Huo Tingzhou was a man of action. That very afternoon, he went to a nearby fishing village and returned with several large bags of dried seafood.
When Jiang Si woke up from her nap, he was already at home, packing everything up.
"What did you buy?"
No sooner had Jiang Si spoken than Huo Tingzhou peeled a shrimp and popped it into her mouth.
"Try it. How does it taste?"
This time, he had bought lightly salted dried shrimp, not too heavy on the saltiness.
The texture was pleasantly chewy and fragrant.
Jiang Si chewed a couple of times and immediately gave a thumbs-up. "These dried shrimp are delicious."
"Delicious, but don’t overeat them," Huo Tingzhou said. "Too much salt can lead to swelling in your legs later on."
His wife was someone who cared deeply about her appearance. If her legs swelled up, she’d be miserable—unable to eat or sleep properly.
After saying this, he gave her a meaningful look. "And no sneaking bites at home either."
Jiang Si was both amused and exasperated. She shot him a glare before turning her attention to the pile of goods he’d bought.
Aside from the lightly salted dried shrimp, there were also scallops, sea cucumbers, dried eel, squid jerky, dried abalone, and even small amounts of seaweed and kelp.
Before long, Huo Tingzhou had packed everything neatly and stored it away in the pantry.
Now, all they had to do was wait for the rain to stop so they could send the packages out.
Meanwhile, after a day of rest, Jiang Si threw herself wholeheartedly into her painting.
She had drawn intricate mechanical diagrams before, but for some reason, this time she approached each stroke with unusual caution.
The outer contours were visible to the naked eye and relatively straightforward.
But when it came to the internal structures, Jiang Si nearly lost her mind over the number of screw threads and the depth of the grooves.
Left with no choice, she had to examine every detail under a magnifying glass.
Even so, she double- and triple-checked each stroke before committing to it.
After finishing a section, she would refine it three to five more times.
During the first week, Jiang Si’s progress was painfully slow.
The completed portion amounted to less than a fifth of the whole.
Fortunately, after a week of adjustment, she found her rhythm again.
Two more grueling weeks passed, and by the end of June, Jiang Si had finally completed the task her mentor had assigned her.
During this month of seclusion, she rarely left her room.
Third Grandpa and Uncle Zhong would prepare meals and leave them on a stool outside her door.
At first, they worried she might overwork herself by staying cooped up for so long.
But after observing her for several days, they realized that while she was indeed pushing herself, she was also genuinely enjoying the process.
When people do what they love, they don’t feel the exhaustion—and Jiang Si was no exception.
Of course, no matter how much she loved it, she wouldn’t neglect her basic needs.
After all, she was now a mother of two.
So before doing anything, she had to take responsibility for herself and her children.
Thankfully, she had the spiritual spring, and the family made sure she ate well with varied, delicious meals three times a day.
As a result, after over a month of intense work, Jiang Si not only felt no discomfort—her energy and spirits were better than ever, and her cheeks had even filled out a little.
That evening, when Huo Tingzhou returned from his unit, Jiang Si immediately showed him the finished painting.
What the female lead had drawn was something like this—a scaled-down version, though the actual piece was incredibly detailed and complex.
"Darling…"
Huo Tingzhou was utterly stunned. He remembered Professor Yu had only asked for an overall sketch.
There had been no request to meticulously recreate every tiny component on the part.
"Well, my mentor didn’t specify, but I guessed he’d want it," Jiang Si admitted.
Yes, in addition to what Professor Yu had asked for, Jiang Si had also drawn several key components of the part.
She hadn’t done this to show off—she simply knew her mentor’s preferences well.
"Can you mail this out first thing tomorrow?"
With daily temperatures soaring past 40 degrees Celsius, the sun was already scorching by 7 a.m., and Jiang Si had no desire to step outside.
That said, she couldn’t help but wonder, "Is it just me, or is the weather this year unusually extreme?"
It had rained nonstop for days, and now that the rain had finally stopped, the heat was unbearable.
Qiongzhou Island felt like a giant steamer. Even the electric fan did little to help.
The thought suddenly sparked an impulsive idea. "Why don’t you stay at the unit dorm for a few days?"
That way, she wouldn’t have to tough it out needlessly—she could just spend the nights in her spiritual space.
The mere thought filled her with contentment.
But when she looked up, she met Huo Tingzhou’s slightly aggrieved gaze.
He didn’t say a word, but his eyes and expression were full of silent protest.
Because Jiang Si couldn’t stand the heat, and his body couldn’t magically regulate temperature, he had already been sleeping on the floor for the past two weeks…
And now she wanted to take even that away?
Besides, she was six months pregnant—right in the thick of the most uncomfortable phase.
Between his daytime training and the occasional night flights, he already spent so little time with her.
If he couldn’t even come home at night…
A sudden sense of urgency gripped him. "Darling, I’m not leaving… I want to stay with you…"
Under his unwavering gaze, Jiang Si inexplicably felt a pang of guilt.
"I was just joking, really…"
Huo Tingzhou wanted to say it wasn’t a funny joke at all.
But since she’d already said that, pressing the issue further would be pushing his luck.
So he dutifully picked up a fan and started waving it vigorously.
"Alright, alright, stop fanning," Jiang Si quickly stopped him.
The loud flapping noise might make outsiders think something was seriously wrong in their household.
"By the way, did you call Mom like I asked?" she changed the subject.
Huo Tingzhou nodded. "She’s already bought her train ticket. She’ll leave right after the July 1st cultural performance and should arrive around the fifth or sixth."
"Good. I’ll tidy up the spare room tomorrow."
Not that it was particularly dirty—just a bit dusty from disuse. A quick wipe-down would suffice.
"No need. I’ll clean it after morning drills," Huo Tingzhou insisted.
Then he looked at her again. "You’ve been working hard. Just rest at home."
Jiang Si couldn’t argue with him, so she reluctantly agreed.
Still, it didn’t sit right with her to do nothing when her mother-in-law was traveling so far to take care of her.
So early the next day, Jiang Si went to the supply store.
She stocked up on all the daily necessities—toothbrushes, towels, washbasins, a cooling mat, slippers, enamel bowls—everything ready in advance.
She even asked a fellow military wife to sew two sets of lightweight pajamas.
But before Mother Huo could set off, on the morning of July 2nd, the loudspeakers in the residential compound suddenly blared an emergency announcement.
Instantly, rumors spread, and unease gripped the community—
