"Wait a second, let He Ping go with you."
Xiao Zhengjun might not know Huo Tingzhou well, but he certainly understood men.
Seeing the urgency on his face, Xiao Zhengjun guessed the accelerator would likely be pressed all the way down.
Moreover, the military had strict regulations.
Pilots were prohibited from driving cars during non-mission periods, especially for long distances, unless absolutely necessary.
Huo Tingzhou was well aware of this and nodded in acknowledgment.
Yet, just as he took a few steps away, he suddenly turned back.
Xiao Zhengjun: "What now?"
"The reward vouchers from this mission—lend them to me first. I’ll pay you back later."
Without hesitation, Xiao Zhengjun pulled out all the vouchers he had on him.
"Take these for now. No rush to return them."
"Back when you were living alone in the bachelor’s quarters, you could make do, but married life is different."
After a pause, Xiao Zhengjun, drawing from his own experience, offered his friend some advice.
"The military commissary doesn’t stock everything. Since you’re heading to the provincial capital, pick up what you need while you’re there."
"Don’t buy everything at once, though. Focus on the essentials first, and add the rest gradually."
"Oh, and don’t forget to submit the application for family housing soon. The vacant unit next to mine is a good one."
"If you move in, we can catch up more often."
Huo Tingzhou hadn’t thought that far ahead yet—his priority was her wishes.
Still, he appreciated his friend’s kindness.
"Thanks. I’ll head out now."
The airbase was over three hours' drive from the provincial capital, passing through the county town first. Huo Tingzhou instructed He Ping to stop at the post office there.
All calls involving officers at the battalion level or above were monitored, and given the involvement of the Jiang Family, Huo Tingzhou had to be cautious.
After several transfers, Third Uncle’s voice finally came through the line.
"Hello?"
"It’s me, Third Uncle. It’s Tingzhou."
Third Uncle had been waiting for this call for days, his patience nearly worn thin. In the past, he wouldn’t have cared if Huo Tingzhou was on a mission—he’d have scolded him mercilessly right away.
But this time, he remained calm, recounting everything that had happened recently.
The reason was simple: he and Zhong were getting old. They couldn’t protect Girl Si forever.
The call lasted over half an hour.
Before hanging up, Third Uncle spoke earnestly.
"Girl Si could be a bit willful in the past, but she’s not a bad person. If you must blame anyone, blame us—we spoiled her."
"And when two people live together, there are bound to be bumps along the way."
"If she does anything wrong, bear with her for our sake."
"Girl Si can’t stand being treated unfairly. Don’t lose your temper with her, and don’t let her suffer."
"If you can’t promise that, I’ll go to Qiongzhou Island and bring her home myself. Understood?"
Even without Third Uncle’s words, Huo Tingzhou already knew.
"Third Uncle, I owe my life to the Jiang Family."
"I promise you, as long as I’m alive, no one will mistreat her—not even me."
He had entered the Jiang Family at six years old. From the moment Jiang Si was born, he had stayed by her side.
Eleven years in total.
Protecting and caring for her had become second nature to him—a habit he couldn’t break even if he tried.
He said, "From the first time I called her ‘Young Miss,’ she has always been—and will always be—my Young Miss."
Those words were not just a promise but also a confession of feelings long kept hidden.
"Good! With that, I can rest easy."
Third Uncle had seen countless people in his lifetime. How could he not recognize Huo Tingzhou’s feelings for Girl Si?
Before Jiang Si left for Qiongzhou Island, he had asked her a question:
Was she going because circumstances forced her, or because of their engagement?
Her answer had been this: she admitted both reasons played a part, but the most important thing was that she knew Huo Tingzhou’s heart—and she trusted him to protect her.
She also wanted to give herself a chance.
So she was going with the intention of building a life with him, not out of compromise or impulse.
Now, Third Uncle repeated Jiang Si’s words verbatim to Huo Tingzhou, hoping to reassure him.
What he didn’t know was that those very words kept Huo Tingzhou awake the entire night.
He worried about whether she was eating well on the ship, but even more, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Third Uncle had told him.
When He Ping knocked on his door the next morning, he found a note stuck to it.
His regiment commander had left before dawn—for Xiuying Port.
He Ping’s jaw nearly dropped.
His sister-in-law’s ship ticket was for 3 p.m. the previous day. Even without delays, she wouldn’t arrive until after 6 p.m.
Yet here it was, not even 8 a.m., and the regiment commander was already rushing to the docks?
Just as He Ping debated whether to go after him, Huo Tingzhou returned.
He looked energized—though the dark circles under his eyes were hard to miss.
He Ping was about to suggest he rest when Huo Tingzhou asked cheerfully,
"Have you had breakfast yet?"
He Ping stared in disbelief. Was this really the same strict, no-nonsense regiment commander?
"Rep—reporting, Regiment Commander! I’ve already eaten."
"Good. Then get ready. We’re heading to the department store."
It was already 8:15, and the store would open in just over ten minutes.
If they went late, they might miss out on items, so it was better to go early.
Without delay, the two set off for the city’s department store.
Once inside, Huo Tingzhou made a beeline for the household goods section.
She was particular about cleanliness—she probably wouldn’t like using the shared basins at the guesthouse.
So he picked out two enamel basins with red double-happiness peony designs and two towels.
She must have brought her own toothpaste and toothbrush, but he bought a spare set just in case.
A bar of soap for her face and another for her hair.
He wasn’t familiar with moisturizers, so at the salesclerk’s recommendation, he chose a bottle of Gongdeng brand almond cream.
Next was the grocery section.
Two years ago, when he visited Shanghai, he had brought her some Qiongzhou Island candies and pastries.
He remembered she only ate the coconut glutinous rice cakes and left the rest untouched.
So he bought two pounds of those.
Mango strips, dried longan, dried papaya, dried jackfruit—all local specialties. He wasn’t sure if she’d like them, so he bought small amounts of each for her to try.
For candies, he chose coconut candy, ginger candy, winter melon candy, and papaya candy—half a pound of each, mixed together.
He Ping watched his regiment commander move effortlessly between counters, stunned again and again.
For some reason, the word "domestic" popped into his head.
The contrast between this version of Huo Tingzhou and the stern, unyielding commander during training was just too stark.
Also, should he remind their team leader?
The things he was buying now were all daily necessities—shouldn’t he check out the larger items too?
He Ping opened his mouth, about to speak up.
But then he noticed their team leader was already heading toward the second-floor section for bulkier goods.
