Under Gu Xiaobei's professional guidance, Lu Zhanguo experienced a sudden enlightenment, involuntarily curling up the corners of his mouth into a smile. Looking at Gu Xiaobei, his eyes filled with warmth. Gu Xiaobei was pleased that he could still prove himself useful and be appreciated by Lu Zhanguo.
As it was getting quite late and they had to go to the town early the next morning, Lu Zhanguo neatly put away his books and notes. Climbing into bed, he said, "Let's sleep, we'll have breakfast in town tomorrow morning."
Thrilled by the secret they now shared, one unknown to others, Gu Xiaobei unceremoniously snuggled into Lu Zhanguo's arms.
Looking down at his wife nestled into his embrace, Lu Zhanguo felt for the first time that their marriage was not so bad. He slept soundly through the night.
When dawn was just breaking the next day, Lu Zhanguo awoke promptly. Finding Gu Xiaobei practically sprawled entirely on top of him, a leg also draped over his waist, he felt like this was more challenging than his military training in the snow. Seeing her soft, pink face and slightly open, plump lips, the soft feel of her body against his, he felt an urge welling up inside him. Just as he was struggling to suppress this desire, Gu Xiaobei suddenly asked, half-awake, "Do you want to kiss me?"
Lu Zhanguo almost choked on his own saliva. This naive girl had been spouting cheeky nonsense ever since she woke up from fainting. Before he could collect his wits, his lips were covered by her soft ones. She even licked them playfully with her tongue. Lu Zhanguo was taken aback. Tasting the sweet flavor, he embraced the situation fully and, flipping over, deepened the kiss.
Even though Gu Xiaobei felt shy, she was also excited beyond belief. She finally got what she had dreamt of so eagerly. Her arms circled around Lu Zhanguo's neck.
In the midst of their passionate kiss, they suddenly heard a knock at the door, "Brother Zhanguo, I'm leaving now?"
Lu Zhanguo quickly got up and responded, looking down at Gu Xiaobei, her gaze still dazed and her lips swollen, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Hurry up and get up, let's get ready to go to the town gate to catch the bus."
Compared to Lu Zhanguo's discomfort, Gu Xiaobei was in high spirits. She got out of bed cheerfully and began to wash and dress. There weren't many appropriate clothes left from the previous owner. She wore a pair of black pants, a black sweater, and over it, an apple-green short coat with a baby doll collar. The style was ordinary, and the wool material was not as fine and soft as cashmere. It was a little rough on the hands. Throwing her hair back casually, she found a pair of chunky heel boots that reached her ankles. They were round-toed and looked good on her.
After getting dressed and coming out, she noticed that Lu Zhanguo's eyes lit up as he looked at her. She then knew she had dressed correctly. Her originally fair skin looked even more delicate and rosy set off by the apple-green color. Moreover, in this season, the green added a touch of vitality.
Clearing his throat to break the awkwardness, Lu Zhanguo asked, "Should I drop you home before going to my office, or do you want to come with me?"
"Together. Anyways, I have nothing to do at home. And, will the fire be out by the time we come back?" worried Gu Xiaobei.
Lu Zhanguo sighed, "I've sealed it properly. Even if we return at night, it won't die out."
"Okay," she responded and stepped out, following him downstairs only after he had locked the door.
At this time, everyone was making breakfast. Occasionally, someone passed in the corridor, greeting Lu Zhanguo but ignoring Gu Xiaobei. Lu Zhanguo noticed this and, after their morning kiss, he suddenly wished for Gu Xiaobei to be accepted into this circle. Seeing her indifferent face, he didn't know what to say, so he continued walking silently.
In early March, the northwestern mornings were still chilly. The air felt cool as it entered her lungs. Gu Xiaobei took a deep breath, glad that the air was crisp and clear. She couldn't help chuckling at this thought.
Lu Zhanguo glanced at her, remembering their intimate exchange from earlier, and couldn't help but feel a tightening in his throat.
Finishing her laughter, Gu Xiaobei turned to Lu Zhanguo and declared, "I want to get a job."
"You're pregnant right now. What sort of job are you thinking of?" Lu Zhanguo asked, perplexed.
Gu Xiaobei facepalmed and sighed, remembering again that she was pregnant. They walked down the narrow bitumen road for about ten minutes until they reached a two-storey building. Lu Zhanguo asked her to wait downstairs for a few minutes while he popped inside with his documents. Seeing a ramrod straight guard at the entrance, she realized it was a military-restricted area not open to all.
Sauntering over to the basketball court by the open front yard, she saw a few women, who appeared to be family members, chatting. They were probably waiting for the supply truck so they would be taken to town together. As the town was quite far, and no public vehicles ran this route, whenever someone needed to go out, they would catch the supply truck into town, returning back at a specified time and place.
She spotted Li Fenghua and Li Fengmei sister duo supporting an elderly woman who seemed to be in her sixties or seventies. Due to the poor living conditions and their usual manual labor, people aged quicker.
Thinking of the dumplings she'd had the previous night, regardless of their taste, Gu Xiaobei felt she should express gratitude since it was an act of kindness from them. She went forward, "Aunt Fengmei, is this your mother-in-law? Is she feeling better now?"
Li Fengmei was taken aback by Gu Xiaobei's candid gesture. She quickly replied, "Much better. she was feeling a bit cooped up, so we thought we'd take her out to the town." Li Fenghua, however, rolled her eyes and looked away.
The elderly woman appeared pleased and said in a typical Shandong accent, "Such a pretty girl."
Blushing slightly at the compliment, Gu Xiaobei responded with a shy smile.
In the middle of their pleasant conversation, Lu Zhanguo joined them. After asking after the elderly woman's health, he invited them to dinner at their place that evening.
Even though Gu Xiaobei had been with Lu Zhanguo for just a couple of days, she knew that when he extended an invitation, he meant it. There was no fake pretense in it.
Soon, they heard the supply truck approaching slowly. It was an old-fashioned Jiefang truck, with a green canvas cover over the back. Wooden planks had been installed on either side of the truck to accommodate passengers. Since there was already a driver and a logistics officer in the cab for the supply errand, Lu Zhanguo offered the seat in the cab to Fengmei's mother-in-law, given her age and the rough ride ahead. But, he also selfishly wanted to sit next to Gu Xiaobei.
After seeing off the elderly lady, everyone then got up onto the truck, and Gu Xiaobei, with Lu Zhanguo's assistance, hopped onto the truck. When she looked inside, she was taken by surprise to see Chi Xiaoyue and another girl of similar age, whom Gu Xiaobei didn't recognize.