"Uncle, Aunt." Ling Ruoke smiled slightly and nodded to the elderly couple.
Zhuang Yuqi completely ignored her, burying his face in Ruoke's arms and sobbing. To him, as long as his mother and the commander were there, everyone else was insignificant.
"Zhuang Yuqi!" Zhuang Botao nodded to Ling Ruoke, then his expression turned serious, and he shouted like he was training a soldier.
Zhuang Yuqi stiffened, but still didn't raise her head, though she had stopped crying.
Ling Ruoke forced herself not to look at Zhuang Botao. What right did such a person have to be a father, or a grandfather?
"Zhuang Yuqi, what are you crying for, a real man?" Zhuang Botao said sternly.
Ling Ruoke took a deep breath, suppressing her dissatisfaction. He was just a seven-year-old child; did they really have to treat him like a soldier? There was nothing wrong with cultivating a strong character in a child from a young age, but this was not how it should be done! "Uncle, Aunt, since school is on holiday, could I take Zhuang Yuqi back to Z City for a while? You're busy taking care of Zhuang Yicheng right now, so I'm afraid you won't be able to manage."
Zhuang Botao met Ruo Ke's gaze, his face expressionless. "Thank you for your kindness, Mrs. Huo. However, the New Year is approaching, and my child's grandmother and I both miss him and would like to spend more time with him."
Having said all that, Ling Ruoke naturally couldn't make any more demands. But a lump formed in her throat, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable.
"I want to go back to Z City with Mom! I don't want the big house!" Zhuang Yuqi rarely talked back to his grandfather, his eyes red and swollen, still sobbing. His hands gripped Ruo Ke's clothes tightly, revealing his fear. The big house was no good at all; it was cold and desolate, and Grandpa was so fierce! He loved being with his mother the most. She would talk to him so gently, pat his head, kiss him, and play with him!
Ling Ruoke reached out and patted his head. She could only sigh inwardly.
In the end, Ling Ruoke still left. Before leaving, she promised Zhuang Yuqi that she would answer his calls. As long as his grandparents agreed to let him go to Z City, she would definitely wait for him there!
Even so, the child still cried uncontrollably.
Later, Fu'an also cried his eyes out, which made Ling Ruoke feel very bad. Even after arriving in Z City, the atmosphere remained gloomy.
It wasn't until this moment that Ling Ruoke understood her mother-in-law's words: "One cannot keep too many people and things in one's heart, otherwise one will only tire oneself out!"
However, even if you understand it, your personality has already been formed, and you really can't change it in a short time.
Ling Ruoke returned home after 8 p.m. Everyone had already eaten dinner, but Aunt Hui and Yang Ziyun had prepared a sumptuous meal. As soon as she entered, they immediately served it, looking her over from left to right, as if she had truly suffered these past few days.
Seeing this scene warmed my heart, which had been chilled by the Zhuang family. Not all wealthy and powerful families are so heartless!
Under the enthusiastic gaze of everyone, and with two mothers piling food onto her plate, Ling Ruoke ate until her belly was round and full. Accompanied by Yang Ziyun, she took a walk around the neighborhood, washed up, and then went to bed.
Huo Qingfeng called home and heard from his mother that his wife was asleep. He asked her a few questions about her situation and then hung up without calling her cell phone.
Perhaps she was truly exhausted, or perhaps it was simply the comfort of being back in familiar surroundings, but despite having things on her mind, Ling Ruoke slept soundly. She didn't wake up until late the next day, only to be awakened by a phone call from Zhuang Yuqi.
The child on the other end of the phone still sounded like he was about to cry, but wasn't wailing loudly.
Ling Ruoke talked to him for a while, and his emotions stabilized. However, he kept asking if the commander would not wake up, his tone filled with fear. No matter how she comforted him, he always ended up circling back to the same old questions.
Because the next day was the weekend, Ling Ruoke rested at home for three days. She finally went to work on Monday, and was still incredibly busy. Yang Ziyun and Aunt Hui were still taking great care to nourish her, and she was still being carefully protected by two guards.
If it weren't for Zhuang Yuqi's phone call reminding her that Zhuang Yicheng was still unconscious, her life would have almost returned to its previous state.
Half a month later, Huo Qingfeng returned home. He arrived home around 8 p.m., when Ling Ruoke was watching TV with Yang Ziyun in the living room.
Huo Qingfeng returned and, after enjoying the delicious meal prepared by Aunt Hui, cuddled with his wife and chatted with his mother while watching TV. But he didn't last even half an hour before taking Ling Ruoke back to their room.
Yang Ziyun called him back and warned, "Ruoke, this is a special time, so don't do anything reckless!"
"Mom, do you really treat your son like a beast?" Huo Qingfeng said helplessly.
Ling Ruoke understood immediately, her face turning bright red. The words were phrased subtly, but the underlying meaning was far too blatant.
Yang Ziyun curled her lips and said coolly, "I don't think of you as a beast, I think of you as a pervert."
If she weren't pregnant, Ling Ruoke would have loved to run upstairs. The conversation between the mother and son was far too explicit. And the crucial point was, the two security guards were there too.
Huo Qingfeng yelled but didn't answer. He then took the blushing Ling Ruoke upstairs to their room. These words meant nothing to him; soldiers were always full of nonsense. But his little wife clearly couldn't accept this level of behavior.
Huo Qingfeng touched her abdomen, where there was already a slight bulge. It wasn't very noticeable, but it felt different to the touch. "Wow, it's gotten bigger here."
"Really?" Ling Ruoke reached out to touch it, but felt nothing. "No, it's still the same as before. You must be imagining things because you haven't seen me in so long."
"Don't forget your husband was a reconnaissance soldier. My judgment is usually right. There really is a slight protrusion, though it's not very noticeable." He could feel it in his hand; that was for sure.
Ling Ruoke looked at his serious face and burst out laughing. She laughed until she was weak before saying, "I guess it's not that bulge, but because I've gained weight. Haven't you seen how Mom and Aunt Hui feed me like a pig every day? I've gotten so fat. If they keep feeding me like this, I'm worried I'll become a big fatso!"
"Really? Let me see!" Huo Qingfeng made her stand up, took her hand and spun her around, looking her over carefully again and again. "You haven't gained weight. Even if you have, it's a good thing. You're too thin, you should gain a little weight. I like you a little chubby, it feels so fleshy to the touch."
However, after becoming pregnant, Ling Ruoke ate and slept well, and her skin became even whiter and more rosy than before, making people want to take a bite out of her.
Huo Qingfeng put his thoughts into action, lowering his head to bite her rosy cheek, then her equally red ear. His two strong arms tightly wrapped around her still slender waist. "Wife, have you missed me?"
"Mmm." Ling Ruoke leaned back and rested her head on his chest. Her breath was filled with the familiar, comforting scent of sunshine.
Huo Qingfeng reached out, gently lifted her face, and then lowered his head to press his forehead against hers. "You're such a silly girl. But I miss you, I really do."
Looking at him, Ling Ruoke felt like crying again. It was inexplicable; she couldn't explain why.
"Why are you crying?" She looked at him with teary eyes; even if he were asked to die, he probably wouldn't hesitate. "I know you miss me too, and you feel so wronged, don't you?"
Ling Ruoke bit her lip and shook her head. "No, I'm not wronged. I... I just feel so happy, so happy I don't know how to describe it, and then the tears just came out."
Ling Ruoke had already showered and was waiting in the warm bed. Seeing him shivering from the cold, she laughed and lay on the blankets, but then felt sorry for him and quickly called him over, pulling him into the bed.
"No, don't come any closer, I'm cold!" Huo Qingfeng moved away a little, afraid of making her catch a cold. He had carefully read the booklet, which said that pregnant women's resistance would decrease, and they should not catch a cold or get a fever, so they had to be taken very carefully.
For over a month, whenever he had time, he would take out the booklet and read it carefully, afraid of missing a single detail or making a mistake. The other kids all said he was obsessed, but he raised an eyebrow and gave them a good beating, leaving the bunch of brats howling in disbelief.
"It's alright, it's warm in bed, come in! Don't think you're immune to illness just because you're a special forces soldier, special forces soldiers are human too!" Taking a cold shower in the dead of winter is simply not right.
Huo Qingfeng grinned, pulled the blanket down between them, wrapped her completely in it, and then hugged her tightly. With the blanket separating them, his icy body wouldn't chill her. However, his body temperature was high, and he warmed himself up quickly. He released the blanket and held her close in his arms.
Ling Ruoke leaned comfortably against his chest, feeling languid and immediately overcome with sleepiness. She raised her hand to cover her mouth and let out a soft yawn.
Huo Qingfeng looked down at the moisture in her eyes, kissed her forehead, and said gently, "Are you sleepy? Go to sleep, it's getting late."
Ling Ruoke shook her head. "I want to talk to you." All she does all day is sleep; she's turned into a pig. This is just the beginning; there are still seven or eight months to go. If she keeps being raised like this, she'll definitely turn into a pig.
"What do you want to talk about?" Huo Qingfeng didn't force her. He tucked the blanket in to make sure she wouldn't get cold. Holding her soft, slender body, he sighed contentedly.
Ling Ruoke chuckled and looked at him with a smile, saying, "If you ask me that, I definitely won't know what to talk about. By the way, has your application to accompany me to the military been approved?"
"I'm coming back. I came back this time to pick you up. I'm going back to my unit tomorrow. Are you coming with me, or should I send someone to pick you up in a few days?" He couldn't hide his excitement at the thought of finally being able to officially live a life of comfort with his wife and kids every day.
Ling Ruoke smiled. "No, I'll go with you. But what about Mom?"
"I'll go talk to Mom after you fall asleep. She's been here for a month now, and I guess she wants to go back to B City. As far as I know, she's never been separated from the old man for this long." The old man isn't even coming to ask her back! Huo Qingfeng reached out and covered her belly, smiling as he thought, "This little one really has a lot of influence! She's not even born yet, and she's already showered with love and affection; who knows how much she'll be pampered after she's born!"
Ling Ruoke chuckled to herself and asked him, "Do you think Dad will scold me when he's home alone? Especially when I'm all alone in my room at night, I bet he's cursing me in his heart, haha..."
"No, he won't. The old man wouldn't bear to scold his grandson's mother, don't worry." Huo Qingfeng gently rubbed his chin against her forehead, playing with her long hair.
Ling Ruoke pouted. "Anyway, I fully understand now what it means for a mother to gain status through her son! If this were ancient times, she might have brought prosperity to her entire family." As she spoke, she couldn't help but laugh foolishly.
Huo Qingfeng was amused by her. He tightened his arms around her, as if protecting a precious jewel, not allowing anyone else to covet her.
The two talked for a while longer before Ling Ruoke fell asleep.
Huo Qingfeng carefully placed her back on the bed, and only after making sure she hadn't woken up did he get up to go find his mother.
Just as Huo Qingfeng had suspected, Yang Ziyun did indeed miss her general. Upon hearing that he was booking a flight back to B City for the next morning, she didn't want to stay a moment longer. Fearing he wouldn't know how to care for a pregnant woman, she insisted on talking to him for almost half an hour before letting him go back to sleep.
Although Huo Qingfeng had the booklet, he still listened attentively without the slightest impatience. While written materials were good, they couldn't compare to his mother's real, tangible experience.
Huo Qingfeng returned to the room and found Ling Ruoke already awake, about to get out of bed. He rushed to the bedside and helped her. "What's wrong?"
Ling Ruoke's eyes were blurry and she was still half asleep. "I need to go to the toilet." She was pregnant, and her uterus was pressing on her bladder. In addition, she had drunk the nourishing soup that Aunt Hui had made for dinner, so she woke up needing to use the toilet after only a short nap.
Huo Qingfeng took the blanket, wrapped her completely in it, and then carried her into the bathroom. He then carried her back, afraid that she would catch a cold.
Ling Ruoke blushed and rubbed against his chest before falling into a deep sleep again.
After she fell asleep, Huo Qingfeng slowly propped himself up, gazing at her serene face. His large hand gently moved back and forth across her abdomen. He maintained this position for over an hour before finally lying down to sleep.
The next day, they took Yang Ziyun and Aunt Hui to the airport together.
Yang Ziyun was worried that these two first-time parents lacked experience, so she couldn't help but give them repeated instructions. Even Aunt Hui joined in. If Huo Qingfeng hadn't refused, Aunt Hui would have really wanted to go to the military base to take care of Ruoke for a while. The two talked until it was almost time to board the plane before reluctantly going through security.
The Lunar New Year was just around the corner, and Yang Ziyun had been determined to take Ling Ruoke back to B City for the holiday, no matter what, and her grandfather had repeatedly urged her to do so as well. Unfortunately, Huo Qingfeng had to be on duty this year, so he left his wife behind. Most importantly, he was worried that if his mother and grandfather took his wife away, he didn't know when she would be returned. He had longed for the days of a warm home with his wife and children for a long time, and he couldn't just give in like this!
Huo Qingfeng returned home with his wife and began packing. It mainly consisted of clothes and his wife's computer; nothing else was necessary. The military had already provided bedding and similar items.
Around 2 PM, Ling Ruoke got into the colonel's Hummer and headed straight for another home. The huge villa would soon be empty, a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Although she was a little reluctant to leave, she was full of anticipation for her new life. After what happened with Zhuang Yicheng, she didn't want to miss a single moment with the colonel. Even if life with the colonel was boring and difficult, as long as he was by her side, she felt she could accept it.
It's about acceptance, not endurance!
Around 6 p.m., Ling Ruoke appeared outside the military base in a carrying pole. Because she was pregnant, he dared not carry her on his back, so he had to carry her. Luckily, he was regularly exercised, and he carried her for several hours without stopping. Several times along the way, she asked him to rest, but he said it was no problem, and even said that if she weren't pregnant, he would have tossed her into the air.
"Come on, honey, let your husband show you our new home." Huo Qingfeng smiled in a somewhat flamboyant, or rather, mysterious way.
Ling Ruoke smiled and followed him. They arrived at the second floor of a building in the residential area. As soon as she pushed open the door, she stared in astonishment.
Military housing isn't allowed to be renovated; you can only put up wallpaper or something similar for simple decoration. So Ling Ruo could think of it as a two-bedroom apartment with nothing more than the necessities. She had visited the battalion commander's house before; it just had white walls with a few things hanging on them, nothing else.
But the home she saw was completely different. The decor was far from luxurious, but it felt very warm. A soft, light brown carpet covered the floor. The wallpaper was off-white with delicate green leaves and white flowers. The TV wall was grass green, creating a lawn effect. A 42-inch flat-screen TV with a silver frame hung on the wall. Two potted plants sat on the cabinet below, surprisingly lush and green even at this time of year. On one side of the living room was an off-white sofa, and on the other side was an off-white sofa bed with two fluffy cushions.
In short, this place has a strong sense of home.
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