Chapter 34: What excellent taste! Single table and chairs!
Ji Wei rushed over almost instantly. The person who was washing things with his head down looked up at her after hearing the sound. His eyes were still a little confused, but when he saw her flushed face, he instantly understood. He smiled and said, "I've already sent them to school. I remember you don't have class in the first period today. There's food in the kitchen. Eat before you go to school."
Seeing his nonchalant expression, Ji Wei couldn't help but say, "You don't need to wash these, I can wash them myself."
“Ji Wei, even if we are business partners, we are also husband and wife in other people’s eyes. You can take care of me when I have a broken leg, so it’s normal for me to do these things when you’re not feeling well.” Gu Zhiyuan looked at her earnestly.
"How can they be the same?" Ji Wei couldn't help but argue. The sheets and pants she had soiled were something even her own mother disliked, so how could he talk about them so casually?
"How is it different? You should go eat first, it'll get cold." Gu Zhiyuan felt that eating was more important.
"Then I'll go eat first." Ji Wei glanced down at the dirty water in the basin, and finally couldn't help but turn and leave.
Watching her jog away, Gu Zhiyuan smiled slightly, then lowered his head to carefully wash the sheets in the basin. When Ji Wei came back after finishing her meal, he was already hanging the sheets to dry. Next to the sheets were washed pants, which she found unbearable to look at. She simply lowered her head and said, "Then I'll go to school first. You should go to Rong County too."
"Okay, I'll be there in a bit. I can still catch the bus this hour." Gu Zhiyuan nodded, then watched her leave before leisurely tidying up the courtyard gate and heading to the station.
When Gu Zhiyuan arrived, Lü Shuangcai was already waiting for him in the warehouse. Seeing what he was holding, she casually asked, "What is this?"
"I brought you and your sister-in-law some tofu and dried tofu. You haven't had any in a long time, have you?" Gu Zhiyuan said, handing him the bag.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had this. I’ll have your sister-in-law make fish stew for you tonight, and you can come over for dinner too,” Lü Shuangcai invited him.
"No, I'll probably have to go back every day these next few days. It's almost finals, and Ji Wei is very busy. I need to go back to take care of the two children," Gu Zhiyuan explained.
“Then you should definitely go back. A good wife benefits three generations. By the way, didn’t you ask me to find some tables and chairs before? I know a boss who happens to have some. The central primary school is replacing its old tables and chairs, and all the old ones have been recycled. You can ask your sister-in-law how many she wants when you go back tonight.” Lu Shuangcai almost forgot his purpose.
"Is it the kind of desks and chairs you see in schools?" Gu Zhiyuan asked him for details.
“There are single and double classes. It would be more suitable if you could choose in person, sister-in-law.” Lu Shuangcai sighed after saying that. Why wasn’t his Xiaosong in second grade? Otherwise, he could have just left him there for the summer. Thinking of this, he asked again, unwilling to give up, “Does your tutoring class only accept second graders?”
“That’s how it is right now. Even if we wanted to take on older students, other parents might not trust her. Let’s take it one step at a time.” These were Ji Wei’s exact words at the time.
“That’s true. Summer vacation is coming soon, and we need to find a tutoring class for Xiaosong.” Lu Shuangcai looked a little troubled. Neither he nor Qiao Xiaoxue had much education and didn’t know much about this kind of thing.
“When you study these things with your child, you can participate more in their lives, which will bring you closer to them.” Gu Zhiyuan has a lot of experience in this regard.
"Wow, now you can even give us pointers on this. It seems you and Chen'an have been getting along well lately." Lu Shuangcai still remembered that when he first returned from military service, he would ask them about how to get along with children whenever he had the chance.
"Indeed, my relationship with Chen An has improved a lot, all thanks to Ji Wei." In front of outsiders, Gu Zhiyuan never hesitated to praise Ji Wei's contributions.
"You're lucky, kid. If you're going back this afternoon, come over for lunch. There's not much to do in the warehouse right now, so you should head back early this afternoon." After Lu Shuang finished speaking, her gaze fell on his legs. Calculating the time, he would have to stay in the warehouse for at least another month.
"Okay, then I'll bother you at noon." Gu Zhiyuan readily agreed.
"Why are you being so polite? By the way, I'm going to the new warehouse this afternoon. Shall I take you there to take a look?" Lu Shuang asked for his opinion.
"Then I'll try to get these inventories sorted out by the morning." Gu Zhiyuan really wanted to go and take a look.
"I'll come over and help once I get the tofu back." He was worried that the tofu would spoil in the July weather.
“I can do it all by myself.” Gu Zhiyuan said, starting a new round of inventory. Seeing this, Lü Shuangcai turned and left, quickening his pace.
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When Ji Wei arrived at school, her face was still flushed. Huang Jing saw her and casually asked, "Why are you so late today?"
"Something came up and I was held up," Ji Wei casually made up an excuse, and touched her cheek, which was still a little hot.
"You don't have class until the second period, why are you running so fast? Hurry up and sit down to cool off." Huang Jing saw that her cheeks were flushed, so she reached out and pressed her shoulders to make her sit down and use the fan.
"I'm fine, not hot." Ji Wei planned to get a cup of hot water.
"It's good that it's not hot. The weather is getting hotter and hotter. Fortunately, summer vacation is coming soon." Everyone's tone became much happier when the topic of summer vacation came up.
"By the way, Sister Huang, do you remember what I told you last time?" Ji Wei could only get tutoring in math, so she invited Huang Jing to join her so they could get tutoring in all subjects.
"I don't think I can make it this summer. I've already made plans in advance." Huang Jing looked at her apologetically.
"Okay, I'll invite you next time." Ji Wei thought for a moment. It would be good if there were fewer subjects for the first tutoring class. However, the desks and chairs hadn't been arranged yet. She would have to urge Gu Zhiyuan when he came back this weekend.
Ji Wei didn't have any menstrual cramps all day today, and she didn't know if it was thanks to the bowl of brown sugar water last night. On the way home from school in the afternoon, when she was discussing with her two children what to have for dinner, Gu Chen'an suddenly noticed that the gate to their yard was not closed: "Mom, did we forget to close the gate?"
"No, right?" Ji Wei remembered that she checked the door after closing it, so how could it not be closed?
Just as she was frowning in confusion, she heard Gu Chen'an's excited voice: "I know, Dad is back."
"Dad's back?" Lulu, who had been looking down at stepping on ants, quickly looked up as well. In their eyes, Gu Zhiyuan's return was like snacks arriving at home, so both of them were excited at the same time.
"It shouldn't be him, he won't be back until the weekend," Ji Wei said, frowning.
Unfortunately, the two were too excited to listen to her and ran past her back. Ji Wei shook her head helplessly and let them run back, while she walked ahead at her own leisurely pace.
When Ji Wei walked back, she realized that Gu Zhiyuan had really returned. She was a little surprised to see him in the yard: "Aren't you supposed to be at work today?"
"There wasn't much going on at the warehouse, so I came back. I even went to check out the new warehouse with Brother Lü this afternoon." Sure enough, the last sentence made Ji Wei forget what she wanted to ask, and she just kept asking him about the new warehouse.
"It's not finished yet. What you can see right now is that the area is quite large, and it's not as remote as I thought," Gu Zhiyuan told her about what he had seen that day.
"It would be even better if it wasn't too far off. I'll go take a look when I have the chance." They had already entrusted this matter entirely to Lü Shuangcai. Now, suddenly suggesting that they go take a look felt like a sign of distrust, so Ji Wei planned to wait until everything was settled before going to check it out.
"We can go see it tomorrow. Do you have class tomorrow afternoon? Brother Lü said that the tables and chairs are also in order. There are single and double tables. Do you want to go and choose them yourself?" Gu Zhiyuan asked her, turning his head to look at her.
"Are they old desks and chairs discarded by other schools?" Ji Wei breathed a sigh of relief when she found out about the desks and chairs.
"Yes, Brother Lü said they seem to be discarded from the central primary school, but we'll have to go and see for ourselves to know the specifics." Gu Zhiyuan didn't know the quality of those discarded desks and chairs either.
“Okay, then I’ll switch classes with Sister Huang tomorrow. I’ll drop them off at school in the afternoon and come over right away.” Ji Wei made the decision quickly.
"Do you want me to come pick you up?" Gu Zhiyuan asked.
"No need, I'm not a child, I know the way." Ji Wei waved her hand at him.
"Huh, is something stewing in the kitchen?" Ji Wei only then noticed the aroma wafting from the kitchen.
"Yes, I bought a chicken to stew. Sit down for a bit, and we'll eat soon." Gu Zhiyuan said as he went to the kitchen. He had bought the chicken from a nearby farmer that afternoon when he went to check on the warehouse.
Ji Wei stared at his retreating figure, wondering if the chicken was bought for her. This thought brought her a sense of pleasure. The two little ones had already divided up the leftover snacks from yesterday, but unexpectedly, they saw Ji Wei still standing in the yard when they came out. Lulu hesitated for a moment, then ran up to her and handed her a piece of candy: "Mommy, have some too." Her eyes seemed to say, "Now you can have some too, so you can't say anything to us anymore."
Ji Wei was amused and reached out to rub her cheek: "Mom won't eat, Lulu will eat by herself. After you finish eating, you can do your homework with your brother. Mom will go upstairs for a bit."
Although she no longer had menstrual cramps, she was still tired during her period, so Ji Wei decided to go upstairs and lie down for a while. When she got to her room, she immediately saw the new sheets on the bed. Thinking about what happened last night and this morning, although she still blushed, she had completely calmed down. Gu Zhiyuan was right; this was a kind of mutual help between them.
The chicken soup was still simmering in the kitchen. When Gu Zhiyuan came out of the kitchen, Ji Wei was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the two little ones were standing in the yard eating candy. Seeing this, he couldn't help but remind them, "You can't eat too much before meals."
"We know, Dad. Didn't you bring any candy back today?" Lulu asked curiously.
"I don't have any today, but I'll bring some next time I come back, okay?" Gu Zhiyuan was already thinking about what else he should bring besides candy. Maybe he could go to the market in Rong County tomorrow if he had time.
"Okay, okay, can I have bubble gum?" Lulu still doesn't know how to blow bubbles with bubble gum, so she wants to learn more.
"We need to ask Mom first. If she allows it, then it's fine." Gu Zhiyuan didn't dare to agree on his own, after all, Ji Wei had just made a three-point agreement with them yesterday.
"Then we'll ask Mom later. I'll just eat one a day." Lulu, despite her young age, was clearly shrewd and knew where Ji Wei's bottom line was.
"You're such a clever little devil. You can ask your mother later." Gu Zhiyuan chuckled. How could this little guy be so shrewd?
"Okay, let's wait for Mom to come downstairs." Lulu said, pointing upstairs, meaning that Ji Wei was upstairs now.
"Okay, I'll ask her later." Gu Zhiyuan said, glancing upstairs. Was she feeling unwell again? Should he make some more brown sugar water? But chicken soup would be even better. Gu Zhiyuan was a little undecided.
"Dad, what are you cooking? It smells so good!" Lulu glanced curiously into the kitchen.
"We'll have chicken soup tonight. Does Lulu like chicken?" Gu Zhiyuan asked.
"I like meat." For Lulu, as long as there is meat, she's happy.
"It would be better to have some chicken soup later. Go and do your homework with your brother. Dad will cook a dish and then we can eat." Gu Zhiyuan couldn't help but glance upstairs again as he spoke. He decided to let her have the chicken soup first and then make her some brown sugar water before she went to bed.
The chicken soup smelled delicious. The chickens at this time were free-range, which was much better than the factory-farmed chickens of later generations. Ji Wei drank two bowls before she was done. The two little ones were now happily gnawing on chicken legs. Gu Zhiyuan glanced at her and said, "If you like it, I'll buy another one tomorrow."
"It doesn't need to be so frequent, once every two weeks is enough." Ji Wei thought, it's good to supplement the two children's nutrition, but compared to chicken, wouldn't beef be better? There are very few beef vendors in Wu'an, but now that he works in Rong County, he can bring beef back with him.
"Let's see if we have any suitable fish tomorrow. If we do, we'll have fish soup." In Gu Zhiyuan's memory, these soups and broths were quite nourishing.
"Are you coming back tomorrow too?" Ji Wei suddenly realized this question.
“Warehouse work isn’t that busy,” Gu Zhiyuan explained.
At this point, Ji Wei understood everything. Whether it was the inspirational quote or something else, her heart warmed: "Actually, you don't need to go through all this trouble. I'm not that delicate." In her previous life, she did everything during her period just like any other day.
“This has nothing to do with being delicate. If you’re not feeling well, you need to rest.” Gu Zhiyuan looked at her with a serious expression.
"That makes sense, then I'll listen to you." Ji Wei finished speaking and lowered her head to drink her soup, her upturned lips hidden behind her lips.
"Then let's have fish soup tomorrow." Gu Zhiyuan decided on the menu for tomorrow night on his own.
"Wow, are we having fish tomorrow night? I'd like braised fish," Gu Chen'an said, expressing his preferred flavor.
"We'll have fish stew tomorrow. Drinking more fish soup is good for your health," Gu Zhiyuan said, directly refusing him.
"Okay." Gu Chen'an didn't know why he emphasized drinking soup, but he was a good boy.
"Fish meat has bones." Lulu wrinkled her nose, her tone somewhat disgusted.
"Dad will help you pick out the flaws tomorrow," Gu Zhiyuan quickly said, noticing her displeasure.
"I'm afraid of thorns," Lulu emphasized again.
"I'll definitely make sure you get to eat boneless fish tomorrow," Gu Zhiyuan assured her again.
Lulu nodded hesitantly, "Okay then."
Ji Wei couldn't help but glance at Gu Zhiyuan again. He was really patient with Lulu. Lulu was afraid to eat fish because when she was at the Ji family's house, Zhou Xiuzhen was only focused on picking fish bones out of Ji Cong and forgot about Lulu. Lulu had choked on a fish bone once, and ever since then, she hadn't liked eating fish as much.
After finishing two bowls of chicken soup, Ji Wei's forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and the discomfort in her lower abdomen seemed to have disappeared at that moment. She casually asked about her two children's homework, and Lulu, not forgetting about the bubble gum, asked her earnestly, "Mom, can I eat a piece of bubble gum every day?"
"Of course you can, but you can't swallow it, understand?" Ji Wei reminded her.
“I know.” Lulu turned to look at Gu Zhiyuan after saying that, her tone full of joy: “Dad, Mom agreed.”
"Okay, I'll bring you bubble gum every day from now on." Gu Zhiyuan said, reaching out to tap her cheek. How could the little one be so cute?
"I thought you bought it with your own pocket money, you little rascal," Ji Wei said, shaking her head.
"I'm not a clever little devil, I'm a smart little devil," Lulu corrected.
"Then I'll have bubble gum too," Gu Chen'an quickly said, making his request.
"I won't forget you." The laughter of the family quickly spread through the courtyard, and Ji Wei felt that she had nothing to be dissatisfied with in this kind of life.
After Lulu fell asleep, she was about to go to sleep too when she saw Gu Zhiyuan carrying a bowl upstairs. She was a little puzzled: "What's this?"
"Brown sugar water, it will make you feel better." Remembering how she felt better after drinking brown sugar water last night, Gu Zhiyuan felt even more that brown sugar water was effective.
Ji Wei hesitated as she held the brown sugar water and said, "Actually, brown sugar water isn't very useful; painkillers are much better."
"Painkillers? Do I have to take them every time?" Gu Zhiyuan frowned. Every medicine has its side effects, and it's never good to take medicine.
"Not necessarily, it's the pain that matters. Even if you don't eat it, you should still take it. One or two pieces a month at most, and it'll be fine." Although she said that brown sugar water was useless, Ji Wei still lowered her head and sipped it slowly.
"Should we go see a doctor? This can't go on like this." Gu Zhiyuan tried to find a solution.
"Okay, I'll see a doctor next time." Ji Wei thought to herself, this problem was still unsolved before she died in her previous life.
"Give me the bowl, you go to sleep first." Gu Zhiyuan said, taking the bowl from her hand and going downstairs.
Although Ji Wei lay down, she was still not sleepy. It wasn't until she heard a noise coming from the door that she quietly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
The next morning, when Gu Zhiyuan went to Rong County, he reminded her to reschedule her classes, and then roughly determined when she would arrive so he could pick her up at the station.
"You don't need to pick me up. I'll go straight to Brother Lü's house. You'll save yourself the trouble of walking."
"That works too." Gu Zhiyuan thought about it and felt that this plan was better.
"Mom, are you going to Rong County this afternoon?" Gu Chen'an looked up at her.
“Yes, your Uncle Lü said someone is taking care of the tables and chairs. I’ll go check it out, and if they’re suitable, I’ll bring them back so we can use them during the summer vacation.” She had already told them about the summer tutoring program before.
"Then remember to come back early." Gu Chen'an was worried that they would come back too late, as it would only be him and Lulu at home.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely be back before you get out of school."
"Don't forget our bubble gum." After thinking for a moment, Gu Chen'an still said those words.
"How come you've become more and more greedy because of Lulu? Don't worry, I won't forget. Let's go, it's time to go to school." So the family of four split into two groups and walked in different directions.
Ji Wei and Huang Jing were old partners, so the class swap went smoothly. After class, she jotted down how many desks and chairs she needed to buy in her notebook. She thought she wouldn't buy more than twenty sets; her energy was limited, and buying too many would be irresponsible to the students. Besides desks and chairs, Ji Wei also collected previous second-grade review materials and some test papers. Of course, Gu Chen'an's classes were different, so she didn't forget to collect competition materials and test papers. For Ji Wei, next year's competition was just as important as the summer tutoring classes.
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This was Ji Wei's first time visiting Lü Shuangcai's house alone. In her haste, she casually bought some pastries at the supply and marketing cooperative. Seeing what she was carrying, Qiao Xiaoxue gave her a reproachful look: "You're already here, why did you buy anything?"
"Sister-in-law didn't set up a stall today?" Ji Wei was a little surprised.
"I knew you were coming and wanted to chat with you, right? Besides, they're all out driving, so business is so-so." Most of Qiao Xiaoxue's stall's business comes from the drivers of those taxis; once they leave, business isn't so good.
"This way, we can keep the benefits within the family. Or maybe we should try a more lively place next time?" Ji Wei suggested.
"Well, we'll go somewhere else next time. Besides, it gets hot in the afternoon, and I don't go out every day. I'll go out every day once the freezer arrives," Qiao Xiaoxue explained.
The two women chatted about their stall business, then about their children's studies, and then about themselves. At that moment, Lü Shuangcai and Gu Zhiyuan returned together.
"Sister-in-law, let's go. Let's pick out the tables and chairs now. Once you've chosen, he can handle the rest." Lu Shuangcai said, glancing at the time. It was almost time for their agreed meeting.
"Sister-in-law, would you like to come along and join in the fun?" Ji Wei asked casually.
"Okay, I don't have anything else to do at home anyway, so I might as well go with you guys and join in the fun." Qiao Xiaoxue thought for a moment and didn't refuse.
Although the desks and chairs were discarded by the school, not all of them were defective. The group helped Ji Wei pick and choose, eventually selecting twenty sets. Seeing this, Qiao Xiaoxue whispered to her, "Are you planning to take in twenty students?"
"That's the plan for now," Ji Wei nodded.
"That must be incredibly hard work! You're really amazing." Qiao Xiaoxue looked at her with admiration.
"It's alright, much better than the students in the class, and there are at most two classes a day." Ji Wei had no intention of watching them do their homework; her two classes were for explaining key concepts.
Qiao Xiaoxue glanced at her with some envy. Sure enough, reading a lot of books has many benefits. The four of them soon arrived at the scrap yard. All the tables and chairs were piled up in the back yard. The owner quickly led them to the back yard. Compared to double tables and chairs, Ji Wei preferred single tables and chairs. The tables and chairs were damaged to varying degrees. With the help of others, she quickly picked out twenty sets of tables and chairs.
"Can you put all these things back with you?" Qiao Xiaoxue asked with concern.
“The courtyard and the main room are fine,” Ji Wei nodded, but her current worry was how to get these things back.
"I'll drive you back in my truck later, and I can take these with me," Lü Shuangcai's words quickly dispelled her worries.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Lü," Ji Wei said gratefully.
"This is no trouble at all. We still have plenty of time. Shall I take you to the new warehouse for a look around?"
"I'm fine with anything." Ji Wei didn't reveal her true thoughts.
Soon the group went to their new warehouse and garage. After getting out of the car, Lü Shuangcai explained to her, "The warehouse and garage under construction are ours. They should be completed next month."
"Brother Lü, we bought this land, right?" Ji Wei's voice was filled with undisguised excitement. My God, Lü Shuangcai is too good at making decisions!
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