting. It means she's shy and wants you to take the initiative to kiss her and say things that couples should say. A couple shouldn't just be about getting married and having children. When you're young, you can have some fun. A conventional couple isn't fun."

Li Qingming didn't dare to look at the old woman after hearing this; the old woman's thinking was really open-minded.

“You’re young! You’re bound to be shy, but it really works. Couples need a sense of novelty in their relationship,” the old man continued.

The old man only stopped talking about it after someone else arrived.

At noon, Li Qingming brought food over to eat with Xia Xiaoli.

Thinking of what the old man had said at noon, Li Qingming's ears turned even redder.