Chapter 17 She seemed to smell a hint of melodrama. "I like..."
With the help of the space, Zhao Shuyi had a good rest and was ready to wait for Gu Yan's arrival by 4 pm.
If nothing unexpected happens, this will be where she lives for many years to come.
She also wanted to go out and explore.
Zhao Shuyi really liked the natural conditions of this place; she had never seen such pristine and beautiful scenery before.
It would be even better if we could go hiking occasionally.
Gazing at the scenery outside the window, she became lost in thought. When she came to her senses, Zhao Shuyi checked the time and realized it was already 5:15.
"What happened?"
Gu Yan doesn't seem like someone who's unpunctual. Could something have tripped him up?
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
When Zhao Shuyi opened the door, she was surprised to find a young, unfamiliar soldier standing outside.
Upon seeing Zhao Shuyi, he paused for a moment, then asked, "Excuse me, are you Comrade Zhao?"
"I am, and you are?"
"Sister-in-law, Battalion Commander Gu sent me. My name is He Xu. The battalion commander said he had to go to the hospital and will come to see you later."
As he spoke, he handed a lunchbox to Zhao Shuyi, saying, "This is the lunch I brought for you."
"Thank you, Comrade He, for your trouble."
Zhao Shuyi had thought about this before she came. Due to his profession, he was destined to focus more on his career. If she really wanted to be with him, she had to be prepared for that.
Zhao Shuyi is actually quite satisfied with this kind of life. The two of them are busy with their own things. They are a family, but they can also have their own space.
She couldn't tell if the other person got their food from the cafeteria or bought it from a state-run restaurant. The stir-fried shredded pork was exceptionally tender and smelled delicious. She really wanted to know how it was made.
After eating, Zhao Shuyi didn't just wait foolishly in the guesthouse.
The other person might not be available for a while, so it's good for her to go out and wander around first.
After saying goodbye to the receptionist, Zhao Shuyi left.
As soon as she stepped out of the guesthouse, she was captivated by the scenery before her.
It was dusk, and a fiery sunset painted the entire town as if it were dyed a fiery red—it was breathtaking.
It's a pity that Zhao Shuyi didn't have a camera, or even a paintbrush, otherwise she really wanted to record this scene.
A tree in front of the guesthouse partially blocked the view.
Zhao Shuyi walked to the tree and looked up, taking in the entire scene of the setting sun.
A gentle evening breeze blew by, the summer wind still carrying a hint of warmth, but Zhao Shuyi felt it was just right.
She wanted to stay in this place.
Just as she was enjoying the beautiful sunset, a familiar voice came from behind her.
"Zhao Shuyi".
Zhao Shuyi turned around, saw that it was Gu Yan, and gave him a big smile.
"Have you finished your business?" Zhao Shuyi went up to him and looked at the child in his arms.
"Brother Gu, who is she?"
Hearing the voice, Zhao Shuyi noticed that the slender girl who had been walking not too far from Gu Yan was with him.
She seemed to smell a hint of melodrama.
If she wasn't mistaken, the little girl's fleeting glance at her seemed a bit unfriendly.
Really?
Zhao Shuyi refused to get involved in the messy situation.
"This is my fiancée." Gu Yan's unwavering voice pulled her back to reality. Then she heard him say, "These are my comrade's son and sister. I'll find someone to send them back first. Do you want to come with me?"
Zhao Shuyi did not refuse.
Gu Yan's lack of introduction clearly indicated that he did not intend to get too close to the other party.
She noticed that the little girl was staring at her, but she pretended not to see her and just walked on the other side of Gu Yan.
"Remember to make sure Xiao Liang takes his medicine when you get back. If he gets sick again next time, remember to find someone first. You might not be able to find me even if you come to the army."
Gu Yan's tone remained harsh when he spoke to the girl, but she seemed to listen to him very well.
Her eyes sparkled as she kept nodding.
After Gu Yan finished speaking, she said, "Brother Gu, can you come back with us? I'm a little scared."
Gu Yan looked down at the sleeping child in his arms.
"Don't be afraid, I'll have He Xu take you back by bike."
"But……"
"I have other things to do, I'll come see you next time."
Tsk tsk, a bit cold.
The little girl was clearly unwilling, but she still nodded and glanced at Zhao Shuyi as she agreed. At such a young age, she couldn't quite hide her emotions, and she clearly felt some resentment, but it was also possible that the other party had no intention of hiding it at all.
Zhao Shuyi felt confused and a little uncomfortable. What had she done to offend anyone?
But she didn't react, and she wasn't a united front, nor could everyone like her.
Go ahead and complain.
I can't stand her, but I can't get rid of her.
She's the female lead in a wish-fulfillment novel.
After comforting herself, Zhao Shuyi quickly followed them to the entrance of the military base. Gu Yan asked someone to notify them, and soon someone came out on a bicycle.
"Battalion Commander! Sister-in-law!"
The person who came was He Xu, the soldier who had brought him food that afternoon.
Zhao Shuyi nodded slightly in greeting to him.
"Take them both back home and warn their parents that if anyone dares to bully Xiao Liang again, I'll skin them alive."
Zhao Shuyi keenly noticed that the girl's eyes flickered when Gu Yan said those words.
The child was handed to her, and she immediately carried him on her back. Perhaps because she was very ill, the child did not wake up.
The bicycle drove away quickly, and the little girl kept looking at them, as if she was reluctant to part with them.
"Is the child alright? Is he very ill?"
Gu Yan asked in surprise, "Why do you ask that?"
"He seemed to be sleeping very soundly." And the two of them gave her a somewhat strange feeling.
"It's nothing, it's just that the medicine makes me sleepy." Gu Yan's expression was somewhat gloomy, as if he was thinking about something.
Zhao Shuyi: "If you're worried, you can go see them off first. Our business isn't urgent."
She didn't want to delay his plans because of her.
"No, they're fine."
"But didn't you just say that someone would bully those two children?"
She wanted to know how Gu Yan handled the matter concerning the two children.
She initially thought the girl might have a crush on Gu Yan, but judging from Gu Yan's reaction, it seemed she was overthinking it.
The little girl might have a bit of a possessive feeling towards the older brother who always takes care of her.
Hopefully, it won't be someone who frequently causes trouble.
It seems that marrying Gu Yan wasn't as simple as she had thought.
"I'm already handling this matter, and it will be resolved soon."
Gu Yan asked her, "It's still early today, do you want to go take a look at the house? I've already got the keys."
He waved the keys in his hand, indicating that he was truly prepared.
Zhao Shuyi didn't want to offend him, so she just went to take a look, nothing more.
"Let's go."
Gu Yan helped her register at the gate, and the two walked towards the family compound.
It was evening, and there were many women chatting and walking their children around. Zhao Shuyi felt that people were glancing at them, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.
"Most of these aunties and sisters-in-law are quite nice, maybe... maybe they just like to talk about lively things."
lively?
This is probably what he was worried about before—that they would use her identity as a pretext.
In fact, Zhao Shuyi knew best that the situation was not yet at its worst. If things got worse later, she might really become the target of everyone's criticism.
"If I move in, can I avoid having contact with them?"
Gu Yan paused, then said, "Okay. But I'll often be away on missions, and you might get bored by yourself. Or would you like to go out and work?"
Work?
Zhao Shuyi doesn't want to work; she just wants to stay home and farm in her virtual world.
"I can be alone, I like being alone."
"Sure, you can do whatever you want."
My heart is pounding.
Zhao Shuyi even felt that it was fine if Gu Yan had other girls he liked outside.
But the premise is that she and he are only husband and wife in name only.
However, Zhao Shuyi was a little worried because Gu Yan had previously expressed his desire to be her husband.
"This is the first courtyard. A comrade-in-arms just moved out here. It's the newest one, but it's at the intersection, so there are a lot of people coming and going."
Gu Yan explained as he unlocked the door with a key.
The ground in the yard had been turned over, and it did look like it was regularly maintained.
However, the condition of the house was not good. It seemed that the family had a naughty child. The walls of the second bedroom were covered with drawings. What Zhao Shuyi disliked the most was the kitchen.
The ground in the yard was all rammed mud. It must have been a long time since we lived there. The kitchen floor was full of potholes and the grease and smoke were very heavy. Half of the kitchen was pitch black.
Setting up the kitchen is a major undertaking if you want to move in.
Gu Yan also noticed Zhao Shuyi's somewhat disgusted expression when she looked at the kitchen floor, and said, "We can have someone level the floor again later."
Zhao Shuyi nodded without saying anything and said, "Let's go take a look at the others."
It's better to at least look at them all once for comparison.
Gu Yan naturally had no objections.
Soon the two of them circled around to the second courtyard.
The second courtyard looked similar to the first one, and someone had just moved out. However, there were no signs of mischief from naughty children, and the family seemed to take better care of it. It was also located at an intersection.
The downside is that the yard is too small, and there's a large pomelo tree in it, leaving almost no space to grow vegetables.
But if Zhao Shuyi had to choose between the two, she would definitely choose this place.
Gu Yan understood what was going on based on Zhao Shuyi's reaction.
"It's actually not bad here. The neighbors on both sides are quite polite, and the yard is nice, but it's a bit small, and the rooms are also quite small."
“The other courtyard is a bit special; you might not particularly like it.”
Zhao Shuyi raised an eyebrow. Did he understand her now?
Tell me about it.
Gu Yan said, "Go and take a look first."
For some inexplicable reason, this actually piqued Zhao Shuyi's curiosity.
The third courtyard is in a corner, quite far from the main gate; it might take about twenty minutes to walk there.
But this wasn't a problem for Zhao Shuyi, since she didn't want to go out every day.
She was still somewhat surprised when she saw the yard.
Before I even reached the courtyard, I could smell a rather unpleasant medicinal odor.
Zhao Shuyi glanced at Gu Yan, but before Gu Yan could speak, a woman's shrill scream came from the courtyard next door.
"Get out! I told you to get out!"
Then came the sound of dishes being smashed on the ground.
A moment later, the sound of suppressed, painful sobbing came from inside again.
Zhao Shuyi vaguely guessed what was going on.
She didn't ask any more questions and followed Gu Yan into the courtyard in the corner next door.
This courtyard looks like it hasn't been lived in for a long time. There are weeds everywhere on the ground, and a lot of dust. There is also an osmanthus tree in the courtyard.
Unlike the previous courtyard, this one is built against the mountain and is quite spacious, offering a better view of the distant scenery.
Zhao Shuyi liked it very much.
The interior is similar to the two courtyards in front.
The kitchen surprised Zhao Shuyi, not for any other reason than that big is good for her.
She looked around again from all angles. The place was nestled against a mountain, with several goldenrain trees on it. She couldn't even imagine how beautiful it would be in autumn.
"I like it here."
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