Gu Xiaomei
After hanging up the phone, Gu Ze’an couldn’t help but mutter to himself. His wife, Qin Ying, asked him what was wrong. “Is Gu Sheng doing badly with Ping Ping?”
Gu Ze’an replied, “Gu Sheng was laughing on the phone. He was actually laughing, knowing his sister is coming, he’s still laughing…”
“What’s wrong with that? If Gu Sheng and Ping Ping are doing well, we should be happy too.” Qin Ying also smiled. As long as nothing goes wrong on their end.
Gu Ze’an muttered, “We can’t let that kid get too cocky. Right now, I’m worried about one thing—”
Qin Ying asked, “What is it?”
“I still suspect they faked their marriage, just to fool us.” Gu Ze’an thought it over several times, recalling various anomalies and the smugness of their youngest son, Gu Sheng, on the phone. A flash of insight crossed his mind, making everything clear to him.
Qin Ying was stunned. “They faked their marriage?”
“Yes, that’s the only explanation that makes sense. They’re faking their marriage to deceive us.” Gu Ze’an snapped his fingers, increasingly convinced it was the case. “They should be sleeping in separate rooms, not really husband and wife. All those phone calls before were just acting for our benefit. Oh… what kind of trouble have we gotten into?”
Qin Ying hesitated. “…”
In her heart, Qin Ying also leaned toward this answer. Gu Sheng and Ping Ping suddenly getting married and behaving so strangely, the only explanation was that they were acting.
—They were just a fake couple, not only deceiving outsiders but also fooling their own family.
“Gu Sheng must have conspired with Ping Ping. Otherwise, how could he be so smug? I noticed something was off in his last phone call, and now he’s all smug again. Like father, like son, they must have succeeded in their scheme!”
“When his little sister arrives, they’ll surely continue to act in front of her. They might even act like a ‘loving couple.’ Who would believe that? Let me believe it, I don’t believe it. The more affectionate they are, the more suspicious it seems. They must be deliberately acting—”
Gu Ze’an thought this way for a reason. He stared at Qin Ying. “You gave birth to these sons, and every one of them has some artistic talent. They’re all good actors.”
Their eldest son, the first son, had become a member of the municipal standing committee.
In the newspapers, his acting skills were quite remarkable. The twins, the second and third sons, were a bit lacking, but the fourth and fifth sons were making up for it. The fourth son was a tenor and quite good at acting in dramas. The best-looking in the family was the fifth son, and Gu Ze’an had initially thought he might pursue something artistic, like joining the arts troupe. The fifth son had better looks and vocal talent than the fourth, but he didn’t want to. Instead, he got involved with Ping Ping next door, got into fights, caused trouble for himself, and became more and more rough…
Qin Ying glared at him. “How can you blame me for this? Isn’t it like you, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“Like me? At least I’m sincere in my relationships. When I commit to someone, it’s for life. The eldest takes after me, but as for someone like the fifth, who treats marriage and relationships so casually…”
Qin Ying retorted, “Stop pointing fingers at me. I admit I married you back then just for a better life.”
Gu Ze’an snorted coldly, then went out for a walk. Unfortunately, going out wasn’t any better than staying in. As soon as he stepped out, he bumped into Old Qian, who was out with his grandchildren. Old Qian was around the same age as Gu Ze’an, but despite Gu Ze’an having a higher position, he couldn’t seem to pressure Old Qian in any way. Old Qian’s grandchildren were already calling him grandpa.
Old Qian, now devoid of any ambition in his career, was just waiting to retire. Whenever he saw Gu Ze’an, he intentionally teased him, “Commander Gu, we’re both sixty years old. It’s time to take it easy.”
Gu Ze’an chuckled, “You’re only sixty.”
“You have five sons, why haven’t you given birth to any grandchildren yet? I heard your fifth son recently got married. You should be expecting grandchildren next year, right?” Old Qian teased, unbothered about career advancement, just poking fun at his old buddy.
Gu Ze’an replied, “…”
His hope for grandchildren rested on his fourth son, who was in the performing arts troupe, surrounded by plenty of beautiful actresses.
The eldest son remained unmarried, dedicating his life to work. Whenever he wasn’t in meetings, he was on his way to one. It was clear he intended to devote his entire life to his career.
As for the second and third sons, Gu Ze’an had no expectations. The second son was in the Northeast Military Region, and apart from his military wife, there weren’t many women around him. As for the third son, he spent most of his time at sea, lucky to see anyone at all.
Gu Ze’an hmphed and ignored Old Qian. “I don’t care about grandchildren.”
—But he did care.
He was almost sixty years old, yet he didn’t even have a grandchild.
When Gu Ze’an returned home, he quickly called his fourth son and scolded him. Meanwhile, he was planning to find someone to introduce to his fourth son. Gu Ze’an’s fourth son felt particularly wronged, “The fifth son got married already. If you want grandchildren, hurry up and ask the fifth son. Why look so far away?”
“I’m busy preparing for performances.”
“Father, do you think I’m suitable for marriage? I’m busy performing outside all the time, never at home. When I’m not here for visits, I’m there for performances. I’m busy rehearsing.”
Gu Ze’an remained silent.
“Why did I end up with a bunch of disobedient sons, all busy and none settling down? If only the eldest had…”
Gu Ze’an dared not continue. The eldest son had wanted to get married back then but didn’t, leaving behind a bunch of rotten fruits.
Qin Ying also regretted bringing up the topic, “Don’t worry. When Ping Ping has a child with the fifth son—”
Gu Ze’an’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“I said when Ping Ping has a child with the fifth son.”
Gu Ze’an felt uncomfortable all over upon hearing this. “Ping Ping having a child with the fifth son? Is that… possible?”
“What if they got married as a cover-up?” Qin Ying whispered softly. “When a man and a woman share a bed, something’s bound to happen.”
Gu Ze’an remained silent. “Should I find their photos to wake you up?”
They have photos of Gu Sheng and Zhan Aiping, yes, and quite a few of them. Gu Ze’an casually picked one out, showing two handsome young men in the photo, looking like a “good pair of brothers.”
Qin Ying: “…”
Gu Ze’an pointed to one of the handsome young men and said, “Can you imagine what she would look like pregnant?”
Qin Ying felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head.
Gu Ze’an snorted, showing his disdain, “If they dare to have children, I wouldn’t dare to take them. What kind of demons were they when they were kids? Their children will surely turn the world upside down.”
Qin Ying: “…”
Qin Ying couldn’t help but say, “Have a daughter, just like her sister-in-law.”
“Her sister-in-law is just a lazybones, only knows how to laze around at home.”
Qin Ying: “…”
“Dad! What are you saying about me?” Gu Xiangyi popped out from behind. She had been busy packing these days, asking about the situation over there every day, and couldn’t wait to go.
“What did I say about you? When you get to Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-in-law’s place, listen to them well.”
“Don’t worry.” Gu Xiangyi readily agreed.
She looked forward to seeing Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-in-law. She hadn’t seen Fifth Sister-in-law, Zhan Aiping, for a long time. She admired Zhan Aiping a lot; after all, she was a female military doctor!
Gu Xiangyi privately speculated that her Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-in-law were probably really in a fake marriage. She thought that when she went over, she would help them cover up a bit.
Both Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-in-law were people who cared about their reputations. Even if they wanted to divorce, they would wait for two or three years before doing so. Fortunately, they were still young and it wouldn’t delay anything.
What a joke!
Gu Xiangyi: “…”
How could they just casually get married?!
*
Zhan Aiping officially started working at the township hospital. The house she was assigned to at the hospital had been completely transformed by her, cleaned spotlessly. Gu Sheng had someone deliver a batch of old furniture for her, and Zhan Aiping made some bamboo items herself, such as bamboo beds, stools, and baskets for daily use.
She also built a clay oven behind the house and baked some bread. Qin Yanfang and several others praised her craftsmanship, but Chinese people didn’t really like eating bread. Zhan Aiping herself also didn’t like bread; steamed buns and noodles were more to their taste, especially in Yunnan Province, where they loved rice noodles and rice vermicelli.
The work at the township hospital wasn’t really busy. In a month, there were about fifteen day shifts, three days of outpatient service, and another five or six days of night shifts. Doctors could switch shifts with each other, and they could work consecutive days during day or night shifts. During work hours, as long as there were no patients, they could stroll around the hospital, tend to flowers, water the vegetable garden, very free.
Zhan Aiping took the time to reinforce the house and also made a rocking lounge chair. She set up a canopy at the door and would nap on the rocking chair at noon. Seeing this, Dr. Zhou Zhonghua felt envious and asked her to help make one for him too.
Dr. Zhou Zhonghua said to his wife, Meng Xiaoyun, “Dr. Zhan’s medical skills aren’t yet clear, but her woodworking skills are really impressive.”
Meng Xiaoyun replied, “Isn’t that just like treating bones? I’ve seen the bone surgery in your books; isn’t it like being a carpenter? Dr. Zhan is from a big city, she must have learned this kind of orthopaedic carpentry…”
Dr. Zhou Zhonghua: “…”
Meng Xiaoyun: “Why can’t you do woodworking?”
Dr. Zhou Zhonghua almost choked on his breath, “What do you know, woman.”
Most of the patients received at the clinic of the township hospital were ordinary, without many complicated diseases. Zhou Zhonghua observed Zhan Aiping’s medication and treatment and gradually relaxed.
When it was time for the outpatient service, Zhou Zhonghua called Zhan Aiping to go to the village with him. Rubbing his thumb and forefinger, he said to her, “Let’s go make some extra money and increase the hospital’s revenue.”
Zhan Aiping was a little curious about what extra work Zhou Zhonghua was doing, but she wanted someone familiar to take her to the village, someone who knew all the village cadres and the brigade committee. Dr. Zhou clearly had the connections.
People in the mountains were somewhat exclusive, more or less. Perhaps they were hospitable, but you couldn’t just claim to be a new doctor here to treat people without reason. If they saw you so young, who would believe you? If the patients didn’t cooperate with the treatment, even the best medical skills would be useless.
In this line of work, the older you were, the more easily people trusted you.
“Alright, Dr. Zhou, I’ll go with you.”
Zhan Aiping went down to the village with Zhou Zhonghua. Zhou Zhonghua was indeed a familiar face for miles around. Along the way, many people greeted him, and some asked about Zhan Aiping, “Hey, who’s this?”
“This is our new doctor from the health Centre, Zhan Aiping.”
People like Zhou Zhonghua had one advantage: they could hitch rides easily. They hitched rides on tractors and carts along the way, purely based on their reputation.
“Dr. Zhou, going down to the village, I can give you a ride.”
Zhan Aiping was indeed envious: “When will I ever receive such treatment?”
Zhou Zhonghua was very proud: “If you want to achieve my level of fame, you’ll have to work at it slowly. It’ll probably take three to five years.”
This young one still wants to learn from him, slowly gaining experience over the years.
This doctor, treating illnesses and saving lives, indeed holds high social status and is respected by people.
“Who in the surrounding ten miles hasn’t heard of me, Doctor Zhou.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
They rode in an ox cart to the village. Zhan Aiping finally understood what Doctor Zhou meant by “extra earnings”. She thought they were going to treat people, but instead, the villagers took them to the “pigsty”. In this era, people’s houses weren’t much better than pigsties.
They were there to assist with pig birthing and post-natal care for sows.
—Doctor Zhou sure has a wide range of skills.
Sun Daqiang, in charge of pig farming in the commune, said to Zhan Aiping, “Doctor Zhou is highly skilled. He can even give pigs treatments like acupuncture and injections, better than those veterinarians who don’t know acupuncture.”
“Are you his apprentice? You should learn from him.”
“We have many pigs in our commune, thanks to Doctor Zhou’s guidance.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
In this era, every household’s most valuable asset was pigs. The country encouraged pig farming, and the commune placed great emphasis on it. For rural households, pig farming was one of the few ways to increase income. The year’s harvest, children’s new clothes—all depended on the pigs raised at home.
Raising anything else would be condemned as capitalism, but pig farming was explicitly supported by the state as a way to increase family income. One person, one pig, one acre, one pig—the more, the better.
Aside from collective dividends, pig farming was also a means for rural households to supplement income.
Although households were forbidden to privately slaughter and sell pork, there were food stations everywhere that bought live pigs. These stations paid farmers in money, fertilizer coupons, and cloth coupons. Each urban household had a designated amount of cloth coupons, a rare source for villagers without urban residency.
Raising pigs wasn’t easy; the fear was that they wouldn’t reach maturity, would die of illness, or would be lost.
Pointing at a sow, Sun Daqiang said, “This sow just gave birth, but her milk isn’t enough. Several piglets might not survive. The commune leader said to have the hospital take away two to see if they can be saved. Be careful; this sow is fierce.”
Among the pigs the commune raised was a local breed called the small black pig, a crossbreed of wild boar and domestic pig, known for its aggressive and dominant temperament. Even when domesticated, these pigs were stubborn and known to bite and break fences.
However, the meat of these black pigs was exceptionally good—tasty and not greasy.
The sow currently giving birth was one of these small black pigs, fiercely protective of her piglets. She kept people away but couldn’t provide enough milk. The more dominant piglets were growing fat, but the others were becoming thin and starving.
Caring for a sow during birth was a nerve-wracking task; one feared the sow might accidentally crush the piglets or that some might not survive.
Doctor Zhou said to Zhan Aiping, “This is a good pig with delicious meat. Our hospital’s sows also have some milk.”
He gave Zhan Aiping a meaningful look: a good breeding pig—if they managed to raise it, it would be a stroke of luck.
“Xiao Zhan, you have quite the strength.”
Zhan Aiping: “Thank you for trusting me, Doctor Zhou.”
It turned out they were here to “collect pigs”.
Sun Daqiang wasn’t very generous and only gave them the two thinnest piglets: “Just those two, take them out later.”
“Be careful of the sow.”
Standing aside, Zhan Aiping said, “If the milk is insufficient, we can stimulate lactation in the sow.”
Doctor Zhou replied, “People don’t have enough to eat; where would we find things to stimulate lactation in pigs?”
“In some places, they use a kind of white-flowered stinky peony root boiled in water to stimulate lactation. Maybe we can mix it in the pig feed for the sow to try.” Zhan Aiping seemed to have heard of this method before.
Sun Daqiang: “… Can that work?”
Doctor Zhou: “Why not give it a try? Dr. Zhan is a woman, she knows more about gynaecology.”
Zhan Aiping: “…?”
Gynaecology?!!!
Zhan Aiping quickly improvised: “Yes, I understand gynaecology. If any women in the village need help with childbirth or any other minor issues, they can come to me.”
Sun Daqiang: “…”
So, they all gathered together and tried stimulating lactation in the sow. Surprisingly, it worked—the sow’s milk production increased. Zhan Aiping started interacting more with the villagers.
“Milk’s coming! Milk’s coming!”
“Be gentle.”
…
Although pig farming was carefully managed, the methods were indeed rough. Zhan Aiping had read about scientific pig farming methods and exchanged learning with local officials.
Her reputation spread, and people even started asking her to treat water buffaloes. Two water buffalo cows had mastitis, and although Zhan Aiping initially hesitated, she couldn’t resist the opportunity for buffalo milk.
She praised Doctor Zhou’s versatility, but in truth, she was just as capable. She had read many veterinary books before and knew how to use Chinese herbs on livestock. In her quest for knowledge, Zhan Aiping had learned a lot.
Zhan Aiping went down to the village to treat the sick water buffalo. In the pen, she found the buffalo with a fever, red eyes, abnormal milk secretion, and conducted a full examination. It was confirmed to be mastitis. Based on this, she prescribed medicines such as honeysuckle, dandelion, and liquorice, and administered them to the buffalo. She also instructed the villagers on massaging the buffalo and administered injections. With these efforts, a few days later, the buffalo gradually recovered.
Knowing Zhan Aiping liked buffalo milk, the commune sent her buffalo milk several times.
“Thank you, Dr. Zhan.”
“Thank you, Dr. Zhan…”
The two small black pigs from earlier were now being raised healthily in the hospital’s pigsty. The villagers sent her some cured meat and wild ferns picked from the mountains.
Through these interactions with villagers, Zhan Aiping learned many local dialects. There were numerous dialects here, and while locals could understand Mandarin, outsiders might not grasp the local speech.
Zhan Aiping already knew some of the local dialects and now became even more familiar with them. Walking through town or the fields, many people recognised her and greeted her with, “Dr. Zhan.”
—Even though her methods were unconventional, she had temporarily integrated into grassroots society.
Zhan Aiping also helped deliver babies for several women and received some treats like red sugar eggs. Of course, for childbirth, most preferred traditional midwives due to her young age; they were reluctant to trust her.
There were also women from the town coming to her for gynaecological treatment. At this time, there were few female doctors and many male doctors. Women were embarrassed to go to male doctors for gynaecological issues, but now, with young Zhan Aiping willing to help, gradually, her reputation for treating gynaecological issues spread.
The fresh and rich buffalo milk sent by the villagers was used by Zhan Aiping to make a large pot of milk tea. She also made double-skin milk pudding and used the remaining dough to make fragrant steamed buns, filling the air with the aroma of milk during the steaming process.
This made Qin Yanfang drool and exclaim, “I can’t stand it anymore, I can’t stand it! Dr. Zhan, are you living next door to me? I can’t stand it, are you a doctor or a chef?”
Zhan Aiping gave her a cup of milk tea. Previously, Qin Yanfang didn’t like water buffalo milk because of its strong taste, but after making milk tea, the rich milk fragrance mixed with the sweet tea aroma, creating an irresistible flavour.
Although Zhan Aiping usually ate alone at the hospital, she had a hearty appetite and could cook one or two dishes. Qin Yanfang came over to eat once or twice, feeling a bit embarrassed, and started cooking herself.
Meng Xiaoyun joked, “Dr. Zhan is here, and she’s motivating this lazy girl.”
Qin Yanfang said, “Watching others cook, I couldn’t help but start cooking myself.”
The amount of water buffalo milk sent by the villagers wasn’t much, but to show generosity, they sent a bucket of water buffalo milk. However, milk was something that tasted good in moderation; too much would be cloying and hard to drink.
Zhan Aiping took half a bucket of water buffalo milk back and sent some milk tea to several people in the family area. She also heated the milk buns at home, waiting for Gu Sheng to come back to eat together.
As soon as Gu Sheng returned home, he immediately smelled the enticing milk fragrance and hurried back with three or two steps, rubbing his nose, “Wife, you’re really pampering me with good food and drink.”
There was no way he could hide the fact that the house smelled so delicious; even if he wanted to tell others that his wife couldn’t cook, it wouldn’t hold up. Now, everyone in the family area knew that their house cooked delicious food.
“Not only pampering you with good food and drink, but I’m almost a celebrity now.” The town was small, Zhan Aiping was beautiful, a new doctor, from a military family, so people in the town and nearby villages knew her.
“There won’t be any more incidents like the train station; if anyone dares to follow me behind, rest assured, a bunch of villagers will beat them up first. I have a good reputation now.”
Gu Sheng gave her a thumbs-up, “Impressive, impressive, my wife is really something now.”
Other military families in the camp area might not interact with the surrounding villagers much, living mostly within their own community.
“Do you want some honey water? I’ll make you a cup.” Zhan Aiping had gone up the mountain alone once or twice and finally found pure wild honey. There wasn’t much, just a small jar, but it was exceptionally fragrant.
This was genuine pure natural wild honey. Upon opening the jar, a strong floral fragrance immediately wafted out, extremely intense. Zhan Aiping didn’t used to like honey water, but with this honey, she loved it. The rich aroma lingered for a long time.
“I won’t drink anymore, I’ll leave it for you.” Gu Sheng tasted this wild honey and knew it was good, but there wasn’t much. He wanted to leave it all for his wife.
“I’ll share mine with you, here, have a sip.”
“Okay.” Gu Sheng smiled and took a sip of honey water.
There wasn’t much of this honey left, and Zhan Aiping didn’t plan to venture deep into the mountains again soon. Although it wasn’t time yet, she had a special feeling and guessed she might be pregnant.
Since she wasn’t sure yet, she hadn’t told Gu Sheng.
“My younger sister called and said she’s in Spring City. She should be able to come over tomorrow. Wife, are you off work tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’m off work. I’ll go pick her up.”
Gu Sheng replied, “No need, just wait in the camp.”
“Alright.”
When Gu Xiaomei (Little sister Gu) arrived, the couple tidied up the house a bit. The new bed they had arranged through someone was already set up. Zhan Aiping said she wanted to savour the old bed for a while longer, so they continued using their old one.
The next morning, Gu Sheng woke up early. He left before the bugle sounded. Zhan Aiping yawned and lay in bed for a while after hearing the bugle, then got up, changed clothes, and cooked noodles for breakfast.
She cracked an egg into the noodles and finally sprinkled fresh spring onions on top. The broth was bright and beautiful, with a firm poached egg covering the chewy noodles. After assisting with two deliveries in the village, their household was never short of eggs; when someone gave birth, they liked to gift eggs.
After finishing her noodles, Zhan Aiping went out to water the vegetable garden and feed the chickens and ducks at home. The chicks and ducklings they raised had grown considerably, chirping and quacking energetically.
The front garden was also planted with various crops, lush and green, with peas, chili peppers, and pumpkins… There were also flowers in the corners, with trellises set up, and Zhan Aiping had planted some sunflowers.
After lunch and a half-hour nap, Zhan Aiping glanced at her watch, estimated the time, and went to wait at the camp gate for Gu Xiangyi to arrive, chatting with people along the way.
Before long, a car arrived, and a young girl with a reddish-brown suitcase got off. She was not very old, with a fresh shoulder-length haircut, innocent and lovely. A few strands of hair stuck to her face, adding a touch of playfulness.
As she looked around while walking in, Zhan Aiping walked up to her and called out, “Xiaomei.”
Gu Xiangyi glanced at Zhan Aiping’s face and thought, What a beautiful military wife. She’s tall and blessed. How lucky is the family who married such a beautiful daughter-in-law? She politely said, “Sister, I’m waiting for someone.”
Zhan Aiping replied, “… The person you’re waiting for is me.”
Gu Xiangyi was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized, “My sister-in-law asked you to pick me up.”
Zhan Aiping looked at her sympathetically, “I am your sister-in-law, Xiaomei.”
How could this silly girl be so face-blind?
“You’re my sister-in-law? How could you possibly be my sister-in-law?” Gu Xiangyi was confused. In her mind, her sister-in-law was tall and handsome, with sharp and capable features… Wait, a bit fairer, taking off the military uniform, with a graceful figure… wearing a dress…
This was her sister-in-law!!!
“Let’s go, let’s head back first. Don’t space out on the way.” Zhan Aiping took the reddish-brown suitcase from her and led her towards home. Gu Xiangyi walked beside her in a daze.
She couldn’t fully grasp it—this beautiful woman beside her was indeed her sister-in-law.
Zhan Aiping had always had good facial features since childhood, double eyelids, beautiful eyes, long and curly eyelashes. Gu Xiangyi had always envied her eyes, but in her impression, Zhan Aiping always had clean-cut short hair. Gu Xiangyi had never seen her with long hair.
Although it was the same face, it was different now.
When Zhan Aiping had short hair, her bangs would cover her forehead, but now with long hair combed behind her head, her fluffy black hair and fair skin revealed her full and rosy face.
Gu Xiangyi’s face flushed. Her sister-in-law was really beautiful!
Were her fifth brother and sister-in-law really married, or was it fake? If they were really married, her little brother hit the jackpot, marrying such a beautiful sister-in-law.
They had grown up together from childhood!
Zhan Aiping led her into the house and brewed Pu’er tea for her. Gu Xiangyi sipped the tea quietly, then froze as she saw the wedding photo of her elder brother and sister-in-law hanging on the wall.
Gu Xiangyi: “…”
She felt like she was dreaming. This was completely different from the sibling-in-law relationship she had imagined.
“I’m curious, Sister-in-law, why did you want to marry my elder brother?”
Zhan Aiping casually replied, “Because I like him.”
Gu Xiangyi looked puzzled. “Do you think I, as a member of the Gu family, am easily deceived?”
“You two clearly didn’t get along since childhood. How many times have you fought?” Zhan Aiping chuckled. “Why don’t you ask our neighbour next door?”
Gu Xiangyi asked in confusion, “Ask about what?”
“Sibling rivalry is a sign of affection. From childhood to now, your brother and I have fought countless times. Now you know how close we are, right?”
Gu Xiangyi smiled wryly. “Sister Aiping, you’re teasing me.”
“You and your brother have always enjoyed teasing me since childhood. I’m not that naive anymore!”
Zhan Aiping sighed, “Even if I tell you the truth, you won’t believe me.”
“I’ll wait for my brother to come back and see how you two play this act together.”
“Fine, fine, you wait for your dear brother to come back. Tonight, I’ll cook dinner for you to enjoy.”
Gu Xiangyi pleaded, “Please don’t, Sister Aiping. Take me to eat at the cafeteria. Sister, you’re my real sister-in-law. Don’t cook. Please, don’t cook. I want to taste the cafeteria food in your camp.”
“Do you know how miserable it was when I left home? My mom cooked me three days’ worth of meals.”
“If you cook for me again, I’ll scream for help!”
Eating Aunt Qin’s three-day-old meals was indeed miserable. However, “Your brother said he wanted to eat my cooking.”
“My brother is brave. I’m not. No, wait. My brother dares to eat your cooking. I salute him as a true man.”
“He’s the man of our Gu family. A real man!”
Her brother ended up in the hospital after eating his wife’s cooking! And he still dares to eat it! He’s risking his life.
Zhan Aiping rolled up her sleeves. “Do you want to argue with your Sister Aiping?”
Gu Xiangyi sighed, “… Wait until my brother comes back, Sister Aiping, before you act recklessly.”
At that moment, Gu Sheng also walked in. He had returned early today and heard the commotion outside. As he entered the room, he immediately asked, “What are you two arguing about? I haven’t even come back yet, and you two are already arguing?”
“Gu Xiangyi, aren’t you here to ally with your sister-in-law?” Gu Sheng warned her, “Don’t argue with your sister-in-law. It wasn’t easy for me to marry a wife, you know?”
Gu Xiangyi retorted, “Stop pretending, both of you. You didn’t even coordinate your lines properly, brother Gu. Do you really think that’s something you would say? If you can’t deceive me, how could you deceive Dad?”
Her stubborn fifth brother would never say something like “it wasn’t easy for me to marry a wife.”
Gu Xiangyi also warned her brother and sister-in-law, “Stop daydreaming!”
“You’d better beg me instead. If you do, I might help cover for you.”
Gu Sheng’s mouth twitched. “Who needs you to cover for us? Don’t overestimate yourself.”
“Then let me ask you, why did you marry my sister-in-law?”
“I like her. I’ve liked her since I was little. Can’t I like your sister-in-law?”
Gu Xiangyi scowled. “Liars, both of you. When it comes down to it, you don’t even treat me like family. You lied to me because you don’t trust me!”
“Can you even speak a single truthful word?”
“You’ve both lied to me!”
Gu Sheng and Zhan Aiping exchanged a glance. Gu Xiangyi, fuming beside them, said, “Are you planning something together? Just be honest. I won’t tell anyone.”
Zhan Aiping nudged Gu Sheng’s arm. “Go take a shower quickly. I’ll cook.”
Gu Sheng nodded. “My little sister has always been naive. Don’t mind her.”
Gu Xiangyi muttered to herself, “This family of brother and sister-in-law is such a mess!”
“Before I came, my mom told me to come here and mediate,” Gu Xiangyi said.
Gu Sheng went to his room to get changed. “Then you can go back. Since your sister-in-law married me, we’ve never had an argument.”
“Why not? I don’t believe it,” Gu Xiangyi persisted.
Gu Sheng couldn’t be bothered to argue about belief. He simply went to shower and change into a new outfit—white shirt, military green trousers. After his shower, he looked refreshed and sharp. Even Gu Xiangyi had to admit he looked good.
“Brother, where did you get this outfit? It looks really nice. Why don’t you wear your military uniform anymore?”
Gu Sheng boasted, “My wife made it for me.”
Gu Xiangyi scoffed, “Do you think I’d believe that?”
Gu Sheng: “Why are you so silly? Are you really my little sister?”
“Stop arguing, Gu Sheng, come help me pick vegetables and cut the meat.” Gu Xiaomei came over today. Zhan Aiping bought a chicken and some fresh pork, planning to stew chicken soup, cook braised pork, prepare ribs, make sour cabbage fish, stir-fry bracken and bean sprouts, and cook waxed meat rice.
Gu Sheng: “I’ll go change into my old clothes.”
He didn’t want to get oil stains on the new clothes his wife made.
Zhan Aiping smiled as she looked him over, thinking to herself how stylish he looked.
“Wait a minute, let me have another look.” She pulled him over, pleased with how good her handmade clothes looked.
Gu Sheng lowered his head and looked at her tenderly. Accustomed to their intimacy at home, they almost kissed instinctively, but then realized Gu Xiangyi was nearby and stiffened. Zhan Aiping pushed him away.
Gu Sheng went to change his clothes, then returned to help her with the chicken. The husband and wife worked together in perfect harmony in the kitchen.
Gu Xiangyi watched from the side. Sometimes she thought her fifth brother and sister-in-law were truly loving newlyweds, and other times she thought they were just acting too well.
Gu Xiangyi: “Brother, sister-in-law, I dare not eat the dishes you cook.”
“Am I about to experience a ‘Hongmen feast’?”
**Nomad: The “Hongmen feast” or “Banquet at Hong Gate” was a historical event in Chinese history where General Xiang Yu held Liu Bang’s father hostage. Xiang Yu invited Liu Bang to a feast to reconcile and negotiate, but instead intended to assassinate him. Liu Bang discovered the plot and managed to escape. This event has since been used metaphorically to describe situations where someone is lured or tricked into a trap under the guise of a peaceful occasion or negotiation.**
Gu Sheng couldn’t be bothered to respond. “If you don’t eat, pack your things and report to the military hospital.”
Gu Xiangyi: “Or should I cook with you guys?”
Like her mother Qin Ying, she also had a strong passion for cooking.
Gu Xiaomei thought to herself that dying together is better than dying alone. She also wanted to cook!
She dreamed of cooking for the person she liked!
Zhan Aiping: “No, don’t come. Gu Sheng, hold your sister back, we’re in full alert mode.”
Gu Xiangyi: “Sister-in-law, are you really my sister-in-law?”
Gu Sheng: “…” Were they having an internal conflict first?
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