That night, while eating dinner, Song Yuntang noticed that Fu Weicheng seemed particularly happy.
The usually cold, unsmiling man had the corners of his mouth slightly lifted the entire time, as if he were smiling—subtle, yet clearly happy.
Had he secretly eaten honey in the kitchen, or did he just enjoy cooking so much?
If cooking could make him this happy, Song Yuntang thought he might as well quit being a Regiment Commander and just be a cook.
Fu Weicheng was indeed happy. Ever since An’an had fed him a piece of candied hawthorn by hand, he could not suppress his joyful mood.
He normally didn’t like sweets, but surprisingly, he enjoyed this. The sweetness of the candied hawthorn spread from his mouth to his heart. Even after finishing the sugary remnants, Fu Weicheng still felt a lingering sweetness inside.
After all, this was his little daughter’s first intimate interaction with him—and she had smiled at him with her eyes curved in delight.
During dinner, Fu Weicheng served An’an some food.
Father and daughter exchanged a glance, blinking knowingly—they had a little secret between them.
But once dinner was over, Fu Weicheng still had to leave this family quarters that he was so reluctant to part with.
His time with Song Yuntang and the children had been too short.
Before leaving, as usual, Fu Weicheng reminded Song Yuntang of many things.
She had heard them so many times she had learned to interrupt, saying, “I know, lock the doors and windows, be careful with electricity, watch out at night… Fu Weicheng, I raised the children for five years before I came to see you, and everything was fine with An’an. Nothing happened, so don’t worry. Go back now.”
The words were casual, but they struck Fu Weicheng deeply. Five years of hardship had been endured unnecessarily because he hadn’t been careful enough.
He had other things to remind her of. “Tomorrow morning, the army will conduct live ammunition training. Although the training ground is some distance away, the explosions will be loud. If you or the children hear them, don’t be afraid.”
This was something Song Yuntang had never experienced.
She asked, “Will you participate in the live ammunition training too?”
“Yes, I’ll be on site.”
Song Yuntang paused, then finally said, “Then be careful. And… thank you for the chocolate.”
With that last sentence, she didn’t look at him again and closed the door.
Because of those words, Fu Weicheng walked back to the barracks lighter than usual.
…
That day at the barracks, Lin Xiangdong returned even later than Fu Weicheng.
His company had undergone intense training, leaving him covered in mud. The camouflage uniform barely looked like its original color, as if he had just been dug out of a pit.
He stomped into the dormitory, loudly complaining.
“Tomorrow is live ammunition training, and today they worked us like dogs. They don’t treat us like humans at all!”
Fu Weicheng’s voice followed immediately. “Because your company sets the army’s standard. If we don’t drill you, who else should we drill?”
“Wha—!” Lin Xiangdong jumped. “You… you’re in the dormitory? Wait! Regiment Commander Fu, why aren’t the lights on?”
Lin Xiangdong had entered blindly and didn’t notice Fu Weicheng already there.
Fu Weicheng turned to him, expression stern. “Captain Lin, your reconnaissance perception has weakened.”
Not even noticing someone in the same room showed how careless Lin Xiangdong had been.
“I’m exhausted, like a dog. Finally back in the dorm to rest, and you still want me to stay on high alert? Regiment Commander Fu, please go easy on me,” Lin Xiangdong complained.
His pleas had no effect. Fu Weicheng wasn’t about to let him off. While Lin Xiangdong was still babbling, Fu Weicheng attacked him.
What followed was close-quarters combat in the narrow dorm room.
Fu Weicheng didn’t hold back despite Lin Xiangdong’s exhausted state. His movements were precise and heavy, driving Lin Xiangdong backward step by step.
For a moment, the dorm was filled only with the sounds of their fight and the two men’s heavy breathing.
The outcome was obvious—Lin Xiangdong was usually no match for Fu Weicheng, let alone in his current state.
Fu Weicheng was testing how long Lin Xiangdong could endure.
Eventually, the fight ended.
Lin Xiangdong lay on the floor, gasping for air, chest heaving. Fu Weicheng only breathed a little faster, his clothes slightly disheveled, without a hint of embarrassment.
He checked his wristwatch.
“Eight minutes thirty-two seconds, Lin Xiangdong. You’ve been slacking on your training recently.”
“…Understood, Regiment Commander Fu.”
Lin Xiangdong gritted his teeth in dissatisfaction; last time he had lasted ten minutes.
Although Fu Weicheng criticized his “reconnaissance” this time, there was one thing Lin Xiangdong had observed carefully.
“Regiment Commander Fu, what’s got you in such a good mood?” Lin Xiangdong asked, now grinning mischievously after being released.
Fu Weicheng countered, “How can you tell I’m in a good mood?”
Lin Xiangdong gawked. “If you weren’t happy, would you go easy on me?”
He meant that Fu Weicheng’s punches didn’t hit as hard as usual; they barely hurt.
Fu Weicheng realized his own unusual behavior and fell silent.
Lin Xiangdong kept pressing, wanting to know what had changed Fu Weicheng.
Fu Weicheng, tired of being questioned, replied, “Maybe it’s because I had candied hawthorn today.”
“Ah?” Lin Xiangdong shot up from the floor, shocked. “Candied hawthorn? Just because of candied hawthorn? Why didn’t you say so earlier? Next time before a match, I’ll give you candied hawthorn. How many do you want, I’ll give you as many as you like. Round or flat? Which shop?”
That night, Fu Weicheng didn’t answer another word of Lin Xiangdong’s questions.
An’an: An’an brand candied hawthorn, only one store—no substitutes~
The next day,
Song Yuntang sorted through the things bought yesterday, picking out many nice items to give to Hu Chunling’s family.
From their conversation the day before, it was clear Hu Chunling’s family wasn’t well-off. They struggled financially; otherwise, how could a large courtyard family fail to give their children eggs every day?
The gift Hu Chunling had brought as thanks was far too valuable to refuse.
Song Yuntang decided on a compromise and planned to return some.
She carried the items and went to Hu Chunling’s house with Niannian and An’an.
“Chunling, are you home?”
“Yes, yes, I’m in the yard doing laundry. Just come in.” Hu Chunling’s bright voice called out.
Song Yuntang pushed the door open and entered, seeing Hu Chunling sitting on a small stool washing clothes.
Niannian and An’an greeted together, “Hello, Aunt Hu.”
“Hello, are you here to see Xiao Jun? He’s inside. Go on in.” Hu Chunling wiped her hands, preparing to stand.
Song Yuntang quickly stopped her. “Chunling, you keep doing your work. It’s like this—I need to go out for a while and can’t leave Niannian and An’an at home, but their household registration isn’t ready, so they can’t go to daycare. Could you watch them for about two hours?”
“That’s nothing. If you need it, just bring the children. Xiao Jun is resting at home recently. He’ll be thrilled to have company,” Hu Chunling said cheerfully.
Song Yuntang smiled, “Thank you so much, Chunling. You and the children can enjoy these things together.”
She set down the items and left without waiting for a response.
“Eh… it’s such a small matter, why bring gifts?” Hu Chunling glanced at the items Song Yuntang brought, eyes wide. She slapped her thigh, “This is far too valuable!”