Chapter 59 Wild Onions

"Yes! You're so obedient! You listened when Mom told you not to marry Zhiyi. But now you're disobeying when Mom tells you to marry Wang Lili? If you were truly obedient, you might as well marry Wang Lili!!"

You were so sure Zhiyi would foolishly wait for you, but look what happened, she got married! You deserve to never marry Zhiyi!!

As he finished speaking, Zhou Anping's eyes welled up with tears. He glanced guiltily at Nan Zhiyi, afraid she might mind...

Nan Zhiyi patted her back to comfort her.

Zhou Zhengping was rendered speechless by Zhou Anping's barrage of questions and sarcasm.

He slumped into the chair, his hands angrily running through his hair.

The words, "You deserve to not marry Zhiyi," shattered his last shred of dignity...

It's that same look again, where he can only cover his head and endure it...

Nan Zhiyi looked at him, feeling helpless.

In the past, Zhou Zhengping was always gentle, considerate and obedient in front of her. He would do whatever she said and whatever she asked him to do.

At that time, she felt it was respect and affection.

But after experiencing the sudden loss of her parents, the collapse of her engagement, and the coldness of the world, she realized that a man's meekness alone is not enough.

When faced with real challenges and pressure, that meekness can easily turn into irresponsible escapism.

Compared to Gu Xiao's silent yet steadfast mountain-like demeanor, Zhou Zhengping's current dejected state seemed even more pale and powerless.

The atmosphere inside the room was heavy.

Nan Zhiyi sighed softly, breaking the awkward silence: "It's almost noon, I'll go cook. Aping, stay for a simple meal."

Zhou Anping wiped away his tears and immediately replied, "Okay! I'll help you."

She glared at her brother, clearly still angry.

Zhou Zhengping's body stiffened for a moment.

Stay for dinner?

Sitting at the same table with Zhiyi and Anping? This was a scene that was all too familiar.

But... what about Gu Xiao?

Did he come back and stumble upon it?

Just imagining that scene made Zhou Zhengping feel like he was being roasted over a fire.

“No…no.” Zhou Zhengping suddenly stood up. “I…I still have a mission.”

“Anping,” he turned to his sister, adopting the demeanor of an older brother, “I will pick you up on time tomorrow afternoon. Don’t run around again.”

After he finished speaking, he didn't look at Nan Zhiyi and Zhou Anping again, and strode out of the house.

Zhou Anping stomped his feet in anger: "Zhou Zhengping! You coward! You can't even afford to eat a meal! All you do is run away!"

Nan Zhiyi gazed at the courtyard gate that was hastily closed, her heart at peace.

Zhou Zhengping's choice was expected.

"Never mind, Anping." Nan Zhiyi gently patted her friend's shoulder. "Come on, let's cook. It'll be just the two of us for lunch, and it'll be quiet."

Looking at Nan Zhiyi's calm and composed face, Zhou Anping realized that Zhiyi had truly let go of her brother...

“Okay! Just the two of us!” Zhou Anping shook his head, putting his dissatisfaction with his brother behind him, and followed Nan Zhiyi into the kitchen.

Neither of them had an appetite, so they ate a simple lunch to tide them over.

After the meal, Nan Zhiyi noticed that Zhou Anping was still a bit depressed, so she suggested, "It's cloudy, how about we go for a walk in the back mountain? The woods there are deep and cool, it'll help you clear your head."

Zhou Anping: "Great! I'm so bored staying indoors! Are there wolves in the mountains?"

Nan Zhiyi was amused by her: "What are you thinking! This forest is regularly cleared by the military camp. There are hardly any wolves, and even wild rabbits are rare. It's very safe."

She picked up a small bamboo basket and handed Zhou Anping a straw hat.

"Let's go."

The two walked up the mountain along a winding path behind the family compound.

The higher they went, the more lush the trees became, their branches and leaves blocking out the sun, making it much cooler. The frustration in Zhou Anping's chest gradually dissipated.

She had so much to say—about her mother's snobbishness, her brother's cowardice, and that disgusting blind date… She wanted to pour it all out to Nan Zhiyi.

Nan Zhiyi walked beside her, glancing at her occasionally.

She actually had many questions for Anping, including Zhou's mother's current attitude and the trouble Anping would face after returning home...

But she knew that what Anping needed at that moment was relaxation and companionship, not being repeatedly questioned about those upsetting things.

...

The two walked and stopped intermittently, and before they knew it, they arrived at a flat boulder halfway up the mountain.

A mountain breeze swept by, bringing a refreshing coolness, and the view opened up, revealing the neat rooftops of the military camp and the winding river in the distance.

Feeling refreshed and relaxed.

"Sit down for a while," Nan Zhiyi said, patting the stone.

The two sat down side by side.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Anping spoke up.

"Zhiyi... my mom... sigh, my brother, he absolutely refuses to marry Wang Lili, she feels like she's lost face. Now she's single-mindedly trying to make up for it with me."

That Political Commissar Liu's son… Ha, in her eyes, being able to marry into the Liu family is the greatest stroke of luck, who cares that he's an old man who's widowed, has a child, and is old enough to be my uncle?

She forced a smile. "I used to... actually listen to her a lot, but this time... I really can't take it anymore. I never thought I'd run away from home one day..."

Nan Zhiyi listened quietly, then reached out and gently took Zhou Anping's hand, offering silent comfort.

She deeply understood Anping's hardships. But what could she do besides offer silent companionship and a few pale words of comfort?

The oppression of power and the pressure from family ties are heavy burdens that she cannot resolve.

A deep sense of powerlessness welled up in Nan Zhiyi's heart.

Zhou Anping saw the heartache in Nan Zhiyi's eyes, and she felt embarrassed instead, so she patted the back of Nan Zhiyi's hand in return.

"Pshaw! Why am I telling you all this! Don't worry! Rest assured, I'm not one to be trifled with! I'll go back and refuse to marry him no matter what! My mom can't force me to go. We'll deal with whatever comes our way!"

Nan Zhiyi felt even more distressed seeing her forced smile, and she forced a smile back: "Yes, I believe you."

Zhou Anping chatted with her about the gossip in the compound, about whose son got promoted, whose daughter was making a fuss about breaking off her engagement... He also mentioned that Gu Yan had been caught doing business by his family and had now gone to hide in the south...

The two gradually let go of their worries and calmed down.

As the sun began to set, the two descended the mountain along another path.

Nan Zhiyi, with her sharp eyes, noticed clumps of tender green wild onions and wild celery growing by the stream.

"Anping, look!"

She pulled Zhou Anping over, and the two of them enthusiastically picked a small half-basketful.

"Hey! It smells pretty good!" Zhou Anping plucked a wild scallion and smelled it. "This rustic charm is much more interesting than rehearsing at the cultural troupe!"

It was nearly evening when we returned to the courtyard.

Nan Zhiyi said, "We'll make steamed buns for dinner tonight! We'll use these wild onions and the pork we bought this morning!"

Zhou Anping washed his hands and helped out. Nan Zhiyi skillfully kneaded the dough and prepared the filling, her movements swift and efficient.

As Nan Zhiyi swiftly rolled out round dough pieces, thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges, Zhou Anping finally couldn't help but marvel.