Inside the guesthouse.
Qin Yu’e was tidying up the room with the two children.
Though “tidying up” was a generous description. The military guesthouse had probably been empty for years. The bare room contained only one large bed, a wooden table, and a few narrow benches.
This was already the best room the guard surnamed Li had helped her pick.
The other rooms either had broken beds or damaged doors.
At least this one was still mostly intact.
As for the mother and children themselves, they had even fewer possessions. Aside from the bamboo basket used to carry the children, they didn’t even have a spare set of clothes.
Li Youtian scratched his head awkwardly.
“Sister-in-law, please don’t dislike it. Just stay here for now! Our company’s stationed in a remote place—no family members have visited in six or seven years. I… I’ll go ask the logistics department to get you some supplies!”
Qin Yu’e didn’t show any disgust. Instead, she smiled.
“Then I’ll have to trouble you, Comrade Li.”
In her current situation, what right did she have to be picky?
“It’s no trouble, no trouble at all!” Li Youtian waved his hands hurriedly, his face turning red. “Sister-in-law, just call me Xiao Li! I’m the company commander’s guard. I only got the position this year. I’m nineteen this year…”
As he spoke, his face became even redder.
He seemed like quite a decent young man.
Qin Yu’e fought hard not to laugh out loud.
“Nineteen years old and already serving as the company commander’s guard? Comrade Xiao Li is pretty impressive!”
“Ah… hahaha, really?” Xiao Li scratched his head foolishly.
Only after a long moment did he realize Qin Yu’e was teasing him.
His face instantly flushed all the way to his neck, and he bolted for the door.
“Sister-in-law, I’ll go get someone for you!”
The young man was actually rather cute.
Qin Yu’e smiled and lowered her head to continue sorting things out.
The guard company had provided a palm-fiber mattress pad, two sets of coarse cloth bedsheets, and one quilt. Qin Yu’e checked them over—they were all semi-new, but sturdy and good quality.
Considering the conditions in the company, she guessed they probably belonged to Company Commander Liu himself.
She would have to think of a way to thank him later.
The little girl sitting in the bamboo basket suddenly spoke up.
“Mom, are we going to live here from now on?”
“Mhm.”
The little girl’s voice was soft and sweet, filling Qin Yu’e with tenderness. She reached out and rubbed the child’s head.
“We’ll stay here for now. Once your father gives us money, we’ll leave.”
The two children didn’t even have names. In the original novel, it wasn’t until He Jiaojiao came to the company慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问慰问 and gave the children names.
That alone showed how little Huo Guangji cared about his own children.
But constantly calling them “little girl” and “little boy” wasn’t a real solution either.
Qin Yu’e simply picked up both children and asked with a smile,
“How about Mommy gives you names today?”
“Names?” The little girl blinked her large eyes blankly. “What’s that?”
“It’s… a kind of blessing. Mommy hopes little girl will grow up quickly, so Mommy gives you a name.” Qin Yu’e’s eyes stung slightly, though she forced a smile.
“Then I want a name!” the little girl immediately replied, narrowing her eyes happily and revealing two tiny tiger teeth.
The little boy looked at his sister laughing and started giggling along with her.
Qin Yu’e thought for a moment.
The phrase “Qingfeng Zhuyue”—“Pure Breeze Chasing the Moon”—was rather poetic, perhaps overly sentimental, but still far better than the common names involving flowers or grass or phoenixes.
Those names always sounded weak, as if destined to be bullied.
Her children would never be bullied anywhere.
Carefully, Qin Yu’e asked,
“Little girl, your name will be Zhuyue. Little boy will be Qingfeng. Qin Zhuyue, Qin Qingfeng. How does that sound?”
The little girl clearly understood more than her younger brother and immediately nodded.
“From now on, Qin Zhuyue is me!”
Then, acting like a little big sister, she patted the boy’s head.
“Qin Qingfeng, from now on I’m called Qin Zhuyue, okay?”
“Aba aba—” the boy grinned.
While the mother and children chatted, the half-closed door was pushed open by two middle-aged women.
The moment they entered, one of them smiled warmly.
“Are you Comrade Qin Yu’e? My Old Liu asked me to come see if you needed any help!”
Qin Yu’e looked up.
The visitor was also dressed in military uniform, and judging by the insignia on her shoulders, her rank wasn’t any lower than Company Commander Liu’s.
Qin Yu’e quickly put the child down and stood up.
“You are…?”
The other middle-aged woman behind her immediately introduced her with a smile.
“This is Company Commander Liu’s wife, Section Chief Wei from the Propaganda Department!”
“So you’re Section Chief Wei. Please, have a seat!” Qin Yu’e hurriedly pulled over a stool.
Wei Wenjie had a bright and outgoing personality. She immediately grabbed Qin Yu’e and looked her over from head to toe before turning to look at the two wide-eyed children.
Her eyes instantly reddened.
“How did things end up like this? Even if the country isn’t wealthy right now, we’re not in famine years anymore. Sister, you’ve really suffered!”
When she first heard Liu Shutong talk about this, she could hardly believe it. Little Huo’s character didn’t seem like the kind that would do something like this.
Yet the reality stood right before her eyes.
She couldn’t deny it.
Wei Wenjie clenched her fists.
“Sister, just stay here without worry. If Huo Guangji dares bully you, come complain to me—I’ll deal with him for you!”
Qin Yu’e lowered her head, her eyes dimming slightly.
After only briefly interacting with the people in the company, she already felt everyone here was quite good.
But once He Jiaojiao arrived, would this illiterate “original wife” still be treated so kindly?
Better to run away early. Fighting over affection was the thing she was worst at.
None of those thoughts showed on her face. Instead, she smiled politely.
“Section Chief Wei, I’ve only just arrived. I can’t even offer you a cup of water. Please forgive the poor hospitality.”
“What kind of issue is that?” Wei Wenjie held Qin Yu’e’s hand warmly. “Our company absolutely won’t let you and the children go hungry! I’ve already asked them to prepare daily necessities for you—all taken from Little Huo’s ration allotment. We’re also making two sets of clothes for you and each child. Just use them freely—they’re all family things!”
Qin Yu’e finally relaxed slightly.
After traveling through the mountains for so many days, her clothes had long since developed a sour smell. Even she felt dizzy whenever she lowered her head and caught the odor. The children weren’t much better.
It was honestly impressive that Wei Wenjie could still sit this close to her.
As they spoke, Wei Wenjie’s gaze drifted toward the two children.
The children blinked at her with wide eyes.
The girl was bolder, her face full of curiosity. The boy, meanwhile, was much more timid.
Still, both children had excellent features: big eyes, thick brows, and even at this young age, high straight noses.
After washing their little faces clean, their expressions became even livelier. Between their glances and expressions, they truly resembled Huo Guangji somewhat.
“What are the children’s names?” Wei Wenjie asked lovingly.
Before Qin Yu’e could answer, Zhuyue eagerly piped up:
“My name is Qin Zhuyue! This is my little brother, Qin Qingfeng!”
Her face was full of pride.
Wei Wenjie’s expression froze awkwardly.
“The surname… Qin?”
She had already heard from Liu Shutong that Qin Yu’e had come here demanding a divorce from Huo Guangji. Now hearing the children’s surname, her heart skipped a beat.
It seemed this girl had already made up her mind.
Just as she was thinking this, a tall figure stepped through the doorway carrying a large bundle of things.
Huo Guangji’s gaze swept over Qin Yu’e before he suddenly said:
“Huo Zhuyue. Huo Qingfeng. Those are two pretty good names.”