Chapter 205: You Must Choose One

“You need to keep your word,” Cheng Jingmo said seriously.

Yu Xiangnian replied dismissively, “I will, I will!”

Cheng Jingmo continued, “Yu Xiangyang won’t do anything inappropriate, especially during this time.”

“Hmm?”

“Regarding the recent incident, Yu Xiangyang received a second-class merit award from the higher-ups. He’s currently in the assessment period for promotion to regiment leader. He knows what he should and shouldn’t do.”

Yu Xiangnian thought to herself that he wasn’t worried about Yu Xiangyang doing something, but rather about what Xia Qingyun might do to him.

“By the way,” Cheng Jingmo added, “the Public Security Bureau of Su City sent us a thank-you letter for helping them solve that case.”

Yu Xiangnian asked, “Since I’ve helped solve so many cases, can the military give me an award?”

“Not possible.”

The two words shattered Yu Xiangnian’s hopes for a commendation.

Not only is there no such regulation, even if there were, it would be up to Yu Jianshun to approve it, and he might not.

Due to his position, he inevitably faces public scrutiny and doesn’t want to give anyone an excuse to criticize him.

Just like with Yu Xiangyang’s situation, according to his performance in the military, it would have been fine for him to be promoted to regiment leader a year or two ago.

But Yu Jianshun always said Yu Xiangyang needed more maturity and experience.

It wasn’t until this time, when Yu Xiangyang risked his life infiltrating the enemy and played a crucial role, earning a second-class merit award, that he was formally considered for promotion to regiment leader.

The next morning, Cheng Jingmo and the others returned to the family quarters.

The family quarters were as lively as ever. As soon as they walked in, the residents came up to greet them.

“Deputy Regiment Leader Cheng, you’re back from your visit?”

“Is everyone at home doing well?”

“With so much luggage, let me help you carry some.”

“···”

The house had been cleaned very thoroughly. Yu Xiangnian looked around the familiar environment and felt genuinely happy.

Liu Zhen, seeing her through the fence, was extremely excited. “Comrade Yu, you’re finally back! Don’t cook lunch today. I just steamed a batch of cakes. I’ll bring them over to you in a bit.”

“Great, come over and sit.”

Xiao Jie ran out and soon returned carrying two chickens.

Yu Xiangnian’s mouth twitched. “You didn’t make a mistake, did you?”

Xiao Jie had the same expression. “I thought I made a mistake too, but Aunt Liu Zhen said these are our chickens.”

“They don’t look as good as they did when they were little,” Yu Xiangnian said.

Xiao Jie agreed, “You can feel their feathers. They don’t feel as nice as when they were little.”

When they left, the two chickens were about the size of a fist, with soft, yellow feathers, and were quite cute.

Now they had grown to be as big as Xiao Jie’s head, with gray feathers and a bad smell.

Cheng Jingmo watched as the two seriously discussed the appearance of the chickens and felt somewhat helpless.

Could it be that eggs from good-looking chickens taste better?

The news of their return spread throughout the family quarters by the morning.

After lunch, Liu Zhen and Wang Hongxiang came to chat with Yu Xiangnian.

During their conversation about the thriving business, Yu Xiangnian casually asked, “What about Li Guihua?”

“She’s pregnant!” Liu Zhen said with an expressive face. “This time she’s reacting strongly, lying in bed all day, and Da Ya is doing all the cooking. It’s definitely going to be a boy this time!”

Yu Xiangnian laughed, “I didn’t expect so many good things to happen while I was away for just over a month.”

Wang Hongxiang said, “If it’s a boy, it’s a good thing. If it’s a girl…” She didn’t finish her sentence.

Liu Zhen picked up the thread, “According to Li Guihua, part of the reason her husband hits her from time to time is because he’s unhappy she hasn’t given him a son!”

Yu Xiangnian said sarcastically, “We know that. Her husband is just a company commander; if you didn’t know, you’d think he was an emperor demanding a son to inherit.”

Liu Zhen said, “You can’t entirely blame her husband. Look around our family quarters—what family doesn’t have a boy?”

Yu Xiangnian: “···”

She had forgotten that, in this era, the preference for sons over daughters was still very strong.

She wondered if Cheng Jingmo held such beliefs as well.

She glanced at Cheng Jingmo, who was working in the vegetable garden.

If he were to be biased towards sons, he should find someone who could give him a whole bunch of sons!

That evening, as Yu Xiangnian was preparing to go to bed, Cheng Jingmo entered with a small wooden box.

“Here,” Cheng Jingmo said, handing her the box.

“What is it?”

“A jade pendant.”

Yu Xiangnian: “···”

She had mentioned it casually and hadn’t really expected anything from it, and had forgotten about it soon after.

However, she was curious about what the jade pendant looked like, so she took the box, opened it, and examined the pendant.

The pendant was made from high-quality mutton-fat jade, a milky white color, with a pair of dragons and phoenixes encircling it, and a “Song” character in the center.

She wondered if Cheng Jingmo’s father or mother had the surname Song.

“Just string a cord through it, and you can wear it,” Cheng Jingmo said.

Yu Xiangnian had guessed it wouldn’t be wearable, and she was right!

The pendant was about 8 cm long, 6 cm wide, and 1 cm thick, and it felt quite heavy in her hand.

Wearing such a large pendant around her neck would make her quite conspicuous!

Yu Xiangnian said, “Cheng Jingmo, this jade pendant isn’t meant to be worn; it’s meant to prove one’s identity. Just like how ancient people wore jade pendants on their waists, it represents status.”

“This high-quality jade pendant indicates that your father’s or mother’s family was once quite prestigious. You’re also a second or third-generation wealthy person!”

Cheng Jingmo said flatly, “Their status has nothing to do with me.”

If they were no longer alive, their status was irrelevant. If they were still alive, they had never contacted him over the years, so their status didn’t concern him.

Yu Xiangnian understood Cheng Jingmo’s feelings and said, “You have me, and that’s enough!”

She handed the pendant back to Cheng Jingmo. “You should keep it; I’m not very reliable and might lose it someday.”

Cheng Jingmo pushed her hand back. “Keep it. If you lose it, so be it.”

Yu Xiangnian: “··· Then keep it in your own box and lock it up.”

The jade pendant was packed back into the small wooden box and locked in the box.

However, Cheng Jingmo gave the key to Yu Xiangnian to keep.

That night, as they were going to sleep, Yu Xiangnian asked casually, “Cheng Jingmo, do you prefer a boy or a girl?”

Cheng Jingmo looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Our child—do you want a boy or a girl?”

Cheng Jingmo was even more confused. “I’ll want whatever you give me. How can I choose?”

Then his eyes brightened. “Are you willing to have children now?”

Yu Xiangnian: “Answer the question I ask you, no more questions!”

Cheng Jingmo meekly replied, “Okay.”

Yu Xiangnian asked seriously, “If I only have one child, do you want a boy or a girl?”

“I’ll want whatever you give me.”

“You must choose one!” Yu Xiangnian insisted.