"Looking for me?"
Jiang Si was surprised. It had been so long since she arrived at Qiongzhou Island, and this was the first time someone had called asking for her.
"Did they say who it was?"
"I'm not sure." The young soldier shook his head.
The call had been taken by the operator; he was only responsible for relaying the message.
"They said they'd call back in half an hour."
Jiang Si nodded. "Alright, I understand. Thank you."
After the soldier left, Jiang Si carried Suisui back into the house. "Mom, I’m going to take a call. I’ll be back soon."
"Mm, go ahead."
Mother Huo agreed, but the little one in her arms wasn’t having it.
The moment his bottom touched the bed, his tiny legs kicked up, and his little hands clung tightly to Jiang Si’s clothes, refusing to let go.
Jiang Si couldn’t help but laugh, kissing his tiny fingers. "Mommy’s just going to take a call. I’ll be right back."
But of course, a two-month-old baby didn’t understand any of that.
The second Jiang Si set him down, his little lips quivered, and he burst into loud, heartbroken wails.
Jiang Si wasn’t too bothered.
As long as the baby wasn’t sick or in discomfort, she balanced spoiling him with moments of firmness.
But Huo Tingzhou? That was another story. The whole "gentle mother, strict father" idea went out the window with him.
The moment Suisui started crying, he immediately reached out. "Give him to me. I’ll calm him down."
Just hearing that made Jiang Si glare at him.
The twins had been perfectly well-behaved before—eating and sleeping without needing to be coddled.
But then he had to step in. A tiny frown? He’d scoop them up. A yawn? He’d carry them.
And now? They’d gotten used to it.
They refused to sleep in their cribs anymore. Even if they were rocked to sleep, the second they touched the mattress, they’d start fussing like their bottoms were on fire.
Feeding was even worse.
Before, they’d guzzle their milk without pause, happy as could be.
Now? They’d drink a little, play a little, sometimes even doze off mid-meal.
"Keep spoiling them, why don’t you?" Jiang Si huffed, shoving the baby into his arms.
Mission accomplished—the crying stopped.
But her next words made Huo Tingzhou’s smile drop instantly.
"Since you love soothing them so much, why don’t you take both babies to sleep with you from now on? That way, you can comfort them to your heart’s content!"
With that, she turned and walked out without another glance.
Of course, the little troublemaker chose that moment to grin up at Huo Tingzhou, squirming eagerly.
That was his "feed me" signal.
Huo Tingzhou sighed, cradling the baby in one arm while deftly twisting open the bottle with the other.
Once the feeding was done, he propped Suisui upright against his shoulder, patting his back gently.
Between burps, he murmured, "You made Mommy angry today. Be good next time, alright?"
He could handle the kids acting up, but upsetting his wife? That was a line not to cross.
Mother Huo couldn’t help but laugh. "Oh, please. Who’s the one who upset her in the first place?"
Did he really not see it?
"Go on, hand him over."
She took her grandson into her arms. "Now drink this soup. You need proper rest for the next couple of days."
"Mom..."
Huo Tingzhou stared at the bowl piled high with goji berries and red dates, sighing. "A vasectomy is just a minor procedure."
"Minor or not, you shouldn’t take your health lightly."
Knowing her son was stubborn by nature, Mother Huo wasn’t worried—she had plenty of ways to handle him.
"You're already thirty this year. As time goes on, your body will only decline..."
That was enough. She didn’t need to say anything more.
The moment Huo Tingzhou heard the words "decline," his face darkened instantly.
Though he claimed it was nothing, his body betrayed him.
Within minutes, he had cleaned his bowl completely.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Jiang Si had already arrived at the communications unit and waited for about ten minutes.
The operator waved her over. "Comrade Jiang, your call has been connected."
Jiang Si nodded and quickly walked over.
"Hello, this is Jiang Si speaking."
Soon, a steady male voice came through the receiver. "Hello, Comrade Jiang."
Though phone calls often distorted voices, Jiang Si recognized the tone immediately.
To her surprise, the call was from Dean Gao of the design institute.
The matter of the design attribution was already settled, so Jiang Si didn’t bother with polite formalities. Instead, she sincerely thanked Dean Gao.
But words alone felt insufficient.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Jiang Si asked for his detailed address.
It was already late October, and she would be returning to Capital City in two months. She planned to visit him at an appropriate time.
Dean Gao readily agreed.
After a brief chat, he asked, "Comrade Jiang, have you read the feasibility report on the shear wall?"
"Yes." Division Commander Yao and Political Commissar Li had left the documents with her after their last visit.
During her free time recently, Jiang Si had gone through them.
"Do you have any insights after reading it?"
"A few, but not many."
"That’s fine. Share what you’ve gathered."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of rustling papers came from the other end of the line.
Jiang Si didn’t hold back and explained her thoughts plainly.
Dean Gao occasionally acknowledged her points.
After about ten minutes, Jiang Si said, "That’s roughly all I have."
"Good. I’ll compile this right away. I’ll notify you once there’s good news."
Good news?
Jiang Si was puzzled.
Before she could ask, Dean Gao suddenly changed the subject. "Xiao Jiang, have you read the past few issues of the National Daily?"
Jiang Si paused. She hadn’t.
Reading newspapers wasn’t a habit of hers.
Moreover, during her postpartum period, Mother Huo had limited her screen time to avoid straining her eyes.
But Dean Gao wouldn’t bring this up without reason.
After a moment’s thought, Jiang Si asked, "Dean Gao, is there important news in the paper?"
"Yes."
His tone turned serious. "A few days ago, the National Daily announced a nationwide architectural design competition. I think you should consider participating."
"A competition?"
"Exactly."
Dean Gao continued, "The government plans to construct a large international hotel in the capital, primarily for diplomatic meetings and state banquets."
This was the first time the country had openly solicited design proposals nationwide—a milestone event.
"Xiao Jiang, I’ve reviewed your previous revisions and blueprints. You absolutely have the skill to give this a try."
Jiang Si was still processing the information.
After a brief silence, she asked, "Dean Gao, has the location for the international hotel been finalized?"
"All set." Dean Gao explained the situation he was aware of.
After listening, Jiang Si grew even more puzzled.
In her previous life, she had worked in architectural design and had some familiarity with iconic buildings across the country.
From what she recalled, the capital had only expanded the eastern wing of the Capital City Hotel in 1973.
But the location didn’t match.
This foreign-related hotel project was situated to the west of the Capital City Hotel.
As for the land to the west, she seemed to remember it being entirely occupied by courtyard houses, with no high-rise buildings in sight.
Lost in thought for a moment, Jiang Si suddenly realized something.
She was now in a transmigrated novel—a world similar to her original one, yet not entirely the same.
The timeline and major historical events aligned, but when it came to minor details, the book had its own logic and system.
Once she grasped this, Jiang Si asked the question that concerned her most.
"Dean Gao, shouldn’t such a large-scale project be assigned to a designated design institute? Why is it open for public submissions?"
At this, Dean Gao sighed.
It wasn’t that the higher-ups hadn’t assigned it—three design institutes had already been appointed.
By mid-October, the major design institutes had submitted their proposals.
But the authorities weren’t satisfied, hence the decision to open the call for submissions.
Dean Gao also explained the reason for their dissatisfaction.
Aside from the three designated institutes, several foreign countries had also shown interest in the project.
Among them was Country F, which had established diplomatic relations with China in 1964.
Country Y and the Windmill Country had also submitted several design proposals earlier this month.
