Dare to shirk responsibility? This adorable little one will tear down your military district!

The pot of freshly cooked pork and scallion dumplings on the table was plump and steaming hot.

The aroma of wheat and meat filled the entire room, filling the air and bringing a sense of comfort and peace.

Meng Yaya sat on a specially raised stool, holding a large bowl bigger than her face in her two little hands, her little mouth glistening with oil as she ate.

She took a big bite and ate half a dumpling, the delicious juices dripping down her chin. In that instant, all thoughts of apocalyptic zombies and awful grandmothers vanished in the warmth of that bite.

Gu Changfeng placed the cleanly peeled, glistening garlic cloves into the vinegar dish in front of Lin Wanrou, his movements as natural as if he had been doing this for half his life.

Lin Wanrou was wiping Ya Ya's mouth when her hand paused slightly, and two blushes involuntarily rose on her cheeks. Back in Mengjia Village, eating was like fighting a battle; getting even half a cornbread was considered a good thing. No one had ever taken such meticulous care of her before.

"You should eat too." Lin Wanrou snapped out of her daze, picked up a bulging dumpling, and instead of putting it in her own mouth, she steadily placed it into Gu Changfeng's bowl. "You've been up all day, your voice is hoarse from shouting."

Gu Changfeng looked at the exceptionally plump dumpling in the bowl, his Adam's apple bobbing almost imperceptibly.

The image of Lin Wanrou standing up for him at the guesthouse, pointing her finger at Wang Guifen and scolding her with such fierceness, still lingers in his mind.

The timid wife who used to only bow her head and wipe away tears is gone; she has become a woman who would risk her life for her man and children.

This feeling was even more comforting than winning a battle.

"Wife." Gu Changfeng swallowed a dumpling in one gulp, the slight spiciness of the scallions invigorating him. "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"What do I have to be tired about?" Lin Wanrou lowered her head and took a sip of warm dumpling soup, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "As long as those filthy things don't come and disgust our family, I wouldn't feel tired even if I had to carry heavy bags at the docks."

Meng Yaya listened with amusement, her two short legs dangling under the table like two happy little fish.

"Dad, Mom's doing this is called 'a mother's strength,' you know?" The little girl interrupted, her mouth full of food, her words muffled.

"If anyone dares to bully us again, you won't even need to lift a finger; my mom can cripple them with a single silver needle!"

Gu Changfeng was amused and laughed heartily, reaching out to ruffle his daughter's hair: "That's right, your mother is now our family's miracle doctor, and also a female strategist."

After dinner, it was completely dark outside. The military compound was quiet, with only the occasional bark of a dog.

Gu Changfeng didn't let Lin Wanrou lift a finger, and cleaned up the dishes himself. When he finished washing his hands and returned to the room, he saw the mother and daughter sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), guarding the tin money box that he had retrieved from Wang Guifen.

Inside were Gu Changfeng's allowances over the years, his bonuses for catching spies, and what he had brought back from Wang Guifen—all added up to more than two thousand yuan. In an era when a penny could buy two pieces of fruit candy, this was undoubtedly a huge sum of money.

Lin Wanrou was still a little flustered. When she saw Gu Changfeng come in, she subconsciously wanted to close the lid.

"Why close it? This is for you." Gu Changfeng took off his military jacket, revealing only a faded tank top that showed off his strong, well-defined muscles.

He sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed) and pushed the heavy iron box directly into Lin Wanrou's arms.

"From now on, all the money, food coupons, cloth coupons, and my pay slip will be under your control."

Gu Changfeng spoke decisively, without the slightest hesitation, "I'll keep enough for two packs of cigarettes in my pocket. You can spend the rest however you want."

Lin Wanrou was startled, almost dropping the box in her hands: "This...this won't do! You're the head of the household..."

"What leader? Outside I'm the regimental commander, but once you step through this door, you're the chief." Gu Changfeng leaned forward slightly, his eyes, which were usually sharp as knives, now filled with seriousness and determination.

"Wanrou, I've made you suffer these past few years. As for Wang Guifen, I was blind and didn't see things clearly sooner."

From now on, you're in charge of this household. Buy new clothes if you want, buy delicious food for Ya Ya if you want, no need to save money. Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up; if we run out of money, I'll earn it back!

These words are more effective than any sweet talk.

Lin Wanrou's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She looked down and touched the cold tin box, but her heart felt like it was burning hot, as if she were holding a small furnace inside.

For the first half of her life, she was either paying off debts or caring for her children; she had never truly lived for herself. Only today, only at this moment, did she truly feel that she was a woman with a family and a man who loved her.

Meng Yaya, watching from the side, felt her teeth ache from the sweetness; it was just too cloying.

She squeezed her small body between the two of them, stretched out her chubby little hand, grabbed a handful of yuan from the tin box, and solemnly stuffed it back into Lin Wanrou's hand.

"Mom, since Dad has already handed it over to the national treasury, we have to accept it!" Meng Yaya raised her little face, looking like a little adult. "This is Dad's 'pledge of allegiance' to you. If you don't accept it, he definitely won't sleep well tonight!"

Gu Changfeng affectionately pinched his daughter's chubby cheeks: "You're so clever. Yes, it's a pledge of allegiance. Once you've taken my money, we'll be comrades in arms, fighting side by side through thick and thin."

The word "comrade-in-arms" carries immense weight.

Lin Wanrou took a deep breath and nodded solemnly: "Okay, I'll take care of it for now. But let me make this clear: if you ever make a fundamental mistake..."

"Then you can stab me to death with a needle, and I will never fight back." Gu Changfeng immediately raised three fingers and swore solemnly.

Lin Wanrou chuckled. Her laughter seemed to brighten the room's lights.

Late at night.

Meng Yaya lay at the very back of the kang (a heated brick bed), her breathing becoming long and even. Actually, the little girl wasn't sleeping soundly at all; she was peeking through her half-closed eyes.

Gu Changfeng turned off the light, leaving only the cold moonlight from outside the window in the room.

"Wanrou." In the darkness, Gu Changfeng's voice was somewhat hoarse, carrying a scorching heat.

A large, rough, warm hand reached out and firmly grasped Lin Wanrou's hand. The hand was covered in thick calluses, yet it gave off an unshakeable sense of security.

"Hmm?" Lin Wanrou didn't dodge, but instead grabbed his fingers with her own.

"From now on, let's live a good life together." Gu Changfeng turned over and hugged Lin Wanrou tightly, blanket and all.

This embrace was devoid of lust, but rather a tender appreciation for something lost and then regained. He rested his chin on the top of Lin Wanrou's head, gently nuzzling it, inhaling the faint scent of soap shavings from her hair.

"We've swatted all those flies and mosquitoes. From now on, no one will be able to give us any more trouble."

Lin Wanrou pressed her face against his tank top, listening to the strong, powerful heartbeat in his chest, one beat after another, feeling extremely reassured.

"Changfeng," she called softly.

"What's wrong?"

"I feel like I'm... different from before," Lin Wanrou hesitated for a moment before finally saying it.

"Before, all I wanted was for you and Ya Ya to have enough to eat and wear. But seeing Wang Guifen being arrested today, something inside me seems to have come back to life."

Gu Changfeng patted her back soothingly: "It's good that you're alive. The Lin Wanrou of the past suffered too much. From now on, you should live more freely."

"I don't want to just be stuck around the stove." Lin Wanrou's voice was soft, but it carried an unprecedented firmness. "I have hands and feet, and I have all the skills that Master Sun taught me. This big box of money is just dead money sitting here; I want to make it come alive."

Gu Changfeng raised an eyebrow in the darkness.

He had originally thought that after this uproar, his wife would want to settle down and be a military officer's wife. Unexpectedly, her ambitions were even higher than his.

"What do you want to do?" Gu Changfeng asked. "As long as it's not illegal or against the law, I'll support you."

Lin Wanrou pulled out the yellowed medical book that Sun Shouzhen had left her from under her pillow. Although she couldn't see the words clearly, she was very familiar with the feel of the pages.

"Old Sun's skills must not be lost. When I glanced at Wang Chunhua, I knew she was suffering from both qi and blood deficiency, coupled with excessive liver fire. I was thinking..."

Lin Wanrou paused, turned over, and looked at Gu Changfeng with bright eyes in the moonlight.

"Aren't there a few empty storefronts outside the military area? I'd like to take one over."

Gu Changfeng was taken aback: "You want to open a shop?"

"It's not just about opening a shop." Lin Wanrou sat up, the moonlight outlining her beautiful profile. Her vibrant confidence and radiance made Gu Changfeng's heart burn with desire.

"I want to open a place where I can both provide medical consultations and offer medicinal cuisine," Lin Wanrou said, becoming more and more excited.

"The medicinal diet recipes that Master Sun taught me are all life-saving treasures. We have money now, and I have the skills... Changfeng, I want to give it a try."

Meng Yaya, who was pretending to be asleep, whistled in her heart.

Goodness, her mom's really gotten ambitious! This isn't some pushover wife anymore, she's clearly a future businesswoman!

Gu Changfeng looked into his wife's eyes, which shone brighter than the stars, and his Adam's apple bobbed heavily. He sat up abruptly, pulled Lin Wanrou back into his arms, and his voice was low and dangerous.

"Okay, I'll go with you to handle the shop transfer tomorrow."

Gu Changfeng rolled over and pressed down on them, covering them completely with the blanket.

"Now, it's time to do something to strengthen the bond between comrades. Our revolutionary friendship needs to be further elevated..."

"Ouch, be gentle... the bud is still here!"

"That little pig has long since fallen into a deep sleep."