Chapter 46: Even Old Men Have People Who Care for Them

It was Zhou Chongshan.  

As soon as his voice rang out, a flurry of footsteps responded from inside the house.  

Jiang Rou and Zhou Xiaohua—one tall, one small—hurriedly rushed outside.  

They dashed to the entrance without hesitation.  

Outside, bathed in sunlight, Zhou Chongshan had just stepped into the courtyard.  

Zhou Xiaochuan, who had been on an IV drip all night, was still very weak. Zhou Chongshan had carried him back.  

The frail young boy lay sprawled against Zhou Chongshan’s broad back. As he heard footsteps approaching, he lifted his head.  

The first thing he saw was Jiang Rou and Zhou Xiaohua rushing toward him.

“You’re back… Come in quickly. Let Xiaochuan sit down first… Lunch is ready, we can eat right away…”  

As Jiang Rou spoke, she reached out to help Zhou Xiaochuan down from Zhou Chongshan’s back.  

Seeing Jiang Rou again, Zhou Xiaochuan couldn’t help but recall last night’s incident when he mistakenly called her “Mom.” A trace of embarrassment flashed across his delicate features.  

But before he could dwell on it, Zhou Xiaohua eagerly squeezed closer to him.  

She hadn’t seen Zhou Xiaochuan for a long time and had been worried about him the entire time.  

Stretching out her small hands, she touched his arm, then his face, her fear and concern written all over her expression.  

Her fair little face scrunched up, as if she were about to cry.  

Seeing Zhou Xiaohua like this, Zhou Xiaochuan no longer had time to think about his own embarrassment.  

He firmly grasped her anxious little hands and said in a hoarse voice: “Xiaohua, brother is fine. Don’t worry.”  

Hearing his weak voice only made Zhou Xiaohua feel worse.  

Her eyes instantly turned red, and without hesitation, she threw herself into Zhou Xiaochuan’s arms, hugging him tightly.  

Just like how he had always protected her before.  

Only in his embrace did she feel truly safe.  

Zhou Xiaochuan raised a hand and gently patted Zhou Xiaohua’s head.  

The two siblings weren’t just close—they were each other’s pillars of support.  

Jiang Rou and Zhou Chongshan watched from the side, their gazes filled with both affection and heaviness.  

They did not disturb the siblings but instead quietly walked toward the small kitchen.  

Zhou Chongshan helped Jiang Rou carry the dishes out.  

Especially the two steamed dishes.  

Jiang Rou had kept them in the iron pot to stay warm, afraid they would get cold.  

As she lifted the lid, a wave of steam curled into the air.  

She turned around to find a towel to use as a heat pad to avoid burning her hands.  

But before she could, Zhou Chongshan spoke up.  

“Wife, I’ll do it.”  

Without hesitation, he reached past Jiang Rou, directly picking up the hot plates from the steaming pot with his bare hands.  

His movements were swift and steady, and his expression remained unchanged, as if the heat didn’t affect him at all.

This scene left Jiang Rou stunned.

Zhou Chongshan first carried out the steamed egg with minced meat, then turned back to take the steamed eggplant.

Jiang Rou finally reacted and hurriedly stopped him.

“Wait, wait. It’s too hot to carry with your bare hands.”

“I’m not afraid of the heat.”

Zhou Chongshan’s tone remained as steady as before, without the slightest fluctuation.

He still reached out, intending to pick up the plate.

Jiang Rou now fully realized what was happening and immediately pressed down on his hand.

“How could you not be afraid of the heat?”

As soon as she reached out, her hand directly grasped Zhou Chongshan’s palm.

At that moment, Jiang Rou froze.

The two of them had held hands before, but back then, her heart had been pounding so wildly that the sensation of their fingertips touching had not been so clear.

Now, their palms were fully pressed together.

Jiang Rou’s fingers were slender, fair, and delicate, resembling tender green onions from the south—so soft that a gentle pinch could almost draw out water.

But the hand she was holding—Zhou Chongshan’s—was completely different.

His palm was large, thick, and rough.

As Jiang Rou touched it, she felt the distinct scars crisscrossing his skin.

Some scars were old, remnants of his more than ten years in the military—after all, no soldier escaped injury.

Others were fresh—wounds from the previous night, when he had carried stones along the coastal defense line. The sharp edges of the rocks had cut into his palms, leaving behind streaks of fresh blood.

Because his hands had been soaked in water for too long, the wounds had cracked open, splitting the skin and flesh.

Jiang Rou’s eyelids twitched at the sight.

It was said that pain in the fingers reached straight to the heart—this must have hurt terribly.

“You’re injured? Why didn’t you say anything before? These wounds have been soaked in water; they need to be treated with medicine.”

Jiang Rou spoke anxiously, both worried and urgent.

She held tightly onto Zhou Chongshan’s hand, lifting her gaze to look directly into his eyes, her own filled with deep concern.

The old man’s heart was struck fiercely by something.  

The tips of his fingers felt as if they had touched a ball of fire—burning hot.  

Even his throat tightened for a moment.  

The heat in his chest was even fiercer than the steam rising from the stove.  

Zhou Chongshan’s voice was hoarse as he said: “It’s nothing, just a small wound. It doesn’t hurt.”  

To Zhou Chongshan, these wounds were hardly worth mentioning.  

Back on the battlefield, when bullets had grazed his arm and blood had streamed down, there had been no time to seek a medic. He had simply wrapped it with a cloth strip and continued firing his machine gun.  

How could he possibly be so delicate now?  

At this moment, his newlywed wife’s face showed more than just worry—there was also distress and clear disapproval.  

“Your skin is torn open—how could it not hurt?”  

If there had been a medical kit at home, Jiang Rou would have immediately treated Zhou Chongshan’s wounds.  

Right…  

A medical kit.  

With two children in the house and a soldier as the head of the family, injuries were bound to happen.  

Things like povidone iodine, red medicine, blue medicine, disinfectant alcohol, cotton balls… all of these would need to be stocked.  

Besides that, cold medicine, stomach medicine, pain relievers, and other household essentials should also be prepared.  

Jiang Rou made a mental note, planning to purchase them from Tao Duoduo Mall once she had enough balance in the space system.  

For now, she would have to make do.  

But…  

“Come on, come on, go sit outside. You’re not allowed to do anything else.”  

Jiang Rou pushed against Zhou Chongshan’s chest, trying to drive him out of the small kitchen.

How could Jiang Rou’s light push possibly move Zhou Chongshan’s strong and sturdy body?  

Yet, Zhou Chongshan complied.  

The tall and imposing man followed Jiang Rou’s gentle force, taking a step or two backward with ease.  

“Honestly… whether it’s the big one or the little ones, none of you let me have a moment of peace…”  

Jiang Rou muttered softly to herself as she turned around to fetch the food.  

The spot on Zhou Chongshan’s chest where Jiang Rou had just pushed still buzzed faintly. His heart pounded fiercely.  

So this…  

This was what it felt like to have a wife who cared about him?  

No wonder the bachelors in the military camp were all dreaming about getting married.  

Having a wife was amazing!  

A warmth unlike anything he had ever felt before spread through Zhou Chongshan’s heart, wrapping around him completely, leaving his entire body feeling cozy and content.  

But there was no way he could just stand by and watch Jiang Rou handle everything alone. After a brief moment of stepping back, he moved forward again to help.  

At that moment, Jiang Rou was just lifting the lid off another iron pot.  

As soon as she uncovered it—  

A golden hue filled Zhou Chongshan’s vision.  

It was like witnessing a legendary golden treasure.