Chapter 243 The Golden Phoenix Returns Home
Just after the Lantern Festival, the snow in Qingshan Commune, Liaoning Province, had not yet melted completely, and the wind felt like knives on the face.
The withered yellow grass stalks stood upright along the edge of the field, and the whole world was a gray and bleak color.
In this desolate scene, under the old elm tree at the entrance of Qinghetun Village, a group of villagers squatted and stood, basking in the sun and chatting idly, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.
"Buzzing—"
The sound of an engine grew louder as it approached.
It wasn't a tractor puffing out black smoke, nor a rattling oxcart; it was the kind of car you only see in movies when high-ranking leaders come to inspect!
Not just one, but three!
The lead car was square and shiny black, with thick-looking windows.
Two military jeeps painted green followed behind, looking very imposing.
The convoy kicked up a thin cloud of dust and came to a steady stop at the entrance of the village, about ten steps away from the old elm tree.
The car door opened.
Two young men, dressed in ordinary cotton-padded jackets but with straight backs and eyes like hawks, got out of the black car in front. They quickly glanced around before opening the back door.
A foot, clad in shiny black leather shoes and encased in crisp black wool trousers, stepped out first.
Then, he got out of the car.
The people in the village paused for a moment.
She was a young woman.
She wore a well-tailored black woolen overcoat, with a belt that accentuated her slender waist. A snow-white cashmere scarf around her neck made her face appear porcelain white, and her eyebrows and eyes were exquisitely beautiful, like something out of a painting.
Her jet-black hair was styled into a neat ponytail, revealing her smooth and full forehead.
She stood up straight, her posture upright, her entire demeanor ten times more dazzling than the most handsome leading man in the county's cultural troupe!
This...this is Gu Baobao?!
Beneath the old elm tree, all was deathly still.
Several young men who used to live on the same street as the Gu family rubbed their eyes vigorously.
In my memory, there was that Gu family girl who always kept her head down, was dark-skinned and chubby, wore a patched jacket, and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. Although she became thinner and fairer after she fell and broke her head, she is still a girl who is very beautiful.
But he still couldn't reconcile with the person in front of him who seemed to have stepped out of a movie magazine!
Immediately afterwards, a tall and imposing man stepped out of the other car door.
He was wearing a military uniform without collar insignia, but the cold, hard aura unique to soldiers was immediately apparent.
He was handsome, with striking features and a striking appearance. Standing next to the woman, they were a dazzlingly well-matched couple.
After he got out of the car, he immediately walked around and took Gu Baobao's hand very naturally, while his other hand gently protected her waist.
From the two jeeps behind, seven or eight more burly men, also dressed in plain clothes but clearly not to be trifled with, got out.
There were also the elderly couple Gu Dahe and Wu Guixiang, the couple Gu Jianqiang and Li Fenfang, and a sprightly old man in a respectable Zhongshan suit.
"Oh my! It really is Uncle Dahe and Aunt Guixiang!"
Someone recognized him.
"Jianqiang! Fenfang! You're back!"
"Um...is it really a baby?!"
The crowd erupted in a buzz!
Envy, shock, curiosity, and disbelief shone like searchlights on Gu Baobao and Lu Zhanming, especially on Gu Baobao.
Gu Baobao smiled slightly at the familiar villagers and nodded, as if to say hello.
She didn't say much. Surrounded by Lu Zhanming and several plainclothes men, she accompanied her grandparents, parents, and Grandpa Lu, carrying simple luggage, and walked towards the old house in the village.
Wherever they went, there was complete silence.
Only countless eyes followed them.
Only after the group turned the corner and disappeared from sight did a murmur of discussion erupt under the old elm tree, loud enough to shake the remaining snow from the treetops.
"My God! Is that Gu Baobao?! How... how did she become like this? Has a fairy descended to earth?"
"Didn't you see that guy? I heard he's her man! A military officer! And what an air about him! My goodness!"
"And those cars! Three of them! And a whole string of people following them! What kind of high-ranking official would have such a entourage?"
"Gu Baobao must have married well! She found a capable military officer! Look at his clothes and his complexion! Tsk tsk, the Gu family's ancestral graves are emitting auspicious smoke!"
Almost everyone subconsciously believes that Gu Baobao's current success is due to her marrying a good husband.
That car, those entourage, that airs—it must have all been brought by Lu Zhanming.
No one thinks about it, or dares not think about it, but Gu Baobao herself may be the center of all this.
The news spread like wildfire, instantly reaching the small village of Qinghetun.
They even know the most remote and obscure corners:
Gu Baobao, the successful daughter of the Gu family, returned with her handsome son-in-law, a military officer, in three cars, surrounded by a large entourage! They were going to hold a belated wedding banquet!
The Gu family's old house suddenly became the liveliest place in the whole village.
The threshold is practically worn down by all the footsteps.
Some villagers came genuinely to offer their congratulations and watch the excitement, while others came with various ulterior motives to peek and inquire.
Gu Dahe and Wu Guixiang were full of energy, strolling slowly through the village with their in-law, Grandpa Lu, introducing him to everyone they met with smiles:
"This is our father-in-law. He's from the capital, here to attend his child's wedding and stay for a few days to experience rural life!"
Grandpa Lu was very approachable, greeting people with a cheerful smile, finding everything new and asking all sorts of questions.
The villagers respected and admired him even more because he was well-dressed, spoke kindly, and came from the capital.
Gu Baobao has become increasingly beautiful and dazzling, practically a moving scenic spot in the village.
As she walks down the street, whether she's looking at the well or standing in front of the old house, she always attracts countless glances.
In those gazes, there was pure amazement, mixed envy, and... barely perceptible jealousy.
Ye Ke was the most poisoned of the latter.
She married Zhang Baogen, but married life was completely different from what she had imagined.
The Zhang family was poor, Zhang Baogen was dull and incompetent, and his mother-in-law Zhao Jinlan was mean and ruthless.
After becoming pregnant, she suffered from malnutrition, resulting in a sallow complexion, bloated body, and a bulky, worn-out cotton-padded coat, with a barely noticeable belly.
Standing at the door of her low mud-brick house, she looked at Gu Baobao, who was surrounded by a crowd and looked radiant, and the tall military officer who was protecting her every step of the way, with eyes so gentle they could melt water.
On what grounds?
Why should Gu Baobao be able to achieve instant success?
Marrying such an outstanding man and living a life of being the center of attention?
But she herself had to endure poverty, toil, and the cold stares of her in-laws in this remote and impoverished place.
Her once pretty face now showed a gaunt and bitter look due to long-term depression and malnutrition, and the resentment in her eyes was almost overflowing.
Especially seeing Lu Zhanming's meticulous care for Gu Baobao, worrying that she might bump into something when getting out of the car, and worrying that she might get tired while walking,
If the wind picked up, he would immediately gather her scarf up. When he spoke, his gaze always followed her with an undisguised fondness and possessiveness, like a red-hot needle piercing Ye Ke's heart.
She's never been treated like this by a man before!
Zhang Baogen is such a blockhead, he can't even fart in three days, let alone be considerate!
What infuriated her even more was that Gu Baobao seemed completely oblivious to it, or rather, didn't care at all.
She accepted her husband's care with grace and poise, occasionally responding with a gentle, dependent smile. The natural intimacy and tacit understanding between them stung Ye Ke's eyes.
She was like a rat in a sewer, unable to see the light of day, forced to hide in a corner, coveting and cursing the perfect man she could never reach with the most venomous eyes.
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