Man, you're dreaming of peaches.
The sky, filled with the glow of sunset, gradually blurred, as if someone were erasing a blackboard, leaving behind a large expanse of clear, dark background after the colors were removed.
The car lights flashed at the entrance of the alley, and soon the black sedan stopped in front of a small alley-style building at the very end. Gao Junxiao got out of the passenger seat. He couldn't resist Li Sheng's enthusiasm and decided to hitch a ride home with him.
Perhaps it was related to Li Sheng's profession, but the location was cleverly chosen. If an enemy attacked, a machine gun could be set up on the third floor, which would allow for both offense and defense. Gao Junxiao admired this in his heart and followed Li Sheng into the hall.
The few chicken-wing wood armchairs that catch the eye are quite impressive, but the rest of the furniture is as simple as most families'. Li Sheng's home is not as glittering as one might imagine.
Just then, Gao Junxiao felt a weight on his leg. He thought he had bumped into some furniture and reflexively stepped back half a step. However, the weight on his leg did not decrease. He looked down and saw a soft, chubby little girl tightly hugging his leg, her two little braids bouncing on her head like reed flowers.
"Daddy." A childish voice called out from below.
A blush crept across Gao Junxiao's face, and she nervously turned to Li Sheng to explain that it must be because the two of them were wearing the same military uniform that they confused the child. Li Sheng smiled magnanimously, squatted down, and clapped his hands: "Little sister, Daddy's here."
Hearing the call, the little girl looked toward the source of the sound, her face full of disbelief, and she stretched her neck to see who she was hugging.
Li Sheng called out again, and the little girl pouted, probably realizing that she had really hugged the wrong person. She ran to Li Sheng with her little arms outstretched, hugged her father's neck, and whimpered sadly.
Even with her round little face red from crying, she was still so cute. Girls must be made of sugar water and flowers, right? Gao Junxiao felt his heart was melting. Hehe, it was the first time he realized that even such a young child could feel embarrassed.
Looking at Li Sheng, who is usually such a dashing man, he was now moving gently, picking up his daughter and patting her back, as if afraid that he might hurt her if he used any force.
Under her father's gentle persuasion, the little girl finally stopped crying. She pouted and acted coquettishly towards her father. Gao Junxiao stood to the side, his heart filled with bitterness. It's always better to be a little girl when you're young. The older ones are all a mixture of thorns and gunpowder. They'll either prick you until you're covered in blood or blow you to bits.
"Hmm, little sister is so good. That's not Daddy, that's Uncle Gao. Call him Uncle Gao." Li Sheng patted his daughter's head and told her to greet him.
The little girl wrapped her arms around Li Sheng's neck and sweetly called him "Uncle Gao." Gao Junxiao's complicated feelings were instantly dispelled by that "Uncle," and his tone of thanks was completely influenced by the little darling, becoming incredibly soft.
Hearing the noise, the maid in the kitchen poked her head out. Seeing that the master of the house had returned, she immediately brought out a set of Yixing clay teapots and teaware, as if they had been prepared in advance.
As the tea was served, Li Sheng put the child down to play by herself, then turned to Gao Junxiao and said seriously, "See? Girls are naturally shy from a young age. You can't scold her. The more you scold her, the more she cries. You have to comfort her."
Even though he knew what Li Sheng meant, Gao Junxiao pretended not to understand and asked why Mrs. Li wasn't home.
He deliberately changed the subject, and Li Sheng couldn't bring himself to go back to it. He could only loudly ask the maid where his wife was and where the old lady was.
The maid replied with a heavy Jiangnan accent, which Gao Junxiao could only vaguely understand. It seemed that Mrs. Li knew that guests had come to the house and had gone to the department store to buy wine. Since she couldn't pick up the young master from school, the old lady would have to do it.
What a warm and welcoming family! Gao Junxiao sighed deeply. This was probably the dream of most men across the country: a wife, children, and a warm bed. Of course, it was his dream too.
His gaze shifted to the complete set of purple clay teaware, with a small kettle burning under an alcohol lamp for easy refilling. Li Sheng rinsed the teacups with hot tea and brewed another pot: "Why are you sighing? Hurry up and have children after you get married."
The vermilion windows of the hall were half-open, letting in a slight chill. Gao Junxiao was frustrated to find that he didn't have that ability. He had to go through He Qingcheng to get a little girl as sweet as sugar water and as lovely as flowers. Only if there is an older one can there be a younger one, and it would be best if the younger one also had dimples.
"Why doesn't Miss He want to have a baby? Then scare her by saying you'll have a baby with someone else," Li Sheng said jokingly, while pouring him a steaming cup of tea.
“Drink up, she already thinks I discriminate against her, she’ll definitely tell me to get as far away from her as possible.” Gao Junxiao touched the hot rim of the cup and smiled bitterly. “What square, round, oh right, structural discrimination. Who knows what structural discrimination is?”
"Hahaha," Li Sheng laughed without any restraint, patted Gao Junxiao on the shoulder, and advised him to read more books and newspapers in his spare time, otherwise he wouldn't know what to do when his wife scolded him.
Structural discrimination, simply put, means that you discriminate against a group of people without realizing it because it is considered a default rule by the public, especially when it comes to gender.
So everyone already knew! Gao Junxiao was so embarrassed that he didn't dare to lift his head. No wonder Qingcheng looked down on him; he was just too ignorant.
Seemingly trying to ease Gao Junxiao's embarrassment, Li Sheng gave a small example: if Miss He were to tutor his younger sister, she wouldn't charge her money out of respect for Gao Junxiao.
Once or twice, Gao Junxiao didn't think much of it. But if she came to teach every day, rain or shine, and still didn't charge him, Gao Junxiao would definitely be unhappy, because Miss He had created value but hadn't received the income she deserved.
Most importantly, the Li family clearly could afford the tutor's fees, but they didn't, clearly taking advantage of Miss He's kindness.
"Yeah, helping out is helping out, and work is work. My wife is working for free, of course I feel bad about it," Gao Junxiao said indignantly. Hua Hua is so kind, it's not like she hasn't worked for free before.
His thoughts instantly returned to the free school of yesteryear. He Qingcheng would come to teach regardless of the weather. She would ride her bicycle to the school, soaked to the bone, and when she went to change her clothes, she would get half of her body covered in mud. As a result, her cheongsam didn't fit and was too short. Seeing her shivering in the drafty classroom, Gao Junxiao felt extremely distressed.
He really wanted to put his thick coat on her, but he didn't dare to because of the conflict between the two of them. The next day, he found Mr. Wang, who was in charge of renovations. In order to speed up the process, he even personally mixed cement to smooth the muddy ground in the backyard. Finally, the school was repaired and no longer drafty. But the school was a good deed, and the benefits could not be measured in money.
“What if she were teaching your children?” Li Sheng bluntly interrupted Gao Junxiao’s thoughts. “The same job, if she were your wife and the mother of your children, you would take it for granted, right? You would benefit from it and not give her the compensation she deserves. Because you’ve taken advantage of the value she creates, and you don’t even realize it.”
One sentence was like a wake-up call, opening up Gao Junxiao's mind. It wasn't just about educating the children, but also about doing housework, serving his parents-in-law, managing the property... The role of a wife could make all of a woman's contributions seem reasonable.
"I promise to give her the respect she deserves. Whether it's taking care of the children, cooking, or working, as long as she puts in the effort and wisdom, I will respect her." Gao Junxiao held up his teacup as a gesture, the tea reflecting his most precious girl.
"Is it just respect?" Li Sheng's face darkened, and he slammed down the teacup in Gao Junxiao's hand. "If you think that's enough, then my suggestion is that you break off the engagement as soon as possible, find a virtuous wife who can read and write, and live the family life you want, while Miss He continues to be He Qingcheng."
"These kinds of things again. My teacher said them, my father said them, and now even my peer Li Sheng is saying them." Gao Junxiao tried to calm the turmoil in his heart, gulped down the tea in his cup, and humbly asked, "What is it about me that I don't deserve her? You all say that."
Li Sheng blurted out, "It's not a question of whether you're a good match or not, but rather a pity for your talents. From an outsider's perspective, you and she would create the greatest value for society if you separated. Think about it, when you two argue, I don't know what she's doing, but you've already lost the will to fight against external enemies. The social value you're creating now is less than the sum of its parts!"
I disagree with that. Gao Junxiao argued, “We don’t always argue. Besides, we’re human beings. How can we only talk about values and not feelings?”
"Stop fooling yourself. No one can be sentimental forever. To yearn for or even romanticize marriage is the greatest disrespect for it." Li Sheng shook his head, a smile playing on his lips as if mocking his naiveté.
Marriage is a zero-sum game; for every person who fights, someone else has to give in. However, the institution of marriage is unfair from the start. In any contest, the wife will ultimately have to swallow her anger. Her parents force her to endure, her children pull her to endure, and societal pressure compels her to compromise step by step until she has nowhere left to retreat...
After a pause, Li Sheng stared at Gao Junxiao and slowly spoke. She would explode, and all that awaited Gao Junxiao was a public statement in the newspaper severing ties.
His mind went blank for a moment. Gao Junxiao closed his eyes and felt the lump in his throat. He knew better than anyone how proud and stubborn He Qingcheng was.
In such a contradictory and discriminatory environment, she remarkably developed a sense of autonomy; she could no longer back down. If she did, she wouldn't be the person she loved anymore.
Boiling water bubbled and spouted from the small kettle, turning from liquid water into large wisps of steam that escaped from the spout and lid.
Is water still water when it turns into steam? Gao Junxiao suddenly thought of a philosophical question. Heh, he must have some serious illness. He was the one who wanted to drink hot water, and he was the one who added firewood to boil the water, but he didn't like the water when it turned into steam. He's sick, really sick.
Li Sheng leaned closer, his arm around her shoulder, and said, "What, you want to give up? Or do you want to be like most men and take advantage of the situation first without feeling guilty?"
"Of course, we should take advantage of the situation first." As soon as Gao Junxiao finished speaking, the two of them laughed in unison, the unspoken message being, "As expected of you."
“But now they don’t want to take advantage of you anymore. Miss He is not a calm and gentle pond; she has probably already planned her escape route.” Li Sheng’s smile faded, delivering a sharp blow to Gao Junxiao.
His beautiful dream was ruthlessly shattered, and Gao Junxiao's feelings were incredibly complicated: "Thanks for reminding me, but can't I just dream a little longer?"
"Stop dreaming. Do you remember why you came to my house?" Li Sheng poured Gao Junxiao another cup of hot tea, his eyes practically brimming with gossip.
Ah, I really want to know how to win Qingcheng back! Gao Junxiao picked up the pieces of his disappointment and asked Li Sheng for advice in an extremely humble tone. After all, Li Sheng had been married for seven years and must have a way of coaxing women.
Since Gao Junxiao was so eager to learn, Li Sheng didn't intend to hide anything. He picked up the tea canister and shook it, the rustling sound of which was quite pleasant.
He opened the lid to show Gao Junxiao that there was only one-tenth of the tea leaves left inside. Although there were only a few leaves, they were enough for the two of them to drink several times with hot water.
If tea is a resource that the couple fights over, then hot water is their shared aspiration.
When two people share the same goal, they will work together towards the same objective, and the resulting tea will represent a social value where one plus one equals more than two.
Miss He was angry not because of any petty, girlish emotions—that would be looking down on him—but because Gao Junxiao had betrayed their shared ideal of mutual progress.
From her perspective, Gao Junxiao is a bastard who advocates gender inequality. As a representative of feudalism, Gao Junxiao wants to control her finances, imprison her free spirit, and thus enslave her for the rest of her life.
Oh~ Gao Junxiao recalled Qingcheng's marriage requirements, the first of which was that the two of them must keep progressing together. He should have been pulling her forward together, but instead, he had unknowingly tripped her up. No wonder Hua Hua was so resolute.
“You can’t use ordinary methods to coax a talented woman like Miss He. You have to start with fairness. Equality between people is not only about money and status, but also about equality of personality.” Li Sheng smiled with his eyes narrowed.
A chill ran down his spine and up to the back of his head. Gao Junxiao had a bad feeling. He heard Li Sheng utter a soft sentence: "Let her help you with your work."
"No, absolutely not!" Gao Junxiao refused without hesitation. He absolutely could not let the little lamb go into the wolf pack; just thinking about that bloody scene made his heart race.
“If you protect Miss He, does that mean Dai Yunong won’t cause her trouble? Team Leader Dai was able to gain the upper hand in this power struggle because he exploited your inability to handle conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. The first step to solving this is for your whole family to be united.” Li Sheng changed the subject, “But your parents won’t handle the problem from her perspective because Miss He isn’t their daughter. As the middleman, you must set a good example.”
You can't see into someone's heart. He understood the principle, but Gao Junxiao couldn't quite put his finger on what was awkward about it. In short, it felt very awkward.
"Don't think that asking your wife for help will make you lose face as a man. If you want to change, start by changing here." Li Sheng directly pointed out Gao Junxiao's dilemma.
Let Ms. He do things she's good at, give you advice, or work together. This will not only reduce Gao Junxiao's pressure but also increase efficiency.
Over time, this can even strengthen the bond between the two. Miss He will feel needed and respected, and Gao Junxiao will feel incredibly relaxed. Of course, the roles of primary and secondary characters can be reversed. Once you get addicted to that feeling, you'll never be able to quit. Even if someone were to bombard you with cannons later, you wouldn't want to separate.
Gao Junxiao understood this perfectly. It meant to deeply bind the interests of the two of them together to fight a common enemy. Three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang, but if two Zhuge Liangs are together, whose advice should they take?
Regarding who should make the decision, Li Sheng patiently explained that whoever suffers the greatest loss should take the lead. For example, Dai Yunong's aggressive actions this time were mainly aimed at Gao Junxiao, and Miss He was implicated. In that case, Gao Junxiao would take the lead, and Miss He would play a supporting role. If Miss He were targeted in the future, Gao Junxiao would obediently step back and let her make her own decisions.
After careful consideration, Gao Junxiao felt that this theory made a lot of sense. If he put aside his own selfish motives, He Qingcheng was indeed a talent that should be prioritized for recruitment into their team before a fight.
However, he still felt uncomfortable. In the end, they would have to maintain their marital relationship purely based on self-interest, which would render their initial fight for the right to free love meaningless. No, no.
"Daddy, flower, fluttering flower." The conversation was interrupted by a little voice. The little girl held up a small yellow flower and laughed happily.
"Oh, what beautiful flowers." Li Sheng placed his soft, cuddly daughter on his lap. "Daddy taught you that you should welcome guests when they come to our house. How should you do that?"
She tilted her head and held out a small yellow flower to Gao Junxiao: "Flower, here's a flower for you."
So cute! It felt like his heart was being kneaded by those little hands. In a daze, Gao Junxiao seemed to see a pair of dimples on the child's round little face, and his originally curled fingers opened up.
Under the expectant gazes of the Li family father and daughter, he gritted his teeth and accepted the small yellow flower, casually patting the child's head. If he didn't take it, he would be ungrateful. The little girl then let out a silvery laugh, perhaps because her gift had been appreciated.
After making up his mind, a sense of powerlessness washed over him. Gao Junxiao examined the little yellow flower in his hand, feeling both amused and exasperated. It seemed that Li Sheng had outsmarted him. How despicable! He had actually used his adorable daughter to seduce him.
But... why is Li Sheng so enthusiastic?
Before the seeds of doubt could sprout, the old lady of the Li family returned with her eldest grandson, who was leaving school. Gao Junxiao could only stand up, bow, and exchange pleasantries.
The little boy was still a little boy. As soon as he got home, he was like a monkey returning to Flower Fruit Mountain, jumping and running around the adults. However, his liveliness made the simple furniture come alive.
Beep beep—
Suddenly, a horn sounded outside the door, followed by a clear female voice calling Li Sheng's name. The little boy's face lit up with uncontrollable excitement as he shouted "Mommy!" and jumped out of the door to greet her.
Mrs. Li had probably bought too many things and couldn't carry them all herself, so Li Sheng didn't hesitate to bend down and put the younger sister down before going out to help his wife carry the things. Although Gao Junxiao was a guest, he was still a man and felt bad not helping where it required effort.
As he stepped outside, his heart was thrown into turmoil at just one glance. His slender figure stood before the car in the moonlight, like a faint starlight in the clouds, distant and detached.
With Qingcheng's back to him, Gao Junxiao pulled out paper bags of different sizes from the trunk. Knowing that she was still angry with him and probably wouldn't be in a good mood, Gao Junxiao couldn't resist the ecstatic roar of every cell in his body and slowly approached.
"Brother Li, could you help me with this?" Qingcheng's tone was natural and familiar. When did she become so close to the Li family? Was the car rented or bought? And when did she learn to drive? Gao Junxiao was full of questions. He habitually took a large box of butter.
"Wait a minute, Mango..." Kiyosumi turned around and suddenly widened her eyes, as if she had been struck by lightning.
Seeing that He Qingcheng had been tricked just like him, Gao Junxiao finally felt better: "Don't just stand there, put it down, it's too heavy."
"No need." Qingcheng took a deep breath, her fingers turning white as she picked up the cardboard box. Li Sheng, who had been waiting nearby, immediately took the box and gave Gao Junxiao a wink, probably wanting him to quickly appease him.
How can I appease her when she's so cold? She's polite and courteous to strangers, asking for help, but with him she's like a lion with its mane bristling, so arrogant, always trying to prove herself right.
By the time Gao Junxiao came to his senses, Qingcheng was already carrying two paper bags and walking inside, so he quickly followed.
As they walked, their shoulders bumped together. Qingcheng didn't say anything and moved aside. Gao Junxiao deliberately took two steps toward her, and unsurprisingly, they bumped into each other again.
A sharp glare shot at him, but Gao Junxiao pretended not to see it, and even wanted to whistle happily. Qingcheng angrily quickened her pace, widening the distance between the two.
Hehe, you wouldn't dare to make a scene at someone else's house, would you? Gao Junxiao glanced at her frustrated expression and couldn't help but smirk.
Suddenly, he was hit hard on the side by a box. He turned his head and saw a faint red light flashing in Li Sheng's eyes. Li Sheng was smiling in a sinister way. Gao Junxiao's face flushed and he restrained himself.
Before long, the round table where they drank tea was piled high with food. Qingcheng clapped her hands and asked, "Sister Chen, is there nothing left? I'm going back now."
"What's the rush? I've already prepared dinner. You're not allowed to leave." Mrs. Li grabbed Qingcheng, her attitude firm.
"You have guests, so I won't disturb you." Kiyosumi turned her face away, clearly showing her disdain for eating at the same table with him.
Out of politeness, Madam Li, speaking with a heavy Jiangnan accent, also tried to persuade them to stay: "Sister, you are also a guest, let's eat together."
“She’s probably not hungry; she’s full just by seeing me,” Gao Junxiao retorted self-deprecatingly. Every cold look from Qingcheng felt like a thorn piercing his already battered heart.
Li Sheng tugged at his sleeve forcefully, quickly trying to smooth things over: "Caiyun, let Miss He try on the new clothes you bought last time, just in case she can wear them."
"Oh, this is too long for me. Qingcheng, come in and try it on. Don't waste it." Mrs. Li pulled Qingcheng upstairs, and Qingcheng was too embarrassed to refuse, so she could only let her pull her.
"I want to see too." The Li family's son excitedly tried to go upstairs, but Li Sheng grabbed him by the back of his collar and scolded him, saying, "Auntie is changing clothes, what are you boys doing getting involved in?"
"Brother, old breasts (shy)." The little sister made a face, and her cute expression made everyone laugh.
Li Sheng picked up his daughter and kissed her, but the little boy blushed and said something surprising: "I want to marry Aunt He, I'll take responsibility."
Ha, what a degenerate society! A little brat who hasn't even grown his first hair dares to steal his wife? Go cool off somewhere else. Gao Junxiao smiled and bent down: "Little friend, you want to marry Aunt He, have you asked for my opinion yet?"
"Why should I ask you? Are you her father?" The boy asked, hands on his hips, looking defiant.
"No, my relationship with her is purely romantic," Gao Junxiao said seriously.
Everyone was shocked! Only the little boy looked completely bewildered. Li Sheng coughed lightly and explained to his son that Aunt He was already engaged to Uncle Gao, so he had no chance.
Waaah! The little boy couldn't bear this reality and sat down on the ground, wailing loudly. Old Mrs. Li felt sorry for him and coaxed and tricked him into going to the kitchen to eat something.
The farce quickly subsided, and Li Sheng, holding his daughter in his arms, said provocatively, "Miss He is popular with all ages and has no trouble finding a husband. Out with the old, in with the new. You decide what to do."
"The new one is better." The little sister raised her small fist, speaking up for her father at the right time, even though she didn't understand the deeper meaning behind his words.
His ears rang, and Gao Junxiao felt his whole body stiffen. Beneath his feigned calm exterior, his heart trembled as if in a magnitude 10 earthquake. It's just an apology, isn't it? Shame should be a virtue, and a true man should be spurred on.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
