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After leaving the military base, Jiang Zhi Ning headed straight home.
As she walked through the military family compound, neighbors who saw her warmly greeted her:
“Commander’s wife is back!”
“Hello, sister-in-law,” Jiang Zhi Ning replied with a gentle smile.
After the recent incidents, people in the compound now recognized that she wasn’t someone to be messed with. No one dared to provoke her anymore.
Besides, as the wife of Song Yuzhou—whose rank surpassed most of their husbands’—many were eager to maintain a good relationship with her.
When she stepped inside the house, the scene before her was unexpected.
She saw Song Ye sweeping the floor, while Song Chen was out in the fields seriously applying fertilizer.
They were contributing to the household in their own way.
Just then, Xi Xi ran toward Song Ye, but stumbled and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, Song Chen immediately dropped the fertilizer and ran toward her.
“Are you hurt?” Song Chen asked urgently.
Xi Xi shook her head but pitifully held out her little hands. When he saw the scrapes, Song Chen scolded her with a frown, “Why were you running? Don’t you know your short legs make it easy for you to fall?”
Xi Xi’s eyes welled up with tears. “I… I just wanted to play with big brother.”
Song Ye quickly ran over, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. What do you want to play?”
“Horsey ride,” Xi Xi said with a pout.
Song Ye nodded, “I’ll give you a ride.”
As he was about to crouch down, Song Chen stopped him.
“With your skinny arms and legs? What if you both fall?”
Song Ye instantly fell silent.
Xi Xi looked like she was about to cry, but Song Chen suddenly crouched down. “I’ll do it.”
Excited, Xi Xi threw herself onto him.
With Song Ye’s help, she climbed onto Song Chen’s shoulders and clung to his head, giggling as she rode her “horse.”
Jiang Zhi Ning quietly observed from the side.
Though Song Chen had a gloomy and unapproachable personality, he clearly cared deeply for his younger siblings.
Even in her past life, he hadn’t been a warm person, but he always treated his family well.
She watched for a while. When Song Chen finally noticed her, Jiang Zhi Ning walked forward as if she hadn’t been watching the whole time.
“Xi Xi, are you having fun?”
“Yes!” Xi Xi kicked her legs happily.
Jiang Zhi Ning lovingly stroked her hair, then looked at Song Chen. “Thank you, Song Chen. I saw you fertilizing earlier.”
“No need. I wasn’t doing it for you,” Song Chen muttered.
“I cleaned the house and even did the dishes!” Song Ye chimed in, eyes filled with anticipation.
Jiang Zhi Ning felt his eagerness and gave him a thumbs-up. “You’re amazing, Xiao Ye. Thank you!”
Beaming with pride, Song Ye grinned like a happy fool: Mom praised me!
Song Chen frowned slightly at his brother’s goofy smile.
“I’ll make you some snacks,” Jiang Zhi Ning said with a smile.
Song Ye’s eyes lit up. “Really? Thanks, mo—”
Realizing what he’d almost said, he quickly covered his mouth and glanced nervously at Song Chen, but luckily, the latter didn’t notice.
“Looks like big brother’s ears are just like Auntie’s—didn’t hear a thing,” he whispered in relief.
“Mommy, Xi Xi wants to help!” the little girl chirped sweetly.
Jiang Zhi Ning pinched her cheek dotingly. “No need, sweetheart. Mommy can handle it. Go play with your brothers.”
“Okay!”
Watching her soft and adorable daughter, Jiang Zhi Ning’s heart melted as she returned inside.
From behind, Song Chen silently watched her go, a flicker of emotion passing through his eyes.
Back in her room, Jiang Zhi Ning changed into comfortable clothes and lay on the bed before entering the jade bracelet space.
“Master~!” the little spirit Guo Lai ran toward her with stubby legs, jumping into her arms.
Having a cat-like spirit to cuddle is the best.
“What are we doing today, Master?” Guo Lai asked, snuggling into her lap.
“Remember those chestnut trees I planted earlier? Are they ready to harvest?”
Before leaving a few days ago, she’d bought tons of seeds and seedlings, hoping to fully utilize the space and level up faster.
“All ripe!” Guo Lai grinned. “Want to pick them?”
“Of course. Let’s go!” Jiang Zhi Ning said, bouncing off happily with Guo Lai in her arms.
When they arrived under the chestnut tree, Jiang Zhi Ning looked up and was shocked.
“So tall!”
“Yep,” Guo Lai chirped, wagging his tiny tail.
She could see the spiky green balls on the tree—that must be the fruit.
“Dear Guo Lai, could you help me out a little?” she asked with a sheepish smile.
Guo Lai shook his head seriously. “Sorry, Master. Your level’s too low. You’re not qualified for assistance. Climbing and harvesting manually will earn you more experience points.”
Climb… Jiang Zhi Ning gulped.
She wanted to give up—but she wasn’t the type to back down easily.
Tying a knot in her shirt hem, she declared, “Fine, I’ll climb!”
With a basket on her back, she began scaling the tree.
“Little snail, crawling up, crawling up…”
Muttering to herself, she carefully made her way up.
After great effort, she finally reached the top.
Looking down made her legs tremble.
“If I die in this space, I won’t really die in real life… right?” she wondered nervously.
Taking a deep breath, she put on gloves and started picking the chestnuts.
The green husks hid the nuts inside like little babies tucked in bed.
She grabbed a few and tossed them into her basket.
She didn’t dare look down as she moved inch by inch, hands trembling.
Eventually, she collected all the reachable ones.
Looking at the remaining fruit on flimsy branches, she swallowed hard.
Forget it. These should be enough for candied chestnuts.
Her life was more important than a few extra nuts.
As she was preparing to climb down, she realized—she was stuck!
“Guo Lai! Guo Lai!!” she shouted.
The spirit popped into mid-air. “Yes, Master?”
“How do I get down?!”
“The way you came up, of course,” Guo Lai said innocently.
!!!
“What if I fall?”
“Well, you might break a few bones. Want to try it?”
Jiang Zhi Ning felt like crying.
“Can’t you fly me down? I’m scared of heights!”
“Nope nope! Master’s level is too low. Not qualified to unlock that skill,” Guo Lai said with mock seriousness.
Jiang Zhi Ning gritted her teeth and resigned herself to fate.
She began carefully climbing down, every nerve on edge.
Suddenly, her foot slipped, and she fell.
“Ahhhhhhh!!”