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Jiang Ning really didn’t want to embarrass herself tomorrow, so she obediently withdrew her hand and placed it on the man’s chest, closing her eyes to rest.
The person in his arms had no conscience, falling asleep after the teasing.
Shen Mo finally fell asleep in the early hours of the morning.
Half-dreaming, half-awake, Jiang Ning vaguely felt something shaking above her.
Her mind woke up before her body, and she couldn’t help but blush. This man said he didn’t want to tonight, so what was he doing?
“Ningning!”
The man’s voice came from beside her ear, and Jiang Ning jolted awake. The ceiling was indeed shaking!
It was really shaking.
As if realizing something, Jiang Ning broke out in a cold sweat.
She immediately said, “Shen Mo, it’s an earthquake! We need to get out now!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Mo scooped her up and rushed out of the room to the yard outside. Jiang Ning looked at the small room next to them, “And Zhiqi is still there.”
Shen Mo placed Jiang Ning on a lounge chair and immediately dashed to the small room to carry Zhiqi out as well.
Zhiqi, small and sleepy, rubbed his eyes in Shen Mo’s arms, looking not fully awake, “Dad, what’s wrong?”
Jiang Ning reached out and patted his head, “It’s okay, you can go back to sleep.”
Looking at the slightly shaking house, she was relieved that it was just a single-story building. If this had been in the modern world, a high-rise building with elevators would have been swaying visibly.
The shaking lasted only a few minutes. Seeing that it wasn’t too intense, Jiang Ning guessed it was an aftershock from somewhere.
With aftershocks, it was unclear which area had been affected.
Once they were sure there was no danger, they returned to the room, and Jiang Ning nestled back into Shen Mo’s arms to sleep.
The next morning, Jiang Ning invited Sister Li over. Sister Li happily agreed, hearing about the dinner, and brought her eldest daughter to help Jiang Ning with the preparations.
Just as the ingredients were ready, Shen Mo suddenly returned home with Commander Li, informing them that a nearby county had experienced a major earthquake. The military district had received orders to dispatch a regiment for rescue operations.
Shen Mo, as the deputy regiment commander, was tasked with leading the rescue team.
The critical 72-hour rescue window was urgent, and Shen Mo had to depart immediately.
When Jiang Ning heard the news, she was stunned.
She couldn’t help but recall her past life, when she had followed a medical team to an earthquake-stricken area. The devastation caused by natural disasters was heart-wrenching, with countless families losing their homes, loved ones separated, and lives torn apart.
Jiang Ning didn’t want to dwell on those dark memories of despair. She pulled herself together from the overwhelming emotions and quickly went to the room to pack some simple clothes for Shen Mo.
When Shen Mo entered the room to pack his belongings, he found that Jiang Ning had already done it for him.
Commander Li had given them a bit of time, and Shen Mo didn’t know what to say. Normally, he would execute any mission without hesitation, but today he felt a moment of doubt.
However, that fleeting doubt was quickly dispelled. A small family is a family, but so is the larger community. Without the larger family, there would be no small family.
Jiang Ning noticed the brief hesitation in his eyes, but she understood that he had to go. If she had been hired at the medical clinic in their camp, she would have gone with him.
As a medical professional, she wouldn’t stand by and watch. In the face of natural disasters, every bit of help could save a life.
Jiang Ning reached out to adjust his collar, intending to tell him to take care and not get injured.
But in such a place, with potential aftershocks, if something really happened, Shen Mo wouldn’t hesitate to save others.
She knew what kind of person he was, so the words changed as they left her mouth, “Try to protect yourself. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
Shen Mo wanted to reach out and hug her, but he held back. He was afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to leave.
He picked up the travel bag Jiang Ning had prepared for him and turned to leave.
Just two steps out, he felt a tightness around his waist.
A warmth and softness pressed against his back.
Jiang Ning’s arms were tightly around his waist, and Shen Mo patted her hand.
Knowing he really had to go, Jiang Ning let go, but the moment she did, Shen Mo suddenly turned and embraced her.
Jiang Ning buried her face in his chest and hugged him back.
This time, it was Jiang Ning who pulled away first, her beautiful eyes filled with reluctance.
Jiang Ning’s eyes flickered slightly, knowing the source of this deep emotion.
Shen Mo looked at Jiang Ning, his heart aching for her. The mission had come so suddenly that he didn’t even have time to comfort her.
“Ningning, I’m leaving. Wait for me to return,” Shen Mo said.
He let go, stepping back from her soft and warm embrace, and turned to leave without looking back.
Jiang Ning followed his footsteps to the gate, watching as his firm and broad back grew smaller in the distance.
Jiang Ning had never experienced this kind of separation before. After Shen Mo left, she stood at the gate for a long time.
Sister Li came out of her yard twice and saw Jiang Ning still standing there. She couldn’t help but walk over to comfort her, “For men in the military, going on missions is a common thing. It’s because of them that we have peace and stability now.”
Jiang Ning said, “I know, Sister Li. I’m just a bit worried about him, but I won’t stop him. He protects the larger family, so I’ll take care of our small family.”
Hearing this, Sister Li smiled.
As a military wife, she had experienced the hardships of her own husband being on the battlefield for over twenty years. She deeply understood Jiang Ning’s feelings and saw the care Jiang Ning had for Shen Mo in her eyes.
At first, when she saw Jiang Ning’s appearance, she was a bit surprised. How could such a beautiful girl marry a soldier who often went on missions and sometimes didn’t come home?
Not to mention the occasional gossip circulating in the compound, even she couldn’t help but think that such a girl could easily be tempted by other men. If she wasn’t strong-willed, she might have been easily swayed.
But seeing how Jiang Ning couldn’t bear to part with Shen Mo, how could that be like the rumors in the compound said? It was completely unfounded!
Jiang Ning gave half of the groceries she bought to Sister Li’s family, including quite a bit of meat.
Sister Li, who had helped Jiang Ning with the shopping, knew these items cost a lot of money. Seeing Jiang Ning insist on giving her the groceries, she accepted them but also insisted on giving half of the money for the groceries to Jiang Ning.
If Jiang Ning didn’t take the money, Sister Li wouldn’t take the groceries.
Unable to refuse, Jiang Ning accepted the money.
Jiang Ning and Zhiqi had a relatively peaceful couple of days at home. However, two days later, when she encountered Feng Chuan on her way to the medical clinic, things became far from peaceful.