Chapter 46
Gu Xi woke up to the sound of shouts, glanced at the still dark sky outside, turned over and went back to sleep.
When she woke up again, it was already broad daylight.
The room was quiet and silent; Shen Mingzheng had obviously already gone to work.
Gu Xi sat up, still wrapped in the blanket, and stared blankly for a while before slowly getting out of bed. She washed up, got dressed, and went to the kitchen. There, she found two meat buns in a pot, still warm.
The steamed buns must have been brought back by Shen Mingzheng from the cafeteria.
Besides the steamed buns in the pot, there were also groceries that Shen Mingzheng had bought that day on the table next to it.
A piece of pork, about one pound in weight (half lean, half fat), and a basket of eggs.
Looks like I didn't manage to buy any fatty meat to render oil today; it all depends on luck.
Gu Xi made herself a cup of malted milk powder with a steamed bun. She sat in the main room, enjoying the morning breeze, slowly munching on a steamed bun, savoring the leisurely morning.
The steamed buns in the cafeteria were quite large, but Gu Xi didn't have a big appetite, so she could only eat one.
After finishing breakfast, Gu Xi stood in front of the house, hands on her hips, looking at the bare yard.
The plot of land in the yard suitable for planting vegetables has been tilled; with a little preparation, the seeds can be sown.
Gu Xi changed into some old work clothes, tied her hair up, picked up the iron shovel under the wall, and neatly trimmed the vegetable garden. She was very good at this kind of work, after all, she had worked in the countryside for ten years before, and even after decades, she had not forgotten how to do it.
After preparing the vegetable garden, she scattered some seeds and fetched a bucket of water to water it.
By the time we finished doing all that, the sun was high in the sky and it was unbearably hot.
Gu Xi washed her hands and feet, rested for a while, went back to her room and found the fabric and scissors she had bought yesterday, preparing to make curtains.
Since we don't have a sewing machine at home, we have to sew by hand, which is a bit slow.
But it doesn't matter, the one thing she has plenty of right now is time.
One morning, Gu Xi prepared the land to plant vegetables, cut fabric to make curtains, and even sewed a small portion by hand.
When it was almost time, she went to the kitchen to cook.
Shen Mingzheng will come back for lunch. It's nice to have someone to eat with, and since it's only for two people, it's easy to make and doesn't take much time.
-
When Shen Mingzheng returned, the aroma of stir-fried dishes was already wafting from the kitchen.
He went to the kitchen and saw Gu Xi making minced pork stir-fried with sauerkraut. She had chopped half of the pork she bought today and stir-fried it with chopped sauerkraut. It was very fragrant and delicious, and it would taste great whether mixed with rice or noodles.
The pickled cabbage was the bunch Ye Fenghua brought over yesterday. It was homemade and has a crisp, slightly sour taste.
Seeing him return, Gu Xi said happily, "Big brother, you're back! We can have dinner after you make some egg drop soup."
Shen Mingzheng walked over and took the work from her hands: "I'll do it."
"Huh? You can do that?" Gu Xi asked in surprise.
She always thought he couldn't cook, since he had joined the army when he was young and stayed there, eating in the canteen. When he came home, Aunt Wang would cook for him, so he didn't need to lift a finger.
You really wouldn't guess he could cook.
Shen Mingzheng said, "I know some simple ones, I've seen others do them."
With a little effort, you can make simple food, like noodles, rice, or soup.
He poured water into the pot, cracked two eggs into a bowl, and whisked them. Once the water boiled, he poured the eggs into the pot, creating beautiful egg drop soup. Then he added chopped greens, oil, and salt, and a simple and easy-to-make vegetable and egg drop soup was ready.
The two sat down to eat.
During the meal, Shen Mingzheng told her that he had sent a telegram to Beijing, and then asked her what she was doing at home that morning, as he was worried that she might be bored by herself.
She was new to the place and didn't know anyone, so he should have spent more time with her.
"I tidied up the vegetable garden this morning and sowed the seeds," Gu Xi said with a smile, her tone light and cheerful. "Then I cut some fabric; I'm going to make curtains."
When Shen Mingzheng returned, he noticed that the vegetable garden had been trimmed and was very flat, and the soil was a little wet, so he knew that she had watered it.
"Are you tired?" he asked. "From now on, wait for me to come back and I'll do this kind of work."
Even if she has strength, she lacks stamina, and I'm worried she'll get tired.
"It's okay, I'm strong anyway," Gu Xi said nonchalantly. "Besides, you have to train and go to work, you'll get tired too."
Just because he's a man doesn't mean he won't get tired.
Gu Xi wanted to live a good life with him and felt that they should be considerate of each other.
After dinner, Shen Mingzheng went to wash the dishes, while Gu Xi sat there enjoying the breeze.
Summer has passed, but the lingering heat of late summer is still intense, and the weather remains extremely hot. However, being near the mountains, there are occasional breezes during the day that bring some relief from the heat.
After Shen Mingzheng finished washing the dishes, he saw her sitting there in the breeze, her eyes squinting, as if she was sleepy.
He walked over, bent down, and picked her up.
"Big brother!" Gu Xi was startled, staring at him with wide eyes, and instinctively put her arms around his shoulders.
Shen Mingzheng said, "Go back to your room and sleep if you're sleepy."
He carried her back to the room, then lay down beside her to sleep for a while.
He discovered that she liked having someone sleep with her, as it helped her fall asleep quickly and feel at ease.
Sure enough, as soon as she held him, she became drowsy and mumbled, "Big brother, remember to wake me when you get up..."
Shen Mingzheng hummed in agreement.
After lying down for about half an hour, Shen Mingzheng got up.
After tidying himself up, he went back to his room and saw the person sleeping on the bed with a slightly flushed face. He couldn't bear to wake her and let her continue sleeping.
Gu Xi slept for almost two hours before waking up.
When she saw the time, she was a little dazed, worried that if she slept too much during the day, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night, which would be terrible.
As for why Shen Mingzheng didn't call her, she didn't know either, and decided to ask him when he came back in the evening.
After washing her face and drinking a glass of water, feeling refreshed, Gu Xi continued sewing the curtains.
These days, you don't need to make any fancy designs for curtains, and it's quite quick to do. Besides, she only makes curtains for the master bedroom; the other two rooms are currently unoccupied and don't need curtains made there.
Once she has threaded the curtains with the rope, she can hang them up.
After hanging the curtains, Gu Xi admired the unattractive curtains and couldn't help but laugh.
This was her first time making curtains, so of course they couldn't be as beautiful as those made by professional craftsmen, nor could they match the variety of designs in later generations. But as long as they could block out the light, that was enough, so she wouldn't be woken up by the light in the morning.
Gu Xi leisurely went to the main room to pour water and drank it slowly.
Suddenly, a series of clattering sounds came from the house of Chief of Staff Gao next door, like pots and pans falling to the ground, making a loud and jarring noise.
If neighbors speak loudly, it's easy to hear them. For example, Commander Miao's family is large and their life is lively, especially in the evening when they gather together. The sounds of children playing, Ye Fenghua angrily scolding, and Commander Miao trying to mediate can all be heard from here.
In contrast, the house of the Chief of Staff next door was very quiet.
I heard their family is small, just Chief of Staff Gao and his wife, no children yet, so it's normal that they're quiet. Just like her and Shen Mingzheng, it's just the two of them, so they don't have much to argue about, and they speak in low voices, which makes it very quiet.
However, Gu Xi soon realized that something was wrong.
She heard faint moans of pain coming from next door, as if the person was in great distress.
Remembering what Shen Mingzheng had said about Chief of Staff Gao's wife being pregnant, and fearing something might happen, she decided to go and check on her.
Gu Xi arrived at Chief of Staff Gao's house and knocked on the door, saying, "Hello, I'm the neighbor who just moved in. Is everything alright inside?"
After waiting for a while, there was no response from inside.
At this moment, Gu Xi smelled a faint scent of blood in the air.
Her nose is very sensitive; she can smell odors unless they are too far away. This is why she likes the toilet to be clean, otherwise she would suffer a lot.
Worried about the danger to the people inside, Gu Xi didn't hesitate any longer and kicked open the door of Chief of Staff Gao's house.
In the houses on this side of the bungalow, when someone is home, the main door is usually locked from the inside, and it is locked with a bolt, which is very easy to kick open.
Just as she kicked down the door, the door of the house across the street opened.
An elderly woman with gray hair stood there, and seeing this scene, she was startled and immediately shouted, "Who are you? How dare you kick down someone's door?"
She thought Gu Xi was going to break into someone's home.
Gu Xi ignored her, because she had already seen the woman lying on the ground inside the house. She was curled up with her belly swollen, obviously having accidentally fallen.
The consequences of a pregnant woman falling are terrible. Gu Xi's face paled, and she quickly ran over.
The old woman across the street, thinking she was up to no good, followed her over to see what was going on. When she saw what was happening inside, she was also startled and quickly said, "Oh dear, what happened? Did she fall? We need to get someone to take her to the clinic right away, or it could be dangerous..."
Gu Xi carefully helped the person up and found that the person was still conscious, but their face looked terrible, probably because they were in so much pain that they couldn't even cry out.
The woman, tears streaming down her face, gripped Gu Xi's hand tightly.
There was a pool of blood beneath her, which made one's heart clench.
Gu Xi picked her up and quickly walked outside.
The old woman saw her rushing out like a gust of wind and instinctively called out, "Slow down! Don't hurt anyone!"
When she followed her out, she found that Gu Xi was carrying a pregnant woman and walking very fast. The woman had already gone far away. She couldn't help but wonder, how come this woman looks so thin and strong?
Gu Xi carried the woman and walked quickly. The woman's blood stained her clothes, and she felt the wetness on her hands. She became even more frightened, and her face turned deathly pale.
She was terrified that something might happen to this woman, as it could mean the death of both mother and child.
As I passed the pavilion near the gate of the family compound, some military dependents were already working and chatting inside.
When they saw Gu Xi carrying someone and hurrying out, they were all startled, and some of the more enthusiastic ones quickly got up and chased after her.
"Oh dear, what's going on here? Isn't this Chief of Staff Gao's house?"
Gu Xi replied breathlessly, "She fell down, I need to take her to the clinic."
Hearing this, everyone was very worried and followed without thinking to see if they could help.
Although military families often quarrel over minor conflicts and even fight in anger, they unite and help each other when something happens to one family.
Just now, upon learning that Chief of Staff Gao's wife had fallen and was pregnant, everyone was extremely worried.
When lives are at stake, no one gloats; everyone wants to do their part.
One of the women said, "The health station is over here; it's faster to walk this way."
Gu Xi walked in that direction without hesitation.
Although Shen Mingzheng gave her a brief introduction to the military environment when he took her to the supply and marketing cooperative yesterday, he mostly just pointed out a direction. With someone leading the way, she walked faster.
When the women who had been with Gu Xi saw the pregnant woman's face in Gu Xi's arms, they were all worried. However, what worried them even more was that Gu Xi might not be able to hold her.
Even a grown man would get tired carrying a pregnant woman like that, let alone a woman.
Gu Xi looked like a thin, frail woman, with barely any flesh on her arms. I was worried that she might lose her strength and drop the pregnant woman in her arms as we walked.
"Hey girl, are you tired? Should we go find a cart?" a woman asked worriedly.
Gu Xi said, "No need, let's take them to the clinic first." She was afraid that if it dragged on too long, both the adults and the children would be in danger. There was no time to have someone find a stroller or anything like that, so she might as well carry them there herself.
"Then, then hold on tight..."
"..."
Gu Xi held him very firmly and carried him all the way to the health station.
Her sisters-in-law hurriedly followed beside her, their hands instinctively outstretched, afraid she might fall, but she remained steady the whole way.
Many people on the street were stunned to see Gu Xi carrying a pregnant woman and walking so fast.
At the clinic, the nurse on duty was startled to see a large group of people approaching. When she noticed the pregnant woman in Gu Xi's arms, she quickly called for a doctor and asked Gu Xi to take the pregnant woman to a room inside.
After successfully handing the person over to the doctor at the health station, Gu Xi finally collapsed as if exhausted, and was supported by two tall women on either side of her.
They asked with concern, "Girl, are you alright?"
Gu Xi was speechless and let her two sisters-in-law help her to a nearby chair.
One of the sisters-in-law cleverly went to the nurse at the health station and poured her a glass of water.
At this moment, Gu Xi's face was extremely pale, her lips were almost colorless, and her head was covered in cold sweat. She was breathing heavily, making people worry that she might collapse.
"Here, girl, have some water and calm down."
Gu Xi rested for a while and drank some water, which finally helped her recover from the exhaustion.
She weakly said to the women who were taking care of her, "Thank you, sisters-in-law."
"No need to thank me!" one of the women laughed. "We didn't do anything. But you, carrying him all the way here, must be tired?"
The women looked at her in amazement. This young woman, who looked so thin and frail, was actually carrying a pregnant woman all the way from the family compound to the health station.
Even the strongest woman couldn't do it unless she carried him on her back.
But Chief of Staff Gao's wife was so heavily pregnant that she could only be carried over, which added to the difficulty.
It has to be said that Gu Xi's actions just now greatly shocked these women, and they looked at her with admiration and surprise.
I admire her reliability; she really delivered the person safely. I was also surprised by how strong she seemed.
Suddenly, someone said, "Hey, you're Commander Shen's wife, right?"
"Commander Shen? Is that Commander Shen from the First Brigade? The one who applied for a house last month, spent a lot of money to renovate it, and had a toilet and bathroom specially built for him, and who dotes on his wife?"
The sisters-in-law looked at Gu Xi with curiosity. Although she was pale and covered in sweat, she was incredibly beautiful. Despite her disheveled appearance, she didn't look shabby at all; instead, she evoked a feeling of pity in people.
Even women like them felt sorry for her, let alone men.
They finally understood why Commander Shen was so concerned.
Gu Xi sat down to rest and said somewhat shyly, "My husband's surname is Chen, and his name is Shen Mingzheng."
“That’s right!” said a cheerful woman, and then introduced them to each other.
After introducing themselves, the women began to show concern for the wife of Chief of Staff Gao, who was in the hospital ward.
"I heard she's about to give birth, how could she have fallen? I wonder if she's alright."
"I hope everything is alright. Chief of Staff Gao is not young, and it's not easy for him to have a child."
"Chief of Staff Gao isn't that old, is he? He's only twenty-nine."
"Twenty-nine years old is not young. In my family, I had already given birth to three children when he was twenty-nine."
"..."
Holding a water glass in her hand, Gu Xi listened to her sisters-in-law chatting and quickly learned about Chief of Staff Gao's situation.
I heard they've been married for several years. His wife used to work in the city, but for some reason, she didn't come to live with him. The couple rarely saw each other and never had children.
Until the beginning of this year, his wife finally came to join him in the military, and soon after she arrived, news spread that she was pregnant.
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