As the car approached the building, Ling Ruoke saw the headlights of a car standing below. Three adults and a child were standing next to the car.
When the children saw their car approaching, they excitedly ran towards it.
Ling Ruoke immediately broke into a smile, looking excitedly at Colonel Huo. "The little guy is here!"
The car had barely come to a stop when the little guy lunged toward the passenger-side window.
"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy..." came the excited little voice.
Ling Ruoke carefully opened the car door and stepped out, picking him up in her arms. "Little guy, did you miss Mommy?"
"I miss Mommy so much!" The little girl puckered her lips and kissed her face several times.
Ling Ruoke was amused and gave him a few firm pecks on his chubby cheeks. "Good boy! Mommy misses Xiao Fu'an too, I miss him so much!"
She mimicked his tone, making the little guy giggle like a duckling.
After being put down, the little guy skipped over to his dad. Unsurprisingly, the father and son started playing their game of tossing each other high in the air again. One ran with all his might, the other laughed heartily.
Three adults slowly approached.
Ling Ruoke looked at the elderly man at the head of the group and called out, "Grandpa."
The old man chuckled and agreed, then turned to the two guards and said proudly, "Take a good look at her, this is my granddaughter-in-law. See? What a lovely girl!"
The two guards hurriedly agreed, their faces serious.
Ling Ruoke blushed deeply, but didn't know what to say. "Grandpa, have you been here long? Why didn't you call us?"
The old man chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I was just thinking of giving the young couple more time, and maybe even a little surprise, haha..."
"Grandpa, if you keep joking, my wife's face will turn into a tomato. Even if you want to eat scrambled eggs with tomatoes, you can't do this." Colonel Huo hugged his wife tightly and formally protested.
Ling Ruoke blushed and gave him a light elbow, though she didn't use much force.
The old man laughed heartily, in a very good mood. He liked his granddaughter-in-law more and more the more he looked at her. She was quite similar to Ya Xian from back then, gentle and charming.
"Your hair needs to grow long, it will look even better that way. But it's more convenient like this for now." With long hair, she would look even more like Ya Xian.
The group of people, kicking and clattering noisily, went up the stairs and entered their home.
Ling Ruoke was genuinely pleasantly surprised. The New Year is all about celebration, and the elders' visit at this time was undoubtedly the icing on the cake, bringing joy to everyone. "Grandpa, have you had dinner yet?"
"Not yet. I just got off the plane and came straight here." The old man took the hot tea, sipped it a few times, and then answered leisurely.
"Then you rest for a while, I'll make you something to eat." But then she thought better of it; there wasn't much good food at home. "How about Qingfeng takes you out for a nice meal?"
"No, thank you!" the old man waved his hand. "I just want to eat the food my granddaughter-in-law cooks."
Ling Ruoke blushed again, and quickly said with a smile, "Then wait a moment, I'll go do it right away. Qingfeng, give Grandpa and the others something to eat to tide them over."
Ling Ruoke hurriedly went to the kitchen to cook. Fortunately, Qingfeng had bought plenty of groceries yesterday, and there was still a lot left in the refrigerator. However, there were no big fish or meat dishes, just some simple home-style dishes.
With three soldiers, the portions of food had to be generous. So she made four dishes and a soup, but the portions were all very large.
"Good, good, my granddaughter-in-law's cooking is indeed excellent!" Huo Zhenbang smiled, his eyes crinkling, and ate the dishes with large chopsticks.
"As long as Grandpa is happy." Ling Ruoke felt from the bottom of her heart that her grandfather was the easiest to get along with among the three heads of the Huo family. Although his position was higher than Qingfeng's father, he made her feel very approachable.
The four dishes and one soup were all eaten clean, with even the last bit of sauce poured over the rice.
After finishing his meal, the old man patted his stomach and said, "It's late now, otherwise I would have eaten three more big bowls!" He then earnestly held up three fingers.
Ling Ruoke smiled sweetly. "Then I'll make double portions tomorrow, so Grandpa can eat his fill!" Soldiers always manage to move you unexpectedly.
"That's great! I can't say any more, or I'll start drooling again."
Everyone laughed heartily; it was the old man's good-natured humor, and everyone appreciated it.
"Great-Grandpa is a big glutton!" the little guy exclaimed with a beaming smile. Then he pointed to himself and declared, "I'm a little glutton!"
This remark made everyone laugh again.
After eating and drinking their fill, the four men, all soldiers, began to talk about military matters, of course, nothing classified.
Ling Ruoke watched TV and chatted with the little one while listening to their conversation. There were many things she didn't understand, but their direct and humorous way of speaking always made her laugh.
Before I knew it, it was already ten o'clock.
Ling Ruoke then took the little guy to bathe together. Every time she bathed the little guy, he would get completely wet, so she simply soaked in the tub with him.
"Mommy, where did you go? I can't find you anywhere!" the little one asked, blinking his big eyes and pinching the little duck.
Ling Ruoke patted his head and replied with a smile, "Mommy has to take care of something very important. Little Fu'an, please forgive Mommy, okay?"
"Okay!" After answering, he chuckled to himself. He crawled around in the bathtub, chasing after the little ducks.
Ling Ruoke let him fuss on his own, answering his questions from time to time. She didn't get up to dry him off until the water had cooled down. It had been over a year; the little guy had grown taller, and his old clothes no longer fit.
Time flies.
The second person to be washed was an elderly person.
While preparing her bedding, Ling Ruoke remembered that she had bought a gift for her grandfather and hurriedly took it out of the cupboard.
The old man has lived a life of great influence and influence, getting whatever he wanted, so finding a gift for him is not easy. Clothing would certainly be inappropriate. As for food, the old man has no shortage of it.
Later, she stumbled upon a white jade chessboard and jar online. Whether it was truly white jade, she honestly couldn't tell. But upon opening the jar, the black pieces were made of black jade, and the white pieces of white jade; the quality looked excellent, and it felt cool to the touch. In short, it should appeal to any chess enthusiast.
Ling Ruoke, with a childlike eagerness to show off her treasure, hurriedly took the item out. "Grandpa, I have a gift for you. I don't know how to choose one, and I don't know if you'll like it."
Ling Ruoke presented the chessboard and chess set, carefully observing the old man's reaction.
Huo Zhenbang hadn't initially thought about what the young man could give him, intending to feign interest. But when he saw what she was offering, his eyes widened instantly, and he excitedly took it. He ran his hand over the chessboard, feeling its cool touch. Opening the jar and taking out two chess pieces, he was even more captivated.
"Great, wonderful, this is wonderful!" The old man held the gift as if it were a precious treasure. "Oh my, I'm almost eighty years old and have received many gifts, but this is the one I like the most."
"Grandpa, what's making you so happy?" Huo Qingfeng came out of the bathroom and, hearing his grandfather's excited voice, hurried over.
Ling Ruoke hadn't shown him this gift, so he didn't know about it.
Huo Zhenbang, like a child who had received a precious treasure, eagerly showed it off. "Look, look at the wonderful gift my granddaughter-in-law gave me! A chessboard and a chess jar, made of white jade! Look at the quality, feel the texture!"
Huo Qingfeng looked at his wife, his eyes full of smiles. His wife always surprised and moved him unexpectedly.
Ling Ruoke hadn't expected the old man to like her so much, and she felt embarrassed by his praise. Being looked at by the colonel made her even more embarrassed. She was someone who was afraid of being praised, a habit she'd had since childhood. She wouldn't blush when criticized, just listen attentively; but whenever praised, she would definitely blush.
"Grandpa, now you know how good my wife is, right? She's the only one of her kind in the whole world!" Colonel Huo put his arm around his wife's shoulder, beaming with pride.
"Well said!" she replied, but her hands kept touching it, truly unable to put it down.
"Grandpa, haven't you always wanted your wife to play chess with you? If it's too late, why don't you have her play a game with you?" Colonel Huo suggested.
Ling Ruoke quickly tugged at him. "It's very late, let Grandpa get some rest." The elderly are not like young people, they need to take better care of their health.
However, Huo Zhenbang had already heard it and immediately said "good" three times. "Girl, come on, play a game with Grandpa."
"Grandpa, it's already very late. Tomorrow, I'll play with you until you're satisfied, okay?" Anyway, it's New Year's Eve tomorrow, and there's nothing else to do but cook a sumptuous dinner.
The old man was getting hooked and wasn't happy about it. "Just one game, okay?" he said, already setting up the chessboard.
"Just one game, it's a deal!" Ling Ruoke couldn't bear to disappoint the old man, so she had no choice but to compromise.
Huo Zhenbang readily agreed and asked, "In that case, let's play a guessing game."
"Grandpa, just pick one, we won't guess."
"Okay, then I'll choose black." With that, he picked up a black piece and placed it down.
The old man spent his life on the battlefield; black suits him best.
Ling Ruoke sat down silently, picked up a white piece, and gently placed it next to a black piece.
The expressions of the two people immediately became serious and focused.
Two guards and Huo Qingfeng watched from the side. They were all skilled chess players. So, the player was focused, and the spectators were focused as well.
The game of chess went on for two players, one tall and one short, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle. A closer look revealed them to be evenly matched. In the end, Ling Ruoke lost.
"I didn't play well, Grandpa, you're not allowed to laugh at me!" Ling Ruoke said in a slightly coquettish tone as she looked at the chess game she had lost.
Huo Zhenbang laughed heartily. "You little rascal, you're quite something. So young, yet so composed, impressive!"
He's really starting to like this girl more and more.
After praising her, Huo Zhenbang looked at her with the expression of a child wanting another piece of candy. "How about we play another round?"
His appearance made everyone want to laugh, but they dared not.
"Grandpa, we agreed to only play one game. Let's continue tomorrow, okay?"
Finally, Ling Ruoke managed to coax the old man into going to the little guy's room to sleep, using a combination of trickery and coaxing. She then made up the bedding for the two guards before entering the bedroom herself.
I stretched my arms and legs and realized I was really tired.
Huo Qingfeng rushed over and massaged his wife's arms and back. "Are you exhausted?"
"A little." Ling Ruoke dodged the little one and flopped onto the bed, lying there like a corpse. She'd been up all night, walked around all afternoon, and then cried for most of the night—she was really exhausted!
"Lie down, let me give you a massage!" Huo Qingfeng said with concern.
Ling Ruoke quickly lay down and closed her eyes to enjoy the colonel's tenderness.
"My dear wife, you're so sweet! That chess set really made Grandpa so happy. Don't let his kind appearance fool you; he's usually quite serious. He really loves you and is afraid of scaring you, that's why he's always smiling. But he really loves that gift!"
Ling Ruoke smiled and muttered, "I didn't expect Grandpa to like it so much. Looks like I'm very lucky."
The old woman had too much to offer, and she didn't know where to begin trying to please her. Fortunately, she was lucky.
Huo Qingfeng knew that while it might be considered luck, she must have put in a lot of effort.
He knew the joints in each part of her body well and controlled his strength perfectly, making Ling Ruoke feel drowsy. Before long, her breathing became even.
She slept for a long time, and Huo Qingfeng continued to massage her, worried that she would be sore when she woke up the next day. Finally, he held her close and closed his eyes. Holding such a soft, beautiful woman in his arms—nothing could be better!
The family of three all had a good night's sleep.
The next day, Ling Ruoke was supposed to get up early to prepare breakfast, but the colonel pressed her back into bed to continue sleeping, saying that he would prepare it.
Ling Ruoke had initially planned to sleep a little longer, but she ended up sleeping until nine o'clock. When she woke up, the four men had not only finished exercising but also eaten breakfast. Even the little one, under his father's guidance, had secretly gotten up quite some time ago.
Ling Ruoke walked out of the room in full view of everyone, her face flushed. Fortunately, the old man didn't give her a hard time and was still smiling.
"Girl, hurry up, let's finish breakfast and continue playing chess."
Ling Ruoke finished her breakfast in the kitchen. As soon as she came out, the old man pulled her aside to play chess. She had no choice but to accompany him.
"Girl, an old friend gave me a few seats at the Spring Festival Gala. I suggested you and Qingfeng go check it out. He said it's up to you. Do you want to go?"
Ling Ruoke was taken aback. "Watching the Spring Festival Gala live?"
The Spring Festival Gala is an indispensable part of Chinese New Year's Eve entertainment. I've seen it a lot on TV, but I've never seen it live. I've heard that even if you have money, you might not be able to go.
"Yes, watch the Spring Festival Gala live! How about it, are you interested?" The old man looked at her with a smile, a certain something flashing in his all-knowing eyes.
Ling Ruoke didn't notice; she thought about it seriously for a moment, then nodded. "Okay! Are Qingfeng and the little guy going?"
"Yes, everyone go!"
"Let's go then." There's no performance scheduled anyway, so experiencing the Spring Festival Gala live is good. "Wait a minute, I'll..."
"You clever little devil!" Huo Zhenbang chuckled, watching her take the opportunity to eat his black ball.
Ling Ruoke stuck out her tongue, acting as mischievously as a teenage girl. She used to visit nursing homes to keep the elderly company and often made them happy.
The old man and the young man played two rounds in a row before reluctantly stopping. They needed to catch a flight to City B, otherwise they would be late.
Unexpectedly, the old man even brought a chessboard on the plane and wanted to play chess with her on the plane.
Fortunately, chess players are naturally good at calming down, and even with the loud noise, the two of them were having a great time playing chess.
The little guy pouted and protested, "Great-Grandpa is a bad person, he always tries to steal Mommy from me!" Later, he even threw a tantrum and messed up the chess game.
Colonel Huo caught him and gave him a symbolic two slaps on the buttocks.
"Daddy's bad, bad daddy!" The little guy threw himself into his mother's arms, his grandmother's voice accusing his father of his crimes.
Colonel Huo pretended to grab him, and he quickly burrowed into his mother's arms. After a while, he peeked out and, seeing that his father hadn't grabbed him, giggled again.
The otherwise dull time on the plane flew by in this joyful atmosphere.
As the plane approached its landing, Ling Ruoke gazed at the bustling city, lost in thought. Returning to B City once again, her feelings were vastly different.
"What are you thinking about?" Colonel Huo leaned closer and nuzzled her face.
He knew about her previous visit to his parents to beg for his help. Everyone else believed the bad news was true, but she alone doubted it! Perhaps, this was a case of unspoken understanding in love.
Ling Ruoke withdrew her gaze, looked into the colonel's eyes, and smiled charmingly. "I missed you." It's so good to know you're still alive!
"Wife, you're seducing me again!" The tone was both mournful and indulgent.
...
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