Chapter 20: A Child with a Mother

"No, honey, Daddy is just writing down the things we need to buy for the house."

He had been raising the two children on his own, and most of the household items were tailored to the three of them. Now that there was a new family member, many things needed to be purchased. Huo Zheng made a list, jotting down everything he could think of.

Finishing the last stroke, he glanced at the clock. It was getting late, past the children’s bedtime. Since Lu Mingyue had mentioned wanting to sleep with Yaoyao, he called his son to head to the other bedroom.

Huo Minglei followed his father with trepidation, his little face scrunched up. If he had known his father was coming home today, he should have prepared better. Being caught red-handed throwing feces would certainly earn him a lecture. Huo Minglei braced himself; if his father hit him, he would hold back his tears. There were others in the house, and he didn’t want to be a laughingstock.

Huo Zheng, unaware of his son's inner turmoil, began to make the bed upon entering the room. The children were restless sleepers, leaving the sheets wrinkled and tangled. His departure had been sudden, and he hadn't had time to find someone to look after them; that was why he had been in such a rush to return.

Huo Minglei watched his father busy himself without saying a word. The little boy scratched his head, realizing his father must be waiting for him to confess. He took a deep breath. "Daddy, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have led my sister into mischief."

Huo Zheng paused. He had intended to have a serious talk with them, but not right at bedtime. He wasn't surprised by his son’s initiative; the boy knew that he was lenient with those who confessed voluntarily, so he was always the first to admit his faults. He sat on the edge of the bed, beckoned his son over, and held his hands, saying earnestly, "I am also at fault for this. I didn't pay enough attention to what you and Yaoyao were truly thinking. I am happy that you wanted to protect me, and I am very proud of you."

Huo Minglei’s eyes lit up at these words—his father was praising him!

"But!"

Huo Minglei’s smile stiffened.

"But when it comes to dealing with Gou Sheng’s mother, what you did was wrong. You are still young; if there is a problem, you must ask an adult for help."

"I know, ask Grandma Wang," Huo Minglei answered eagerly.

Huo Zheng nodded. "Exactly."

It was a good thing he had returned in time; Li Cuifen hadn't had the chance to lay a hand on the children. Given what he knew of her, the kids would have undoubtedly suffered had he not arrived.

"I understand now, Daddy. I won't do it again, please don't be mad at me."

Huo Minglei feared nothing under the sun, except his father’s anger. He told his father everything, not even leaving out the part about climbing the tree.

Huo Zheng felt his temple twitch when he heard that his son had taken his three-year-old daughter climbing. "How on earth did you get up there?"

It wasn't that he doubted them, but the two children were like little peas, not even as tall as his calves. Climbing a tree without help sounded unbelievable.

Huo Minglei spoke with a hint of pride, completely oblivious to his father’s dark, brooding eyes. "I saw a stack of wheat straw nearby and used it to help my sister up. Gou Sheng’s mother is afraid of heights and didn't dare to move at all—she’s not even as brave as my sister."

Huo Zheng raised an eyebrow. "It seems you’re quite pleased with yourself?"

Huo Minglei sensed something was wrong and tried to back away, hoping to slip out. But short legs were no match for long ones. Huo Zheng blocked the door with his foot, his towering frame looming in the doorway as he curled his lips into a smile. "Where do you think you're going?"

Huo Minglei broke out in a nervous sweat, his inner self curling into a ball. In the end, it concluded with a one-hundred-word reflection report—a task that had the five-year-old scratching his head in agony.

Huo Minglei didn't sleep well during his nap, tossing and turning.

"If you don't want to sleep, I'll take you out for a run."

With the sun so high outside, only a fool would want to go running. Huo Minglei immediately squeezed his eyes shut. Moments later, Huo Zheng smiled as he listened to his son’s light snoring.

As the sun began to set, its golden rays draped over the man like a sheer veil. His sturdy arms were exposed, glowing with a healthy sheen in the light, and his broad chest rose and fell with his movements. Sweat trickled down, disappearing into the depths of his shirt, an image that was unintentionally provocative.

Huo Zheng was wearing a tank top and shorts, looking exactly like the rugged male leads in short videos. Both his appearance and his physique matched!

Lu Mingyue, having just woken from her nap, saw this scene and couldn't help but let out a soft "Wow." If the situation hadn't been so inappropriate, she would have loved to whip out her phone and snap a few photos.

The woman, lost in admiration, didn't notice Huo Zheng’s shoulders tense up. The second her gaze disappeared, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Lu Mingyue had already toured the courtyard in the morning; the thing that needed the most attention was the small vegetable patch. On Sandstone Island, the four seasons were distinct. After the start of autumn, it turned cool in the mornings and evenings, though it remained hot at noon.

"Plant cabbage at the start of autumn." It was a local proverb passed down by elders, a way of following the natural rhythm of farming that made life easier for the people.

The vegetables in the yard had grown wild with foliage, but yielded very little fruit. Huo Zheng pulled out the withered stalks and loosened the soil. When Lu Mingyue had mentioned planting autumn vegetables earlier, this man had prepared the beds in the blink of an eye. As expected of a soldier, his speed was unmatched.

[System, this man is really quite something!]

System: [Of course! In the original book, Huo Zheng was voted the man most worth marrying, bar none!]

If only the author hadn't given him so little screen time, he would have easily surpassed the male lead.

System: [Host, I believe in you. Take him!]

Huo Zheng, who had finished working on the garden, had just stepped inside to take a drink when he heard this. He spat the water out instantly. It went up his nose and down his throat, catching him completely off guard, and he began to cough uncontrollably.

Lu Mingyue hurried over at the commotion. Seeing the bowl on the table, she muttered to the system: [He really can't handle a compliment.]

The system nodded in agreement.

Huo Zheng, having heard their conversation: *Who exactly is the reason for this...*

Once he recovered, Huo Zheng handed her the paper on the table. "I’ve listed the things we need to buy at the supply and marketing cooperative. Take a look and see if there’s anything you need to add."

Lu Mingyue scanned it quickly and added a few items.

When the two children woke up, the family gathered around the table for a brief introductory ritual. The morning had been too rushed for them to sit down and talk properly. On the way back, Huo Zheng had already introduced the children to Lu Mingyue and hadn't hidden their background from her.

Huo Mingyao was drawn to the warmth radiating from Lu Mingyue and instinctively leaned toward her. Huo Minglei pouted, unhappy to see his sister’s actions. *Silly girl, why are you getting so close to someone without any defenses? If she were a bad person, you’d have been snatched away already.*

"From now on, we are a family. Yaoyao, Leilei, Comrade Lu is my wife, and she is your mother."

No sooner had Huo Zheng finished speaking than a loud, clear voice rang out: "Mom!"

Yaoyao threw herself into her mother's arms, lifting her little face with a radiant smile. From now on, she was a child with a mother, too.