Chapter 152: Niu Pi Tang

No matter how reluctant Lu Xiaotang was to leave or how much he worried about his family, he had to return to the army.

Xu An was in the kitchen helping him prepare some food for the road. With the weather being so hot, they couldn’t pack much.

That evening, both Lu’s and Xu’s parents came over. After checking on the children, Father Xu and Uncle Lu went to Xu An’s room to chat.

Xu Ning was breastfeeding Tang Tang, while Mother Xu and Aunt Lu each held one of the twins—Niu Niu and Pi Pi—doting on them fondly.

Xu Mo, looking from one baby to the other, said to Xu Ning, “Sister, let me hold Tang Tang for a while.”

Mother Xu quickly intervened, “Xiao Mo, don’t. You don’t have much strength, and you might accidentally drop Tang Tang.”

Aunt Lu added with a smile, “Xiao Mo, when you’re a bit older, then we’ll let you hold them.”

Xu Mo huffed in frustration. “How am I weak? I can carry a whole basket of pig feed! How can I not hold a tiny baby? Ever since you two got here, you’ve been holding them and won’t even let me take a look. Sure, they’re your grandsons and granddaughter, but they’re also my nieces and nephews. I’m their uncle, and I can’t even hold them! So unfair. Hmph!”

His words left everyone both amused and helpless.

Xu Ning chuckled, “Alright, Xiao Mo, your niece has finished eating. Come, I’ll let you hold her.”

Xu Mo immediately grinned and said, “Oh, my niece is full! Come on, let your uncle hold you.”

Seeing his eagerness, Mother Xu scolded him with a smile, “Be careful, don’t drop Tang Tang.”

Xu Mo replied, “Oh, come on, Mom! Even if I fall myself, I wouldn’t drop my niece. You can relax and stop worrying, okay?”

Meanwhile, Uncle Lu and Father Xu were talking with Lu Xiaotang. “Xiaotang, with your current rank, can you bring your family with you now?”

Lu Xiaotang nodded and said, “Yes, our commander brought it up with me on this trip.”

“I’ve discussed it with Xiao Ning, but the kids are still too young. We’ll wait a couple of years before we consider it,” he added.

Both fathers sighed. Indeed, the journey was too far, and travel was inconvenient. If something happened to the kids along the way, there would be no way to fix it.

Xu Ning, however, wasn’t particularly worried about the difficulties of travel. Her main concern was that both her parents were here, and with the college entrance exams coming up in a couple of years, she didn’t want the hassle of moving back and forth. It made more sense to wait and return to the city later.

After everyone had left, Lu Xiaotang looked at the children, then at his wife, and sighed inwardly. Once he left, the burden of the household would fall entirely on her, along with caring for three very young children.

Xu Ning noticed he was still sitting there and said, “Go to bed early. You’ll have to get up early to catch the bus tomorrow.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently. “Thank you for all your hard work.”

Xu Ning smiled and said, “What hard work? The firewood has been chopped, the coal briquettes are ready, and you’ve prepared plenty of meat for us. We’re not short of money either.

I don’t have to go to work anymore; I just stay home and take care of the kids, and in the evenings, Mom and the others come over to help. Xiao An has grown up and takes care of everything. The house is in perfect order. Look around—everyone in the village envies me.”

Lu Xiaotang held her tightly, staying silent for a long time.

She eventually fell asleep, her breathing steady in his arms.

Through the sliver of starlight seeping in through the door, he focused on her face, watching her intently.

Xu Ning woke up in the middle of the night to find him still awake, watching her.

Surprised, she asked, “You’re not asleep yet? Did Niu Niu and Pi Pi wake up?”

Lu Xiaotang chuckled, “No, the two little ones are being very good. I just woke up too.”

Noticing his clear eyes, which didn’t look like someone who had just awakened, she asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling uneasy about going back to the army? Do you not want to leave us?”

He sighed, running his fingers through her soft hair. “I just feel so sorry for you being at home alone with the kids. Xiao Ning, what do you think about me transitioning to civilian life here?”

Xu Ning, surprised, said, “You’re doing well in the army. Why would you want to leave just to take care of me and the kids?”

Seeing that he didn’t respond, she thought for a moment and continued, “Didn’t you say they’d be restoring the college entrance exams? Why don’t we wait two more years? By then, if things are still the same, the kids will be a bit older, and I can just bring them along when you’re stationed here.”

Lu Xiaotang recalled the books he had read and replied, “Alright, we’ll wait another two years. If nothing changes by then, I’ll transition to civilian life here. That way, I can take care of you and the kids, and also look after the elders.”

Seeing that he was convinced, Xu Ning quietly let out a sigh of relief and smiled, “Now can we finally get some sleep?”

Lu Xiaotang pulled her closer into his embrace and said with a smile, “Yes, let’s sleep!”