“Old Feng! What’s the deal with your son! Brigade Commander Ding already approved his leave slip, but your precious son still won’t come back! I think he doesn’t want a wife anymore!”
She had sent an urgent telegram to her son, only to receive word from his superior that her son wouldn’t return. He Hong nearly fell ill from anger.
“Calm down, calm down. You know what kind of temperament your youngest son has. It’d be the strange thing if he did come back.”
Seeing his wife fuming, Feng Shengli hurriedly soothed her.
As for their son not returning, he had already guessed it when He Hong sent the telegram urging him back.
After all, the frontline battles were intense right now—they were in the middle of a war. At such a critical time, with his youngest son serving as a regimental commander, it was impossible for him to take leave to get married.
“Heh, go ahead and protect your precious son! If he doesn’t come back, the fine wife we found for him might not be his wife anymore!”
Seeing her husband muddying the waters and siding with their son, she let out a cold laugh.
“What? What do you mean by that? What’s wrong with Shushu?”
Feng Shengli hadn’t thought there was any issue with his son not returning at first, but hearing his wife say this, he suddenly panicked.
Though he rarely interacted with Qiao Shu usually, he truly liked this obedient, sensible, and beautiful daughter-in-law-to-be.
Even though Qiao Shu and his son weren’t married yet, Feng Shengli had already decided in his heart that she was their family’s one and only daughter-in-law.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know—our family’s Shushu has already become a celebrity in the Military District Compound. You go in and out every day; haven’t you noticed how many people are around our house?”
“Huh? Aren’t the ones near our house just the neighbors’ kids?”
Hearing He Hong’s words, Feng Shengli looked utterly bewildered. It was clear he truly knew nothing.
He Hong got even angrier seeing him like this.
“What kids! They’re all half-grown young lads! Why do you think they’re hanging around our house? It’s all because of our family’s Shushu!
“Shushu has only been with us for a week, and she hasn’t gone out much or made friends with anyone. But plenty of people have their eyes on our family’s Shushu!”
With that, He Hong began listing off the people eyeing their daughter-in-law-to-be one by one.
Deputy Army Commander Hu’s grandson, Deputy Commander Han’s youngest son, Commander Chen’s grandson…
Feng Shengli was stunned listening to the names his wife rattled off.
He was especially dumbfounded by his wife’s next words.
“And these are just the ones I know for sure! Who knows how many more there are that I don’t! Anyway, who knows—maybe all the little wolf cubs in the entire Military District Compound have their eyes on our family’s Shushu!”
“…Do you think we shouldn’t have brought Shushu here to our place?”
Snapping back to his senses, Feng Shengli somewhat regretted bringing this fairy-like beautiful little daughter-in-law to their home. After all, the Military Family Courtyard where they lived was full of high-ranking families, on par with his father’s status.
So, if these ‘neighbors’ set their sights on her, it wasn’t impossible for someone to whisk away their fairy daughter-in-law.
At that moment, Feng Shengli suddenly felt a sense of urgency. He thought his son absolutely had to come back!
“Enough of that! What we need to do now is—the only thing we can do is get that brat Feng Xiao back here quick! Once he and Shushu get their marriage certificate and hold the wedding banquet, no matter how many people in this compound eye our daughter-in-law, it won’t matter!”
Seeing her husband finally get anxious, He Hong snorted coldly. These past days, she had lived in constant worry, afraid their little daughter-in-law would be stolen away.
Fortunately, her little daughter-in-law-to-be was the stay-at-home type, which kept out many who wanted to poach her.
But these days, plenty of people had indirectly probed—why her son hadn’t returned, whether they’d gotten the marriage certificate, when the wedding banquet would be. Her heart hadn’t settled for a moment.
No helping it—too many people had eyes on her daughter-in-law.
Now, it was time for her hands-off manager of a husband to taste the feeling of their daughter-in-law being eyed by so many, possibly snatched away.
“Yeah, you’re right. We should call A Xiao back and have him and Shushu get their marriage certificate quick…”
After learning so many people wanted to steal his fine daughter-in-law, Feng Shengli immediately nodded. Contrary to his usual demeanor, he was determined to summon Feng Xiao back at once.
However, neither He Hong nor Feng Shengli realized that they didn’t need to scheme any way to call back their stubborn son who was all-in on the army—their son was about to return on his own…
But Qiao Shu knew nothing of He Hong and Feng Shengli’s worried little thoughts.
She was even less aware that, without even going out to make friends, she had attracted so many admirers.
At this moment, she was brainstorming her fairy tale story while supervising He Anning’s summer homework and accompanying Jiang Lekang with his drawing.
Lately, spending time with a group of tender young little radish heads had sparked one fairy tale inspiration after another in Qiao Shu.
Because of this, she didn’t mind at all hanging out with these kids as an adult.
After all, these adorable children could bring her not only carefree joy but also endless inspiration.
That was why, these past few days, bursting with inspiration, she had stayed at the Feng Family all day outlining her fairy tale—aside from the green yard of the Feng Family, she hadn’t stepped out once.
This left a group of courtyard disciples who had geared up with full effort, guarding near the Feng Family daily in hopes of a ‘chance encounter’ to befriend Qiao Shu, utterly frustrated.
After all, they had their plans all set, but the target little fairy never! Left! The house!
“Ningning, you got this question wrong. Take another careful look.”
“Kangkang, that’s great! Let’s draw a little doggy next.”
Propping her cheek with one hand, looking lazily delicate, Qiao Shu guided He Anning’s homework while coaxing Jiang Lekang. But her mind wasn’t on the two little ones.
At this moment, she was thinking—
A whole week had passed. Had her parents received her letter yet?
And the fairy tale story she sent to Fairy Tale Princess Magazine—had it passed review or not?
Qiao Shu blinked distractedly. So many days had gone by; if it hadn’t passed… should she try submitting to another children’s magazine?
Just as the uncertain Qiao Shu pondered switching magazines, the envelope containing her fairy tale story that she had sent out was opened by someone…