CHAPTER 343: CHAPTER 343: FINALLY ARRIVED AT THE IMPERIAL CITY

"Okay, daddy was wrong!" Song Yuanhuan wasn’t in a hurry to expose him, and followed up with a sentence, "Let’s go! You carry Little Baby out of the car first, Chengguang should follow closely behind mommy, and I’ll carry the luggage." As Song Yuanhuan spoke, he lifted three large bags of luggage from the train with both hands.

Xu Jingjing was arranged by Song Yuanhuan to wait near the station signpost, next to a young man in casual clothes, likely a schoolmate called by Song Yuanhuan to help pick them up. Once Xiuxiu got off the train, the group successfully met up.

"Hello, sister-in-law, I’m Zhou Chonggao. I’m a soldier from the Tiger Wolf Military Region in Z city, and I came to Imperial City with Yuanhuan to further our training at the Imperial Military Academy. We met before at Z city’s train station." Zhou Chonggao was the soldier from the Tiger Wolf Military Region who had come with Song Yuanhuan to Imperial City for training. Since they were from the same Military District, they shared a sense of belonging and familiarity. Moreover, the academy had arranged for them to stay in the same dormitory, so naturally, they were closer than others. Knowing that Song Yuanhuan’s wife had traveled a long distance to accompany her husband in Imperial City, and today being his rest day, he volunteered to help.

"Hello," Xiuxiu smiled and greeted him, "I remember you." She was quite impressed with this man who had a much more outgoing personality than Yuanhuan.

"Then let’s go!" After asking if Xiuxiu was okay, Zhou Chonggao smoothly took one large luggage bag from Song Yuanhuan’s hand and led the way to the station exit, "The car is parked right outside the exit, we’ll be there once we walk out."

"Okay, let’s go!" Song Yuanhuan, carrying two luggage bags, closely protected Xiuxiu by her side.

Knowing that Xiuxiu had brought quite a bit of luggage for convenience, before leaving the military academy, Song Yuanhuan had given a pack of cigarettes to one of the academy instructors and successfully borrowed a car. Zhou Chonggao drove, Song Yuanhuan sat in the passenger seat, and Xiuxiu along with Jingjing, holding the children, sat in the back seats.

Song Chengguang, having been seen crying on the train by Song Yuanhuan, was now dejectedly hanging his head low, pretending not to exist. Aware of his son’s temperament, Song Yuanhuan acquiesced to his son’s desire to escape, "Xiuxiu, I rented a courtyard near the academy. Knowing you prefer spacious places, I rented a two-bedroom flat with a kitchen and balcony. It’s a nice place, close to the academy. I wasn’t sure when you’d come to Imperial City, so I applied for hostel accommodation this semester. After the new year, I can apply to move out and then I can come home every day to be with you and the kids." As Song Yuanhuan spoke, a hint of guilt flashed through his eyes.

Thinking of his wife coming from afar with the children to find him, only to end up living on her own with the children outside, he felt particularly disheartened.

"Okay!" Xiuxiu wasn’t surprised by this; after all, Song Yuanhuan was in Imperial City to study at the academy, which provided individual lodging for students, and it was not customary to also accommodate family members. She had guessed upon arriving in Imperial City that they would be living in rented accommodation outside. Her hope was for Song Yuanhuan to visit occasionally to see the kids, sparing them from not meeting at all like back in Z city. As for where they lived, she truly didn’t mind and wouldn’t get upset or throw a tantrum — living in rented accommodation even offered more freedom!

"Are you in a rush to go back today after resting?" Xiuxiu was concerned about Song Yuanhuan arranging her and the children then hurrying back to the academy without much conversation.

"I asked for a day off from the instructor, including today’s rest time. Tomorrow I’ll still be free to accompany you, and I can show you around to get familiar with the surroundings," Song Yuanhuan certainly wouldn’t rush the meeting and parting, which is why he had firmly decided to give the instructor a pack of cigarettes, otherwise, for just borrowing the car, he would have simply given the cigarettes as a token gesture.

"Oh, that’s good." Xiuxiu smiled relievedly.

Song Yuanhuan, upon seeing this, also reassuredly turned his head back to look at the road. Because Zhou Chonggao was there, and there was also his sister-in-law, Song Yuanhuan naturally didn’t say much to Xu Xiuxiu. They just chatted about some unimportant topics, and the car went straight from the train station to the house that Song Yuanhuan had rented.

"Thank you for today. Let’s go out for a meal together in a bit!" Since Xu Xiuxiu and the others had just arrived in Imperial City, it wasn’t possible to cook at home, so they were definitely going out to eat. Zhou Chonggao had kindly come to help pick them up, so Song Yuanhuan felt obliged to treat him to a meal.

"Don’t be so formal with me. Let’s skip it today. I’d better take the car back to the academy to the instructor. Some other time I’ll come over to try your wife’s cooking. Go in and spend some time with your wife and kids!" Zhou Chonggao was very understanding, knowing that a husband and wife who hadn’t seen each other for a long time would have some private things to talk about, and he wasn’t in a hurry to have that meal in these couple of days. Now that he was in Imperial City, there would be plenty of opportunities to eat.

"Alright, then some other time I’ll treat you to a meal and call Cao Shi and the others to join." Song Yuanhuan gave Zhou Chonggao a punch on the chest then let him go.

"Alright, I’ll be waiting, but don’t make me wait too long." With those joking words, Zhou Chonggao turned and got into the car.

...

Knowing that Xu Xiuxiu liked cleanliness, Song Yuanhuan had cleaned up the rented house very well. The sheets and covers were newly bought and washed. Seeing this, Xu Xiuxiu settled the boy and girl twins on the bed and started bending over to unpack their many bags of luggage. When Song Yuanhuan returned to the house after sending Zhou Chonggao off, he saw the busy Xu Xiuxiu.

"Zhou Chonggao has left? Why didn’t you invite him to have a meal before leaving?" Xu Xiuxiu, seeing Song Yuanhuan come in alone, asked with some surprise.

"It’s fine, next time we’ll have a chance to invite him over to our place." Song Yuanhuan had already thought it through. Now that his wife had come to Imperial City, once they settled in a bit, he’d invite some friends from the Military Academy over to their home, letting them taste his wife’s cooking and, by the way, make them a bit jealous.

"That’s fine." Xu Xiuxiu nodded in agreement.

"Stop unpacking for now, I’ll take you out for something to eat. You must be hungry after such a long train ride!" It was only when Song Yuanhuan mentioned food that he remembered he hadn’t bought something for them to snack on earlier, and he blamed himself for not being thoughtful enough.

"Sure! Sister, just leave the luggage for now; your little sister and the kids are almost fainting from hunger." Xu Jingjing was already starving, but since Zhou Chonggao, an outsider, had been there, she hadn’t felt comfortable being as casual as usual. In front of outsiders, Xu Jingjing still maintained a good image.

"Alright then! Let’s go out and eat something." Xu Xiuxiu was hungry herself and quickly tidied up, then the group, along with the children, headed out.

Since it was neither early nor late, many breakfast vendors had already packed up, and some small restaurants that served lunch hadn’t opened yet. Song Yuanhuan led them to a nearby noodle soup restaurant that was open. They ordered several bowls of pork-stripe noodles and filled their stomachs. Perhaps because everyone was so hungry, the pork-stripe noodles, which were just average in taste, were all polished off completely.