Chapter 54

The group hurried back to the base at 8 PM.

By then, the sky was completely dark, and Ning Yu, the photographer, and the driver couldn’t return to division headquarters for the night.

On the way back, Lin Ting had invited them to dinner at her home. After registering at the gate, they headed straight to the family compound.

Hu Xiu had heard from an officer on leave that his daughter-in-law would return that night. He had been eagerly waiting for her.

As soon as he heard a car outside, he rushed out.

Lin Shuang followed closely behind, bringing the twins—a boy and a girl.

As the three stepped out, they saw Aunt Xiu chatting gratefully with a few unfamiliar soldiers.

There seemed to be a female soldier among them.

Just as Lin Shuang was about to take a closer look, the two children suddenly let go of her hands and ran toward their sister, shouting, “Mom…”

Lin Ting, hearing the twins, immediately turned around, squatted down, and caught them skillfully.

Guoguo, usually lively, now had tears in his voice: “Mom… can you stop working? You’ve been gone so long. Guoguo missed you.”

Miaomiao said nothing, just buried her face in her mother’s neck and cried silently.

Lin Ting, initially trying to tease them, suddenly felt heartbroken. She tried to comfort them, promising not to leave for so long again and that she missed them too.

But young children, when feeling wronged, often can’t stop their tears even with coaxing.

As Lin Ting considered taking them inside to comfort them, she heard a soft “humming” sound nearby.

That’s right!

How could she forget?

Turning around, Lin Ting saw Ning Yu standing beside her, holding a dirty little puppy.

Guoguo’s attention shifted instantly. He couldn’t take his eyes off it. “Wow! A puppy!”

“Where did it come from? Why is it so dirty?” Hu Xiu stopped her grandson from touching it and took it herself. The little dog had a round belly but was very thin.

Lin Ting stood up with her daughter and invited everyone inside, explaining, “We found it on the way back. It was probably washed away by the flood. It was just a tiny black ball, almost run over by a car.”

“Oh, poor thing. Should we keep it?” Hu Xiu, who loved dogs, reminisced about one they had years ago when Huo Xiao was a child.

When that dog passed away, she was so heartbroken that she never got another.

Now, seeing this rescued puppy, she felt fate had brought them another chance.

Lin Ting had no objections but wanted to teach her children responsibility.

So, she pretended not to notice their expectant gazes and focused on settling the guests first.

Guoguo, anxious, kept bouncing between wanting to see the puppy and following his mother. The adults, amused, couldn’t hold back their laughter.

After putting away some documents, Lin Ting told her mother-in-law the guests would stay for dinner.

Ning Yu had taken good care of her over the past three days, and even the photographer and driver had helped a lot.

Hu Xiu quickly responded, “Of course! The food is warming in the pot. I’ll serve it now.” She exchanged a glance with Shuangshuang, who joined her in the kitchen.

Though the meal was warm, it wasn’t enough for everyone. With three extra mouths, including two grown men, they needed more food.

Seeing her mother-in-law and elder sister leave, Lin Ting finally “noticed” Guoguo following her. She feigned surprise: “Oh! Guoguo, were you following me? You’re so small, I didn’t even see you!”

Miaomiao, sitting quietly, knew her mother was teasing her younger brother.

Guoguo, unaware, quickly said, “I forgive you, Mom! Let’s keep the puppy!”

Lin Ting hesitated. “But I have work every day. Who will take care of it?”

Guoguo’s eyes lit up, and he puffed out his chest. “Me! Mom, I’ll take care of it!” Then, as if realizing he needed help, he turned to Miaomiao. “Sister, let’s raise it together!”

Lin Ting raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

Guoguo nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

Miaomiao also nodded firmly.

Seeing their determination, Lin Ting smiled and extended her pinky. “Alright, but if we raise this puppy, we can’t abandon it. You two will be responsible for bathing, feeding, and playing with it. If you agree, pinky promise.”

Without hesitation, Guoguo and Miaomiao hooked their pinkies with hers. “We promise!” they said in their baby voices.

Touched by their cuteness, Lin Ting kissed both of them and patted their little butts, signaling them to play.

The twins cheered and ran off to find the puppy while Lin Ting turned to chat with the amused guests.

Night.

After dinner, the two male soldiers were taken to their dormitory by Political Commissar Xing, a high-ranking officer responsible for political education and morale in the military.

Ning Yu stayed at Lin Ting’s home.

First, Lin Ting had a good impression of the female reporter.

Second, there were too few female soldiers stationed there, making dormitory arrangements difficult.

Also, Lin Ting knew Ning Yu wouldn’t want to share a bed with a stranger.

So, Lin Ting, her mother-in-law, and the twins squeezed into the master bedroom, giving the second bedroom to Ning Yu.

Initially, Lin Ting planned to sleep with her elder sister to discuss work, but her sister refused, saying she had to wake up at night to feed her baby and didn’t want to disturb her.

However, Lin Ting didn’t sleep well anyway.

Excited to sleep with his mother, Guoguo kept talking, drank too much water, and ended up wetting the bed…

“Why not sleep another half hour? It’s not even six yet.” Hu Xiu, preparing breakfast, saw her tired daughter-in-law and suggested she rest more. After days of traveling while pregnant, she clearly needed it.

Lin Ting shook her head. “No, I have to report to the brigade commander before going to work.”

Hearing this, Hu Xiu stopped urging her. “By the way, reporter Xiao Ning is already up.”

Lin Ting put on her shoes. “Ning Yu will return to the division headquarters after breakfast. Mom, can you prepare some food from what I brought back yesterday? I asked Ning Yu to take it to my second brother.”

Hu Xiu slapped her forehead. “I almost forgot! I’ll get it now.”

Lin Ting wanted to clarify that they weren’t exactly together—just nearby, as she had a mission with the art troupe later—but Hu Xiu had already left.

After breakfast, Ning Yu and the others departed.

Lin Ting hurried to the brigade commander’s house. It was just after six, and the guards had likely just finished their drill—her guess was correct.

When she arrived, the brigade commander was having breakfast. Seeing her, he wasn’t surprised and even asked his wife for an extra pair of chopsticks.

Lin Ting quickly waved her hand. “No need, Sister-in-law, I already ate.”

Pang Lihua, who was close to Hu Xiu and Lin Ting, didn’t insist. She poured tea and listened to their conversation.

Upon hearing that Lin Ting secured eight job positions for military families, she was impressed. “You educated people are really capable.”

The brigade commander looked relieved. “Comrade Xiao Lin, great work. Half of the quota will go to the division headquarters, so our families get four spots.”

Lin Ting clarified, “There are 16 positions in total, half already allocated. Ten factories provided one quota each, and three factories gave two.”

Both Pang Lihua and the brigade commander were surprised. “That many?” They laughed. “Comrade Xiao Lin, you’re a role model for military families. When the newspaper publishes this, the whole division will know your contribution.”

Lin Ting coughed awkwardly. “That’s not necessary. The factories mainly value the troops, not me.”

Wei Lu shook his head. “Without your efforts, this wouldn’t have happened.”