Back to the 1980s: Transmigrated as the Bigshot's Pampered Wife-Chapter 58: Setting Off

Seeing it was getting late, Gu Jiaojiao said, "Uncle Song, I know you like tea. Let me give you a tin of tea leaves. Please feel free to visit us anytime you have a moment."

"Thank you so much. Tomorrow morning, Song Zijie will come with a driver to pick you up at your doorstep."

Uncle Song left reluctantly. For the first time, Mr. Gu saw a guest off from the Su family home as if he were the host.

He walked him all the way to the courtyard gate. Mr. Gu gazed at the Qing City summer night. The full moon was like a mirror, and the stars were scattered across the sky—a truly beautiful sight.

The evening breeze was cool. The nights in Qing City were enchanting enough to make anyone reluctant to leave!

He wouldn’t need to return to work on the farm. Their transfer orders had arrived a year ago.

He and his father were both supposed to teach at Imperial University, but his father had been gravely ill, his whole body swollen, making it impossible for him to endure a long train journey.

They had all thought that with better living conditions, no longer having to eat husks and wild vegetables, his body would recover after some rest and nourishment.

But after several months of recuperation, there was no improvement. Then, his eldest son was injured and lost too much blood, becoming unable to even care for himself.

His father’s condition worsened with worry. Misfortunes never come singly; his younger son got into a fight, and for one reason after another...

They had to keep delaying their departure. ’If my father and eldest son had died...’

’...then my wife would have followed them. Could I have endured that?!’

After struggling and toiling for more than half his life in this world, all he had to show for it was utter exhaustion and a heart full of scars. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

’Now, everything is better. And it’s all thanks to my daughter Jiaojiao—the daughter we never got to raise for even a single day.’

’The daughter he had poured eighteen years of fatherly love into had turned her back on him.’

When school started, they would return to Imperial University to teach. Jiaojiao said she would also test into Imperial Capital Medical University.

’In that case, I’ll choose to teach at Imperial Capital Medical University. Even if our daughter doesn’t pass the entrance exam, my father and I can help secure a spot for her.’

"Dad, you should take a bath and go to sleep. You still have to go to the farm tomorrow morning. I’ve already drawn a hot bath for you."

Second Brother Gu came out to call him, seeing his dad had been seeing the guest off for so long.

"Yes. Jingtai, we’re all going back to the Imperial City in the second half of the year. What are your plans?"

"I’ll start by setting up a stall in the Imperial City to sell cold noodles and jianbing guozi. Jiaojiao told me to learn how to cook from Aunt Su. Once I have enough capital, I’ll open a restaurant in the Imperial City."

Mr. Gu didn’t know if his second son’s decision was right, but he trusted his daughter. "Alright. Do as you’ve planned."

Second Brother Gu was ecstatic. He hadn’t expected his dad to stop pressuring him to study.

He looked up at the night sky. ’I don’t even know which direction tomorrow’s sun will rise from.’

But he had to get to sleep. He needed to wake up early tomorrow to make and sell buns. He wasn’t willing to give up any opportunity to make money.

「The night passed peacefully.」

Early the next morning, Mr. Su, Su’s mother, Gu Jingtai, and Su Qinchun all went out to sell buns.

They had arranged to leave after everyone else had gone to work, so Gu Jiaojiao didn’t get up particularly early.

When Gu Jiaojiao got up, washed up, and came out, breakfast was already set on the table. The members of the Gu family were waiting around the table for them.

After breakfast, Song Zijie arrived at the Su family’s gate with a driver in a Hongqi sedan.

Mr. Gu walked ahead empty-handed. Gu Jiaojiao pushed Su Shuochi, who had a bulging bag on his back.

Old Sir Gu saw them to the gate. This was the first time the old man had walked out the door in the three days he’d been at the Su family’s home; he had been carried in when he first arrived.

He told Gu Jiaojiao that he had buried several antiques on the back hill of the farm, which an old friend from the scrapyard had given him.

If Old Sir Gu’s body weren’t so unfit for long-distance travel, he would have loved to go dig them up himself.

Only after Gu Jiaojiao repeatedly promised that she would bring them back did Old Sir Gu feel at ease. "Be careful on the road, then."

"Grandpa, please go back inside. Eldest Brother can’t be left alone. You both need to drink your soup on time, okay?"

"Don’t worry, Jiaojiao. Grandpa still wants to see you have children. I’ll definitely drink my soup on time and eat plenty of meat."

Gu Jiaojiao felt embarrassed.

At that moment, Song Zijie and the driver got out of the car and helped Su Shuochi inside. Gu Jiaojiao folded up the wheelchair and put it in the car.

Song Zijie watched, dumbfounded. He had never seen such an advanced wheelchair. ’How amazing!’

Three families lived in the Su family’s small courtyard. The Zhou family and the other household had no elderly people or children.

So at this time of day, no one from those two families was home.

Mr. Gu sat in the front passenger seat. Su Shuochi sat in the middle of the back row, with Song Zijie and Gu Jiaojiao on either side of him.

When Second Brother Gu and the others returned from selling buns, Gu Jiaojiao’s group had already been gone for half an hour.

"Grandpa, you must make sure Eldest Brother rests. Did you two have your glass of malted milk this morning?"

"We drank it. Jiaojiao watched us drink it," Eldest Brother Gu said earnestly.

Seeing his younger brother’s worried expression, he felt a pang of regret. In the past, he had given any nice food they had to that girl, Yueyue.

That was why his body had completely collapsed after losing just a bit of blood, causing his family so much worry.

’But I don’t regret it that much. This way, Jiaojiao won’t owe the Sheng family too much.’

’Setting aside the other members of the Sheng family, just Sheng Shiwu looks so ashamed every time he sees me in this state.’

As for the Sheng family, who Eldest Brother Gu was thinking about, Mr. Sheng was still going to and from work every day as usual.

Mrs. Sheng was busy rehearsing for a performance and, when she came home, she doted on her daughter just as she always had.

The eldest Sheng brother, Sheng Shijing, had just finished training. He needed to quickly select outstanding veterans from the group, as they were heading to the Southern Border this time.

News came back from the troops holding the line at Luojia Ping Mountain: the enemy was frequently shelling their positions in provocation.

The two armies were frequently clashing in small-scale conflicts, and they had requested urgent reinforcements. Sheng Shijing and several of his friends had already applied to go to the Southern Border.

If they could make it back alive, they could get promoted again. Military honors were won through strength and courage.

"Shi Jing, we’re deploying in ten days. I’m heading back to the compound tomorrow. Do you want to go home for a visit?"

"I have nothing to do, so I won’t go back."

"Didn’t you used to rush home whenever you had leave?" his friend, who had been training alongside him, asked in confusion.

"Oh, him? He doesn’t want to go home now. His two younger sisters at home are a real handful!"

"No way. Jiaojiao is so well-behaved. Would she really cause a scene?"

Hearing his friend’s words, Sheng Shijing didn’t know how to respond. ’Jiaojiao can definitely cause a scene!’

’I wonder if she’s changed for the better since getting married. I didn’t even see her last time I went back.’

This deployment meant he wouldn’t be back for the New Year, at the very least. "How about we go home together the day after tomorrow? The military happens to have a vehicle going into the city."

"Sure! It’s best to see our families one last time before we leave. What if we don’t make it back?"

Ever since his big fight with Gu Jiaojiao on the road, Sheng Shiwen had become more and more withdrawn.

Aside from going to and from work, he would just return to his room. He didn’t even have much to say to his own sister anymore.

The happiest one was Sheng Shiwu. He got to school very early today. During the morning self-study session, he gave his classmates small pieces of spicy strips to try.

Gu Jiaojiao had calculated the price based on the cost of rice. The spicy strips that sold for 4.5 yuan a pack in the big department stores of her previous life, she told Sheng Shiwu to sell for 20 cents a pack.

After subtracting the 10-cent cost, Gu Jiaojiao and Sheng Shiwu would each make 5 cents per pack. At first, he was very embarrassed about it.