On this day, Han Zecheng took Su Ruo to many places in the provincial capital.
From the small temple fair to the temple wrapped in heavy snow, to the dilapidated ruins of ancient buildings in the suburbs... He actually had no special interest in these, but he knew that she liked them.
It's not just from the university department she applied for, but if you pay a little attention, you can find many traces of this in life.
For example, the picture albums she often reads, the types of books she buys when he takes her to the bookstore, and the stories she usually tells Guoguo.
Those are not only her hobbies, but also a part of her life.
It may be her lifelong pursuit in the future.
He said he wanted to support her and didn't want to just let her go to college and then have their thoughts and lives drift further and further apart.
He doesn't have that much time, but he also hopes to understand as much as possible, and even help her with her studies and future career.
It was only when he took her to a suburban town that she told him the name of the town before she even got off the car that he realized she had been there before.
He asked, “Have you been here before?”
Su Ruxian nodded with a smile, and then said, "But that was also two years ago."
But when he said this, he stopped talking, and a look of loss and strangeness appeared on his face.
She was thinking about the fact that she had lost five years of memory.
So it wasn’t actually two years ago.
But he misunderstood her expression.
He thought of her fiancé who lived in the provincial capital.
The two years ago she mentioned was more than seven years ago, which was also when her fiancé was studying at Qingdao University.
Su Ruo got out of the car and stomped several times in the snow. After walking a few steps forward, she found that Han Zecheng did not follow her.
Su Ruo turned around and saw him leaning against the car, lighting a cigarette and smoking.
Su Ruo:......?
She walked back and asked, "How come I didn't notice you were addicted to smoking for so long?"
He took a few puffs and then put it out, saying, "No, it's just cold and I want to smoke."
Su Ruo reached out to hold his hand, which was still as warm as ever.
Is the weather cold?
She was a little suspicious, but didn't think too much about it. She just said, "It was summer when I came here last time. It felt completely different from now. I didn't expect that the scenery of the town in the snow would be so beautiful... You know there is an ancestral hall in the center of this town, and there used to be many memorial archways. Unfortunately, it was already in ruins when I came here last time..."
At this point she suddenly stopped talking.
Those were all criticized as the feudal dregs of the old society, and she still said something like it was a pity. If others heard it, it would be a serious crime.
And the one standing in front of her was even more red, professional and strict.
She wondered if he would sometimes dislike her incorrect ideas.
Her father had told her before that she sometimes had obvious bourgeois corrupt ideas and asked her to be careful, otherwise she would probably get into trouble and become the target of criticism.
She felt that she had been too proud of herself recently and might have revealed a lot in front of him.
She reached out and pulled him, saying, "I just think that although those ancestral halls and memorial archways are feudal dregs, they also record a period of history of the common people here. Whether it is good or bad, they have value in existence..."
But as he spoke, his voice became lower and lower.
He reached out and patted her, saying, "Let's go and take a look."
Su Ruo glanced at him secretly.
He took her hand and said, "The country has been paying more and more attention to the protection of historical relics. Now there are many policies. You have to believe that things will get better and better in the future."
He knew all this because he had checked it out after learning that she wanted to apply for the Department of Cultural Relics and Art.
Su Ruo felt relieved when she heard him say that.
But she thought of what her father had said, and couldn't help asking him again: "Hey, Brother Han, do you think I sometimes have bourgeois corrupt thoughts?"
He stopped, looked back at her and asked, "What do you think?"
The look in her eyes was gentle and focused, without any frown or any sign of disapproval.
Su Ruo was encouraged by this look and looked at him and said, "I don't feel that way. I don't have the idea of exploiting the class. I just like... to make my life better. It's within the scope of what I can do."
I like to live a happy and comfortable life within the scope of my ability, do what I like to do and read the books I like to read.
Then when he was happy, he would poke Lin Wanhua and Su Jia to make them unhappy.
What's wrong with that?
She had certainly always been very determined.
Don't care what others think.
Why should she be criticized for wearing a beautiful dress and painting a picture?
But now she suddenly cared about what he thought.
"That's fine."
He comforted her, saying, "I also wish I could do more to make your life better."
Su Ruo grinned, her eyes shining.
She walked forward and took his arm. He was dazed by her laughter, but he didn't pull her away, asking her to pay attention to the impact...
The people living in the town are all local villagers, and every household knows each other.
So a outsider would be very conspicuous, especially when they were such a beautiful young couple. So when they passed through the town, men, women, young and old would look at them from time to time.
But they were just a little curious, and their eyes were mostly kind, as they just thought they were visiting relatives and friends for the New Year.
Sometimes, Su Ruo would boldly strike up a conversation with them in her South City accent.
The two went to the ancestral hall, which was even worse than it had been seven years ago.
Only some stone ruins were left, and the archway had collapsed and was covered with black paint. Fortunately, the heavy snow covered the desolate place.
The two of them walked around the town and then returned to the city.
It was icy and snowy outside the city. Even in the small town, there were many villagers at the gate and children gathered outside to play, but it was still a bit lonely.
But when we got back to the city, we saw citizens walking in the streets and alleys, waving their hands, greeting each other and wishing each other a happy new year with smiles on their faces. Festive red couplets were posted everywhere, children were running around everywhere, and the sound of firecrackers could be heard everywhere, making the city completely immersed in the hustle and bustle of the New Year and a thriving atmosphere.
At lunch time, Han Zecheng drove Su Ruo to a small courtyard.
Not long after entering, an old lady who looked to be in her fifties or sixties came out.
She was startled when she saw Han Zecheng and Su Ruo. She looked at them both, then looked at Han Zecheng carefully and said, "Hey, is this Xiao Han?"
Han Zecheng smiled at her and said, "Yes, Aunt Meng, this is my wife. We are out for fun and want to bring her over to try the dumplings you and Uncle Meng cooked."
As he spoke, he handed her a large bag of flour that he had just taken down from the car, some dried mushrooms, and some food and meat coupons, and said, "Happy New Year, Auntie."
The old lady called Aunt Meng's eyes were a little red. She did not refuse the things that Han Zecheng handed over. She took them with her hands and said repeatedly with red eyes: "Hey, Happy New Year, Happy New Year."
After that, she looked at Su Ruo again, sized her up, and said, "Hey, Xiao Han, your wife is so beautiful, just like a fairy in a painting."
Su Ruo has heard this sentence since she was a child.
It seemed that the only phrase that aunties and grandmas would use to praise someone's good looks was "just like the fairies in the paintings." But when Su Ruo looked at the murals they had put up, she realized that the fairies didn't actually look that good.
However, Su Ruo was just sighing. When the aunt praised her, she still thanked her with a smile and followed Han Zecheng in calling her "Aunt Meng".
Aunt Meng happily agreed, and then hurriedly invited the two to come in, saying, "Ah, look at me, I'm confused. It's cold outside. Come in and warm up."
As soon as she entered the house, she called out to her husband inside, saying, "Old man, come and see who's here."
After the old man came out, she asked him to chop the meat and cook dumplings.
After Aunt Meng and Uncle Meng went to the kitchen to busy themselves, Han Zecheng took Su Ruo to sit down. Su Ruo looked around the house curiously. It was a bit shabby, but very tidy. There were couplets on the door, and red "Fu" characters were posted on many places such as wall cabinets and shelves, exuding the festive atmosphere of the New Year.
Su Ruo said, "I was wondering why you brought flour with you. Did you plan to come here a long time ago?"
Han Zecheng hummed, and slowly explained to Su Ruo: "Uncle Meng was the chef of my former military academy cafeteria. The dumplings he made were delicious. In the past, some students in our school did not go home for the New Year, but the cafeteria was closed, so Uncle Meng asked us to eat at his home. Later, Uncle Meng's legs were not good, so he retired from the cafeteria and cooked at home. Some of our familiar students would come over, and they didn't charge any money. We would just bring some flour, vegetables or meat, or food coupons, oil coupons and meat coupons."
He paused and said, "Uncle Meng and Aunt Meng are relatives of martyrs. They originally had a son who died in an accident while reclaiming wasteland in the snowy plains of the northwest."
After saying that, seeing that Su Ruo seemed to be stunned, he had no intention of saying something unpleasant, so he continued, "Don't think that there is no one here now. It will be lively here at night. The students should be playing in the school now, and they will come here to eat in the evening."
Su Ruo opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say for a moment. She just felt a sour and swollen feeling in her heart, a little touched, and a little sad.
But now she had a feeling that she was slowly entering his inner world.
The relationship between the two of them seems to be going the opposite direction of others.
First they were husband and wife, then they fell in love, and now she was sitting here, trying to understand his previous life trajectory.
She concealed the complicated feelings in her heart and said, "Then I want to try the taste to see if it tastes the same as when you were studying."
Han Zecheng smiled and said to her gently, "Okay."
The look in his eyes as he looked at her was gentle and affectionate, as if carrying a hook.
Su Ruo was dazed for a moment when she met his gaze.
He looked so gentle right now...Although maybe because he looked too tough and had no expression as always, she still felt his gentleness.
Handsome and gentle, almost irresistible.
At that moment, she almost had the urge to kiss the corner of his lips.
But now she is in someone else's home, why is she having such a terrible impulse?
Her face felt hot and she quickly lowered her head.
She thought she was possessed by evil spirits.
"Aruo?"
He called her.
Su Ruo's heart skipped a beat and she said "hmm" in panic. She was really afraid that she would do something embarrassing in the heat of the moment.
Fortunately, before he could say anything else, Aunt Meng came out with some dumplings. Han Zecheng stood up to help Aunt Meng serve the dumplings, and Su Ruo’s embarrassing situation was resolved.
Aunt Meng brought them two small plates with a few strips of shredded ginger on them. Han Zecheng said, "Let me do it." He took the vinegar and poured it on the small plate in front of Su Ruo first, and then poured it on his own plate.
Aunt Meng didn't leave either, and asked the two people to try the dumplings.
Han Zecheng picked one up and put it in Su Ruo's bowl for Su Ruo to try.
Su Ruo picked up one and ate it. It tasted really good.
In fact, these dumplings are not as delicate as those made by Aunt Cao, and you can tell that there are not as many seasonings, but they are just so delicious and very satisfying to eat.
After Su Ruo finished eating, Han Zecheng picked up another one for her and poured her a glass of water.
Aunt Meng watched the two people interact with a smile, and then chatted with Su Ruo in a casual manner.
She laughed and said, "Hey, Xiao Su, do you know that your Xiao Han had a lot of girls who secretly liked him in the past? Some even asked me and our Lao Meng to be matchmakers, but Xiao Han turned cold when he heard about it. He also had a dark face towards those girls and did things that made them lose face...Alas, I thought that even if he was good-looking, it would be difficult for him to find a wife in the future. I didn't expect that I was worrying about nothing. It's not that he is not smart, but that he has high standards..."
Han Zecheng: ...
He looked at Su Ruo's curious and gossipy smile, and felt that his ears were going to be bombarded again in the next two days.
We must ask him about that girl, but he doesn't even remember anything like that. Besides, what's there to talk about?
******
Su Ruo had a great time that day.
I also heard a lot of interesting stories about Han Zecheng and his family's previous life from Aunt Meng...It would have been extremely difficult to hear these from him.
However, while she had a lot of fun, she also felt a little guilty when she returned home. On New Year's Day, she and Han Zecheng went out to play, but she left her four-year-old son to his grandfather whom she had just met for the first time.
Why do I feel like these parents are a bit unreliable?
Han Zecheng said she was worrying for nothing.
Then when they went back, Guoguo was still in Han Hehuai's study and did not come down until dinner time. She finally realized that she was worrying for nothing.
This was not enough. After dinner, Han Hehuai said something that stunned everyone.
He said, "Zecheng, Xiao Su, I see Guoguo is having a great time here, and he's very talented. It's Chinese New Year, and it would be lonely if he goes back to your place, so I think we should let him stay for a few days. Zehua will go to your military region to pay New Year's greetings to Lao Gu in a few days, so let him take Guoguo back with him."
Su Ruo:......
She looked at Han Zecheng anxiously.
Han Hehuai seemed to be the kind of person who would make decisions without saying anything. She was really afraid that he would detain Guoguo.
Look at Han Qinqin's attitude towards Lin Guitong. Han Hehuai wanted to keep Lin Guitong in the Han family. Han Qinqin must have made a big fuss behind the scenes, but in front of Han Hehuai, she dared not say a word.
And it’s only the first time we meet, but he wants to keep me for a few days.
So when he goes to college and both Han Zecheng and he are busy, will he leave Guoguo in the Han family?
For a moment, she had too much in her mind.
Han Zecheng didn't react much to this. He looked at Guoguo and said, "Guoguo, do you want to stay?"
Han Zhen looked at his father, then at his mother, and then at his grandfather.
His face showed an expression of greater struggle than in the morning.
In fact, his grandfather had told him about this during the day.
They also told him that if he stayed, he would get a complete set of cannon models...this was quite tempting.
But stay here and let mom and dad go home by themselves.
He glanced at his mother who was looking at him anxiously and pitifully, then turned around and said to his grandfather with great pain, "Grandpa, I kind of want to stay and play with you, but my mother needs me more. If I stay, I guess she won't be able to sleep these few days. I think I'd better wait until next time I come to play with you."
Su Ruo:......
Grandpa Han: ...
Han Zecheng chuckled.
He said, "Dad, there will be a lot of people coming to you for New Year's greetings this year. It's not appropriate to keep Guoguo here with all the people coming and going. I think I'll bring Su Ruo to see you after school starts."
Han Hehuai waved his hand.
He would not force a child.
What's more, this kid thinks that he wants to keep him just because he wants him to play with him?
But he said, "Then let's do it next time. However, I built a field battle model with him this afternoon. This is only half done. We can't give up halfway. You should leave after lunch tomorrow and wait for him to finish the model."
The outdoor combat model surprised even Han Zecheng this time.
He glanced at Guoguo, who nodded vigorously and looked at him pitifully. It didn't matter whether they left in the morning or in the afternoon, so Han Zecheng nodded and agreed.
******
After returning to the room, Han Qinqin smashed several books.
Earlier in the living room, Wen Qiaoyi noticed that her daughter's expression was a little strange, so when Han Qinqin said she wanted to go back to her room, she sat for a while and then said she was going to see Tongtong, and followed her to Han Qinqin's room.
Sure enough, as soon as I walked outside, I heard the sound of something being smashed inside.
She pushed open the door, glanced at the books that fell to the ground, and said with a gloomy face, "Qinqin, your father has already fulfilled your wish and promised to send Tongtong away. Why are you so angry now?"
Han Qinqin turned around, her eyes red, and said, "Mom, I'm just angry. Mom, don't you feel bad? You've been married to Dad for so many years, and I used to think that Dad loved us the most and valued my brother the most. But now seeing Han Zecheng's promotion all the way, and seeing Dad's attitude towards his son, I realized that I was wrong."
"It turns out that for so many years, the son born to the remarried woman in the countryside was what my father valued the most. That's why he was able to attend military school and rise rapidly in the army, while my brother could only join the army after graduating from high school and only became a platoon leader before retiring."
"Mom, you've seen it too. Guitong has lived at home for a few months, but Dad hasn't even said a few words to Guitong... Well, Guitong is his grandson, so it's fine if he doesn't like her. But Huihui is his own granddaughter, right? But how many months after Huihui was born, when has he ever held her in his arms?"
"But Han Zecheng's son has only been here for a day, and he has already let him go to the study to play. The models that my brother and I were not allowed to touch before have been destroyed by a four-year-old child. Now he is asking him to stay. What about the future..."
With a "pop", Han Qinqin's voice stopped abruptly.
She covered her face and looked up at her mother in disbelief.
From childhood to adulthood, she was reluctant to touch herself even with her fingers.
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