“Comrade Shu, what’s wrong with you?”
Shu Ning raised her eyes, tears welling up as she looked at him.
She didn’t even know why she was crying. It was just that when she saw Gu Zhao step forward to protect her, she felt moved—deeply moved.
It was the same last night.
And the same now.
She wanted to hug him.
She wanted to tell him that just having him there made her feel incredibly safe.
Gu Zhao frowned.
Was it because he hit Bai Zhiping and she felt sorry for him?
Or because Bai Zhiping ran away and she regretted it?
“If you want to go after Comrade Bai, it’s still not too late.”
The grievance and emotion in Shu Ning’s eyes instantly turned into anger. She puffed her lips and snapped, “What’s wrong with me? Why am I crying? You can’t even figure out something so simple? I’m crying because of your stupidity!”
Gu Zhao was completely baffled, his face full of confusion.
He hadn’t done anything stupid today.
“Did I look like I was deeply in love with Bai Zhiping today?” Shu Ning raised her chin and asked.
“…I don’t think so.” Gu Zhao answered uncertainly.
He hadn’t been sure before, but after seeing Shu Ning’s resolute attitude earlier, he was starting to believe it.
“Then who was I protecting today?” Shu Ning continued.
“Gu Kai, Gu Yao, me…”
Shu Ning’s voice suddenly rose as she angrily said, “I was protecting you all! Then why are you telling me to go after Bai Zhiping? Gu Zhao, do you have a pig’s brain?”
“…” Gu Zhao’s face tightened.
But inside, it felt like a long-dried field had suddenly been nourished by rain—like crops sprouting wildly under a spring breeze, blooming all at once.
“Tell me, wasn’t I crying because of your stupidity?” Shu Ning glared at him with watery eyes, asking fiercely again.
But to Gu Zhao, the fierceness in her expression only made her look adorable—so adorable it made his heart itch.
Admitting he was stupid was out of the question.
So he decisively changed the topic. “Comrade Shu, you’ve worked hard today. Do you want a cup of water?”
Shu Ning plopped down on a stool and said bluntly, “After crying and shouting like that, of course I’m thirsty. I want some.”
Gu Zhao hurried to the kitchen to scoop water, but then remembered that the ladle had been used by everyone.
He immediately set it aside.
He went back to his room and took out a cup from a cabinet that was practically falling apart.
This cup had been a reward from Lei Zhenxing after he worked continuously for a month in July and August.
He had never used it.
He scrubbed off the dust with a loofah sponge, cleaned it thoroughly, filled it with water, and brought it out.
“A new cup?”
The moment Shu Ning saw the bright, brand-new cup with the words “Serve the People” printed on it, her mood instantly brightened.
Gu Zhao spoke indifferently, “It’s just a useless cup sitting around. If I don’t use it, should I wait for it to rust away?”
“…” Clearly, he had taken out his best cup, yet he downplayed it so much. Shu Ning took the cup and sighed softly. “Well, that makes sense. Someone like me is only fit to use something others don’t care about.”
“Don’t you think so?” she asked, looking up at him.
“…” Gu Zhao frowned slightly, feeling a bit flustered.
But since he was the one who said it, he could only endure it silently.
Ergouzi, listening to their conversation, could barely hold it in.
But he couldn’t laugh. Seeing that there was still soup left in his bowl, he slurped it all down in one gulp.
Gu Zhao looked at him with disdain. “Ergouzi, were you reincarnated from a starving ghost?”
Ergouzi grinned, showing his white teeth. “It’s just too delicious! Even the soup is amazing! Sister-in-law, with your cooking skills, if you opened a noodle shop, people would line up to eat!”
Shu Ning smiled. Opening a noodle shop—she would like that.
But unfortunately, private businesses weren’t allowed yet.
Gu Zhao shot Ergouzi a cold glance. “Since you’re so brave, why don’t you go open one?”
Ergouzi’s smile froze instantly.
He had slipped up!
Gu Zhao had warned him many times—ideas about making money could be thought about and even done, but never spoken out loud.
Otherwise, trouble would come from loose lips.
“Ha… ha… we are good socialist members. We wouldn’t do anything that harms the collective economy. I was just joking, just joking,” Ergouzi said awkwardly.
Shu Ning looked at him with a smile.
Though he tried hard to hide it, his desire to earn more money had already surfaced—and couldn’t be contained anymore.
That was a good thing.
While sorting mustard greens earlier, she had already thought of many ways to make money.
Doing it alone in the commune wouldn’t work—it wasn’t safe.
But if someone worked with her, things would be much easier.
“The noodles are delicious enough for us. Why let others benefit?” Ergouzi continued, trying to ease the situation. He looked at Gu Zhao and the kids. “Right, Kai-Kai, Yaoyao?”
Gu Kai frowned slightly.
The noodles were indeed good.
But Shu Ning shouldn’t think she could win them over with just two bowls of noodles!
His little face scrunched up seriously as he said in a mature tone, “The noodles… are okay.”
“…” Ergouzi was shocked.
Just okay?
They practically licked their bowls clean!
These little brats—full and then denying everything!
“…” Shu Ning was also surprised. She was quite confident in her cooking, yet these two were so picky?
Sensing their dissatisfaction, Gu Kai added, “Mainly because my big brother said we must stay highly alert to the enemy’s sugar-coated bullets!”
“He also said that what others give you might be honey hiding poison! We must have basic judgment. I won’t trust someone just because of one meal.”
He spoke with firm principles.
Shu Ning looked at Gu Zhao with a faint smile.
Sugar-coated bullets?
Honey hiding poison?
Was that… her?
“…” Gu Zhao felt uneasy under her gaze. He glared at Gu Kai, grabbed him, and tossed him into the yard. “When did I ever say that? When did I say Comrade Shu was poisonous honey?”
“I said don’t trust outsiders so easily!”
“Exactly! Don’t trust outsiders!” Ergouzi chimed in. “Is sister-in-law an outsider?”
“Hmph! She got me thrown out by big brother. I don’t want her as my sister-in-law! You leave!” Gu Kai said stubbornly.
Seeing his attitude, Gu Zhao got even angrier and smacked his backside. “Is this how you treat a guest?”
“Waaah! Gu Zhao, you hit me for an outsider! Waaah!” Gu Kai burst into tears, glaring at Shu Ning like a little wolf cub, as if he wanted to bite her.
“…” Shu Ning felt helpless.
She hadn’t even done anything—how did she end up being hated?
In truth, Gu Kai and Gu Yao were never easy children.
As Gu Kai grew older, he became extremely stubborn, refusing to turn back until he hit a wall. His relationship with Gu Zhao was tense for a long time.
Even after marriage, his personality didn’t change. Seeing many educated youths divorce and remarry, he stubbornly believed that as long as he treated his wife well, life would be peaceful. He clung to his wife constantly, which turned into control. She resisted, their marriage fell apart, and they eventually divorced. His child was taken away, leaving him alone and even more withdrawn.
Gu Yao, on the other hand, became a cold, distant beauty. She trusted no one except Gu Zhao. After witnessing Gu Kai’s failed marriage, she developed a fear of marriage and remained single for life.
Gu Zhao did his best to raise his siblings well, ensuring they succeeded in school and career.
But their personalities remained deeply flawed.
They lacked a sense of security.
And didn’t know how to find happiness.
“Brother Zhao, that’s enough. Kai-Kai is still a child—we shouldn’t hit him anymore,” Ergouzi tried to mediate. “We should teach him properly.”
Gu Zhao, still angry, smacked Gu Kai’s backside two more times.
“Waaah—!”
Looking at Gu Kai’s furious expression, Shu Ning rubbed her forehead.
She suddenly felt a headache coming on.