Chapter 49

Pei Zheng turned around, saying, “I was just passing by. You all continue as if I’m not here…”

“Did you take your gun to go hunting? Did you catch anything?” Lu Nong interrupted Pei Zheng’s rambling, her curiosity piqued.

Pei Zheng replied, “…” Why do you always bring up the worst topics?

“No luck,” he said with a glum expression, as if someone owed him money. “I was hoping to catch two rabbits for dinner, but I didn’t even catch a single hair.”

What a huge failure! It was surprising how cunning rabbits could be.

“Haha, you’re not very good at this,” Lu Nong laughed, finding pleasure in his misfortune. Out of sympathy for Pei Zheng’s bad luck, she generously forgave him.

Angry, Pei Zheng refused to engage further with Lu Nong. No matter how much she teased him, he remained silent.

Pei Ji’an stood up from the hammock and glanced at the sky. “Let’s head back inside.”

Lu Nong and Pei Zheng temporarily ceased their banter.

Back in the wooden cabin, Aunt Wu was humming a tune while weaving flower crowns. She had gathered large bunches of wildflowers from somewhere, dividing them into several piles. Upon seeing Lu Nong and the others return, she animatedly recounted how big the carrots were on the farm and how many wildflowers she had collected. In her view, since she had picked them, she might as well make good use of them.

Lu Nong stared at the table covered with wildflowers, her mouth twitching. What did she mean by “everal bunches?

She reached out to grab one to play with, but Aunt Wu smacked her hand away. “Don’t touch those. I plan to use them for the vases. If you take one, it’ll mess everything up.”

Lu Nong was left speechless. It seemed like this outing was a success. Aunt Wu was glowing and had developed a new hobby.

Before dinner, Aunt Wu finally arranged all the wildflowers. Each of the five family members—Lu Nong, Gu Huai, and Aunt Wu herself—received a flower crown, while Pei Ji’an and Pei Zheng got wristbands made from slender flower stems. The remaining flowers were arranged into bouquets and placed around the room to decorate it.

To be honest, Aunt Wu had great taste. The originally dull room was transformed into a vibrant space with the added touch of fresh flowers, creating a charming, rustic atmosphere.

The night falls quickly here. Once darkness sets in, you can’t see your hand in front of your face. The surroundings are eerily silent, and it feels as if only one house and a single oil lamp remain in the world.

The family finished dinner at the kang table under the dim oil lamp. After tidying up, they were ready for bed. Even at this hour, Pei Zheng was still angry about being mocked by Lu Nong and continued to ignore her.

Lu Nong: “…”

When it came time to assign sleeping positions, Aunt Wu took the little one to sleep at the head of the kang. Lu Nong snuggled close to the child while Pei Zheng and Pei Ji’an slept at the opposite end, far from the head of the kang.

Lu Nong and Pei Ji’an shared the middle spot, with Pei Zheng and Aunt Wu on either side.

There were only two quilts in the wooden house, not enough for five people. In the end, Lu Nong and Aunt Wu shared one quilt with the little one, while Pei Ji’an gave his quilt to Pei Zheng and used a military coat for himself. Thankfully, the kang was heated with firewood, keeping the temperature comfortable.

However, Pei Ji’an’s military coat should not be underestimated. Made of thick material, it was not only warm but also quite heavy, enough to replace a small quilt.

Since Pei Ji’an’s coat was tailored to his height, it was larger than usual. When Lu Nong tried to hold it, she nearly toppled over.

The crackling firewood under the kang kept making sounds. Pei Ji’an mentioned that if they didn’t remove the firewood, it could last all night.

Lu Nong wasn’t used to sharing a quilt, but luckily, the little one was an angel who rescued her. He nuzzled into her arms, smelling like his mother. As Lu Nong held the soft little child, she felt a sense of comfort, and both mother and child quickly fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, the little one woke up to pee. He climbed out from under the quilt they were sharing, crawled over Lu Nong, and then scrambled over Pei Ji’an to reach Pei Zheng.

“Guo Guo, shush~”

Pei Zheng instantly woke up. He had a habit of waking up during the night too. Back home, he adjusted his schedule to take the little one to the bathroom at night, allowing Aunt Wu to sleep peacefully. Each time, after helping him, he would carry the child back to his own room.

This time was no exception. After the two boys finished their business, they jumped back into bed, curling up together and drifting off into sweet dreams.

While they slept soundly, Lu Nong found herself without anything to hold onto. She began to fidget aimlessly.

Aunt Wu was far from her, and when Lu Nong turned towards her, she couldn’t find anything. So, she shifted back and hit a wall—Pei Ji’an’s military coat felt a bit cool and stiff.

Still unsatisfied in her sleep, Lu Nong slipped her hand into the warm lining, finally touching something warm. Like a little loach, she inched her way deeper for warmth.

Pei Ji’an allowed this little loach to snuggle in closer, permitting her to fully wrap herself around him.

Despite being large, the military coat was not a true quilt. Even covering Pei Ji’an alone left parts of him exposed, let alone with Lu Nong snuggled in too. To get warmer, Lu Nong had to burrow in a bit more, pressing closer to the warmth.

In the end, Lu Nong found herself completely nestled in Pei Ji’an’s embrace, her legs wrapped around his thigh, their breaths mingling softly.

Some people calmed down quietly, while others fell into a deep sleep.

Such is the unevenness of life.

Early the next morning, Old Wang brought two chickens and ducks to treat Pei’s family to a meal. He also stayed for breakfast with them in the wooden house.

At the dining table, Old Wang noticed that Pei Zheng looked gloomy and asked what was wrong. Pei Zheng was still sulking about being laughed at by Lu Nong for failing to catch anything while hunting yesterday.

Seeing Old Wang’s concern, Pei Zheng’s eyes lit up. He quickly stuffed the little one into Old Wang’s arms, hoping to win him over. With a playful smile, he rubbed his hands together and asked, “Uncle Wang, do you have time today? Can you take me to play with that?”

He pointed to the hunting rifle hanging on the wall.

“Huh?” The little one, holding a spoon, looked confused. Where did his food go?

Old Wang laughed heartily while holding the child. “Why don’t you ask your dad to take you?”

Pei Zheng thought to himself that with the old house on fire, he was too busy to care about his son. However, he maintained a playful grin and replied, “I’m just trying to get close to you!”

Old Wang pondered for a moment before turning to Pei Ji’an. “Brother, the shooting range left by the southern troops is still there. Want to accompany me to practice?”

He then looked at Lu Nong. “Sister-in-law, are you coming?”

Lu Nong was extremely interested and nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Pei Ji’an. Under the combined pressure from his wife, son, and old comrade, Pei Ji’an finally agreed to go to the shooting range.

After breakfast, the four of them drove the jeep to the range. According to Old Wang, troops stationed in the mountains sometimes came down to train, so they built a shooting range south of the farm. Old Wang often visited it when he wanted to practice.

Once they arrived at the range, Old Wang took out several shooting rifles, handling them gently as if caressing a lover. “These are all retired ones. I got them from the troops to use as hunting rifles.”

As Pei Ji’an took the gun from Old Wang, he instantly transformed. His demeanor shifted to one of confidence and steadiness, as if the rifle was meant to be in his hands.

He pulled the safety catch, chambered a bullet, and raised his hand to aim at a target 800 meters away. Almost simultaneously with raising his hand, the bullet fired without him even blinking.

The entire series of actions was fluid, more precise and quicker than any action scene in a TV show. If there had been a real enemy, they wouldn’t have had time to react.

Next, Pei Ji’an fired three shots in quick succession, hitting the target every time. Lu Nong was so captivated by his skill that her legs felt weak.

Pei Zheng dashed over, retrieved the target paper, and ran back, his face beaming with excitement. “They’re all ten points! Dad, you’re amazing!”

Old Wang smiled broadly. “Your dad was unbeatable back at military school. Once he joined the army, he became even more incredible, the best sharpshooter in the military district. He won shooting competitions every year, and even after he stopped competing, no one broke his record for five years. Let me tell you…”

Pei Zheng and Lu Nong listened intently. Although Pei Zheng had heard some stories about his father from the uncles in the army, Old Wang was recounting events from Pei Ji’an’s early years that he had never heard before.

Lu Nong’s understanding of Pei Ji’an was even less than that of Pei Zheng, so she listened more attentively.

After Squad Leader Wang finished his story, both Pei Zheng and Lu Nong turned their four eager eyes towards Pei Ji’an, their admiration practically overflowing.

Pei Zheng, who had a passion for firearms, couldn’t hold back any longer. With his big puppy eyes sparkling, he pleaded, “Dad, teach me, please!”

Lu Nong felt a chill run down her spine. Sometimes, men would go to great lengths to achieve their goals, even acting a bit childish.

Pei Ji’an frowned slightly. “Act normally.”

Pei Zheng pouted, feeling wronged. Last time, he saw Lu Nong use this tactic successfully, so why couldn’t he?

Squad Leader Wang, enjoying the show, chimed in, “Hasn’t your dad taught you? That won’t do. As the saying goes, fathers and sons fight together in battle.  Whether Pei Zheng wants to apply to a military academy or go directly into the army, with your build, you’d be perfect!”

Of course, Pei Zheng had plans to join the military. He had already decided that right after graduation from college, he would enlist. If that didn’t work out, he would apply to a military academy. With his abilities, he was confident he could pass any exam.

As a father, Pei Ji’an helped Pei Zheng hold the gun properly, corrected his stance, and explained the techniques for aiming and shooting.

Pei Zheng had grown up in a military compound and was familiar with the uncles from the army. He had even held a gun before and had some close uncles who taught him shooting. However, he never expected his dad would personally teach him, which nearly brought him to tears with gratitude.

Just as he was getting emotional, he watched his father turn to his stepmother and gently ask, “Do you want to give it a try?”

Pei Zheng: “…” So love can just disappear like that?

That line had come from his stepmother once, and Pei Zheng felt it perfectly described his current feelings.

Meanwhile, Lu Nong was eager to give it a go. This was a real gun! She touched it again and again, her blood pumping with excitement as she imagined herself becoming a fierce beauty after mastering it.

Pei Ji’an patiently explained the process to Lu Nong, just as he had for Pei Zheng. He held no biases against women handling guns, knowing that Lu Nong had good skills. Learning more was never a bad thing.

Lu Nong was a very smart person, able to quickly grasp what Pei Ji’an explained and put it into action. Remembering Gu Huai’s exceptional memory, he paused before beginning to teach her the practical operation.

Under Pei Ji’an’s guidance, Lu Nong aimed the gun and got into position. However, she struggled a few times. Pei Ji’an wrapped his arms around her, his deep voice whispering in her ear, “Focus, don’t let your surroundings distract you. Your target is only in front of you. Shoot.”

“Bang!”

Lu Nong stumbled back from the gun’s recoil, but Pei Ji’an caught her from behind. “Good girl, you did it!”

°.✩┈┈∘*┈˃̶୨୧˂̶┈*∘┈┈✩.°

Author’s Note:

Pei Zheng: So love really can disappear, can’t it?

Pei Ji’an: scoffs.