Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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Unable to bear seeing the little guy looking so guilty, Tang Tang patted his head and asked, “Baby, what did you want to ask Mommy about?”
“Ah!” Ji Xiaozhuo’s interrupted train of thought resumed, and he became excited again, saying, “Mommy, Mommy, I have good news! Daddy’s taking us to where he works!”
“What?” Tang Tang looked at Ji Yan incredulously. “Honey, you’re taking us with you to the military base?”
Ji Yan nodded. “Aunt Li isn’t coming. I’m worried about leaving you and the baby at home. My rank is high enough to apply for military dependents. There’s a kindergarten in the military family area; Xiao Zhuo can go there, but…”
“But what?”
Ji Yan looked at Tang Tang with uncertainty. “Are you willing to come with me? I have training during the day, and Xiao Zhuo can’t be home alone. You need to go with him—”
Before Ji Yan could finish, Tang Tang interrupted him, “Honey, I’m willing to go!”
Ji Yan’s words caught in his throat. He hadn’t expected her to agree so easily. He had thought it would be a long and complicated process, and he had even thought of many reasons. Little did he know it wouldn’t be needed at all.
Tang Tang realized she’d been too eager after speaking, so she blushed slightly, and shyly tucked her hair behind her ear, saying, “Baby wants to go with you. I… I’ll take care of Baby, so you can focus on your work.”
Ji Yan paused, then hummed in agreement.
“Then Daddy, when are we leaving?” Ji Xiaozhuo asked excitedly. He’d initially been reluctant to let his father go, but after learning he could go with him, he was looking forward to it. He’d heard there were guns and tanks at his father’s workplace; he wondered if he could see them there, hehe.
“Daddy can’t take you this time. Daddy needs to go back and apply first, then only can I pick you and Mommy up. So, you and Mommy should wait for Daddy at home for a while, okay?”
Although a little disappointed that he couldn’t go back with his father immediately, Ji Xiaozhuo nodded understandingly, “Okay, then Daddy, you have to come back to pick us up soon.”
“Okay, Daddy will do it as soon as possible.”
Tang Tang secretly smiled. Knowing they would be together soon, Tang Tang and the little one felt no sadness at parting. The next day, they played to their hearts’ content at the amusement park, almost going crazy with fun. Even Tang Tang, who was disabled, played on many rides. Although they attracted a lot of attention, the mother and son were still very happy.
In the evening, Ji Yan’s vacation came to a complete end, and he had to return to his unit. However, the expected tearful scene did not occur. Ji Xiaozhuo just waved happily to him, “Daddy, go back now, remember to come back early to pick me and Mommy up!”
Ji Yan chuckled, ruffled his hair, and then, after thinking for a moment, instructed Tang Tang, “If you two are home alone and can’t find me in an emergency, you can contact Zhuo Ji or Chang’an. Don’t worry about bothering them.” Tang Tang nodded.
“You two should be careful when you go out. Don’t take random rides, and don’t go to crowded places. You can’t keep an eye on Ji Xiaozhuo by yourself.”
“Okay!” Tang Tang nodded again.
“Control Ji Xiaozhuo’s diet. Don’t let him eat too much at night, and definitely no ice cream. He can’t get any fatter, or he’ll be seriously overweight, which is bad for his health.” This was Ji Yan’s biggest concern.
Tang Tang felt a little embarrassed but nodded reluctantly, “Okay, okay.”
Ji Xiaozhuo was dissatisfied and grabbed Ji Yan’s trouser leg, complaining, “Dad, I’m not fat at all! I’m very handsome!”
Ji Yan mercilessly retorted, “Then who bumped into Mom and made her fall?”
Ji Xiaozhuo immediately lowered his head, pointing his two little fingers guiltily. Tang Tang felt utterly helpless.
Having successfully dealt with Ji Xiaozhuo, Ji Yan finally took out a box and handed it to Tang Tang, “Take this. Contact me if anything happens. My phone number is inside.”
Tang Tang took it, puzzled, and saw that it was a cell phone!
“You…you bought me a cell phone?”
“It’s inconvenient to contact people without a phone. Call me if anything happens. Gu Chang’an and the others’ numbers are in there too.”
“I…I…” Tang Tang was both surprised and flustered, not knowing what to say. How could he be so kind? She didn’t know how to repay him. Ji Yan didn’t expect Tang Tang to say anything and simply picked up his luggage and headed for the door.
Seeing this, Tang Tang grabbed him immediately, “Wait, wait, I have something to take for you.”
After saying that, she hurriedly ran into the kitchen and brought out two jars of sauce and a large bag of dried meat that she had made, handing them to Ji Yan. “Here, this is the meat sauce, beef sauce, and rice sauce I made for you. You can eat it with your rice, it will make you eat better. But this jar is too big, so I prepared a small jar for you. You can put a little bit in it and take it with you, it’s very convenient. Also, this is dried meat, it’s very filling. Eat some when you’re hungry, and I’ll make you more after you finish eating.”
“You…” Ji Yan didn’t expect that she had made the sauce specifically for him, afraid that he wouldn’t eat well, afraid that he would go hungry. No one had ever considered these things before when he left, but now… Ji Yan felt a mix of emotions and silently accepted the food. “Thank you.”
Tang Tang smiled sheepishly, “You’re welcome, it’s what I should do. Remember to tell me when you’re done eating, don’t be stingy.”
“Okay.” Ji Yan picked up the food, bringing it back to the army base for the first time in his life. Tang Tang had no idea how much of a sensation this food would cause.
Ji Yan brought a small jar of sauce to the cafeteria for lunch on the second day. He had initially thought the cafeteria food was quite good, but after eating Tang Tang’s cooking for a few days, he suddenly found it hard to swallow. Luckily, Tang Tang had made him some sauce.
Even though he knew Tang Tang’s sauce would be excellent, Ji Yan was still amazed by the first bite. His taste buds were instantly stimulated; the flavor was incomparable to those canned sauces sold in supermarkets. Ji Yan suddenly felt that he could eat three large bowls of rice with just the sauce, without any other dishes.
Dong Li brought over his rice tray and immediately noticed a jar of unidentifiable sauce on Ji Yan’s table. Curious, he picked it up and examined it. “Hey Lao Ji, where did you get this sauce? What kind of sauce is this? Why isn’t it packaged?”
As he spoke, Dong Li casually picked up a spoonful of sauce from the small jar and put it in his rice bowl. As he took a bite…
“Holy crap— what sauce is this? It’s so delicious! Lao Ji, where did you get this?” Dong Li exclaimed excitedly, quickly picking up more sauce with his chopsticks, unable to stop.
Seeing that Dong Li had almost finished the small jar, Ji Yan quickly snatched it back. “Don’t finish it all!”
Dong Li glared at him. “Lao Ji, you’re not that stingy, are you? You won’t even give me this little bit of sauce? Give it back, this sauce is so delicious!”
Ji Yan didn’t mind being called stingy at all; even if he didn’t get some, he wouldn’t have enough for himself.
The commotion caught the attention of Zhang Cheng, the captain of the Third Brigade, who also came over with his food tray and sat down. “What are you two doing?”
Dong Li pointed at Ji Yan and complained, “Lao Ji got some sauce from somewhere that’s really delicious, but he’s so stingy he won’t let me have any.”
Zhang Cheng looked at the sauce in Ji Yan’s hand and wanted to try it too. “Lao Ji, can I have some? I want to try it and see what kind of sauce is so delicious.”
Ji Yan knew that with these two hungry wolves watching him, there was no way he could have peace and quiet today, so he had no choice but to reluctantly put the jar out. Oh well, he had plenty more anyway.
Zhang Cheng picked up a little with his chopsticks, and after eating it, his eyes lit up. He quickly shoveled the sauce onto his plate like a bandit. “Wow, what kind of sauce is this? It’s not store-bought, is it?”
Dong Li followed suit, grabbing the sauce while asking, “Lao Ji, tell me the truth, where did this come from?”
Ji Yan calmly ate his meal. “Xiao Zhuo’s mom made it.”
“Pfft— then cough cough—” Dong Li suddenly spat out a mouthful of rice, choking on it. He coughed and asked incredulously, “What did you say? Xiao Zhuo’s mom made it? You’re not kidding me, are you?”
Ji Yan ignored him.
“It really is?” Dong Li was so shocked that he forgot to eat. “I say, Lao Ji, what happened? How did Xiao Zhuo’s mom know how to make this? Isn’t she only good at—” He silently swallowed the word “drinking” under Ji Yan’s gaze.
Zhang Cheng, not knowing much about Ji Yan’s family, chuckled and said, “Wow, your wife is so virtuous! Her cooking is amazing. Lao Ji, you’re so lucky! Unlike my wife, she’s too lazy to even step into the kitchen.”
Ji Yan didn’t reply, and Dong Li, suppressing his curiosity, finished his meal and followed Ji Yan back to his dormitory.
As soon as they entered, Dong Li slammed the door shut and impatiently asked, “Lao Ji, what happened? I have a feeling something big has happened!”
Ji Yan took a sip of water and didn’t hide anything, saying, “A while ago, Xiao Zhuo’s mother was in a car accident. After waking up, she suffered from amnesia, and her personality changed drastically. Now she’s incredibly kind to Xiao Zhuo, and to me too…”
“Really? Amnesia? Is this a TV drama? Is she playing some kind of trick?” How could that woman possibly be kind to Xiao Zhuo?
Ji Yan shook her head. “It’s not fake, she really has amnesia.”
Since Ji Yan said so, then it must be true that she has amnesia. Dong Li was still confused. “This kind of thing is like something out of a TV drama. I didn’t expect it to actually happen. So, according to you, she’s better now?”
Ji Yan nodded.
Dong Li couldn’t figure it out either, but it was all the better if Xiao Zhuo’s mother had become better. It was good for both Xiao Zhuo and Ji Yan. Children still needed their mother’s love.
Dong Li patted Ji Yan’s shoulder. “That’s a good thing. In that case, you don’t have to worry about Xiao Zhuo anymore. Xiao Zhuo should be happy.”
Ji Yan thought of how lively the little one was now and had to admit that Tang Tang’s change was incredibly good for Xiao Zhuo.
“I plan to apply for military dependents and bring Xiao Zhuo and her over.”
“Huh?” Dong Li was shocked again. He had mentioned it several times before but hadn’t considered bringing Xiao Zhuo over. Why was he bringing him over this time?
Ji Yan proactively explained, “Aunt Li has some family matters to attend to and won’t be able to take care of Xiao Zhuo anymore. I’m worried about leaving just the two of them at home, and Xiao Zhuo also wants to come over.”
Dong Li frowned, asking uncertainly, “Can she take good care of Xiao Zhuo? Even though we live together, you won’t have time to take care of Xiao Zhuo yourself.”
Ji Yan was silent for a moment before replying, “She should be able to.”
Since Ji Yan was certain, Dong Li could only wish his friend well, hoping things would take a turn for the better. Just then, Dong Li noticed two large jars and a bag of something unidentifiable on Ji Yan’s table. Remembering the sauce they had for lunch, Dong Li’s eyes lit up, and he rushed over to open the bags. Instantly, a rich aroma of sauce filled the room. Ji Yan tried to stop him, but it was too late.
“Holy crap! So much sauce, and two different flavors! Oh my god, there’s even dried meat!” Dong Li pulled out a piece of dried meat and stuffed it into his mouth, instantly captivated. “This jerky is so delicious! Did Xiao Zhuo’s mom make this too?”
Ji Yan nodded, his eyes constantly on Dong Li, who was probably up to no good.
Sure enough, Dong Li said, “So Xiao Zhuo’s mom has this skill. I underestimated her before,” then quickly grabbed one of the jars and ran towards the door. Ji Yan rushed forward and tackled him from behind, throwing Dong Li to the ground and deftly retrieving the jar of sauce.
Dong Li landed sprawled on his back, feeling like his bones were about to break. “Lao Ji, how could you be so cruel? It’s just a jar of sauce, is it really that big of a deal?!”
“It is.” Ji Yan simply put all the food away in the cupboard and locked it, taking thorough precautions.
Dong Li stared in disbelief, “Holy crap, Lao Ji, I never thought you were this kind of person! You’d kill your own brother for a little food, do you have any humanity?”
Ji Yan calmly pretended not to hear. He would have to survive on this food from now on; if it was taken away, he probably wouldn’t be able to eat.
In the end, Dong Li, who still couldn’t get any, completely gave up. He sat in his chair and said resentfully, “Fine, you’re ruthless. You won’t give me any, huh? I’ll wait. After Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Zhuo’s mom come over, your family should host a party, right? Then I’ll naturally get to eat.”
Ji Yan remained silent, but began to consider whether he should invite some people over for a meal. There was such a custom in the army: hosting a housewarming party in a new home. But he wondered if she would find it troublesome.
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