Dong Qingfang was standing right behind the crowd, and when she saw everyone's reaction, she couldn't help but be shocked.
Gu Chen can write calligraphy?
And it's so good?
No matter what she thought, she just couldn't believe it.
She couldn't help but be curious and wanted to go over and take a look.
Unexpectedly, she had just taken two steps forward when she was grabbed back by Lei Bo.
'What are you looking at? Are you not embarrassed enough?'
he scolded in a low voice.
Dong Qingfang rolled her eyes and looked reluctant.
'So what do you say? Now that the money has all been returned and Teacher Li is too sick to come, what are we going to do about the couplets?'
Lei Bo was simply at his wit's end.
This woman of his, apart from being able to eat and sleep, why is she so thick-headed?
He sighed, 'What else can we do, just go to the city and buy it!'
He can't let him find Gu Chen to write it for him again. That would really be rubbing his face in the dirt, not knowing what people will laugh at him behind his back.
And he did it of his own accord!
He, Lei Bo, can't afford to lose face like this!
Dong Qingfang on the side didn't quite agree.
'Why don't we just let him write one for us? We're not not paying, and he has to make money anyway. Two yuan, it'll save us the trouble.'
Dong Qingfang didn't think much of it.
It's just face, and face is worth very little. How can it be compared to money?
Besides, after all, it's really cold to ride a motorcycle in the middle of winter, and you have to ride into town.
Just thinking about it makes you feel cold all over.
If you get sick and fall, it will be even more difficult.
She didn't want to go; she wanted to go home and see what her mother-in-law had cooked for dinner!
It's the New Year, and she's already craving meatballs and stew.
Leibo glared at her.
'You're not satisfied with the amount of shame you've caused? Do you think he can write for us? Use your head!'
Leibo was really tired at this point. How could he have married such a wife in the first place...
She really is clueless, and not just a little!
After saying that, Leibo grabbed Dong Qingfang by the sleeve and dragged her out.
What bad luck! I don't know what's wrong with Gu Chen these days, but every time I see him, he brings me bad luck.
I can't believe he can write with a brush!
I never want to see him again!
Everyone was busy watching Gu Chen write the couplets, and no one noticed that Lei Bo and his wife had left Teacher Li's house in a huff.
'Chen Zi, your calligraphy is excellent. With your level of writing, I think you could become a teacher in the city!'
'Chen Zi is still young, and if a few years go by, the couplets he writes will be snapped up!'
'Yes, no one realises that Chen Zi is also good at writing with a brush.'
Shen Cuilan looked at everyone with a smile.
'You know what? Gu Chen is also excellent at cooking. For us neighbours, it's almost torture, smelling the delicious food from his house every day!'
'Yes, my husband didn't really mind before, and we've been together for so many years. But ever since Chen started cooking, he picks on me every day, almost as if I can't cook!'
'I, Shen Cuilan, knew how to cook vegetarian food when I was twelve, and I was good at everything by the time I was thirty. When have I ever been treated like this?'
To be honest, Shen Cuilan had always hated Ji Pianran before, just because she felt that it wasn't fair. Why did all the men in the village treat her well, and even her own husband borrowed money for her behind her back?
People are bound to have moments when their minds don't work properly, but seeing Ji Pianran today, she suddenly felt no anger.
She was really beautiful, and she could never compare to her. With her figure, she was practically a celebrity.
Not only did men like her, women liked her too!
Gu Chen's heart was won over, otherwise she would have beaten Gu Chen with the two rolling pins.
What's the point of having such a good daughter-in-law not at home to look after things, running around like that?
This dog man really has a big heart!
After hearing her say this, everyone started to make fun of him even more, 'Really? I didn't realise that. Chen Zi can cook!'
'If you don't believe me, go and ask in our neighbourhood. Everyone has suffered this. As soon as it's dinnertime, my kids pull on my clothes and insist on going out to find out what's so delicious!'
Shen Cuilan spoke with a straight face.
Li Dajiang looked at Ji Pianran next to her, her eyes full of surprise.
'I didn't realise that Chen Zi is so capable. You are lucky. My husband, on the other hand, still can't cook. If he leaves me, he'll starve to death!'
She has been there and done that. This village is a little more backward than the city, so the men here are more or less all chauvinists, always thinking that women should be the ones cooking.
Many men have no ability at all, but they still act like they are poor every day, saying things like 'a gentleman stays away from the kitchen' and 'if they are a gentleman, why do they stay away from the kitchen?
They starve to death!' They have spent their whole lives around the stove, and they don't feel that there is anything wrong with it.
Now, when she hears that Gu Chen cooks every day at home, she is truly envious, and she is truly happy for this season.
If men can cook, women can just enjoy the fruits of their labour.
It's not that there's a division of labour, but at least there should be mutual understanding, right?
Tangtang stood next to her mother, quietly eating the candy that Grandma Li had given her. She couldn't help but be overjoyed when she heard everyone praising her father.
'My father is super awesome, he cooks the best food, and buys new clothes for me and my mom to wear!'
Everyone had been too busy worrying about their own couplets to pay attention to what Ji Pianran and Tangtang were wearing.
Hearing the little girl's voice, they finally looked away from Gu Chen's beautiful calligraphy and turned their attention to her and Ji Pianran.
The little dress on Tang Tang looked very nice, made of a material that was comfortable to wear and a little stiff, which made the pleats look even better.
'Wow, this little Tang Tang is really getting more and more beautiful, and when you look at her, she looks just like those little models in the city magazines.'
'Look at this little face, so white and tender, you can tell she's got good genes.'
'Yes, Piran's clothes are expensive, too. The material looks like it's from a department store.'
Everyone kept on praising Ji Piran and Tang Tang.
Gu Chen kept his head down as he wrote, but a smile crept onto the corner of his mouth.
They were praising his wife and child.
He was happy inside, that was for sure!
At this moment, people were coming and going. Some were happily carrying their couplets home, while others were rushing to find Teacher Li to write their couplets.
Some had even come from the neighbouring village.
In short, there were so many people that the room was full of people's heads and voices, and it felt chaotic.
Gu Chen kept holding the brush and helped everyone write their couplets one by one.
After all, it was something that would be posted on people's doors for a year, so it couldn't be sloppy.
Ji Pianran stood next to Gu Chen, and after each couplet was written, he helped to dry the ink and handed it to the person who wanted it.
Li Dainiang was also busy, happily collecting money.
In the morning, they wrote nearly 100 pairs of couplets and collected nearly 300 yuan in money alone.
After writing the last pair, Gu Chen stretched.
He had been bowing his head all morning, and his neck was about to break!
Finally, he had sent away all the people who had come to buy couplets. Seeing that there was no one left, Mrs Li poured a glass of water for Gu Chen and said, 'You must be exhausted. Have some water and rest a little.'
Gu Chen was not polite, nodded his head and said thank you before taking the water.
Just as he had taken a couple of sips, he saw Mrs Li clutching a thick stack of change and stuffing it into her hand.
'This is the money for the couplets today, so take it and don't lose it.'
Gu Chen hurriedly swallowed the water in his mouth, 'Auntie, I can't accept this money, it's for you and Teacher Li!'
Auntie Li frowned.
What?
He said this is for himself and the old man?