I Became the Mother of His Child

The military wife performance event hosted by the Tiger Wolf Military Region was successfully held, and the next day as the wake-up call sounded, the Military District began to bustle. Unlike the usual sounds of drills and running, the performance area set up on the main military playground was already broadcasting a soothing announcement. The announcer, a female voice that was quite pleasant to the ear, delivered today's military exercise schedule with clear and rounded Mandarin, echoing through much of the Military District.

Xu Xiuxiu was still drowsily asleep until, drifting back to consciousness, she saw the door to the master bedroom being opened from the outside. Excitedly, little Song Chengguang scampered into the master bedroom barefooted.

"Mommy, Daddy said there's a performance to watch this morning. Chengguang wants to go. Please get up quickly, okay? The sun's already shining on our bottoms!" Song Chengguang spoke in a hurry, the little guy energetically climbed onto the big bed and wheezed as he wriggled into Xu Xiuxiu's arms, his chubby hands cradling her cheeks. He even went so far as to pry Xiuxiu's eyelids open to wake her up faster.

"Alright already! Mommy's getting up, so stop torturing me, okay?" Xu Xiuxiu wanted to linger in bed; after all, due to the development of Soup City, it had been several months since she had the luxury of a lazy morning. Finally, she had a day to rest, only to wake up even earlier than usual—truly disheartening!

But listening to the broadcast music outside, which seemed intended to play until the start of the performance, coupled with the lively atmosphere, Xu Xiuxiu found herself unable to sleep. Moreover, she unexpectedly felt a bit invigorated, especially since it reminded her of the feeling of being at school during a large event.

Thinking this, Xu Xiuxiu played with Song Chengguang for a moment before swiftly getting out of bed to wash up. Taking Song Chengguang with her, they ate the breakfast prepared by Song Yuanhuan and then quickly fed the boy and girl twins.

"Mommy's going to change clothes, you watch your brother and sister, okay?" Xu Xiuxiu instructed before going back to her room to change into casual attire. She even tied her black waterfall-like hair into a bun. A light white T-shirt adorned her upper body while a pair of black custom-made long pants completed her outfit, transforming her into the image of a vibrant student.

"Mommy looks so pretty," Song Chengguang, who was in the living room with the twins, said with eyes sparkling as soon as he saw Xu Xiuxiu emerge in her changed clothes.

"Thank you for the compliment, Chengguang. Here, Mommy has also prepared clothes similar to hers for you. Will you change into them?" Xu Xiuxiu had specifically bought similar mother and son outfits in advance. With this rare opportunity for leisure during the Military District's military wife performance event, she brought the matching outfits, and while they were not identical, at a glance they conveyed the impression of mother and son ensembles.

"Okay!" Song Chengguang was delighted to put on the clothes Xu Xiuxiu had prepared for him.

"OK! Let's go." Xu Xiuxiu tidied up Song Chengguang's clothes, pushed the stroller, and the mother and her three children leisurely made their way out. It was already 9 a.m., and the military wife performance was due to start at 9:30. By the time Xu Xiuxiu arrived at the military district parade ground, it was just about time for the performance to begin.

The parade ground was already filled with chairs and stools, and rows of solemn soldiers were seated. The military wives' seats were a bit towards the front, but by now their spots were almost fully occupied. With Song Chengguang in tow and pushing a stroller, Xu Xiuxiu couldn't find a free spot amidst the bustling crowd, and immediately felt a headache coming on.

"Chengguang, you have to stay close to Mommy and not run around, understand?" There were simply too many people, and Xu Xiuxiu, busy with the stroller, was somewhat unable to attend to Song Chengguang, for fear that the little guy might not keep up with her and take a tumble.

"Okay, Mommy!" Chengguang obediently stayed close to Xu Xiuxiu's side, his little hand gripping the handle of the stroller tightly.

Xu Xiuxiu later found her seat with the help of Song Yuanhuan. It was Yan Molin who had saved a spot especially for Xu Xiuxiu, while the boy and girl twins were taken care of by Song Yuanhuan. Xu Xiuxiu just needed to hold Song Chengguang and watch the performance attentively; after all, Song Yuanhuan's careful treatment of the twins was no less than hers. Naturally, since Song Yuanhuan was looking after the twins, Xu Xiuxiu had no need to worry too much.

The morning performance for the military wives was a simple affair, with over twenty acts in total, including singing military songs in various styles for several numbers, dancing by several young military wives, comedy sketches, and more—all providing a thrilling showcase. It was evident there were many soldiers in the troop, and not a few military wives as well, some of whom were quite talented. Compared to them, Xu Xiuxiu suddenly felt she was unassuming and not outstanding among the military wives.

Of course, in such a bustling environment, the children from the military district compound were even more like little birds set free from cages, chirping and bustling with great excitement. If Song Chengguang hadn't been held back by Xu Xiuxiu, he likely would have joined the rowdy bunch of kids and turned the whole performance ground upside down.

All the morning performances had been expected by Xu Xiuxiu, who had seen enough variety shows in her past life to feel that most of the acts couldn't stir much emotion in her. However, what truly surprised Xu Xiuxiu was that Guo Cuiping also went on stage to perform an act, singing what was said to be a folksong from her hometown. While Xu Xiuxiu didn't understand the lyrics, Guo Cuiping's high and piercing voice invigorated everyone present, and Xu Xiuxiu had to admit she was impressed by Guo Cuiping's vocal chops.

Apart from that, Xu Xiuxiu was quite satisfied with a performance by a spontaneously formed children's chorus from the military district, which successfully brought the day's performances to a climax, earning thunderous applause on the spot.

Xu Xiuxiu also thought it was quite wonderful—as the children's innocent performance contained genuine spirit, unlike some of the younger military wives' acts, which seemed to have a touch of vanity to them. After all, the military wives of the time were quite naive and honest, and those with the courage to get on stage in front of so many people certainly had guts. For this reason alone, Xu Xiuxiu felt they deserved affirmation and praise, so in relation to the times, the morning performance was indeed highly successful.

Quickly, the morning performance came to an end, and everyone tacitly headed to the military district canteen for lunch. The canteen was bustling with people, and even outside the military district canteen many soldiers were seated, definitely making it the busiest the canteen had been in years. With many military wives and numerous personnel who normally cooked at home, the idea of returning home to prepare their own meals seemed to have been set aside today in favor of the spirited gathering at the canteen, thanks to the morning's performances and the upcoming afternoon sports competitions.