Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Due to Yan Lan and Yu Song waiting outside, Xu Yuqing moved quickly.

She jogged into the room, ran a comb through her hair a couple of times, and tied it up with a hair tie.

After finishing quickly and just as she was about to turn and leave, her eyes caught sight of the Guodanpi.

The Guodanpi had dried but was still somewhat soft inside—just right for a child to eat.

Thinking of Yu Song, Xu Yuqing strode towards the kitchen, washed her hands, found an aluminum lunchbox, tore the Guodanpi into small strips, rolled them up, and placed them in the box.

Having taken some time, Xu Yuqing hurriedly closed the lunchbox and ran towards the gate.

At the gate, Yan Lan and the child were playing. Yu Song had recently started going to daycare and had become more lively; he was now prone to getting excited around people.

When Xu Yuqing arrived, Yan Lan was dodging Yu Song, not letting him catch her. She almost bumped into Xu Yuqing, but thankfully, Xu Yuqing managed to steady her, and both were fine.

The excited child finally stopped, looking at them timidly as if she had done something wrong.

Before Yan Lan could speak, Xu Yuqing squatted down first and gently opened the aluminum lunchbox. "Here, this is Auntie's Guodanpi, sweet and sour."

As she spoke, she took a piece herself and handed it to the child.

Yu Song looked at the red object curiously, then took it. He knew that the auntie before him was a kind one who gave out delicious treats, so without hesitation, he put it straight into his mouth.

"How is it? Is it tasty?" Xu Yuqing watched Yu Song expectantly as his little face chewed, his cheeks puffing out.

Yan Lan also came over, curious about the lunchbox. Seeing her son's delighted expression, she knew how good it must be. "Yuqing, what have you been concocting?"

Xu Yuqing smiled, stood up, and handed the lunchbox to Yan Lan. "This is Guodanpi. It's not new; they sell it elsewhere, but I haven't seen it here."

Yan Lan curiously took it and took a bite. The taste immediately brightened her eyes—the sweet and sour flavor was truly captivating. With this, her pregnancy wouldn't have been so painful!

"This is really delicious! They definitely don't sell this here; I've never seen it. Sweet and sour, with a bit of chewiness. If it were a little drier, it would be perfect for chewing on!"

Xu Yuqing chuckled at the sight of the mother and child. Their eating habits were identical. Her creations being praised like this dispelled much of her earlier displeasure.

"Alright, let's go!"

After finishing one piece, Yan Lan licked her index and thumb fingers, wanting more. But if they were late, everything would be over, and there would be nothing left to see.

Noticing Yan Lan's reluctance, Xu Yuqing stuffed the entire aluminum lunchbox into Yan Lan's arms. "Here, this is softer and suitable for Xiao Song to munch on. Come by tomorrow, and I'll have more. By then, it will be a bit drier, perfect for us adults to snack on."

Before Xu Yuqing could finish speaking, Yan Lan's eyes lit up, and she looked at Xu Yuqing as if she were a great treasure. Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, Xu Yuqing quickened her pace and walked ahead.

Yu Song didn't want to be carried this time. Instead, he held the Guodanpi in his small hand and munched on it while walking, moving quite fast.

Yan Lan found it amusing.

The three left the family compound and arrived at the Military District. The entrance was as solemn as ever, but today, there were additional sounds, giving it a more human touch.

Yan Lan showed her marriage certificate with Yu Wenyao and led Xu Yuqing in, introducing her as "the wife of your regiment commander Xie."

The guard recognized Yan Lan but still followed protocol, carefully examining the document. "Alright, sisters-in-law, please go in."

"Thank you."

Xu Yuqing and Yan Lan thanked him simultaneously and entered, holding Yu Song's hand.

The Military District was vast. Last time, Xu Yuqing hadn't explored much, but now she could see it clearly.

Since Yan Lan had come in the morning and knew where to go, she led Xu Yuqing briskly to the training field inside.

"Yuqing! Hurry, hurry, see who's fighting now!"

"Okay."

Xu Yuqing responded and quickened her pace. However, she still had Yu Song in front of her, and the little one was moving his short legs surprisingly fast, almost as if they were on fire.

The closer they got, the louder the sounds became, along with cheers from men, women, and children.

Xu Yuqing paused, her anger rising again. It seemed this was a community event, and she was the only one who didn't know.

Walking further in, the space opened up, and Xu Yuqing spotted Xie Junli. He appeared no different from noon, scolding the soldier before him with a cold face.

Xu Yuqing stood with Yan Lan at the railing, and Yu Song climbed onto it to sit, just like the other children. It seemed another match was about to start, so Xu Yuqing looked over.

Two unfamiliar soldiers, who looked to be around thirty years old, exchanged a polite salute before beginning their sparring.

Dodging, punching, kicking, each blow landing with a thud. Although there was no bloodshed, the scene was exhilarating. Suddenly, a little girl's cry came from beside Xu Yuqing: "Daddy, fight hard!!"

The little girl sat nearby, and Xu Yuqing exchanged a glance with Yan Lan, noticing tears in the corner of her eyes. "Sister Yan Lan?"

Yan Lan hugged the child and waved her hand. "It's okay, okay. I couldn't control myself. That little girl is so well-behaved~"

For someone else's hidden secrets, Xu Yuqing wouldn't pry. She nodded and focused back on the training field. What she saw made her pause. The soldier who had been at a disadvantage earlier was now bare-chested and had suddenly gained the upper hand, mercilessly striking his opponent.

Xu Yuqing couldn't help but glance to the side, and sure enough, the family next to her was laughing happily and proudly.

She smiled too, subconsciously searching for Xie Junli. He was still in the same spot, and when she looked over, their eyes met.

Xu Yuqing paused, not averting her gaze, watching as Xie Junli's expression cracked, turning to shock.

Fine, you really didn't want me to come, did you? Xu Yuqing felt a surge of anger and turned her attention back to the training field.

On the other side, Xie Junli, seeing his wife here, suddenly felt guilty. He subconsciously wanted to walk over but remembered that he still needed to oversee things here.

He hesitated for two seconds but still stopped, shifting his gaze to see Yan Lan and Yu Song. It was his sister-in-law. Xie Junli nervously clasped his hands, his mind in turmoil, especially with the half-naked men on the field, which made him even more anxious.

"You guys, I'm going for a walk. Don't you dare go shirtless when I get back, did you hear me? How bad would that look!" He said coldly, leaving the words behind as he strode towards Xu Yuqing.

The soldiers were left dumbfounded by the sudden order, looking at each other innocently. They had been training shirtless for hours already. Wasn’t it too late for the company commander to say something now?

"What's up with the company commander?"

"Worried about our health?" One of the soldiers ventured uncertainly.

Another soldier looked at the speaker. This big, strong man could handle a wild boar without breaking a sweat. Why would he be worried about a little cold?

He shook his head, not responding, instead following Xie Junli's path as he headed towards the family area and started talking to a woman. Excited, he took a few steps forward. "Look! There’s the company commander!"

Everyone turned to where he pointed. "Where? Where is he?"

"I see him! I see him! That must be his wife! She’s so pretty!"

"No wonder the company commander didn’t want us to go shirtless. He was afraid his wife would see!"

This comment sent everyone into laughter, though they were laughing at the soldier who said it. "You’re thinking too much! Be careful, or the company commander will give you a beating. With how he is, he’d be more worried about his own wife seeing others shirtless. If he showed off his own physique, his wife would be so smitten she wouldn’t know what hit her!"

The field fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter again. A more mature-looking soldier doubled over, unable to stand straight from laughing. After catching his breath, he stood up, rubbing his stomach. "You guys really are a bunch of bachelors! You need the political commissar to set you up. When a man gets married, being a bit jealous is just part of the romance. You wouldn’t understand!"

As the emotional education began on one side, the atmosphere grew tense on the other.

Xie Junli had just approached when Xu Yuqing noticed him. However, she didn’t speak, instead turning her cold face away and staring unblinkingly at the training field.

Xie Junli felt guilty and didn’t dare make a sound. It was Yu Song who, seeing his favorite uncle, reached out for a hug. Unfortunately, his mother Yan Lan cruelly restrained him. With the couple having a spat, it was best if she took her son further away.

With two people suddenly gone from her side, Xu Yuqing was taken aback, her expression worsening. She glared at Xie Junli. "We’ll settle this when we get home!"

Xie Junli could tell his wife didn’t want to lose face, but his sharp intuition told him that if he didn’t handle the situation now, it would become a major issue at home.

Hesitantly, he stepped closer, looking at Xu Yuqing nervously. Glancing around at the others, he leaned close to her ear. "Wife, they get so heated up there that they start taking their clothes off and making a ruckus. You don’t like all that noise, do you?"

As he spoke, he strategically blocked Xu Yuqing’s view of the training field, not wanting her to see.

Xu Yuqing’s vision was suddenly obstructed, and the warm voice in her ear made her realize what he was doing. Was he afraid she would get an eyeful?

For some reason, his explanation only made her angrier.

Xu Yuqing let out a cold laugh. "So what? Just because I don’t like it, does that mean all the other wives do?"

Xie Junli froze, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. Nervously stuttering, he didn’t know what to say. "Yuqing, no, I just—I just didn’t want you to see them shirtless!"

He kept his face stiff, trying to ignore the prying eyes around him as he whispered his words.

Xu Yuqing smiled, her eyes cool. "Then why didn’t you just say so? Move aside, don’t block my view!"

Xie Junli’s heart sank colder than midwinter. It seemed his attempts at soothing her had failed. Knowing he couldn’t stay here for long, he pulled out the fountain pen he had won that morning from his pocket, placed it in Xu Yuqing’s hand, and walked away in large strides.

The group of soldiers hadn’t finished chatting when the icy-faced company commander returned. Judging from the aura, had he gotten into an argument with his wife?

The soldiers were quick to read the mood, immediately returning to their positions and pretending to be busy. Xie Junli strode over. "No one is allowed to go shirtless later! Did you hear me?"

"Yes, sir!"

Then, a bold one spoke up. "Reporting, company commander! You have another match this afternoon! Your wife definitely wants to see you shirtless!"