Chapter 74
The night before departure, Gu Xi packed her things.
She took the metal box that was used to store money and tickets, folded up the tickets she needed, and put them into her military green shoulder bag. She also brought enough money with her.
With money and tickets, there's nothing to worry about.
Shen Mingzheng handed her the letter of introduction from the military and said, "We have to get up early tomorrow. Can you manage?"
He was a little worried that if she got up too early, she wouldn't get enough sleep and would look listless.
After a few months of rest, her complexion is not as bad as it was when she first got married. She looks much more normal now, but she still doesn't seem to have gained any weight and is still a bit thin.
Gu Xi said, "I'll set an alarm tomorrow morning, or you can wake me up, then I can get up."
There's a small alarm clock at home with two bells on it, the kind that's wound up. But I bought it just to tell time; it's never gone off because the bugle calls from the army are more punctual than any alarm clock.
This is where it comes in handy now.
Gu Xi put the letter of introduction into her handbag.
Tomorrow I'll go to the city and book a room at the guesthouse first. Although Sister Zhong is an acquaintance, it's better to bring a letter of introduction just in case.
These days, a letter of introduction is like an ID card; you have to have one with you wherever you go. Otherwise, if the police come to the guesthouse to check rooms and find you don't have a letter of introduction, you'll be detained at the police station, and that would be incredibly embarrassing.
They packed some more things into a cloth bag, and after making sure nothing was left behind, the two went to bed.
I need to get up early tomorrow, so I need to go to bed early tonight.
After Shen Mingzheng lay down, Gu Xi rolled into his arms and clung to him like a gecko.
He exudes a fiery aura, practically a natural human heater; as long as he's around, she won't feel cold all night.
The thought of staying at the guesthouse tomorrow night without him to warm the bed made her miss him.
Hearing this, Shen Mingzheng was both amused and exasperated. What did she mean by "warming the bed"? She sometimes said funny things, which was quite endearing.
He put his arm around the person and said, "The guesthouse has heating, so it won't be cold."
Even without him tomorrow night, she shouldn't be too cold to sleep, so I can rest assured.
Gu Xi exclaimed in surprise, "The guesthouse here has heating?"
She had never stayed in a guesthouse in winter in either of her lives, so she really didn't know about this.
After confirming that the guesthouse had heating, Gu Xi couldn't help but sigh.
Because of the inadequate conditions at the military base, there is no heating provided in winter, and people can only keep warm by fire.
Since the weather turned cold, Shen Mingzheng noticed that she was sensitive to the cold, so he asked the logistics department to buy a lot of charcoal for her to burn for warmth. His family was one of the first to buy charcoal.
Gu Xi clung to him, muttering a lot of questions, even asking where the city's recycling station was.
Shen Mingzheng asked, puzzled, "Why are you looking for a recycling center?"
“Let’s go see what old books the recycling center has,” Gu Xi said matter-of-factly. “If we can’t find the books we want in the bookstore, then we can only check the recycling center.” Then she sighed, “Qiao Hui has a lot of books, but I’ve read almost all of them. Zhang Wanxia has some too, but I’ve finished reading those as well…”
She really loves reading; she reads everything. If there are no books available, she can even read through the quotations of great leaders several times.
Shen Mingzheng thought her hobby was great; it not only cultivated her mind but also helped her pass the time, preventing her from feeling bored at home.
He said, "You can ask Sister Zhong; she knows the city very well."
Gu Xi gave an "oh" and then asked about other things, as if she had an endless stream of questions, most of which were meaningless.
After answering a few questions, Shen Mingzheng pulled her into his arms and said, "We have to get up early tomorrow, go to sleep."
Gu Xi rested her head on his arm, paused for a moment, and said, "Big brother, I can't sleep."
"how?"
"I'm just... excited about seeing Yuansheng and the others tomorrow, so I can't sleep."
When they were in Xujiatun, she didn't miss them too much; she just knew her two younger sisters were living well there. But as their arrival drew closer, she couldn't calm down.
She hadn't seen them for decades, and couldn't help but feel a mix of nervousness and eagerness, like returning home.
She was so excited that she rarely had sleep.
Shen Mingzheng seemed to understand something, patted her back, and seeing that she had been tossing and turning for a long time without being sleepy, he finally said helplessly, "Then I'll help you."
Just as Gu Xi was wondering how he was going to help, he was pushed down into the quilt...
**
When Gu Xi was woken up, she looked outside and saw that it was still pitch black.
Because she hadn't slept enough, she was in poor spirits and looked listless. She didn't even notice him dressing her like a baby. She numbly put on her clothes and was then taken to wash up by him.
After I finished washing up, he pulled me to the kitchen for breakfast.
Breakfast consisted of plain congee, boiled eggs, and pickled vegetables—simple and easy to make.
Gu Xi looked at him sleepily and asked, "What time did you get up? You even made breakfast?"
"I'm half an hour earlier than you." Shen Mingzheng peeled a hard-boiled egg for her, put it in her hand, and said, "Eat it quickly, you need to catch the bus after you finish."
Although she was very sleepy, Gu Xi was afraid of missing the train, so she quickly drank a few mouthfuls of porridge with some pickled vegetables, finished a boiled egg, and didn't touch the rest.
I mainly got up too early, so I don't have much of an appetite now.
Seeing that she wasn't going to eat anymore, Shen Mingzheng didn't try to persuade her further. Anyway, they could eat some more when they got to the city.
He stuffed a few still-warm hard-boiled eggs into his satchel and said, "Eat them if you get hungry on the train."
Then Shen Mingzheng went back to his room, took out a cloth bag he had packed the night before, and carried a camel-colored coat and a red scarf in his other hand.
After putting the coat on her, he tied the scarf around her neck.
After making sure she was warm enough, Shen Mingzheng carried her bag in one hand and held her hand in the other, seeing her off to her car.
After leaving the residential compound and walking for a while, we saw a jeep parked ahead.
The driver was an acquaintance, Fang Zhiyong, and there were three young soldiers in the car. They were going to the city on business today.
The four jumped out of the car, saluted Shen Mingzheng, and then called Gu Xi "sister-in-law".
Gu Xi was originally supposed to go to the city with the logistics procurement truck, but Shen Mingzheng learned that someone was going to the city on business today and there was still one seat on the truck, so he brought the person over.
This kind of thing is not uncommon, and if there is a position available, military spouses will be given special consideration.
Riding in a Jeep is more comfortable than riding in a large truck.
Shen Mingzheng returned the greeting, said, "Xiao Fang, I'm leaving my wife in your care."
Fang Zhiyong hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Commander Shen, I will get your sister-in-law to the city smoothly."
Then everyone got into the car.
After seeing Gu Xi off to the car, Shen Mingzheng handed her the cloth bag. Because there were outsiders present, he didn't say anything, only saying, "Take care on your journey."
Gu Xi hummed in agreement and said softly, "Goodbye, big brother. I'll be back tomorrow."
She thought she was speaking softly, but everyone in the car was sharp-eared and could hear her clearly.
The four people in the car pretended not to hear, but couldn't help but glance to the side, thinking to themselves that they never expected that Commander Shen, who was so cold and stern in public, would get along with his wife like this in private.
His wife seems to be Commander Gu's sister. His wife calls him "Big Brother," so what does she call Commander Gu?
After the car drove off, Gu Xi turned her head to look back until she could no longer see Shen Mingzheng before turning her gaze away.
She clutched the cloth bag in her arms and moved closer to the car window.
Apart from Fang Zhiyong, whom he had met once before, he didn't know the other three young soldiers in the car at all, and didn't know how to communicate with them, so he simply closed his eyes and leaned against the car window to catch up on sleep.
The three soldiers didn't know how to communicate with her, but when they saw her close her eyes and fall asleep, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
When they learned that Commander Shen's wife was also taking this train to the city, they were worried that they would encounter an overly enthusiastic sister-in-law who would ask them all sorts of questions and even try to set them up with someone...
Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.
Seeing that Gu Xi was sleeping, the group didn't exchange any words and just sat there in silence all the way to the city.
By the time we reached the city, it was finally getting light.
When Gu Xi was woken up, she was a little dazed.
Fang Zhiyong, who woke her up, said somewhat embarrassedly, "Sister-in-law, we've arrived in the city. Where do you need to go? I'll drive you there."
Gu Xi blinked, turned her head, and found that she was the only one in the car; the others were no longer there.
Her face flushed slightly, and she hurriedly said, "Comrade Fang, I'm sorry, I didn't sleep well last night and I got up too early today..." She looked around and said, "Could you please take me to the guesthouse?"
Fang Zhiyong drove her to the guesthouse.
Commander Shen had told him that his sister-in-law would be staying in the city tonight and returning to the unit tomorrow.
Upon arriving at the guesthouse, Gu Xi thanked Fang Zhiyong for bringing her there and gave him a handful of candy.
She buys candy frequently and keeps some with her, mainly because she has low blood sugar and eats one when she feels unwell. In addition, she loves sweets, especially milk candy, which has a milky aroma and makes her feel good.
Moreover, when you ask someone for help, you can give them a handful of candy as a thank you, which is very convenient.
After Fang Zhiyong left, Gu Xi carried her things into the guesthouse.
As soon as I entered, I saw Sister Zhong sitting there, knitting a sweater. When she saw Gu Xi, she was a little surprised, "Comrade Gu, what brings you to the city?"
Gu Xi smiled and said, "Sister Zhong, I'm sorry to bother you. I came to the city to pick someone up, and I'll be staying here with you tonight."
As he spoke, he took out a letter of introduction from the military and handed it to her.
Sister Zhong put down her work, glanced at her briefly, registered her, and then led her to her room upstairs, asking, "Who are you here to pick up?"
"They are my two younger sisters from my maternal side."
"Oh, is your sister here to visit relatives?"
"almost……"
Although Sister Zhong was enthusiastic, she wasn't the kind of person who was oblivious to others' feelings. Seeing that Gu Xi didn't want to say anything more, she didn't say anything more either.
After Gu Xi put her things away, she went downstairs and asked, "Sister Zhong, where is a recycling center nearby?"
"You're going to the recycling center? What for?" Sister Zhong asked, somewhat puzzled.
Gu Xi said, "I came to the city this time and wanted to buy some study materials. I don't know if bookstores have them. If not, I'd like to check the recycling center."
Upon hearing this, Sister Zhong told her the location of the nearest recycling station.
After leaving the guesthouse, Gu Xi went to a nearby state-run restaurant to eat.
She didn't eat the three eggs; she simply had no appetite. In this weather, she preferred hot soup noodles to the already cold eggs. She ordered a bowl of shredded pork noodles, ate it piping hot, and even the fatigue from the car ride disappeared.
Then Gu Xi boarded a bus and headed to Xinhua Bookstore.
Last night, she asked Shen Mingzheng many questions, even asking him for directions to the bookstore. She knew which bus to take so she didn't have to ask anyone else for directions.
The Xinhua Bookstore in the city wasn't very big. When Gu Xi went inside, she found it deserted, without a single customer. She wondered if it was because it was still early.
There was a middle-aged woman minding the shop at the counter near the entrance.
Gu Xi looked inside and found that many shelves in the bookstore were empty, and most of the books on display were red quotations, which were easy to spot at a glance. She finally understood why there were so few people in the bookstore; it seemed that it wasn't just because it was still early.
She browsed around the store and was disappointed to find that there were no books she wanted to buy.
In her previous life, when she was studying, she visited bookstores in Beijing. Naturally, there were more books there than here, but she had forgotten what books were in those bookstores. They were probably the same as this one.
Suddenly, Gu Xi noticed a set of math, physics, and chemistry study materials in the corner. She remembered that these were the study materials that students had been scrambling to use to review after the resumption of the college entrance examination, and that it was impossible to buy them back then.
I can buy it now and show it to my two younger sisters.
Gu Xi bought the set of books.
This set of books is quite extensive, consisting of a total of seventeen volumes, making it very complete.
The shop assistant tied it up with a rope and couldn't help but ask, "This set of books is quite long, can you carry it?" It wasn't that she underestimated the girl in front of her, but the girl looked rather thin and frail, and was so pretty with slender wrists, so it was hard not to think she had much strength.
Gu Xi easily picked up the book and said to the shop assistant, "Yes, thank you."
Shop assistant: "..."
Gu Xi carried a set of books and walked out of the bookstore with a calm expression. She first took a bus back to the guesthouse to put the books away, and then went to the recycling station.
Otherwise, it would be inconvenient to carry so many books over.
Sister Zhong was surprised that she actually bought a set of reference books. Naturally, she praised this studious girl highly.
After putting the books away, Gu Xi went out again.
The nearest recycling station wasn't far from the guesthouse; it took about half an hour to walk there.
The recycling station was located on a street in a residential building. As I entered, I saw someone bringing in recyclables to sell, and the bookkeeper was weighing them.
After the scrap dealer left, the bookkeeper looked at Gu Xi and then paused, stunned.
"Comrade, are you here to sell scrap?" the bookkeeper asked, thinking to himself that this woman didn't look like she was here to sell scrap.
Gu Xi said, "I'd like to see what books are available and buy some."
The bookkeeper was a little confused, but kindly said, "You should buy books at bookstores; this place is mostly filled with junk."
"I've looked at all the books in the bookstore, and none of them are what I want to buy, so I thought I'd come to the recycling center to see what old books they have." As she said this, Gu Xi took a handful of candy from her bag and handed it to the bookkeeper, whispering, "Ma'am, could you please let me take a look?"
The bookkeeper, a woman in her fifties, was in a good mood when she received the candy and said, "Then go ahead, the old books are over there."
She pointed in a direction.
Gu Xi thanked the bookkeeper and went to the place where old books were stored. There were many old books, old newspapers and other items piled up there, and it looked very messy. It would take a long time to find them.
She checked the time; she had to pick up her two younger sisters at the station at 2 PM, so she still had time to shop online.
Gu Xi spent two hours finding nearly thirty books, some thin and some thick.
When she carried the books over, the bookkeeper looked at them and asked, "Why do you want these books? They look so old and there's nothing interesting about them."
She didn't know many characters and couldn't tell what book Gu Xi had found. She just thought it was too old and would be considered trash.
Gu Xi smiled and said, "Auntie, these books are all reference books. This one is about pig farming, and this one is about agriculture. I want to buy them and take a look. It's never a bad thing to learn more."
Upon hearing this, the bookkeeper suddenly realized what was happening.
But this girl looks so delicate and fair-skinned, why does she look like she's involved in pig farming or agriculture? Could she be a sent-down youth who's going to the countryside to raise pigs and farm?
Because of the candy from before, the bookkeeper was very accommodating and the fee wasn't expensive, so Gu Xi was able to take the pile of books away without any problems.
She stuffed all the books into a large cloth bag and walked out. No one knew what books she had bought. Some of them were books that couldn't be shown to others, but that would have to wait...
Gu Xi found that she seemed to be quite lucky, able to find some good books at will. She originally didn't want to touch them, but thinking that these books would become treasures after the reform and opening up, she decided to try to save them since she had come across them.
Let's just consider this as living a good life and doing one good deed every day.
Go back and find a place to hide.
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