Jiang Si was truly exhausted. After murmuring a vague response, she wrapped her arms around his waist and fell into a deep sleep.
She slept soundly through the night and woke the next morning to bright daylight outside.
The two little ones were already sitting obediently in their strollers.
When they saw her emerge, Zhaozhao excitedly waved her chubby little hand, signaling for her to come and smell something fragrant.
Jiang Si kissed each of them on the cheek. "So sweet," she said.
Only then did the two babies smile in satisfaction.
However, the next moment, Zhaozhao held out a handful of crumbled egg yolk she had smashed in her grip.
Even though they were her own children,
disgust was still disgust. Jiang Si decisively shook her head.
Zhaozhao paused, confused.
Why wouldn’t Mama eat something so delicious?
After a moment’s thought, she turned her chubby little hand toward Huo Tingzhou instead.
Jiang Si was about to say something,
but before she could, Huo Tingzhou took the offering without hesitation and ate it.
After finishing, he even patted Zhaozhao’s fluffy little head, his expression clearly saying, "My daughter is so thoughtful."
Jiang Si couldn’t help but groan.
"By the way, what time did they wake up?"
"A little past six."
"So early?" Jiang Si sighed. "Kids have way too much energy!"
Huo Tingzhou smiled and nodded. "Sweetheart, go eat breakfast first. I’ll feed them."
Jiang Si was indeed quite hungry by now.
As she was finishing her meal, a thought occurred to her, and she glanced at Huo Tingzhou again. "You didn’t stay up all night, did you?"
"I slept," Huo Tingzhou replied, feeding each child a spoonful of rice porridge before adding, "Just lightly. I woke up every time they stirred."
"Then you should rest when we get back," Jiang Si said. "I’ll handle the packing."
"Alright."
Huo Tingzhou agreed readily, but once they returned to the family home, Jiang Si realized he had no intention of actually going to bed.
No matter what she did, he insisted on staying right beside her.
Fortunately, this training session was being held at the Fourth Division’s Air Force base, and they already had summer clothes and training uniforms at home,
so they could travel light.
"Oh, take this with you," she said.
During their stay in Capital City, Teacher Hu and Sister-in-law Xu had sent her two packages,
filled with dried goods commonly found on the island.
Weidong and Weimin had even gone out of their way to make a wind chime out of seashells and conches for the little ones, which Suisui and Zhaozhao adored.
Moreover, while they were away,
Teacher Hu and Sister-in-law Xu had often checked on their small courtyard.
Just like last year, Teacher Hu had prepared jars of pickled vegetables for her,
along with dozens of bottles of tomato sauce.
Jiang Si had always held this kindness close to her heart.
The gifts she had prepared were bought recently at the department store—aside from local specialties from Capital City, she had also picked out presents for each of the children.
Luckily, since Huo Tingzhou was flying back, it didn’t matter if there was a lot to carry.
Jiang Si pointed out the two large bags she had packed,
carefully explaining which items were for Teacher Hu’s family and which were for Sister-in-law Xu.
Huo Tingzhou memorized each detail.
At noon, after a hearty family lunch, Uncle Chen drove them to the Capital City airport.
The two little ones were still in high spirits, thinking they were heading out for another fun day like yesterday.
When they arrived at the airport and saw the plane, their excitement soared even higher.
But soon enough, their smiles would fade.
Unlike later eras, few people traveled by plane in these days, and the security checkpoint line was sparse with only a handful of people.
Boarding was about to begin, yet Huo Tingzhou still stood outside the security checkpoint, watching them.
Jiang Si’s heart ached with a bittersweet swell.
Two days had passed far too quickly!
So quickly that before she could even process it, he was leaving again.
But now wasn’t the time for sentimental longing. Jiang Si forced a smile.
“Go ahead inside, or the staff will have to call your name across the entire airport soon.”
Huo Tingzhou knew.
But he just couldn’t bear to leave.
After taking a deep breath, he crouched down.
The first kiss was met with cooperation from the two little ones.
But when he kissed them again, the slightly prickly sensation made them instinctively shrink back.
Before Huo Tingzhou could say anything,
both children turned their heads toward their mother in unison.
Their big, dark eyes brimmed with accusation.
Huo Tingzhou’s gaze then settled on Jiang Si.
Countless words of caution had already been exchanged over the past few days.
Now, he simply looked at her deeply.
After a long pause, he finally said, “I’ll call you all whenever I have time.”
“Mm.” Jiang Si nodded.
Perhaps knowing they’d reunite as a family in just a few months, though she felt reluctant, the sadness wasn’t overwhelming.
After reminding him to take care of himself,
Jiang Si softened her voice. “You should go now. Uncle Chen has been waiting outside for a long time.”
With that, she lifted Suisui and Zhaozhao’s tiny hands. “Say goodbye to Daddy, babies.”
The little ones didn’t yet understand what “goodbye” meant,
but they waved their hands obediently.
“Go on.”
Only after Jiang Si urged him again did Huo Tingzhou walk toward the security checkpoint, turning back every few steps.
It wasn’t until his figure completely disappeared
that the two children belatedly realized what had happened.
They craned their necks, peering around, then turned to Jiang Si in unison.
Their small faces were etched with big question marks.
For now, they were merely puzzled.
But once in the car, as it slowly pulled away from the airport,
the two little ones stared blankly in the direction of the terminal. When they finally cried out “Daddy,” their voices already carried a hint of tears.
Their eyes glistened with unshed tears, their pitiful expressions heartbreaking.
Jiang Si quickly pulled them into her arms.
Just then, a plane took off from the runway.
The deafening roar of the engines instantly captured the children’s attention.
They had seen this thing in picture books before.
Jiang Si had taught them about it.
So Zhaozhao recognized it immediately. “P…plane…”
Suisui, however, was precocious. After a moment’s thought, she suddenly blurted out, “Daddy… plane…”
Back home, they complained to anyone they saw.
Daddy, plane!
Yes, he flew away—gone!
Fortunately, there were plenty of people at home to play with them.
After a few hours of brief sadness, the two little ones regained their usual energy.
In contrast, Jiang Si’s withdrawal was far more pronounced.
The bedroom still seemed to carry traces of his presence everywhere.
Especially at night, she couldn’t help but recall every little moment when he was by her side.
Thankfully, this mood didn’t last too long.
Jiang Si threw herself wholeheartedly into her work.
Of course, during her spare time, she couldn’t stop thinking about the identity of the mole.
Before, she hadn’t known, so it didn’t matter.
But now that she was aware the mole was among those three, doing nothing simply wasn’t her style.
