Chapter 58
As the performance in the auditorium was nearing its end, the two took Gu Tuantuan back home.
At this time, the square also began preparing to show a movie, and many people moved to other spots, carrying small stools to reserve a front-row seat.
There were too many people, and many children of all ages were running around. Worried that they might bump into Gu Tuantuan, Shen Mingzheng picked up the little girl.
Gu Xi looked around, searching for her brother and sister-in-law.
"Gu Xi!"
Hearing someone call her name, Gu Xi turned her head and saw a girl in a beautiful dance costume under the lights. Her face was covered in heavy makeup for the performance. She stood there, radiant and attracting countless eyes. Many unmarried men were looking at her intentionally or unintentionally.
Gu Xi has a good memory and recognized the other person at a glance. It was Zhang Wanxia, the niece of Brigade Commander Zhang. She had met her before when she went to Brigade Commander Zhang's house for dinner. At that time, Zhang Wanxia had invited her to join the cultural troupe.
However, she put the matter out of her mind after returning home, and she never expected to run into her here, who even took the initiative to greet her.
When someone greets her first, Gu Xi naturally won't ignore them or embarrass them, so she politely replies, "Oh, it's Comrade Zhang."
Zhang Wanxia walked over and asked with a reserved expression, "Gu Xi, did you watch the performance just now?"
Gu Xi: "..."
Zhang Wanxia's expression stiffened slightly, and the corners of her mouth, which had been upturned, turned down as she looked at Gu Xi accusingly.
Gu Xi said apologetically, "It was too noisy earlier, and I had a headache, so I went for a walk outside. I didn't mean to skip your performance." Then, with a serious expression, she said, "But your performance must have been amazing! Even though I wasn't there, I heard thunderous applause several times from afar. It must have been fantastic! If I didn't have a headache, I really wanted to go back and watch it..."
Zhang Wanxia's stiff expression gradually softened. She waved her hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. You didn't see it anyway. You don't even know what we performed. There's no need to praise us anymore."
Although that's what she said, her tone was one of playful reproach, not anger, clearly indicating that she had been appeased.
"What a pity! If I had known that Comrade Zhang was performing today, I definitely would have gone to see it!" Gu Xi said sincerely. "But I definitely won't miss it next time!"
Zhang Wanxia's downturned lips curled up again, and she said demurely, "Then you must come to my next performance."
"I will definitely go."
"..."
When Gu Yuanyang and his wife arrived, they saw Gu Xi talking to a girl from a performing arts troupe who had just performed on stage. They didn't know what they were talking about, but the girl from the troupe looked very happy, her face beaming with joy. Gu Xi also had a smile on her face, and the two seemed like friends.
Many eyes were on them.
Two young and beautiful girls stood under the lights, talking to each other in their own world, which made many men want to act.
Gu Yuanyang asked, "What's going on? Is that Xixi's friend?"
But I was very pleased. My sister had actually made friends with the performing arts troupe after coming here. That was really great.
Shen Mingzheng calmly hummed in agreement, his gaze sweeping over the restless men around him before turning to Gu Xi, a subtle emotion welling up within him.
He began to understand why Gao Wenbin had told him to let Xixi spend more time with his wife next door.
His daughter Xixi is really good at coaxing people!
It seems that she is friendly to all women. Her gentle and kind demeanor is very endearing. When she sincerely praises someone, she can make that person very happy. No wonder even the brigade commander's niece came over to greet her. It seems that she already considers her a friend.
There's also Cheng Yuanyuan, a female educated youth I met on the train. Even though we only met once, I specially took her to the black market to buy meat... I treated her as a friend.
His wife seems to have a strange quality that attracts women to befriend her.
It's quite peculiar.
Ji Ya recognized Zhang Wanxia; wasn't she the star performer of the cultural troupe? She was said to be Commander Zhang's niece.
She remembered a nurse at the hospital saying that the leading performer of the cultural troupe had once taken a liking to Shen Mingzheng and even asked a relative who was a brigade commander to help introduce them. In the end, however, the matter fell through because Shen Mingzheng already had a fiancée.
If this is true...
Ji Ya glanced at the two girls chatting happily over there, wondering what they were up to.
After talking with Zhang Wanxia for a while, Gu Xi noticed that her brother and sister-in-law had arrived, so she said goodbye to them.
Zhang Wanxia felt a little reluctant, as she had wanted to persuade Gu Xi to join the performing arts troupe. However, she was also quite happy talking to Gu Xi and said in a good mood, "Gu Xi, I'll come visit you next time I have time."
Gu Xi said with a smile, "Okay, I'll treat you to dinner."
Gu Xi waved to her and walked towards her brother and sister-in-law, asking, "Brother, sister-in-law, are you going to see a movie?"
Ji Ya said, "I'm not watching anymore. I want to go back and rest. I have to go to work tomorrow."
Gu Yuanyang naturally wanted to stay with his wife. His daughter was still young, and although she could sit quietly, the movie clearly didn't hold much appeal for her, so she wanted to go back with her mother.
Gu Xi didn't want to watch the movie either, so upon hearing this, she decided to go home together.
On the way, Gu Yuanyang asked happily, "Xixi, was that girl your friend?"
"I guess so, she's a really nice person," Gu Xi said. "I met her once when I went to Brigade Commander Zhang's house for dinner last time. She even wanted to invite me to join the cultural troupe, saying I could act in movies."
"You want to join the performing arts troupe?" Gu Yuanyang asked with some concern. "Do you want to join? Your health..."
He had absolutely no idea that his sister wouldn't be able to join the performing arts troupe; he was just that confident! He just felt that Gu Xi's body wasn't as healthy as a normal person's; she had insufficient qi and blood and was physically weak. If she joined the performing arts troupe, she would be an artistic soldier, which involved a lot of training. Could her body handle it?
"I don't want to," Gu Xi said. "I can't sing or dance, and I don't have the stamina. I'll only be a burden. I'd rather not embarrass myself."
Gu Yuanyang disagreed, "How could you hold me back? Once you've recovered, your strength will return! You're my sister, the best one, you won't embarrass me!"
He has noticed that his sister lacks self-confidence and needs more praise.
Such a beautiful girl should be confident and poised.
Gu Xi smiled at him, her eyes crinkling, "Brother, you don't need to praise me. I know my own situation."
Shen Mingzheng reached out and stroked the back of her neck, agreeing with Gu Yuanyang's words.
She never holds anyone back or embarrasses anyone; she's clearly such a good girl.
Upon arriving at the residential compound, the two families parted ways at the intersection and went their separate ways home.
Ji Ya said, "That Comrade Zhang from the cultural troupe just now, I remember she's Commander Zhang's niece. I heard back then..." She told her husband the gossip the nurses had told her, and finally said, "Xi Xi is quite something. I never thought Comrade Zhang could become friends with her."
For an ordinary person, encountering something like this would make it impossible to remain friends; they would feel awkward meeting each other.
But judging from how happy Zhang Wanxia and Gu Xi were when they were talking, it couldn't be faked.
Gu Yuanyang was surprised by this, but also pleased, he said, "Comrade Zhang has excellent judgment. He knows that Xixi is a good person and didn't stop being friends with her because of a man."
Zhang Wanxia didn't care about Shen Mingzheng and became friends with Gu Xi. In his opinion, Zhang Wanxia was a person with good taste.
Ji Ya smiled and said, "Xi Xi has a relaxing aura about her. People who have talked to her will want to get close to her... and she is so beautiful that it is comfortable to look at her for a while."
This kind of beauty is a quiet and elegant kind of beauty.
It's non-aggressive, like a gentle spring breeze that brings a smile to your face.
Gu Yuanyang doesn't have his wife's artistic flair, but he does agree that his sister is beautiful.
“She looks most like her maternal grandmother, and she is the most beautiful girl among all the children of the Jiang and Gu families.” He said happily, “Of course, our Tuantuan will also be a beautiful girl like her aunt in the future.”
After praising the younger sister, we must not forget to praise the daughter.
Ji Ya looked at her daughter, who was being held in his arms and grinning foolishly, and couldn't help but chuckle.
Her daughter looks more like her; she's cute, but she'll definitely not be as pretty as Gu Xi when she grows up. She's aware of that much.
However, in the silly father's heart, his daughter is probably the most beautiful, and no boy in the world is good enough for her.
**
After returning home and taking a shower, Gu Xi lay down on the bed.
I went to the market in town today and was already a bit tired. Then I didn't take a nap, and now my eyes are so sleepy I can barely keep them open.
When Shen Mingzheng returned from his shower, he found her already fast asleep.
He pulled her into his arms, and as she nestled closer, he lowered his head and kissed her warm face, saying, "Xixi, you've had a hard day."
She mumbled, "Um...it's okay, big brother, I'm going to sleep..."
"Go to sleep."
The lights were turned off, plunging the room into darkness, and the two fell asleep.
The next day, Gu Xi spent the whole morning drawing up blueprints for the chicken coop and rabbit hutch.
Her drawing references to the detachable chicken coops and rabbit hutches on the future internet, which are characterized by their exquisite craftsmanship, resembling small houses.
When Shen Mingzheng returned at noon, he personally hauled the timber back.
Gu Xi examined the timber and found that it was more than enough to make a chicken coop and a rabbit hutch.
Shen Mingzheng looked at the drawings she made and thought that the chicken coop and rabbit hutch looked like small houses. They were too ingenious. He wondered if there was enough wood.
For the next two days, Gu Xi was busy at home, hammering and tinkering, building chicken coops and rabbit hutches, having a great time.
Shen Mingzheng also helped with the work during his breaks.
He discovered that his wife was very efficient at her work, and was actually quite good at carpentry. This was probably because she was strong and didn't require much effort; she could make things look quite decent by following the blueprints.
At first, it was a bit awkward, but once you get used to it, the speed is dazzling.
After learning that her aunt had rabbits, Gu Tuantuan became very interested in them and would run to her aunt's house after school.
Seeing Gu Xi building chicken and rabbit hutches, she enthusiastically helped by handing things over, her little mouth constantly asking questions, including, "Auntie, can you build me a house for my little rabbit too? So that when Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai have baby rabbits, they can live in it."
The little girl named the two rabbits in the cage: the black one was called Xiao Hei (Little Black), and the white one was called Xiao Bai (Little White).
“Of course!” Gu Xi said. “There’s plenty of wood, I’ll make one for you too.”
Shen Mingzheng brought back too much timber; he probably didn't get the amount right. It would be more than enough to build her a rabbit hutch.
Gu Tuantuan was overjoyed and rushed over to kiss her, "Thank you, Auntie~~"
-
After several days of busy work, Gu Xi finished building the chicken coop and rabbit hutch, and even the rabbit hutch that Gu Tuantuan wanted. She then delivered them to her brother and sister-in-law's house.
The chicken coop and rabbit hutch were exquisitely designed, and she even painted small animal patterns on them with paint, which were very cute.
Gu Tuantuan was immediately captivated and put the rabbit hutch inside the room, unwilling to leave it outside to be exposed to the wind, sun, and rain.
Gu Yuanyang looked at the exquisite rabbit hutch and was surprised to learn that his younger sister had made it by hand.
"Did Xixi make this herself? Old Shen didn't help?"
This little rabbit hutch, which looks like a house, must have some skill to make. It's hard to imagine that such a pretty girl could make these things.
Shen Mingzheng said, "No, at most I'll help Xixi hand over some tools."
He hadn't expected that Gu Xi would actually build it according to the blueprints. He thought it would be a simple chicken coop like the ones in the countryside, but he never imagined she would put so much effort into it.
It looks like a toy, and you can tell how much kids love it just by looking at how happy Gu Tuantuan is.
Gu Yuanyang naturally praised his sister, "Our sister is so capable and beautiful. Old Shen is so lucky."
Shen Mingzheng: "..." He's still here.
-
Gu Xi was busy building the chicken coop at home, and Ye Fenghua next door found out about it.
She specially made pancakes and brought them over. When she saw the exquisite chicken coop and rabbit hutch under the pomegranate tree in the yard, she was also very surprised and said in surprise, "Gu Xi, your carpentry is too good. Did you study it specially?"
Gu Xi said, "I haven't learned it either; I've just watched others do it."
When the ghost was really bored, she would watch anything on someone else's Wi-Fi and then try to learn it herself. She would learn anything that interested her, and she really learned a wide variety of things.
Now it's time to put what I've learned before into practice.
Ye Fenghua naturally praised her, thinking she was very capable.
However, these burrows for chickens and rabbits look quite expensive; most families couldn't afford them. It's only because they don't have children or elderly relatives to care for that they have the leisure to do so.
Although everyone has different lifestyles, Ye Fenghua is not the kind of person who is oblivious to others' habits. She won't nag others about their lifestyles just because they are different from hers.
After Gu Xi finished building the chicken coop and rabbit hutch, she found some wood and made two folding stools. She also drew cute little animal patterns on them and gave one to her niece.
The little stool caught Gu Tuantuan's attention again. The little girl was overjoyed, thinking that her aunt was the most amazing person in the world. She took the exquisite folding stool out to play with her friends, which aroused the envy of all the children. She felt proud as she walked.
With the help of little Gu Tuantuan's word-of-mouth, news of Gu Xi's woodworking skills quickly spread throughout the residential compound.
Because some children wanted those cute folding stools, some well-off parents came to Gu Xi's house and offered to pay her to make one for their child, or exchange it for an equivalent amount of food.
Everyone knows this, and as long as it's not spread, there's nothing to worry about.
Since Gu Xi had nothing better to do, she helped out and charged a small fee for materials, paint, and labor.
Little did she know that this would start a trend, and even more people would come to her to make small stools.
Shen Mingzheng never expected that his wife would earn money in this way. He had mixed feelings and was worried that she would get tired.
"Aren't you tired?" he asked worriedly, paying special attention to her complexion every day when he came home.
Gu Xi said, "No, it's quite simple to do. I'm strong and I have the tools. It's not like I'm doing it all day long, so it doesn't take much physical effort."
Doing these things is like putting what I've learned before into practice, which is quite good.
Seeing that she was enjoying herself, Shen Mingzheng said nothing more.
Fortunately, not everyone in the family compound was willing to waste money and food to make folding stools for the children. After Gu Xi finished making a batch, no one came to her again.
Gu Xi didn't care whether the business could continue.
Making folding stools is just a hobby for her, a kind of handicraft. Although she enjoys earning money, she never really thought about making money this way.
She counted the money she had recently earned on the side and the extra grain at home, and realized that she didn't need to buy any more food for a while. She turned to Shen Mingzheng and said, "Big brother, I've made money!"
This was the first time in her two lifetimes that she had earned money, making it a truly significant event.
Seeing her bright, cheerful eyes and pleased expression, Shen Mingzheng confirmed that she liked it. A smile escaped his throat as he said, "Yes, Xixi is really amazing."
Gu Xi was embarrassed by his praise, waved the money in her hand, and then took out a dollar and gave it to him, "This is your pocket money, take it and buy some cigarettes."
Shen Mingzheng chuckled, "I don't smoke."
Gu Xi knew, of course, that he didn't smoke. "You should buy some cigarettes to keep on hand. You can give them to people when you need their help."
She didn't actually like men who smoked or drank, and Shen Mingzheng happened to be neither, which suited her perfectly.
Shen Mingzheng then accepted it, feeling somewhat amused and exasperated.
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