Chapter 14: Go to the Bathhouse and Wash Yourself Clean

Xiao Zheng stared fixedly at those soft red lips—he almost kissed her for real.

A drop of sweat dripped into his eye, the sting snapping him back to his senses.

“I…” Xiao Zheng swallowed hard. His throat was dry and scratchy as he forced out a few words. “I’m going to the cafeteria for food.”

Without another word, he ducked his head, grabbed the lunchbox, and strode out the door.

An Huan blinked, then looked down to meet Dongdong’s wide-eyed, dazed expression.

She had just flirted with a man right in front of their child. Was it really appropriate to be all lovey-dovey in front of a kid? She had no experience raising children and had overlooked that.

Dongdong asked, “Mommy, why didn’t Daddy kiss you?”

An Huan replied, “Uh… maybe he was shy?”

Dongdong puckered his tiny lips. “Dongdong’s not shy. Dongdong will kiss you.”

An Huan leaned in, smiling, and let her son give her a peck on the cheek.

Then she gently reminded him, “When Daddy and Mommy talk or do things at home, don’t tell anyone outside, okay? Even if someone asks, you don’t say anything, alright?”

Dongdong nodded earnestly. “Okay! Like just now, when Mommy asked Daddy for a kiss—I won’t tell, right?”

“Right, don’t tell anyone.”

An Huan patted his little head in praise.

Her clothes reeked of grease and smoke, so after changing into a fresh set, she came out to find that Xiao Zheng was already back and cleaning up the kitchen.

She stepped forward to help, but Xiao Zheng waved her off. “Almost done. Don’t come over—go set the table.”

An Huan said, “I actually managed to cook one dish today—tomato and scrambled eggs.”

Xiao Zheng glanced at the dish—charred and dark. So that was tomato and scrambled eggs.

An Huan gave a sheepish smile. “I didn’t manage the heat well. The flame was too high, and it got burnt. But I tasted it—it’s edible!”

After serving the food, she specially picked up a bite of the dish and placed it in Dongdong’s bowl. “Mommy made this. Try it!”

Dongdong chewed for a few seconds, then calmly said, “Mommy, the salt shaker spilled in my mouth~”

An Huan poured him a glass of water. “Hehe, it is a bit salty. I was too busy watching the fire and the pot at the same time, so I messed up. But still edible.”

Xiao Zheng cast her a sidelong glance.

She kept saying it was edible but hadn’t taken a single bite herself.

He pulled the plate of tomato and scrambled eggs over in front of himself and pushed the other dishes toward his wife and son.

Then, without a word, he finished the entire plate of burnt and salty scrambled eggs.

An Huan watched, lips pressed together. Under the table, she gently rubbed her toes against his calf.

Whoa—his calves were solid muscle.

“Ahem.” Xiao Zheng flinched, pulling his leg back. He glanced at her hair. “You got a haircut today?”

An Huan, distracted by the topic shift, nodded. “What do you think? Looks good?”

Xiao Zheng looked down and shoveled another bite of rice into his mouth, giving the tiniest nod.

“How good?” she pressed.

“Like a fairy,” Dongdong chimed in, his voice exaggerated to flatter his mother.

An Huan burst out laughing, heart overflowing with joy.

“My hair even sold for twelve yuan.”

Xiao Zheng paused. “You sold your hair?”

“Mm-hmm.” An Huan nodded at him and said casually, “And I bought six feet of fabric today—it only cost eight yuan.”

She meant to brag about her healthy, valuable hair.

But Xiao Zheng misunderstood—he thought she’d sold her hair because she had no money to spend.

An Huan used to work and had her own salary. Xiao Zheng also sent her money every month. So although their income was decent, she did spend quite a bit. If she had no money on her, it wasn’t surprising.

Still, why hadn’t she said anything to him?

After dinner, Xiao Zheng pulled a passbook from who-knows-where and stuffed it into her hands. “This is my savings. From now on, my monthly salary and subsidies go in here—you can withdraw directly.”

Then he went off to wash the dishes.

An Huan: …Wow. A man who gives money so coolly is so attractive!

She tucked the passbook away and went to watch Xiao Zheng washing the lunchbox.

From fierce soldier to domestic husband in seconds—she couldn’t help but tease him again.

She poked at his waist with a finger.

He jolted and stepped back sharply, growling, “Quit messing around!”

Too bad his intimidating tone worked on everyone but An Huan.

Her voice soft, she said, “The bathhouse is open today. When you go, wash thoroughly with soap—every nook and cranny.”

Xiao Zheng’s eyes lowered.

Was she saying he stank again?

Before he could get swallowed up in disappointment—smack! A crisp sound rang out.

An Huan had slapped his butt.

“Especially here.”

At that moment, Xiao Zheng felt like every nerve in his body exploded.

He turned to her in disbelief, only to see her beautiful, radiant face turned up to look at him, eyes sparkling with mischief. Her rosy lips were plump and glistening, like a ripe peach begging to be bitten and savored.

His voice turned hoarse. “Haven’t you heard the saying—don’t touch a tiger’s tail?”

She grinned smugly. “I touched it. So what?”

Xiao Zheng couldn’t help himself. He reached out and pinched her cheeks. Her lips puckered adorably, making her look even cuter.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. He started to lean in—but then noticed a drop of saliva slipping from her puckered lips.

An Huan realized she was drooling and abruptly pushed him away, scrambling to wipe her mouth. “Ugh! So annoying! If you want to kiss me, just do it—why are you pinching my face?!”

Xiao Zheng burst into laughter, revealing a set of clean, straight teeth.

“Jerk!” An Huan glared at him.

But his laughter suddenly stopped. He pointed at her face, alarmed. “Does it… hurt?”

“What?” An Huan ran to the mirror—and there they were: bright red fingerprints on her cheeks.

Xiao Zheng followed, looking awkward. “I didn’t use any strength—really.”

It didn’t actually hurt at all. An Huan had delicate skin; sometimes she’d bump into something lightly and still bruise for days. With his pinching, that mark wasn’t going away anytime soon.

Still, she mustered up some tears. “It hurts so much. How are you going to make it up to me?”

She hadn’t cried a moment ago, but now she was acting like it was the end of the world. Xiao Zheng could tell she was faking, but his heart had already surrendered. “I’m sorry. What do you want me to do?”

An Huan’s eyes sparkled. “Go to the bathhouse and wash yourself clean—just like I said.”

Xiao Zheng: “…Okay.”

Without waiting for him, An Huan took Dongdong and left in the afternoon. On the way, they passed by many other families with children also heading toward the bathhouse.

“Young An! Young An!”

Zhou Meihua was walking with a few women and caught sight of her ahead. She rushed over.

“Did Deputy Commander Xiao hit you at noon?!”

An Huan smiled and shook her head. “No, he didn’t. He’s not the type to hit his wife.”

Zhou Meihua grabbed her and stared at her face—then suddenly slapped her thigh. “Good heavens, this is without getting hit? Your face already got slapped!”

The other women crowded around, examining her.

“Tsk tsk, one slap on each cheek!”

“Doesn’t look like a slap to me—looks like a pinch.”

“Whether it’s a slap or a pinch, either way, Xiao Zheng shouldn’t be putting his hands on his wife!”

“Come on, Young An, we’re taking you to file a complaint with the Party committee!”

An Huan hadn’t thought the marks on her face would cause such a misunderstanding. But the bathhouse only opened today—she couldn’t afford to stay home.

She laughed. “Ladies, really—Xiao Zheng didn’t hit me. I swear.”

Look at that—she was still smiling through the pain, still covering for her man.

Clearly afraid he’d abandon her.

The women exchanged glances, eyes brimming with sympathy for An Huan.

Little did An Huan know—within a few days, the rumor that “Deputy Commander Xiao hits his wife” would spread throughout the entire base.