Chapter 166 Stinky Egg
Before long, Sister Zhang's husband and a soldier from the logistics department brought over the stone table, chairs, and flower seedlings on a handcart.
Gu Xiao quickly went to help.
The three of them worked together to carry the heavy stone table and benches to a shady spot in the courtyard.
Nan Zhiyi, holding the child, stood at the door and greeted, "You two have worked hard. Why don't you come in, have a glass of water, and rest?"
Sister Zhang's husband smiled憨厚ly: "No, sister-in-law, we have to go back now. Deputy Division Commander Gu, what do you think of this position?"
Gu Xiao nodded and handed each of them a pack of cigarettes: "That's fine, thank you for your help."
The two could not refuse, so they accepted it.
After the two men left, the carpenters had almost finished setting up the grape trellis and swing chair frames.
When the old craftsman saw that Gu Xiao had brought bamboo poles, seemingly intending to build a sunshade above the stone table, he said, "Deputy Division Commander Gu, are you going to build a sunshade? We'll do this for you without hesitation, please don't be shy."
Gu Xiao: "Then I'll have to trouble you masters."
The master craftsman waved his hand, directing his apprentices to come and help. In no time, the group used the leftover scraps and canvas to build a sturdy and neat sunshade.
Before long, grape trellises, swing chairs, and sunshades were all erected.
Nan Zhiyi was pleased with the work, and when settling the wages, she gave the old craftsmen a few extra packs of cigarettes to thank them for helping to build the shed.
The experienced craftsman accepted the package with a smile and left satisfied.
After lunch, Nan Zhiyi and Xiaoman went to take a nap.
Gu Xiao didn't rest. He borrowed a shovel and planted the rose and jasmine seedlings. He also carefully tied the grapevines to the newly built trellis.
Finally, thoroughly till the reserved vegetable plot, making the soil loose and level.
In the late afternoon, when Nan Zhiyi carried Xiaoman downstairs, she was pleasantly surprised by the scene before her.
In just one afternoon, the courtyard had undergone a complete transformation.
The flower and seedling nursery was neat and orderly, grapevines climbed the new trellis, stone tables and chairs looked particularly pleasant under the shade, swing chairs hung empty waiting for their owners, and even the vegetable garden was ready.
The courtyard is well-organized, clean, and full of life.
Nan Zhiyi walked quickly into the yard and looked around. "This...you did all of this this afternoon? That was so fast!"
Gu Xiao was washing his face by the pool when he heard this and turned around, water droplets sliding down his forehead.
"This is nothing, as long as you enjoy it."
"I love it! I love it so much!" Nan Zhiyi exclaimed repeatedly. "Gu Xiao, you're amazing! You've done everything so well. This courtyard suddenly feels like home!"
She held her son, walked to the brand-new swing chair, sat down, and gently rocked it.
In the blink of an eye, the smile on her face slowly faded, her gaze drifted to the newly planted seedlings, then lowered again, staring at the soft tips of Xiaoman's hair in her arms, lost in thought.
Gu Xiao watched her change in expression, squeezed onto the swing, put his arm around her shoulder, and asked in a low voice, "What's my wife thinking? Her brows are almost furrowed."
Nan Zhiyi sullenly blurted out, "I was thinking... if Fifth Brother married someone else, would he treat that person this well?"
After saying that, she bit her lip in annoyance.
Gu Xiao chuckled upon hearing this, teasing, "Comrade Nan Zhiyi, is this all you think about all day? Hmm? Me marrying someone else? Where's the other person?"
He reached out and pinched the soft flesh on the back of her neck. "You always waste your energy worrying about things that won't happen..."
Nan Zhiyi felt a little embarrassed by what he said, so she rubbed her face against his shoulder, smelling his familiar scent, and her wild thoughts quickly disappeared.
Yes, why think about these things? You are the one who owns him now.
She became carefree again, shaking her head: "Hmph, from love comes sorrow, from love comes fear..."
Gu Xiao tapped the tip of her nose, a smile playing on his lips, but his eyes held a complex expression: "You've even started discussing Buddhist verses with me now?"
He leaned close to her ear and sighed, "What you were worried about just now... I've thought about it a million times too."
Nan Zhiyi was startled and looked up at him.
Gu Xiao's gaze passed over her and fell on the few new green plants in the corner of the courtyard.
"I've also thought about it many nights...would you be happy if you married someone else?...I'd probably cherish you like a precious gem."
"But we're together now. So, don't waste your time worrying about things that haven't happened yet, okay?"
His gaze returned to her face with tenderness, as if the fleeting sadness had been merely her illusion.
Nan Zhiyi's heart felt as if it had been gently twisted, a mixture of sourness and swelling.
She immediately launched into a shower of compliments: "Yes, yes, I was just thinking! No matter how good others are, they're not Fifth Brother! In this life, the next life, and the life after that, I'll only ever love Gu Xiao! I'll only be good to Gu Xiao! Fifth Brother is the best, no one can compare!"
The gloom in Gu Xiao's heart was completely dispelled by her straightforward and enthusiastic sunshine.
He lowered his head, his forehead touching hers, his nose brushing against hers, and chuckled softly, "Hmm, I love hearing that. Say it more often in the future."
"Then I'll say it every day, until you get tired of hearing it!"
"I never get tired of listening to it..."
Gu Xiao tightened his arms around his wife and children, encircling them in his embrace.
Nan Zhiyi leaned in close, a smile playing on her lips.
The two were enjoying a quiet and tender moment when Xiaoman, caught in the middle, became unhappy. She pouted and began to protest with a whimper.
Nan Zhiyi felt the little one in her arms was warm and cozy, like a heater in the late summer evening.
She shoved the child into Gu Xiao's arms: "Your son misses his dad, come and give him a hug."
Gu Xiao was amused by her cheeky and irresponsible manner. He steadily took his son from her, gently bouncing him in his arms, and rubbed his newly sprouted stubble against Xiaoman's face: "Little rascal, feeling cramped? Hmm? Do you want Daddy to hold you too?"
Xiaoman waved her little hands and made "ah ah" sounds, as if in response.
"Puff... puff puff..."
A series of unabashedly foul-smelling farts burst forth from his diaper.
Gu Xiao: "..."
Nan Zhiyi reacted quickly, immediately pinching her nose and jumping away, keeping a distance: "It stinks! It stinks! I think Gu Yan was right, he should be called Stinky Egg!"
Gu Xiao looked at his innocent-looking son in his arms, then at his wife laughing hysterically not far away, and could only shake his head and chuckle helplessly.
He resignedly picked up the little stinky egg and carried it into the house: "Fine, stinky egg it is. Let's go, Daddy's going to give stinky egg a bath."
Nan Zhiyi complained, but still quickly followed, preparing a bath towel, a small bib, and prickly heat powder.
After Gu Xiao carried his son into the bathroom, she had already filled the tub with warm water.
He took off Xiaoman's soiled clothes and diapers, rinsed them off under the showerhead, and then put him in warm water.
The little guy got excited as soon as he got into the water, kicking his little legs and splashing a lot of water.
Gu Xiao rolled up his sleeves, carefully cradling his son in his large hand while using his other hand to wash him.
Nan Zhiyi leaned against the door, looking at the light with focused and gentle eyes.
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