Didn't say you have to give birth now

  "It's fine that you know your mistake, I'll forgive you this time. However, as compensation, you have to help Mom keep an eye on Dad. If you see him speaking, report back to me immediately!" Hmph, the time I've spent with Xiaoxiao is more than the total time you've spent with her in these few years, it's no wonder she wouldn't betray me!

  "Got it, I'll take good care of Dad." The little imp hastily agreed and pointed at the clock to remind his old man, "It's almost eleven o'clock, hurry up and say what you want to say, Dad."

  Gu Beichen shrugged lightly with a relaxed expression, "I have nothing to say."

  If you want to be silent, then be silent, let's see who can't hold it in first.

  The first ten minutes of silence were normal. Cooking, watching TV, organizing reports, the three members of the family did their own things, without disturbing each other.

  As time slowly passed, some people soon forgot about the ban on speaking and shouted loudly in the direction of the study, "Wasn't it supposed to be winter mushroom chicken? Why can't I smell any mushrooms?"

  One second... two seconds... five seconds... ten seconds have passed, and there is still no response from the study.

  Ye Shanshan thought that her husband was too busy, and she was about to go to the study to ask him, but she was stopped by Xiao Xiao on the way, "Mommy, what are you going to do?"

  "Go ask your dad where the mushrooms are."

  Xiao Xiao's face turned serious as he reminded: "Mommy, you forgot. Daddy can't speak before meals."

  Uh, how did I forget about this?

  Ye Shanshan's eyes sparkled slightly as she changed her strategy, "Go, tell your dad to help me find the mushrooms and winter bamboo shoots."

  "Is that okay?" Little kids have a different understanding of being grounded than adults do. To Xiao Xiao, the person who is grounded not only can't speak themselves, but others also can't talk to him!

  "Now he's asking for help finding something, but not letting him speak, why can't it be?" Ye Shanshan was made to cry and laugh by Xiaoxiao's inexplicable worry, "Hurry up, I'm waiting to use it."

  After listening to his mother, Xiao Xiao felt relieved and ran to the study room, "Dad, Mom asked you to help her find shiitake mushrooms and winter bamboo shoots."

  Gu Beichen stood up silently and walked into the kitchen with a calm and composed demeanor, helping his wife find all the ingredients she needed.

  No wonder, indeed worthy of having received many years of professional training, always remembering that I am currently under a gag order.

  "What are you hiding in the study for?" Ye Shanshan couldn't help but ask as he was about to leave.

  The lady asked a question, and Gu Bei Chen did not dare to not answer. In the situation where he couldn't speak out loud, he could only write: Organizing tomorrow morning's meeting report.

  Watching someone write quickly, Ye Shanshan was in a great mood. Although this way of communication wasn't bad either, she still wanted to tease him on purpose, hoping to force him to break the rules: "I knew you were thinking about work, and didn't even say come help me."

  Gu Bei Chen continued: I also want to come out and help, but I'm afraid that if I hold back, I'll think of talking to you.

  Cough cough, someone is really honest, whatever they think in their heart, they write it down.

  "Deserved it, who asked you to be so reckless."

  Gu Beichen couldn't help but smile wryly and continued writing: Hurry up and finish cooking, I won't be able to hold on for much longer.

  "You can also choose to write a self-criticism letter, my requirements are not high, 500 words will do."

  "Why didn't you say so earlier?" Someone finally spoke up after nearly twenty minutes of silence.

  "Dad broke the rules." The little demon was always mindful of her duties, and as soon as she heard Dad's voice, she ran over immediately. Looking at her expression, it seemed like she was gloating, as if she had been waiting for this moment to arrive.

  Gu Bei Chen was struck by the little devil's excited expression, and his mind went blank. What kind of daughter laughs with only her teeth showing, not her eyes, when she sees her old man being punished?

  "Go watch your TV! After dinner, I'm going to write my self-criticism report!" The person who was feeling suffocated in their heart could only vent their grievances on the little devil.

  The little devil is now backed by a big leader, not afraid of him at all, and happily comes up: "I also want to help, Mommy quickly assign me a task."

  A small kitchen, a family of three squeezed inside, although it's a bit cramped, the atmosphere is particularly warm and harmonious. The annual reunion dinner that we only have once a year, of course, must be prepared and eaten together as a family to taste especially delicious.

  Although only three people were eating, Ye Shanshan still made all the dishes listed on her husband's menu, and the seven dishes and one soup almost filled the round table with a diameter of one meter.

  "How can we finish so much?" Although every dish looked delicious, Xiao Xiao still worried that the three of them wouldn't have enough stomach to finish it all.

  "There's still tonight, we won't cook dinner, let's just have dumplings." Ye Shanshan had already planned it out, anyway they wouldn't waste food.

  Before the formal dinner, as usual, I still need to make a phone call home. Different local customs are different, and G city is biased towards the south. The reunion dinner is usually eaten in the evening, but in order to match the son's habits on that side, the Gu family's reunion dinner has also been changed to noon.

  They were a family, but they had to spend the New Year's apart. Although the military compound had everything, it was still not as good as being at home, and the two elderly people couldn't help but feel worried. Especially Mrs. Gu, who had finally seen her son get married, only to have his wife spend her first year in the military compound for the New Year's, she felt the worst, "I heard it snowed over there again, it must be very cold and quiet outside?"

  "No, the snow stopped a long time ago. We even went out to build a snowman this morning. It's quite lively outside, and the festive atmosphere is no worse than at home." Ye Shanshan deliberately walked to the window to answer the phone, just in time for her mother-in-law to hear the firecrackers going off in the courtyard, "Listen, everyone is having dinner around this time, the sound of firecrackers hasn't stopped yet."

  "How's life in the army, getting used to it? Has Xiaoxiao shouted 'boring' yet?" Decades ago, Old Lady Gu had also spent Chinese New Year in the army. Her memories were still stuck in the distant 1970s, and she always thought that the army was a dull and lifeless place.

  Although Grandma's worries sounded unreasonable, Ye Shanshan was still grateful in her heart. "Don't worry too much, we're fine, there are activities every day, and Xiao Xiao doesn't know how happy she is."

  "Just be happy, it's a rare trip, think about where you want to play, just tell Beichen and he will arrange it."

  "Ah, he's already taken care of everything, I don't need to worry about a thing." Ye Shanshan responded politely, but her mind was preoccupied with another matter. Her grandfather had just passed away and his grave was still new, she wanted to ask Xiao Ran for help to pay respects at the tomb, but it wasn't easy to bring up the topic.

  "I'm fine, and so is your dad. You and Xiaoxiao can stay there and play at ease. After lunch, we plan to go to the cemetery to light lamps for Beichen's two brothers, and it just happens that we can also pay our respects to your grandfather and father together." This was something Gu Lao had thought of long ago - Shanshan's grandfather and father were both buried in the military cemetery, not far from the graves of her two sons, so she couldn't have forgotten this.

  Ye Shanshan was almost moved to tears, she had always been afraid to speak out loud about something that her grandparents had already thought of, "Thank you."

  "Silly child, what's there to thank for? We're all family. When you're not around, we help take care of your family members, it's only right." Old Lady Gu genuinely liked this daughter-in-law, and it wasn't an exaggeration to say that she cared more about her than her own daughter.

  Ye Shanshan was moved by her mother-in-law's meticulous care and her emotions were a bit out of control, if she continued to talk, she would definitely cry. In the end, she handed the phone over to her husband, "You come pick me up, I'll go get the warm drinks ready."

  The old lady couldn't help but feel a little surprised when her son suddenly answered the phone, "What's wrong with Shanshan?"

  "It's nothing, maybe it was her friend calling and she went to answer it." Gu Bei Chen didn't want his mom to know that Shanshan had been moved to tears, so he casually told a small white lie.

  The old lady didn't think much and continued to instruct: "When you talk to Shanshan's mom on the phone tonight, bring me and your dad greetings, so we don't have to make a special call."

  "You didn't mention it but we would have known anyway. When I video-chatted with my mother-in-law the other day, she also asked about your and dad's recent health conditions."

  The son suddenly mentioned the video, and the old lady also became interested. "I heard Shanshan say that her mother gave birth to another one later, have you seen it?"

  "It's a very cute little guy, and he looks just like Xiao Xiao. Thinking of his three-year-old nephew, Gu Bei Chen couldn't help but smile."

  Although they were separated by phone, the old lady still felt clearly, "What are you laughing at?"

  "You don't know, that kid is only three and a half years old, so small, yet he calls me brother-in-law."

  Three and a half years old? Old Lady Gu clearly didn't expect Shanshan's younger brother to be so young, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond. She was stunned for a while before opening her mouth to ask: "In terms of seniority, what should that child call you and your dad?"

  Gu Bei Chen hadn't really thought about this issue, but it's something he can't avoid considering. His mother-in-law had mentioned before that she would find time to bring Yu Jun back to the country for a visit, and at that time, meeting with his parents would be unavoidable, so he'd better figure out what to call them sooner rather than later.

  Xiao Xiao was standing beside, listening with her ears perked up. She heard all of Grandma's questions, but she didn't think it was a problem at all. "Call General Gu and Director Xu." Can't mess up the order of seniority, and must be polite, these two titles were most suitable.

  "Hmm, this is a good idea. Our Xiaoxiao is clever after all." Old Lady Gu also thought this was a good suggestion, although it sounded a bit formal, at least it wasn't chaotic.

  "Of course, and it doesn't matter whose precious child I am!" Cough cough, such a thick skin, but not at all like the children of the Gu family.

  Various steamed dishes and soups are not good to eat after being left for a long time. This phone call didn't last very long. At 12:40, the three of them went out to set off some firecrackers. The simple yet warm reunion dinner officially began.

  Zou Jinggang brought a bottle of fine red wine with some age, and Gu Beichen thought that since there were many dishes today, he would open it to taste it. "This wine smells good, do you want to try a cup?"

  "No, no!" The memory of getting drunk and making a mistake last night was an eternal shadow for Ye Shanshan, and she didn't dare to try even low-alcohol red wine.

  "This wine has a low degree, drinking a small cup should be fine." Gu Bei Chen didn't dare to get her drunk again, he simply thought that red wine was good for digestion and moderate drinking wouldn't harm the body.

  "It's okay to get drunk at home, even if it's an accident." The little devil was also encouraging her from the side. However, her motive was completely different from Dad's. Mom's drunken appearance was really cute, and she wanted to see it again.

  Ye Shanshan saw through the evil intentions of the little ghost at a glance, humph, still wanting to see her make a fool of herself? No way! "Forget it, I'll keep you company and drink instead."

  She's now become someone who's been bitten by a snake and is afraid of a rope for ten years, the lesson from getting drunk and making mistakes is really painful, it's better to avoid this kind of thing.

  No one to accompany, drinking alone is not fun. In the end, that bottle of wine was still put in the refrigerator. It's not possible today, but there will be opportunities to drink it later, anyway, another important day is not far away.

  In the afternoon, snowflakes began to flutter in the sky again. Despite this, the festive atmosphere in the courtyard was still very lively. Several teenagers set off firecrackers in the courtyard amidst the swirling snow, while younger children played snowball fights on the other side, with constant laughter and chatter adding a lot of joy to the festive atmosphere.

  Xiao Xiao was also there, and Zou Jing's family had just finished lunch. Xiao Ming came to call her specially.

  "Daddy, Mommy, can I?" Xiao Xiao was very well-behaved, although the three big words "I want to go" were clearly written on his forehead, he still needed Daddy and Mommy's approval.

  There were guards watching in the courtyard, and the snow wasn't falling very heavily, so Ye Shanshan and Gu Beichen didn't have much to worry about, and they approved Xiaoxiao's request. Of course, before letting her go, it was necessary to remind her of a few things: "You can go, but be careful, stay away from the brothers who are setting off firecrackers, don't fight with other kids, and if the snow gets heavier, come back home right away."

  "Got it." Smiling, he couldn't wait any longer and rushed out without even tying his scarf properly.

  Although it was snowing, the temperature wasn't very low, and Ye Shanshan didn't catch up with her. Her family's Xiaoxiao was very clever, if she felt cold, she would definitely tie her scarf herself.

  "Why didn't you go down and play with them?" Shanshan was always very active and liked to have fun with the kids, so Gu Beichen thought she would follow Xiaoxiao and Xiaoming downstairs.

  Ye Shanshan was leaning on the windowsill watching the kids play, and couldn't help but laugh at the same time. Suddenly, she heard him ask this question, and immediately got angry: "Oh, you don't want me to stay home with you?" Honestly, why did he always treat her like a little kid, playing tag and chasing each other in the snow with a group of young friends? How childish!

  "What's wrong!" Gu Bei Chen knew he had misspoken and hastily stepped forward to hug her, "I was just afraid you'd feel bored."

  Ye Shanshan didn't struggle and obediently let him hold her, leaning comfortably on his shoulder with a contented expression, "With you here, how could I feel stifled."

  For her, lying on the windowsill watching others play and frolic was also a special pleasure, she didn't feel bored at all. Because the one she loved was by her side.

  His sturdy chest was like a mountain, leaning against it was both comfortable and reassuring; the rhythmic breathing gently swept past her ear, silently kissing the short hair on her temple. Even without saying a word, she could truly feel the reality of having him.

  Warm red tea and a handful of carefully peeled melon seeds were all his thoughtful preparations.

  Looking at a full plate of shelled melon seeds, Ye Shanshan couldn't help but laugh and cry, "How can you be like this? Melon seeds are supposed to be cracked open to taste good, what's the point of eating them if you shell every single one?"

  "You can use a spoon, one scoop can hold over ten grains, and it's especially fragrant when chewed together in your mouth." A certain someone with a wife-slave-like expression said while scooping out a spoonful of melon seeds and holding them to her lips, "Be good, open your mouth."

  Are you coaxing a child to take medicine?

  I've never tried eating melon seeds like this before, but it really does have a unique flavor.

  But when I bought the melon seeds back, they were all with shells, when did he peel them, and peeled a whole big plate.

  Ye Shanshan just kept the question in her mind, thinking about it without asking out loud, but Gu Beichen, with his sharp mind, easily saw through her thoughts. "Just now, listening to the reconnaissance company's summary report, I happened to peel some." That was what he thought at the time, listening to the report only required ears, and idle hands were also idle, so it was better to do something else while waiting.

  What's going on here? Not doing one's job properly or having a divided attention?

  "Stop daydreaming, I've memorized the report's content and won't delay important matters."

  Ye Shanshan deeply felt that having a husband who could read minds was really a frustrating thing, "You... how did you know what I'm thinking?"

  "Because you have a simple mind, don't know how to scheme or hide things, whatever is in your heart is clearly written on your face." Gu Bei Chen said this with an air of complete normalcy, not thinking it was anything extraordinary at all.

  Ye Shanshan gave him a displeased look, "Can't you just say I'm still immature?"

  "Dummy," Gu Bei Chen couldn't help but smile, and gently rubbed her upturned nose. "This isn't a matter of growing up or not growing up at all. I dare say that even in ten or twenty years, you'll still be able to maintain this innocence."

  Ye Shanshan suddenly turned around, hooked her hand around his neck, and said with a serious tone, "Don't! I also want to grow up, so I can match up to you!" Although they were already married, Ye Shanshan was still being called "little girl" or "young lady", which made her feel very annoyed.

  "But... I just like you now, pure and lovely, untainted."

  Hate it, every time is like this, taking advantage of when others are not paying attention to confess suddenly.

  Ye Shanshan was secretly ridiculing him in her heart, his warm and thin lips had already slowly pressed down.

  Someone had malicious intentions, intentionally lightly biting her mouth, she instinctively opened it, just in time for him to take advantage of the situation, hooking her small tongue and sucking gently.

  Although they had been in close contact several times, Ye Shanshan was still not used to such an intimate deep kiss. He kissed eagerly, but she didn't know how to respond and could only hug his neck, letting him take the lead.

  A scorching yet gentle kiss slid down the chin and neck, accompanied by a whisper that was almost a murmur, "Don't force yourself to grow up, keep this innocence for me forever, okay?"

  "Dazedly, she softly yet firmly replied: 'Alright.'"

  As long as he likes it, what's wrong with a simple life?

  Kissing and kissing, someone's hand started to get fresh again, and it slipped into the hem of the cotton home clothes a few times.

  "Stop!" Ye Shanshan suddenly woke up with a start and pushed him away. "What are you doing again in broad daylight?"

  Gu Bei Chen took a deep breath and smiled helplessly, "The self-control that I've always been proud of doesn't work at all when it comes to you."

  Ye Shanshan glared at him with a bad temper, "Oh, your self-control has gotten worse, and it's all my fault?"

  "It's not like that, you just hum a tune and I get all fired up..."

  Ye Shanshan quickly scooped a spoonful of melon seeds into his mouth, "If you're hot, go drink a glass of iced water to cool down, I'm not your fire extinguisher!"

  You're boiling over, you big-headed ghost! You served him so hard last night and still weren't satisfied, yet you actually want to make a move on him in broad daylight...

  Someone at this moment really felt hot all over, and obediently went to the kitchen to pour a glass of iced tea to drink.

  After putting out the fire and coming back, Ye Shanshan, who was just lying at the window, had changed to a standing position and was anxiously helping Xiao Xiao with her moves, "Run in an S-shape, it's not easy to get hit!"

  Gu Bei Chen couldn't help but chuckle: "This is the fifth floor, can she hear you shouting like that?"

  "Laughing is the smallest, and it's a girl, she was hit several times." Ye Shanshan furrowed her brow with a worried face, wishing to rush down and teach him a lesson.

  Gu Bei Chen walked slowly closer and gently stroked her brow, "You seem to really like little kids." The words sounded like a question, but were spoken in an affirmative tone.

  "Don't you like it?" Ye Shanshan turned around and asked seriously.

  Gu Beichen didn't expect her to ask back like that. He fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "I do, but... I like my own children more."

  "What... what does it mean?" Ye Shanshan of course knew what he was saying, she just didn't know how to respond, that's why she asked again.

  She deliberately pretended to be stupid, and Gu Bei Chen didn't mind making it clearer: "I prefer our child."

  Ye Shanshan's face was uneasy, shrinking her neck like an ostrich. This matter... she had never thought about it before. But if he said so, did it mean... that he really hoped to have his own children soon?

  Looking at her tense and knotted expression, Gu Bei Chen regretted wanting to slap himself twice. What was the point of saying all this? "What are you thinking about again? I didn't tell you to give birth now!"

  "If you had married someone else, maybe..."

  Ye Shanshan's words were cut off as he swiftly sealed her lips with a kiss.

  The gentle kiss lasted only two seconds, enough to shut her up and carried a hint of punishment. Silly girl, how could she come up with such an inexplicable idea.

  "You focus on your studies, we're not in a hurry to have kids." Even if she didn't have the burden of being a student now, Gu Bei Chen hadn't thought about having kids so early. It was already hard enough for her to take care of Xiao Xiao alone, and they couldn't add another trouble. At least, they had to wait until he got transferred back before considering it.

  "But... by the time I graduate from university, you'll be 36." Ye Shanshan unconsciously furrowed her brow again, and then automatically filled in a lot more: If they really had to wait until 36 to have their first child, by the time their child grew up to get married and have kids of their own, he would probably be over 60 years old. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

  Gu Bei Chen pretended to be displeased, hooking his hand under her chin: "Oh, you think I'm old?"

  "No way!" Ye Shanshan hastily denied, holding his face in a flattering manner, "You look just like a young man in his early twenties, really."

  It seems that flattering is also a skill, and in this regard, she needs to learn from Xiao Xiao.