Chapter 64: Why Didn’t You Wake Me Up?!  

Zhou Xiaochuan’s flushed face at this moment was different from usual.  

It was not from the sun. Nor was it due to nervous excitement.  

It was… out of embarrassment!  

His handsome face was taut, his eyebrows furrowed, and his dark, glossy eyes carried a mix of tension and shame. His thin lips were pressed tightly together, gradually revealing a sharp edge.  

His whole being exuded an awkward and flustered aura.  

He was like a tightly sealed jar, filled with hot steam, ready to explode at any moment.  

Jiang Rou found Zhou Xiaochuan’s current expression extremely amusing.  

This look of his was far more vivid than the fierce and proud little wolf cub.  

She smiled and asked: “Xiaochuan, you’re awake?”  

As soon as he heard Jiang Rou’s words, Zhou Xiaochuan’s already flushed face turned an even deeper shade of red.  

Even his ears and neck were bright red.  

His tense lips twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, for some reason, he did not.  

The reason for Zhou Xiaochuan’s odd behavior had to be traced back to five minutes earlier.

Five minutes earlier…  

Zhou Xiaochuan had just woken up from a comfortable afternoon nap.  

He thought he had only dozed off for a short while, that not much time had passed.  

But as soon as he opened his eyes—  

Empty!  

Everyone around him was gone. Not a single person was in sight!  

Only he remained, lying on the grassy field, covered with a jacket, basking in the warm sunlight.  

A sun hat covered his face—it was left for him by Jiang Rou, shielding his eyes from the harsh light. That was why he had slept for so long without waking up.  

However, Zhou Xiaochuan’s embarrassment and frustration were not due to fear of being left alone.  

Everyone was still on the hillside. A quick glance was enough to spot a few figures in the distance—there was no reason to be afraid.  

A closer look, and he could easily find Jiang Rou and Zhou Xiaohua by the stream.  

The little wolf cub’s anger came from the fact that he had fallen asleep!  

He had actually fallen asleep so easily while being near Jiang Rou.  

Even worse—he had left Zhou Xiaohua in Jiang Rou’s arms, without the slightest bit of worry.  

At this time, under normal circumstances…  

It was always Zhou Xiaohua who would get drowsy and want to take a nap.

He would hold onto her tightly, never closing his own eyes, because he had to protect his little sister at all times.  

Something like today had never happened before!  

Not only had he fallen asleep, but he had slept for so long—and so soundly.  

Realizing this, Zhou Xiaochuan immediately took off running toward Zhou Xiaohua.  

Zhou Xiaohua, wearing a little red hat, sat on the grass with her chubby bottom, carefully plucking Indian Kalimeris one stem at a time.  

As soon as she saw Zhou Xiaochuan, she beamed with joy.  

She held up the bundle of Indian Kalimeris she had picked and presented it to him.  

[Brother, look! I picked these! All of them! Aren’t there a lot? Am I amazing?!]

The siblings had always shared an unspoken understanding.  

Seeing Zhou Xiaohua’s bright, sparkling eyes and her expectant expression, Zhou Xiaochuan already knew what she was about to say.  

One by one, she had picked an entire handful of Indian Kalimeris.  

Given how slow her movements were, one could only imagine how much time she had spent.  

And one could also imagine…

Zhou Xiaochuan had slept for so long!  

While Zhou Xiaohua and Jiang Rou were busy, he had been sleeping soundly without a care.  

The little wolf cub’s stubborn pride would not allow such a mistake.  

So—  

In a fit of frustration, Zhou Xiaochuan hurriedly dashed toward Jiang Rou, who was in the stream.  

“Why didn’t you wake me up?!”  

The accusation was right on the tip of his tongue.  

He was so embarrassed that he could have stomped his feet in frustration!  

But…  

The moment Zhou Xiaochuan saw Jiang Rou’s gentle face, he suddenly could not say a word.  

He… might as well just turn mute like Zhou Xiaohua.  

Standing by the stream, Zhou Xiaochuan’s expression shifted again and again.  

Jiang Rou understood this kind of youthful temperament all too well. She also knew how fiercely proud Zhou Xiaochuan was.  

But…  

It was just an afternoon nap.  

At his age, he should eat when he was hungry and sleep when he was tired—why carry such a heavy mental burden?  

Sigh…  

Jiang Rou sighed inwardly.  

She could not help but feel even more sympathy for this little wolf cub.  

“Xiaochuan, you came at the right time! Come, help me out…”  

Jiang Rou did not mention his nap at all. Instead, she called him over directly.  

To make it easier to pick water celery, she had taken off her shoes and socks, standing barefoot in the shallow stream.  

Without hesitation, Jiang Rou dumped a full basin of freshly picked water celery into Zhou Xiaochuan’s arms.  

“Quick! Take it over to the bamboo basket and cover it with some big leaves. Don’t let it dry out under the sun.”  

And just like that, with Jiang Rou giving him a task—  

Zhou Xiaochuan suddenly had something to do.  

Gradually, he forgot all about his embarrassment.

Afterward…  

Jiang Rou kept instructing Zhou Xiaochuan to pick this and that…  

The little wolf cub was particularly obedient, not uttering a single complaint.  

By the time the sun slanted westward—  

“Everyone~ we should head back to the compound now.”  

At Zhao Guifen’s call, the group, carrying their full harvest, began their journey home.  

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On their way back to the compound, they encountered a young soldier from the barracks. He was dressed in a military uniform, carrying a gun on his shoulder, marching neatly in formation.  

“One, two, one! One, two, one!”  

“Sing!”  

“The sun sets in the west, red clouds fly,  

The soldiers return from target practice, return to the camp~”  

The powerful and masculine military song echoed loudly.  

Jiang Rou, hearing the familiar tune, hummed along.  

“The red flower on the chest reflects the rosy clouds,  

Joyful songs fill the sky~”  

“Mi sao la mi sao”  

“La sao mi dao ruai”  ^[1]The song Jiang Rou sang is 《打靶归来》 “Returning from Target Practice” a well-known Chinese military song.

Her voice was clear, carrying a delicate sweetness, yet not overly soft. She sang the song with a sense of happiness that belonged to a new life.  

It was the first time Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua had heard Jiang Rou sing.  

Unconsciously, they lifted their heads and watched her humming effortlessly.  

The sister-in-law beside them, after listening for a while, spoke up loudly.  

“Sister Rou, your voice sounds wonderful when you sing! If the military unit organizes any cultural activities in the future, we should recommend you to perform.”  

“That’s a great idea! Last time, when they asked us military wives to put on a performance, none of you wanted to go up, and in the end, I was the only one left to do a yangko dance. It was so embarrassing!”  

Zhao Guifen huffed as she spoke about the past.  

Jiang Rou only took their words as playful banter and didn’t take them to heart.  

With so many sisters-in-law in the compound, no matter how they rotated the performances, it wouldn’t fall on her, a newcomer.

Her attention was entirely on the two children.  

She spoke softly.  

“If you like listening, I’ll teach you to sing tonight.”  

In Jiang Rou’s eyes, she never treated Zhou Xiaohua as a “Little Mute” but as a normal child.  

Singing—who said one must use their mouth?

Hands could work too.  

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