Chapter 86
Extra 3

Regarding Nian Nian being a little curly-haired girl, Lin Qiao discovered this when she was about a year and a half old. The little girl’s hair grew well, and after her first birthday, the family stopped shaving her baby hair, gradually revealing her curly hair. By the time she was two years old, she had a head full of soft, fluffy natural curls.

With the good genes inherited from her parents, the little girl was already beautiful, and with her curly hair, she looked even more delicate and adorable than the doll she held. Especially with her long eyelashes fluttering and her dark, shiny eyes looking at people, she always attracted a lot of attention whenever they went out.

When Ji Yan returned to the country and saw her for the first time, she was absolutely smitten, saying, “If it weren’t for her black hair and black eyes, she would look like a little foreign child.”

Her husband had completed his term and been transferred back from the embassy, so she also brought their two children back. After being apart for several years, the two younger ones were meeting Lin Qiao, their little aunt, for the first time and were a bit shy, but thanks to Nian Nian, they gradually opened up.

Unfortunately, the little one had grown up and no longer liked being held. Before long, she struggled to get down and walk alone. Now, she had her own little territory in both the Qing University and the old house’s yard, where she had a pile of clean, sun-dried sand to play with.

In addition to the sand, there were custom-made small plastic buckets and shovels. The little one would shovel sand into the bucket and then dump it out, playing contentedly all day. If someone was around to accompany her, she would assign tasks to them, directing them busily.

In the evening, when Lin Qiao returned from school, she would find her daughter standing by the sandbox, directing people to move sand from one end to the other, her chubby little face serious.

Ji Yan’s two children, trying to suppress their laughter, were purely there to play along with her.

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but glance at the man beside her, “She learned it all from you.”

At home, it was Ji Duo who liked to keep a stern face. The old man could maintain his composure in public, but once he held his granddaughter, he couldn’t stop smiling. Especially when Ji Duo occasionally took calls from the military, the little one perfectly mimicked his tone, though a bit softer.

Being teased by his wife, Ji Duo cleared his throat and called out to his daughter, who was playing energetically, “Nian Nian.”

“Daddy!” The little girl immediately broke into a smile, turning to see Lin Qiao beside her, her eyes crinkling with joy, “Mommy!”

With the little shovel still in her hand, she ran over, her sandy little hands reaching out for a hug.

“Daddy,” Ji Duo bent down and picked up his daughter, holding her with one arm while gently patting her back with the other.

Lin Qiao took the little shovel from her daughter’s hand, “Did you have fun playing with your brother and sister?”

“Mm,” Nian Nian nodded, then took her father’s military cap and put it on her own head, leaving only her rosy little mouth and chubby chin visible.

Ji Yan’s two children couldn’t help but laugh.

She lowered her head to find the cap’s strap, but it slid down, hanging on one side of her shoulder, almost covering her small shoulder.

Lin Qiao didn’t know if other people’s children were like this, but her little girl was clearly more interested in everything related to her father than her mother’s work.

Ji Duo’s military cap, his epaulettes, and even a wooden gun he brought home allowed her to sit on the bed and play with them for half a day. But when Lin Qiao took her to school, she would just sleep in Lin Qiao’s office. She was indeed easy to take care of, not needing constant supervision. Any student of Lin Qiao’s who had time would just keep an eye on her.

Sometimes, Ji Duo would come to pick her up, and she would still be sleeping. Lin Qiao would carry her out and hand her to him, unable to resist patting her little bottom. “With such a good academic atmosphere, you still can’t be influenced? You won’t be a poor student, will you?”

After patting her, she noticed the man looking at her; his serious face tensed up. Since Lin Qiao mentioned the worry lines, Ji Duo has frowned less, especially with the living example of Commander Ding, whose worry lines and nasolabial folds are pretty evident. But not frowning didn’t mean his eyes wouldn’t show disapproval.

Lin Qiao raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear what he would say. After a long pause—

“Don’t wake her up.” Ji Duo softened his tone, but judging by his earlier expression, that wasn’t what he initially wanted to say.

In their relationship, some things didn’t need to be explicitly pointed out.

Lin Qiao had come to understand this over the years. That’s why they got along so well. Unlike her parents, who always insisted on their own views, their mutual understanding was one aspect, and someone willing to take a step back was another. Both were willing to compromise a little rather than wait for the other to accommodate them, which made their relationship last.

Still, she smiled at him, “If she doesn’t sleep tonight, it’s on you.”

Ji Duo didn’t respond. When they got home, it was time to eat, and he went to wake the little girl. She hummed in protest, unwilling to wake up, so he didn’t force her and left the food in the pot.

Then, after the lights were turned off and he was preparing to do something with Lin Qiao, the little one woke up. The other kids would call their mom when they woke up, but she called her dad.

“Dad, I want to eat lamb skewer.”

She woke up because she was hungry, and in their house, her father handled the meals.

Lin Qiao had tried cooking once, but after that, the little one never asked for her mother’s cooking again, and the same went for Ji Duo.

So, Ji Duo had no choice but to put on his shirt and military pants and get up to make food for his daughter.

Of course, there were no lamb skewers. The man chopped some onions, sprinkled some cumin, and stir-fried pork for his daughter.

The little girl happily ate a small bowl of rice, then pulled her father to the yard to look at the stars and the moon, discussing poetry and philosophy. When she finally got sleepy again, Lin Qiao was already fast asleep. Ji Duo looked at the time and could only silently undress and go to bed.

The next time he went to pick her up, he gently shook his sleeping daughter, “Want some lamb skewers?”

“Lamb skewers?” The little girl was initially confused, but her eyes lit up, “Yes! I want to eat!”

After eating well and playing happily, she was so tired that she fell asleep before eight in the evening. Lin Qiao was still tucking her daughter in when she felt an arm wrap around her waist, followed by the warm breath on her ear.

After adjusting her schedule, the little girl had a new worry. She realized she had curly hair. The issue wasn’t that she had curly hair but that neither her parents, grandparents, nor even her siblings had it.

In the morning, after Lin Qiao finished washing up and was about to tie her daughter’s hair into little pigtails, she noticed her daughter standing by the basin on tiptoes, wetting a comb to straighten her hair. Her naturally fluffy curls were now damp and limp. As soon as she let go, the hair sprang back.

Nian Nian didn’t usually cry, but after seeing her reflection in the mirror, looking worse than before, her cheeks puffed up in anger.

Lin Qiao took the opportunity to comfort her, “It’s okay. You can use something to straighten it when you go to school.”

Lin Qiao referred to a flat iron, which was not yet popular as curly hair was the trend. The little girl looked up at her for a while, her expression serious, just like her father’s, “I don’t want to go to school. I want to go to war.”

This made Ji Duo, who was about to leave, turn back to look at his daughter. When Lin Qiao looked over, he pretended he hadn’t turned back and adjusted his military cap as usual, “I’m leaving.”

Then, the next Sunday, he took the child to the military base, where she played in the mud and fell asleep in his arms on the way back.

Lin Wei, the uncle, found out about Nian Nian’s dream of becoming a dropout quite late. He mainly found out when the family of three returned to attend his wedding, which he had been waiting for over three years.

Because he had left without a word for so long, Guo Yan had left him hanging for long. Guo Yan was busy with her career and wasn’t in a hurry to get married. Recently, several of their classmates had new additions to their families, and they attended two full moon banquets in a row, followed by the wedding of the youngest classmate. Seeing them always together and still not settled, someone jokingly asked when they planned to get married.

“This May 1st,” Guo Yan said casually at the time.

He was stunned, and as soon as the wedding banquet ended, he returned to get the household registration and introduction letter, insisting on getting the certificate first.

Now, the wedding was finally happening. After the noon banquet, Lin Wei invited Lin Qiao’s family of three for dinner in the evening, smiling even more foolishly and happily than at noon. He was so happy that he inevitably drank a bit too much, pulling Ji Duo aside and getting very affectionate with his brother-in-law.

“Brother, I owe today to you! Half of this marriage is thanks to you. Cheers to you!”

However, Ji Duo didn’t want that half, “You’ve had too much to drink.”

“Not too much, just happy,” Lin Wei said, his eyes turning a bit red. “If it weren’t for Qiao Qiao, I wouldn’t have thought I could go out again. Without you, I wouldn’t have won Yan Zi back. You two are our matchmakers. And Qiao Qiao, thank you, thank you for still recognizing me as your brother.” He was referring to the incident with Ma Rongliang back then. He didn’t expect that after all these years, he still felt guilty about it.

But if not for that incident, Ji Duo might never have met Lin Qiao in his lifetime.

Because of this, Ji Duo saw his nephew more pleasing, as long as he didn’t hover around his wife and daughter. So he still raised his glass and clinked it with his brother-in-law, only reminding him, “Drink less.”

Unfortunately, it was too late for reminders. Lin Wei nodded, “You’ve helped me so much. When I have a child, I’ll make sure they recognize you as their godfather.”

Becoming a godfather wasn’t the issue; the issue was that he kept mentioning Ji Duo’s help.

After Nian Nian finished eating, she ran off to play, and Lin Qiao finally started eating. Hearing this, she glanced at her husband, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Guo Yan was more direct, pinching Lin Wei under the table, “What exactly did he help you with?”

Lin Wei winced in pain and sobered up, looking at Guo Yan and then at Ji Duo across the table, not daring to speak.

Guo Yan didn’t say anything in front of Ji Duo and Lin Qiao, but once they got home, she locked him out of the bedroom.

Ji Duo was much smarter. He first picked up Nian Nian, his little lifesaver, and followed his wife closely. When they entered the room, he confessed, “I gave him some advice about his family’s matters.”

“How come I didn’t know you two were still in touch?” Lin Qiao raised an eyebrow at him.

“Not much,” Ji Duo replied, not looking guilty. “He called you, but you weren’t there, so we just talked briefly.”

“So, what advice did you give him?”

Lin Qiao was genuinely curious because, throughout the entire wedding, Lin Shouyi and Sun Xiuzhi behaved too well, even being somewhat cautious and flattering towards Guo Yan.

This was unlike their usual personalities. When they first found out about the relationship, Sun Xiuzhi slapped Guo Yan without hesitation. At that time, Lin Wei was just a farmer in the village, but now he was a technician with a share in the fertilizer factory. They should be over the moon.

Noticing the little girl in his arms squinting one eye open to listen, Ji Duo patted her and lulled her back to sleep before whispering to Lin Qiao, “I told him to ask his family for money, saying he owed debts outside.”

“Debts?” Lin Qiao was stunned, then she realized and smiled at him, “You came up with that?”

It showed how cunning this man was, giving Lin Wei such a devious idea. “Did you also tell him to find someone to pretend to be a debt collector?”

Ji Duo didn’t deny it.

Old habits die hard. People like Lin Shouyi and Sun Xiuzhi couldn’t be reasoned with. Expecting them to change their nature after their son left for three years was impossible. To avoid future troubles, they had to take an unconventional approach.

When Lin Wei returned and said he owed debts outside, they initially didn’t believe him, thinking he was just pretending to be in trouble. But soon, the “debt collectors” showed up, and Lin Wei, being ruthless to himself, even had them beat him up. After that beating, they had no choice but to believe him. Seeing the amount of debt, they realized they couldn’t pay it off even if they sold everything they had.

What to do if they can’t pay it back?

Lin Qiao was far away in Yandu, and they couldn’t find her, but Guo Yan was still there. Although Guo Yan’s mother didn’t like to show off, the villagers said that Guo Yan had opened wholesale stores in the city and town, so she must have money.

It’s sad to say, but sometimes reason and true feelings can’t convince people, while interests can make them bend.

Lin Shouyi and Sun Xiuzhi’s attitude took a 180-degree turn. Not only did they strongly support their son in winning Guo Yan back, but they also sent food and drinks to the Guo family next door, trying to repair the relationship.

Even now, Lin Wei still goes home every few days to ask his parents for money. Whether he gets it or not isn’t important; what’s important is to let them know their son still owes debts and needs to keep Guo Yan happy.

Guo Yan had a fiery temper and never gave them a good face.

As for Lin Hui, her parents had even less hope for her. Lin Qiao only found out why Liu Yulan always hesitated when mentioning Lin Hui’s partner.

Lin Hui was already lazy, pushing all the chores to her sister when they were young, and ended up marrying a husband even lazier than herself. That man was decent-looking and persuasive, convincing Lin Hui to run away with him despite her family’s objections. When they returned, they already had children, and the couple had to be accepted, whether they liked it or not.

Moreover, the man convinced Lin Hui to live at her parents’ house. Not only did Sun Xiuzhi have to take care of the children, but both of them were lazy and ate with Lin Shouyi and Sun Xiuzhi. The old couple had raised their daughter, who didn’t get married off, and now had to support their son-in-law and grandchildren, aging them by at least ten years in just a few years.

Today, at Lin Wei’s wedding, this family of three also came, focusing on the good dishes on the table.

After the meal, there was a small incident involving Lin Hui’s son and Nian Nian.

Usually, in such situations, Ji Duo wouldn’t wear his epaulets, and Lin Qiao wouldn’t flaunt, but their demeanor was still very different from the locals.

Nian Nian stood out among the other children, looking delicate, pretty, and clean, dressed in a small camouflage outfit with a matching hat.

Lin Hui’s son, probably not used to seeing such things, asked Nian Nian for her camouflage hat while playing with a group of kids after the meal.

Nian Nian, usually generous, refused because she didn’t know this older boy well, and he wasn’t familiar with her parents either. When Lin Hui’s son saw that she wouldn’t give it to him, he tried to take it by force, relying on his size. The little girl slapped him just as he was about to grab it.

The slap was loud and clearly painful, and despite being taller than Nian Nian, he was stunned and started crying.

The crying drew the attention of the adults, and Lin Hui immediately came over to hold her son, scolding Nian Nian, “It’s just a hat. What’s the big deal about giving it to him? Does your family lack that one hat?”

Suddenly being accused like this, Nian Nian pouted. But she felt she wasn’t wrong and, before her parents could speak, looked up and said, “I think Auntie’s watch is nice too. Why doesn’t Auntie give it to me?”

Her words were straightforward and quick.

Lin Hui’s family’s behavior was already unpleasant, and many people were dissatisfied. Hearing Nian Nian’s response, many couldn’t help but laugh.

Lin Hui probably didn’t expect such a small child to be so assertive, hitting and standing up for herself. She immediately turned to Lin Qiao and Ji Duo, “What’s wrong with your child?”

Unfortunately, Lin Qiao wasn’t the type of parent who would scold her own child to resolve a situation. She immediately retorted, “What’s wrong with your child?”

Ji Duo stepped forward, glanced at the crying boy in Lin Hui’s arms, and said to Lin Qiao, “You can’t blame the child for this.”

Lin Hui thought he was trying to smooth things over, so she straightened up, “Exactly…”

Before she could finish, Ji Duo continued, “You have to blame the parents. After all, when you were young, you bullied others just like this.”

Lin Hui’s expression was priceless. Even now, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but smile when she thought about it.

In their hometown, everyone slept on kang beds, including the guesthouse. After washing up, Ji Duo warmed water to wash their daughter’s hands and feet. The child was already asleep, and he moved gently. Nian Nian, being a restless sleeper, kicked her foot in his hand. She kicked with quite some force. This little girl was strong, and if she jumped up now, Lin Qiao couldn’t hold her.

Ji Duo couldn’t bear even to pat her lightly. After drying her, he kissed her little feet.

The room wasn’t big, so Lin Qiao leaned on his shoulder from behind, watching him tuck their daughter’s feet into the blanket. “Do you like little girls that much?”

Ji Duo didn’t say anything, but his eyes spoke volumes.

Lin Qiao leaned closer to his ear, “What if I were this age and betrothed to you?”

She wondered how young Ji Duo would react to having a childhood betrothal.

The current Ji Duo patted her leg, “If that were the case, I’d raise you as my daughter.”

T/N : I won’t translate chapter 87 (extra 4) as it doesn’t contain any story.