“Who is this little bean?”
Huo Jingyuan pushed the door open and walked straight into the living room, his deep and steady voice carrying a hint of authority.
The little monkey, startled by Huo Jingyuan’s voice, stood up from the soft sofa. Looking at the man who was even taller than his own father, he pouted his lips.
Tears immediately welled up in his eyes.
“Why are you crying?”
Huo Jingyuan frowned. He had been taught since childhood that a real man should not shed tears easily. Yet, this little bean started crying just from a single glance from him.
Too weak!
Wen Ci, who had been washing vegetables in the kitchen, heard Huo Jingyuan’s voice and walked out with her hands still wet. “Don’t scare Xiao Pihou.”
“Who’s this Xiao Pihou?”
“Sister Jing’s son.”
As she spoke, Wen Ci slowly walked over to Huo Jingyuan and helped him put on an apron. Her red lips curved into a smile as she looked at him with a grin: “I’ve already washed the vegetables. Now it’s your turn to cook.”
Her cooking skills could be described as heart-stopping with every bite. She didn’t mind eating her own cooking, but now there was a child in the house.
“Me? Cooking?”
“Who else?” Wen Ci tilted her head.
Huo Jingyuan’s eyes softened with a smile. He reached out and pinched her soft cheek, his face showing a mix of helplessness and adoration as he gently coaxed, “Whatever my wife says goes.”
Wen Ci blushed: “The child is still here.”
Once Huo Jingyuan entered the kitchen, Wen Ci sat down next to Xiao Pihou. Seeing him still standing there dumbfounded, she asked, “Why are you still standing?”
“Scary.”
“Who’s scary?”
Xiao Pihou pointed at Huo Jingyuan and leaned closer to Wen Ci, whispering, “That uncle looks so scary, even scarier than my dad. I’m scared.”
“Scary?”
Wen Ci burst into laughter as if she had heard the funniest joke.
In her eyes, Huo Jingyuan was extremely handsome, with classic, striking features. Even if he weren’t a soldier, he could easily make a name for himself in the entertainment industry.
“Yeah, super scary.”
Xiao Pihou nodded vigorously like a pestle.
In the kitchen, Huo Jingyuan heated the oil in the pan and then tossed in the meat, stir-frying it with practiced ease. Cooking didn’t take much time.
The hassle was in the preparation.
A few minutes later, Huo Jingyuan walked out of the kitchen carrying two dishes. At home, he and Wen Ci usually cooked one meat and one vegetable dish.
Today’s menu: shredded pork with green peppers and sliced potatoes.
Even with an extra little bean, there was enough to eat.
Huo Jingyuan asked slowly, “Did you cook the rice?”
Wen Ci, who had just stood up from the sofa, froze at his question. She forced an awkward smile: “I forgot.”
“Then I’ll go get some from the canteen.”
Wen Ci volunteered: “I’ll go. I’ll also let Sister Jing know that Xiao Pihou is at our place.”
The phrase “our place” made Huo Jingyuan’s lips curl into an uncontrollable smile of happiness.
“Pretty sister, I want to go too.”
Wen Ci patted his head: “You stay here with uncle.”
“No…”
Before the word “want” could even leave his mouth, Xiao Pihou caught a glimpse of Huo Jingyuan’s expression and immediately shut his mouth, shrinking into the corner of the sofa.
…
Wen Ci took three lunch boxes to the canteen. Seeing Zhu Jing helping with serving food, she walked up to the window and said sweetly, “Sister Jing, could you pack three boxes of rice for me?”
“Why do you need rice?” Zhu Jing was a bit puzzled.
She had just packed two boxes of food for Xue Li. Why was Wen Ci now asking for rice?
“I cooked the dishes at home but forgot to make rice.” As she spoke, Wen Ci remembered Xiao Pihou and added, “I ran into Xiao Pihou on my way home. He’s at my place now. I’ll send him back after dinner.”
Though confused, Zhu Jing still packed the rice for Wen Ci. When she heard that the Xiao Pihou was at Wen Ci’s place, she exclaimed, “Oh, isn’t that too much trouble?”
“Don’t mention it.”
As she packed the rice, Zhu Jing curiously asked, “Ah Wen, didn’t your man just take some food back? Why are you getting three more boxes?”
“Huh?” Wen Ci was baffled: “When was that?”
“About five or six minutes ago.”
Wen Ci was even more confused. Five or six minutes ago, Huo Jingyuan was cooking at home. How could he have been at the canteen getting food?
“Sister Jing, are you sure you didn’t mistake someone else for him?”
“I couldn’t have. I know Captain Xue when I see him.”
Hearing this, Wen Ci breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Zhu Jing with a smile, teasing, “Sister Jing, you didn’t mistake Xue Li for my man, did you?”
“Isn’t he?”
Wen Ci shook her head: “No.”
Behind her, a few soldiers were waiting to get their food. After packing the rice, Wen Ci said, “I’ll head back now. We can chat more when I bring Xiao Pihou back tonight.”
…
Back at home.
Wen Ci told Huo Jingyuan about how Zhu Jing had mistaken Xue Li for her husband, laughing as she teased, “When Sister Jing told me, I was so shocked. I thought you had somehow jumped out of the kitchen.”
Huo Jingyuan’s face darkened.
“Make it public.”
Who would have thought that the feared “King of Hell” of the Northwest Military Region would secretly act coquettishly with his wife?
Xiao Pihou silently ate his meal.
Wen Ci asked, “Xiao Pihou, is the food uncle cooked delicious?”
“It’s okay.”
Although Zhu Jing’s family didn’t usually eat particularly well, as a skilled cook, Zhu Jing could make even the simplest dishes taste incredibly delicious.
In the Northwest Military Region, the sky darkened late. After dinner, Wen Ci held Xiao Pihou’s hand as they walked outside. The sky was painted with remnants of blood-red clouds, and the sunset over the Gobi Desert was breathtakingly beautiful.
Wen Ci looked down and asked, “Are you full?”
“Yeah, I’m full.” Xiao Pihou looked up at Wen Ci and asked, “Pretty sister, can I come with A Wang and the others to watch cartoons tomorrow?”
It was his first time watching cartoons.
Wen Ci thought for a moment and replied, “You’ll need the other aunties’ permission. If they agree, you can come after dinner.”
“Okay!” Xiao Pihou’s face lit up with joy.
In front of the residential building, a few children were playing with mud in the yard. When they saw Xiao Pihou, they ran over to him, their voices soft and childish: “Brother Pihou.”
Xiao Pihou was the oldest among them, making him the de facto leader.
“I watched cartoons today. They were super, super, super good.”
The word “super” was something he had learned in class today.
“What’s a cartoon?” A Wang asked.
Xiang Qin’s twins, the older brother was A Wang, and the younger sister was A Hua. Hou Li’s son, who had just started kindergarten, was called Xiao Shitou.
A Hua raised her hand: “I know! Teacher Jiang mentioned it today. Cartoons are shows made for kids, and they’re really fun.”
“How come I didn’t hear Teacher Jiang say that?”
“Because you were sleeping in class.”
Listening to the little beans’ conversation, Wen Ci raised an eyebrow. It seemed Jiang Ye had adapted quite quickly, starting to teach at the school on her second day.
“Pretty sister’s house has a TV, and it’s in color!”
Zhu Jing was extremely curious about Wen Ci’s husband. She had initially thought it was Xue Li, but it turned out not to be. Hearing Wen Ci’s voice from upstairs, she came down with her bowl in hand.
As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard her Xiao Pihou say that Wen Ci’s house had a TV, and it was in color. Her eyes widened in surprise.
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