Chapter 45

The eldest sister and second brother calculated their departure carefully.

They arrived in Tianjin on a Sunday.

Lin Ting had originally planned to go to the train station to pick them up, but her husband and mother-in-law wouldn’t allow it.

Considering that she was not even three months pregnant, she decided to wait at home.

However, while Brigade Commander Huo Xiaoxun borrowed a car to pick them up, Lin Ting kept herself busy by preparing dinner with her mother-in-law.

At around five in the evening, with only the braised pork left simmering on the stove, the anxiously waiting Lin Ting finally heard the sound of a car engine. She quickly got up and walked outside.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw her second brother jumping out of the car, holding a three- or four-month-old baby in his arms.

Her eldest sister stepped out from the back seat.

Huo Xiao was unloading luggage when he saw his wife approaching. He asked with concern, “You must have been anxious waiting.”

Lin Ting was indeed anxious and immediately asked, “Why did it take so long? Did you run into any trouble on the way?”

Lin Shuang took the baby from her brother’s arms and explained, “We were on the train for three or four days. I was worried about Roubao’s health, so my brother-in-law took us to the hospital on the way.”

Hearing this, Lin Ting instinctively looked at the chubby baby who was fast asleep. “His name is Roubao? Is he okay?”

Speaking of her son’s nickname, Lin Shuang, who had been feeling uneasy, suddenly smiled. “Yes, Meimei chose it. She said she loves meat buns the most… The baby is fine. He’s a strong little one.”

Thinking of her niece, Lin Ting looked into the car again. “Where are Pingping and Meimei? Didn’t they come?”

Seeing that her sister was welcoming, Lin Shuang, who had come with some apprehension, felt relieved. “They have school, so they couldn’t come. I promised to bring them some pretty dresses from the big city when I go back.”

“That’s great. I, as their aunt, can buy the dresses for them…”

“That’s not what I meant.” It was just a casual remark, but it sounded like she was asking for money, making Lin Shuang feel a bit embarrassed.

Lin Ting patted her sister’s hand and smiled. “Don’t overthink it. You and second brother must be hungry, right? Come inside. My mother-in-law has prepared a feast.”

Hearing the commotion, Hu Xiu came out of the kitchen, smiling. “Yes, come in quickly. You must be exhausted after the long journey. Get some rest, have a good meal, and sleep well. You’ll feel refreshed tomorrow.” She warmly took Lin Shuang’s hand and led her inside.

The twins, a boy and a girl, who had just come out, were immediately drawn to the baby.

They wanted to touch him but were afraid of waking him.

In the end, they could only circle around their aunt, making Lin Ting chuckle.

After her sister and second brother, who was carrying the luggage, were ushered inside, Lin Ting looked at her husband, who was about to return the car, and smiled. “Thank you for your hard work, Captain Huo.”

Huo Xiao smiled, reached out to smooth his wife’s loosely gathered hair, and said, “I’ll go return the car. You all eat first.”

How could Lin Ting eat first when her husband was still out working? But she didn’t argue, simply waving her hand. “I know, come back soon.”

When she entered the house, she found the living room empty except for two large suitcases.

She walked straight to the room prepared for her sister.

Sure enough, everyone was there.

Her eldest sister was gently placing her sleeping baby onto the bed.

The baby looked just like Lin Shuang, well cared for, like a delicate porcelain doll. Hu Xiu was already smitten, barely holding back from showering him with kisses.

Guoguo, curious about his baby brother, reached out tentatively with a finger to touch his tiny hand.

Miaomiao widened her eyes at first, then, seeing that the baby didn’t wake up, carefully touched him as well. She quickly covered her mouth, her eyes curving in delight.

Seeing this, Lin Ting was happy but gently reminded the children, “Your little brother needs to sleep. You can play with him when he wakes up, okay?”

Guoguo obediently covered his mouth and nodded with a smile.

Miaomiao took the chance to make a request. “When my brother wakes up, I want to hold him.”

Lin Ting teased her. “You’ll have to ask your aunt.”

Hearing this, Miaomiao looked up and made eye contact with her beautiful aunt.

In truth, she had no memory of this aunt.

But her mother had said that an aunt was like a big sister, just as close as she was to Guoguo, so she was family.

So, the usually shy little girl raised her head and asked in a soft voice, “Auntie, can I hold Roubao?”

Lin Shuang, who had been looking around the neatly cleaned room, smiled and nodded. “Of course, but an adult must be present when you do.”

Miaomiao’s eyes sparkled. “Okay!”

Guoguo jumped up excitedly. “I want to hold him too! I want to—mmph…”

Hu Xiu gently covered his grandson’s mouth and whispered, “Don’t wake your brother.”

Then she turned to the Lin siblings. “Come on, let’s go wash our hands and faces first. Then we can eat.”

Lin Shuang and Lin Wei had just finished freshening up when Huo Xiao returned.

Seeing him back, Hu Xiu and Lin Ting went to the kitchen to serve the food.

Once everyone was seated and started eating, Lin Ting drank half a bowl of soup as usual before asking, “When will Second Brother report to the art troupe?”

Lin Wei said, “We have to leave tomorrow morning.”

The registration deadline was the day after tomorrow, and he didn’t want to push it to the last minute. To be honest, he had been recruited mainly for his looks, and he didn’t want to give the impression that he was frivolous.

Huo Xiao suggested, “Tomorrow morning, the military procurement vehicle will head to the city. Second Brother can take that ride, then transfer to a bus to reach the division headquarters.”

Lin Wei smiled. “That works. It’ll save a lot of time. What time in the morning?”

“Pretty early—we have to leave at five.”

“That’s fine. I’ll just wake up earlier.”

While Lin Wei and Huo Xiao discussed travel plans, Lin Ting chatted with her eldest sister about their parents, changes in their hometown, and Secretary Wang’s rabbit-raising business.

She also shared some gossip about the family compound.

Both sisters wanted to improve their relationship, and as they talked, their bond grew stronger over the course of the meal.

After dinner, the family began packing up the food they had brought.

Li Taohong and Lin Shengli still felt guilty about letting their eldest daughter take refuge in their younger daughter’s home. To make up for it, they brought a lot of good food—pickled fish, cured meat, various dried mushrooms, dried dates—enough to fill an entire bag.

While sorting through the food, Hu Xiu playfully scolded her in-laws for being too considerate, fearing they’d empty their own pantry.

Lin Ting, unable to help with the packing, noticed her second brother had been busy for days and had to wake up early. She suggested, “Second Brother, why don’t you take a shower first? After that, Huo Xiao can take you to his friend’s place to sleep.”

Lin Wei thought about it but shook his head. “No need. The weather’s warmer now, I can just sleep on the sofa.”

Lin Ting frowned. “That won’t work.” The sofa was entirely made of wood, with only a thin cushion. It would be uncomfortable, especially since her second brother was over 1.8 meters tall and wouldn’t even be able to stretch his legs. He’d wake up sore the next morning.

Thinking of this, she added, “If you don’t want to share a room with a stranger, why not sleep with Huo Xiao? I’ll sleep with Mom.”

Huo Xiao and Lin Wei exchanged glances before simultaneously frowning.

Lin Ting sighed. “Then what do you suggest?”

Lin Wei cleared his throat and said, “Brother-in-law, can you lend me a folding bed? I’ll stay in the living room.”

Huo Xiao immediately stood up. “I’ll go get it now.”

Watching her husband rush off as if being chased by a dog, Lin Ting twitched the corner of her mouth.

_

The next morning, Lin Ting planned to wake up early to see her second brother off, but she overslept.

By the time her mother-in-law woke her, it was already half past six.

Not only had she missed saying goodbye, but she hadn’t even heard the 5:30 wake-up call.

To make things worse, there was now a large wicker cradle in the living room. According to her mother-in-law, it had been borrowed from Sister Lan’s house next door.

Feeling embarrassed, Lin Ting tried to save face while eating breakfast. “I’ve been sleeping better and better since I got pregnant.”

Hu Xiu rolled her eyes good-naturedly, knowing her daughter-in-law had always been a deep sleeper, even before pregnancy. But she chose not to say it out loud, sparing her dignity.

Sitting next to her, Huo Xiao bit into a steamed bun, smirking but remaining silent.

Only Lin Shuang took her words seriously and responded, “It’s normal to feel sleepy during pregnancy. At least you don’t have morning sickness.”

Lin Ting finished the last mouthful of porridge and nodded without hesitation. “Yeah, I wasn’t like this before.”

“Ahem…”

Lin Ting shot her husband a glare. “What’s wrong with you?”

Huo Xiao swallowed his food and shook his head. “Nothing. Just choked. Are you done eating?”

“Yeah.”

Not wanting to offend his irritated wife, Huo Xiao quickly stood up and started clearing the dishes. “I’ll wash up.”

Watching her brother-in-law swiftly carry the dishes to the kitchen and her aunt wipe the children’s faces, Lin Shuang turned to her sister, who was sitting comfortably while holding her belly. She suddenly laughed.

Even though her own life was chaotic, at least her sister was doing well.

“Sister, I’m heading to school. If you need anything, just tell my mother-in-law.”

Lin Ting, who had rested for a few minutes after breakfast, stood up when her husband emerged from the kitchen, ready to leave for work together.

Lin Qing also stood. “Don’t worry about me. Aunt said she’d take me to the temple in the back mountain after sending off the twins.”

“That’s good. If you need anything, come find me at school.” Lin Ting changed her shoes and called out to the bathroom, “Mom, Huo Xiao and I are leaving.”

Watching the young couple help each other—one holding slippers, the other adjusting a military cap—Lin Qing thought, Now our parents can truly be at ease. My sister is doing well.

Huo Xiao dropped his wife off at school before heading to the army.

Lately, tensions with Country E had been escalating, and the higher-ups repeatedly stressed the need to be prepared for renewed conflict at any time.

As a tank division soldier, training wasn’t limited to physical combat but also included tank operation, shooting, communication, and other technical skills.

As the officer in charge of military command, Huo Xiao was busier than ever.

Not only did he have to oversee training progress, but he also had to adjust the training plans in real time.

As usual, he arrived at the office half an hour early, opened his notebook, and began organizing his plans.

He had only written half a page when several officers under his command rushed in.

Huo Xiao carefully capped his pen before frowning. “What’s going on?”

Dong Cheng, unfazed by his captain’s cold demeanor, grinned. “Captain, I heard that either your sister-in-law’s older or younger sister is here?”

Realizing it wasn’t an emergency, Huo Xiao relaxed slightly. “It’s my sister,” he said, absentmindedly twirling his pen.

At this, several unmarried officers perked up.

Everyone knew his wife was beautiful and had a great personality. His brother-in-law was a heartthrob. So his sister—who shared the same parents—had to be just as attractive.

Thinking of this, the oldest yet still single third battalion commander laughed. “Captain, how old is our sister-in-law?”

Huo Xiao stroked the blue bow on his pen cap, his tone calm. “Twenty-seven.”

Seeing his subordinates’ excitement, he didn’t keep them in suspense. “She’s a mother of three.”

As for his eldest sister’s divorce, Huo Xiao didn’t intend to elaborate. There were no secrets in the army. She had come here seeking peace, and if word got out, people with ill intentions might gossip.

His subordinates, unaware of his thoughts, groaned about how hard it was to find a wife and how all the good ones had already been taken by the “animals.”

Too lazy to entertain their complaints, Huo Xiao turned to Dong Cheng, raising an eyebrow. “Are you curious too?”

Dong Cheng waved dismissively. “I’m not in a rush to marry. I just want to watch these guys suffer.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the pen spinning in Huo Xiao’s hand, its delicate bow catching his eye. Feeling awkward, he hesitated. “Captain, your pen… isn’t it a little unmanly?”

Huo Xiao lowered his gaze to the pen, recalling how his wife had secretly gifted it to him on May 5th. A faint smile appeared on his lips. “It was a birthday gift from your sister-in-law a few days ago.”

Dong Cheng suddenly realized something and frowned. “Wait, but your birthday is more than a month away.”

The third battalion commander, envious, added, “Isn’t the regiment commander’s birthday on May 5th of the lunar calendar? ^[1]The lunar calendar is a traditional Chinese calendar based on moon cycles. It’s fine for our sister-in-law to give you a gift, but why so early?”

Huo Xiao glanced at them with a hint of disdain. “Can’t I celebrate both the lunar and solar calendars? ^[2]The solar calendar, commonly used worldwide, is based on the Earth’s rotation around the sun.”

Dong Cheng was bewildered. “You have two birthdays a year?”

Huo Xiao coughed lightly and maintained a straight face. “Your sister-in-law insisted on celebrating both.”

***

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