Chapter 22: Housekeeper Gu
The morning light shines through the gaps in the curtains.
Gu Qiuyue's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she woke up slowly. The warmth of Xie Shiyu's grip last night seemed to still remain in her palm.
The low and weighty words "It's great to have you here" are still ringing in my ears, like a stone thrown into the lake of my heart, spreading out circles of warm ripples that linger for a long time.
She tilted her head slightly. Xie Shiyu's sleeping face was peaceful and calm in the morning light. The military medal beside the pillow was glowing at the edge in the light.
Gu Qiuyue stood up lightly, skillfully undid the quilt on him, and uncovered the gauze covering the injured shoulder blade. The gauze was dry, and the pink new flesh showed that the injury was healing well. This meticulousness and prudentness were the skills she learned bit by bit from Xu Wanru when she was taking care of him day and night in the hospital. Now it has become her daily routine to protect his safety.
"Hmm..." A hoarse nasal sound was heard.
Gu Qiuyue raised her eyes and met Xie Shiyu's eyes which had just woken up.
"Good morning." His voice was hoarse from just waking up.
"Good morning," she asked with a smile, "How does the wound feel? Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore, just a little itchy." He responded briefly, without any further words. All the tacit understanding and peace of mind silently converged in the quietness of the morning light.
Xie Shiyu was already able to sit in the wheelchair with the help of external force. Gu Qiuyue pushed him to the yard to wash up and have breakfast.
After dinner, the sun was shining brightly, and the courtyard was filled with warmth. Gu Qiuyue poured him some water and put it on the table, and took out a newspaper to entertain him. She sat on the other side of the table, spread out the manuscript that Director Li had just sent for translation, and started her day's work.
The sunlight danced on her focused profile, giving her outline a soft golden edge, and even her long eyelashes were dyed with a fine halo.
Xie Shiyu leaned back in his wheelchair, his eyes lingering quietly on her.
This report was about a large-scale agricultural machinery exhibition abroad, and it was full of jargon. Her slender fingertips tapped a spot on the manuscript, her brow furrowed slightly, and she asked inquiringly, "'Multifunctional attachment'... Looking at the context, it's a component used for subsequent operations after plowing. A direct translation of 'multifunctional attachment' feels a bit lacking... Wouldn't 'multifunctional supporting agricultural implements' be more catchy?"
After spending some time together, Gu Qiuyue knew that Xie Shiyu understood English, but not to the extent that he could translate. Sometimes when translating, she would say out the words she was unsure of and discuss them with him, just like now.
Xie Shiyu's eyes fell on her serious face, with a smile in his eyes, "Yes, this way of saying it is more suitable for our speaking habits."
"Yeah! I think so too!" Gu Qiuyue's eyes lit up.
"Sister Qiuyue, Captain Xie, are you at home?" Mrs. Zhang's loud and cheerful voice rang out outside the yard as the knock on the door sounded.
Gu Qiuyue tidied up the manuscripts on the table and invited Mrs. Zhang to come in and sit on the stool in the yard.
As soon as Mrs. Zhang saw Xie Shiyu, she gave Gu Qiuyue a thumbs-up. "Sister Qiuyue, you're just the man. Look how well you've taken care of Captain Xie. I bet he'll be back to normal in no time, right?"
"My opinion doesn't count. It needs to be checked by a doctor." Gu Qiuyue handed the enamel pot to Mrs. Zhang, "Sister-in-law, have a drink of water. You look like you just came back from school, right?"
"That's right. If I hadn't been watching over that naughty boy Dagang, he wouldn't even have entered the school gate," Mrs. Zhang said with a sigh. "I've told him countless times to study hard, but he just listens in one ear and forgets the other. Let's not talk about him anymore."
Mrs. Zhang changed the subject. "I have some good news today," she lowered her voice a little. "It's about Zhu Yuhua's cousin, the one we caught the other day, the one called 'Mouse.'"
Gu Qiuyue asked flatteringly, "Why? Did he admit it?"
"Hey, that's a coward. As soon as he entered the security department, before he could do anything, he got so scared that his legs were cramping and his whole body was shaking. He threw away everything like a bamboo tube pouring beans.
Good fellow! They directly revealed a den of thieves hiding in that 800-year-old, abandoned oil press at the west end of town. Our comrades acted overnight, stealthily, and wiped them out completely. Not a single one escaped!
Gu Qiuyue felt as if a huge stone that had been hanging on her heart for a long time finally fell to the ground with a "bang", and even her breathing became much easier.
"It's finally completely peaceful now!" Mrs. Zhang smiled as brightly as a blooming sunflower and clapped her hands. "Our compound, and the entire town, can now live in peace! No more worrying about thieves!"
She changed the subject and became lively again: "Oh, I almost forgot another thing. In two days, the boy of Master Wang in the cafeteria will be one month old. This is a big happy event. The sisters-in-law in the courtyard discussed that we should pool our money to give him a gift and then go to his house together to support him. It will be lively and festive. Sister Qiuyue, look..."
"This is a great joy!" Gu Qiuyue responded immediately and cheerfully, a sincere smile spreading across her face. "Sister-in-law, count me in. Although I'm not very good at cooking, I can do some washing up."
"Okay, okay!" Mrs. Zhang smiled happily, "Then let's steam more wedding buns and have fun." She said a few more words to Xie Shiyu before leaving.
The afternoon sun shone lazily in the bedroom. Gu Qiuyue helped Xie Shiyu lie down, and gently and skillfully changed the medicine. She tucked in the corner of the quilt and muttered, "Take the medicine on the table as needed, two tablets at a time. There's warm water next to the tablets. Remember to take them."
"Well, remember that, Mrs. Gu, the housekeeper." Xie Shiyu rarely followed her words and made a light-hearted joke. His tone was filled with the laziness and warmth of complete relaxation after the dust settled.
Gu Qiuyue glanced at him in disapproval, her eyes sweeping over the military medal lying quietly beside her pillow, where the afternoon sun shone warmly. Her heart stirred slightly, and with a touch of curiosity and amusement, she reached out her fingertips and gently touched the cold edge. "This... isn't it much more precious than that big enamel water bottle I bought you?"
Xie Shiyu looked at her cute and innocent appearance, his heart softened, he chuckled softly, picked up the medal, and gently placed it in her open palm.
"The jar is for drinking water." He stared at her, feeling relieved and warm. "...This is proof that I'm lucky enough to be alive... and come back to meet you. I'm giving it to you for safekeeping."
Gu Qiuyue felt the medal in her palm was heavy. She folded her fingers and looked directly at Xie Shiyu, but a clear smile spread in her eyes. "Well! I'll keep it for you."
She suddenly felt that she was lucky. The man she picked up seemed not bad, and this man did not seem to be as indifferent to her as he had shown before. Perhaps she could also have a sweet love like the heroines in many period novels.
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