Shen Nan was given a few days off because he was about to set off for Tibet. In addition, he hadn't taken a vacation for several years and had accumulated a mountain of vacation days. The captain and political commissar granted him leave with a wave of their hands.
Duan Ziyu and Tang Yu learned from Lu Jiaxiu that he was coming to the ancient town. That evening, they happened to run into each other while having dinner together. The next morning at around 5 a.m., the three of them met at the airport in perfect unison.
In Tang Yu's words, he wanted to visit Zhou Zuizui's little bar. Many people were talking about the wine he brought back last time, and he wanted to know if she could cooperate with the hotel. Duan Ziyu, on the other hand, did not hide anything and told Shen Nan very directly that he came to see Duan Weiyi because he was worried about his sister.
Shen Nan had nothing to say and wouldn't refuse them, so he came.
Zhou Zuizui stood in the corridor, looking at the two men below, speechless.
"You guys are..." she said, trying not to laugh, "That's too much. We've only been gone for three days."
Shen Nan snorted and pinched the back of her neck. "You've forgotten about your husband in just three days, haven't you?"
Zhou Zuizui choked for a moment, then chuckled, "No, I don't think so. I knew as soon as you arrived."
Upon hearing this, Shen Nan was satisfied.
That's right, she sensed it as soon as I got close to her.
The two exchanged a smile, then looked down at Xia Wen and Tang Yu, who had just woken up, and silently curled the corners of their lips.
Xia Wen and Tang Yu got along quite well. Although Tang Yu was aloof, he always showed Xia Wen an inexplicable tenderness. Meanwhile, Duan Ziyu sat quietly to the side, while Duan Weiyi hadn't gotten up yet.
"Go see Tzuyu Duan, she's so pitiful."
Shen Nan: "Am I not pitiful?"
Zhou Zuizui glared at him: "Seriously?"
Shen Nan smiled: "No, what do you want to eat for breakfast?"
"Either is fine." Zhou Zuizui went back to her room. "Let me wash my face first. Should we go out and buy some for them, or go out to eat together?"
"Let's go out together."
Shen Nan glanced at the weather: "The sun is out again, the weather is nice."
That's the beauty of ancient towns; they occasionally rain, but afterwards, a rainbow appears, and the weather is especially warm and sunny—it's very comfortable. No wonder it's a perfect vacation spot.
Zhou Zuizui hummed in agreement, then went downstairs after washing up. She glanced at the few people still in the yard, smiled, and called out, "Xia Wen, where would you like to have breakfast?"
Xia Wen replied, "Let's eat out, there are a lot of us."
Zhou Zuizui nodded: "Sure, Qiuqiu, are you guys going?"
Qiuqiu shook her head: "I'm not going, sister. I'll just stay home and watch over things."
"good."
Soon after, Wei Yi also got up, and the six of them went out together to stroll around the ancient town.
The ancient town is relatively quiet in the early morning. Walking on the cobblestones sounds particularly pleasant. Not far away, there are vendors pushing carts selling breakfast and various snacks.
Tang Yu looked around and said in a low voice, "This place is really nice."
Is this Mr. Tang's first time here?
Tang Yu nodded: "Yes, we've done some research here before, but this is our first time visiting in person."
The hotel considered this location when it was looking to open a branch, but it was ultimately rejected because it was too remote. However, it seems to be developing very well now, and the temperature is so comfortable. Even staying in the hotel all day would make you happy in a place like this.
Zhou Zuizui smiled and said, "It's alright. It was even worse a few years ago, but it's slowly getting better now."
"Um."
Xia Wen didn't participate in these topics. She pulled Wei Yi along as they walked and bought things. They were already full before they even reached the breakfast shop Zhou Zuizui had mentioned.
"Let's have rice noodles. The rice noodles here are super delicious. That shop also has a lot of other snacks besides rice noodles," Zhou Zuizui introduced. "It's not a trendy shop, but the taste is really good."
No one objected; they all followed her arrangements.
After breakfast, Duan Weiyi wanted to go shopping, and Duan Ziyu went with her. Xia Wen wanted to buy some local specialties on the other side, and Tang Yu naturally followed. In the end, only Zhou Zuizui and Shen Nan were left.
The two exchanged a glance, and Zhou Zuizui stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear with a laugh: "Captain Chen."
"Um?"
"Let me take you to one of my secret bases."
Zhou Zuizui smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Will you come with me?"
"What do you think?" Shen Nan lowered his head and kissed the corner of her mouth. "Wherever you go, I'll go."
The secret base is not far from the ancient town.
Zhou Zuizui and Shen Nan rode bicycles here; riding a bicycle in this kind of weather is especially comfortable.
She brought Shen Nan to an ancient town that had sprung up next to an old town—at least that's what it was called. However, it wasn't as well-maintained as Qingyue Ancient Town; it looked rather dilapidated.
After locking the car, Zhou Zuizui pulled Shen Nan to walk in the other direction.
After walking for about half an hour, Shen Nan looked around and a smile appeared on his face: "In the mountains?"
Zhou Zuizui shook her head: "Not really, but you can see the whole ancient town from here." She pointed and said, "I also planted a few trees over there."
Shen Nan raised an eyebrow: "Go take a look."
"good."
The two climbed to the top, which wasn't high and would take about half an hour to reach. Once they were up there, Shen Nan noticed a house built of bamboo. Zhou Zuizui took a key out of her bag and smiled at Shen Nan.
Shen Nan was extremely surprised: "You did this yourself?"
"No." Zhou Zuizui suppressed a laugh: "I'm not that amazing. I found this place by chance. I found it really comfortable, so I bought it from someone. The previous owner of this house was an old man. He built a small house here to live in in order to watch over an orchard next door, and then he sold it to me."
Shen Nan raised an eyebrow, utterly astonished: "The orchard has become yours too?"
Zhou Zuizui laughed: "Yeah, unexpected, right?"
She smiled confidently: "I'm quite wealthy now."
"That's true." Shen Nan chuckled. "No wonder she's a little rich girl."
Zhou Zuizui chuckled: "Actually, the fruit grown in the orchard is limited and won't be sold." She said softly, "It's used to make wine."
The reason her wine tastes so good is partly due to the fruit. All her fruit wines are made with fruit she grows herself; she discovered by chance that the fruit here is sweeter and tastier than fruit from other places.
At that time, the old man was also struggling to keep his business afloat, so he transferred it to Zhou Zuizui.
Come to think of it, she bought the place less than six months after she arrived here. It was quite desolate at first, and Zhou Zuizui was in a bad mood during that time, so she left the small tavern to Lin Mu and the others to manage, and spent all her time alone in the mountains.
Whenever she's in a bad mood, she comes here to sleep for two days.
She's an old acquaintance here, so she's not afraid of anything happening. Normally, people wouldn't come up here unless there's a reason.
Shen Nan listened, glanced at the small bamboo house, paused, and asked, "Is it safe for someone to stay here alone?"
Zhou Zuizui laughed: "I was scared at first, but the people living here all know that I am here, so they will tell me if anything happens." She said: "Actually, there are occasional reports on the Internet that the people here are very barbaric, but that's not true. Sometimes they do things to protect their most basic rights. They are all very simple and honest people."
Everyone is kind, though there are some who are not, but they are very few.
Shen Nan nodded: "I still feel unsafe."
Zhou Zuizui laughed: "It's not a big problem." She pointed and said: "I have surveillance cameras installed."
Shen Nan: "…………"
He went outside for a walk and looked at Zhou Zuizui: "Are the rooms on the second floor?"
"Yes, I'll take you to see it. I'll bring you here to see the stars tonight, okay?"
Shen Nan smiled: "Come on."
The stairs in the house were the kind that seemed about to collapse with every step, making a creaking sound. Only after Shen Nan went up did he discover a hidden world at the top.
Zhou Zuizui truly knows how to enjoy life. Besides a bed, there's a projector and a skylight that's transparent and can be controlled with a remote. Once it's open, you can definitely see the stars.
It's like opening up a new world in the forest; travelers would definitely love a place like this.
"How was it? Was it great?"
"Great!" Shen Nan said enthusiastically, "Excellent! Will you be staying here tonight?"
"Think about it."
Zhou Zuizui chuckled and whispered two words in Shen Nan's ear: "Okay."
Shen Nan squeezed her palm.
Zhou Zuizui lowered her voice and said, "We'll sneak over tonight after they've all gone to sleep."
Shen Nan: "..."
This feels like he's about to have an affair with his wife; it's strangely exciting.
The two didn't stay in the room for long. Zhou Zuizui then pulled Shen Nan to the orchard outside. It was November, and the oranges and dates were ripe and ready to eat.
The two went to the garden to pick fruit. In addition to these two kinds of fruit, Zhou Zuizui also picked a lot of flowers, which were said to be used to make wine. After returning to the tavern, Shen Nan helped her. Looking at her skillful technique and the smile on her face, he knew that she really liked this.
Zhou Zuizui has devoted a lot of effort to brewing and researching wine.
She loves it and enjoys sharing the wine she makes with others.
She was busy with this one thing all morning and afternoon. Only Wei Yi and Xia Wen came in to take a look for a while, and they were almost drunk from the smell of the wine in the cellar.
The flavor is so rich and complex.
"I really want to drink it."
Zhou Zuizui was both amused and exasperated: "I'll give you drinks tonight, order whatever you want."
Duan Weiyi: "It needs to have a low prescription."
Zhou Zuizui nodded: "No problem, I'll be done soon. What time is it now?"
Four o'clock.
"Want to go boating? Want to?"
"think!"
After finishing here, the group went to the lakeside, rented a few boats and started rowing. They were all in pairs: Tang Yu and Xia Wen, Wei Yi and Duan Ziyu, and Zhou Zuizui, of course, was with Captain Shen.
"A competition?"
Xia Wen asked.
Zhou Zuizui chuckled softly: "Sure, how do we compete?"
"Go to that rock on the other side and see who gets there first. The loser will be punished."
"What punishment?"
Xia Wen's eyes darted around and she said, "The loser has to cook tonight."
"No." Zhou Zuizui said bluntly, "I don't want to eat your cooking, and it will be very late when we get back. Qiuqiu and Linmu will cook for us."
Xia Wen: "...Oh. So what punishment do you want?"
Zhou Zuizui smiled mysteriously and said with a smirk, "The loser has to treat everyone to dinner."
Xia Wen: "...Okay."
The rules of the game were set, and it was mostly for entertainment purposes; no one really wanted to compete.
The three groups set off together in a rowboat. Zhou Zuizui sat in the back and didn't need to exert any effort at all. The three groups were evenly matched and none of them wanted to fall behind.
Duan Weiyi said twice, "Brother, don't be afraid, it's okay if we lose."
Duan Ziyu: "..."
No man wants to lose.
Thinking about it, he exerted even more force.
In the end, Zhou Zuizui and Shen Nan came in first, Xia Wen and the others came in second, and Wei Yi and the others lost. Duan Ziyu raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying casually, "I'll treat everyone to dinner when we get back."
"good."
The three groups dispersed to play, and even though it was evening, there were still many tourists around.
It gets dark late here; it's still quite bright at six or seven o'clock.
Zhou Zuizui looked at Shen Nan and asked in a low voice, "How are you feeling?"
Shen Nan nodded: "Very comfortable."
He said, "I'll come back to stay with you more often from now on."
He knew why Zhou Zuizui liked this place. Even he himself had come to like it after staying here for a while. It was an inexplicable liking, just a feeling of comfort that allowed him to forget all his troubles and live here carefree.
Back at the tavern, Qiuqiu, Linmu, and Linping had indeed prepared dinner and were waiting for them. There were many local specialties, including hot pot.
Everyone sat around a table eating, and it felt really nice.
Zhou Zuizui looked at the group of people in front of her and felt somewhat moved.
She never imagined she would gain so many friends and friendships, both of which moved her deeply.
After a lively dinner, Zhou Zuizui and Shen Nan volunteered to wash the dishes. Xia Wen and Tang Yu went out shopping, but Zhou Zuizui and Shen Nan weren't very interested. She told Shen Nan to go and rest, while she sat alone with Qiu Qiu at the bar counter chatting.
"Why didn't you come out to play with us today?" She pinched Qiuqiu's cheek, teasing her.
Qiuqiu exclaimed "Ah!" and looked at her: "I'm not very familiar with you, and I'm afraid I might bother you."
Zhou Zuizui glanced at her: "There's nothing to bother you about." She said softly, "You'll be fine once you get to know your sister."
Qiuqiu looked up at her and hugged her: "Sister, will you come back again?"
“Of course.” Zhou Zuizui said, both amused and exasperated, “We’re leaving the day after tomorrow, so we’ll stay here all day tomorrow. I’ve come to ask you something.”
Qiuqiu sat up straight and said, "Go on."
Zhou Zuizui was silent for a moment: "Do you still want to continue studying?" She looked at Qiuqiu: "Don't give me any other excuses, just tell me if you want to or not."
Qiuqiu remained silent for a long time before nodding: "I want to."
No one wants to give up their studies.
She'd been working at the tavern for two years, serving different people every day—some highly educated, some less so—but Qiuqiu envied them all. She envied their high level of education, their ability to study, and their capacity to experience everything in a school setting.
Zhou Zuizui had asked her before, but Qiuqiu had always refused. Later, Zhou Zuizui bought her a bunch of junior and senior high school books and gave them to her. Zhou Zuizui didn't know if Qiuqiu had read them or not, but she felt that Qiuqiu had.
Qiuqiu only attended primary school for a few years and didn't even finish junior high before starting to help with chores at home. Two years ago, when she turned sixteen, her parents prepared to marry her off.
Zhou Zuizui raised an eyebrow and smiled: "That makes things easier."
She asked, "Did you read all the books I gave you before I enrolled you?"
"I've seen it."
Zhou Zuizui nodded: "You're still young, and I'm not trying to send you away. You can choose to study high school here in the ancient town or with me, it's up to you. But now our question is whether you want to study in the second or third year of high school?" She said: "If it's the third year, the college entrance exam will be coming up soon."
She was a little worried that she wouldn't be able to keep up.
Qiuqiu paused for a moment, then looked at Zhou Zuizui: "Sister, I've memorized all the books I read before. I think I can go straight to senior year. I want to stay here and study."
Zhou Zuizui laughed: "We'll have to see. How about I take you to the school tomorrow?"
"good."
The matter of Qiuqiu continuing her studies was settled. With connections, everything was easy to arrange. Actually, Zhou Zuizui originally wanted her to study in Beicheng, but Qiuqiu probably wouldn't be too reluctant to leave. So, it was the same for her to go here, go to university, and then go out and see the world.
When they returned to the room, Shen Nan looked at her and asked, "Have you finished talking?"
"Okay, let's take her to school tomorrow to test her level."
"Okay." Shen Nan nodded, pulled the person into his arms, kissed him, and whispered, "Shall we go now?"
Zhou Zuizui was stunned for a moment, then chuckled: "Let's go, let's sneak away."
"good."
The two sneaked into the house next to the orchard, lay down in the room, watched movies and stargazing. As they watched, the atmosphere changed.
At first, Zhou Zuizui was explaining the various uses of the things in the small bamboo house to Shen Nan: "Look at this, it's like this."
She smiled, her eyes crinkling, and said softly, "When I first came here, there was nothing here. I had the workers build the second floor. Isn't it unique?"
Shen Nan smiled: "Yes."
Zhou Zuizui smiled and said, "And this too." She showed it to everyone, "Would you like to go up to the roof? You can actually climb up there."
"good."
The two climbed onto the roof. The bright moon hung in the sky, the weather was pleasant, and the stars dotted the sky, though there weren't many yet.
After coming down from the roof, Shen Nan lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips, then pulled her into his arms.
…………
…………
Late at night, Shen Nan held the person and called out in a hoarse voice, "Chuichui, open your eyes and look."
Zhou Zuizui hummed in response, a little tired, but still opened her eyes, and was immediately stunned by what she saw.
The sky was filled with dazzling stars.
It's like a galaxy, incredibly beautiful, beautiful to the extreme.
Zhou Zuizui was a little distracted by the sight and murmured, "It's been so long since I've seen such beautiful stars."
Shen Nan nodded and hugged her: "You're very lucky today."
Zhou Zuizui laughed: "I've always been lucky."
She turned her head to look at Shen Nan: "I've come to terms with it."
Shen Nan kissed the corner of her lips, his voice hoarse: "Okay."
He whispered, "The starry sky in Tibet is also beautiful. I'll take you there to see it sometime."
"good."
Zhou Zuizui nestled in his arms and whispered, "I want to see everything you've been to. I also want to ride horses, go to the snow-capped mountains, and visit many other frontier places."
"good."
Shen Nan agreed to everything she said.
Shen Nan doesn't have much of a romantic soul; the only bit he has is reserved for Zhou Zuizui.
He would give her anything she wanted, whatever it was.
The next day was another lively and bustling day.
Qiuqiu's enrollment is almost complete. Zhou Zuizui, who hasn't finished with the enrollment, has asked a friend for help to handle the follow-up work.
Qiuqiu is quite capable. She took the entrance exam and, at her strong insistence, was admitted to the senior class. With more than half a semester left, she needs to work hard towards her goal.
She cried uncontrollably when Zhou Zuizui and the others left.
She was born into a bad family and had a terrible life. From childhood to adulthood, she always thought she was the most unlucky person. But when she met Zhou Zuizui, she felt lucky. She could eat her fill, wear new clothes, have a job, communicate with people, go shopping, watch TV, and have friends.
She is still able to go to school.
The luckiest thing in her life was meeting Zhou Zuizui.
Qiuqiu's gratitude towards Zhou Zuizui is something others can hardly understand. Zhou Zuizui is her salvation, her escape from that cage, and this kind of help is something Qiuqiu could never repay even with her life.
So she will work hard to change her life trajectory and become someone like Zhou Zuizui, helping others. She is grateful for everything since coming to the ancient town, and believes the future will only get better.
Zhou Zuizui roughly understood Qiuqiu's thoughts, reached out and hugged her, and said with a smile, "Don't cry. If your boyfriend sees you crying like this for me in the future, won't he resent me?"
Qiuqiu muttered, "It's still early."
Zhou Zuizui laughed: "It's not too late, you can start dating in college." She patted Qiuqiu's head: "Good luck, I'm waiting for your good news."
"good."
After leaving the ancient town, Zhou Zuizui and Shen Nan went back to their hometown to visit Shen's mother and grandfather before setting off for the frontier.
Before going, I also had a meal with Lin You. There were quite a few people eating there. Gao Zhuo and the others also happened to be off for the weekend, so they all came together. They booked a large private room, and the group was lively and cheerful.
Gao Zhuo patted Shen Nan on the shoulder: "Captain Shen, don't forget your brothers once you go."
Shen Nan didn't even bother to look at him.
Later, Gao Zhuo got drunk and kept hugging Shen Nan, crying, "Master Shen, you must come back safely! We will all miss you."
Shen Nan frowned and looked at him: "Alright, I'll be back safely."
Gao Zhuo hummed in agreement, paused, and then said, "No matter how tiring, difficult, or dangerous it is, you just keep pushing forward. We won't try to persuade you otherwise, but you must come back safely!"
The mission to the frontier wasn't actually that demanding, but it was different from here, and there were always many unknowns.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people unwilling to go there to be stationed, but those who are stationed there are all great and excellent.
Each and every one of them is the greatest.
Shen Nan was both amused and exasperated: "I'm just going to deliver something and check on people while I'm at it."
Gao Zhuo glanced at him: "Alright, remember to come back early."
"Um."
After the party ended and she returned home, Zhou Zuizui looked at Shen Nan and asked, "Will it be dangerous to go to the frontier?"
Shen Nan pondered for a moment: "It's usually rare, but occasionally something does happen." He said in a low voice, "There are occasional incidents, but they are relatively few, and we're managing them quite well now."
Zhou Zuizui nodded: "Oh."
Shen Nan looked at her: "Are you scared?"
"I'm not afraid." Zhou Zuizui smiled, her eyes crinkling. "With you here, what do I have to be afraid of?"
Shen Nan smiled and squeezed her hand: "Don't worry, we will come back safely."
"Um."
The next morning, the two embarked on their journey to the frontier. Another different kind of journey awaited them.
—They will return safely.
Author's Note: It's really time to write this.
It's almost over!!
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