NOVPUB
Chapter 307: Chapter 297 Spring Outing (Part 1)
Li Hongjun knew his wife was sad about not being able to go up to the mountains to pick wild vegetables, so he immediately decided that this weekend he would take his wife and child to the mountains to dig for wild vegetables, and they as a family of three would take the opportunity for a spring outing.
Shen Yunfang listened with no change in her expression, but inside she was extremely happy. The plan was set on Thursday, and afterwards, on Friday and Saturday, she found herself unable to focus on anything, her mind was set on going out to get some fresh air.
One moment she remembered to bring her son’s cotton-padded clothes for the weekend outing, just in case the weather suddenly changed. Another moment, she thought as it was the first time the three of them were going on a spring outing together, they couldn’t just have a casual lunch. She had to prepare in advance. Consequently, in the first half of Friday, their residential area was filled with a delicious aroma, leading the other military wives in the area to guess who was cooking something tasty.
Finally, the weekend arrived, and Shen Yunfang got up early to pack, putting everything the child needed into a big bag, and while the child was awake, she got him dressed.
"Li Hongjun, what are you dallying for? Hurry up, I’ve got the child and everything else ready," Shen Yunfang said, neatly dressed and sitting on the traditional heated bed, waiting for Li Hongjun. Usually, he’s quite efficient, so why was he so slow today? Taxue was quicker than him, already squatting at the door, waiting to leave.
Li Hongjun looked amusedly at his wife, who was all set to go, "Wife, it’s not even 7 o’clock yet, the cool breeze is still blowing outside. If we leave now, you and the son will suffer. How about we leave a bit later, after the sun comes out?"
Shen Yunfang pursed her lips, wanting to say she wasn’t afraid. With her constitution, not to mention a cool breeze, she wouldn’t be afraid of an ice blade either. But she had to carry her son, and though she could bear it, her son might not be able to, especially if he caught a cold.
Thinking of her son, she deflated like a punctured ball, her vigor disappearing as she lowered her head, appearing like a sulky wife.
Li Hongjun couldn’t stand to see her like this, so he quickly moved over and sat next to her on the bed, hugging his wife, trying to console her, "What’s the matter, not happy anymore? Look, we will definitely go today, just later, alright? Be good, you’re a mom now, you can’t throw a tantrum. You need to set a good example for our son."
"I am not throwing a tantrum," Shen Yunfang denied.
"Still saying you’re not throwing a tantrum? Then why is that lip sticking out enough to hang an oil bottle on?" Li Hongjun teased, pointing at his wife’s pouting lips.
Shen Yunfang quickly drew her lips in and, on impulse, bit the finger that was right by her mouth.
Li Hongjun inhaled sharply, his voice becoming husky, "That was you provoking me, don’t blame me." After he finished speaking, he used his arm strength to pin his wife on the bed and flipped over her.
"Hey, what are you doing? The child is still here, Pangpang is awake," Shen Yunfang said, blushing crimson, annoyed. Ever since she passed the first trimester, he was like a blinkered mule, endlessly circling around her, as if wanting to run askew without considering the occasion or situation.
Li Hongjun frowned slightly, glanced at his son on the side, then relaxed his brows, and his hand undressing his wife moved even quicker, "Don’t worry, your son has already been woken up by your fussing and is back to sleep now. But we need to be quick, you still want to go out and have fun, don’t you?"
Taxue saw that the man and woman of the house were on top of each other again, it whined and lay down, eventually unable to bear it and covered its eyes with its two front paws.
So, it wasn’t until nine-thirty in the morning that Li Hongjun’s family of four officially set out from their home.
"Yo, Hongjun, where are you off to?" 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝘤𝘰𝑚
"Good day, Commander Sun, I’m taking my wife to dig some wild vegetables nearby."
"Oh, why are you bringing the kids along?"
"The child is too young, and it’s a hassle for anyone to help take care of him, so we have to bring him along. We’re not expecting to dig much anyway, just treating it like a trip out."
"Hey, that’s true, that’s true. Having a wife and kids really gives you a different kind of vigor, haha!"
Li Hongjun pushed his bicycle through the family quarters, repeating this kind of talk several times. If he ran into a man, a few words would suffice, but if he encountered a military wife, not only were their words racy, but the looks they gave the couple were also quite suggestive.
Shen Yunfang would shyly bow her head, but inside, she took all these old women’s behaviors as envy, jealousy, and hate.
Once they left the military area, the roads turned to dirt paths, undulating and bumpy. Shen Yunfang sat on the back seat of the bicycle, holding her son firmly with one hand and clinging tightly to Li Hongjun’s thick waist with the other, watching the trees and green grass fly by. Her mood, like the bicycle, was soaring.
"The sun shines bright overhead, the flowers smile at me, the little birds say, ’Good morning, good morning, good morning...’"
"Woof woof..." Taxue gleefully followed behind the bicycle, occasionally chiming in with Shen Yunfang’s singing.
Li Hongjun pedaled the bicycle, feeling the comforting touch of his wife’s small hands on his back, and listening to the cheerful singing coming from behind him, his mood soared as well.
What had initially been a trip just to comfort his wife had turned into something he was quietly looking forward to and excited about.
Feeling good, he had the strength to pedal vigorously, turning the bicycle like a windmill, causing Shen Yunfang to scream repeatedly in fright.
Li Hongjun laughed heartily ahead, pedaling even more vigorously.
Shen Yunfang, annoyed, wanted to smack him, but she simply couldn’t let go. She couldn’t throw the child, and she didn’t dare to let go of her grip on Li Hongjun’s waist as he pedaled so fast. All she could do was issue empty threats from behind, which only resulted in even louder laughter from Li Hongjun.
Pangpang, the little kid, disrupted by the commotion, woke from his sleep. He initially wanted to start crying to teach his irresponsible parents a lesson, but as soon as he opened his eyes and saw the unfamiliar scenery, he forgot about crying. He struggled to pull his little hands out from the covers, lifted his still somewhat limp head, and then, pointing at the swiftly passing trees, started to babble excitedly.
The family of three, or four including the dog, arrived at the foot of the mountain amidst laughter and joyful chatter.
The rest of the journey was not accessible by bicycle, so they had to walk. Li Hongjun planted his feet firmly on the ground to let his wife get off the bike, then pushed it to a patch of dense grass. After locking the bike and making arrangements, it was hardly noticeable unless someone went looking for it intentionally.
Originally, Shen Yunfang wanted to keep the bicycle in her storage space, as it definitely wouldn’t be lost that way. Then, when they came back down the mountain, she could just take it out. But Li Hongjun disagreed. After all, they were outside, and anything could happen. What if they bumped into someone they knew on the mountain and came down together? A lot of people had seen their family biking over. If they couldn’t bring the bike back down, they couldn’t just say it was stolen, could they? Then they would only be able to keep their own bicycle in the storage space and could never take it out for use again.
After Li Hongjun finished the final check, ensuring everything was secure, he took his son from his wife’s arms and, holding her hand, they walked up the mountain together.
