Chapter 302: Educating Children from an Early Age
After thoroughly massaging her feet, Gu Tingxiao wiped away the remaining water stains and picked up a jar of vanishing cream, gently smoothing the rich lotion over her heels and calves.
Once her skin was soft and thoroughly moisturized, he carefully lifted her legs and settled her back onto the mattress.
“Now hide beneath the quilt and get some rest,” he murmured, picking up the enamel basin. Sheng Wanyan watched his broad shoulders and strong back as he carried the foot basin out of the bedroom.
This man really was incredibly attractive. Even his casual stride practically radiated testosterone.
Sheng Wanyan wasn’t usually the type to gawk at handsome men—having grown up in the modern era of her past life, she had seen plenty of polished young heirs and attractive elites. Yet, she was genuinely captivated by Gu Tingxiao. He possessed a rare blend of rugged wildness and meticulous tenderness, packed into a perfect inverted-triangle physique.
Her mind wandered back to the warm summer evenings when he would wash up in the courtyard, his thin white undershirt damp and clinging to his frame. She found herself utterly delighted by the fact that this fierce, commanding man was hers to touch, and she could trail her fingers over his defined eight-pack abs whenever she pleased.
When Gu Tingxiao stepped back into the chamber after completing his own evening routine, he caught the dazed, blushing look on his wife’s face and let out a quiet, knowing chuckle. The little lady is clearly daydreaming about something scandalous again.
“Hey,” he teased softly, leaning over her. “Come back to reality.”
Sheng Wanyan snapped out of her daze at the sound of his deep voice, instantly mortified at being caught admiring him. She pulled the heavy quilt entirely over her head to hide her burning face.
Gu Tingxiao wisely chose not to press the issue. He knew his boundaries; if he teased her a fraction too much, his proud wife would likely kick him out of the bed space entirely and banish him to the sofa out of sheer embarrassment.
He quietly adjusted little Yi Yi’s blankets, blew out the flickering kerosene lamp, and slid onto the raised platform bed, pulling his wife securely into his arms.
Sheng Wanyan absolutely cherished sleeping in his embrace during the freezing northern winters. His body functioned like a natural furnace, making it incredibly cozy and comfortable to curl against his chest. However, the arrangement became a hilarious battle of wills once summer arrived; his skin ran so hot that she would sweat profusely if she leaned against him for too long. Consequently, she operated exactly like a spoiled little capitalist—clinging to him fiercely when the frost hit, but pushing him far away the exact second the weather turned warm.
Gu Tingxiao was entirely helpless against her double standards. He occasionally resolved to teach the little lady a proper lesson about fairness, but the moment he looked down at her, he couldn’t bear to cause her a single ounce of discomfort. Ultimately, he could only indulge her spoiled behavior, allowing her to command their domestic space exactly as she saw fit.
Before long, Sheng Wanyan fell into a deep, peaceful slumber. Gu Tingxiao tightened his arm around her waist, rested his chin gently against the crown of her head, and let himself drift off to sleep alongside her.
By the time Sheng Wanyan opened her eyes the following morning, Gu Tingxiao had already slipped out at the crack of dawn to report for morning drills. He had even used his brief breakfast window to run down to the regiment’s mess hall, carrying a hot, freshly prepared breakfast back to the cottage.
This way, she could focus her initial morning energy entirely on the newborn, spared from the hassle of lighting the stove and scrambling to cook in a frantic rush.
Truth be told, ever since he had officially reported back to his unit, Gu Tingxiao’s mind had been plagued by a constant, lingering worry about how she would manage the baby completely solo. Child-rearing was an immensely grueling, exhausting test of endurance. Having actively shared the burden of parenting over the past two months, he had firsthand knowledge of just how physically demanding it was to safeguard their precious little girl.
The endless cycle of feedings, meticulous diaper changes, and prolonged rocking sessions required an immense amount of stamina. He was a hardened, active-duty soldier in peak physical condition, yet even he found the relentless sleep deprivation and manual labor a massive test of his reserves; he couldn’t bear to think of his delicate wife tackling it completely isolated.
Driven by that urgency, Gu Tingxiao tore through his administrative duties with blinding speed, sprinting back across the base the literal second the noon whistle blew. He crossed the threshold just as Sheng Wanyan was gathering a batch of soiled diapers.
“Sweetheart, drop the basin,” he commanded gently, intercepting her path. “Leave the laundry and diapers for me to handle the second I get off work. Your only job right now is to keep yourself rested and look after the baby.”
Without giving her a chance to argue, he smoothly took the heavy enamel washbasin from her hands, marched out to the courtyard well, and began methodically scrubbing the soiled cotton diapers.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t attempt to reclaim the chore; managing a high-needs infant solo during the morning hours genuinely exhausted her reserves. She preferred to utilize the brief afternoon windows when Yi Yi was napping to quietly tidy the main rooms and run light loads through the wash.
Now, with Gu Tingxiao automatically stepping in to shoulder the bulk of the heavy laundry, deep cleaning, and rigorous domestic tasks, her burden was slashed in half. Her primary responsibilities were reduced to preparing their basic meals and managing the nursery logistics. Having her husband actively split the physical weight of the homestead the moment he returned from the barracks allowed her a highly critical, life-saving window to simply catch her breath.
“You already endure a punishing training schedule at the barracks all day,” she noted, stepping onto the porch to watch him. “To come straight home and immediately dive into manual labor is far too exhausting.”
“I’m a soldier, Wanyan; a bit of household scrubbing doesn’t phase me,” Gu Tingxiao replied, his powerful arms making quick work of the heavy fabric. “You’re the one enduring the real, unyielding labor here.”
He had long since grown adapted to the grueling, high-intensity physical output of military drills. He was a grown man possessing an exceptionally resilient, strong physique; extending his energy to maintain his own homestead was a matter of basic principle. These were his own daughter’s diapers, and this was his own private sanctuary. Was he truly supposed to just kick his boots up and lounge idly on the sofa the second he clocked out, watching his wife wear herself to the bone?
His wife’s contribution to their family was every bit as significant as his military salary, and he refused to ignore the invisible, draining weight of perpetual domestic labor.
“From this point forward,” he instructed, wringing out a clean cloth, “just stack the dirty linens and diapers in the basket. I will systematically wash them the moment my shift ends every afternoon.”
Sheng Wanyan offered a contented nod. Since her husband had laid down such a firm, protective boundary, she was more than happy to defer to his logistics. Having a true partner actively eager to share the domestic load was a magnificent blessing. This was Gu Tingxiao’s home just as much as it was hers; there was absolutely zero logical reason for her to shoulder the entire domestic burden in isolation while he sat by as a passive guest.
Society constantly drummed into women’s heads that men had it incredibly hard earning wages to anchor the family finances, implying they earned the absolute right to be coddled and rested the moment they crossed the threshold. Yet, calculating her monthly literary royalties from the capital newspapers, she actually hauled in a significantly larger income than Gu Tingxiao’s captain salary.
If Gu Tingxiao had been infected with the traditional, patriarchal mindset of the typical men of this era, he would have undoubtedly demanded to be treated like an untouchable king within these walls. But true value wasn’t found in reinforcing outdated gender hierarchies; it was found in actively nurturing a peaceful, supportive home. If it weren’t for her deep desire to forge a beautiful, secure future for their child, what independent woman would willingly volunteer to spend her days scrubbing floors and managing a never-ending loop of household chores? She certainly wouldn’t.
“I packed a fresh container of hot food from the officers’ mess,” Gu Tingxiao added, gesturing toward the table. “Go sit down and eat your lunch while it’s hot.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded, moving into the dining room to enjoy her meal. Little Yi Yi had just completed her midday feeding and was settled comfortably into her afternoon nap. This quiet window granted Sheng Wanyan a highly critical pocket of personal time to focus on her translation texts.
Once Gu Tingxiao concluded the laundry and wolfed down his own portion of lunch, he stepped into the bedroom, stretching out along the platform bed to enjoy a brief, restorative nap alongside his daughter. Sheng Wanyan remained at the dining table, her fountain pen scratching smoothly across the translation sheets so she wouldn’t disturb their rest.
The moment the alarm signaled his return to duty, Gu Tingxiao arose seamlessly. He stepped up to the table, delivered a brief breakdown of his afternoon schedule, and leaned down to press a tender kiss against her forehead.
“Keep your hands clear of the cold well water,” he reminded her softly before checking his cap and marching out the front gate.
Once the courtyard gate clicked shut, Sheng Wanyan gently touched the spot where his lips had grazed her skin, a soft, radiant smile blooming on her face.
With her daughter still sleeping deeply, she closed the main door to lock out the autumn draft and whistled quietly for their loyal dog. Maodou bounded into the bedroom, his tail wagging smoothly.
“Keep a strict watch over Yi Yi for me,” she instructed, patting his head.
Woof!
Maodou immediately assumed a rigid, military-esque posture, lowering his large body directly flush against the base of the crib like a seasoned guard sentinel.
With her security detail installed, Sheng Wanyan seamlessly retreated into her private spatial domain to focus on her texts. Working within the quiet, isolated parameter of the space allowed her to accelerate her translation speed significantly. The laws of her domain allowed ambient sound from the physical bedroom to filter clearly into her ears, ensuring she would instantly catch the literal first whimper the moment her daughter stirred. She managed her schedule with absolute precision, strictly limiting her spatial retreats to this specific afternoon window every day.
Right on cue at three o’clock, little Yi Yi woke from her slumber, letting out a sharp, demanding cry. Hearing the signal, Sheng Wanyan instantly exited her domain, stepping back into the physical room.
The moment she neared the crib, she found her daughter’s wide, watery eyes frantically scanning the parameters of the nursery. The exact millisecond the baby caught sight of her mother’s familiar form, her frantic wails ceased entirely.
Sheng Wanyan scooped her up, murmuring soft, soothing endearments as she rocked her back and forth until the baby’s tiny face broke into a radiant, happy expression.
Suddenly, a chubby little hand shot forward, firmly latching onto a fistful of Sheng Wanyan’s loose hair. No matter how gently Sheng Wanyan tried to untangle the tiny fingers, the infant refused to release her grip.
Sheng Wanyan let out a helpless laugh. Note to self: I need to strictly pin my hair into a tight bun the moment I wake up, otherwise this little creature will systematically rip my scalp off.
One shouldn’t underestimate the sheer physical strength of a two-month-old baby. When an infant decided to lock their grip onto something, they channeled a surprising amount of raw power; worse still, while the baby held zero reservations about pulling with all her might, a mother couldn’t exactly use brute force against a fragile infant.
Sheng Wanyan had to patiently, meticulously pry the miniature fingers open one by one, only managing to successfully rescue her hair the moment the baby’s grip naturally relaxed.
“Look at you, aren’t you quite the little handful?” she teased, booping her nose.
“Ah~!” Yi Yi babbled, her wide eyes locked onto her mother’s face. She had no concept of vocabulary yet, but she clearly recognized that her mother was interacting with her.
Looking down at that completely innocent, radiant little face, Sheng Wanyan’s heart melted into pure liquid tenderness. She gently transferred her back into the crib, reached for a soft elastic band, and quickly gathered her own hair into a neat, high topknot, exposing her elegant facial features.
She reached into her spatial domain, retrieving a selection of specialized educational development tools calibrated for infancy. A two-month-old child was entering a critical milestone for language acquisition and auditory development. Encouraging the infant to mimic varied cooing sounds like ah and ya was immensely beneficial for wiring her cognitive speech paths early on.
Sheng Wanyan set up an automated childhood storytelling device she had secured from the modern era, carefully calibrated the volume to a soft, soothing decibel, and arranged it neatly on the nursery table to let the educational audio wash over her daughter’s environment.
