Lu Cheng was indeed worried about Lu Haici. After all, Lin Qingqing would use the century-old mountain ginseng to ask for marriage with him, which showed that this person had some deviations in his behavior. Of course, although Lu Cheng had to marry Lin Qingqing because of the century-old mountain ginseng, he also investigated Lin Qingqing and the Lin family before the marriage.
The Lin family had a good reputation in the brigade. Grandpa Lin was a respected barefoot doctor in the brigade, and Grandma Lin was a shrewd and somewhat aggressive old lady in the brigade. The rest of the Lin family, except for Lin Qingqing, who was partial to her, were all hardworking and did not cause trouble. As for Lin Qingqing, under the pampering of the Lin family, there was no other rumor about her except that she was lazy.
It doesn't matter if she is lazy. Lu Cheng and Lin Qingqing got married under such circumstances. His only requirement for Lin Qingqing was that she would not bully Lu Haici. As for the rest, he would just raise another little girl. At his age of 28, isn't the 19-year-old Lin Qingqing just a little girl in his eyes
Lu Cheng's steps seemed steady, but his speed was much faster than usual.
The military unit and the family quarters are two areas, and it only takes five minutes to get there.
"Deputy Colonel Lu is back. Your wife is amazing." Walking into the family compound, especially the alley on the Lu family's side, Lu Cheng heard someone greet him. But this greeting... Lu Cheng didn't want it. When he heard the military wife who usually took care of Lu Haici say this to him, his first reaction was, what happened to Lin Qingqing
Lu Cheng's eyebrows knitted slightly. Just as he was about to ask, he heard someone speak again: "Deputy Captain Lu, your wife had a quarrel with Yang Mailian and Zhang Hongping today. Your wife did it alone and won the quarrel."
Lu Cheng frowned, his mind was blank. He couldn't imagine Lin Qingqing winning the argument against Yang Mailian and Zhang Hongping.
"Why are they arguing?" Lu Cheng asked calmly. He was not angry. He would not jump to a biased conclusion before the matter was clear.
"This matter is also related to your Haici..." The military wife told the story again. Of course, she also knew everything about the conversation between Lin Qingqing and Yang Mailian, because the situation at that time was so impressive, especially what Lu Cheng's wife said. Oh my god, this was the first time she heard such interesting words in her half life.
When Lu Cheng heard Qin Ming scolding Lu Haici for not having a mother and saying that Lin Qingqing's stepmother was not a good mother, his brows furrowed. But when he heard Lin Qingqing asking Yang Mailian whether she should call her sister-in-law or sister-in-law, he couldn't help but curl his lips. For some reason, his unhappiness suddenly disappeared. He couldn't imagine that the little girl would say such a thing
"I'd like to trouble my sister-in-law to take care of Qingqing and her son during this period." Lu Cheng said after hearing the reason.
"Nothing, nothing... By the way, Deputy Captain Lu, your wife fell ill a few days ago and almost died."
Lu Cheng's heart tightened: "What's wrong with her?" No matter what the reason for their marriage, they were husband and wife after all, and he was also grateful to Lin Qingqing for the old mountain ginseng she gave to her aunt, so he also cared about Lin Qingqing.
"Maybe it was due to the unfamiliar climate. She was sick for half a month, then had a fever and fell into a coma. Sister Yu asked us to take her to the hospital together. You don't know that her fever was over 40 degrees. The doctor said it was a miracle that she survived. You are old after all, and your wife is young. You should take better care of her and give in to her."
"That's right."
…
Lu Cheng, who had grown from a prime man to an old man, stood at the gate of his home, looking at the clothes drying in the yard, which still smelled of soap. He listened to the voices coming from inside the house. Although he couldn't hear what was being said, he could still distinguish the gentle tone of the woman's voice mixed with the happy voice of the little boy.
For some reason, at this moment, his heart suddenly felt relaxed.
In the hall, Lu Haici ate noodles in small bites without stopping. "Mom, I apologized to Qin Ming today."
Lin Qingqing listened and praised: "Hai Ci is really well behaved."
Lu Haici's lips curled up. He loved it when his mother praised him. "I also gave Qin Ming a piece of candy and asked his grandmother not to say bad things about his mother. Qin Ming agreed."
Lin Qingqing was a little surprised. This kid is too smart, isn't he? But at the same time, she was more touched. She gave Lu Haici a thumbs up and said, "Son, you are really the best."
Hearing his mother calling him son, Lu Haici's mouth curled up even higher. "I also gave Qin Ming a piece of tofu pancake. Qin Ming asked for it himself. Qin Ming said that he would exchange it with me for a small cake tomorrow. Mom, I will give you a small cake tomorrow. The small cake is delicious. My aunt bought it before."
Lin Qingqing listened and thought that if she had an oven, she would make small cakes. However, even if there was no oven, she could make it, provided that there was a stove. However, a stove is not as convenient as an oven, and it may take a little longer to bake. "To thank our Haici, mom will make you baked potatoes tomorrow." Baked potatoes made with soy sauce and sugar tasted first-class whether as a side dish or a snack.
"I'll wash potatoes for my mother." Lu Haici immediately arranged his work.
"Okay, with the division of labor between men and women, the work won't be tiring." Lin Qingqing said.
"What are you eating? It smells so good." Suddenly, a low voice sounded.
The mother and son who were chatting and eating looked towards the door together, and saw a tall figure standing at the door of the hall. The man had his back to the setting sun outside, forming a shadow, but it still couldn't cover his handsome features.
His voice was a little cold, but very low. Lin Qingqing felt that the abstinence voice of the cold flower mentioned on the Internet should be like this, which would make people's ears feel itchy.
No wonder the original owner fell in love with him at first sight. If this look were placed in reality, Lin Qingqing felt that she might not be able to resist it. Of course, this kind of inability to resist does not mean that she will fall in love with the man in front of her at first sight, but that she will also appreciate men with outstanding looks.
Lu Cheng saw that the big and small ones looked at him with the same expression. The big one's eyes were wide open, full of surprise. The small one's eyes were also wide open, but his eyes were full of surprise.
"Dad, you're back." Lu Haici jumped off the stool, ran towards Lu Cheng, and threw himself into Lu Cheng's arms. "Dad, why did you come back just now? Mom almost died." His tone was filled with grievance and complaints. Only in front of his own father would Lu Haici complain like this. No matter how good Lin Qingqing was to him these two days, he still didn't dare to let go of himself and act willful in front of Lin Qingqing.
Lin Qingqing didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "..." Thank you, you don't have to say that.
Lu Cheng hugged his son and looked at Lin Qingqing apologetically: "I heard from the military wives outside. I'm sorry that I didn't take good care of you."
Lin Qingqing hurriedly said, "No, no, no, it has nothing to do with you. You are out on a mission, so even if you want to take care of me, you are unable to do so. Besides, Hai Ci has been taking care of me for you for the past half month. He is a little man."
When Lu Haici heard this, he immediately agreed in all seriousness: "Well, I'm taking care of Mom on behalf of Dad. It doesn't matter if Dad doesn't come back."
Lu Cheng: "... Thank you." He rubbed his son's head, even though he heard what his son said, it seemed like he was redundant. Although he was talking to Lu Haici, his eyes were always on Lin Qingqing. He didn't know if it was his illusion, but after not seeing her for half a month, he felt the change in Lin Qingqing.
First of all, isn't she a lazy person? The clothes hanging outside with the smell of soap don't look like something a lazy person would wash. If she had to wash them at home without anyone to help her, then the way she looked at me, from the shock just now to the vagueness now, was not as passionate as before.
Although he didn't like Lin Qingqing, her eyes were full of passion from the moment Lin Qingqing first confessed to him at her aunt's house.
Lu Cheng couldn't figure it out, maybe this was because women's hearts were like the sea. If Lu Cheng was asked to analyze the enemy's plots on the battlefield, he could penetrate the inner world through the appearance and analyze it clearly, but if he was asked to analyze the mind of a female comrade... he couldn't analyze it at all.
Lin Qingqing also curled the corners of her mouth because of Lu Haici's words, but she was very considerate and didn't laugh out loud. When Lu Cheng came in carrying Lu Haici and put him back on the stool, she suddenly asked, "Have you eaten?" After all, he was a stranger, and she felt a little uncomfortable in this small space.
Lu Cheng: "Not yet, I'll go to the cafeteria to see if there's anything to eat, just make do with whatever you have."
"Let me go and clean your lower abdomen." Lin Qingqing quickly got up and walked out. "It will be there soon." She needed some private space to calm down her inner tension.
"Can you do it down there?" Lu Cheng didn't refuse. No matter how polite he was, and no matter what the reason for their marriage was, they were husband and wife after all, and they still had to learn to integrate into each other's lives.
Lin Qingqing had already walked to the door. After hearing his words, she joked, "I never cooked when I was in my hometown, but I would watch my grandma cook, so my cooking skills are pretty good. Maybe it's a natural talent."
When Lu Haici heard what his father said, he said dissatisfiedly, "Mom's cooking is delicious. She can make fried rice with egg, mashed potatoes, tofu pancakes, and tomato scrambled eggs with noodles." As Lu Haici said this, he did not forget to pick up the chopsticks and pick up a chopstick of noodles, "Dad, eat it." He seems very generous, but if you ignore the fact that there are only two or three noodles on the chopsticks.
Lu Cheng lowered his head and took a bite without hesitation. Then his eyes flashed with surprise. The tomato scrambled eggs not only looked good, but also tasted appetizing. Lu Cheng was not a person who liked to eat tomatoes, but he liked the taste of this tomato scrambled eggs.
Seeing his father staring at his face, Lu Haici covered his bowl with his little hands: "No more."
Seeing this, Lu Cheng patted his son's head again and said, "You're so stingy. Eat slowly." With that, he strode out.
In the kitchen, Lin Qingqing had already lit the fire. She was going to make some tomato scrambled eggs and noodles. The noodles were kneaded in the afternoon. She kneaded more noodles in the afternoon, so that she could make vegetable dumplings tomorrow morning.
"Do you want my help?" Lu Cheng came to the kitchen door and saw the people busy in the kitchen. He was still a little dazed. He had never thought that one day, when he returned home, someone would cook for him. At this moment, seeing such a scene, he felt a little touched.
Lin Qingqing said: "No need... Why don't you go fetch two buckets of water? There's no water for bathing tonight." It would be ok as long as this man didn't stand in front of her.
"Okay." Lu Cheng picked up the wooden barrel and went out.
When she saw him leave, Lin Qingqing sighed heavily. She was so nervous just now, and she didn't know how to get along with Lu Cheng. Although she had thought about what would happen after Lu Cheng came back, she tried to keep a normal mind, after all, she couldn't divorce Lu Cheng for the time being. But when Lu Cheng really came back, she couldn't avoid being nervous.
Forget it, let's just let it go. But... what should I do at night? Suggest sleeping in separate rooms? Obviously not. You know, the original owner wanted to pounce on Lu Cheng before, if she proposed sleeping in separate rooms, it would be too weird. So... Lin Qingqing's eyes lit up, and she had an idea in her mind.
When Lu Cheng came back with the water, Lin Qingqing's noodles had already been cooked. The soup in the pot was boiling and the noodles were rolling in the soup.
When Lu Cheng carried the water into the kitchen, he could still smell the aroma of tomato and egg soup. The aroma was very strong, similar to the aroma of the noodles that Lu Haici had picked up for him.
Lu Cheng put the bucket in place and did not leave, but stood by the stove and watched. The kitchen, which was originally not big, seemed a little crowded because of his arrival.
Lu Cheng asked: "Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Lin Qingqing said: "No need, the noodles are ready to eat."
Lu Cheng: "Yeah."
The two of them asked and answered each other, and the kitchen fell into an eerie silence again. This silence made Lin Qingqing very uncomfortable, and she took the initiative to bring up the topic: "Um... There is something I haven't told you."
Lu Cheng's gaze shifted from the dough in the iron pot to him: "What's the matter?"
Lin Qingqing met his eyes. His eyes were deep and sharp. Lin Qingqing unconsciously looked away and locked her eyes on the pimple. "Actually, after we got married, my aunt secretly gave me 1,500 yuan. She said... I couldn't use my dowry of old mountain ginseng for nothing. She told me not to tell you. I... I wanted to keep it as private money, but after thinking about it, I decided it was inappropriate."
Lu Cheng raised his eyebrows. He really didn't know about this, and his aunt hadn't told him about it. Lu Cheng remembered that her eyes were a little erratic just now, and she was a little nervous now. Could it be that she was worried about this? Thinking about it this way, Lu Cheng felt that it was normal. After all, she was only 19 years old, and he couldn't think too much about her.
Lu Cheng didn't care about the 1,500 yuan, but since Lin Qingqing took the initiative to bring it up, he agreed in his heart: "Originally, I should have given you the money for the old mountain ginseng. Since your aunt gave it to you, you can keep it as your private money. I will give you pocket money and living expenses. When I first arrived at the army, I was in a hurry to go on a mission, and I didn't discuss the issue of expenses with you. Do you have any ideas?"
Lin Qingqing said: "I don't have any ideas, if you have any, you can mention them."
Lu Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Then I will give you half of my monthly salary and save the remaining half. If there is an emergency at home, we can go and get it. What do you think? My monthly salary is 127 yuan, and if I go on a mission, I will get a mission bonus."
Lin Qingqing listened to him discussing these things in an orderly manner and found it a little incredible and novel. "Okay, I'll listen to you. But I also have an idea of my own." For the time being, she had no money, so she could only use Lu Cheng's salary.
"You tell me." This was the first time he discussed these topics with her, and it felt better than he had imagined. Before, because of the reason for their marriage, Lu Cheng didn't like to discuss things with her. In his opinion, she was just a little girl who didn't know the world, but now he found that his previous thoughts were wrong. She seemed to have a different personality from what he had analyzed.
Lin Qingqing said: "I plan to find a job, otherwise I will have nothing to do at home every day, what do you think?"
When Lu Cheng heard this, he agreed and said, "Okay." After thinking for a while, he asked again, "I'll go ask tomorrow what kind of work there is in the army, or what kind of work you want to do. You can also tell me and I'll keep an eye on it."
When Lin Qingqing heard him say this, she felt that this man had a very good outlook on life. She turned her head and looked at him again. Seeing that he was still staring at her, she immediately retracted her gaze and said, "I want to find a job as a chef in the cafeteria." Although she could also be a kindergarten teacher, she liked to cook, so she preferred the cafeteria.
Lu Cheng: "..." Although he smelled the fragrance of the meal, he himself had no confidence in her cooking skills. He reminded her implicitly, "Are you sure? Can you do a good job in the canteen? Before I got married, my grandmother came to me and said that you have been spoiled since you were a child and can't do any housework, let alone cooking." So she hoped that he could tolerate it. That's why Lu Cheng asked this question.
But then, Lu Cheng remembered the clothes hanging outside, so her grandmother might not understand her.
Lin Qingqing said, "When I was a girl, my grandmother loved me so much that I didn't have to do any housework. But now that I have a family, of course I have to learn to be independent." As she spoke, she scooped up the noodles and said, "How about this, you eat the meals I cook for a few days. If you agree, you can help me look for work in this area later. What do you think?" Instead of looking for it aimlessly by herself, it is a good choice to let Lu Cheng help her keep an eye out.
Without investigation, there is no right to decide.
Lu Cheng thought Lin Qingqing's suggestion was a good one.
The discussion with Lu Cheng went smoothly, which made Lin Qingqing feel very good. She picked up the soup bowl and said, "Let's go and eat... It's so hot." Halfway through her words, she immediately withdrew her hand and blew on her fingers with her mouth.
"Are you burned? Let me see." Lu Cheng took her hand without saying anything. Unlike his rough hands, her hands were soft, white and tender, like a boiled egg that had just been peeled. The two formed a sharp contrast. It might be because her hands were white, but the fingertips were slightly burned and red, but there were no other symptoms.
It was the first time that Lin Qingqing was so close to a man. When he held her hand, she subconsciously wanted to take it back, but he held her tightly. She watched him examine her hand, his eyes stopped on his hand, and then slowly moved to his face.
"It's okay, there are no bubbles." Lu Cheng let go of her hand, picked up the ladle and scooped some water and handed it to her, "Dip your fingers in it and it will be fine. I'll serve the noodles."
Lin gently took the water scoop, put her fingers in, and soaked them in the water. Seeing him holding the soup bowl steadily, she asked, "Isn't it hot for you?"
Lu Cheng said: "It's not hot."
Lin Qingqing: “…” She seems so delicate. She put down the ladle and followed him out of the kitchen.
In the hall, Lu Haici had already finished his tomato and egg noodles. Seeing his father and mother come in, he stretched his neck and looked into Lu Cheng's bowl.
Lu Cheng put down the soup bowl and picked up a piece of noodle dumplings for Lu Haici with chopsticks: "Eat it." He blew into the bowl and then ate it in big mouthfuls. The taste of tomato and egg noodle dumpling soup was stronger than that of tomato and egg noodles, and tasted more fragrant.
At this moment, Lu Cheng overturned his own thoughts. Maybe she could really be competent for the job of a chef in the cafeteria.
Seeing that he was eating quickly, Lin Qingqing asked curiously, "Isn't it hot?" It was just out of the pot.
Lu Cheng said, "It's not hot." After a pause, he added, "It's delicious. Thank you."
Lin smiled gently: "You're welcome."
"Dad, I want to eat more." Lu Haici finished eating a piece of noodle and looked at his father.
"No more." Lu Cheng refused without thinking.
Lu Haici pouted: "Dad, you are lying. There is still so much in your bowl."
Lu Cheng glanced at his son and said, "You only gave me three noodles just now, so I'm already giving you a noodle lump." He still wants a second bite. Do you know how to write the word "filial piety"
Lu Haici argued: "I gave you three noodles, so you should give me three lumps of noodles."
Lin Qingqing laughed out loud when she heard what Lu Haici said. She found that Lu Haici was indeed more lively in front of Lu Cheng. This was probably because he knew who loved him, so he could be "willful" in front of the person who loved him.
When he heard his mother's laughter, Lu Haici blushed and quickly put down his chopsticks: "I... I'm full."
Lin Qingqing smiled and said, "It's not good to eat too much at night. It will cause indigestion. After I finish eating, let's go for a walk to digest the food. If you're hungry later, I'll get you two biscuits, okay?" The tomato and egg noodles she gave him were quite large, enough for a five-year-old child.
"Okay, let's go for a walk." Lu Haici jumped off the stool happily, then stood beside Lin Qingqing and waited.
Lin Qingqing also ate the remaining tomato and egg noodles in a few mouthfuls: "Let's go." She took Lu Haici's hand and the two went for a walk to digest the food. The walk to digest the food was fake, the real purpose was to avoid Lu Cheng.
Lu Cheng turned around and looked at their backs. The setting sun lengthened their silhouettes. He looked at Lu Haici jumping around and talking to Lin Qingqing, who responded gently.
Lu Cheng thought of the days before the wedding. On that day, he told Lu Cheng that he wanted to find him a stepmother. Would he agree? He would always remember that day. Lu Haici's eyes were bright, and he even asked excitedly: "Dad, is the stepmother my mother? Do I have my own mother like Ji Yang?"
At that moment, Lu Cheng didn't know how to answer him, because he couldn't explain the matter between him and Lin Qingqing to a five-year-old child, and he didn't know whether Lin Qingqing would treat Lu Haici as her own son. He didn't ask Lin Qingqing to treat Lu Haici as her own son, but just hoped that she could take care of him as a relative's child.
But at that time, he couldn't bear to disappoint his son, so he said, "Yes, of course the stepmother is your mother."
Now that they were getting along well, Lu Cheng felt that this marriage might not be as deviant as he had imagined.
Lin Qingqing and Lu Haici walked for half an hour and then came back. When they came back, they saw Lu Cheng turning the soil in the yard. Seeing them coming back, Lu Cheng said, "I'll turn the soil here and get some seeds tomorrow. Do you have any vegetables you want to eat? I'll plant some later."
Lin Qingqing listened and said: "Let's plant tomatoes and cucumbers. Oh, and you can also sow some green vegetables, which will mature quickly. And can the small house on the left be modified? It takes several minutes to walk to the toilet every time, which is very inconvenient. Can you dig a squat toilet downstairs?" In fact, the public toilet in the staff housing estate is quite clean because there are special cleaners, but Lin Qingqing really doesn't want to walk such a distance to go to the toilet. It's okay during the day, but it's inconvenient at night.
Lu Cheng said: "Okay, tell me your idea and I'll ask if it's okay."
"Hmm." Lin thought for a moment, "I have an idea. I can convert that room into three parts. The innermost part can be converted into a squat toilet, and then separated by a cement wall. The outside is the bathroom, and then the bathroom is separated by another cement wall. The outermost part can be used to store firewood and other sundries."
Lin Qingqing said it very clearly, and Lu Cheng understood it immediately: "Okay, I understand."
Lin Qingqing now liked Lu Cheng even more. Convenient communication is the first step to a harmonious life. Seeing that he was straightforward, she also said a few words of concern: "You must be tired after just coming back from the mission. You can have a good rest first, and don't rush to turn the floor or squat toilet." More importantly, she saw that the dining table had been cleaned up, which made her feel a little happy.
Hearing her caring words, Lu Cheng explained: "I'm not tired."
Lin Qingqing: "Then you give Lu Haici a bath, I'll take a bath myself."
Lu Cheng put down the hoe: "Okay."
So, Lu Cheng took Lu Haici to take a bath in the yard, and Lin Qingqing went to take a bath in the small room by herself. However, before Lin Qingqing had taken a bath for a while, she heard Lu Haici's protest from the yard: "Wow, wow, wow, dad, be gentle, it hurts."
Lu Cheng: "If a man can't bear the pain, how can he achieve great things in the future?"
Lu Haici angrily defended: "But mommy washed me very gently, very comfortably, and you obviously didn't wash me well. You did something wrong. You should learn from mommy."
Lu Cheng: "Am I too fond of you? I'm making you take it too seriously."
Lu Haici: "Dad, can I discuss something with you?"
Lu Cheng: "Speak."
Lu Haici: "Dad, if mom asks you to give me a bath again tomorrow, can you say you are tired and busy?"
Lin Qingqing: “…” This kid is really smart. She was curious about how Lu Cheng would answer.
As a result... Snap... Lin Qingqing heard the sound of her butt being spanked.
Ji Yang had just finished dinner and went out to play in the yard when he saw this scene. He shouted, "Lu Haici, you were spanked by your father."
Lu Haici blushed. Being spanked by an adult was a very shameful thing for a child. He… An idea suddenly occurred to him: “A mosquito is biting my butt, and my dad is hitting it.”