Chapter 19

Yin Xiaoman’s mind went blank for a moment.  

She reached up to rub her ears.  

Then, setting Erniu down, she squatted and pulled Da Bao away from Shen Qingyun’s side, making him face her. In a calm tone, she asked, “What did you just call him?”  

Her voice betrayed no emotion, making it impossible for anyone to discern what she was feeling. Only Da Bao and Erniu, who had been with her day and night for so long, could tell—  

Their Mom was angry.  

In truth, Yin Xiaoman wasn’t actually angry; she was just stunned, so shocked that she could hardly believe what she had heard.  

But the two children didn’t know that.  

Da Bao instinctively covered his mouth, while Erniu’s little fist struck his shoulder hard!  

With a voice tinged with sobs, she yelled, “Call him Dad! You have to call him Dad! We already agreed you wouldn’t call him godfather!”  

Yin Xiaoman: “…”  

Shen Qingyun felt the veins on his temple throb uncontrollably.  

Having experienced countless major events, he suddenly found himself at a loss as he watched the mother and her two children.  

Standing a little farther away, Gao Chong and Xiao Yang avoided looking in their direction entirely, their gazes drifting awkwardly. They were so embarrassed that they wished they could vanish into thin air, pretending they neither heard nor saw anything.  

This was way too…  

Calling Sister-in-law “Mom” and calling the company commander “Godfather”…  

Da Bao, that kid—he wasn’t great at speaking, but when it came to causing trouble, he was number one.  

On the very first day, he had set off such a massive firecracker.  

Was he planning to make the company commander and Sister-in-law get into a fight before they even had time to enjoy their reunion at home?  

Having already been won over by Yin Xiaoman’s delicious food on the way, Gao Chong felt even more worried: It didn’t matter if the company commander got the cold shoulder at home, but what if Sister-in-law got so angry that she fell ill? What would they do then?!  

Everyone had their own thoughts, but no one spoke. For a moment, the atmosphere on the platform was eerily silent.  

Finally, Shen Qingyun cleared his throat first and said, somewhat awkwardly, “Let’s leave the station first. Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it at home.”  

Yin Xiaoman didn’t respond. She simply nodded, picked up Erniu, took Da Bao’s hand, and followed them.  

From Haicheng Train Station to the county where the military unit was stationed, it was still more than an hour’s drive away.  

Along the way, Yin Xiaoman remained silent, hardly saying a single word.  

Even though Gao Chong tried several times to lighten the mood by starting conversations, each attempt ended awkwardly in silence.  

In truth, Yin Xiaoman wasn’t sulking or upset with anyone.  

She wasn’t the original owner of this body. From the day she transmigrated into this world, she had resolved to accept reality as it was and adapt to the circumstances.  

Whatever Shen Qingyun’s reasons were for hiding the origins of these two children, it had all happened before she arrived. To her, there had been no deception.  

She didn’t think there was anything worth being angry about.  

Instead of anger, she felt more shocked.  

She was worried she might have missed some detail from the original owner’s memories, which could inadvertently arouse Shen Qingyun’s suspicion.  

So, during the entire journey, she was busy rummaging through every detail in the original owner’s memory.  

“We’re here. Get out of the car.”  

While Yin Xiaoman was still lost in her thoughts, the vehicle came to a stop in front of a small courtyard.  

Shen Qingyun stepped out from the front passenger seat.  

He first placed Da Bao, who had been sitting in his arms, on the ground. Then he walked over to the side where Yin Xiaoman was sitting and opened her door, extending his hand toward her.  

His hand was large, with a broad palm, long slender fingers, and prominent calluses on the pads of his fingers. It exuded a sense of strength and capability.  

This was the first time Yin Xiaoman had looked so closely at a man’s hand, and for a moment, she was dazed.  

It wasn’t until Erniu, sitting on her lap, squirmed her little bottom that Yin Xiaoman snapped out of it. She immediately handed the little girl over to the man.  

Shen Qingyun took Erniu into his arms, adjusting her comfortably.  

When he reached out again to help Yin Xiaoman out of the car, he was met with her deliberate indifference as she turned to focus on gathering the luggage at her feet.  

Awkwardly, he withdrew his hand. A trace of regret flashed across his expression, though he himself didn’t seem to notice it.  

The Vanguard Battalion, being the regiment’s elite unit, had decent facilities despite its remote location.  

As the commander of the battalion, Shen Qingyun lived in a small but self-contained courtyard.  

The courtyard wasn’t large, but it was well-equipped. In addition to a living room and two bedrooms, it also had a separate kitchen and bathroom.  

There was even a water pump in the corner of the courtyard.  

After Gao Chong and Xiao Yang helped them move their luggage inside, they tactfully left together.  

Seeing Yin Xiaoman continuously avoiding his gaze, Shen Qingyun silently sighed.  

He carried the now-sleeping Erniu to the inner room and gently placed her on the bed. Then, he grabbed the bag filled with pots and utensils, brought it into the kitchen, and pulled out two large aluminum lunchboxes.  

He walked over to Da Bao, who was watching him nervously, and ruffled the boy’s hair in a casual yet affectionate manner.  

Only then did he turn to Yin Xiaoman, who was deliberately keeping her back to him and busily organizing their belongings, and said, “Stop what you’re doing and take a break. I’ll take Da Bao to get food. Whatever we need to talk about, we’ll do it after dinner.”  

With that, he took Da Bao’s hand and headed out the door.  

Watching their figures disappear at the entrance, Yin Xiaoman sat down in the rattan chair.  

It was only then that the calm and composed expression on her face finally faded, replaced by an unusual nervousness and confusion.  

Her mind buzzed noisily, a chaotic mess of thoughts that even she couldn’t make sense of.  

Since transmigrating to this world, this was the first time she felt genuinely flustered.  

Yin Xiaoman had always considered herself a rational person, someone who never let her emotions cloud her decisions.  

Her choice to come here, though it appeared impulsive, had been carefully calculated, weighing all the pros and cons.  

Staying behind at home would have led to an inevitably poor outcome. Coming to join the military unit at least offered a glimmer of hope.  

That’s why she had resolutely chosen to seek out Shen Qingyun, believing it to be the best decision for both herself and the children.  

But rational people often overlooked one critical issue—feelings.  

Before coming here, she had thought about everything, except how to interact with Shen Qingyun on her own.  

After all, in both her past and present lives, she had no experience dealing with men.  

As the sky darkened and all the outsiders left, Yin Xiaoman began to feel genuinely uneasy.  

It was at this moment that she realized Shen Qingyun was no longer just a name to her but a real, living man—a man she had married, a man who could make all kinds of demands of her.  

A wave of heat surged from the soles of her feet straight to her head, almost instantly burning up to her temples.  

The heat left her dazed, unable to think, and her face flushed so red it felt like it might catch fire.  

“Mom, we’re back!”  

Yin Xiaoman sat blankly in the rattan chair, almost turning herself into a statue. It wasn’t until Da Bao’s voice echoed in the courtyard that she snapped out of her daze.  

The two lunchboxes they brought back were filled to the brim. One box contained steamed buns made of mixed-grain flour, while the other held seaweed stewed with tofu and a stir-fried dish of soybean sprouts.  

Although it was all vegetarian, in these times, having tofu or any bean products was already a rare treat.  

It was evident that Shen Qingyun had gone to great lengths to procure this food.  

“I’ll go get Erniu to come eat,” Yin Xiaoman said hurriedly upon seeing them return. Without waiting for a response, she darted into the house, her hurried and somewhat chaotic steps resembling a retreat.  

Watching her back disappear into the house, Shen Qingyun let out a silent sigh. The slight warmth he had felt earlier in his heart slowly began to cool again.  

Erniu, clearly exhausted, barely ate a few bites before stubbornly refusing to continue. She even started to fuss, crying softly and demanding to be held by her Mom.  

Yin Xiaoman had no choice but to carry her back into the room and coax her to sleep thoroughly before returning outside.  

By the time she came back, the two of them had already finished eating. The food they had left for her was covered with a plate to keep it warm.  

As soon as she stepped out, Shen Qingyun emerged from the other bedroom. “You eat first,” he said. “I’ll tidy up this room. From now on, you and Erniu can sleep in that room, and Da Bao and I will sleep in this one. Is that okay with you?”  

Hearing this, Yin Xiaoman immediately felt a wave of relief, as though a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her entire demeanor visibly relaxed.  

She quickly nodded. “That’s fine.”  

After a brief pause, she thoughtfully added, “If you’re busy, Da Bao can also sleep with me.”  

Shen Qingyun glanced at her, clearly noticing the rejuvenated energy in her expression. For a moment, he wasn’t sure whether to feel amused or exasperated.  

“We’ll see.”  

He pointed to the food on the table. “Go ahead and eat. Once you’re done, we’ll talk.”  

Yin Xiaoman knew the discussion would be about the two children. In truth, she didn’t care much about this matter.  

To her, it didn’t matter whether Da Bao and Erniu were Shen Qingyun’s biological children.  

The original owner had likely brought the two kids along because of Shen Qingyun, but her own affection for the little ones was purely because she found them endearing and lovable.  

It had nothing to do with this man.  

With such a calm mindset, she found the meal in front of her unexpectedly delicious, savoring every bite.  

After dinner, Shen Qingyun walked out of the bedroom alone.  

Seeing Yin Xiaoman glancing inside, he explained, “Da Bao is doing the homework you left for him.”  

After speaking, he paused for a moment, then raised his head to look at Yin Xiaoman, his gaze sincere. “I’m very grateful to you. Thank you for taking such good care of both children.”  

Yin Xiaoman pursed her lips and said nothing.  

Seeing her reaction, Shen Qingyun’s face revealed an apologetic expression. “Comrade Yin Xiaoman, first of all, I need to apologize to you for hiding the children’s background. Although, back then, I had no other choice, deceiving you was still my fault.”  

“Comrade Yin Xiaoman”… what kind of address was that?  

For a moment, Yin Xiaoman felt utterly bewildered.  

Although she hadn’t been in this world for long, she did understand what “comrade” meant.  

Could it be that, in military units, this was how spouses addressed each other?  

She couldn’t help but blink a few times, once again feeling that her train of thought couldn’t keep up.  

Seeing her continued silence, Shen Qingyun had no choice but to painfully continue talking to himself.  

“Comrade Yin Xiaoman, let me first tell you about Da Bao’s parents.”  

“Da Bao’s father was once my old squad leader. Back when I was a new recruit, he was the one who received me into the unit. Later, when I was selected to join the Vanguard Battalion, it was also him who recommended me…”  

Hearing him finally get to the point, Yin Xiaoman withdrew her scattered thoughts and began listening attentively.  

According to Shen Qingyun, Da Bao’s family name was Du, and his father’s name was Du Changyu, who had once been Shen Qingyun’s direct superior. Though technically his superior, they were more like friends, with a mutual respect and understanding between them.  

Du Changyu had served in the military for a long time and was well-educated, having come from a city. Because of his background, he had been highly regarded within the military unit. In his younger years, his career had progressed smoothly, and by his early twenties, he had already become a company commander.  

Unfortunately, after his promotion to deputy battalion commander, a movement began. During a renewed round of inspections, it was suddenly discovered that he had a distant granduncle living abroad. This caused significant problems with his political background review.  

Just before this happened, Du Changyu had led a small team that achieved a significant accomplishment, making it impossible to completely dismiss him.  

In the end, under the firm insistence of the regiment’s leadership, his position as deputy battalion commander was retained, but he was reassigned to guard a remote island.  

At that time, Du Changyu had already secured the regiment’s only spot to attend military school. Seeing that he could no longer go, he took the initiative to approach the leadership and proposed transferring the opportunity to Shen Qingyun.  

The leadership, deeply regretful about Du Changyu’s situation, agreed without hesitation upon hearing his suggestion.  

At the time, Shen Qingyun had just been promoted to company commander. Although he excelled in various aspects, he was still young and not well-known within the regiment.  

If not for Du Changyu’s final, determined push, that spot at the military school would never have gone to Shen Qingyun.  

The two years at the military academy taught Shen Qingyun many things, but most importantly, it polished his credentials.  

During those years, individuals with formal education or military academy experience were exceedingly rare. As a result, when Shen Qingyun returned, everything in his career started to progress smoothly.  

Within two years, he was promoted to battalion commander, outranking Du Changyu in terms of rank.  

Despite this advancement, in Shen Qingyun’s heart, Du Changyu had always remained his old company commander and his best friend.  

For Du Changyu, the position of deputy battalion commander was already the peak of his career—an unspoken understanding shared by everyone.  

Because of this, he lost the ambition he once had and soon married a local woman he met near the island. Not long after, Da Bao was born.  

Although stationed on the island, there was still an annual rotation period during which he could return home for a few months each year. As a result, his marital relationship was relatively stable.  

After all, for the villagers in the surrounding areas, marrying an officer was considered a stroke of extraordinary luck.  

However, as the political movements intensified over the years, even living in seclusion on the island did not spare Du Changyu from being affected.  

Although his position as deputy battalion commander had not been officially revoked, his rotation periods were repeatedly delayed, to the point that it became normal for him to not leave the island for an entire year.  

Particularly after the birth of Erniu, he rarely managed to return.  

This situation deeply unsettled his wife.  

Their marriage had not been built on love in the first place, and with such prolonged separations, their relationship naturally grew colder and more distant.  

The woman’s heart soon turned elsewhere.  

Du Changyu wasn’t oblivious to this, but with children at home and his long absences, he truly had no way to address the situation.  

He could only entrust Shen Qingyun to keep an eye on things.  

But how could Shen Qingyun, a bachelor with no experience taking care of children, manage this? Moreover, he had little to say to the woman herself.  

All he could do was conduct surprise visits every few weeks to ensure the woman wasn’t mistreating the children and, at the same time, deliver as many supplies as he could for them.  

With Du Changyu’s salary and Shen Qingyun’s occasional oversight, the woman, despite her lack of commitment, at least managed to keep the household intact.  

Then, tragedy struck Du Changyu.  

A violent storm blew through, collapsing the houses on the island. He was trapped beneath the rubble.  

It wasn’t until days later, when a supply ship arrived on the island, that his body was discovered.  

When the woman learned of his death, she made a scene at the camp, crying and wailing. But the day after she received the compensation money, she disappeared—taking both herself and the money with her.  

Before she left, fearing that someone might discover her absence too soon, she used a heavy iron lock to trap Da Bao and Erniu inside the house.  

By the time Shen Qingyun finished handling Du Changyu’s funeral arrangements and came to take the children to attend their father’s burial, he found the two kids locked inside the house. They had been trapped there for several days and were already on the verge of starvation.  

From that moment onward, Da Bao suddenly stopped speaking.  

“I didn’t dare tell my family the truth because…” Shen Qingyun paused. “You know how my sister-in-law is. If I’m not home and my parents—realizing the two kids aren’t my biological children—won’t look out for them. I’m afraid they’d suffer endlessly.”  

“As for not telling you…” Shen Qingyun raised his eyes to look at Yin Xiaoman but couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.  

“I understand.” Yin Xiaoman didn’t let him continue.  

By this point, everything was clear.  

Given Liu Chunxia’s personality, if she ever learned that Da Bao and Erniu weren’t Shen Qingyun’s biological children, sparing their lives would already be an act of mercy in her eyes.  

Yin Xiaoman didn’t think Shen Qingyun had done anything wrong in this regard.  

As for not telling the original owner…  

He wasn’t familiar with the original owner to begin with. Besides, at the time, the matter had already spread far and wide. Changing his story wouldn’t have made much difference.  

Seeing that Yin Xiaoman showed no intention of arguing with him over this, Shen Qingyun couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.  

Then, he pulled thirty yuan out of his pocket and placed it on the dining table in front of Yin Xiaoman.  

“This is the money you’re owed. Take it. I know you gave it to Gao Chong before.”  

Yin Xiaoman froze again, lifting her eyes in surprise to look at him.  

Her gaze made Shen Qingyun feel a bit uneasy.  

He had no choice but to patiently explain. “I’m already very grateful that you agreed to come along and help take care of the children. How could I let you pay for your own train ticket?  

Don’t worry; the promises I made to you before still count. Take this money, and I’ll make sure to pay you on time in the future as well.”  

After finishing what he had to say, Shen Qingyun seemed noticeably more relaxed. He even smiled at Yin Xiaoman.  

“Get some rest. You’ve had a tough time these past few days.”  

With that, he helped Yin Xiaoman unpack the essentials and then returned to his room.  

After freshening up, Yin Xiaoman also went back to the bedroom.  

Lying in bed, even though she was physically and mentally exhausted, her mind kept racing, unable to settle.  

Shen Qingyun’s earlier words had truly shaken her. She hadn’t expected Da Bao and his younger sister to have such a tragic background.  

But beyond that, what unsettled her even more was Shen Qingyun’s cryptic remarks at the end, as well as his insistence that she take the thirty yuan.  

Yin Xiaoman was certain that there was something she didn’t know.  

There must have been some conditions or promises between Shen Qingyun and the original owner.  

These details were crucial—perhaps even enough to make the man suspicious of her identity if mishandled.  

Yet, no matter how hard she searched through her memories, she couldn’t find anything.  

For the first time, Yin Xiaoman felt an overwhelming sense of frustration.