Qin Jian finished speaking and strode away.
An Hao took out her sewing kit, and from within, she pulled out a spool of white, cotton-blend thread. She expertly threaded the needle and began to sew Qin Jian’s clothes.
Her skills were excellent, each stitch tidy and even. Thankfully the uniform was designed with a busy pattern, so at first glance, one could hardly tell it had been damaged.
After finishing the repair, she filled a basin with clear water, added some laundry powder, and began to scrub the clothing clean.
His clothes were very clean, with just some loose dirt and sweat stains.
Once the clothes were washed, An Hao hung them up to dry and then returned to her room to review her lessons until around eight or nine o’clock in the evening. That’s when An Ping finally woke up from his stupor.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw An Hao sitting beside him reading a book.
"Sis, my head is throbbing terribly." An Ping complained of pain the moment he opened his eyes.
An Hao poured a cup of hot water and handed it to An Ping, "Serves you right, who told you to drink that much!"
"I’m just paving the way for you, sis! Besides, I think Qin Jian is really awesome and he’s also a good person. You should snatch up such a good man while you can! I saw Song Yueqin seemed to fancy him! Don’t let her take the opportunity." Despite his young age, An Ping had plenty of concerns.
Having witnessed Qin Jian’s impressive abilities, An Ping was utterly convinced by him.
His sister had suffered so much; she deserved a good man to cherish her!
"Your task right now is to focus on your middle school exams! Don’t think about anything else!" An Hao glared at him, "Always worrying about needless things!"
"Hey, if I don’t worry about you, who will? I am your own brother, after all!" An Ping said, agitated, and sat up abruptly, "Sis, I’m not saying this lightly, but with your strong abilities, which of these young guys would dare show interest in you? And even if they dare to like you, would their parents dare let them marry you? Who would be able to handle a fierce wife like you? I think Qin Jian is pretty good; you act like such a sweet and obedient wife in front of him, it’s a perfect match!"
"Are you saying I can’t get married?" An Hao reached over and pinched An Ping’s thigh, "Keep spouting nonsense, and watch out; I’ll deal with you!"
An Ping held his leg and howled in pain, "See what I mean? I told you you’re tough!"
"Enough, stop messing around!" An Hao patted him and said, "I’ll go and cook some porridge for you."
"Wait, sis!" An Ping quickly called after her, "Qin Jian got injured while saving me. Shouldn’t you at least show some concern? Why don’t you find some time? I’ll accompany you to their military base."
An Hao felt An Ping had a point, so she nodded, "Hmm. Alright! We’ll go when I have a day off."
.....................
Over the weekend, An Hao vaguely felt some discomfort in her stomach.
She had planned to wait until the next day, but An Ping’s relentless urging made her relent, "Sis, if you keep dragging your feet, your man really will get taken away by someone else!"
"Don’t talk nonsense! It’s not good if someone hears that!" An Hao scolded him, and taking Qin Jian’s uniform from the wardrobe, she went to the military base with An Ping.
The weather outside was clear, cloudless, and a warm breeze rustled through the poplars, making a whispering sound.
It was their day off today, and the base personnel were all relaxing.
A group of big guys were playing ball on the field, sweating profusely. Then, each carried a basin and towel, basking in the sun shirtless as they bathed.
As An Hao and An Ping entered the school gates, they happened upon Yang Chen and asked him, "Hello, can you tell me if Qin Jian is here?"