Hearing Qiao Lanshu say this, Qin Yuanzheng swallowed hard.
He actually didn't dare to sleep with Qiao Lanshu because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself.
After all, he was a normal, energetic man. With such a delicate little girl lying next to him, who could hold back?
But he was also worried that Comrade Xiao Qiao's body wouldn't be able to handle it.
Therefore, he was quite conflicted when he lay in the next room.
He wasn't sleepy at all.
Seeing him stay silent, Qiao Lanshu asked a bit sadly, Regiment Commander Qin, haven't we already gotten our marriage certificate? Don't people sleep together after getting their certificate?
Qin Yuanzheng: ...
Qin Yuanzheng stayed silent for a moment before saying, Alright, you go back first. I'll bring the quilt over.
He thought to himself that it was just sleeping together; it didn't mean anything had to happen. The mattresses at home hadn't been made yet, so it was normal for the little girl to feel cold.
He brought two single quilts from the dormitory and spread them out, perfectly covering the double bed.
He pressed down on the bedding and said to Qiao Lanshu, My cousin gave me a few catties of cotton tickets, and I saved some myself. I'll go buy some cotton tomorrow to make mattresses and quilts, and then it will be warm.
When Yang Wenyan and Deng Xiaozhen got married, they had already made bedding, so he had been saving his cotton over the years, reluctant to use it.
Now, he gave all five catties of cotton tickets to Qin Yuanzheng at once.
Qin Yuanzheng had also saved a few catties of cotton tickets, and since he was getting married, he could apply for a material subsidy, which would probably give him an extra catty or two.
After all, this was the north, where the weather was cold, so the supply of cotton tickets was greater than in the south.
He did the math himself; if he exchanged some with his comrades, he estimated they could make one thick mattress, one thin mattress, and two quilts.
Hearing him say this, Qiao Lanshu immediately said, I brought my own cotton tickets. I bought some today to make a padded jacket, and I asked Sister Ling next door to help me make it.
Qin Yuanzheng nodded. I'll give you some more cloth tickets so you can make two more sets of clothes. It's cold here, so don't be reluctant to use the tickets.
Nowadays, tickets were needed for everything. Sometimes, tickets were even more useful than money.
It was only because Qin Yuanzheng was older and had delayed getting married that he had saved up so many tickets. Otherwise, if it were someone else, like Officer Xiao Yang, they might not have had this many cloth tickets.
After Qin Yuanzheng finished making the bed, he said, It's done. Go to sleep early.
With that, he picked up a small oil lamp, lit it, placed it in the room, and then turned off the electric light.
Qiao Lanshu sat on the bed and looked at Qin Yuanzheng in the dim light. Regiment Commander Qin, are you sleeping here too?
Looking at the little girl's eager eyes, Qin Yuanzheng's throat bobbed. He nodded. Yeah, didn't you say you were cold?
Hearing this, Qiao Lanshu felt happy in her heart.
It seemed Qin Yuanzheng didn't dislike her.
She immediately lay down on the bed, pulled up the quilt, and slept perfectly straight.
Qin Yuanzheng paused, glanced at Qiao Lanshu lying on the bed, stayed silent for a moment, and had no choice but to lie down himself.
For a moment, the two of them lay on their respective sides of the bed, the space between them wide enough to plant two acres of land.
Qiao Lanshu turned her head and sneaked a peek at Qin Yuanzheng.
She saw Qin Yuanzheng lying there, his posture as straight as a little poplar tree.
Qiao Lanshu found it really strange. He was lying in bed with his own wife, so how could Qin Yuanzheng be so indifferent?
Could it be that when people said he couldn't have children, they meant he was impotent?
But in her past life, Brother Zheng in his thirties and forties had been very fierce.
As Qiao Lanshu let her thoughts run wild, her face turned red.
She felt she should find a topic of conversation first, so she asked, Regiment Commander Qin, can I find a job in the future?
She had no relatives here, and the competition for jobs was so fierce, so she could only rely on Qin Yuanzheng to find work.
In her past life, she had worked at a food factory. The factory manager was Qin Yuanzheng's cousin, and they had met through Yang Wenyan's introduction.
Hearing her ask this, Qin Yuanzheng turned his head and looked at her in the dim candlelight, asking, You want to work?
Qiao Lanshu nodded. Yes, I have to find something to do.
She didn't want to rely too much on a man. Marrying far away from home, a woman still needed her own job and income.
Qin Yuanzheng fell silent for a while, seeming to think. He said, Finding a job isn't hard, but becoming a regular employee isn't easy. We have a lot of factories here. My cousin is the manager of the North City Food Factory...
As he spoke, he suddenly remembered that Sun Mingyong used to work at the food factory, and Sun Mingyong's father-in-law, Wei Zhengye, was a director at the factory.
He immediately said, Never mind, the food factory won't work. I'll go ask around tomorrow and see if there are any jobs suitable for you.
He felt that Comrade Xiao Qiao was young, soft-spoken, and pure-hearted, so he had to find her a simpler job.
He just didn't know where there were openings.
Qiao Lanshu turned on her side, stared at Qin Yuanzheng in the darkness, and said, If the food factory isn't hiring, I also heard that the propaganda department is looking for teachers for the literacy class. Can I go there?
Qin Yuanzheng raised an eyebrow. You want to do that?
Saying that, he thought about it for a moment. He knew the minister of the propaganda department, so he could ask him to look out for Qiao Lanshu.
However, the people in the literacy classes were all uneducated soldiers. They were military ruffians who spoke and acted rather roughly. Comrade Xiao Qiao was thin-skinned and young; what if someone flirted with her?
Qin Yuanzheng shook his head again and said, No, that won't work. Let me think about it some more.
Qiao Lanshu just looked at him and didn't speak.
Noticing her gaze, Qin Yuanzheng's ears turned red as he said, Go to sleep. It's late.
As if mustering her courage, Qiao Lanshu threw off her quilt and shifted toward Qin Yuanzheng's quilt.
Then, under Qin Yuanzheng's shocked gaze, she slipped into his quilt.
Qin Yuanzheng had a lot of internal heat and felt hot all over. The quilt was just draped casually over him, making it nice and warm inside.
Qiao Lanshu slipped into his quilt, leaned her body against his arm, and looked up at him with a blushing face.
Instantly, all the muscles in Qin Yuanzheng's body tensed up. His muscles became as hard as rock, and he didn't dare move an inch.
His right arm touched a patch of softness. This sensation made his forehead break out in a sweat. He didn't even dare to move his arm, afraid that if he used any force, he might hurt the little girl.
His voice was tight and a bit hoarse as he asked, What are you doing?
Qiao Lanshu looked at him and whispered, Regiment Commander Qin, I'm cold.
Qin Yuanzheng: ...
Qin Yuanzheng said stiffly, Then I'll give you my quilt?
Hearing him say this, Qiao Lanshu suddenly felt a bit aggrieved. She asked, Why did you marry me? Was it because you were afraid I would threaten you with getting a tubal ligation?
Qin Yuanzheng: ...
Qin Yuanzheng frowned, his voice low and gentle. Of course not. No one can threaten me.
As a soldier, how could he be casually threatened by anyone?
If he didn't want to, no one could force him to get married.
Looking at Qiao Lanshu's disappointed expression, his heart softened completely, and he quickly said, "I... I got the marriage certificate with you because I like you."
Qiao Lanshu immediately looked up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. "Really?"
Immediately after, she added, "Then, Regiment Commander Qin, can you give me a hug?"
Qin Yuanzheng: "..."
It was just a hug, not like they were going to do anything else, so why was he so nervous?
His heart was pounding, and his palms were sweating.
He didn't refuse Qiao Lanshu. Sliding his right hand through the gap between her waist and the bed, he gave a gentle pull and pressed the petite Qiao Lanshu into his arms.
Although Qiao Lanshu had taken the initiative, at this very moment, with her face pressed against his rock-hard muscles, she didn't dare to make a sound.
She just lay against his chest, her heart thumping, too afraid to speak.
Qin Yuanzheng's whole body was tense. Holding Qiao Lanshu with one arm, he used his other hand to tidy up her messy hair and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "Alright, can we sleep now?"
Qiao Lanshu didn't dare to speak and silently nodded.
Actually, she felt that since they had already gotten their marriage certificate, shouldn't they also do that kind of thing between a husband and wife?
But since Qin Yuanzheng wasn't taking the initiative, she was too embarrassed to bring it up.
How could Qin Yuanzheng endure this so well?
Could it be that he treated her like a child and thus had no desire for her?
Thinking this, Qiao Lanshu reached out and hugged Qin Yuanzheng as well.
As her hand brushed across his body, he instantly shuddered and suddenly grabbed her hand, asking in a hoarse voice, "What are you doing?"
With her hand held down by him, Qiao Lanshu blinked and said, "I want to hug you too."
She had made it so obvious; if Qin Yuanzheng still didn't catch on, it would be really awkward!
Qin Yuanzheng looked down at her and said in a low voice, "Stop messing around!"
With her hand pinned down but still touching his hard abdominal muscles, she said, "I'm not messing around. We're husband and wife now, aren't we supposed to be intimate?"
She was determined to make this man take responsibility.
Her hand stroked the man's abs. Qin Yuanzheng, who was already holding back painfully, let out a muffled groan. He suddenly rolled over and pinned Qiao Lanshu to the bed, but right at that moment, there was a loud "crack."
Qiao Lanshu felt the support beneath her back vanish. She let out a scream and was instantly caught by the quick-witted Qin Yuanzheng.
Then, the two of them crashed onto the floor.
Qin Yuanzheng held her tightly, one hand protecting her head and the other protecting her back. The two lay under the bed frame, staring dumbfounded at the collapsed wooden bed.
Qin Yuanzheng: "..."
Qiao Lanshu: "..."
Qiao Lanshu looked at Qin Yuanzheng, who said helplessly, "I didn't use that much force just now, did I?"
He had only pressed Qiao Lanshu onto the bed. Who knew this bed was so fragile?
When he got into bed earlier, he had heard the wooden bed creaking, as if it wasn't very sturdy. However, his attention had been completely absorbed by Qiao Lanshu at the time, so he hadn't thought much of it.
At this moment, the door next door opened. Huang Erling, still wearing an apron with cotton fuzz clinging to her clothes, had been staying up late making clothes. She suddenly heard a loud "bang" from next door, followed by Qiao Lanshu's scream.
She wondered to herself if Qin Yuanzheng had returned yet. After all, her own husband, Zhao Jiannong, hadn't come back.
Worried that something had happened to Qiao Lanshu, she came over and knocked on the door. "Xiao Qiao, Xiao Qiao? Are you alright? What was that noise just now?"
Blushing, Qiao Lanshu came out of the room. She grabbed a coat to wrap around herself, opened the door, and said with a bright red face, "Sister Ling, it's so late, why haven't you slept yet?"
Huang Erling looked at her flushed face and asked, "What happened just now? Are you okay?"
Qiao Lanshu shook her head, her face still red. "I'm fine... It's just, just that the bed collapsed."
Huang Erling: "..."
Huang Erling looked a bit surprised. "The bed collapsed?"
Just then, she saw Qin Yuanzheng walking out of the room. He was wearing long pants and an olive green tank top. He was tall, heavily muscled, and had a gloomy expression on his face, making him look rather intimidating.
Startled, Huang Erling took two steps back and lowered her voice, "So your Regiment Commander Qin came back?"
Qiao Lanshu nodded. "Yeah."
Huang Erling quickly said, "I'm so sorry, so sorry. I really didn't know you two were busy with things. Oh my, what a fuss. I'll head back now, you guys continue, go ahead and continue."
Saying that, she awkwardly hurried back to her own room.
Good heavens, as expected of Regiment Commander Qin who had been abstinent for thirty years, he really is fierce.
Collapsing the bed on the very first night of their marriage, that's really something. Who knows how intense tonight must be!
It's just that with Comrade Xiao Qiao's petite frame, Regiment Commander Qin is twice her size. Who knows if she can handle it?
Huang Erling awkwardly ran back next door, while Qiao Lanshu turned around with a blushing face to look at Qin Yuanzheng.
Qin Yuanzheng walked over and closed the door. Then, he reached out to pull Qiao Lanshu into his arms, rubbed her head, and asked softly, "Did it scare you?"
Pausing for a moment, he added, "Tomorrow I'll find someone to build a new bed."
It needs to be sturdy enough!
