Chapter 178: Grandpa, Grandma, Brother and Sister-in-law Return to the Army
Sheng Wanyan looked toward the courtyard gate, letting out a long breath of relief only after confirming it was securely shut. If anyone had seen that display, she would have been laughed at for days.
Gu Tingxiao carried her all the way into the living room and deposited her gently onto a dining chair. Maodou followed them, his tiny tail wagging happily.
“I’ll go fetch the dishes. Sit here and wait for dinner.”
Wanyan watched his retreating back with a mischievous glint in her eye. A sudden, playful idea struck her, and she called out after him.
“Gu Tingxiao, you are actually jealous of a dog!”
The young commander’s stride faltered instantly. He practically scrambled out of the living room and vanished into the kitchen.
Wanyan let out a silent laugh, her lips curling into a triumphant grin. Little guy, as if I can’t handle you. What a stubborn, brooding man!
Throughout dinner, Wanyan took every opportunity to teasingly poke at him, causing the tips of Tingxiao’s ears to turn a bright crimson.
“Wife, put a little more meat in my bowl,” he murmured, clearing his throat. “I tend to get hungry at night.”
He placed a tender rabbit leg onto her plate. Wanyan shot him a puzzled look but simply picked it up and happily dug in.
Maodou was still far too young to chew solid food. Tingxiao took one of the flatbreads, soaked it thoroughly in hot water, tore it into tiny, easily digestible pieces, and placed the bowl on the floor. The ceramic dish was a standard noodle bowl from their kitchen—neither too large nor too small, making it the perfect exclusive tableware for the pup.
Once he finished scrubbing the dishes, Tingxiao prepared Wanyan’s bath water and immediately headed back to the yard to finish the backyard pavilion.
Beyond completing the structure, he used some spare wooden planks to construct a custom doghouse for Maodou. He intentionally made it oversized so the pup would have plenty of room to stretch out even after he grew into a massive military dog. He even lined the bottom with a thick, cozy layer of fresh straw. For a man who claimed to be jealous of a dog, he was incredibly responsible.
After her bath, Wanyan sat down at her writing desk to tackle her translations, realizing she had neglected the work for the past few days. She had deliberately left the source books visible on the desk; after all, she needed to let Tingxiao see the physical evidence of her employment.
Tingxiao stepped into the bedroom to fetch his pajamas, pausing when he saw his wife hunched over her papers under the dim glow. He glanced at the lighting, instantly frowning. The illumination in the room was terrible for her eyes.
Unfortunately, the northern military quarters lacked electricity, relying strictly on kerosene lamps and candles. Even back in the capital, where electricity was available, most households habitually used oil lamps to save on utility costs.
Wanyan kept her head down, her neck starting to throb with a dull ache. She rolled her shoulders and tilted her head to ease the tension.
“Wife, leave the rest for tomorrow during the day,” Tingxiao scolded gently, stepping up behind her chair. “This is going to ruin your eyesight.” His large, calloused hands settled onto her shoulders, expertly massaging her stiff neck.
“Alright.” Wanyan set her fountain pen down, organizing her papers before closing her eyes to fully savor the massage. His technique was surprisingly effective; given his frequent field deployments and the inevitable injuries that came with them, he was well-versed in basic physical therapy and care.
“Go on and take your shower,” she murmured after a few minutes, opening her eyes and patting the large hands resting on her shoulders. “My neck feels completely fine now.”
“Rest here for a moment, wife.” Tingxiao leaned down to plant a quick kiss on her forehead before grabbing his pajamas and heading out for a brisk wash.
Wanyan walked over to the basin to brush her teeth. During her final supply run at the Overseas Chinese Shopping Mall in the Capital, she had wisely purchased a dozen premium toothbrushes. While the local supply cooperative stocked them, the bristles were notoriously stiff and harsh, and she simply couldn’t get used to them. Besides, her personal dimension held a virtually endless supply of modern toiletries, ensuring she could easily replenish her stash whenever a toothbrush wore out. Gu Tingxiao had no idea what was actually hidden inside her dowry trunks, so taking discreet advantages from her space was completely foolproof.
By the time Tingxiao returned from his shower, Wanyan finally understood exactly what he had meant by “I tend to get hungry at night.” It had been a calculated, step-by-step strategy from the very beginning.
When Wanyan finally woke up the next morning, the clock was already ticking past ten. The grand vow she had made the previous afternoon had officially gone up in smoke. What was that nonsense about rising earlier than the roosters? Oh… I definitely never said that, she thought shamelessly.
She lounged under the warm quilt, utterly refusing to budge until Tingxiao returned from his morning shift at noon to lift her up from the kang.
“Wife, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are back.”
“Really?” Wanyan’s sluggishness vanished, replaced by a sudden surge of adrenaline. She had been waiting for this deployment update for weeks.
“Yes, I just received the telegram from the station. I’m heading out to pick them up in a moment,” Tingxiao smiled, catching her excitement. “And your grandparents traveled down with them too.”
Wanyan scrambled up from the mattress, her eyes wide. “Is that true? You’re not joking with me?”
“It’s absolutely true, wife. I would never lie to you.”
Wanyan found it a bit difficult to process. Why on earth would her elderly, comfort-loving grandparents suddenly endure a grueling cross-country journey to join a military base? Unless…
A sudden revelation flashed through her mind, her eyes lighting up with profound joy. I’m going to be an aunt!! That had to be it. Otherwise, there was no logical reason for her grandparents to shadow the couple all the way to the frozen north.
“I want to go to the station with you!” she cried, rushing to get dressed.
“Wife, stay here and prepare a hot meal for everyone,” Tingxiao coaxed gently, catching her hands. “They’ve been traveling for days, so it’s better if you focus on the house front. I’ll handle the pickup.”
Wanyan nodded, realizing he was right. She needed to whip up a highly nutritious, restorative meal to revitalize them after the exhausting journey, especially since her grandparents’ frail health might be struggling after days on a bumpy train.
“Here are the keys to your brother’s apartment,” Tingxiao added, slipping a brass ring into her palm. “Father Pan asked if you could head over to air out the rooms and make the beds. He and Mother Pan will be joining us at our courtyard for dinner tonight to welcome everyone back.”
Sheng Wanze’s apartment key would normally have been kept by Mother Pan, but today was a busy weekday. Father Pan was tied up with command meetings, and Mother Pan was completely occupied with her duties as the head nurse at the military hospital. Lacking a spare moment, Father Pan had swung by the barracks to pass the keys to Gu Tingxiao, hoping Wanyan could help manage the domestic prep.
“Understood. Go on, don’t keep them waiting.”
Once Tingxiao departed, Wanyan unlocked the doors to her brother’s flat to set up the bedrooms. It was her first time stepping inside their quarters. The layout spanned roughly fifty square meters, neatly sectioned into two compact bedrooms, a small living area, and a basic washroom.
The primary design flaw was the lack of a proper kitchen enclosure. To circumvent the issue, Wanze had installed a small table on the private balcony to hold their coal stove, allowing Pan Yue to cook tucked away from prying eyes. In these crowded units, most families prepared their meals directly out in the communal corridors. However, doing so meant the entire floor watched your every move; the moment a household managed to put something savory on the stove, envious neighbors would inevitably crowd around to pass sour remarks. Pan Yue, with her refined upbringing, simply couldn’t tolerate that toxic dynamic.
Wanyan meticulously laid out the clean sheets, fluffed the pillows, and slipped out without lingering. After all, this wasn’t her home, and Pan Yue was the true mistress of the flat.
Returning to her own courtyard, she began preparing the welcome feast. Given the crowd arriving tonight—and considering her grandparents’ exhaustion and Pan Yue’s delicate early pregnancy—a heavy, intensely seasoned meal would be disastrous for their stomachs. It would be far better to simmer a soothing, easily digestible porridge to coat their digestive tracts before introducing rich flavors.
Reviewing her pantry inventory, Wanyan decided on a large pot of savory minced pork and wild green porridge—light, intensely nourishing, and packed with vitamins. However, with three active soldiers sitting down at her table tonight, a simple pot of porridge wouldn’t come close to satisfying their appetites.
She rolled up her sleeves and set to work kneading a massive batch of dough to steam fresh white flour buns. Personally, Wanyan detested the dry texture of plain steamed buns. She ducked into her bedroom, pulled an electric food processor from her space, and threw in prime cuts of pork and fresh scallions, pulsing the mixture until it formed a perfectly seasoned, savory meat paste to stuff the buns.
