Chapter 106: He Thought She Was Going to Kiss Him  

That evening, when Jiang Rou washed Zhou Xiaohua’s hands, she used soap twice before finally cleaning off the sticky sesame oil marinade.  

But even after her hands were clean, the little girl still brought them to her nose.  

She wrinkled her tiny nose and took a deep breath.  

Through the gaps between her fingers, she could smell the scent of soap, mixed with a faint trace of sesame oil. Instantly, her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled with joy.  

Even after lying in bed, she refused to let go of her hands, occasionally flashing her small teeth in a grin.  

Zhou Xiaohua lay comfortably and tugged at Jiang Rou’s clothes with her small hands, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.  

“Alright, I know. You still want your melodica.” Jiang Rou said with a smile.  

The melodica she had bought from the city had become Zhou Xiaohua’s most treasured possession.  

She was reluctant to take it outside for fear of getting it dirty. Instead, she placed it in a prominent spot on the cabinet.  

Every now and then, she would glance at it or gently touch it, which was enough to make her happy.  

At night, she insisted on holding it while she slept, treating it like her most precious treasure.  

Jiang Rou took the melodica from the cabinet and placed it in Zhou Xiaohua’s arms.  

The little girl stroked it with her tiny hands and then puffed up her cheeks to blow a few rounds of “Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La.” Her giggles replaced the melody.  

“Are you happy?”  

Zhou Xiaohua nodded enthusiastically.  

“If you’re happy, then go to sleep early. Tomorrow will be just as happy.”  

Jiang Rou lowered her head and kissed Zhou Xiaohua’s forehead, tucked her in snugly, and gazed quietly at the two children lying side by side.  

She watched until Zhou Xiaohua closed her eyes, her breathing gradually slowing as she drifted into sleep.  

Only then did Jiang Rou stand up to turn off the lights.  

However, just as she got up, she felt a tug on her clothes.  

Looking down, she saw Zhou Xiaochuan’s open eyes and the small hand clutching the hem of her shirt.  

The young boy’s face was filled with hesitation and inner struggle, as if he wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words.  

Jiang Rou asked softly: “Xiaochuan, what do you want to say?”  

Zhou Xiaochuan lifted his dark, shining eyes. “Where is Dad?”  

“Dad is still at the Military Unit. He has a lot of things to take care of, so he’ll be back a little later. When you wake up tomorrow and have breakfast, you’ll be able to see him.”

Jiang Rou spoke in a soft, soothing voice to comfort him.  

However, the worry in Zhou Xiaochuan’s expression did not ease.  

His sharp eyes remained defiant as he continued asking,  

“Then… what about the explosion?”  

Would Dad be caught in an explosion?  

Zhou Xiaochuan clenched his teeth tightly, feeling tense and helpless. He didn’t want to say something so ominous, but the words still slipped out.  

Jiang Rou felt a sharp pang in her heart.  

That afternoon, when she had spoken with Zhao Guifen, she had lowered her voice, but she had not completely avoided the children. In the end, they had overheard.  

Zhou Xiaohua was too young to understand.  

But Zhou Xiaochuan was mature for his age. He was particularly sensitive to the words of adults and had immediately grasped the meaning.  

His vocabulary was not extensive enough to articulate everything clearly, but he had understood the situation.  

He knew that Zhou Zhongshan was in danger.  

Jiang Rou asked: “Xiaochuan, you’re worried about Dad, aren’t you?”  

Zhou Xiaochuan still clung tightly to Jiang Rou’s clothes. He bit his lip and nodded firmly.  

He had already lost one father. He didn’t want to lose a second one.  

Zhou Xiaochuan asked: “Will he be in danger?”  

“Yes, he will be in danger. As a soldier, it is his duty to stand at the front lines of danger.” Jiang Rou said honestly. She did not hide the truth but explained it in the simplest way possible, hoping that Zhou Xiaochuan could understand what Zhou Zhongshan had to shoulder.  

At the same time, she spoke in a warm and reassuring tone.  

“But Dad is very strong, isn’t he? He’s so tall, so sturdy, and incredibly strong—stronger than Er Huzi’s dad from next door.”  

“Dad is so capable. He will definitely protect himself.”  

“Besides, he has a family. He has us waiting for him at home, hoping for his safe return.”  

“Dad knows this, so he will take even greater care not to get hurt. He wouldn’t want us to worry, don’t you think?”  

After Jiang Rou finished speaking, she waited quietly for a moment.  

She saw Zhou Xiaochuan’s gaze lower slightly as he fell into silent contemplation.  

After a while, he lifted his head again, his dark eyes staring at Jiang Rou without blinking.  

“Then what about you? Do you worry about Dad?”  

“Of course. I don’t just worry about Dad—I worry about you and Xiaohua too. I worry that you’ll get hurt, that you’ll get sick. Like last time when you had a stomachache and a fever, I was really worried. Because we are a family. Worrying about family is a natural feeling. It’s also a way of expressing love.”  

Love?

In this era, traditional parents were too embarrassed to mention the word love.  

Zhou Xiaochuan’s eyebrows furrowed together.  

Jiang Rou reached out and gently smoothed the crease between his brows.  

“Xiaochuan, life isn’t just about worry. There are so many new and exciting things, so much happiness. Worry is only a small part of it.”  

“You’re still a child. You should cherish your childhood and enjoy your happiness.”  

“The rest—leave it to Dad, leave it to me. You only need to believe that our family will be fine, and no one will leave you.”  

…No one will leave you.  

That one simple sentence struck the deepest part of the boy’s heart.  

Zhou Xiaochuan’s fingers, which were still gripping Jiang Rou’s clothes, tightened slightly before slowly loosening.  

He was struggling internally.  

Having lost his biological father and then his mother, he had experienced too much hardship at too young an age.  

His heart lacked a sense of security.  

A few words from Jiang Rou weren’t enough to change that overnight.  

Jiang Rou understood this well, which was why, in truth, she felt even more protective of Zhou Xiaochuan than she did of Zhou Xiaohua.  

It couldn’t be rushed. It had to happen gradually.  

Jiang Rou gently smoothed the crease between his brows once more and leaned down.  

She pressed a soft kiss on his forehead.  

“Xiaochuan, goodnight. Sweet dreams.”  

For a moment, as Jiang Rou leaned in, Zhou Xiaochuan felt a warmth that was almost motherly.  

His forehead tingled with a dull heat.  

Jiang Rou left, and the bedroom lights went out, plunging the room into darkness.  

Zhou Xiaochuan reached up and touched his forehead, as if he could still feel the warmth Jiang Rou had left behind.  

Beside him, Zhou Xiaohua turned over in her sleep and burrowed into Zhou Xiaochuan’s arms.  

We are a family…  

Zhou Xiaochuan repeated Jiang Rou’s words in his mind, gently holding Zhou Xiaohua before closing his eyes.  

—  

Late at night.  

In the other bedroom…  

The atmosphere was far from peaceful.  

“Wife, you’re still awake?”  

As soon as Zhou Zhongshan entered the room and saw the light still on, his steps quickened as he approached the bed.  

The moment he got close—  

Jiang Rou immediately grabbed the uniform he was about to unbutton and rushed toward him.  

The delicate woman was in such a hurry—  

Zhou Zhongshan thought she was going to kiss him.  

However…  

Jiang Rou pressed close to him, wrinkled her nose, and, like a little cat, started sniffing him all over.  

She acted as if she were a wife searching for evidence on a husband who had been out sneaking around.  

However…