Pie in the Sky
“Child’s mother?”
The young and beautiful girl in front of her?
Although the train attendants had incredulous expressions on their faces, the tall and handsome man beside her looked upright and didn’t seem like he was lying. Were they a couple?
(**Nomad: They’re scamming people left, right and centre**)
Their appearances did match quite well, but were they really the parents of a child?
“Control your breathing, follow my instructions, and push when I tell you to push,” Zhan Aiping checked the condition of the labouring woman. Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad yet. She took out a needle she carried with her and pricked the woman.
Zeng Guixiang felt a sharp pain, but it helped her regain some clarity, and she noticed that the labour pains had eased a bit.
She couldn’t see Zhan Aiping’s face clearly, but she had heard the man’s voice earlier. In this critical moment, the will to survive overcame everything.
Zhan Aiping’s hands were on her swollen abdomen, slowly adjusting the baby’s position. Zeng Guixiang cooperated fully. Though there were moments of danger, after some twists and turns, the baby was born safely.
Mother and daughter were safe.
The old lady, upon seeing another granddaughter, felt deflated on the side. Zeng Guixiang breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at her younger daughter beside her, a slight smile forming at the corner of her mouth. After passing through the gates of death, she decided she wouldn’t have any more children, no matter what. She would just raise her daughters.
As for this old woman, she would remember this in the future.
“Thank you,” Zeng Guixiang said to the young girl.
“You’re welcome. Get some rest,” the young girl replied.
The train attendants on the side felt relieved. One of the male attendants, looking at Gu Sheng, asked curiously, “How old is your wife? She knows medicine, is she a village doctor?”
Gu Sheng casually replied, “She’s twenty-four.”
“Not too young. When did you get married?”
“I married her when she was eighteen.”
The train attendant blinked, “Both of you got married early.”
“We were childhood sweethearts, grew up together since we were little. Our parents arranged the marriage.”
A female train attendant was stunned and blurted out, “That’s not arranged marriage, it’s feudal arranged marriage…”
So, that pretty and charming young daughter-in-law is also a child bride?
But—
The female train attendant stared at Gu Sheng’s face again. When things were hectic earlier, she had noticed that this man was handsome, and now, upon closer inspection, her face turned even redder, and her heart raced.
If she could have an arranged marriage partner like him, she would be willing.
The male train attendant asked, “You’ve been married for five or six years, and you already have children?”
“That’s right,” Zhan Aiping turned around and touched her own abdomen. “I’m pregnant again now. Every two years, another one. They won’t let me live.”
Gu Sheng: “?”
Male and female train attendants: “!”
“No wonder, no wonder…” In fact, the two of them had some impression of the attractive young couple before them. The woman seemed delicate and was bossing the man around. They didn’t realize there was such a hidden story behind them.
No wonder they also brought powdered milk; it was for the pregnant woman’s nutrition.
Zhan Aiping cleaned up and then returned to sit in her berth. She touched her own belly, thinking that this journey had indeed been quite exciting, with its fair share of surprises but no real danger.
Gu Sheng sat beside her and saw that she was still holding her abdomen, causing his mouth to twitch.
Zhan Aiping looked at him and said, “What are you looking at, baby’s dad? Go make me a cup of milk powder to calm my nerves.”
Gu Sheng: “…”
Gu Sheng made her a cup of milk powder. Zhan Aiping had always enjoyed various milk products and liked things with a milky taste. She held the cup and took small sips.
Seeing Gu Sheng still looking at her strangely, Zhan Aiping picked up his hand and placed it on her belly, saying casually, “Baby’s dad, come feel your unborn child. Although our baby is still just a tiny sprout, I believe there’s a connection between you two.”
Gu Sheng gritted his teeth and whispered in her ear, “Which unmarried girl acts like you?”
At a young age, he was labelled as “baby’s dad.” Meanwhile, this seemingly delicate woman beside him was actually quite rough and straightforward.
Couldn’t she be a bit more shy?
“Who said I’m unmarried?” Zhan Aiping smiled at him. “Baby’s dad, why don’t you take out your party membership application form? Haven’t I already married you a long time ago?”
Gu Sheng’s face froze: “…”
“Baby’s dad,” she continued, “if you have the guts, why don’t you show the entire ‘baby’ to me?”
“Baby’s dad, thanks for earlier,” Zhan Aiping pecked his cheek lightly, then leaned against him, intending to catch some more sleep.
Gu Sheng’s earlier words had been quite effective and had saved her a lot of trouble. After the excitement, she needed some rest.
With her eyes closed, Zhan Aiping drifted off to sleep, leaving Gu Sheng alone and bewildered. The spot where she had kissed him felt like it had ignited a fire, burning through his entire body.
What did she mean by that?
Gu Sheng raised his hand to wipe his face, which felt scorching hot.
And that carefree woman, she really could fall asleep with her eyes closed.
Gu Sheng: “…”
He could only stew in his own frustration.
*
Because they had successfully assisted in the childbirth, the train attendants brought them two boxed meals, refusing to take any payment. They thanked them for their courageous act of helping others.
Zhan Aiping had no appetite at the moment and gave half of her meal to Gu Sheng. After Gu Sheng finished eating, he looked at her with hesitation.
Zhan Aiping asked, “If you have something to say, just say it. Are you thinking that I was too bold earlier?”
Gu Sheng: “…”
“You called me a ‘quack doctor,’ right? Why are you cooperating with me like this?”
Gu Sheng shook his head and said, “Since you wanted to do it, then let’s do it.”
Zhan Aiping smiled and reached out to give him a high-five. “You truly are a great partner. Good buddies don’t sabotage each other.”
Gu Sheng’s face darkened. “We’re not just good buddies.”
“Then we’re good partners,” Zhan Aiping smiled slightly.
Gu Sheng tacitly accepted this explanation, but he still looked at her with hesitation.
“What’s bothering you?” Zhan Aiping was puzzled. “You’re not the type to hesitate. What do you want to say?”
“We shouldn’t have any more children in the future.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
So, after holding it in for so long, he came out with just this sentence?
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want me to have your children?”
This time, it was like poking a hornet’s nest. Gu Sheng felt like he was being chased and stung by hornets all over his body, feeling hot and itchy.
How could she be so casually discussing having children with him?
Did she even know about the intimate matters between men and women?
In theory, she was a medical student, and she definitely shouldn’t be unaware.
Gu Sheng said, “Can’t you be a bit more shy?”
“You said you were delicate. Can you try to be more delicate?”
She caught him off guard with her response. “Who’s the grown-up between us?”
Gu Sheng: “…”
“Do you really want to have children with me?”
Zhan Aiping leaned against him and said, “Why not? Didn’t we agree to make do with life together? Having a partner, having children, creating a simple family, and living an ordinary and peaceful life.”
“Yes,” hearing her mention the word “family,” Gu Sheng felt a soft spot in his heart, as if it had been tickled by a feather. He nodded in agreement, “Making do with life together sounds wonderful.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Let’s see how long you can keep up the tough act.
*
When Gu Sheng finally set foot on Yunnan Province’s soil, he had a real sense of being grounded. The trip to Shanghai felt like a dream.
Now that he had woken up, the person beside him was still there.
Zhan Aiping had already taken off her thick coat and changed into a white shirt and light blue suspenders, wearing black long hair that hung down in front of her chest. Her braided hair was different from the tightly wound braids of others. Her black hair was fluffy, with a hint of indescribable laziness and ease. A few strands of loose hair framed her cheeks, making her look exceptionally graceful and beautiful.
It was a contrast to her military uniform when she looked valiant and heroic. Now, she looked bright and beautiful, just like the place where they were, where winter never seemed to arrive, under the clear and azure sky.
Now she was his wife, and she was still willing to give birth to children for him.
After they got off the train, Gu Sheng mentioned that a car would come to pick them up, but it hadn’t arrived yet. So, the two of them waited at the station. Even though they had disembarked from the train, their destination was still quite far away, and having a car to pick them up would be convenient, especially considering they were carrying so many books.
Zhan Aiping guarded the two boxes of books, while Gu Sheng went to buy freshly steamed buns for her. Even though he was the one who acted tough with his words, he had become particularly servile in his actions. He was constantly worried that she might go hungry, get thirsty, feel cold, or get hot. He did whatever she asked, appearing quite foolish and overly excited, like a big fluffy dog. Ironically, he hadn’t noticed it himself.
—If you drew a pie for him, he would eat it.
Zhan Aiping felt like a heartless boss.
No wonder they talked about dreams and drew big pies. Even the donkey in front of them needed a dangling carrot. If you drew more pies, even the production team’s donkey wouldn’t dare to rest. As for the experience card, as long as they wanted to renew, they would renew.
Zhan Aiping was busy contemplating her “heartless boss” plan and didn’t notice the several pairs of eyes secretly watching her.
A man dressed in grey clothes lowered the straw hat on his head and said, “This little beauty must be his girl.”
“Get her.”
They had sneaked into the country secretly, previously on a covert mission. They had been caught by Gu Sheng during his wilderness training, resulting in the loss of most of their manpower. Now, they had run into him at the train station, and it wasn’t a coincidence.
It was also because this young beauty was exceptionally good-looking, and men couldn’t help but stare at a beautiful woman. As a result, they noticed the man beside her.
When enemies met, they saw red. They quickly devised a plan for revenge. This young beauty appeared delicate and beautiful, like a pampered young lady who could be easily overpowered with a flick of a finger.
The four men divided their roles – two were to act, one was on lookout, and one kept an eye on Gu Sheng’s movements.
The people around them were bustling, and although there was a constant flow of people, it would still be quite noticeable if someone intentionally got closer. Zhan Aiping took a step back, and the man with the hat swung his knife towards her.
They were really taking a big risk!
Zhan Aiping dodged the attack, grabbed his arm, used his momentum to flip herself up, and her body moved as if boneless. Her legs wrapped around him, and with a swift scissor-like motion around his neck, she flipped him to the ground and kicked towards his groin.
Her movements were fluid and effortless. She scanned the crowd with her eyes, noticing that two of the men were hesitating and the other froze. Zhan Aiping swiftly dashed towards them. The one closest to her hadn’t reacted yet and was knocked down by her with a powerful blow.
The other two men tried to run but realized it was too late. One was caught by Gu Sheng, and the station’s security personnel came out. They were all surrounded, and they were taken to the security office.
Zhan Aiping looked at the man next to her and said with a smile, “How was that? Not bad for a retired female soldier’s skills, right?”
The man gave her a thumbs-up, but then his expression turned extremely cold as he turned his head away.
In front of them, there was also a young and inexperienced soldier. He looked at Zhan Aiping nervously and stuttered, “Sis-sister-in-law… hello.”
Private Qian Xiao’an, a young soldier, looked at Zhan Aiping in front of him. She was Captain Gu’s newlywed wife. According to what the company commander said… they got married to make do with life.
Make do with life? She was so beautiful?
And she could fight like that…?
Those kicks to the groin earlier were brutal.
If this couple ever had a fight and started throwing punches, they might even flip the roof over.
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