When Huo Qingfeng returned home from the army, the family quickly moved into their new home.
A few adorable young soldiers were called over by the colonel to do hard labor. This kind of physical work was nothing to them. They never carried things by themselves, one box at a time. Instead, they would stand at equal intervals from the house to the vehicle, passing the items down from the house like a relay baton. Then, they would toss them from the vehicle back into the house.
Ling Ruoke was speechless. She could only conclude one thing: Truly efficient!
Once the items arrived home, Ling Ruoke handed over the unpacking to the colonel. She went out to buy groceries, and the colonel assigned a young soldier to help her carry the things.
"Young comrade, what's your name?" Ling Ruoke turned to ask him. The young soldier wasn't particularly outstanding in appearance, but he wasn't short and seemed like a reliable person.
"Sister-in-law, my name is Chen Shan." The young soldier grinned, showing off his white teeth; he was honest and adorable.
Ling Ruoke thought that their white teeth were a mark of their military service. The dark skin made their white teeth appear even brighter. They were perfect for toothpaste commercials. "Where do you live? Are you married?"
Ling Ruoke suddenly felt that she was already being very considerate of her sister-in-law. And so, she immediately started asking about their marriage plans.
Chen Shan scratched his head sheepishly and grinned sheepishly. "My family is from Shandong. We soldiers are all rough men, we have no money and no time, how could any girl possibly be interested in me?" Not to mention he didn't even have a girlfriend to begin with, even if he did, it would most likely fall through.
"Who said that? Being a soldier is good; they're responsible and care for their wives. Isn't that great?"
Chen Shan's eyes gleamed. "If all the girls thought like you, sister-in-law, then we would be truly blessed."
"Chen Shan, how about this, I'll introduce you to a girl another day, what do you think?" Several young women in Peihuoli are still single, and they're even hiring because of the increased workload. Because of the colonel, those young women have a good impression of soldiers.
Chen Shan's eyes widened immediately, and his face lit up with joy. "Sister-in-law, are you serious?"
"Of course, would your sister-in-law lie to you good soldiers?" Ling Ruoke thought to herself, "I should just introduce all the young women in the company to the military from now on. I just wonder how many girls would be willing to live that kind of life."
"Sister-in-law, you're so kind!" Chen Shan exclaimed sincerely. He hadn't been able to come when the team leader moved last time because he was on duty. Everyone who came said his sister-in-law was beautiful, and even more so! And it was true!
Ling Ruoke was also happy, not because of the praise, but because she found herself liking this kind of life and these simple soldiers more and more.
Because almost everyone there, except for a few women and children, was a soldier, Ling Ruoke bought a lot of groceries. Luckily, Chen Shan came along, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to manage at all.
Fish was the most purchased item. Since it's not too hot in spring, boiled fish is the perfect dish. The soldiers loved it last time, and since it's said that some couldn't come last time, I'll make it again.
When they returned with their belongings, the house was almost completely tidied up. Only the placement of some small items in the rooms still needed to be done by the lady of the house.
After they finished their work, they played cards and chatted outside the living room.
Ling Ruoke was busy in the kitchen with Tan's mother, because Tan Peishi was heavily pregnant and Tan's mother had to help.
In the living room, Chen Shan, the soldier who wouldn't keep something to himself, had already mentioned that his sister-in-law wanted to introduce him to a girlfriend. This sparked a series of reactions. Almost all of these soldiers were single, and they were all clamoring for their sister-in-law to introduce them to someone too.
When Ling Ruoke served the first dish, they started shouting.
"Sister-in-law, can you introduce me to someone?"
"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, don't forget me, don't forget me!"
"Sister-in-law, let me take the place. They all look too shabby."
...
Ling Ruoke was both amused and exasperated, and could only say, "As long as I see a suitable girl, I'll introduce her to your unit, okay? From now on, I might as well quit my job and become your full-time matchmaker. But let me make this clear: I'm only human, and my judgment isn't always accurate. So if I don't find a good match, you can't blame me!"
"Don't worry, sister-in-law, we have sharp eyes. No demons or monsters can escape our notice, right?"
"Yeah, sister-in-law is so kind! Well, sister-in-law, should we arrange a sorting order or something? What if there are several people against one person, what should we do then?"
“Sister-in-law, I’m the first one, it’s a promise, I’m the first one!” That was Chen Shan’s voice.
Ling Ruoke laughed. "Okay. Chen Shan goes first, the rest of you fight it out and we'll see who's in charge. But you can't damage my things, and you can't hurt your sister-in-law, Fu. Okay?"
She turned around and went back to the kitchen.
The group in the living room discussed moving to another location and deciding who would go first. However, the aroma of food filled the air, making everyone's mouths water, and no one wanted to move.
"I think we should eat first, and then have the competition. We can also digest our food while we eat, right?"
"That's a great idea! It's settled then!"
"It smells so good! I have to tell my sister-in-law to introduce me to someone who cooks as well as her. Ah, coming home to a hot meal every day, what a blissful life!"
"Someone like you? I'd be lucky if any girl were willing to marry you, and you still dare to make demands!"
"What's wrong with me? I don't think I'm any less attractive than the captain. The captain found such a wonderful wife, so why can't I find someone who's good at cooking?"
"Tch! You dare compare yourself to the captain? He'll turn you into pumpkin shreds when he gets back! Right?"
"..."
In the kitchen, Ling Ruoke was busy and covered in sweat. Luckily, she hadn't done much of the moving, otherwise she would definitely be exhausted by now.
"Honey, need some free labor?" Huo Qingfeng's burly figure appeared at the kitchen doorway. Luckily, their kitchen was large; if it were like those rented rooms, he would have difficulty even turning around once he entered.
Mrs. Tan glanced at the two young people, then made an excuse to leave first.
As soon as Mrs. Tan left, Huo Qingfeng put his arm around his wife's waist and began nibbling at her fair neck. "Wife, you smell so good!"
"You're all sweaty, where's the fragrance? You should go out and keep them company, don't come here and cause trouble." Ling Ruo could rub her face against his head.
The colonel rubbed against her repeatedly; his wife was truly wonderful. If it weren't for the problem with the marriage application, he would have married her right now. He hadn't expected that, even though so much time had passed since his affair with Guzheng, they would still be tampering with their marriage plans.
Recalling what Hou Zhixin had said that day, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes. It seemed to be Gu Zheng's intention. But had she even asked for his opinion? Even if she hadn't betrayed him back then, but simply left, he wouldn't accept her back. He, Huo Qingfeng, had never been a man who easily turned back.
"What's wrong?" Ling Ruoke sensed that his mood had changed.
The colonel kissed her a few times and whispered in her ear, "I want it." Before she could retaliate with a spatula, he hurriedly ran away.
Ling Ruoke was about to chase after him when she turned around and saw Tan's mother, her face immediately turning red. She wondered if Tan's mother had heard her; how embarrassing! She'd punish him severely tonight!
There weren't as many people this time, so it didn't take long. When the last pot of boiled fish was served, everyone cheered: "Dinner's ready!"
Amidst the laughter, the little guy's quacking, like a duck, was the most prominent. Children love excitement, and with so many people around, he was naturally overjoyed.
Ling Ruoke watched as the colonel picked up his first bite of food and put it in his mouth, chewing it without any expression. She quickly asked, "Is it salty enough?"
"Delicious! My wife's cooking skills are absolutely top-notch!" Colonel Huo was overjoyed, with only one thought in his mind: My wife is so wonderful!
The soldiers roared with envy. "Captain, your wife really treats you like royalty! Captain, I'm officially expressing my blatant jealousy!"
"Don't be jealous, I'm very generous," Colonel Huo grinned, showing his white teeth.
These words infuriated the group. If it weren't for their reluctance to part with their sister-in-law's cooking, they would have banded together to teach their captain a lesson. But could they, even if they joined forces, defeat their captain?
Ling Ruoke didn't join in their commotion; she simply smiled and took care of the little guy as he ate. She was especially careful to remove any fish bones he might choke on.
The colonel thought to himself that in the minds of these soldiers, the ideal wife was someone like his sister-in-law; this was a common sentiment.
Most men in the military prefer gentle women. Don't ask why; perhaps strength and gentleness are meant to go hand in hand. Perhaps it's because soldiers are far from home, and home exists more in their thoughts than in their daily lives. For a family, the first and foremost element is a warm woman who gives them a sense of belonging. Therefore, soldiers don't actually care too much about a woman's education or intelligence. They hope that when they return from training, a light will be quietly lit for them; when they return from a mission, a gentle voice will say, "You're back"; and when they are exhausted, a woman will offer them hot tea and a warm meal with a gentle smile…
He still remembers rushing home for the first time and seeing that lit light; he almost burst into tears. Facing a hail of bullets and a life-or-death situation, he hadn't even considered crying, but seeing that orange light, he could barely hold back. It wasn't just a light; it was a woman's silent devotion to a man…
Because of the marriage application, he remembered Guzheng, whom he had long forgotten. Even if Guzheng hadn't betrayed him back then, they wouldn't have gone very far. Because Guzheng wasn't someone who would wait patiently; she was more capricious, preferring the world to revolve around her. Two people like that were destined for nothing. Fortunately, fate was kind to him, allowing him to see things more clearly sooner, and thus enabling him to build a home with Ruoke.
Ling Ruoke listened to the soldiers' commotion, but the colonel remained silent. Curious, she turned to look at him and found him seemingly lost in thought. She reached out and nudged his arm. "What's wrong?"
Huo Qingfeng snapped out of his daze, smiled, and shook his head. "It's alright. Give me the little guy, and you should eat something first. You must be starving after all this time."
This was the colonel's gentleness, which Ling Ruoke enjoyed with a smile, so she placed Fu'an between the two of them.
"Sister-in-law, when are you going to introduce us to someone?" After happily munching on their food, they brought up this topic again.
Of course, getting married is such an important thing! They also want to be like the team leader, with hot meals and someone to warm their beds!
Ling Ruoke was once again at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated. "Well, you'd have to find the right girl first. Do you expect me to conjure one up? But if someone doesn't mind being much younger than you, I do have someone in mind right now."
Ling Ruoke smiled, but a wicked idea was brewing in her mind.
Colonel Huo naturally understood that his wife was up to no good.
But these soldiers didn't understand. In their minds, their sister-in-law was such a gentle and kind person that she wouldn't play tricks on them.
"Sister-in-law, as long as the person is a good person and willing to be with us, it doesn't matter if they're a little young. Right?"
"Yes, yes, sister-in-law, who are you talking about?"
Ling Ruoke smiled, gesturing towards Tan Peishi. "Isn't your sister-in-law from the Fu family pregnant? I reckon it's a little princess. Which of you can consider settling down?"
The soldiers were dumbfounded; they had been thoroughly fooled.
Tan Peishi was furious. "Ling Ruoke, this is outrageous! She's actually trying to take advantage of my baby! Fu Peigang, bite her!"
Immediately, everyone burst into laughter.
"Honey, let's let the baby bite it himself, okay?" Fu Peigang quickly offered a feasible suggestion.
...
The meal was finally finished in a lively atmosphere, with every last grain of food left, and the plates were spotless except for a little grease. The soldiers were very considerate, saying that their wives were tired, and they would wash the pots and plates.
Ling Ruoke didn't stand on ceremony with them and let them be. Because she was really tired, she took the little one to sleep when her stomach was almost digested.
She had just returned to their bedroom when the colonel pushed the door open and walked in. "Why aren't you playing with them?"
The colonel embraced her, said nothing, and began to kiss her.
Ling Ruoke was both amused and exasperated. Knowing they had to return to their unit early the next morning, she didn't say anything, simply closing her eyes and letting him do as he pleased. However, he couldn't leave his brothers behind for too long, so the colonel could only have sex with her briefly. Before leaving, he hugged her, buried his face in her shoulder, and called her "wife" repeatedly.
His pitiful appearance softened Ling Ruoke's heart, and she looked up and kissed him repeatedly on the face. "Go down now, you can do whatever you want next time you come back, okay?"
"Don't beg for mercy," he muttered, his voice hoarse. He rubbed against her chest again before reluctantly getting down.
A group of soldiers played in the living room for most of the night before finally lying down to sleep like pumpkins.
On their first night in their new home, Ling Ruoke listened to noise for half the night and then to snoring for the other half. She got up early the next morning to make breakfast for them so they could go to the military base. Although she hadn't slept well, her mood wasn't significantly affected.
The colonel was quite annoyed because all his brothers were there, and he couldn't hide in his room to be intimate with his wife. Even after they all fell asleep, and his wife was fast asleep, he still had no chance.
...
The gate of a detention center slammed open, a person walked out, and then slammed shut again.
It was a woman, petite in stature, carrying a simple bundle. She took a few steps, stopped, and looked up at the clear blue sky. After a while, she looked away, slowly turning her head back to look at the detention center.
The old man at the door waved his hand. "Don't look back once you're out of here, hurry up and go."
The woman smiled gratefully at the old man. "Thank you." She turned and slowly walked away, her expression somewhat bewildered.
Just then, a Hummer sped up and stopped beside her. The tall, imposing man who stepped out of the driver's seat was none other than Colonel Huo.
The woman smiled at him. "You've come."
The colonel took the luggage from her and said, "Let's go home." Then he opened the car door and let her get in.
The woman glanced back at the detention center before getting inside. As the car started moving, she turned back and silently looked at the door. It was as if she was silently saying goodbye to the past. The past was too painful to recall; she could only strive to move forward.
The Hummer sped away and quickly disappeared, leaving behind a trail of dust and a sense of melancholy.
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