Married?!
Hao Wen’s heart skipped a beat, as though he had just heard something shatter.
But the next moment, he came back to his senses.
What did Zhuangzhuang mean by married to the Big Bad Wolf?
Could there really be someone in their military district whose name or nickname was Big Bad Wolf?
At least, Hao Wen had never heard of such a person.
Very soon, Zhuangzhuang ran up to his brother.
Hao Wen noticed the tear stains still lingering on his little brother’s face. It was obvious he had been crying.
He was even more surprised.
This younger brother of his never cried, no matter how badly he fell.
So why was he crying now?
“Brother…”
Zhuangzhuang looked up at Hao Wen with watery eyes.
Hao Wen led his younger brother into the house. Once they were seated, he asked,
“Zhuangzhuang, tell me exactly what happened.”
Zhuangzhuang quickly recounted everything.
After listening, Hao Wen rested his chin on one hand and fell into deep thought.
Teacher Ji had been with a tall, burly man with a dark face.
That man looked terrifying.
He might even eat children!
He had told Teacher Ji to come to their house for braised pork, but that dark-faced man had said he and Teacher Ji were already married.
“…So he said Sister Ji couldn’t come to our house for dinner anymore.”
“I asked Sister Ji who she had married, and she pointed at that tall, dark faced man.”
As Zhuangzhuang recalled the scene, his mouth trembled again, and he almost burst into tears. He sniffed hard but ultimately managed to hold them back.
Hao Wen knew that although his younger brother was usually mischievous, he was absolutely not the kind of child who lied.
And despite being only five years old, his logical thinking and ability to express himself were exceptionally good.
So Hao Wen believed there was nothing wrong with his brother’s account.
Which meant…
Teacher Ji was really married?
He briefly wondered whether Teacher Ji had only lied because she did not want to come to his house.
But if she truly did not want to come, she could have made up any other excuse.
There was no need to claim she was already married.
If she wasn’t actually married, such a rumor would damage her reputation.
A young woman’s reputation was incredibly important.
In this era, countless women had their entire lives ruined because their reputations were tarnished.
Some had even lost their lives because of it.
So…
Teacher Ji was really married?!
Hao Wen’s heart, which had already cracked, now completely shattered into tiny fragments.
Looking at his teary eyed younger brother, he realized that Zhuangzhuang wasn’t the only one who wanted to cry.
He wanted to cry too.
But just who exactly was that tall, dark faced man?
Hao Wen clenched his fists.
He was determined to find that man and see exactly who was so outstanding that he had managed to win Teacher Ji’s heart.
Since their parents were away, only the two brothers were having dinner that evening.
Because he had expected Teacher Ji might come, Hao Wen had specially prepared quite a feast.
There was even braised pork.
But now…
As Hao Wen ate the braised pork, the dish he had always loved and craved suddenly tasted completely bland.
After escorting Ji Wanning to the entrance of the family residential compound, Lu Changzheng left and returned to his own quarters.
As a regiment commander, he had a private room of his own, complete with a bathroom and an office.
After quickly washing up, he lay in bed wearing only a sleeveless undershirt, resting both hands behind his head.
The room was dimly lit, but moonlight streamed through the window, casting a faint glow that outlined the man’s handsome yet restrained features.
As he thought about the blind date earlier that day, the corners of Lu Changzheng’s mouth unconsciously curled upward into a broad grin, though he himself never noticed.
If the soldiers under his command had seen their regiment commander grinning foolishly like this, they would probably have been horrified.
A monster! Get out of our Commander’s body!
Suddenly remembering something, Lu Changzheng flipped over and sat upright.
The temperature difference between day and night in the northwest was considerable.
Although it was spring, the outdoor air remained freezing, and even indoors it wasn’t much warmer, except for the coal stove that made things slightly more bearable.
Lu Changzheng quickly rummaged through the bottom of his trunk and found the red “certificate” he had carefully stored there after returning earlier.
Once he had gotten back, he had used a cup filled with hot water to press out the creases in their marriage certificate.
Because he was afraid of accidentally spilling water on it, he had been extraordinarily careful.
Aside from military missions, it was the first time Lu Changzheng had ever done something with such meticulous care.
Normally, he lived rather roughly in the military district.
As a grown man, he had always felt there was no need to fuss over delicate things.
But now things are different.
He, Lu Changzheng, was married.
He had to take his wife’s feelings into consideration.
Some habits would have to change.
While smoothing the certificate, he noticed the calluses on his palms again.
They were neither especially thick nor especially thin.
He had seen Comrade Ji’s hands before.
They were slender, fair, and incredibly delicate.
Just looking at them, he somehow felt that if he held them beneath his nose, they would surely smell sweet.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Lu Changzheng felt it was a little perverted.
Still…
What if the calluses on his hands rubbed Comrade Ji’s skin raw when they held hands?
He genuinely believed that was possible.
After finishing with the marriage certificate, Lu Changzheng spread open his palm and stared at the calluses for a long moment.
For the first time in his life, he seriously considered buying a jar of Snow Cream.
“Since I’m buying it anyway, Comrade Ji is my wife now. I should buy one for her too.”
Buying one only for himself really wouldn’t be appropriate.
Now, holding the neatly flattened marriage certificate, Lu Changzheng lay back beneath the quilt.
The certificate lay open before him.
Perhaps because of it, the moonlight tonight seemed especially bright.
His dark eyes gleamed as he looked at the two names printed on the certificate.
“Lu Changzheng… Ji Wanning…”
His thin lips softly repeated the names.
His fingertips gently traced over both of their names again and again as he quietly murmured them in his deep voice.
He also recalled the vows they had spoken while registering their marriage.
He thought that since he was now a husband, he would certainly fulfill all the responsibilities that came with being one.
As for bringing the marriage certificate back with him, he had simply convinced himself that he was better at looking after important things.
Besides, Comrade Ji was staying at the Lin family, where it wasn’t suitable to keep it.
Having reasoned it through, Lu Changzheng finally drifted off to sleep.
No one knew how much time passed before the moon emerged from behind the clouds once more, its light spilling across the bed.
The man was already fast asleep.
Yet now, there was something resting against his chest.
Both of his hands were unconsciously wrapped around it protectively.
A corner of bright red paper peeked out…
As he slept, he seemed to dream of something pleasant.
A smile quietly appeared on Lu Changzheng’s face.
After a wonderful night’s sleep, Lu Changzheng woke feeling refreshed.
Although he couldn’t remember what he had dreamed about, he remained in an exceptionally good mood.
The moment he stepped outside, the cold hit him immediately.
The morning seemed especially chilly.
The warm breath leaving his mouth was quickly swallowed by the freezing air.
Since it wasn’t yet noon and the temperature remained low, Ji Wanning put on a pair of thick blue cotton trousers.
Beneath her heavy padded coat she wore a wool sweater, and around her neck she wrapped a white scarf, making her already fair skin appear even more translucent.
This time, instead of wearing a headband, she braided her hair into two neat plaits.
Although her clothes were plain rather than bright or colorful, the healthy rosy flush on her fair complexion made her look just as fresh and radiant as ever.
Simple, yet undeniably beautiful.
Ji Wanning had never been one to procrastinate.
She also needed to inform the kindergarten about her work arrangements.
So the moment she opened the door, she walked out carrying her canvas travel bag.
At the dining table, the three members of the Lin family were already eating breakfast.
“Sleeping until this late before coming out. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were some rich capitalist’s young…”
Lin Yun’s mocking words abruptly stopped.
The moment she saw Ji Wanning standing there, silence suddenly filled the room…