Talk about... a woman with a big belly is not to be offended, and the small-minded Zhang Shan Ni has now taken note of it in her heart.
Zhang Shan Ni saw the look on Xie Jingchen’s face that was as if an ascetic had to endure, and she immediately couldn’t be bothered with him, leaping down from his thigh, scaring Xie Jingchen into a panic, "Wife!"
Zhang Shan Ni just snorted at him, "I’m going to prepare some dumplings for you, and get ready for the New Year’s dinner!"
Leaving him with that, Zhang Shan Ni twisted her waist, not even glancing at him as she headed straight to the kitchen without paying him any more mind.
"This!" Xie Jingchen held his forehead, looking down at his still bulging crotch, truly not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Is he, he doing this for whose sake?! Is there no justice...
Zhang Shan Ni saw that it had gotten dark outside and the scattered snowflakes started to drift down again.
Thinking about it, she felt a mischievous impulse, so she only took out the chive and shrimp dumplings, planning to just steam them as the main dish.
These past few days she had prepared a lot of pickles and pastries, and now they came in handy.
She warmed up the chicken and fish and other meats, with the only green vegetable being chive pockets. She then cooked two bowls of small glutinous rice balls and paired them with a large plate of ’special’ dumplings, and the two’s New Year’s Eve dinner was ready.
All in all, it didn’t take Zhang Shan Ni half an hour.
Any longer, and the warmed dishes would get cold again.
"Brother Chen, come and help with the dishes~~" As Zhang Shan Ni was about to call someone to eat, she saw the man finally coming out of the bathroom.
Speaking of which, since she started cooking in the kitchen, Xie Jingchen had been in the bathroom, and it’s been almost half an hour. What has he, what has he been up to...?
Thinking about it, Zhang Shan Ni’s almond-shaped eyes inadvertently glanced towards a certain part of the man.
Xie Jingchen was walking straight towards her, seeing his petite wife’s teasing eyes, he just felt his head sink, something stirred inside him, but in the next second, he forcefully suppressed the burning sensation.
"Cough!" Xie Jingchen’s ears turned hot, and he forcefully kept a straight face, "You set the bowls, I’ll carry the dishes."
Xie Jingchen walked steadily. If it weren’t for Zhang Shan Ni’s sharp eyes and instinctively spotting his ears, she wouldn’t have discovered her own man’s shy and awkward bashfulness!
Really... such an adorable contrast!
Zhang Shan Ni let out a "Heh", responding to him, but actually it was because she couldn’t suppress the laughter bubbling up from her throat in time, and it came out as a laugh.
Afraid of annoying him, Zhang Shan Ni pretended as if nothing had happened, and quickly turned around to wash dishes and serve the glutinous rice balls.
This night was New Year’s Eve.
Originally, this night was not meant for eating glutinous rice balls, but Zhang Shan Ni felt that it was a must to eat them. Glutinous rice balls symbolize reunion, which is just perfect for New Year’s!
Since it was dinner time, she cooked the savory kind, not too many, just six for each person, as a token gesture, hoping for a good start to the year.
Zhang Shanni had just finished serving when Xie Jingchen had already taken the initiative to carry out two bowls of hot sweet dumplings.
Zhang Shanni had no choice but to grab two pairs of chopsticks and follow him out.
Originally on New Year’s Eve tonight, there was a ritual of ancestor worship, but Shanni frankly was not a local, and now they were abroad, naturally they would save trouble where they could.
The only thing Zhang Shanni could do was to make the food richer, to spend the New Year with her man, that was the best achievement.
"Brother Chen, happy new year. Let’s eat the sweet dumplings and may the coming year bring safety for you and a reunion for our family." This was truly what Zhang Shanni felt in her heart, facing her own man, she didn’t have to be courteous, she could just express her thoughts straightforwardly.
"Wife, don’t worry, for the sake of you and our child, I will take good care of myself." Of course, Xie Jingchen wouldn’t foolishly say any nonsense like being willing to make a noble sacrifice for the country, especially in front of a pregnant wife.
Besides, it’s not a time of war now, they talk about battle missions, but they’ve been guarding the border for more than two months, and on both sides it’s all just verbal sparring.
The situation is quite clear, but the other side is relentless, insisting on causing trouble, and Da Rong naturally has to press the border.
They’ve provoked us already; without any spirited response, who would be afraid of them? They are on the winning side of strategy, look, as soon as they demonstrate military readiness, the other side dares not create any more trouble.
Unless the leader of the enemy is insane, this battle won’t start at all.
"Um, Brother Chen, you need to be safe," Zhang Shanni said in a low voice, her tone slow and quiet.
With Xie Jingchen’s hearing, he would not miss it. Just as Xie Jingchen was about to say something ’comforting’ to her, when he saw her bulging belly, he knew that anything he said to his wife would be empty consolation.
Zhang Shanni’s moment of low spirits lasted only a second; she suddenly lifted her head and smiled at Xie Jingchen, saying, "Eat up before the food gets cold! Try the steamed fish I made... Here, the dumplings are really fresh and tasty."
With that, she placed a brilliantly green dumpling into the bowl before him.
Xie Jingchen gripped his chopsticks tightly, and following her cue, he bit into it and immediately knew what the filling was. He silently looked at his small wife, who had a sly but pleased look, as he muffled his swallow.
However, before he could say anything, Zhang Shanni got excited. In just a few seconds, Xie Jingchen’s bowl was full. With a coquettish look and a pleading voice, Shanni sought praise: "Brother Chen, hurry and eat~~ Is it delicious?~~"
"Mm, delicious." He only chewed once, Xie Jingchen didn’t even fully savor the taste, but replied confidently.
"Really? I’m glad you like it. Here, open your mouth~" Zhang Shanni picked up another differently colored dumpling, cheerfully commanded, "Ah~~"
Seeing the open and genuine smile on his wife’s face and her eyes curved like crescents, Xie Jingchen had no choice but to lower his head and obediently open his mouth to receive it, chewing a few times—
"Wife, don’t just keep feeding me, I can pick up my own food, you eat first," said Xie Jingchen. If at this moment he still couldn’t see that his wife was doing this on purpose, he might as well go back to the drawing board.
Chive dumplings, shrimp dumplings, chive pockets, peanut sweet dumplings, steamed fish head... His little wife’s cunning thoughts were truly brilliant, Xie Jingchen wanted to facepalm.
Such a troublemaker! Xie Jingchen calmly ate the food on the table, but from the corner of his eye, he glanced at the blooming smile on his little wife’s face, and then at... that impressively high belly, and reached a certain conclusion.
Speaking of which... Xie Jingchen paused in his movements, seeing Zhang Shanni stop her chopsticks and look at him puzzled; he concentrated his gaze back on her, poised the chopsticks to pick up her favorite fish head and shrimp dumplings into her bowl, and spoke in a deep, tender voice, "Wife, eat well, don’t just watch me, have a bit more."
"Mhm~" Zhang Shanni first looked at him puzzled, then scanned the table full of food, seeing him earnestly eating in big bites, she hooked up a subtle smile and calmly sat beside him, continuing to have their reunion meal together, just the two of them.
Mhm~ The man trusts her.