Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ding Shujuan tidied her hair and took a few deep breaths. She forced a smile and said, “Boys are just a little more naughty than girls. It’s alright. The more naughty you are, the more promising you will be when you grow up.”
Since she had already made up her mind to be a stepmother, she had to be mentally prepared. As long as it was a boy, she could tolerate it no matter how much he angered her. Before she put on her clothes, the scene of her being kicked out of the house by her ex-husband because she did not give birth to a son was still vivid in her mind. As long as she could make up for this regret, she was willing to suffer a little.
…
“Based on the distance, we will be staying in Longqing County for the night.” Chen Ji turned around and said to Chu Wei after the car had driven for a long distance.
Chu Wei nodded. “Okay, we’ll go wherever you go.”
Ever since she was young, the furthest she had been was to Qinghe County. Other than that, she knew nothing about other places. There were many places that she had never even heard of.
Chen Ji continued, “This time, I was able to stay at home for such a long time. Part of it was due to the family leave that I accumulated over six years. The other part was to carry out a mission. Although the war has ended, the front line is still heavily guarded. The situation is still very tense. Who knows when the war will start again. In order to replenish the combat power of the front line, the higher-ups sent me out to discuss some military equipment projects, such as steel helmets and special combat boots.”
This was the first time Chu Wei heard Chen Ji talk about the army. Although they were sleeping on the same bed, she didn’t know what Chen Ji was doing in the army. She only knew that he was a company commander and was awarded the best soldier title this year.
After a while, Chen Ji said, “When we arrive at Longqing County, I want to have a meeting at a small military materials factory there. However, I can accompany you for half a day.”
Chu Wei continued to remain silent. As a woman, it was not good for her to ask too many questions about a man’s business. She did not want to bother too much about it and just wanted to be a good wife. However, she understood that Chen Ji had been trying to find a topic to talk to her about. He was just feeling awkward. Actually, she felt very uncomfortable too.
When they got married, they only stayed together for two days. This time, when he came back, they spent at most a day alone together. Although there was still a young driver, they still felt very uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the children diverted their attention. Like Chu Wei, this was the first time the two children went out. They were interested in everything they saw along the way, and their four little eyes were about to fly out.
The two children were running around in the back of the car, shouting. One moment, they had to pee, the next moment, they had to eat and drink. Under Chen Ying’s influence, Chen Yan seemed to be less afraid of Chen Ji.
After trekking through mountains and rivers, they finally arrived at Longqing County. Before they even got out of the car, Chu Wei and the children were shocked by the scene in front of them. Longqing County was very big. There were many tall buildings and cars. They were all asphalt streets and looked very clean.
Chen Ji got out of the car first. After taking a few steps, he realized that something was wrong. He turned back and saw Chu Wei and the children looking at him pitifully. Chen Ji went closer to take a look and immediately slapped his forehead. He almost forgot that they had never taken a car before. They didn’t know how to unbuckle their seatbelt.
Seeing Chen Ji unbuckle their seatbelts in no time, Chu Wei could not help but laugh. No wonder the ancients said that it was better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books. They felt like frogs in the well.
As soon as they got out of the car, Chen Ying immediately shouted, “Mom, look how lively this place is. It’s much bigger than Peach Blossom Town.”
Chu Wei smiled and nodded. Only children would compare the county to the town. She heard from Chen Ji that Longqing County was more than twice as big as Qinghe County. The street they were walking on was the busiest place in Longqing County. There were all kinds of shops on both sides of the street. There were hairdressers, clothing stores, clockwork shops, and so on. Looking at her husband and children, Chu Wei felt very happy. It was their first time shopping together as a family.
“There’s a stationery shop here. Chen Yan and Chen Ying are going to school soon. Buy each of them a school bag and two sets of clothes,” Chen Ji said as he looked around.
Without waiting for Chu Wei’s reply, Chen Ying ran straight into a clothing store by the road. She pointed at a black dress hanging on the wall and shouted, “Mom, this dress is so beautiful. I want this.”
Chu Wei glanced at the dress. It was a children’s dress, and the patterns on it were very nice. There was even a gauze at the sleeves of the dress, making it look very western.
“Boss, how much is this dress?” Chen Ji walked into the shop and asked.
The shop owner was a woman in her forties. She was dressed fashionably. When she saw them enter, she said enthusiastically, “Isn’t this the cutest thing? On account of your military uniform, this dress was originally priced at 40 dollars. I’ll give you a 5 dollar discount and sell it for 35 dollars.”
Chen Ji’s expression froze. No wonder he often heard people say that one shouldn’t raise children in the city. He didn’t know how stressful life was. A random dress costs 35 dollars. His monthly allowance was less than 90 dollars. It wasn’t even enough to buy three dresses.
“Little brother, the tailor in our town makes flowery dresses for only ten dollars. This dress is 35 dollars after discount. It’s enough for us to buy three and a half dresses.” Chu Wei tugged at Chen Ji’s sleeve and said..