Chapter 65
Seeing her rush towards him, Shen Mingzheng's heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to hug her, afraid that she would fall.
Although her current enthusiastic and cheerful demeanor is quite endearing compared to her bewildered, reserved, and helpless state when she first got married, it's also too reckless.
"Be careful," Shen Mingzheng said helplessly, his arm around her slender waist.
Gu Xi looked up at him and smiled, asking in surprise, "Big brother, when did you get back?"
"I just got back." He asked again, "Did you go to Commander Gu's place earlier?" When he got home, he didn't see her, so he knew she must have gone to his brother and sister-in-law's house for dinner.
Gu Xi hummed in agreement, then, remembering that he had just returned, quickly asked, "Big brother, have you eaten? Are you hungry?"
When she learned that he hadn't eaten yet, she turned and went to the kitchen to make him something to eat.
To his surprise, Shen Mingzheng wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he put his arms around her, picked her up, and weighed her in his arms, saying, "You seem to have lost weight."
Gu Xi wrapped her arms around his neck, speechless upon hearing this.
"Your imagination."
She eats and rests on time every day.
The food at my brother and sister-in-law's house is also quite good. There's meat almost every day, and they're generous with the oil they use when cooking. They definitely don't skimp on her. Even little Gu Tuantuan said that the food they've been cooking at home lately is delicious, with lots of meat.
He's eating well and sleeping well, there's no way he could be losing weight; it's definitely his imagination.
There's a kind of thinness that your husband thinks you're thin.
Shen Mingzheng weighed her again and felt that she was still too thin. He could lift her up with one arm around her waist. She needed to continue to take care of herself.
He let her sit in the crook of his arms and looked up to examine her appearance.
Even in the dim light, you could see the smile in her eyes and her relaxed expression; she must have had a very pleasant day.
Shen Mingzheng kissed her smiling face and gently put her down.
Gu Xi was worried that he would be hungry, so she first took out the chestnut cake she had made that day and gave him some to eat to fill his stomach. Then she put the clean pot on the coal stove to boil water and prepared to make him a bowl of egg noodles.
The two sat together, waiting for the water in the pot to boil, talking as they went.
"This is chestnut cake that Xiaoyue, Cuini, and I made together. Today, when we went to fly kites by the river with Tuantuan and the others, we picked some chestnuts in the nearby woods to make chestnut cake. We made quite a lot, and shared some with everyone. We've used up all the sugar at home, so we'll have to go buy some more tomorrow..."
Shen Mingzheng listened quietly to her, enjoying the peace and tranquility of the moment.
I returned weary from my journey, and when I saw her, it was as if most of my fatigue had vanished, leaving only a slightly tipsy weariness and relaxation.
She's by my side, and I can see her as soon as I get home. That's good.
-
In the evening, after taking a shower, Gu Xi nestled in bed.
Today I went to fly kites, and after coming back I made chestnut cakes with the children. I didn't take a nap, and when the time came, I inevitably felt very sleepy.
However, she still cheered herself up and waited for Shen Mingzheng to come back from his shower.
Shen Mingzheng returned to his room, still damp from the rain. He saw the girl huddled on the bed, trying her best to stay awake and wait for him. He lifted the covers, got into bed, reached out and pulled her into his arms, whispering sweet nothings in her ear.
He asked in a hoarse voice, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Gu Xi yawned, "I was waiting for you! I wanted to talk to you." As she spoke, her hands roamed over his body, "Big brother, you're not hurt this time, are you?"
She was terrified that he would get hurt. He had so many scars on his body, some even from fatal wounds, which always made her heart race.
He was able to reach this position at such a young age entirely because he worked himself to the bone, teetering on the brink of death several times.
Gu Xi recalled his future achievements in his previous life, where he was admired and envied by the male protagonist who became the richest man in the world.
However, this also means that he will encounter more dangers in the future, and even in his old age, various old diseases will relapse, causing him to suffer from pain and die in pain, ending a lonely and regretful life.
Gu Xi couldn't help but feel sad. She couldn't bear to see him get hurt, nor could she bear to see him suffer so much in the future.
Shen Mingzheng patted her back and reassured her, "I'm fine, don't worry."
He wasn't good at sweet talk or how to comfort her; he just pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Gu Xi: "..."
**
The next day, when Gu Xi woke up, she was too lazy to get up and just lay on the bed in a daze.
She was somewhat surprised to see the man who entered when the door opened. "Brother, are you off today?"
Shen Mingzheng nodded, "Take a day off today."
He came over and asked her if she wanted to sleep a little longer. When he saw that she didn't want to sleep anymore, he picked her up and put her clothes on.
Gu Xi blushed slightly. Although they had done everything they should and shouldn't have done, she was still uncomfortable changing clothes in front of him in broad daylight. She quickly snatched the clothes away and told him to turn around and not look.
Shen Mingzheng silently turned around, listening to the sounds behind him, and waited until she finished dressing before taking a comb to brush her hair.
She sat there obediently as he combed her hair, a smile playing on her lips.
Breakfast was kept warm in the pot. It was made by Shen Mingzheng himself. He made sweet potato porridge and egg pancakes. It was a very ordinary breakfast.
Gu Xi noticed a piece of fresh pork shoulder and some vegetables and fruits on the kitchen counter, and knew that he had gone to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy vegetables early in the morning.
I don't know when this person got up. He just came back from a mission, why didn't he rest for a while?
Gu Xi complained, "Your body isn't made of iron; you should rest properly when you need to."
Shen Mingzheng listened to her complaints and felt quite pleased.
In the daylight, her face had a faint pinkish hue from plenty of sleep, making her look very healthy. It seemed she had done well during the two weeks he was gone.
Shen Mingzheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He hoped that she would be happy every day, and that even when he wasn't around, she could live well without worrying about him or feeling sad for him.
Shen Mingzheng asked, "What have you been doing at home these past few days?"
"Reading, practicing calligraphy, planting vegetables, watering plants, feeding rabbits, making kites..." Gu Xi told him about her daily routine. She always had something to do, and even if she didn't have anything to do, she could spend the whole day just reading and practicing calligraphy.
After breakfast, seeing that the weather was quite nice, Gu Xi put her hands on her hips, looked at the sky, and said to Shen Mingzheng, "Brother, I heard that we need to prepare in advance for winter here. Should we also go and stock up on some potatoes, cabbage, and radishes?"
That's how she lived when she was in the countryside.
The troops here must be the same, right?
In the past, at this time of year, every household would start drying vegetables and make pickled vegetables when they had time, relying on the various vegetables they had stockpiled to get through the whole winter.
She noticed that some people in the family compound had started drying vegetables, but that was because they had too many vegetables at home and it would be a waste not to eat them all, so they dried them for storage.
Shen Mingzheng said, "No rush. This place is further south than Beijing, so it's not as cold in winter. We can prepare next month."
Gu Xi nodded, "Okay, I'll go to the town market and get some later."
"No need. Just tell the logistics department that we can buy it there; the prices are about the same."
The military takes care of the families and makes things convenient. For example, when it comes to preparing supplies for winter, all they have to do is tell the logistics department, and they will help arrange it. The families don't have to go all the way to pick them up, and there are no vehicles to transport them, which is very troublesome.
Of course, these are limited to certain quotas. If you want to stockpile anything else, you'll have to find your own way.
Gu Xi walked around the house and then checked the cellar.
This house has a cellar, which was dug by the previous owner. Now that there is no refrigerator, the cellar is used to store grains and vegetables. The cellar is warm in winter and cool in summer, so it is quite useful.
The cellar had been cleaned when the house was repaired previously, and it was spotless.
After we finished walking around, Gu Xi suddenly said, "Big brother, we don't have anything to do today, let's go to town and take a look."
Now she knows that the town's market is divided into large market days and small market days.
The big market days are the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, which are very lively and grand, and people prefer to go to the town market at the big market. The small market days are the third, sixth, and ninth days of the lunar month, excluding the first and fifteenth. The small market days have fewer items for sale than the big market days, but they are still lively.
Perhaps it's because the weather is getting cooler day by day after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people are preparing for winter. Now the small market days in town are also getting lively, and there are many people even on non-big market days.
Today happened to be a market day, and he was at home, so Gu Xi thought it would be a good opportunity to go to the market with him.
This was the first time the two of them had gone out together since they joined the army.
Shen Mingzheng naturally had no objections. He took the money and tickets, put several cloth bags into his basket, and then pushed his bicycle out the door.
The bicycle was bought especially for her; it's a women's bicycle. However, compared to bicycles of the future, the current bicycle still looks quite large. It's just that Shen Mingzheng is tall and has long legs, which makes the bicycle look very petite and cute.
Gu Xi hung the basket on the front of the cart and said to him, "Brother, let me give you a ride."
Judging from his height and long legs, it would probably be inconvenient for him to ride this bicycle, so she could give him a ride.
The thought of driving him to town somehow made her feel excited.
Shen Mingzheng glanced at her, then looked at the bicycle and said, "No need, I'll just adjust the seat height."
He adjusted the seat higher to accommodate his height.
Gu Xi was a little disappointed. Actually, she thought it would be great for her to give him a ride on her bicycle. She was strong and could definitely carry a man! But Shen Mingzheng was obviously afraid of tiring her out, so he didn't let her give him a ride.
Shen Mingzheng rode his bicycle, carrying her towards the town.
He rode his bike very smoothly, just like the person he is, without much wobbling.
Because it was during commuting hours, I hardly encountered anyone on the road and arrived in town smoothly.
When we arrived in town, it was almost noon. The market was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and the lively atmosphere of the marketplace.
After parking their bicycles, the two went to have lunch.
Gu Xi pulled Shen Mingzheng along and took him to try the local specialty, mutton offal soup, which was served with flatbread.
The mutton offal soup was made with Chinese herbs, so the taste was a bit strange. However, the offal was cleaned very well, and you could eat it with dipping sauce in a small dish; it was quite delicious.
Lamb offal soup is very nourishing, but it's a bit pricey, so not many people eat it.
Gu Xi felt that Shen Mingzheng had worked hard on the mission and needed to nourish his body; this mutton offal soup would be perfect.
After finishing their mutton offal soup, the two strolled around the market again.
I decided to go today on a whim, without any plan, I just bought whatever I saw.
Gu Xi bought some pickled vegetables and preserved vegetables from the farm, which are great for pairing with porridge, noodles, stir-fries, steamed meats, etc. She also bought some dried goods, such as dried mushrooms, wood ear fungus, and dried bamboo shoots, as well as smoked fish and smoked rabbit.
After buying these, Gu Xi wondered what kind of meat Uncle Qiu had, so she decided to go and check.
She glanced at the upright man beside her and said to him, "Brother, I'm going to buy some things. You wait for me at the supply and marketing cooperative and buy two catties of white sugar while you're at it." As she spoke, she took out the sugar coupons and handed them to him.
Shen Mingzheng asked in confusion, "Buy what? Can't he go?"
Gu Xi said seriously, "Buy something that can't be mentioned!"
The implication in those words was too strong, and Shen Mingzheng couldn't help but misunderstand, thinking that she wanted to buy some women's products. Although he felt that there was nothing wrong with him being there, he thought that she was quite shy and even made him turn around when she changed clothes, so he didn't follow her.
Gu Xi was quite happy to see that he didn't insist on going together, and happily left with her basket on her back.
When they arrived at Uncle Qiu's house, they found that there was still someone there. It was a man with a deep scar on his chin who looked fierce. When Uncle Qiu brought Gu Xi in, the man looked at them suspiciously.
Uncle Qiu calmly said, "This is a relative of mine. She came to get some meat."
Whenever someone came to him to buy meat, Uncle Qiu would say that they were a relative.
The man didn't say anything, turned around and went into the inner room. Uncle Qiu led Gu Xi into another room, lifted the oilcloth covering the bamboo frame, and asked her if she wanted mutton, which had just been slaughtered that day.
Gu Xi was pleasantly surprised. The meat that Uncle Qiu sold was not fixed. Sometimes it was pork, sometimes chicken, duck, fish and rabbit, sometimes mutton... He sold whatever he could get his hands on.
As for the source of the goods, it's unknown where he got them from. He might have relatives at the meat processing plant in the county, or he might have secretly obtained them from remote rural areas. He has a wide network of connections.
Gu Xi naturally wouldn't pursue these matters. She ordered a leg of lamb and five catties of lamb chops, paid the money and the ticket, and left.
As she left, she felt a chill run down her spine as the man with the scar on his chin stared at her through the window, and she refrained from turning back.
Perhaps because she had been a ghost for a long time, not only did her strength increase, but her perception also became stronger. She was very sensitive to people's gazes, especially those malicious ones.
Gu Xi gradually relaxed after leaving Uncle Qiu's house.
She was somewhat relieved that she hadn't brought Shen Mingzheng along. The man looked like he was destined for the state; he exuded righteousness. Whether it was the speculator Uncle Qiu or the scarred man, they were most afraid of dealing with military personnel—they were terrified. What if Uncle Qiu stopped doing this kind of business? She wouldn't be able to buy meat in town anymore.
Gu Xi arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative, where Shen Mingzheng was already waiting and had purchased white sugar.
She said to him happily, "Brother, I've bought everything. Let's go home."
Shen Mingzheng grunted in response, without asking what she had bought, and the two of them returned to the military base with the things they had bought that day.
Back home, when Gu Xi pulled a leg of lamb and a large piece of lamb chop out of her basket, Shen Mingzheng finally understood what she had been going to buy. It wasn't the women's items he had mistakenly assumed, but meat from the black market.
Seeing him looking over, Gu Xi explained matter-of-factly, "I'm not taking you because I'm afraid you'll scare Uncle Qiu. What if he stops doing this kind of work in the future? Then we won't be able to buy meat to eat."
Shen Mingzheng: "..."
Gu Xi coughed lightly and softened her voice: "Wanting to eat meat is a human instinct. The meat sold by the supply and marketing cooperative is rationed. Even if you have meat coupons, you can't buy it. Since there is demand, there will be people who do this. There's nothing we can do about it. The higher-ups can't control it or ban it all. So just pretend you don't know anything about it."
Shen Mingzheng: "..."
She's said everything, what can he say?
Shen Mingzheng reached out and pinched the back of her neck, saying, "Be careful."
Anyone who dares to do this kind of work is definitely not a good person; it requires a certain amount of courage and strategy. The people they likely deal with are probably all sorts of shady characters, making it extremely dangerous. This kind of thing is handled by the local police; he won't interfere, but he's also worried that she might accidentally get involved and get hurt.
Gu Xi said, "It's okay. If anything happens, I can run fast!" She couldn't guarantee anything else, but she was confident in her ability to run fast. Back in the countryside, she often ran when she needed to go into the mountains to chop firewood. Then she clenched her fist, "Besides, I'm very strong. If you don't believe me, let's arm wrestle."
Shen Mingzheng: "..."
Shen Mingzheng refused to arm wrestle with her.
He had long understood that although his wife was beautiful, she was also incredibly strong. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so compliant with him at night, probably because she was afraid he might accidentally push her off the bed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
