Chapter 89
“Master, I need this done urgently. Can you finish it today?” Qiao Wei took out the drawing she had made and showed it to the Old Tailor. “Also, I don’t have any suitable fabric. Could you provide the material? Fabric scraps will do. But I need it to be thick—the thicker, the better.”
The Old Tailor pushed up his glasses to look closely and asked, “What is this for?”
This military spouse was always a bit different from the others.
She came from the city, after all, the old man thought.
He missed those big cities, with all their vibrant colors and bustle.
Qiao Wei explained, “You see, that little chair on the bike outside is too hard and hurts the bottom. I need a seat cushion, and this other part is a backrest cushion. Both need to have straps sewn on so I can tie them to the chair to secure them.”
“Can you finish them today? I need to use them tomorrow.”
“In such a rush for just a cushion…” the Old Tailor muttered, heading into the back room of the tailor shop.
Qiao Wei followed him in, and Yan Xiang, who had tagged along to play, followed too.
“Whoa~” the little boy exclaimed in awe.
So many fabric scraps.
The room wasn’t big; it had one cabinet and two large wooden tables against the walls, which must have been the Old Tailor’s workstations.
Qiao Wei saw an iron—not an electric one, but a solid iron one. It must have been the type heated on a stove.
There were so many various fabric scraps; they were piled high on the tables and the floor. It could be called a mountain of scraps.
Although it was messy, to a child, it felt a bit like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.
And isn’t that exactly what kids love?
The Old Tailor rummaged around and found suitable fabric scraps. He cut out many pieces of the same shape and then started pedaling his old-fashioned sewing machine, which clattered away.
Things like cushions were much simpler than tailoring clothes and didn’t take long to make. Qiao Wei watched from the side.
Yan Xiang looked at the two adults, who were ignoring him.
Then he turned his head to sneak a peek at that mountain-like pile of fabric scraps. In the end, he couldn’t resist and dove right in.
“Whoa~” a soft mountain caught him.
Hehehe.
The two cushions were finished in no time. The Old Tailor handed them to Qiao Wei: “Take a look.”
Qiao Wei squeezed them; they were thick and soft. Yan Xiang’s little bottom was in for a treat.
Just as she was about to praise him, they both heard a “thud.”
They turned their heads at the sound and were immediately left speechless.
Yan Xiang had dove into the pile of fabric scraps, but this time he had been too vigorous and slid under the workbench.
A white cloth, which no longer looked white, was draped over the workbench and hung all the way to the floor. Only Yan Xiang’s two little short legs could be seen sticking out, kicking about.
Just as Qiao Wei moved, the Old Tailor had already rushed over in two or three steps and pulled Yan Xiang out: “Oh dear, did you bump yourself?”
Yan Xiang rubbed the top of his head and pouted: “It’s so hard…”
“Of course it’s hard,” the old man said. “Don’t cry. Let me see if you’re a real man. You’re the child of a military family! Your father is a soldier, don’t embarrass him.”
Hearing this, Yan Xiang held it in: “I won’t cry!”
Tears were swirling in his eyes.
It was truly both annoying and funny.
“Thank you, Master! I’ll come to you again for clothes next time!”
Qiao Wei paid the bill and led Yan Xiang out.
The Old Tailor followed her out, stood at the door, and with his hands on his hips, watched her tie the two cushions onto the seat and backrest.
That bicycle was brand new.
“Your husband…” the Old Tailor started, but only shook his head and smiled, “He really dotes on his wife.”
He looked at the child’s seat and praised again: “And he really dotes on his son, too.”
Qiao Wei had already lifted Yan Xiang onto the child’s seat and said with a smile: “Of course he loves his own son.”
“Not necessarily. When there are many children, things change.” The Old Tailor came over, patted Yan Xiang’s head, and asked: “Is he an only son?”
“Yes.”
“Well, there you go,” the Old Tailor sighed. “An only son, how could he not be loved?”
A gentle, loving light shone in the Old Tailor’s eyes.
She had heard he had no children of his own, so Qiao Wei didn’t dare to ask.
She rode the bike, taking Yan Xiang home.
Goodness, the town was full of people riding bicycles, all brand new.
Had all thirty of those bicycles come out for a ride?
Whether they were out to show off or not, she didn’t know, but almost all the townspeople had come out to watch the spectacle, pointing and staring.
Naturally, they were envious: “The Military Unit is just great.”
Qiao Wei was surrounded by onlookers the whole way.
At this time, bicycles weren’t common, and who had ever seen a seat specifically for a child? It was too rare.
“Which father is this, doting on his child so much?”
“Must be an only son.”
The words drifted into Qiao Wei’s ears. It had only been a short while, and she had already heard the term “only son” for the second time.
Many children ran after the bicycles through the streets, laughing and cheering.
Some children were dirty, and their families didn’t care. Some wore ragged clothes, and some wore clothes that were too big, obviously leftovers from older siblings.
There were too many children, and that’s how it was.
When there are many children, they aren’t valued.
Give birth to ten and lose five, and the remaining five are there to provide for your old age.
They weren’t valuable; they were cheap.
Back home, Yan Lei stood up from his precious vegetable patch: “You’re back.”
Qiao Wei pushed the bike in with a cold face, put down the kickstand, and gave a faint “Mn.”
Yan Lei: “?”
Yan Lei wiped his hands: “What’s wrong?”
Qiao Wei ignored him and didn’t even look at him properly.
Yan Xiang happily came over to tell Yan Lei: “Dad, my chair is so comfortable!”
“Mn, go play.” Yan Lei gently pushed aside Yan Xiang’s little head, wanting to check on his wife.
His wife was acting strange.
Little did he know, Qiao Wei would flare up: “Why are you pushing him! Don’t touch his head!”
Yan Xiang’s little head had been bumped earlier today.
Qiao Wei pulled Yan Xiang over, crouched down, and blew on it to soothe him.
Yan Lei: “…”
He had only gently pushed him aside; he hadn’t slapped the child.
What was going on?
Qiao Wei glared at him, picked up Yan Xiang, and huffed: “Let’s go, we’re ignoring Dad!”
Yan Xiang: “?”
The mother and son went into the house.
Yan Lei: “???”
Yan Lei was completely bewildered.
What happened during one trip out?
He hadn’t done anything wrong, so why the sudden change of attitude?
Last night they were as close as could be, practically inseparable.
What was going on?
Yan Lei didn’t know; he had indeed done nothing wrong in this life, but in his past life, or rather, in a parallel universe… that was hard to say.
The more Qiao Wei thought about it, the angrier she got.
Yan Lei loved Yan Xiang; she could feel that deeply.
Then why, in the original story, did Yan Xiang become a silent, quiet teenager?
Is it really true that having a stepmother means having a stepfather?
She had thought about it the whole way while riding the bike and figured it out.
In the original story, the original female lead Lin Xixi was determined to marry Yan Lei just to cling to his coattails.
To bind this man who would become a high-ranking official in the future, Lin Xixi tried hard to have children with Yan Lei.
She gave birth to many children for Yan Lei, creating a house full of descendants and a thriving family.
Yan Xiang was no longer Yan Lei’s only son!
When there are many children, they aren’t valued.
A father’s love is diluted.
Especially since Dad didn’t love this son’s mother, who had eloped and died.
It was very likely that this resentment also stood between father and son.
Ah, she was furious.
Yan Lei actually stopped loving Yan Xiang, or at least stopped loving him exclusively.
The thought of Yan Lei possibly holding even younger sons and daughters affectionately, doting on them, giving them money, buying them new clothes, feeding them delicious food and drinks, while Yan Xiang stood in the corner of the room just watching, made Qiao Wei want to explode with anger!
She had been angry the whole way!
When she got home and saw Yan Lei, how could she have a good expression!
“Ignore him! We’re ignoring him!” She sat in the room holding Yan Xiang and said.
Yan Xiang: “?”
He didn’t quite understand what was wrong with Mom.
“Mom, don’t be angry.” Yan Xiang gently patted her chest to help her calm down.
Although he didn’t understand, it didn’t stop the little boy from being gentle and considerate to his mother.
Qiao Wei’s nose felt sore, and tears almost fell.
This was her son.
She had the memories.
Ten months of pregnancy, the belly heavy and often tightening in waves.
Even turning over in bed was difficult.
On the delivery bed, the pain made her scream for her dad and grandma; giving birth was simply life-threatening.
This was the child she had given birth to; she had that memory.
Rationally, Qiao Wei knew she was a transmigrator, having replaced the original Qiao Weiwei.
But now, both mentally and physically, she was Yan Xiang’s real mother.
The thought of other children diluting the love Yan Xiang deserved was unbearable to her.
She couldn’t stand it, not even a little bit!
“No more children! Mom won’t have any more children!” Qiao Wei made a decision at that moment.
Yan Xiang was confused.
“Mom won’t have more children, and Yan Xiang will always be Dad’s only son and big treasure!”
“Don’t let your dad have any other children!”
Yan Xiang thought for a moment and asked cautiously: “Then I won’t have any younger brothers or sisters either, right?”
Aunt Yang had told him many times to ask his mom and dad to give him younger siblings, saying it would be lively with them in the house.
But Yan Xiang always felt Jun Jun was too noisy and Wu Nier was too much to worry about, always fearing she would fall when walking, so Yan Xiang had never mentioned wanting younger siblings to his parents.
“Mn! No younger brothers or sisters. Our Yan Xiang is Dad’s only child.”
“He must only love you.”
“Dad is Yan Xiang’s dad alone, no one can take him away.”
Yan Xiang asked: “What about Mom?”
Qiao Wei said: “Mom is also Yan Xiang’s mom alone, no one can take her away.”
Yan Xiang became happy: “Okay, no younger brothers or sisters.”
At this moment, Yan Lei called for Yan Xiang outside: “Yan Xiang, Yan Xiang—come out for a second, Yan Xiang—”
Yan Xiang looked at the window, then at his mother.
“Go ahead.” Qiao Wei let him go.
Her emotions had calmed down.
She could be angry at Yan Lei, but she couldn’t instill the idea that “Dad is bad” into Yan Xiang.
She had to let him love his father too. Love is mutual. Only when Yan Lei felt Yan Xiang’s love for his father would he love this son more.
The father and son had to be loving to each other until they grew old and died, for her sake.
Hmph.
Yan Lei crouched down and asked Yan Xiang in a low voice: “What’s wrong with Mom? What were you two talking about in the room?”
Yan Xiang said: “Talking about having younger brothers and sisters.”
“Ah?” Yan Lei didn’t expect this topic and was surprised, “What did Mom say?”
“Mom said she won’t have younger brothers or sisters, she only wants me as a child.”
Yan Lei rubbed his chin, thinking, and asked: “Did you meet someone outside?”
Well… the wives of his comrades were sometimes quite gossipy and loved to meddle in others’ family affairs. Sometimes when you ran into them, they would nag you.
Not to mention the wives, even Regimental Commander Zhao had told him several times to have more children, saying one was too few and not safe.
But Yan Lei thought about Gangzi, who couldn’t recite the quotations and was still stuck in fifth grade; then he looked at Huazi, who had no ideas of his own; and Junzi, who just wiped his snot directly on his shirt collar…
Yan Lei deeply felt that when it came to having children, quality was more important than quantity.
Yan Xiang’s eyes showed intelligence.
Several times he had seen Yan Xiang reading books, and he wondered if he could understand them; his mother said, “I taught him to recognize characters.”
Obviously, his son had inherited his mother’s ability to learn. He would definitely be an educated person in the future!
Yan Lei was very confident; his one son could equal ten of others’ sons.
Of course, nine more such sons would be better. If a few more cute little girls like flowers or snow could come along, that would be even better.
Unfortunately, Qiao Wei refused to have more. She had been scared by the first birth.
Sigh.
Yan Lei patted Yan Xiang’s back: “Go to Uncle Zhao’s house and find Jun Jun to play.”
“Eh? But…” Jun Jun was too noisy, and Yan Xiang didn’t really like playing with him.
“Go, stay at Jun Jun’s house until eleven o’clock before coming back, and Dad will reward you… hmm, with three candies.”
Yan Xiang’s eyes lit up: “Really?”
“Really. Don’t tell your mom.” Otherwise, both of them would get scolded.
“I won’t tell!” Yan Xiang covered his mouth, “Then I’m going!”
His little short legs ran away quickly.
Yan Lei stood up and headed into the house.
Although he didn’t know which gossiping wife had run into her and angered her, causing him to suffer this unprovoked disaster, Yan Lei planned to use the method of making up in bed to make her dissipate her anger. This had been verified by practice and was very effective.
Yan Xiang ran to find Jun Jun to play, but Jun Jun wasn’t home.
“They all went out to ride the bikes,” Regimental Commander Zhao greeted Yan Xiang with a smile, “Come, Yan Xiang, come, it’s rare for you to come to find Jun Jun to play. Come eat some peanuts.”
The family had just bought a new 28-inch bicycle, and Gangzi had ridden it out to show off, with the younger siblings following along.
Regimental Commander Zhao was drinking and eating peanuts, undisturbed, and was very happy.
Sister Yang came out wiping her hands on her apron and saw Yan Xiang; a smile immediately appeared on her face: “Yan Xiang is here. Where is your mom?”
She thought Qiao Wei had come over, but there was no one else.
Yan Xiang said: “Mom is at home. Dad told me to come over to play.”
Regimental Commander Zhao pulled him to the small table and sat him on a stool, feeding him peanuts: “Where is your dad?”
Yan Xiang swallowed the peanut: “At home talking to Mom about something.”
Regimental Commander Zhao fed him another peanut: “What are they talking about?”
He tossed one into the air himself, tilted his head back, and caught it with his mouth.
“Talking about having younger brothers and sisters.” Yan Xiang chewed the peanut, “Dad told me not to come home until 11 o’clock.”
A choking sound exploded.
Regimental Commander Zhao Dongsheng, commander of the 15th Regiment of the 821st Division, almost died heroically from a peanut.
Sister Yang’s laughter broke through the sky.
