Chapter 28
Gu Xi opened the textbook on the table, but couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.
She sat by the window, where the bright August sunshine shone through, revealing children running around the courtyard, full of energy.
She was thinking about what Feng Min had said.
Shen Mingzheng had agreed to this marriage from the very beginning; it wasn't that Shen Zhongshan and his wife made the decision without his consent.
However, even if he agreed, she didn't think that her thin, short, and rustic appearance at fifteen would evoke any feelings in him. She guessed that he only agreed because she had saved Aunt Feng.
Gu Xi suddenly felt a little annoyed.
The wedding date has been set for the 25th of this month. It's already late August, so there aren't many days left.
Things have come to this point, and breaking off the engagement is impossible, but she still wants to know what Shen Mingzheng is thinking. Does he really not regret it? What if she dies one day?
"Sister Xi! Sister Xi!"
Two children outside the Shen family's gate waved and jumped around, attracting her attention.
Gu Xi snapped out of her daze, leaned over to look, and recognized the children as Shen's neighbors. They were about the same age as Shen Mingrong, around ten years old, and were Shen Mingrong's playmates.
These days, she's been staying here, spending every day with Shen Mingrong. She's also gotten to know Shen Mingrong's friends. There's no way around it; wherever Shen Mingrong goes, he drags her along.
These children, just like Shen Mingrong, sweetly called her Sister Xi, and were especially enthusiastic when she treated them to popsicles.
Perhaps it's because she's been spending a lot of time with lively and energetic kids lately, but Gu Xi feels that her mindset has become much younger and she's no longer so listless.
There's no way around it; after being a ghost for so long, the passage of time can easily age one's mentality.
Gu Xi leaned forward and asked, "What are you doing?"
A child shouted, "Sister Xi, come out quickly! Shen Mingrong is fighting with someone!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xi immediately stood up and ran out.
Upon arriving at the door, the child waiting there eagerly pulled her forward.
After running for a short while, we arrived at the children's secret base—actually, it was a rather secluded corner surrounded by bushes that could conceal the children's figures. The children liked to crawl around here, like on an adventure.
When Gu Xi arrived, she found that she didn't see any children fighting, but there were two more adults.
It was Zhou Huaimin and Zhou Huaiying, a brother and sister. Zhou Huaimin was carrying a chubby boy who looked to be around ten years old. The boy was crying loudly.
Shen Mingrong stood opposite, pouting as she said something, while Zhou Huaimin looked impatient, and Zhou Huaiying was in a daze.
Gu Xi walked over and asked, "What happened?"
"Sister Xi!" Shen Mingrong turned around and called out happily.
The Zhou siblings looked over at the same time. Zhou Huaiying had a relieved expression on her face and rubbed her ears, saying, "Shen Mingrong is such a smooth talker. I can't stop hearing his voice."
Gu Xi first looked Shen Mingrong over and noticed that his clothes were a bit dirty and messy, but otherwise he was fine and hadn't been injured.
She asked, "Mingrong, I heard you got into a fight?"
"He started it!" Shen Mingrong pointed at the chubby boy that Zhou Huaimin was holding and said righteously, "He bullied Nini and snatched Shao Xiaojun's toy. I asked him to return it to Shao Xiaojun, and he spat at me. That was really rude. I told him he was unhygienic, and then he rushed at me. I had no choice but to fight with him. I didn't start the fight!"
He emphasized that he did not start the fight, and that people should not be angry with him.
Gu Xi trusted Shen Mingrong, of course. The child was well-educated and had almost no bad habits except for being a bit talkative. He never lied.
Thinking this, she looked seriously at Zhou Huaimin and his sister and asked, "Is this child yours?"
She remembered the child she had met at the hospital last time, named Xiao Shen, who was also from the Zhou family. He was so well-behaved, so why was this one not well-behaved?
Zhou Huaiying was a little embarrassed, "They belong to our family, they are our eldest cousin's son."
My older cousin is much older than them and has long been married with children. He's been spoiled rotten by his elders at home, and these past few days when he came here to play, he actually started bullying the kids in the compound.
Zhou Huaimin tugged at the chubby boy and shook him. "Chubby, apologize to him!"
Under duress, the chubby boy cried and apologized, his chubby face turning red, looking very pitiful.
Gu Xi then looked at Shen Mingrong.
Shen Mingrong was an upright and kind-hearted child. Seeing that the other person had apologized, he didn't hold a grudge anymore. He simply said, "If I ever see you bullying someone again, I'll beat you up!"
As he spoke, he raised his fist and shook it.
Zhou Huaimin couldn't help but scoff, as if laughing at the tender little fist.
Zhou Huaiying laughed loudly, pointed at Shen Mingrong and said, "Your fists don't seem to be as powerful as your mouth. I'd rather take a punch from you than listen to your lectures anymore."
I hadn't had much contact with Shen Mingrong before, but I never expected him to be so eloquent. His nagging was comparable to that of Tang Sanzang in Journey to the West.
Shen Mingrong blushed and glared at her angrily until Zhou Huaiying quickly apologized, at which point she reluctantly forgave her.
Zhou Huaimin put the chubby boy down, and the boy burst into tears and ran away, crying as he said he wanted to go back and tell his grandfather to beat them.
Zhou Huaimin and his sister didn't take it seriously. But when the time comes, it won't be them who get beaten up; it will definitely be the little fat boy's father.
It's his father's fault for not taking good care of the child.
Now that the issue of the child has been resolved, Zhou Huaiying took the opportunity to chat with Gu Xi: "Comrade Gu, I heard you're getting married to Brother Shen this month, congratulations!"
"Thank you." Gu Xi returned the kind blessing with a smile.
To her surprise, Zhou Huaiying suddenly stared at her blankly, saying, "Oh my, you're so beautiful..."
Zhou Huaiying is a spirited young woman. I heard that she sometimes goes to the army with her brothers for training. She is enthusiastic, lively, cheerful, and full of energy. She is the type of daughter that many elders like.
Gu Xi lowered her head somewhat awkwardly and said, "Thank you, you're very beautiful too."
Being praised for her beauty by such a beautiful woman made Zhou Huaiying extremely happy. She immediately went over and took the woman's arm as if they were old friends: "Are you busy later? If you're not, come to my house to play. Or I can go to Aunt Feng's house to play with you."
That's how girls make friendships: if one girl comes to your house to play, or the other comes to my house to play, we'll be good friends!
Gu Xi: "..."
Finally, Gu Xi returned to the Shen family home with a group of children who had gotten along well with Shen Mingrong, as well as the Zhou siblings.
As soon as I entered, I saw a travel-worn man standing in the living room with a large package at his feet, as if he had just returned from outside. Aunt Wang was happily bringing him water.
"Big brother!"
"Big brother!"
Two surprised shouts rang out from his older brother, and Shen Mingrong rushed towards him like a cannonball.
Gu Xi stood there, not as excited as Shen Mingrong, but she was obviously happy to see him. She had been talking about him before, and she didn't expect him to come back.
Shen Mingzheng pressed down on his underling, who was hugging him like a teddy bear, and looked towards the door, his gaze sweeping over the group of people.
Perhaps his aura was too strong, because the originally cheerful children turned into quails, trying their best to shrink themselves, as if they were afraid of being called out by him. Even Zhou Huaiying was a little cautious, while only Zhou Huaimin looked calm.
When Aunt Wang saw the guests, she smiled and said, "Would you like to come in and sit for a while? I'll pour you some water."
"No need," Zhou Huaiying said immediately. "We're just passing by, we'll leave now." But she regretted it in her heart; if she had known Shen Mingzheng was also there, she wouldn't have come.
Zhou Huaimin tacitly agreed with his sister's words, greeted Shen Mingzheng, and then left.
The other children also took the opportunity to run away.
Leaving the Shen family home and breathing in the warm air outside, I felt alive again.
Zhou Huaiying muttered, "Shen's eldest brother's eyes are really scary. No wonder my third and fourth cousins used to say that people in our compound who were about his age were unlucky and would always be outdone by him no matter what they did. Back then, my second uncle and aunt always complained that my cousins were not as good as Shen's eldest brother."
Zhou Huaimin glanced at her lazily, "You said you wanted to marry him when you were little."
"Ha, how can you take a child's words seriously?" Zhou Huaiying said dismissively. "When I was little, I saw that the eldest brother of the Shen family was tall and big. He was good-looking, had good grades, was good at physical training, and was even better at fighting. He was good at everything. I heard that he was also a hero who took down a spy. Isn't it normal for a girl to want to marry a hero?"
After muttering to herself for a while, Zhou Huaiying regretted it again: "I should have made an appointment with Gu Xi before I left."
"What are you meeting up for?" Zhou Huaimin asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"It's just about arranging a time to hang out and get to know each other." Zhou Huaiying scratched her face. "It would be such a shame not to get to know such a beautiful woman! She didn't live here often before, so I never had a chance to meet her. I heard she's been staying here these days. I wish I had come to visit her sooner..."
It's hard to refuse the idea of being friends with a great beauty, and Zhou Huaiying was no exception.
Especially a gentle and beautiful woman like her, who could resist? She certainly couldn't.
Zhou Huaimin didn't understand girls' feelings, so he said he was bored and left.
He put his hands in his pockets, recalling the way Gu Xi's eyes lit up when she saw Shen Mingzheng. It seemed that this marriage was not as the adults said, that it was arranged by the couple, Shen Zhongshan and his wife, who had feelings for each other.
**
In the blink of an eye, everyone in the room had left.
Aunt Wang smiled, poured water for Gu Xi and the others, and then went to the kitchen with great enthusiasm to prepare two more dishes for dinner.
Shen Mingrong clung to his brother, constantly asking him when he got back and how long his journey took. Why didn't he tell them beforehand? He didn't give them any preparation.
Shen Mingzheng patiently replied, "I arrived this morning, took care of some things, and just got home."
Gu Xi sat to the side, holding a cup and drinking water. Looking at the two brothers opposite her, and listening to Shen Mingrong's chattering, a smile appeared in her eyes.
It's so lively!
At this moment, Shen Mingzheng looked up and looked over. Their eyes met, and she lowered her eyes somewhat uncomfortably.
Shen Mingzheng looked at her carefully for several moments to confirm her condition.
Perhaps because she had just come back from outside and sunbathed for a while, her porcelain-white skin had gained a healthy rosy glow, her hair at her temples was damp, and the melancholy and fear between her brows had lessened, making her seem more cheerful.
But she's still that quiet and introverted girl.
It seems she's had a very good month here.
After sitting for a while, Gu Xi took the initiative to go to the kitchen to help Aunt Wang cook.
Shen Mingzheng then carried his luggage to the room.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw a room that was completely different from before. Many things had been added, and the pairs of festive items on it all told him that he was about to get married.
Shen Mingzheng's gaze swept over the furnishings in the room, his eyes softening.
**
In the evening, Shen Chenshan and his wife returned home from get off work and were very happy to see Shen Mingzheng back.
"It's time for you to come back," Chen Chongshan asked. "How many days of leave do you have?"
"I requested it for half a month."
“If you take away the four days spent traveling back and forth, there aren’t many days left.” Feng Min thought that Gu Xi would be leaving in just ten days, and she began to feel reluctant to part with her.
It's good to marry a daughter-in-law, but if she can't stay with you for more than a few days before leaving with your son, isn't that like marrying a lonely person?
So why was she in such a hurry back then?
When Feng Min said this, Shen Zhongshan looked at her speechlessly: "You're the one who wants to get a daughter-in-law as soon as possible, but you won't be happy after you bring her home?"
Feng Min gave him a reproachful look, "What do you know? Xixi is not only my daughter-in-law, but also someone I love like my own daughter! You think I'm the only one who's reluctant to let her go? Just you wait, when she's about to leave, your youngest son will definitely be crying and hugging her. You'll be the one comforting him then, but I won't!"
It's not just her who's reluctant to part with it; her youngest son is definitely reluctant too.
After dinner, everyone sat on the sofa in the living room and talked.
Feng Min and Shen Mingzheng discussed their recent plans. Although ten days was a tight schedule, they had prepared everything and could still make it in time.
"Tomorrow, take Xixi and Mingrong to your grandparents' house, introduce Xixi to them, and tell them about your upcoming marriage."
Of course, this matter had already been communicated to them, but since Shen Mingzheng was back, he still needed to personally lead a group to the old man's house so that the old man could meet his granddaughter-in-law.
Shen Mingzheng nodded in agreement.
“The day after tomorrow is a day off, and the Gu family should all be home. Let’s go to the Gu family again to formally propose marriage and deliver the betrothal gifts,” Feng Min said. “You don’t have much vacation time, so we need to arrange all these things together. We’ll just have to make do with it for now.”
"Also, we've already bought everything for the wedding, so there's nothing else we need to buy. But you could take Xixi to the department store and buy her a watch."
Feng Min could certainly afford a watch, and she didn't lack industrial vouchers either. She had long wanted to buy one for Gu Xi, but Gu Xi refused.
Now that my son is back, it's a good opportunity to have him take people to buy it.
Feng Min said a lot, and Shen Mingzheng listened quietly and took notes.
Shen Chenshan and the others sat nearby, occasionally chiming in to fill in any gaps or omissions, until they were finally sure there were no oversights before they dispersed.
Since Shen Mingzheng's room had been decorated as a wedding room, he couldn't move in yet, so he went to sleep in the guest room after returning.
He had just returned from washing up when he heard a soft knock on the door. It was quiet outside, with no sound.
Shen Mingzheng's heart stirred slightly. He buttoned up his pajamas, walked over and opened the door, and sure enough, he saw a quiet girl standing at the door.
When Gu Xi saw his appearance, her gaze wandered, clearly not expecting to see such a sight.
Unlike when he wore a military uniform, with the top button fastened tightly, giving him a cold and stern look, when he wore pajamas, his collar was open, revealing a section of his collarbone, which was beautiful and sexy.
It added a touch of indescribable laziness and casualness, further highlighting the unique charm of a handsome and mature man.
"Big brother," Gu Xi said softly, "I want to talk to you."
Shen Mingzheng said, "Perfect timing, I have something for you."
Gu Xi looked at him blankly, only to see him go back into the room, take a bankbook from the cabinet, and hand it over directly.
Gu Xi quickly realized what it was, and her hand trembled slightly before it was grasped by his large hand.
His hands were very warm, perhaps because he had just taken a bath; they were still a little damp. It was obvious that he was a vigorous young man with plenty of yang energy. If she were still a ghost, she would probably be the one who couldn't stand it—no, she, as a ghost, lived in another dimension. Not to mention coming into contact with men with strong yang energy, she couldn't even come into contact with a ghost. She was the only ghost in the whole world.
Just as Gu Xi was lost in thought, she heard him say, "My salary is all in here. You can keep this. Take money from here whenever you need it."
Gu Xi was completely confused. In a moment of lapse of judgment, she blurted out, "Then what if you need money?"
Shen Mingzheng paused for a moment, then said, "I'll ask you for it!"
Gu Xi: "..."
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