When evening came, the family finished dinner. Qin Yuanzheng took Niuwa to the courtyard to practice boxing.
Qiao Lanshu carried An’an back into the house to rest.
Sister Shi followed them inside and said, “Xiao Qiao, I want to ask you about something.”
Qiao Lanshu placed An’an on the kang, letting him crawl around and play.
An’an was now over eight months old. His legs were strong, and he could stand for short periods, but not for long, so Qiao Lanshu let him crawl on the kang every day.
She sat on the edge of the kang with Sister Shi, watching An’an crawl to keep him from falling off.
As Qiao Lanshu folded and organized the clothes of the family of three, she asked, “Sister Shi, what did you want to ask about?”
Sister Shi played with An’an while speaking in a low voice: “I heard that in Wencheng, the city next to us, they’re going to build an airport. Is that true?”
Qiao Lanshu paused in her folding and thought for a moment.
She hadn’t worked for over half a year, and she didn’t have much contact with the outside world.
But these days, she listened to the radio at home every day, so she knew a lot of news.
She knew that Wencheng already had an airport. After the reform and opening up, when the country transitioned from a planned economy to a market economy, cities would develop rapidly.
Back then, Wencheng—right next to Longcheng—would merge into this province, and Wencheng’s airport would become the province’s first.
At that time, anyone returning to Longcheng would have to fly to Wencheng and then transfer by car.
But for now, the reform and opening up hadn’t happened yet. An airport…
Qiao Lanshu thought it over and said quietly, “Sister Shi, do you mean a helicopter airport? For transporting coal and oil?”
It must be for the convenience of transporting key resources that the state was considering building a helicopter airport.
Sister Shi’s eyes lit up, and she looked at Qiao Lanshu. “So, is the airport really being built?”
Even though Sister Shi trusted her husband and son, she was still worried her son might be scammed.
After all, five hundred yuan was her savings of over a decade.
Though the salary Qin Yuanzheng paid her was quite high, that was only because he was generous.
Her previous wages weren’t high—just over thirty yuan a month—and she had to scrimp and save to raise her kids, with no way to put money aside.
Qiao Lanshu said to Sister Shi, “I’m not sure either. Why don’t I ask Brother Zheng? Wait a moment.”
Sister Shi looked at Qiao Lanshu gratefully. “Thank you, Xiao Qiao.”
Even though Sister Shi had worked as a nanny here for nearly a year, she rarely spoke with Qin Yuanzheng.
After all, Qin Yuanzheng held a high position, and his demeanor was naturally intimidating.
Plus, he was usually busy with work. When he came home, aside from eating and bathing, he spent his time cuddling with Qiao Lanshu in their room.
In the mornings and evenings, he was busy training.
Every time Sister Shi saw him punching the sandbag in the yard, she was terrified.
Now that she needed help, she didn’t dare ask Qin Yuanzheng herself, afraid he might get upset.
So she quietly came to Qiao Lanshu, since Qin Yuanzheng only ever showed a kind face to her.
Qiao Lanshu handed An’an to Sister Shi and walked out of the house.
In the courtyard, a dim yellow light bulb hung in the apple tree, casting its glow.
Qin Yuanzheng had hung a sandbag on the persimmon tree and was practicing boxing with Niuwa.
Niuwa was now over four years old, old enough to start training.
He had inherited Han Wenlin’s large build; even at his young age, his body was as sturdy as a little calf.
His boxing moves already looked practiced and sharp.
Qiao Lanshu stood by and watched for a while, then walked over. “How long have you been at it? Want to rest and have a drink of water?”
Niuwa kept punching while shouting loudly, “Mom, I’m not tired! I can keep going!”
Niuwa wore a pink little vest and yellow shorts.
These were hand-me-downs from their former good neighbor, Huang Erling.
The old clothes that Huang Erling’s daughter had outgrown fit Niuwa perfectly, without needing any alterations.
Niuwa practiced boxing with great effort; his hair was soaked with sweat, and droplets streamed down his cheeks.
Qin Yuanzheng ruffled his head and said, “I was talking to my wife, kid. Why are you answering? Keep practicing!”
Niuwa replied loudly, “Yes, Chief!”
Qiao Lanshu: “…”
Qin Yuanzheng grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his head, walked over to Qiao Lanshu, and said, “I’m thirsty. Where’s the water?”
Qiao Lanshu shot him a playful glare and said, “Are you being too strict with the child?”
As she spoke, she walked to the table under the eaves, picked up the teapot, and poured him a large glass of water.
Qin Yuanzheng took the water and downed it in one go, then said, “Strict? He likes it himself. If I told him to stop, he’d cry.”
Qiao Lanshu was a bit surprised. She stood there watching Niuwa for a long moment.
Niuwa was indeed practicing very seriously, and he didn’t seem tired at all.
It seemed the boy had found something he truly loved—he didn’t even want to play or rest.
Qiao Lanshu sighed and said, “This kid will definitely amount to something. Director Han will probably send him into the military, right?”
Qin Yuanzheng nodded. “He’s a good prospect, full of energy. If he isn’t managed in the military, he might stir up trouble outside.”
So, to keep things simple, they’d just send him to the military. The state would raise Director Han’s son well.
The couple chatted for a while about Niuwa, then about An’an. After that, Qiao Lanshu brought up the airport in neighboring Wencheng.
When Qin Yuanzheng heard her question, he looked a bit surprised. “You know about the airport in Wencheng too?”
Qiao Lanshu asked, “So, is an airport really being built?”
Qin Yuanzheng nodded. “Yes, a helicopter airport is being built. The designers and engineers are already in place, and Zhao Jiannong has been transferred there.”
Zhao Jiannong was their former neighbor, the battalion commander of the Independent Second Battalion of the Southern Suburb Forest Farm.
Since such an important task was given to him, it seemed he was about to be promoted to deputy regimental commander.
Qin Yuanzheng wasn’t involved in this project, so he didn’t know the specifics, but the construction of the helicopter airport in Wencheng was indeed happening.
Once Qiao Lanshu had it confirmed, she didn’t ask any more questions.
Just then, Niuwa finished his boxing practice, tired. Qin Yuanzheng stood up and said, “I’ll take Niuwa to bathe. He’s been boxing every evening lately, so he goes to bed early and sleeps deeply.”
Sleeping deeply meant he wouldn’t wake up in the middle of the night and come looking for Qiao Lanshu.
Qin Yuanzheng was very pleased with that.
Once Sister Shi had confirmation from Qin Yuanzheng about the airport in Wencheng, she felt relieved.
It seemed her son’s job was secure this time.
Since Niuwa started boxing a few days ago, his boundless energy was finally spent.
His appetite shot up, and his sleep quality was excellent.
After his bath and milk, he fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.
Qiao Lanshu came in to check on him. Sister Shi was sitting by the bed, mending Niuwa’s clothes. She said softly to Qiao Lanshu, “This little guy has been sleeping so soundly lately. He used to wake up once at night, but these past few days, he hasn’t. He sleeps all the way until dawn.”
Niuwa hadn’t wet the bed recently either. He’d pee before bed just fine, then sleep through until morning, and pee again when he woke up.
Sister Shi sighed and said, “This kid is really easy to take care of.”
When she said this, Sister Shi completely forgot the time before she started practicing boxing when Niu Wa was jumping around and making her so angry she wanted to hit him.
Qiao Lanshu came over with a smile to look at Niu Wa. Niu Wa was lying on the kang, sleeping spread out, with a small blanket covering his belly. His exposed arms and legs looked thick and strong.
Qiao Lanshu reached out and pinched Niu Wa’s leg, saying softly to Sister Shi, “This baby seems even sturdier now.”
His legs seemed thicker?
Sister Shi lowered her voice and said, “It’s better for his arms and legs to be thick; that means more strength and a bigger frame. When he grows up, he’ll be a big, strong man, just like Commander Qin—capable and tough in a fight.”
Qiao Lanshu laughed and said, “Sister, I’ll go rest too. You should get some sleep as well.”
Sister Shi nodded and saw Qiao Lanshu out.
Qiao Lanshu turned off the light in the main room and then went back to her own room.
An’an had been sleeping with her lately and was already asleep.
Qiao Lanshu also checked An’an’s arms and legs, gently pinching his little calf.
Qin Yuanzheng had just come back from his bath and seeing this, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Qiao Lanshu whispered, “I’m checking if An’an’s arms and legs are thick and strong. Sister Shi said if they are, he’ll have more strength and grow up tall and sturdy. If his legs are too thin, he won’t have much power.”
Qiao Lanshu was mainly worried about her own small frame—she feared An’an might take after her. What if he ended up short and scrawny?
After all, her own father wasn’t very tall and was quite thin.
Qin Yuanzheng came over, pinched An’an’s arms and legs, and laughed. “Don’t worry. This little guy won’t be short. Other kids don’t stand until they’re a year old, but he’s already standing at eight months. His legs are already very strong.”
As he spoke, Qin Yuanzheng pulled Qiao Lanshu into his arms and buried his face in her chest...
He said, “It’s time for husband and wife emotional bonding. Come on, let’s not get on the kang this time, so we don’t wake An’an.”
He directly lifted Qiao Lanshu and sat down with her on a chair.
Qiao Lanshu leaned on him, whispering in his ear, “Zheng Ge, my period hasn’t come for two months.”
Qin Yuanzheng’s hand, buried under her clothes, paused. His expression turned serious as he looked at Qiao Lanshu. “Really?”
Qiao Lanshu covered her mouth and giggled, clearly very happy.
She nodded with a smile, looking at him. “Tomorrow, I’ll ask Sister Shi to accompany me to the hospital for a check-up.”
Qin Yuanzheng: “...”
Earlier, when Qiao Lanshu said she wanted another child, Qin Yuanzheng had been very hesitant.
He did like children, but he liked Qiao Lanshu more.
He didn’t want her to go through the pain and hardship again.
But Qiao Lanshu wanted it—she had long planned to have two children.
So, Qin Yuanzheng had been working very hard, several times a day, making sure the field was thoroughly irrigated.
Maybe he did have some infertility issues, but Qiao Lanshu was definitely an easy-to-conceive type.
He reached out, pressed gently on her belly, and looked at her, asking in a low voice, “How do you feel? Are you really pregnant?”
Qiao Lanshu shook her head. “No special feeling. It’s just that I haven’t had my period for two months. I don’t know what it means.”
Qiao Lanshu hoped she was pregnant. If she were, the baby would be born around May or June next year.
Then, the college entrance exams would resume in July. After that, she’d be busy studying and wouldn’t have time to have children.
Thinking this, Qiao Lanshu felt it wasn’t safe enough—she needed more irrigation.
So, she hugged Qin Yuanzheng, twisted her waist, and said to him, “Zheng Ge, don’t you want it? Why aren’t you moving?”
Qin Yuanzheng: “...”
Of course, Qin Yuanzheng wanted to, but he was also afraid his little wife might truly be pregnant.
So, after thinking for a few seconds, he said, “Alright, let’s go gently. You lie down first, and I’ll take care of it...”
Qin Yuanzheng had this on his mind.
He was very gentle that night, only once, and then deliberately stopped.
This usually lustful man suddenly became abstinent.
He pulled Qiao Lanshu and An’an both into his arms and said softly, “Tomorrow morning, I’ll go with you to the hospital. I can’t rest easy letting someone else accompany you.”
Qin Yuanzheng thought to himself, good thing he hadn’t agreed to go to Wencheng.
Originally, the higher-ups wanted him to handle the airport project in Wencheng.
He refused, citing that his child was still young, and recommended Zhao Jiannong instead.
Although that airport project was very important, there were plenty of talented officers besides him in the engineering corps. Many excellent young officers worked under him.
Commander Li, seeing how hard Qin Yuanzheng had worked over the years and that he finally had a son, considered his situation and didn’t force him to go to Wencheng.
But Commander Li also said that in a few years, when An’an was older, Qin Yuanzheng would definitely be reassigned. When that time came, he wouldn’t be able to refuse.
Thinking about this, Qin Yuanzheng couldn’t sleep until the middle of the night, finally drifting off around two or three in the morning.
Then, he had a dream. He dreamed he was still on a mission in some jungle.
In the dream, he was walking under a giant tree in the jungle.
Suddenly, he heard a swish—a huge, colorful bird flew over his head.
Then, a colorful egg fell from the tree. Qin Yuanzheng instinctively reached out and caught it.
The egg landed in his palm, and the shell cracked open. A little white bird emerged.
When Qin Yuanzheng woke up, he stared at Qiao Lanshu in his arms for a long time.
After a while, he sighed softly. “Could there really be a second child?”
Earlier, when Qiao Lanshu was pregnant with An’an, she had dreamed of a white tiger.
Now it was his turn—he had dreamed of a bird’s egg.
Qiao Lanshu seemed to be sleeping very late recently.
Qin Yuanzheng, after waking up, trained for an hour and then took Niu Wa to kindergarten.
By the time he came back, it was almost nine o’clock. An’an was already awake, playing with the blanket on the kang, then crawling onto Qiao Lanshu’s body to roll around, using her as a slide.
When Qin Yuanzheng entered the room and saw that even with all this ruckus, Qiao Lanshu still had her eyes closed and refused to get up,
He strode over, picked up An’an with one hand. An’an’s thick little legs kicked hard at his face, babbling angrily as if cursing.
Qin Yuanzheng easily pinned both legs with one hand and glared at An’an sternly. “Don’t bully Mom. If you ever roll around on her again, you’ll sleep with Sister Shi.”
Their kang was huge—almost two and a half meters wide—enough for several people.
Usually, An’an slept quietly at one corner.
But now, with Qiao Lanshu pregnant, shouldn’t this little troublemaker be separated from her? What if he crawled onto her belly in the middle of the night and started rolling around?
Qin Yuanzheng held An’an in his arms while warming up his milk, thinking maybe he should make a small bed for the boy.
Though it was possible to have An’an sleep with Sister Shi, An’an was now at an age where he recognized people. He would only sleep with Qiao Lanshu, needing her scent and to hold her arm—otherwise, he wouldn’t settle down.
Thinking this over, Qin Yuanzheng decided he needed to make a small bed for An’an. As soon as he had a free moment, he would draft the design and ask one of the carpenters at the construction site to help build it.
Just then, Qiao Lanshu finally opened her eyes. She had actually woken up much earlier when An’an stirred but had been too exhausted to get up. She yawned, got dressed, and came out of the room. Spotting Sister Shi busy in the kitchen, she walked into the courtyard.
There she saw Qin Yuanzheng holding the chubby, fair-skinned An’an in one arm while punching a sandbag with the other. He said to the child, “Come on, you give one a try for Daddy. Let me see if you’ve got any strength in those little arms.”
Qiao Lanshu was speechless.
An’an was still so young—letting him punch a sandbag could easily break his arm.
