Reborn in the 70s: Pampered by Regiment Commander-Chapter 563 - 384 Sibling Affection

It was the second watch of the night.

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A man dressed in a thick blue cotton-padded coat, wearing a white face mask and black hat, wobbled onto the main road on his bicycle. Jing Zhe quickly stepped on the brakes, narrowly avoiding a collision.

Shaken by the sudden jolt, Chuxia sleepily climbed out of her slumber, yawned, rubbed her eyes, and looked outside; she instantly woke up, "Have we... arrived?"

Jing Zhe chuckled and nodded, "Yes, did you enjoy your chat with Duke Zhou?"

"Hehe..." Chuxia said, somewhat embarrassed, "Bro, your driving skills are too good, I accidentally dozed off." She then shook Luo Xiaoqiong, who was half-asleep next to her with her mouth slightly open blowing air, "Fire! Fire! Get up, quickly!"

"What?" Luo Xiaoqiong sat up abruptly with shining eyes, scanning around, "Where... where’s the fire?"

"How else was I supposed to wake you up?" Chuxia turned back and pulled out two pieces of clothing from her bag, pushing one to Luo Xiaoqiong, "Put this on when you get out of the car, don’t catch a cold."

Luo Xiaoqiong, who was originally annoyed for being tricked by Chuxia, immediately cozied up with a sycophantic smile, "Chuxia, you’re getting better at caring for people. I’m not good at it; I didn’t even think to grab your clothes for you." Looking back at Jiang Qi and Ma Chao who were following at a distance, she commented, "The bodyguards didn’t get lost. Pretty qualified, I’d say."

Jing Zhe couldn’t help but laugh, "If they heard you say that, they might cough up three liters of blood. They are absolute experts in this field. They used to protect people of Grandpa Zhou’s stature. If it weren’t for giving Zhou Mikang peace of mind, the higher-ups would not have agreed to Zhou Mikang’s request to assign them here."

"You are really magnanimous. You don’t smear Commander Zhou just because he’s not here and keep singing his praises. What a good guy," Luo Xiaoqiong said with a not-so-subtle hint of admiration.

Jing Zhe looked at her speechlessly, "Zhou Mikang is my brother-in-law, do I need to smear him? Of course, I am not going to glorify him either; I’m only stating facts."

"You..." Chuxia poked Luo Xiaoqiong helplessly, "Jing Zhe is my brother, so don’t think wildly about unnecessary things. What would outsiders think if they heard you say that? I don’t care, but what if my future sister-in-law hears this and has a conflict with my brother?

"I was wrong; I promise not to speak recklessly in the future." She verbally conceded, but by looking at Luo Xiaoqiong’s crooked smirk, it was evident that she didn’t quite agree with this statement.

"You..." Chuxia pushed the corner of her mouth back into place, "Don’t use that expression when you talk!"

Luo Xiaoqiong hurriedly rubbed her cheeks, "This is just me being a little stiff from sleeping, it doesn’t mean anything else."

"Lying through your teeth," Chuxia rolled her eyes at her, full of scorn.

Jing Zhe appreciated Chuxia’s attitude very much. If she were to be evasive and afraid to touch upon the subject, it would make him feel very awkward. It was her forthrightness that allowed him to protect and help her without any burden on his heart.

"Xiaoqiong, it’s just the three of us in the car today, so I’ll be honest with you. At first, I did have some feelings for Chuxia, but Great Regimental Commander Zhou was quicker and thicker-skinned than I. I could only regretfully watch as he got his wish.

It’s a joy to become siblings if we can’t be husband and wife. Now, I truly regard Chuxia as my own sister. As for the thoughts you mentioned, it’s really a misunderstanding."

"Since you say that..." Luo Xiaoqiong leaned forward, peering through the rearview mirror into Jing Zhe’s eyes, "If Chuxia and Captain Zeng were both in danger at the same time, who would you save?"

Without a second’s thought, Jing Zhe replied, "Chuxia."

Luo Xiaoqiong persisted, "Does that mean Chuxia is more important to you than Captain Zeng in your heart?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

"What kind of question is that?" Chuxia glared at her, "It’s a trap no matter how you answer it." Turning to Jing Zhe, she said, "Bro, don’t bother with her. She’s just bored and teasing you for fun."

"Afraid to hear the answer, huh?" Luo Xiaoqiong said with a mischievous grin, "If you’re afraid, just say it. I won’t laugh at you."

Chuxia looked at her askance, "Provocation won’t work on me."

Jing Zhe just smiled, "It’s okay, I can answer the question. Zeng Meili is older than Chuxia and better at fighting, so saving Chuxia first is the best choice."

"That’s avoiding the essence of my question."

Jing Zhe gave her a glance and said with a smile, "You’re implying that a brother’s affection for his sister can’t run deeper than for his lover, right?"

Luo Xiaoqiong nodded earnestly, "That’s for sure."

"Are you using your brother as an example?" After a pause, Jing Zhe said, "Siblings’ affection isn’t always the same. The bond between Zhou Mikang and Zhou Xiaorao is definitely deeper than that of lovers."

"You mean..." Luo Xiaoqiong’s eyes suddenly widened, "Regimental Commander Zhou doesn’t care as much for Chuxia as he does for his sister?"

"It should be about the same, I guess. Of course, I am not him, and I don’t know what he truly feels. All I know is that his affection for his little sister is absolutely profound. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been unable to forgive Uncle Zhou for so many years.

I am not comparing myself with him. I just want to tell you something - whether between siblings or between spouses, there are bonds both deep and shallow. Chuxia and I originally indeed wanted to be husband and wife, but that didn’t work out. Being siblings is also a kind of fate.

Especially strong sibling relationships are definitely due to particularly compatible temperaments and characters. Many siblings don’t share as deep a bond as lovers do, and the reason is quite simple: lovers can split up if they don’t get along, but siblings can’t. Does what I’m saying resolve your doubts?"

"Alright, I got it. You are taking this too seriously, lecturing me as if this were a class. But what you said does make me suddenly understand why my brother and I aren’t that close. It seems we’re the kind of siblings who just don’t have a deep enough connection. Now he cares about Zhang Erniu a lot more than he does me. Oops!" Luo Xiaoqiong slapped her forehead suddenly, "Shoot, I was in such a rush leaving that I forgot to bring the gift my mom prepared for my future sister-in-law. She must be at home cursing me out right now."

Chuxia quickly comforted her: "Uncle Gangshun and Fat Auntie said it already, didn’t they? When my parents come over again, they’ll also come to have a look at their future daughter-in-law. Having them bring the gift and hand it to Zhang Erniu personally is better than you delivering it in such a flustered way, right?"

"That’s true, but my mom will definitely scold me. Just you watch, when she arrives, the first thing she’ll do is scold me for being thoughtless." Luo Xiaoqiong rubbed her forehead in pain, "Oh, my brain, what’s wrong with you!"

Chuxia couldn’t help teasing her: "You left it in the bed and forgot to bring it with you."

"Oh, stop reminding me, so annoying, so annoying!" Luo Xiaoqiong, irritated, began to scratch her, "I accompanied you back to your ancestral home, and you didn’t even remind me. I hate you, blah blah blah..."

The car slowly entered the yard, and Chuxia’s heart suddenly started racing. She hadn’t felt this way while her parents were with her, but now, with Zhou Mikang absent and her parents gone, living here alone made her feel exceptionally lost.

Although she had thought everything through beforehand, when it actually came to this step, she still couldn’t help feeling anxious. She also knew that her father-in-law, mother-in-law, and other elders in the family such as Old Master Zhou and Old Madam Zhou wouldn’t treat her badly, but she just couldn’t help feeling nervous.

Jing Zhe noticed her unease and quickly reassured her: "Chuxia, don’t worry, the Zhou family members are all good-natured. You will have a happy time here."

Chuxia gave a wry smile: "I know, it’s just a conditioned reflex."

Luo Xiaoqiong had a speechless expression: "It’s not as if you’re walking into a den of wolves or a tiger’s lair. Is it that necessary? Besides, it’s not like you haven’t lived in the Zhou family’s house before. Don’t act as if you’re a newlywed making her first visit."

"It’s not that..." Chuxia let out a long breath, "Maybe I’ve just been too dependent on my parents. Don’t worry, I’ll quickly adjust."

They first stopped at Old Master Wan’s house. When Chuxia entered, the old gentleman was sitting on the sofa reading a book. He looked up at the sound and showed a look of surprise: "Why are you back so early?"

"Where is Sister-in-law Yin?" asked Chuxia.

"She went to buy groceries." Old Master Wan called Jing Zhe and Luo Xiaoqiong over to sit and chat. "I’ve just brewed some tea, perfect timing for a drink." He said this while pouring tea for everyone.

"Grandpa, look at this..." Chuxia handed over the relic she brought for seeking relatives to Old Master Wan, "Do you have any memories associated with these items?"

Old Master Wan took a careful look at each item but shook his head: "No recollection, what are these for?"

Chuxia then recounted the story of her parents’ origins, which made Old Master Wan sigh with empathy: "No wonder the Lin family parents were so dismissive of you two. It makes sense now. Come on, let’s go to your mother-in-law’s home. Old Man Zhou has an interest in these sorts of things; he might recognize them."

As a new daughter-in-law, it was only proper for her to visit her husband’s family first upon her return, but she also wanted to show the items to the Jing Family quickly because it seemed more likely that the Jing family members would recognize them rather than the Zhou family members.

She looked at Jing Zhe, uncertain of what to do.

"I’ll take you to the Zhou family, and then I’ll bring my grandparents and my parents over later. If we all get together, maybe some memories will surface." Jing Zhe said.

"Big Brother..." Chuxia was touched and didn’t quite know what to say.

Jing Zhe tousled her hair lightly: "I’m your brother, you don’t have to be so formal with me. Let’s go."

After dropping everyone off at the Zhou family’s doorstep, Jing Zhe turned the car around to head back. The distance between the two houses wasn’t far – a five-minute walk – but considering the privacy of the matter and the age of Old Master Jing and Old Madam Jing, he thought it would be more appropriate to drive them over.

Old Madam Zhou and Old Master Zhou were sitting in the living room chatting when they saw Chuxia enter. Their eyes immediately lit up with surprise: "We were just talking about you. We didn’t expect you to return so soon."

"Chuxia went to my place first. Are you upset?" Old Master Wan said with a smile as he sat beside Old Master Zhou, "You can’t be upset, I’m her maternal side of the family."

"Big Brother Wan, would I be such a petty person?" Old Madam Zhou took Chuxia’s hands and looked her up and down, saying, "You haven’t lost weight, that’s good. You haven’t lost weight."

Chuxia was bemused: "Grandma, I’ve only been gone for two days. Even if I wanted to lose weight, there hasn’t been enough time, right?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

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