"Xiao Hei knows Director Liang?"

"I've seen him twice before, but I don't know how he managed to get Director Liang to come out."

Ding Qiunan smiled and squatted down, scratching the chin of Xiao Hei, who was lying at her feet.

Xiao Hei's eyes were squinted comfortably, and its mouth was wide open in a grin.

"Little Black, you're getting better and better. I'll give you extra meat tomorrow."

"Woof!" Xiao Hei barked softly, clearly pleased with its mistress's words.

"Are the kids asleep?" Li Chu picked up the jar on the coffee table and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

"Go to sleep. I was waiting for you to come back and tell me a story. If you're being stubborn and don't want to sleep, I'll give each of you a slap on the bottom, and then you'll obediently lie down and fall asleep."

Li Chu smiled helplessly. In other families, the father is strict and the mother is kind, but in his family, it's the opposite.

"How is Director Liang's family doing?" Ding Qiunan asked, sitting next to her husband.

"I didn't ask about the specifics, but it's definitely not good. He used to be chubby and healthy. When I went to see him this morning, I didn't even recognize him at first glance. His hair was completely white, and in just a few months, he had lost at least 20 or 30 pounds. His complexion was also terrible."

Sigh, he's so old already. To be honest, I don't know how much longer he can hold on.

"Is it that serious?" Ding Qiunan frowned slightly, feeling very uncomfortable.

“It might be more serious than I described. Just by looking at his face, without even taking his pulse, I can tell that he has been holding on all this time, but once he loses his strength, it’s hard to say how much longer he can hold on.”

Ding Qiunan tilted her head and leaned on his shoulder: "What's going on now? Why is this happening?"

"Sigh," Li Chu sighed. What could he say?

Can I tell my wife that this is just the beginning?

When that person in Shanghai makes such a big move next February, that's when the real beginning will begin.

I need to talk to my sister and brother-in-law. My brother-in-law is a bit better off; after all, his place is just one point, and an indispensable one at that. With his shrewdness, it won't be difficult for him to get by.

But the problem is more serious for my sister, especially after next year.

Even if it's just a little bit revealed beforehand, we need to make her be extremely careful.

If all else fails, let her retire early, or find a less demanding job.

"What are you thinking about?" Ding Qiunan looked up at her husband and reached out to smooth his furrowed brows.

“I’m worried about my sister. She’s the director of the subdistrict office now, and she’s offended quite a few people over the years. I’m a little worried about her.”

"No way, I work for the government."

"Just wait and see, this wind will only get stronger."

"Li Chu, I hope nothing serious will happen."

He reached out and gently stroked his wife's hair: "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

After saying that, he pulled her into his arms.

"Let's go, wash up and go to bed."

"Go ahead and wash up. I already washed up after the child fell asleep."

"That's why you smell so good."

"Tch, do you have a dog's nose? I can't smell anything. I'm going inside first, you go wash up."

Ding Qiunan broke free from his embrace, put on her slippers, and headed towards the bedroom.

Watching his wife's retreating figure, Li Chu smiled slightly. A wife, children, and a warm bed—this was the life he longed for, and he would protect this family no matter what.

The next few days were uneventful.

On Sunday, the whole family came to Uncle Wang's place.

Li Chu also met his brother whom he hadn't seen for many years.

The two brothers embraced each other after they met.

"Eight years, young soldier."

"Yeah, bro, it's been eight years."

Li Chu released Wang Bing and squatted down, pulling the two children close: "Huihui, Xuanxuan, call your third uncle and say hello to him."

I Have a Scroll of Ghost and Deity Illustrations

"Hello, Third Uncle!"

The two children leaned against Li Chu and called out timidly.

Wang Bing had been living in southern Fujian for the past few years, and his skin was tanned dark and shiny. He was slightly shorter than Li Chu, but he looked much stronger. When the two children first saw him, they were a little afraid of him.

"Hey, hello everyone." Wang Bing frantically rummaged through his pockets for a while, but couldn't find anything.

The girl standing behind him smiled, took two red envelopes from her pocket, stuffed them into his hand, and whispered, "They're with me."

After taking the money, Wang Bing hurriedly handed it to the two children: "Here, this is a red envelope from your third uncle."

Huihui and Xuanxuan didn't answer, but instead turned to look at their father.

"Take it, you should thank your third uncle."

"Thank you, Third Uncle."

"Good boy!"

Wang Bing looked at the two children in front of him and liked them more and more.

"I like it, why don't you try harder and have one yourself?"

These words made Wang Bing's face turn a dark red, and he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Come here, Xiaobing, let me introduce you. This is your sister-in-law, Ding Qiunan."

Qiu Nan, this is Wang Bing. You can just call him Xiaobing.

"Hello, sister-in-law. I'm so sorry I missed your and my brother's wedding."

"Hello, Xiaobing. I've heard your brother mention you all the time. Now I'm finally meeting you in person."

"Brother, sister-in-law, this is my girlfriend, and she is also a math teacher at a primary school near our residence. Her name is Wang Qi."

"Qiqi, his name is Li Chu, you can call him Big Brother. And this lady, you can call her Sister-in-law."

Wang Qi called out, but her heart was full of doubts.

As far as she knew, Wang Bing had three sons; he was the second oldest, and he had an older brother and a younger brother, all of whom were in the military.

That older brother will also be bringing his wife back today, but it shouldn't be the one in front of me.

Because that guy's child is still inside.

So where did this big brother come from?

Moreover, both husband and wife are soldiers, and they both appear to be officers.

"Junzi and Qiaoyun haven't returned yet?"

"No, we probably won't be able to get in until noon. Let's go in, brother. Sister Qin and her husband are already here."

"Hey, they're here early today."

The group walked into the courtyard as they talked.

When Li Chu visits Uncle Wang's house now, he can receive a salute from the sentry at the gate, but he is required to return the salute.

Once inside, Wenhui and Wenxuan ran to see the little one.

Xiao Wenxuan had long known that this young girl would be his future wife. Although he didn't understand what "wife" meant, it didn't affect his liking for her.

Strangely enough, this little girl seems to have a natural affinity for Wenxuan. She giggles whenever she sees him, and at just two years old, she can already play with them.

"Brother Meng, how's the dog? Is it doing well?"

Upon seeing Zhang Meng sitting in the courtyard, Li Chu was reminded of the puppy he had taken away.

Mentioning this made Zhang Meng happy: "You know what, your dog is definitely a good breed. It's so smart. No matter what you teach it, it learns it in one go."