Linlin threw herself at her older sister Yaoyao, "Your job is so awesome! I want to be friends with you."
Su Yao couldn't help but turn up the corners of her mouth, touching the pretty little girl's hand.
Su Pei was a little dazed. Was working at the supply and marketing cooperative even better than being a principal?
Su Bingcheng turned to ask his grandson, who had been silent on the side, "Chengzhou, what is your dream for the future?"
Jiang Chengzhou glanced at his aunt.
His previous dream was to be a soldier, just like his uncle.
Now he was a bit hesitant. Especially after coming to the capital, he realized he was too homesick. It seemed that only the small building on the island was the place where he felt most at peace.
But if he said that, he worried his aunt would think he was a good-for-nothing.
"I haven't decided yet," Jiang Chengzhou said.
Su Lang patted his head. "Didn't you say you wanted to be a soldier before? What, have you changed your mind?"
Lin Zhilan swatted his hand away, defending her eldest nephew. "Dreams can change. Before, Chengzhou only stayed in the military base and only interacted with soldiers, so it made sense he wanted to be a soldier. But as he sees more of the world, he can do whatever he wants."
All roads lead to Rome.
By the time Jiang Chengzhou grew up, the country would be full of opportunities.
As long as he wasn't lazy or foolish, even if he couldn't become a pillar of the nation, he could still be a useful cog in society.
Jiang Chengzhou's eyes lit up. "Auntie, what if I want to stand guard at the gate of the military district?"
The job would be right at his doorstep; he could go home whenever he wanted.
Su Bingcheng's eyes flickered, hesitating to speak.
A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier. Who makes it their goal just to stand guard?
Xu Yueyun stopped him with a glance.
To be honest, her daughter had only left Chengzhou as her sole flesh and blood. Xu Yueyun's greatest hope for her grandson was that he would live a safe, peaceful, and happy life.
"I only wish for my child to be simple and dull, to reach high office without disaster or hardship."
Although Chengzhou was currently being raised by his youngest uncle and aunt, Xu Yueyun had long prepared a backup plan for him.
This small villa, along with a sum of money, was specially prepared by the elderly couple for Chengzhou. None of their sons could lay a finger on it.
With these, he would at least have some security.
Su Bingcheng understood his wife's meaning from her eyes and had no choice but to shut his mouth.
Lin Zhilan looked at Su Lang. "What are the requirements for comrades who stand guard?"
Su Lang said seriously to Jiang Chengzhou, "Don't think standing guard is easy. Sentries are the first line of defense for the military camp. If you want to be one, you still need to practice a lot."
Jiang Chengzhou looked at his uncle with a solemn face. "I can definitely do it!"
"Alright, Uncle believes in you!"
Lin Zhilan didn't care about the details; she simply praised all the children's dreams.
Deng Jing had always practiced frustration education and rarely praised her children.
Su Pei and Su Yao blushed deeply from their young aunt's praise.
Deng Jing rarely saw her two daughters like this and reflected on herself. Did she praise her daughters too little normally?
Before she could think much more, they chatted and laughed for a while, and the sky outside grew dark.
Xu Yueyun said she would tidy up a room so Su Jue and Deng Jing could stay the night with the children instead of heading back.
Deng Jing said, "Let's not go to the trouble. If we sleep here, the sheets and covers will have to be washed. Our home isn't far; we'll be there in a bit."
Since she refused, Su Jue naturally listened to her.
Xu Yueyun had no choice but to walk the family to the door.
It was dark outside, and the snowy, icy roads were hard to walk on, so the children had to be carried.
Originally, it would have been fine for Su Jue and Deng Jing to each carry one.
But as it happened, neither daughter wanted Su Jue to carry them.
Su Pei held onto the hem of Deng Jing's clothes. "Mom, you carry my sister. I can walk by myself."
Deng Jing had a headache. "Peipei, there's ice and mud on the road, it's too slippery. How about you let Dad hold your hand?"
Su Pei shook her head. "I'll just hold Mom's hand."
The rejected Su Jue felt helpless, and the others didn't know how to persuade her.
Xu Yueyun could only lose her temper at her son. "Look at yourself. Serves you right!"
Linlin squeezed through the adults and walked to Su Pei's side. "Big sister, why don't you want your dad to carry you?"
At this stage, Linlin was still self-centered and could only think about things from her own perspective.
In her eyes, a dad was a reliable presence, so she felt that her older sister's dad should also be a reliable presence.
Su Pei had refused to say anything just now, but when the little girl asked, she reluctantly spoke up, "I'm not familiar with him yet."
Linlin nodded as if she understood perfectly. "But what if you fall down? Your mom can only carry one kid."
Su Jue crouched down. "I'll carry you, and you help Dad hold the flashlight. How about that?"
Linlin acted like a messenger, turning her head to ask her older sister, "Are you willing to do that?"
Su Pei seemed to realize that insisting further would only worry her mother, so she reluctantly nodded.
Su Jue breathed a sigh of relief.
He stiffly picked up his daughter.
Su Lang clicked his tongue and stepped forward to adjust his posture.
"Thanks, Xiao Lang," Su Jue said gratefully, glancing at his wife.
The family slowly walked outside. Linlin held onto the doorframe and shouted, "Second Unca, be careful, don't drop my sister!"
Su Jue's foot slipped, but fortunately, he braced himself against the red brick wall nearby.
Su Pei hugged his neck tightly and let out a soft laugh.
Su Jue also laughed. "This little Linlin, she's really quirky and clever."
Su Pei was silent for a moment. "Do you like little sister Linlin too?"
Su Jue didn't know why, but a sudden flash of insight made him understand his daughter's meaning. "Dad definitely likes you and your sister more, but Linlin is also very cute. You and Yaoyao like her too, right?"
"Yeah."
Hearing her dad say he liked her and her sister more, Su Pei felt a little bit of joy in her heart.
Even though she wasn't that familiar with or fond of her dad yet, children naturally possess a desire to monopolize their parents' love.
Su Pei liked the little sister, but if her parents liked someone else's child more than her, Su Pei would be heartbroken.
Deng Jing understood her eldest daughter better and knew why she asked that. Her heart couldn't help but ache a little.
"No matter how cute other people's children are, Mom and Dad's favorites will always be the two of you, just like the little sister's mom and dad's favorite child is the little sister."
Taking advantage of the dark, Su Pei couldn't help but flash a big smile.
This was also the first time her mother had explicitly said she liked her.
Su Yao didn't think that much. She whispered softly into her mother's ear, "Does the little sister's mom like me?"
"What did my sister say?" Su Pei, wearing a hat, couldn't hear clearly and immediately asked.
Deng Jing couldn't help but laugh. "Your sister is asking if your young aunt likes you."
Hearing this, Su Pei also grew a little nervous, gripping her dad's collar tightly. "Does she?"
For some inexplicable reason, the two children had an average impression of their biological young uncle Su Lang, but upon meeting Lin Zhilan for the first time, they felt both shy and eager to get close to her.
She had a very positive and sunny attitude. Just staying by her side and listening to her talk with a smile made them feel warm all over.
