Ling Huanwu turned around, looking at the bright, hopeful eyes in Zhou Jiuzhen's eyes, her throat tightening, "Jiuzhen..."
"When we have a child, I'll make him a wooden spinning top and plant a pomegranate tree in the yard." Zhou Jiuzhen, oblivious to her odd behavior, continued planning. "For a boy, I'll teach him to shoot a gun, and for a girl, I'll braid her hair, like you, with round eyes..."
The more animatedly he spoke, the more bitter Ling Huanwu felt.
It's likely they'll never have children of their own in this lifetime.
She suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips, not wanting him to continue the topic.
Zhou Jiuzhen was taken aback for a moment, then took the initiative.
Ling Huanwu closed her eyes, her eyelashes wet, and took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck, melting all her guilt into this burning entanglement.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating her reddened eyes and Zhou Jiuzhen's hand resting on her waist.
That hand, once accustomed to holding guns, was now being handled with utmost care, as if cradling a priceless treasure.
“Nine Shocks,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “we…we’re alright.”
Zhou Jiuzhen buried his face in the crook of her neck, let out a heavy "Mmm," kissed away the tears at the corners of her eyes, and then picked her up in his arms...
The two of them spent a sleepless night.
At 5:30.
Ling Huanwu insisted on watching the sunrise, and Zhou Jiuzhen couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he had no choice but to hold her against the window.
As dawn approached, the darkness outside the window gradually faded, first revealing a very light, fish-belly white, then tinged with a pinkish-purple hue.
Zhou Jiuzhen carefully embraced the much lighter Ling Huanwu under the window.
The wooden window was slightly ajar, letting in a sliver of sunlight, just enough to make out the tips of her reddened ears.
His arms held her firmly, lifting her feet off the ground, his chin resting on the top of her head, his breath hot against her skin.
Ling Huanwu's face was pressed against his neck, and she could hear his steady heartbeat, which mingled with the birdsong that was gradually rising outside the window.
With her eyes closed and her eyelashes fluttering gently, she had never felt that the sunrise over the sea was so breathtaking, and she slowly adjusted her breathing in sync with the light of the sky.
The colors of the East grew brighter and brighter, the pinkish-purple faded into orange-red, and finally burst open into a golden expanse.
The first ray of sunlight pierced through the window and landed on Ling Huanwu's hand, as warm as his gentle kiss on her hair.
As the first ray of sunlight was about to pierce through the clouds and fall on the sea, Zhou Jiuzhen's eyes reddened, and his voice was a little hoarse: "Look, the sun is about to rise."
Ling Huanwu didn't open her eyes, but tightly gripped the man's strong arm. She felt the golden light wash over them, enveloping them both. Suddenly, a burst of golden light exploded, illuminating the world.
*
After having breakfast in the early morning, Ling Huanwu felt refreshed and applied some face powder and lipstick that she had brought back from Hong Kong in front of the mirror.
The mirror reflected the woman's bright face and fiery red lips, making her look exactly like a seductive enchantress.
Zhou Jiuzhen, who had just put on his military uniform, was stunned and couldn't move his feet, which were originally meant to go to the army.
"Comrade Ling Huanwu, why are you dressed so conspicuously for the cooperative? Are you trying to seduce Tie Dan and Gang Pao?"
Zhou Jiuzhen said with a sour tone, his face stern, "Was my performance bad last night? You still want to flirt with other people?"
Ling Huanwu then used the scalding hot pliers to curl her waist-length hair into big waves, glared at the man behind her who was inexplicably jealous, and said, "Have you forgotten? Isn't there a sign at the entrance of the family compound saying that your unit is having an obstacle course demonstration today? It requires all family members to be there. As a family member, I have to cheer you on and make you proud."
A hint of unease flashed across Zhou Jiuzhen's face. He took the tongs and naturally began to curl her hair. "Aren't you suffering from kidney deficiency? You must have been exhausted last night. You should rest more at home..."
"What kidney deficiency? I drink a cup of spiritual spring water every morning, and I can handle ten of you a day without any problem!"
Zhou Jiuzhen was struck dumb. "What? Ten?"
The pliers fell to the ground with a clatter.
Ling Huanwu looked at his dazed expression in the mirror and couldn't help but laugh. She turned around and hooked her arm around his neck again. "What, don't you like it?"
Zhou Jiuzhen's legs went weak, and he almost fell to the ground.
He almost broke his back last night trying to stop her from going to the army, but she was still full of energy, acting like it was just an appetizer...
The sun was blazing, baking the troops' training ground, and the surrounding air was filled with a scorching heat.
Ling Huanwu stood among a group of family members, her eyes fixed on the obstacle course.
The family members sat in the stands.
The aunties around me were chattering away when suddenly a gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.
Ling Huanwu looked up and saw a familiar figure moving as nimbly as a cheetah, darting between the uneven bars, the log bridge, and the barbed wire.
It's Zhou Jiuzhen!
At this moment, Zhou Jiuzhen's face was full of focus and determination, and his military uniform was soaked with sweat, outlining his strong physique.
Every movement was clean, crisp, and powerful, drawing admiration from the women in the residential compound, who stared at him with wide eyes.
Ling Huanwu's lips curled up slightly, her eyes filled with pride.
Today she was wearing a floral dress, her fair skin shimmering in the sunlight, and her dark curly hair casually draped over her shoulders, making her stand out among the simply dressed family members.
At this moment, several young soldiers approached, their faces bearing shy smiles.
"Sister-in-law, you look so beautiful today!"
"Yes, yes, the training ground lights up the moment my sister-in-law appears."
The soldiers chimed in with their compliments, making Ling Huanwu a little embarrassed. She could only smile and thank them.
Zhou Jiuzhen, who was not far away, caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye and felt uncomfortable all over, as if someone had fed him a preserved plum.
He sped up, dashing across the finish line in a few strides, leaving the other soldiers far behind.
Then, without even wiping his sweat, he strode toward Ling Huanwu.
"Scatter, have you never seen a pretty girl before?" Zhou Jiuzhen deliberately put on a stern face, and the soldiers, seeing this, ran away with smiles.
"Why do you always attract so many suitors?" Zhou Jiuzhen muttered under his breath. Ling Huanwu rolled her eyes at him. "Are you jealous?"
"How is that possible!"
Zhou Jiuzhen said it was impossible, but he put his arm around Ling Huanwu's waist to assert his ownership.
During the break, Ling Huanwu chatted with several family members.
The group was having a lively conversation.
Suddenly, Song Yaoyao appeared out of nowhere, and in front of everyone, she crossed her arms and mocked, "Oh, sister-in-law, do you know? Because my brother married you, a capitalist's daughter, he was demoted to battalion commander. Didn't you know?"
Ling Huanwu was stunned when she heard this.
She always thought that once they got their marriage certificate, the matter would be over, but she never expected that they would settle scores and demote her.
It was hard for her not to think that Zhao Tingguo was behind this.
Song Yaoyao was still chattering beside him, looking on with amusement.
The group of aunties from the family compound who had been covering for Zhou Jiuzhen were now annoyed. They stood up, rolled up their sleeves, and surrounded Song Yaoyao.
Startled, Song Yaoyao's sarcastic words caught in her throat, like a chicken with its throat being choked, and she dared not utter another word.
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