Chapter 33 Brown Sugar Ice Cream
This discovery was amplified by the pleading looks the two little ones gave him. This pleasurable experience was something Gu Zhiyuan had never had before. He recalled the scene he had witnessed at Brother Lü's house, and tried to persuade him, "Just this once, or maybe we can skip it this time?"
"Gu Zhiyuan, you're not allowed to make a sound next time I'm disciplining the kids." Ji Wei raised her voice and glared at him fiercely. The two little ones immediately cast sympathetic glances at him, but Gu Zhiyuan felt even happier inside, and the corners of his lips even subtly lifted up.
Upon seeing this, Gu Chen'an immediately lowered his head. He thought his father must have gone mad, still able to laugh after being scolded by his mother. Thinking of this, he quickly looked up at Ji Wei and said, "Mom, we promise we won't do this again next time."
"Mom, we won't do that next time." Lulu followed suit.
“The snacks we buy at home are all for you, but you can’t eat snacks before meals, and you can’t eat too much sugar at once. Can you do that?” Ji Wei thought for a moment and decided to make a three-point agreement with them.
"I can do it." Gu Chen'an was the first to agree. He guessed that his father would bring them snacks every time he came back, and this was setting rules for them in advance, so it was always right to agree first.
“Me too!” Lulu retorted defiantly.
"Okay, that's good. You've already eaten so much today, remember to brush your teeth carefully later," Ji Wei reminded her.
"Okay, what about the rest?" Gu Chen'an said, glancing again at the place where the candy was kept.
"We can't eat the rest today, we'll eat them tomorrow." Ji Wei knew that no child could resist the temptation of candy, so it was still Gu Zhiyuan's fault.
"Okay, then we'll eat it again tomorrow." At this moment, Gu Chen'an understood what was making her angry, so he became even happier. For a moment just now, he thought of that woman. Every time she bought snacks, she wouldn't let him eat them; he could only eat them himself. He started to worry that Ji Wei would make the same request.
“Yes, we’ll eat those tomorrow.” Ji Wei said, glancing at the remaining snacks, estimating that the two of them could finish them by tomorrow. She then turned to Gu Zhiyuan: “Your sister-in-law gave us so much, did you pay for it?”
“I wanted to pay, but she refused no matter what. Your words last time made Brother Lü and the others start to pay attention to Xiaosong’s development outside of school. I guess these are all her thank-you gifts?” Gu Zhiyuan guessed.
"She's too kind." As Ji Wei spoke, she was also thinking about what to give as a return gift, but she couldn't come up with anything after thinking for a long time.
"My sister-in-law is always very polite. When I go there the day after tomorrow morning, I'll bring her some tofu and dried tofu." The water used to make tofu in Wu'an Town is spring water, which makes the tofu much smoother than tofu from other places. It can be considered one of their local specialties.
"That's a good idea. They probably ate it often in Wu'an before, but now it's not so easy to find it in Rong County." Although there are people here who sell tofu in Rong County, it is usually sold out very quickly.
"Okay, I'll talk to Aunt Tie tomorrow and ask her to save a few pieces for me in advance." Gu Zhiyuan had already made up his mind.
"Okay, you can't bring back so many snacks next time. Chen'an is losing his baby teeth, and Lulu's teeth are too big for them to eat candy anymore," Ji Wei reminded her earnestly.
"I understand." Gu Zhiyuan's expression also became serious.
Both of them looked serious, and the atmosphere in the yard suddenly became a bit solemn. Fortunately, the two little ones over there quickly broke the serious atmosphere: "Mommy, my tooth fell out?"
This wasn't the first time Gu Chen'an had lost a tooth, but it was the most panicked he'd ever been. It had been perfectly fine just moments before; then, a bit of sugar got on it, and with a gentle pry, it came right out. He glanced at the tooth lying in his palm, a little anxious: "Mommy, what should I do? It was perfectly fine just now!"
"Open your mouth so I can see it?" Ji Wei tried to calm him down.
Gu Chen'an quickly opened his mouth, pointing to the original position of her teeth. Ji Wei observed for a moment, then told him in a relaxed tone, "It's nothing, just normal teething. You probably just didn't notice it was loose."
"Really?" Gu Chen'an covered his mouth as he looked at her. He actually wanted to ask if the sudden loss of this tooth was related to eating too many snacks earlier.
"Of course it's true. You've already replaced all of these, right? Once these few are replaced, you should be done." This was the first time Ji Wei and the others had witnessed him losing his teeth since they moved in. His new teeth had already come in, so seeing him suddenly missing a tooth made Ji Wei find the scene somewhat comical, and she kept smiling.
"That's good." Gu Chen'an was relieved. As soon as he relaxed, he couldn't help but lick his gums with his tongue. Ji Wei quickly stopped him: "Don't keep licking them, or you'll grow buck teeth."
"Why?" Gu Chen'an asked, puzzled.
This question stumped Ji Wei. She didn't know why either; it was just what everyone around her had said since she was little. Meeting Gu Chen'an's puzzled gaze, Ji Wei told him the truth: "I don't know the specific reason either. That's what everyone around me says. If you're curious, we can go to the hospital tomorrow to see a dentist and hear what he has to say."
Children naturally resist doctors, so Gu Chen'an quickly shook his head upon hearing this: "No need, I'll try not to lick it." After saying that, he unconsciously licked it again.
“Okay, if you don’t want to go, then we won’t go. The old saying is always right: stop licking it.” Ji Wei reminded him again.
"Okay, I know. When will Lulu lose her baby teeth?" Gu Chen'an thought to himself, thankfully they didn't see him lose his front teeth, because he felt like he was slurring his words back then.
"She's still a long way off, probably another two or three years." Ji Wei remembered that Lulu lost her first tooth when she was six years old in her previous life.
"I think I started when I was in first grade?" Gu Chen'an's tone was somewhat uncertain.
Gu Zhiyuan had never been involved in any of these things, so he just stood by and listened to them talk. They were poor when they were young and didn't have many rules, so he had already forgotten about his own teething period, let alone reminding Chen An of any precautions.
“Most children start around that time,” Ji Wei nodded to him.
"Qiu Gaoping said that every time he loses a tooth, his dad throws it onto the roof. Why would he do that?" Gu Chen'an asked curiously. No one had told him this before, so his curiosity was useless. Now that Ji Wei brought it up with him, he quickly asked what he was curious about.
"Throwing it on the roof will make your teeth grow back quickly; it's a kind of beautiful wish." Ji Wei remembered that when she was little, Zhou Xiuzhen also threw her lost teeth on the roof, saying that this would make her teeth grow back quickly and well. She realized that Zhou Xiuzhen wasn't always mean to her when she was little, so this is why she couldn't immediately sever ties with them in her past life, after all, this warmth really existed.
"Is that so?" Gu Chen'an's tone was slightly disappointed. No one had ever told him this when he was losing his baby teeth.
“Your teeth are perfectly fine too. It’s just a formality. A real man shouldn’t dwell on the past.” Ji Wei said, patting his shoulder, then reminded Gu Zhiyuan over there, “Now it’s your turn to shine.”
Gu Zhiyuan followed her gaze to the tooth in Gu Chen'an's hand, and he raised the corners of his lips: "Chen'an, how about we throw this tooth onto the roof this time?"
Gu Chen'an looked up at the roof of the second floor with some concern, his voice tinged with worry: "Dad, can you throw it up there?"
"Shall we try using small pebbles first?" Seeing the worry in his eyes, Gu Zhiyuan quickly came up with a solution.
"Okay, let's try it first." Gu Chen'an said, clenching his teeth in his palm. He hadn't been able to throw his previous teeth onto the roof, but he was determined to get this one up there.
Gu Zhiyuan quickly found some pebbles in the yard and tried throwing them at the roof. At first, he missed a few, but later he hit the roof almost every time. Gu Chen'an then handed over the tooth in his palm: "Dad, you have to throw it up this time too."
"Okay." Gu Zhiyuan said, throwing it up. The little tooth landed smoothly on the roof. Gu Chen'an's smile brightened: "It's up there, it's up there."
Seeing that he was happy, Lulu clapped her hands and danced around to express her joy.
"Now your teeth will definitely grow better," Ji Wei said with a smile, which could be considered as making up for his previous regret.
“I also think he will grow up to be very good,” Gu Chen’an said firmly, and even his gaze toward Gu Zhiyuan seemed to become a little more intimate.
"Next time you need anything, can Dad help you again?" Seeing the smile on Gu Chen'an's face, Gu Zhiyuan felt a sense of accomplishment.
"Okay," Gu Chen'an replied happily.
"Lulu will throw it high in the future too." Lulu touched her little teeth as she spoke.
"How about I throw them away for you when you lose your baby teeth?" Gu Chen'an's eyes were full of eagerness.
“Okay, brother, I’ll throw it.” Lulu agreed readily.
"I'll definitely throw you up there then." Gu Chen'an excitedly picked up Lulu. Lulu was afraid of being thrown off and struggled to get down. Noticing her resistance, Gu Chen'an quickly put her down and asked her, "Why don't you want me to carry you?"
"I'm afraid of falling, it will hurt." Lulu pointed to the ground as she spoke, "It would hurt a lot if I fell."
"You won't fall, trust me," Gu Chen'an explained to her, but the little one still shook her head.
“Once you’re taller and stronger, Lulu won’t worry about this anymore,” Ji Wei said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.
"Then I need to start training right away, Dad. Can you teach us some new moves today?" Gu Chen'an asked him. They were tired of practicing the same few moves these days.
"Of course, we'll start in ten minutes," Gu Zhiyuan said, glancing at the time.
"Okay." Gu Chen'an.
"Then you keep an eye on them, I'll go upstairs and pack my things." Ji Wei's goal for this month is to win the rotating red flag, but the class is still a bit far from that goal. The public areas are not cleaned well enough each week. She plans to start supervising them every morning starting next week, which means she will have to get up early every morning. So she plans to take advantage of the holiday to write out all the lesson plans.
"You go about your business, I'll take care of things here." Gu Zhiyuan gestured for her to go do her own thing.
With the end of the semester fast approaching, what's called a lesson plan is really just a review plan. At this point, grades are king, not just individual subject scores, but also the class average. If she wants to be transferred to the city, she has to stand out among all the rated teachers.
After Ji Wei went upstairs, she didn't immediately go to teach downstairs. Gu Chen'an looked at Gu Zhiyuan with some curiosity: "Dad, Mom said you went to work in Rong County. What is your job now?"
"My current job is a warehouse manager. Once my leg heals, I'll have to drive a truck on long-distance trips, and I probably won't be able to go home for several days at a time," Gu Zhiyuan explained his job earnestly.
"Like Uncle Lü, he always brings back lots of good things when he comes back?" Gu Chen'an's eyes lit up. Lü Song had told him before that every time his father drove back, he would bring back lots of good things.
Gu Zhiyuan, who had expected him to be reluctant to part with her, was even prepared to offer words of comfort. But seeing his excited expression, he couldn't help but smile and say, "Yes, that's right. Once my leg is healed and I start driving again, I'll bring you all nice things every time I come back."
"Can we go racing cars together when I'm on vacation?" Gu Chen'an suddenly felt a little tempted when he thought about the upcoming summer vacation.
"I can't answer that right now. I'll have to try it to find out." Gu Zhiyuan didn't lie to him just to make him happy.
"Alright then." Gu Chen'an wasn't disappointed; he could just ask again later.
July was already the height of summer. After practicing military boxing for almost an hour, both of them were covered in sweat. Even Gu Zhiyuan, who was teaching them the movements, was also sweating. Lulu touched her bangs, which were already damp with sweat. She felt sticky and uncomfortable all over. She wiped her face and said, "I need to take a shower."
"Okay, but we need to boil some water first. You and your brother go drink some water first." You've sweated so much, you need to replenish your fluids.
"Okay." Lulu obediently followed Gu Chen'an to get a drink of water, while Gu Zhiyuan went to the kitchen to boil water for a bath.
When Ji Wei came downstairs, she saw Lulu holding a cup and gulping down water. She was a little surprised, because Lulu had never liked drinking water since she was little. Today, she was drinking water on her own initiative, and quite a lot of it. When she got closer, she found that the little girl's hair was wet and her face was flushed. She casually asked, "Are you hot?"
"It's hot, I want to eat ice cream." Lulu said, looking at Lulu with anticipation. She had seen someone eating ice cream after school today.
"We can't have it today, I'll buy it for you in the city tomorrow." Ji Wei chuckled; this guy really is always thinking about food.
With Ji Wei's promise, the two of them began to look forward to going to the city the next day. In fact, the first thing Lulu did after getting out of bed the next morning was to say to Ji Wei, "Mom, let's have ice cream today."
"Okay, hurry up and get dressed, or the bus will leave soon." Ji Wei teased her on purpose. Sure enough, the little one sped up considerably upon hearing this, and after getting dressed, she rushed to the room across the hall, urging, "Brother, hurry up!"
"Coming right away." Gu Chen'an, who was planning to stay in bed for another five minutes, was so urged that he had no choice but to get up.
During their visit to the hospital, Dr. Qin gave them some good news: Gu Chen'an would only need to come back one last time next week and wouldn't need to come to the hospital anymore. Gu Zhiyuan was somewhat surprised: "What about his mental state?"
“He is now able to calmly accept what happened before. In the two conversations I had with him, his emotions were very stable. His recovery is largely thanks to you parents. As long as we maintain a good family atmosphere, he should not experience this situation again,” Dr. Qin said.
"Okay, thank you, Dr. Qin." Gu Zhiyuan repeatedly pondered his last two sentences in his mind. The good family atmosphere meant that this family had not only healed him but also Chen An.
"What did Dr. Qin say?" Ji Wei asked hurriedly as he came out of the doctor's office.
"Dr. Qin said that if I come again next week, I won't need to come back." Gu Zhiyuan's tone was cheerful.
"That's good news, but why do you look so unhappy?" Ji Wei asked, her tone tinged with confusion.
"No, it was Dr. Qin's words just now that made me realize that Chen An's recovery was all thanks to you. I was such a negligent father for the past few years." Gu Zhiyuan's tone was full of gratitude. He was initially willing to go on blind dates because he heard Chen An's feelings for him. It wasn't until after they got married that he realized how negligent he had been as a father.
"Don't deny your own contributions. I couldn't have created such a good family atmosphere by myself. You also deserve credit. As for whether you've neglected your duties, I don't think it's up to you to decide. It's up to Chen An to decide." Ji Wei felt that he always seemed to deny her contributions, and this made her feel like she was seeing herself in a past life.
"Don't you think I've failed in my duty, Chen An?" Gu Zhiyuan felt he didn't have the courage to hear that answer.
"You should ask Chen An that, but I think the smile on his face is the best answer. Let's go eat first, they want to eat ice cream later." This was something she promised them yesterday, and it was something the two little ones had been talking about.
"Okay, let's go eat first." Gu Zhiyuan thought that she was right. Chen An's smile was the best answer. His absence before was indeed a dereliction of duty, but not now.
After finishing their meal, the two little ones looked at Ji Wei with bright eyes and asked, "Mommy, when can we eat ice cream?"
"Just another half hour. Now you can decide what flavor you want." After saying that, Ji Wei remembered Qiao Xiaoxue's stall and casually asked, "Does your stall sell popsicles, sister-in-law?"
"No, we were just saying the other day that the weather is getting hotter and hotter, and the ice cream business should be doing well. I guess they're planning to do that," Gu Zhiyuan guessed.
"We can try selling popsicles and sodas. Although the profit margin is small, they can attract customers and boost sales of other items." Ji Wei thinks that the most attractive stalls in summer are those selling popsicles and sodas.
"That's true. You seem quite interested in these things?" Gu Zhiyuan was genuinely curious, feeling that she knew more than Brother Lü.
"Have you forgotten that my parents also run a small shop? I know a thing or two about these things." After saying that, Ji Wei thought of her upcoming summer school, and wondered if she could try preparing some popsicles? This idea was quickly rejected by herself.
“If you’re interested, we can give it a try later,” Gu Zhiyuan said to her.
"We'll see how things go then." Ji Wei didn't directly reject the idea; what if that day really came?
After the two little ones finished their popsicles with great satisfaction, and with their class at the Children's Palace a little closer, Gu Chen'an touched the pocket money in his pocket: "Mom, I want to buy badminton shuttlecocks today."
"You've used up all the ones at home?" Ji Wei was a little surprised. She remembered that she had bought several last time.
“Some of the feathers are broken, and I want to buy new ones,” Gu Chen’an explained.
"Okay, you can decide for yourself." Ji Wei had already told them beforehand that she would buy them the equipment needed for the first class, and they would have to buy it themselves with their pocket money after that.
"Okay, I'll go buy it after class." Gu Chen'an nodded.
"I want to buy it too." Lulu only uses half of her daily allowance, saving the rest.
“Your shoes are perfectly fine, you don’t need to buy any more,” Ji Wei said, gently flicking her forehead.
"I'm buying it for my brother," Lulu said, pulling out several 50-cent coins from her pocket.
"Wow, Lulu is so generous?" Ji Wei was genuinely surprised. She knew that Lulu was never generous when it came to food, so how could she not be surprised that she was willing to use her saved allowance to buy badminton equipment for Gu Chen'an?
"No need, brother has money. I'll use the rest of the money to buy you glow-in-the-dark stickers, okay?" Gu Chen'an was so touched by this that he immediately planned how to use his remaining allowance.
"No sticky notes, I want small cakes." After Lulu finished speaking, she deliberately turned to look at Ji Wei, and seeing that she didn't stop her, she continued, "One for each of us."
"But I don't have enough money." Gu Chen'an hesitated.
"I have money," Lulu said with a hearty tone.
"Don't Daddy and I get any small cakes?" Ji Wei asked.
Lulu hesitated for a moment. At three years old, she was struggling with math. She tugged at Gu Chen'an's sleeve and whispered, "Brother."
Gu Chen'an immediately understood what she meant, tidied up the 50-cent coins for her, and then told her, "There's 4.5 yuan here. You can buy four small cakes and still have 50 cents left."
“Okay, one for each of us.” “Rich girl” Lulu made the decision.
"Then we'll thank Lulu in advance." Ji Wei's eyes were full of smiles. Having been given a second chance, she had not only changed her and Lulu's situation, but she was also treated to a banquet by three-year-old Lulu. How could this not be good news?
It was almost five o'clock when they got back from the city. Ji Wei hadn't forgotten that he was going to Rong County tomorrow: "What time are you leaving tomorrow?"
"Around eight o'clock, I'll go to the station after I take you to school." Gu Zhiyuan glanced at her after saying that, thinking that he could still make it there after dropping them off tomorrow.
Ji Wei knew he wanted to be more involved in Gu Chen'an's growth, so she nodded in agreement. The day's journey to the city was tiring, and the two little ones had exercised for so long in the afternoon. After practicing military boxing upon returning, both were already sleepy. Thinking of Lulu, who was usually so energetic even in her sleep, Ji Wei couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed she still had some energy left from her usual routine, which was why she had so much to do.
Lulu could barely keep her eyes open while taking a shower. As soon as she went upstairs, she went straight to the wire bed and fell asleep in less than five minutes. Gu Zhiyuan glanced at her and said, "Looks like you're exhausted today."
“That’s how it should be, so she can sleep more soundly at night.” Ji Wei went over and covered her with a thin blanket. When she turned back, Gu Zhiyuan was already lying inside. He was lying almost against the wall. When Ji Wei lay down outside, the dividing line between them was wide enough for another person to sleep in.
Ji Wei was also a little tired, but thinking about his trip to Rong County these past few days, she couldn't help but ask, "Is the work at the warehouse tiring?"
"It's easy. All I have to do every day is take inventory of the goods." Knowing her concerns, Gu Zhiyuan told her gently about his daily workload and told her not to worry.
"That's good. We've already rested for so long, there's no rush." Ji Wei felt that since she had already rested for so many days, she might as well rest for another hundred days.
"Brother Lü and his wife both said the same thing, that they'll discuss driving again after his leg has been in service for 100 days."
"Did you learn to drive in the army?" Ji Wei felt like she didn't know him at all.
“Yes, I learned to drive in the army. I never thought it would become a skill to make a living one day.” Gu Zhiyuan’s tone was somewhat emotional.
"No matter where you are, it's always good to learn more," Ji Wei said, yawning as she got sleepy.
"Having more skills means having more options. Go to sleep, you have to go to work tomorrow." Gu Zhiyuan's words seemed to have some kind of magic, and Ji Wei quickly fell asleep.
Ji Wei was woken up by pain in the middle of the night. She had forgotten that her period was coming soon. In the afternoon, while the two little ones were in class, she and Gu Zhiyuan had eaten ice cream. Now that her period had arrived, her lower abdomen was a little sore, even though she rarely had menstrual cramps.
"What's wrong?" The person inside quickly sat up in bed and got up to turn on the light.
"I ate something cold this afternoon, and my stomach hurts a bit," Ji Wei said, getting up to go to the restroom.
Gu Zhiyuan, who was initially puzzled, noticed the bloodstains on her pants when she got up to go to the bathroom and immediately understood. His ears and cheeks turned red. He quickly glanced at the sheets on the side of the bed where she was sleeping and found that there were indeed bloodstains on them as well. He got out of bed, went to the closet to get new sheets, and then tiptoed to change the sheets on the bed.
Ji Wei only noticed the bloodstains on her pants when she went to the bathroom. She was praying that there wouldn't be any on the bed, but when she came back to get her pants, she saw Gu Zhiyuan changing the sheets. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but realized that it would be awkward no matter what she said. So she took her pants from the closet and went to the bathroom silently.
Gu Zhiyuan changed the sheets but didn't continue sleeping. He waited until she came in and someone was looking after Lulu before getting up: "I'll go downstairs and make you some brown sugar water."
Ji Wei wanted to say no, but before she could speak, he had already gone downstairs. The pain in her lower abdomen continued, so she slowly lay back down in bed. The newly changed sheets still smelled of laundry detergent. Thinking about the sheets he had just changed, Ji Wei felt a little embarrassed. Then she comforted herself, saying that this was just a normal physiological reaction. When two people live together, such situations are bound to happen, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about.
After she had calmed herself down, Gu Zhiyuan came in with brown sugar water. He didn't give it to her directly, but placed it on the table near the bedside and said to her, "It's still a little hot now, drink it after it cools down."
"Okay." Ji Wei wanted to say that drinking brown sugar water was actually not very useful, but then she thought that at least he meant well. However, it was true that she should keep some painkillers at home. She should go to the clinic to get some when she had time.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Gu Zhiyuan didn't want to ask, but seeing that her face was a little pale, he couldn't help but ask.
"Thankfully, it's within my tolerance level. I shouldn't have eaten that ice cream today." Ji Wei's tone was somewhat annoyed. She had indeed been careless and forgotten that her period was in the last few days.
"Does this mean I can't eat these things at all?" Gu Zhiyuan asked seriously.
"No, it's best not to touch it in the next few days." The question and answer between the two immediately dispelled the initial awkward atmosphere.
"Then let's avoid this time next time," Gu Zhiyuan said, noting today's time in his mind.
"Hmm." Ji Wei reached for the bowl on the table. The brown sugar water was still steaming. She took a small sip, but it was still a bit hot. She blew the steam away little by little and then sipped it slowly, all the while mentally commenting that there was too much brown sugar and it would cause internal heat. She should tell him next time. In this way, she finished the whole bowl of brown sugar water. She didn't know if it was psychological, but she actually felt that the pain in her lower abdomen had been relieved a lot.
Because of the little incident in the middle of the night, Ji Wei slept very soundly in the latter half of the night. The next morning, she woke up suddenly and sat up in bed, only to find that she was the only one left in the room. She immediately felt a little nervous. Had she overslept? She glanced at the time; it was already 7:50. She figured that Gu Zhiyuan had already taken the two children to school. Her class was in the second period, so she didn't need to rush. Realizing this, Ji Wei slowed down.
Ji Wei came downstairs, intending to go to the kitchen to see if breakfast had been left for her. The commotion in the yard made her turn around, and she immediately saw Gu Zhiyuan washing clothes by the well. When she saw what was in the basin in front of him, she burst out laughing and turned into a boiled red shrimp.
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