Chapter 40: A Traitor in the Ranks

Tongtong rubbed her little tummy and skipped home.

Seeing Chen An’an squatting on the ground, she ran over, and the two little heads huddled together, staring at the chirping insect on the ground.

“Brother An’an, what are you looking at?”

“This is a cricket I caught today! It’s really tough! I want to keep it at home!” Chen An’an said excitedly.

Tongtong blinked her big eyes, touched her round little chin, and replied softly, “Yay! But Brother An’an, do you know its living habits? What does it eat?”

Chen An’an was stunned by the question and scratched his head. “Huh? Um… leaves?”

Tongtong shook her head like a little adult. “Nope. A great man once said, ‘No investigation, no right to speak.’ You should observe it carefully for a couple of days and find out what it can eat.”

After saying this, she patted Chen An’an’s shoulder meaningfully, stood up, stretched her sore little legs, and ran off.

Chen An’an was left dumbfounded by her words, staring at the cricket in distress.

“…What does it eat?”

Liu Lan watched her son being led in circles and couldn’t stop smiling.

Her Tongtong was just so clever! So adorable!

At night, Tongtong, fresh and fragrant from her bath and wearing her little pajamas, was ready for bed.

Chen An’an suddenly poked his head in. “Little Sister Tongtong, do you really not know what crickets eat?”

Tongtong blinked her eyes and shook her head. “Nope, Brother An’an. Have you observed it yet?”

Chen An’an hung his head dejectedly.

Tongtong thought for a moment and picked out some simple methods for observing living creatures to share with Chen An’an.

Chen An’an listened in awe and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Little Sister is amazing! You know everything!”

Eager to try, he decided to give it a shot first thing tomorrow!

Tongtong smiled with her lips pressed together.

Beside them, Chen Pingping and Chen Kangkang also nodded proudly. “Our little sister is the smartest kid!”

Liu Lan reached out and patted Chen An’an’s head. “You little rascal, always bothering your sister. Your sister has to pick up her godfather from the hospital tomorrow, so she needs to sleep early.”

Chen An’an covered his head pitifully, stuck out his tongue, and finally rolled away to bed.

Tongtong, held by Aunt Liu Lan as she slept, calculated in her heart that Mother would be back in 21 days.

Hmm… today was another day of missing Mother!

Early the next morning, when the sky was still dim, Tongtong woke up on her own.

She rustled out of bed like a little squirrel, tiptoed to reach her small cloth bag, and pulled out a red dress with a little sunflower pattern that Aunt Liu Lan had prepared for her the night before.

Liu Lan had specially made it for her using saved fabric coupons, saying that picking up her godfather from the hospital called for a festive outfit.

Tongtong struggled into the little dress herself, then tied her soft hair into two crooked little buns, fastened with red hair ties, and wore the sparkling hairpin Muchen had given her.

She looked at herself in the small mirror in the room over and over, twirled happily, and the skirt flared like a blooming flower.

“Good morning, Aunt Lan! Good morning, brothers!”

She bounced out of the room, her voice sweet and bright, like a little morning bell with dewdrops.

Liu Lan had just brought breakfast out from the kitchen and laughed when she saw her. “Oh my! Which little fairy has descended to the mortal world? So pretty!”

Chen Pingping and the other two boys also gathered around, chattering praises.

“Tongtong looks just like a doll from a New Year painting!”

“Even prettier than the sisters from the performance troupe!”

“Red suits Tongtong the best!”

Chen An’an even patted his chest and promised, “Tongtong, if anyone dares to say you don’t look good today, I’ll be the first to beat them up!”

Tongtong’s little face flushed red from the praise, her big eyes sparkling.

She shyly tugged at the hem of her skirt and said softly, “Thank you, brothers!”

The whole family burst into laughter.

After breakfast, Tongtong could hardly sit still. She eagerly went to find Gu Jingnan and Si Muchen so they could go together to pick up her godfather from the hospital.

Coincidentally, the two boys were also about to head out.

Gu Jingnan was locking the courtyard gate, while Si Muchen stood nearby with a cool expression.

Tongtong’s eyes lit up, and like a cheerful little bird, she dashed over, her footsteps pattering: “Brother Muchen!”

Si Muchen looked at Tongtong, who was wearing a red dress and looked like a little candy, and his previously dull eyes brightened.

He reached out to straighten the two little pigtails on her head, one higher and one lower, and praised her, a rare occurrence: “This dress looks nice.”

Gu Jingnan also came over, grinning as he teased her: “Little sister, did you only see Brother Muchen? What about Brother Jingnan?”

Si Muchen rolled his eyes slightly but said nothing.

However, his gaze lingered on Tongtong’s sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks, and the corners of his lips couldn’t help but curl upward.

Tongtong immediately turned around, first giving Gu Jingnan a sweet smile: “Brother Jingnan is good too!” Then she looked at Si Muchen.

“Let’s go pick up Godfather together!”

Holding Gu Jingnan’s hand with one hand and Si Muchen’s with the other, the three little ones arrived early at the Military District Hospital.

Just as they reached the door of the ward, they heard serious conversation inside.

“…The leak of this mission was no accident. There must be someone inside…”

“We must find out who fired the black shot. We can’t tolerate a traitor among our own…”

“We have some leads now, but the evidence isn’t sufficient yet. Old Yang…”

Tongtong tilted her head.

So, Godfather was injured because someone from their own side betrayed him?

Just as she was about to listen more carefully, the conversation inside abruptly stopped.

The children pushed the door open and entered.

Inside the ward, besides Gu Yanbin, there were also Liu Zhenjun and two other stern-faced Military Officers.

The adults quickly concealed their grave expressions and replaced them with smiles.

The three little ones greeted them in unison.

Liu Zhenjun immediately spotted Tongtong in her little red dress, looking like a doll from a New Year painting, and his face instantly lit up with joy.

He bent down and picked up the little bundle: “Oh my! Isn’t this our little lucky star, Tongtong! Here to pick up your godfather from the hospital?”

“Hello, Uncle Liu!” Tongtong wrapped her arms around his neck and called out sweetly.

Liu Zhenjun widened his eyes, pretending to be displeased: “Why are you still calling me ‘uncle’?”

Tongtong scratched her little head.

Oops… she had forgotten that she had just gained a godmother and godbrother for her mother yesterday.

She corrected herself softly: “Hello, Uncle!”

“Ah! So well-behaved!” Liu Zhenjun was overjoyed, happier than ever.

He even boasted to Gu Yanbin and the other Military Officers: “Look! This is my niece!”

Gu Yanbin gritted his teeth in annoyance.

He wondered to himself when this old man had become so close to his daughter.

After all, he was Tongtong’s father.

Well… a godfather is also a father!

He asked sourly, “When did you two become so familiar?”

Liu Zhenjun laughed heartily and explained, “You have no idea! My son hadn’t spoken for years, but thanks to Tongtong, who went to keep him company every day, talking and drawing with him, he’s finally willing to speak now! He even calls me Dad!”

“This little girl is truly our family’s savior! So I’ve decided to recognize her mother as my sworn sister and her as my niece!”