Chapter 136 Thank Me Properly in Your Own Way
As soon as Lu Zheng said this, not only Xia Qianqian, but even Lin Shulan, who was cooking by the stove, forgot about the sizzling food in the pan. She threw the spatula into the pan and ran to Lu Zheng's side in three steps.
His voice rose an octave: "Son-in-law, are you telling the truth? Damin can join the army?"
Her face flushed with excitement: "If this is true, Damin will be so successful! This is such a great thing, bringing honor to our ancestors!"
Just then, Xia Qingshan returned from outside carrying a hoe. He heard these words as soon as he entered the door, and without even bothering to brush the dirt off his clothes, he strode into the main room.
"Lu Zheng, what did you just say? Damin can join the army?" He looked Xia Damin up and down, his face full of disbelief. "Don't you know what Damin is like? He... he can do it?"
Seeing the elderly couple's excited yet apprehensive expressions, Lu Zheng smiled and said firmly, "Dad, with my brother's health and honest nature, if I say it's okay, then it's definitely no problem!"
He paused, deliberately softening his tone, "But then again, being a soldier is not like being in the village. You can't go home all year round, and you're always surrounded by gunfire. Are you really willing to do that?"
"Of course I'd give it up! Of course I'd give it up!" Xia Qingshan waved his hand, his voice as loud as a gong, "It's something to bring glory to our ancestors, even if it means selling everything we own! I'm overjoyed!"
As he spoke, he pulled out a few crumpled bills from his pocket and stuffed them into Xia Damin's hand. "Damin, go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy a jin of liquor! I'm in a good mood today, I have to have a couple of drinks with my son-in-law!"
Lu Zheng waved his hand and said with a smile, "Dad, there's no need to buy any wine, I brought some."
As he spoke, he took out a clay pot from his canvas bag, lifted the lid, and a rich aroma of rice wine wafted out, carrying a sweet grain scent that made one's tongue itch.
This wine was brewed by the group of people in Xia Qianqian's Peach Blossom Spring. They saw that they had more grain than they could eat and were afraid it would go bad, so they decided to brew wine. After trying the recipe three times, they actually managed to brew sweet rice wine.
When Xia Qingshan saw Lu Zheng take out the wine, he quickly asked Lin Shulan to make a plate of cucumber and a plate of scrambled eggs.
These were all things Xia Qianqian had brought earlier. Looking at the simple dishes on the table, his face flushed slightly. He said to Lu Zheng, "It's getting colder and colder, and there's nothing special in the fields. After it snows in a few days, I'll go to the mountains to set traps and catch a wild rabbit. Then we'll have a good drink together!"
Lu Zheng smiled and filled Xia Qingshan's glass with wine: "Dad, why are we being so polite? Qianqian has been secretly raising a few chickens. As long as we don't tell anyone, there will be plenty of eggs. Don't try to save any, eat more eggs to nourish your body."
Xia Qingshan sighed, downed most of a glass of wine, put down the bowl, and said to Lin Shulan, "Look at our daughter and son-in-law, how considerate they are! Unlike that Xia Wenwen, who always comes empty-handed and tries every trick in the book to ask for things! We should pay less attention to her from now on!"
Lin Shulan was serving food to Xia Damin when she heard this and muttered under her breath, "I know, I know! Isn't it all because of Damin's marriage? Once his marriage is settled, I won't give it to her!"
After dinner, Lu Zheng helped Xia Qianqian walk home.
The moonlight shone on the dirt road, giving it a frosty sheen. Xia Qianqian, heavily pregnant, walked slowly. Lu Zheng softened his voice: "How about I push the production team's cart? It'll be faster to take you back to the village."
Xia Qianqian glared at him reproachfully and patted the back of his hand that was supporting her: "Do you think those gossipy women in the village are just for show? If I take a cart back, who knows how many rumors will spread tomorrow morning saying that I'm incredibly lazy and can't even walk."
She leaned closer to him, her voice softening, "Besides, we ate a lot tonight, so a walk will help digest it."
As she spoke, she gripped Lu Zheng's fingers tightly and shook them gently: "Thank you so much for today."
If it weren't for Lu Zheng, she really wouldn't know what to do. His intervention not only helped her older brother get into the army, but also made it easier for him to get married in the future. No wonder her mother's eyes reddened several times tonight.
Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng paused, then casually put his arm around her waist, lowering his voice with a mischievous smile: "Thank me? I heard from the barefoot doctor that your baby's position is stable now..."
He deliberately dragged out his words, gently pinching her waist with his fingers. "Since you want to thank me, why don't you... thank me in your own way tonight?"
Xia Qianqian looked at the man in front of her. He had a strong and handsome appearance with thick eyebrows and big eyes, but now the corners of his eyes were slightly upturned, and the corners of his lips were curved in a smile that was not quite a smile. He had become somewhat charming and had never been like this before.
Her heart skipped a beat—this guy was clearly seducing her!
But she just couldn't resist that. His gaze made her heart flutter, and Xia Qianqian couldn't help but secretly lick her lips, a hint of indulgence hidden in her eyes that she herself didn't even realize.
Let her hook up, she's happy to.
When we returned to Xiangyang Village, the moonlight was mostly obscured by clouds, and the village was pitch black. Only the glow of a few kerosene lamps peeked out from the windows, accompanied by a couple of sporadic barks from dogs, which made the night seem even more silent.
Lu Zheng helped Xia Qianqian into the house. As soon as he closed the door, before she could even change out of her clothes, which were covered in soot from the stove, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
The next second, a burning kiss landed, from her earlobe to the corner of her lips, urgent and fierce, filled with a long-suppressed thirst, like a sudden rainstorm hitting a dry field ridge, instantly overwhelming her reason.
Xia Qianqian's breathing became erratic from the kiss, her mind was dizzy and swollen, and only one thought remained—to protect her stomach.
She clutched her swollen belly tightly with both hands, but her lower back involuntarily leaned closer to him, her fingertips gripping the hem of his clothes, her voice barely a whisper: "Gently...gently, don't press on the baby..."
Lu Zheng's kiss paused, his movements softening as he placed his hand on the back of her neck, but he held her tighter, his hot breath brushing against her ear: "I know... I'm being careful..."
The kerosene lamp on the stove flickered, casting the shadows of the two people onto the wall, overlapping into a blurry silhouette.
The wind outside the window rustled through the treetops, but inside, only their rapid breathing and the soft rustling of clothes could be heard.
Xia Qianqian closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his palm seep through her coarse cloth clothes. Her lips rubbed against his, like a sugar cube soaked in warm water, slowly melting into a sweet and sticky sensation, as if silently making a promise to stay together.
The air inside gradually warmed up. Lu Zheng took off his coat, revealing a taut, tanned back and clearly defined abdominal muscles. Xia Qianqian's fingers gently caressed him, the touch of her fingertips like the ignition of a flickering flame, sending a chill down one's spine.
Just as the atmosphere was getting more and more intense, the dogs outside the village suddenly started barking wildly, one bark after another, tearing apart the stillness of the night.
Xia Qianqian frowned and muttered, "What's going on? The dog is barking like it's seen a thief today..."
Lu Zheng pressed her hand down and pulled it towards his heart, then lowered his head to peck at the corner of her lips, his voice hoarse and deep: "Don't worry about that, just focus—hmm?"
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