Chapter 78: Confinement
The days pass by quietly like the gurgling water, and the children grow up healthily day by day under the gentle caress of time. In the blink of an eye, two months passed in a flash, and Jiang Ruoxi finally bid farewell to the boring confinement time.
The first thing Jiang Ruoxi did after leaving confinement was to rush into the bathroom and take a nice hot bath.
During the confinement period, although Lu's mother and Jiang's mother allowed her to wash her hair and body, she only washed her head quickly and wiped her body with a warm towel. She always felt uncomfortable all over, as if there was a layer of dirt that could not be washed away.
Now, hot water poured down from the shower head, sprinkled on her shoulders, and flowed all the way, taking away the fatigue and boredom accumulated during the confinement period. Jiang Ruoxi felt so comfortable that she almost floated.
Since Jiang Ruoxi was in the double confinement period, she discussed with Lu's mother and Jiang's mother and decided not to hold a full-month banquet. Instead, they would hold a hundred-day banquet when the baby was a hundred days old.
Jiang Ruoxi and Lu Tingxiao were not the kind of people who liked to spend lavishly. They just wanted to celebrate simply and leave this precious memory. In a warm and joyful atmosphere, preparations for the hundred-day banquet were carried out in full swing, and the names of the three babies were finally settled before that.
Dabao is a calm and introverted boy, and his full name is Lu Ziqian. The word "谦" is taken from the "Book of Changes" which says "A humble gentleman is self-disciplined", which is full of beautiful expectations of being humble and cultivating moral character. His family members call him Qianqian affectionately, and every call is full of tenderness and love.
The second baby is also a boy, but he has a sunny and cheerful personality. His full name Lu Ziyi came into being. "Yi" means shining and radiant, and we hope that his future life will be as bright as the stars. His nickname is Yiyi, and calling him that makes us feel like we are seeing the vigor and vitality emanating from his body.
Sanbao is the little princess who is loved by the family. Her full name is Lu Ziyu. "Yu" means happiness and worry-free. I wish her a smooth life, away from sorrow and worries. Her nickname is Jiaojiao, which means she is as bright and pure as moonlight, bringing endless warmth and beauty to this family.
On the day of the hundred-day banquet, Lu's mother and Jiang's mother put on their aprons early, walked into the kitchen, and started preparing for the family banquet. Aunt Chen and Aunt Lan were also helping out with washing, cutting and preparing vegetables. The kitchen was filled with the smell of life, warm and lively.
Lu Tingxiao invited Commander Xie, Political Commissar Zhou, and a group of comrades with whom he had a close relationship. Although Father Lu and Father Jiang were unable to attend the 100-day banquet due to their busy work, their thoughts were sent to their home early along with the gifts.
Father Lu gave each baby an exquisite gold locket, which sparkled softly in the sun, as if carrying the endless blessings of the elders to the younger generations. Father Lu was full of love, and he specially found a skilled craftsman to carefully make three gold locks, each of which carried his heavy expectations for his grandchildren.
He solemnly carved a word "Qian" on the golden lock of the eldest treasure, Lu Ziqian, which was an earnest advice to the eldest treasure Lu Ziqian on his future life. On the golden lock of the second treasure Lu Ziyi, there was a word "Yi", and each stroke embodied the blessings of Lu's father. When it came to the golden lock of the third treasure Lu Ziyu, Lu's father spent even more time on it. He had the word "Yu" engraved on one side of the gold lock, representing his wish for her to have a safe and smooth life without worries; and the word "Jiaojiao" was engraved on the other side, implying that the little princess could be as bright and pure as moonlight and have a wonderful life.
Father Jiang prepared a pair of gold bracelets for each baby, which were carved with delicate patterns, symbolizing good luck and health.
Dabao Lu Ziqian's bracelet is engraved with the pattern of the Four Treasures of the Study. The brush strokes are strong, the ink rhyme is long, the paper is stretched, and the inkstone is square. This is not only an expectation for his future academic success and rich reading, but also a hope that he can become a well-educated, gentle and elegant person under the influence of culture.
The bracelet of Erbao Lu Ziyi has exquisite patterns of the sun, moon and stars. The sun is shining brightly, the moon is gentle and bright, and the stars are twinkling in between. The mystery and grandeur of the vast universe are condensed on this small bracelet, symbolizing that he has a bright future, can fly freely in the sky of life, and pursue his own dreams.
The bracelet of Sanbao Lu Ziyu is engraved with a vivid picture of fish playing on lotus leaves. Fishes swim and play among the lotus leaves. The lotus fields are filled with vitality and vigor. This implies that her life is like this picture, happy, free and joyful, and always surrounded by beauty.
Whether it is the gold lock engraved with unique words and full of affection by Father Lu, or the bracelet carefully selected by Father Jiang and carved with unique patterns, they all carry the love of the two families for their three children.
These bracelets and gold locks may not be particularly rare items, but they carry the expectations of the elders and are endowed with the power of protection and care. They witness the growth of children and carry the best wishes for their future.
The guests arrived one after another, and everyone sat together, laughing and talking. Lu Tingxiao held Dabao and Erbao, and Jiang Ruoxi held Sanbao, and they thanked every relative and friend who attended. Looking at the cute baby in her arms and then at the room full of relatives and friends, Jiang Ruoxi's heart was filled with happiness and satisfaction.
The hundred-day banquet ended successfully with laughter and warm blessings. The hustle and bustle gradually faded away, and the days returned to peace and returned to their former state. Both Lu's mother and Jiang's mother play important roles in their respective fields of work. As the holiday comes to an end, they have to return to their posts and continue to devote themselves to their busy work.
The house suddenly became quiet. With two people missing, the responsibility of taking care of the three babies fell on the shoulders of Aunt Chen and Aunt Lan.
Before leaving, Jiang's mother held Jiang Ruoxi's hand, her eyes full of concern and expectation, and once again solemnly emphasized: "Xixi, you must not fall behind in your studies. No matter how busy your life is, you must set aside time for yourself to study. If Tingxiao can spare some time, you two can study together. Learn more knowledge, it will definitely come in handy in the future!" Jiang Ruoxi nodded seriously and kept her mother's words in mind.
After Jiang's mother left, Jiang Ruoxi and Lu Tingxiao sat in the living room, lost in thought. They carefully pondered the deep meaning behind Jiang's mother's words before she left. Lu Tingxiao frowned slightly and spoke first, "I feel that the current situation is different from before. The control is not as strict. A few days ago, my childhood friend in Beijing called me and said that the control over the black market there has been relaxed a lot. He also asked me if I had heard any rumors and whether there would be any new policies to be introduced!"
Jiang Ruoxi bit her lower lip gently, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "Mom has always been very far-sighted. She told us to study so seriously. She works in the Ministry of Education, so maybe she really noticed the prelude to some big changes. Now that society is developing so fast, it will definitely not hurt to learn more knowledge! If there are new policies, we can adapt better!"
Lu Tingxiao nodded in agreement, his eyes showing determination. "No matter what, just listen to mom and study hard. I've also been paying attention to current events recently, and I feel that changes are quietly taking place in all aspects. Maybe soon, our lives will see earth-shaking changes!"
After some discussion, the two decided to make a study plan. During the day, while Aunt Chen and Aunt Lan were taking care of the children, Jiang Ruoxi would seize the time to read and study. She had a wide range of interests, including economics, literature, and current affairs.
Lu Tingxiao used his spare time to study military theories and emerging technologies, and shared them with Jiang Ruoxi whenever he had the chance.
As the days go by, although their lives are busy and dull, they always have expectations for the future and continue to enrich themselves through learning.
At the same time, Lu Tingxiao also kept in touch with his childhood friend and paid close attention to the dynamic changes in policies in various places, hoping to capture more opportunities in the tide of the times and open up a better future for this small family.
As Lu Tingxiao worked hard in his daily training and actively devoted himself to his studies. Soon, Lu Tingxiao's overall quality continued to improve. Teacher Xie noticed Lu Tingxiao's hard work during this period and called him to the office to inquire about the situation.
After coming out of Teacher Xie's office, Lu Tingxiao looked up at the sun hanging high in the sky. The warm sunlight shone on his resolute face. His heart was full of emotion. Sometimes he really couldn't help but sigh that he was lucky to marry such an excellent wife like Jiang Ruoxi.
After returning home, Lu Tingxiao couldn't wait to walk towards Jiang Ruoxi before he even had time to change out of his military uniform. At that time, Jiang Ruoxi was sitting in front of the window. The soft light outlined her gentle figure. She was concentrating on flipping through the book in her hands, and there were several notebooks stacked on the small table beside her.
Hearing the footsteps, Jiang Ruoxi raised her head with a sweet smile on her face: "You're back!"
Lu Tingxiao walked quickly to her side and sat down. He told her everything that had happened in the commander's office that day, his voice full of pride. "Wife, the commander praised you a lot. He said that you have great literary talent and that the novels you wrote are particularly relevant to the actual situation of soldiers. He hopes that you can write more!"
Jiang Ruoxi's cheeks flushed slightly, and she smiled a little embarrassedly: "Really? Commander, you are too kind. I just wrote down my admiration for you soldiers and the stories I learned from you!"
"Of course it's true!" Lu Tingxiao looked at her seriously. "You don't know, everyone is very touched after reading your article. Now many people in the army are saying that they want to learn from you and constantly improve themselves. By the way, I also told the division commander to write a few more articles when you have time. Don't tire yourself out!"
Jiang Ruoxi nodded gently, with a determined light in her eyes: "I know, this is not only a promotion for myself, but also allows more people to understand the life of soldiers. You work hard in the army, and I have to work hard at home. I can't hold you back!"
In the days that followed, Lu Tingxiao trained even harder in the army. Every time he encountered difficulties and challenges, he would think of Jiang Ruoxi's hard work in studying, and he would be full of motivation again.
In between taking care of her children, Jiang Ruoxi plunged into her creative work. She gained an in-depth understanding of military life, communicated with the soldiers, collected more real and touching stories, and used delicate brushstrokes to depict the soldiers' passion and tenderness, perseverance and dedication.
As time went by, Lu Tingxiao gained more opportunities for promotion with his outstanding performance and solid abilities, and his dream of entering a military academy for further studies was getting closer and closer. Jiang Ruoxi's articles have also been widely circulated within and outside the army, inspiring more people. They shine in their respective fields, move forward hand in hand, and become an enviable couple in the eyes of others, writing their own wonderful lives together.
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