Virtuous
After the wedding banquet was over, and the crowd had dispersed, Zhan Aiping took the slightly tipsy Gu Sheng back to her own place. After all, it was their wedding day, and even if it was just for show, they needed a “bridal chamber with candles.”
She sent Zhan Aijia and her mother to stay at a guesthouse, and then she slightly decorated her own room, putting up red lucky words to at least give it the appearance of a “newlywed” room.
In the city, many young couples got married in such tiny square rooms, or entire families spanning three generations crammed into small houses of just a few dozen square meters. Her room, if only occupied by two people, was considered quite “large.”
Zhan Aiping dragged Gu Sheng into the room and felt like she was bringing a “new bride” home.
Gu Sheng was drowsy and not very clear-headed, and Zhan Aiping wasn’t in much better shape. Though not drunk, she was feeling a bit “tipsy,” her body felt light, and she walked with a slight dizziness, as if she were stepping on cotton.
They also brought the remaining bottles of alcohol back with them.
Zhan Aiping put down the bottles Gu Sheng was carrying. It was a breeze for him, even if they weighed over a hundred pounds. She directed him to sit on a chair while she went to pour some water.
Gu Sheng glanced around and remarked, “It’s really small.”
Zhan Aiping responded with a light snort.
Gu Sheng placed his hands on the table, furrowing his brow and massaging his temples. Zhan Aiping handed him a cup of hot water, and Gu Sheng sniffed it with extra disdain, keeping his eyes on the bottle of Wuliangye (**alcohol**) that hadn’t been finished on the table.
Taking a sip of the water, Zhan Aiping found it tasteless and somewhat unsatisfying, making her a little itchy.
She wasn’t much of a drinker and didn’t often indulge in alcohol. As she got older, she focused more on taking care of her health. She only occasionally drank some health-preserving liquor. However, in her younger years, she had a few experiences of getting drunk.
Drinking alcohol was like eating sunflower seeds – either you didn’t drink at all, or you couldn’t stop.
Since they were both still young, she suggested, “Brother, should we continue drinking?”
Gu Sheng opened his eyes and said, “Let’s drink!”
Zhan Aiping prepared some snacks like peanuts to accompany the alcohol, and the two of them, acting like good buddies, continued drinking. Zhan Aiping said, “We female soldiers can hold our liquor pretty well,” and Gu Sheng replied, “None of you can outdrink me.”
They played rock-paper-scissors, drank, and bet peanuts. As they continued to drink, they almost became sworn brothers. They took two or three chopsticks, pretended they were incense sticks, and made a blood oath by cutting their fingers and dripping blood onto two oranges. There was no image of Guan Gong (a Chinese deity known for brotherhood and loyalty), so Zhan Aiping drew a Pikachu, which Gu Sheng criticized as too ugly, so he drew a monkey instead.
As they continued drinking, they eventually passed out. They didn’t sleep in the bed that night. Gu Sheng lay directly on the floor, and Zhan Aiping was too lazy to climb onto the bed, so she pulled the blanket down and slept on the floor.
Even in his hangover state, Gu Sheng, who was accustomed to waking up early, opened his eyes at the usual time. It was still dim outside, not yet bright. When he moved, not only did he have a headache, but other parts of his body also felt uncomfortable. Someone was lying like a “dead fish” on top of him, with disheveled hair on his neck, a mixture of the smell of alcohol and a faint scent of hair oil.
Gu Sheng took a deep breath of air, “Hiss…”
He had slept in an awkward position.
He reached up to adjust, but instead, he pulled out a book. It had “Comprehensive Guide to Medicinal Herbs” written on it. He had slept on this thing yesterday.
No wonder it felt so uncomfortable. Gu Sheng reached down and realized that there were several books underneath him. Sleeping on books made it warm, but his whole body was aching from the discomfort.
The person lying on top of him was still not awake, making vague humming noises as they clung to the blanket and snuggled further into his embrace.
“Zhan Aiping, wake up.”
The sleeping person lifted their hand and accurately covered his mouth. “Don’t make noise.”
“If you make noise again, I’ll show you what a devil instructor is.”
Gu Sheng’s face darkened, “If you don’t get up soon, I’ll show you what a devil platoon leader is.”
Zhan Aiping sat up, wrapped in the blanket, her eyes half-closed in sleepiness, leaning against his shoulder.
“Good buddy, let me sleep a bit more.”
Gu Sheng gritted his teeth, “…” Who said you were a good buddy?
Zhan Aiping’s hair was already in disarray from sleep, covering her face. Gu Sheng could only see her black, tousled hair against her fair chin and a small mole near her collarbone.
Gu Sheng fell silent for a moment, realizing that this was how women were in the early morning.
He reached up and tugged at Zhan Aiping’s long hair.
Due to his lack of control, he accidentally pulled out three strands of her hair. Gu Sheng finally realized that his buddy’s “hair” was real.
Zhan Aiping winced and opened her eyes, giving him a slap on the face. This guy was shameless. Who pulled someone’s hair early in the morning?
Now that sleep was impossible, Zhan Aiping yawned. She felt a bit uncomfortable with the smell on her body, so she heated some water, washed her hair, and took a shower. She returned to the room, lit a charcoal brazier, and wore a sweater while drying her hair.
Gu Sheng also took a cold shower, his physique tough and hardy. He changed into a set of oversized military uniform that Zhan Aiping had thrown at him. It was her old uniform, and it was too big for her, but on Gu Sheng, it was too small. The originally loose-fitting shirt was stretched tightly on him, revealing the contours of his muscles.
Zhan Aiping couldn’t help but laugh continuously, feeling like she had brought a new bride home, and the bride was wearing her clothes.
Gu Sheng’s face turned incredibly dark.
He couldn’t bear it any longer, so he took a basin to wash his clothes, planning to quickly dry his own clothes and change. Zhan Aiping tossed her changed clothes to him and said, “Brother, can you help with the laundry? My hair isn’t dry yet, and it’s cold outside.”
With that, she hurried back to the fire to warm up.
Gu Sheng turned on the faucet to wash the clothes but began to feel that something was off as he washed. “…”
Didn’t they say that she would do all the household chores?
Why am I doing the laundry?
…She said her hair isn’t dry yet.
Gu Sheng finished washing the clothes and went upstairs. Zhan Aiping’s hair still wasn’t dry. She was slowly drying it with a white towel and had applied some hair oil, filling the air with the scent of Osmanthus.
Gu Sheng rubbed his nose and spread out the wrung clothes, roasting them by the side. He said, “It’s easier to cut it short. Don’t keep long hair in the future.”
Zhan Aiping poked at the charcoal fire without responding. It was clear that this guy actually liked the way she looked with long hair.
As a bona fide “veteran traditional Chinese medicine practitioner,” Zhan Aiping had taken good care of her hair in the past. She often massaged acupuncture points, paid attention to maintenance, and had very few white hairs, maintaining a full head of black hair into her old age.
Someone once called her an old fox and encouraged her to dye her hair white, saying that having a youthful appearance with white hair would better suit the image of an “experienced Chinese medicine practitioner.”
“You see that young Zhou from the Chinese medicine hospital? He’s only in his forties, but his hair has turned completely white. He used to dye his hair continuously a few years ago, but now he stopped. He sits in consultation with a head full of white hair, and it has almost become the face of their hospital. When patients see him, they all think he’s highly skilled.”
“You old fox, when people see you, they just think you’re a mediocre doctor.”
“What do you mean, mediocre doctor? Can’t people see me as an elegant and beautiful female Chinese medicine practitioner?”
“Elegant and beautiful? Give me a break! You can only attract a few old men.”
—The vinegar queen.
Zhan Aiping threw a freshly heated steamed bun at Gu Sheng, and he skillfully caught it. They sat together to eat the leftover buns and dishes that they had brought back from the restaurant yesterday, which could last them for several days.
After a few bites, Gu Sheng couldn’t help it. He picked up a jacket and draped it over Zhan Aiping’s shoulders, urging her to put it on.
At this moment, Zhan Aiping was wearing a well-fitted, high-necked sweater with a white towel draped over her shoulders. The sweater clung to her shapely figure, especially when she leaned forward to eat.
Zhan Aiping was left speechless, “…”
She held the jacket in front of her and continued eating.
Gu Sheng said, “Are you marrying someone like this, without any sense of style?”
Zhan Aiping retorted, “Well, I did marry you, didn’t I?”
Gu Sheng, “…”
There was also a pot of congee cooking on the stove. Zhan Aiping leisurely nibbled on the steamed bun, savouring it slowly. She planned to finish her nourishing congee before taking action. Gu Sheng finished his meal early. He stood up, stretched his neck, and then saw the mess on the floor.
All those books from last night were scattered everywhere. He furrowed his brows, walked over, and picked up one or two. There were books like “Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic,” “Huangdi Neijing,” “Family Chinese Medicine Recipes,” and “Warm Moxibustion Manual.”
Gu Sheng picked them all up and arranged them neatly on the bookshelf. He also straightened the bedsheet and neatly folded the quilt into tofu-like blocks.
Zhan Aiping’s room was very simple, with minimal furniture and decorations. It just needed a bit of dusting with a chicken feather duster.
Gu Sheng casually grabbed the duster and wiped the bookshelf.
Zhan Aiping blew on the hot congee, took a small sip, and tasted it.
Gu Sheng stood with his hands on his hips, feeling something was off.
He turned his head to look at Zhan Aiping, “…?”
Zhan Aiping smiled at him.
Gu Sheng asked, “Remember, from now on, you do the household chores.”
Zhan Aiping nodded, “I will.”
As for when and how she wanted to do them, she would decide.
Since he helped her tidy up the room, she felt a bit embarrassed. Zhan Aiping shook his clothes for him and cleared her throat, “Gu Sheng, I’ll help you dry your clothes.”
Gu Sheng gritted his teeth, “…”
He should have some dignity.
Clearly, he had washed the clothes, and he had placed them by the fire to dry.
Zhan Aiping went about helping him put on his clothes, buttoning them up one by one. She said while doing it, “I’ve always wanted to be a virtuous wife.”
“Really, I wholeheartedly want to be a virtuous wife.”
Gu Sheng rolled his eyes directly.
He’d believe it when pigs could fly.
“Have you ever heard of praise education? In the future, you should praise me for being virtuous in front of others. When I hear that, I’ll be encouraged, and I’ll become even more virtuous.”
Gu Sheng responded coolly, “I’ve only heard of corporal punishment.”
He was the kind of person who spoke his mind. He couldn’t just praise her insincerely.
Zhan Aiping asked, “…Brother, do you want to fight?”
“Don’t call me ‘Brother’ anymore. You’ve already married me. Calling me ‘Brother’ now would be awkward to explain.”
“Just say it’s a term of endearment. We grew up together since we were kids, so we’re good friends.”
Gu Sheng finished changing his clothes, and without lingering, Zhan Aiping accompanied him downstairs. She also gave him a handful of chocolates to eat on the way.
Gu Sheng held the chocolates he had bought himself and walked back without any expression on his face.
Wang Youli was extremely surprised when he saw him, “You came back so soon? Wasn’t it your wedding night yesterday?”
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