Chapter 69

Chapter 69

In the evening, Jiang Mingchuan prepared eight dishes and one soup, filling up the round table in the living room. The family just fit around it when they all sat down.

Jiang Mingchuan somehow got a bottle of alcohol and asked, "Can you drink?"

Ji Ling sat restrainedly and upon hearing this, hurriedly nodded. "I can have some."

"Good."

Jiang Mingchuan poured him a full bowl, which made Ji Ling's face tense. He said he could drink a little only to save face for Jiang Mingchuan, but in truth, he had never drunk before.

Bai Jingzhi hesitantly looked at Jin Xiuzhu, wondering what her brother was thinking. She had never seen her brother drink before.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled at her and comforted, "It's no problem. Your brother knows what he's doing."

Bai Jingzhi felt relieved upon hearing this and then picked up her chopsticks to serve food to Liu Liu.

Liu Liu was very clingy; as soon as Bai Jingzhi returned, she wanted to be held and insisted on sitting together during meals.

Seeing her aunt serving her food, she opened her mouth coquettishly, waiting to be fed.

Bai Jingzhi found this amusing but still fed her, then gently pinched her little cheek.

On the other side, Jiang Mingchuan and Ji Ling were drinking. Jiang Mingchuan initiated the conversation, asking about his military experiences over the years. Ji Ling told him everything, even taking the initiative to talk about his family—his mother, sister, brother-in-law, and two nephews. He even mentioned his father, who was just an ordinary farmer and the eldest son in the family, very poor. As a child, he was adopted by relatives, but after they died, he returned to live with his grandparents, who favored his uncles. His father's health wasn't good, and he was overly filial; he passed away when Ji Ling was five, leaving the entire family to be supported by his mother and uncle.

However, his uncle was serving in the military and couldn't manage affairs back home, so Ji Ling saw his mother being bullied by his grandmother, uncles, and aunts from a young age. This made him grow up quickly, determined to protect his mother and sister.

Jiang Mingchuan asked him about any girls he had met over the years.

Ji Ling shook his head. "No, my relatives back home offered to introduce me to someone, but I said I was busy and didn't go back."

He knew what his relatives were like. His mother was forgiving and didn't want to hold grudges about the past, but he would always remember how, after his father's death, they were forced to beg for food. His mother had to kneel and beg door-to-door for a single grain of rice.

Jiang Mingchuan urged him to drink and then asked about his plans going forward.

Persuaded to drink more than half a bowl of alcohol, Ji Ling's already dark complexion now had a reddish tint. Hearing this question, his eyes became unfocused, but he quickly shook his head and tried to speak clearly. "Next year, I'll take leave to propose, then discuss our wedding. I've saved some money over the years. We'll have a ceremony back home and one here. Now that I've been promoted, my salary has increased significantly. In the future, everything will be for Jingzhi. I'll come back to see her whenever I'm on vacation..."

His words became increasingly muddled, talking about having children and what to bring when proposing.

Bai Jingzhi blushed deeply and secretly tugged on Ji Ling's clothes, but he directly took her hand in front of everyone and pressed it against his hot cheek.

Jiang Mingchuan's smile froze, and he watched expressionlessly as Ji Ling acted cutesy towards Bai Jingzhi, saying he was hot and that the alcohol tasted bad.

Bai Jingzhi felt embarrassed and quickly reached out with her other hand to cover his mouth. Ji Ling, still dazed, puckered his lips and kissed her palm.

Startled, Bai Jingzhi hastily withdrew her hand and instinctively turned to look at the others. Seeing her brother, sister-in-law, and the three children staring at her, her face flushed like a monkey's butt, and she stammered, "H-he's drunk..."

Jin Xiuzhu glanced disapprovingly at Jiang Mingchuan beside her and then asked He Yan to help support Ji Ling so he could rest.

Bai Jingzhi sighed in relief and stood up to assist in escorting him out.

As they walked away, Liu Liu twisted her head to watch. Then, playfully, she raised her hand and imitated Ji Ling's kiss on Bai Jingzhi's palm, puckering her lips to kiss her own palm. Afterward, she giggled happily.

This made Jiang Mingchuan even angrier. "Why don't you learn something good instead? Don't do that."

Liu Liu wasn't afraid of him and deliberately slapped her palm against her mouth, kissing it several times.

This made Fu Yanyan, who was nearby, laugh out loud.

Seeing her sister laughing, Liu Liu became even more enthusiastic and continued to rapidly kiss her palm.

Jiang Mingchuan ignored her, turning his head away to avoid seeing it.

Only Jin Xiuzhu knew that he was holding back his anger. Ji Ling wasn't young anymore, and he had only just visited after being with Jingzhi for so long. Neither set of parents knew about their relationship, and if others found out, it would be embarrassing. At the very least, they should have informed their families.

Jiang Mingchuan had planned to first share a drink with him and then make his stance clear, giving warnings and reminders where necessary. But he hadn't expected the boy to be so useless, losing his wits after just a few sips.

Disapprovingly, he remarked, "Really useless. When I drank for the first time, I had four bowls before getting drunk."

Jin Xiuzhu laughed. "Who can match you?"

She added, "Ji Ling is just like you used to be, without any support. That's why he keeps everything inside and likes to make decisions himself. On the surface, this kid appears mature and sensible, which is already quite commendable. There's no such thing as a perfect person. If someone really were perfect, they'd either be a scammer or have some issues."

Upon hearing Jin Xiuzhu say this, Jiang Mingchuan could only respond with a grunt. "Let's eat."

After Bai Jingzhi and He Yan helped Ji Ling lie down, they returned to eat. They heard this comment and gratefully looked at Jin Xiuzhu.

She also thought Ji Ling was good. There were talented male students at school who had shown interest in her, but she always felt they weren't what she wanted. Deep down, she was still the insecure girl who grew up with her adoptive parents. So, she wanted to find a man who could provide her with support and stand up for her when needed.

Ji Ling could fulfill this role.

Bai Jingzhi suddenly turned serious and said to Jiang Mingchuan, "Brother, Ji Ling is great. I've decided he's the one for me."

She understood that her brother and sister-in-law were acting in her best interest, so she added, "In the future, Ji Ling and I will treat you well."

Jiang Mingchuan was speechless.

Jin Xiuzhu laughed. "The intention is enough. You don't need to treat us well. As long as you both lead happy lives, your brother and I feel that everything is worth it."

Bai Jingzhi smiled, also feeling that it was too formal.

The next day, Ji Ling woke up early. He didn't remember anything from the previous night, except drinking a few sips with Bai Jingzhi's brother. He had no recollection of when he fell asleep. When he moved, He Yan woke up as well. Seeing He Yan rubbing his eyes and sitting up, Ji Ling politely said, "Go back to sleep. I'm used to waking up early."

He Yan shook his head. "I can't sleep anymore. I'll get up and read for a while."

He put on the cotton jacket beside the bed, went to the window, lit a candle, and started reading.

Ji Ling admired He Yan's diligence. He had heard Jingzhi mention that her niece and nephew were excellent students, both smart and hardworking, destined for success.

With this in mind, he quietly left the room and headed to the kitchen, preparing to make a good impression. Thus, when Jin Xiuzhu and the others woke up, they saw Ji Ling emerge from the kitchen with dishes he had cooked, including shredded potatoes, radishes, and pickles.

Jin Xiuzhu walked over for a look and complimented, "How fragrant."

Jiang Mingchuan glanced at the dishes and commented indifferently, "Your knife skills still need improvement."

Ji Ling smiled and said, "I'm still far behind Big Brother. Make do with what I've made; I'll practice more in the future."

Jiang Mingchuan grunted in acknowledgment.

Jin Xiuzhu playfully slapped him, thinking, _Still acting up, huh?_

Jiang Mingchuan rubbed his nose, thinking, _Someone has to be the bad cop in this family, right? Otherwise, who will keep me in check when I bully my sister?_

Jin Xiuzhu didn't quite understand these dynamics. As an elder sister, she believed in treating her brother-in-law well so that he would remember their kindness and treat her sister kindly in return.

On this matter, the couple's opinions were not aligned.

However, Ji Ling seemed to have a great temperament. Regardless of the family's attitude, even if Liu Liu wanted him to play with her, he wouldn't brush her off but instead would earnestly engage in activities like drawing or playing cat's cradle with her.

It just happened to be winter break, and apart from He Yan, who voluntarily stayed home to read, the other two children wanted to go out and play. Jin Xiuzhu became lazier during winter. Although it wasn't particularly cold here, with only one snowfall that melted the next day, she preferred to stay indoors, painting leisurely and snacking.

Now, with the presence of Auntie Bai and Uncle, the two children were eager to go out and play with them. Bai Jingzhi, visiting for the first time, was also curious and joined Ji Ling on an outing around town and to the nearby beach to play in the sand and collect shells.

Ji Ling was also skilled at having fun. On the second day at the beach, he crafted a fishing rod and sat on a distant rock to fish, catching quite a few fish and shrimp.

Liu Liu was thrilled and circled around Ji Ling.

When Jiang Mingchuan returned home that evening, he discovered that his beloved daughter had started calling Ji Ling "Uncle" and was now affectionately referring to him as "Little Uncle."

Confused, he asked Jin Xiuzhu what had happened.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Isn't it because you're not doing enough? Look how good Ji Ling is with kids."

Jiang Mingchuan was speechless.

On the third day, after finishing her last painting of the year, Jin Xiuzhu took Bai Jingzhi out to buy New Year's goods. In fact, preparations had begun earlier, with sweets, cookies, and pastries being made by Jin Xiuzhu over the past few days, some of which she had sent Jiang Mingchuan to give away as gifts.

Since it wasn't too cold here, Jin Xiuzhu hadn't dared to stockpile meat and vegetables at home, fearing spoilage. It was only today that she decided to buy some quality meat to store at home.

Jin Xiuzhu didn't let Ji Ling come along, preferring that he stay home and play with the children. She also didn't want him to pay, as they weren't at that stage yet, and she didn't want him to spend money unnecessarily.

Bai Jingzhi loved shopping with Jin Xiuzhu. They walked hand in hand, but without Ji Ling present, Bai Jingzhi insisted on paying, saying that she could now earn a lot of money and didn't mind the expense.

Jin Xiuzhu couldn't stop her and let her do as she wished.

On New Year's Eve, Jiang Mingchuan didn't need to go to the military base. Early in the morning, he brought Ji Ling and He Yan to the kitchen to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner.

Jin Xiuzhu and Bai Jingzhi were responsible for cleaning and putting up New Year couplets. Bai Jingzhi was curious and quietly asked why her brother didn't let them help in the kitchen this year, as they usually did.

Jin Xiuzhu pointed at her head and laughed. "Silly girl, your brother is setting expectations for Ji Ling, showing him that he needs to be diligent and helpful at home."

Upon hearing this, Bai Jingzhi understood and looked at Jin Xiuzhu with gratitude, her voice tinged with emotion. "My brother is so nice."

He always thought about her.

"Who else would he be nice to if not you? You're his little sister. Even after marriage, this door will always be open to you."

Bai Jingzhi nodded vigorously.

After they cleaned the house and neatly posted the couplets, they laid out snacks on the table.

Looking at the spacious courtyard, Bai Jingzhi couldn't help but say, "This year isn't as lively as before."

In the past, when they were in the military base, they always celebrated the New Year together with Sister Fang Min's family, and it was always very lively, especially with the children running around downstairs.

Meanwhile, Fang Min was also lamenting the quietness of her home, as Zhang Qiulai had already prepared the New Year's Eve meal and gone back home, leaving only Fang Min, the political commissar, and their child.

Fanfan quickly shoveled food into his mouth, eager to finish and watch a movie.

Fang Min told him to eat slower. "No one is going to take your food."

This comment struck a nerve in Fanfan, who pouted and said, "I'd rather someone tried to take my food."

He used to find meals more enjoyable when Liu Liu would try to snatch food from him.

Fang Min remained silent but later, unable to resist, mentioned to the political commissar, "Should we have another child?"

She felt that there were too few people in their home.

The political commissar shuddered at the thought. "Another Fanfan? That would be too much. This is fine."

Fang Min had only said it in passing, remembering how difficult it was when Fanfan was younger.

She turned over and said, "Forget it. Let's just sleep."

The political commissar tucked her in.

---

That night, Jiang Mingchuan and Ji Ling drank quite a bit. After a lively family dinner, Jiang Mingchuan mentioned that there was a movie screening at the military district, so they all went there to watch it.

The sky was completely dark after they finished watching the movie. As they walked back across the street, fireworks could be seen exploding in the sky from time to time, along with the sounds of firecrackers.

Liu Liu sat on her dad's shoulders, excitedly waving at the fireworks. "Look, look! There are more fireworks. Those are blue."

"That one is purple. It looks so pretty."

Jin Xiuzhu held Yanyan's hand as they walked beside each other. "I wonder if the packages sent to Aunt Fang, Aunt Qian, and Aunt Wang have arrived? If not, they might have gone bad."

Fu Yanyan looked up at the sky, her expression calm. "It's alright. We can send some more next time."

"There's nothing else we can do."

On the other side of Jiang Mingchuan, He Yan mischievously reached out to tug on Liu Liu's braid. Liu Liu noticed and angrily placed one hand on her dad's head while reaching out with the other to hit him.

Bai Jingzhi and Ji Ling, who were walking behind, couldn't help but laugh at the sight. However, beyond the amusement, there was also envy and anticipation.

Ji Ling whispered into Bai Jingzhi's ear. "Next year, we'll be a family of three."

Bai Jingzhi felt a tingle in her heart as she couldn't help but imagine the future scene of their family of three. It would probably be very warm and cozy.

If one day she became a mother, she would definitely love and care for her child. She wouldn't let them experience what she had gone through as a child.

Ji Ling also looked forward to that day. After serving in the military for so many years, it wasn't until he met Bai Jingzhi that he felt settled.

Bai Jingzhi and Ji Ling left on the third day of the new year. Bai Jingzhi had to return to work, and Ji Ling's vacation was almost over. He wanted to send Jingzhi back first. If possible, he also wanted to make a trip home to discuss some matters in person.

Jiang Mingchuan had to go back to his unit and couldn't see them off. Jin Xiuzhu took the children to the train station instead. She brought plenty of food, including dishes and pastries made by Jiang Mingchuan and herself over the past few days. Bai Jingzhi often skipped meals when she was busy with work. The weather was still cold, so the dishes would keep well and allow her to eat for a few days after returning.

Bai Jingzhi's eyes were slightly red when she boarded the train. She had received the affection she hadn't experienced as a child from her brother and sister-in-law in recent years, making her feel like a child again.

Ji Ling sat next to her with several bags, consoling her. "Don't worry, you'll be back during summer break."

Bai Jingzhi nodded.

They transferred to the neighboring provincial capital and then boarded another train bound for S City.

Halfway through the journey, Bai Jingzhi fell into a light sleep. When she woke up in the evening, Ji Ling helped her sit up to drink water. Suddenly, he leaned in and asked, "Do you know the person in the bunk opposite us? They keep looking at you secretly. Don't look directly; wait a bit before glancing over."

Upon hearing this, Bai Jingzhi instinctively wanted to look over, but remembering Ji Ling's words, she suppressed the urge. After drinking the water, she waited a moment before casually glancing over, only to meet the gaze of the woman observing her.

The woman had a slightly round face, fair skin, and wavy hair framing her cheeks.

Although she had changed significantly since the last time they met, Bai Jingzhi recognized her immediately. It was Zhao Yun, who used to live upstairs in the family building and was almost married to her brother. Her sister-in-law never denied the incident later, only saying that she had been forced into it. However, the situation was considered evened out when Zhao Yun lost her job due to a report from her sister-in-law.

Despite this, Bai Jingzhi didn't have a good impression of her. Regardless of the issue with her sister-in-law, just the fact that she abandoned her breastfeeding son and ran away with her daughter was something Bai Jingzhi couldn't understand.

Bai Jingzhi had seen Zhao Yun several times before, and her memories of her were from when she was pregnant—plump, with sallow skin and greasy hair.

She hadn't expected that after such a long time without seeing her, Zhao Yun would look much better now.

Zhao Yun knew Bai Jingzhu recognized her. She opened her mouth, wanting to ask how Chaoying was doing, but feared hearing bad news. After hesitating for a long time, she ultimately lacked the courage to ask.

Bai Jingzhi turned her head towards Ji Ling, and they started talking about other things.

During a stop, the man lying on the lower bunk opposite them got up, pulled out his luggage from under the bed, and called Zhao Yun, who was sleeping above.

Zhao Yun got down and left with the man. Just before disappearing, she couldn't resist turning to glance at Bai Jingzhi.

Bai Jingzhi was also looking at her.

After they left, Ji Ling asked who it was.

Bai Jingzhi explained the situation with Zhao Yun and concluded, "It's fortunate that my brother married my sister-in-law. I don't think I would be where I am now if it were her."

Perhaps she would still be living with her adoptive parents, or maybe she wouldn't even know her true identity.

After a moment of contemplation, Ji Ling rationally analyzed, "They boarded the train at noon and got off now. They booked a sleeper cabin, which suggests that the man has a high status and is relatively wealthy. When Zhao Yun came down, the man touched her waist, indicating they are quite close. Yet, they booked separate beds to avoid suspicion, suggesting their relationship cannot be revealed publicly..."

Both he and Bai Jingzhi earned decent salaries, but they only bought one bunk for their trip, thinking the duration wasn't too long and they could manage without sleeping. The other couple had an even shorter travel time but booked two bunks despite being close, especially in an ambiguous romantic way, which raised suspicions.

Bai Jingzhi hadn't thought much of it initially, but after hearing Ji Ling's analysis, she couldn't help but frown.

Furthermore, Zhao Yun's daughter was nowhere to be seen.

Considering all this, she shook her head. "Forget it. I won't bother with her. I'll write a letter to my sister-in-law and tell her about it. She'd be interested in this kind of thing."