Chapter 5

Jiang Man sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a little nervous as she thought about what was about to happen. She had secretly taken a quick glance earlier. At the very least, the size looked decent. She just didn't know... “Why haven't you gotten into bed yet?” The man's deep voice suddenly sounded, startling Jiang Man. When she looked up and met Qin Yishen's puzzled gaze, her face flushed guiltily. “I-I was waiting for you.” A hint of amusement appeared in Qin Yishen's eyes as he couldn't help but take a closer look at his new young wife. He was already twenty-eight years old this year. He wasn't young anymore. At his age, most men were already married for the second time, and some already had children running around. Jiang Man, on the other hand, had apparently just turned eighteen. Qin Yishen suddenly felt a little melancholy. He was a full ten years older than her. “There are a few things I want to tell you.” Qin Yishen sat down beside her and took out a passbook. “This is my bankbook. From now on, I won't send my allowance home anymore. My salary will be deposited directly into this account by the military.” “Give... give it to me?” Jiang Man looked at the passbook in her hands, feeling as though it were burning hot. “You don't know me well. What if I'm just a woman who knows how to spend money? Maybe everything I told you was just to fool and deceive you. Once you leave, I might abuse your children just like your brother and sister-in-law do. Aren't you afraid of that?” Jiang Man fired off question after question like beans spilling from a pod. Qin Yishen couldn't help but smile. Looking at her fair little face, he asked only one question. “Would you?” Jiang Man froze, but Qin Yishen answered for her. “You wouldn't.” “From the very first moment I saw you, I knew you were different from other people. That's why I agreed to marry you.” “There is one more thing I need to tell you. Shi'an and Shi Ning aren't my biological children. They're my comrade's children.” Jiang Man felt as though tonight had been one surprise after another. “Six years ago, he and I were carrying out a flight mission together. I never expected that something would go wrong...” Qin Yishen's voice grew hoarse. He would never forget the sight of his comrade's plane crashing and his friend dying right before his eyes. “His wife was still waiting at home with their two children, hoping he would return. But he never came back. His wife was already in poor health. When she heard the news, she fainted on the spot and passed away the following month.” “No relatives were willing to take in the two children. I couldn't bear to see them left without anyone, so I brought them home and adopted them. I've raised them as my own all these years.” Jiang Man's eyes turned red as she listened. Although Qin Yishen had left out many details, she could imagine how tragic his comrade's death must have been. “I understand. I'll say the same thing I said before. I'll take good care of them and treat them as if they were my own.” After hearing this, Qin Yishen pulled her tightly into his arms. “Thank you.” Nothing happened between them that night. The only intimate thing they did was sleep together under the same blanket. When Jiang Man woke up the next morning, Qin Yishen was already washing up in the courtyard. She glanced at him through the window and remembered what he had told her the night before. “Xiaoman, I won't force you until you fall in love with me.” His promise still echoed in her ears, making Jiang Man sigh once again at how lucky she was to have married the right man. But whenever she thought about how he would return next year with a crippled leg, her brows furrowed. “S-Sister...” Jiang Man was recalling the events of her previous life when she suddenly heard a timid voice. She followed the sound and saw Shi'an standing nervously at the doorway. Behind him, Shi Ning was hiding, revealing only half of her face. Remembering what Qin Yishen had told her the night before, Jiang Man felt even more sorry for the two little children. “Why are you calling me Sister? You should start calling me Mom.” Jiang Man got out of bed, crouched down in front of them, and gently tapped each of their little noses. “But Dad told us to call you Sister...” Shi Ning spoke in her clear, childish voice. She looked at Jiang Man with a hint of wariness in her eyes. “You don't have to listen to him. You can call me whatever I tell you to. Go on, let me hear you.” Shi'an bit his little lip as he looked at the young, beautiful woman in front of him. He couldn't help but remember how she had protected him and his little sister the night before. Maybe accepting her wasn't so difficult after all... “M-Mom...” Shi'an's voice sounded a little awkward as he called her that for the first time, but Jiang Man was still overjoyed. In her previous life, her two children had died young because the Lin family had refused to help them when they were in danger. In this life, she would definitely protect these two children with all her heart! “All right, go to the courtyard and find your father. Have him wash your faces and hands. I'll go make breakfast.” The two little ones immediately ran outside to find Qin Yishen. Jiang Man had been an excellent cook in her previous life. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to make her fortune starting with something as ordinary as tea eggs. After washing up, she immediately began kneading dough and preparing the filling. As the sound of minced meat being chopped came from the kitchen, Shi'an and Shi Ning swallowed expectantly. They had eaten steamed buns before, but usually the two of them had to share a single one. Jiang Man made two baskets of small steamed buns and then another basket of large steamed buns. The moment she lifted the lid of the steamer, a rich, mouthwatering aroma filled the air. Jiang Man was just about to take out the small buns when a pair of large hands beat her to it. Qin Yishen had appeared beside her at some point. When he noticed her looking at him, the smile on his lips deepened. “I don't know how to braid a little girl's hair. You should do it.” Hearing this, Jiang Man smiled and went into the courtyard, where she braided Shi Ning's hair into two neat braids. By the time she finished, Qin Yishen had already carried all the steamed buns to the table in the courtyard. Each small steamed bun was plump and round, with skin as thin as paper. Shi'an and Shi Ning's eyes widened in amazement as they stared at them, swallowing exaggeratedly. Jiang Man gave each of them a pair of chopsticks and smiled. “Come on, eat up. Tell me if the little buns I made are tasty.” Shi'an was the first to pick one up and place it in his bowl. He took a small bite, and the delicious broth inside immediately burst into his mouth, leaving an unforgettable taste. “S-so... so good!” Shi Ning's eyes narrowed happily. Her voice was muffled as she spoke with her mouth full, every word carrying a soft, childish lilt. Shi'an was even busier stuffing buns into his mouth and didn't have time to speak. Jiang Man served each of them a bowl of millet porridge. “Slow down. There's plenty more. If it's not enough, I'll steam some more for you tomorrow.” “You sit down and eat too.” Qin Yishen held the hand she was using to serve the porridge. “I didn't marry you so you could be my housekeeper. I'll do it.” Jiang Man slowly sat down, biting into a juicy steamed bun as she watched Qin Yishen serve her a bowl of porridge. Jiang He had truly married a good man in her previous life. She simply hadn't known how to cherish him. Otherwise, how could such a good fortune have fallen into Jiang Man's hands? “After breakfast, I'll go with you to take the children to school. Then I'll take you into the city.” Qin Yishen ate the small steamed buns one after another, but after eating only two, he switched to the large ones. Jiang Man had made the buns quite large, and he needed three bites to finish one. The dough was thin and the filling was generous, making them far tastier than the buns served in the military. “Into the city?” Jiang Man was just about to ask why they were going into the city when she heard the courtyard gate being pushed open. “Oh, I'm late! You're already eating breakfast? You didn't even tell me yesterday!”