Then, under Gu Zhiyuan's gaze, he nodded in resignation: "I'll write to you if anything happens, brother!"
Gu Zhiyuan nodded in satisfaction.
He took something out of his briefcase and placed it in front of Xu Ningyan.
Xu Ningyan took a look and realized it was a house deed.
"This is the deed to the courtyard where Sun Zhou used to live. It has been transferred to your name. We've also had the house renovated and furnished these past few days. The lease here is about to expire, so you can move there if you'd like. However, the environment here is better, so I think you should continue living here. You can leave the courtyard empty or rent it out to someone else; it's up to you."
Gu Zhiyuan slowly explained.
Xu Ningyan hurriedly pushed the deed back: "I can't take this! A thousand yuan is already a lot, enough for me to live on! I can't keep this yard! Take it back and return it to Brother Sun!"
“We’re leaving tomorrow. I bought this courtyard from Sun Zhou with my own money. It’s not worth much, but it’s a place for you to stay, a way out! A girl needs a house and a way out to feel secure! Don’t refuse. If you really feel bad, just cook me some good food for the journey.”
Gu Zhiyuan said half-jokingly, and persistently pushed the house deed over again.
"Before I leave, I will tell Deputy Director Lin and the others at the machinery factory to take care of you. Tell them that I have to go back urgently because of work, and I will come back to pick you up after I finish my business. Please ask them to look after you in the meantime."
“I’ve thought about the method you mentioned before, and I think it’s good. From now on, I will write you a letter every month and send you things! You should also send me letters and things every now and then. That way, in other people’s eyes, we are still an unmarried couple, and at least for the time being, no one will bother you.”
"In the future, if you find a suitable person, you just need to tell me, and I, as your older brother, will help you vet them. If their character is fine, I'll help clear up any misunderstandings and give you a grand wedding!"
As he finished speaking, Gu Zhiyuan's eyes dimmed considerably, but he still forced himself to finish what he had to say.
Xu Ningyan opened her mouth, wanting to say no, but seeing Gu Zhiyuan's expression and guessing his mood, she swallowed her words.
After today, even if we meet again in the future, it will be years later. There's no need to argue with him now and get all worked up.
Just let things cool down gradually, and that's it.
However, given Gu Zhiyuan's kindness and generosity, Xu Ningyan decided to speak up after much deliberation.
For just a thousand yuan and that small courtyard house, it's worth her saying a few more words.
After thinking for a moment, I said, "Okay, I'll go make you something to eat on the way. Brother Gu, could you lend me a hand?"
Gu Zhiyuan stood up immediately, looking rather impatient: "Okay, what do you need me to do?"
Xu Ningyan thought about it for a moment. In this weather, there were many things that couldn't be stored after being made, otherwise it would be troublesome if they got sick.
I can only make one meat sauce, add two kinds of kimchi and pickled vegetables, and buy some steamed buns and rice on the way. This is enough to go well with rice.
Thinking it over, he asked Gu Zhiyuan to pick all the cucumbers from the vegetable garden so he could make pickled cucumbers later. They would be sour and crisp, and a small jar of them would be perfect for them to eat on the road.
As for kimchi, Xu Ningyan started making kimchi last year. Two small kimchi jars are enough for her and Gu Zhiyuan to eat on a daily basis.
A few days ago, she just threw in some young ginger, green peppers, long beans, and cabbage. They'll be ready to eat in the next couple of days. She'll just give Gu Zhiyuan a jar to take with him.
As for the meat, since Gu Zhiyuan hasn't come back these past few days, she can just take a piece out of her spatial storage and say she bought it, and no one will suspect anything.
After preparing the chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and various spices, Xu Ningyan began to simmer the meat sauce.
Gu Zhiyuan picked the cucumbers, washed them clean, and then, following Xu Ningyan's instructions, cut them into strips about the length and thickness of a finger. After salting them to draw out the water, he took them out and laid them out to dry.
He sat down in front of the stove and started a fire.
To make meat sauce, you need to simmer it over low heat. Xu Ningyan only needs to check the pot every now and then and stir it to prevent it from burning.
With the pickling seasonings in hand, she noticed that Gu Zhiyuan seemed to be in a better mood before speaking: "Brother Gu, you've been away from the capital for almost two years, and you were even sent down to the countryside. Aren't your aunt and uncle worried?"
Gu Zhiyuan was taken aback, not expecting Xu Ningyan to ask this question. He couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. Did this little girl want to know about his family?
Suppressing his excitement, Gu Zhiyuan said, "Of course I'm worried, but I'm afraid of alerting her, so I've kept it from her. I only wrote to let her know I was safe at first, and later, after I entered the machinery factory, I secretly wrote to her to tell her."
Upon hearing this, Xu Ningyan knew that Gu Zhiyuan was wary of his hypocritical and ungrateful father, Gu Yong.
So she simply asked directly, "Since Commander Gu treats you two brothers and your aunt like this, why doesn't your aunt divorce him? Your aunt has a job. If it was to protect you two before, you are both adults now. What else could your aunt possibly care about? Or do you genuinely love Commander Gu and can't bear to leave him?"
If Jiang Yuan were truly love-struck and had been manipulated by Gu Yong to the point of refusing to leave no matter what, she would have kept quiet.
If Jiang Yuan had other difficulties, she still wanted to remind her, even if it was just for the sake of that thousand yuan and the small courtyard.
Otherwise, holding onto this money and property deed would be like holding a hot potato.
Gu Zhiyuan smiled wryly: "If it were before, when my younger brother and I were young, she was protecting us, not wanting us to be treated as outsiders and gossiped about behind our backs. But now, it's probably out of resentment—"
Xu Ningyan understood; this was the sunk cost effect.
If Jiang Yuan had refused Gu Yong's request from the very beginning, it would have been better if she had.
But she made a mistake at the time, choosing to compromise, and the path she took afterward was no longer up to her.
She invested too much in this marriage and suffered too many grievances, but received too little in return, so naturally she was unwilling to accept it.
If you're unwilling to give up, you won't let go; you'll keep thinking you can recoup your losses.
Unfortunately, she encountered a scumbag like Gu Yong who wanted everything. The more unwilling she was to accept it, the more she would likely lose.
Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly. Not to mention Jiang Yuan, even the Gu brothers, Zhiyuan and Gu Zhiyuan, must be somewhat unwilling to accept this.
This thousand yuan and the small courtyard were indeed not so easy to obtain.
Xu Ningyan thought for a moment, then said while chopping the chili peppers in her hand, "Recently, I've been learning bookkeeping from the accountant at the department store. I've also been reading books and learned a new term called sunk cost, which refers to investments and expenses that have already been incurred and cannot be recovered."
"Auntie has invested too much time, money, energy and emotion into this family and into Commander Gu, but she has not received an equal return. This is the sunk cost."
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