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Qian Feng could tell from Huo Zhiqi’s awkward demeanor that he must have had a disagreement with the two sons of the Chief.
He began to persuade earnestly, “Zhiqi, you are temporarily staying at the chief’s house, and the two sons of the chief are of the same age as you. You should get along well with them so that your stay there will be more comfortable.”
Jiang Ning, who had been quietly listening, frowned and said, “That’s not right. Who says people of the same age will get along? Should one just swallow their grievances if they are bullied?”
Qian Feng didn’t agree with Jiang Ning’s words either. “Sister-in-law, how could he be bullied at the chief’s house? If he really was, we would know about it.”
Jiang Ning didn’t bother to argue with him and just gave him a faint look. Living under someone else’s roof wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Behind closed doors, who knew what kind of life he was leading there?
The topic was quickly passed over, and Qian Feng continued, “Sister-in-law, the guest room is on the floor above. The first room on that floor has already been prepared.”
Before Jiang Ning could thank him, he mentioned he had something else to attend to and hurriedly left.
Jiang Ning felt that Shen Mo’s orderly seemed a bit afraid of her.
With a pen in hand, Jiang Ning leaned over the table to transcribe a research document from her previous life. The document was entirely in English. When Jiang Ning worked seriously, she would immerse herself completely in the task, and before she knew it, the entire sheet of paper was filled with English text.
While writing, she often thought about the medical equipment from her previous life.
In this era, which was still developing, such equipment was impossible to have. Some of her research from her previous life could not be continued here.
As Jiang Ning rested her head on her hand, feeling troubled, she noticed from the corner of her eye that the little boy sitting opposite her would occasionally look up at her.
It wasn’t really her he was looking at, but the sheet of paper she had filled with writing.
When he looked up for the fifth time, Jiang Ning asked, “Do you recognize English?”
Her sudden question startled Huo Zhiqi.
The little boy quickly lowered his head and said, “No, I don’t.”
Jiang Ning knew that it was not yet common for elementary school students to start learning English. Since she was feeling a bit bored, she rested her head on her hand and asked, “Would you like to learn English?”
Before he could reply, Jiang Ning noticed that the little boy’s eyes lit up when she looked back at him.
Amused in her heart, Jiang Ning flipped the paper over, wrote down the 26 English letters, and handed it over to him.
She then began teaching him how to pronounce the 26 English letters. She had thought it would be difficult to teach a child who had just started learning, but to her surprise, the child had an extraordinary memory. He remembered everything she taught him after just one go, and after reciting it a few times, he could even recite it from memory.
Jiang Ning then wrote down the 48 international phonetic symbols.
The phonetic symbols were a bit more challenging, and this time the child took a little longer to grasp them.
Jiang Ning asked him to recite the 26 English letters and the 48 international phonetic symbols.
Standing in front of Jiang Ning, Huo Zhiqi recited them all clearly and accurately.
Given his learning ability, Jiang Ning could tell that the child was quite intelligent.
Who wouldn’t like a well-behaved and smart child? “Do you want to learn more?”
Huo Zhiqi was no longer as aloof as before. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Jiang Ning and nodded, but then quickly shook his head. “I have to go back to class.”
Jiang Ning thought for a moment and asked, “Do you come here to do your homework at this time every day?”
Huo Zhiqi nodded.
He never brought his homework back to that house because the two sons of Uncle Lin would always cause trouble.
Jiang Ning said, “I have time these few days and will be here waiting for you at this time every day. However, I can only teach you for a few days, so how much you can learn depends on your ability.”
It was as if an unspoken agreement had been made between them.
Jiang Ning’s meals were always brought to her by Qian Feng. She didn’t want to cause any trouble and suggested that she could go to eat on her own, but Qian Feng insisted on delivering every meal to her.
It was a joke, really. In this military unit full of men, how could they let them see the Deputy Regiment Commander’s wife before he returned?
Jiang Ning didn’t insist. In a place like the military, it was better for her to follow the rules.
After teaching for two days, Jiang Ning noticed that the child always came on an empty stomach.
“Didn’t you bring any food?” Jiang Ning asked curiously.
In this era, schools didn’t have cafeterias, and children brought their own meals to school.
Huo Zhiqi’s expression changed slightly. He lowered his head so Jiang Ning couldn’t see his face and shook his head. “I eat in the evening when I go back.”
Jiang Ning frowned. “That won’t do. Skipping lunch will stunt your growth.”
The child was quiet and reserved, and from the fact that he didn’t have lunch, it was clear that his life living under someone else’s roof wasn’t going well.
The child had nothing to do with her, and she would leave once Shen Mo returned.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, Jiang Ning asked Qian Feng to bring extra meals at noon.
Qian Feng didn’t think anything was wrong with it. In his heart, he was happily thinking that being able to eat was a blessing.
He imagined that when he got married in the future, he would make sure to keep his wife well-fed and healthy, like a big white pig!
The Deputy Regiment Commander was truly blessed to have such a beautiful and capable wife. If the Deputy Regiment Commander were here, he would definitely be even better at taking care of his wife.
On the third day, when Huo Zhiqi came to learn English, Jiang Ning handed him a portion of food in a lunchbox lid.
Before he could refuse, Jiang Ning said, “You’re not allowed to refuse. I can’t finish all my food, so I’m giving you the leftovers. I always end up wasting some by throwing it away.”
Hearing about wasting food, the little boy immediately put on a serious face.
Jiang Ning was taken aback for a moment and couldn’t help but find it amusing. This child was truly a little traditionalist.
“Oh my, you’re so cute,” Jiang Ning couldn’t resist reaching out and pinching his little cheeks, rubbing them gently before finally patting his head.
Huo Zhiqi was stunned and, upon realizing what had happened, his face turned bright red.
Why did the pretty sister like to pinch him so much!
The two of them continued to get along harmoniously for the next five days.
By the fifth day, the little boy had already mastered some simple English words, and Jiang Ning had him practice speaking a little every day, which he diligently did.
Today, Jiang Ning had written some more difficult words and was teaching him to recognize them.
One was teaching earnestly, and the other was learning earnestly, so they didn’t hear the steady footsteps outside the door.
When Qian Feng pushed the door open, Shen Mo’s eyes immediately caught sight of the slender figure at the desk, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
The fragile figure seemed startled by the sudden sound of the door opening and instinctively turned to look at the source of the noise.
Their eyes met.
A fleeting look of surprise crossed Jiang Ning’s face. She had not expected to see the brave soldier from the train here.
Qian Feng, following behind him, walked in with a cheerful smile and said, “Deputy Regiment Commander, you’re finally back. Sister-in-law has been waiting for you for days.”
Huh?
Deputy Regiment Commander?
This man was Shen Mo!?
Jiang Ning stood up in shock, looking at the man she had met once before. “You’re the husband who didn’t pick me up for three years after we got married!?”