Chapter 2 Lu Jingchuan has always had his own ideas since he was young

Lu Jingchuan had been known as a troublemaker in the village since he was a child. By the time he was just over ten, he was nearly 1.8 meters tall. He could never stay idle—he would go up the mountain to catch wild game, wade into the river to fish, and often brought some meat or vegetables home for the family’s table. He was clever; while others worked themselves to exhaustion to earn ten work points and came home too tired to move, he also earned ten points daily, yet could still sneak in a bit of extra work or earn some small money to improve his family’s life. Du Yumei didn’t know exactly how he managed it—all earnings in that era had to be earned quietly because one never knew when someone might report you. Occasionally, Lu Jingchuan would secretly pull out some of his father’s books to read. His father, who had taken refuge in Baiyun Village years ago, was handsome and educated, popular in the village. All the siblings had studied under him when they were young.

But good times didn’t last. When Lu Jingchuan was twelve, his father died in an accident. Du Yumei was left alone with four children. As a widow, afraid of being bullied, she returned to her feisty nature. Among her children, Lu Jingchuan was the most resourceful; he knew what he wanted for his future. As a child, he had heard his father tell stories of heroes, which sparked his own dreams of heroism and a desire to join the military. When the country issued a conscription notice, he was the first to sign up. Du Yumei understood that her son had ambition and supported his decision. Later, he excelled in the army, achieving distinction in battle. By the age of twenty-six, he had already become a regiment commander. The last letter he sent home mentioned he would definitely return this year. Because of heavy duties, he hadn’t been home for four years and hadn’t even seen his own son in person. This time, he would likely stay for over a month. They had hoped this visit would give him time to build a relationship with Xiao Xi, but then they received some sudden bad news. Xiao Xi and him still had too short a history together.

“Xiao Xi, you and An’an stay here for a bit; I’ll go make you something to eat,” Du Yumei said softly.
“Okay, thank you, Mom,” Ji Xiao Xi replied. Du Yumei nodded and left.

“Mom, why aren’t you eating roasted sweet potato?” Lu Qi’an tilted his head at Ji Xiao Xi.
“I am eating. Here, cheers,” Ji Xiao Xi said, gently tapping her roasted sweet potato against Qi’an’s.
“What’s cheers?”
“Cheers is like this—tap like this~” Qi’an mimicked her, tapping the sweet potato and smiling.
“Mom, cheers!”
“Yeah, cheers.”

Ji Xiao Xi played with him for a while. She had just graduated from university and suddenly became a mother—an unusual experience, but one she accepted. Mostly because the little boy was exceptionally good-looking. She had a thing for good looks—she couldn’t help it! Lu Qi’an’s appearance, if placed in the modern day, could make him a child model. With such genes, his parents must have been strikingly handsome and beautiful! She grew curious about her own appearance.

“An’an, do you know where the mirror is?”
“I know! I’ll get it for you.” The little one handed her the sweet potato, then ran to a corner cabinet, stood on tiptoe, took out a small mirror from the drawer, and ran back.
“Do you want me to hold it for Mom?” he asked.
“Sure, thank you, An’an,” Ji Xiao Xi said, smiling.

In the mirror, the reflection looked very much like her, just a bit yellower and thinner, but still attractive. The eyes were exceptionally pure and clear, even more so than hers used to be—a pair of innocent, untainted eyes. If paired with fair skin, it would be a strikingly beautiful face, very noticeable in a crowd. The original owner of this body hadn’t been dressed up, had poor nutrition, and weak health, so her skin was a bit dull, and she looked tired and slightly aged. But these were minor issues. The base was good; after using the health pills from the system and regaining strength, she would look excellent. She also noticed the body, though slim, had a high chest and a slender waist—a naturally enviable figure. She was quite satisfied. In this era, unlike many period novels, there was no cruel mother-in-law; instead, her mother-in-law cared for her, and she had such an obedient, lovely son. The only pity was that the little boy, now three years old, had never seen his father.

Ji Xiao Xi sat on the edge of the bed and asked Lu Qi’an, “Do you miss your dad?”
Qi’an tilted his head, thinking. “When Xiao Bao brags about his dad, I think about my dad a little.” He raised his pinky to demonstrate, “Just a tiny bit.”

Xiao Bao was the youngest son of Lu Jingguo, the elder brother of the main male lead, Lu Jingchuan. His full name was Lu Caibao, five years old. He had two older sisters, named Lu Jin and Lu Yin, nicknamed Big Girl and Second Girl, aged eight and seven. Together, their names meant “Gold, Silver, and Treasure”—a wealthy-sounding set. Lu Jingyi, the second brother of the male lead, had two sons with patriotic names: Lu Jun, seven, and Lu Di, six.

Lu Qi’an was closest in age to Lu Caibao, and the two played together most often. Boys tended to admire their fathers, seeing them as the strongest. Since birth, Lu Qi’an had never seen his dad. He was usually well-behaved and wouldn’t bring it up in front of Ji Xiao Xi, only feeling a bit envious when others boasted about their dads.

Ji Xiao Xi’s heart softened; she wrapped her arms around the little boy and coaxed, “Don’t be envious. Our An’an will get to see his dad very soon.”
The little one, with his dark little baby teeth showing as he chewed, beamed. “Really?”
“Really, let’s pinky promise.”
He stretched out his chubby little hand and hooked it with hers. “Pinky promise.”

Ji Xiao Xi thought to herself, hoping his dad would be easy to get along with.