PWE – Chapter 149

“I think that Fang Qiaoyu seems to have a grudge against Commander Zhan’s wife. It looks like she was deliberately speaking badly about her. From now on, we shouldn’t go along with her.”

“That’s what it seems like to me too. Commander Zhan’s wife looks like a good person—nothing like the poor character Fang Qiaoyu described. I bet it’s Fang Qiaoyu slandering her.”

“In any case, we should stay away from Fang Qiaoyu in the future. Getting mixed up with her never leads to anything good.”

“Exactly. Just ignore her from now on.”

All the family members reached a unanimous decision and decided to stop associating with Fang Qiaoyu altogether.

……

Xiao Wange and Zhan Zeyan stopped in front of a door on the third floor.

Zhan Zeyan set down the suitcase in his hand and took out the key to open the door.

He led his wife and son inside. The child glanced around the living room and broke into a smile. “This place is really nice—much nicer than the houses back in our village.”

Although it was slightly smaller than the main room in the village, it was arranged very warmly and looked extremely comfortable.

Zhan Zeyan put the basket and suitcase down on the floor. Smiling, he walked to a bedroom door and opened it. “This room is yours. You’ll live here from now on.”

Zhaozhao’s eyes lit up, and he hurried into his room.

The room was about the same size as his room back in the countryside, but the bed was a little bigger, and there was also a wardrobe. Besides the wardrobe, there was even a small desk by the window.

Zhaozhao first touched the bed, then ran over to the desk, reaching out to touch it. “From now on, I can read and write here!”

Back in the village, he had always wanted a desk—one where he could write and study whenever he wanted. Now, his father had finally made that wish come true.

Zhan Zeyan patted his head. “You play in your room for a while. Your mom and I will tidy up the things.”

“I’ll help you,” Zhaozhao said, wanting to pitch in, but Zhan Zeyan stopped him. “Alright, just stay in your room and play. Your mom and I will handle it.”

Without waiting for Zhaozhao to respond, he turned and left the room.

Zhaozhao pressed his lips together. He had wanted to follow them out, but after thinking for a moment, he stopped.

Mom and Dad hadn’t seen each other for a long time. They must have a lot of private things to talk about, so he shouldn’t go and disturb them.

He touched the desk, imagining himself reading and writing there in the future.

That scene seemed so beautiful that as he imagined it, he couldn’t help but smile.

……

Zhan Zeyan and Xiao Wange put the cured sausages and other items they had brought into the kitchen.

Cured sausages, salted chicken, and salted duck were best hung up, so Zhan Zeyan found a rope, hung it by the kitchen window, and suspended the sausages, salted chicken, and salted duck from it.

As for the jars of meat sauce, they stored half of them in the cupboard and planned to give the rest away.

Zhan Zeyan said, “The pork belly sauce you made for me before—Commander He kept talking about it after eating it, saying he wanted to have it again if he ever got the chance. Since you made so much this time, let’s take two jars over to him.”

Over the years, Commander He had taken great care of him. Strictly speaking, Commander He could be considered his mentor in life.

Xiao Wange’s lips curved into a faint smile. “If we’re giving gifts, two jars of meat sauce won’t be enough. Let’s also give some sausages and salted chicken. I made all the sausages and salted chicken myself, and they taste pretty good. Take some sausages and salted chicken along. We won’t give the salted duck, though—I like salted duck.”

There wasn’t much salted duck to begin with, so she planned to keep it for herself.

Zhan Zeyan smiled. “That’s already plenty.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but put an arm around Xiao Wange’s shoulders. “Wife, thank you.”

When he said “thank you,” his eyes were full of affection. He looked at her with such extreme tenderness that her heart couldn’t help but flutter.

She reached out and gently pushed him. “What are you thanking me for? Aren’t we husband and wife? Being this polite between spouses is just too distant.”

Ordinary people say that husband and wife are one body. Since they were one, his affairs were her affairs. There was no need for him to say “thank you” at all.

Zhan Zeyan smiled again. “My wife is right. Whatever my wife says is right.”

Xiao Wange: “……” She glared at him. “Smooth-talker.”

Usually, he looked cold and aloof, but in reality, he was just a quietly flirtatious type.

“It’s almost noon. Let’s cook and eat first,” Xiao Wange said, taking out a salted duck and deciding to make it for lunch.

Zhan Zeyan looked at her and said, “Why don’t we eat out for lunch today? Let’s go out and have a nice meal—it’ll count as celebrating you two coming over.”

Xiao Wange shot him a sideways glance. “Why eat out? We’re already home, so there’s no need to go out. Besides, I cook very fast—it won’t take long.”

As she spoke, she began giving him instructions. “Go cook some rice.”

Zhan Zeyan: “……”

He wanted to persuade her a bit more. “Wife…”

But just as he called out those three words, she said, “Let’s go out to eat tonight instead. Bring more money in the evening—I want to eat our fill with Zhaozhao.”

Zhan Zeyan: “……”

Seeing that his wife was truly not planning to go out at noon, he sighed softly and nodded. “Alright, we’ll do as you say.”

He really didn’t want his wife to start working as soon as she arrived.

But since she insisted, there was nothing else he could do.

After washing the rice and putting it into the pot, he covered it with the lid and walked over to her. “How about I do it? You go rest.”

After all, she had traveled for so long with the child. Even though she was extraordinarily capable, she must still be a little tired. He wanted her to rest for a while.

However, she placed the salted duck on the chopping board and began cutting it skillfully. “I’m not tired. No need to rest.”

Zhan Zeyan: “……” Watching her swift, decisive knife work as she finished cutting the entire duck in just a few strokes, he fell silent and slowly stepped aside.

……

After lunch was ready, the family of three sat around the table to eat.

Xiao Wange picked up one duck leg and put it into Zhaozhao’s bowl. “Zhaozhao has worked hard these past couple of days traveling. Eat a duck leg to replenish yourself.”

Zhaozhao looked at the duck leg in his bowl. He pressed his lips together. Although the duck leg looked very delicious… Mom was the one who had worked the hardest.

So he picked up the duck leg and put it into his mother’s bowl. “Mom should eat it. Mom is the one who’s worked the hardest.”

Xiao Wange’s gaze softened unconsciously.

She looked at Zhaozhao, a gentle smile appearing on her face without her realizing it.

This child, though still young, understood everything he should and was especially filial and considerate.

She now believed even more firmly that he was her own son. She felt that only she could give birth to such a sensible child—one who also carried “that kind of secret.”

“Alright, there are two duck legs. One for each of you,” Zhan Zeyan said gently as he put the other duck leg into Zhaozhao’s bowl.