Chapter 106 He's too mean, I've decided to ignore him.
Her bright, almond-shaped eyes widened in shock and disbelief. How could a woman, especially one who was never short of compliments on her beauty, tolerate herself puffing up like a steamed bun?
Seeing her shocked expression, as if the sky had fallen, Zhao Wenchang finally couldn't hold back and let out a low, pleasant laugh.
His restless hand lightly patted the woman's pert buttocks, the firm and bouncy texture making his fingertips tingle.
"Are you stupid?" The man's magnetic voice was full of teasing. "Just kidding. You're so skinny, you'd fall over in a gust of wind, and you call that fat?"
The man patted her lightly, and Jiang Wanqiu couldn't help but stagger a few steps toward him.
Indeed, she is quite light-weight.
She then realized that this scoundrel had been making fun of her from beginning to end!
He made up all sorts of things, like her face was rounder and her arms were thicker, just so he could take advantage of her!
First came panic in her watery eyes, then shame and anger, and finally two small flames ignited within them.
She shoved away the man who was still holding her, pointed angrily at the half-eaten plate of dumplings and the empty bowl on the table, and adopted the air of the head of the household: "You really have nothing better to do than make fun of me. Are you done eating? Go wash the dishes!"
Zhao Wenchang's thin lips curled up as he deliberately leaned back lazily in his chair, raising an eyebrow and saying, "So domineering?"
"Otherwise what?" Jiang Wanqiu put her hands on her hips, her charming face even more vibrant and alluring with anger. "Who told you to lie to me! You're punished by having to wash the dishes!"
“Okay, I’ll listen to you.” Zhao Wenchang stood up readily, his tall figure almost completely enveloping her.
Jiang Wanqiu subconsciously took a few steps back to create some distance, to prevent the man from playing any more tricks on her.
However, the man was honest this time. He slowly cleared away the dishes and, as he passed by Jiang Wanqiu, he leaned close to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "But I wasn't lying just now. It's really comfortable to hug someone if they get a little fatter."
The man's voice, seemingly imbued with texture, scratched at Jiang Wanqiu's earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine. Annoyed, she stomped her foot, deciding to ignore this shameless man.
But Zhao Wenchang's words also reminded her.
Sitting or lying down right after eating is the culprit behind weight gain, isn't it? No, she needs to go out for a walk to digest her food.
Having made up her mind, Jiang Wanqiu wrapped herself in her cotton-padded coat, pushed open the door, and went out.
As soon as the door opened, a gust of cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed in, making her shiver.
The ground in the yard was compacted by snow and trodden by passersby, forming a thin layer of ice that, under the light leaking from inside the house, was as smooth and slippery as a mirror.
Jiang Wanqiu had just taken a step when her foot slipped, and with a cry of "Ouch!" she fell hard on her bottom.
"Thump!"
The fall was loud and solid, and her tailbone was in excruciating pain, so much so that tears almost welled up in her eyes.
In the kitchen, Zhao Wenchang, who was washing dishes, heard the noise and peeked out. He saw his wife sitting sprawled on the snow, looking pained and bewildered.
He chuckled and put down his work to walk outside.
Jiang Wanqiu was both ashamed and angry. She struggled to get up on her own, but the ground was too slippery, and she couldn't get any strength after several attempts.
Zhao Wenchang walked a few steps to her, bent down and picked her up from the ground as easily as if he were holding a child.
As he carried her into the house, he looked down at her, unable to hide the smile on his lips: "Weren't we going to digest our food? Why did you start kowtowing to the local earth god as soon as we went out?"
"Shut up!" Jiang Wanqiu buried her face in his strong chest and retorted in a muffled voice, "It's all your fault! If you hadn't made me angry, would I have run out and fallen down?"
This unreasonable attempt to shift the blame back, yet Zhao Wenchang actually falls for it.
He happily carried the person back into the house and placed them directly on the warm kang (heated brick bed).
"Yes, yes, it's all my fault." He replied, but his eyes darted to the back of her cotton pants. There was a large patch of snow there, which had melted and soaked the area, leaving a clear, disheveled mark.
The man's smile deepened, and he pointed to the spot, saying, "Looks like you fell pretty hard; the mark is quite round."
Jiang Wanqiu turned around following his gaze, and her cheeks instantly burned bright red. She pulled the blanket over herself from head to toe, determined never to say another word to this annoying man tonight!
Seeing that she was truly angry, Zhao Wenchang stopped teasing her.
After washing the dishes and tidying up the living room, he turned around, took paper and pen from the table, and sat down under the lamp to start writing.
The room fell silent, with only the soft scratching of the pen on the paper.
Jiang Wanqiu stayed in bed for a while, then, feeling bored, she cautiously peeked out. The man's broad back was facing her; he sat upright, and he was quite a sight to behold.
Her buttocks were still hurting badly, and she couldn't fall asleep no matter how much she tossed and turned, so she simply lay on her side, propped her head up, and looked at him.
Feeling bored, Jiang Wanqiu thought for a moment and entered her personal space.
She hadn't been inside for a while, and when she saw it, she was stunned.
Several shelves had appeared in the space, displaying all sorts of strange things. Among them were several oil-paper packets with words like "male tonic" and "strengthening root" scrawled crookedly in calligraphy—clearly potent drugs for men. She knew that.
There were several bags of fertilizer and feed labeled "super growth promoter" and "more offspring, more happiness" next to it, which looked like they were for plants and animals.
Jiang Wanqiu was surprised that this space had upgraded to include something like this.
No wonder the thing I frantically pulled out of my spatial storage that day was for animals.
However... those things that can increase crop yields and make livestock have more offspring seem to be quite useful.
She stepped out of the space, and her mind began to wander.
Zhao Wenchang was still engrossed in writing something, his expression focused.
He was drafting a detailed report on the Zhoujiacun incident for the military region. It involved enemy agents, and the matter was of great importance, so every word had to be carefully considered.
He felt the gaze behind him, but without turning around, he said, "I'm tired today, go to sleep early. I need to finish this report tonight and hand it in tomorrow morning."
"My butt hurts, I can't sleep," Jiang Wanqiu muttered softly.
She just quietly looked at the man's profile.
The dim yellow light under the lampshade outlined his rugged features, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes.
Actually, Zhao Wenchang's appearance wasn't exactly the kind of pretty boy that people like in later generations, but the combination of features gave him an indescribable masculine charm.
Especially when his eyes are lowered, his fierce and unapproachable aura becomes particularly noticeable.
She didn't know how long she had been watching, but Jiang Wanqiu's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Jiang Wanqiu woke up to the aroma of food.
She opened her eyes; the person by the kang (a heated brick bed) was gone. A sizzling sound came from the kitchen—the sound of eggs hitting the pan.
She put on her clothes and got out of bed. When she walked to the kitchen door, she saw Zhao Wenchang's tall figure wearing an apron and busy at the stove.
Remembering something, she turned and went back into the house, taking a tin can from the cupboard. It was malted milk powder that Gu Feiyan had casually brought over yesterday; it was a rare nutritional supplement in those days.
She scooped two large spoonfuls into two enamel mugs, poured boiling water over them, and the rich aroma of milk instantly filled the air.
Zhao Wenchang walked in carrying a plate of golden fried eggs. When he saw the two cups on the table, he frowned almost imperceptibly: "Where did these come from?"
“Staff Officer Gu came to see me yesterday and brought this.” Jiang Wanqiu pushed one of the cups in front of him, her eyes crinkling with a smile. “Here, Battalion Commander Zhao, have a taste.”
"Why would he send you something like this for no reason?"
Little did anyone know that Zhao Wenchang's first words were laced with uncontrollable jealousy.
Jiang Wanqiu said helplessly, "They came to talk to me about serious matters, and mentioned a few things along the way, about social etiquette."
Zhao Wenchang didn't move, his deep eyes looking at her, his tone carrying a hint of unreasonable domineering: "Tell me what you want to drink from now on, and I'll get it for you. You're not allowed to drink anything that other people give you."
Jiang Wanqiu was taken aback, then burst out laughing. This man, how come he acts like a child when it comes to this kind of thing?
"But we can't waste this." She picked up her cup, as if to drink it.
Zhao Wenchang grabbed her hand, took the glass of malted milk powder from her, put it back on the table, and then pushed his glass of plain water in front of her.
"obedient."
Looking at the man's uncompromising gaze, Jiang Wanqiu was both amused and exasperated by his childish yet domineering behavior.
However, she suddenly had an idea after a moment's thought.
"Fine, fine, I won't drink it then." She compromised. "That's perfect. I was just thinking of going to the clinic to see Xiao Cui. This malted milk powder is a good thing; it'll be good for her to take some to help her recover."
Zhao Wenchang did not object to this suggestion.
After breakfast, Jiang Wanqiu took the can of malted milk powder to the health center.
Before even entering the ward, the doctor in charge of taking care of Xiao Cui came out with a worried look on his face.
"Comrade Jiang, you've arrived. Are you here to see Comrade Cui? Oh dear..."
The doctor sighed, "Comrade Cui... she doesn't trust anyone now. Whenever we get close, she screams like a madwoman, scratching and biting. She refuses to take her medicine or eat. She says we're all trying to harm her. This is a typical case of paranoia. What should we do?"
The doctor advised Jiang Wanqiu not to visit for the time being for safety reasons, but after thinking about it, Jiang Wanqiu still pushed open the door to the ward and tiptoed in.
In the ward, the girl named Xiao Cui, also known as Cui Hua, was curled up in the corner of the bed, hugging her knees. Her long hair was disheveled, and her eyes were full of fear and wariness, like a frightened little animal, watching everyone who approached her warily.
"Xiao Cui?" Jiang Wanqiu called tentatively, slowly approaching her. "Are you... feeling better?"
The doctors who followed were on tenterhooks, prepared for Cui Hua to lose control and pounce at any moment.
However, something unexpected happened.
The girl, who was hostile to everyone, gradually lost some of the fear and mania in her eyes after recognizing Jiang Wanqiu as the newcomer.
She didn't scream or flinch, but just stared straight at Jiang Wanqiu, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.
The doctor's eyes widened in disbelief.
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