Chapter 55: Shouldn't I blame his father for his rough appearance? ...
Ye Tan: "I was so busy talking that I forgot."
Putting his apron in the kitchen, Gu Zhao sat down next to Ye Tan. The Second Regiment Leader immediately said when he saw them, "Old He brought some wine today. Let's try it."
He pointed at the baijiu He Xiangjun had brought out and said to the group, "I know this. It's said to be the wine from Old He's wedding. He's a treasured treasure, and we're giving it away today."
“The taste must be very mellow.”
"I'm in for a treat today! Brother He is so generous."
"Come on, come on, Brother Gu and his wife, have a drink first," a man who looked about the same age as Gu Zhao filled everyone's glasses one by one. In front of Ye Tan and the other two female comrades were sodas.
After the wine was poured, the oldest Second Regiment Commander raised his glass first. "Brother Gu, let's not waste any more words. We just wish you a prosperous life, sweet happiness, and a son soon."
He Xiangjun: "May you have a happy marriage."
Rongsheng: "A son and a daughter."
"Grow old together."
…
"Cheers, everyone."
They drank wine, ate food, and chatted about everything. They were a group of grown men, but the three female comrades were not interested in the topics they talked about. After eating some food and being almost full, they sat down at the coffee table and talked.
Li Ronghua has been in the compound for many years and knows a lot of things. Liu Yulan is straightforward. Even though Ye Tan doesn't talk much, the atmosphere between the three of them is very lively.
Ye Tan learned a lot of interesting things from them.
For example, Aunt Luo who lives in the innermost part and Old Lady Zhao who lives at the gate were enemies when they were young. Later, they got married together and were assigned to live together in the same military compound. Every time they saw each other, they would poke each other in the heart.
Who would have thought that the children of these two people who don't get along so well would actually be dating in secret? Ye Tan exposed this before he came to the island, and now the two families are still arguing about it, and the quarrel has no result.
Ye Tan happened to live in the middle of the left side of the compound, some distance away from the innermost part and not close to the gate, so even though the two families had been quarreling recently, it didn't disturb her peace and quiet.
Li Ronghua ate melon seeds and said what she thought: "If you ask me, the two families should become relatives. It's easier to resolve a feud than to create one. This shows that God couldn't bear it anymore, so he brought their children together."
Liu Yulan felt that this was not an easy task. "Aunt Zhao has very high standards. She has long said that she wants to find a regimental-level cadre for her daughter. At the very least, she wants to be a deputy regimental commander. Aunt Luo's son is only a battalion commander."
Li Ronghua also remembered and glanced at Gu Zhao.
Ye Tan...
Which romantic debt does Gu Zhao have?
After Liu Yulan finished speaking, she glanced at Ye Tan and changed the subject: "Hey, sister-in-law, you've been here for a few days. Has anyone in charge come to arrange work for you?"
Ye Tan: "No, then why are we still assigned work here?" Ye Tan didn't know this, and Gu Zhao didn't mention it either.
Li Ronghua: "Whether An arranges it depends on the situation. If there happens to be a vacancy, someone will come to consult. Take your sister-in-law Liu, for example. She is a good cook, especially good at making steamed buns. She can make steamed buns with the same filling and it is so delicious that she was hired by the army canteen to make steamed buns."
Liu Yulan smiled and said, "Actually, I just go there in the morning to make buns, which is half a day's work. The salary isn't much, but it's an income. Xiao Tan, if you're interested in finding a job, you can look for what you're good at. Then you can report it to the organization so they can coordinate and arrange for you."
Ye Tan thought about what he was good at. Besides eating and sleeping, he could also make clothes. "Is there any job in clothing tailoring?"
Li Ronghua was stunned and shook her head. "I haven't heard of that yet. Why, you want to learn tailoring? I guess you'll have to go outside the island. The soldiers on our island have their clothes distributed by the organization, so it's not our turn to make them. As for daily wear, we make them ourselves."
Li Ronghua sighed and started nagging at the two of them, "Everything is good on our island, except for the lack of a tailor. The other day I wanted to make a stylish bra for my little daughter. I wanted to use good material, but I was afraid I'd mess it up. But we don't have a decent tailor here, and I'd have to take it out, which takes up a lot of time."
Liu Yulan felt the same way. "Yeah, there are quite a few military families here, so why isn't there anyone learning tailoring?"
Listening to the two people's conversation, Ye Tan thought of the sewing machine at home.
If she is not too busy, it is not a bad idea for her to make clothes for others and charge some labor fees. If she tells others about it, she won't be accused of being a freeloader.
She has a high degree of freedom in her work. She can completely stop taking any work if she is tired. No one will urge her to go back to work even if she takes a break for ten days or half a month.
The more Ye Tan thought about it, the more he felt that this was a feasible approach. After everyone finished eating and left, Ye Tan and Gu Zhao sent them out together.
It was already nine o'clock in the evening. After washing and cleaning, it was time for them to go to bed.
After lying on the bed, Ye Tan asked Gu Zhao for his opinion on her going to work.
"Do you want me to go to work?"
Gu Zhao was surprised. He pinched her little face with his fingers. It was soft and tender, and he never tired of touching it. "Why did you think of this? Do you want to go to work? Isn't it better to stay at home?"
Ye Tan rested her head on his arm, sighed and said, "It's good to be at home, but if you go out, won't people say you married a wife who only eats and does not work?"
Gu Zhaoqing touched the back of her head lovingly, "I don't have any objections myself, so what right do others have to say? If you have the guts, come and tell me, so don't worry about it."
"It's up to you whether you want to work or not. If you feel comfortable staying at home, then stay at home. If you feel bored and want to go to work, that's fine too. Don't force yourself."
He didn't marry a wife to make her work and earn money every day. He wanted someone to wait for him when he came home and to hug him at night.
Gu Zhao's words touched Ye Tan's heart, but he still said, "Aren't you afraid that I'll become a nagging, yellow-faced woman if I stay at home for too long? Then you'll find me annoying."
Gu Zhao kissed her pretty face and said with a smile: "Only by hanging around the stove can you become a yellow-faced woman. How can you have this opportunity if you don't even go into the kitchen? Besides, you nag me. I can't wait for you to nag me in bed."
Ye Tan rolled his eyes. Was he going to nag and say dirty words like him?
Gu Zhao ignored her rolling eyes, pinched her chin and kissed her again, kissing away his anger.
He hooked his long arm and used one hand to unbutton Ye Tan's pajamas, while the hand behind her waist had already slid in like a snake.
Ye Tan was caught off guard and gasped. Her shallow eyes were instantly filled with tenderness and her face turned slightly red. Before her brain could react, her body had already responded habitually.
With her arms clasping the slightly sweaty shoulders, she faced the man's dark eyes. If she stared at them for too long, she would feel dizzy as if she were being sucked in.
Ye Tan couldn't help but turn her head away, but the next moment the man turned her head back forcefully, holding her cherry lips and letting them taste freely in the wind and waves...
The night is deep outside, but spring is in full swing inside the house.
In the second half of the night, Ye Tan, exhausted, fell into a deep sleep, leaving Gu Zhao to clean up the mess for his lover gently and carefully. After he had cleaned himself up, he went back to bed, hugged the warm and soft beauty, and fell into a satisfied dream.
The next day was a rest day. Gu Zhao rarely did not get up early to exercise, and he slept with Ye Tan in his arms until the sun rose high.
When Gu Zhao woke up, he looked at his wife who was still sleeping in his arms. Her fair and tender face was rosy in the morning light, and her touch was as soft as jade. If you looked closely, you could see the fine hairs on it, which made her bright face even more lovely.
Gu Zhao couldn't help but kiss her when he looked at her, then kissed her again after looking for a while, then kissed her again after looking for a while... He kept having fun like this for half an hour, and when he was about to wake the person up, he quickly patted her and coaxed her, then quietly got out of bed to prepare breakfast.
Heat up the steamed buns left over from yesterday, and then go to the cafeteria to get some porridge and a side dish.
On the way back, he met the second captain. Seeing him walking back with food, he asked curiously: "Your sister-in-law didn't cook for you. Did you tire her out yesterday?" He was referring to cleaning up the dishes after everyone left yesterday, but Gu Zhao was thinking about how he bullied Ye Tan for most of the night.
He didn't expect the second captain to speak so bluntly about such things. Even though Gu Zhao was thick-skinned, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed at this moment.
"Then you come out to get food, and your sister-in-law doesn't cook for you?"
The second deputy commander raised his eyebrows and grinned, "You are so forgetful. Your sister-in-law has to go to the canteen to work early in the morning. How can she have time to cook for me?"
Gu Zhao also realized that he had asked a stupid question. The Second Regiment Leader patted Gu Zhao's shoulder with emotion and said, "Brother, don't get too addicted to the gentle world. Look at you, it's only been a few days and your memory has become worse."
Gu Zhao was silent, and the Second Regiment Leader sighed and continued, "Husband and wife can't be together all the time. As the saying goes, distance makes beauty. If you're together for too long, you'll get bored, and then being together as a couple will become boring. So listen to my old brother, don't get too addicted."
After saying that, the second captain left Gu Zhao alone to slowly think about the truth of life, and he hurriedly took the meal home. There were two children at home waiting for food and drink.
Gu Zhao returned home and put the meal aside. Ye Tan had also woken up in the bedroom upstairs and was squinting his eyes to try to wake himself up.
Gu Zhao went over and pulled her up, and put clothes on her: "Breakfast is ready, go downstairs to eat, and if you are still sleepy after eating, take a nap."
Seeing him pulling yesterday's clothes for her to wear, Ye Tan disdainfully pulled his hands away and pointed at the closet and said, "Get something clean."
Gu Zhao went to the closet and took out a lavender top and a white skirt. Ye Tan thought they were okay, so he put them on and went to wash up.
When he went downstairs, Gu Zhao brought out a plate of cold cucumber salad from the kitchen. Ye Tan took a bite and found it crisp, refreshing and delicious.
"By the way, Commander Zhou asked us to visit him before. How about we go today at noon?" Gu Zhao said as he sat down next to him.
Ye Tan swallowed the porridge in his mouth and asked: "Grandma Li's house?"
Gu Zhao: “Yeah.”
Ye Tan: "Then go, take a can of braised beef with us that we brought from our hometown. I ate her oranges when I was seasick last time and didn't have time to return the favor."
Gu Zhao naturally agreed.
After the couple finished their meal, it was already 8:30. This time was still early for Ye Tan, and he didn't know what to do for the rest of the day.
Seeing that she was idle, Gu Zhao went to the utility room to find two small hoes and took her to the base of the yard wall to start digging the land.
Ye Tan squatted on the ground, looking puzzled: "What should we do?"
Gu Zhao pointed to both sides of the path in the middle of the yard and said, "Don't you like flowers and plants? When we open up this land, we can plant your favorite flowers and plants. We can also grow some vegetables. We can plant loofahs and cucumbers by the wall."
As Ye Tan listened, his mind and eyes pictured a pastoral courtyard with flowers and plants all over the ground and fruit racks full of vegetables and fruits. How beautiful it would be to sit here and enjoy the breeze on a summer evening.
After thinking about it, Ye Tan felt that he needed a grape trellis.
She stood up and walked to the other side, happily drawing a big circle and said, "Let's build a rack here to grow grapes. We can eat them and sit on the ground to enjoy the cool air."
"The floor needs to be paved, too. Otherwise, it's all dusty and you'll be all dirty when you cool off."
Ye Tan thought of the small stones and beautiful pebbles that could be seen everywhere on the beach, and promised to leave this task to her. Starting from today, no, starting from tomorrow, she would go to the beach to pick up stones every day.
Gu Zhao supported her decision with a smile, "Okay, then, let's divide the work. You pick up the pebbles, and I'll go find the nearby villagers to see if there are any grape vines."
As for the materials for building the shelf, Gu Zhao felt that it didn't need to be too elaborate, and he could just find some wooden strips when the time came.
As he spoke, Gu Zhao had already hoed a piece of land at his feet, turned out some grass roots and threw them into the sun.
Ye Tan felt it was inconvenient to just stand by and watch, so she squatted beside him and hoeed the ground. She had never done this before and her strength was not great. Every time she hoeed, she scraped the ground without even turning out any grass roots.
Gu Zhao didn't say that she did a bad job. Anyway, he didn't expect her to be very capable. He just wanted to help her digest the food.
The two spent about an hour in the yard. As the sun rose higher and the air became warmer, Gu Zhao took Ye Tan back into the house.
Ye Tan saw that Gu Zhao had some sweat on his forehead, so he found a large palm-leaf fan to fan them both.
The two of them sat leaning against each other, not feeling too hot. Gu Zhao looked at the empty living room except for the chairs and thought, "Why don't we go out to the island for a break next week and buy a fan and look for a refrigerator. If there's one, bring them back. I'll make dumplings for you and freeze them in the refrigerator when I go out to sea. You can just cook them when you're hungry."
In fact, Gu Zhao also wanted a washing machine, but he had only heard of it but had never seen one for sale outside.
Gu Zhao was in his prime and full of energy. The couple spent a lot of time together, so the bed sheets got dirty quickly and had to be washed almost every day. Ye Tan was too tired to wash them, and Gu Zhao didn't want her to suffer, so he took the time to wash them every time.
Also, people sweat a lot in the summer, so they have to change clothes every day. Although Ye Tan is at home every day, she is a germaphobe and has to clean the house and do the laundry every day.
Sometimes when Gu Zhao came back, he would see Ye Tan’s finger joints rubbed red, which made him feel distressed. Before they got married, they had agreed that he would do the housework, but in the end, his wife still had to do it.
Ye Tan: "Isn't it a bit wasteful to just put dumplings in the refrigerator after buying it?"
Gu Zhao thought and said, "You can also put fruits, fresh meat, and seafood in it."
Ye Tan said okay, he was happy that it could improve his quality of life. It was also convenient to use ice in the summer, and he could also make lemon iced tea.
The plan for next week is ready and the two of them have almost had enough time to rest.
Going upstairs to change clothes, Ye Tan found the beef sauce, and Gu Zhao took a bag of leftover wedding candies and a bag of red dates. The things looked a little small, but at this time they were already very good souvenirs.
This time, Ye Tan did not wear her hair in pigtails, as she felt that two braids on both sides of her neck were very itchy and hot. So she just wore her hair in a fluffy high ponytail, leaving some fluffy hair on both sides of her forehead. She added a red velvet butterfly hairpin on one side, making her look energetic and bright.
Gu Zhao took a look and thought that his wife looked very beautiful and unique with her hair combed like this, and the fluffy bangs were a bit cute.
Ye Tan took care of herself and smiled at Gu Zhao: "Is everything okay?"
Gu Zhao nodded: "It looks really good."
Ye Tan said uninterestedly: "I knew you would tell me that."
Gu Zhao smiled and held out his hand to her: "Let's go."
Ye Tan put her hand in his, and the two of them went out together. It was only ten o'clock at this time. Occasionally, family members who had just returned from buying groceries in the morning would slow down and say hello when they saw the two of them.
"Captain Gu, this is your lover. She's so pretty."
Faced with such sincere praise, Gu Zhao would nod and smile.
"Captain Gu, this is the new bride you married? Why don't you come visit her after coming to the island for a few days?"
"The new bride is so delicate, how can I send her to your door for free?"
"Sister Zhao, what you said is really harsh. You're being delicate and frivolous. Can you please be more careful with your words?"
"Captain Gu looked down on her daughter before. Is she resentful now that she saw the loving relationship between the young couple?"
When encountering such a situation, Gu Zhao pulled Ye Tan and walked past without looking around, ignoring all the words.
After they walked a little further away, Ye Tan asked Gu Zhao, "Is that the one my daughter was secretly dating with the son of our sworn enemy?"
I had heard about this exciting incident from my two sisters-in-law yesterday. Now, when I saw the elder sister named Zhao, who was suspected to be one of the parties involved, I couldn't help but take a look at her. Of course, I looked at her secretly after walking away.
Gu Zhao hummed and asked her, "How do you know this?"
"I heard what my two sisters-in-law said yesterday, and I thought it was quite interesting."
Gu Zhao looked at his wife who was full of curiosity. Why didn't he realize at first that she was such a person who loved to listen to fun.
Ye Tan has a noble and bright face. When she smiles, she is as bright as spring flowers. When she doesn't smile, she looks very distant, which is what people call aloof.
Her appearance gives people the impression that she is indifferent to any gossip, but the fact is the opposite. Ye Tan loves to watch the fun. It’s just that she had burdens when she was in her previous position. Now she is reborn into this working age, and her burdens have long been worn away by the slow pace of daily life.
What's the point of life without TV to watch, phone to browse, and melons to eat?
"We're here." Gu Zhao stopped and pulled Ye Tan, who was still walking aimlessly.
Ye Tan stopped, put the melon in his mind aside for a moment, and looked up at the two-story building in front of him.
Judging from the appearance alone, it is larger than their house. Looking in from the iron gate, one can see a yard that is very lively and tidy, with vines extending outside the wall.
Ye Tan couldn't help but sigh: "Compared to this, our home seems like the wilderness."
Gu Zhao also felt the same way, but there were also benefits, "There are fewer mosquitoes in our house."
Gu Zhao rang the doorbell, and soon Commander Zhou came to open the door himself. Seeing the two people, he laughed and said, "I told you this morning when would be a good time to come over. If you don't come, your sister-in-law will go and call you."
As she spoke, she opened the door and let the two in. Ye Tan walked along the path in the middle of the yard. The loofah vines on both sides passed by the hem of her skirt, and long loofahs hung between the leaves.
When he walked into the living room, Ye Tan couldn't help scratching his arms and then the back of his neck.
After Gu Zhao discovered it, he took a look and saw a red spot on Hou Bo's neck. He knew at a glance that it was a mosquito bite.
Gu Zhao rubbed her with his fingertips to relieve the itch: "You feel the benefits of our family now."
Ye Tan nodded. With so many mosquitoes around, he had no idea how Commander Zhou and his family managed to get out of the house. Seeing him brewing tea steadily, he seemed not to be bothered by the mosquitoes at all.
Soon, Commander Zhou's wife came over with a box of ointment in her hand. She smiled and said, "This is specially for treating mosquito bites. Xiao Gu, quickly apply it on your wife. I'm so sorry that you came to my house and got bitten."
Gu Zhao thanked him and took the ointment to Ye Tan. Ye Tan smiled and said to Commander Zhou’s wife, “You’re welcome. There are a lot of mosquitoes in the summer, and I have a physique that naturally attracts mosquitoes.” This is a fact.
In his previous life, Ye Tan was very sensitive to mosquito bites.
After applying the medicine, Commander Zhou's wife asked the two to sit down and looked at Ye Tan: "Your name is Xiao Tan, right?"
Ye Tan: "My last name is Ye, and my name is Ye Tan. Of course, you can also call me Xiao Tan."
"Then Xiao Tan, welcome to my home. My name is Zhou Shuying, you can just call me Sister Zhou."
"I heard my mother say before that she met one or two particularly pretty and smart girls, and one of them was Xiao Gu's new wife. I was curious, but my mother doesn't praise people easily. But after seeing her today, I finally understood. Xiao Gu, your wife is really pretty. I can't help but like her."
Gu Zhao glanced at Ye Tan and said modestly, "Xiao Tan is pretty."
Ye Tan glanced at him, reminding him to be humble.
Zhou Shuying covered her mouth and laughed, pointing at Gu Zhao, "You kid, you still like to tell the truth. Okay, come here and don't leave in a hurry. I'm stewing ribs. Stay for dinner later."
As they were talking, there was a noise from the small door beside the stairs. A little old lady came out, holding a few big red tomatoes she had just picked from the backyard. When she noticed there was a guest in the living room, she squinted her eyes for a moment, then laughed cheerfully, "It's Xiao Gu. Is your wife next to her?"
When Zhou Shuying saw the old lady, she hurried forward and helped her sit down, introducing her, "Mom, isn't this the pretty girl you were thinking about when you came back earlier? Come and take a look. Isn't she prettier after not seeing her for a few days?"
The old lady took a closer look and nodded, "Yes, it looks good. I was seasick before and my face was pale, but now it looks much better."
Ye Tan: "Hello, Grandma Li. I said I would come to visit you before, but I never had the chance. I came today. Please don't be offended. This is the beef sauce we brought from overseas, especially for you to try."
Gu Zhao also took out the wedding candy and said, "This is our wedding candy. Grandma Li, have some sweet treats."
The old lady, Grandma Li, took the beef sauce in one hand and the candy in the other, and said happily, "You are so thoughtful. The color of this sauce makes it look delicious." She then instructed her daughter-in-law beside her, "Shuying, peel a candy for me. I have to taste your wedding candy."
Zhou Shuying peeled a White Rabbit candy and gave it to the old lady. The old lady seemed to like sweets very much. She held the candy in her mouth with a satisfied expression on her face. After eating one, she wanted to eat another one.
Zhou Shuying said helplessly: "Mom, eating too much candy is not good for you. Let's save it for tomorrow."
The old lady was obviously a little dissatisfied, but she also understood that her daughter-in-law was doing it for her own good, so she didn't say anything. She just sighed, "I'm old now. I can't eat whatever I want like when I was young."
Ye Tan quickly pinched a red date, removed the core and gave it to the old lady, "Grandma, please eat red dates. Red dates can replenish qi and blood, and improve your complexion."
The old lady ate the red dates and looked at Ye Tan's flower-like face and said, "You should eat more too. When a woman's qi and blood flow up, her complexion will be more beautiful."
Ye Tan picked up a red date and ate it by himself. The old man and the young man ate the red dates facing each other, talking and laughing, and it looked very harmonious.
Gu Zhao was worried that the two of them would get irritated from eating too much, so he was looking for water. Then, Commander Zhou's tea was finally ready. Gu Zhao stood up and took it, pouring a cup for each of them.
Commander Zhou sat down opposite him and was about to speak when the old lady next door gave him a handful of red dates and said disdainfully, "Look at your face, and then look at Xiao Gu. You've become so rough. Eat some dates and nourish yourself."
Commander Zhou...
Shouldn't he blame his father for his ugly appearance?
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