Chapter 223 Calling Each Other Brothers

Nan Zhiyi carefully examined Zhou Anping and saw the ease and contentment in her eyes. She said, "Seeing you living such a comfortable and carefree life, I am relieved."

Zhou Anping echoed the same sentiment: "Me too, Zhiyi. Seeing you, Fifth Brother, and Xiaoman doing so well makes me feel incredibly at ease."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Zhou Anping then turned to work: "I have to go back to the troupe for rehearsals on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. The new program is demanding, and I estimate I won't be able to catch my breath until after the Lantern Festival."

She looked at Xiaoman, who was bent over studying the carpet pattern, her eyes softening. "By spring, Xiaoman will be two years old, right? Time flies."

“Yes,” Nan Zhiyi sighed softly, “Sometimes when I wake up in the morning and look at this little person, I’ll be stunned for a moment and wonder whose child this is. It’s only when I’m still half asleep that I realize, oh, I’m a mother now.”

Zhou Anping was amused, but also a little annoyed: "My mother-in-law is always urging me, saying that Qingshan is almost thirty and doesn't even have a child... But he's only twenty-eight, I don't know what's the rush."

"There's no need to rush. You're in the prime of your career right now, and rehearsals and performances are so important. As for the baby, let things take their natural course. We'll talk about it when you're both ready."

The two chatted quietly about intimate things between sisters and interesting gossip from the performing arts troupe.

Just then, Gu Yan's hearty laughter came from the living room outside, as if they were having a very pleasant conversation.

Nan Zhiyi leaned closer to Zhou Anping: "By the way, Gu Yan didn't come alone this time. He brought a girlfriend, a girl from the South."

Since marrying Meng Qingshan, Zhou Anping's early, vague feelings for Gu Yan had long since transformed into a pure friendship with her childhood friend. Hearing this now, she was simply curious and happy: "Really? Why didn't you bring him over for dinner? Let us meet him too!"

"Perhaps Gu Yan felt that bringing her along for the first formal visit might make her feel awkward?" Nan Zhiyi speculated.

Zhou Anping nodded knowingly, no longer dwelling on the matter, and instead asked with a gossipy air, "What's he like? Is he good-looking? Is he easy to get along with?"

Nan Zhiyi smiled and nodded: "She's quite pretty, and looks quiet and well-behaved."

As they were talking, Xiaoman had finished exploring the room and impatiently tugged at Nan Zhiyi's trouser leg, whining that she wanted to go out and find her father.

Zhou Anping also stood up: "Let's go, let's go out and take a look. Dinner should be served soon. I'll go clear the table."

Nan Zhiyi pulled Xiaoman along and walked out of the bedroom with Zhou Anping.

Upon entering the living room, Zhou Anping headed towards the kitchen to help serve the dishes and set the table.

Nan Zhiyi stood at the entrance to the living room, watching Zhou Anping roll up his sleeves and set the dining table, while the men chatted animatedly on the sofa over there.

She sighed softly to herself.

No matter how times change, an unspoken tacit understanding remains difficult to break in these small divisions of household chores.

Men work hard outside, and when they return home, they take it for granted that women will take care of them, as if there is an invisible line between the living room and the kitchen.

Even Meng Qingshan, a husband who cherishes Anping, rarely shares these trivial matters.

The women, whether it was her or Anping, always silently took over, as if it were their innate duty.

The thought flashed through her mind, but she wasn't resentful; it was more based on realistic observation.

People as considerate as Gu Xiao are indeed extremely rare.

Thinking of him, Nan Zhiyi's heart softened; she was lucky.

Lunch was quickly prepared and was exceptionally plentiful.

General Meng received generous treatment, with special supply channels from the military logistics department providing many fresh ingredients that were rarely seen on the market.

The scale of this meal was far beyond what an ordinary citizen's family could imagine.

During the meal, anticipating that Gu Xiao would be drinking with Grandpa Meng, Meng Qingshan, and Gu Yan, Nan Zhiyi proactively arranged for Xiaoman to sit between herself and Zhou Anping, making it easier for the two of them to take care of the child while they ate.

Sure enough, the men clinked glasses and the atmosphere became lively.

Gu Yan and Meng Qingshan were about the same age and both had cheerful personalities. After a few drinks, they became like brothers and chatted more and more enthusiastically.

Gu Xiao didn't talk much, but he was very polite. He respectfully toasted General Meng and drank quite a bit himself. He just made sure to use serving chopsticks from time to time to put some of Nan Zhiyi's favorite dishes or dishes that required the trouble of picking out the thorns and peeling the shells.

After the meal, we sat and drank tea for a while and chatted.

General Meng is getting old and his spirits are failing, so he needs to take a midday rest.

Nan Zhiyi, Gu Xiao, and Gu Yan got up to say goodbye.

Zhou Anping took Meng Qingshan's arm and saw them to the door.

She smiled and said, "Let us see you off. It'll be a good opportunity for you to take a walk and digest your food." Actually, she was thinking about going to the Gu family home to meet Gu Yan's girlfriend.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yan waved his hand dismissively and said, "That's perfect, let's go to my house for a visit."

He was always easygoing and didn't care about these details. Instead, he thought it would be more lively with more people. He then added to Meng Qingshan, "Hey, Qingshan, do you have any playing cards at home? Bring them! We'll go to my brother's place later to play a couple of rounds of 'Upgrading' for fun!"

Meng Qingshan smiled and agreed, "Yes! Wait here, I'll go get it!"

He turned and hurried back into the house to get the playing cards.

Zhou Anping seized the opportunity to sidle up to Nan Zhiyi, unable to hide his excitement: "Finally, we can go and see it."

Nan Zhiyi couldn't help but chuckle at her appearance.

The group returned to the Gu family courtyard in a lively atmosphere. Ruan Wenjing had already heard the commotion and opened the door in advance.

She noticed two unfamiliar faces, their expressions a perfect blend of politeness and curiosity.

Nan Zhiyi smiled and introduced, "Wenjing, this is our good friend, Zhou Anping, and her husband, Meng Qingshan." She turned to Zhou Anping and his wife, "Anping, Qingshan, this is Gu Yan's girlfriend, Comrade Ruan Wenjing."

Ruan Wenjing quickly bowed slightly to greet them: "Sister Anping, Brother Meng, hello."

Her gaze fell on Zhou Anping's face, and she blurted out, "Sister Anping...you're Brother Zhengping's sister, right?"

The question was asked so naturally that it surprised both Zhou Anping and Nan Zhiyi.

Zhou Anping asked in confusion, "How do you know about my brother?"

Gu Yan's slight intoxication had mostly subsided.

He reacted quickly, stepping forward and casually draping his arm over Ruan Wenjing's shoulder, laughing as he smoothed things over: "Hey! When I used to brag to her, didn't I always mention my best buddies? You two siblings even have similar names, Anping and Zhengping, you can tell you're family!"

He applied slight pressure to signal her to continue.

Ruan Wenjing was also a quick-witted person, and followed his words: "Yes, yes, Brother Yan used to mention you often, saying that Sister Anping and Brother Zhengping are siblings, and their names are only one character different, so I remembered it right away. When I suddenly saw you just now, I blurted it out without thinking."

Her explanation was reasonable.

After listening, Zhou Anping thought about it and realized it made sense. Gu Yan was always talkative, so it was normal for him to chat with his girlfriend about his past social circle. So his doubts dissipated.