Chapter 181 Military Merits

The bedroom fell silent instantly.

Gu Xiao turned around and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly under the light.

"Can you help me? My button is stuck."

He leaned back against the wall, looking down at her, and guided her hand to the buttons on his shirt, the third button fastened tightly.

Nan Zhiyi felt that his gaze was like a hook, and her fingertips trembled slightly.

"What's there to be nervous about?" he suddenly chuckled. "You've seen this so many times."

He finally unbuttoned all the buttons, revealing his tanned chest.

He had many scars, both new and old, on his shoulders, below his collarbone, and beside his ribs. He had many of these scars, large and small, all over his body...

She gently traced the marks with her fingertips, but he grabbed her wrist and pressed it to his heart.

"Aren't these marks ugly?"

Nan Zhiyi said earnestly, "These are the medals of heroes; it's heartbreaking to see them."

Gu Xiao squeezed her fingers and pulled her closer, his hot chest pressing against hers, making her feel hot all over.

She pushed him towards the bathroom, saying, "Go wash up."

He: "Together?"

Nan Zhiyi hurriedly shook her head, watching him close the door behind him.

She had just breathed a sigh of relief when a wet hand suddenly reached out from the crack in the door and pulled her inside.

The bathroom was steamy. He was still wearing his military pants, but his upper body was already soaked, with water droplets rolling down his abs and into his waistband.

"You're lying..." Her words were cut off by a kiss.

The showerhead suddenly turned on, and hot water soaked through their clothes.

He pinned her against the tiled wall.

"Are you cold?" he asked, biting her earlobe, while his hand slipped inside her soaked clothes.

She shook her head, strands of hair clinging to her flushed cheeks, which he gently kissed away.

When she was finally carried out of the bathroom, even the tips of her fingers were pink.

Gu Xiao wrapped her in a towel and wiped her down.

She lazily kicked his shin, and he grabbed her ankle and kissed the back of her foot.

The sound of firecrackers outside the window gradually subsided, and the snow reflected the spring-like colors throughout the room.

When Fourth Brother Gu Weimin and Wang Juan went upstairs, they saw Gu Yan clinging to Gu Xiao's door, talking to him.

After the two returned to their room, Wang Juan put her daughter to sleep and slowly unrolled her hair curlers in front of the mirror. "Fifth sister-in-law's gold watch looks like it's Swiss."

She turned her head and glimpsed her husband standing by the window, smoking silently, the cold wind seeping in through the window cracks swirling with cigarette ash.

What's wrong with you now?

Gu Weimin took a deep drag on his cigarette: "That sixth brother, all he knows is how to curry favor with the fifth brother? No wonder, he's an official in Beijing now."

The cigarette butt flickered in the dim light, and his face was full of frustration.

Wang Juan knew that her husband was sulking because he saw the fifth and sixth children being affectionate with each other.

"Dad, it took so much effort for me to get transferred to the General Logistics Department back then, but Fifth Brother got a direct job in the Operations Department. If Dad had been willing to speak up for me back then, he'd be in Beijing now..."

"Shh! Second brother's house is right next door!" Wang Juan, not bothering to comfort her husband who was getting stuck in a rut again, got up and closed the window tightly. "Besides, fifth brother has real merits; his promotion was earned through meritorious service..."

"First-class merit?" Gu Weimin sneered. "His position as deputy head of the operations department, without his father pulling strings, could someone in his early thirties even get it? We're both sons, and I've been in the General Logistics Department for ten years and I'm still a deputy regimental commander, while he..."

"The General Logistics Department has a lot of free time, and you don't have to go on missions, so you can spend more time with me and Nannan."

Wang Juan is quite satisfied with her current life. She handed the ashtray to her husband to catch his cigarette ash.

"Look at Second Brother, he works at the Agricultural Machinery Bureau, exposed to the wind and sun. Besides, our family has never had a serious argument with Fifth Brother. If you need to transfer in the future, won't you be counting on him to put in a good word for you?"

Gu Weimin stubbed out his cigarette and scoffed, "Beg him?"

"Suit yourself, you don't have to ask," Wang Juan turned to make the bed. "Then why don't you learn from your older brother and earn a medal yourself?"

Suddenly, a heavy thud was heard from next door.

The two immediately fell silent and pressed their ears against the wall to listen carefully.

Gu Weimin listened for a while and then said, "It's my second brother and sister-in-law arguing again."

Wang Juan didn't hear what the neighbors were saying, and shook her head, "Never mind, let's just live our own lives."

She hung up her husband's coat and told him to go wash up.

Sure enough, from the next room, Zhang Xiufen was slamming an enamel basin down with a loud crash: "Gu Jianjun! You can't even afford your son's tuition, and you're still treating those guys from the agricultural machinery station to drinks every day!"

Gu Jianjun stumbled onto the bed, drunk, muttering, "Men's socializing... what do you know..."

Zhang Xiufen was incredibly annoyed that her two sons, who had just washed their feet, were playing around on the small bed next to her. She yelled, "Give me your New Year's money, Mom will keep it!"

"Why should I!" Gu Gang stuffed the red envelope under his pillow. "I need to buy new basketball shoes for the start of school!"

Gu Qiang followed suit and hid the red envelope behind his back.

Gu Jianjun mumbled in support, "Kid... what's wrong with keeping it yourself..."

Zhang Xiufen immediately exploded: "How dare you say that! You spend your entire monthly salary on drinking, smoking, and entertaining, what's left with the meager amount?"

She tugged at the pilling cuff of her sweater, "I've worn this sweater for three years! Look at Lao Wu's family, gold watch and new coat, and look at me, I've been married to you for twenty years, and I can't even afford a Shanghai watch!"

"If you think he's poor, go find someone rich!" Gu Jianjun sat up, his face flushed, then lowered his voice, "Dad's downstairs..."

"If I could find someone else, would I still be with you?"

Zhang Xiufen lowered her voice but couldn't suppress her anger, "I told you to make Dad happy more, and what did you do? You're always drinking horse piss with those guys from the agricultural machinery station! How did my brother get promoted to deputy army commander? It was all because of one word from Dad!"

"Bullshit! My brother has genuinely served on the border for twenty years!" Gu Jianjun slammed his fist on the cotton pillow with a dull thud. "So what if he's in the Agricultural Machinery Bureau? He's at least a division-level officer!"

"Get married, my foot! Look at Lao Wu, he's a deputy division commander at thirty-one! You're over forty and still just a minor section chief!" Zhang Xiufen's eyes reddened with anger. "What about the dowries for our two sons' weddings? What about the houses? Can't you just..."

Suddenly, a sobbing sound came from the small bed opposite.

Gu Qiang huddled under the covers, trembling: "Mom, stop arguing... Here's the money..." A red envelope was slipped out from under the covers.

The couple immediately fell silent.

Zhang Xiufen wiped away her tears: "Did you hear that? Our son is so sensible. If you had any ambition at all, you would have gone and begged your father to change your job..."

"What are you begging for!" Gu Jianjun jumped off the ground barefoot. "Dad says I'm impulsive and looks down on me the most... How about we send me to the Agricultural Machinery Bureau?"

Only heavy breathing remained in the darkness.

Zhang Xiufen suddenly sneered: "Yes, the Agricultural Machinery Bureau is great! You can get promoted just by playing cricket fighting with the director every day!"

Gu Jianjun suddenly stood up, then slumped back down.

The moonlight illuminated his two sons curled up on the bed. He finally said in a hoarse voice, "Sleep...it's the New Year."

Zhang Xiufen slumped into a rattan chair, sobbing in suppressed sobs.

Gu Jianjun scratched his hair in frustration, pulled out a crumpled cigarette pack from his pocket, and found that the last cigarette had been crushed.