Previously, I had only heard my in-laws briefly mention that they were the children of Gu Bai’s comrades-in-arms, and that Gu Bai had merely adopted them. They hadn’t gone into further detail.
After a long silence, Gu Bai finally spoke in a low voice, “Their parents are no longer here.”
A slender hand suddenly rested on his shoulder, patting him gently twice, as if comforting a sad little animal. “Fourth Brother, if it’s too hard to say, you don’t have to.”
As she finished speaking, she could sense the man instantly feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
“Thank you,” Gu Bai said, his brows slightly furrowed, his mood still somewhat heavy.
Ruan Tong gave him a gentle smile, her expression sweet and endearing. “I will treat the two children as my own. They will be our eldest and second sons.”
The smile on the young woman’s face was like the blossoming of spring, seemingly shining into the man’s suppressed and gloomy heart.
He was momentarily dazed, feeling an illusion of wanting to stay with this woman forever, but he quickly snapped back to reality.
In his current state, how could he burden her? If she wanted to leave for a better place, he would let her go.
The next day, as dawn broke.
She rubbed her eyes, turned over, and noticed that the person who should have been sleeping on the floor was gone. She sat up abruptly.
Up so early? What was he doing?
She quickly grabbed her clothes, dressed in a hurry, and freshened up. Just as she was about to leave, she heard faint sounds at the door, as if someone was outside.
Suspicious, Ruan Tong opened the door and found a small figure sitting at the entrance.
A slight smile touched her lips as she walked over and crouched in front of him, wanting to ruffle his hair, but he dodged her touch with sharp reflexes.
Dabao leaned back slightly, biting his lip shyly as he spoke, “Mom!”
Ruan Tong was delighted. It seemed the little guy had come around.
Ignoring Dabao’s resistance, she quickly ruffled his fluffy little head.
Dabao huffed twice, his round little face also flushing slightly.
“Mom keeps her word. I’ll give you a cartoon rabbit this afternoon too.”
Hearing this, Dabao’s big eyes immediately lit up with anticipation. He didn’t mind the earlier head-ruffling anymore and happily got up and ran off.
Ruan Tong smiled with relief. Just as she stood up, she saw Gu Bai approaching, wiping sweat from his brow.
Looking up and seeing Ruan Tong’s smiling face, Gu Bai’s gaze softened involuntarily. “Once you’re ready, we’ll head out. We’ll have breakfast in town.”
“Alright, I know a place in town that makes really delicious wontons,” Ruan Tong said, patting her pocket as she spoke. Then, her smile instantly froze.
She had wanted to treat him to a meal, but she was embarrassingly short on money!
Suddenly, a ten-yuan note appeared before her.
Ten yuan was quite a sum in those days, equivalent to half a month’s wages for an ordinary person.
“Um… I have money,” Ruan Tong mumbled, her face reddening as she lowered her head.
“Take it,” Gu Bai said, taking her hand and placing the money directly into her palm.
The young woman’s hand was soft. He only touched it briefly before letting go as if shocked, a hint of discomfort appearing on his handsome face.
Ruan Tong pretended not to notice, smiling brightly as she said, “Fourth Brother, then I won’t stand on ceremony.”
With that, Ruan Tong quickly turned away. For some reason, her heart felt full and tingly, as if a clumsy old deer were running amok inside it.
After Gu Bai left, Ruan Tong patted her slightly flushed cheeks.
Goodness, it must be because she was too independent in her past life that in this life, when her cheap husband gave her ten yuan, she felt the illusion of a domineering CEO handing her a black card and telling her to spend freely.
How embarrassing.
Ruan Tong carefully put away the pocket money Gu Bai had given her. Worried that carrying it in her pocket was unsafe, she directly stored it in her Space, ready to take it out whenever needed.
Sitting on the 28-inch bicycle, Ruan Tong squinted her eyes, enjoying the gentle breeze.
Whenever they passed over bumpy sections of the road, she would actively reach out to hold the man’s waist.
She didn’t notice that every time she touched him, the man in front would unconsciously tense up.
Gu Bai was a man of few words. If Ruan Tong didn’t speak, he wouldn’t initiate conversation either.
The two soon arrived in town. After parking the bicycle, they went together to the wonton stall Ruan Tong had mentioned.
The stall was quite simple. The owner and his wife were busy working together, and there were only a few customers at the stall.
They found a spot to sit down. Ruan Tong propped her chin on her hands and asked proactively, “Fourth Brother, have you tried the wontons from this stall before?”
Gu Bai shook his head. “My leg injury hasn’t been healed for long, so I haven’t come to town much.”
Ruan Tong’s eyes curved into crescents. Just as she was about to continue speaking, the proprietress brought over their wontons. Ruan Tong forgot what she was going to say, picked up her spoon, and began eating in small, delicate bites, her manners refined and elegant.
After finishing his meal, Gu Bai sat there waiting for her. Watching the woman in front of him, he felt he had been too prejudiced against her before.
Through these past two days of interaction, he discovered that aside from being a bit delicate, this little woman was not at all as willful, unreasonable, and spoiled as outsiders had described.
She was full of sunshine and passion for life, forming a stark contrast to his own weariness and indifference toward living.
Like a little sun radiating light, she brought warmth and brightness to his dim existence.
If this little sun were to shine on others… At this thought, Gu Bai’s eyes couldn’t help but darken slightly.
“Fourth Brother, what are your plans for the future?” Ruan Tong asked after finishing her meal, her lips glistening from the broth.
Gu Bai shook his head, his deep eyes devoid of any sparkle. Then, he silently took a handkerchief from his trouser pocket and handed it to Ruan Tong.
She didn’t know what Gu Bai had been through to make a person become so despondent and indifferent.
But she could roughly guess that it must have been inhuman suffering that could crush the strong heart of a man like him.
Ruan Tong comforted him, “Fourth Brother, you can think about what kind of life you want to live, what meaningful things you want to do. No matter what, we must strive to live well and raise our two children properly.”
Gu Bai looked at her with some confusion, understanding this little woman less and less.
Yet hearing her words, Gu Bai felt a stir in his heart.
After breakfast, the two went to the only pharmacy in town.
Ruan Tong handed the prescription she had written to the salesclerk. Nearby, a man in his forties or fifties was tapping away on an abacus, doing accounts.
Just then, an elderly woman dressed in gray clothes walked over. The old woman clearly didn’t look well, as if she could fall asleep at any moment. She leaned against the counter, using it to support her body.
“Comrade, your medicine is ready,” the salesclerk called out to Ruan Tong, placing the medicine in a bag.
“Alright,” Ruan Tong took it, checked that everything was correct, and was about to leave when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the old woman nearby slump down from the countertop.
A figure quickly stepped forward, catching her steadily just as her head was about to hit the ground.
Ruan Tong was startled and turned to look carefully. Who else could that person who rushed over be but Gu Bai?
He was biting his lower lip tightly, his handsome face twisted in pain, and cold sweat had begun to bead on his forehead.
“Fourth Brother, are you okay?” Ruan Tong jogged over, helping to steady the old lady as she asked with concern.
Gu Bai replied in a flat tone, “I’m fine.”
But judging by his strained expression, he looked anything but fine.