Qiao Lanshu could indeed feel that Qin Yuanzheng was holding back quite fiercely this time.
Like an old house catching fire, crackling and blazing.
He had repeatedly said before that his young wife was still tender in age, her body delicate, and that she needed to be carefully protected in every way.
Yet once they were on the kang, engaging in this act, he no longer remembered his wife's fragility, nor did he think of being gentle.
He had been sitting at the edge of the kang, holding Qiao Lanshu, who sat on his lap, tightly trapped by his thick arms, unable to move at all.
Qin Yuanzheng was strong, and Qiao Lanshu had grown used to it—in these matters, she had to go along with him.
Qin Yuanzheng grew bolder, asking in a low voice, "Did it go all the way in?"
Qiao Lanshu blushed, resting her head on his shoulder, silently nodding.
She didn't dare make a sound, afraid of waking the sleeping An'an.
An'an was still so young; once he fell asleep, he knew nothing.
If he knew his parents were doing such things beside him, he might be scared into tears.
Qin Yuanzheng's breathing grew rapid, his voice low and hoarse as his hands gripped Qiao Lanshu's waist... as if still not satisfied...
Qiao Lanshu bit her lip and pushed against him.
Qin Yuanzheng tightened his hold on her waist, whispering, "It hasn't reached deep enough... why won't you let me...?"
Qiao Lanshu's voice came out raspy: "I never said no..."
Sweat beaded on Qin Yuanzheng's forehead, his excitement palpable. He patted Qiao Lanshu's waist, coaxing her in a husky tone, "Wife, don't be nervous..."
They were too close; how could they continue like this?
Qin Yuanzheng still felt it wasn't deep enough.
This position didn't satisfy him.
So he stood up, and Qiao Lanshu let out a soft cry, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck.
Qin Yuanzheng carried her, pacing a couple of steps around the room.
His arms were thick, muscles solid, bulging as he held his wife—veins standing out along his biceps.
Qiao Lanshu was petite; even though she had filled out after childbirth, having been very thin before, she still looked small in Qin Yuanzheng's eyes.
His frame was nearly twice her size; his burly arms, each as thick as her thigh, held her easily.
Thus held, with Qin Yuanzheng's strength as he walked, Qiao Lanshu's eyes reddened, and she curled up in his arms, choked up, begging, "Stop walking, please stop walking, okay?"
Qin Yuanzheng paid no attention. He smiled, tightening his grip slightly, and said softly, "Don't rush, let me walk a little longer..."
Qiao Lanshu angrily beat his shoulder.
Qin Yuanzheng loved his young wife, her tiny figure pressed against him. Every time he had his way with her, she could only huddle in his arms, burying her face and crying.
He was so large and sturdy that he could cover her completely. When he was harsh with her, she was trapped with no escape, nowhere to hide.
Another half hour passed, and when Qin Yuanzheng noticed Qiao Lanshu was trembling slightly, he carried her back onto the kang, slipped a pillow under her waist, and said, "This feels better."
Having been abstinent for so long, he needed to indulge himself. So, for the next while, Qin Yuanzheng spoke little, focusing solely on teasing and toying with his young wife.
Qiao Lanshu covered her mouth, forcing herself not to make a sound.
She wanted to tell Qin Yuanzheng to stop being so excessive, but he wouldn't let her get a word out.
After what felt like an eternity, Qin Yuanzheng suddenly looked down and said to Qiao Lanshu, "The quilt is soaked. Why didn't you use that waterproof sheepskin?"
Qiao Lanshu: "..."
Qin Yuanzheng leaned in, kissed her, and murmured, "Wife, are you dazed? Come back to me."
Qiao Lanshu still said nothing, only looking at him with tear-filled eyes.
Seeing her so stunned from the pleasure, Qin Yuanzheng couldn't help but chuckle. He pulled her into his arms, kissed her ear, and said, "Already worn out? Didn't you say it would be your turn to move in a bit?"
Though his words were gentle, his movements didn't stop.
Qiao Lanshu couldn't speak; she closed her eyes, on the verge of fainting.
Seeing her like this, Qin Yuanzheng knew he wouldn't get to have Qiao Lanshu take the lead tonight.
Never mind; he would do the work several more times, and then let her take over tomorrow.
After all, there was always time.
…
After such a long period of restraint, Qin Yuanzheng finally had his fill tonight.
Niuwa didn't come to disturb them, and An'an slept soundly.
Qin Yuanzheng carried his wife from one end of the kang to the other, then to the floor, onto the table, and finally onto a chair.
It was worth noting that between husband and wife, these matters offered a great deal of variety, with many pleasures to explore.
The couple always enjoyed themselves a lot.
Of course, Qiao Lanshu enjoyed the first hour; the hour after that left her too exhausted to continue the exploration.
Eventually, Qin Yuanzheng simply lay back on the kang, letting Qiao Lanshu...
Qiao Lanshu leaned against his chest, hearing him whisper, "I'll do the work; you can rest awhile."
Qiao Lanshu: "..."
Tears streamed down her face. She felt this wasn't right—she simply couldn't rest.
And in this position...
How could that work?
Yet Qin Yuanzheng was thoroughly content. He reached out to soothe her back, murmuring, "Wife, you're so warm."
Now he was gentle again, knowing how to position her.
He kissed her ear and whispered, "You're making me hot too... Wife, do we have more of those?"
As he spoke, he held Qiao Lanshu and reached for the drawer beside the kang.
Qiao Lanshu closed her eyes, voice weak: "Didn't you just take three?"
Qin Yuanzheng hugged her, kissed her, then suddenly confessed, "Used them all up. Any left?"
Qiao Lanshu: "..."
After a long pause, she said, "I think there were only three left; they're gone."
Qin Yuanzheng paused, frowning. "Gone? What do we do now?"
He could barely hold back, having already held out for so long.
This made him afraid to continue.
Qiao Lanshu hugged him, saying softly, "It's fine... just do it without."
Qin Yuanzheng refused: "No. What if you get pregnant again?"
Childbirth was so arduous.
He didn't want Qiao Lanshu to suffer.
But Qiao Lanshu grew more proactive. She embraced Qin Yuanzheng and kissed him: "It's perfect. While An'an is still small, let's have another quickly. That way, An'an will have a companion."
She had long thought it through—she wanted two children.
They should have them close together.
Raising two children at once meant only one stretch of parenthood, saving trouble.
If she waited until An'an was seven or eight to have a second, she would have to go through the baby stage all over again—how exhausting.
Besides, Auntie Shi was wonderful. With her help, raising two children shouldn't be hard. After all, Qiao Lanshu didn't plan to work for the next couple of years, so she could stay home and care for the kids.
By the time she got into college, the child would already be two or three years old. Then she could go to school, Qin Yuanzheng would be working, and the kid would just be old enough for kindergarten.
Qiao Lanshu had already planned it all out, but she just hadn't discussed it with Qin Yuanzheng yet.
After all, she couldn't explain how the college entrance exams would be reinstated next year.
Right now, Qin Yuanzheng was genuinely torn.
His rough, calloused hand suddenly pressed down on Qiao Lanshu's restless waist, lifting her up lightly. He said nervously, "Wife, what did you just say? You want to have a second child?"
Qiao Lanshu, held up by his hands, twisted deliberately like a seductive enchantress and whispered, "Yeah, I want a daughter. Don't you want a daughter?"
Qin Yuanzheng: "..."
Qin Yuanzheng said in a low voice, "I do, but... there's no rush, is there?"
An'an was only half a year old, and besides, he hadn't had enough time alone with his wife yet...
Forget it, that time alone was already gone. The moment An'an arrived, his couple time vanished.
He did want a daughter.
These days, who didn't want both a son and a daughter?
But he had originally thought they'd wait a few years, until An'an was a bit older, before having another.
Qiao Lanshu twisted and rubbed against him, stirring up his temper.
She whispered, "Actually, there's no guarantee I'll get pregnant. Getting pregnant with An'an might have just been luck. Ge, don't worry—you might not be able to do it."
Qin Yuanzheng: "???"
Furious, he pressed her back down on the head of the bed...
He tormented Qiao Lanshu until she was limp and wilted.
Then he said in a deep voice, "Don't you know if your man's capable or not? You're purposely provoking me, aren't you?"
As he spoke, he kept going...
Saying to her, "Wife, I think you're really asking for it sometimes. Are you behaving now?"
Qiao Lanshu almost cried.
She was genuinely obedient now, not daring to say anything else.
The two of them messed around, all sticky and sweet, until the middle of the night. In the end, Qiao Lanshu even fell asleep before it was over.
Only then did Qin Yuanzheng feel satisfied.
Deep in the night, he quietly got up, fetched some hot water, and used a warm towel to wipe Qiao Lanshu down. He cleaned himself off, too, then put his clothes back on and climbed back onto the kang.
He carried An'an over to the corner, covering him with a small quilt.
Then he pulled Qiao Lanshu into his arms and lay down beside her.
What was the point of holding the son? Holding his wife was far more comfortable.
Soft and fragrant, it was really satisfying to hold her.
...
The next morning, Qin Yuanzheng got up early again, full of energy.
When he got up, An'an happened to wake up too. The sky was just barely lighting up.
An'an was only about half a year old and had gone to bed early the night before, so he woke up early today.
The baby was hungry and wanted milk powder, so Qin Yuanzheng prepared a bottle and fed it to him.
After drinking, An'an was still a bit drowsy, so Qin Yuanzheng placed him in Qiao Lanshu's arms, watching the mother and son cuddled together under the covers.
His heart softened at the sight.
He kissed Qiao Lanshu on the cheek, then reached out and pinched An'an's little face. He changed into his military uniform and left for work.
Qin Yuanzheng had good stamina and boundless energy. After every intimate night, he was always lively and spirited.
Qiao Lanshu, on the other hand, was exhausted, with aches all over her body, and slept until well past nine in the morning.
An'an was fully awake now, but he loved the smell of his mom, so he lay on her chest, refusing to get up.
By almost six months old, An'an could not only roll over but also sit up.
Seeing Qiao Lanshu still asleep, he rolled around on her face, back and forth.
Sometimes his little foot would end up in her mouth; other times, he'd kick her in the eye.
Finally, he plopped down and sat directly on her face.
Qiao Lanshu: "..."
Qiao Lanshu reached out, pulled An'an away, held him in her arms, and lightly smacked his little feet twice, scolding him, "You little rascal! You're so young, and already you're bullying Mommy."
It seemed a daughter would be better—definitely more gentle, good, pretty, and cute...
Thinking this, she said to An'an, "Mommy's going to give you a little sister. What do you think?"
An'an lifted his foot and stuck it into his own mouth.
Chewing on his foot, he stared at Qiao Lanshu, occasionally grinning at her with drool running down his chin.
Qiao Lanshu couldn't help but laugh. She quickly grabbed a bib, put it around An'an's neck, and wiped the drool from his mouth.
An'an loved chewing on his feet the most right now.
He would hug one foot, then the other, taking turns gnawing on them.
He chewed away with a satisfied, happy expression.
Qiao Lanshu fetched a towel, pulled out one foot, wiped it clean, and then—whoosh—An'an snatched up the other foot and started chewing it again.
The kid might be young, but he was quick.
Before Qiao Lanshu could react, he was already at it again.
Qiao Lanshu: "..."
Helpless, she wiped his other foot clean too, changed his diaper, and then, since the weather was a bit warm, put him in split-crotch pants. She carried him out to the yard to soak up some sun.
In the yard, Niuwa was already running around everywhere.
He loved this courtyard. Every day, he'd head to the backyard to feed the chickens, ducks, and sheep, and then to the front garden to water the vegetable seedlings.
He could now tell which were vegetables and which were weeds, so when he had nothing else to do, he'd help Auntie Shi pull weeds.
Seeing Qiao Lanshu come out, Auntie Shi said with a smile, "This Niuwa is going to be a hardworking young man, no doubt. Look how quickly and neatly he works."
Holding a ladle, he watered the vegetable garden, one plant at a time—really carefully.
Qiao Lanshu said with a smile, "That works out nicely. He can be your little assistant, Auntie Shi."
Auntie Shi replied cheerfully, "Hardworking habits start young. Don't worry, I'll train him well, and he'll help you out in the future."
After all, since Niuwa refused to go home, he had to work while he was here.
Qiao Lanshu carried An'an over and played with Niuwa in the vegetable garden.
Niuwa was four years older than An'an, and he didn't mind that the baby was so young; he was happy to play with him.
With Niuwa keeping him company, both Qiao Lanshu and Auntie Shi had an easier time.
...
Around midday, Guan Wenjuan suddenly showed up at the door.
Qiao Lanshu was a bit surprised to see him. She looked at him standing outside and asked, "Director Guan, why are you here at this time? Aren't you at work?"
Guan Wenjuan grinned, delighted, and said, "My job issue is settled! The appointment will be announced tomorrow, and I'll report to the Supply Section on Monday."
Zheng Weigong had already fled—no one knew where he'd gone.
And with the vacancy he left behind, Guan Wenjuan, through all kinds of maneuvering, had actually managed to fill it.
He'd accomplished two meritorious deeds recently and had done well, and with support from the military side, he'd smoothly landed the job.
The moment he got the position, he felt an urge to drop by Qin Yuanzheng's place for a visit.
He couldn't really explain why, but he just had to come.
