Lu Cheng turned to her, his expression curious. “What is it?”

“Maybe… maybe we should sleep separately?” she suggested, trying to keep her voice steady.

For a moment, Lu Cheng was silent, his brow furrowing slightly as he processed her words.

Then he replied, “If that’s what you want, I can understand.”

Lin Qingqing’s heart sank a little at his understanding.

She hadn’t meant to push him away. “I just think it might be easier for now,” she explained, a bit flustered.

“Alright. I’ll respect your wishes,” he said, though his tone carried a hint of disappointment that she couldn’t ignore.

Her slight nervousness—was she worried about this matter?

With that thought, Lu Cheng felt it was quite normal.

After all, she was only 19; he shouldn’t overthink things.

Lu Cheng didn’t care much about the 1,500 yuan, but he still appreciated that Lin Qingqing brought it up: “I should have given you the money for the old mountain ginseng anyway. Since Auntie gave it to you, just keep it as your private money. I’ll give you additional pocket money for daily expenses. When I first arrived at the unit, I was too busy with tasks to discuss the financial situation with you. Do you have any thoughts on this?”

Lin Qingqing replied, “I don’t have any thoughts. If you have any ideas, feel free to share.”

Lu Cheng pondered for a moment: “Then how about I give you half of my monthly salary, and I’ll save the other half? If there’s an emergency at home, we can withdraw from the savings. How does that sound? My monthly salary is 127 yuan, and I also receive bonuses when I’m assigned tasks.”

Listening to him discuss these matters logically, Lin Qingqing felt a bit incredulous and curious. “That works; I’ll go with what you think. But I also have an idea regarding myself.”

For now, since she didn’t have money, she would have to use Lu Cheng’s salary for the time being.

“You can say it.” This was the first time he discussed such topics with her, and it felt better than he had imagined.

Previously, due to the circumstances of their marriage, Lu Cheng was reluctant to discuss matters with her, viewing her as a naive little girl.

However, he now realized that his previous thoughts were wrong.

She seemed quite different from the character he had analyzed.

Lin Qingqing said, “I’m planning to find a job. Otherwise, there’s nothing to do at home. What do you think?”

Lu Cheng immediately agreed, “That sounds good.”

After a moment of thought, he asked, “I can ask around tomorrow to see if there are any jobs available in the unit. If you have any specific job in mind, just let me know, and I’ll keep an eye out for it.”

Hearing him say this made Lin Qingqing feel that this man had good values.

She turned to look at him again, and upon seeing him still staring at her, she quickly averted her gaze. “I want to work in the cafeteria as a cook.”

Although she could work as a kindergarten teacher, she preferred cooking, so she was more inclined toward the cafeteria job.

Lu Cheng was taken aback. “…Even though I smelled the delicious food, I’m not confident in your cooking skills.”

He subtly reminded her, “Are you sure you can handle the job in the cafeteria? Before we got married, my grandma mentioned that you were pampered growing up and didn’t do any housework, let alone cook. I hope you can understand.” That was why Lu Cheng asked.

But then he recalled the clothes hanging outside, which made him think that perhaps her grandmother didn’t truly understand her.

Lin Qingqing replied, “I used to help in the kitchen when I was a young girl…”

“Can I have some more?” Lu Haici looked up at his dad, his big eyes shining with hope.

“Alright, I’ll get you more,” Lu Cheng replied, standing up and heading back to the pot.

He was surprised at how quickly the boy finished his meal.

The taste of the tomato and egg soup noodles was richer and more flavorful than the previous dish, and it made him appreciate Lin Qingqing’s cooking even more.

As Lu Cheng ladled more noodles into Lu Haici’s bowl, Lin Qingqing watched them with a soft smile.

Seeing them interact, she felt a sense of warmth growing inside her.

It was nice to see her son so happy, and for the first time, she felt a bit of hope about this new family life.

“Mom, do you think you can make this every day?” Lu Haici asked, his mouth full of food.

Lin Qingqing chuckled. “Maybe not every day, but I can make it often. As long as you help out, we can cook together.”

“I will! I promise!” Lu Haici exclaimed, looking enthusiastic.

Lu Cheng turned to Lin Qingqing with an approving nod. “It’s good for him to learn how to cook and help out. It’ll teach him responsibility.”

“Exactly!” Lin Qingqing agreed, feeling more at ease.

The atmosphere in the room felt lighter now.

After they finished eating, Lu Cheng helped clear the table while Lin Qingqing washed the dishes.

The three of them worked together, and as they chatted about trivial things, the initial awkwardness faded away.

Later that evening, while they were all sitting together in the living room, Lu Cheng casually mentioned, “I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier regarding your job search. I can help you with that.”

Lin Qingqing looked up, surprised. “Really? You’d do that?”

“Of course,” he replied. “I have some connections in the army. I can ask around and see if there are any openings for kitchen staff. You might just need a bit of training to get your foot in the door.”

Lin Qingqing’s heart swelled with gratitude. “Thank you! I really appreciate it. That would mean a lot to me.”

Lu Cheng smiled, and for a moment, she saw a glimpse of the man beneath the stoic exterior.

It gave her a sense of reassurance, knowing that they could support each other.

“Let’s work together to make this family a good one,” he added, his tone sincere.

“Definitely,” Lin Qingqing replied, feeling hopeful for the future.

As the evening wore on, they shared stories, laughter, and a little bit of their lives, and Lin Qingqing realized that this new family might not be so bad after all.

Perhaps with time, they could build a happy life together.

“None left.” Lu Cheng flatly refused without thinking.

Lu Haici pouted, “Dad, you’re lying! There’s still so much in your bowl.”

Lu Cheng shot a glance at his son, “You only gave me three noodles earlier, and I gave you one dumpling in return. You want a second one? Do you know how to write the character for filial piety?”

Lu Haici argued, “If I gave you three noodles, then you should give me three dumplings!”

Hearing Lu Haici’s words, Lin Qingqing couldn’t help but chuckle.

She realized that Lu Haici was indeed more lively in front of Lu Cheng, probably because he knew who cared for him, allowing him to be a bit “willful” in front of those who love him.

Upon hearing his mother laugh, Lu Haici’s face turned red, and he quickly put down his chopsticks. “I… I’m already full.”

Lin Qingqing smiled and said, “Eating too much at night is not good; it will lead to indigestion. After I finish eating, let’s go for a walk to help with digestion. If you’re still hungry later, I’ll get you some biscuits, okay?”

She had given him a generous serving of tomato and egg noodles, enough for a five-year-old.

“Okay, let’s go for a walk!”

Lu Haici happily jumped off his stool and stood next to Lin Qingqing, waiting for her.

Lin Qingqing quickly finished the remaining tomato and egg noodles and said, “Let’s go.”

She took Lu Haici’s hand, and the two went out for a walk.

The excuse of walking for digestion was true, but the real reason was to avoid Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng turned back and glanced at their figures as the sunset stretched their shadows.

He watched as Lu Haici bounced along, chatting with Lin Qingqing, who responded gently.

Lu Cheng recalled the days before their wedding when Lu Haici had asked him if he would find a stepmother for him, and whether he would be okay with that.

He would never forget that day—Lu Haici’s eyes had sparkled with excitement as he asked, “Dad, will the stepmother be my mom? Will I have my own mom like Ji Yang?”

In that moment, Lu Cheng didn’t know how to answer him because the situation with Lin Qingqing was something he couldn’t explain to a five-year-old.

He wasn’t sure if Lin Qingqing’s personality would allow her to treat Lu Haici like a biological son.

He never expected Lin Qingqing to treat Lu Haici like her own child; he only hoped she would take care of him as if he were a relative’s child.

But at that moment, he couldn’t bear to let his son down, so he replied, “Yes, the stepmother is of course your mom.”

Now, seeing them interact so well, Lu Cheng felt that perhaps this marriage wasn’t as misguided as he had imagined.

After half an hour of walking, Lin Qingqing and Lu Haici returned.

Seeing Lu Cheng working the soil in the yard, he greeted them as they came back, saying, “I’m turning the soil here. Tomorrow I’ll get some seeds to plant…”

“Zilai, are there any vegetables you want to eat? I can plant some for you,” Lu Cheng asked casually.

Lin Qingqing perked up at the idea. “How about tomatoes and cucumbers? Oh, and we should definitely plant some greens—they grow quickly.

By the way, can we make some changes to that little room on the left? It takes several minutes to walk to the restroom, which is quite inconvenient. Could we dig a squat toilet down there?”

Although the public restroom in the compound was kept clean by dedicated staff, Lin Qingqing really didn’t want to walk that distance, especially at night.

“Sure, just tell me what you have in mind, and I’ll see if we can do it,” Lu Cheng replied.

“Okay,” Lin Qingqing thought for a moment and continued, “I have an idea. We can turn that room into three sections. The innermost part can be the squat toilet, separated by cement walls. The outside can be a shower room, and the area outside the shower can also be walled off to store firewood and other items.”

Lu Cheng understood her plan right away. “Got it.”

At this moment, Lin Qingqing found Lu Cheng more agreeable.

Good communication was the first step to a harmonious life.

Seeing that he was so straightforward, she felt comfortable enough to express her concerns: “You’ve just returned from a mission and must be tired. You can take your time with the field work and the toilet.”

“I’m not tired,” Lu Cheng replied, dismissing her concerns.

“Well then, how about you give Lu Haici a bath? I can wash up by myself,” Lin Qingqing suggested.

Lu Cheng set down his hoe. “Alright.”

Thus, Lu Cheng took Lu Haici to bathe in the yard while Lin Qingqing went to wash up in the small room.

However, not long after she started, she heard Lu Haici’s protest from the yard: “Wah wah wah, Dad, be gentler! That hurts!”

Lu Cheng’s voice came back calmly. “A real man can’t complain about a little pain. How can you accomplish big things in the future if you can’t handle this?”

Lu Haici argued back, “But Mom washes me very gently, and it feels really nice! You clearly didn’t wash me right, so you should learn from Mom!”

“Am I hurting you too much? Have you taken it too far?” Lu Cheng asked.

“Um… Dad, can I discuss something with you?” Lu Haici said, trying to negotiate.

“Go ahead,” Lu Cheng replied.

“If tomorrow Mom asks you to give me a bath again, could you say you’re too tired or too busy?” Lu Haici asked, eyes wide with innocent cunning.

Lin Qingqing couldn’t help but chuckle at how clever her son was and was curious about Lu Cheng’s response.

But then… smack… Lin Qingqing heard the sound of a light slap.

At that moment, Ji Yang had just finished dinner and came out to play.

He saw the scene and shouted, “Lu Haici, your dad just spanked you!”

Lu Haici’s face turned red.

Being spanked in front of adults was embarrassing for a child.

In a flash of inspiration, he exclaimed, “A mosquito bit my butt! My dad is just swatting at the mosquito!”