Chapter 9
There were several rows of clothes drying in the yard. The afterglow of the setting sun shone obliquely on them, and the evening breeze blew, bringing up fluttering shadows. The fat lady from the compound stood at the gate and almost didn't recognize that this was Gao Jianguo's yard.
The sun rises from the west? The lazy daughter-in-law of the Gao family washed so many clothes?
The lazy daughter-in-law can't cook, so when she invites guests at home, she has to ask other families for help. The fat aunt is a good cook. After answering Gao Jianguo's call, she helped to prepare two or three of her signature dishes and sent them over.
After putting the dishes on the table, the hostess came down to greet her. Gao Jianguo was wearing an apron and cooking in the kitchen. The radio in the corner was playing the news. A man in military uniform was sitting upright on a wooden chair with a document in his hand.
"Is this your friend? The girl is so pretty." Knowing that Aunt Pang had children at home, Qin Yao took out some candies and gave them to Aunt Pang, thanking her for making the trip.
Chen Baozhen is not very good at chatting with people, but Qin Yao is very popular with the elders. She is white and plump, like a big Fuwa. The older they are, the more they like her appearance.
Auntie Pang chatted with her about some family matters, and Chen Baozhen also said a few words, "It's very fast to dry clothes here. They will be completely dry in an hour or two."
"Put it away while you can. Be careful of the rain at night."
Chen Baozhen: "It's raining, but it will be dry tomorrow morning."
"No, this won't do."
Aunt Pang seldom talked to Chen Baozhen before, thinking that this girl from the city was arrogant and looked down on her and that was why she didn't talk to her. But now, after chatting with her for a few words, she found that this girl was really a little stupid.
"Comrade Qin Yao, do you have a partner?"
Qin Yao smiled and said, "No, what's the matter? Sister-in-law, do you want to introduce someone to me?"
Auntie Fat nodded and gave her a look: "Of course I want it. I know a lot of people here."
Qin Yao asked playfully, "Do you know anyone from a fishing boat company?"
"Yes, I'll go ask for you."
After a brief chat, Auntie Pang said a few more words to Gu Cheng before leaving, "Captain Gu, I'm leaving now. If you have time, come to my house and sit down."
Aunt Fat's figure disappeared, and there was no expression on Gu Cheng's face. The setting sun outside the window shone on him, giving his snow-white military uniform a layer of golden glow. The color was originally slightly warm, but it did not make people feel warm. Instead, it revealed a hint of chill.
Chen Baozhen didn't expect that Gao Jianguo would actually invite Gu Cheng to dinner at home. She didn't dare to look at Gu Cheng for too long. Just one look at him made her feel uneasy.
Her family must have had a grudge against her for arranging such a blind date for her.
Gu Cheng swept his cold gaze over Qin Yao, and Qin Yao gave him a bright smile.
The little girl has bright eyes, and her long and straight crow-feather eyelashes flutter when she blinks. Her lips are pink and tender, with beautiful lip beads and a grease-like luster.
Qin Yao laughed heartily. She noticed that when she mentioned the fishing boat company just now, Captain Gu looked at her strangely. Was he thinking of introducing his brother to her?
That would be interesting, she would definitely reject Gu Cheng harshly!
Qin Yao is very vindictive.
Even though she was so nice to him, this guy's favorability towards her did not increase but decreased, and his favorability towards her became negative! If it happens again, she will refuse first, make it clear that she has no such feelings for him, and resolutely stop being so self-indulgent.
Even if she likes Gu Cheng as a little brother in her heart, she will not pester him and make people disgusted and reject her.
Qin Yao imagined the scene of herself openly "rejecting Gu Cheng" and felt secretly happy.
"Get ready, it's time to eat." Gao Jianguo took off his sleeves and came out to call people.
Qin Yao helped to put the dishes away. It was not too much trouble for four people to eat. Chen Baozhen did not cook, but helped to serve the dishes. Gao Jianguo took off his apron, changed his clothes, carried two bottles of wine downstairs, put two small wine glasses on the table, and poured them for the two of them.
Gao Jianguo rolled up his sleeves and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Time was tight today and he didn't have time to invite more people to drink. He was busy cooking. His wife Chen Baozhen was unreliable and he couldn't let her go out to call for help. He just had to make do with it.
Qin Yao and Chen Baozhen didn't drink, so they ate quickly and finished soon, leaving the two men to continue eating, drinking and talking.
Gao Jianguo is good at talking, and although Gu Cheng doesn't talk much, he is a good listener. He either doesn't speak, or what he says is always meaningful.
Gao Jianguo felt very comfortable chatting with him and was filled with admiration. Gu Cheng in front of him had achieved many accomplishments at a young age, but he was very calm. He was not like some people who would show off in various ways at the dinner table when they had a little achievement.
Over the years, Gao Jianguo has seen all kinds of people. Some people have been sitting on the bench for years, and finally have enough experience, hoping to be promoted. Some people just want to jump out at this time to show off, saying how great they are, and whoever comes to them must give them some face, saying that they have this and that, and have accumulated this and that, and no one can suppress them from being promoted in the company...
Listening to that kind of person talk is like listening to his boasting. Even if he has a big smile on his face, what he says is just an understatement.
Gu Cheng had a calm expression and only said a few words occasionally, but he made people feel very happy and a little flattered.
Seeing Captain Gu like this, Gao Jianguo breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he definitely didn't mind him being with Chen Baozhen. He was most afraid of those petty-minded people.
Captain Gu in front of him still doesn’t know what kind of woman is worthy of him.
Qin Yao and Chen Baozhen were enjoying the evening breeze at the door. They pulled out a light bulb and hung it above their heads and lit mosquito coils under their feet. Chen Baozhen took out the cello from the house, sat on a small stool, and prepared to show off her skills to Qin Yao.
Qin Yao watched her play with a smile. The violin sounded melodious and pleasant, while the cello sounded much duller, like the low roar heard in a conch, reminiscent of the waves of the sea.
“It sounds good.”
The most popular musical instrument in the 1970s and 1980s was the harmonica. Almost every young boy and girl had one. It was cheap and produced a pleasant sound. Many young men would put a hefty harmonica in their white shirt pocket, which was really a delight.
The original Qin Yao could play the harmonica. Now, Qin Yao plays the harmonica in accompaniment with Chen Baozhen. She plays it very casually, and Chen Baozhen's cello is even more casual. The pleasant and loud sound of the harmonica and the deep sound of the cello are intertwined, which seems particularly discordant.
Qin Yao was blowing until she broke the note. She couldn't help laughing. Chen Baozhen became serious and told her, "Be serious."
Qin Yao refused to take it seriously and teased her on purpose, playing the instrument out of tune and disturbing Chen Baozhen's cello sound.
"Oh, you're so annoying!"
The two stretched out their hands and laughed and played under the orange light. The laughter of the young girls was more beautiful than any music played by any musical instrument in the world.
Gao Jianguo has been married to Chen Baozhen for some time. This is the first time he sees her so lively and happy. He can't help but smile.
Even though Chen Baozhen was not a virtuous and qualified wife, Gao Jianguo liked her in his heart.
He withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Gu Cheng beside him. He felt dizzy for a moment. Gao Jianguo seemed to see a smile on his face, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye. He didn't know if it was an illusion.
"My wife is with her friends, and they are getting rowdy. Are they a little noisy? I told them to go upstairs and make some noise."
Gu Cheng said calmly: "No need."
The moon was hanging in the sky. Qin Yao and Chen Baozhen estimated that it was getting late, so they reached out to touch the clothes hanging out to dry. They were all dry.
"Done, let's collect them all."
Qin Yao took off her clothes, folded them and placed them on a wooden stool. Chen Baozhen went upstairs carrying a stack of neatly-laid quilts. After Gu Cheng and Gao Jianguo said their goodbyes, he adjusted his hat and walked out, standing behind Qin Yao.
The appearance of such a big man over 1.8 meters tall next to her, at night, was like encountering a black bear in the forest. The huge shadow enveloped her. Qin Yao looked up at him. This time they were closer. Even in the dim light, she could clearly catch a glimpse of the small teardrop mole under his right eye.
Gu Cheng stared into the young girl's eyes. He moved closer and could clearly see his own shadow in her amber pupils. His Adam's apple rolled and he whispered, "Pretend."
After saying that, he turned around and walked away with big strides.
Qin Yao stood there in a daze, as if countless shells had exploded in her head, giving her a splitting headache. That mole, that mole, that mole… Was that mole there when Captain Gu came? I was standing far away at that time and didn't see it very carefully.
When I took a closer look, I found that the teardrop mole was exactly the same as the one on the eye of little brother Gu Cheng that I met at the port! The location and size are exactly the same!
The mole is too small and not noticeable. You have to get close to see it.
The moles look exactly the same, could they be the same person?
Qin Yao threw away her clothes and ran upstairs in disbelief. "Zhenzhen, let me ask you a question. What is the real name of Captain Gu who is visiting your home today?"
Chen Baozhen said: "Gu Cheng."
"Ah!" Qin Yao was hit on the back of her head, it was true! The names are exactly the same!
"He was my previous blind date. He was very fierce, wasn't he? I tell you, he was very fierce. People say that the navy is gentler than the army, but Captain Gu is different. You didn't see him scolding people. He was like the King of Hell..."
Captain Gu? Gu Cheng? Is this a person?
——What the hell are these fishing company employees?
Qin Yao wasn’t sure whether he was the King of Hell or not, but she felt that Captain Gu was simply a schizophrenic. Otherwise, did he have two personalities in his body? If he were not such a dramatic actor, he could have written a book called "An Actor's Self-cultivation".
Qin Yao tried hard to recall the Captain Gu she met today. She did not connect Captain Gu with the Gu Cheng she knew at all. This was entirely because she fell into the trap of "prejudice".
In her impression, officers and soldiers currently serving in the military are easy to identify. From their appearance and the way they walk, it is easy to see signs of training. But does Gu Cheng, whom she met before, have any trace of having served in the military?
Qin Yao: “…”
speechless.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
