Absurd
Xie Wan was Zhan Aiping’s childhood friend. She was a teacher, and when Zhan Aiping got married, they’d spoken on the phone. At the time, Xie Wan said, “Old Zhao started a bet, betting on when you two would divorce.”
“I bet you’d separate within three years.”
Now, three to four years had passed, and Xie Wan had lost the bet completely. She never imagined that Zhan Aiping and Gu Sheng would live so steadily together for three years and already have twins who were nearly three years old.
Back then, Zhan Aiping had said, “Three years from now, you might even meet the children Old Gu and I have.”
Xie Wan joked, “If you manage to have Old Gu’s children, then I’ll have a little Nezha.”
Thinking about those past days, Xie Wan sighed deeply. Now she was about to get married, while Zhan Aiping hadn’t even entered a *second* marriage yet. It was still her *first*, and her husband had even been promoted to commander. Xie Wan couldn’t quite imagine what kind of life Zhan Aiping was living now.
Though Xie Wan grew up in the same compound, she hadn’t joined the military. She became a teacher and found herself a gentle, family-oriented high school math teacher named Zhang Shuyang. True to his name, he was scholarly and mild-mannered.
Xie Wan never envied her friends who married military officers. She loved her thoughtful and homely Teacher Zhang, who could cook, educate children, and care for the family.
Before getting married, Xie Wan wanted to show off her good man to her childhood friends. The first person she thought of was Zhan Aiping—they had been close as kids, and Xie Wan genuinely wanted to see her.
She even thought about persuading Zhan Aiping: if things weren’t going well with Old Gu, she should just leave early.
Back in childhood, Xie Wan had witnessed first-hand the bickering between Gu Sheng and Zhan Aiping—it was utterly irrational. How could two people who were always at each other’s throats live together without arguing every three days? Wouldn’t that be exhausting?
What was so great about being the *commander’s wife* anyway? The title sounded impressive, but all the hardship fell on her shoulders. Wouldn’t it be better to marry someone like her Teacher Zhang and enjoy a simple, peaceful life?
Xie Wan had no intention of repeating her mother’s life—her mother, who had been married to a domineering, old-fashioned man. For her father, his word was law, and her mother never dared oppose him. Even in old age, her father still boasted about his “achievements” as a young man while his temper and authoritative tone made Xie Wan’s childhood an anxious one.
She never expected Zhan Aiping to marry Gu Sheng. Their family situations were completely different. Xie Wan had always envied Zhan Aiping’s strong-willed mother. Her own father, Zhan Bo, was utterly submissive in front of his wife.
Xie Wan admired that “soft-boned” father of Zhan Aiping’s.
Meanwhile, Zhan Aiping envied Xie Wan’s gentle mother—someone who stayed at home, cared for the children, and had dinner ready the moment they walked through the door. What Zhan Aiping didn’t know was that Xie Wan’s father was often temperamental, critical, and meddlesome in the household.
To be honest, Xie Wan couldn’t imagine how Zhan Aiping lived with Gu Sheng.
Zhan Aiping’s personality was very similar to her mother, Ai Feihong—both women were proud and headstrong. Xie Wan assumed Zhan Aiping would marry someone like her own soft-spoken father or a gentle, accommodating man.
But instead, Zhan Aiping married a soldier.
And not just any soldier—Gu Sheng.
It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with soldiers, but military life emphasized discipline above all else. When someone held a leadership position, they inevitably brought their commanding tone home with them. They would issue orders without realizing it, and the atmosphere could feel… suffocating.
A man who was supposed to be a father or a partner could suddenly act like a superior officer. You couldn’t oppose his wishes. If he disapproved of something, he might drag you into a serious conversation, like a political commissar delivering a lecture on your *problematic thinking*.
“It’s still better to marry a teacher. I really didn’t expect Zhan Aiping to marry Gu Sheng.” Over the years, many teachers had been criticized, but as long as their words and thoughts weren’t too far off track, they managed to live quietly.
This year, many teachers had even returned to their former positions.
“Don’t you think so, Qin Lu?”
Back in childhood, Xie Wan mostly played with Zhan Aiping and didn’t interact much with Qin Lu. But now, since they both worked as teachers and married fellow teachers, Xie Wan and Qin Lu had grown closer. They occasionally met up for tea and chatted in their ample free time.
Qin Lu smiled faintly. “Yeah, I thought Zhan Aiping would marry someone like her father.”
“She’s just as strong-willed as her mother.”
Xie Wan laughed. “I thought so too.”
“See? We’re the smart ones for marrying teachers.”
“What’s so great about marrying a military officer or a cadre?”
Qin Lu smiled, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her fingers pinched the back of her hand lightly as she maintained her expression.
She and her husband were currently in the middle of a divorce. Qin Lu planned to leave him and take their daughter with her.
Her husband, Teacher Zhou, was a good man—gentle and kind. But his biggest flaw was his lack of ambition. He was content with the status quo, always advising Qin Lu to live a peaceful, ordinary life.
Qin Lu had had enough of it. People often praised Zhou as a good husband, but to her, he seemed spineless and unpromising.
How could a man who only thought about “home, home, home” ever achieve anything?
As a child, Qin Lu had been talented and versatile. Elders in the compound had fought over her, wanting her as their daughter-in-law. She loved singing and dancing, but as she grew up, she realized she was neither exceptional nor mediocre—her talents weren’t enough to go professional, and she was always eliminated.
Stuck in this awkward position, Qin Lu eventually became a primary school teacher. She stood out among female teachers for her good looks, and Teacher Zhou’s thoughtfulness—his soups and homecooked meals—had won her over. She married him.
The first couple of years were fine, but over time, Qin Lu grew increasingly dissatisfied. Especially when she saw her cousins’ husbands rising to positions like *director* and *political commissar*, she regretted her choices.
She thought bitterly, I’m prettier than my cousins. Why did I end up with an ordinary male teacher?
Over the years, it became clear that Zhou had no career ambitions. He was content to live life quietly and often encouraged Qin Lu to do the same—to stop chasing unrealistic dreams.
Qin Lu resented him for it.
Qin Lu couldn’t calm down. After much internal struggle, she finally figured it out—she was still young and beautiful, and she wanted a divorce. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life with a man who lacked ambition.
“Zhan Aiping will envy you,” Qin Lu said to Xie Wan with a smile. She didn’t try to dissuade Xie Wan from marrying. Instead, she quietly watched as her friend stepped into the same “pit” she once had. Qin Lu now saw her own past as a mistake—a pit she’d fallen into.
Xie Wan will regret it too, Qin Lu thought.
Xie Wan responded, “It’s Zhan Aiping who will envy you. Your husband treats you so well, he’s so considerate. Look at your daughter—she’s just like you were as a child, singing and dancing. She’s amazing. I don’t have any talents like that.”
“My Tingting only knows how to dance, but her teacher says she has a talent for ballet.” Mentioning her daughter, Zhou Ting, made Qin Lu’s smile even brighter.
Because of her dissatisfaction with her husband, Qin Lu had focused all her energy on her daughter. She wanted her daughter to grow up exceptional and beautiful, someone who would one day marry a successful and ambitious man.
Xie Wan said, “Aiping has twins—a boy and a girl. Who knows what her daughter is like? Girls take after their mothers when they’re young, and your daughter is just like you.”
Qin Lu replied, “If Zhan Aiping’s daughter is like her, then that’s a disaster waiting to happen!”
Xie Wan laughed. “If she’s like Old Gu, it’ll still be a disaster. Both of them are troublemakers. I never expected those two to end up together.”
“We all thought you and Gu Sheng were the perfect match back then, even joking about you two being the bride and groom.”
“Ha! Aiping was like a wild tomboy, joining in and causing a ruckus too,” Xie Wan reminisced about their childhood and couldn’t help but laugh. She hadn’t seen Zhan Aiping for years, but she remembered her childhood friend vividly.
“Is that so?” Qin Lu tucked her hair behind her ear, her tone slightly off.
When it came to Gu Sheng, Qin Lu’s voice always became a little unnatural. Gu Sheng had been the most handsome boy in the compound, from a good family, with striking looks as a child. Back then, Qin Lu had also imagined herself marrying Gu Sheng.
But reality always woke her up. She didn’t think Gu Sheng would marry one of the girls he grew up with. He seemed like someone who would find a refined, elegant woman from outside.
Yet in the end, Gu Sheng had married Zhan Aiping.
How absurd.
One reason Qin Lu was visiting Zhan Aiping with her daughter and Xie Wan was to see Gu Sheng. She wanted to know how Zhan Aiping and Gu Sheng were living and if Gu Sheng still remembered her.
Xie Wan remarked, “Old Gu is truly impressive, becoming a commander at such a young age. He has a bright future ahead of him.”
Qin Lu replied softly, “Aren’t all his brothers impressive?”
Qin Lu knew Gu Sheng’s family well. His brothers were often topics of conversation among her cousins’ husbands.
“True.”
Qin Lu couldn’t help but ask, “Do you think Gu Sheng regrets marrying Zhan Aiping?”
Xie Wan shrugged. “They’re already married. They’ll probably stick together for life. I think they’re a perfect match—one pot fits one lid. They can’t live without each other.”
Qin Lu countered, “Didn’t you once bet they’d divorce within three years?”
Xie Wan laughed. “Well, it’s been three years, and they haven’t divorced. They even have two kids now—no way they’ll split.”
Not necessarily, Qin Lu thought to herself.
On the surface, her own marriage looked enviable, but she and Zhou had already decided to divorce.
If Gu Sheng saw her now, would he remember her? Would he regret marrying someone like Zhan Aiping?
Zhan Aiping was just like her mother—stubborn and strong-willed. She would probably raise her daughter in the same rough manner.
When Xie Wan said she was coming to visit, Zhan Aiping was delighted. The two of them were childhood friends who had often teased each other. Xie Wan’s personality was a lot like Shen Liqing’s—lazy yet resourceful, someone who knew how to enjoy life.
Zhan Aiping had always envied Xie Wan for having such a gentle, attentive mother. Her mother had given Xie Wan plenty of love and companionship. Zhan Aiping had often eaten at their house and admired how good her mother’s cooking was.
Watching Xie Wan and her mother playfully banter during those meals had made Zhan Aiping feel envious.
She and her own mother had never been that close. She couldn’t imagine acting spoiled around her mother.
“Since Xie Wan is coming, I need to tidy up the house again.” “I didn’t expect Qin Lu to be coming too. Her daughter’s older than our Yuanyuan. She got married quite early.”
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