Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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After a hearty meal, everyone except Ji Yan reeked of alcohol; everyone had thoroughly enjoyed themselves that night.
The group leader’s wife said to the group, “Everyone, please sit on the sofa for a while. I’ll make you some tea to sober up, so you won’t smell of alcohol tonight.”
Tang Tang helped Ji Yan sit on the sofa, unable to resist touching his burning hot hand, and asked him worriedly, “Honey, are you alright?”
Ji Yan’s face was flushed, and his eyes, usually clear, seemed to be clouded with a mist. He looked at Tang Tang for a while before slowly shaking his head, “I’m fine.”
Tang Tang pursed her lips, worried that he might feel nauseous. Thinking that there would be no kitchen available when they got back, she decided to make him some hangover soup. She went into the kitchen and said to the group leader’s wife, who was making tea, “Sister-in-law, I want to make some hangover soup for them. Xiao Zhuo’s dad drank too much tonight, and I’m afraid he’ll throw up later. There’s no kitchen to make it for him when we get back.”
The group leader’s wife nodded understandingly, “Ji Yan drank way too much tonight; he’ll most likely throw up when he gets back. It’s better to make him some hangover soup. You can cook here, and let the others have some too.”
Tang Tang took some vegetables out of the refrigerator, quickly cooked a pot of hangover soup, ladled out several bowls, and carried them out on a tray to the coffee table in the living room. She gave one bowl to the person sitting on the sofa, saying, “This is hangover soup.”
Fang Yuwei, standing next to Zhang Cheng, said, “Sister-in-law Yuwei, give Zhang Cheng some hangover soup. It’ll make his stomach feel better.”
Fang Yuwei smiled and thanked Tang Tang, “Thank you so much, thank you for your trouble.”
Then, she handed the hangover soup to Zhang Cheng, subtly pinching his waist and whispering a threat, “Drink some to sober up. You reek of alcohol. If you dare vomit on the floor tonight, you’ll be sleeping outside.”
Zhang Cheng hissed and gasped from the pinch, begging for mercy. Remembering the humiliation of being kicked out of the room, he quickly picked up the hangover soup and gulped it down, not even caring about the heat.
Tang Tang watched in amazement, thinking Fang Yuwei was really good at managing her husband, quite impressive. However, this was a matter between husband and wife, and she shouldn’t watch too much. She then brought Dong Li a bowl.
“Thank you, sister-in-law,”
Dong Li sincerely thanked her, the “sister-in-law” coming from the heart. His impression of Tang Tang had truly changed. Regardless of what happened before, she was indeed quite good now and worthy of his respect.
Tang Tang waved her hand to indicate that he was welcome, picked up the last bowl of hangover soup, and sat down next to Ji Yan. Seeing him leaning against the sofa with his eyes closed, she shook his arm worriedly, “Husband, husband.”
Ji Yan slowly opened his eyes and looked at her, his eyes reddening.
Tang Tang scooped a spoonful of soup and fed it to him, coaxing him softly, “Husband, drink some hangover soup, and we’ll go back to rest after you finish.”
Ji Yan was truly drunk, his head spinning. Normally, he would have definitely brought the soup to himself, but this time he only instinctively opened his mouth, swallowed the soup at the edge of his lips, and then obediently continued swallowing when Tang Tang offered him the next spoonful.
Tang Tang thought Ji Yan’s drinking manners were truly excellent; even when drunk, he didn’t make a fuss, remaining quiet and not acting crazy at all. People say that one’s drinking manners reflect one’s character, and now it seemed that was indeed true.
After feeding him a bowl of soup, Tang Tang didn’t linger and said goodbye to the regimental commander and his family.
Dong Li hadn’t drunk too much tonight and was relatively sober. Knowing that Tang Tang’s family couldn’t sleep at home that night, he offered to take them to the military guesthouse and book a room for the family of three. Tang Tang didn’t say anything; Ji Yan was drunk tonight, and she didn’t feel comfortable leaving him alone.
Dong Li helped Ji Yan to bed. Seeing that everything was alright, he said goodbye to Tang Tang, “Sister-in-law, I’m going back now. Call me anytime if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Dong Li. It’s getting late, you should go back and rest.”
Ji Xiaozhuo waved his little hand at Dong Li, speaking earnestly like a little adult, “Uncle, you should go back now. Don’t worry, Mom and I will take good care of Dad.”
Dong Li vigorously ruffled the little guy’s short hair, “Okay, then Uncle’s leaving. Dad is in your care now.”
After Dong Li left, Tang Tang took off Ji Yan’s shoes, straightened his legs, and looked at the clothes he was wearing. She was immediately troubled, unsure whether she should let him sleep in his slightly dirty training uniform. Her husband usually kept himself quite clean; would he be uncomfortable sleeping like that? But if she took them off, she felt embarrassed to do it, and besides, there were no clean clothes for him. Was she supposed to let him sleep naked? What would he think of her when he woke up? After all, they weren’t really that intimate a couple.
Tang Tang blushed with a conflicted expression.
Ji Xiaozhuo tugged at Tang Tang’s hand, tilted his little face up, and asked her, “Mommy, what’s wrong? Why are you staring at Daddy without moving?”
Tang Tang felt awkward, bit her lip, and finally decided not to take off Ji Yan’s clothes. She would just have to make him suffer for one night.
Tang Tang first took Ji Xiaozhuo to the bathroom to take a shower, then laid him down in the middle of the bed and told him, “Baby, Daddy’s drunk. Take good care of him for a while. Mommy’s going to take a shower, okay?” Ji Xiaozhuo patted his chest and assured her, “Mommy, don’t worry, go take a shower. I’ll take good care of Daddy.”
Tang Tang saw that Ji Yan was sleeping soundly and guessed that he wouldn’t have any trouble for a while, so she took some clean clothes to the bathroom to shower. After showering, she washed the clothes she and Ji Xiaozhuo had changed out of and hung them to dry in the bathroom. When she came out, she thought that Ji Xiaozhuo might have fallen asleep after so long, but the little guy was still looking at his father with his big eyes open, his little hands gently patting his father’s chest, as if he was coaxing his father to sleep.
Tang Tang’s heart softened, and she leaned in to give him a light kiss. “Okay, baby, Mommy will take care of Daddy. You should go to sleep.”
The little guy was clearly sleepy, but he stubbornly kept his eyes wide open and shook his head. “Mommy, I’m not sleepy. I’ll stay with you and take care of Daddy. Mommy is tired by herself.”
Tang Tang knew he was a sensible child, so she didn’t insist. She just rubbed his little head. “Okay, you can take care of Daddy with Mommy, but as long as you hold Daddy’s hand, Daddy will sleep better.”
Upon hearing this, the little guy immediately grabbed Ji Yan’s big hand and held it tightly.
Tang Tang fetched a basin of warm water from the bathroom, soaked and wrung out a clean towel she had brought, and gently wiped Ji Yan’s face. Wiping his face would make him sleep more comfortably.
As she wiped him, Tang Tang unconsciously shifted her attention to the features she was touching: thick, sword-like eyebrows, long, narrow eyes, curled eyelashes, a high, straight nose, thin lips, a resolute chin, and sharp angles— every feature exuded a fierce intensity, making him someone you wouldn’t dare underestimate even when asleep.
He was a man who was sharp yet incredibly reassuring.
Tang Tang had lived two lives without ever having come in contact with a man outside her family. She had imagined what kind of man she would marry, but no matter how much she thought about it, she never had a concrete image in her mind. It all felt unreal and awkward.
It wasn’t until she came here and saw Ji Yan that a concrete image of her “husband” appeared in her mind. He was her husband, her lifelong support, and no one else could compare.
She felt no awkwardness or repulsion at the fact that Ji Yan was her husband, and she didn’t feel out of place at all because he was from a different era. She herself didn’t know why.
Although Tang Tang had little experience with love and was emotionally naive, she wasn’t a complete fool. Having read many romance novels, she wasn’t naive enough to believe that the feelings she had for Ji Yan, feelings she couldn’t control, were normal. While she hadn’t dared to admit it directly, she couldn’t lie to herself: she liked him, secretly liked him, liked her current husband.
However, she also knew he didn’t like her; at best, he didn’t dislike her.
But she would try her best to be a good wife so that he would like her too.
Perhaps feeling the towel on his face for too long, Ji Yan gently opened his eyes and looked at Tang Tang.
Tang Tang paused, a wave of guilt washing over her. She tentatively called out, “Husband? Are you awake?”
Ji Yan didn’t answer, still staring at Tang Tang.
Tang Tang bit her lip and slowly wiped his neck. Seeing that he remained motionless, letting her do as she pleased, she breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he was indeed drunk.
Tang Tang dared not let her mind wander any further. She focused intently on wiping his face and neck, then carefully cleaned his hands and wrists. Next, she changed the water and towels, took off Ji Yan’s socks, and gently wiped his feet.
Ji Yan blinked, then closed his eyes again, silently falling asleep once more.
Ji Yan’s feet were completely different from hers. His feet seemed twice the size of hers, and they were hard all over, with thick calluses on the soles and many scars on the tops of his feet— clearly, they had been badly injured.
Tang Tang felt a pang of heartache. Touching the scars, she thought to herself that even his feet were injured; she wondered how many more injuries he had on his body.
Men who protect their country work incredibly hard; their bodies must not be as healthy as they appear. It seemed she should prepare more medicinal foot baths for him to expel the hidden injuries within.
Ji Xiaozhuo watched with wide eyes as his mother carefully wiped his father’s big feet, as if she were cleaning some precious treasure. Confused, he blinked and suddenly asked, “Mommy, do Daddy’s feet smell?”
Tang Tang was momentarily stunned by the little guy’s nonsensical question, then asked him with a wry smile, “Why are you asking that?”
Ji Xiaozhuo lifted one of his chubby little legs, laboriously brought his little foot to his nose, and smelled it. Satisfied that he didn’t smell anything, he replied, “Usually when my feet smell, I don’t even want to touch them. I only dare to touch them after they’re clean.”
Ji Xiaozhuo was a child with obsessive-compulsive disorder; he even disliked his own smelly feet.
Tang Tang was amused by the little guy and, suppressing her laughter, said, “Then smell Daddy’s feet to see if they smell.”
Ji Xiaozhuo hesitated for a moment, then finally got up, went to his dad’s feet, stuck out his chubby bottom, and took a deep sniff. The next second, he immediately covered his nose, his little brows furrowed, and he quickly retreated, looking at Tang Tang with a pitiful expression, “Mommy, Daddy’s feet smell.”
“Pfft—” Tang Tang couldn’t help but laugh. She thought this little guy’s germaphobia was really something else. Even his own father was disliked. If his father were awake right now, she wondered if he would feel heartbroken.
Actually, Ji Yan’s feet weren’t that smelly, but they couldn’t possibly smell good either. Soldiers were in constant motion and had such a high training volume. Moreover, Ji Yan was a special forces soldier. The intensity of his training was unimaginable for ordinary people. His feet must sweat a lot every day. It would be strange if his feet didn’t smell.
Tang Tang explained to the little guy, “Daddy has to train, and he sweats a lot every day, so of course his feet smell a bit. It’s normal. They won’t smell anymore after he washes them. Mommy will wipe Daddy’s feet a few more times.”
Ji Xiaozhuo lowered his hand from his nose and said to Tang Tang, “Mommy, you don’t mind that Daddy smells bad.”
Tang Tang changed the water again and continued to wipe Ji Yan’s feet, saying to the little guy as she did, “Because Daddy is Mommy’s husband. A wife certainly wouldn’t mind her husband, just like Mommy doesn’t mind you, baby. Even if your feet smell bad, Mommy will still touch them, right?” Ji Xiaozhuo remembered how his mother washed his smelly feet and suddenly felt that his mother was really great. So he quickly climbed to the bedside and gave Tang Tang a kiss, “Mommy, I love you.”
Tang Tang was overjoyed by his kiss and kissed his forehead in return. “Okay, go lie down obediently. Mommy will be done soon.”
Ji Xiaozhuo nodded, obediently climbed back into bed, and held his father’s hand again.
Tang Tang wiped Ji Yan clean several more times until he was spotless and odorless before lying down on Ji Xiaozhuo’s other side. She turned off the main light, leaving only a bedside lamp on so Ji Yan and Ji Xiaozhuo could get up to use the bathroom at night.
Ji Xiaozhuo quickly fell asleep with Tang Tang’s gentle pats, and she herself, exhausted from a long day, also soon drifted off to sleep. The only light in the room illuminated the sleeping faces of the family of three, creating a tranquil and warm atmosphere.
….
At six o’clock in the morning, Ji Yan’s biological clock woke him up on time. He felt a momentary dizziness, but after a few minutes, he gradually remembered what had happened the night before, realizing he had drunk too much. He rubbed his temples and slowly sat up in bed.
Ji Yan turned to look at Ji Xiaozhuo and Tang Tang sleeping beside him. The mother and son were sleeping soundly together, their breathing even synchronized.
Ji Yan’s gaze swept across Ji Xiaozhuo’s face, finally settling on Tang Tang’s. Remembering what she had done while drunk the previous night, a rare hint of unease flashed across his face.
He lowered his head in silence for a moment, then quietly got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. Without disturbing the mother and son, he left quietly, but before leaving, he left a message for Tang Tang on his phone and slipped a bank card into her bag.
Tang Tang was awakened by a knock on the door. Opening her eyes, she saw it was almost nine o’clock and sat bolt upright in fright. Without thinking, she quickly hopped to open the door. Outside were the regimental commander’s wife and Wen Wen.
“Tang Tang, you’re still not up? We’re going to buy furniture today, we can’t be late.”
Tang Tang quickly ushered the two in. “Sorry, sister-in-law, I overslept. I’ll get up now, I’ll be done soon.”
The regimental commander’s wife saw Ji Xiaozhuo still fast asleep and went to the bedside, saying, “Go wash up and pack your things, I’ll dress Xiao Zhuo, that’ll be faster.”
Tang Tang didn’t stand on ceremony, handed Ji Xiaozhuo to the regimental commander’s wife, went to the bathroom to get herself ready, and then packed everything she needed for the city trip. By this time, Ji Xiaozhuo had also been dressed by the regimental commander’s wife, and the group hurried downstairs to catch a military vehicle heading to the city.
It took more than two hours to drive from the military base to the city, and Tang Tang finally had time to check the message Ji Yan had left for her on her phone. After reading it, she took out the bank card from her bag, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.
Once in the city, the regimental commander’s wife took Tang Tang directly to the furniture store, letting Tang Tang take her time to choose.
Tang Tang knew that the military-owned house would be their permanent home, so she didn’t want it to be haphazard. She wanted to decorate it nicely and create a warm and inviting space. Some time ago, she had consulted Ji Yue about home decorating, and Ji Yue sent her a bunch of pictures for reference. After studying them for a while, she had an idea of what kind of furniture and appliances to buy, so she made her selections quickly and smoothly. Plus, they offered delivery, which delighted Tang Tang. However, the only thing that upset her was paying over 50,000 yuan at once, which pained her deeply.
Next, she bought pots, pans, and other household items, spending another large sum, making Tang Tang’s expression even more distressed.
Seeing her pained expression, the regimental commander’s wife chuckled. “That’s how it is when you buy furniture. What you bought was a mid-range price, don’t feel bad about it.”
Tang Tang pouted. “Sister-in-law, Ji Yan and the others don’t earn much money a month while they’re in the army. It hurts me to think about spending so much of their hard-earned money all at once.”
The regimental commander’s wife patted her hand understandingly. “Yes, it’s hard for them as soldiers, they don’t earn much a month. We should be more considerate of them and save money where we can, we can’t spend it recklessly.”
Tang Tang wholeheartedly agreed.
Wen Wen sighed as she listened, shaking her mother’s clothes. “Mom, I feel like you’re saying that on purpose for me. You’re not going to back out and not buy me clothes, are you? That won’t do! You can’t go back on your word.”
The group leader’s wife angrily poked Wen Wen’s forehead. “You brat. Who said I wouldn’t buy you clothes?”
Wen Wen giggled and immediately pulled the group leader’s wife’s hand, dragging her into the clothing store. “Okay, let’s go buy clothes!”
So, Tang Tang, along with Ji Xiaozhuo, followed her into the clothing store.
This was Tang Tang’s first time shopping in a clothing store. The clothes she was wearing were all left behind by the original owner, but most of the clothes in the original owner’s wardrobe were quite revealing, and she didn’t want to wear them at all. She had finally found two sets of long-sleeved shirts and pants, and had been wearing those two sets, changing them over and over, without ever thinking of going shopping. So, Tang Tang simply sat on the sofa in the store with Ji Xiaozhuo in her arms, waiting for Wen Wen and the group leader’s wife to choose.
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