Chapter 14: Hero Dad

Although the woman didn’t understand why Cheng Hongying was so agitated, she truthfully told her, “Her name is Qiu Yinuo. It’s a beautiful name, ‘Yinuo,’ as precious as gold.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Hongying let out a loud cry. “She got married? That little brat got married and didn’t even tell me! Am I not worth her trust? She won’t even send a letter home. What use is it for me to raise her?”

The woman, who had some knowledge of the situation, asked in disbelief, “Big sister, are you Yinuo’s mother?”

“Yes, I’m that brat’s mother.” Cheng Hongying grabbed the woman’s arm. “Little sister, my daughter has been gone for two years without a word. Who could have known she would get married without saying anything? This stubborn girl never treated me like a mother. Please, take me to find her.”

Seeing her so worked up, the woman was worried that she might cause trouble for the Shao family and quickly held Cheng Hongying back. “Big Sister, calm down. Before we go, there’s something I need to tell you. After you hear it, I’ll take you there.”

“What is it?” Cheng Hongying felt a bit anxious, sensing that what the woman was about to say might not be good news.

“When your daughter came here, it happened that her mother-in-law was robbed. She went to help retrieve the stolen bag and got knocked on the head. When she woke up, she had lost her memory of everything before that.”

Cheng Hongying was so shocked that she almost fainted.

She grabbed the woman’s arm tightly. “And then? What happened to my daughter?”

“Don’t worry, she’s doing fine now. Madam Shao felt sorry for her, so she arranged for her son to marry Yinuo. They got married last year, and this year, she gave birth to twin sons.”

Even hearing that her daughter was fine, Cheng Hongying’s heart was still in turmoil.

That girl had always been incredibly stubborn. Once she set her mind on something, not even eight horses could drag her back.

Cheng Hongying had seen early on that her daughter had feelings for that boy from the Ding family. She had feared the girl would go to war with her father over it, so she made the decision on her own to help her run away.

Who could have guessed that fate would play such a cruel joke? The girl lost her memory and married someone else. What if she remembered Ding Zixu one day? Wouldn’t that destroy her?

“Can you take me to see her?”

“Big sister Cheng, there’s still one more very important thing I haven’t told you yet.”

Cheng Hongying felt a chill run down her spine, her legs almost giving way. “Little sister, please, tell me everything at once.”

“A couple of months ago, we got word from the army… your son-in-law was killed in action…” The woman faltered, “Wait, wait, Big sister Cheng, don’t faint!”

Cheng Hongying’s eyes rolled back and she collapsed, causing the woman to panic and quickly press on her acupoint. “Big sister Cheng, wake up! Don’t scare me like this!”

…

He Ziqing opened the door to find a man in navy uniform standing outside.

He looked to be in his forties, with a sharp, military demeanor. When he saw He Ziqing, his eyes instantly softened with warmth. “Hello, I’m Zhou Anbang, the commander of the 19th Division’s first regiment, and also Shao Chengyuan’s teacher and leader. You must be our A’Yuan’s wife.”

Seeing He Ziqing’s gentle face, although she wasn’t as striking as his student, her eyes were firm, and her posture carried the aura of someone trained in martial arts. Zhou Anbang felt a strong sense of admiration for her.

However, when he thought of his student, his heart felt a pang of bitterness.

He Ziqing quickly waved her hand. “I’m not his wife. I’m He Ziqing, Sister Yinuo’s distant cousin. I’m here to help with her confinement.”

She turned around and shouted into the house, “Sister Yinuo, your husband’s boss is here.”

At that moment, Qiu Yinuo was feeding her second son some water. When she heard that her husband’s boss had arrived, she immediately came out of the room with the child in her arms.

By the time she stepped outside, Zhou Anbang had already entered the courtyard. Seeing the plump woman coming toward him, he almost twisted his ankle on the spot.

Ah!

When did that brat’s taste in women change?

He liked chubby, plump women now? Sure, it did give off a sense of prosperity—but wasn’t this a bit too much prosperity?

No wonder he hadn’t shown the slightest interest in any of the young girls from the military’s art troupe. So this was his type all along.

Carefully examining Qiu Yinuo, she was a bit on the chubby side, but her facial features were exceptionally delicate, and her eyes were unexpectedly beautiful.

Her eyes sparkled like stars in the sky, their gleam so bright it almost seemed to shimmer. He thought, if this girl were to slim down, she’d definitely be stunning.

While Zhou Anbang was observing Qiu Yinuo, she was also sizing him up.

“Hello, I’m Zhou Anbang, A’Yuan’s teacher.”

“Hello, teacher. It must have been a long journey. Qingqing, can you bring me a glass of water?”

“Alright, coming right up.”

Zhou Anbang quickly waved his hand, “No need to fuss. How come I don’t see your mother-in-law?”

Previously, he had met Shao Chengyuan’s mother once. She was graceful and elegant, speaking gently. She didn’t seem like someone from a small place at all, but rather like a young lady from a noble family fallen on hard times.

At first glance, it was no surprise that someone like her could raise a son as outstanding as Shao Chengyuan.

When Qiu Yinuo heard him mention her mother-in-law, who was now supposedly “enjoying blessings,” her face immediately filled with sorrow.

“When the news of A’Yuan’s sacrifice came, my mother-in-law couldn’t handle the blow. She ran out of the house, and witnesses said it looked like she was hit by a car. The driver took her to the hospital, but even after asking around everywhere, I’ve never been able to find her.”

Zhou Anbang was stunned. “How could that happen? You still haven’t found her?”

“No.” Qiu Yinuo shook her head, her voice full of remorse. “I’ve tried asking around, but I have no connections and no one could tell me where she went.”

She lowered her head slightly, regret flooding her tone.

If she had given birth just a little earlier that day, maybe she could’ve gone with her mother-in-law and lived a better life. She’d missed it—by just that little bit. Just that tiny, painful bit.

Seeing her “sadness,” Zhou Anbang felt even more guilty toward A’Yuan.

“A’Yuan’s wife, don’t worry, I will do everything I can to find her as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

Zhou Anbang shifted his gaze to the two children in the small crib beside him. Their appearance was strikingly similar to A’Yuan’s.

It felt as though time had been reversed, and he was looking at a baby version of A’Yuan.

He too had been his parents’ precious treasure, growing up strong to become an excellent naval officer.

Who could have known…

Zhou Anbang rubbed his red eyes. “Can I hold them?”

“Of course!”

“This is the first time I’ve seen such small twins. Which one is the older one?”

“This one.”

Under Qiu Yinuo’s guidance, Zhou Anbang carefully lifted the tiny baby. The little ball of chubby flesh felt weightless in his arms, yet his arms trembled, as if the baby weighed a thousand pounds.

His eyes immediately reddened. “What’s his name?”

“Shao Xingchen.”

“Shao Xingchen, what a great name!” As he spoke, two lines of warm tears rolled down his cheeks, falling onto Shao Xingchen’s chubby arms.

He had vaguely heard in the hospital that his father was a soldier, but had sacrificed himself.

In his past life, he was an orphan, with neither father nor mother. This time, just having a mother made him incredibly happy.

Meeting his father’s superior today and facing the fact that his father was no longer around was hard for him.

But when he thought that his father had sacrificed for the country, for the people, the waves of emotion in his chest nearly became too overwhelming to contain.

His father was a hero.

Although there was some regret, he was proud of him.

If only he could have a father here in this life.

Having a hero for a father… that would be really cool.