Chapter 67 Bicycles
Once in the corridor, Zhao Yaqin leaned close to Nan Zhiyi's ear and said, "Her husband is the deputy director of the political department. Keep your distance, especially from him at work. Her family situation is complicated too; I'll tell you more about it later..."
Nan Zhiyi nodded quickly and whispered, "Okay..."
It was rush hour, and people were coming and going all around; it wasn't the time to talk.
As soon as Nan Zhiyi came out, she saw Gu Xiao sitting astride a brand-new Phoenix brand bicycle under the shade of a tree.
He was dressed in military uniform, his tall and straight figure making him stand out in the crowd.
Nan Zhiyi's eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over.
"Fifth Brother, are you here to pick up Zhiyi?" Zhao Yaqin saw him and greeted him with a smile.
Gu Xiao nodded to Zhao Yaqin, his gaze falling on Nan Zhiyi, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Nan Zhiyi sat sideways on the back seat, wrapped her arms around his lean waist, pressed her cheek against his back, and asked in a happy whisper, "Why did you suddenly buy a bicycle? What a waste of money and coupons."
That's what she said, but her heart was filled with sweetness. She knew he must be worried about how much time she spent walking back and forth every day.
Gu Xiao rode his bicycle with one hand, while using the other to hold her hand that was placed under his ribs, stroking it occasionally.
"I got the tickets through Old Zhang from logistics, but I haven't paid the fare yet. It's 140. You busybody, give me the money tonight, and I'll deliver it to the person later."
"Okay!" Nan Zhiyi hugged her even tighter.
The bicycle drove into the residential compound, attracting a lot of attention.
"Oh my! Commander Gu bought a new car? It's so beautiful!" A woman's loud voice drew out several families from the surrounding area.
Sister Wang and Sister Liu also came out to watch.
Nan Zhiyi jumped off the back seat, a little embarrassed: "Yeah, I just bought it recently."
Gu Xiao nodded to the crowd, pushed the cart into the courtyard, while Nan Zhiyi stayed outside and chatted with her sisters-in-law.
"Zhiyi went to work?" Aunt Liu asked with a smile as she walked over, carrying her child.
"Yes, I'll be a temporary worker in the publicity department, paid by piecework. It's just that the workplace is a bit far, and it takes a lot of time to walk there."
Sister-in-law Wang slapped her thigh: "I knew it! I haven't seen you much these past few days, turns out you've been working! Good, that's great! It's good to have a job!"
Both she and Sister-in-law Liu were genuinely happy for Nan Zhiyi, liking her good nature and unpretentiousness.
"Commander Gu really dotes on his wife!"
"This bus isn't cheap, and tickets are hard to get!"
"It's not far from the propaganda department, and..."
Several military wives nearby chimed in, their voices inevitably tinged with envy and sourness.
Sister-in-law Wang raised her voice, "Here we go again! Does Commander Gu need your nagging to pamper his wife? If you're jealous, hurry home and tell your men to buy you a car too, so we can all be envious..."
A few words left the women speechless, and they all made excuses to go home and cook, then dispersed.
Nan Zhiyi then burst out laughing, and Sister Wang and Sister Liu followed suit.
The three chatted for a few more minutes before Nan Zhiyi went home.
Gu Xiao was preparing food in the kitchen.
The afterglow of the setting sun slanted in through the small window, gilding it with a layer of gold.
His profile, sharp and clean lines, appeared exceptionally handsome in the soft light as he bent over chopping vegetables.
Nan Zhiyi leaned against the kitchen door frame, looking at him, her heart overflowing with sweetness.
She walked over and gently hugged his waist from behind, pressing her cheek against his back.
Gu Xiao paused in his chopping, turned his head, and asked in a low voice, "Tired?"
Nan Zhiyi shook her head, rubbed her cheek against his back, and didn't say anything.
His scent lingered around her nose, and certain images inappropriately flashed through her mind. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart began to wander.
Gu Xiao didn't ask any more questions; he enjoyed her clinginess.
Late at night, after she fell asleep with tears in her eyes, Gu Xiao gently wiped her entire body clean before carefully touching her slightly swollen red lips.
Silly wife, you're so happy about buying a bicycle? She has all the money in the house, she can buy whatever she wants... Looks like I'll have to buy her more gifts in the future.
When Nan Zhiyi woke up, there was no one beside her.
She sat up, supporting her slightly sore back, and thought of last night... She shook her head, casting aside her embarrassment, and quickly got up to wash and go to work.
Nan Zhiyi got on her bike, and hadn't gone far when a feeling of discomfort made her hand tremble and she almost fell. Luckily, she managed to brace herself with her feet.
She rode her bicycle, stumbling and bumping along the way, to the political department building. She was the first one to arrive at the office today.
She unlocked the drawer and prepared to take out the sketches.
His hand reached for nothing. The drawer was empty except for notebooks and stationery.
The artwork is missing…
The lock was intact, with no signs of tampering.
The artwork, however, has vanished.
Who is it?
She quickly calmed down.
Now is not the time to investigate; the bulletin board for the regiment must be painted today, time is tight.
Fortunately, she had already written down the composition framework, key points, and even color matching in her notebook.
Even without the original manuscript, the basic framework can be built based on memory and notes.
She took out her notebook, flipped to the pages with notes, and began to silently review the sketches in her mind.
My colleagues arrived one after another.
As soon as Zhao Yaqin entered the room, she noticed that Nan Zhiyi's expression was off: "Zhiyi, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing, Sister Yaqin. I'm just thinking about how to draw it later."
Nan Zhiyi looked up and smiled, her gaze sweeping over the others.
Wu Jianguo continued to bury himself in his work, while Sun Xiaobing, as soon as he came in, clamored to go to the warehouse to move paint.
Zhang Aihong was the last to come in. She put down her bag, slowly poured herself a glass of water, and noticed the commotion on Nan Zhiyi's side. She made no attempt to hide her schadenfreude.
Nan Zhiyi's heart sank.
It really was her.
Stupid and wicked.
Stealing the artwork was simply a way to embarrass oneself and delay the work progress.
Unfortunately, she underestimated her own preparation.
Without evidence, making a move now would only alert the enemy and make me look even more incompetent.
The most urgent task is to get the job done.
She made a note of it.
Sun Xiaobing rushed in, carrying paint buckets and brushes: "I've got everything, let's go?"
"good."
The two went downstairs, and Nan Zhiyi looked at him: "I'll ride my bike there myself today, it'll be more convenient."
“Sure! Having a car is so convenient!” Sun Xiaobing grinned.
The two rode their bicycles one after the other to the bulletin board in front of the regimental headquarters office building.
Nan Zhiyi took out her notebook and quickly confirmed the division of labor with Sun Xiaobing: "Officer Sun, could you please draw a grid according to this size and proportion to help me with the composition?"
“No problem! I’ll follow your instructions!” Sun Xiaobing acted swiftly, immediately taking out a ruler and chalk, climbing the ladder and starting to mark the grid.
Nan Zhiyi stood in front of the board, outlining the silhouette of the worker.
After finishing the grid, Sun Xiaobing opened his mouth in surprise: "Huh! Comrade Nan Zhiyi, you're really good at this! You've got it settled so quickly?"
"Just have a plan in mind."
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