The marinated dishes prepared by Yu Xiuyou and the others were ready, but they weren’t placed in Yu Xiuyou’s home.

Yu Xiuyou was no fool; if all the dishes were mixed together, it would be impossible to tell if there was a problem with anyone’s preparation.

So, she had the marinated dishes stored at each household, waiting for Lin Qingqing to come and check.

Lin Qingqing inspected each household one by one, and found no issues.

She even tasted each dish to confirm that the flavors were right, indicating that her spice mixtures hadn’t been tampered with.

“The marinated dishes are fine, so I’ll take them now. As for the remaining marinade after the juice is collected, sisters, keep it for yourselves. You can stir-fry it with vegetables tomorrow; it adds oil and flavor,” Lin Qingqing said.

She wasn’t stingy; as long as everyone did well, the leftover marinade would be given to them.

The marinade was not only good for stir-frying but also tasty when mixed with rice.

Some people loved having rice with marinade.

In an era where one couldn’t even use a pound of oil in a month, marinade was indeed a rare source of oil.

The marinated dishes collected from the three families were directly placed at Yu Xiuyou’s home because she and the wife from the Cui family needed to deliver them early the next morning.

After checking the marinated dishes, Lin Qingqing returned home, and it was already eight o’clock.

The sky was darkening, and Lu Haici was yawning, looking a bit sleepy.

“Lu Cheng, you wash Haici first with the hot water from the thermos, and I’ll heat some more water,” Lin Qingqing said.

“Okay.” Lu Cheng didn’t bother with soap bubbles and simply rinsed him off with water.

He used soap every day, so the little cub was very clean.

Before the bath was done, Lu Haiyi was already struggling to keep his eyes open.

Seeing this, Lu Cheng simply placed him in his little bed.

The little cub was truly exhausted, not even realizing he was already in his bed.

Once Lu Cheng stepped out, the pot of water Lin Qingqing had been heating was ready.

“You go take a bath. I’ll handle the rest; I can wash with cold water,” Lu Cheng said.

He typically used cold water even in winter, but he had used hot water these past few days since he saw that she preferred it.

“Alright, I’ll wash up first,” Lin Qingqing replied.

Lin Qingqing took a quick shower.

After the incident with the electric fan drying her hair, she had decided not to wash her hair at night anymore, preferring to wake up a little earlier in the morning instead.

The last time, she had wanted to look her best for her first day of work.

Once Lin Qingqing finished showering and had hung up her clothes to dry, she found that the water Lu Cheng had heated still hadn’t boiled.

She stepped to the kitchen door and called out, “Lu Cheng, I’m done. I’ll keep the fire going; you go take your shower.”

The kitchen was unlit, as the fire provided enough brightness.

Lu Cheng stood up and…

Lin Qingqing came to the kitchen door.

Seeing him come out, she stood up to move aside, but unexpectedly, Lu Cheng didn’t step aside.

He stood opposite her, looking at her with eyes that were not as sharp as during the day, carrying a hint of misunderstood grievance. “I want to talk to you.”

Even with the moonlight outside and the firelight in the kitchen, Lin Qingqing couldn’t see his expression clearly.

However, she could hear a bit of confusion in his voice—this was probably a sensitivity unique to people who have been perceptive since childhood. “Why don’t you take a shower first? We can talk after that?” Being this close to him made her feel a bit uncomfortable. After he finished showering, they could talk in bed, and with Lu Haici in between, she would feel a little safer.

Oh my god, she actually needed to rely on Lu Haici to find a sense of security.

If Lu Haici found out, he would surely be quite pleased.

“Okay.” Seeing that she was willing to talk, Lu Cheng took the water and went to take a shower.

Once he went to shower, Lin Qingqing quickly went to the stove and poured the half pot of water into the thermos.

After all, it was water for washing her face tomorrow and didn’t need to be boiled. Since there wasn’t much water left, it would boil quickly.

The reason Lin Qingqing operated this way was that she knew Lu Cheng showered quickly, and she needed to fill the water before he finished.

However, today Lin Qingqing guessed wrong; Lu Cheng did not shower quickly.

Lu Cheng felt that they needed to have a good talk that night.

He wanted to wash himself thoroughly to make sure she wouldn’t have a bad impression of him.

After Lin Qingqing waited for the water to boil and filled the thermos, she didn’t see Lu Cheng coming out.

She sighed in relief and immediately went into the bedroom. But as soon as she entered, she froze—where was Lu Haici? Why was he sleeping in the small bed?

The only person who could put Lu Haici in the small bed was Lu Cheng.

The thought that Lu Cheng would do this left Lin Qingqing speechless.

She then went to the small bed and picked up Lu Haici, moving him to the big bed.

Fortunately, Lu Haici was only five years old and not heavy, otherwise she really wouldn’t have been able to carry him.

Lu Haici was sleeping soundly. In his half-awake state, he felt someone carrying him.

Smelling a familiar scent, he didn’t open his eyes but snuggled closer to Lin Qingqing and continued to sleep.

Lin Qingqing laid Lu Haici down on the bed and crawled in beside him.

When Lu Cheng finished his shower and entered, he saw Lin Qingqing and Lu Haici sleeping together.

He was momentarily stunned.

After quite a while, he finally found his voice. “How did he end up sleeping here? Before…”

He had personally put him in the small bed, but he couldn’t say that. “Didn’t we say he was going to sleep in the small bed?”

Lin Qingqing didn’t believe him at all, seeing him…

and the way her eyelashes cast delicate shadows on her cheeks, Lu Cheng felt a strange warmth spreading through him.

He wanted to reach out, to pull her closer, but he hesitated.

“Are you really okay with him sleeping in the big bed?” Lin Qingqing asked, trying to divert her own tension. “He’s so used to it, and it’s more comfortable for him.”

Lu Cheng chuckled lightly, “It’s just a bed. Besides, you’re the one who’s more comfortable being with him, right?”

Lin Qingqing’s heart raced at his words, but she kept her composure. “Well, yes, but I think it’s important for him to learn to be independent too. He should try sleeping in his little bed more often.”

“True, but he might not be ready for that yet. Five years old is still quite young.” Lu Cheng’s tone was light, but his gaze was serious.

“Maybe,” Lin Qingqing conceded, but she could feel the underlying tension in the air. “But we shouldn’t rush him into anything. It’s a process.”

“Agreed,” Lu Cheng replied, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. “But we also have to be careful about how we approach things. I don’t want him to feel abandoned or confused.”

Lin Qingqing nodded, appreciating his thoughtfulness. “You’re right. It’s important for him to feel secure, especially since he’s been through a lot.”

As the conversation shifted back and forth, both of them were aware of the unsaid things lingering between them.

Lin Qingqing found herself distracted by his gaze, and for a moment, everything else faded away.

“Lu Cheng…” she began, but her voice trailed off.

“Yeah?” he prompted, leaning in slightly.

“About what you said earlier, I mean… the consummation thing,” Lin Qingqing hesitated, her heart racing.

“Right.” Lu Cheng’s expression turned serious. “I just wanted to understand where you stand. I don’t want to pressure you, but I also don’t want to leave things unresolved between us.”

She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment. “I know. I just think… we need time to figure things out.”

“Time,” he repeated, his eyes searching hers. “How much time?”

“Two years,” Lin Qingqing stated firmly, surprising even herself. “I want us to take things slow, to really understand each other before we dive into anything too serious.”

Lu Cheng considered her words, the idea of waiting not entirely appealing, but he understood her perspective. “Two years it is. I can wait.”

Feeling a wave of relief wash over her, Lin Qingqing smiled softly. “Thank you for understanding.”

“But in the meantime,” Lu Cheng added, his voice lowering slightly, “doesn’t mean we can’t be close. I mean, emotionally and as a family.”

She felt a warmth spreading through her at his words. “Yes, as a family.”

As they exchanged smiles, the tension in the room began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of companionship.

But deep inside, both of them were aware that this was only the beginning, and the path ahead would be filled with challenges and uncertainties.

She could see his eyes occasionally flickering.

“You…” Lin Qingqing could feel him staring at her, and she felt a bit uneasy. “Aren’t you going to turn off the lights?”

“No rush,” Lu Cheng replied leisurely. “I have a question I want to ask you.”

“What question?” Lin Qingqing tried hard to calm herself down.

She knew that some things couldn’t be avoided, and avoiding them wouldn’t solve the problem.

She had thought it through at noon about how to face Lu Cheng, so at this moment, she was also ready to stop evading.

“On the day we got married, I refused to consummate the marriage. Are you still mad at me?” Lu Cheng asked, his gaze fixed intently on her, wanting to capture every change in her expression.

Lin Qingqing “… Wow, so serious, asking such a question? Comrade, are you being a rogue?”

“I’m not angry. Didn’t you say you had to rush back to the army the next day and couldn’t be too tired? That was for my sake; how could I be angry?” Was this the kind of logic that straight men couldn’t understand?

Lu Cheng wasn’t sure if she was truly angry because he didn’t understand women. “Then that I’m back, why didn’t you bring up the consummation thing again?”

Lin Qingqing “… How should I say it?”

Feeling the soft weight of Lu Haici in her arms, she suddenly thought of a brilliant answer. “Because Lu Haici is here. We can’t consummate the marriage next to him, can we?”

Lu Cheng thought to himself, so it really was because of this little brat.

“But Lu Cheng, I also have something to tell you.” To prevent Lu Cheng from asking when they would consummate the marriage, Lin Qingqing hurriedly spoke up, otherwise, when he finally asked that question, she felt she wouldn’t even know how to answer it.

Lu Cheng said, “Go ahead.”

Lin Qingqing took a deep breath. “Lu Cheng, can we have an agreement? I… something has happened to me that prevents me from… from consummating the marriage with you.”

“Are you sick?” Lu Cheng felt a tightening in his chest, and his tone couldn’t help but grow anxious.

“No, no,” Lin Qingqing explained. “I’m in good health, it’s just that I have reasons I can’t disclose. But this reason only affects you and me; it won’t involve anyone else or the organization. So Lu Cheng, can you give me two years? Tomorrow during the day, I’ll leave you a letter, but you can only open it two years from today. After you read it, then decide whether or not to be my revolutionary partner, okay?”

She was giving herself two years.

If the original owner returned within those two years, by that time, she wouldn’t know where she would be, and thus, she wouldn’t need to think about the minutiae of this world.

And when Lu Cheng read the letter, he would understand why she needed two years.

Although leaving a letter might be unfair to the original owner, it would also be unfair to Lu Cheng if she disappeared while hiding everything.

But if the original owner hadn’t returned within those two years, and she was still in this world, then… she would be willing to be with Lu Cheng, truly together.

She didn’t want to live alone in this unfamiliar world after her grandmother passed away.

This was her opportunity.

And right now, she couldn’t truly be a real wife to Lu Cheng because he was someone else’s husband.

So, she was giving them both two years.

After two years, if she was still here, they would see what choice Lu Cheng made after reading the letter.