Chapter 5 From now on, I will live a fairy-like life

Since Doubao was willing to help, Lin Suisui was more than happy to let him. She relaxed visibly, but still confirmed with him, “Doubao is such a good boy, thinking about taking care of Daddy. But are you strong enough?”

“Of course I am. No problem at all,” Doubao replied confidently. “Mama, you just need to help me wring the towel.”

As he spoke, he climbed up onto the hospital bed and assured Huo Changzheng, “Daddy, I’ll wipe you down real clean and comfy!”

Looking at the little guy who was calling him “Uncle” just yesterday and now acting all grown up, Huo Changzheng couldn’t help the twitch at the corner of his mouth. “You really are my good son, huh.”

Lin Suisui sensed there was a deeper meaning to that comment, but didn’t look into it. She efficiently wrung out the towel and handed it to Doubao. “Here, Doubao, do a good job.”

“Okay!” Doubao took the towel and immediately reached for Huo Changzheng’s clothes. Seeing that, Lin Suisui quickly turned her back.

Watching her avoidant posture, Huo Changzheng felt a strange tightness in his chest.

Despite being a little kid, Doubao did a pretty good job. After being wiped down, Huo Changzheng felt refreshed and comfortable.

When Lin Suisui came back after dumping the water, Huo Changzheng didn’t hold back on praising Doubao. “Didn’t expect someone your size to be that strong.”

“Of course! Mama has a hard time taking care of the family all by herself. I’m the only man in the house, so I help however I can. After a while, I got stronger,” Doubao said proudly.

“…” Huo Changzheng had a sneaking suspicion that the “only man in the house” comment was a dig at him—but he had no proof.

The next day, after a thorough check-up during the doctor’s rounds, Huo Changzheng was declared well enough to be discharged. Fang Weiguo came to pick them up, and the three of them rode back to the base in a jeep.

As they passed a cluster of houses, Huo Changzheng pointed and said, “That’s the family housing compound. I’ll apply for one soon. For now, we’ll stay in my dorm.”

“Alright,” Lin Suisui nodded.

She had grown up accustomed to hardship and had no high expectations when it came to living conditions—especially since she was here to escape trouble. Just having a roof over their heads was already good enough. Still, those single-family units in the compound looked pretty decent.

Huo Changzheng brought them to his dorm, told her to get meals from the canteen at meal times without waiting for him, and then left.

The dorm wasn’t big and was simply furnished: a single bed, a wardrobe, a desk with a chair, and a few daily necessities. That was it.

Since they were only staying for a few days, Lin Suisui didn’t bother fully unpacking. She just took out two sets of clothes and got ready to give herself and Doubao a bath.

The dorm didn’t have its own bathroom, but Huo Changzheng had told her there was a public bathhouse nearby.

Having grown up in the South, Lin Suisui had no experience with northern-style bathhouses. She thought it would just be a shared space with running water. But when she got there, she was stunned to see a wide-open bath area with absolutely no partitions.

She had never encountered anything like this before! No way was she about to bathe naked next to strangers.

So she said to Doubao, “Let’s just bathe here, okay?”

But to her surprise, Doubao refused immediately. “Mama, this is the women’s bathhouse. I’m a boy. It’s not appropriate. I don’t want to bathe here.”

“You’re still little, it’s okay. We haven’t bathed in days.” She couldn’t very well go into the men’s side.

“I don’t want to! I want to go back and bathe there.”

“…Fine.” Seeing how firm he was and how much he respected boundaries, Lin Suisui had no choice but to carry a bucket of water back to the dorm and let him wash there.

“Mama, you go get food. I’ll bathe myself. If you watch, I’ll get shy.”

Just as she was about to help him undress, he said this, and she couldn’t help laughing. “You’re only four, and you already know about being shy?”

“Of course! Now go or I won’t bathe.”

Looking at his serious little face, Lin Suisui gave up. “Alright, take your time. I’m going to get lunch.”

It was still early and most people were out training, so the canteen wasn’t crowded. Lin Suisui quickly picked a food line. They hadn’t had a proper meal in days, and she wanted Doubao to eat well. She splurged on two meat dishes and two vegetable ones.

The cafeteria worker, a woman in her forties, noticed she was unfamiliar and asked while serving the food, “Haven’t seen you before. Are you newly arrived with the army?”

“Yes,” Lin Suisui nodded with a smile.

“Whose family are you with?” the woman pressed.

Knowing she’d only be here a year, Lin Suisui instinctively wanted to stay under the radar. But since the woman had already asked, she had to answer. “Huo Changzheng’s.”

“Oh! So you’re Changzheng’s wife?” The woman, Huang Shuilan, looked both surprised and delighted. “My husband Li Fumin works with Changzheng. I always wondered why he didn’t bring his wife along. Now that I’ve seen you, I really don’t get it. Such a pretty wife—how could he leave you behind?”

Huang Shuilan spoke loudly and cheerfully, and her voice carried across the whole cafeteria. Embarrassed by the praise, Lin Suisui’s cheeks flushed. “You flatter me, sister.”

“No, I’m serious. I’m not the flattering type. You really are stunning. I’ve been following the army for years, and I’ve never seen a family member as beautiful as you.”

As she spoke, Huang Shuilan finished dishing out the food. Feeling overwhelmed by the compliments, Lin Suisui quickly thanked her and walked off.

Watching her hasty retreat, Huang Shuilan chuckled to herself, “That Changzheng kid—he’s going to be living like a god from now on.”

When Lin Suisui returned to the dorm, Doubao had already finished bathing and even dressed himself.

Seeing her four-year-old son so independent left her a little stunned. It felt like he’d grown up overnight after being sick.

After lunch, Doubao went down for a nap.

Since Lin Suisui hadn’t bathed yet, she didn’t want to lie down. She figured she’d feel more at ease if she cleaned herself first. She couldn’t handle the public bathhouse, so she filled two buckets of water and prepared to wash in the dorm.

She washed her hair first, then started to bathe. Since it was a strange place, she double-checked that all the doors and windows were shut before undressing.

Just as she had taken everything off and was scrubbing herself down with a damp towel, she suddenly heard a clack at the door.

Turning around, she saw the door had cracked open a sliver.