Back To The 80s-Chapter 353 - 363: Something Strange_1

After teasing Bai Xiaolan, Gu Xiaobei led her into the house for a quiet conversation.

"Do you regret going to the Shule River?" Gu Xiaobei teased Bai Xiaolan.

"I do, but if I hadn’t gone, Ji Da Ge would be someone else’s now. Wouldn’t that be an even greater regret?" Bai Xiaolan grumbled.

"Didn’t you say that you wanted to go to X Province in search of treasures? Now you can go there with my big brother." Gu Xiaobei suggested with a laugh.

Scratching her head, Bai Xiaolan said, "I read in a children’s book that there’s a golden snow lotus that grows on the mysterious Tianshan Mountains. It’s said that whoever gathers it can make their dreams come true. My mom was constantly pressuring me to get married, and I couldn’t find Ji Da Ge so I thought that if I could get that snow lotus, maybe my dreams would come true."

Gu Xiaobei laughed. After all, doesn’t every girl harbor a fairytale in her heart? They all wish to be the princess in a castle.

Being a gossip, Gu Xiaobei asked, "How far have you and my brother gotten?"

Bai Xiaolan was confused, "What do you mean ’how far’?"

"Did you guys kiss or anything?" asked Gu Xiaobei maliciously.

Bai Xiaolan’s face turned red in an instant. Shaking her head, she said, "No, we haven’t even held hands, don’t imagine things."

Gu Xiaobei thought for a while and then suggested naughtily: "You could take the initiative to hold my brother’s hand or kiss him." She visualized the scene of Bai Xiaolan leaping on Ji Xiangdong and couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Bai Xiaolan nodded with interest, "That’s a good idea, I might try it."

Xiaopang and Mo Wang also climbed up groggily. Xiaopang crawled over by himself, ready to nurse.

"Can you help Mo Wang pee? I wonder why my parents aren’t here yet. Let’s go and check on them in a bit." Holding Xiaopang, Gu Xiaobei went to help him pee before nursing him.

Lu Songyuan and Wen Xiuqing went to the market at the bridge early in the morning. They bought six egg-laying chickens and a goat with a lamb to add some nutrition for Xiaopang and Mo Wang.

Lu Songyuan came back with the chickens and Wen Xiuqing with the goat. As they walked home, Wen Xiuqing sighed and said, "It would be good if Xiangdong could have a family soon. We are still fit and can help them look after their children. Now that I think of it, I really feel sorry for Fang Jing and Yueyue."

Lu Songyuan comforted her saying, "Alright, don’t think too much. We can make it up to them by treating them better in the future."

Sadly, Wen Xiuqing said, "And Xiangdong, I haven’t dared to tell him how I lost him back then, I’m afraid he might blame me. If I had been more careful at that time, he wouldn’t have been lost."

Lu Songyuan froze while carry the hens and said, "How could it be? Xiangdong is a good kid who had the fortune to meet kind people, and he didn’t go astray. Besides, Xiangdong is a gracious child. Even if he knows, he won’t blame you."

Wiping her tears, Wen Xiuqing said, "I was a doctor, how could I have been so careless? It makes me dislike myself when I think about it."

"The child is back now, don’t keep blaming yourself. Let’s hurry and put the chickens and the goat at home. Xiaobei has yet to have breakfast." Lu Songyuan quickly changed the topic.

As they got to the entrance of the house, they saw Gu Xiaobei and Bai Xiaolan holding the two children at the door. Wen Xiuqing hurriedly said with a smile, "Your father and I went to the market at the bridge. We wanted to come back as soon as we finished shopping, but we were delayed. Are you all hungry?"

Shaking her head, Gu Xiaobei said, "Xiaolan and I just had something at the breakfast stall. Why did you buy a goat?"

"We bought it for Mo Wang and Xiaopang so they can have some goat’s milk to drink. Once they stop breastfeeding, they can drink goat’s milk." Wen Xiuqing said, tugging at the rope in her hand. The mother goat kept shaking its head while its bell tinkled.

Xiaopang and Mo Wang were immediately attracted and Xiaopang cheerfully cried out. Leaning forward, he tried to reach for the lamb.

Lu Songyuan opened the gate and let everyone into the courtyard while he put the chickens into the coop, which had been built the previous day.

Wen Xiuqing simply tied the goat under the grape vine for the children to watch.

Mo Wang and Xiaopang, wearing soft-soled shoes, could stand and take a few steps forward.

Gu Xiaobei squatted down and helped Xiaopang stand up. Seeing the lamb, Xiaopang was so happy that he clapped his hands and his little legs strained to rush towards it.

Laughing, Wen Xiuqing said, "I guess Xiaopang will learn to walk sooner than Mo Wang." Mo Wang, sitting in her arm, only looked curiously at the lamb and showed no desire to go forward.

Bai Xiaolan went into the kitchen and brought two small stools for Gu Xiaobei and Wen Xiuqing, curiously she asked, "Why don’t you grow vegetables in the yard?"

Wen Xiuqing said with a smile, "We were just talking about planting some. In the next few days, we’re planning to plant some vegetables, tomatoes, and peppers. We’ll just go to the market and buy some seedlings to plant."

Bai Xiaolan said excitedly, "I know how to grow vegetables. When my mom was in the countryside, she took me with her. I learned everything. I can help you plant it."

"Such a small area, your uncle can plant it by himself." Wen Xiuqing said with a smile.

Sitting under the grape vine, soaking up the warmth of the sun, Gu Xiaobei listened to the conversation between Wen Xiuqing and Bai Xiaolan, as well as the cooing of the baby in her arms. She thought such life was really nice.

...

Jiang Jiahua presented Gu Xiaobei’s proposal to the leaders of the publishing house. After a meeting, they all agreed that Gu Xiaobei’s proposal had great market potential, whether it was in the form of training classes, comic books, or through radio and television stations.

The meeting decided to meet Gu Xiaobei’s core requirements, and Jiang Jiahua could add some extra demands accordingly.

Jiang Jiahua asked Gu Xiaobei to work in the publishing house three days a week, though it was unclear whether he was doing so out of selfishness or a genuine appreciation for her talent.

As Gu Xiaobei studied the contract Jiang Jiahua handed her, she reasoned that three days a week could be manageable, since she could still learn a lot in the process.

Seeing Gu Xiaobei reading the contract for a long time before finally nodding in agreement, Jiang Jiahua breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I’m very happy to be your colleague."

In the moment when Gu Xiaobei looked up, she saw affection in Jiang Jiahua’s eyes that he hadn’t had time to hide. It wasn’t just the simple admiration between colleagues —it was the way a man looks at a woman.

Gu Xiaobei was startled. She had been married for so long that she was very aware of what that look meant. She gently put the contract on Jiang Jiahua’s desk and said, "I’ve thought it over again, and I can’t leave my child at home. If this is a mandatory requirement of the contract, then I won’t be able to meet it."

Gu Xiaobei felt that she could face the situation head-on if she hadn’t had noticed it, but now that she was aware, she couldn’t possibly turn a blind eye to it.

Jiang Jiahua was stunned and asked, "I thought you said your in-laws were helping to take care of the child. Why can’t they do it now?"

With a faint smile, Gu Xiaobei asked, "Is there room for negotiation in the contract?"

Seeing Gu Xiaobei avoid the question, Jiang Jiahua embarrassedly said with a smile, "Yes, this is not a necessity. As long as you can submit your manuscripts and plans on time, we’ll just require your participation in some specific promotional meetings."

Gu Xiaobei nodded, "That is acceptable."