I Became the Mother of His Child

Yuanhuan turned off the main light before bed, leaving only the bedside lamp on. The dim light bathed the bedroom, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere. "Wife, when did you find out you were pregnant?" he asked, holding Xu Xiuxiu tightly in his arms after a contented sigh and gently stroking her belly with his rough palm.

"I only knew yesterday morning when I was vomiting," Xu Xiuxiu confessed to Yuanhuan. Neither of them had specifically taken precautions against pregnancy; it was a normal occurrence that they just hadn't considered.

"Why didn't you tell me directly?" Yuanhuan frowned slightly, showing a hint of dissatisfaction.

"I just didn't tell you. Who asked you to lose your temper at me that time? It's already good that I didn't wait until the child was born to tell you," Xu Xiuxiu retorted, her voice filled with discontent, as she tended to hold grudges.

Hearing this, Yuanhuan couldn't help but give a wry smile of resignation. "Okay, okay, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have been harsh on you. I promise I won't be harsh again, alright?" He quickly raised his hands as if surrendering, already accustomed to appeasing her and indulging her. Pleasing Xu Xiuxiu seemed to have become his second nature.

"That sounds more like it," Xu Xiuxiu said proudly, curling her lips. "Yuanhuan, then what should we do about our child's household registration? You are in the military, and we already have Cheng Guang. Does the army allow us to have a second child?" Xu Xiuxiu asked with a slight unease. This issue had troubled her for the past few days and now that Yuanhuan was aware, she naturally asked him what he planned to do.

"I was actually going to submit my request for reassignment today but I've been hesitating. It seems there's no need to hesitate anymore," Yuanhuan said, his voice carrying a trace of reluctance. As a soldier planning to leave the military he had served for over a decade, he naturally felt reluctant.

But when compared to the child and her, he would still choose to give up. No matter how reluctant he was, nothing was more important than her and their child. Each time he performed a mission with a singular focus, during one near-death experience, the only thing that came to his mind was her gentle smile. At that moment, what he wanted most was to have many descendants, and then, when they were old and grey, to hold her hand and walk down the path after dinner, enjoying their grandchildren.

If he were still in the military, if he were still the captain of the special forces, then it would be difficult to achieve what he desired. He would be reluctant and scared of not being able to protect her anymore, to hold her. Just thinking about it was heart-wrenchingly painful. Thus, although reassignment was a weighty choice, he wouldn't regret it too much.

Reassignment report?

"No!" Xu Xiuxiu grabbed onto his sleeve, instinctively rejecting the idea: "Yuanhuan, I don't want you to take off your uniform. I won't allow you to leave the military." Xu Xiuxiu rushed her words out, tears unconsciously welling up in her eyes.

He was a born soldier. She didn't want to see him out of uniform, and he shouldn't leave it.

"Don't cry." Yuanhuan held her tightly, his heart aching, as he kissed her cheek and soothed her anxiously, "Being reassigned could be good too, right? I wouldn't have to go on missions that last several months. I could be with you every day, cook for you, do your laundry, pamper you, take care of you, and cherish you as if you were my daughter."

Xu Xiuxiu leaned against Song Yuanhuan's chest, listening to his words while her tears flowed even more violently, sobbing as she choked out, "I know what you're saying is right, but I still can't accept it, I won't let you retire." Xu Xiuxiu, angered, reached up to beat on his chest.

"Why?" Song Yuanhuan saw Xu Xiuxiu snuggle into his arms, her body turning to straddle him, face to face with each other, Song Yuanhuan held her tear-streaked cheeks in his hands, then gently wiped away her tears.

"You were born to be a soldier," said Xu Xiuxiu seriously as she looked at Song Yuanhuan, "born to wear a military uniform. I can't bear to see you take it off, nor do I want you to." "If having children means exchanging your military uniform, then we won't have children, since we already have Cheng Guang."

"Do you like me in my military uniform?" Song Yuanhuan looked at Xu Xiuxiu helplessly with a sigh.

"I do," said Xu Xiuxiu, holding back tears and nodding. Every time she saw him in his uniform, so dashingly handsome, it gave her a surge of emotion.

"Not letting me take off my uniform or retire?" Song Yuanhuan continued to ask seriously.

"Mm! No, absolutely not," Xu Xiuxiu continued stubbornly nodding, her arms wrapped around Song Yuanhuan's neck, burying her head in his shoulder.

"Wife, you won't let me retire, nor will you allow our child's registration under my elder brother's household. Xiuxiu, are you making it difficult for me?" Song Yuanhuan placed his hands on Xu Xiuxiu's slender waist, with a tone suggesting he was at his wit's end.

"Is there no other way?" asked Xu Xiuxiu, her voice trembling with grievance, "If there's really no solution, then let's not have children!" Xu Xiuxiu, as if making a sudden resolution, raised her hand to touch her stomach with a resigned expression.

"What foolish thing to say," Song Yuanhuan lifted his hand and pinched her nose. "Do you remember the Second Uncle from my hometown who has been a bachelor all his life?" Song Yuanhuan suddenly switched topics, mentioning someone Xu Xiuxiu was not very familiar with.

"I have a vague memory." She had heard her mother-in-law, Liu Shuxiang, mention him. During festivals, they would send some goods or food to the old man. He was quite serious and adamantly refused any help. It was said he was a veteran Red Army soldier who never married and lived a solitary life, fighting for the country in his youth, but leading a lonely old age. Many people didn't understand, and Xu Xiuxiu didn't grasp why he chose to live alone: "Why are you bringing him up?" Xu Xiuxiu asked, wrinkling her nose.

"A while back, I called home and asked my parents to check on the old man; I heard that Second Uncle isn't in good health. He was a passionate and devoted revolutionary soldier. As a child, I often heard him recount stories from the battlefield, which is why I enlisted right after finishing middle school. The Second Uncle once married a female warrior on the battlefield, but unfortunately, she later died in an accident. Surviving the war, he never wanted to marry or have children."

"Second Uncle is a revolutionary soldier, and policy treats him leniently. I have discussed with him that when our baby is born, we'll register the child under the name of a revolutionary martyr through Second Uncle. I believe with such a respected veteran mediating, the Family Planning Bureau won't make much fuss either," Song Yuanhuan said, somewhat somber, sharing his plan.