Chapter 16: Let's just treat them as roommates; the awkwardness is unavoidable.
Gu Zhiyuan's shrewdness made Ji Wei feel that she hadn't chosen the wrong person. She casually opened her bankbook and was surprised to see the number inside. Then she laughed and teased, "Aren't you afraid I'll run off with it?"
"You won't." Gu Zhiyuan said with certainty.
"I really don't know now, since I don't know the password yet," Ji Wei continued to joke. There was actually more than 6,000 yuan in the savings account, while the only money she could take out was her belated salary for this month.
"The password is inside." After Gu Zhiyuan finished speaking, Ji Wei noticed the few numbers written in pencil on the first page of the passbook. Although the strokes were light, they were still clearly visible, indicating that this person had absolute trust in her.
"From now on, this family is in your hands, Teacher Ji." Gu Zhiyuan's tone carried a hint of a smile.
"I will take good care of it." Ji Wei took a deep breath. She couldn't betray this trust. In her past life, she often heard people around her talk about second marriages. They said that second marriages were all about finding a partner later in life, and that no one was sincere. They were all using and guarding against each other. But she seemed to be lucky.
"Spend what you need to spend; money isn't something you can save up."
This surprised Ji Wei. Not many people would be so aware of this at this time. She held the bankbook in her hand and pointed to the dining table: "Shall we talk over there?"
Gu Zhiyuan glanced at the two children who were still watching TV and nodded: "Okay."
"You two keep watching, we're going over there to discuss something," Ji Wei said to the two little ones.
“Mom, I want to hear it too.” Gu Chen’an blinked at her.
This time, Ji Wei didn't soften her heart and gently flicked his forehead: "Adults are talking, children shouldn't listen."
"Alright then." Gu Chen'an thought he was an obedient child, so he quickly agreed.
The two sat down together, and Ji Wei looked at the man opposite her and asked, "What are your plans for the future?"
"What do you mean by 'later'?" Gu Zhiyuan didn't understand her meaning for a moment.
“I plan to try to transfer to the city in the next four years. The educational environment in the city is better, and the new place and environment may be better for the children.” Ji Wei told him her plan directly. Moreover, if they move to a new place, people who don’t know them well won’t know that they are a blended family, which should be a good thing for the two children.
“It’s difficult for me to transfer to a job in the city, but I support your decision. Going to the city is good for the children. The city isn’t too far from here, and I’ll try to come back every day.” The places he goes to every day are often farther than the distance from Wu’an to the city.
"So my first step is to buy a house in the city," Ji Wei said, revealing her ultimate goal. Since they were business partners, they should set their first objective.
"I told you I support your decision, we'll figure out the money later." Gu Zhiyuan assumed she was worried about money.
"I just wanted to tell you what our primary goal is. As for money, there's no rush." She wasn't worried about the money for the house. She remembered that in two years, the city would launch zero-down-payment houses, requiring only monthly bank payments. In the 1990s, most people would consider this a scam, a normal mortgage method in later years. Ji Wei had been too hesitant in her previous life and missed such an opportunity; she didn't want to miss it again in this life.
“Okay, I will work hard with you towards our goal, Teacher Ji.” The man replied to her with the earnestness of a student in his class.
"After being a teacher at school all day, I don't want to hear the word 'teacher' at home anymore. Just call me Ji Wei," Ji Wei emphasized to him.
“Okay, you can take charge of everything at home, and I will follow your arrangements.” Gu Zhiyuan reiterated his stance.
"Okay, I understand. It's getting late, so let's get some rest!" The first family meeting ended just like that, and Ji Wei was very satisfied with Gu Zhiyuan's attitude. After saying that, Ji Wei called Lulu over and told her it was time for bed.
No one in the family found it strange that the newlyweds didn't sleep together. For Lulu, her mother always slept with her. Although Gu Chen'an was almost eight years old, he slept with Gu Zhiyuan every time he came back. Fang Qing had her own room, so neither of the little ones felt there was anything wrong with it. As for the newlyweds themselves, they were quite calm and took their respective children back to their rooms.
This was the first night the mother and daughter stayed here. It was a new room, a new bed, and familiar bedding, but the environment was not familiar. Lulu was very sleepy, but she couldn't fall asleep. She felt uncomfortable, but she didn't know how to express it, so she could only call out "Mom" softly.
Ji Wei reached out and gently soothed Lulu's back, saying, "Mommy's here, go to sleep." Seeing that Lulu was still whimpering, she hummed a lullaby she used to use to lull her to sleep when she was little. The familiar scent and voice gradually calmed Lulu down, and her eyelids, which she had been forcing open, slowly closed.
Seeing that Lulu was asleep, Ji Wei continued to strategically pat her back. Only after confirming that Lulu was sound asleep did she slowly withdraw her hand. Suddenly being in a different environment, not to mention Lulu, even she herself was still a little unaccustomed to it. She looked up at the ceiling, trying to sort out the jumbled thoughts in her mind, and then told herself that a new life had begun, and she couldn't let the past hold her back.
The father and son in the other room were still awake. Gu Chen'an was excited all by himself: "Dad, my classmates are so envious of me now that they know Teacher Ji is my mom."
"Is that so?" Gu Zhiyuan replied indifferently.
"Of course it's true. They've moved here now, and we can go to and from school together every day. It seems like my little sister is going to kindergarten soon." Gu Chen'an recalled hearing Teacher Huang mention this in the office that day.
Gu Zhiyuan suddenly remembered seeing Ji Wei's household registration book when they got their marriage certificate that day. Counting the days, Lulu's third birthday was in a week. He glanced at Gu Chen'an, who was still excited, and reached out to turn off the room light: "Go to sleep quickly, we have to get up early tomorrow."
"I don't have school tomorrow, I want to sleep in," Gu Chen'an said quickly.
"Don't you want to make a good impression on them?" Gu Zhiyuan said slowly.
"Does getting up early make a good impression?" Gu Chen'an was a little skeptical. Every time there was a holiday, his father would try to get him to get up early for morning exercise.
"Of course, it's not just this one thing. After getting up early, we'll do our morning exercise first, and then make breakfast so that they can have a hot breakfast when they get up," Gu Zhiyuan coaxed gently.
After hesitating for a while, Gu Chen'an felt that what he said made sense, so he nodded: "Then call me when you get up tomorrow."
"Okay, then go to sleep quickly." Having gotten the answer he wanted, Gu Zhiyuan closed his eyes as well. He always had a healthy sleep schedule and didn't need to fall asleep easily, so he soon drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Ji Wei was woken up by Lulu next to her. Lulu had been playing with her hair until she put it on her face, which tickled her. The first thing Ji Wei did when she opened her eyes was to yawn, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes. She held down Lulu's mischievous little hand: "Aren't you going to sleep a little longer?"
"I want to go downstairs and play." Lulu shook her head.
"Then wait for Mom." She had moved things back and forth three times yesterday and was probably exhausted; she seemed like she hadn't fully woken up yet.
"Then Mom, hurry up." Lulu wrinkled her little nose.
"Okay, you get dressed first, and Mom will get up when you're done," Ji Wei said, yawning again.
"Okay." The little one, who is almost three years old, can already dress herself, though she is a bit slow. But today she was exceptionally quick. After putting on her shirt, she reached out and tapped Ji Wei's cheek, urging again, "Mom, I'm done."
"Okay, I'll get up right away." Ji Wei thought to herself, she'll take a nap with her later.
When the mother and daughter came downstairs, the house was quiet. Lulu looked around and asked, "Where are my brother and the others?"
"Who is my brother with?" Ji Wei asked deliberately.
Lulu glanced at her, then looked down and said, "Brother and Dad."
Ji Wei smiled gently and said, "You can call her whatever you want, whatever you feel like." Although the Xie family had ignored Lulu's existence for the past two years, Xie Fei was a good father, and she wouldn't deliberately smear Xie Fei to get revenge on the Xie family.
When the two arrived on the first floor, they heard noises coming from the kitchen. Lulu took Ji Wei's hand and headed straight for the kitchen, where the two, one big and one small, were busy. When Lulu saw Gu Chen'an, she let go of Ji Wei's hand and ran over happily: "Brother."
Gu Chen'an, who was stirring the eggs, immediately turned around upon hearing this: "Mom, Lulu, you're up?"
"Hmm, are you cooking?" Ji Wei knew he could cook some simple meals, but this was the first time she had seen him cook by himself. She looked at the man next to her, who was ladling porridge from the pot.
"I'm frying eggs, Lulu, would you like steamed eggs or fried eggs?" Gu Chen'an asked.
"Eat," Lulu replied immediately upon hearing the word "egg."
At this moment, Gu Zhiyuan, who had finished serving the rice, turned to Ji Wei and explained, "When I took Chen An for a check-up before, the doctor said he was malnourished and needed to supplement his nutrition. It would be best to develop the habit of eating an egg every day. He's tired of boiled eggs, and now he likes scrambled eggs. I steamed some egg custard for Lulu, to see if she likes that kind of food."
"Then let's have steamed egg custard for today." Ji Wei said as she stepped forward. She immediately saw the steamed egg custard in the pot. It must have just come out of the pot. The oil rolling on the surface was probably lard. She had also added soy sauce and vinegar. It looked delicious. Even Lulu, who had been busy looking for Gu Chen'an, started tugging at her clothes: "Mom, I'm hungry."
"Let's go wash our faces first." Ji Wei hadn't forgotten that they hadn't washed up yet.
After the mother and daughter finished washing up, the father and son were already waiting for them at the dining table. Lulu ran towards her steamed egg custard. Seeing her coming over, Gu Chen'an picked up the scrambled eggs in front of him and fed them to her: "Lulu, try this."
The golden scrambled eggs looked very appetizing. Lulu took a big bite of the egg he fed her, chewed it for a bit, and then nodded at him: "Delicious."
"Right? I told you scrambled eggs are the best, and they taste even better with porridge." Gu Chen'an said smugly.
He had barely finished speaking when he saw Lulu eagerly pick up a spoon and scoop up a large spoonful of steamed egg custard in front of her. The custard was still steaming hot, and the little one blew on it before putting it in her mouth.
"Eat slowly, the steamed egg custard is very hot." Ji Wei reminded her, as the bottom of the steamed egg custard was very hot.
After she finished speaking, she noticed a boiled egg next to her bowl. To be honest, she hated boiled eggs the most. She picked it up and handed it to Gu Zhiyuan next to her, explaining under his questioning gaze, "I don't like boiled eggs."
"Then you can stir-fry it tomorrow too." Gu Zhiyuan paused for a moment before taking the boiled egg she handed him.
"No need." Ji Wei shook her head; she didn't really like eating eggs.
"Okay." Hearing this, Gu Zhiyuan didn't waste any more words. He picked up the egg, cracked it twice on the table, and started peeling it. Gu Chen'an, who was next to him, quickly said, "Mom, you have to eat this. The doctor said that eating an egg every day is good for your health."
He looked very serious, so serious that Ji Wei couldn't bear to argue, so she nodded and said, "Okay, then we'll listen to Chen An."
These were the most intimate words Gu Chen'an had heard since yesterday. His ears turned slightly red, and he suddenly felt a little shy. He lowered his head and began to eat the porridge in front of him.
Seeing this, Ji Wei couldn't help but change the subject: "It's a rare holiday, why are you all up so early?" Ji Wei asked casually.
"Mom, Dad and I got up at six o'clock. We went for a morning run before coming back to cook breakfast." Gu Chen'an didn't care about being shy at this moment and said with a look of wanting praise.
"Wow, is he that amazing?" Ji Wei praised him in a cooperative manner, but she recalled the image of him showing his arms that day. So he exercises every morning. No wonder he can maintain such a good figure.
"It's alright." Gu Chen'an felt a little guilty after being praised, as this was also his first time getting up early for morning exercise.
"Being able to consistently get up early is already quite impressive," Ji Wei continued to praise.
"Will Mom and Lulu come with us next time?" Gu Chen'an thought about how passersby had praised the father and son when he was running behind Gu Zhiyuan this morning. If they came together next time, they would probably praise the whole family of four.
"This is a bit difficult for me. As for Lulu, you can try bringing her along next time." Ji Wei doesn't want to miss the only chance to sleep in, as she needs to get up six days a week.
"Lulu, how about you go running with me and Daddy next time?" Gu Chen'an quickly changed the subject and asked Lulu for her opinion.
For Lulu, who is not yet three years old, running is what she understands as playing, and she nodded happily upon hearing this.
Watching their conversation, Ji Wei chuckled softly, then reminded them, "Hurry up and eat first." She glanced at Lulu's nearly empty bowl and asked gently, "Would you like some more porridge?"
"Yes." Lulu nodded. Compared to Ji Cong's pickiness, Lulu was never picky about food and would eat whatever the adults gave her. Ji Wei was gratified but also felt sorry for her.
After breakfast, Gu Zhiyuan cleaned up the dishes as usual, while Ji Wei reminded Gu Chen'an to finish his homework first, and then she would take him and Lulu out to play after he finished his homework.
"Where are we going to play?" Gu Chen'an asked curiously, as he usually played by himself during holidays.
Ji Wei thought for a moment, then asked him, "Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
"I want to go to the park to feed the pigeons, is that okay?" Gu Chen'an thought for a moment and then asked. His deskmate had bragged to him many times that he also wanted to go to the park to feed the pigeons.
“We need to go to the city park to feed the pigeons, but we’re in too much of a rush today. How about this, next week you have a holiday, so you can do your homework after school on Saturday, and we’ll go into the city to feed the pigeons first thing Sunday morning.” Ji Wei made the decision quickly.
"Yay, Mom, you're so good!" Gu Chen'an excitedly spun around in place.
"Go do your homework, Lulu. Don't disturb your brother while he's doing his homework. Go with Mom to do the laundry." Ji Wei pulled Lulu, who wanted to go with her.
"It's okay, Mom, Lulu is very good and won't bother me." Gu Chen'an held Lulu's other hand, indicating that Lulu was very well-behaved and that she would quiet down if he gave her a piece of paper and a pen while he was doing his homework.
"Mommy, I'll be good." Lulu's eyes were full of pleading.
“Go ahead.” Every time Lulu looked at her with teary eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse and could only compromise.
"Okay, Mom." Lulu ran off as fast as she could.
After the two little ones were settled, Ji Wei went back to her room to tidy up the clothes she and Lulu had changed out of that morning. When she took the dirty clothes to the well, she found that Gu Zhiyuan was already washing clothes there. She thought for a moment, then hesitated before asking, "Should I wash them?"
"No need, you can leave it here, I'll wash it all together." Gu Zhiyuan looked at the basin of dirty clothes in her hand.
"It's okay, I'll wash after you're done." Thinking of the underwear in the basin, Ji Wei shook her head. It was at this moment that Ji Wei suddenly realized that even though they both regarded marriage as a partnership, some awkwardness was still unavoidable when two adult men and women lived together. For example, she would hang these clothes to dry in the yard later, including her underwear.
Gu Zhiyuan, on the other hand, had just realized the problem. He regretted his rash suggestion; after all, they were barely more familiar than strangers, and he had offered to do her laundry—he wasn't sure if she would think he was a pervert. Remembering that she was waiting to do the laundry, Gu Zhiyuan suppressed his chaotic thoughts and quickened his pace.
As he hung the clothes out to dry, he called out to the main room inside, "Ji Wei, I'm done, you can come and wash them."
This was the first time he had called Ji Wei by her name. After the words left his mouth, both of them were stunned for a moment. Ji Wei, who was inside the room, quickly came to her senses and said, "Coming right away."
When she carried the basin of dirty clothes to the yard again, Gu Zhiyuan had already gone to check on Gu Chen'an, who was doing his homework. After pumping water from the well, Ji Wei first soaked the clothes in laundry detergent. When she looked up, she saw clothes hanging on the line. Besides Gu Chen'an's clothes, there were also Gu Zhiyuan's clothes, including a vest and underwear. When her gaze fell on the latter, Ji Wei quickly looked away, but her cheeks still started to heat up at lightning speed. Ji Wei hurriedly looked down at the clothes already soaking in the basin, trying to distract herself. She told herself that it was okay. Living under the same roof, such behavior was unavoidable. She should just pretend that they were friendly with their roommate. In this way, through constant self-suggestion, Ji Wei finally regained her composure.
Gu Zhiyuan joined the army not long after graduating from junior high school, so Gu Chen'an's current elementary school level problems are not a problem for him. However, Gu Chen'an studies very hard every day, so he doesn't need Gu Zhiyuan's help. Lulu, who was drawing next to him, handed him her drawing that she had just finished and asked in a low voice, "Is it pretty, Dad?"
To be honest, Gu Zhiyuan didn't know what those round things on the paper were, but seeing the little guy's expectant eyes, he still nodded against his will: "Beautiful, Lulu drew it really well."
Lulu was still a little shy about such a direct compliment from someone other than Ji Wei. She pursed her lips and then quietly introduced the circles on the paper to him: "This is Dad, this is Mom, and this is me and my brother."
"Really?" Gu Zhiyuan thought to himself, so it was them he had drawn. He hadn't recognized them before, but Gu Chen'an, who was doing his homework next to him, exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, Lulu, you drew the family photo we took last time? You're amazing!"
Gu Zhiyuan originally thought that his insincere praise had reached its limit, but he didn't expect this kid to be even better than him. For the first time, he felt that this kid had the potential to be a sycophant.
The praise from the father and son kept Lulu smiling, and she even asked Gu Chen'an for more unwritten paper, intending to continue creating.
By the time Ji Wei finished washing and hanging up the clothes, Lulu had already completed three masterpieces. Gu Chen'an, who had finished his homework, also joined in the creative process. By this time, their pencil drawings had been upgraded to watercolors, and the two of them had more colors in their hands. Hearing the commotion, Lulu quickly showed her her artwork, her voice filled with undisguised joy: "Mom, look!"
Although Ji Wei couldn't understand what Lulu was drawing, she remembered a theory she had read before: you shouldn't stifle a child's creative desire. So she praised, "Wow, Lulu's drawing is really great!"
Lulu, satisfied with the praise from everyone in the family, put away her painting. Gu Chen'an, who was next to her, couldn't wait to show his painting to Ji Wei. Compared to Lulu's abstract painting, Ji Wei could barely understand his. The painting seemed to depict a family of four. She gave him a thumbs up: "You painted very well. Have you finished your homework? If you have, how about I take you and Lulu to play by the river this afternoon?"
“Okay, I’m going to skip stones.” Gu Chen’an was the first to agree.
"Okay, I'll take you this afternoon." In Ji Wei's opinion, in addition to doing homework, children also need to play appropriately during the holidays. It's about balancing work and rest. Experts also said that children should be taken outdoors more often.
The three of them discussed and decided to go to the river to play in the afternoon. When Ji Wei turned around, she realized that she seemed to have forgotten one person. An embarrassment flashed in her eyes, but she calmly asked the man over there, "Do you want to come with us?"
"I'm going to visit my comrades this afternoon, you guys go ahead." Gu Zhiyuan shook his head. He originally wanted to take them with him, but seeing how happily they were planning their trip to the river that afternoon, he decided not to be the spoilsport. There's plenty of time later anyway.
"Okay, then I'll take them there this afternoon." Ji Wei said, then thought for a moment and explained, "The riverbank I'm referring to is the one under the bridge." The water there is shallow, so there's no need to worry about safety.
“I feel very reassured with the child being with you,” Gu Zhiyuan said, expressing his trust.
"I'll keep an eye on them." Ji Wei regretted saying this a little afterward, as it sounded rather businesslike. Fortunately, Gu Zhiyuan took the initiative to change the subject: "What would you like to eat for lunch? Chen An and I went to the market this morning to buy some groceries."
"I'm fine with anything, you can decide what to do." Ji Wei said, only to realize that her words seemed to imply that he would cook. She wanted to say something to make amends, but the person on the other end had already turned and gone to the kitchen.
Ji Wei shrugged. Oh well, she could just wash the dishes later. She could use that time to work on her lesson plan for tomorrow.
If she wanted to be transferred to the city, she had to perform well in the open class. While preparing her lesson plan, Ji Wei recalled the open classes she had taught in her previous life. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't come back to her senses until Gu Chen'an called her to dinner.
The food was already laid out on the table, and the three of them were waiting for her. Ji Wei quickly went over and sat down next to Lulu. She glanced at the table and saw a meat dish, a vegetable dish, and a soup. They all looked delicious. This was much better than she had expected.
After the meal, she took the initiative to get up and clear the table, but Gu Zhiyuan stopped her, saying, "I'm not home most of the time, so it's too much trouble for you. Let me do it on the weekend."
“Yes, Mom, let Dad do it. When are we going to the river?” Gu Chen’an looked at him with bright eyes. It’s so nice to have Mom at home. Even on holidays, someone will take him out to play.
“It’s too early, and Lulu is about to take a nap. Why don’t you go take a nap too? Shall we leave at three o’clock?” Ji Wei suggested to him.
"Does it have to be three o'clock?" Gu Chen'an asked impatiently.
"Yes, it'll be 3 o'clock soon. Go take a nap first; sleep is very important for children," Ji Wei reminded her.
“But Dad said before that I can’t sleep right after eating.” Gu Chen’an looked at Ji Wei with a puzzled expression, as if asking her, so who should he listen to?
“That’s true. You shouldn’t sleep right after eating. It’s best to wait half an hour. So you and Lulu can watch TV for the next half hour.” Ji Wei pointed to the TV.
"Great!" Gu Chen'an and Lulu immediately went to watch TV excitedly. Ji Wei smiled and didn't continue writing her lesson plan. Instead, she stood in the yard to clear her mind, otherwise she would easily fall asleep as soon as she sat down.
Everyone was a little sleepy after dinner, especially Lulu who was watching TV. She had lost count of how many times she had yawned in the past half hour. The TV was no longer able to hold her attention. When she saw Ji Wei come in, she got up and went to her, whispering, "Mom, I'm sleepy."
"Then let's go to sleep now." After saying that, Ji Wei glanced at Gu Chen'an, who was watching TV, and said, "Chen'an, half an hour has passed, it's time for your afternoon nap."
"Okay, I'm coming." Although he said that, his eyes were still glued to the TV. Ji Wei didn't urge him anymore, but simply carried Lulu upstairs. One night was enough for Lulu to get used to the new room and the new bed, not to mention that her most familiar scent was right next to her, so she quickly fell asleep. Only after seeing that she was sound asleep did Ji Wei tiptoe out of the room.
When they got downstairs, Gu Chen'an was indeed still there. He was so engrossed in watching that he didn't notice Ji Wei until she was next to him. He felt like he'd been caught not paying attention in class. He looked at Ji Wei and weakly called out, "Mom."
"Chen'an, it's time to sleep. Watching TV for too long can affect your eyesight." Ji Wei said gently. It's normal for children at this stage to lack self-control, so she wasn't upset that Gu Chen'an hadn't kept his promise.
"Mom, you're not angry, are you?" Gu Chen'an asked cautiously. In the past, if he didn't listen to that person, she would smile, but she would pinch him with all her might.
"Of course not, you were just too engrossed in watching. We'll correct it next time." Ji Wei didn't think it was something to be angry about, but she noticed that as soon as she finished speaking, the person in front of her let out a huge sigh of relief. A guess flashed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it and simply said gently, "Go to sleep. We'll go out and play when you wake up."
"Mom, are you going to sleep?" Gu Chen'an asked.
"I'll take a nap too." Ji Wei nodded; she hadn't woken up properly in the morning either.
"Can I sleep with Mom?" Gu Chen'an asked in a low voice, but his eyes showed unprecedented nervousness.
Ji Wei initially wanted to refuse him, but seeing the cautious look in his eyes, she nodded: "Okay, but this is a one-time exception, because Mom and Lulu are both girls, and boys and girls can't sleep together, do you understand?"
"Thank you, Mom." Gu Chen'an had already ignored what she said after that, and then went upstairs to get his pillow. Ji Wei was afraid that he would wake Lulu, so she quickly followed him.
After everyone in the main room went upstairs, Gu Zhiyuan, who was standing at the door, slowly entered the room. Thinking of the cautious tone in Chen An's voice earlier, he felt hatred for Fang Qing for the first time—hatred for her for so cruelly mistreating an innocent child. Then, the image in his mind flashed back to Chen An's eagerness to go upstairs, and his anger slowly subsided. All the past should be forgotten; things will get better for them.
Today, Gu Zhiyuan was going to visit his comrade-in-arms, Lü Shuangcai, who had lent him his car last time. Lü Shuangcai had heard that Gu Zhiyuan had gotten his marriage certificate and wanted him to bring his family along for a get-together. However, today's plans changed, and Gu Zhiyuan had to go alone. It was his own fault for not telling Ji Wei about this beforehand, which led to her having other plans.
In addition to inviting Gu Zhiyuan's family, Lü Shuangcai also invited another comrade-in-arms, Wang Haifeng's family. At this moment, the two were discussing Ji Wei: "I wonder what kind of person Zhiyuan's wife is this time. She was beautiful before, but she was incredibly arrogant."
"I heard it's Teacher Chen'an. Chen'an likes her very much. After his last marriage, Zhiyuan will probably be very careful when choosing someone again. Don't mention that woman later," Wang Haifeng reminded him.
"Do you even need to tell me? I'm not really stupid." Lü Shuangcai glared at him with dissatisfaction. Was he really that tactless?
"I was just afraid you'd let it slip. But I don't know whose idea it was to skip the banquet this time. If it was Zhiyuan's idea, aren't you worried the woman will be unhappy?" Wang Haifeng asked curiously.
“Very few people hold a wedding banquet for their second marriage; at most, they just have a meal with relatives and friends.” Lü Shuangcai felt that this was the normal situation.
"Alright, you two grown men are talking about other people's family affairs behind their backs. Aren't you ashamed? Zhiyuan said before that he wouldn't remarry. This time, he's probably remarrying for the sake of the children. As long as he's good to the children, that's all that matters. You two should stop worrying about it." Qiao Xiaoxue, Lu Shuangcai's wife, rolled her eyes at the two of them. They were such busybodies.
“What do you know? Zhiyuan is such a good person, but he ended up meeting that kind of woman. We’re just worried that he’ll meet the wrong person again,” Lü Shuangcai retorted.
"Alright, you're just his comrades-in-arms. Remember your place and don't interfere with his choices," Qiao Xiaoxue said, frowning.
“Sister-in-law is right, and Brother Gu seems like a man of his own mind, so we shouldn’t have to worry about these things,” Zhou Meiyun, Wang Haifeng’s wife, chimed in.
“If he had any ideas, he wouldn’t have married that woman.” In Lü Shuangcai’s opinion, Gu Zhiyuan was just too naive, which is why he was deceived by Fang Qing.
“I do know a little about this. His marriage to that woman was his family’s idea, and they only met three times before the wedding. It’s normal that he didn’t know what she was really like,” Wang Haifeng explained.
“His family also has ulterior motives, finding such a person for him.” While Lü Shuangcai was still feeling indignant for Gu Zhiyuan, there was a knock on the door. He quickly got up to open it, and Gu Zhiyuan was carrying a bag of fruit, with no one else behind him.
"Where are your sister-in-law and child? Why didn't they come with you?" Seeing him alone, Lü Shuangcai subconsciously frowned, and various guesses flashed through her mind.
"It's my fault. I didn't tell them at first. By the time I wanted to, they already had plans. How about we all get together at my house next Saturday?" Gu Zhiyuan extended the invitation.
"Then how about Zhou Tian? After we finish eating and drinking, we can chat a lot together," Wang Haifeng said with a smile.
"We already promised to take Chen'an to the city park to feed the pigeons on Zhou Tian's behalf." Gu Zhiyuan's face showed an apologetic expression.
"It's alright, the child is more important. Saturday it is." Seeing his expression, Lü Shuangcai knew that he and the child must be getting along well with his new wife.
"Then it's settled. You should bring your sister-in-law and child along. It'll be a good opportunity for you to meet Ji Wei and the child," Gu Zhiyuan extended the invitation again.
"Of course! We missed your wedding banquet, but we won't be absent this time," Wang Haifeng said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.
Qiao Xiaoxue and Zhou Meiyun, who were with their child, whispered to their husbands, "Those two are always worrying about nothing. I think Xiao Gu is getting better and better."
"That's right. I've heard a bit about his wife. The first one was a hero who ran away while trying to help someone, and she raised her child on her own for two years before remarrying. She must be a good person." Zhou Meiyun was also a local from Wu'an, so she knew more about Ji Wei than they did.
“It’s not easy for a woman to raise a child alone, especially at such a young age. It’s truly remarkable. Besides, this world is inherently unfair to women. She’s already done an amazing job.” Qiao Xiaoxue’s tone was full of praise.
Gu Zhiyuan hadn't expected the two grown men to be so worried. He looked at them helplessly and explained, "Don't worry, Ji Wei is a really nice person. You don't need to worry."
"Don't blame us for being nosy, we're just worried you'll repeat the same mistake." After Lu Shuangcai finished speaking, he glanced at Wang Haifeng beside him. This guy, really, didn't he tell me not to mention it? Why did he bring it up himself?
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Gu Zhiyuan didn't actually like talking about his private affairs with others, but he understood that they genuinely cared about him, and that they had helped him a lot since he returned from his military service, so he didn't feel offended.
＊
Gu Chen'an waited patiently at the door with his pillow for Ji Wei to come upstairs. When Ji Wei opened the door, he saw Lulu sleeping soundly on the bed. He hesitated for a moment, then put the pillow on the outermost side: "Mom, you sleep in the middle."
"Are you sleeping outside?" Ji Wei glanced at him.
"Can I sleep in the middle? I want to be next to my sister and next to you," Gu Chen'an whispered his request.
Since it was a one-time thing, Ji Wei nodded in agreement. Gu Chen'an quickly put the pillow away, then gently touched Lulu's little hand next to him, muttering, "Mommy, your room smells so good."
"Aren't all rooms the same?" Ji Wei took the pillowcase next to her and covered his chest with it.
"I'm not cold," Gu Chen'an tried to refuse.
“You need to cover your front and back.” Ji Wei was unusually firm for once.
"Then I'll listen to Mom." Gu Chen'an thought, so this is what it's like to have a mother's meticulous care.
"Go to sleep." Seeing that there was no sign of sleepiness in his eyes, Ji Wei quickly closed her eyes; she was truly tired.
"Oh." Gu Chen'an closed his eyes as well, but he wasn't sleepy at all. After a while, he secretly opened his eyes, first looking at Lulu on his left, then turning to look at Ji Wei on his right. After confirming that she was asleep, he quietly moved to the right. He turned his face to the right and thought, "It's so nice, this is the taste of my mother." He closed his eyes again to try to fall asleep.
Ji Wei was surprised to find herself awakened by Gu Chen'an's crying and sleep-talking. Gu Chen'an had his eyes closed, tears streaming down his face, and kept muttering, "I won't do it again, I won't do it again, please don't hit me."
"Dad, save me, Dad!" Ji Wei could only hear clearly when she got closer. Seeing the pain on Gu Chen'an's face, she hesitated whether it would be better to wake him up in this situation.
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Author's Note: [Upright-eared rabbit head] There are more chapters to come! [Pink heart] Thanks for subscribing! 20 small red envelopes will be randomly distributed Friday night. [Red heart]
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