So Happy to Forget Sichuan
Watching Gu Sheng carry his daughter home, Regiment Commander Luo’s mind was still stuck on the scene from earlier: the sweet, pretty little girl hugging the man’s neck, calling him “Daddy” in that sugary voice again and again.
Gu Sheng really was no good. There had actually been a faint trace of impatience on his face, even though his little daughter had coaxed him several times.
“Daddy, I’ll put in a good word for you with Mommy.”
“Daddy…”
Regiment Commander Luo: “…”
Such a thoughtful little daughter — saying he was not envious would be a lie. Her voice was so sweet and so gentle.
How nice it would be if he could have a daughter too.
He envied the family next door for having both sons and daughters. Unlike him, when he went home, he still had to serve Zhang Lirong and their son Jinbao. His son had been spoiled rotten, had a huge temper, and was exactly like his mother. At home, he dared to order his own father around.
“Zhang Lirong, let’s have another child. A daughter this time.”
Zhang Lirong: “…What do you mean?” Have another daughter with this Luo? Could they even have one?
Regiment Commander Luo said, “If there was a first, there can be a second.”
“Have another daughter. Then we’ll have both a son and a daughter.” Regiment Commander Luo had seen that sweet little daughter from next door and was truly envious.
Zhang Lirong asked curiously, “Did Regiment Commander Gu next door come back? He got a new daughter. Is he unhappy?”
Regiment Commander Luo said, “I ran into him holding his daughter today. He really didn’t look too happy.”
Zhang Lirong said delightedly, “Really! I knew he didn’t like daughters.”
“But his little girl is very likeable,” Regiment Commander Luo said. “Their Yuanyuan can dance, knows how to coax people, and looks pretty when she smiles. She’ll probably grow up to be beautiful.”
“When a family has a daughter, a hundred families come asking…” Regiment Commander Luo thought of Gu Sheng’s two daughters. The eldest daughter already looked like a budding beauty, and the younger daughter would certainly not be bad either. “In the future, plenty of people will want to become in-laws with him.”
“Have you not noticed? Gu Sheng’s popularity has improved too.” Thinking of this, Regiment Commander Luo could not help feeling envious. Gu Sheng had a son and two beautiful daughters. Before daughters married, their voices were sweet and they knew how to coax their father. After they married, they could even find Gu Sheng two powerful sons-in-law…
Zhang Lirong said, “…Maybe his daughters will have poor judgment and he’ll have to support useless sons-in-law.”
Regiment Commander Luo said, “He has two daughters. At least one of them will find a good son-in-law. That will be support for his son too.”
Thinking of this, Regiment Commander Luo grew anxious.
A flash of inspiration struck Zhang Lirong. “What if our son could marry the daughter next door…”
Regiment Commander Luo frowned. “That’s not very good.”
Regiment Commander Luo had once been old rivals with Regiment Commander Jiang. Now that Regiment Commander Jiang had left, his relationship with Gu Sheng was neither warm nor cold, but he did not want to become in-laws with Gu Sheng either.
“Childhood sweethearts, innocent young companions — it would be perfect. Our Jinbao happens to be a little older than their youngest daughter.”
Zhang Lirong had never thought in this direction before, because Little Tangyuan was older than her son. Now that Zhan Aiping had given birth to another little daughter, if her son could marry the daughter next door, that would be a good thing.
Even if Jinbao turned out useless and unpromising, as long as he could coax the little girl next door well, he would not have to worry about his future.
Zhan Aiping was the child of cadres, and so was Gu Sheng. Gu Sheng’s older brothers were all far from simple, not to mention his father…
The more Zhang Lirong thought about it, the more her heart warmed. She thought that in the future, she really should build a good relationship with Zhan Aiping. That family had two daughters! Yuanyuan was a little older, but not by much. If that match could happen, it definitely would not be bad.
Where else could they find such good in-laws?
Seeing Zhang Lirong’s drifting expression, Regiment Commander Luo hurriedly said, “Don’t let your imagination run wild. We’re talking about having a daughter!”
The children getting married would be more than twenty years away. Who could say what would happen in twenty years? Right now, having a daughter was the important thing.
If they could have a daughter and find a good set of in-laws in the future, that would be much more secure.
Zhang Lirong glared at him. “What do you mean, letting my imagination run wild? This is called long-term planning. Feelings formed from childhood won’t go bad.”
Have a daughter, have a daughter — the man surnamed Luo still had to be capable of having children first. They only had this one precious seedling, whom they had coaxed and cherished since he was little. Finding him good in-laws was only proper.
Zhan Aiping still did not know what the couple next door were planning. She was waiting for Gu Sheng to come back, wanting to hear about his battle results.
Gu Sheng sent Little Tangyuan to play with her brother, then returned to the bedroom to accompany Zhan Aiping and their youngest daughter, Marshmallow. Their youngest daughter’s shortened name was Mianmian — Little Cotton.
“Little Cotton is asleep?”
“Mm.” Zhan Aiping smiled gently and looked at her sleeping youngest daughter. Recently, she had always been imagining the scene of her two little daughters acting spoiled with their mother… Her life felt complete.
“What was Regiment Commander Luo’s reaction? Was he envious of you?”
Gu Sheng said, “Maybe. He might think I’m forcing a smile.”
Zhan Aiping threw a pillow at him. “You’re asking to be beaten.”
Gu Sheng laughed. “I suspect he’s jealous of me.”
“Just now, our daughter coaxed me in front of him for quite a while.” Gu Sheng savoured it for a moment. “During the time I was away, that little one’s ability to coax people has really improved. Her mouth is full of sweet words. Apparently, she trained it by coaxing her mother.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Gu Sheng said, “Wife, don’t worry. You must believe that your revolutionary comrade has firm willpower and will absolutely not be defeated by this small sugar-coated bullet.”
“I didn’t agree to a single request our daughter made.”
Zhan Aiping was shocked. “Your heart is as hard as a stone.”
He could actually refuse their daughter’s requests. He had not agreed to a single one.
Gu Sheng: “…”
After hitting a wall with her stinky-stone father, Little Tangyuan found an opportunity and chattered her way over to her mother. She lay by the edge of her mother’s bed, her mouth full of sweet words.
“Mommy, I want to eat this tonight. Can we let Daddy make it?”
“Mommy…”
Zhan Aiping was coaxed until she lost all sense of direction. She reached out and tugged at the corner of Gu Sheng’s clothes. “Did you hear what your daughter said?”
Gu Sheng smiled helplessly, thinking, Wife, you have absolutely no principles at all. He looked at the mother and daughter with a doting smile. “I heard. I’ll listen to you.”
“Good.” Zhan Aiping was in a good mood. She touched her daughter’s tender little face and kissed her cheek. “You really are Mommy’s good daughter.”
Gu Sheng said, “Shouldn’t you kiss me too?”
Zhan Aiping said, “Everyone who sees gets a share.”
She was exceptionally generous and hugged Gu Sheng to give him a kiss. At the door, Gu Xiangyi said, “Everyone who sees gets a share? I don’t want one.”
Gu Sheng turned back and glanced at her. “Stop flattering yourself.”
Gu Xiangyi said, “Brother, you’re killing the donkey after it’s done grinding the mill.”
Zhan Aiping said, “Each and every one of you is so hard to coax.” If she stopped paying attention for a moment, they started arguing, and she had to mediate.
Gu Sheng: “…”
Gu Xiangyi: “…”
For once, the siblings had the same thought: You’re the hardest one to coax.
Zhan Aiping finished her postpartum confinement and recovered very well. Her mood had also been good during this period. The whole family had taken care of her during confinement and thought of ways to cheer her up. And with the most important people in the world by her side, it was hard for her to be unhappy. After confinement, her whole complexion was rosy, and her eyes were bright and lively.
Shen Liqing brought her two children to visit her. When Zhang Lirong saw Shen Liqing’s figure, her eyes focused. “That woman surnamed Shen comes over so often. Could she also be having that idea…”
Those closest to the water get the moon first.
Zhan Aiping had two daughters, after all.
Shen Liqing chatted with Zhan Aiping. Zhan Aiping poured her a cup of buffalo milk. After giving birth, the family had many nutritional foods. Her younger brother Zhan Mingzhao had got her quite a lot of fresh buffalo milk. He had good relationships with people. Even though he had a partner now and no longer attracted young girls, those old men and women liked him very much.
The children gathered together to play. Shen Liqing said to Zhan Aiping, “That educated-youth cousin of mine, Zeng Jiang, is getting married. He wants to invite you and your husband to the wedding feast. I don’t know if you’ll have time.”
Zhan Aiping was puzzled. “He’s getting married this quickly?”
Shen Liqing’s cousin had not been in the countryside for long, yet he was already preparing to get married.
Shen Liqing said, “Yes. He took a liking to a local girl here. The two of them get along quite well.”
Zhan Aiping asked, “Will his family agree?”
City families generally would not agree to a marriage with a country girl, would they?
Shen Liqing smiled. “He’s already gone down to the countryside. His family can’t control him.”
Zhan Aiping asked, “What date is it? If I’m free, I’ll go have a look.”
The place where Zeng Jiang had gone down to the countryside happened to be the same place where Zhan Mingkang had gone. She had not visited yet. Zhan Bo had told her not to deliberately take care of Zhan Mingkang. Although she did not have a good relationship with Zhu Jiaorong and her children, from the standpoint of reason and sentiment, going to have a look would still be fine.
People all had curiosity. Zhan Aiping was very curious what Zhan Mingkang would look like after several months in the countryside.
After Zhan Aiping gave birth to a daughter, Zhan Bo called several times to ask after her. Having another granddaughter was, after all, a happy event. In addition, Zhan Bo and his wife were rather worried about Zhan Mingkang, especially Zhu Jiaorong. She spent all day thinking about her son going down to the countryside as an educated youth, suffering in that godforsaken place and doing farm work, wishing she could wash her face with tears every day.
“My son, my Little Kang, why do you have to suffer like this?”
…
Zhan Bo advised her, “You need to think carefully. This is all for our son’s good. It’s to temper him.”
Zhu Jiaorong wiped away her tears. “You sacrificed your son for your promotion. Of course you’re happy. You don’t even think about our son.”
“When has our son ever suffered like this? The countryside is so hard. Are you really not worried? What if our child truly becomes a farmer?”
Zhan Bo said, “In a few years, we’ll think of a way to transfer him back. It’s just to let him suffer a little first. If he becomes thinner and more spirited, we’ll be happy too… This is all for the child’s future.”
Zhu Jiaorong felt terrible. “You always talk about the future, the future. I’m the only one who feels sorry that the child is suffering. Little Kang must be dreaming every day about coming home.”
Zhan Bo pressed his lips together. “Then send him some more grain coupons. At least he won’t go hungry.”
Zhu Jiaorong sighed repeatedly.
Zhan Aiping received a call from Zhan Bo. On the phone, Zhan Bo asked after his good son-in-law Gu Sheng and his little granddaughter Mianmian. Finally, he fell silent for a while before speaking.
“Pingping, look, if you and Little Gu have time, go visit your younger brother.”
“Your Aunt Zhu doesn’t have it easy either. She only has this one son.”
“Go see whether he’s hungry or has lost weight.” In his mind, Zhan Bo imagined his younger son Zhan Mingkang losing weight. His own features were proper, and he had been fairly good-looking when young. Zhu Jiaorong was also of average appearance. Zhan Mingkang had not been born ugly either, only a little fat.
If he lost weight and became darker, he would certainly look more spirited.
On the phone, Zhan Aiping said, “If I have time, I’ll go have a look.”
After hesitating repeatedly, Zhan Bo said, “You should go and show him some concern on behalf of me, his old father.”
“Pingping, no matter what, he’s still your biological younger brother. Don’t be too calculating about what happened in the past…”
Zhan Aiping listened to him coldly.
“He had an argument with his parents before going down to the countryside. After arriving there, he hasn’t really called home or written letters. Your Aunt Zhu is anxious…”
Zhan Bo said, “Help me persuade him. Tell him that as long as he stays peacefully in the countryside for two or three years, his mother and I will think of a way to let him return to the city…”
Zhan Aiping said, “When Mingzhao went down to the countryside, you weren’t this concerned.”
Zhan Bo paused. “Mingzhao was doing well in the countryside.”
Zhan Mingzhao had been more reserved and sensible, and he had stayed in the countryside quite well. Zhan Bo had been very reassured about him. Of course, recently, Zhan Bo had been in high spirits because things were going smoothly for him, and he was not especially concerned about his younger son either. If Zhu Jiaorong had not been making noise in his ear every day, he would not have thought much about this matter.
Men had to experience some storms before they could grow.
Zhan Bo hoped that his younger son could also return as someone capable, having learned the hardship of the countryside and then becoming determined to improve himself.
Zhan Aiping said mockingly, “As soon as he went down to the countryside, he said he had two regiment commander brothers-in-law. Who would dare bully him?”
Zhan Bo: “…”
“Well… the conditions in the countryside are still a bit hard.”
Surely Mingkang would not be so happy in that godforsaken place that he forgot to come home?
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