Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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Tang Tang thought that Ji Yan was delayed by something at the military base, so she put the food in the pot to keep it warm and continued to wait for him. But she waited until nine o’clock, and Ji Xiaozhuo was almost starving, but he still hadn’t returned.
Ji Xiaozhuo, clutching his rumbling stomach, slowly writhed on the carpet, stretching out his little arms and weakly calling out to Tang Tang, “Mommy, why isn’t Daddy back yet? I’m starving!”
Wen Nuo, who ate dinner at the Ji family’s house every night, was also hungry, but unlike Ji Xiaozhuo, she didn’t cry out. She just sat quietly, clutching her stomach, looking even more pitiful than Ji Xiaozhuo.
Tang Tang was also extremely anxious, but seeing her two children so hungry broke her heart. She steeled herself and made a firm decision, “Daddy must have been held up by something. Let’s eat first, and save some food for him to eat when he gets back.”
Ji Xiaozhuo hesitated, clutching his stomach, then shook his head resolutely, “Mommy, let’s wait for Daddy. He might be back soon.”
Tang Tang picked up the two little ones and placed them on the dining table, bringing out the food. “It’s okay, Uncle Zhang Cheng across the corridor hasn’t come back either. Daddy and the others must have something to do. They’ll probably eat in the cafeteria tonight, so we can eat first.”
Hearing Tang Tang say this, the two little ones finally picked up their chopsticks, wolfing down their food, eating with even more relish than usual, clearly starving. Tang Tang was also hungry, but she couldn’t eat anything right now. The lack of news from Ji Yan made her uneasy.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Tang Tang was startled and immediately put down her chopsticks, running to the door. She opened it, expecting Ji Yan to return, but it wasn’t him; it was a young soldier she didn’t recognize.
The soldier saluted Tang Tang and explained, “Sister-in-law, I’m a soldier under Battalion Commander Ji. He asked me to inform you that he’s going on a mission and won’t be back for a while. He wants you to take good care of yourself and the child.”
“On a mission?” Tang Tang was a little confused. This was the first time she’d heard of Ji Yan being on a mission since she’d been here. He always left early and returned late; she’d assumed a soldier’s daily routine consisted only of training. So, hearing about a mission was a bit of a shock.
The young soldier explained to Tang Tang in detail, “Sister-in-law, the battalion commander also wanted to come back and tell you in person, but the mission was urgent. They’re busy with strategic deployment and didn’t even have time for dinner. They were just picked up by helicopter and don’t have time to come back, so they sent me to inform you.”
Tang Tang was very worried and repeatedly asked the young soldier, “Where did they go? Are they in danger? Did they say when they’d be back?”
The young soldier looked troubled. “I’m sorry, sister-in-law, this is a military secret and can’t be revealed to the outside world. I don’t know anything else; only those who went on the mission know.”
Tang Tang had no choice but to swallow the rest of her words and thank the young soldier with a smile.
After telling Tang Tang, the young soldier went to knock on Zhang Cheng’s door across the corridor. He knocked only once, and the door opened with a whoosh. Fang Yuwei asked the young soldier anxiously, “Where’s Zhang Cheng?”
The young soldier repeated what he had just told Tang Tang to Fang Yuwei. Fang Yuwei’s face was also full of worry, her brows furrowed even more tightly than Tang Tang’s. After the young soldier finished speaking, he quickly left, leaving only Tang Tang and Fang Yuwei facing each other at the door.
Since the cooking incident, Tang Tang had basically stopped interacting with Fang Yuwei. It seemed Fang Yuwei and her husband had argued about it later, though Tang Tang didn’t know the specifics. But ever since, Fang Yuwei wouldn’t even greet her when she saw her, so Tang Tang naturally wouldn’t bother trying to be friendly and acted as if she didn’t know her.
Fang Yuwei glanced at Tang Tang, said nothing, and turned to go inside. Tang Tang didn’t bother to argue and went back inside as well.
Seeing Tang Tang return, Ji Xiaozhuo immediately asked, “Mom, where did Dad go?”
Tang Tang suppressed her worry, smiled, and said in a relaxed tone, “Dad went on a mission, he’ll be back soon.”
Seeing Tang Tang smile, the two children stopped worrying and continued eating. Ji Xiaozhuo even comforted Tang Tang, “Mom, don’t worry, Dad often goes on missions, he’ll be back soon.”
Tang Tang nodded, hoping so.
After the three of them finished dinner, it was getting late. Usually, Ji Yan would carry Wen Nuo home at this time, but he wasn’t there today, so Tang Tang took Ji Xiaozhuo with her to take the little girl home. Wen Nuo’s house was about a ten-minute walk away. Tang Tang held one child’s hand in each hand, making her look like a mother with two children.
Tang Tang suddenly remembered her conversation with Ji Yan last night and realized that they didn’t need to wait for Ji Xiaozhuo to get married; they already had a daughter.
Did Ji Yan think the same way?
After walking for about fifteen minutes, Wen Nuo stopped in front of a door and pointed to her own door.
“Is this Nuo Nuo’s house?”
The little girl nodded but didn’t knock on the door; instead, she stood still.
Tang Tang had no choice but to knock herself, but there was no response after several knocks. Tang Tang was puzzled and pressed her ear against the door to listen. She vaguely heard a child’s voice, so someone must be home. She knocked several more times, and after a long while, someone finally opened the door.
The woman who opened the door was quite beautiful, with long curly hair, wearing a silk nightgown, and great skin. She was clearly a very fashionable and well-dressed woman; this must be Wen Nuo’s stepmother, Liu Zixuan.
Seeing the three people outside, Liu Zixuan smiled at Tang Tang, “You must be Battalion Commander Ji’s wife? I’m sorry, I was watching TV, and the volume was too loud for me to hear the knocking.”
Tang Tang smiled and shook her head, indicating it was alright. “We brought Nuo Nuo back.”
Liu Zixuan gestured for Tang Tang to come in, “Come in and sit down, have a cup of tea.”
Tang Tang waved her hand, declining, “No need, it’s getting late, we need to go home and sleep.”
Liu Zixuan didn’t insist, politely thanking her, “Thank you for your help. Wen Nuo is always bothering you at your house, she must have caused you a lot of trouble. Next time, her father and I will treat you. Please have a meal with our family.”
Tang Tang knew she was just being polite, so she replied politely, “No trouble at all. Nuo Nuo and Xiao Zhuo are good friends, and I’d love for her to come to my house more often. This girl is very well-behaved, so there’s no problem with it. No need for a meal.”
Just then, a child’s loud shout came from inside: “Mommy, where did you go! Come back and play with me!”
Liu Zixuan smiled apologetically, “The little boy in my house is so noisy, it’s a real headache. I won’t keep you any longer. Come visit sometime.”
Tang Tang nodded, patted Nuo Nuo’s head, and then took Ji Xiaozhuo home.
The little girl stood at the door, ignoring Liu Zixuan’s calls, watching Tang Tang and Ji Xiaozhuo go downstairs with pitiful eyes. Tang Tang felt guilty for abandoning her; if she weren’t someone else’s child, she would have taken the little girl home with her.
Tang Tang couldn’t help but glance back at Liu Zixuan, just in time to see the impatience in her eyes, and felt a little uncomfortable.
On the way home, Ji Xiaozhuo said sullenly, “Mom, I’ll tell you a secret. Actually, that auntie isn’t Nuo Nuo’s biological mother; she’s her stepmother!”
Tang Tang raised an eyebrow. “How did you know?” She hadn’t told the little guy about this; how did he know?
Ji Xiaozhuo snorted. “Nuo Nuo told me, of course.”
“Nuo Nuo told you?” Tang Tang was a little surprised. She had never heard Nuo Nuo speak before; she would just nod or shake her head when asked anything. How could she tell Ji Xiaozhuo about this?
“Yes, that auntie never takes Nuo Nuo to school or picks her up from school, and she doesn’t make breakfast for Nuo Nuo in the morning. So I was very suspicious and asked Nuo Nuo if she was her stepmother. Nuo Nuo nodded and said she was an auntie, not a mother.”
It seems that Nuo Nuo isn’t completely silent; she just only talks to Ji Xiaozhuo.
Ji Xiaozhuo still looked extremely unhappy. “Mommy, why is her stepmother so mean? Poor Nuo Nuo! She’s hungry every morning, doesn’t get any snacks, only has one toy car, and has never even been to an amusement park.”
Tang Tang pats the little one’s head and corrects her, “Not all stepmothers are bad. Some are really, really good. We can’t generalize.”
“But Nuo Nuo’s stepmother is definitely bad! Her father and stepmother sleep with her little brother, leaving her to sleep alone in a room. Nuo Nuo is always scared and cowers under the covers, afraid to come out.”
Tang Tang’s heart tightened. Imagining such a small girl sleeping alone in a room made her feel uneasy. Even she, with his strong constitution, didn’t feel comfortable letting Ji Xiaozhuo sleep alone; how could Nuo Nuo not be afraid? No wonder the little girl was reluctant to leave their house every night, always looking longingly at the door; she definitely wanted to stay.
Tang Tang felt a pang of guilt, but there was nothing she could do; she couldn’t interfere in other people’s family affairs.
Ji Xiaozhuo asked Tang Tang expectantly, “Mommy, can’t we really let Nuo Nuo sleep at our house? We can sleep with her so she won’t be afraid.”
Tang Tang shook her head helplessly, “No, unless Nuo Nuo’s dad agrees.”
Ji Xiaozhuo immediately deflated.
Tang Tang also felt sorry for Nuo Nuo. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly had a good idea, “Baby, how about this? Tomorrow, Mommy will make Nuo Nuo a cloth tiger so the tiger can sleep with her. Tigers are very fierce; if bad people come, they’ll be caught. So with the cloth tiger protecting Nuo Nuo, she won’t be afraid. What do you say?”
Ji Xiaozhuo’s eyes lit up; he thought this was a great idea. So he beckoned Tang Tang to lower her head, “Mommy, I have something to tell you.”
Tang Tang bent down, confused, and the little guy immediately gave her three big kisses on the cheek, “Mommy, you’re the best! I love you~”
“You little rascal!” Tang Tang’s heart warmed, and she smiled too.
The next morning, Tang Tang took out her needle and thread and began making a cloth tiger for the little girl. It was also a way to keep herself occupied and avoid constantly thinking about Ji Yan when she was idle.
The regimental commander’s wife came over for a visit. Seeing Tang Tang so focused on her craft, she breathed a sigh of relief. “I was worried you would be distracted, but it seems I was overthinking it.”
Tang Tang gestured for her to sit down. “Sister-in-law, there’s no use worrying. All I can do is live my life well and not let him worry about us.”
“That’s the right way to think. Don’t worry. They have many missions every year, big and small. Nothing will happen to them. Besides, they are the best of the best soldiers; they’re very strong. It’s not easy for anything to happen to them.”
Tang Tang felt a little more at ease hearing this.
To reassure Tang Tang, the regimental commander’s wife told her about their impressive abilities, “Let me tell you, Ji Yan and his buddies are incredibly capable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have become battalion commanders at such a young age. Those battalion commander positions are earned step by step through military merit. Take your Ji Yan, for example; the regimental commander admires him the most. His fighting skills alone are unmatched!”
Tang Tang became interested; this was the first time she’d heard about Ji Yan’s military exploits. She tugged at the regimental commander’s wife’s clothes, pleading, “Sister-in-law, tell me more about them, I want to hear.”
The regimental commander’s wife poked her forehead and teased her, “You, your eyes light up whenever you mention your Ji Yan, and everything else comes second. Do you like him that much?”
Tang Tang mumbled shyly, “That’s what I can do, I can’t stop you.”
The regimental commander’s wife laughed heartily, “You’re really shameless! Okay, okay, I’ll tell you more.”
“These battalion commanders are all formidable, but in terms of overall military skills, Ji Yan is undoubtedly the most outstanding. Whether it’s military strategy or personal ability, he’s top-notch. He’s basically number one in the annual military competitions.”
Tang Tang grinned, feeling incredibly proud. Her husband was truly amazing!
“However, Ji Yan doesn’t have the same connections as the others. He and Dong Li don’t have any family connections in the military; they have to rely on their own efforts. In comparison, Zhang Cheng and Nuo Nuo’s father have their fathers-in-law as powerful backers. Although this place values strength and merit, when it comes to promotions or job transfers, things can change.” What the regimental commander’s wife didn’t say was that, given Ji Yan’s military achievements, he shouldn’t still be a battalion commander if things were fair.
Tang Tang pursed her lips, involuntarily recalling Grandpa Ji she had seen at Grandma Zhuo’s birthday banquet. Grandpa Ji clearly belonged to a high-ranking position; he possessed the aura of a soldier. Gu Yanran had also mentioned that the Ji family was a military family, and their status in the military seemed quite high. Yet, no one here knew this, indicating that Ji Yan had never mentioned the Ji family, nor had he ever relied on them; everything he had was earned through his own hard work.
Tang Tang didn’t tell the regimental commander’s wife about the Ji family. Since Ji Yan didn’t want to talk about it, she would always support him.
The regimental commander’s wife also didn’t want to discuss military matters too much, given the complexities involved. She only talked for a short while before moving on to help Tang Tang make a cloth tiger.
With her help, Tang Tang finished quickly, completing it in half a day. The cloth tiger was about the same size as Wen Nuo, just the right size for a child to hug. Holding it while sleeping would feel like having a little friend to keep her company, preventing her from being afraid.
“Tang Tang, you’re so thoughtful. You treat that girl like your own mother. Some mothers don’t even care about her as much as you do,” the regimental commander’s wife said, growing increasingly fond of Tang Tang, admiring her kindness and sincerity.
Tang Tang smiled, “That girl catches my eye, I like her very much. She and Xiao Zhuo are so close, which means she’s destined for our family. She doesn’t have a mother to love her, so I’ll treat her like my own mother and love her even more.”
“That little girl is lucky to have met your family.” There are so many pitiful people in the world, but not everyone is lucky enough to meet a benefactor. It’s hard to say before, but from now on, Nuo Nuo’s fate won’t be too bad.
The regimental commander’s wife suddenly laughed as she spoke, pointing to herself, “Not to mention Nuo Nuo, I’m lucky to have met you. Not only can I often eat your delicious cooking, but I can also chat, eat, and do things with you every day. Otherwise, I’d be so worried about my hair turning white by myself at home.” She had a good relationship with the other military wives, but they weren’t close confidantes until Tang Tang came along. Only then did she have someone she could truly confide in.
Tang Tang looked at the regimental commander’s wife and asked curiously, “Sister-in-law, have you always stayed at home like me before?”
“No, not at all,” the regimental commander’s wife shook her head. “I used to run a clothing business back home, but it became inconvenient after I came here to join the army. Now, I have to take care of Wen Wen’s college entrance exams, so I can’t go out to find work. Even if I’m bored, I have to endure it. You have no idea how anxious I was in the first two years after I came here that I even turned a lot of gray hair. I wish I had your patience.”
Tang Tang quickly said, “I’m bored too. I get really bored during the day when my baby and his dad aren’t home. I can only do housework and some needlework to pass the time. I just hope they come back soon.” It’s just that she’s lived this kind of life since she was a child, so she’s more used to it.
“Sigh, if you ask me, we women should always do something for ourselves. Not to make money, but at least to avoid feeling bored and wasting our lives.”
Tang Tang agreed with what the group leader’s wife said. She thought of Ji Yue, who had her own career and was busy and fulfilled every day. Although she was used to staying at home, she actually admired and envied women like Ji Yue. However, she could never be like Ji Yue.
Tang Tang sighed dejectedly, “Besides cooking and sewing, I can’t do anything else. I can’t find a job outside, and Xiao Zhuo is so young. If I go out to find work, I won’t be able to take care of them.” Compared to her own exciting life, her husband and son were the most important.
“That’s true,” the regimental commander’s wife understood. She herself was trapped in the same situation.
Tang Tang couldn’t help but think that it would be great if she could work from home, so she would have something to do and could also take care of her husband and child.
Hearing Tang Tang say this, the regimental commander’s wife suddenly froze, looked at the needle and thread in Tang Tang’s hand, and suddenly slapped her thigh, “Tang Tang, you can totally do it! This is a ready-made skill!”
The author has something to say:
Ji Yan: “Sent me on a mission on the second day after our wedding night! I haven’t even been able to use the positions I planned! Author, come out here, I promise I won’t kill you.”
The author trembled under the pot lid, “You can keep it for now, accumulate it for later.”
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