The two sighed a few more times. Then Battalion Commander Jiang returned, greeted Zhou Qiqi, wiped his sweat, and went back to his room to change his clothes.
Deng Cuixiang called everyone to eat, and Zhou Qiqi helped to tell Zhouzhou and Xiangyang to wash their hands and faces.
"They're here! They're here!"
Xiangyang was the first to respond, but his voice was heard but he was not seen. Zhouzhou, on the other hand, ran over first.
Seeing that the little girl's hair was all messed up from playing, Zhou Qiqi reached out and tucked the stray strands behind her ears, while also rolling up her sleeves and gently reminding her.
"Wash your face too, it's all covered in dust!"
Zhouzhou tilted her little face up, nodded obediently, and used the seven-step handwashing method that Zhou Qiqi had taught her to lather up with soap and wash her hands carefully from her fingers to between her fingers.
The little girl was quiet and well-behaved, with a fair and jade-like face. Looking at her, Zhou Qiqi felt a soft warmth rise in her heart.
At this moment, Xiangyang rushed over like a gust of wind, got close to Zhouzhou, put his hands behind his back, reached under Zhouzhou's small hands, used the remaining water in her palms to rinse them for a second, and then turned to run away.
Zhou Qiqi quickly grabbed the back of his collar and clicked her tongue softly.
"Don't run away! Who washes their hands like that? Your palms aren't even wet, are they? Open your hands and let me see."
She looked Xiangyang up and down, his clothes covered in dust.
"Besides, you're covered in dirt, your face is as dirty as a kitten's. You have to wash yourself before you can eat. Are you going to bring dirt to the dinner table?"
When Xiangyang was caught red-handed, the tips of his ears turned red instantly, and he hesitated to reach out.
"Never mind, Aunt Zhou, I won't look at it."
Seeing that the tips of his ears were red, Zhou Qiqi stopped teasing him and gently pushed him in front of Zhouzhou.
“Zhouzhou, you teach him how to wash his hands. Xiangyang, you learn from Zhouzhou.”
Zhouzhou is always the most obedient. She immediately made soap and took the first step by rubbing her palms together five times. Then she silently looked at Xiangyang.
Normally, Xiangyang would have run away long ago, but now, with Zhouzhou's bright eyes staring at him, his feet were glued to the ground and he couldn't move. So he had to lather up some soap and follow Zhouzhou's example.
Then comes the second step, the third step...
As she was washing, Deng Cuixiang brought out the last plate of braised winter melon. She glanced at her son's clean little face and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"Wow, did the sun rise in the west today? Xiangyang actually washed his hands and face obediently?"
You see, Xiangyang is incredibly mischievous, and he never washes his hands properly. She always has to take out a broom and spank his bottom before he'll wash them.
And even if they do wash it, they just rinse it off quickly to get it over with; they rarely take it that seriously.
She placed the braised winter melon on the stone table in the courtyard and made a point of coming over to praise it.
"My son looks really handsome after washing his face! He deserves praise!"
Battalion Commander Jiang also came out in his civilian clothes at this time. When he saw the mirror image, he also praised it, which was rare for him.
"Indeed, he has the same handsome looks I had when I was a child. Back then, I was so handsome that all the girls in the village would chase after me."
As he spoke, he made an "eight" gesture with his chin, looking quite smug.
Upon hearing this, Deng Cuixiang frowned deeply, looking just like an elderly person looking at their phone on the subway.
She dipped her fingertips in water and flicked it at Battalion Commander Jiang's face.
"Starting to brag again? When you were pursuing me, who was the one who pretended to be pitiful and said that no girl had ever liked them before?"
That's a strategic lie.
Battalion Commander Jiang still wanted to be stubborn.
"So you dare to lie?"
Deng Cuixiang stopped flicking the water and instead scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on him.
The two of them, one chasing after the other splashing water, the other laughing and dodging, were like children when they were in their thirties.
Zhou Qiqi couldn't help but chuckle. When she turned her head, she saw that Jiang Xiangyang beside her was also doing the same thing, grabbing his soapy hands and flicking them at Zhouzhou's face.
Zhouzhou, who had been calm, was suddenly flicked and was instantly stunned. She blinked her big eyes and didn't react for a long time.
Seeing Xiangyang having a great time while Zhouzhou didn't fight back, Zhou Qiqi couldn't help but worry for her little girl. She scraped some soap suds from Zhouzhou's palm and flicked them onto Xiangyang's face.
But this little monkey was very agile; Zhou Qiqi flicked it three or four times, but it missed every time.
Just as Zhou Qiqi was feeling somewhat frustrated, Zhouzhou suddenly raised her hand, curled up her delicate little fingers, and flicked them at Xiangyang's face. A large clump of soap suds landed squarely on the tip of his nose, making it quite conspicuous.
Xiangyang, the conspicuous little monkey, stared longingly down at the foam on the tip of its nose, pouting as it blew upwards, looking just like a funny little monkey.
"Hahaha...."
Zhou Qiqi was amused and covered her mouth to laugh, while Zhouzhou beside her also gently curled the corners of her lips.
Zhou Qiqi keenly caught the smile, but didn't say anything. She simply reached out her arm, gently pulled Zhouzhou to her side, and pinched her little cheek.
"Alright, alright, stop fooling around. Wash your hands before eating, and be careful not to splash soap suds into your food."
Just then, Deng Cuixiang returned after "dealing with" her husband. She called out to him and then gestured towards Yang with her chin.
"Xiangyang, once you've washed up, go inside and call your brother for dinner."
Zhou Qiqi ruffled Xiangyang's hair.
"I'll go call them. You should wash your face properly."
As he spoke, he walked familiarly toward Xianghai's room.
The layout of Deng Cuixiang's house was similar to that of Zhou Qiqi's house. Originally, there were two bedrooms, with the adults living in the larger room and the two children living in the smaller room.
Two years ago, after moving to the military dependents' area, in order not to disturb Xiang Hai's studies, Battalion Commander Jiang gave the couple's large bedroom to their two children and built a wall to divide it into two rooms, one large and one small.
Xiang Hai needed a desk and bookshelves, so we gave him the larger one. The doors were also newly installed and looked sturdy.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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