Jiaojiao was tired, leaning against her mother’s chest and drifting off to sleep. The boy, meanwhile, kept his gaze fixed on the scenery speeding past outside the window; his profile looked exceptionally quiet in the dim light.
Huo Tingxuan suddenly spoke.
“From now on, if anything like this happens, go to the police immediately, or find a way to alert people nearby. Never take risks alone.”
He was speaking to Su Jiuyue, his tone steady but carrying a clear note of warning.
Su Jiuyue knew he was right—today had been pure luck. If she hadn’t run into him exactly when she did, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
“I just… didn’t think it through at the time. When I saw it was a child, I just…” she explained softly, a shiver of fear still running through her.
“You’re a military dependent, and a mother yourself,” Huo Tingxuan said, his voice low but every word distinct.
“Your top priority is keeping yourself and your child safe. Stepping up to help others is commendable, but acting recklessly is not.”
Su Jiuyue nodded slowly. “I understand, Big Brother Huo… Thank you for today.”
At the title of “Big Brother,” Huo Tingxuan gave a low “mm” and said nothing more.
But the driver caught the faint upward tug at his superior’s lips.
Comrade Su had just lost her husband, and his commander was still unmarried with no children of his own—who knew…
The thought had barely crossed his mind before he shook it off sharply.
Her husband had only just passed away. Thinking like that… wasn’t that going too far? No, no, he mustn’t think that way.
The vehicle drove smoothly through the twilight. Su Jiuyue held Jiaojiao close, glancing over at the boy’s quiet silhouette beside her, her heart a tangled mess of emotions.
What a long day this had been—from that extravagant shopping spree, to the terrifying encounter in the alley, to picking up a stranger child at the police station…
Goodness, being reborn really did take it out of her.
When they got home, night had fully fallen. Both children were fast asleep.
Huo Tingxuan carried Jiaojiao, while Xiao Chen held the boy, gently laying them down in bed one after the other. Jiaojiao slept beside Su Jiuyue in the master bedroom; the boy was put in the room that had once belonged to Li Yanchuan.
Seeing they slept separately, Huo Tingxuan’s lips curved up again, unable to help himself.
As he headed for the door, he spoke once more.
“The logistics team is short-handed too.”
The implication was clear: the canteen work was tough—she could transfer over there instead.
But Su Jiuyue shook her head. She was used to the canteen work; besides, it wasn’t that hard, just cooking meals. It also made dropping off and picking up the kids easier.
“I’m used to it there. I’d rather stay in the canteen.”
Huo Tingxuan didn’t press the matter. He gave her a quiet glance, then turned and left.
No sooner had the car pulled away than the lights came on in Political Commissar Zhang’s yard next door. Moments later, someone knocked at Su Jiuyue’s door.
“Sister-in-law, it’s me—Aunt Wang!”
Su Jiuyue hurried to open the door, and found Aunt Wang standing there holding a bowl of noodles.
“Figured you hadn’t eaten yet. I made noodles tonight—have a bite to settle your stomach. It’s hard to sleep on an empty tummy.”
Tears welled up in Su Jiuyue’s eyes.
Aunt Wang wiped them away gently.
“Sister, I’m not good with words, but life has to go on. You have to take things one step at a time. Don’t listen to those gossips—they’re just sour grapes. Now go eat. I should be getting back.”
With that, she turned and left, closing the gate behind her.
Su Jiuyue’s heart swelled with a feeling she couldn’t quite put into words. All the kindness she’d known since waking up in this new life had come from strangers and neighbors. And all the hurt… had been dealt to her by her own so-called family.
Hmph.
From the moment Su Jiuyue’s lights flickered on, Bai Lili had been pulling Taotao toward the door.
Ever since she’d heard that Su Jiuyue had bought piles of things that afternoon, anger had gnawed at her. That was her money! It should have been Taotao’s!
“Mom, I’m hungry,” Li Tao tugged at her sleeve, staring longingly in the direction of Su Jiuyue’s house. “I want egg cakes… and canned fruit too.”
Bai Lili snapped back to reality, crouching down and lowering her voice.
“Be good, Taotao. Mommy will take you to Auntie’s house in a minute. She bought so many nice things today—she’ll definitely share some with you, okay?”
Li Tao’s eyes lit up, and he nodded hard.
Bai Lili took a deep breath, smoothed down her clothes, and led her son over.
At the gate, she instinctively reached out to push it open—wasn’t that how it had always been? Su Jiuyue never dared stop her.
But her hand brushed the wood, and she pulled it back.
No… this new Su Jiuyue seemed different somehow.
Steadying herself, she put on a soft, slightly timid look and rapped gently on the door.
Su Jiuyue had just finished eating. She assumed Aunt Wang had come back for her bowl—only to find Bai Lili and her son standing there.
Almost on instinct, she shifted her stance to block their way.
“What do you want?”
“Sister-in-law…” Bai Lili spoke first, her voice soft and sweet.
“Heard you went into town today. Just thought we’d come see how you’re doing. We’re family, after all—we should look out for each other, shouldn’t we?”
Family, indeed. Su Jiuyue knew exactly what this was—every time she bought anything, this pair would come up with one excuse after another to take it for themselves.
They were trying the same old trick again now, were they? Did they really think she was still the same doormat she’d been before?
“If I’m not mistaken, Political Commissar Zhang already told us this afternoon that our two families are not to have any further contact. He lives right next door—shall I call him over to confirm?”
Bai Lili flinched, glancing up sharply at Su Jiuyue. She realized she wasn’t bluffing—that she really would call the commissar—and hurried to stop her.
“No, no need! We’re family—there’s no need for that. I just wanted to check on you. If you’re all right, then I can rest easy. Well… get some rest then. We’ll head home.”
She felt uneasy, afraid of stirring up trouble, and tugged at Taotao’s hand to leave.
But Taotao had come for treats—he wasn’t about to give up so easily. He threw a tantrum right there.
“No! I want cake! I want cake… I’m not leaving!”
Bai Lili looked at Su Jiuyue awkwardly, then pushed Taotao forward a little.
“Sister-in-law, he’s just a child—you’ve watched him grow up. He was born prematurely, remember? You can’t bear to see him cry like this… Can’t you just give him two pieces of egg cake? Just two, to satisfy his sweet tooth…”
She said it with practiced ease, almost sounding as if she were the one being wronged.
In the past, every time she’d asked like this, Su Jiuyue would give up the best things she had—even if it meant going without herself.
Li Tao stopped crying on cue, sniffling and staring eagerly into the house.
Su Jiuyue looked calmly at the mother and son.
“Sister-in-law, you keep saying Taotao was premature—but he weighed eight jin when he was born. Our Jiaojiao was only four jin!”
Bai Lili’s face froze. She hadn’t expected Su Jiuyue to bring that up now, digging up old grievances.
“Well—boys are just naturally bigger than girls, aren’t they?”
Somewhere in the distance, Li Yanchuan’s heart skipped a beat. That was true—how could a premature baby weigh eight pounds?