Chapter 15 Moving House: He's pretty savvy!
Noticing the caution in his tone, Ji Wei smiled gently: "Of course."
"Should I give them wedding candy?" Gu Chen'an asked, his eyes full of doubt.
His words amused Ji Wei, who coughed lightly and immediately switched back to a serious expression: "Gu, you can't bring snacks to school."
"Oh, right, I almost forgot. Are you and Lulu going to take a nap at home, Mom?" Gu Chen'an asked.
"Not today, we'll move over this weekend," Ji Wei shook her head.
Gu Chen'an did the math. Today was already Friday, which meant they would be moving in the day after tomorrow, so there was only a day and a half left. He nodded and said, "Then I'll come with Dad to help first thing the day after tomorrow."
"Okay, then you should get some sleep. I'll take Lulu back first." Ji Wei waved goodbye to them, pulling Lulu along.
"I'll see you off," Gu Zhiyuan said, getting up as well.
Ji Wei initially wanted to refuse, but seeing his unyielding expression, she swallowed her words: "Alright, the teachers are probably still awake, you can help me distribute candy to them." It would also be a way to get to know him.
"I want to go too." Gu Chen'an, who was originally planning to go to sleep, weakly raised his hand to express his opinion.
"Okay, let's go together then." Since bringing one or two people is the same, the family of four carried the bag of candy and headed towards the school again.
The school's classrooms and dormitories were two rows of single-story buildings. Ji Wei and the other two knocked on Huang Jing's door first: "Sister Huang, I just got my marriage certificate today. Let's all share in the joy."
"So you went to get your marriage certificate today? Congratulations!" Huang Jing was stunned for a moment before she realized what was going on. She glanced at the man next to her out of the corner of her eye. Judging from his physique, he must have been a soldier. It's been two years. It's good that she chose to remarry.
Next, Ji Wei led them to distribute wedding candies to other colleagues, receiving many blessings. After visiting the last dormitory, the bag of candies was empty. She handed it to Gu Chen'an: "Here, you and Lulu can share these."
"I'm the older brother, so I should give way to my younger sister. These are all for her," Gu Chen'an said, handing the bag to Lulu.
Ji Wei felt a pang of heartache for his understanding, then bent down and looked at him, saying, "Brother only needs to protect his sister, not give in to her, understand?"
Lulu was still a little confused when she saw the bag of candy being handed to her. Before, when she was at her grandmother's house, everything belonged to Ji Cong. They would say that she was a little girl and how could she be so greedy, or that Ji Cong was her older brother and these things should belong to him.
After glancing at the two still bewildered little ones, Ji Wei sighed, then took one in each hand and went back into the house: "Then I'll divide them up for you."
"Mom, I really don't need it." Gu Chen'an hadn't forgotten what he said that day: once she became his mother, he and his father would treat her and his sister well.
"Why don't you want it? Don't you like it?" Ji Wei asked seriously.
Faced with such a gaze, Gu Chen'an thought for a moment and then said, "I'm already a big kid, I can't take food from my sister."
“That means you like it. This isn’t stealing. You both get a share.” As she spoke, she took all the candy out of the bag and distributed it to the two of them. Finally, she reminded them, “You can only eat two a day. You can keep them yourselves this time. If I find out that you’ve secretly eaten them before the deadline, I’ll lock them in the cupboard next time.”
"Okay." The two little ones nodded in unison.
While she was distributing the candy, Gu Zhiyuan stood by without saying a word. Although he felt sorry for Gu Chen'an's "sensible" behavior, he also believed that Ji Wei could handle it well.
Ji Wei glanced down at the time, then looked up at Gu Chen'an: "Go back now and you can still sleep for an hour. Hurry up and go to sleep so you'll have energy for class this afternoon."
"I'll just sleep in the classroom," Gu Chen'an said hesitantly.
"The students in the classroom are probably all asleep right now, so you should go home and sleep. You'll get a better rest at home," Ji Wei suggested.
“Okay, I’ll listen to Mom.” Gu Chen’an’s eyes would light up every time he called out the word “Mom.”
After Gu Zhiyuan and Gu Chen'an left, Lulu yawned and rushed into Ji Wei's arms. She was sleepy. Ji Wei saw that Lulu was still clutching two candies tightly in her hand, smiled and gently pinched her cheek: "Little glutton, are you sleepy?"
"Hmm," Lulu replied somewhat vaguely.
"Go wash your hands first, they're all sticky." Ji Wei said, patting her shoulder. The little one was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open.
Ten minutes later, the mother and daughter lay down on the bed together. Lulu turned over and fell asleep immediately, but Ji Wei was not sleepy. Although her marriage to Gu Zhiyuan was only a business relationship, now that she had the marriage certificate, she felt real; she was really married.
In her past life, she had never remarried. Her year-long marriage with Xie Fei was too long ago, so long ago that she couldn't even remember how a normal married couple should interact. But surely they wouldn't have any disagreements? Gu Zhiyuan seemed relatively easy to get along with. Ji Wei was lost in thought when she heard Lulu's laughter beside her, followed by her calling for her father. "Daddy, Daddy," she kept calling. Ji Wei felt a pang of heartache mixed with relief. Lulu's joy was genuine, proving that she had accepted Gu Zhiyuan. She turned to look at the little one sleeping soundly, a smile playing on her lips. Her dreams must be wonderful. She gently touched her cheek. Now it seemed that remarrying was indeed the right decision.
On the way back, Gu Chen'an was all smiles, and Gu Zhiyuan was a little puzzled: "Are you that happy?"
"Of course, by the afternoon, all the students will know that Teacher Ji is my mother." Fang Qing had never taken him to school before and often missed his parent-teacher conferences. Many people had teased him for not having parents. Even after Gu Zhiyuan's appearance dispelled the rumors about him not having a father, those people still mocked him for not having a mother. This time, he didn't explain. In his heart, Fang Qing was no longer his mother. Now he could finally openly tell everyone that he had a mother, and that she was Teacher Ji. Just thinking about it made him very happy.
"As long as you're happy." Gu Zhiyuan finally spoke after a moment of silence, which was his original intention for remarrying.
"Aren't you happy, Dad?" This question successfully displeased Gu Chen'an.
"Of course not, I'm very happy too." Gu Zhiyuan shook his head in denial.
“That’s right. You should be happy that you were able to marry Teacher Ji.” Gu Chen’an said, nodding as he spoke.
＊
During lunch break, the other teachers received wedding candies from Ji Wei and her remarried husband, indicating that they wouldn't be holding a banquet and saving everyone the trouble of giving gifts. In the past two years, Ji Wei had attended many social gatherings and given out a considerable amount of money as gifts, so everyone planned to give her a present together. However, deciding on a gift proved difficult for them.
Ji Wei was unaware of everyone's scheme. At that moment, she was waking the little one up. Fortunately, Lulu was a good child and didn't have any morning grumpiness. She lingered in bed for five minutes before getting up. After washing her face and combing her hair, she realized that the two candies she had been clutching in her hand before going to bed were missing. She frantically searched the bed for them. Seeing this, Ji Wei smiled and pointed to the table: "I put them over there for you. Come on."
Lulu, satisfied with finding the candy, followed her to the office. As usual, she entered the classroom as the bell rang. This was a class for Class 1. Upon seeing her enter, many students' eyes darted back and forth between her and Gu Chen'an. She guessed that Gu Chen'an must have told them. A smile flashed across her eyes, and then she began the lesson.
After getting their marriage certificate, their lives remained largely the same as before. If there was any difference, it was probably that the mother and daughter now had an extra person for dinner every day. Gu Zhiyuan continued to go to the countryside every day, but unlike before, when he returned, there was still a warm meal waiting for him in the pot, which instantly washed away his fatigue from the day.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. On Saturday afternoon, when the holiday was over, Gu Chen'an, carrying his schoolbag, tugged at Ji Wei's arm and said in a spoiled tone, "Mom, let's start moving today."
"We're moving today," Lulu chimed in. The little guy had been completely won over by Gu Chen'an and thought that whatever his brother said was right.
Unable to resist the two's persistent requests, Ji Wei had no choice but to compromise: "Okay, okay, okay, let's move now."
"Yay, I'll help then." Gu Chen'an said happily.
"With your skinny arms and legs, you can just watch over Lulu for me." Ji Wei stopped him. Everything was there; all she needed to do was move her and Lulu's clothes and personal belongings over there.
Last time, besides the cabinets and other items, the quilts that she brought with her dowry were also left there. She only needed to bring the sheets and other items. She glanced at the things she had packed and figured she could manage to make two or three trips by herself.
After moving the first load, Ji Wei told the two little ones to stay at home: "Chen An, you just stay home and watch TV with your sister, don't run around, okay?"
The TV must have been left by the landlord; it was a black and white one, and Ji Wei wasn't quite used to it yet, but the two little ones watched it with great interest. Ji Wei thought that if she wanted to change her current lifestyle, she needed to increase her income. Relying on her and Gu Zhiyuan's salaries probably wouldn't be enough, but that could wait. Right now, she needed to continue moving things from the school dormitory.
After making three trips back and forth, Ji Wei finally moved all the things that needed to be moved. Next was organizing the room and making the bed. She glanced at the time and figured she would have enough time to cook after finishing these tasks.
On Saturday, Gu Zhiyuan returned home earlier than usual. He had just reached the door when he heard Gu Chen'an and Lulu's voices. His expression softened involuntarily. He pushed open the door and entered the main room. The two little ones were watching TV. When they saw him return, Gu Chen'an said happily, "Dad, you're back."
Lulu, who was standing next to them, also quietly called out "Dad." Gu Zhiyuan stepped forward, patted their heads, and asked gently, "Where's Mom?"
"Mom is tidying upstairs. Dad, hurry up and cook. Mom has been busy all afternoon and must be hungry," Gu Chen'an urged.
"Okay, Lulu, how about we have fish tonight?" Gu Zhiyuan asked. There was a market in the countryside today, and this fish was raised in the villagers' own pond. It was cheaper than the fish sold in town, so he bought one to bring back.
"Okay." Lulu nodded obediently.
"Good girl." Gu Zhiyuan's voice unconsciously softened as he spoke to Lulu.
"I'll help." Gu Chen'an said, heading to the kitchen to help. Before Gu Zhiyuan could refuse, Lulu chimed in, "I'll help too."
"Okay, then turn off the TV and come with me to the kitchen."
When Ji Wei finished her work and came downstairs, she heard noises coming from the kitchen. She went to the kitchen and saw Gu Chen'an helping Lulu pick vegetables, while Gu Zhiyuan was quickly wielding a spatula. She felt a strange warmth in this scene.
The fish cooked quickly, filling a large pot. It looked and smelled delicious. Ji Wei looked at Gu Zhiyuan with some surprise: "I didn't expect you to be such a good cook."
“Kids who grew up in the countryside all know how to cook. Eat first, and you two be careful of fish bones,” Gu Zhiyuan instructed the two little ones.
Because of the fish, the meal took longer than usual. After the meal, Ji Wei got up to clear the dishes. Her plan was simple: he cooked, so she would wash the dishes, and vice versa. Unexpectedly, she was refused as soon as she cleared the dishes: "I'll do it. You've already worked hard enough taking care of them."
Ji Wei thought for a moment and didn't refuse. She smiled and looked at him, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you."
"Mom, come watch TV with us!" Gu Chen'an waved to her immediately upon hearing this.
Ji Wei watched TV with them, a rare moment of peace since her rebirth. She didn't know how much time had passed when someone who had been in the kitchen suddenly came over and handed her something. She stared at the object—a bankbook? She looked up at him: "What does this mean?"
"This is the family savings book. I'm giving it to you to keep. I get paid on the 10th of every month, and starting next month, I'll also give you my salary to keep," Gu Zhiyuan explained.
Ji Wei suddenly remembered what he had said on their blind date. She lowered her head, took the bankbook, and smiled. He was quite savvy, wasn't he?
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Looking back on her life, Lin Zhi had both cats and dogs, and lacked nothing in terms of houses, cars, and money. Her only regrets were probably the early death of her eldest sister, who had dropped out of school to support her education, and the later estrangement from her family.
When Linzhi woke up, she found herself back in 1996. She immediately tore up her elder sister's train ticket to go south to work, and this time, she forbade anyone to drop out of school.
At this time, the eldest sister had not yet developed stomach cancer from saving money to pay for her and her younger brother's tuition.
She did not break ties with her brother's wife because she disliked her elder sister as a burden.
Her parents, whose hair was not yet gray and who were still in good health, stared at the torn-up ticket and scolded her for wasting it. They said she could have gotten a refund if she didn't want to go, so why tear it up?
Lin Zhi slapped her forehead; she had forgotten that there was a refund option.
The eldest sister looked at the torn train ticket with a troubled expression: "If we don't go to work, how will we pay for our tuition?"
Linzhi looked at her and smiled: "Don't worry, you can make money whether you go up the mountain or down the river."
That summer, the three siblings of the Lin family spent every day either going up the mountain or down to the river. Later, the people of Linjiawan learned that the herbs on the mountain could be sold for a good price, and even the cheap pickled vegetables by the river could be sold for a good price in the city.
Lin Zhi and his family not only raised enough money for tuition by selling herbs and fine sand, but also helped the entire Linjiawan village to make money. The Lin family even bought a tractor to transport sand.
Faced with the praise from her elder sister and younger brother, Lin Zhi smiled and said cheerfully, "This is just the beginning!"
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