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When Ji Xiao Zhuo woke up the next day, the first thing he saw was the new clothes that were at the bedside, which was his denim overall!
The sleepiness that the little one felt disappeared instantly. Then, he directly put on the denim overall without wearing clothes underneath. He looked enchanting.
The little one gleefully ran out to Tang Tang and asked, “Do I look good, mummy?”
Tang Tang suppressed a smile as she helped the little one put on a white T-shirt. Now that he was wearing his clothes properly, it had to be said that the new clothes really suited him. Since Ji Xiao Zhuo was originally round and chubby like a mochi, he looked even chubbier with his new clothes.
Excitedly, Ji Xiao Zhuo ran to the full-length mirror to admire himself. He thought that he looked stunning. Xiao Zhuo couldn’t help putting his hands in the large pocket that he liked and moved his hands around. Then he put a hand under his chin and posed, “Mummy, do I look handsome?”
Tang Tang gave him two thumbs up and replied, “Bao Bao, you are absolutely charming!”
“You have good eyes, mummy!” Ji Xiao Zhuo showed off and twirled a few times before running towards the front door, “Mummy, I’m going down to play for a while. I’ll be back soon!”
Naturally, Tang Tang knew that he was going to show off his new clothes, so she only smiled and reminded him, “You can’t leave the compound, and you have to come home after playing for a bit, ah!”
“Okay, mummy.” The little one was already gone by the time his response was heard.
The military compound was very secure, so there was no need to worry about the children being kidnapped, and there weren’t any dangerous areas, which was why Tang Tang was at ease to let the little one play with friends alone. While the little one was out, Tang Tang used the time to quickly clean their home. Since she needed to go to Zhang Cheng’s home tonight to help, it would be best for her to quickly finish the chores.
In the end, Tang Tang finished all the housework and waited at home. She waited till the sky was going dark after finally hearing someone knocking on the door. It was Fang Yu Wei.
Fang Yu Wei lifted the bags full of ingredients and said, “Sao Zi, I just came back from town. I have bought all the ingredients. Are you going to start cooking now?”
To be honest, it was a bit late to start preparing for the evening meal now since many dishes were required tonight, but Tang Tang couldn’t say anything either. She immediately shut the door and led Xiao Zhuo to the opposite apartment.
Tang Tang had stuffed some food in Xiao Zhuo’s pocket and let him sit quietly on Zhang Cheng’s sofa and play games. After that, Tang Tang put on an apron and entered the kitchen with the ingredients. Since the time was tight, she had to prepare all the elements first to accelerate the process of cooking. So the first thing she had to do was to wash, cut, and arrange all the ingredients.
Fang Yu Wei followed her to the kitchen. She looked around and was confused. Fang Yu Wei didn’t know what to do, so she could only ask, “Sao Zi, I’ll help you. Just tell me what I need to do.”
Thinking about the time constraint, Tang Tang thought it would be faster to finish things with two people and replied, “Then you can peel these for me while I cut the vegetables.”
“En, ok.” Fang Yu Wei took the peeler and the potato from Tang Tang and started to peel.
While Tang Tang was cutting the vegetables, she would take a quick glance at Fang Yu Wei. Tang Tang pursed her lips and sighed internally. Fang Yu Wei definitely didn’t cook much. Her movements with the peeler were awkward. Because she was afraid to cut herself, Fang Yu Wei was very careful and slow as she peeled. By the time she finished peeling one potato, other people would have already peeled about ten potatoes.
Tang Tang didn’t say anything though. After she finished cutting the vegetables, Tang Tang took the peeler from Fang Yu Wei, “I’ll peel them; you can peel some garlic.”
Fang Yu Wei quietly sighed in relief and went to the living room to peel the garlic.
When Zhang Cheng came back with a group of people, he saw Fang Yu Wei sitting on the sofa and watching television. He frowned. Then he took a glance at Tang Tang, who was bustling about in the kitchen. He quietly moved closer to his wife and spoke near her ear, “Why are you not helping Sao Zi in the kitchen, ah? Sao Zi came to help us. You should give her a hand.”
Fang Yu Wei pouted as she looked back at him with displeasure, “Who said I’m not helping Sao Zi? It’s just that there’s not a lot I can do. I can only peel potatoes and garlic. Can’t you see I’m currently peeling garlic?.”
Zhang Cheng took a glance at the garlic in her hands. He wanted to say something but swallowed his words. Instead, he directly went to the kitchen and spoke to Tang Tang, who was cooking with two pots, “Sao Zi, we have really troubled you today. Fang Yu Wei doesn’t really know how to cook. It was all done by you. Thank you for the trouble.”
Tang Tang shook her head as she cooked, “It’s nothing. I’m used to doing these things. It’s just that dinner might be a bit late today. These few dishes were just finished. You all should be hungry now. Take those dishes out first to eat. I’ll be done with the other dishes soon.”
“Don’t rush, Sao Zi. Take your time. We’re not hungry.”
Zhang Cheng carried the completed dishes out to the dining table and let Fang Yu Wei call everyone to eat. Then he turned around and went into the kitchen again, “Sao Zi, I’ll give you a hand. Just tell me what to do, ah. Even though my cooking skills aren’t great, I can stir fry vegetables till they’re cooked.”
Tang Tang didn’t need help from a man in the kitchen. She immediately advised him, “I have done all the preparations. It just needs to be cooked. There’s nothing you can help me with. You would hinder me instead. It’s better if you go out to entertain and drink with everyone else. I’ll call you if I need help.”
Seeing that Tang Tang really didn’t need help, Zhang Cheng scratched his head before leaving while feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Come quickly, Zhang Cheng. You’re the host today. Don’t think you can escape. Drink quickly, we’ll definitely get you drunk tonight!” The people outside howled when they saw him.
Zhang Cheng rolled up his sleeves, “Alright. I’ll drink. I’m just afraid you don’t have the ability!”
“Don’t bluff! Bring alcohol!”
When the soldiers under Zhang Cheng finished howling, they moved their attention to Fang Yu Wei, “Tonight is our first time coming to eat at battalion commander Zhang’s home, and it’s our first time meeting our Sao Zi. We’ll toast battalion commander Zhang and Sao Zi, ah. We’re grateful to Sao Zi,who has prepared a sumptuous meal to receive us!”
“Right! Thank you, Sao Zi, for your reception!” Everyone else echoed the same.
Fang Yu Wei smiled as she poured some beer, “My tolerance isn’t good, so I can’t drink white spirit with you. I’ll use beer as a replacement. Is that ok?”
It was already good enough that she was willing to drink, so of course, no one disagreed. They replied, “It’s fine just to drink beer, Sao Zi. It’s fine as long as our battalion commander Zhang drinks properly!”
“I’ll toast first. Remember to spare your battalion commander later. I’m afraid he’ll go crazy when he’s drunk!” Once she finished speaking, she drank the glass of beer.
“OK! Sao Zi has an attitude! Battalion commander, Sao Zi is so bold, you’re not going to lose out to Sao Zi, right? If you don’t drink with us, we can only look for Sao Zi, ah.” A few of them deliberately teased Zhang Cheng. Their aim was to make him drunk, so Zhang Cheng had no other choice and admitted defeat.
Very soon, the atmosphere at the table became very enthusiastic. Everyone was pushing glasses. It was very lively.
Taking a glance at Fang Yu Wei, who was entertaining the guests warmly, Ji Yan’s eyes became cold. He placed some food in Ji Xiao Zhuo’s bowl before standing up and heading to the kitchen.
It was currently summer, and there were two fires turned on, so the temperature in the kitchen was especially high. Tang Tang’s clothes were damp with sweat, and her face was full of sweat as well. Since she was afraid that her sweat might drip in the dishes, Tang Tang constantly wiped her sweat with a handkerchief as she cooked.
Gloom flashed across Ji Yan’s eyes. He walked up to Tang Tang’s behind and took the handkerchief from her to wipe her sweat.
Tang Tang was frightened. When she turned and saw that it was Ji Yan, she sighed in relief, “Why did you come in, husband? Weren’t you drinking with everyone else?”
“I drank too much. I came here for a rest. You can carry on cooking, and I’ll wipe the sweat for you.”
Tang Tang looked at his face worriedly, “Are you alright? Does your stomach feel bad? Do you want to eat something?”
Ji Yan pursed his lips and shook his head, “I’ll be fine after a while.”
“Alright. Just wait for a bit. I’ll make some sobering soup for you once I’ve finished cooking everything. You’ll feel better afterward.”
“En” Ji Yan faintly answered, and then he wiped her sweat when he saw more sweat was forming at her forehead.
He wiped her sweat for her…
Tang Tang blushed lightly as her heart raced. She tried hard to keep a natural expression while she continued cooking, but her heart was filled with sweetness. Suddenly the kitchen didn’t feel as hot as before, and her movements also slowed down.
Um, it’s fine if the dishes take a bit longer to be finished.
Ji Yan wiped her sweat while he asked, “You made the clothes that Xiao Zhuo is wearing?” From when Ji Yan came back, Xiao Zhuo started bragging about his new clothes.
Tang Tang replied with an “En” sound and spoke with a light tone, “It was completed yesterday. Bao Bao likes it a lot. He wore it straight away and went to flaunt it.”
Wrinkling his brows, Ji Yan’s heart felt slightly uncomfortable. Even though Ji Xiao Zhuo looked good in his new clothes, it was probably difficult to make and sew each stitch. He didn’t know how many stitches were required to make it. Why didn’t she just buy one? She didn’t need to do this just to save money. It wasn’t worth it.
“Tang Tang, didn’t you hear my words clearly that night? Why are you still making clothes?”
Ji Yan’s tone was a little heavy. Tang Tang blanked. She thought that he was unhappy and quickly turned to look at him to explain hesitantly, “There isn’t much I can do for you two, so I wanted to personally make some clothes. So .. if you don’t like me making clothes, I won’t make any more from now on.”
Seeing the nervousness in Tang Tang’s eyes, Ji Yan realised that he had scared her, so he softened his tone, “I don’t dislike you making it. It’s just that it wastes a lot of time, and it will hurt your eyes. You don’t need to do this just to be frugal.”
So he wasn’t angry at her, Tang Tang sighed in relief and explained, “I’m not doing it purely to save money. I enjoy making clothes. The quality of the clothes I make is good, and they are more comfortable than store-bought ones, so I want to make clothes for you two. Also …” Tang Tang took a glance at him again before continuing, “Even though we have enough money, we should still save wherever we can. There are many situations that will require money in the future. Bao Bao’s school fees will cost a lot, and when he marries a wife in the future, it will also need a lot of money. It’s not easy to marry a wife nowadays. We should save more for him.”
Ji Yan was speechless. Xiao Zhuo was only three, right? Wasn’t it a bit too early to think about that?
Ji Yan discovered that when he spoke to Tang Tang, there would be times where he would be left speechless. He could only skip over this topic that wouldn’t occur in the near future, “It’s too early to plan for that. There is no need to worry about that for now. Just spend money on the things we need, you don’t need to save. Since you like making clothes, you can continue, but you have to take care of your eyes. Don’t ruin them when you’re young.”
“En, en, I understand, husband.” Tang Tang felt like sweetness would fill her throat. She felt like floating. Her husband was so nice today, ah. Normally, he wouldn’t say much, but not only did he say a lot more today, but his words were also caring for her. Did he like her a little bit now?
Her lips almost reached her ears as she was smiling so widely. Tang Tang happily finished cooking the rest of the dishes. If someone else saw her, they would think she was doing something blissful.
The corner of Ji Yan’s lips lifted when he saw her smiling so happily while working so hard.
So silly…
The two of them seemed to have forgotten the meal that was occurring outside. They stayed in the kitchen until everything was completed before they went out to eat together.
Everyone gave Tang Tang their thanks when they finally saw her come out. They all toasted her one by one to express their thanks.
Tang Tang didn’t drink, so she waved her hand apologetically, “I’m sorry, but I don’t drink. I hope you won’t mind, ah.”
Naturally, no one minded because there was Ji Yan who would drink in her stead. After Zhang Cheng, Ji Yan was their next target. After all, only they were married, which made the others envious. Who else would they force to drink?
Ji Yan didn’t refuse. Whoever toasted Tang Tang, Ji Yan would drink for her.
The drinking fest ended around 10 pm because no one could move by then, and all the food was cleared as well.
Apart from Ji Xiao Zhuo, Tang Tang was the only other person who didn’t touch any alcohol. Seeing everyone else was drunk and laid down without moving, she took the initiative to tidy up a bit. Last time, when the meal was at her home, everyone helped to clean up before leaving, so there wasn’t too much left for Tang Tang to clean. It wasn’t good for her to leave someone else’s home in a mess and not bother about their hygiene.
Tang Tang cleaned the kitchen and the dining table. When she was about to clear the rubbish, out of nowhere, Ji Yan pulled her arm. For some reason, the expression on Ji Yan’s face was somewhat cold, and his voice was deep, “Tang Tang, let’s go home.”
“But the rubbish –” Tang Tang swallowed the rest of her words when she saw the look in Ji Yan’s eyes. Silently, she nodded and obediently followed him home. She didn’t even say goodbye to Zhang Cheng.
Tang Tang felt that Ji Yan was unhappy, but she didn’t know why. She felt nervous, and the nervousness remained until they were in bed as Ji Yan’s mood was still abnormal.
It was very quiet apart from Ji Xiao Zhuo’s breathing as he slept. The quietness was scary, and it made Tang Tang feel awkward.
Tang Tang couldn’t sleep as she had something in her mind. After tossing and turning a few times, she gathered her courage and asked Ji Yan, “Husband, are you angry?”
Ji Yan did reply. She didn’t know if he was asleep or if he didn’t want to answer.
Biting her lips, Tang Tang was going to try to force herself to sleep when Ji Yan suddenly spoke, “Tang Tang, don’t agree if the opposite asks for your help again. Remember that, ok?
“Ah? Why?” Tang Tang was confused. She didn’t understand why he would suddenly say that. Was helping out the reason he was unhappy? But nothing seemed to have happened?
“No reason. But remember in the future if someone asks you to help for a similar reason, don’t just blindly agree. You don’t need to worry about my reputation. Reject it if you want to.”
Even though Tang Tang didn’t really understand why, she would unconditionally obey Ji Yan, “Ok. I’ll ask you before making a decision in the future, alright?
“Alright. There’s nothing else. Sleep.”
Although Tang Tang still had some suspicions after hearing Ji Yan’s response, she didn’t dare continue asking. She could only close her eyes and go to sleep. Maybe Tang Tang was too tired today because she fell asleep in less than a minute.
Listening to Tang Tang’s light breathing, Ji Yan remained awake in the dark for a very long time.
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On the next day, when Tang Tang woke up, she was still confused as she thought about what happened last night. She didn’t know why Ji Yan was unhappy and why he wouldn’t let her agree to help next time.
Weren’t Ji Yan and Zhang Cheng good friends and comrades? Their family lived opposite each other, so it was normal to help each other out, ah. Why did he suddenly say such words? Unless something happened last night that she wasn’t aware about? Ji Yan and Zhang Cheng wouldn’t have fallen out, right?
But her husband didn’t seem like someone who would have conflicts with others.
No matter what, if it had something to do with Ji Yan, Tang Tang could not relax.
Seeing that Tang Tang was troubled with something, the regimental commander’s wife thought that Tang Tang had an argument with Ji Yan; So she asked with concern, “Why do you look so troubled today? Did you have an argument with Ji Yan? If you want to, you can tell me. Sao Zi has experienced things before and can help you find a solution.”
Tang Tang thought for a moment before deciding to ask the regimental commander’s wife. Maybe she would know the reason since the regimental commander was present last night.
“Sao Zi, we ate at Zhang Cheng’s last night. In the end, Xiao Zhuo’s daddy didn’t look happy, and he told me not to agree to help out in a similar situation. He also said that I don’t need to worry about his reputation, and that I can reject if I want to. I don’t understand why he would suddenly say that. His relationship with Zhang Cheng seems quite good. Normally he wouldn’t say that, so I’m suspecting that they had a fallout.”
“Impossible. They’re soldiers, they wouldn’t have a fallout. I think it’s likely that he’s unhappy because you helped out at Zhang Cheng’s place. Did something happen last night?”
“No. Everyone was eating happily last night. Also, Xiao Zhuo’s daddy knew I was going to Zhang Cheng’s to help out. He wasn’t angry at that.”
The regimental commander’s wife didn’t come to the meal last night, so she didn’t know what happened and inquired, “Tell me everything that happened at Zhang Cheng’s yesterday. I’ll help you analyse.”
So Tang Tang started narrating from when Fang Yu Wei knocked on her door till when they left.
