The dark clouds in the sky gradually covered the moon.
Wen Ke’an ran forward a few steps, directly rushing into his embrace, tightly hugging him.
In fact, today at her grandmother’s house, she really missed him a lot.
The elders in the village are different from those in the city; there really are many who favor males over females here. A woman’s status in the family is quite low, expected to serve men, do laundry, and cook.
Today, seeing Liu Dali and Sun Xiu, Wen Ke’an couldn’t help but think back on the past.
When they first got married in their previous life, they had no money to rent a good house and could only live in a dilapidated little courtyard that was very cold in winter and draughty. Gu Ting knew she was afraid of cold, so he would warm the bed with an electric blanket and prepare a hot water bottle for her every day.
Back then, her health wasn’t good, and Gu Ting never let her touch cold water; he did all the household chores, including laundry and cooking.
Wen Ke’an also knew that many people around them talked about her and Gu Ting, after all, a woman who had ruined her face, and a man who was lame. Seeing such a couple, people would naturally discuss with curiosity.
Wen Ke’an still clearly remembers, once when she and a neighbor’s wife went out to buy vegetables together, the wife stared at her for a long time before saying in a low voice, full of envy, that she was very fortunate.
Back then, Wen Ke’an thought the wife was referring to the scars on her face.
Living in a dilapidated courtyard, without money, and having a ruined face, how could that be considered good fortune?
Wen Ke’an thought the wife was pitying her and being sarcastic.
But looking back now, she feels that she is indeed very fortunate.
Life is hard, but she met Gu Ting.
Gu Ting quietly hugged her for a while, and as he looked down at her, about to speak, he heard the girl in his arms mumble something.
He didn’t catch it and asked again, “What?”
This time, Wen Ke’an looked up, stared at him seriously for a while, and then said, “I’m really lucky.”
“Hmm?” Gu Ting asked with a smile, “Did something good happen?”
“Meeting you, my luck is off the charts,” Wen Ke’an said seriously, looking at him.
Not knowing why she suddenly said such romantic words, Gu Ting couldn’t help but smile, finding this sentence very pleasing. He looked down at the girl in his arms, cupped her face, and gently rubbed it, “So, do you feel better now?”
Wen Ke’an immediately replied, “Much better.”
Gu Ting helped her adjust her hat then continued to gaze into her beautiful eyes, “Seeing me makes you really happy, huh?”
“Yes!” Wen Ke’an nodded.
The two chatted in the yard for a while, and finally, Gu Ting noticed Wen Ke’an’s gaze becoming somewhat unfocused, realizing she was getting sleepy. He pinched her soft hand and said softly, “It’s getting late, go to bed nicely, and I will go back with you early tomorrow.”
Gu Ting’s coat was draped over her, and Wen Ke’an was also worried that Gu Ting would be cold, so she gently nodded in agreement, “It’s too cold outside, you should also go back and rest early.”
The early morning in the mountains is particularly comfortable; as dawn breaks, the outside…
When the day broke with the crowing of roosters and chirping of birds.
Xie Hongyi stretched lazily in bed, just opening his eyes when he noticed that Gu Ting had already finished washing up. Sitting up from the bed, Xie Hongyi looked at Gu Ting, “Why did you get up so early?”
Rubbing his eyes, Xie Hongyi was surprised to find that Gu Ting looked different from usual today, with his hair neatly done, adding a scholarly aura to his usual appearance.
“Yo, why do you look so formal today? Are you going on a date with your little sister-in-law?” Xie Hongyi felt odd seeing Gu Ting like this.
Fortunately, Gu Ting’s typically aloof and cold gaze remained unchanged as he turned to look at him, “I’m not going back with you today.”
“What?” Xie Hongyi didn’t expect to be left behind, considering they came together.
“Do you want to come along?” Gu Ting surprisingly asked kindly.
Gu Ting’s attitude was so good today that it left Xie Hongyi completely bewildered.
Touching his head, Xie Hongyi asked in surprise, “Go back with you guys for what? Do you think I’m not dazzling enough as a third wheel?”
“An’an’s parents are also there today.”
Hearing this from Gu Ting, Xie Hongyi suddenly understood, laughing, “No wonder you dressed so scholarly today, turns out you’re meeting the parents.”
After saying this, Xie Hongyi suddenly jumped down from the bed, posed a cheering gesture, and excitedly said, “Go for it, Brother Ting! Try to win over your little sister-in-law as soon as possible!”
“……..”
The mountain morning was delightful, the entire area basked in warm sunlight.
Wen Ke’an just came out and saw Gu Ting in the yard. He seemed to have deliberately dressed up today, with a different hairstyle from usual, less of the youthful sharpness, and more of a mature and steady air.
Seeing her coming out, Gu Ting walked towards her.
Without speaking, he first glanced down at Wen Ke’an’s clothes – this time, she was obediently wearing a lot, very thick.
“You’re really obedient today,” Gu Ting said with a smile.
Wen Ke’an was silent for a moment, then softly retorted, “I’ve always been obedient.”
Wen Ke’an’s expressions while speaking were always cute, Gu Ting stared at her for a while before deliberately teasing her, “Is that so?”
Hearing his doubt, Wen Ke’an pouted, showing she didn’t want to talk, “Hmph.”
The sun rose higher, and the place grew slightly warmer.
Knowing that Liu Qing and Wen Qiangguo would come out soon, Wen Ke’an looked at Gu Ting, “Do you want to go back together?”
“Yes,” Gu Ting immediately said.
Wen Ke’an smiled and said, “Then I’ll go tell my parents.”
As soon as Wen Ke’an finished speaking, Liu Qing just happened to come out from the room. Seeing a boy standing next to Wen Ke’an, Liu Qing was momentarily stunned.
Before Liu Qing could react, Gu Ting had already walked up to her and took the initiative to greet her, “Hello, auntie.”
“Hello.” After speaking, Liu Qing looked at Wen Ke’an with a smile, “Is this your classmate?”
“Yes,” said Wen Ke’an, “He just came out.”
“I’ve run into him, we can go back together.”
“Sure.” Liu Qing didn’t seem to think much about it.
Liu Qing sized up the young man in front of her. He was quite tall and handsome, and appeared to be polite.
After quickly tidying up their luggage, they were ready to leave.
When Wen Qiangguo came out, Liu Qing explained a few words to him. Gu Ting also politely called him uncle.
Wen Qiangguo looked at Gu Ting for a while and asked, “Young man, have you been to our store before?”
“Uncle still remembers me.”
“Yes, after all, you’re a handsome young man,” Wen Qiangguo said with a smile.
In front of her parents, Wen Ke’an dared not be too intimate with Gu Ting; she was cold and indifferent, which made Wen Qiangguo and Liu Qing think they were just ordinary classmates.
This time, they took two suitcases. Wen Qiangguo dragged a large one, and Wen Ke’an had a smaller one in her hand.
The mountain roads were difficult to navigate, and it was exhausting to pull the suitcases. After walking for a short while, Gu Ting naturally took the suitcase from Wen Ke’an’s hand, saying, “Let me.”
With her parents watching, Wen Ke’an politely said, “Thank you.”
Gu Ting was slightly stunned when he heard her thank him, and then he chuckled, “You’re welcome, classmate.”
Gu Ting intentionally emphasized the last two words, causing Wen Ke’an’s ears to turn red, and she simply turned her head away to avoid looking at him.
After they descended the mountain, they took a taxi to the station, riding the same bus they had taken before. Today, the bus was not very crowded. Liu Qing and Wen Qiangguo sat together, and Wen Ke’an and Gu Ting naturally sat together as well.
The return journey took two to three hours, and many people slept on the bus out of boredom.
Wen Ke’an, bored on the bus, playfully grabbed Gu Ting’s hand. Gu Ting’s hands were particularly beautiful, slender, long, with distinct joints. Wen Ke’an was somewhat fascinated by hands; in the past, when bored, she could stare at Gu Ting’s hands for a long time. Of course, she also especially liked playing with his hands; anyway, any posture looked good.
Gu Ting let her play with his left hand. After looking down for a moment, he asked in a low voice, “Aren’t you afraid of being caught?”
Wen Ke’an glanced sideways at Wen Qiangguo and Liu Qing. Probably because they were too tired from the previous night, and the sleeping atmosphere in the car was too comfortable, both of them had already fallen asleep; her father even started snoring.
Wen Ke’an, feeling bold, whispered, “My parents are asleep.”
Gu Ting didn’t say anything, allowing her to admire his hand for a while longer. After a moment, he deliberately sighed.
Seeing he had successfully caught Wen Ke’an’s attention, Gu Ting spoke somberly.
“I’m still not fit to be seen in the light.”
“………”
When they got home, it was almost eleven o’clock, just in time for lunch. Wen Qiangguo insisted on not letting Gu Ting leave and wanted to keep him for lunch.
Gu Ting didn’t speak but first looked at Wen Ke’an. Seeing that Wen Ke’an didn’t seem to mind him staying, he then said, “Then thank you, uncle.”
Wen Qiangguo’s cooking was very good. He bought some fresh vegetables from the nearby market and quickly prepared a full table of delicious dishes.
“Try and see how good uncle’s cooking is!” Wen Qiangguo used a clean pair of chopsticks that no one else had used to pick up a well-cooked rib for Gu Ting.
Gu Ting tasted it and earnestly said, “Uncle’s cooking is quite good.”
Wen Qiangguo loved hearing compliments about his cooking. Upon hearing Gu Ting’s words, he couldn’t help but smile happily, “If it’s good, have some more!”
Wen Qiangguo wasn’t sure what Gu Ting liked, so he made some dishes that his daughter and wife enjoyed. Wen Ke’an especially liked shrimp but didn’t enjoy peeling them. Without thinking, Gu Ting placed a peeled shrimp into Wen Ke’an’s bowl.
Wen Ke’an had just taken a bite of rice and hadn’t swallowed yet when she saw Gu Ting naturally place a peeled shrimp into her bowl.
Her eyes widened slightly, and she almost choked on her rice.
Wen Ke’an glanced at Gu Ting. He realized what he had just done but stayed calm and took a napkin to wipe his hands. Wen Ke’an then looked over to her parents.
Luckily, Wen Qiangguo had been busy serving food to Liu Qing and hadn’t noticed Gu Ting’s action.
Seeing Wen Ke’an nearly choking, Gu Ting pushed his water cup towards her and softly said, “Eat slowly.”
Wen Ke’an originally wanted to politely say thank you, but when she looked up and met Gu Ting’s eyes, she swallowed her thanks and said nothing.
“Eat slowly, An’an,” Liu Qing noticed Gu Ting’s action this time and smiled, looking at Gu Ting, “An’an has always been an impatient eater and often chokes.”
Gu Ting chuckled and said, “I used to be like that when I was little too.”
Liu Qing had a good impression of Gu Ting, feeling that he was very considerate and caring.
Liu Qing took a sip of water and asked Gu Ting, “What does your family do, Gu?”
Gu Ting put down his chopsticks and politely replied, “My father works in the Huaiyang District.”
“Huaiyang District? There are some very impressive businesses over there.”
Gu Ting just smiled and didn’t say more.
Wen Qiangguo looked at Gu Ting for a while, then curiously asked, “Gu, you’re so handsome. I bet a lot of girls in school like you, right?”
“Not really, there aren’t that many,” Gu Ting replied.
Upon hearing this, Wen Ke’an glanced at Gu Ting. She clearly knew how many girls liked him at school.
“Our An’an was the same. Even in elementary school, lots of boys liked her. Some even followed her home, hahaha,” Wen Qiangguo enthusiastically recounted, “An’an didn’t look this pretty back then. Now she’s grown more and more beautiful. Last time I picked her up from school, I noticed some boys looking at her.”
“Eat, eat,” Liu Qing couldn’t stand it anymore. She noticed that her daughter was probably feeling shy, head down, and focusing on her rice.
“Gu Ting, do you have a girl you like now?” Wen Qiangguo asked curiously after taking a few bites, looking up at Gu Ting.
Gu Ting smiled softly and replied, “Yes, I’ve liked a girl for a long time.”
Wen Ke’an, who was quietly eating her meal, suddenly froze.
Wen Qiangguo didn’t notice Wen Ke’an’s reaction. He took a sip of his drink and excitedly asked, “What is the girl like?”
Gu Ting thought seriously and said, “She’s very cute, beautiful, and well-behaved.”
“Hahaha, just like our An’an,” Wen Qiangguo, obviously a bit drunk, glanced at Wen Ke’an and laughed, “Maybe not in someone else’s eyes, but to me, our An’an is obedient and beautiful.”
Gu Ting glanced at Wen Ke’an and softly replied, “I think so too.”
It was too obvious. Wen Ke’an felt a tingling in her scalp and secretly squeezed Gu Ting’s hand under the table.
Gu Ting understood her intention and obediently closed his mouth.
“Actually, dating early isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Wen Qiangguo said, “Young men should pursue their feelings while they’re young.”
“It’s still too early for that,” Gu Ting suddenly became very serious.
“Hahaha, your aunt and I met in high school,” Wen Qiangguo said with a laugh, “I pursued her for a long time before she agreed. Chasing a girl isn’t hard; it’s all about persistence and attention to detail.”
Gu Ting listened carefully and nodded, “Uncle is right. I won’t give up and will pursue her properly.”
“Exactly, persistence is key when chasing a girl!” Wen Qiangguo agreed.
After dinner, Wen Ke’an and Wen Qiangguo started tidying up in the kitchen.
After finishing with the dishes, Wen Ke’an hesitated for a moment, then looked up to Wen Qiangguo and asked, “Dad, is it considered too early for me to be dating now?”
“Of course, it’s early. You’re still too young,” Wen Qiangguo replied seriously.
Wen Ke’an was taken aback for a moment, “That’s not what you just said.”
“You’re still young and haven’t gone to college yet. Once you’re in university and start working, you’ll find many excellent young men out there!” Wen Qiangguo put down the spatula and earnestly said, “You haven’t entered society yet; it’s easy to get deceived!”
“So, was my mom deceived by you in the same way?” Wen Ke’an retorted softly.
“I just want to ask, if I were really in love…”
As Gu Ting approached the kitchen, he heard a furious shout from inside, “I’ll see which little punk wants to eat swan meat, I’ll break his legs!”
After lunch, they chatted for a while, and as it was getting late, Gu Ting had to prepare to leave.
Looking at Wen Ke’an, Liu Qing said, “An’an, Gu Ting is leaving, why don’t you go out and see him off?”
“Okay,” Wen Ke’an obediently agreed.
As it was a rather old residential building, the staircase was narrow. Gu Ting walked ahead, while Wen Ke’an followed behind.
“What was Uncle saying in the kitchen just now?” Gu Ting asked casually as they descended the stairs.
“I was asking my dad if I could be in a relationship,” Wen Ke’an, wearing a mask, replied softly.
Unexpectedly, Gu Ting chuckled and asked, “What did your dad say?”
Wen Ke’an’s voice sounded muffled, “My dad said it’s okay for boys to date early, but not for girls.”
“Why?”
“He said girls are easily deceived and bullied.”
Gu Ting suddenly stopped and turned to look at Wen Ke’an, “Do you think I would bully you?”
Wen Ke’an looked up at him for a moment, not sure what she thought. Although her expression was calm and serious, her delicate ears turned slightly red. She nodded earnestly, “Hmm.”
—–
Since there was nothing to do at home, Wen Ke’an walked a bit further to see Gu Ting off.
On the side of the road, a new commercial building was under construction, with many construction workers busy at work. Wen Ke’an casually glanced ahead and noticed a bullying incident unfolding in a corner not far away.
Several workers in red clothes had surrounded a young worker, seemingly threatening him. The young worker didn’t look very old, maybe seventeen or eighteen, probably due to working frequently on the construction site, his skin was deeply tanned.
He was strong, and one could vaguely sense the muscular strength hidden beneath his clothes. Despite being surrounded by so many people, he stared firmly at those in front of him, showing no signs of fear.
“Gu Ting, does that person look familiar to you?” Wen Ke’an whispered.
Gu Ting had already noticed that person. He looked at the worker being bullied in the middle, frowned slightly, and said softly, “It’s Zhou Heng.”
“Zhou Heng?”
Wen Ke’an suddenly remembered the name. In their past life, Zhou Heng was a foreman at the construction site, taking on various projects. At that time, Gu Ting had injured his leg, and most foremen were unwilling to employ him. Zhou Heng was the only one willing to help, always including Gu Ting in any project he had.
Now, Zhou Heng was still quite young and seemed to be just another worker on the construction site.
“Those people seem like they want to hit him.” Wen Ke’an looked up at Gu Ting, hesitantly asking, “Should we help him?”
The people around Zhou Heng all had sticks in their hands, but Zhou Heng had nothing. He would definitely be at a disadvantage in a fight.
“Yes.” Gu Ting found an iron rod by the roadside. He weighed it in his hand, and as he turned back, he saw Wen Ke’an watching his movements.
Gu Ting paused for a moment, walked to her side, and said softly, “Turn your head. Don’t watch.”
Wen Ke’an didn’t understand, “Why?”
Gu Ting looked down at her and earnestly said, “It’s easy to set a bad example for kids.”
“”
“Am I little?” Wen Ke’an reflexively asked.
Gu Ting chuckled lightly, looking at her confused eyes, and said, “Yes, you are. After all, you’re still a kid who’s not allowed to date early.”
“”
