Chapter 36 – Pamper Your Wife, Prosper in Life

Thanks to Song Yuzhou’s care, Jiang Zhi Ning’s menstrual cramps finally subsided.

When she woke up the next day, she felt like she had just walked out of the gates of hell.

Stepping out of the bedroom, Jiang Zhi Ning was surprised to see Song Yuzhou in the kitchen.

“You don’t have to go to the military base today?” she asked.

“I took the day off,” Song Yuzhou replied, bringing out a steaming pot of sweet potato porridge.

Jiang Zhi Ning had been in pain all night, and he had been so worried that he’d gone to the base first thing in the morning to request a day off, just to take proper care of her.

Jiang Zhi Ning sat at the small dining table, her eyes sparkling with happiness as she looked at the steaming porridge.

Even in her modern life, she hadn’t had the luxury of eating porridge fresh off the stove.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Being taken care of feels really good,” she said with a sweet smile.

Song Yuzhou reached out and patted her on the head. He noticed her twisting slightly at the waist.

“Sore back?”

“Yeah, a little,” Jiang Zhi Ning chuckled. “This body of mine is not built for childbirth. If I ever gave birth, my back might hurt even more.”

She remembered a fellow soldier who hemorrhaged after a C-section and nearly died. Since then, she had feared childbirth.

Song Yuzhou didn’t say anything. He knelt on one knee and, under her curious gaze, placed his hands on her lower back.

Then his strong thumbs began massaging her sore muscles.

Jiang Zhi Ning looked at his serious expression and handsome face, her heart thudding faster.

“Feeling better?” he asked in his deep voice.

“Much better.” Her big, bright eyes lit up with a playful glint. “Old men really do know how to dote on someone.”

Song Yuzhou’s ears turned red.

“And still pretty strong,” she teased meaningfully.

His face flushed instantly. “After breakfast, take your brown sugar water and go lie down. I’ll handle the rest.”

With that, he hurried off to help Xi Xi get up.

Watching him flee in embarrassment, Jiang Zhi Ning smiled softly. “This old man is kind of innocent.”

Feeling less sore, she picked up her spoon and began eating slowly.

After finishing her porridge, she obediently returned to bed to rest. Periods weakened her body, and she wanted to recover properly.

After all, this body was hers—she had to take care of it.

The intense cramps were likely due to the farm work she’d done in her dimensional space the previous day.

While she was resting, Liu Zhi Lan stopped by.

“How are you feeling today, little sister Zhi Ning?” she asked warmly.

“Much better, thanks to the brown sugar water you taught him to make,” Jiang Zhi Ning smiled.

Liu Zhi Lan waved her hand. “Thank the Captain, not me. He was the one who came rushing to me last night to learn how to make it—he even insisted on all the details, worried it wouldn’t work.”

Hearing that, Jiang Zhi Ning smiled knowingly. “He’s a good man.”

“Yes, Captain Song is kind and capable. If not for those kids, he would’ve remarried long ago. Now that he has you, it’s his turn for some good fortune. But being a stepmom is hard, isn’t it?”

“Not really. Honestly, I don’t mind being a stepmother. As long as I raise the children well, even without blood ties, we can be close.”

“Blood’s still thicker than water,” Liu Zhi Lan sighed. “Too bad Song Chen won’t let you have your own child.”

“Song Chen?”

“Yes. That boy is always gloomy but very protective of his younger siblings. Someone once joked that if Captain Song had kids with a new wife, he’d probably throw the three of them out.”

Jiang Zhi Ning gasped. “How could someone say that?”

“I know, right? Song Chen was only eight then, and he got into a fight over it. He hit pretty hard, too. Afterward, Captain Song made it clear to everyone—he’d never have more children and would never abandon the three he already had.”

Jiang Zhi Ning’s brows furrowed slightly.

“After that, no one tried to set him up anymore. Who wants their daughter marrying into a ready-made family with three kids? Especially with a tough kid like Song Chen—any stepmother would suffer.”

“I think Song Chen’s just a good kid who’s lacked love since young. Add the trauma of losing both parents, and he’s bound to develop some attachment issues,” Jiang Zhi Ning replied with a gentle smile. “Honestly, if I were him, I might have done the same.”

Hearing that, Liu Zhi Lan chose not to push further.

Then she noticed the sanitary pads on the nightstand and exclaimed enviously, “Is that a sanitary pad? Captain Song is really generous!”

“They’re expensive?” Jiang Zhi Ning asked, puzzled.

“Very. Just one small pack costs 11 yuan! My husband only earns 52 yuan a month—we can’t afford them. We use cloth pads—washable and reusable, very economical.”

Reusable… Jiang Zhi Ning shivered. She felt incredibly lucky that Song Yuzhou was willing to spend on her.

She’d known that supplies were scarce in the 1980s, but now she was truly experiencing it.

Even with Song Yuzhou’s decent salary, wastefulness wasn’t an option.

With that thought, Jiang Zhi Ning resolved to start earning money. Otherwise, she might not even be able to afford sanitary pads one day.

Even if her man was destined to become a general someday.

After chatting a bit longer, Liu Zhi Lan left behind a few eggs and headed home.

Later, Song Yuzhou walked in and saw the underwear Jiang Zhi Ning had changed out of the night before. He reached to pick it up, but she stopped him.

“I’ll wash that myself.”

“I’ll do it,” he said simply.

Seeing the bloodstained underwear, Jiang Zhi Ning blushed. “I can wash it in a bit.”

Even in modern times, most men wouldn’t wash their wives’ period-stained underwear, let alone in the ’80s.

“I’ll take care of it. Just rest. Don’t touch cold water right now,” he instructed.

“But…”

“Be good,” Song Yuzhou said, sitting by the bed and holding her cold hand. “My mother got sick after falling into water during her period. She said women are especially vulnerable then and need to be cared for.”

So that was it—his mother had died young after falling ill during menstruation and overworking. No wonder he was so particular.

Looking into his eyes, Jiang Zhi Ning teased, “Aren’t you worried about bad luck? Some people say menstrual blood is dirty, and men who touch it will be cursed.”

Song Yuzhou shook his head. “My mom said—if you dote on your wife, you’ll prosper.”

Jiang Zhi Ning burst out laughing. “Makes sense. But if I get my period every month, does that mean you’ll be taking care of me every month?”

“Of course,” Song Yuzhou replied seriously. “You’re my wife—I’ll take care of you myself.”