Chapter 309 Return

The mother and son stayed in the courtyard house until Sunday, when they returned to the Army Compound close to noon.

Sister Zhang was already waiting at the gate of the courtyard, eagerly anticipating what was to come.

As soon as she saw Xiaoman slowly carrying the small fish tank in, she rushed forward to help: "Oh dear, is this fish tank heavy? Aunt Zhang will help you carry it."

Xiaoman turned her small body to the side to protect the fish tank, saying, "Aunt Zhang, I can get it myself!"

He walked steadily to the slide in the yard, tiptoed, and carefully placed the fish tank on the slide platform. The water and fish inside swayed gently, and not a single drop of water spilled.

Sister Zhang clicked her tongue in admiration: "Incredible! Incredible! Our Xiaoman is truly the most reliable and well-behaved child I've ever met! Sigh, thinking back to my two little rascals, they were so clumsy and mischievous when they were little, they never gave us a moment's peace..."

She looked at the bright sun overhead again. "Xiaoman, the sun is really strong right now, and the little fish are afraid of the heat. How about we move the fish tank to that stone table over there? There's a sunshade there, it'll be cooler."

Xiaoman listened to the advice and nodded, saying, "Okay, little fish are afraid of the heat."

After saying that, he took matters into his own hands and steadily moved the fish tank to the stone table and chairs.

Meanwhile, Nan Zhiyi entered the room and noticed something was amiss.

The windows inside were polished to a shine, allowing sunlight to stream in without obstruction, making the room even more radiant.

The edges and corners of the furniture, as well as the hard-to-reach corners that easily accumulate dust, were all wiped clean.

She walked into the bedroom and found that the large and small beds had been rearranged, with thin blankets and new bedding, making it exceptionally fresh and pleasant.

Nan Zhiyi knew that behind all this meticulous cleanliness was Sister Zhang's silent hard work.

It was Zhang Jie's diligent work that freed her from housework, allowing her to have more time and energy to write, spend time with her children, and pursue her career and values.

She couldn't help but feel deeply grateful for Sister Zhang's kindness once again.

Knowing that the weather in Beijing gets hot quickly, Nan Zhiyi made a special trip to the department store and, based on her usual observations of sizes, bought Zhang Jie a light-colored floral polyester dress.

She knew Zhang Jie's personality; if she bought fabric, Zhang Jie would probably keep it for her family. If she bought ready-made clothes, Zhang Jie could wear them herself.

Back home, Nan Zhiyi handed over the paper bag containing the dress, saying, "Sister Zhang, I saw that it's getting warmer, so I bought you a dress."

Sister Zhang was stunned at first, but when she realized what was happening, her eyes welled up with tears: "This... Sister-in-law, this is too much money!... I... I haven't worn a new piece of clothing in years... My husband... has never bought me one..."

She clutched the paper bag, unsure what to do.

Nan Zhiyi pushed her towards the small bedroom: "I bought it based on your figure. Go try it on. If it doesn't fit, we can exchange it."

She urged Sister Zhang, "Try it on, I'll close the door for you."

After a while, Sister Zhang came out, wearing a dress and looking somewhat awkward.

The skirt is slightly loose, but it fits perfectly, with some room at the waist.

She tugged at the hem of her dress, then shyly twirled around in place. "Sister-in-law...do I...look good in this?"

Xiaoman was the first to loudly praise, "Aunt Zhang is beautiful!"

Nan Zhiyi also praised, "It looks great! It fits you perfectly, and the pattern suits you too. You're buying it to wear, so don't be reluctant to part with it. You can wear it in a few days when it gets warmer."

Sister Zhang responded repeatedly, "Yes, yes! Thank you, sister-in-law! I'll change out and put it away first."

She went back inside to change back into her old clothes, carefully put the skirt away, and then went to prepare dinner with light steps.

Nan Zhiyi took Xiaoman's hand: "Come on, son, Mom will take you to the mailbox in the compound to mail a letter, and we can take a stroll while we're at it."

She stayed up all night last night to finally finish revising and transcribing the latest manuscript, and is now sending it out.

She knew that local mail traveled quickly; Editor Lin would usually receive it the next day, or at the latest, the third day.

As for subsequent serializations or publication, Editor Lin will contact her.

The mother and son walked slowly, their shadows stretched long by the setting sun.

Xiaoman tiptoed and stuffed the thick stack of letters into the narrow delivery slot of the dark green mailbox. With a soft "pop," the mission was complete.

He looked up, waiting for praise, and was satisfied when his mother said, "Xiaoman, you're great!" He then took his mother's hand again and skipped home.

As soon as the mother and son reached the gate of the courtyard, they saw Gu Xiao hurriedly open the gate.

Xiaoman's eyes widened instantly. Without thinking, she shook off her mother's hand and rushed over, shouting in surprise, "Daddy!"

Gu Xiao bent down and caught his son, who was lunging at him, and lifted him high in the air: "Did you miss your dad?"

Xiaoman gripped her father's arm tightly: "I want to! I really want to!"

Nan Zhiyi remained rooted to the spot. She wanted to laugh, but the corners of her mouth turned down uncontrollably. She wanted to say something to him, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

Gu Xiao, carrying his son, strode over and put his arm around Nan Zhiyi's shoulder. "Wife, come on, let's go inside and talk."

He half-embraced and half-carried Nan Zhiyi into the house. The familiar scent enveloped her, easing her tense nerves a little.

Gu Xiao put down Xiaoman, who was excitedly dancing around, and took out a tank model made of bullet casings from his luggage and stuffed it into his son's hand: "Here, Dad brought this for you. Go play with it for a while."

After successfully pacifying the little one with a new toy, Gu Xiao pulled Nan Zhiyi to sit on the sofa in the study and lifted her onto his lap: "Wife, I'm back."

Nan Zhiyi stretched out her arms and hugged his neck, burying her face deeply in the crook of his neck.

She sniffed and asked in a muffled voice, "You...have you taken a shower?"

Gu Xiao hummed in agreement, turned his head, and kissed her forehead.

"Yeah, as soon as I walked in the door, I thought my sweet-smelling wife would be waiting for me, but she wasn't there. I was afraid she'd be annoyed by my sweaty appearance, so I quickly washed myself clean so I could give her a proper hug..."

He teased with feigned grievance, but tightened his grip on her arm even more.

Nan Zhiyi's lips curled up slightly, but tears welled up uncontrollably. "It's good that you're alright...it's good that you're back..."

Gu Xiao felt the dampness on her neck, so he gently patted her back until she calmed down a bit.

He released her arm, wiped away her tears, and lowered his head to place a few light kisses on her eyelashes: "Good wife, don't cry, okay? If you cry again, I'll be washed away by your tears."

Nan Zhiyi didn't answer, but reached out to check if he was injured.

Her hands searched his back and arms, from top to bottom, making sure that every part was intact.

Gu Xiao let her examine him until she completely relaxed and her tears stopped, then he leaned close to her ear.

"Honey... don't rush. I'll let you examine it slowly tonight, okay?"