With a mix of nervousness and expectation, Sheng Zexi closed his eyes and fell asleep.
In his dream, he seemed to have returned to those days at the Gu Family's home. Those were some of the few happy times since his mother had passed away.
When he woke up, it was already daylight.
He raised his hand to check the time: six-thirty.
Sheng Zexi got up to wash and dress, wearing his military uniform. Unlike before, when he used to leave the buttons undone when he was outside, now he fastened them meticulously, displaying a bit more seriousness and sincerity. Grabbing the gifts, he got into the car.
The car started, kicking up a wisp of dust, and headed toward Huaihua Village.
-
"Ningning, get up for breakfast."
Gu Jia Ning was woken up by her sister-in-law.
"Coming." Gu Jia Ning opened the door and saw her sister-in-law.
"Ningning, your elder brother has had breakfast and has already gone to the steel factory for work." Yang Manman said while looking at Gu Jia Ning.
Gu Jia Ning knew her sister-in-law was testing her, so she smiled and said, "It's fine. The recruitment information came about because my brother saved the factory director's kidnapped grandson. He also passed the recruitment exam himself, so this job rightfully belongs to my brother."
Hearing her sister-in-law's words, Yang Manman breathed a sigh of relief. Yesterday, after her sister-in-law jumped into the river and then woke up, she said she didn't want her husband's job anymore. The drastic change left Yang Manman somewhat bewildered, but it was a good thing.
This morning, she had pushed her originally hesitant husband to go to work, and now she specifically came to wake her sister-in-law, just to confirm.
Honestly, she was quite worried that her sister-in-law would change her mind after waking up. If she did, the job would surely have to be given up again, because their soft-hearted man couldn't refuse his darling sister.
Gu Jia Ning glanced around. Aside from her elder brother who went to the steel factory, everyone else was at home.
Her father, known as Old Man Gu, was the village head of the Huaihua Team. Her mother, Yao Chunhua, managed the pigsty for the village. Her sister-in-law, Yang Manman, was the language teacher at the village elementary school, from the neighboring Guangming Brigade. She married her elder brother, Gu Yunting, out of love.
Her second brother, Gu Yunan, was tall and strong, being quite efficient with farm work. Last year, through an introduction, he married Su Miao from the Lihua Team. Last month, the second sister-in-law, Su Miao, gave birth to a boy, and she is currently in her confinement period.
Her third brother, Gu Yunzhou, after graduating high school, became the village accountant and managed the books quickly and accurately.
"Come, Ningning, have a bowl of fish soup for nourishment. Third brother got the fish from the river this morning. Are you feeling any unwell?" As soon as Gu Jia Ning sat down, her mother brought a full bowl of fish soup and placed it in front of her.
Gu Jia Ning shook her head. Faced with her mother's concern, she replied, "I'm fine now. By the way, second sister-in-law got some fish soup too, right?"
She hadn't forgotten that her second sister-in-law was in her confinement period, and the hen prepared for her yesterday had been slaughtered, so she drank chicken soup.
"She did, Ningning. I just took some to her. She also had yesterday's chicken soup," second brother Gu Yunan quickly said, thinking to himself that his younger sister had become much more sensible after waking up from her jump into the river.
Of course, the Gu Family knew that Gu Jia Ning was a bit spoiled and demanding before, but they thought it was perfectly normal for her to occasionally act mischievous, as she was the pampered little girl of the family.
Gu Jia Ning contentedly drank the fish soup. This time, she recovered quickly, thanks to the care of her family, and the painkillers and sweet rice wine cooked with eggs that Sheng Zexi brought.
In her previous life, after jumping into the river, she first developed a high fever, later needed IV drips, and it took a whole three days to barely get better, leaving her with infertility issues.
"Ningning, are you sure you want to meet Xixi?" During breakfast, Yao Chunhua found a moment to ask about this matter.
Hearing this, everyone in the Gu Family looked over.
Gu Jia Ning knew she had to explain clearly, so she looked up at the Old Gu Family members and said, "Mom, after jumping into the river this time, I suddenly realized that I don't really like Wen Zhiqing that much. Besides, I feel like marrying him is a loss. He doesn't have a job, can't work in the fields, and who knows when he might return to the city. If I marry him now, it means that I, along with our entire family, will have to support him. It's not worth it."
"This time, elder brother's job, after he heard about it, he kept complaining to me about how tough it was to work in the fields, expressing envy that elder brother had a job, and prodding me to ask for the job." Gu Jia Ning's voice was delicate and aggrieved as she bit her lip and lowered her head, looking like a wilted flower.
Upon hearing this, Yao Chunhua was infuriated, her eyes full of disdain, "I always knew he was malicious."
"Right, little sister, you mustn't marry someone like that, or you'll end up helping him count money after being sold," second brother Gu Yunan agreed.
Gu Yunzhou secretly clenched his fist, thinking the beating he gave that pretty boy yesterday was too light.
"Mm, I know, that's why I don't like him anymore. I think it's better to marry a ready-made officer. Brother Sheng had stayed with us before, so you, mom and dad, know his nature best."
To speak of it, Gu Jia Ning and Sheng Zexi met because Gu Jia Ning picked up Sheng Zexi, who was injured and unconscious in the mountains, and brought him home. Of course, she didn't have the strength to do so, but rather, her second brother carried him back.
The reason they brought him back was because, seeing him in a military uniform, they guessed they might benefit.
Unexpectedly, after Sheng Zexi woke up, due to his mission requirements, he directly stayed at her home for a period to recuperate, pretending to be her distant cousin.
Gu Jia Ning somewhat regretted bringing him home, as Sheng Zexi was rebellious and sharp-tongued, often making her cry. She was even a bit scared of him.
Gu Jia Ning once thought that Sheng Zexi disliked her since, on the few occasions she mustered the courage to flirt mischievously with him, he remained unmoved, even fleeing and scolding her.
Even after knowing in her previous life that Sheng Zexi liked her, she still found it unrealistic.
But Sheng Zexi's arrival and concern yesterday made it feel a bit more real.
The Old Gu Family was shocked by Gu Jia Ning's sudden realization, but they thought that it was normal for one's perspective to change dramatically after a life-and-death experience.
After breakfast, Gu Jia Ning went into her room to doll herself up, thinking that no matter the occasion, especially one where she would meet someone, she had to look her best.
It was winter, the weather was cold, and most people wore cotton-padded jackets, which Gu Jia Ning usually wore too, but she felt they looked frumpy. So, she took out the camel woolen coat she had saved money to buy and put on a pair of small leather shoes.
The long woolen coat made her look tall and elegant, and she styled her hair into a loose side braid.
Gu Jia Ning had some makeup. As her complexion was a bit pale, she applied blush and lipstick.
Admiring herself in a small mirror, Gu Jia Ning then heard the sound of a car outside, followed by a commotion.
Realizing what it meant, Gu Jia Ning's heart started pounding with a bit of nervousness.