Chapter 96
Upon hearing that Xu Yuansheng was forced by her parents to marry a mentally challenged man, which was why she traveled a long distance with her younger sister to hide near the military base, Qiao Hui couldn't hide her anger, and Ji Ya also frowned, her face filled with disgust.
As women, they find this particularly difficult to tolerate.
"This is outrageous!" Qiao Hui exclaimed angrily. "This is a new society. Even parents can't arrange marriages. It's illegal!"
Calling it an arranged marriage is being too kind; Xu Dagui and his wife's actions were clearly selling their daughter.
He treated his daughter as his possession, exploiting her to the bone.
Ji Ya frowned. Although she was extremely disgusted by this kind of thing, she was not ignorant. As a military doctor, she had seen all sorts of things and was familiar with the gossip in the hospital. She had also heard many human tragedies and rumors.
There are far too many examples like Xu Yuansheng, who are forced into marriage by their parents. Most girls from unhappy families cannot escape the mountain of "parents" and can only obey their arrangements to get married and have children, living their lives in a daze.
On the contrary, it is rare to find an older sister like Xu Yuansheng, who dares to resist her parents' unreasonable demands and even takes her younger sister to join the army.
She praised Xu Yuansheng highly, saying, "You did a great job."
When Xu Yuansheng and her sister came over, neither she nor Gu Yuanyang asked many questions. After all, Gu Xi had lived in the Xu family before. Even if Xu Dagui and his wife were not human and treated her badly, Xu Yuansheng and Xu Huaisheng were also victims. They had grown up with Gu Xi since childhood, and the three sisters had a special relationship.
Since Gu Xi is willing to accept them as her younger sisters, they, as her older brother and sister-in-law, will naturally accept them as well, so as not to put her in a difficult position.
Now it seems that these two girls were indeed pitiful.
It makes sense. Girls born into families like that rarely have an easy life. It's normal for them to stick together for warmth. No wonder they have such a good relationship and haven't grown apart just because they're not blood sisters.
Qiao Hui also admired Xu Yuansheng's brave and decisive style of doing things, and said, "Don't go back in the future, just stay here in the army. When you meet someone suitable, you can find a partner here. There are many young and outstanding unmarried men in our army, who will definitely be better than the partners your parents find."
If she doesn't want to marry a soldier, she can find someone else. Anyway, Xu Yuansheng is not old, so she can take her time to find someone.
Ji Ya also said with a smile, "There are also excellent men in the hospital. If you want to find a partner, just tell me and I'll introduce you to someone."
This time, Xu Yuansheng blushed, which was rare for him.
However, she wasn't too shy and thanked them generously.
She wasn't afraid of marriage; she knew she was getting married eventually, and if she didn't, she didn't know what others would say, or it would cause trouble for her sister and brother-in-law. So she thought that if she met the right person, she would get married; there was nothing to hesitate about.
The group chatted and sat with Gu Xi until nine o'clock. Seeing that the wind and snow outside were getting heavier, they decided to go home.
Gu Xi and the others got up to see them off, and Xu Huaisheng took the umbrella.
"Sister-in-law, Qiao Hui, you should hold up your umbrellas so the children don't get wet from the snow," Gu Xi instructed. As for the men, she said, "You don't need to worry about them."
After the two families left, the house suddenly felt much quieter.
Too many people had eaten earlier, making the main room very dirty. Xu Yuansheng, Xu Huaisheng, and Shen Mingzheng cleaned up together to welcome the New Year. Tomorrow is the first day of the Lunar New Year. It's best not to clean during the period from the first to the third day of the Lunar New Year, as it will sweep away good fortune. So, they need to make sure it's clean tonight.
Gu Xi helped tidy up the tables, moving the eight-immortal table that had been moved to the center of the main room to a place against the wall to save space.
It was already 10 p.m. when I finished cleaning.
Although it was very cold, Gu Xi still insisted on washing her hair and taking a shower. As she always said, she wanted to be clean and fresh to welcome the New Year.
Besides, I had eaten hot pot and barbecue before, and I smelled terrible. It would be really uncomfortable if I didn't take a shower.
Shen Mingzheng said, "It's cold, so wash your hair in the kitchen. I'll wash it for you."
Gu Xi had no objection. Last time when her face was injured, others helped her wash her hair. When Shen Mingzheng was around, he would wash it for her, and when he wasn't, the Xu Yuansheng sisters would wash it for her.
Having someone help wash her hair is indeed very convenient, but it has led her to develop this bad habit of having others wash her hair for her.
After washing her hair, Gu Xi refused his help, wrapped her hair up, and went to take a shower by herself.
After taking a hot shower, feeling warm all over, Gu Xi got dressed and went to the main room. She sat in front of the brazier to warm herself, idly drying her hair while thinking about the plot she was going to write next.
We have the outline, but we still need to work on the details.
Then Xu Yuansheng, Xu Huaisheng, and Shen Mingzheng took turns taking a bath. After bathing, they sat in the main room warming themselves by the fire, chatting, and keeping vigil for the New Year.
In Xujiatun, there's a custom of staying up all night on New Year's Eve; you can't go to sleep until midnight.
The three sisters were raised with this tradition and accepted it well. Since they didn't have to get up early the next day, they figured it wouldn't hurt to stay up until midnight before going to sleep.
Shen Mingzheng was the last to finish showering. He sat down next to Gu Xi, wearing a military overcoat, touched her hair to make sure it was dry, and then used his hand as a comb to smooth out the slightly unruly strands.
“It’s already dry.” Gu Xi turned to him and smiled.
Shen Mingzheng stared at her bright smiling face under the light and asked, "Would you like some water?" He said that sitting by the fire for so long would make her throat dry and she should drink more water.
Gu Xi responded and took the water he offered, taking small sips.
They got along very naturally. Although they were very close and didn't do anything inappropriate, the intimate atmosphere between them and the tender glances they exchanged revealed a unique affection between a man and a woman.
The Xu sisters, Yuansheng and Huaisheng, sitting opposite the two, were numb once again.
Could you please take care of these two single, unmarried girls?
Thinking about this, I felt a mix of envy and curiosity.
They rarely saw other couples interacting like this, in fact, they never did. Those couples seemed to get married just to live together and have children.
As the eldest sister, Gu Xi's every move influences her two younger sisters.
This also gave them a clear goal for marriage, and even certain requirements for finding a partner in the future, knowing what kind of partner they want to marry and spend their lives with.
After midnight, Gu Xi perked up, smiled at everyone present, and said, "Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year, sister and brother-in-law!"
The Xu sisters also had bright smiles on their faces as they wished them a Happy New Year.
This was the first New Year they had ever experienced since leaving home, and it was also the most prosperous, joyful, and carefree New Year they had ever had in their lives. Even when they are old, they will still remember this day.
From the day they left Xujiatun, it was as if they were reborn.
Shen Mingzheng's expression was gentler than usual, and he also wished them a Happy New Year.
Gu Xi stood up and said to her two younger sisters, "Go back to sleep. You don't need to get up so early tomorrow. Yuan Sheng, you can sleep in."
It's the New Year, so we should sleep in.
The Xu sisters, Yuansheng and Huaisheng, said goodnight to them, then went to wash up and went back to their room to sleep.
Gu Xi and Shen Mingzheng also went back to their room.
There was no brazier in the room, and the whole room was chilly. Gu Xi took off her thick clothes, lifted the quilt, and quickly crawled inside.
A hot water bottle was placed on the bed beforehand, which warmed up a corner of the bed.
Gu Xi stretched out her feet, and her cold feet were quickly warmed up.
After Shen Mingzheng got into bed, Gu Xi rolled into his arms, almost curling up against him, pressing close together.
Shen Mingzheng looked at the person in his arms, tucked the blanket around her to keep out the cold air.
"Happy New Year, big brother! This is the first New Year we've spent together," Gu Xi said.
The death in their previous life meant they missed each other for a lifetime, becoming a regret for both of them.
So she cherishes the time she spends with him now, feeling that it's God's way of making it up to them.
She leaned over and kissed him on the chin, cheek, and lips to express her joy at spending the New Year with him.
Previously, when I was away from home, I had two younger sisters, so I couldn't do anything, lest I corrupt my two sisters who hadn't found partners yet.
Now they're in bed, just the two of them. She can do whatever she wants. This is her man, so handsome and sexy, it's really tempting. She wants to do something to him.
Shen Mingzheng smiled gently, his deep eyes looking at her, clearly enjoying her affectionate gesture.
He didn't know how other couples interacted in private, but he was quite pleased with her bold actions and could sense her affection for him. If she didn't like him, would she have taken the initiative to kiss and touch him? Just like a man who likes a woman can't help but want to be close to her and possess her.
He gently stroked her face and kissed her tenderly. In the dim light, he could only vaguely see her delicate and beautiful eyebrows and eyes, her smile curving upwards, making her extremely endearing.
A surge of intense emotion welled up inside me, churning and pounding in my chest.
His warmth enveloped her, and Gu Xi leaned against him, speaking softly to him. She talked about many things: Ye Fenghua's work, the story she wanted to write next, Gu Tuantuan's amusing witty remarks, and children's story illustrations she had seen online in the future, and whether she could compile a children's storybook with the characteristics of this era...
She talked about her work plans for the new year, as well as her money-making schemes.
With Qiao Hui acting as a go-between, as long as her story is well-written, making money in the future won't be a problem.
She has a visionary perspective for the next few decades. It's easy for her to write good stories; she can maintain good cooperation with publishers, and writing about the reform and opening up period wouldn't be a problem.
Shen Mingzheng listened quietly, occasionally responding, until her voice gradually lowered and he realized she had fallen asleep leaning against him.
She usually goes to bed early, but today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and because she has to stay up all night, she went to bed a few hours later than usual. The reason she was able to stay up until now is because she is in better physical condition and her spirits are better than usual.
Shen Mingzheng lowered his head and kissed her soft cheek, then reached out and pulled the light cord to turn it off before falling asleep as well.
**
On the first day of the new year, Gu Xi slept until after nine o'clock in the morning.
Shen Mingzheng was also staying in bed with her, lying there the whole time.
Shen Mingzheng had already woken up, but after getting up to wash and eat something, he went back to bed to keep her company, so that she wouldn't wake up cold if no one helped warm the bed and the warmth in the bed dissipated.
It was a rare treat to wake up and see him, so Gu Xi was in a great mood. She threw herself into his arms, nuzzled against him, and said in a coquettish tone, "Big brother, you're still here."
Shen Mingzheng felt that she looked like a little animal, and her smile was very endearing.
A man will naturally love his beloved girl's coquettish behavior and wish he could meld her into his very bones. If it weren't for the cold weather and the fear of her getting sick, he would be tempted to tease her.
Noticing the change in his body, Gu Xi paused for a moment, then reached down with her hand.
Shen Mingzheng: "..."
-
By the time they were able to get up, it was almost eleven o'clock.
Gu Xi felt no guilt whatsoever. Her face was rosy, and she lazily got dressed with his help before going out to wash up.
The Xu sisters had already gotten up and were warming themselves by the fire in the main room, chatting. When they saw them, they greeted them, saying, "Elder sister, brother-in-law, are you hungry? What would you like to eat?"
While brushing her teeth, Gu Xi said, "I want something with soup. How about we make noodle soup?"
“There’s some leftover bone broth and vegetables from last night, why don’t we cook noodles and blanch some greens and meat?” Xu Yuansheng got up and went to the kitchen. “At this time… um, it’s perfect for lunch.”
The two sisters didn't think much of Gu Xi sleeping until almost noon, assuming it was because she had gone to bed too late the night before.
Gu Xi acted very naturally, not feeling at all that there was anything wrong with spending the first day of the new year in bed with her husband.
As she became more familiar with him, she became more and more relaxed in his presence, no longer hiding her curious nature. After all, he was a "ghost" who had been through the future of the internet, with rich theoretical knowledge. She could ask him to try out certain things that piqued her curiosity and satisfy it.
Especially when she saw some of his reactions, she couldn't help but want to tease him. There were still many things she wanted to try on him, but unfortunately the weather was cold, and he was always afraid that she would get cold, so he restrained himself and didn't allow her to act recklessly.
If she doesn't take advantage of the weather so he doesn't dare to mess with her, does she expect him to wait until the weather is nice and he can mess with her freely before making a scene?
She only wanted to torment him, not be tormented by him.
Only Shen Mingzheng felt uneasy; he hadn't expected her to be so bold. However, for a man, this was indeed a rare experience, giving him a sense of novelty and breaking his usual calm and restraint.
Fortunately, he is usually a cool guy who doesn't smile much, and as long as he has a straight face, no one can tell what he is thinking.
After lunch, Gu Xi went back to her room, took out two red envelopes, and handed them to her two younger sisters.
Happy New Year! Here's a red envelope for you. Congratulations on getting another year older. May you be safe, healthy, and have all your wishes come true.
The two sisters were very touched to receive the red envelope, but Xu Yuansheng said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm an adult now..."
Even if she's an adult, she's still my sister.
Taking advantage of his height, Gu Xi reached out and ruffled her hair.
The Gu family members are all very tall. Gu Yuanyang is about 1.85 meters tall, and Gu Yuanzheng and Gu Yuanhui are also very tall.
When Gu Xi returned to the Gu family, she was short and small. Later, after receiving better nutrition, she grew taller and is now about 1.65 meters tall, which is taller than Xu Yuansheng, a girl who rarely grows to 1.6 meters in a family that favors sons over daughters.
Xu Huaisheng is still growing and is only a little over 1.5 meters tall.
Xu Yuansheng wanted to say something, but when he saw the smile on her face, he couldn't help but laugh.
That's great!
She thought to herself that no matter how much time passed, she would always be their eldest sister, and they would always be her younger sisters, and that would not change just because they were not related by blood.
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