NOVPUB
Chapter 255: Chapter 245 The Kid’s Dad is Back
On the evening of the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, amidst the vast expanse of white snow outside Gaijiatun, a green figure appeared and disappeared intermittently.
Li Hongjun, wrapped in a green military coat and carrying a huge backpack, hurried home.
For the first time in all the years he had been a soldier, he felt the true meaning of being eager to return home—he just couldn’t wait to get back, couldn’t wait to see his wife.
As soon as Dashuan’s wife opened the door and saw the man in military uniform at the gate, she was startled. His Lei Feng hat was covered in white frost, and she didn’t recognize it was Li Hongjun at first glance.
"Hongjun’s back, oh, why have you only just got back?" After recognizing him, Dashuan’s wife hurriedly ushered him inside.
"Sister-in-law, is Yunfang all right?" Li Hongjun still didn’t know that Yunfang had already given birth.
"She’s fine, very fine, you’ll see for yourself," Dashuan’s wife said with a hearty smile.
Li Hongjun couldn’t wait and pushed open the door to the east room, then stood frozen in place.
Dashuan’s wife laughed with a snort, "Yunfang, Hongjun’s back. The three of you have a good chat. I’ll head back now and come over again when it’s time to cook. I see you’re understanding, Hongjun—there’s hot water in the pot outside, have a good wash, and if the child has wet himself, just throw the wet nappy to the side. Don’t let Yunfang wash it herself; I’ll wash it when I come over later." After giving her instructions, she put on her clothes and went back home.
Li Hongjun came back to his senses, and in just a few strides he rushed from the doorway to the front of the kang bed, and looked down at his son, then his eyes stuck to his wife and couldn’t move away.
"What are you staring at!" Shen Yunfang felt embarrassed under his gaze. She had been sitting in confinement for several days now, lying in bed all the time, and she hardly looked herself. She didn’t mind it before, but now that Li Hongjun was back and staring at her so intently without moving, she felt a bit shy.
"Wife, I’ve missed you." Li Hongjun didn’t want to be this soppy, but seeing his wife, he couldn’t help himself. The longing that had built up over so many months surged into his heart at this moment, and he wanted to express it right then.
Shen Yunfang’s face blushed, feeling sweet inside, yet she said, "How can you be so gross? You’re a father now, and you’re saying such cheesy things in front of your son—careful he doesn’t make fun of you in the future."
Taking his wife’s words, Li Hongjun turned his gaze back to the chubby baby beside her, his eyes becoming even more tender involuntarily, "Wasn’t he supposed to be born after the New Year? How come he’s early?"
The little infant on the kang seemed to feel unwelcome and started to whine pitifully.
"It’s a long story; you’d better put things down and take off your clothes first. You’re chilled to the bone; don’t upset the baby," Shen Yunfang said, looking at the layer of frost on Li Hongjun’s hat, knowing he must have walked all the way from the county to Gaijiatun and must be frozen through and through.
Li Hongjun obediently took a step back and removed his military coat, and didn’t hold back, peeling off his cotton jacket and trousers as well. Standing there by the fire basin in the middle of the room in his thermal underwear, he began to warm up by the fire.
Although the room was heated, Shen Yunfang found it a mix of amusing and embarrassing that Li Hongjun had stripped down so much in such a short time. She hadn’t seen him behave so recklessly before.
"Why did you strip off your cotton jacket and pants as well? Aren’t you cold? Hurry up, at the bottom of the cupboard, there’s your sweater and woolen pants—pull them out and put them on. Don’t catch a cold," Shen Yunfang nagged from the side.
Li Hongjun circled around the brazier, laid his large hand on his belly to make sure he wasn’t cold anymore, and without listening to Shen Yunfang, he took a few big steps to the edge of the kang bed. With one lift of his thigh, he climbed directly onto the kang and snuggled into Shen Yunfang’s quilt. Of course, he considered the child outside, so he snuggled into the inner side of the kang and wrapped his arms around the mother and child from behind.
"What are you doing? Get up quickly. Can’t you smell how strong this odor is?" Shen Yunfang looked even more tormented as she was embraced by the man—should she resist or push back? It wasn’t that she was too reserved; her own smell was indeed rather unpleasant. Besides the scent of milk, there was also a sour stench of sweat mixed in. The smell was quite pungent at first, but after smelling it a bit more, one would get used to it.
Upon hearing this, Li Hongjun deliberately buried his face in her neck and took a few deep sniffs, "It does smell strong, like a fragrant milky scent. I like it!" He didn’t dare comment on the other odors, even if he could smell them.
Shen Yunfang, embraced from the front, laughed. Although she knew he was just trying to comfort her, hearing his words still made her feel bubbly with happiness.
She didn’t put on airs and turned around, shrinking her entire body into her man’s embrace and took several deep breaths... Hmm, actually, she had no reason to feel inferior. This man didn’t smell much better than she did. Apart from the sweat, there was also a strong scent of tobacco, and she had allowed him to come to bed without washing up, which was already quite accommodating of her.
Shen Yunfang didn’t hold back at all; she stretched out her arms and hugged Li Hongjun, then murmured, "You’re finally back!" Her voice already carried a nasal tone.
For some reason, seeing Li Hongjun and being held in his arms made her suddenly feel wronged, as if she had been bullied, and her heart ached terribly, with her nose feeling so sour that she wanted to cry with Li Hongjun.
However, she remembered what Dashuan’s wife had said about not crying during the confinement period, so she held back with all her might.
Li Hongjun also noticed the change in his wife’s voice and hugged her tighter into his embrace, his heart aching for her. He gently patted her back with his large hand as if patting a child, "Don’t be scared, I’m back now."
Shen Yunfang listened to him in a low voice; her eyes stung unbearably, but before she could indulge in more coquetry, their son Pangpang, forgotten by the new parents at the edge of the kang, protested.
"Wah..."
As soon as Shen Yunfang heard her son crying, she no longer had time for pretenses, immediately releasing the child’s father. She turned nimbly and reached for her son.
"Son, don’t cry, don’t cry, mama is right here." She soothed with her mouth while her hands quickly began to check his diaper.
Upon opening it and finding it not wet, she quickly wrapped it up again, then placed her hand on her son’s cheek. Seeing him follow her hand with his little mouth, looking ready to eat, she knew he was hungry. With that, she lay down again and lifted her shirt. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
Babies might naturally have this perception; as soon as their mother got ready, he found the food himself, latched on, and started sucking voraciously without any care.
Shen Yunfang hissed in pain; her little ancestor’s strength was too great, and every time he nursed, it caused her a piercing soreness.
Li Hongjun propped himself up to look at the mother and child in front of him, his heart brimming with warmth and emotion. However, seeing his wife frown from the baby’s bites, he restrained himself from frowning too and reached out a finger to push at his son’s little face.
"What are you doing? The baby is eating, don’t mess around."
Now he was the bad guy, both inside and out.
