Shen Qiuqiu reached out and patted Ding Rui on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry. I’m still here.”
Ding Rui let out a long breath and continued, “Then you’re really not worried about Gu Zhouye’s old flame back in the city?”
Shen Qiuqiu paused. She carefully recalled Gu Zhouye’s expression when he talked about the past. He had probably really liked that old flame.
“That old flame betrayed him. I’m not worried about that. What bothers me is that he keeps saying he’ll divorce me once we get to the city.”
When Ding Rui heard this, she was so angry that she slammed her mallet down on a rock. The impact rattled her hands and nearly made her drop it. But even so, she still looked at Shen Qiuqiu with concern.
Shen Qiuqiu’s heart filled with warmth. This old friend was truly a good person.
“That bastard actually wants to divorce you? No way!”
In this era, divorce was a very serious matter. People would really talk behind your back.
Shen Qiuqiu sighed.
“What can I say? We got together by accident in the first place.”
Shen Qiuqiu had her doubts too. She didn’t like to think too deeply about things. After all, you just live one day at a time.
Ding Rui dug out a root and shook her head.
“Men are all the same — always eyeing what’s in the next bowl while eating from their own.”
Ding Rui cleared her throat.
“But I heard that the higher-ups are planning to relax the policies on returning to the city. When that happens, I’ll be able to go back with you.”
Shen Qiuqiu was stunned. This era seemed to have some differences from actual history. Most people should have been able to return much later.
Shen Qiuqiu took Ding Rui’s hand and smiled.
“That’s great. The capital is cold too, but it’s definitely warmer than here.”
Ding Rui reached out and poked Shen Qiuqiu’s head.
“You don’t know this, but the city already has heating installed. It’s really warm. But you’ve been at the forestry station for so many years — haven’t your parents written you any letters?”
The original Shen Qiu had been a pitiful soul. Her older sister was beautiful and the most favored. Her younger brother was the baby of the family. No one ever cared about her. For years, no one had written to ask how she was.
In her past life, when the original Shen Qiu went back to the city to visit family, there wasn’t even a place for her to sleep. They just made a little bed for her in the kitchen. Her siblings looked down on her too, afraid she might refuse to leave.
“They wish they didn’t have me as a daughter. Enough about that. Let’s keep digging.”
By the afternoon, the weather had turned nasty again. Gu Zhouye had caught a rabbit. He called the two of them and they headed back to Qingshantun. As soon as they entered the village, they saw a crowd gathered outside Bai Xueying’s door.
Bai Xueying was handing out some sweet potatoes from her house.
Wang Lixia happened to walk up to Shen Qiu, holding a steaming sweet potato, and said smugly, “See? Xueying got these for us. Let me tell you, digging roots will starve you to death.”
Shen Qiuqiu pulled the rabbit out from inside her coat and grinned at Wang Lixia.
Wang Lixia was furious. Bai Xueying stood to the side, looking at Shen Qiuqiu with a complicated expression.
She had gone through tremendous effort to get those rations. Xiao Yi had already gone to the county to borrow grain. Who knew how that would turn out?
There were no vehicles, so he had to walk. Several male educated youths had taken a good amount of dried food with them, planning to walk day and night to get there.
Shen Qiuqiu, Gu Zhouye, Ding Rui, and the others went back to their room. Shen Qiuqiu was about to cook when Ding Rui snatched the rabbit from her hands and said cheerfully, “Let me do it. I really don’t trust your cooking.”
Shen Qiuqiu felt a bit embarrassed. Gu Zhouye took off his coat and started expertly tending the fire. Shen Qiuqiu sat by the bed and stared at Gu Zhouye curiously.
“Gu Zhouye, who is Bai Kerou?”
Gu Zhouye’s hand paused as he was tending the fire. He looked up at Shen Qiuqiu, a faint trace of panic in his expression.
“Why are you asking about her?”
Shen Qiuqiu walked over to Gu Zhouye and gently patted his head.
“Why are you so nervous?”
The flames flickered, casting a warm red glow on Gu Zhouye’s face. He looked up at Shen Qiuqiu, and there was even a hint of a glisten in his eyes.
“She’s the woman I told you about. The one who betrayed me.”
Shen Qiuqiu sat back down on the edge of the bed and gave a little nod.
“Oh.”
Shen Qiuqiu didn’t say anything more. Gu Zhouye grew anxious. He turned to look at her calm, composed face.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Shen Qiuqiu let out a long breath and patted Gu Zhouye’s shoulder.
“I’m going to help Ding Rui. You get some rest.”
Shen Qiuqiu left the room, leaving a thoroughly confused Gu Zhouye behind. When Ding Rui saw Shen Qiuqiu come out, she laughed and said, “I thought you were going to give him a proper scolding.”
Shen Qiuqiu shook her head.
“The best way to handle a man like this is to let him stew in his own guesses. If you argue with him, he’ll just clam up.”
Ding Rui looked at Shen Qiuqiu with admiration.
“Qiuqiu, where did you learn this art of husband-taming?”
Shen Qiuqiu shook her head smugly.
“Self-taught.”
After lunch, Ding Rui went back to her own place to rest. It was far too cold to stay out and about.
Shen Qiuqiu changed her clothes and curled up under the blanket. After cleaning up, Gu Zhouye reluctantly climbed onto the kang. Everything he was thinking was written all over his face.
Shen Qiuqiu reached out and rubbed Gu Zhouye’s head.
“Alright, stop guessing. I’m not mad.”
Gu Zhouye let out a long breath. Then he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to maintain his aloof persona. He muttered reluctantly.
“What do I care if you’re mad or not.”
Shen Qiuqiu kicked Gu Zhouye’s backside. Gu Zhouye caught her foot and placed it on his stomach, then said with great tsundere energy, “This woman’s feet are as cold as ice cubes.”
This man was always like this — what he said and what he did never matched.
Shen Qiuqiu lay down comfortably.
“Too skinny. No body fat. Not enough qi and blood.”
Suddenly, Gu Zhouye pulled Shen Qiuqiu into his arms. His eyes, moist and dark, stared at her.
“When you come back to the city with me, I’ll fatten you up.”
Shen Qiuqiu could clearly feel that the man beside her was burning with heat in every breath. It seemed this honest, simple man had developed quite an appetite thanks to her.
Shen Qiuqiu reached out and pressed against Gu Zhouye’s advancing chest, then whispered softly in his ear.
“Didn’t you say you were going to divorce me once we got back to the city?”
Gu Zhouye’s breath hitched sharply, followed by long, ragged gasps. He pulled Shen Qiuqiu tightly into his arms, pressing his whole body against hers with all his strength.
“No divorce. Absolutely no divorce.”
Outside, the wind and snow raged, the north wind howled — but not a whisper of cold could penetrate this warm little room.
Heat swirled inside.
Shen Qiuqiu always felt that talking too much was useless. What mattered was action. Gu Zhouye had once been a cold, stubborn villain — but now, with a hoarse voice, he called her “baby.”