Huo Tingzhou bent down, one hand pressing against the edge of the bed while the other reached beneath her pillow.
Jiang Si frowned and glanced over. "What are you doing?"
Huo Tingzhou hadn’t expected her to wake up suddenly, and his searching hand froze mid-motion. Now, he couldn’t decide whether to pull back or continue.
With an awkward smile, he said, "Did I wake you? I... I was just looking for something."
"Really?"
Huo Tingzhou probably didn’t realize he was utterly incapable of lying. His ears were flushed a deep red, practically burning.
Jiang Si’s curiosity was instantly piqued. "What are you looking for? Let me help."
Huo Tingzhou wanted to resist, but Jiang Si didn’t give him the chance. Before he could respond, her hand was already under the pillow.
After a brief search, she pulled out a thin red envelope. On its surface were the words: "Wishing You Peace and Health Every Year."
Whose handwriting was this? It was impossible to guess.
Jiang Si didn’t open it immediately. Instead, she looked at him with amusement in her eyes. "Is this for me?"
Caught red-handed, Huo Tingzhou had no choice but to nod. "Mm."
Jiang Si took in his discomfort, her curiosity growing even stronger.
"If it’s for me, why were you trying to take it back secretly?"
"I..." Huo Tingzhou stumbled over his words.
Jiang Si watched his expression closely, then teased, "Did you regret giving it to me?"
"No."
Just as Huo Tingzhou was about to explain, he met Jiang Si’s slightly mischievous gaze. Realizing his wife was teasing him, he suddenly chuckled.
She probably knew exactly how much money he had—better than he did himself.
Besides, the amount didn’t matter. It was the thought that counted.
He’d been overthinking it.
Once he realized this, Huo Tingzhou felt a weight lift off his shoulders.
But as for why he’d given it only to try and take it back... that was something he couldn’t bring himself to explain.
After a long pause, he finally muttered, "Just open it and see for yourself."
Hearing this, Jiang Si grew even more intrigued.
She opened the red envelope and found a crisp five-yuan bill, a one-jiao note, and a few coins—one-fen and two-fen pieces.
Added together, it came to 5.18 yuan.
The number was unusual. It almost sounded like "I’m going to prosper!"
And if you thought deeper—adding the two of them—it made 520.
Could he be subtly saying "I love you"?
Wait.
What was she thinking?
Jiang Si quickly shook off those unrealistic thoughts. He was a true man of this era—how would he know about modern internet number codes?
Then another thought struck her: When someone transfers money, it could be 100 or 1,000, but never an odd, precise amount—unless it’s everything they have.
So, this 5.18 yuan was all Huo Tingzhou could spare.
Maybe it was because nights made emotions run high, or perhaps it was the pregnancy hormones.
But on her first New Year’s Eve since transmigrating into this world, Jiang Si found her eyes stinging over this simple red envelope.
Her reaction alarmed the man beside her.
"Wife, what’s wrong?"
Already uneasy about his financial constraints, Huo Tingzhou panicked when he saw her red-rimmed eyes fixed on him.
"The amount is small... Don’t be upset," he said, guilt creeping into his voice.
"It’s not small at all!" To Jiang Si, money had never been the measure of someone’s heart.
On this special occasion, he’d saved his spare change to give her a token of "peace and health every year."
That alone—the fact that he’d given everything he had—meant more than any fortune.
She tilted her head up and kissed his chin, her expression earnest. "Your heart is heavy with love, but—"
The moment she said "but," Huo Tingzhou’s faint smile stiffened.
Luckily, Jiang Si continued right away: "How many times have I told you? Our family’s wealth is enough to last us lifetimes. There’s no need to pinch pennies like this."
Though her tone was stern, Huo Tingzhou felt warmth spread through him.
Just as he was about to say it wasn’t necessary, Jiang Si shot him a glare. "Starting next month, your allowance is increasing."
"Alright. Thank you, wife."
He didn’t dare argue with his little empress, especially not during the New Year—and doubly so when she was carrying two little heirs.
At that moment, the faint sound of firecrackers outside the window broke their reverie.
Jiang Si blinked. "Is it midnight?"
Huo Tingzhou checked the time. Five seconds remained.
"Five, four, three, two, one..."
Silently counting down in their hearts, they spoke in unison.
"Wife, Happy New Year—"
"Huo Tingzhou, Happy New Year~~"
As the words faded, they exchanged a smile.
This was their first New Year together as a married couple—a milestone.
And in the years to come, they would spend every one side by side.
Always.
Forever.
That was Huo Tingzhou’s silent vow.
He didn’t voice these thoughts aloud, yet Jiang Si seemed to understand him perfectly.
Leaning against him, she gazed at the sea of city lights outside the window.
Suddenly, she turned to look at him. "Huo Tingzhou—"
"I'm here," he replied, meeting her eyes.
Jiang Si said, "Every year from now on, we’ll spend them together."
Huo Tingzhou responded with a single word, brimming with joy.
"Okay."
……
The New Year passed in a blur of feasting and merriment, and time flew by—soon, it was already the end of March.
By now, Jiang Si was nearly three months pregnant.
Aside from the first few days after confirming her pregnancy, when her morning sickness had been severe,
she had since been eating heartily without any issues.
Perhaps the baby absorbed nutrients too well, because no matter how much Jiang Si ate, her weight remained steady, barely fluctuating.
Worried, Huo Tingzhou even took her to the military hospital for a check-up with Doctor Jiang.
Only after confirming that everything was fine did he finally relax.
Still, the repetitive cycle of eating and sleeping grew tedious after a while—
especially in a world without phones or Wi-Fi.
After some thought, Jiang Si decided to find something to do, just to make her days feel more fulfilling.
A woman of action, she brought it up with Huo Tingzhou that very evening.
"You want to go to the county town?"
"Yes," Jiang Si nodded.
She planned to take the military supply truck to town the next morning to buy watercolor supplies and binding materials for her art.
"Sweetheart, did you take on a commission? Or are you submitting work somewhere?"
As he spoke, Huo Tingzhou looked at her with concern.
He wasn’t against her painting, but whenever she immersed herself in her art, she’d shut herself in for hours on end.
Even before her pregnancy, such intense focus left her exhausted for days afterward.
"It’s not what you think," Jiang Si reassured him with a smile. "No commissions, no submissions."
Given the restrictive publishing climate, she had no interest in jumping through hoops for approval. Besides, money wasn’t an issue—why put herself through that?
Mid-conversation, she gestured for him to pass her the almond cream from the vanity.
Ever since her visit to the military hospital, where she’d seen a mother covered in stretch marks,
Jiang Si had been haunted by nightmares for days.
Doctor Jiang had reassured her, "It varies from person to person—there’s no guarantee you’ll get them."
She’d even teased, "Even if you do, your Captain Huo won’t care."
Jiang Si had retorted, "He might not, but I do!"
What woman would willingly accept such marks on her body?
Besides, her concern wasn’t for anyone else’s sake—
she simply wanted to feel good in her own skin.
So, after returning from the hospital, Jiang Si made it a nightly ritual to slather her belly with almond cream.
Of course, this wasn’t ordinary almond cream—
it had been infused with spiritual spring water.
Once Huo Tingzhou finished applying it, Jiang Si finally explained her plans.
"Staying home every day is boring. I want to paint some simple cards—flowers, birds, things like that—so I can teach our baby to recognize them later."
