Lin Qing sensed that Gu Nanxun's mood was a little different, so she smiled and snuggled into his arms, comforting him, "What grievance could you possibly have? You know me, who could possibly have grievances for me!"
“It was when you bought a bicycle in the county town that people mocked you for having a crippled partner. That’s when Wang Dali’s wife saw it.”
"Hey, about that? I've already forgotten about it. Why would I bother arguing with those ignorant people? I was just feeling sorry for you and thought it wasn't worth it for you. Actually, I don't mind at all."
Lin Qing shook her head after hearing this and said with a smile that she hadn't expected Wang Dali's wife to be there at the time. Now that she thought about it, Lin Qing actually felt a little embarrassed.
Gu Nanxun held Lin Qing tightly, his heart filled with gratitude and love. He knew that Lin Qing, like himself, didn't care about others' opinions of her, but she wouldn't allow anyone to say a bad word about the person she loved.
The two embraced for a while before Gu Nanxun let go of her hand, pulled Lin Qing to sit down at the table, and took out a small box from his pocket and handed it to Lin Qing.
"What is this?" Lin Qing asked curiously.
Gu Nanxun smiled and said, "Open it and take a look."
Lin Qing carefully opened the box, inside was an exquisite brooch, inlaid with a small ruby that emitted a soft glow.
"I saw this at Dongzi's place and thought it would suit you, so I bought it," Gu Nanxun explained.
A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Qing's eyes as she gently stroked the brooch: "Yes, Brother Nanxun, I like it very much."
Gu Nanxun nodded, smiling as he watched Lin Qing play with the brooch. The moment he saw it, he knew Lin Qing would like it, and sure enough…
Lin Qing leaned against Gu Nanxun's chest, playing with the brooch, and eventually fell asleep.
Gu Nanxun chuckled to himself, reached out and hugged Lin Qing, blew out the candle, and turned back into his space. He carefully placed Lin Qing on the bed, then went into the bathroom, quickly took a shower, returned to the bed, picked up Lin Qing, and fell asleep.
...
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, gently falling on Lin Qing's face. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying in Gu Nanxun's arms, while Gu Nanxun was still fast asleep.
Lin Qing shook her head in a daze. This was the first time she had woken up to find Gu Nanxun still asleep. In the past, she was always the last to wake up.
Lin Qing smiled slightly and carefully broke free from his arms, not wanting to disturb him.
She tiptoed out of the room, drew back the curtains, and let the warm sunlight flood the entire space. Lin Qing took a deep breath of fresh air, savoring the tranquility and beauty of the morning. She glanced at the vibrant vegetables outside the window, her heart filled with boundless happiness and contentment.
Lin Qing decided to prepare a sumptuous breakfast for Gu Nanxun. She went to the kitchen and started getting busy. She first cooked a pot of fragrant millet porridge, fried a few golden eggs, and then prepared some side dishes and fresh fruit.
Gu Nanxun woke up to an enticing aroma. He rubbed his eyes, stepped out of the room, and saw Lin Qing busy in the kitchen, a warm feeling welling up inside him. He walked up behind Lin Qing, gently hugged her, and whispered, "Good morning, baby."
Lin Qing turned around and smiled as she replied, "Good morning, Brother Nanxun. Breakfast will be ready soon, you can go wash up first."
Gu Nanxun nodded, let go of her hand, and walked towards the bathroom. After washing up, he returned to the dining table and saw that Lin Qing had already set out a sumptuous breakfast.
The two chatted while enjoying breakfast. Before they knew it, the conversation had turned to Wang Dali.
Lin Qing took a sip of millet porridge and asked, "Did he lose his right leg or his left leg?"
Gu Nanxun thought carefully for a moment and said, "Left leg."
"Why don't we buy him a prosthetic leg?" Lin Qing suggested with a smile.
"Buying a prosthetic leg is an option; those things are easy to make. I'll have one made just like the one I ordered. But even with a prosthetic leg, I still won't be able to put any weight on it."
"Hasn't the black market expanded into the city now? There must be a need for transportation! Isn't Wang Dali a soldier? He must be a good shot. Giving him a gun for transportation should be fine."
"Your idea is great. I was wrong. I was only thinking about finding him a job through legitimate channels and forgot about the black market!"
Seeing that Gu Nanxun agreed with her idea, Lin Qing nodded happily: "However, working for the black market is risky after all. I just don't know if Wang Dali is willing to do it."
After hearing this, Gu Nanxun shook his head and said, "He's already died once, how could he not be willing?"
"Perhaps I can find a few veterans."
Lin Qing nodded. Veterans were indeed a good fit; they were capable and unafraid of danger, so they should keep a low profile.
"Yes, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
After breakfast, Gu Nanxun tidied up and prepared to leave for the county town to deal with Wang Dali's matter. Before leaving, he hugged Lin Qing again and whispered, "Qingqing, wait for me to come back."
Lin Qing nodded and left the space with Gu Nanxun. After watching Gu Nanxun leave with Liu Hongjun, she returned to her room.
"Qingqing, did Nanxun go out again today?"
After seeing Lin Qing get up, Dong Xiulan followed her into the room and said with a smile.
"Do you want breakfast? There's still some in the pot, Mom will get you some."
As she spoke, Dong Xiulan prepared to go to the kitchen to serve Lin Qing rice.
"Mom, I'm not hungry!" Lin Qing quickly stopped her. She had just eaten and had no appetite for food now!
"How could I not be hungry! You're pregnant now. I won't even mention how you used to sleep until noon. Now that you're awake, how can you skip breakfast?"
When Dong Xiulan heard Lin Qing say she wasn't hungry, she said with a look of disapproval.
Lin Qing got up and walked to Dong Xiulan's side, pulling Dong Xiulan's arm back onto the kang (a heated brick bed): "Mom, I just drank a whole teacup of milk powder, I'm really not hungry now, let's eat when we get hungry!"
Lin Qing pointed to the teacup on the kang table and said, "Luckily, I fell asleep before I had a chance to wash the teacup after drinking the milk powder last night."
Dong Xiulan glanced at the teacup on the table; there was indeed some milk powder left in the fountain pen, so she didn't insist any further.
...
Time flies. During this period, Lin Qing spent her days chatting with her mother and occasionally strolling around the village.
Gu Nanxun went to the county town every day, and Leiting and Shandian followed him there, overjoyed every day.
During this time, Gu Nanxun helped Wang Dali install a prosthetic leg, arranged for Wang Honghua to work in a textile factory, and then found some veterans through Wang Dongsheng. He then had the two of them work together to transport goods to the city. As the black market expanded further, Lin Qing counted money in her space every day with a beaming smile.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
