Huo Tingzhou was stumped by the question. Until now, he had never considered having a second child so soon—in fact, he hadn’t even thought about having one at all.
"All these names are good. Any of them would work."
He only made one request, "Darling, could you come up with a few more names for a girl?"
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed with anticipation as he looked at her. "What if it’s twin girls?"
Jiang Si didn’t want to crush his hopes.
But deep down, she truly doubted the likelihood of carrying twin daughters.
During his time away for training, she had already finished all the pickled bamboo shoots at home.
After discussing for a long while, they finally settled on just two names.
For a daughter: Jiang Lai.
For a son: Huo Jingxing.
The more Jiang Si looked at them, the more pleased she felt. She couldn’t help but say, "We owe it all to Teacher Hu. Tomorrow, I should buy her something as a thank-you gift."
There was no denying it—the method Teacher Hu had suggested had really worked.
She had impulsively followed that little superstition, and now, here they were, facing such a big surprise.
Even on their way back, Sister-in-law Xu had hinted at the same thing.
In short, the fact that they were expecting so soon was largely thanks to Teacher Hu!
Huo Tingzhou didn’t quite understand and motioned for her to explain further.
Of course, Jiang Si wasn’t about to share the women’s private talk with him. She only mentioned how Hu Meili had remarked a few days ago that the two of them had the "look" of pregnancy.
After saying this, she sighed in admiration. "Teacher Hu’s eyes are really sharp. At the time, I stared at Sister-in-law Xu for ages, but I couldn’t see anything."
Huo Tingzhou hadn’t noticed either—mainly because he wasn’t in the habit of staring at other women.
But when it came to his own wife, he could pick up on some signs.
Especially now, as she wore a nightgown that barely reached her thighs.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. Seeing the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead, he quickly picked up a nearby fan and began waving it.
Jiang Si didn’t notice the shift in his gaze. Feeling the cool breeze, she instinctively moved closer to him.
She had always been sensitive to both heat and cold.
Now that she was pregnant, she felt the heat even more intensely.
But relying on the fan wasn’t a long-term solution. "Is it easy to get a voucher for an electric fan?"
If possible, she wanted to buy two.
"I’ve already arranged for one."
But it was only February, and the city’s department store didn’t have any in stock. They wouldn’t be available until mid-April at the earliest.
Huo Tingzhou added, "I asked a comrade in Yancheng to help. If things go smoothly, we might get one by the end of the month."
Jiang Si nodded. "By the way, shouldn’t we call our parents and tell them about the baby?"
Before the checkup, she hadn’t mentioned it over the phone, afraid of getting their hopes up prematurely.
But now that the results were confirmed, she saw no reason to keep it a secret.
Besides, this was her first time becoming a mother—it was hard to resist sharing the joy with their elders.
"Alright," Huo Tingzhou agreed without hesitation.
They chatted a little longer, and with her husband by her side, Jiang Si felt so at ease that she drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
Gazing at the woman in his arms, Huo Tingzhou leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her lips, his expression impossibly tender.
He couldn’t bear the pain of childbirth for her, but he would remember the hardships she endured for him for the rest of his life.
Jiang Si slept soundly.
When she woke up, it felt like she had been asleep for hours, but it was only three in the afternoon.
After freshening up, the two of them headed out.
With the New Year approaching, the communications unit was crowded with soldiers waiting to make calls.
Since they only needed to share the good news with their families, Huo Tingzhou took her to his office instead.
This was Jiang Si’s first time stepping into his office since moving to the military base.
"Have a seat and rest for a bit."
Huo Tingzhou found a cushion and placed it on the chair. "There are a lot of people calling today, so the lines might be busy. We might have to wait a while."
As he spoke, he picked up an enamel mug from the desk. "I’ll get you some hot water."
"Mm." Jiang Si nodded.
Sitting down, she curiously glanced around.
Huo Tingzhou’s office wasn’t large. Aside from the desk, the most striking feature was the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf covering one wall.
"Darling, there’s coconut candy in the drawer," Huo Tingzhou called from outside the door.
He had meant to bring it home last time, but an unexpected phone call had made him forget.
Jiang Si shot him an amused look. How old did he think she was, still buying candy for her like this?
But even as she thought it, she opened the drawer anyway.
She might not crave it, but the baby might.
Peeling off the wrapper, she popped a piece into her mouth. The rich, creamy coconut flavor instantly spread across her tongue.
Alright, she had to admit—she liked it too.
Just as she was about to close the drawer, her eyes caught on an old-fashioned wooden photo frame tucked inside.
Upon closer inspection, it was a group photo.
The picture had been taken in the garden of the Jiang family’s old estate.
In it, she wore a red dress, her hair tied into two high ponytails—she couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old.
Huo Tingzhou stood stiffly behind her, his expression solemn.
"This photo…"
Jiang Si frowned, trying to recall when it had been taken. She couldn’t remember it at all.
Then she noticed another frame beneath it—this one made of glass.
She picked it up and saw a yellowed sheet of calligraphy carefully preserved inside.
When her eyes landed on the three bold characters—Huo Tingzhou—her heart skipped a beat.
Wasn’t this something she had scribbled while practicing calligraphy years ago?
She vaguely remembered tossing it into the wastebasket afterward.
How had he found it? And why had he… framed it?
At that moment, Huo Tingzhou returned.
Seeing Jiang Si staring intently at the glass frame in her hands, the usually composed man faltered.
A crack appeared in his stern demeanor, and his ears turned visibly red.
Seizing the rare chance to tease him, Jiang Si deliberately slowed her speech, her tone playful. "If I hadn’t come here today, I wouldn’t have known you’ve been keeping so many secrets from me."
Huo Tingzhou rubbed his nose awkwardly. "I didn’t mean to hide it… It’s just…"
He just hadn’t known how to bring it up.
Jiang Si tapped the desk lightly. "Besides this, how many other ‘little secrets’ are you hiding in that heart of yours?"
"None." His expression turned unusually serious. "Apart from this, I’ve never kept anything else from you."
As for the photo, he confessed—it had been given to him by Jiang’s mother the year he left the Jiang family.
As for the calligraphy, he had indeed found it in the wastebasket.
"So that’s how it was." No wonder Jiang Si had no memory of the photo.
It must have been taken by Jiang’s mother on a whim, and she had given it directly to Huo Tingzhou after developing it.
Studying him for a moment, Jiang Si sighed. "My mother really played favorites! I didn’t even know about this."
"Mother loved you so much that it extended to me."
Then Huo Tingzhou added, "This was my fault. We’re husband and wife—I shouldn’t have kept it from you."
"This is the last time. From now on, no matter what happens, I’ll tell you right away."
"Don’t be angry with me, alright?"
Jiang Si wanted to say she wasn’t angry, but when she looked up, she found herself lost in his deep, quiet gaze.
Under the intensity of his stare, her cheeks grew warm.
She had been the one teasing him first.
Yet somehow, in the end, she was the first to falter.
Truthfully, Huo Tingzhou’s issues were nothing compared to the big secret she was keeping.
“Alright, alright, let’s focus on the matter at hand. Make the call first.”
Huo Tingzhou studied her again, relieved to see no trace of anger in her expression.
After several transfers, the call finally connected—Mother Huo answered.
“Mom, it’s me,” Huo Tingzhou said, steadying his voice.
Whatever was said on the other end brought a faint smile to his eyes.
“Jiang Si is here too. Yes, we’re both doing well…”
“Mom, there’s something we need to tell you.”
Mother Huo, even more excited than he was, cut in, “Wait—I have something to tell you both first!”
