Chapter 22 A sincere kiss, a loud "bo" sound

After dinner, He Chengze rushed to wash the dishes.

Jiang Xueyi didn't fight with him, but went to the bathroom to take a hot shower.

When she came out, she saw He Chengze already sitting in the living room with a book in his hand.

Jiang Xueyi didn't disturb him, but went into the kitchen and cut a cantaloupe.

"What are you looking at?" She picked up a piece of melon with a toothpick and put it close to He Chengze's mouth.

He Chengze ate it. The cantaloupe after being splashed with cold water felt cool and refreshing, just like drinking a bag of honey.

He flipped open the cover of the book and showed it to her: "It's a popular science book."

"Why did you think of watching this?" Jiang Xueyi fed him another piece of cantaloupe.

This has nothing to do with He Chengze's cabinet of books.

He Chengze: "I borrowed it from a comrade. I read a lot of different books, a bit of everything. My grandfather often told me that he didn't have a good childhood and often suffered from a lack of education, so he always taught us kids to read more books and newspapers."

"That's great! Books are the golden house." Jiang Xueyi leaned back on the armrest of her chair, running her fingertips over the illustrations on the pages, and smiled. "I should read more books and learn more about culture. When Xiao He asks me 'Why do the stars blink?' someday, I can flip through the book and tell him that it's because the stars are shining."

He Chengze raised the corner of his mouth: "Okay, let's watch it together."

The room was silent, with only the sound of pages turning.

Unconsciously, He Chengze's gaze moved from the book to Jiang Xueyi.

Her black hair was tied up loosely, with a few strands hanging on the tips of her red ears. Her thick eyelashes trembled slightly as she turned the pages, like a butterfly flapping its wings about to fly.

Sometimes she bit her lower lip in thought, and the color of her lips would turn a light pink under the teeth marks; sometimes her brows would relax, and her dimples would appear.

The two were so close that they could hear each other's breathing.

"This part..."

Jiang Xueyi turned her head and was caught off guard by his warm lips.

Both of them froze in place.

He Chengze's Adam's apple rolled twice, and he suddenly reached out and grabbed the back of Jiang Xueyi's neck, stroking her soft hair with his fingertips. Before she could react, he leaned over and kissed her.

He pried open her clenched teeth, and his tongue irresistibly attacked her, greedily demanding every breath that belonged to her.

Tiny sobs mixed with suppressed gasps echoed in the small space, and the window frames rattled in the wind.

The light and shadow cast the entangled figures of the two people on the mottled wall, leaving a fiery mark.

After the kiss, Jiang Xueyi leaned in his arms, breathing lightly.

He Chengze hugged her, resting his chin on her head, playing with her slender fingers from time to time, his voice low and hoarse: "When are you going to give birth to the child? I can't bear it anymore."

Jiang Xueyi took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, then glared at him, "Even if you can't help it, you have to endure it. It's not like a sow giving birth to piglets. You can't just give birth to them whenever you want."

She said, "Believe it or not, I will be pregnant with Nezha for three years and six months before giving birth again."

He Chengze was amused: "If you are really pregnant with Nezha, then I am Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. I don't believe that I can't cure this kid."

Jiang Xueyi: ...

She suddenly remembered that in the original text, the villainous illegitimate son she and He Chengze had indeed caused the male protagonist He Chengze a lot of trouble.

Could it be that the child he gave birth to be a devil?

She turned back to the room, turned on the light and went to sleep: "You take your time to be Li Jing, I, Madam Yin, will sleep with Nezha first."

The next day, Jiang Xueyi got up, opened the curtains, looked at the bright sunshine outside, and stretched lazily.

Last night I dreamed about the end of the world again.

Perhaps because there was a man exuding masculinity lying next to her, the dream had a good ending. She escaped the zombies' pursuit and successfully survived.

Breakfast was simple, just a plate of flatbread.

Jiang Xueyi tore the dough into small pieces and put them into her mouth while looking at the balcony: "When the scallions grow taller, we can make scallion pancakes."

"If Xiaocong knew that you cared about it so much, it would be so scared that it wouldn't dare to grow taller." He Chengze said.

Jiang Xueyi smiled with her eyebrows curved: "They can't hear."

He Chengze raised his eyebrows: "Who told me last time that plants can hear people talking?"

Jiang Xueyi choked and said, "Eat your cake."

After breakfast, He Chengze changed into his military uniform, took his hat from the hanger and put it on his head: "I'm leaving, remember, don't forget."

Jiang Xueyi was confused: "Remember what?"

He Chengze was speechless and pointed at her belly: "Count the fetal movements. Do as the doctor says. Follow the doctor's instructions."

So that’s what it is.

Jiang Xueyi saluted and said, "Okay, Captain He, I promise to complete the mission." She touched her belly again and said, "Xiao He, say goodbye to Daddy."

He Chengze curled the corners of his mouth and strode out of the house.

Thinking of his mother and daughter at home waiting for him to come back, he even walked with more energy.

After seeing He Chengze off, Jiang Xueyi felt that she had eaten too much and wanted to take a walk.

It just so happened that I hadn’t returned the sauerkraut bowl I borrowed last night, so I just strolled over to Zhao’s house.

Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "Liu Lu, I'm here to return the bowl."

Liu Lu came out: "Just put it on the table."

Zhao Xiaorui followed behind her, still holding the little pine tree in her arms, looking depressed, and called out, "Auntie Jiang."

"Hey." Jiang Xueyi asked, "Where are we going?"

Liu Lu: "Give the dog back."

Zhao Xiaorui was heartbroken: "I can't return it. If I do, my uncle will give it to someone else."

Jiang Xueyi advised: "Xiao Rui, we live in an apartment building, and there's not much room for the puppy to move around. It would be better to release it back to the countryside, where it can guard the house and run around freely."

Zhao Xiaorui exclaimed, "Ah!" "Aunt Jiang, you don't know, my uncle's friend has been eyeing this puppy for a long time. As soon as I return it, he'll leave immediately. He eats dog meat and has slaughtered several of his big black dogs."

The little Tusong seemed to sense something and whimpered twice.

"This..." Jiang Xueyi looked at Liu Lu in embarrassment.

Liu Lu frowned: "That won't work either."

She didn't think anything of it.

In this age where food is more important than life, a dog's loyalty cannot be exchanged for a bowl of hot rice. A puppy is a living "meat storage tank" and a little bit of oil in hard times.

Maybe adults will feel a little reluctant when they raise the kitchen knife, but that reluctance will eventually be stewed into the boiling soup, and even the bones will be chewed clean.

She urged: "Okay, hurry up and go, I have an appointment with your uncle."

Zhao Xiaorui held the puppy, clung to the door frame, and refused to leave, crying, "I won't leave, I won't leave."

The quiet little girl cried so hard that her nose turned red, like a poor little rabbit.

Xiao Tusong struggled in her arms, jumped down, turned around, ran behind Jiang Xueyi, and lay down on the ground.

Zhao Xiaorui stopped crying and said in surprise, "Aunt Jiang, it likes you."

As if to confirm her words, Xiao Tusong rubbed Jiang Xueyi's trouser leg with his wet nose.

Jiang Xueyi looked down at the little white pine tree and suddenly remembered a big yellow dog she raised in the end times. Although the breed and color were different, the pair of black bean-like eyes were exactly the same and very human.

The big yellow dog stayed with her for a long time. The person and the dog depended on each other in the end times. They often cooperated to steal supplies, ate meat together, and drank water together.

Unfortunately, when she was out one time, a group of survivors sneaked into her temporary base and tricked the big yellow dog out. When she found it, the big yellow dog had turned into a pile of bones and dog hair.

If this little Tusong is returned, its fate will be the same as that of the big yellow dog, and it will be turned into a pot of dog meat.

Jiang Xueyi looked at Xiao Tusong's wet black eyes and couldn't bear to let him go.

She thought for a moment and said, "Liu Lu, give me this dog. I'll take care of it."

"You're going to raise it?" Liu Lu was stunned.

Zhao Xiaorui's eyes lit up: "Aunt Jiang, you want to raise it, that's great."

The two families live next door to each other. If Jiang Xueyi raises a puppy, she can go over to see it often.

Jiang Xueyi said, "Hmm," and said, "This puppy is destined to be with me." Then she said, "Wait for me for a moment."

She went back to the house and took out a pound of meat coupons and stuffed them into Liu Lu's hand: "I won't take your meat coupons for nothing. Please give these meat coupons to your brother for me and tell him that I want this dog."

Liu Lu held the meat ticket in her hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. What the hell was going on? "You're still pregnant, can you take care of her?"

Jiang Xueyi really wants to raise this little pine tree.

There is a saying that you should not keep pets during pregnancy because you are afraid that the bacteria on the pets will affect the fetus.

She has always felt that this statement has some scientific basis, but not much. As long as you are careful and keep your pets clean, such a situation will rarely happen.

After all, it all depends on the owner when it comes to raising a dog.

Moreover, the nose of this little pine grouse is moist without any dirty secretions, and its eyes are bright and lively. It looks very healthy and does not look like it is carrying bacteria.

She waved her hand: "It's OK."

Little Tusong was very obedient. When he saw Jiang Xueyi leaving, he hurriedly took steps with his short legs to catch up.

This is not the first time Jiang Xueyi has raised a dog. She plans to build a nest for this little pine tree and give it a home.

The material for the nest is the scraps of cloth left over from making a vest for He Chengze. By piecing together and cutting them, they become a mat made of scraps of cloth.

Jiang Xueyi patted the mat and said, "Come up."

The little Tusong obediently lay down on the mat, with its four legs facing the air, revealing its snow-white belly, and a little snoring sound like a puppy came out of its throat.

Jiang Xueyi took a porcelain bowl with a missing corner, poured some water into it, and gave a simple instruction: "Drink water."

The little pine tree understood, and walked to the bowl with its short legs, put its front paws on the edge of the bowl, and gently rolled up the water with its pink little tongue, and the water droplets spread along its fur.

Jiang Xueyi: "I'm going out for a while."

The little Tusong barked excitedly twice and followed Jiang Xueyi.

Jiang Xueyi looked back and saw a little tail. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I'm going to the vegetable market to buy some vegetables. You stay at home and be good. I'll be back soon."

The little Tusong whimpered and lay back down on the mat obediently.

Jiang Xueyi put the money in her pocket and went to the vegetable market.

Because she had a puppy at home, she didn't dare to delay any longer and quickly bought some vegetables.

When she entered the room, she saw that Xiao Tusong was still lying obediently on the mat, in the same position as when she arrived.

What a good dog.

I went to the market late today and didn’t buy any good meat. I only bought a big bone with meat on it.

Jiang Xueyi scraped the meat off the big bone with a knife, cut it into dices, added bean paste, light soy sauce, salt and a little chili powder and stir-fried it into臊子.

There was still some meat on the remaining bones, and it would be a waste to throw it away, so he gave it to Xiao Tusong to eat.

The little Tusong held the big bone and chewed it happily.

Then cut the carrots and cucumbers into shreds, add sweet bean sauce to the eggs and stir-fry them into a rich egg sauce, blanch the bean sprouts briefly, and put them in a plate.

He Chengze returned home and found it strange that he didn't smell any food, as it was already dinner time.

Seeing a few plates on the table, I couldn't help but ask, "What delicious food are you making?"

Jiang Xueyi brought out the sauce and said, "You'll know in a minute. Go wash your hands."

He Chengze came out after washing his hands and glanced at the table: "Sauerkraut, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, shredded cucumbers, egg sauce, oh, and a plate of leftover pancakes from this morning."

"That's right, we're having burritos today," said Jiang Xueyi.

I was not careful in the morning and made too many pancakes. If I left them for the next day, I was afraid they would go bad in the hot weather, so I just made them into spring rolls in the evening.

He Chengze raised his eyebrows: "Burrito?"

He had never heard of this.

Jiang Xueyi: "Just wait and see."

She held the pancake in one hand and used chopsticks to pick up bean sprouts, shredded carrots and cucumbers and put them on top. Then she scooped a spoonful of egg sauce and a spoonful of臊子, and finally rolled it up like this, and it was done.

The wrapped burrito was handed to He Chengze first: "Try it and see if it tastes good."

He Chengze took the burrito and took a bite.

The outer crust was re-baked with lard and still had a shiny oily sheen. When you bite it, it makes a "crunch" sound and is golden and crispy.

The crisp and refreshing cucumber shreds are paired with shredded carrots and bean sprouts to relieve the greasiness. The soft and tender egg sauce mixed with the rich sauce spreads on the tip of the tongue. The more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes. You can't wait to take a bite before swallowing it. Until the whole burrito is eaten, your fingers are still stained with sauce, and your lips and teeth are filled with an unsatisfied sense of satisfaction.

He Chengze couldn't help but praise: "This burrito is good."

Jiang Xueyi quickly said, "As long as it suits your taste, I'll help you roll the pancake."

He Chengze: "No need."

After a day of training in the military camp, my stomach was already growling with hunger.

Without Jiang Xueyi's help, he rolled up the pancake by himself. He finished one in just a few seconds and ate it cleanly in two bites.

Seeing that He Chengze had almost finished eating, Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "Did you enjoy your meal?"

He Chengze raised his eyebrows. This is, to be too attentive for no reason, is either a traitor or a thief.

He wiped his hands with paper: "It's okay."

Jiang Xueyi blinked her eyes a few times: "I want to discuss something with you."

He Chengze looked at her with a smile. The word "discuss" was still useful between them.

Okay, he wanted to see what she was up to.

Jiang Xueyi pulled him: "Come with me."

As he said that, he pulled him to the balcony.

He Chengze took a closer look and saw that there was a puppy on the balcony. Judging from its head, it was probably a one-month-old puppy.

When he saw Jiang Xueyi, Xiao Tusong barked excitedly and walked towards Jiang Xueyi.

It is furry and wobbles when it walks, like a ball of white marshmallow.

Jiang Xueyi put her hand in front of its paw: "Handshake."

The little pine tree stretched out its paw and placed it on Jiang Xueyi's hand, wagging its tail rapidly.

Jiang Xueyi smiled and turned to He Chengze and said, "Look, be obedient."

"I'm obedient indeed." He Chengze said, "But, won't you explain?"

Jiang Xueyi coughed lightly and said, "It's like this, this dog is the Zhao family's dog I told you about yesterday."

He Chengze: "Then, how did you bring it back?"

Jiang Xueyi said succinctly, "Xiao Rui wanted to keep the puppy, but Liu Lu and Captain Zhao disagreed. We had to send it back this morning. If we had sent it back, Xiao Rui's uncle would have given it to someone who loves to eat dog meat. I felt sorry for the puppy, so I took it home to raise."

She blinked her eyes and said, "You won't let me raise it, will you?"

He Chengze hummed: "What do you think?"

Jiang Xueyi hugged him happily: "I knew you were the best."

He Chengze: "Don't worry, I haven't agreed yet." He added, "Raising a dog is not an easy task. You have to feed it, walk it, and clean up its poop on a regular basis every day. These things are easy to say but time-consuming to do."

I know quite a lot.

Jiang Xueyi asked: "How do you know so much? Have you ever raised a dog?"

"I had one when I was a kid, but it died of illness later."

He Chengze: "Don't change the subject, do you really want to raise her?"

Jiang Xueyi nodded rapidly, "More real than pearls." She nudged her chin to gesture for him to look at the little Tusong, "Look, how pitiful it is, yet so cute."

She took He Chengze's arm and said coquettishly, "Just let me raise him."

He Chengze tried hard to suppress the upward curve of his mouth and pointed his index finger at the side of his face: "Where's your sincerity?"

Jiang Xueyi understood immediately, moved closer to his cheek and gave him a big kiss, the "bo" sound was very loud.

He Chengze's ears turned red: "Keep your voice down."

Jiang Xueyi squinted at him and said, "Who asked me to kiss you?"

She bent down and picked up Xiao Tusong: "I don't care, I'll take it as your consent."

Having said that, he turned and went into the house.

He Chengze followed her, holding a mat in his hand: "I didn't say that I can't let you keep it. As you said, this dog is really pitiful. If we don't save it, it will become dog meat stew."

He said, "We have military dogs in our army too. They are our good partners in battle. Those who eat dog meat are not good people. As the old saying goes, eating dog meat will ruin your life."

Jiang Xueyi laughed: "That's riding a dog."

But these words really touched her heart.

She went into the room and took something out: "Try it on and see if it fits."

"What is it?" He Chengze was stunned for a moment and took it with a confused look on his face.

When I unfolded it, I saw a brand new white vest.

Jiang Xueyi tilted her head slightly, her neck flushed. "Your vests are all worn out, so I made you one. But I wasn't sure your size. I saw that Captain Zhao is about the same size as you, so I asked Liu Lu for Captain Zhao's size and made one based on it."

He Chengze stood there in a daze, holding his white vest.

This was the first time someone made clothes for him.

His mother came from a scholarly family and had never done any housework. The clothes he wore since he was a child were all bought outside.

Although those clothes are exquisite and made of good fabrics, they always feel like something is missing when they are worn.

Now that I think about it, it must be because I lack the warmth of home.

Jiang Xueyi urged: "Hurry up and try it on."

"Okay." He Chengze raised the corner of his mouth, "I'll wear it now."

He took off his clothes, revealing his muscular upper body, and put on a white vest.

"Look at it, isn't it beautiful?"

The slightly tight white vest outlines his perfect muscle lines, especially his sturdy arms, which are as strong as steel.

Jiang Xueyi had seen other people wearing white vests before, but he was the only one who looked different in his style.

If I have to describe it, I can only use three words: like a "man".

Her eyes lit up and she nodded repeatedly: "It looks good."

He Chengze took off his vest and folded it carefully. He was reluctant to wear it for the time being.

After putting the clothes away properly, he remembered something and raised his eyebrows and said, "If I don't agree to keep the puppy, you won't give me this white vest, will you?"

He saw that Jiang Xueyi had just gone back to the room to get the white vest for him because she had agreed to raise a puppy.

Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "Guess?"

He Chengze curled his lips and leaned over to her ear: "By the way, didn't you just say that you didn't know my size? Do you want to measure it tonight?"

Jiang Xueyi's ears were tickled by the hot air he blew: "Hate it, someone is watching us."

He Chengze looked around: "Who, where is it?"

Jiang Xueyi pursed her lips and said, "Yes."

He Chengze looked down and saw that the little Tusong was staring at them with his wet black eyes and tilted his head.

This is like raising a light bulb.

He Chengze touched his chin and said, "Why don't we send it back to the Zhao family?"

Jiang Xueyi quickly picked up Xiao Tusong: "You dare."

He Chengze: "I'm just joking. By the way, have you given it a name? You can't just call it 'puppy' or 'puppy', right? Should you call it 'wangwang'?"

Jiang Xueyi frowned and thought: "What names do the military dogs in your army have?"

"There are quite a few," He Chengze said. "There are names like 'Thunder', 'Storm', 'Overlord', and 'Berserker'. Some are even simply named 'Sentinel', and some are named 'Black Panther' based on their color and size."

Jiang Xueyi held the little Tusong under her armpit and brought it to He Chengze: "Do you think it's appropriate to call this little thing 'Berserker'?"

This is not crazy at all.

He Chengze said with disdain: "Compared with the military dogs in our army, this little thing is far inferior."

The little Tusong seemed unconvinced and let out a howl.

Jiang Xueyi happily tapped its pink little nose: "You are imitating the wolf's howl."

Unable to think of a name for Xiao Tusong for a while, she simply asked He Chengze: "What are military dogs responsible for?"

She had only heard of police dogs, and this was the first time she had heard of a military dog.

He Chengze's expression grew slightly more serious. "We learned this from overseas. Trained military dogs are highly alert, obey orders, and are able to complete their missions very well. For example, during the Battle of Stalingrad, five hundred well-trained bomb-carrying dogs were deployed, forming four anti-tank dog companies. They were armed with explosives and fought the enemy to the death, destroying over three hundred German tanks and playing a significant role in the victory."

These military dogs are all martyrs.

Compared with them, the small pine tree is indeed not good enough.

"So, are the military dogs being bred by the army now also used as bomb-carrying dogs?" Jiang Xueyi couldn't help but ask.

He Chengze smiled and said, "That's not the case. Military dogs currently being trained are mainly used for reconnaissance and surveillance. There are very few dogs like those that carry bombs."

Jiang Xueyi finally felt relieved.

She breathed a sigh of relief: "By the way, we haven't named the puppy yet."

"Just call him Wangcai." He Chengze said.

Jiang Xueyi glared at him: "This is too tacky."

He Chengze: "Then what's your name?"