Shen Nan still stared at her in disbelief, his eyes fixed on her lower abdomen.
He was stunned.
Zhou Zuizui chuckled, winked, and teased, "What, Captain Shen, don't you believe in your own abilities?"
Shen Nan choked up for a moment, then patted her head and said, "Speak properly, and pay attention to prenatal education."
Zhou Zuizui: "???"
So they're already paying attention to prenatal education? That's a bit too fast.
However, looking at Shen Nan like this now, she felt it was amazing and couldn't help but smile at him: "Okay, okay, pay attention to prenatal education."
Shen Nan gave a low reply, but he still couldn't quite believe it. After a while, he touched Zhou Zuizui's belly and asked softly, "Have you had a check-up? Let's go get checked. How long have you been pregnant? Is the baby healthy? How are you feeling?" In an instant, Shen Nan bombarded Zhou Zuizui with a barrage of questions, catching her off guard and leaving her unsure how to answer.
She was both amused and exasperated, and shook her head, saying, "The healthy ones, we don't know about the others yet."
Shen Nan responded, reached out and hugged her tightly, then suddenly whispered, "Thank you."
He thanked her for being such a free-spirited and unrestrained person, willing to marry him and even have his child. Although he knew Zhou Zuizui liked children, he also knew how difficult it was for pregnant women, so unless Zhou Zuizui brought it up, Shen Nan would never ask her to have a child.
In this regard, he respected all of Zhou Zuizui's decisions.
The two exchanged a smile, and Zhou Zuizui said softly, "No need to be polite."
She loves children and wants a child with Shen Nan. It doesn't matter who the child looks like, as long as they're their precious baby, that's enough. Zhou Zuizui thought that even though she was an impatient person, she would definitely use 100% patience to teach, accompany, and give her child the love he/she needed most.
The two hugged for a long time, waiting until Shen Nan was sure she was healthy before they could finally relax.
After that, Captain Shen started searching on Baidu to ask about pregnancy, precautions, and what foods she could and couldn't eat.
Mentioning this, Shen Nan looked at her in surprise: "The little girl discovered this?"
Zhou Zuizui nodded and said with a smile, "Isn't it amazing? She won't let me eat hawthorn."
She explained, "Because many people here don't pay much attention to what they eat. It's said that her mother ate a lot of hawthorn when she was pregnant with her younger brother, and unfortunately miscarried. As a result, she has remembered hawthorn ever since. Today, when I wanted to eat it, she insisted on not letting me. I thought she wanted to eat it."
I didn't expect that a child who is only seven or eight years old would be so sensible at such a young age, not allowing others to eat things that could harm them.
Thinking of this, Zhou Zuizui felt a little sad.
It's not easy being a child in a border region.
Shen Nan patted her head and said softly, "Then we'll go thank her tomorrow."
"good."
The two discussed it.
After a while, Zhou Zuizui asked with a smile, "Aren't you going to tell Grandpa?"
"I won't tell you." Shen Nan thought, "We'll be going back in a week. If I tell you now, you'll probably have to call me every day to ask. After all, conditions here are tough, and I'm afraid you'll get annoyed."
Zhou Zuizui never liked dealing with people, but if it was an elder, she would treat them politely and respond accordingly, no matter how much she disliked it. She was worried that Shen's mother would keep asking questions, and that Grandpa Shen would call, so she thought she would keep it from them for now and tell them as soon as she got back.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zuizui smiled and said, "You understand me best."
That's what she thought too.
Shen Nan smiled and leaned down to kiss her: "Mmm. Are you tired?"
"Not tired at all." Zhou Zuizui said, both amused and exasperated, "It hasn't been that long."
Shen Nan: "..."
After all, it was his first time being a father, and he was a little flustered, worried that he wouldn't be able to take care of anything properly, and worried that he wouldn't be able to take good care of Zhou Zuizui.
The next morning, Shen Nan went out for training. When he came back, he specially brought Zhou Zuizui some hot rice noodles. He made them himself in the kitchen. The conditions here are harsh, and it's not easy to eat them. But last night before going to bed, Zhou Zuizui said she wanted to eat them, and Shen Nan didn't know where they came from.
It has to be said that Zhou Zuizui was still very happy after eating her fill.
Over the next few days, the two visited the little girl's home and also took the opportunity to visit other places where no one had yet offered assistance.
In the blink of an eye, they had been here for almost three months, and there was only one day left before they had to go home.
Zhou Zuizui loves this place. She liked it from the very beginning when she learned that Shen Nan was stationed here. At that time, she was full of longing for it. Later, when she heard him talk about this beautiful place, she longed for it even more and even wanted to experience it. Now that she has actually come here and experienced it, Zhou Zuizui is sure that she has truly fallen in love with this place.
Here you'll find blue skies, white snow, sunshine, soldiers stationed here, local villagers, every blade of grass, every tree, every mountain, and everything else.
Parting always brings a sense of reluctance.
On the night before they left, everyone made a point of having a meal together with them.
Zhou Zuizui couldn't bear this separation. She reached out and hugged Liu Mei, whispering, "Come back to me."
"Okay," Liu Mei smiled. "I will."
She wants to stay here to spend the New Year with Chen Jun, so she will definitely be back later. It's not easy to come all this way, and Liu Mei wants to stay a little longer.
The two looked at each other and smiled.
On the day of departure, because Shen Nan disliked farewells and everyone in the team was busy with their own things, He Zheng still saw them off. They walked and stopped frequently, taking a long time to reach the airport. By the time they arrived at the airport, it was already the next day. Zhou Zuizui was getting sleepier and sleepier. After getting out of the car, she greeted He Zheng and was then helped by Shen Nan to complete the check-in procedures. She slept all the way home.
After getting off the plane, Zhou Zuizui was a little unaccustomed to the weather back home. She opened her eyes and looked out the window; it was all gray and gloomy. There was no sunshine, no snow—just typical weather.
She stared intently out the window. Shen Nan chuckled and looked down at her: "Still sleepy?"
Zhou Zuizui shook her head: "I miss them."
I miss the lovely people there.
Shen Nan gave a deep reply: "We'll go back next time we have time."
"good."
The two exchanged a smile and made an agreement.
Lu Jiaxiu came to greet the two of them, and smiled when he saw them: "You're finally back. It's been a long time."
Zhou Zuizui smiled and said, "Long time no see, thank you for your help."
Lu Jiaxiu raised an eyebrow: "It's no trouble at all. It's only right to serve my sister-in-law."
Zhou Zuizui: "..."
Shen Nan glanced at him: "Don't tease my wife."
Lu Jiaxiu: "...Jealous King."
He was just joking.
Shen Nan snorted and handed him the luggage: "Take your luggage."
Lu Jiaxiu: "And you?"
Shen Nan took Zhou Zuizui's small bag and carried it, then looked at Lu Jiaxiu while holding her hand: "Single dogs have no right to speak!"
Lu Jiaxiu: "..."
He really felt a little wronged.
Don't single people have any human rights?! Even so, Lu Jiaxiu still dutifully pushed the two of them with their luggage to the parking lot.
After getting in the car, Lu Jiaxiu looked at them and asked, "Where are you going?"
Zhou Zuizui thought for a moment and said, "Let's go back to the compound. We haven't been back for three months. Grandpa must miss us."
Lu Jiaxiu said, "That's true. When I came to pick you up, I received a call from Aunt Chen, who asked me to persuade you to go home. There are less than five days left until the New Year, and Grandpa wants to spend more time with you."
To put it bluntly, the elderly are just passing through one year at a time, and who knows how many more years they will have left.
It seems like each one is one less. For the elderly, the company of their children is very important, especially since Shen Nan and Zhou Zuizui are rarely home throughout the year. So now we just hope they can come home.
Zhou Zuizui chuckled: "I know, it'll only be a few days. We'll stay home with them for the New Year this year."
Lu Jiaxiu glanced at Shen Nan, who remained silent, and nodded: "It's our first time spending the New Year together. We'll visit each other's homes then."
It's true, this is the third year of their marriage that they've finally celebrated the Lunar New Year together.
Thinking about it, Zhou Zuizui chuckled and looked at Shen Nan: "Captain Shen."
Shen Nan glanced at her, squeezed her hand, and smiled: "What's wrong?"
Zhou Zuizui smiled and said, "It's nothing, just a little regrettable."
But regret can also be a kind of beauty. For the two of them, this regret will make them cherish each other more in the days to come and cherish every day they spend together. So regret has its good and its bad aspects.
Regrets are always caused by things that couldn't be achieved, so there's no need to dwell on the past.
Shen Nan held her hand tightly and responded in a deep voice.
He knew what Zhou Zuizui was trying to say, and he was thinking the same thing.
Lu Jiaxiu glanced at the couple showing affection, shook his head and sighed, "I also want to find a girlfriend."
Zhou Zuizui chuckled: "Go ahead and look, Mr. Lu, are you worried about not having a girlfriend?"
Shen Nan teased, "If he puts up a marriage proposal notice, there will definitely be a lot of people signing up."
Lu Jiaxiu: "When did I offend you? Why are you treating me like this?"
Shen Nan raised an eyebrow: "Oh, I can also tell your aunt to introduce you to more girls."
? ? ?
Unable to argue with the two, Lu Jiaxiu simply shut up.
After dropping the two off at home, Lu Jiaxiu smiled and said, "I have some things to take care of, so I'll go back to the company. I'll come back in a few days."
"good."
After Lu Jiaxiu left, the two pushed their luggage into the courtyard. When the sentry at the gate saw Shen Nan, he shouted loudly, "Brother Shen is back!"
Shen Nan smiled faintly: "You're back."
"Sister-in-law, it's been a long time!"
Zhou Zuizui smiled and curved her lips into a smile: "Long time no see."
Well, actually she likes soldiers from every place; they're all so adorable.
Shen Nan glanced at her and smiled, "Let's go."
"Um."
The two had just reached the door when they saw Chen's mother.
Mother Shen's eyes lit up, and she shouted, "Grandpa, your grandson and granddaughter-in-law are back!"
Zhou Zuizui: "..."
Shen Nan: "..."
The two were quite helpless.
Chen's mother said, "Zui Zui, are these things heavy? Let me carry them." She looked at Zhou Zui Zui and came over to say, "Let me see if you've lost weight in the past few months."
After looking at Zhou Zuizui for a while, she stroked her chin and said, "You've lost weight. Has this brat not been taking good care of you?"
Zhou Zuizui chuckled: "Mom, no."
She deliberately circled around in front of Shen's mother, winked, and said, "I've gained a little weight, haven't I? The food over there is very good."
Chen's mother choked up, looking at her with a suspicious expression: "Are you sure the food there is good?"
Don't deceive her feelings; she's someone who's been to the frontier, after all. When Shen's father was young, he was also transferred there, and Shen's mother visited him once, staying for three days before returning. The round trip took more than three days.
She suffered from severe altitude sickness and couldn't handle it at all, so she slunk back.
Zhou Zuizui: "..."
That depends on... individual constitution.
Shen Nan rubbed his temples and looked at his mother: "Mom, at least let us put our luggage down first."
Chen's mother glanced at him: "Zui Zui didn't take any luggage. Can't you put it down yourself?" She grumbled: "How old are you? You still have to ask your mother to put down your luggage."
Shen Nan: "???"
No, it's only been three months since I last saw her, why is his mother acting so irrationally, even worse than before I left?
Shen Nan always felt that he might not be her biological child, but rather someone she had adopted.
Zhou Zuizui laughed to the side, unable to contain herself any longer.
"Go put your luggage away."
Shen Nan: "..."
After the three entered the house, the old man came downstairs. He glanced at Zhou Zuizui, then at Chen Nan, and after confirming that both of them were healthy and alright, he calmly nodded, showing no sign of nervousness, and said, "How are you feeling? Did you cause any trouble?"
Shen Nan was silent for a moment before replying, "No, don't worry, Grandpa."
Grandpa Shen nodded and said succinctly, "That's good. It's enough that you didn't cause any trouble. I don't expect you to do anything too perfect."
Shen Nan: "..."
Fine, they're all sharp-tongued but kind-hearted. He didn't want to argue with them anymore.
Zhou Zuizui was surrounded by Shen's mother, who asked her a lot about the situation in the border region. Shen Nan quietly carried his luggage back to his room to unpack. Old Master Shen naturally stayed downstairs to listen. He was curious about these things and cared about Shen Nan and Zhou Zuizui, but he just didn't express it.
The old man's awkwardness was endearing.
Zhou Zuizui was very open with her answers, answering their questions and chatting about things they hadn't asked, keeping them entertained all afternoon.
It's good that they came back safely.
When Shen Nan came downstairs, the three of them were chatting happily.
He frowned and looked at his mother: "Mom, Chuichui is hungry."
His mother gave him a disdainful look: "Are you hungry?"
Shen Nan: "...I didn't."
He looked at his wife: "Aren't you hungry yet?"
Zhou Zuizui nodded honestly: "I'm fine, I'm not hungry."
Chen's mother clicked her tongue and looked at him with even more disdain: "Look at what's wrong with you. If you want to eat Mom's cooking, just say so. Don't make excuses like your wife is hungry." As she spoke, she got up and went to the kitchen, asking as she went: "You're just like your father, saying one thing and meaning another."
Shen Nan: "..."
He just got back, and not only did he not receive warmth and care from his family, but he's also being constantly disliked?
Looking at Shen Nan's expression, Zhou Zuizui couldn't help but laugh: "Come over here, sit down and chat with Grandpa."
Shen Nan hummed in agreement, then asked helplessly, "Are you tired?"
Zhou Zuizui nodded: "A little bit."
"Go take a nap?" Shen Nan looked at her. "I found you some pajamas."
Zhou Zuizui's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly said, "Then I'll go take a shower first."
"Go."
After talking to Grandpa Shen, Zhou Zuizui went upstairs to take a shower, while Shen Nan was still being criticized downstairs. In short, after having a daughter-in-law and getting along well with her, Shen's mother no longer needed her son.
Zhou Zuizui was actually quite sleepy. Although she had slept all the way back, sleeping on the plane and in the car was not very comfortable. She hadn't showered for two days, and she really felt uncomfortable all over. Shen Nan knew her best and knew that she had a little bit of a cleanliness obsession in this regard, so he told her to take a shower as soon as possible.
This thoughtfulness is something I'll always remember.
When Zhou Zuizui came downstairs after taking a shower, Chen's mother happened to have cooked a bowl of noodles for each of them, symbolizing peace and safety. This meant that they had returned safely.
Shen's mother was somewhat superstitious in this regard.
As Zhou Zuizui ate, she couldn't help but praise, "Delicious!"
Mother Shen smiled: "Really?"
"Really." Zhou Zuizui looked at Chen's mother with a smile and said, "I haven't eaten such delicious noodles in a long time. Thank you, Mom."
Hearing this, Mother Shen was overjoyed: "Then eat more."
"good."
After eating, Zhou Zuizui was really sleepy and went back to her room to rest.
After reporting the situation to his father, Shen Nan went back to his room. However, before going back to his room, Shen Nan made a point of going to see his mother.
"Mom, what are you busy with?"
Chen's mother glanced at him: "Busy watching TV, what's wrong?"
Shen Nan choked for a moment, then chuckled, "Are you busy tomorrow?"
Mother Shen paused for a moment: "I'm going to play cards with my friends. What, do you need my help? Sure, I'll decline now."
Although she complained about Shen Nan, Shen's mother still loved Captain Shen the most.
Shen Nan laughed: "It wasn't me, it was Chui Chui."
"What's wrong with Chui Chui?" Mother Shen asked anxiously.
Shen Nan smiled and said, "We want to go to the hospital tomorrow, but I have to go to the military base in the morning. When I come back from there, I hope Mom can help me take the person to the hospital to wait for me."
Mother Shen listened, stunned, and nodded: "Okay."
Shen Nan hummed in agreement: "Thank you, Mom."
After a while, Chen's mother looked at Chen Nan, who hadn't left yet, and nudged him: "Is there something else? You're so hesitant, I feel bad not asking."
Shen Nan smiled and looked at his mother: "Aren't you going to ask us why we went to the hospital?"
While watching TV, Shen's mother blurted out, "You just came back from the border, it's normal for you to be worried that Zui Zui's body isn't adjusting well and want to get her checked out, it can't be that she's pregnant..." At this point, Shen's mother suddenly looked at Shen Nan in horror, her eyes wide: "Don't tell me, Zui Zui is pregnant!"
The slow-witted mother finally realized that something was wrong.
Shen Nan smiled and said mysteriously, "If Mom isn't curious, I'd better not tell you."
Mother Shen: "!!!"
"You brat, are you going to tell me or not? If you don't, I'll kick you out of the house right now."
Shen Nan: "..."
He might not really be their biological son.
Shen Nan was both amused and exasperated. He looked at his mother and nodded, "If I'm not mistaken, she's pregnant, but we just found out recently. So, could you please recommend a reliable doctor to my wife for a check-up?"
…………
After a moment of silence, Chen's mother glared at Chen Nan and said, "Get out of here."
Shen Nan: "?"
"You've been back for most of the day, and now you're telling me your wife is pregnant?" she said angrily. "If you had told me earlier, we would have gone for a checkup today."
Shen Nan shook his head: "She's too tired, she definitely can't do it today."
Upon hearing this, Chen's mother calmed down for a few seconds, but couldn't quite contain her smile. She clicked her tongue and said, "No, I'll contact someone right away. I'll take Zui Zui to the hospital tomorrow." As she spoke, she looked at Chen Nan and asked, "Have you told your dad and grandpa?"
"No, not yet." Shen Nan smiled. "I told you first."
Mother Shen was instantly delighted.
Less than a minute later, the whole family knew that Zhou Zuizui was pregnant, which was a great joy for the Shen family.
Half an hour later, Lu Jiaxiu and Hu Yi also found out.
When Zhou Zuizui received Lu Jiaxiu's message, she was still half asleep. Her phone kept vibrating beside her, and she couldn't resist picking it up to take a look. As soon as she saw it, she woke up.
Lu Jiaxiu: Shen Nan!! You're so unfair!
Shen Nan: ?
Lu Jiaxiu: My sister-in-law is pregnant and you didn't even tell me! I was the one who picked you up at noon!
Hu Yi: ? ? ?
Zhou Ran: ?
Xia Wen: ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Ai Zeyang: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Duan Weiyi: Ahhhhhh, is it true?! Sister, you're pregnant! How old are you? When can we see the little baby?!
Duan Ziyu:
Duan Bowen: ...
Zhou Zuizui looked at the messages sent by this group of people and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
She thought for a moment and asked, "How did Mr. Lu know?"
Lu Jiaxiu: When Aunt Shen found out, she immediately called my mother to share the good news among the women. My mother then called me right away and gave me a good scolding!
She said Shen Nan was about to have a child, but where was his girlfriend?! She was clearly not bad-looking and quite rich, so why couldn't anyone be interested in her? In short, Lu's mother was very angry.
She even went so far as to say, "Even if you don't bring a girlfriend home, at least bring me a boyfriend!" This left Lu Jiaxiu speechless and he hung up the phone. His mother must have been watching TV lately; she was always up-to-date with the latest trends and never discriminated against women.
But she forgot one thing: her son still liked women.
Shen Nan: Blame me?
Lu Jiaxiu: Blame me?
Hu Yi: My bad, my bad. I didn't find a girlfriend for President Lu. How about I hire a female secretary for you next time? Being close to him will definitely help you find a girlfriend soon.
Zhou Ran: I don't need it anymore.
Duan Ziyu: I don't need it either.
Duan Bowen: Me too.
Lu Jiaxiu: No, we still need President Duan. I know you're very sad right now, President Duan. It's okay, I am too. How about we go out and have a drink together?
Suddenly, the group chat became lively. Lu Jiaxiu and Duan Bowen were both action-oriented and even arranged a meeting place immediately.
Zhou Zuizui was tired and didn't agree to go out together, only saying that she would see him in a few days.
The next morning, Shen's mother took her to the hospital for a check-up, while waiting for Shen Nan. As a new father, Shen Nan didn't want to miss his baby's first check-up, and he didn't want to miss any of them afterward. But he was worried about unexpected things, so he wanted to be there for this first real check-up and experience it together.
When Shen Nan arrived, his mother looked at the two of them and felt a deep sense of emotion.
"You guys go ahead, I'll wait for you outside."
Zhou Zuizui looked at Chen's mother and said, "Thank you, Mom."
Mother Shen smiled and said, "We'll be waiting for your good news."
"Um."
Not long after, Zhou Zuizui's checkup results came back. When the two went to the doctor, she noticed that Shen Nan's hands were trembling slightly. She chuckled and looked up at Shen Nan: "Captain Shen, why are you shaking? Are you that nervous?"
Shen Nan paused for a moment, then hummed in agreement: "Nervous."
I've never been this nervous, not even when I fired my first gun. This is his and Zhou Zuizui's first child, and I feel an indescribable sense of emotion and excitement.
Author's Note: The last few chapters are really sweet! There's not much plot, just some slice-of-life moments. Love you all!
And there's Captain Shen's final romantic moment!
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