Chapter 95.2

Grandpa Xu frowned. In his eyes, a rounded figure indicates good health. Although Jiang Suihan was not short, her small frame made her look a bit thin. Grandpa Xu had once doubted whether Xu Zhao was taking good care of his granddaughter-in-law, worried she might be overworked and underfed.

Xu Zhenguo shared the same concern and thought Jiang Suihan could stand to gain a little weight.

Su Ying asked, “Are you sure you don’t want any more dishes?”

“I’m really full. I had a lot of snacks during the day. I’m not hungry,” Jiang Suihan replied.

Su Ying insisted, “If you’re full, then don’t eat anymore. It can be uncomfortable if your stomach is too full. Pregnant women can get hungry at night. I’ll save some food for you in case you want it later.”

Having given birth to three children herself, Su Ying had plenty of experience with pregnancy and knew how quickly a woman could feel hungry. With Jiang Suihan carrying her grandchild, her concern as a mother-in-law was natural.

After spending the day with his grandpa, Chenchen wanted to be held by his mom in the evening.

Xu Zhao picked him up by the back of his shirt, worried he might hurt Jiang Suihan with his rough play, “Mommy’s not feeling well, sit still.”

When Chenchen was being mischievous, he could be quite a handful. But there were also times when he was obedient. The little boy strained hard against his father’s grip, reaching out to touch his mother’s face. He frowned, asking, “Mommy, where does it hurt?”

In his young mind, feeling unwell equated to pain that required yucky medicine.

Jiang Suihan picked up Chenchen and sat him in her lap. Seeing Xu Zhao’s disapproving look, she smiled and shook her head, “It’s fine. Chenchen is being good.”

The child loved adult validation and exclaimed loudly, “Yes, I’m being good!”

His speech was a bit unclear, and he accidentally drooled.

Jiang Suihan pulled out a cloth to wipe his mouth and joked, “Mommy and Daddy are both neat people. How come you’re such a mess?”

Being her own child, she had to pinch her nose and clean him up.

Xu Zhao glanced at his son, “You’re good? If you were good, then there wouldn’t be any naughty children.”

Chenchen inherited his parents’ good looks, with rosy lips and white teeth and delicate features. He was often mistaken for a little girl due to his charm. Even at such a young age, he knew how to use his advantages. Every time he made a mistake, he would blink his big, grape-like eyes and flash a sweet smile, charming everyone around him.

As Sister Wu said, whenever Chenchen smiles at her, her heart feels as if it’s soaked in honey, sweet and delightful. She can’t bring herself to scold the child, not even once.

Chenchen wrinkled his little nose at his dad, declaring, “You’re not good, I am!”

The child looked at his mom, hoping she would support him.

Jiang Suihan smiled at Xu Zhao and kissed her son’s soft little face. “That’s right, our Chenchen is the best. Mommy loves good children.”

Chenchen grinned widely, stood up cheerfully, and leaned his forehead against his mom’s, wanting her to play with him.

As a first-time mom, Jiang Suihan didn’t have much experience but understood how crucial parental presence is for a child’s growth. Typically, if there were no other commitments, they always made time for parent-child interaction every evening, with Xu Zhao participating without fail.

After playing with Chenchen for a while, the little one was laughing nonstop.

Grandpa Xu was getting older and lived on the first floor, where the nanny also stayed for convenience. The other family members had their rooms on the second floor.

As Su Ying went downstairs to get water, she passed by her son’s room and heard Chenchen’s laughter. “Don’t let the child laugh too much. It’s getting late; time for bed.”

Jiang Suihan put a finger to her lips to signal Chenchen to be quiet. “Got it, Mom. We’ll sleep soon.”

Last night, Chenchen had slept with his grandparents, but for some reason, today—maybe because Dad mentioned that Mom wasn’t feeling well—the child insisted on sleeping with her.

Xu Zhao worried that Chenchen might kick Jiang Suihan in his sleep, so he rearranged their positions: Chenchen on the inside, Jiang Suihan in the middle, and himself on the outside.

In the middle of the night, Jiang Suihan woke up thirsty. Even though Xu Zhao was asleep, his instincts kicked in, and he woke up immediately upon hearing rustling.

“What’s wrong? Not feeling well?”

“I’m fine, just thirsty,” Jiang Suihan replied.

Xu Zhao pressed her down gently, lifted a corner of the blanket as he got up, trying to keep the warmth inside.

Su Ying was very thoughtful, knowing her son and daughter-in-law lived upstairs and that the northern weather was dry, so she had filled a thermos with hot water and asked Xu Zhao to bring it back to their room.

The thermos was under the table. Xu Zhao poured half a cup of hot water, which was a bit too hot, then added some cold water from a military canteen.

Jiang Suihan sat up and reached into the blanket to feel Chenchen’s little hand, warm and comforting. She tried to take the cup, but Xu Zhao wouldn’t let her. He seemed intent on feeding her.

Jiang Suihan didn’t mind and took half a cup from his hand. “That’s enough.”

With some light in the room, Chenchen woke up groggily. “Mommy.”

Seeing her son awake, Jiang Suihan asked, “Do you want some water?”

Chenchen rubbed his eyes and slowly said, “Yes.”

The little one leaned against his mom, feeling dependent and far from the rambunctious child he had been during the day.

After feeding him a few sips, he fell back asleep.

Jiang Suihan looked at Xu Zhao and suddenly said, “I’m hungry.”

“What do you want to eat?” Xu Zhao asked.

Jiang Suihan thought for a moment. “I want something spicy.”

Xu Zhao hesitated. Jiang Suihan was from the south and couldn’t handle spicy food well. Even after living in Li Province for three years, she could only eat a little, and every time she did, she would cough for days.

However, his mom had said that a pregnant woman’s cravings could be unpredictable, and it was best to let her eat what she wanted, or she might fixate on it and feel unhappy.

Xu Zhao suggested, “You can only have a little, not too much.”

Jiang Suihan hugged his waist, smiling brightly. “You’re so nice!”

She knew she couldn’t handle too much spice, but the craving was strong.

After tucking Chenchen in, they quietly went downstairs.

Xu Zhao told Jiang Suihan to wait in the living room while he checked the kitchen for food. Lifting the pot lid, he found leftovers from his mom’s cooking.

“I don’t want noodles; I want rice, fried rice,” Jiang Suihan said.

Xu Zhao was decent in the kitchen. Sometimes when Jiang Suihan didn’t feel like cooking, he would step in. He didn’t believe in the notion that men shouldn’t be in the kitchen. He felt sorry for his wife, who was busy caring for their child, so he often helped with meals.

Jiang Suihan quickly added, “Remember to add some chili. It’s not for me, it’s for the baby.”

Xu Zhao rolled his eyes, realizing she hadn’t forgotten about spicy food and was now using the baby as an excuse.

He opened the cupboard, took out an egg, diced some cured meat, and grabbed a few leaves of cabbage. Turning on the stove, he heated some oil in the pan. Making fried rice didn’t take much skill; it was ready in three to four minutes. Before serving, Xu Zhao added a small amount of chili sauce—less than a quarter of a spoon.

The chili sauce was made by their nanny, who came from a place where people often ate spicy food. After joining the Xu family, she had learned to adjust to Grandpa Xu’s preference for milder flavors, but every winter, she would make a batch of chili sauce for whenever someone craved it.

Jiang Suihan couldn’t wait to dig in. After the first bite, she suddenly choked. “Cough cough…”

Xu Zhao hurriedly poured her a glass of water and gently patted her back. “Is it too spicy? If you can’t handle it, I can make you something else.”

There was still some rice left in the pot, enough for another serving.

Jiang Suihan quickly protected the fried rice with both hands, refusing to let him take it away. “It’s fine, not too spicy. I can handle this. It’s just a bit dry.”

Xu Zhao silently watched her for a couple of seconds. Seeing her determination, he didn’t say anything more.

Jiang Suihan wasn’t really hungry; she just had a craving for something to snack on. She ate half a bowl of rice, which was quite a bit.

Xu Zhao took the bowl and finished the rest in just a few bites.

Jiang Suihan leisurely drank water from an enamel cup and asked, “Who made this chili sauce? It tastes so authentic and delicious.”

Xu Zhao said, “Aunt He made this chili sauce. She’s from my dad’s hometown and has been part of our family for a long time. Since I was little, she’s been coming over. People from her hometown love spicy food. They think a dish without chili is flavorless. Every winter, Aunt He prepares several jars of chili sauce to mix with rice or noodles, though it can be quite spicy—most people can’t handle it.”

He could eat spicy food easily; regular chili was nothing to him. Back when he was stationed at the border, the locals really knew how to eat chili, treating it almost like a snack.

Jiang Suihan replied, “This chili sauce Aunt He made is delicious! Once the market opens up, you should start a shop selling it—there will be plenty of customers.”

Xu Zhao gently patted her head, saying, “Don’t talk about such things outside. It’s fine to say them at home.” The situation was sensitive, and one had to be cautious about what they said.

Jiang Suihan nudged his hand playfully, “I get it, I’m not foolish. I’m just speaking casually at home. But I believe this darkness is temporary; light will come. Our country will surely get better, and a prosperous era will arrive.”

Having experienced the future, she knew that the country would thrive, with stable lives for its people, and that Western nations wouldn’t dare to block its economy anymore. The strength of the country would be evident!

“Well said!”

Both Jiang Suihan and Xu Zhao turned to see Grandpa Xu standing excitedly behind them. Xu Zhao quickly got up to help him, “Grandpa, why are you up?”

Grandpa Xu didn’t answer Xu Zhao’s question; instead, he looked at his granddaughter-in-law, “What you said was wonderful! You young people dare to dream and speak your minds. We’re old now; the country needs fresh blood. You young ones are the hope and future of our motherland!”

As an old revolutionary, he had dedicated his life to the nation’s cause. His greatest wish was to witness the country’s prosperity and the people’s happiness. This was his belief and the ideal he had pursued all his life.

Jiang Suihan felt a bit shy, “Grandpa, please don’t praise me so much. I’m blushing! Without the efforts of your generation, we wouldn’t have the peaceful life we have today. I once heard that there’s no such thing as a calm life; it’s just that someone else is bearing the burden for you. The generation I admire the most is yours—steadfast in ideals, fighting bravely, unwavering, and never giving up. That’s what we younger generations should learn.”

Xu Zhao looked at her sparkling eyes and determined expression, suddenly feeling as if she were glowing, capturing all his attention.

Grandpa Xu laughed heartily, patting Xu Zhao on the shoulder, “You’ve married a wonderful wife. This is your blessing, and our Xu family’s blessing.”