Chapter 9 – He Was Hurt

At this moment, Qin Ye had his back to her as he helped Nannan put on her shoes and socks. She quickly took off her old clothes and began putting on the military uniform. Her heart thudded in her chest like a startled deer.

She had just put it on halfway when she suddenly turned her head—and saw Qin Ye staring at her, the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.

“Hmm, Nannan, look—Mommy looks really good in this outfit, doesn’t she?”

Nannan nodded vigorously. “Yeah! Mommy is so pretty! Just like… just like… a movie star!”

“Daddy, what’s a movie star?” she looked up at Qin Ye. “Aunt Sun said Mommy is even prettier than a movie star. Is that like a star in the sky?”

Ye Qing’s face flushed red in an instant. She whispered: “Don’t listen to your Aunt Sun talking nonsense!”

Qin Ye couldn’t help but chuckle. “She is really pretty! Aunt Sun didn’t lie.”

Ye Qing was already beautiful—her features looked as if they had been painted, almost unreal. Now, dressed in the military uniform, she had gained a sharp and heroic air that made it hard to look away.

Yet, something puzzled him.

The Ye Qing from before had been quiet and dull, and even though she had been betrayed by her own mother, she hadn’t dared to fight back. She was beautiful, yes, but completely unremarkable.

Now, Ye Qing seemed… different. Her face was the same. Her body was the same. But her entire aura had changed—it was as if she had become a different person altogether.

Had he just been away for too long and misremembered? Or had she changed too much over the years?

He looked at Ye Qing deeply a few more times and then called out: “Come eat, Nannan. Let Daddy show you what good food he brought.”

As he spoke, he lifted the lid of the lunchbox. Inside were three steamed buns, two eggs, and a serving of millet porridge. The canteen had just opened when he went to get food—it was all fresh from the pot and still steaming.

Such a hearty breakfast was something Ye Qing had never experienced. Back in her hometown, even if she had a steamed bun, it wasn’t enough to fill her up. They always paired buns with mantou (steamed bread), using the bun’s filling as a side dish.

As for eggs—those were rare.

The few eggs their hens laid usually ended up in Su Fang’s mouth. If there were extras, they’d be sold for money. Ye Qing never got to eat any, not even Ye Dazhuang or Ding Lanhua.

The military uniform fit perfectly. After changing, Ye Qing sat down to eat, only to see Nannan’s little hand already reaching out toward the millet porridge.

The porridge had just finished cooking—it was scorching hot.

Qin Ye wanted to stop her, but Ye Qing raised a hand to block him. She firmly took Nannan’s little hand and guided it toward the edge of the lunchbox, saying: “Mommy told you, food that’s just been cooked is hot. You can’t touch it. Try it and see…”

Nannan’s tiny fingers brushed against the stainless steel container. The heat of the porridge instantly transferred to her skin, and she let out a loud wail: “Wah!”

Qin Ye’s brow twitched. “What… what are you doing?!”

Ye Qing didn’t answer him. She picked Nannan up, blowing on her little hand while gently asking: “Was the lunchbox really hot just now? Does it hurt?”

Tears still clung to Nannan’s cheeks. She nodded hard. “Hot! Mommy, I’ll never touch it again!”

Qin Ye finally let out a long breath. “Phew—scared me to death! Who teaches a kid like that?!”

Then a memory surfaced—he remembered being just like that as a child. He’d been so thirsty that he tried to take water just boiled from the stove. His mother had slapped his little hand hard. He cried for a long time, but still didn’t understand why his mom had said not to touch boiling water.

The result? The next time he still tried to grab it—and boiling water spilled on his leg, leaving a large scald. To this day, he still had a palm-sized scar on his calf.

If his mother had taught him the way Ye Qing just had, would he have avoided that injury?

If he hadn’t gotten hurt, maybe… maybe that regret wouldn’t have existed either?

Qin Ye shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts in his mind.

“What are you zoning out for? Eat!” Ye Qing couldn’t help but say when she saw him dazing off.

Qin Ye shook his head. “I’ve already eaten. This is all for you two.”

The meat-filled steamed buns were incredibly generous with their filling. One bite and her whole mouth was filled with rich juices. If this had been in modern times, she probably would’ve found it too greasy to stomach.

But her current body craved fat so much that instead of feeling greasy, she actually felt deeply satisfied. Even after finishing one big steamed bun, she still didn’t feel full.

Qin Ye watched her eat so heartily and pointed at another bun. “Eat! If it’s not enough, I’ll go get more. The canteen just opened, they should still have some.”

Ye Qing looked up and gave an embarrassed smile. “Am I eating too much? Hehe.”

The steamed buns here were larger than her face, and stuffed to the brim. If it had been before she transmigrated, she wouldn’t even have gotten one. But now, not only did one not fill her up, she even felt a little shy about it.

Nannan was happily gnawing on her big bun, her little face glistening with oil. Qin Ye carefully picked up a handkerchief and began wiping her mouth without even lifting his head.

“Two buns are considered a lot? Eat up—eat until you’re full.”

“Oh right, this is all my savings. From today on, I’ll be in charge of making money, and you’ll be in charge of managing it. We can’t let Nannan stay so skinny anymore.”

In fact, Nannan had already put on some weight these past few days. If this were back when she first arrived…

Ye Qing curled her lips—she hadn’t expected him to be such a doting girl dad.

People in the past all preferred boys. When she first arrived, she had worried that Qin Ye wouldn’t like Nannan. But now it seemed that worry was entirely unnecessary.

Ye Qing didn’t take the money or the ration tickets. Instead, she said: “I still have some on hand. You keep yours for now. When I need it, I’ll ask.”

As she spoke, she reached for another large bun. In one sitting, she ate two big buns, one egg, and a bowl of millet porridge before finally feeling full.

Nannan had half of her bun left. She was planning to save it for lunch, but Qin Ye picked it up and finished it in just a few bites.

He didn’t even mind at all!

Ye Qing was a little surprised. This guy was a child of a wealthy Beijing family, raised with every privilege. He was proud, aloof, and kind-hearted—but she hadn’t expected him to be so down-to-earth.

After finishing the bun, Qin Ye stood up. “Alright, you’re full now. I should head back. I won’t be home for lunch, wait for me tonight.”

Ye Qing noticed a tear on his shirt sleeve, faintly stained with blood.

She pointed to his sleeve. “Take that off, let me have a look.”

Qin Ye froze. That tear had happened during a mission. Since he had been in such a rush to help her alter the clothes last night, he had forgotten to change into a clean set today.

He instinctively hid his arm behind his back. “It’s nothing. I’ll change into another set when I get back.”

Ye Qing walked behind him and caught his arm. “It’s not just your clothes. You’re hurt. Didn’t you go to the hospital to get it treated?”

Qin Ye shrugged it off. “It’s fine. Just a little scrape. It’ll heal in a few days.”

Before he could finish speaking, Ye Qing had already rolled up his sleeve.

“Hiss…”

She couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air. “You call this a scrape?”

The wound was wrapped in gauze, and the gauze was completely soaked with blood. When she peeled it back, the flesh underneath was mangled. The wound was deep—nearly to the bone. The skin around it was red and swollen, already weeping fluid, showing early signs of infection.

He had meant to get it treated yesterday, but the Brigade Commander had suddenly told him that his wife and child had arrived and had been waiting at the hostel for five days. He hadn’t had time to go to the hospital. In a rush, he had simply wrapped it with gauze and gone to the hostel.

Then, after spending the night altering her clothes, he had delayed further treatment.

“No way—you have to go to the hospital! It’s already infected!”

Without caring for his objections, Ye Qing grabbed his arm and began dragging him toward the military hospital.

Nannan followed along behind them, trying to persuade him too. “Daddy, you have to be good! Mommy said you need to see a doctor if you’re hurt, or it won’t get better.”

Her little legs couldn’t keep up with the adults, so Qin Ye scooped her up and carried her in one arm with ease. He playfully brushed her tiny nose and smiled. “Alright, we’ll all listen to Mommy, okay?”

The military hospital was bustling with people.

Just as they finished bandaging his wound and stepped out, someone came running toward them, looking anxious.

“Regiment Commander Qin? Regiment Commander Qin! Finally, I found you!”