Chapter 22: Fish Hot Pot

“Alright, thank you, Doctor Gao.” Only then did Ran Jinnian leave the hospital.

Zhou Hongying looked a little worried. “Why did the baby get restless for no reason?”

Ran Jinnian felt wronged. “Maybe I was a little careless while doing the laundry just now.”

“That’s too much.” Although Zhou Hongying suspected it was Yu Xiuzhi, she couldn’t be certain without seeing her.

When the two of them arrived at the family housing compound, Qin Shulan and Li Fengxia immediately came over, concerned. “Are you alright?”

Zhou Hongying spoke up. “The baby got restless.”

“Ah!”

No one expected that the baby would be unsettled, and everyone hurried to help Ran Jinnian into the house.

Originally, Ran Jinnian had only been pretending a little, but seeing everyone so concerned, she was deeply moved.

Before going to the hospital for the checkup, she had deliberately eaten something spicy, which made the baby very active in her belly.

“Yu Xiuzhi came by earlier. She clearly came to pick a fight,” Qin Shulan said.

Zhou Hongying confirmed it was Yu Xiuzhi. “Why does she cause trouble everywhere? Little Ran just arrived at the military compound, and she already made the baby restless.”

Sitting on the bed, Ran Jinnian now learned the other woman’s name—and realized she had come intentionally.

Ran Jinnian had splashed water on her, fully aware that Yu Xiuzhi wouldn’t back down easily. That’s why she had gone to the hospital checkup in front of everyone.

She got to the hospital first, and Yu Xiuzhi could only stand there helplessly.

“I just arrived at the military compound. Many of the other wives aren’t familiar with me. I don’t know why she acts like this,” Ran Jinnian said honestly.

Zhou Hongying and Qin Shulan exchanged a glance. Zhou Hongying lowered her voice. “Yu Xiuzhi’s husband and your husband are both regiment commanders in the army unit. But her husband is in the second regiment; his military achievements aren’t as many as your husband’s. The medals, certificates, and commendations he’s earned are fewer. Every time the army holds a big meeting, it’s your husband who receives recognition.”

This wasn’t a secret in the housing compound.

The army unit only had two regiments.

A small smile tugged at Ran Jinnian’s lips. Her husband truly was outstanding.

No wonder, when she first arrived at the compound, she didn’t even know the other woman’s name, and Yu Xiuzhi already treated her with hostility.

Yu Xiuzhi resented that her husband was overshadowed by Ran Jinnian’s husband. Seeing her just arrive, she wanted to teach her a lesson.

Too bad.

Ran Jinnian wasn’t someone to be bullied.

Once word spread that the baby had gotten restless, Yu Xiuzhi didn’t dare come over to cause trouble. After getting splashed with water, she could only endure it.

After all, with so many people around doing laundry, someone surely saw that she had initiated it.

Yu Xiuzhi gritted her teeth. “That wretch… that wretch.”

All she could do was curse repeatedly.

In the afternoon, Lu Jinyuan left the military compound and ran into one of the wives. When he learned that his wife’s baby had been unsettled, his heart tightened instantly, and he strode home.

Ran Jinnian was weaving shoes when she heard the footsteps. She had just lifted her head when the man embraced her from behind, his voice trembling. “Wife, how’s your body? Are you in any discomfort?”

Seeing him like this, she knew he had heard about the baby being unsettled.

“Husband, the baby wasn’t unsettled—I did it on purpose.”

Lu Jinyuan, who had been worried, looked at her, puzzled.

Ran Jinnian briefly explained what had happened by the river.

When Lu Jinyuan heard that she had been doing laundry, his stern face became serious. “From now on, don’t do laundry. Wait for me to come and do it.”

“I’m not some rich missy—why can’t I do laundry?” Ran Jinnian said, half laughing and half crying.

The man was serious. “You’re pregnant now. Doing laundry is too dangerous.”

“…”

Seeing that she didn’t agree with him, he immediately changed the topic. “Alright, alright, I won’t do it.”

“If you do laundry when I’m not home, I’ll—” Lu Jinyuan’s voice carried a hint of threat.

“You’ll what?”

Ran Jinnian poked him with her fingertip.

Lu Jinyuan whispered into her ear, “You’ll find out when the baby is born.”

Ran Jinnian shivered.

Ever since she became pregnant, they had gone several months without intimacy. Now, when the baby was born, this wolf would leave nothing behind.

Ran Jinnian dared not continue the topic. “Husband, I splashed that Yu Xiuzhi with water.”

“Well done,” Lu Jinyuan praised.

“I went to the hospital for a checkup because at that moment, I didn’t know her identity,” she explained. After splashing Yu Xiuzhi, she didn’t regret it—she just didn’t know her background.

What if her husband’s status had been higher than Lu Jinyuan’s?

That’s why she “pretended the baby got restless”—so that everyone in the compound would know, and Yu Xiuzhi wouldn’t dare come over to make trouble.

“You’re so smart, wife,” Lu Jinyuan praised again, thinking that it was his low status that allowed others to bully his wife. He had to climb higher—only then would his wife be safe.

Eventually, Lu Jinyuan would reach the top.

“Husband, your relationship with Yu Xiuzhi’s husband isn’t good, right?” Ran Jinnian asked, wanting clarity.

“We’re competitors. Outwardly, we seem fine,” Lu Jinyuan said lightly. But after years in the military, he was no longer a greenhorn.

Ran Jinnian understood.

Lu Jinyuan rendered lard from fat and stored it in a container.

The aroma drew many children lingering outside the compound.

Ran Jinnian took some crispy lard bits and gave them to the children.

“Thank you, Auntie!” The children were delighted, each running off with a piece of lard.

When they returned home, the adults immediately guessed who had given it.

Currently, families kept whatever food they had for themselves—they couldn’t possibly share it.

Lu Jinyuan thought to himself, his wife was really impressive. Though she seemed a little delicate, she was generous.

Meanwhile, the young couple closed the door and enjoyed fish hot pot inside their space.

Lu Jinyuan sliced the fish and prepared a variety of vegetables.

Ran Jinnian sipped her freshly squeezed orange juice—it was fresh and delicious.

All the ingredients in their space were top quality. They ate the hot pot with complete satisfaction.

“Husband, I want to send some food home to our family,” Ran Jinnian said, thinking of her family and Lu Jinyuan’s mother.

Lu Jinyuan nodded. “That’s fine, but don’t send anything too conspicuous.”

“I’ll send dried meat, some fabric, and goat milk powder.” Ran Jinnian had already decided.

After checking, Lu Jinyuan had no objections. “We just arrived at the military compound. Let’s wait a while before sending it.”

“Okay.” Ran Jinnian nodded.

After the meal, Lu Jinyuan washed the dishes in the villa kitchen. After some trial and error, he had learned how to use some kitchen tools.

Ran Jinnian half-reclined on the sofa, holding a book.

When Lu Jinyuan finished, seeing his wife reading, he remembered that he needed to rewrite a report. He grabbed paper and pen and sat at the table to write.

Ran Jinnian noticed. “Husband, what are you writing?”

“The monthly summary report for the first regiment of the army unit,” he said without looking up.

Ran Jinnian didn’t disturb him. She washed some fruits, sliced them, and placed them on a plate in front of him. Seeing him frown, she asked, “Husband, what’s wrong?”