Chapter 51
Packages from Beijing kept arriving, and Shen Mingzheng would bring one back almost every other day.
Everyone who saw this couldn't help but wonder, why does Commander Shen have so many packages? What are they containing?
When asked, Gu Xi said, "My mother sent them. They are all my clothes and other personal items. I will be living here in the future and I don't want to waste money buying things, so I had my elders send me the things I used before."
That's true.
Everyone felt this was the right thing to do, and it was clear how much Gu Xi's parents loved her, sending her everything they could.
They didn't know that the sender was Shen Mingzheng's mother, Gu Xi's mother-in-law; they all thought it was Gu Xi's biological mother who sent it.
This is only natural; everyone believes that a mother loves her daughter more. Many military wives who come from the city receive a lot of things from their own families, but receive less from their husbands' families.
Gu Xi spends her days tidying up, resting, eating, and occasionally visiting her neighbors; her days are very fulfilling.
The weekend is here in the blink of an eye.
The day before the weekend, Shen Mingzheng went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some autumn pears.
Before setting off, Gu Xi stuffed two cans of fruit into the bag, and the gift was complete.
These days, canned goods, whether fruit or meat, are very precious and hard to buy. Whenever the supply and marketing cooperatives get supplies, they either consume them internally or only put one or two boxes out for sale, with no more than eight cans in each box. They sell out quickly, and if you arrive late, you can't get any at all.
Therefore, canned food is the perfect gift, showing great sincerity.
They went there in the afternoon to have dinner.
Brigade Commander Zhang's house is in the newly built building, on the fourth floor. It's a four-bedroom house, which is also of brigade-level standard.
When they arrived, the door was not closed, and they could hear voices coming from inside.
The two stood at the door and knocked first.
Brigade Commander Zhang personally came out to greet them. Upon seeing them, he laughed heartily and said, "Mingzheng is here! This must be Comrade Gu. Please come in."
Gu Xi and Shen Mingzheng hurriedly greeted him: "Brigade Commander Zhang!"
"Greetings, Brigade Commander!"
The two followed Brigade Commander Zhang inside and found that there were already several people in the living room, including the regimental commanders of the First Brigade and their wives, as well as a young and beautiful girl.
After introductions, I learned that the young and beautiful girl was named Zhang Wanxia, the niece of Brigade Commander Zhang, and also worked for the cultural troupe.
Brigade Commander Zhang introduced Shen Mingzheng and Gu Xi to everyone.
Today, the couple is hosting a dinner party, and they've made a point of introducing Gu Xi to everyone; it's become a tradition for them.
Brigade Commander Zhang's wife, Liu Aiyun, came out of the kitchen, greeted Gu Xi with a smile, and joked, "Comrade Gu looks so handsome, no wonder Regiment Commander Shen is so attentive to you. I heard that a while ago, Comrade Gu did a good deed and took a pregnant woman from our family compound to the health station. Everyone praised him for it."
She secretly observed Gu Xi and couldn't help but nod.
She is indeed a beautiful woman. No wonder she can hold onto a man like Commander Shen and is indifferent to other women.
Liu Aiyun chatted with Gu Xi for a while before going to the kitchen to continue her work.
There were so many people coming to eat today that she was too busy to handle everything herself, so she asked someone to come and help with the cooking, but she still had to keep an eye on things herself.
Brigade Commander Zhang pulled Shen Mingzheng aside to talk to the group of men, while Gu Xi went to the area where the women were gathered.
"Gu Xi, come here quickly." A military wife smiled at Gu Xi.
Gu Xi sat down and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law Zhao, you're here too."
Zhao Yanfang said with a smile, "Since the brigade commander is treating us, of course we have to come."
This "Sister Zhao" was one of the women who accompanied Gu Xi when she took Qiao Hui to the health station. Later, she brought Gu Xi some vegetables and seeds that she had grown herself. She was a very warm-hearted person.
Her husband was Commander Cai of the First Brigade.
Zhao Yanfang is not young. In her eyes, twenty-year-old Gu Xi is as young as her own daughter. When she sees her, she inevitably shows some tolerance as if she were looking at a younger generation and is willing to take care of her.
As the two were talking, another woman came over.
"Comrade Gu, nice to meet you. I'm Xia Xiuxiu, Political Commissar Xu's wife," she introduced with a smile. "I went back to my hometown these past few days and just arrived here yesterday. My husband Xu told me that you arrived here recently. Are you settling in well?"
Commissar Xu and Shen Mingzheng are partners, and Xia Xiuxiu also wants to befriend Gu Xi.
Xia Xiuxiu is a petite woman with delicate features, but she has a loud voice and is clearly a straightforward person.
Gu Xi said shyly, "It's great, I'm adapting well, everyone is very nice and has helped me a lot."
As several familiar military wives were talking, Liu Aiyun came over and said to Zhang Wanxia, who was sitting there, "Wanxia, come and help me out."
Zhang Wanxia responded and got up to leave.
Gu Xi noticed that Zhang Wanxia glanced at her as she left, but she didn't know what it meant.
Xia Xiuxiu and Gu Xi were sitting together, so they naturally noticed it too. Recalling some of the rumors from back then, they understood.
She whispered to Gu Xi, "This Comrade Zhang Wanxia is a pillar of the cultural troupe. She's beautiful, has a great figure, and comes from a good family. I heard she's even acted in movies... When your troupe leader, Shen, was transferred here, everyone thought he was single and wanted to play matchmaker for him. It seems that Brigade Commander Zhang and his wife were also interested and wanted to introduce their niece to him..."
Gu Xi suddenly realized.
It seems Zhang Wanxia once had feelings for Shen Mingzheng.
However, Shen Mingzheng already has a fiancée, so even if she were interested in him, it wouldn't matter. It's normal for outstanding men and women to have suitors, so there's no need to worry too much.
After chatting for a while, the food was ready, and the group sat down to eat.
There were many people, and the meal was quite lively.
After dinner, everyone sat on the sofa in the living room, enjoying the fruit and chatting.
After sitting for a while, Gu Xi got up and went to the bathroom.
When she came out of the bathroom, she almost bumped into the woman at the door and discovered that it was Zhang Wanxia, the niece of Brigade Commander Zhang.
"I'm sorry," Gu Xi said quickly.
"It's nothing." Zhang Wanxia looked her up and down and said, "My name is Zhang Wanxia, and your name is Gu Xi, right? You are very pretty."
Gu Xi looked at her in surprise and said politely, "Uh... thank you?"
Zhang Wanxia seemed quite interested in her and continued, "Brigade Commander Zhang is my uncle, and I'm a performing arts soldier in the division's cultural troupe. You're very pretty, would you be interested in joining the troupe? With your qualifications, you're sure to get in..."
Gu Xi was a little confused.
She originally thought Zhang Wanxia was waiting there to give her a hard time, but little did she know that Zhang Wanxia was there to recruit her into the performing arts troupe.
This left her both amused and exasperated.
"Thank you." Gu Xi chuckled and said sincerely, "I'm too old, I'm not suitable to join the performing arts troupe, am I?"
She didn't know how the performing arts troupe recruited people, and felt that she was definitely not suitable. She couldn't sing or dance, and what good was her pretty face?
“Why not? You’re only eighteen! With your qualifications, you’ll definitely get in if you just apply!” Zhang Wanxia said confidently.
Judging from her appearance, she's just turned eighteen, quite young.
Considering Commander Shen's age, Zhang Wanxia felt that Commander Shen was an old cow eating young grass.
Gu Xi: "Actually, I'm already twenty years old! And I can't sing or dance..."
“You can learn that!” Zhang Wanxia continued. “With your looks and qualifications, you’re perfect for the big screen. If you meet the requirements, you could even be specially recruited. I think you’re very suited for acting. I heard they’re preparing to shoot a movie, and there’s a role that requires a very beautiful female character, someone everyone will immediately think is the most beautiful…”
When she saw Gu Xi, she thought she was incredibly beautiful.
This is the kind of beauty that can make people with different aesthetic tastes feel from the bottom of their hearts that she is the most beautiful.
Gu Xi was both amused and exasperated. She thanked her for her kindness but said she had no interest in being a performing arts soldier or making movies.
These days, people value hard work and frugality, and they strive with great enthusiasm for whatever they do.
She feels she lacks passion and enthusiasm, mainly because she is physically weak and easily fatigued. She is currently recuperating and unable to adapt to high-intensity work.
Zhang Wanxia was somewhat disappointed, but still said persistently, "Then think about it again?"
Gu Xi: "...Thank you, but I really won't consider it."
Fearing that she would continue to persuade her, Gu Xi quickly found an excuse to leave and stay far away from her.
She simply couldn't handle such an enthusiastic person.
If Zhang Wanxia had harbored hostility towards her because of her past feelings for Shen Mingzheng, she could have remained calm. Little did she know that the girl had long since let go of Shen Mingzheng and was instead very interested in recruiting her into the performing arts troupe.
When it was almost time, everyone said goodbye and left.
After seeing their guests off, Commander Zhang and his wife began to clean up, and Zhang Wanxia also helped to clean up the trash in the living room.
"Wanxia, I think I saw you talking to Commander Shen's wife just now. What were you doing?" Liu Aiyun asked curiously, somewhat worried that she hadn't let go of Commander Shen and might do something.
She had been paying attention to this beforehand, and when she saw her go to the bathroom to ambush Gu Xi, her heart jumped into her throat.
I hope my niece doesn't do anything impulsive.
Zhang Wanxia said, "Commander Shen's wife is very beautiful. I think she is very suitable to join the art troupe. I asked her if she was interested. With her qualifications, she might be able to make movies."
"ah?"
Brigade Commander Zhang and his wife were both a little stunned, never expecting her to have such thoughts.
"What kind of movie are you making?" Brigadier General Zhang asked in confusion. He was an old-fashioned man. Although he had heard his niece say that he had been involved in making movies before, he didn't know much about it.
Zhang Wanxia then explained.
After hearing her explanation, the couple were both amused and exasperated.
Liu Aiyun joked, "Commander Shen's wife is indeed very outstanding in appearance. If she joins the cultural troupe, aren't you afraid she'll take your place and push you out?"
"What's there to be afraid of? I'm a pillar of the performing arts troupe. I'm good at dancing and singing. I've trained so hard and never slacked off. How could a newcomer take my place?" Zhang Wanxia said proudly, very confident in herself.
Brigade Commander Zhang and his wife both liked her confidence and immediately laughed.
Liu Aiyun said, "I thought you couldn't let go of Commander Shen."
Otherwise, she wouldn't have come all this way after learning that they were inviting Commander Shen and his wife to dinner today. Everyone understands her intentions.
Zhang Wanxia felt a little awkward and said, "He already has a fiancée, why would I be unable to let him go? With my looks and qualities, I have plenty of men to choose from."
When she first met Shen Mingzheng, who was visiting her uncle's house, she was indeed struck by his outstanding appearance and wanted to marry him.
Unfortunately, he already has a fiancée and remains indifferent and distant to all the women who show interest in him.
She came here today simply to see what Commander Shen's wife looked like. She had no resentment or anything like that; she was just curious about what kind of woman could make Shen Mingzheng choose her so firmly, ignoring all the other women with better conditions.
The couple were finally relieved to confirm that Zhang Wanxia truly had no romantic feelings for Shen Mingzheng.
If Shen Mingzheng didn't have a fiancée and wasn't married, they would definitely try their best to bring the two together without hesitation. Conversely, since Shen Mingzheng has a fiancée and is already married, they can't let her get involved, as breaking up a military marriage is illegal.
**
After returning home, Gu Xi also told Shen Mingzheng about Zhang Wanxia looking for her.
"She actually said she wanted me to join the performing arts troupe." She touched her face. "Getting into the performing arts troupe based on my looks doesn't sound very reliable."
So she wasn't interested at all. As for making movies, she heard it was very hard work, so she had no interest in it either.
Shen Mingzheng turned his head to look at her. Under the indoor light, her eyebrows and eyes were delicate and soft, so beautiful that it seemed unreal.
He said, "She certainly has a good eye."
Gu Xi was taken aback. Was this a veiled way of saying that she was very beautiful?
She was a little embarrassed, "W-what are you saying? How come you're also..."
He pulled her into his arms, lowered his head, and kissed her. "I wasn't wrong, my Xixi is the most beautiful girl..."
Gu Xi's cheeks flushed, and she couldn't take it anymore. She never expected that such a cold and serious man would say such sweet words. The impact was too great.
Finally, she banged her head against his shoulder to stop him from talking.
Aren't people these days supposed to be reserved?
Shen Mingzheng was amused by her. She was clearly quite bold at times, able to handle anything with composure. But when people praised her, she couldn't take it, as if she were afraid of being praised?
Ultimately, it's a lack of self-confidence. She's been suppressed too much in the past, which makes her lack self-confidence.
Shen Mingzheng felt pity for her, and thinking about her experiences from childhood to adulthood, he understood why she was like this.
In his heart, she was perfect in every way. He wanted to erase the inferiority complex in her bones and soothe the grievances she had suffered. She should live confidently and boldly, like those flowers that grow towards the sun.
**
Gu Xi didn't take Zhang Wanxia's words to heart and quickly put them aside.
A few days later, when Shen Mingzheng came home from get off work, he brought back a new bicycle.
When he pulled the bicycle into the residential compound, it attracted a crowd of onlookers. Many people looked on with envy. This bicycle was not easy to get. Not to mention the money, bicycle tickets were also quite difficult to obtain.
Upon learning that it was bought for Gu Xi, everyone gained a new understanding of how much Commander Shen doted on his wife.
Many women secretly grumbled to themselves, and when their husbands came home from get off work, they said sourly, "Look at Commander Shen, he bought his wife a bicycle. What about you? We've been married for so long, and I haven't seen you buy me anything."
The man bluntly replied, "What do you need a bicycle for? You don't need to go to work, there's no need to waste it!"
The woman retorted angrily, "You...you're infuriating! Don't I deserve a bicycle?"
Man: "Why are you being so unreasonable?"
woman:"……"
Such conversations happen in many families, and they often end with the woman getting angry. Some more outspoken sisters-in-law will simply take away the dinner they've prepared, feeling that the man doesn't deserve to eat the food they've cooked.
-
Gu Xi and Shen Mingzheng were unaware that their purchase of a bicycle had caused numerous arguments between the couple. After dinner, Gu Xi went to learn how to ride a bicycle.
This was the first time in her two lives that she had ever ridden a bicycle.
Needless to say, bicycles were a rare sight in the countryside. After returning to Gujia, the city had buses, so I could take the bus wherever I wanted, or walk. I had never ridden a bicycle before.
Gu Xi had seen how others rode it; as long as you have a good sense of balance, it's easy to learn.
With Shen Mingzheng's help, she quickly learned how to ride a bicycle and found that riding a bicycle felt wonderful, like flying in the wind as she faced the evening breeze.
After taking a stroll around the family compound, Gu Xi couldn't stop smiling.
"Brother, I really like it!" she said to him with a smile. "Next week is the town market, and I'm going to ride my bicycle there to buy things."
Shen Mingzheng put his arm around her and helped her out of the car, saying, "I heard that Political Commissar Xu's wife will also be going. They have bicycles too, so you can ride a bicycle with her."
"OK!"
Gu Xi began to look forward to the town's market day, and rode her bicycle there.
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