"What happened? You look so happy," Mother Huo asked as she changed her shoes.
Grandma Huo was grinning from ear to ear. "Jiang Si has been appointed as the chief designer for the international hotel. She’ll be staying in Capital City until the end of the year, and Suisui and Zhaozhao will stay too."
Mother Huo was caught off guard by the wonderful news. After a moment of surprise, she immediately took Jiang Si’s hand.
"Jiang Si, did I hear right? Your grandma said you’re staying in Capital City?"
Jiang Si smiled. "Mom, it’s true."
"This… this…" Mother Huo was so overwhelmed she could barely speak.
Even Father Huo, usually composed, was uncharacteristically at a loss for words. "Staying in Capital City is good. This way, we can look after each other."
Because of the good news, Mother Huo kept smiling even as she prepared for bed that night.
But after a while, her joy faded.
"Ah—"
She sighed softly. "Why does this year feel like it’s passing so quickly? It feels like New Year’s just started, and now the first month is almost over."
As her husband, Father Huo understood her thoughts perfectly.
The end of the New Year celebrations meant their eldest son and his wife would soon return home with the children.
The distance to the border province was vast, and both of them had work commitments.
Who knew when they’d see each other again?
The thought left Father Huo feeling a little melancholy.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. Changing the subject, he asked, "How are the preparations going?"
He was referring to the gifts for Lu's parents.
Their son had grown up to be upright and outstanding, all thanks to his adoptive parents.
This was a debt of gratitude they would never forget.
By all rights, they should have visited the border province long ago to express their thanks in person.
But Father Huo held an important position and couldn’t leave Capital City easily, especially not for the border regions.
In the end, Mother Huo had to go as their representative.
"Everything’s ready," Mother Huo said. "Besides what we prepared, the second, third, and fourth brothers, along with the fourth sister-in-law, also gave gifts for me to bring."
"Oh, and one more thing," she added. "Jiang Si heard their legs give them trouble, so she specially gave me two bottles of medicinal wine."
Her own legs used to ache during damp weather, but after using the wine with warm compresses, the pain hadn’t returned in a long time.
Father Huo nodded in approval. "The children are thoughtful. They know how to be grateful."
"Yes, we’re truly blessed," Mother Huo mused. "All our sons are accomplished, and every daughter-in-law is wonderful."
People said harmony brought prosperity, but in Mother Huo’s eyes,
a good wife could bless three generations.
With such sensible and intelligent daughters-in-law, she was certain the Huo family’s future would only grow brighter.
Father Huo agreed wholeheartedly. "Naturally."
The couple chatted a while longer on the topic.
Seeing Mother Huo’s mood improve, Father Huo gently reminded her, "I know you’ll miss the children, but when the time comes, try not to cry in front of them. It’ll only make them sad."
His stance remained the same:
As long as the children were safe and well, nothing else mattered.
"I know," Mother Huo said. She understood, but she wasn’t sure she could hold back her tears.
Meanwhile, in another part of the house—
Meng Yuan had finished discussing what she needed with Jiang Si. Holding her hand, she felt an indescribable gratitude.
"Thank you so much for this, Sister-in-law."
"Eldest Sister-in-law, we’re family. There’s no need to be so formal," Jiang Si replied.
"Don’t worry, I’ll keep an ear out. As soon as I hear anything, I’ll call you."
After living together for over a month, Meng Yuan knew her sincerity.
So she didn’t stand on ceremony.
They chatted a bit more about the children before Meng Yuan excused herself, seeing how late it was.
Not long after she left, Huo Tingzhou returned.
Once their two little ones were sound asleep, he asked in a low voice, "What did Eldest Sister-in-law talk to you about earlier?"
Coincidentally, Jiang Si spoke at the same time.
"What did Eldest Brother discuss with you in the study?"
They paused, then laughed.
Huo Tingzhou said, "You go first."
Jiang Si applied skincare, her eyes sparkling in the mirror. "Guess?"
Huo Tingzhou chuckled and shook his head. That was a tough one.
Women’s conversations could be about anything.
Last time, Second Sister-in-law had pulled his wife into her room for a two- or three-hour chat.
When he went to fetch her, he’d barely reached the door before retreating.
The topics discussed were things he’d only heard married soldiers talk about in the barracks.
He hadn’t expected…
But this time, the subject was clearly different—otherwise, his wife would have immediately covered his mouth and scolded,
"Women’s matters are none of your business!"
"Is it good news?" Huo Tingzhou ventured.
It must be, given her expression.
"Alright, I’ll stop teasing you," Jiang Si said with a smile. "I think it’s good news."
Though nothing was certain yet, she had a feeling it wouldn’t be long.
She then explained how Meng Yuan had asked her to inquire about a siheyuan (courtyard house).
"My guess is, Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law are planning to transfer back to Capital City. Otherwise, she wouldn’t suddenly bring this up."
"And I think the house might be for Lu's parents…"
After sharing her analysis, Jiang Si looked at him expectantly, waiting for praise.
But Huo Tingzhou’s expression remained neutral.
Jiang Si was surprised. "Why aren’t you surprised?"
After a pause, she added, "Did Eldest Brother already tell you?"
Huo Tingzhou shook his head. "Not exactly."
Like him, his eldest brother wasn’t one to speak without certainty.
But as brothers, some things didn’t need to be said aloud—he could sense them.
Seeing his wife’s curiosity, Huo Tingzhou explained, "Eldest Brother signed up for this year’s military skills competition."
Jiang Si still didn’t see the connection. "What does that have to do with returning to Capital City?"
"There is one."
Huo Tingzhou patiently clarified. "Large-scale competitions like this aren’t just about showcasing skills—they’re also opportunities for recruitment."
"Recruitment?"
"Yes. If someone performs exceptionally well, other military regions might try to recruit them. This happens often, especially with the central command. They’re always looking for talent."
Jiang Si suddenly realized something.
"So when you participated… was it for the same reason?"
"Yes." Huo Tingzhou admitted readily. If age was a limitation, he’d compensate with achievements.
Before Jiang Si could say more, Huo Tingzhou turned off the bedside lamp.
In the darkness, cool lips met hers.
Jiang Si was caught off guard by his sudden move. Once she caught her breath, she whispered coyly, "You... didn’t you just... last night? Still not enough?"
So much for the saying that men start declining after thirty!
Huo Tingzhou responded with actions rather than words.
With the one you love, doing what you love—
It’s never enough!
...
Happy days always pass too quickly. After the Lantern Festival, Mother Huo and the eldest brother’s family packed their bags, ready to leave for Xinjiang.
On the day of their departure, the family held back tears.
They repeated their goodbyes over and over. Several times, Lu Zhankai almost spoke up.
But in the end, he swallowed his words.
He didn’t want to raise hopes only to disappoint everyone later.
"Dad—"
Before boarding the car, he turned back to look at Father Huo. "Take care of yourself. And Grandpa and Grandma too."
Father Huo already knew about his son signing up for the military competition.
But since his son hadn’t mentioned it, he pretended not to know.
Still, Father Huo couldn’t hold back in the end. "No matter the outcome, just do your best. And take care of your health."
Those words made Lu Zhankai’s eyes redden. "I will, Dad."
After seeing off the eldest brother’s family, the next day, Third Granduncle and Uncle Zhong also returned to Hu City.
When they had left for Qiongzhou Island before, they’d only brought summer clothes. Now that they planned to stay in the Capital City for a while, they needed to fetch some winter garments.
Besides, Third Granduncle had many old friends in Hu City, and he wanted to meet them while he was back.
At their age, every meeting could be their last.
Of course, he was also uneasy about leaving the old family home unattended.
Jiang Si understood, so she didn’t stop them.
But with two groups gone in a row, and everyone else returning to work, the once lively old house suddenly felt much quieter.
Jiang Si needed time to adjust.
Yet there was no time for melancholy.
She had to finish her design drafts as soon as possible.
But that afternoon, an unexpected guest arrived—
[I don’t know why, but today I suddenly feel like saying this: Thank you all for following along and supporting me.
Without you, there would be no "Orange" today.
Also, just so you know, I do read the comments and check the IDs of those who urge for updates.
Every time I see familiar names, it truly makes my day. Thank you all so much~~]
