That evening, Li Chu sat leaning against the pile of blankets, flipping through a document in his hand. Ding Qiunan climbed into bed and snuggled into his arms.

He reached out and gently touched a scar on his left shoulder blade.

After a while, she touched the scar on her stomach again.

Does it hurt?

"Um?"

Li Chu put down the documents in his hand and looked at his wife in his arms.

"I'm asking if you're still in pain?"

"It hasn't hurt for a long time," he said with a slight smile to his wife.

Did it hurt at the time?

Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?

"Of course it's the truth."

"The truth is, it hurt, it hurt terribly. I even felt like I wanted to die."

Li Chu raised his hand and touched his wife's hair: "But when I think of those comrades who were forced to have limbs amputated or even sacrificed their lives, I don't feel the pain anymore. Compared to those children, I am lucky enough. At least I came back alive, didn't I?"

Ding Qiunan had no way of knowing what her husband had gone through in those ten months.

She couldn't truly empathize with him, but seeing her husband's sorrowful expression made her feel very sad too.

But there's nothing she can do now; even her words of comfort to her husband sound so pale and ineffective.

If only I could have gone with him back then.

Perhaps sensing the pain in his wife's heart, Li Chu reached out and cupped her face in his hands.

She said softly, "Those are all things of the past. I'll recover slowly, so don't worry about me."

"Hmm," Ding Qiunan nodded, staring into her husband's eyes.

She didn't want to talk about this heavy topic anymore. What other way could she divert her husband's attention?

She gave her man a sweet smile.

Looking at her smile, Li Chu immediately understood.

His wife had already given him the signal that she wanted to fight, so what could he do?

Every man must face the battle head-on.

Ding Qiunan was offering herself to the tiger; she knew when it would begin, but when it would end was beyond her control.

In the stillness of the night, the dogs sleeping in their beds in the living room all breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, they could sleep. Being a dog was tough. If they had a choice, they would prefer to sleep in another room.

In the warm summer, they can sleep outside and it's a bit better, but the winters are tough.

These two owners have absolutely no regard for their dogs' mental health and are truly abusing them to the point of death.

In the bedroom, Li Chu brought a basin of hot water, wiped his wife's body, and then covered her with a blanket.

After emptying the water from the basin, he put on his pajamas and quietly went to the study.

I sat down in the chair behind my desk and lit a cigarette.

Amidst the swirling smoke, his thoughts drifted to the battlefield thousands of kilometers away.

He hasn't studied psychology, so he doesn't know what his current mental state is like.

Five months have passed since that emergency mission, but he still occasionally finds himself in the scene from that time.

Sigh, even a man in his forties can't regulate his mental state well, so it's no wonder that young people in their twenties sometimes have stress reactions.

After finishing his cigarette, he went back to the bedroom.

The moment he embraced his wife, his somewhat restless heart quickly calmed down.

He was certain in his heart that everyone said Ding Qiunan couldn't live without him, but wasn't he the same way?

He slept soundly without being disturbed once, and when he opened his eyes again, it was already six o'clock in the morning.

The night's rest washed away his physical and mental fatigue, and he looked refreshed and energetic.

After washing up, I had just arrived in the yard when I saw three children emerging from their respective houses.

"So, are you guys able to keep up with your daily exercise routine now?"

“Dad, we do this every day, whether at school or at home.”

"Dad Chu, I persevered too!"

"Okay, that's what it takes to be in good health. Keep it up! Come on, let's box together!"

Li Chu noticed that during his absence, the children seemed to have grown up all at once.

After exercising, I went out to buy breakfast and prepare food for the dog. I started getting busy in the kitchen.

The three of them had a clear division of labor, so he didn't have to worry about anything.

How should I put it? He's not home, and there's a lazy mom at home. What are the children supposed to do? They'll have to take care of themselves.

Actually, it's a good thing. Children will grow up sooner or later and need to learn how to live. These are basic life skills that they need to learn.

Just like cooking, at the very least, it has to be edible, right?

He went into the bedroom and woke up his wife, who was still fast asleep.

After she opened her eyes, he said, "Get up. The child has already gone out to buy breakfast. Eat it before you go back to sleep. I'll go to the hospital later to ask for a day off for you."

"Ah..." Ding Qiunan raised her hand and hugged her husband's neck: "You still have to go to the hospital!"

"I'll at least go and talk to Dean Shan, and then help you get leave. We won't be working for now, and we'll go back after the New Year."

Hearing her husband's arrangement, Ding Qiunan's eyes, which had been a little sleepy, immediately brightened: "Really?"

"Okay, I'll go tell them. Get up and put on your pajamas. If you're sleepy, go to sleep after you finish eating."

After dinner, Tian Jun was already waiting at the entrance of the alley in his car.

Li Chu's appearance at the hospital caused quite a stir.

No one in the hospital knew where he had gone. At first, everyone thought he was on official business, but as time went on, various versions of rumors emerged.

However, because Ding Qiunan's position as director was so secure, these rumors were dispelled.

In addition, the hospital held a special meeting for its staff to explain that Li Chu had a special mission and to stop making wild guesses. They also warned that anyone who spread negative rumors in private would be dealt with.

This finally quelled everyone's curiosity.

He didn't stay at the hospital long. He asked for leave for his wife, visited the hospital director, and then drove home.

I also helped Tian Jun out by applying for a family visit leave for him. He can leave tomorrow, and he has a total of half a month's leave.

This made Tian Jun, who hadn't taken a family visit leave in three years, extremely happy.

He has successfully become a volunteer soldier, and this trip home can be considered a triumphant return.

I drove home and found all three children busy with their own things, but my lazy wife was still fast asleep, wrapped in her blanket.

Without disturbing them, Li Chu went to his sister's side.

Li Qin was in the kitchen, busy preparing delicious food for the New Year. She used all the stoves, setting up oil pans and steamers, and was having a great time.