Wang Lele hadn’t rashly gone to the Suzhou hospital or the family compound specifically to get to know Jiang Lizhu. From what Xiong Dongjun had implied, it seemed Jiang Lizhu wasn’t particularly interested in forming a deeper friendship with them.
But pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum confinement period were such monumental events. Xiong Dongjun had promised Gu Mingyan he would look after Jiang Lizhu, yet neither of them had visited even once during her pregnancy or confinement. Wang Lele felt like killing Xiong Dongjun.
“Well, I just didn’t want to trouble anyone. It really wasn’t Captain’s fault,” Jiang Lizhu said, surprised by Wang Lele’s strong reaction. Ultimately, she had to take the blame for this misunderstanding.
Xiong Dongjun finally snapped out of it, his expression shifting through a series of changes. In the end, he could only try to ignore the sting on his back and instead patted Gu Mingyan on the shoulder. “Old pal, how many months old is the little one? I honestly had no idea.”
Xiong Dongjun was even more shocked than his wife. He genuinely hadn’t known. Jiang Lizhu hadn’t come to the police station to register their son’s household, and none of the officers in the area near the hospital had informed him.
Gu Mingyan had come to the station twice—once to report the rumors circulating at Suzhou Hospital for damaging the reputation of a soldier and his family, and once to examine old files and ask about the Lin family.
Neither time had Gu Mingyan mentioned Jiang Lizhu’s pregnancy or childbirth.
As for Lin Mojia, he had been summoned for questioning and detained until now on charges of publicly insulting a soldier’s family member and spreading rumors and falsehoods.
In the East Courtyard, Lin Mojia hadn’t actually managed to lay a hand on Jiang Lizhu or the baby, so pursuing that angle was basically impossible. Of course, Gu Mingyan focused on the established fact of him spreading rumors.
During interrogation, Lin Mojia was even less likely to voluntarily mention that he had tried to attack a woman and infant, only to be taught a lesson by Jiang Lizhu and Gu Mingyan.
Gu Mingyan was also silent for a long moment before replying, “He’s a hundred and six days old.” He had assumed Xiong Dongjun knew, which was why he hadn’t specifically mentioned it.
It just showed how excellent Jiang Lizhu’s secrecy had been.
Holding her son, Jiang Lizhu looked utterly innocent. She felt helpless too. The original owner’s pregnancy and childbirth had been handled internally through the hospital where she worked. Her daily life consisted of shuttling between the hospital and the family compound—monotonous and low-key.
Wang Lele shot a glare at her “useless” husband, then her face resumed its gentle smile. She warmly pulled Jiang Lizhu to sit down, and they began sharing parenting experiences.
She and Xiong Dongjun had twin boys, already in second grade. Their school was at the end of this street, so they hadn’t been dismissed yet.
Gu Mingyan and Xiong Dongjun didn’t remain idle either. With unspoken tacit understanding, they both got up and headed to the kitchen to continue cooking. During their time in the army, both had been assigned to the cooking squad at some point, for varying lengths of time.
Their cooking skills might not be exceptional, but they were definitely not kitchen novices.
Xiong Dongjun and Wang Lele were a dual-income family raising two rambunctious, overly energetic boys. Usually, whoever had the time and energy did the cooking.
“Let me tell you, brother, never argue with your wife. Otherwise, no matter whether you’re right or wrong, it’ll end up being your fault, and you’ll have to coax her,” Xiong Dongjun said, rubbing his back and his inexplicably pinched arm. He sighed deeply before going on and on sharing his insights on married life with Gu Mingyan.
Although Gu Mingyan didn’t respond much, he listened very attentively.
In the army, comrades had talked about such things, but he usually let it go in one ear and out the other, not thinking their experiences applied to him and Jiang Lizhu.
Now… Gu Mingyan felt a bit contradicted by reality and promptly reflected on his mistake, silently committing Xiong Dongjun’s words to memory.
In the living room, things got even livelier when the twin boys came home from school. The little one was full of energy, giggling nonstop at the two little clowns.
“Oh my, he’s so beautiful and adorable. I should have married a handsome man back then,” Wang Lele said, coveting the baby’s looks. She silently glanced at her twin sons, who shared Xiong Dongjun’s small eyes and prominent ears, and felt deeply worried.
“Now I’m terrified that if we have a daughter, she might take after Old Xiong!” She would feel so sorry for her daughter, yet she really wanted another child, preferably a girl.
Jiang Lizhu was amused by Wang Lele’s genuine concern. “Look how well-behaved Big Bear and Little Bear are. No matter if they have a little brother or sister in the future, they’ll definitely be good big brothers.”
“Well, they’ve been decent today,” Wang Lele wouldn’t badmouth her sons in front of a guest.
“Mom! I want a little brother like this baby!” Big Bear, having overheard part of the conversation, immediately voiced his opinion.
“Mom, can I take the baby to school with me tomorrow?” Little Bear chimed in with his own request.
Hearing this, Wang Lele gritted her teeth. “I think you two want a taste of ‘bamboo shoots stir-fried with meat’!” She had just praised them in front of Jiang Lizhu, and these two boys were already making her lose face.
At the kitchen door, Xiong Dongjun pulled his head back in. Troubled and helpless, he patted Gu Mingyan’s shoulder. “I knew it. Seeing you and your son, my wife would find me even more unsatisfactory.”
“Tell me, is it my fault we don’t dare have another? Is it because I’m ugly? It’s not like back then…” Xiong Dongjun launched into his own endless tale of woe from his perspective.
Besides Wang Lele’s fear of a future daughter inheriting her father’s looks, there was also the fact that her first pregnancy had been with twins. Her entire pregnancy had been extremely difficult, and she was bedridden for six months after giving birth.
At that time, Xiong Dongjun hadn’t yet been transferred to civilian work. From his wife’s pregnancy through her recovery and childcare, everything had depended on his mother-in-law, father-in-law, and brother-in-law.
Xiong Dongjun felt deeply guilty towards his wife and grateful for his in-laws’ help. After discussions with his own parents and brothers back home, he decisively transferred his registration and job to Suzhou to follow his wife.
Now that Big Bear and Little Bear were eight years old, the couple’s plan to have a daughter remained just talk, with many considerations. But today, seeing the beautiful and adorable baby, Wang Lele was clearly intrigued by the idea of having another child.
Xiong Dongjun wasn’t entirely opposed to having a daughter, but he was more worried that if his wife got pregnant with twins again, her body wouldn’t be able to handle it. Up until now, he had been taking contraceptive measures.
Gu Mingyan listened silently. After Xiong Dongjun finished pouring out his endless tale of woe, he offered a few words of comfort, then hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice, “How have you been contraceptively managing all these years?”
Gu Mingyan could tell that Xiong Dongjun and Wang Lele had a very good relationship; it didn’t seem like they had relied purely on abstinence over the years.
“Hahaha, hahaha!” Xiong Dongjun was momentarily stunned by the question, then burst into loud laughter at Gu Mingyan’s expense.
After so many years, he finally saw a glimpse of Gu Mingyan’s “rookie soldier” side again. But in this era, discussing sex was taboo. If not for his own family’s special circumstances, he might not know so much either.
“Come on, let me tell you, brother. See, this is why you needed to come to my place,” Xiong Dongjun said, puffing out his chest. He began sharing with Gu Mingyan how he managed to get extra condoms each month and his experiences with the different qualities of various brands.
This was a deep subject!
As for the actual bedroom matters, talking about them could easily get him beaten by his wife. Seeing that Gu Mingyan and Jiang Lizhu already had a son, Xiong Dongjun figured he didn’t need to gild the lily by offering any advice.
“Old Xiong, isn’t dinner ready yet?”
Wang Lele, noticing the time, hurried to the kitchen to urge Xiong Dongjun along. The two boys were howling with hunger, and their old man was still in the kitchen shooting the breeze with his comrade.
“It’s ready, it’s ready! Come on, come on, everyone taste the skills I learned from the master chef in the cooking squad,” Xiong Dongjun immediately ended the conversation. Together with Gu Mingyan, he carried the eight dishes and one soup from the stove to the dining table set up inside the living room.
Amidst the laughter, chatter, and lively noise, Jiang Lizhu and Gu Mingyan, warmly hosted by Xiong Dongjun’s family, enjoyed a sumptuous and lively dinner.
By the time they left the Xiong household, the streetlights were already on. The family of four accompanied them outside to see them off.
“Sister, let’s keep in touch by letter, alright?” Wang Lele said, her eyes showing reluctance as she looked at Jiang Lizhu. Besides working for the Women’s Federation and having an outgoing personality that loved making friends, she had also genuinely enjoyed spending time with Jiang Lizhu today.
Jiang Lizhu appeared to be a strikingly beautiful woman with an air of distance, but she actually had excellent conversational skills. After the initial awkwardness, they had chatted very congenially that evening.
Wang Lele felt that the Jiang Lizhu she met tonight was completely different from the temperament she had learned about from Xiong Dongjun. However, plenty of women underwent major personality changes after childbirth and raising children, so Jiang Lizhu’s transformation wasn’t strange.
Wang Lele’s only regret was that she had just met a like-minded friend and was immediately facing separation.
“Okay. Once I’m settled with Old Gu at the military garrison, I’ll write to you, Sister Lele, as soon as possible, and send some tasty treats for Big Bear and Little Bear.”
Jiang Lizhu nodded with a smile. She was also intentionally trying to befriend Wang Lele. Their relationship didn’t involve too many conflicts of interest, making her far more at ease with Wang Lele than with the neighbors in the family compound.
Additionally, Wang Lele worked at the Women’s Federation and had good information channels. Jiang Lizhu planned to occasionally inquire with her for news about the Lin family and Xiao Jinzhu.
She wouldn’t use Wang Lele to do anything, but she needed to stay informed about people like the Lin family and Xiao Jinzhu who harbored hostility towards her.
While Wang Lele was talking with Jiang Lizhu, Xiong Dongjun glanced around, took a step closer to Gu Mingyan, and stealthily slipped something into Gu Mingyan’s pocket.
“Put it away quietly when you get home alone. You’ll like it.”
Xiong Dongjun’s suggestive eyebrow raise and wink were too lecherous. Even if Gu Mingyan didn’t fully understand, he had a general idea.
“Company Commander, Sister-in-law, Big Bear, Little Bear, see you off here. Let’s meet again someday. Take care,” Gu Mingyan said with a slight smile, bidding a solemn farewell to the Xiong family.
“Okay, take care!” Xiong Dongjun nodded, grabbing his wife and younger son’s hands, stopping them.
“Farewell,” Jiang Lizhu smiled at Wang Lele, then reached out to pat Big Bear and Little Bear on the shoulders. “I’ll say goodbye for the baby. Or, if you miss him, you can have your mom include letters for me when she writes. I’ll read them to him.”
“Thank you, Auntie! Baby, wait for my letter!” Big Bear and Little Bear let go of their parents’ hands, walked over to Gu Mingyan, and reached out to pat the sleeping baby’s little feet.
Wang Lele and Xiong Dongjun could feel Jiang Lizhu’s thoughtful intentions and cooperatively nodded in agreement.
Jiang Lizhu and Gu Mingyan waited until the Xiong family of four had turned around before they continued strolling home.
“Will you miss Suzhou? Later, when I have leave, we can bring the baby and come back,” Gu Mingyan said, matching Jiang Lizhu’s pace as they walked slowly along the street with its distinctive Jiangnan characteristics.
Understanding more of Jiang Lizhu’s past, he could appreciate the special significance this city held for her.
“We’ll talk about it when my dad is out of the farm and the baby is older,” Jiang Lizhu replied, without answering whether she would miss it or not. She believed that even if the original owner were still here, knowing the plot of the novel, she would make the same choice.
In the face of life and the baby’s safety, those obsessions could be let go.
As for Jiang Lizhu looking around, it wasn’t what Gu Mingyan assumed—sentimental attachment to a place she was about to leave.
Jiang Lizhu squeezed the arm of Gu Mingyan she was holding and whispered, “Give me some cover in a moment.”
Saying this, she let go of Gu Mingyan’s hand, took an unsigned letter from her cloth bag, and as they continued walking past the gate of the Revolutionary Committee, she swiftly and accurately dropped the letter into the mailbox attached to the wall by the gate.
Once they were completely past the Revolutionary Committee building, Jiang Lizhu took Gu Mingyan’s arm again and said with a slight smile, “It’s still early. Let me show you the night view of Suzhou.”
“Alright,” Gu Mingyan replied. He had a general idea of what Jiang Lizhu intended to do. Reporting something or offering an opinion was her legal right as a citizen; there was no need to stop her.