Back To The 80s

Lu Zhanguo saw that Gu Xinabei’s face was thinner, her small chin was even sharper than usual. His first words were, "Why did you lose so much weight? Aren’t you eating properly?"

Gu Xiaobei pouted sweetly, "Your son has been causing trouble, I’ve been throwing up for a month now. When we get home, you’ll have to deal with him."

Lu Zhanguo looked around to ensure no one was nearby, he couldn’t help but pinch her nose and say, "Okay, I’ll deal with him. Let’s go home first."

Gu Xiaobei couldn’t help but try to hold Lu Zhanguo’s hand. This man was quite reserved, he wouldn’t agree to such intimate gestures at the doorstep of the courtyard.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zhanguo gripped her hand firmly without looking at her, and just walked straight into the courtyard.

Gu Xiaobei looked at their clasped hands and giggled. She was as excited as a cat that had stolen a fish.

As soon as they entered the house and closed the door, Gu Xiaobei hugged Lu Zhanguo eagerly. However, due to the baby bump in her stomach, she could only lean her upper body forward.

Lu Zhanguo moved her to sit by the bed, afraid of squishing the baby. He touched her face and asked, "Has the baby been troubling you? Are you feeling better now?"

"I’m better. It was only a month of discomfort, then I was fine, I can eat and drink, but I still don’t gain weight. However, this is good too, it saves me from having to lose weight after giving birth," Gu Xiaobei said nonchalantly. She felt she’d spoken too quickly and shouldn’t have mentioned this to Lu Zhanguo, it might make him feel guilty.

Lu Zhanguo was somewhat puzzled. He held Gu Xiaobei in one arm and ran his other hand over her round belly.

Seeing Lu Zhanguo’s reaction, Gu Xiaobei quickly seized his hand and said, "Our baby is very responsive!" She leaned over and whispered in a soft voice, "Baby, the one touching you now is your daddy. Can you feel it? If you can, give us a kick."

However, ’Little Bun’ inside her belly had no response. Gu Xiaobei sighed a little, feeling somewhat hurt. She patiently said, "Be good, and give a little movement. When you come out, Mommy will buy you candy."

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a noticeable movement in her belly. A small bulge appeared that happened to fall on Lu Zhanguo’s palm.

Lu Zhanguo was both startled and delighted, as well as a bit incredulous. He sat there, stunned.

Gu Xiaobei laughed at his reaction. "Amazing, right? Our child must be a little foodie. They always move whenever we mention food."

Lu Zhanguo continued to feel Gu Xiaobei’s belly, too excited to speak.

The baby was also full of energy today and moved several times, giving Lu Zhanguo quite a thrill. He had a smile in his eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, a sense of unique contentment and happiness written on his face.

Lu Zhanguo took an egg-sized piece of jade from the backpack he’d brought back. It was as lustrous and delicate as condensed fat. He gave it to Gu Xiaobei, "I bought this when I was hanging around the Bazaar during the defense stint. It looked good quality, so I bought it."

Gu Xiaobei played with the jade in her hand. She recognized this material. It was Hetian jade, also known as the Jade Mutton Fat, which later was inflated to an exorbitant price. Such a good quality raw jade would sell for hundreds of thousands, even millions in the 21st century.

"How much did you pay for this?" Gu Xiaobei asked after looking at it carefully.

"Fifteen dollars."

"My God, this is so cheap, you should have bought a dozen pieces." Gu Xiaobei was shocked. However, she thought the villagers who sold these stones didn’t understand their value. They probably believed that selling a stone for over ten dollars was a great deal.

Lu Zhanguo looked at her, somewhat puzzled, "I just thought it was pretty and bought it. I was thinking about finding a carver to make a jade lock for the baby."

Gu Xiaobei gave him a look. A jade lock, could he be any more old-fashioned? Such a beautiful piece of jade could be ruined if the carving was not done well. "Okay, I will keep it. If you come across this again, buy more," she said.

Gu Xiaobei was even contemplating going there to get more herself. However, she only pondered briefly. Going to X Province was a long journey, and she had no idea if the railway to Shule River had been built yet. She certainly didn’t have the courage to travel that far.

Now that Lu Zhanguo was back, Gu Xiaobei seemed to regain her appetite. There was no meat at home so Lu Zhanguo made some noodle soup.

Gu Xiaobei finished two and a half bowls and was still not quite satisfied. She put down her bowl and said, "Ah, eating with you is so much more enjoyable."

Lu Zhanguo’s hand paused as he held his chopsticks. He didn’t say anything. Some promises are better not made if they can’t be kept.

After dinner, Gu Xiaobei strolled around the house a couple of times before preparing for her afternoon nap.

Today, she could get Lu Zhanguo to nap with her. Leaning against him gave her a sense of peace, the sleepiness had seemingly vanished.

She kept asking, "Was it cold where you went?"

"Did you like the food?"

"Did you encounter any danger?"

Lu Zhanguo answered each question: "It was a bit colder than here. We ate beef and mutton, it was okay. There were no dangerous situations." He rested his hand on Gu Xiaobei’s belly, occasionally patting it.

As he touched her belly, his hand shifted upwards: "Did this also get bigger?"

Gu Xiaobei chuckled, "This is our baby’s rations. What would we do if it didn’t get bigger and the baby didn’t have enough to eat?"

Lu Zhanguo leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Mmm, it’s gotten bigger, I like it too." After he said that, he kissed Gu Xiaobei’s earlobe.

Gu Xiaobei turned to lie flat and looked at him teasingly, "It seems a man with an understanding of the sensual side of life still needs some training. I like you this way, too."

The couple was being affectionate, teasing each other, but they were interrupted by three knocks at the door. Lu Zhanguo’s eyes were filled with desire and going out now would inevitably be a bit awkward.

Gu Xiaobei laughed as she got up, "I’ll go see who it is. You just lie here for a while." As she was saying that, she looked at her masterpiece - the ’tent’ in Lu Zhanguo’s pants. She could not help but laugh as she got up to open the door.

Gu Xiaobei couldn’t have imagined that the visitor would be Qu Yan. Because they were about to move into a new house, after the New Year, Qu Yan did not leave like the other military wives. Having met the conditions for accompanying the military, she stayed, waiting to move into the new house.

The two would sometimes meet in the courtyard and would politely greet each other. However, they were not close, which is why Qu Yan’s sudden visit surprised Gu Xiaobei.

Qu Yan looked at Gu Xiaobei with a smiling face and said, "Sister-in-law, I wanted to borrow your knitting needles." However, her eyes unintentionally swept over Gu Xiaobei’s slightly swollen lips. Her gaze darkened.

Qu Yan was indeed a natural-born flirt, but she was born with an innocent face. When she was in the army, she used all her tricks to get together with Xiangyang. Because soldiers were not allowed to date, she retired as soon as she met the requirements and married Xiangyang instantly.

After marriage, she was unable to accompany Xiangyang to the military and felt lonely at home. She always maintained an ambiguous attitude towards men, albeit without any substantial affairs.

However, such behavior was considered improper, and Xiangyang’s parents, tormented by rumors and talk, sent a telegram asking that Qu Yan be brought home. They feared if she continued to stay, a real issue might occur.