In the time that followed, Qiao Meili clearly discovered a great deal of fun, even finding it amusing to watch Zhao Zhao eat.
The little boy, barely taller than the table, solemnly held a small wooden spoon and carefully ate his food, spoonful by spoonful, his eyes shining especially when he ate scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
Sure enough, few children could resist the temptation of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
“If Zhaozhao likes it, I’ll make it for you again next time, okay?”
“Hmm,” Zhao Zhao nodded seriously and continued eating. In no time, she had eaten most of the small bowl of rice.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.
Xiao Heng practically ran back to his home. When he saw the two people, one big and one small, eating rice at the table, his tense expression visibly relaxed.
He had just felt a tightness in his chest, so he went outside to get some fresh air.
This was a habit he had developed over the years, but he realized something was wrong halfway through.
It was because of his negligence that Zhao Zhao was left alone with Qiao Meili, which led to Zhao Zhao suffering such a serious injury.
He could not forget the scene of seeing the tiny child lying in a pool of blood.
After that incident, Qiao Meili showed no remorse whatsoever, and didn’t even offer a word of apology.
This also led to the most serious conflict between him and Qiao Meili during their marriage. Qiao Meili angrily went back to her parents’ home, and he did not try to stop her.
Qiao Meili was perceptive. When she saw Xiao Heng staring at Zhao Zhao after he came in, she immediately guessed what he was worried about.
But the past cannot be changed.
She couldn’t do anything about it!
Pretending not to understand, Qiao Meili said generously, “You’re back. There’s some food left for you on the stove. I’ll go get it.”
“I’ll go by myself,” Xiao Heng said.
Qiao Meili didn’t care. She wanted to change Xiao Heng’s impression of her, not actually lower herself to be a servant.
If one party is always the one to give in and compromise when a couple is living together, the relationship will not be very healthy.
Xiao Heng entered the kitchen and immediately saw the beautifully cooked meal on the stove.
That’s right, his first reaction was that it was beautiful. He joined the army early and spent more than ten years in the military camp, where he mostly ate the canteen’s communal meals. Although the taste was good, the presentation was definitely lacking.
The bowl of rice that Qiao Meili made featured white rice topped with scrambled eggs and tomatoes. The bright yellow eggs, the bright red tomatoes, and the emerald green vegetable leaves added a splash of color, as if bringing some color to his gloomy life.
Beautiful people cook beautiful food.
This was the first thought that popped into Xiao Heng’s mind.
Qiao Meili and Zhao Zhao had almost finished eating. When they saw Xiao Heng bring out his food, Qiao Meili gave him double the amount of rice, considering his height and large appetite.
And the facts proved that her arrangement was correct. Xiao Heng really could eat. He finished a large bowl of rice clean. Moreover, Qiao Meili discovered that this man actually had very good living habits. He did not smack his lips when he ate. Although he ate in big mouthfuls, he did not seem rude. On the contrary, it only made people feel that he was eating very well.
Moreover, this man has a really good physique. Even when sitting, there is no excess fat on his abdomen, and you can vaguely see his neatly arranged abdominal muscles under his shirt.
The shirt was rolled up to the arm, revealing a powerful-looking forearm.
She couldn’t help but glance at it a few more times.
After Xiao Heng finished his meal, he realized that there was no sound at the table. The two people, one big and one small, were staring at him, especially Qiao Meili, who was languid and had her eyes half-closed.
A strange look appeared on his face as he slowly put down his chopsticks.
“You’ve finished eating? Now go wash the dishes.”
Qiao Meili loves cooking. Watching various ingredients transform into delicious dishes under her skillful hands gives her a sense of accomplishment.
But washing dishes is out of the question; it’s tedious and hurts her hands. Unless absolutely necessary, she doesn’t want to touch it at all.
At this time, Qiao Meili had regained some of her former arrogance, but it was different. Before, when she ordered him to do this or that, she mostly had a superior attitude and a commanding tone.
Unlike now, her beautiful eyes, which naturally exude a hint of anger, make people willingly submit.
Xiao Heng indeed took the bowls to the kitchen to wash them.
Qiao Meili was only testing the waters, but she was immediately surprised.
I never expected this man, who looked fierce, to be so easy to talk to.
Xiao Heng washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. When he came out, he found two people, one big and one small, in the yard.
Qiao Meili was leading Zhao Zhao in a post-meal digestive exercise. Since it was supposed to be an exercise, she couldn’t do strenuous activity after a meal, so Qiao Meili was just leading Zhao Zhao in circles in the yard.
Qiao Meili walked leisurely, but Zhao Zhao followed diligently, taking one step at a time.
The little one, who had only seen his mother in photos, was filled with trust and affection for her.
After watching for a while, Xiao Heng composed himself and said, “I’ll take Zhao Zhao to Instructor Lei’s house next door for a while, and we’ll talk.”
The moment of trial has finally arrived.
Qiao Meili knew it was unavoidable, so she nodded and said, “Okay.”
Xiao Heng picked up Zhao Zhao, and the little guy seemed to sense something, his eyes darting around uneasy, looking at his father and then at his mother.
Qiao Meili rubbed the little one’s head, “It’s okay, Mommy will come pick you up in a bit.”
Zhao Zhao clenched her little fists, trying to make herself look fierce, “Don’t lie to Zhao Zhao.”
Suddenly, Qiao Meili’s nose tingled with tears. Such an adorable son, the original owner of this body was truly…
“Okay, okay, Mom promises, if I lie, I’ll make Dad bark like a puppy!”
What should have been a heartwarming scene turned into a deeply painful experience for Xiao Heng, especially after hearing this vow for the first time.
A question mark immediately popped into his head.
Zhao Zhao’s eyes lit up as she looked at Xiao Heng, whether she didn’t want her mother to lie to her or wanted to see her father bark like a puppy.
With the two children staring at him expectantly, what could Xiao Heng do?
He nodded reluctantly, letting out a mumbled sound.
Zhao Zhao was relieved and let her father carry her to Lei Guotao’s house next door.
At Lei Guotao’s home, a heated discussion is taking place regarding the return of Xiao Heng’s wife from next door.
Huang Yifang took her daughter to town during the day, so she didn’t see Qiao Meili arrive in person. But as soon as she returned to the family compound, a familiar military wife pulled her aside and told her about it.
Now, having confirmed the news with her own husband, she was overwhelmed with mixed feelings and emotions.
“More than three years have passed in the blink of an eye, and I still haven’t heard from her. I thought she would never come back…” Huang Yifang felt a pang of sorrow.
Lei Guotao raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? You don’t want her to come?”
After all, my wife and Qiao Meili didn’t get along very well back then. One was a spoiled princess, and the other was a genuine country bumpkin. They were completely incompatible in terms of lifestyle and values.
Huang Yifang glared at her husband. “Am I that kind of petty person? Although things didn’t go well between us back then, and she called my cooking like pig swill, I know I’m not a good cook. But who wouldn’t be angry when someone points a finger at them like that? But all these years have passed, especially looking at Zhaozhao…”
The two families were close. Zhao Zhao was raised in the Xiao family until she was three years old, when Grandma Xiao arranged for her to be sent to the army. Grandma Xiao’s original intention was to use the child to lure Qiao Meili over.
But Xiao Heng, a grown man, was busy with military work and had no time to take care of children.
Huang Yifang usually lends a hand.
Looking at the sensible and adorable Zhaozhao, Huang Yifang, being a mother herself, felt heartbroken.
After all, children are innocent when it comes to conflicts and disputes between adults.
“A couple of years ago, I would have preferred Deputy Regiment Commander Xiao to simply get a divorce. What’s the point of keeping that heartless woman? But then I thought, would marrying another woman guarantee she’d treat Zhaozhao well? There are plenty of cases of stepmothers abusing children…”
Lei Guotao understood what his wife meant. “I get it. You still want Qiao Meili to come back. Now that she’s back, what are you going to do?”
Huang Yifang pursed her lips. “What else can I do? At worst, I’ll just pretend I don’t hear her insults for Zhaozhao’s sake. Anyway, with her skinny arms and legs, she wouldn’t dare to fight me. I could knock her out with one punch.”
Lei Guotao: “…”
You’re really something!