1970s: My childhood sweetheart ran away, and I turned around and married the wildest chief.

Qiao Wanqing didn't understand what he meant, but upon hearing this, she said with concern, "I know you've worked hard. Take a good rest now that you're back. I'll definitely make it up to you. Have you had dinner?"

"have eaten!"

He glanced at his wife, thinking that she had no idea what he had done. He knew she would be shocked when he told her later.

The two women carried the children upstairs. Upstairs, the triplets were still awake. Auntie San and Qi Ya were playing with them in the small living room. When they saw Lu Mingzhou return, Auntie San and Qi Ya were both a little surprised. He was finally back. This work was too busy.

When Lu Mingzhou saw his three children, his eyes were filled with tenderness. His children! Daddy's back!

Lu Mingzhou played with the children for a while, and his aunt noticed that he seemed a bit listless, so she said, "Are you exhausted? The children are about to go to sleep. Why don't you go and rest first? Qi Ya and I can take care of them. The children will sleep with us tonight, so you can go and get some rest!"

She felt that since Lu Mingzhou hadn't been back for so long, the young couple must have a chat, and they should still take care of the child while he slept.

With so many children, no matter who takes care of them, they can't manage for long, so they've always taken turns looking after them. Qiao Wanqing's bedroom also has small beds where these children sleep.

Lu Mingzhou was indeed not in much spirits. His little girl in his arms was already asleep, so he nodded, "Okay, Third Aunt, thank you for your hard work!"

Aunt Liang smiled and took the child from me. "Alright, don't be so polite with me. Go to sleep, don't tire yourself out!"

The two returned to their room. Qiao Wanqing found Lu Mingzhou's pajamas and told him to take a shower. Lu Mingzhou went in and came out shortly after. By the time Qiao Wanqing finished showering and came out, he was already lying in bed, almost asleep.

Qiao Wanqing: "..."

Are you this tired?

In the past, no matter how tired Lu Mingzhou was, if they were separated for a while and he came back, he would definitely hold her and play with her for a while before going to sleep. That's just how men are. If he likes you, he will have the energy to come back and do it to you no matter how tired he is.

With Qiao Wanqing's occasional supply of spiritual spring water over the years, Lu Mingzhou's energy has been exceptionally high. This is the first time he's gone straight to sleep after returning home.

Qiao Wanqing raised her eyebrows and lay down next to him. As soon as she got into bed, he came over and hugged her. No, he snuggled into her arms!

"Wife..." came a pitiful voice.

Qiao Wanqing: "..."

Qiao Wanqing held him like a child, and the guy snuggled up in her arms and nuzzled against her.

"What's wrong? Is work not going well?"

His mission in Beijing must be very important. He doesn't have much of a background and is so young. Could it be that he's being harassed at work?

Lu Mingzhou bowed again, "No, work is going very smoothly. The most difficult part is over. I have five days off this time, so I can stay home and spend time with you all. I won't be as busy in the future. I can come back at least two or three times a month. Later on, I will come back even more often."

"Really? That's great! You're away from home so often, the kids hardly recognize you anymore."

Qiao Wanqing hugged him and felt that he had lost a lot of weight. She said with heartache, "Take a good rest these few days. You've lost so much weight. You've never looked like this before."

Lu Mingzhou knew he had lost a lot of weight; he was even thinner now than when he first returned from the battlefield!

There was no way around it. He was young to begin with, and there was no foundation here. It was special operations training, talent selection, and all sorts of training. He was really exhausted.

Lu Mingzhou held Qiao Wanqing in his arms. He thought his wife smelled so good and felt so soft. It was so comfortable to hold her. Home is the best!

He held the person in his arms and quickly fell asleep.

When he woke up the next morning, his biological clock was still running at its usual pace. However, since he didn't have to go to work today, he could sleep a little longer. Qiao Wanqing had already gotten up, but Lu Mingzhou turned over and didn't get up, continuing to sleep.

I slept until after nine o'clock, feeling completely rested, before finally getting up.

The children were already playing under the pomegranate tree in the yard. When Qiao Wanqing saw him get up, she asked, "Did you sleep well? Go have breakfast."

Breakfast was left for him in the kitchen, including fried rice with eggs and side dishes. There was chicken soup on the stove, and Qiao Wanqing ladled out a bowl and placed it in front of him.

"The chicken was just killed this morning and has been stewing for a while now. It's so delicious, have a taste."

The chicken soup had been kept warm, neither too hot nor too cold, at just the right temperature. Lu Mingzhou took a sip and was immediately captivated by its aroma.

"It smells so good, and it's so fresh."

The soup had a little bit of pickled radish that Qiao Wanqing had specially made, so it tasted slightly sour and had a wonderful texture.

Lu Mingzhou drank a bowl and chewed on the pickled radish. "Hmm, your pickled radish tastes the best. I've had it in the cafeteria before, but the pickled radish there always tasted a bit strange. It doesn't taste as good as yours."

Qiao Wanqing laughed and said, "Then drink more. I've done a lot while you were away. I bought two houses, and I brought my second brother's family to the capital. I found a doctor to take care of him, and he seems to have recovered a bit. I heard from my mother-in-law and the others that my second brother is much better recently. He used to get headaches occasionally, but now those aftereffects are gone."

"My second sister-in-law and her husband run a breakfast stall now. It's summer vacation, and Mingyue and Mingyu are helping out there. Mom has also come over. My second brother and sister-in-law ran it for a while, and the business was doing very well, so Mom quit her job back home and is now with them!"

Lu Mingzhou was eating when he heard this and was stunned. "You brought them all over?"

Qiao Wanqing nodded, "Yes! I hadn't been in Beijing long when I bought a house and brought them over. My mother stayed here for a while and then went home. A little over a month later, she and my father brought a lot of things from their hometown and then stayed."

"She quit her job back home and now runs a shop with her second brother and sister-in-law, receiving a pension. Her father came to visit before, but left after a few days, saying that things were very busy back home and that they would be getting a share of land after the autumn harvest this year."

Lu Mingzhou never expected that his home would change so much in just a few months since he left.

"Is my second brother really getting better?"

His second brother's condition had been treated before, and the treatment had been effective, but the effect would definitely be minimal in the later stages. He didn't expect that even at this point, Qiao Wanqing would still be able to find a doctor who could treat his second brother.

Qiao Wanqing nodded, "Yes, Mom and my second sister-in-law both said so, and my second brother said so too. He used to have more than just a slow mind; he also had some aftereffects. Now his headaches are gone, and he's much better. He's got a lot of energy to work now."

Of course, Dr. Zhou Zhenglin's treatment played a part, but the main reason was probably Qiao Wanqing's spiritual spring water. However, there's no need to tell Lu Mingzhou about this.

Lu Mingzhou was very happy. His second brother's illness was a thorn in his parents' side. If he could recover, that would be the best thing ever.

"Eat up, and I'll take you to see them after you're done."

Lu Mingzhou ate breakfast quickly and drank three large bowls of chicken soup in one go. It was so delicious that he couldn't stop eating.

After eating and drinking their fill, the couple took their child to the shop.

It was already past this time, and the shop was finished with all the work. When they arrived, Miao Cuiying and Li Dongmei had already finished tidying up and were sitting under the big tree in the courtyard enjoying the cool air!

Miao Cuiying was overjoyed to see Lu Mingzhou return.

"Fourth brother!"

She rushed to her son's side, pulled him up and down, and said, "You're finally back! You've lost so much weight! Is the army that busy?"

Lu Mingzhou comforted his mother, "It's okay, Mom. Your son got promoted. At the beginning, the tasks were heavy, but now that's over, things will be much easier from now on."

Miao Cuiying understood that she couldn't say too much about military matters, so she didn't press for details. She simply nodded and said, "That's good. Take advantage of your time back and get some rest. What do you want for lunch? I'll go buy a chicken."

Lu Mingzhou pulled his mother back, "No need. I've been drinking three big bowls of the chicken soup you've been making for me every morning and evening. With your daughter-in-law here, I'll make up for it quickly."

Miao Cuiying smiled immediately, "You're so lucky to be so virtuous every night."

"elder brother!"

"elder brother!"

Lu Mingyue and Lu Mingyu came out of the house and saw Lu Mingzhou, so they quickly called out to him.

Lu Mingyue came over to help hold the baby. When Miao Cuiying heard Lu Mingyu's voice, her expression changed and she looked a little unhappy. Lu Mingzhou was in a good mood when he saw his promising younger brother and sister-in-law and did not notice the change in Miao Cuiying's expression.

"You're all here! How's your studies going? Are you getting your jobs soon?"

Lu Mingyue immediately replied, "My studies are going very well, and my teachers like me a lot. I haven't decided what to do next yet. Mom said she'll discuss it with you when you come back. I have two options: graduate and start working, or study abroad. My teacher wants me to go abroad."

"We'll talk about that later." At this moment, Lu Mingzhou was most concerned about his second son. "Mom, where's Second Brother? Wanwan said he's recovered somewhat after treatment, is that right?"

Miao Cuiying became happy when this was mentioned, "Yes, yes, he is indeed a bit better. He went out to buy coal and will be back soon."

The family sat under the big tree in the yard. Miao Cuiying said, "The doctor was recommended by Wanwan. He's a very skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor. He didn't charge much, and he's still taking medicine! But I can already see that he's recovered a bit. Your second brother also said that his headache is gone. He's much better than before. He's strong, energetic, and very lively every day."

"After the doctor examined him, he said that his health was improving very well, and he would stop taking the medicine at the end of this month."

"That's great!" Lu Mingzhou said happily.

His mother has four sons. The second brother is the eldest and has suffered a head injury. The third brother is of average ability and has so many children. He has always relied on the family for support. He is away from home all year round and is so busy with work that he has no time to spend with his parents. If the younger brother gets into a prestigious university, he will definitely have a good job in the future.

The talented children have all dedicated themselves to the country, and he and his younger brother will definitely not have much time to spend with their parents in the future. If the second brother can recover, it will be of great significance to their parents.

What's more, this has been a regret in their hearts for so many years!

"So... how have you been in the capital lately? How's business at the shop?"

Speaking of this, Miao Cuiying and Li Dongmei were both very excited. Miao Cuiying clapped her hands and said, "Business is booming! We made the right decision to come to Beijing. It's a good thing Wanwan brought us here. The location of this house is excellent. We only run a breakfast stall, selling steamed buns and dumplings, and business is booming. Your brother and I have to search everywhere for raw materials. We can't keep up with the demand for flour and other ingredients. Many people come to buy breakfast but don't have coupons. We have no choice but to search for raw materials all around us because we don't have enough coupons we collect."

"If we could keep up with the demand for these ingredients, business would be even better."

Miao Cuiying didn't directly mention the profit margin because her youngest son, Lu Mingyu, was still there! Miao Cuiying was starting to distrust Lu Mingyu, mainly because she was wary of Li Yuqing. Li Yuqing had come several times recently, clearly curious about the shop's profits, and had asked her indirectly about it several times.

She didn't tell Li Yuqing, and she didn't even tell Lu Mingyu.

The second son and his wife, and their youngest daughter all knew, but Lu Mingyu didn't.

Lu Mingyu knew what was going on, but he never asked. He helped out every day and spent the rest of his time doing his own thing. Sometimes he would be out all day and wouldn't come back. Miao Cuiying didn't know what he was doing and just assumed that he had gone to see Li Yuqing to date.

After chatting for a while, the conversation naturally turned to Lu Mingyue and Lu Mingyu's future jobs. Miao Cuiying said with a long face, "You just need to worry about your sister. Mingyu is very decisive and doesn't need your concern. He'll be taking care of his father-in-law in the future, so we don't need to worry about him."

Lu Mingzhou was taken aback and looked at Qiao Wanqing, who shrugged at him.

Lu Mingzhou wasn't stupid; he immediately guessed that Lu Mingyu had a girlfriend, and his mother didn't approve of her.

"What's wrong? You have a girlfriend?"

Lu Mingyu showed no surprise; he knew that when his fourth brother returned, he would definitely ask about this matter again.

So he nodded and said, "Yes, I've dated someone named Li Yuqing. She's from Yunnan Province. I've already brought her back to meet my parents. Her family isn't well-off. She has younger siblings, and her father is in poor health. She'll be going back to her hometown after she graduates."

Lu Mingzhou frowned. "She's going back to her hometown? So you're going to Yunnan Province with her?"

Lu Mingyu hesitated for a moment before saying, "I haven't decided yet."

"What do you mean you haven't thought it through?" Miao Cuiying said angrily, "How long have you been thinking about this? Mingyu, you're not a child anymore. You even worked for a while before going to university. You've always been smart and sensible. You're not the kind of brainless kid who needs your parents to worry about. How come you've become like this after falling in love?"

"You two have been dating for a year. Did you only just find out about her situation? You haven't made up your mind after all this time?"

"Either you're willing to give up your future in the capital, or you make a decisive move and stop dragging this girl along. What's with this hesitation?"

Lu Mingzhou found it strange. "What's her family's situation? If their conditions are bad, to the point that she has to go home to take care of them, then why send her to university? And why isn't she going back now that it's summer vacation? If they don't need her that much, then why does she have to go back to her hometown? Students from Renmin University are likely to become cadres after graduation, and there's a high chance they'll be kept in Beijing..."

"She's not from Renmin University, she's from a teachers' college," Lu Mingyue quickly interjected.

Lu Mingzhou: "..."