Zhai Sheng refused to allow someone else to continue occupying his bed. “My stubbornness about the bed is still better than your stubbornness about toothbrushes. I won’t back down on this matter.”
…
Now that he compared his bed to toothbrushes, Qiao Nan really had nothing else to say. “Fine. I understand.” Indeed, she would never let anyone touch a toothbrush that she had used. Once someone so much as touched it, she would refuse to use it after. “Okay, it’s already late. You’re tired too. Let’s sleep.”
Lying within Zhai Sheng’s embrace, the sleepy bug that had been chased away once again came back to find Qiao Nan. After yawning, Qiao Nan hugged Zhai Sheng’s arm as she rubbed her face against the pillow. She was ready to go to bed.
But who knew that what Zhai Sheng meant by ‘sleep’ did not mean the same thing that Qiao Nan was thinking about.
When Qiao Nan was sleepy again, a hot and thick hand filled with calluses started to lift up her clothes and found their way in.
“…”
Qiao Nan stared at Zhai Sheng in disbelief when she realized that Zhai Sheng had not stopped his movements but were increasing in intensity instead. Qiao Nan wondered in frustration if she was going to be able to ‘sleep’.
The next day, Qiao Nan was aching all over and her limbs were as limp as noodles. When she saw Zhai Sheng standing up tall under the sunlight after changing his clothes, Qiao Nan gritted her teeth in anger. “I see you’re in a good mood.” He had returned in the middle of the night. Instead of being tired, Brother Zhai had dragged her into several rounds of ‘exercise’.
The thought of this made Qiao Nan clench her jaw even harder. “How am I supposed to send the children to school today? And am I still supposed to go to work today? We’ve been married for eight years!” It was clearly something that they did on a usual basis as a seasoned couple. But during last night’s activity, Brother Zhai acted as though he had not eaten meat and almost finished her up while she was still alive.
The most infuriating thing was that the only person who had used his energy last night was Zhai Sheng. He had been in such good spirits. On the other hand, although she had been the one lying below, she no longer had any energy left to even get up today.
“I can send the three children to school. As for whether to go to work, do you want to apply for leave?” Even under Qiao Nan’s intense gaze, Zhai Sheng did not feel the slightest bit shameful. His expression was so bright that Qiao Nan really wanted to punch him. “If you want to apply for leave, I’ll make a call for you. Just have a good rest.”
“No!” They had been married for eight years. If other people knew that she had applied for leave for such a matter, she might as well tender her resignation. Even after several years of working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qiao Nan had never taken leave before. If she were to break her own record for something like that, it would be a lifetime regret for Qiao Nan. “It’s almost time. Hurry and send the three children to school. I’ll see to going to work myself.” If Brother Zhai intervened, it would only get more embarrassing.
Knowing that his wife was raging, Zhai Sheng rubbed his nose and stopped bothering Qiao Nan. He obediently went downstairs and sent the three children to school. The three children were already used to their father coming back only occasionally for short periods of time each time. But every time their father returned, their mother would suddenly become very tired. All along, their mother had the good habit of waking up early. But when he was back, she would change this habit and sleep in.
The three children said that they had grown up and were old enough to take care of themselves. They did not need their mother to spend all her time with them. Since their mother was so tired, they would let her have a good rest. Other than sleeping in for half an hour, their mother still had to go to work, just like how they went to school. It was truly difficult for her.
As to why their mother seemed to have a hard time and could never wake up on time to send them to school whenever their father returned, the three children had never thought too much about that. After all, they would never guess the reason at their age.
When Zhai Sheng returned from sending the three children to school, Qiao Nan was no longer at home and had insisted on going to work. Zhai Sheng frowned but did not say anything.
Upon seeing that Zhai Sheng had returned, Zhai Yaohui, who had been reading the newspaper, gave a knowing look to the auntie. The auntie placed a cup of hot tea down before sensibly picking up her bags, saying that she was going on a grocery run. With Miao Jing away at her interest class, only Zhai Yaohui and Zhai Sheng were left at home.
Only after the scene was cleared did Zhai Yaohui start to talk to Zhai Sheng. “Zhai Sheng, as a soldier, you’re supposed to be disciplined. You should have self-control and self-discipline. Where has your restraint gone? Have you returned everything that your old man taught you? Are you being filial?”
Thinking of how his daughter-in-law had woken up late and how her legs had been wobbly when she came down for breakfast, Zhai Yaohui’s gaze turned hostile. Zhai Yaohui had been there before, so he knew all too well why Qiao Nan was behaving like that. He knew of Qiao Nan’s dedication to her work, and how she left early and returned late because of that.
Her wonderful performance had almost been ruined by his own son. How could Zhai Yaohui not be angry? He could not understand how his son could be more affectionate than his wife, and how he could be so possessive. When Qiao Nan came downstairs earlier on, he was too embarrassed to even look her in the eye as a father-in-law.
After all, the one who had tortured her was his own son.
After clearing the house of other people, the deeply dissatisfied Zhai Yaohui really wanted to teach Zhai Sheng a good lesson and ensure that he would correct his mistake. “Don’t do that next time. Qiao Nan has quite a bad temper. If you ruffle her feathers, you’ll have a harder time in the future.”
Once women lost their tempers, they could be much fiercer than men.
That one sentence of ‘go sleep in the study room’ was enough to change the expressions of all men.
Zhai Yaohui calmly took a sip of the tea that the auntie had just made. Then, as though he did not take any of his father’s words to heart, he said, “Dad, this is like the pot calling the kettle black. Do you really think that I’ve forgotten about all that happened between you and Mom? Unlike you, I don’t have such a good life. Nan Nan will never have her world revolve around me, like how Mom’s does around you. She won’t stay with me in the army, so I haven’t even applied for a larger room. I’ve been bunking with others.”
Initially, when Zhai Sheng and Qiao Nan got married and became a couple legally, with Zhai Sheng’s position in the army, it would have been a breeze for Zhai Sheng to apply for a position for Qiao Nan to follow him.
