Chapter 50: No More Mistakes Allowed
After leaving the cafeteria, Zhou Yue still had to teach a class to his students that evening.
Cheng Cheng casually asked, "Where do you have classes? Are they far away?"
"It's not far, it's right next to the school."
Zhou Yue took his daughter's hand, turned to look at his wife, and asked, "Do you want to go?"
Almost as soon as the man finished speaking, Cheng Cheng asked in surprise, "We can go too?"
Her beautiful eyes widened slightly in surprise, making her dark pupils appear even brighter, as if they were filled with countless stars.
Zhou Yue lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, nodding gently, "Yes, you can go. It's in the elementary school building."
"Mom! Let's take Dad to class!"
Little Lingxiao held his father's hand, not walking properly, but backing away while looking expectantly at his mother.
Cheng Cheng didn't hesitate much, treating it as a parent-child activity for an after-dinner walk. Besides, she was quite curious, so she said, "Okay, let's take Dad to class."
"Yay!"
Little Lingxiao cheered, grabbed her mother's hand with her other little hand, held her father's hand with her left hand and her mother's hand with her right hand. The little girl bounced on her toes as if she were stepping on springs, jumping and pulling her parents' hands forward.
The little head bobbed up and down, the eyes shone like fallen stars, and laughter wafted on the wind, full of joy!
Cheng Cheng and Zhou Yue lagged a step or two behind the little girl, occasionally glancing at each other. As they watched their daughter's back, doting smiles appeared on their lips.
The primary school isn't far away; it's only a ten-minute walk.
Students attend classes here during the day, and the evenings are used to teach technicians, with everyone making the most of every minute to absorb knowledge.
Cheng Cheng pursed her lips and looked at the man. "Then you can go in. I'm taking Xiaoxiao back too."
"good."
"Xiaoxiao said goodbye to her dad."
Just then, a tall guy suddenly came running up from the right front, a textbook tucked under his elbow, and shouted in a loud voice, "Teacher!"
The family of three looked over upon hearing the sound.
Guan Jue ran over, panting, with half a steamed bun stuffed in his mouth.
Upon catching sight of the young woman next to the teacher, he exclaimed "Wow!" and almost couldn't close his mouth. Luckily, he caught the steamed bun with quick reflexes.
"Greetings, Master's wife!"
"Greetings, Junior Sister!"
Cheng Cheng, who was promoted in seniority: ...
Little Lingxiao stared at him with her dark eyes, a hint of confusion on her fair face. She didn't recognize him.
The mother and daughter both looked at Zhou Yue, their similar eyes fixed on him. The man coughed lightly and introduced, "Acheng, Xiaoxiao, this is my student Guan Jue."
Cheng Cheng nodded slightly and smiled, "Hello, Comrade Guan."
"Don't be so polite, Master's wife, just call me Xiao Guan!"
Being called "Master's Wife" again by a seemingly strong and robust man, Cheng Cheng's inner thoughts were... well...
The key point is that the other person seems to be quite old. I don't know if it's because they look older than they are, or if they've been ravaged by the wind and sand of the Northwest.
"Hello, Xiao Guan." Cheng Cheng's smile remained unchanged, and she said in a consultative tone, "You can just call me Comrade Cheng."
There's no need for 'Master's wife,' but just by saying 'Master's wife,' she instantly felt like she had aged twenty years, at least to her forties or fifties.
Calling him Xiao Cheng doesn't seem quite right either, so let's just stick to our own names, Comrade Cheng is perfect.
“How can that be, Master’s wife?” Guan Jue frowned and shook his head.
Cheng Cheng turned her gaze to Zhou Yue. She didn't know about the intelligence of the students you taught and wouldn't comment on it, but did they generally inherit your social skills as well?
Zhou Yue received his wife's gaze and couldn't help but lower his eyes and smile slightly. He could roughly guess what his wife was thinking at that moment, and couldn't help but chuckle.
Guan Jue, who was standing nearby, was unaware of what had happened. He caught a glimpse of the teacher's smile out of the corner of his eye and his eyes widened in surprise.
The teacher actually smiled! Usually, we only get to see the teacher smile when a rocket launch is successful. The teacher is usually very serious, and we almost never see him smile, whether he's working or teaching.
They privately suspected that the teacher was naturally averse to smiling, perhaps born without a natural ability to laugh.
Guan Jue stuffed the steamed bun in his mouth and said with a grin, "Teacher, you just smiled. You look so beautiful when you smile. You should smile more often, Teacher."
Before the other person could finish speaking, Zhou Yue's lips tightened, and he resumed his cold and serious expression, as if everything just now was just an illusion.
"Pfft—"
Cheng Cheng smiled and thought, "Case solved. Comrade Xiao Guan is indeed a fan of his idol, and his emotional intelligence is even more worrying."
Seeing his teacher's wife smile, Guan Jue scratched his head and smiled along with her, saying confidently, "Teacher, you see, even your teacher's wife agrees with me!"
Normally, Guan Jue wouldn't dare to speak like this; they would only discuss it in private. But now that his master's wife and junior sister were present, the teacher seemed to have become a completely different person in front of them.
"Does Zhou Yue not smile often?" Cheng Cheng asked him, glancing at Zhou Yue.
Guan Jue nodded, "Yes, the teacher is usually very serious and never smiles. Teacher's wife, is the teacher like this at home too?"
Cheng Cheng couldn't help but shift her gaze from Zhou Yue to Comrade Xiao Guan. Looking into the other's clear eyes, she couldn't bear to see him continue to fall into the same trap.
Xiao Guan, how can you talk badly about someone in front of your teacher? Even if it's the truth, it's best to say these things quietly!
Zhou Yue interrupted, "Guan Jue, you go to the classroom first, I'll be right there."
"Oh, okay, teacher!"
"Goodbye, Master's wife! Goodbye, Junior Sister!"
Watching the other person's retreating figure, Cheng Cheng lowered her head and smiled, then looked up at the man the next second, "Didn't you see that coming, Engineer Zhou?"
The last two words rose in pitch, as if they had a little hook at the end, and he paused for a moment before saying, "But I like you when you're smiling at home, don't you, Xiaoxiao? Do you like Daddy to smile more or not?"
Little Lingxiao, with his dimples and eyes curving into crescents, answered confidently in his clear, sweet voice, "My smiling dad!"
Looking at his wife and daughter, Zhou Yue swallowed back the words he was about to say: "Laughing for no reason is a foolish thing to do."
Fortunately, he didn't say anything, otherwise even if Cheng Cheng had taken Xiao Xiao far away, she would have come back to argue with him about what he meant by those words.
So, in his eyes, she and Xiaoxiao are usually very foolish?
On the way back, the wind picked up and felt a bit chilly. It seems I'll have to make sure Xiaoxiao wears an extra layer tomorrow.
"Gao Xiaoyu! Where have you been! Hurry up!"
Xie Jiaohua put her hands on her hips and shouted into the house. Next to her stood a man in military uniform and glasses, who looked to be around thirty years old, holding a toddler in his arms.
"They're here! They're here!"
An eight-year-old boy rushed back into the house, carrying a military green satchel with a five-pointed star sewn on it.
Xie Jiaohua frowned and said irritably, "We're going to the cafeteria to eat, why are you carrying a backpack? You're so slow, you're like a piece of fried dough stick, you can't even catch up with hot shit!"
Gao Xiaoyu ignored him and said to the man in military uniform, "Dad, let's go to the canteen! I'm starving!"
Gao Jun comforted his wife, "Alright, alright, stop scolding Xiaoyu, let's go now."
Xie Jiaohua: "If it weren't for this brat dawdling, we would have been at the cafeteria long ago!"
The family of four came out of the courtyard, just as Cheng Cheng returned with Xiao Xiao.
"Sister Jiaohua?"
"Hey sis! Xiaoxiao! What are you doing here?!"
Both sides were pleasantly surprised!
Since getting off the train, Xie Jiaohua thought she would never have the chance to see her younger sister again, but unexpectedly she ran into her here!
Cheng Cheng was also surprised. On the train, Jiao Hua had mentioned that she was bringing two children to join the army, but she didn't know where her husband was. In his letter, her husband only told her to get off the train in Lancheng with the children, and that someone would come to pick them up.
After getting off the train, Cheng Cheng and Zhou Yue helped Sister Xie take her luggage down. They saw someone coming to pick them up, and then they parted ways.
At the time, she thought that Sister Jiaohua's husband was in the Lancheng Military Region. She never expected that they were from the same base. What a coincidence that they became neighbors!
Dr. Gao is Sister Jiaohua's lover!
Yesterday afternoon, she learned from Sister Tuoya that her neighbor was Dr. Gao, a military doctor, and that his family members would be coming to join him soon, probably arriving in a while.
"That's great! I knew it! I knew I was meant to be with you, sister! Now we can see each other every day!"
Xie Jiaohua was overjoyed, holding her younger sister's hand, unable to contain her happiness.
Beside him, Gao Xiaoyu tilted his head back and wailed, "Mom, when are we going to eat in the cafeteria?"
They even called him a shrew, someone who can't even catch the hottest shit, but his mother is clearly one too!
"Sister Jiaohua, you haven't had dinner yet?"
"I haven't eaten! I've been on a truck all day and just got here!"
"Sister Jiaohua, you guys go eat first, we'll have plenty of time to chat later."
"Okay, little sister, we're off now."
Watching the family of four walk away, Cheng Cheng led Xiao Xiao into the house.
Water was constantly boiling on the stove. Cheng Cheng closed the door and gave the little girl a bath.
The temperature difference between day and night in the Northwest is extreme. It's still a bit chilly to take a bath at this time. After giving the little one a nice bath, I wrapped him in a blanket and carried him to bed.
"Dress yourself, Mom will go get some water."
Okay~
Cheng Cheng wasn't in a hurry to take a shower. She figured that Jiao Hua would come looking for her after she finished eating at the cafeteria, so she wasn't in a rush.
After a while, they indeed heard Sister Jiaohua's voice and quickly invited her in to sit down.
"I heard from my wife that Comrade Xiao Zhou is an engineer, that's him!"
Xie Jiaohua gave a thumbs up. She said, "I knew it! The young lady and her husband are obviously intellectuals, smart people who have read books. And little Xiaoxiao is a smart little devil too!"
Cheng Cheng laughed and praised Dr. Gao in return. The two of them flattered each other until they heard a little girl crying next door. Xie Jiaohua rushed back to comfort her daughter.
"Xiaoxiao, do you want to go to sleep first?"
It's nine o'clock, and Zhou Yue still hasn't returned. It's already past the little guy's usual bedtime.
Little Lingxiao hugged his pillow, knelt on the bed, and shook his head: "No, I want to wait for Daddy to come back!"
Okay, Cheng Cheng lay on the bed and waited with the little one.
It wasn't until 9:30 that we heard noises and the sound of a door closing outside.
"Still not asleep?"
"Your daughter is waiting for you to come back."
Cheng Cheng glanced at the man, patted the little guy's bottom, and said, "Alright, your dad's back. Hurry up and lie down to sleep; it's very late."
"Go wash up quickly," Cheng Cheng urged.
Zhou Yue nodded and closed the door.
When I returned after washing up, my daughter had already been put to sleep by my wife.
He explained why he was late today: "I was away from the base a few days ago and missed some classes. Today, the students asked a lot of questions."
Cheng Cheng said "Oh," indicating her understanding, but then asked, "Aren't you going to sleep yet?"
Zhou Yue shook his head slightly, "Acheng, you go to sleep first. I still have some work to finish."
The main lights in the room were turned off, leaving only a small lamp on the desk, its dim yellow light illuminating the man's figure as he worked at his desk.
Cheng Cheng watched Zhou Yue's retreating figure and gradually closed her eyes.
The nights in the Northwest are quiet, with few insects chirping or birds singing. The man at his desk is engrossed in his work, seemingly oblivious to the passage of time.
When the moon was bright and the stars were few, Cheng Cheng suddenly woke up and saw the man still sitting at his desk. Still half-asleep, she raised her wrist to check her watch.
It's 12 o'clock!
Zhou Yue is still awake?!
"Zhou Yue, aren't you going to rest?!"
Cheng Cheng sat up, clutching the blanket. Now she understood how Zhou Yue had ruined himself to the point of malnutrition. It wasn't just that he stayed up all night every day, but it was very likely that he stayed up all night frequently!
In addition to irregular eating habits and a work ethic that makes you lose track of time, even the strongest body can't withstand such abuse!
Hearing the sound, the man suddenly woke up, raised his head, and looked towards the source of the sound.
Meeting his wife's gaze, Zhou Yue glanced at the clock and realized it was already late at night.
"I'm sorry, I didn't notice the time."
Cheng Cheng wasn't going to let this topic pass easily; she was using it as a perfect example. She sat up straight and said in a serious tone, "Zhou Yue, you're not letting me down, you're letting your own body down!"
"Hmph, don't try to hide it from me. I'm telling you, I know everything! Don't blame Xiao Zheng, I'm the one who asked him to tell me."
"Zhou Yue, if you don't take better care of your health, then you might as well go alone!"
After saying that, Cheng Cheng turned her head and lay down.
If Zhou Yue continues like this, his health will collapse sooner or later. To put it bluntly, if he dies at such a young age, who will she turn to then?
She would never live her whole life clinging to memories, spending the rest of her life in recollections.
Since that's the case, it's better not to start at all. She's determined to live to be seventy or eighty, to live to the age of high-speed rail and the Internet of Things, and by then she'll be the most fashionable old lady!
Wearing jeans while drinking and clubbing!
With my retirement pension, I can travel all over the beautiful landscapes of our motherland!
“Ah Cheng…”
The man turned off the light, got into bed, and murmured, "Ah Cheng, I'm sorry, I... You were right to scold me, it was my fault, I shouldn't have ignored my health, please don't be angry..."
Cheng Cheng closed her eyes tightly, ignoring the man. This time, she was determined to teach Zhou Yue a lesson first!
We should establish the rules now, while there's still plenty of time.
But she didn't expect that Zhou Yue wouldn't follow the rules!
She and the blanket she was covered with were lifted into the air and moved from the inside to the outside.
"Don't move."
A pair of strong arms held him tightly around his waist and back like iron clamps, and through the thin blanket, one could vaguely feel the man's burning heat.
With her chin resting on her head, she said, "Ah Cheng, it's my fault, don't be angry."
Cheng Cheng: "..."
The transition from shock to helplessness and speechlessness happened in an instant. "Let me go first, Zhou Yue!"
"Ah Cheng, please don't ignore me, okay?"
In the darkness, the man's obsidian-like eyes were fixed on the woman, gleaming with a dark, luminous light, like the eyes of a prairie wolf.
If they continued like this, it would probably be dawn soon. Cheng Cheng snorted, "Then you're not allowed to do something like tonight again!"
"good."
The man agreed without any hesitation.
However, she didn't let go of the woman. Cheng Cheng pushed her and reminded her, "Zhou Yue, you should let go of me!"
"Ah Cheng, let me hug you a little longer."
Zhou Yue lowered his head, his warm breath brushing against her ear, "Ah Cheng, I'm happy that you're angry with me!"
Cheng Cheng: "???"
I'm a little confused for a moment. Are you alright?
She sat on the man's lap, completely wrapped in the blanket, unable to move, and gently nudged Zhou Yue with her head down.
"Okay, let go of me now, go to sleep!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yue felt a little reluctant. His mind, which was always filled with knowledge of mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography and all kinds of things, made him feel for the first time that he was too stupid!
How can I help my wife understand me better and open up to me?
Even after Zhou Yue lay down and heard his wife's steady breathing beside him, he still couldn't think of a good solution.
That night, Zhou Yue tossed and turned, recalling the novels and biographies he had read before. He mentally reviewed all the books he had read from childhood to adulthood, and a vague idea began to form in his mind.
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Author's note: Goodnight, see you tomorrow!
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