Chapter 61

When Gu Cheng returned home, it was nearly midnight. Except for the guardhouse, all the lights on the road had gone out. He used a flashlight to navigate back to the yard and entered the house, but he didn’t go upstairs.

The surroundings were eerily quiet. The flashlight rested silently on the table, emitting a yellow-white light that left a circular halo in the corner of the wall.

Qin Yao had been tossing and turning, unable to sleep, when she felt a chill run down her spine at some noise by the door. She grabbed a broom, assuming a defensive posture as she went downstairs.

It wasn’t that Qin Yao was afraid of thieves; rather, she was afraid of some terrifying "little animals" that might have sneaked in.

For instance, a large python hissing and flicking its tongue.

She would rather encounter a thief than a python!

Holding the broomstick, Qin Yao went downstairs. She didn’t see anything unusual, but there was a circle of light and a faint red glow at the edge, with a shadowy figure sitting on the sofa in the living room.

Gu Cheng: “……”

He held a cigarette in his hand. A lot had happened tonight, and Gu Cheng had lost his temper. After returning home in the dark, his mood was terrible, like a bomb with a lit fuse, on the verge of exploding but not quite there yet.

Considering that his wife, Qin Yao, was asleep, Captain Gu had originally planned to sit downstairs to cool off and then make do with the guest bedroom for the night.

But before he could cool off, Qin Yao came downstairs with a broom.

Qin Yao prodded his thigh with the broom.

Qin Yao: “Are you alive or dead, you?”

Gu Cheng laughed in frustration, stubbed out the cigarette, and pulled the woman holding the broom into his arms, lowering his head to kiss her lips. Qin Yao instinctively struggled, but he smelled strongly of tobacco, and their kiss carried a faint bitter taste.

Gu Cheng cradled the back of her head and deepened the kiss.

Qin Yao could hardly breathe. This Gu Cheng felt so unfamiliar to her. In the darkness, his expression was cold, his actions rough, and his handsome face still bore traces of unresolved anger.

And this guy smoked!

Qin Yao’s mind went blank. Was she being deceived? Before they got married, Gu Cheng didn’t seem like someone who drank or smoked. When they were together, he never smoked.

It was just like those men who claimed they didn’t smoke or drink before marriage, only to revert to their old habits afterward.

One of her father’s comrades had deceived his wife like that. Before marriage, he pretended to be respectable, but after marriage, he became a heavy smoker.

"You jerk!" Qin Yao struggled to break free from his embrace, but her strength was like a tiny ant trying to move a tree compared to this man who was twenty centimeters taller and covered in muscle.

Gu Cheng held her tightly, buried his face in her neck, his breath hot against her skin, and said hoarsely, “Yaoyao, let me hold you for a bit.”

Qin Yao noticed that his voice sounded different, as if he had been shouting.

Qin Yao was angry that he wasn’t taking care of himself and still smoked despite his throat being like that.

She probably understood what had happened.

Qin Yao held him, and the couple leaned on each other in the night. Qin Yao sat on his lap, and Gu Cheng’s body temperature was so high that she worried he might be running a fever.

“What happened? It’s serious, right?”

Gu Cheng said in a low voice, “It’s all resolved.”

Realizing he didn’t want to talk about it, Qin Yao didn’t press further. Work was work, and it wouldn’t always be pleasant. Managing so many people came with a heavy burden on the shoulders. Qin Yao had almost become a teacher but thought managing a group of people was too exhausting. There’s a new problem every day, and it could give you breast nodules from all the anger, not to mention that Gu Cheng had more than just a few dozen people under him.

A comparison only highlighted how she had landed a comfortable slacking-off job. The salary wasn't great, but the food coupons and meat coupons were rationed, so she could eat and drink as per usual. They managed to save at least a hundred each month.

Qin Yao stood up, poured him some hot water, gave him some anti-inflammatory medicine, and massaged his shoulders.

Feeling fortunate that he had come over in the middle of the night rather than sulking alone, Gu Cheng relaxed under his wife’s shoulder massage.

Having someone to share with made his anger fade.

Seeing that Gu Cheng's mood had lifted, Qin Yao patted his face and said with a smile, "Xiao Cheng, Xiao Cheng, later when we go upstairs, I'll show you the poems I wrote today. I wrote several, all when I was thinking of you."

Gu Cheng's heart skipped a beat. His lips curved upward involuntarily, like a gardener who had finally seen the fruits of his labor mature.

His wife had written love poems for him.

"Don’t call me ‘Xiao Cheng’."

Gu Cheng wondered if his face wasn’t cold enough? Why did this woman always call him ‘Xiao Cheng’ as if she were dancing in front of high-voltage electricity?

He scooped Qin Yao up and carried her upstairs, where he read the poems his wife had written. After reading them, Gu Cheng couldn’t smile anymore.

Five poems, all celebrating the Lantern Festival, with a drawing of a bowl of steaming tangyuan on the side.

—Not a single line expressed any longing for him.

Qin Yao urged, "Xiao Cheng, what do you think of my poems?"

Gu Cheng gave her a cold sidelong glance and snorted, "When we have kids, we shouldn’t let them call me that casually."

Qin Yao teased, "Call me ‘Dad’."

Gu Cheng raised his eyebrows.

"Once we have kids, they can call you ‘Gu Dad’."

Gu Cheng’s heart swelled with joy. "You can call me that more often."

Qin Yao: "......You can also call me ‘Mom’."

"Do you have any sense of dignity?" Gu Cheng nearly choked on his saliva. A woman ten years younger than him had the audacity to make him call her ‘Mom’.

Qin Yao couldn't help but retort, "At least I’ve fed you."

After saying it, she couldn't believe it had come out of her mouth. This was probably what happened after being married for a long time—living together for so long made saying things like this feel normal.

When Gu Cheng buried his face in her chest, she sometimes genuinely felt like she was raising a big kid.

"Yaoyao, let’s make a little tiger girl."

Qin Yao pretended to be sleepy. "Let’s wait, Captain Gu. Right now, you can only make a little calf."

Gu Cheng: "I don't mind."

"I mind, I mind, I mind..."

In the end, they still went to ‘study’ how to make a little calf.

The next day, Gu Cheng left very early. Qin Yao leisurely went to work. In the afternoon, with not much to do, she returned home early, crouching in her yard to check on the growth of the newly transplanted flower seedlings.

The two rose bushes and the hydrangea are growing the best. The roses have sprouted many buds, ready to form flower buds, and the hydrangea has grown rapidly.

"Xiao Qin," Neighbor Sister Zaohua called out to her several times from the neighboring yard, her face filled with concern. "Xiao Qin, were you okay last night? I heard from my husband that Captain Gu lost his temper quite badly yesterday."

Her husband had also sat by the lamp smoking for a while, and they listened carefully to the neighbors next door, afraid that when Gu Cheng returned home, they would start another quarrel.

"I'm fine," Qin Yao thought of the previous night and felt a little guilty. The neighbors probably couldn't hear what she and Gu Cheng were talking about, right?

"You'll get used to it. Men have hot tempers and lose their temper a few times each month. Just ignore it. Let them cool off on their own, and we'll sleep."

Qin Yao nodded. "Sister Zaohua, you're right. I should learn from you."

"That's right."

Neighbor Sister Zaohua was pleased to hear that. Qin Yao was beautiful and spoke in a pleasing manner. What a nice girl, how did she end up with Captain Gu?

Captain Gu wasn't bad, but he didn't know how to cherish women and enjoyed causing trouble.

"Xiao Qin, your flowers are doing well."

Qin Yao chatted with Neighbor Sister Zaohua for a few moments and noticed that she was smiling and carried an inexplicable sense of relaxation. She enjoyed chatting about everyday things.

"Let's go tide-pooling together sometime, catch a bucket of mudskippers (also known as jumping fish). My husband and the kids love eating them."

Mudskippers?

Qin Yao had never heard of that name. She thought tide-pooling was about collecting crabs and razor clams, but could you actually catch fish too?

"Where do we catch them?"

Neighbor Sister Zaohua said mysteriously, "You'll see when you come with me."

Qin Yao said, "I'll invite Teacher Chen to come along."

Neighbor Sister Zaohua froze. Her mouth opened, but she didn't say anything. The so-called mudskippers, also known as mudskippers, live in the mudflats and are quite agile. One would inevitably get covered in mud.

Would someone like Chen Baozhen venture into the mudflats?

After making plans with Neighbor Sister Zaohua, Qin Yao went to Chen Baozhen's house and mentioned the tide-pooling. Chen Baozhen had never caught mudskippers either and happily said, "Sure."

Chen Baozhen's yard had recently been tidied up, with lush greenery and chickens. It was said that her sister-in-law, Gao Yingzi, had done all this. Since Gao Yingzi arrived, Chen Baozhen had been completely freed from household chores.

Gao Yingzi was a hardworking and energetic person.

"My sister-in-law, although she has her faults—Yaoyao, I can tolerate her."

Gao Yingzi was reluctant to buy coal briquettes and firewood. When she had time, she would gather wood. Chen Baozhen had advised her a few times but gave up when she couldn't persuade her.

Gao Yingzi was also frugal with cooking oil, and the meals at home were quite plain, but Chen Baozhen didn't mind her sister-in-law. It was because her sister-in-law made excellent yeast-free steamed buns. Just buns with pickled vegetables were enough for her to eat every day without getting bored.

"Yaoyao, take some buns home with you later."

Qin Yao nodded. "If you get tired of eating and want a change, come to my place."

While they were talking, Gao Yingzi came out with a basin of washed clothes to hang up, while Jiang Xiaomiao, the younger sister of the female neighbor Bai Qiuling, stretched lazily and casually picked a cucumber to eat.

Qin Yao looked at Gao Yingzi. She felt that although this girl was dark and thin with average looks, she was indeed hardworking and quick in her tasks. How could she be considered a "difficult sister-in-law"?

According to Chen Baozhen, her only fault was being frugal. Where was the extremity?

Chen Baozhen said, "Yaoyao, Lao Gao wants to introduce his sister to someone, but she’s not particularly satisfied with the two he suggested."

Qin Yao asked, "Who does your sister-in-law like?"

"Someone educated and fond of writing poetry. The one she likes, Lao Gao didn’t think highly of, thinking his background isn’t good enough. His sister thinks he’s being snobbish, and I think so too. Just because the young man’s job isn’t great now doesn’t mean it won’t improve in the future. But after I scolded him, he admitted his error."

"Someone educated and who loves writing poetry?" Qin Yao suddenly felt uneasy but couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

"His surname is Pan; they call him Xiao Pan. He also works in cultural publicity. Yingzi met him while gathering firewood."

Qin Yao exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Pan?!"

"Could it be the Xiao Pan from our hospital’s publicity office?"

Chen Baozhen was stunned. "Yaoyao, you know him?"

Qin Yao: "..."

Now she understood what made this ‘extraordinary sister-in-law’ so extraordinary. It turns out she has poor judgment.

There were plenty of honest and reliable men around, but she had to set her sights on Xiao Pan.