Back To The 80s-Chapter 244 - 254: Qu Yan_1

Qu Yan had just arrived at the base, but due to the rumours at home, her relationship with Xiangyang was very cold. He had even been there for a long time without touching her.

Qu Yan enjoyed the feeling of being adored by men. Now that Xiangyang treated her this way, she felt very uncomfortable inside. But after all, it was her fault in the first place, so she could only swallow her anger.

Upon arriving at the base and seeing Lu Zhanguo for the first time, the spring water in her heart revived. His handsome face, cold eyes, and the doting look he gave Gu Xiaobei when making dumplings on the thirtieth, all fascinated her.

Before she had a chance to get close to Lu Zhanguo, he had left for a mission.

Today, she heard that Lu Zhanguo had returned, and her heart could not help but throb with excitement. She couldn’t wait to see Lu Zhanguo.

Having thought for a while in the guesthouse, she decided to make her move through Gu Xiaobei. She quickly came up with an excuse and hurriedly arrived.

Although she knew that the couple would undoubtedly be intimate when they met, seeing the red blush still on Gu Xiaobei’s face made her inexplicably angry.

Gu Xiaobei could never have imagined that the woman standing before her was coveting her man. She smiled and said, "Okay, come in and sit down, I’ll get it for you."

Qu Yan looked around the simply furnished room, which was full of warmth. Seeing Lu Zhanguo’s military coat casually draped over the small bed, she felt somewhat excited.

Gu Xiaobei entered the room and saw Lu Zhanguo lying on the bed, gazing at her with reproachful eyes. She chuckled and took the knitting needle to give to Qu Yan.

Qu Yan received the knitting needle but did not rush to leave. Instead, she moved a stool over, sat down, and looked at Gu Xiaobei’s belly, asking, "Sister-in-law, when is the baby due?"

"In August." Gu Xiaobei didn’t have the heart to ask her to leave, so she sat down and chatted with her.

"That’s when it’s going to be really hot. Do you have someone to take care of you during your confinement? If not, I can help. I have nothing else to do." Qu Yan offered enthusiastically.

"No need to bother, we have made arrangements already." Only after hearing Qu Yan’s words did Gu Xiaobei realize that she will need someone to take care of her during her confinement. If Lu Zhanguo was away on a mission, it would be quite miserable.

Qu Yan waved her hand unconcernedly, "It’s not a bother at all. I’ve got nothing else to do, and I also love children."

Gu Xiaobei just smiled and remained silent. She didn’t want to be friends with Qu Yan. Partly because of Xiangmin, and partly because she felt they were not the same kind of people.

"Isn’t the captain home? I thought he was supposed to be back today." Qu Yan finally couldn’t help herself and asked.

"He’s taking a nap. He doesn’t sleep as soundly outside as he does at home." Gu Xiaobei’s words carried a hint of dismissal.

Qu Yan tactfully got up, "Then I won’t disturb your nap. I’ll be going now."

After sending Qu Yan away, Gu Xiaobei entered the room somewhat puzzled, mumbling to herself, "Why would Qu Yan borrow a knitting needle from me?"

Lu Zhanguo had already sat up and was reading her translated manuscript. Upon hearing Gu Xiaobei’s words, he looked up and said, "When you give birth, if we need to, we can hire Auntie Wang for the confinement period. We can just pay her." He had heard Qu Yan and Gu Xiaobei’s conversation and thought that Auntie Wang would be the most suitable choice.

Gu Xiaobei nodded, "Okay, Auntie Wang will certainly take good care of the baby. By the way, we’re moving soon, right?"

"Hmm, probably by the end of this month. The house was finished building last winter, but we’re waiting for it to dry off, otherwise it would be too damp to move in, and we might get rheumatism."

Lu Zhanguo’s words prompted Gu Xiaobei to nod and ask, "What about the vegetable field? It’s time to plant vegetables."

"We will still plant in the original field this year, as the field near the new house is full of waste material which hasn’t been cleared out yet." Lu Zhanguo thought for a while and then said, "Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see Jiujiu and the others."

"That sounds great. Apart from going to the town to mail manuscripts every month, I haven’t been out in a long time. Jiujiu must be busy with school and doesn’t have time to come over." Gu Xiaobei also wanted to see Qin Li. As the weather warmed up, Qin Li must be preparing her journey to Dazhao Temple.

Lu Zhanguo didn’t say anything. What he was thinking about was Qingming Festival, which was coming in a couple of days, and his wish to pay a visit to Jin Cheng.

Lu Zhanguo cooked dinner again. He seemed to be compensating for the two months that he was not at home. He made pancakes, stir-fried potato strips, and even fried two eggs for Gu Xiaobei.

In his eyes, Gu Xiaobei was too thin at the moment, which made her belly seem unusually large. Also, her arms were so thin that if folded lightly they looked like they could break.

Because Lu Zhanguo, the delicious food, was at home, Gu Xiaobei ate an extra pancake that night.

Lu Zhanguo was still not satisfied: "Eat some more. Do you want me to fry another egg for you?"

Gu Xiaobei, satisfied, rubbed her stomach and coquettishly glanced at Lu Zhanguo, "Do you think you’re raising a pig?"

"Yes, a fat one, so that a little piglet can be born." Lu Zhanguo teased her along.

Gu Xiaobei chuckled, "Our baby is of the Rat sign, so let’s use the nickname Rat."

Lu Zhanguo’s eyelid twitched. He found his baby’s mother’s naming sense questionable, "Even if it’s a girl, also called Rat?"

"If it’s a girl, let’s call her Xiaopang. I eat so much and I don’t gain weight. She must have absorbed it. I’m sure she’s going to be a chubby girl when she’s born." Gu Xiaobei said with a laugh.

Lu Zhanguo looked grim and composed. That’s not a nice name for a girl, right? How about Xinghua, Taohua, Meihua? His thoughts were interrupted by a strong kick from the baby in the belly, as if protesting against its parents’ terrible naming sense.

Gu Xiaobei touched her moving belly and said earnestly, "If it’s a boy, let’s give him the nickname Mo Wang."

Lu Zhanguo was a little confused, "Why Mo Wang?"

"Don’t forget your roots, don’t forget your past." Gu Xiaobei said with a mysterious smile. The reason she was so fixated on having a boy was because she could never forget the baby she had lost, and the dream of the handsome young man who had said he would come back.

Lu Zhanguo frowned, still not understanding why she wanted to give the boy such a profound name. Why not call him Tiedan or Shitou, wouldn’t that sound better?

Fortunately, he didn’t say it out loud, otherwise Gu Xiaobei would surely explode. He realized he had no talent for naming.

The two of them sat at the dining table, chatting vaguely.

When they heard a knock on the door, Lu Zhanguo went to open it and was surprised to find Guo Huaqiang standing outside.

Lu Zhanguo was a bit astonished but didn’t show it on his face. The two hadn’t spoken privately in a while.

Ever since Guo Huaqiang had secretly sent an anonymous complaint, they had tacitly distanced themselves from each other, maintaining only their professional relationship.

Guo Huaqiang himself couldn’t clearly explain why he came over today, but the pressure of the past half year had almost driven him to the edge, not to mention the chaos at home.

When he initially reported Lu Zhanguo, he had also hesitated. But considering how obvious the army’s intentions to downsize were, and with no connections or qualifications, and his age stuck awkwardly in the middle, he would surely be among the first to go.