Chapter 17: Captain Huo is truly a sniper

This was the second time Huo Changzheng had wiped away Lin Suisui’s tears since she joined the military family. Last time, Fang Weiguo had interrupted and eased the awkwardness, but now she found herself with nowhere to hide.

“Why are you crying?” Huo Changzheng asked again.

Lin Suisui turned her head to avoid his hand, unsure how to respond.

“Is it because Doubao is going to school and you can’t bear to part with him?” Seeing that she didn’t answer, Huo Changzheng guessed out loud.

“Mm, I’m just not used to it,” she replied, taking his offered explanation as her own.

“Mommy, then I won’t go to school,” Doubao immediately clung to her leg after hearing she couldn’t bear to part with him.

“No, that’s not necessary.” Lin Suisui felt embarrassed for crying and forced a smile. “If you don’t go to preschool now, you’ll still have to go to elementary school later. Better to start now. Doubao needs to learn to be independent, and Mommy needs to get used to not having you by her side all the time.”

“That’s right, our son is growing up—you can’t cling to him forever,” Huo Changzheng agreed, and thoughtfully added, “If you don’t like being home alone, I’ll try to come back during lunch when I’m free.”

“No need, no need.” Lin Suisui thought she’d feel even more uncomfortable with him around, and quickly waved her hand. “It was just a moment of emotion. I’m fine now. You go do what you need to. Don’t worry about me. It’s getting late—let’s get to the preschool.”

Worried that he might continue dwelling on the topic, she urged them forward to change the subject. Sure enough, once she said that, both father and son fell silent, and they continued striding ahead.

The three of them walking together like that painted such a beautiful picture that it practically blinded the two women behind them.

“Didn’t they say Commander Huo absolutely hated his wife? What part of this looks like hate? He clearly likes her a lot,” Hu Xiuying said suspiciously.

“So shameless—touching and hugging each other out in public in broad daylight. What kind of behavior is that?” Ye Yuxia sneered. “Lin Suisui has that seductive face—just looks like someone who lures men in. Women like her are not suitable for a proper life.”

“If Suisui isn’t suitable for a proper life, are you saying your nephew’s wife—who acts more like a man than a woman—is?” came a cold voice behind them.

Hu Xiuying and Ye Yuxia turned around to see Fang Qianqian standing there, staring at them with clear disdain.

Caught gossiping behind someone’s back, both women were visibly embarrassed. Hu Xiuying flushed and didn’t dare say another word, while Ye Yuxia got angry out of shame and snapped, “What’s it got to do with you? We weren’t talking about you.”

“Suisui is my good friend. If she’s being bullied, it absolutely concerns me,” Fang Qianqian said bluntly. “Ye Yuxia, you know very well what your niece is like. Forget someone like Huo Changzheng—even a regular soldier in the regiment wouldn’t be interested in her. I suggest you stop daydreaming.”

“You—” Ye Yuxia turned bright red, too furious to speak.

She’d been called out on her little schemes.

“What, ‘you’ what? I suggest you treat Suisui with some respect.” Fang Qianqian sneered. “Don’t be fooled by how little Huo Changzheng talks. He rose to this position at such a young age purely on merit—he’s a tough one. And anyone can see he treasures Suisui. If you do something stupid, you’ll regret it.”

With that warning, Fang Qianqian turned and walked off, leaving Ye Yuxia fuming in place.

After dropping Doubao off at preschool, Huo Changzheng returned to the base. Lin Suisui was originally planning to go back to her dorm, but with nothing much to do there, she decided to go find Fang Qianqian.

She had to admit, this was the first time she’d been apart from Doubao since he was born. Without her little shadow tagging along, she really felt out of sorts.

If she had to stay home all day, she knew she’d go stir-crazy.

So when she arrived at the Cheng household, she asked Fang Qianqian directly, “Qianqian, have you ever thought about getting a job?”

“A job? Like working?” Fang Qianqian shook her head like a rattle drum. “Working means putting up with crap from others. I don’t want to earn money that comes with swallowing pride. Cheng Hao can afford to take care of me anyway.”

“….” She sounded so confident that Lin Suisui didn’t even know how to argue.

Although she hadn’t met Cheng Hao in person yet, from the way their home was set up and how well Fang Qianqian lived, it was clear that he spoiled her.

Fang Qianqian had a man to pamper her, but Lin Suisui didn’t—especially since she’d be getting a divorce in a year. Before that, she hoped to have already started saving money for herself.

“Do you know of any work around here I could try?” Lin Suisui asked. “I’d like to get a job.” Then, feeling a bit self-conscious, she added, “It’s just… I didn’t go to school much, and back home I only ever did farm work.”

“Why do you want to work? Your Huo Commander’s salary and benefits are way better than Cheng Hao’s,” Fang Qianqian asked, puzzled. “And he doesn’t seem like the stingy type with his wife either.”

“He’s not,” Lin Suisui quickly clarified. “He’s actually very generous. It’s just… now that Doubao’s going to preschool, I’ll be home alone, and I’m worried I’ll be bored.”

“If you’re bored, just have another baby to take care of,” Fang Qianqian teased. “You guys probably want more kids anyway. You’re still young—better have them while you can. Look at me, I’m getting older and want to have one, but I can’t.”

She’s about to get divorced—how could she possibly have another child? Of course, she couldn’t tell Fang Qianqian that. But since she brought up the topic of having children, Lin Suisui asked curiously, “How long have you been married without getting pregnant?”

“Over a year now,” Fang Qianqian replied.

“Have you seen a doctor about it?” Lin Suisui asked.

“I did try, but it didn’t have much effect. Now I’m drinking traditional Chinese medicine prescribed by Dr. Zhang to regulate my body,” Fang Qianqian said. She longed to have a child, but not to the point of losing herself. “Anyway, I’ll just give it a try. If it still doesn’t work, then so be it. If I end up not having kids and Cheng Hao can still live with that, we’ll keep going. If not, we’ll just separate and each go our own way peacefully.”

Lin Suisui’s eyes widened in surprise at Fang Qianqian’s statement. These days, if a woman couldn’t have children, it was practically seen as a crime. In such cases, women usually compromised—either persuading the man to adopt, or even letting him have a child with another woman and bring it home to raise. This was the first time she had seen someone as carefree as Fang Qianqian.

Though Lin Suisui herself was pretty open-minded, that was only because she knew what fate awaited her. Once again, she felt that Fang Qianqian was a friend worth having—their views were very much aligned.

“Having a child is a matter of fate too. Don’t stress, just relax. You never know, it might just happen when you least expect it,” Lin Suisui comforted her.

“I know. It’s just that sometimes, when I see others get pregnant as easily as picking vegetables, I can’t help feeling a little down,” Fang Qianqian said. “By the way, how long after your marriage did you get pregnant with Doubao?”

That question really stumped Lin Suisui. She pondered for a while before replying, “We got married, and the very next day, he went back to the military camp. When the doctor told me I was pregnant, even I found it unbelievable.”

“Well… your Captain Huo really lives up to his reputation as a sharpshooter. Even in the baby-making department, it was a one-shot hit,” Fang Qianqian joked playfully. “Looks like I should start suspecting that it’s Cheng Hao who’s the problem. I need to get him to find some time to consult your Captain Huo.”

“…”