Cheng Rushan handed a bottle of water to Jiang Lin.

It was sweet red date water brewed by Yan Runzhi in the morning—refreshing and nutritious.

After a while, the three of them came out.

Wen Sheng was holding a large swallow kite, smiling happily.

Dabao and Xiaobao, on the other hand, were frowning at each other, arms crossed and silent.

It seemed like the two brothers had had a falling out.

Neither of them was satisfied, and now Wen Sheng was getting an advantage.

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “No fighting, okay?”

Dabao scoffed, “Does he stand a chance against me?”

Xiaobao said, “Only a brute or a bull would fight!”

Dabao suggested, “How about a mental competition to see who is faster and gets more answers right?”

Xiaobao replied, “Are you afraid of me? Let’s do it!”

They asked Jiang Lin and Cheng Rushan to be the judges.

Later, they complained that Jiang Lin was slow, so they started challenging each other with questions.

From math problems to reciting Tang poetry and texts, and even singing.

The argument ended with Dabao saying, “Even if you become a ghost, you won’t be as good as me.”

Xiaobao, looking dissatisfied, glared at him and huffed, “Hmph!”

Dabao responded, “Hmph doesn’t help.”

Xiaobao warned, “Stay away from my Baosheng in the future, don’t corrupt him.”

Wen Sheng chimed in, “I’m the little trumpet. Today, I said you’re a pig head, and you called me a big fool. No, no, no, I’m the good kid…”

Dabao and Xiaobao gave him the same disdainful look and said in unison, “Immature~~”

Wen Sheng said, “…”

When they reached their destination, the two brothers still ignored each other.

So, Wen Sheng and the adults flew kites together, while the two boys sat on the picnic blanket with their arms crossed, still in conflict.

Jiang Lin couldn’t help but laugh.

She linked her arm with Cheng Rushan’s and asked, “Shan Ge, aren’t you going to do something about this?”

The two boys didn’t listen to her anymore and instead treated her like a child, so she couldn’t resolve their competition.

It had to be handled by a man.

Yan Runzhi reassured, “Don’t worry about it, dear. Boys are like that. Da Bao is strong-willed, and Xiao Bao is just as determined.”

Despite Xiao Bao’s soft and seemingly timid appearance as a child, he was actually very stubborn.

His repeated attempts to get his mother’s attention showed his determination.

As for Da Bao, his stubbornness was almost proverbial; it was evident in his every action and even in his stiff hair, which felt like a porcupine quill.

Da Bao teased, “If you apologize to me, I might still consider you a brother.”

Xiao Bao retorted, “If you apologize to me, I might still think of you as a brother.”

Da Bao declared, “From now on, don’t sleep in the same bed with me, and don’t expect me to carry your backpack or let you tag along to school.”

Xiao Bao scoffed, “Hmph, I don’t need you anyway!”

The two brothers had a serious falling out and decided to go their separate ways.

At that moment, Jiang Lin let out a small gasp, causing Cheng Rushan to immediately come to her aid. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Lin gave him a reassuring wink and a silent gesture to Wen Sheng to stay calm, indicating that it was nothing serious.

Cheng Rushan picked her up and carried her back to the picnic spot, leaving Wen Sheng and the children to continue playing.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao, now visibly concerned, watched as their mother was carried away. “What’s wrong with Mommy?” they asked anxiously.

Jiang Lin said, “Let me lie down for a bit.”

Dabao immediately spread out a blanket he had brought, while Xiaobao helped by rolling up his jacket to use as a pillow.

Cheng Rushan gently laid Jiang Lin down, and Dabao quickly covered her with the blanket.

Jiang Lin took Cheng Rushan’s hand and told the two boys, “Alright, you two go play. I need to rest.”

Standing for a long time made her feel quite tired, and sometimes she experienced a dull ache in her thighs, so she needed a break.

The two boys quietly walked away to avoid disturbing her.

Although they didn’t speak to each other, they naturally went to sit by the lake together.

When they noticed they were again sitting together, they huffed in frustration and deliberately moved apart.

Despite their efforts, they ended up back together and then tried to separate again, but it was clear they were still close.

Jiang Lin rested her head on Cheng Rushan’s lap while he read aloud.

His voice was low and soothing, and it felt very comfortable to her ears, especially when he was relaxed and his voice was gentle, giving a sort of hypnotic effect.

Jiang Lin fell asleep.

When she woke up, she smelled something delicious and exclaimed, “It smells so good!”

Cheng Rushan helped her sit up and smiled, “I brought sausages and cured meats. We’re using a small stove to cook mushrooms in a clay pot. The boys said they’d get you some fresh vegetables, so they went to forage for wild greens.”

He pointed in the direction where the boys were.

At this time of year, the wild outdoors was full of fresh, juicy wild vegetables that were particularly delicious.

Jiang Lin looked over and saw Wen Sheng, Dabao, and Xiaobao foraging for wild vegetables.

It seemed that the two brothers had reconciled, and were now digging together, with Xiaobao showing off a large find to Dabao.

She rubbed her belly and said, “I’m so looking forward to it.”

Then she felt a movement in her stomach.

“Oh, the baby wants some too,” Jiang Lin said with delight.

Yan Runzhi came over and asked with a smile, “As your pregnancy progresses, fetal movements will become more frequent. As the baby grows, you’ll feel little hands and feet moving around and playing with you. When Dongsheng was in my belly, he was very well-behaved, sleeping at night and moving during the day. Dabao and Xiaobao were also well-behaved back then, right, Baobao’s mother?”

Jiang Lin just smiled, “I hope this little one will be as well-behaved.”

As Yan Runzhi went to tend to the clay pot, Jiang Lin looked at Cheng Rushan and smiled.

Hearing Yan Runzhi talk about Cheng Rushan being well-behaved as a baby gave her a very unique feeling.

It was strange to think that this tall and handsome man had once been so small… it was a really odd feeling.

Jiang Lin found herself reflecting deeply on the complexities of life and parenthood as she observed the various dynamics around her.

Cheng Rushan, whom she saw as a steadfast figure of strength, was once a tiny, vulnerable child, much like Da Bao and Xiao Bao.

This realization made her ponder the transformative journey from childhood to adulthood and the various paths one might take.

The process of raising children involved both joy and challenges, and her current experience of pregnancy gave her a newfound perspective on these realities.

As she leaned against Cheng Rushan’s chest, feeling the warmth and security he provided, Jiang Lin’s heart was filled with gratitude.

She felt a profound sense of peace and appreciation for the love and support surrounding her.

The next day, Jiang Lin went to school for an important event: the announcement of the selected design drafts.

There were eight submissions in total, from class designs, group projects, and individual designs.

The architecture department had three specialties—Architectural Engineering Technology, Architectural Design, and Urban Landscape Design.

This time, submissions from the Architectural Engineering Technology were selected, with two drafts under consideration: one from Class 2 and the other from Jiang Lin and Su Xingyun’s group.

The school had called in the teachers and students involved to discuss the final selection.

Liu Jianwu, Qi Laoshi, and the team from Class 2 were present.

Jiang Lin and her peers greeted them warmly, and they exchanged pleasantries.

Zhang Shaopeng, the lead designer for Class 2 and a prominent student in the architecture department known for his excellent academic performance, began presenting their design draft.

He eloquently discussed the evolution from Western learning to the decline of ancient Chinese architecture, and the rise of Western architectural styles.

He emphasized the modern, representative nature of their proposed design for the new teaching building, featuring arched doors and windows, a grand lobby, and a focus on aesthetic appeal and functionality.

Jiang Lin listened attentively, appreciating the thoroughness and passion behind Zhang Shaopeng’s presentation.

It was evident that both drafts had their merits, and the final decision would hinge on how well each design met the school’s needs and vision.

He discussed many aspects from a design perspective, suggesting ideas that, even if implemented in the future, would remain timeless for decoration.

However, there was a question: since they were in the field of architectural engineering, why was he emphasizing architectural design aspects? Perhaps he wanted to differentiate his design from his competitors.

At this moment, Zhang Shaopeng looked at Jiang Lin and said with a smile, “Jiang Lin, you’re the gem of our architecture department, and we all admire you. But design needs to be professional, and I think our design is more professional.”

Although he was joking, there was no malice in his tone.

His laughter was bright, and it made everyone else laugh as well.

However, Su Xingyun and others were not amused.

They were dissatisfied, thinking, “Why should you consider yourself more professional when everyone has studied the same thing?”

Despite being a female student, Jiang Lin’s designs for teaching buildings focused on safety, practicality, and durability.

She didn’t emphasize decorative aspects as much as Zhang Shaopeng and his group did.

Jiang Lin had mentioned before that decoration and soft furnishings were tasks for design professionals, even landscape architecture specialists could handle them.

Of course, they could do it too, but the priority was to ensure the integrity and scientific basis of the fundamental structure.