Chapter 98 Lu Tingxiao Returns Safely
Hearing the energetic noise of the children, Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu hurried out of the room, wrapped in their clothes. Grandma Lu immediately saw her grandson Lu Tingxiao standing in the middle of the living room. Her eyes instantly turned red, tears welling up in her eyes. She said with a choked voice, "Tingxiao, you're finally back. We've been worried about you all this time!"
Seeing the worry and love in Grandma Lu's eyes, Lu Tingxiao felt guilty and remorseful. He took a step forward and gently hugged Grandma Lu in his arms, saying in a soothing tone, "Grandma, I'm back. I'm sorry to have worried you. I won't make you worry so much in the future!"
Grandpa Lu, who was standing by, also had relief in his eyes. He said, "It's good that you're back. Coming back safely is better than anything else!" Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu knew that the young couple hadn't seen each other for a long time, and they must have a lot of sweet words to say.
So, they turned to the three excited children and said in a gentle but unquestionable tone: "Dabao, Erbao, Sanbao, go to bed quickly, you still have to go to kindergarten tomorrow. Didn't you make an appointment with your friends to go to kindergarten early to play together tomorrow?"
When the three children heard this, they nodded sensibly and responded in unison, "Got it, Grandpa and Grandma, we'll go back to bed right away!" After that, they turned around and said to Lu Tingxiao and Jiang Ruoxi, "Mom and Dad, we're going to bed. We have to go to kindergarten tomorrow!"
"Go ahead. Mom won't tell you stories tonight. Go to bed early!" Jiang Ruoxi smiled, her eyes full of love for the children.
"Okay, Mom. You and Dad should go to bed early too!" The three children responded crisply, then held Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu's hands and skipped back to their room to sleep.
After watching their figures disappear at the door of the room, Lu Tingxiao turned his gaze back to Jiang Ruoxi. He could no longer suppress his longing for her, and reached out to hold Jiang Ruoxi tightly in his arms. His voice was soft but full of affection, and he slowly expressed his endless longing for her these days: "Wife, when I was away, I thought about you every day, wondering if you and the children were doing well!" Jiang Ruoxi leaned in Lu Tingxiao's arms, listening to his words, feeling the long-lost warmth, and her eyes gradually became moist.
But she quickly came to her senses, and seeing Lu Tingxiao's slightly exhausted face, she felt distressed and quickly pushed him away, urging him, "Hurry up, go wash up, you look so tired!"
While Lu Tingxiao was washing up, Jiang Ruoxi walked quickly into the kitchen. She lit the stove with ease, and the water in the pot soon began to gurgle. She put the noodles into the pot skillfully, and then carefully cracked an egg in the frying pan beside her. The golden egg liquid quickly solidified in the pot, turning into a perfect golden fried egg. Then, she took out a handful of tender green vegetables from the basket and put them into the noodle soup. Soon, the kitchen was filled with an enticing aroma.
When Lu Tingxiao finished washing up and walked into the kitchen, a bowl of steaming noodles was already on the dining table. The tender green vegetables are neatly arranged on the noodles, and the golden fried egg is particularly tempting. Lu Tingxiao looked at the bowl of noodles filled with love, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He turned to look at Jiang Ruoxi, his eyes full of emotion and affection: "Wife, you still understand me the best. It's great to have you!" Jiang Ruoxi smiled and sat down beside him, saying gently: "Eat quickly, and rest early after eating!"
Lu Tingxiao picked up the chopsticks and took a bite of noodles. The familiar taste instantly spread in his mouth, warming his stomach and even warming his heart. In this warm atmosphere, the two of them talked softly about the little things that happened at home during this period. Occasionally, they smiled at each other, as if all the troubles in the world had dissipated, leaving only the tranquility and happiness of the moment.
After Lu Tingxiao finished the bowl of noodles that he had prepared with love, Jiang Ruoxi quickly cleared the dishes and walked into the kitchen, where she had washed them clean in no time. Afterwards, she simply washed up and went back to the house with Lu Tingxiao to rest.
The two of them lay side by side on the bed, the soft moonlight shining through the gaps in the curtains onto their faces. Jiang Ruoxi snuggled in Lu Tingxiao's arms and softly told him every detail of this holiday.
She talked about taking her children to play in the surrounding area. The children were so excited, running freely on the grass, and their laughter echoing in every corner. She also talked about how in her free time, she opened a braised meat shop near Peking University. With its unique taste and careful management, its business was surprisingly good.
The store hired several veterans who were diligent and hard-working. Everyone worked together to run the braised meat shop successfully. Lu Tingxiao listened quietly, occasionally asking a few questions, his face full of satisfaction and pride. As they chatted, they gradually felt sleepy and fell asleep unknowingly.
The next morning, in the dim light of dawn, Jiang Ruoxi was still immersed in sleep when she vaguely felt something furry and warm rubbing against her neck. She slowly opened her hazy eyes, and what she saw was Lu Tingxiao's bearded head rubbing her neck affectionately, with warm kiss marks left on her collarbone one after another.
Lu Tingxiao noticed that Jiang Ruoxi had woken up. He was stunned for a moment, then he smiled a silly yet affectionate smile, "Wife, I'm so sorry for waking you up. I really missed you so much. You don't know that when I'm on a mission outside, whenever I have free time, all I think about is you and the kids!"
After hearing these words, Jiang Ruoxi's original slight anger instantly disappeared. How could she bear to blame the man in front of her who missed his family? Thinking back to last night, the two were so exhausted from the long journey and the hard work of life that the original tender love was temporarily put on hold.
Seeing that he had already woken Jiang Ruoxi up, Lu Tingxiao decided to go with the flow. He locked his ardent gaze on her, slowly leaned over, and gently kissed the red lips that he had missed for so long.
His kiss was gentle yet somewhat eager, as if he wanted to pour into it all the thoughts he had during the time they were apart. Jiang Ruoxi couldn't help but close her eyes and put her arms around Lu Tingxiao's neck, responding to this strong love.
After a long time, Lu Tingxiao left Jiang Ruoxi's red lips, panting. He rested his forehead against hers, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, full of affection and longing: "Wife, I want to..." Before he could finish his words, there was the sound of children fighting outside the room, followed by Grandpa Lu's coughing.
The two of them came to their senses in an instant, and smiled at each other, with helplessness yet a hint of sweetness. Jiang Ruoxi gently pushed Lu Tingxiao and said angrily, "Hurry up and get up. Grandpa, grandma and the children should all be up!" Lu Tingxiao sat up reluctantly, but still held Jiang Ruoxi's hand, as if she would disappear if he let go.
"I'll deal with you when I come back tonight!" Lu Tingxiao said hatefully.
Lu Tingxiao and Jiang Ruoxi tidied up briefly, had breakfast, and then took the three children to the kindergarten. Along the way, the children chattered non-stop like happy little birds. Lu Tingxiao and Jiang Ruoxi responded from time to time, and a warm atmosphere filled the air. When they arrived at the kindergarten gate, they watched the children holding hands and skipping into the kindergarten before they turned and left.
The two walked side by side on the way to the braised meat shop, the sunlight shining through the mottled leaves, casting a golden glow on the ground. Jiang Ruoxi raised her head slightly, her eyes full of concern, and asked softly, "Tingxiao, how long can you take a vacation this time?"
Lu Tingxiao reached out and gently held her hand. A smile appeared on his face as he said softly, "Wife, this mission is difficult, but we can have a longer vacation. The school has approved a two-week vacation for us!"
Jiang Ruoxi's eyes flashed with joy when she heard this, and then she said with a little regret: "That's great, you can have a good rest. But school will start in a week, so I can't stay with you for a long time!"
Lu Tingxiao gently squeezed her hand and smiled nonchalantly, "It's okay, I can take you to school and pick you up after school. When I'm free, I can also go to the braised meat shop to help you take care of the business!" Jiang Ruoxi felt warm at heart and nodded, "Okay, I'll introduce you to each other when we get to the braised meat shop later!"
The two chatted and laughed, and unknowingly arrived in front of Jiang's Braised Meat Shop. Lu Tingxiao and Jiang Ruoxi did not enter the store immediately. Instead, they stood outside the store. Lu Tingxiao looked at the bustling scene of people coming and going inside the store. His eyes were filled with surprise and pride. He couldn't help but sigh, "Wife, your store is so popular?"
Jiang Ruoxi's face was filled with a confident smile as she explained, "Yes, although my store is small, it has always been doing well. Customers can dine in or take away. If schools or factories order meals, I also provide door-to-door delivery services!"
As he was talking, an old customer came out after buying braised meat. Seeing Jiang Ruoxi, he greeted her warmly: "Boss Jiang, you are finally here! Your braised meat tastes really good. My family loves it. I come here several times a week!"
Jiang Ruoxi quickly responded with a smile: "Thank you for your continued support. Take care!" After the old customer left, Lu Tingxiao said with emotion: "It seems that your craftsmanship and service have really won everyone's hearts!"
The two walked into the store and were instantly surrounded by the noise. Zhang Bin and Zhao Qiang were busy in the kitchen, and the aroma filled the entire kitchen; Wang Dong and Song Yu greeted customers warmly at the front desk, skillfully cutting meat and packing for customers; Wei Jun shuttled around the store, cleaning the tables and collecting garbage in a timely manner.
As soon as Lu Tingxiao and Jiang Ruoxi entered the store, Wang Dong and Song Yu, who were busy at the front desk, noticed them. Wang Dong's movements suddenly stopped, his face full of surprise, and he blurted out: "Lu Tuan? Why are you here?"
Lu Tingxiao raised his lips, with a hint of smile in his eyes. He patted Jiang Ruoxi on the shoulder and said proudly, "Wang Dong, this is the shop opened by my wife!"
Jiang Ruoxi's eyes widened slightly, full of surprise. She didn't expect that Wang Dong and Lu Tingxiao actually knew each other. Seeing this, Lu Tingxiao patiently explained, "Wang Dong was a soldier under my command in Liao Province before. Unfortunately, he was seriously injured during a mission. His physical condition did not allow him to continue to stay in the army, so he had to retire due to injury. We have many comrades like him in our army!"
After listening to this, Jiang Ruoxi felt a pang of sadness in her heart, and she had even more respect for these veterans who had once dedicated their youth to the country.
She raised her head slightly, her eyes firm, and said seriously: "I see, then it seems that I have to work harder in the future and open a few more stores so that these soldiers who have been discharged due to injuries can have a place to settle down!"
When everyone present heard Jiang Ruoxi's words, their eyes instantly turned red. Wang Dong's throat rolled slightly, and he thought of the glorious years in the army and the helplessness he faced in the difficult life after retiring. Now, hearing Jiang Ruoxi's heartwarming and firm words, he was moved like a tide.
He knew very well that there were many comrades like him who retired due to injuries and could only make a living by farming when they returned to their hometowns. They once fought for the country with passion and dreams, but faced various difficulties in life after retirement.
At this moment, Jiang Ruoxi's promise was like a ray of light, illuminating the dark corners in their hearts. The respect in their eyes when they looked at Jiang Ruoxi was as endless as a surging river.
Zhao Qiang put down the spoon in his hand, walked out of the kitchen, and said with a choked voice: "Boss Jiang, we will remember your kindness in our hearts. In the future, we will definitely work hard with you!"
Several other employees echoed the sentiment, and their resolute words echoed throughout the store. Lu Tingxiao looked at Jiang Ruoxi, his eyes full of pride and love. He knew that his wife was not only kind, but also had a broad mind and sense of responsibility that ordinary people could hardly match.
In the following days, under the leadership of Jiang Ruoxi, the employees of the braised meat shop worked more unitedly. Lu Tingxiao also used his vacation time to devote himself to the store's affairs.
Relying on his knowledge and management skills, he provided advice to the braised meat shop, helped optimize the operating process, and assisted Jiang Ruoxi in planning future store openings.
Together, they researched new recipes for braised food and continuously improved the taste to meet the needs of more customers; they carefully designed more attractive signs and packaging to enhance the store's image; they also developed an employee training plan to improve everyone's service level and business capabilities.
With everyone's joint efforts, the braised meat shop's business became more and more popular, and customers spread the word by word of mouth, and its popularity became higher and higher.
A week later, Jiang Ruoxi started school. Although she was busy with her studies, she was still concerned about the braised meat shop. Lu Tingxiao picked her up from school on time every day, and when she was in class, he would go to the store to help run the business. The employees are also conscientious and responsible, handling the store's affairs in an orderly manner.
The two-week vacation passed in a flash, and Lu Tingxiao was about to return to the military academy. At the time of parting, he hugged Jiang Ruoxi tightly and said affectionately: "My dear wife, don't worry, when I come back, we will make this dream come true together!" Jiang Ruoxi nodded vigorously with tears in her eyes.
Early in the morning the day before Lu Tingxiao left, Jiang Ruoxi got up early, tiptoed into the kitchen, and began to prepare Lu Tingxiao's favorite braised meat and dishes.
She selected the ingredients carefully; every piece of meat and every handful of vegetables were filled with her deep love. She put the spices into the pot one by one, simmering them over low heat, allowing the rich aroma to slowly permeate into every ingredient. The kitchen was filled with a familiar and warm smell, which seemed to carry the happy memories of their family.
After careful cooking, the braised meat and dishes with attractive color and fragrant aroma are ready to serve. Jiang Ruoxi carefully packed them into the lunch box and also meticulously attached some seasonings and instructions for consumption.
She thought that this way Lu Tingxiao's comrades-in-arms could taste the most authentic flavor. After packing, she wrapped the lunch box in a thick bag, fearing that the bumps on the road would damage these thoughtful delicacies.
When Lu Tingxiao walked into the kitchen and saw this scene, his eyes became slightly moist. He walked forward, gently hugged Jiang Ruoxi from behind, and said softly: "Wife, thank you for your hard work, I really don't want to leave you!"
Jiang Ruoxi turned around and looked at him with a smile, but tears were glistening in her eyes: "Tingxiao, you must take good care of yourself in the army. Take these braised meats and dishes back for your comrades to try, so that they can also taste the taste of home!"
Lu Tingxiao took the bag, nodded solemnly, and hugged Jiang Ruoxi tightly, as if he wanted to imprint this warmth and love deeply in his heart. He silently swore in his heart that he must work hard to complete his studies, transfer back to Beijing as soon as possible, and reunite with his family.
When it was time to say goodbye, the whole family came to the door to see Lu Tingxiao off. The children held Lu Tingxiao's hands tightly, their eyes full of reluctance, and cried, "Dad, when will you come back? We miss you so much!"
Lu Tingxiao squatted down, gently stroked the children's heads, and comforted them, "Be good, babies. Daddy will come back when he has time. You have to listen to mommy!"
After saying goodbye to his grandparents, Lu Tingxiao once again took a deep look at Jiang Ruoxi, then turned around and set out on the road back to the team. Jiang Ruoxi stood at the door, looking at his receding back until the figure disappeared at the end of the street.
After Lu Tingxiao returned to the military academy, he immediately shared the braised meat and dishes that Jiang Ruoxi had packed with his comrades. The comrades sat together, opened the lunch boxes, and the rich aroma spread instantly. Everyone couldn't wait to taste it, gave thumbs up and praised the delicious food. As they ate, they listened to Lu Tingxiao telling stories about his family, feeling the warmth and care coming from afar.
In the days that followed, whenever Lu Tingxiao missed his family, he would think of the loving stewed meat and dishes, Jiang Ruoxi's gentle smile, and the cute looks of the children. This longing became his motivation to train hard and complete tasks, and supported him through one difficult moment after another. Jiang Ruoxi and the children also prayed for him silently at home, looking forward to his early return.
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