At any time, Jiang Si would always maintain a trace of rationality.
"You've always performed well, and I'm very satisfied," she said, then looked up at him earnestly. "But you know, a lifetime is very long..."
"I know." Before she could finish, Huo Tingzhou firmly grasped her hand.
He knew a lifetime was long, but from the moment she arrived on Qiongzhou Island with her luggage to find him, he knew he was bound to her for life.
Before, he had been her safety net.
Now, he would grow to become her unwavering support.
Thinking of this, Huo Tingzhou said, "Darling, there's one more thing I haven’t told you."
"What is it?"
"After the military competition ends, I might be transferred to the General Military District in the capital."
"What?"
Jiang Si was genuinely surprised, propping herself up to look at him. "Didn’t you say promotions were unlikely before the age of 35?"
She remembered clearly—he had once said that rising in rank before 35 was nearly impossible.
The military competition was held in mid-October, and by then, he wouldn’t even be 32 yet.
That was a full three years earlier than expected!
"Age and seniority are just part of the criteria," Huo Tingzhou explained. "Back then, Dad was still in the General Military District, and avoiding favoritism was another factor."
Jiang Si had heard this before—it was an unwritten rule.
But that alone didn’t seem enough to warrant a transfer to the General Military District.
Huo Tingzhou didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he pulled a savings passbook from his military uniform pocket.
Jiang Si took it, puzzled. She managed all their household savings—where had this come from?
Opening it, she was stunned to see 6,000 yuan inside.
"Did you go on another secret mission after returning?"
It couldn’t have been an ordinary assignment—daily allowances for those were just a few yuan.
Night missions paid slightly more, but even then, the amount here was far beyond that.
Then she remembered—Huo Tingzhou had once mentioned that destroying an enemy aircraft came with a special bonus.
She couldn’t recall the exact sum, but it was in the thousands.
Huo Tingzhou’s next words confirmed her guess, though he downplayed it: "It wasn’t a mission. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
His tone was deliberately casual.
Jiang Si knew he must have come out unharmed.
If he’d been injured, he wouldn’t be lying beside her now, whole and unscathed.
But in such situations, it was kill or be killed—how could she not worry?
Seeing the concern in her eyes, Huo Tingzhou felt both touched and reluctant to let her fret.
So he gently steered the conversation away, shifting to their plans after the transfer.
Whether it would be a lateral move or a promotion remained uncertain.
Given his current seniority, they likely wouldn’t qualify for housing in the General Military Compound and would probably be assigned to the Air Force Compound instead.
"Darling," Huo Tingzhou said solemnly, "I’ll work hard to get us back to the old family home as soon as possible."
"Anywhere is fine," Jiang Si replied, and she meant it.
The Air Force Compound was just as comfortable, and it even had the capital’s best kindergarten.
Her original plan had been to move back to the capital before the children started elementary school.
Now, thanks to Huo Tingzhou, that plan had been pushed forward by three years.
"You’ve already done amazingly well," she said, tilting her head up to kiss his chin.
It was a light peck, but for a man who’d gone months without intimacy, it was like striking a match.
Huo Tingzhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily.
But Jiang Si, as if teasing him on purpose, nestled back into his arms and closed her eyes.
Huo Tingzhou stiffened slightly.
In broad daylight, with Old Master and Uncle Zhong being light sleepers, there wasn’t much he could do.
So he simply tightened his arms around her. "Get some rest."
The clean scent of soap clung to him, soothing and familiar.
Relaxed in body and mind, Jiang Si soon drifted into a deep sleep.
When she woke again, the sunlight outside had shifted westward, and Huo Tingzhou was no longer in bed.
Glancing at the clock, she gasped—it was almost 4 p.m.!
Oh no. Before leaving that morning, she’d promised Mother Huo she’d return early to help with dinner preparations.
Yet here she was, having slept the afternoon away.
She scrambled out of bed.
Huo Tingzhou was outside playing with the children.
"Why didn’t you wake me sooner?" she chided, flustered. "It’s so late—Mom must be swamped by now!"
"Slow down, or you’ll trip," Huo Tingzhou said, striding over as she looked positively distraught.
He guided her to a lounge chair and knelt before her.
Only then did Jiang Si notice her shoelaces had come undone.
As he tied them, Huo Tingzhou said gently, "I didn’t wake you because there’s no space left for us to help anyway."
He’d gone back earlier—Fourth Uncle’s family had already arrived.
This year, with cousins getting married and new babies in the family, the house was packed like a pot of dumplings.
He’d barely squeezed into the kitchen before Mother Huo shooed him out.
"Mom said we just need to watch the kids. Dinner’s taken care of."
"But we can’t just freeload every time," Jiang Si said guiltily.
Old Master agreed. Regardless, they ought to head over soon—they couldn’t keep the in-laws waiting.
While they talked, he and Uncle Zhong double-checked the gifts they were bringing.
The in-laws were gracious hosts; they couldn’t afford to be lacking in courtesy.
"Let’s pick up some pomegranates and crabapples on the way. Oh, and bring those water chestnuts Old Ninth sent over too."
Jiang Si pointed at the pomegranate tree in the yard. "No need to buy more—we have plenty here..."
At the mention of the tree, the two little ones—Suisui and Zhaozhao—looked up from their pomegranate juice, eyes wide and pleading.
Old Master immediately patted their heads. "No picking! These are all yours!"
It wasn’t that he was stingy.
But with so many guests today, if they stripped the tree bare, what would he use to bribe his favorite little troublemakers later?
"Let’s listen to Old Master," Huo Tingzhou said.
Since they insisted, Jiang Si dropped the matter.
Luckily, with the holiday, fresh fruit was in ample supply.
By the time they arrived, Second Brother Huo and the others were setting up tables. Huo Tingzhou rolled up his sleeves and joined in.
With so many people, even three tables might not be enough.
But the Huo family had no tradition of excluding women and children from the dining table—they’d just squeeze in.
Festivals were meant to be lively, after all.
And with many hands, work went quickly.
No sooner were the tables wiped down than dishes began appearing.
Among family, there was no need for formality—today’s feast was served in enamel basins.
Each table had two cold dishes, three meat-heavy mains, six stir-fried sides, and a massive mooncake to share—twelve dishes in total.
"Help yourselves, and there’s more in the kitchen," Mother Huo announced.
They hadn’t prepared an excessive variety, but the portions were generous.
Anything that didn’t fit in the basins waited in the kitchen.
"Eldest Sister-in-law, come sit here," Fourth Aunt Huo said, shifting to make space.
The Huo family was large, but everyone followed the rules.
No one would dare pick up their chopsticks until all members were present.
Even Suisui and Zhaozhao sat obediently in the arms of Jiang Si and Huo Tingzhou.
Mother Huo knew this well and quickly took her seat beside her sisters-in-law.
"Let’s eat!" the Old Master said cheerfully.
The family chatted and laughed as they dined, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.
It wasn’t until nightfall that everyone gradually set down their chopsticks.
After dinner, Jiang Si offered to help clean up, but Mother Huo wouldn’t hear of it.
"No, no, it’s a holiday—you should go enjoy yourselves."
The compound had many camphor trees, making moon-viewing difficult, so after meals, everyone would stroll to the square nearby.
If they weren’t in the mood for the moon, they could catch a movie instead.
The compound’s auditorium was screening two new films that night, both released that year and quite entertaining.
Knowing his wife wasn’t particularly interested in movies, Huo Tingzhou suggested, "How about we just take a walk?"
"Sure," Jiang Si nodded.
She had napped a bit too long in the afternoon and wasn’t sleepy yet. A leisurely stroll would do her good.
Come to think of it, this was her first real moon-viewing experience.
In later times, there were too many distractions—even during the Mid-Autumn Festival, few could truly pause to admire the moonlight.
Now, the bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a clear glow over the paths near the compound.
The square was crowded, so they avoided the bustle.
The family of four wandered around the compound until Suisui and Zhaozhao began to nod off, their little heads drooping.
Huo Tingzhou cupped their tiny bottoms and lifted them into his arms, one on each side.
Truly a doting father—he couldn’t bear to let them suffer even the slightest discomfort.
Just as Jiang Si was about to tease him, Mother Huo rushed out of the compound, carrying a large bag in a hurry—
