Chapter 73 Qingyun, let's have a child.
The night breeze was filled with the scent of coconut and sea, the delicate fragrance of bellflower, and the grassy aroma of swallowtail, but the strongest scent was the cedarwood fragrance emanating from the man before me.
It is faint in itself, yet it exudes a strong aura, just like him at this moment.
Jiang Mingxue, holding the flowers, stood there, slightly stunned.
The surprise of his sudden return, the formal and solemn confession, and the unexpected marriage proposal.
The three of them crashed down on her like a tidal wave, engulfing her.
She suddenly realized that Madam Rong's constant looking upwards before leaving meant that tonight's gathering was a pretense to socialize her, but rather a way to buy time for Rong Chengzhou.
She had said she wanted to have the wedding in the fall, and he really did come back in the fall.
A smile gradually crept onto her face. She smiled gently, offered him her left hand, and responded slowly and solemnly:
"I do."
She was the one who took the initiative to invite him to marry her, but now she is the one being formally proposed to.
Every step of their process was not conducted according to the usual procedure, yet no step was omitted.
Even though the answer was already known, Rong Chengzhou still couldn't help but stiffen at the tips of his fingers. His hand holding the ring tightened, and with a barely perceptible tremor, he slowly and carefully slipped the wedding ring onto her left ring finger.
The metal ring fit perfectly on her slender ring finger as he put the diamond ring on her finger, but he didn't let go.
Instead, she held it tightly in her hand, stared at it for a few seconds, and then leaned down, the intense heat falling on the ring and her knuckles.
He was in military uniform and could not kneel, yet he bent his back deeply.
Jiang Mingxue paused for a moment, then grabbed his hand and forcefully lifted his wrist upwards.
She whispered to him, "Rong Chengzhou, don't bend over."
Wearing his military uniform, he will always have an upright and heroic posture, and a proud spine.
Instead of bowing down for her.
The man's thin lips gradually tightened, and a surge of intense emotion seemed to be welling up in his dark eyes.
His wife always put him and his loyalty first.
His guilt grew daily, and his love overflowed.
It can no longer be described simply as liking it.
He lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze falling on his wife's exquisite face.
Her makeup today gave her a healthier complexion than usual, with a softer curve added to the corners of her eyes, making it impossible for him to look away.
He could no longer suppress his longing and reached out to pull her into his arms.
He held his wife tightly in his arms.
Jiang Mingxue held the flowers in one arm and wrapped the other around his waist, gently comforting him:
"It's good that you're back."
A gentle night breeze carried a chill.
Jiang Mingxue wore only a thin off-the-shoulder dress tonight.
Rong Chengzhou took off his military jacket and draped it over her shoulders. They sat side by side on the terrace bench, with her leaning against him. They looked out the window at the boundless lake and the dazzling skyscrapers, with the coconut lamps burning halfway behind them.
This is a quiet place that belongs only to the couple, undisturbed by family and friends.
"I thought you wouldn't be back for a long time," Jiang Mingxue said softly.
The first time she was gone, it lasted a year, and she had long been mentally prepared to wait another year or two.
"I'll be back once the mission is over," Rong Chengzhou said softly, his arm around her slender shoulder.
How long can you stay this time?
"One month."
Jiang Mingxue looked up, both delighted and surprised: "Your boss approved it for you?"
He's already been on leave for almost a month and a half this year, yet he's still able to take this much longer.
Rong Chengzhou paused for a moment, then casually hummed in agreement: "Approved."
He approved it himself.
"Is it Commander Yuan?" Jiang Mingxue asked with bright eyes and a light tone. "He's such a good person."
Rong Chengzhou pursed his lips and squeezed his innocent wife's shoulder: "Stop praising him, tell me about our wedding."
"Are you free this Saturday? October 26th, the fifth day of the ninth lunar month, is also an auspicious day," he said.
Jiang Mingxue slightly raised her chin: "So fast?"
It's already Monday, and she hasn't prepared anything yet.
Rong Chengzhou hummed in agreement: "It'll be easier to get it done sooner rather than later."
The last time, the two families worked together to choose an auspicious wedding date, but it fell through because he was recalled at the last minute.
He had already planned to hold the wedding when he left home a month ago, so as to avoid any unforeseen complications and the same situation from happening again.
He left decisively, leaving those who remained feeling the most distressed.
He didn't want her to go through it again, so he chose the nearest Saturday.
All the venues, wedding dresses, and ceremonies had been booked in advance. If it weren't for the fact that Jiang Mingxue had to work and everyone from her clinic had to attend, making it impossible to close the clinic during the week, he would have loved to hold the wedding tomorrow.
Jiang Mingxue counted the days on her fingers and figured it was about time: "Okay, then this Saturday it is."
Rong Chengzhou's tense brows finally relaxed after a long day: "Okay."
He got off the plane at 2 p.m. and arrived at Songyunting at 3 p.m., where he prepared the venue at home.
The coconut lamps were sent earlier by the old man at the Haining market, which Instructor Tolu had contacted. The flowers were ordered from the waiting room. Even having Madam Rong take Jiang Mingxue to the party and find a legitimate reason to do her makeup and dress was decided at noon today.
Fortunately, Jiang Mingxue was at work today and not home during the day, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to keep any surprises from her.
"Rong Chengzhou, is your mission this time very dangerous?"
Jiang Mingxue nestled in his arms and finally asked the question she had always wanted to ask but hadn't dared to.
The man's expression faltered almost imperceptibly for a moment before he quickly regained his composure and said calmly, "It's alright, not dangerous."
Jiang Mingxue didn't believe it: "Then why would it have to be you who does it?"
She used to never question the nature of Rong Chengzhou's missions. She trusted his abilities, and since they were in a time of peace, accidents were unlikely to happen.
But this flood and Mrs. Rong's words made her realize that peace and tranquility are the best aspects of the motherland showing them, but no one has made it public, and therefore no one will know how many firefighters, anti-drug police officers, and border soldiers have sacrificed their lives behind the scenes.
If Rong Chengzhou experienced a near-death mission during his junior year of college, then now that he holds a high position, he must bear even more responsibilities.
Rong Chengzhou softened his tone and said slowly, "It's really not dangerous. It's just that some fighter jets are difficult to operate, and young pilots can't control them yet."
Jiang Mingxue looked up at his expression, trying to discern any signs of lying.
But I couldn't see anything.
Rong Chengzhou looked back at her with an open and honest expression.
Jiang Mingxue stared at him for several seconds before finally catching something flashing in his eyes.
Just as she was about to ask further questions, the man's face suddenly loomed larger, and he lowered his head to press his lips against hers.
Jiang Mingxue's eyes widened suddenly, her mind went blank for a moment, and she even forgot what she was going to ask.
Rong Chengzhou didn't give her a chance to think. He held her by the back of the neck and lingered with her for a long time.
The rattan chair on the terrace swayed gently, the wind carrying the scent of bellflowers, mixed with the cedar smell from his shirt, spreading between his lips and teeth, more intoxicating than the moonlight in the dead of night.
Rong Chengzhou kissed her for a long time before letting her go.
Jiang Mingxue was slightly out of breath when she looked up and saw a bit of her lipstick on his lips.
He ate everything that was in his mouth.
Rong Chengzhou's slightly rough fingertips gently caressed her soft lips, his smile deepening in his eyes: "It's getting late, let's go back."
Jiang Mingxue's face flushed, she tightened her military uniform around her shoulders, and replied calmly, "Oh."
He got up and walked towards the steps, and saw a long row of incense burners on the ground, which were burning brightly. He said, "Let's blow out these coconut lamps, otherwise they may start a fire."
Rong Chengzhou nodded, he had considered all of this: "I'll handle it. It's windy outside, you should go back to your room and rest."
Jiang Mingxue didn't stand on ceremony with him and turned to go into the living room.
After entering the bedroom, afraid of wrinkling his military uniform, I immediately took it off, spread it out on the sofa, and planned to fold it up and put it away.
As soon as it was unfolded, there was a muffled thud, and something fell out of the inside pocket of the uniform.
Jiang Mingxue stopped what she was doing, picked it up and examined it.
It was a folded kraft paper envelope with nothing written on it. Inside, it was bulging and contained a round, thick object that had some texture when touched.
Jiang Mingxue has worn it for over twenty years. Even through the opaque kraft paper, one can immediately recognize that it is her jade pendant.
Since Rong Chengzhou's jade pendant has already been obtained, she can take this one back.
He then reached out, opened the envelope, and took out the jade pendant. The letter inside was pulled out along with the jade pendant.
Jiang Mingxue placed the jade pendant on the table and was about to put the letter back when her gaze inadvertently fell on the first two words of the letter: "Family Letter".
The letter and her jade pendant were kept together, so the letter was most likely written to her.
She suddenly paused, wanting to see what kind of letter Rong Chengzhou was going to write to her, and why he hadn't sent it to her.
So he sat on the sofa, opened the folded letter, and saw several lines of vigorous and powerful characters. It seemed that time was very tight, and this family letter was not very long. Even the handwriting was much more cursive than Rong Chengzhou's handwriting on the wedding invitation.
However, Rong Chengzhou's handwriting is beautiful and not difficult to recognize.
Jiang Mingxue held the paper tightly, reading it carefully, the smile on her lips gradually fading.
He did not name names, but his meaning was clear:
My beloved is as bright as the autumn moon and as radiant as the spring blossoms.
No beautiful words in this world can adequately describe her.
I had no other merits, except for my military uniform, which barely caught her eye.
However, this military uniform was the culprit that caused her constant worry and anxiety.
I have lived a life without regrets, without shame before my country.
Yet I often feel indebted to her
Chengzhou has had little fortune in this life, but the 464 days I have been married to her are the greatest blessing I have ever had.
I know I have deeply failed her; if one day I were to sacrifice myself for my country...
I only wish she could forget me and choose a good husband to spend her life with.
There was no signature, no date, and not even a recipient's name.
Some only gave her a few brief words of explanation.
Four hundred and sixty-four days, which was a few days before he returned this time.
This is a "letter home" he wrote before going on his mission.
If someone is killed in action, letters will be sent home by the military.
If you return safely, you can retrieve the letter from home yourself.
He was even afraid of breaking the jade pendant she had given him, so he put it in the envelope along with the pendant.
Jiang Mingxue's fingertips, gripping the letter tightly, turned white from the effort. She bit her lower lip hard, trying to suppress the stinging in her eyes, but a tear still fell, landing heavily on the "family letter," instantly blurring the ink.
It's more like a will than a family letter.
Chinese people have always liked to beautify sad words, as if deliberately avoiding the word "death" will ensure a peaceful and smooth life.
Her vision blurred, and Jiang Mingxue didn't know how she finished reading the so-called family letter. All she knew was that what Rong Chengzhou had just said was a lie.
It was all a lie.
Even though it was so dangerous that she had to write her will, he didn't tell her anything.
But she just couldn't get angry.
What difference does it make whether he lies to her or not?
Despite the turbulent situation, he still risked his life to fulfill his duty.
If she doesn't receive a letter from home, then all is well; if she does receive a letter, she can only go to the army base to collect an empty urn containing ashes, without even finding her remains.
If she hadn't stumbled upon it by chance, she probably would never have known in her life how many times Rong Chengzhou had brushed shoulders with death like this.
Just then, the bedroom door opened. Rong Chengzhou finished tidying up the terrace and came in to see his wife sitting on the sofa, holding a letter, her eyes reddening.
Realizing what had happened instantly, Rong Chengzhou frowned deeply. The usually composed man's thoughts were momentarily interrupted.
Because her ring and jade pendant were in the envelope, and he was busy preparing the proposal venue today, he forgot to throw away this "family letter" that should not have ended up in Jiang Mingxue's hands.
He stood at the bedroom door, silent for several seconds before slowly opening his mouth: "Peipei..."
After calling her name, I didn't know what to say next.
Words seem utterly powerless at this moment.
The moment Jiang Mingxue saw him, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
She released her lower lip, which had been bitten until it was red and bleeding, dropped the letter, stood up, and almost ran into his arms.
She held his shoulders, pulled his neck down, and stood on tiptoe to reach his lips.
The petite woman pinned him against the wall, kissing him haphazardly while crying.
It felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an iron hand, and Rong Chengzhou's heart shattered into pieces along with her cries.
Never before have I felt so guilty, blaming myself for not keeping that letter safe and causing her so much pain.
He lowered his head deeply and gently kissed away her tears, his voice hoarse and strained, unable to utter a complete sound:
"Peipei, don't cry."
"I'm sorry, it's my fault."
"I shouldn't have lied to you, please don't cry..."
But the more he tried to comfort her, the harder his wife cried in his arms.
Jiang Mingxue moved her hand down to unbutton his shirt, but her hand trembled and she couldn't unbutton a single button.
But she still stubbornly refused to let go, tilting her head back and kissing him forcefully while crying, choking back tears as she said to him:
"Rong Chengzhou... let's have a child."
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