161, Conversation, Precious Time

"Mom, is there something you want to ask me?" Jing Qingxin asked proactively while washing the vegetables. Her mother had deliberately called her into the kitchen; surely it wasn't just to cook a meal!

"Can't I just chat with you if there's nothing special?" Mother Jing said with a smile.

After a brief pause, Mother Jing continued, "Mom just wants to ask you, how are you getting used to life over there? How do Gao Shen's family members treat you?"

"Life over there is a bit lacking in material terms, but everything else is fine. Besides, I have my spatial dimension, so you don't need to worry about me," Jing Qingxin answered candidly.

As for the Gao family, Jing Qingxin gave Mother Jing a detailed introduction to everyone's character. Afterward, she recounted Gao Shen's thoughtfulness and care toward her, which naturally included mentioning that they had taken on a pair of godparents.

"Well, that's good too. Since you have no relatives or friends over there, having some godparents is a good thing so you can look out for each other! Hearing you say this puts my mind at ease," Mother Jing said reassuringly. With her son-in-law present earlier, it hadn't been convenient to ask in too much detail, and she had inevitably been worried about her daughter.

"Mom, you can rest a hundred percent assured! I am capable of taking care of myself, and Gao Shen is truly good to me! Originally, we were supposed to go to my parents-in-law's place today, but Gao Shen wanted to come and visit you all first," Jing Qingxin comforted her.

"Well, as for your parents-in-law, you don't need to pay them too much mind; just leave those matters to Gao Shen to handle. You just need to fulfill your own role. I can see that Gao Shen is a resolute man with his own ideas. It's better for him to step up and handle these family dynamics," Mother Jing advised her daughter.

"Mm, I think so too. Anyway, my stance depends entirely on his attitude!" Jing Qingxin replied with a gentle smile.

The mother and daughter happily chatted away while making lunch in the kitchen, mostly with Mother Jing passing on her experiential wisdom to Jing Qingxin as someone who had been through it all.

Meanwhile, out in the garden, the two men were engaged in a completely different conversation. Father Jing had already fully approved of Gao Shen. As fellow soldiers sharing the same qualities, he had no reason to doubt him.

The very gesture of Gao Shen being willing to trade a year of his life just to come and pay his respects to them was enough to demonstrate how deeply he cared about his daughter and how much importance he placed on her family. It spoke volumes about his sense of responsibility and character!

The two men shared a common interest in military affairs, so there was naturally no awkward silence or lack of topics to discuss. Father Jing had not lived through those hard-fought red revolutionary years, and out of natural curiosity, he wanted to learn more about the origins of military strategy and development from that era.

Gao Shen was equally enthusiastic, his heart filled with excitement. He was immensely curious about modern military science and technology. Although he had finished reading the military books Jing Qingxin had given him, there were still some strategic steps and techniques he didn't quite understand.

As luck would have it, his father-in-law was an outstanding and accomplished Major General, and he naturally wanted to seize this opportunity to exchange views, humbly seeking guidance to better foster his own personal growth.

By the time Jing Qingxin and Mother Jing finished making lunch, the two men were still deep in conversation! Had Mother Jing not stepped forward to interrupt them, they probably would have kept right on talking!

On the dining table sat five meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, and a soup. Although not top-tier delicacies, they were complete in color, aroma, and taste!

During the meal, Mother Jing kept putting food into Gao Shen's bowl with a beaming smile. "Xiao Shen, don't be so formal~ Eat up! We didn't know you two were coming today, so we didn't prepare any fancy dishes, just bear with our simple home-cooking~"

"Thank you, Mom. I'm not a picky eater, and besides, these dishes are already wonderful," Gao Shen said with a smile.

Perhaps because he had just been talking about topics of interest with Father Jing and had found a sense of grounded stability, combined with Mother Jing's warm and welcoming attitude, Gao Shen finally felt the taut string in his heart relax considerably.

Jing Qingxin and Father Jing both happened to notice the interaction between Mother Jing and Gao Shen at the same time, and both father and daughter inwardly wondered if their status in the household had just dropped.

However, Jing Qingxin was quite happy to see Mother Jing treating Gao Shen well. Then, accidentally catching sight of Father Jing's expression, her heart skipped a beat. No way? Could her dear father actually be jealous of his own son-in-law?

Jing Qingxin was well aware of how much her father cared for her mother, and their relationship was deeply affectionate and harmonious. Seeing Mother Jing enthusiastically and continuously serving food to Gao Shen, she wondered if her father was feeling left out.

To prevent Gao Shen from incurring her father's misplaced wrath, Jing Qingxin quickly served some food to Father Jing's bowl and said dutifully, "Dad, this is your favorite dish!"

"Hmph~" Father Jing acknowledged with a deep hum. Instantly, his heart received a sliver of comfort! He then turned to ask, "What are you two planning to do this afternoon? Do you have an itinerary?"

Hearing this, Gao Shen looked at Jing Qingxin. He was completely unfamiliar with everything around here, and his main purpose for coming was to see Qingxin's family, so he hadn't made any other plans in his mind.

After a brief thought, Jing Qingxin said, "I want to take A-Shen to wander around the city center, buy a few things, and then we'll all have dinner together when Big Brother gets back this evening."

"Mm, since you've made the trip here, you should definitely go out and explore properly. Don't waste this precious time!" Mother Jing agreed approvingly.