Chapter 68 Her waist was so thin that you could wrap your hands around it.
He didn't want to give her an uncertain future.
If he knows full well that his life is in danger, yet selfishly binds her to his side with a marriage certificate, what if he really doesn't come back? This young girl will not only have to live a life of widowhood, but according to military regulations, she will also have to shoulder the responsibility of supporting his parents and ensuring his safety all by herself.
That's too selfish; Zhao Wenchang couldn't do that.
If something unexpected were to happen, he would prefer that she could leave without any burden.
The money he gave her was enough for her to live a carefree and comfortable life for the rest of her days, and to find a good family to settle down with.
Jiang Wanqiu didn't suspect anything, but just gave him a reproachful look and muttered softly, "I'm not that particular. It's just a marriage, I'm fine with anything."
These words, as soft as a feather, touched Zhao Wenchang's heart. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, reaching out to gently rub her head.
After the meal, Zhao Wenchang volunteered to wash the dishes, quickly and efficiently cleaning up the kitchen by himself.
Jiang Wanqiu changed into a cotton nightgown. Seeing that the room was a bit cold, she walked to the coal stove in the corner, picked up the fire tongs, and tried to poke the coal inside to make the fire burn brighter.
Ever since she burned her hand last time, Zhao Wenchang has treated this stove like a monster, guarding it more closely than his own eyes, and not letting her touch it at all.
Every time she touched him, she would be scolded. Every time she was scolded, she felt like she hadn't found a man, but a father.
Just then, a pair of hot, large hands reached out from behind her and lifted her up around the waist without saying a word. At the same time, the other hand took the fire tongs from her hand in one smooth motion.
The man's hot chest pressed against her back, his deep voice carrying a domineering tone, coming from behind her ear: "Touching this thing again? What if you get burned?"
Jiang Wanqiu's feet were lifted off the ground by his embrace. She struggled a couple of times and grumbled, "I'm not that stupid!"
"That's not necessarily true." Zhao Wenchang chuckled, picked her up and walked a few steps to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), put her in the warm quilt, and sat down himself.
The kang (heated brick bed) was warm and cozy, and Jiang Wanqiu snuggled comfortably under the covers, closing her eyes.
However, Zhao Wenchang's large hands were not behaving properly.
After lying down, a pair of large hands encircled her slender waist, his thumb and middle finger almost touching. He pinched her as if measuring her size, his brows furrowing slightly.
With such a slim waist, I don't know how she can withstand all that physical exertion.
Jiang Wanqiu felt ticklish around her waist from his teasing and giggled as she tried to hide inside him: "What are you doing!"
Zhao Wenchang pulled her closer, resting his chin on her shoulder and his nose against her delicate skin, and asked in a muffled voice, "Don't you have a cotton-padded coat? It's going to snow in a few days, and it's freezing coldest when the snow melts."
She can wear his military overcoat occasionally, but she can't wear it every day. People who don't know the situation might think that Zhao Wenchang is too stingy to buy his wife a new coat.
"Before we go on the mission, I'll take a day off and take you to buy some new clothes."
“No need,” Jiang Wanqiu shook her head, turned around and snuggled into his arms. “I bought a wool coat in Shanghai before, it’s really thick. I also have thermal underwear and a thick sweater. It takes a lot of effort to put all my clothes on every day, I’m as strong as a bear.”
As she spoke, she reached out her small hand and poked the man's chest. "But you, it's so cold, and you're just wearing a thin sweater, a gym uniform, and a military overcoat, running around everywhere."
Zhao Wenchang caught her mischievous hand, kissed it, a smile playing on his lips, and said, "Really? You don't feel cold..."
As it turned out, Jiang Wanqiu realized the next day that she was wrong.
The sky was overcast, with leaden-gray clouds hanging low, and the north wind felt like knives on people's faces.
That fashionable and windproof wool coat in Shanghai was simply not good enough for the winter in this military compound.
The office of the primary school for children of employees is very large, but the radiator in the corner is only lukewarm and has not been fully heated yet.
The female teachers in the office were all wearing thick cotton-padded coats, but she was the only one wearing a woolen overcoat, and her fingertips were red from the cold.
As soon as Sun Xiaomei entered the room, her eyes swept over them, and she said sarcastically, "Oh, Teacher Jiang, you look really smart. Dressed so flamboyantly, I wonder who you're trying to impress."
Jiang Wanqiu was rubbing her hands together and breathing on them to warm them up. Upon hearing this, she didn't even bother to lift her eyelids.
Teacher Wang, who was a bit older, kindly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Xiao Jiang is new here and not used to the weather in the north. The military region won't officially start providing heating until next month, so these few days are the most grueling. You should put on your cotton-padded coat."
"I understand, Teacher Wang." Jiang Wanqiu nodded with a smile, then changed the subject and said with a smile, "Wenchang said he'll take leave in a few days to go shopping for clothes with me. I'm new here and don't know many things, unlike Teacher Sun, who doesn't have a man by her side and has to take care of everything herself, so she naturally knows more."
Upon hearing this, Sun Xiaomei's face flushed red, and she felt a lump in her throat, unable to utter a single word in response.
The other female teachers exchanged glances, their eyes filled with envy as they looked at Jiang Wanqiu.
They originally thought that Battalion Commander Zhao was a clueless blockhead, but they never expected that he would be so thoughtful and considerate when it came to his wife.
As Jiang Wanqiu walked out of the office with her lesson plan, Sun Xiaomei slammed her enamel mug on the table with a loud bang: "Look at her, that vixen-like face! Dressed like that, who would believe she's not seducing men? Don't leave after school today, come with me to a place, I'll take you to catch her cheating, let's see how she can deny it then!"
The school bell rang, but the classroom didn't immediately empty out. A few children who were curious about the violin stayed behind, chattering excitedly around Jiang Wanqiu.
Jiang Wanqiu breathed white breath into her palms, moved her somewhat stiff fingertips, and patiently tuned the strings for each child.
When Gu Feiyan pushed open the door and came in, she was somewhat surprised to see those little kids in the classroom.
Upon hearing Jiang Wanqiu's explanation that these children also wanted to learn the piano, Gu Feiyan couldn't help but chuckle and teased, "Then wouldn't I be the oldest student here?"
With more children, there's only one violin, inevitably leading to longer practice times.
Jiang Wanqiu sniffed and handed the violin to the man: "Practice what I taught you yesterday again."
Surrounded by a group of curious children, Gu Feiyan found herself in an awkward position.
Seeing this, Jiang Wanqiu reached out to help him adjust his hand holding the bow: "Raise your arm and lower your wrist a little. It's okay. You're tall, so your elbow won't poke the children."
Just then, their hands accidentally touched.
The woman's icy fingertips felt like a piece of cold jade, and the instantaneous touch made Gu Feiyan's heart skip a beat.
He subconsciously suppressed the inexplicable urge to hold her fingers in his palm to warm them, and simply turned his head and asked softly, "Are you cold?"
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