I Became the Mother of His Child

He just wanted to cultivate his son's ability to be independent, asking that brat to wash a dish, and yet why did he act like he'd gone to war and even taken a bath? The kitchen was in utter chaos, and he himself looked like he'd been fished out of water, leading to him getting a baptism from his wife's aggrieved eyes.

It seemed about time to train his son, Song Yuanhuan thought resignedly and began to tidy up the kitchen. After putting the kitchen in order, Song Yuanhuan silently made a plan in his mind, thinking he would buy some plastic bowls the next day, so Song Chengguang could really get to work on washing dishes.

...

Because the couple had agreed to invite Song Yuanhuan's friends over for a meal, Xu Xiuxiu got busy in the kitchen early the next morning, and Song Yuanhuan was quite observant, knowing his wife was working hard. He was even more obedient in the morning and helped Xu Xiuxiu out quite a bit.

When lunchtime came, the friends Song Yuanhuan knew from the military academy had all arrived at the house. They had heard from Zhou Chonggao about Song Yuanhuan's wife and knew that she was both beautiful and empathetic. Although they were all students at the military academy now, many had spent over a decade in various units of the army, recommended by the Military District for advanced training, and naturally, most of them were married.

Even quite a few of them had joined the army due to family difficulties and had walked this military path. With few female soldiers in the units, most of the male soldiers had reached a ripe old age before their families, worried about their marriage prospects, had arranged wives for them. But a military wife like Xu Xiuxiu, who was as exquisite looking as a TV star, was truly a rare sight.

The group chatted noisily in the living room, and when Xu Xiuxiu gracefully brought out delicious dishes bowl by bowl, Song Yuanhuan's friends were thoroughly won over, just like Fu Guanglei and Zheng Guohui before them. They shamelessly showered her with praise and admiration. As for the two unmarried soldiers, their eyes lit up when they looked at Song Yuanhuan; having never seen what a shrew a married woman could be, they expressed, within minutes, their desire to find a wife like Song Family's Sister-in-law and begged Song Yuanhuan for some pointers.

Song Yuanhuan, upon hearing this, shook his head with both pride and smugness, with a look that said "I'm not telling you," but his gaze softened as he turned to watch Xu Xiuxiu, who was sitting on the couch feeding the boy and girl twins, his smile exuding extra happiness and satisfaction.

"You lads have a pretty big appetite, huh?" Another married veteran, who had been through it all, cast a sideways glance at the young soldier who had spoken: "Qiangzi, let me tell you, men like us, especially soldiers who are not home most of the time, can't really bring their wives to live with them if their military positions and service time haven't reached certain thresholds. Even if a wife is willing to follow you and endure the loneliness and solitude that others can't bear, you should count yourself lucky to find any woman willing to marry you, let alone a beautiful and clever one. There's a reason for the saying 'three years in the army make the sow match for Diao Chan.' From my own experience, I'm telling you, find someone who can run a household; don't set your standards too high for looks. If you want one like Yuanhuan's wife, you better be prepared to stay single!" It wasn't that he meant to pour cold water on the situation, but Song Yuanhuan's wife was simply too high-caliber: beautiful, great cook, nice temperament, and reportedly good at making money. A wife like that really was hard to find by the light of a lantern, and who knows what kind of luck Song Yuanhuan had walked into! The man said this with particular concern, reminding the student called Qiangzi.

Because not everyone was as lucky as Song Yuanhuan. Generally speaking, being able to marry a wife and live a steady life, being able to have children and continue the family line was enough. Picking and choosing for looks or temperament—you're dreaming of something wonderful, but the girl has to fancy you back, right? It's a joke if you like her but she doesn't like you. Besides, if a girl has those conditions, she might not necessarily want you. A fine young lady, beautiful and with a good temperament, what kind of man couldn't she marry?

"The Song Family's Sister-in-law can fall for Brother Song, so why can't I use the Song Family's Sister-in-law's standards to find a wife? What's the reason? Where am I lacking, huh? Look at Brother Song; he's not all that handsome and is too serious and cold. I have a good temper, and if I find a wife, I'd dote on her, pamper her, spoil her!" Qiangzi was indignant, still young and insistent on finding an educated, good-looking girl with a nice personality to be his wife, dreaming of a harmonious and sweet married life.

Hearing this, the man who had spoken earlier shook his head helplessly, glancing at him with an expression that said, "You'll regret not listening to your elders."

"Qiangzi, my wife is different, I advise you to lower your standards!" Song Yuanhuan himself realized only after slowly getting settled in Imperial City that his own wife was not like the majority of military wives from the Military District or the military academies. She was more virtuous than most people's wives and more beautiful than most military wives. Thinking about it, Song Yuanhuan felt an exceptional pride in his heart, believing his parents truly had an eye for talent.

Now, hearing Qiangzi talk about using his wife as a standard to find a wife, he found it far from reliable. His wife was one in a million, refined and exquisite; this brat was dreaming if he thought he could find someone similar. It wasn't that he looked down on him; he just really didn't have what it takes. If it weren't for his stroke of luck, he'd also admit he didn't match up to his own wife!

"..." Qiangzi, face full of dark lines, fell silent, and fiercely downed several gulps of liquor from the cup on the table.

The others at the table immediately burst into hearty laughter at the sight. They didn't feel the need to hold back their laughter, even if it might sting Qiangzi, continuing with their seemingly heartfelt but actually discouraging words, and then the enthusiasm for drinking among those present rose considerably.

The dinner lasted a full two hours. Xu Xiuxiu knew they all had big appetites, so each dish was plentiful, leaving everyone quite satisfied. A few were even tipsy when leaving, and if it weren't for the few sober ones taking care, Xu Xiuxiu wouldn't have dared to let them leave. Finally, after sending the whole group away, Xu Xiuxiu turned her head, planning to relax, but Song Yuanhuan, who had accompanied her in bidding goodbye to their friends, closed the door behind them and let out a breath of relief then wrapped his arms around Xu Xiuxiu's slim waist: "Wife, have they all left?" Song Yuanhuan, having drunk quite a bit himself, gazed at Xu Xiuxiu with a look of earnest inquiry.

"Mhm, they're all gone." Xu Xiuxiu nodded.

With a thud, Song Yuanhuan's pent-up emotions collapsed as soon as he heard Xu Xiuxiu's affirmative words, and he directly raised his hand to slap the back of the home door that Xu Xiuxiu was standing in front of. It seemed he was quite drunk too; he had just managed to appear sober until all their friends had left, probably relying on sheer willpower to hold on: "Wife, my head hurts." Whining, he nuzzled his chin on Xu Xiuxiu's shoulder and mumbled.

"Such a drunkard," Xu Xiuxiu said irritably, reaching back to poke Song Yuanhuan's solid back.