Chapter 131
Shen Mingzheng rested at home for a few days.
These past few days, he's been experiencing the treatment usually reserved for injured patients. Gu Xi and Xu Yuansheng have been going all out to nourish him, serving him chicken soup, bone broth, pig's trotter soup, and other nutritious and suitable meals for him.
When Xiang Changchuan returned from his mission, he heard that he was injured and rushed over to see him.
Upon seeing Shen Mingzheng, he couldn't help but say, "Brother Mingzheng, you look like you've gained weight?"
Shen Mingzheng: "..." Nonsense, last night Xixi touched his waist with concern and said he had lost weight.
Xu Yuansheng glared at him, "Nonsense, my brother-in-law has just lost weight, his face is all thin."
Xiang Changchuan was a little embarrassed by her glare, so he coughed lightly and quickly said, "I must have seen it wrong."
He glanced at Shen Mingzheng's face and thought to himself, "I can't see where he's lost weight. He's obviously gained weight, at least a little more than when I saw him two months ago."
"Of course!"
Xu Yuansheng is extremely protective of her own, to the point that she cannot bear to hear anyone say anything bad about her loved ones, even if that person is a handsome man or holds a high position.
That's just her temper.
Xiang Changchuan handed over the gifts he had brought back, saying, "I asked someone to buy these for me when I passed through Shanghai. I don't know if you and your sister-in-law will like them." Then he smiled and added, "I'll be troubling you and your sister-in-law to take care of Xiao Zhao and Xiao Yun again while I'm away."
It was because of them that he could go on missions with peace of mind, without worrying about his two children at home, and he was very grateful to them.
Xu Yuansheng took it and looked at it, and found that there were three lipsticks inside, which could also be used as lip balm.
She looked at him suspiciously. Although he would always bring her and her sister some gifts when he returned from missions, no matter how small or expensive, it was always a token of his gratitude for taking care of their two children while he was away. But the gifts were usually quite normal; giving him lipstick was a first.
Men rarely give lipstick to women. Given his typical straight-man thinking, he probably wouldn't have thought of that, right?
Regardless of the circumstances, it's somewhat ambiguous for a man to give a woman lipstick.
Although he gave gifts to three people, he didn't seem to think of it that way.
"I heard that women in big cities like to wear lipstick, so I picked out a few for you. They can help prevent your lips from cracking in winter," Xiang Changchuan said confidently, not feeling there was anything wrong with giving lipstick to women.
Xu Yuansheng didn't think much of it and accepted it.
The two families have a good relationship. Shen Mingzheng and Xiang Changchuan are also family friends and comrades-in-arms. It is only right that they take care of each other, and there is no need to be so polite.
After Xu Yuansheng left, Xiang Changchuan turned around and saw Shen Mingzheng staring at him.
"Mingzheng, what are you looking at?" he asked somewhat awkwardly.
Shen Mingzheng originally wanted to say something, but then he remembered that Xu Yuansheng was a very opinionated girl who could make her own decisions and didn't need others to interfere, so he stopped what he was going to say and asked about other things instead.
In the evening, Gu Xi invited Xiang Changchuan to have dinner at her home and asked Xu Huaisheng to call Xiang Zhao and Xiang Yun over.
During the meal, Gu Xi brought up the matter of stockpiling food for the winter and asked Xiang Changchuan if he had time to go and make the purchases. If he didn't have time, they could help him buy some food.
Xiang Changchuan hurriedly said, "Thank you, sister-in-law. I'll take care of this. I have a few days off recently."
“That works too,” Gu Xi said. “If you don’t know where to buy it or what to get, you can ask me or Yuansheng.” She was worried that the bachelor wouldn’t know how to manage basic necessities, so she had to keep an eye on things.
However, the two children of the Xiang family are quite capable. They learn quickly after being taught, so there seems to be nothing to worry about. All that's needed is to talk to Xiang Zhao a few more times, and he will remember it, making things much easier.
Xiang Changchuan agreed: "Okay."
He smiled at Xu Yuansheng, indicating that he would need to trouble them later.
Xu Yuansheng glanced at him, lowered his eyes, and then put a piece of cured meat and a piece of potato on Xiang Yun's plate, who was too young to reach the food.
**
After resting at home for a few days, Shen Mingzheng went back to work.
His injury hasn't fully healed yet, and Ji Ya comes over every day to change his dressings. Although he can't move around freely, his daily life is no longer affected, and he can handle some documents and official business in the office without any problems.
Not long after Shen Mingzheng returned to work, he brought Gu Xi some accurate news.
"I'm getting a reward? A leader from above is going to personally present me with a medal?" Gu Xi was both surprised and delighted, extremely excited. "Which leader?"
When she heard him mention the name of the leader, she was so excited she almost fainted.
Gu Xi made a great contribution this time, and the organization naturally did not forget her merits. Not only did they award her a medal, but they also gave her a bonus.
A thick stack of prize money was placed in an envelope.
And that medal, it can be kept as a family heirloom.
Although it was awarded privately, Gu Xi still took it very seriously. After she received the medal and bonus and returned home, she was still a little dizzy and felt unsteady on her feet.
Shen Mingzheng, who accompanied her to receive the award, found it amusing, pinched her cheek, and said, "Snap out of it!"
Gu Xi slapped his hand away—she controlled her strength so as not to accidentally knock him away, which would be her fault.
She glared at him: "Can't you let me bask in this moment of emotion a little longer? That medal was personally awarded to me by my boss!"
This is such a memorable event! If it weren't for the fact that we don't have cell phones these days, she would definitely record it so she can watch it repeatedly when she's old.
However, you could buy a camera.
Okay, I've decided. I'll buy a camera in the city next time.
"You're not moved, you're incredulous," Shen Mingzheng corrected her, ignoring her glare, pulling her into his arms and giving her a passionate kiss, asking, "Are you back to your senses?"
Gu Xi: "..."
Seeing her staring at him intently, Shen Mingzheng laughed heartily.
He lowered his head, his forehead touching hers, and gently wiped the moisture from her lips with his fingertips. His voice was deep and husky as he softly said, "My Xixi is so amazing. She's done such a great deed. Even the commander praised her highly, calling her a heroine..."
Gu Xi blushed and quickly covered his mouth with her hand, "Okay, stop talking, I know."
She's finally settled down now, no longer drifting aimlessly.
This person is usually not very talkative, but when they do speak, it's all sweet talk that hits right where it hurts, it's really irresistible...
Shen Mingzheng simply looked at her with a smile in his eyes, seeing her rosy cheeks, bright eyes, and an unstoppable radiant smile, like a child receiving praise from an adult, or someone who had done something meaningful and finally gained the adult's approval...
His heart instantly softened.
It's as if I can see that frail child who was once suppressed, disliked, and ignored finally gaining the recognition of her elders, allowing her to emerge from her inferiority complex and bloom like a flower, facing the sun, radiant and beautiful.
That's great!
He sincerely exclaimed that she was inherently excellent and wonderful, and should live in the praise and love of the world. Those who disliked or despised her were not at fault; it must be that their thinking was flawed.
This is what she deserves.
-
That evening, Xu Yuansheng and Xu Huaisheng looked around at the prize money and medals on the table, carefully touching them again and again, their faces full of joy.
"Big sister is so amazing!" Xu Huaisheng looked at his sister with admiration.
Xu Yuanli said matter-of-factly, "Big Sister has always been this amazing! You just don't understand Big Sister!"
Xu Huaisheng looked at his second sister and felt that she was a bit like the "brainless fan" his eldest sister had described, and even a "toxic stan".
But with the eldest sister being so amazing, it's normal for the second sister to have such die-hard fans.
She considers herself a die-hard fan of the eldest sister, hehe.
Gu Xi took out the prize money and said with a smile, "It's getting cold, so I'll take you to the county town in a few days to buy you winter clothes, one for each of us."
After visiting Huanshan County once, she found that the county seat was not too far away, and it was convenient to buy whatever she wanted at the department store in the county seat.
Although the department stores in the county town are not as good as those in the city, they are much better than those in the town, so it's still worth a visit.
"Yay!" Xu Huaisheng jumped up excitedly. "Big sister, I want to go to the county town. I've never been there before."
Xu Yuansheng did not refuse; it was rare for her older sister to be so happy, so of course she had to agree with her.
Unlike when she first joined the army, when she was reluctant to spend money, she is now very generous with her money after she started earning it. She is not stingy when it comes to food and clothing.
On the weekend, the three sisters went to the county town together.
They borrowed a car from Qiao Hui. Gu Xi gave Xu Huaisheng a ride, while Xu Yuansheng rode his own car towards the county town.
Upon arriving in the county town, Gu Xi took her two younger sisters straight to the department store and began a shopping spree.
Besides clothes, they also bought food and other necessities, filling their baskets and bags to the brim. Then they went to the meat processing plant and bought ten pounds of meat in one go.
The meat processing plant in the county town supplies a relatively large amount of meat, unlike the supply and marketing cooperatives in the military and towns where there are purchase restrictions. As long as it's not too excessive, you can still buy it.
However, no one else buys more than ten kilograms of meat at once like them.
“We bought them for our neighbors. When they found out we were coming to the county town, they told us to buy more,” Xu Yuansheng explained calmly.
When buying meat, Gu Xi became acquainted with the butcher at the meat processing plant and handed him a pack of cigarettes—she had brought them from home, as Shen Mingzheng didn't smoke and only used them as gifts.
"Master Li, we live near the military base, which is quite far from the county town. It's not easy for us to come to the county town. Could you order more meat from us during holidays? We have a large group, so we might order more. Could you please save some for us...?"
Upon learning that they were military dependents, Master Li accepted the cigarette and readily agreed, then confirmed with Gu Xi when she wanted the meat and how much she wanted, writing it down in a notebook.
Seeing this, Gu Xi seized the opportunity to play the victim, talking about the difficulties faced by the military families in getting meat. This touched Master Li, who said he would discuss with the meat processing plant manager about allocating more meat to the military families.
So, as they talked, the three Gu sisters eventually met the director of the meat processing plant.
This time it was Xu Yuansheng's turn to step in. She was a very eloquent person, and after some discussion, they finally agreed on how much meat the meat processing plant would supply to the military families and how much would be sent over during holidays, so that the military families wouldn't have to go through the trouble of coming to the county town to buy it...
After doing all that, the three sisters left the meat processing plant with the dozen or so kilograms of meat they had bought that day.
Although it took some time at the meat processing plant, all three were very happy and satisfied to be able to get meat in the county town. This was legitimate meat, and they wouldn't need to buy meat from the black market anymore.
Xu Huaisheng cheered, "Great! We get to eat meat again!"
For the past month, because Gu Xi didn't go to town to buy meat, and the military supply and marketing cooperative had purchase limits, even though Xu Yuansheng got up early, he often couldn't buy meat.
Xu Huaisheng felt a pang of regret after learning that the black market meat vendor in the county had been reported.
Now it seems there's no need to regret it, since we can always buy meat in the county town.
Xu Huaisheng and Xu Yuansheng were unaware of Qiu Sanshu's true identity and thought he had been arrested by the police after being reported. Gu Xi did not tell them this, so as not to frighten her two younger sisters.
**
The weather is getting colder and colder, and it will snow soon.
On snowy days, everyone hibernates, and Gu Xi takes the opportunity to tutor Xu Yuansheng, catching up on everything she has missed.
Xu Yuansheng was forced to study every day, which annoyed him quite a bit. Sometimes, while studying, he couldn't help but pull his own hair.
She realized that she didn't seem to be cut out for studying. She only persevered because of her trust in her older sister and because she didn't want to disappoint her. But deep down, she was still somewhat skeptical.
She doesn't need to go to university, so what's the point of learning all this?
It seems like I wouldn't be able to use what I learned.
Despite these thoughts, Xu Yuansheng didn't say anything to Gu Xi, nor did he say he wouldn't study. Only when he was making clothes for others or delivering clothes would he show a bit of the ease of a convict going out for a break.
When Xiang Changchuan brought them some fish, he saw Xu Yuansheng being forced to study by Gu Xi. He couldn't help but find it a little funny to see her tense and serious expression.
As Xu Yuansheng saw him off, he whispered, "If you don't want to learn, you can tell your sister-in-law. She probably won't force you."
“No way!” Xu Yuansheng said calmly. “I love learning. After all, it was my sister who taught me. She’s a great teacher. Although I’m a bit slow, as long as she teaches me patiently, I can still understand some things.” After a pause, she emphasized, “Moreover, learning helps me understand more principles, which is beneficial.”
Xiang Changchuan was good at reading people's hearts, and he could tell that her claim of "loving to study" was a lie. However, what she said later showed that she genuinely believed it.
He smiled and nodded slightly, "You're right. Learning can help people understand more knowledge and principles, which is beneficial. You should continue to do it."
This girl's stubborn and unyielding personality is quite interesting at times.
Xu Yuansheng looked up at him and saw that his eyes were smiling, his peach blossom eyes were full of affection, which could easily lead to misunderstandings.
She stiffly looked away, silently reciting the phrase "form is emptiness," and turned to leave.
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