Chapter 291 Bizarre and Extraordinary
The next morning, Gu Xiao had just gotten up and changed his clothes when he heard noises coming from the master bedroom.
He pushed open the door and went in. He saw that Xiaoman had already sat up by herself, rubbing her sleepy eyes with her little hands. When she saw him, her little mouth pouted, and tears were about to fall. She pointed to the empty bed with a wronged expression and asked, "Where's Mommy?"
Gu Xiao walked over and patted his little head. "Mom is sleeping in the next bedroom, don't disturb her. Come on, Dad will take you out to play."
Upon hearing that they were going out to play, Xiaoman stopped crying and let her father help her get dressed.
Under the same morning light, in the General Logistics Department compound.
Meng Qingshan woke up on the cot in the second bedroom and rubbed his throbbing temples.
During this period, there were countless tasks at the department, and he was often busy until late at night.
The small two-bedroom apartment was a bit cramped. His mother-in-law, Song Lanxin, and Anping stayed in the master bedroom with Lele, while he and his brother-in-law, Zhou Zhengping, made do with two cots in the second bedroom.
He got up and looked at the bed next to him; it was empty.
Stepping out of the living room, I saw my mother-in-law, Song Lanxin, busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen, the aroma of millet porridge filling the air.
Meng Qingshan tiptoed into the master bedroom. Zhou Anping had just woken up and, upon seeing him, whispered, "Qingshan, my brother said last night that he has to leave after breakfast."
He walked to the bedside, bent down and smoothed the stray hairs on her cheek. "Yes, I know. I'll take him there later, don't worry."
Zhou Anping nodded, his gaze falling on his son, who was still fast asleep in the cradle beside him.
Meng Qingshan followed her gaze and saw that the little guy was sleeping soundly.
"My mother-in-law has been busy these past few days, she's worked so hard. Would you like my mom to come over and lend a hand?"
Zhou Anping shook his head, "No need to trouble Mom to make the trip. Look at me and Mom, aren't we both full of energy? Besides, Lele is easy to take care of."
Meng Qingshan revealed a hint of smugness on his face and lowered his voice: "That's right, just like me."
Zhou Anping lightly spat at him, then remembered the important matter: "It's almost the full moon, have you decided on a name for our son yet?"
Mentioning this gave Meng Qingshan a headache. He scratched the back of his head and said, "It'll be ready soon. I'll urge them again. Anyway, we can't think of any good names, so let Mom and Dad worry about it."
He takes this matter very lightly.
Zhou Anping didn't say anything more, only saying, "Alright, go eat breakfast, Mom has probably already made it."
Meng Qingshan bent down to look at his son again before turning and leaving.
In the living room, the mother-in-law and Zhou Zhengping were already seated at the small dining table.
When Song Lanxin saw him come out, she served him a bowl of steaming millet porridge and handed him a steamed bun: "Qingshan, eat quickly. You have to go to work so early in the morning. You must be tired."
"Mom, it's not hard work."
Meng Qingshan took it and glanced towards the master bedroom. "Anping is awake too. Shall I take breakfast in for her?"
Song Lanxin waved her hand: "No need, I'll make a separate meal for Anping. We need to pay attention to her postpartum meals, but don't worry, she won't go hungry."
Zhou Zhengping, who had been eating in silence, put down his chopsticks, stood up, and said to Meng Qingshan, "Qingshan, I'm done eating. I'll head to the station later and come back after the baby's 100th day."
After he finished speaking, he turned and went into the second bedroom, then came out carrying a slightly worn travel bag.
Meng Qingshan quickly stuffed the remaining steamed bun into his mouth, then gulped down the millet porridge in his bowl. He wiped his mouth and stood up, saying, "Brother, I'll take you."
Zhou Zhengping took two steps straight toward the door, but then stopped.
He turned around and looked at his mother, who was standing not far away with tears in her eyes. "Mom, please take care of yourself. I'll come back to see you when I have time."
Song Lanxin quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She had a lot to say, but she could only utter a few words of advice.
"Yes, Mom knows, Mom knows... Please take good care of yourself while you're out there, and remember to come home often. Your dad, Anping, and I are all thinking of you..."
She has truly witnessed her son's stubbornness and silence over the past few years, and dares not say a harsh word for fear of pushing him further away.
Looking at his mother's cautious manner, Zhou Zhengping's eyes flashed with a complex emotion. "Please don't see me off. It's cold outside. I'll be going now."
After saying that, he turned around and opened the door.
Meng Qingshan had already put on his military overcoat and followed closely behind. The two walked out of the house one after the other.
As soon as I went downstairs, a biting chill hit me.
Meng Qingshan quickened his pace to stand beside Zhou Zhengping, "Brother, I'll drive you to the station."
"No need to bother, you have to rush to work."
He was adamant: "It's no problem. I already told the boss yesterday that I can arrive a little late this morning. Besides, if I don't take you, Anping will definitely be furious with me."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhengping stopped refusing and got into the jeep with Meng Qingshan.
The car drove along the quiet streets in the early morning.
Zhou Zhengping stared at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window for a long while before slowly speaking.
“Qingshan, Anping… she can be impatient at times, and what she says might not be pleasant to hear, but she means well. She and my parents… both have things on their minds, and sometimes she gets stuck on things. Please be more understanding and talk to her more.”
"She's a mother now, you... treat her well."
Meng Qingshan solemnly stated, "Brother, don't worry. Anping is my wife, and Lele is my son. I will do my best to take good care of them. I'll handle things at home."
Zhou Zhengping nodded and turned his gaze back to the window.
After a bumpy train journey of more than 30 hours, when Zhou Zhengping walked out of Huacheng Station with the crowd, the warm, humid night wind of the south, carrying a salty smell, hit him in the face, which was completely different from the dry cold of the north.
Although it was late at night, the square in front of the station was still brightly lit and bustling with people speaking various dialects.
He had just stood still when he saw Gu Yan's assistant, Chen Jun, standing on tiptoe and waving vigorously at him, his Mandarin with a heavy Cantonese accent ringing out: "Brother Zhou! Here! Here!"
Zhou Zhengping walked over with his luggage, and Chen Jun warmly took the travel bag from his hand: "Brother Zhou, you must be tired from your journey! President Gu sent me to pick you up. Luckily your bus wasn't late, otherwise we would have had to wait a long time."
"Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Chen. Where's Gu Yan?"
Chen Jun led him to a Santana parked by the roadside, and said as he opened the car door, "President Gu is still at the nightclub negotiating a contract with a Hong Kong businessman. He's incredibly busy, you know? He told me to pick you up and take you to a private room at the nightclub first. He'll come find you once he's done."
"Okay, I'll wait for him."
Zhou Zhengping knew that Gu Yan now mostly went to nightclubs to discuss business. The atmosphere there was good, it was easy to build relationships with clients, and it was considered a legitimate business.
He looked out the window.
The night in Guangzhou is brightly lit, a stark contrast to the capital. The neon lights create a vibrant yet bizarre atmosphere.
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