The two worked quickly and efficiently, and soon the master bedroom was tidied up perfectly.
When it was Zhouzhou's turn to tidy up her room, Zhou Qiqi was bending over making the sheets, and without looking up, she instructed Shen Huaichuan:
"Huaichuan, go and bring over that thicker quilt from the closet."
Shen Huaichuan responded, but instead of grabbing the blanket, he pulled out a set of neatly folded military gear from the corner, along with a mattress and thin blanket for sleeping on the ground.
He put it on the ground and said:
“I can sleep on the floor. Zhouzhou is in first grade now, she’s not a little kid anymore. It’s not appropriate for me, a grown man, to sleep next to a child. If she sleeps on the side, the bed isn’t wide enough, and she might fall off if she rolls over at night and gets hurt.”
Zhou Qiqi was surprised that he had even considered this point, and her heart warmed.
This man, who usually looks tough, has a softer heart than anyone else.
However, despite being touched, she immediately shook her head in objection:
"No! It's so cold now, and the ground is damp. You haven't slept well these past two days at the hospital. If you sleep on the floor, even an iron body can't take it. What if you get sick?"
She was adamant and refused to agree no matter what.
After thinking for a moment, Shen Huaichuan proposed two more solutions:
"Well... how about letting Zhouzhou stay at Yingying's house next door for a couple of nights? She's been sleeping there these past two days anyway. Or, I can sleep in the military dormitory."
"That won't do!"
Zhou Qiqi straightened up, still shaking her head, and said:
"Especially in times like these, our family needs to stay together!"
Her gaze swept over several sturdy wooden crates piled in the corner of the room, which were used to store things during the move and were now empty.
Her eyes lit up; she had an idea.
"so!"
She pointed to the spot against the wall.
"Let's move Zhouzhou's bed closer to the wall, so that Zhouzhou can sleep on the innermost side, right against the wall, so he won't fall off."
She then pointed to the boxes.
"Then put those boxes together and place them against the wall. The height should be about the same as the bed, and the length should be enough. Didn't I buy several thick mattresses today? Lay them on the boxes; they'll be soft and warm. That way, all three of us can sleep on the bed, and there will be more space!"
Shen Huaichuan looked at the bed and the box, pondered for a moment, thought it was feasible, and nodded, saying:
“Okay! I think this will work! But don’t put the boxes against the wall, put them on the outside. I’ll sleep on the box side, and Zhouzhou can sleep in the middle of the bed. You can sleep on the outermost side. The box board is not as good as the bed board. I’ll sleep here, and don’t let the child sleep here.”
"good!"
Zhou Qiqi readily agreed.
Let's get right to it.
The two of them worked together to carefully move Zhouzhou's single bed to a position close to the wall.
Then Shen Huaichuan was responsible for carrying over several empty wooden boxes and, following Zhou Qiqi's instructions, fitting them perfectly together on the outside of the bed.
Zhou Qiqi then laid the newly bought thick cotton quilt layer by layer on the assembled "wider bed," and then put on a clean sheet. She pressed it with her hand and felt that it was just the right firmness and quite comfortable.
Finally, a "big bed" made up of a single bed and a wooden box, big enough for three people to lie down side by side, was completed, and it looked quite decent.
After tidying up the bedroom, seeing that their parents-in-law hadn't returned yet, the two of them gave the house a quick cleaning inside and out.
Zhou Qiqi had just been discharged from the hospital, and after being busy for a while, she had a layer of cold sweat on her forehead and felt a little uncomfortable.
Seeing this, Shen Huaichuan tenderly helped her sit down on the bed in the master bedroom, poured her a cup of hot water, and then brought a towel to carefully wipe her sweat.
Seeing that she still seemed a bit uncomfortable, I naturally went behind her and started massaging her shoulders and back.
"Hmm...yes, right here...push a little harder...a little lower..."
Zhou Qiqi gave instructions with her eyes closed. Her tense shoulders and neck gradually relaxed under the man's just-right pressure, feeling incredibly comfortable. She couldn't help but praise him.
"Honey, it feels so good, I want more!"
Unexpectedly, just as she finished speaking, her father-in-law Shen Zhenbang's voice suddenly came from outside.
"Shen Huaichuan! You...you...what kind of behavior is this!"
"What are you doing in the house in broad daylight? Get out here right now!"
Zhou Qiqi and Shen Huaichuan were startled by the sudden sound and quickly stopped what they were doing, walking out of the inner room one after the other.
Shen Zhenbang stood in the middle of the living room, his expression shifting constantly.
But seeing that the two of them came out so quickly, and were dressed neatly—Zhou Qiqi still had her coat on and her scarf still wrapped around her—he was clearly taken aback, and the words he was about to say were abruptly changed:
"You...you didn't..."
When Shen Huaichuan saw his father's reaction, and then thought about what his wife had just said, he realized that...
It was indeed easy to misunderstand, and he instantly understood what the old man had misunderstood.
A hint of helplessness flashed across his face, but more so, he was composed, and explained directly:
“Dad, Qiqi just got out of the hospital and is still weak. She was tiring cleaning the house and broke out in a cold sweat. I saw that she wasn’t feeling well, so I massaged her shoulders and back to make her feel better.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhenbang suddenly realized! It turned out to be a massage! Not what he had thought!
He immediately felt embarrassed, remembering the thought that had just crossed his mind.
He quickly clenched his fist and coughed loudly twice to cover his discomfort, softening his tone, but still maintaining the air of an elder as he gave his instructions:
"Oh...I see, that's good. But you two should be more mindful of your image! It's broad daylight, and the door isn't even properly closed..."
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