Chapter 57: Marriage First, Love Later, and a Side of Scum-Bashing 35
That night, the two chatted for a long time before falling asleep. They didn’t set an alarm, so they woke up naturally the next day.
However, the sound of pitter-patter rain came from outside the window.
Ning Qingqing lifted her eyelids to look outside, a bit annoyed. “Oh, why is it raining?”
Gu Youchen had woken up a while before her. He said, “I checked the weather forecast. The rain is estimated to stop before noon. We can go in the afternoon. It works out; we can buy some things and prepare in the morning.”
Ning Qingqing nodded and sat up. “There seems to be only one umbrella at home. I’ll go down and look for it.”
Saying that, she threw off the quilt and got out of bed. She found a floral umbrella in the cabinet downstairs and came up to tell Gu Youchen, “There’s only one like this.”
Gu Youchen looked at the ladies’ umbrella, and the image of Ning Qingqing holding it involuntarily appeared in his mind.
So he asked, “Qingqing, do you still have those clothes from back then… the kind you wore when I first saw you?”
Ning Qingqing nodded. She opened the wardrobe, where several sets of clothes her grandmother had made for her hung. She asked Gu Youchen, “Like this?”
Gu Youchen nodded, selecting a set in azure blue (Tianqing), his gaze burning as he looked at Ning Qingqing. “I want to see you wear this set.”
Ning Qingqing felt a bit unnatural under his gaze. She took the clothes out. “Okay, I’ll change into it later and go out to buy some things.”
Gu Youchen said, “I’ll go out. I’ll grab the umbrella from the car on the way and buy some breakfast.”
Ning Qingqing looked at the umbrella in her hand. “This is a ladies’ style.”
“It’s fine.” Gu Youchen had already changed his clothes. He took the umbrella from her hand and walked out naturally.
So, Ning Qingqing lay on the upstairs railing, watching him walk into the rain holding the small floral umbrella.
She took out her phone and snapped a few photos of Gu Youchen.
Twenty minutes later, Gu Youchen returned. He had swapped for a large umbrella from the car and was carrying quite a few things in his hands.
He put the things down and took out the breakfast first. “Qingqing, eat while it’s hot. I bought a bit of everything, see if you like it.”
Ning Qingqing smelled the aroma of the food and realized she really was hungry.
She washed her hands and came over, her gaze drifting to another bag.
Inside were two bouquets of fresh flowers, obviously prepared for the tomb sweeping in the afternoon.
She sat facing Gu Youchen. Ning Qingqing introduced the food to him: “This Ciba (glutinous rice cake) dipped in brown sugar is delicious. Try it. It’s a bit like the Rolling Donkey from the North, but the outside is crispier and the inside is very soft.”
Gu Youchen took a bite and liked it very much too.
Ning Qingqing noticed there were also steamed dumplings. The dipping sauce was her favorite chopped peppers with sesame oil. Her eyes lit up. “Haven’t had this in a long time.”
Saying that, she picked one up and demonstrated for Gu Youchen. “Dipping this much is just right.”
Gu Youchen pretended not to understand. “I’m not good at gauging the amount.”
Saying that, his gaze fell on the one Ning Qingqing was holding.
Ning Qingqing looked up. “Want this one?”
Gu Youchen nodded.
Ning Qingqing fed it to his mouth with her chopsticks. He opened his mouth and ate it naturally. “Mm, delicious.”
Ning Qingqing wasn’t sure for a moment if there was an implied meaning in his words.
They finished breakfast together and drank freshly ground soy milk. Both were a bit full. Ning Qingqing was afraid the flowers would wilt if kept in the bag, so she quickly found a bucket and put the two bouquets in.
But when she was clearing the plastic bags, she discovered a few boxes underneath.
She reached out to touch them, thinking Gu Youchen was fastidious and wanted to chew gum after eating.
However, when she took out the small box, her expression changed slightly.
Obviously, Gu Youchen noticed her gaze and saw what was in Ning Qingqing’s hand.
Suddenly, the small box in her palm became a hot potato.
Ning Qingqing quickly put them on the table.
Her eyes couldn’t help but look at the words on it—
“2 per box, Large size.”
Her temple throbbed.
2 per box… what does it mean that this man bought 4 boxes?!
They are staying here tonight and returning to the Imperial City tomorrow.
Can he use them all up buying so many?!
Seeming to guess what Ning Qingqing was thinking, Gu Youchen explained, “It was buy one get one free here. I was afraid 2 boxes wouldn’t be enough, so I bought 4 boxes.”
Buy one get one free? Ghosts would believe him!
Ning Qingqing knew now what was going through this man’s mind as he rushed out under a small floral umbrella to buy things!
And to think she previously thought Gu Youchen was the iceberg, ascetic type, a perfect gentleman!
Seeing Ning Qingqing’s face turning redder by the minute, Gu Youchen chuckled low and explained, “If we don’t finish using them, we can take them home to use.”
It would have been better not to explain. With the explanation, his thoughts were revealed for all to see.
Ning Qingqing ignored him.
Gu Youchen pretended to be pitiful. “Qingqing, you said you liked me last night.”
He’s relying on that now! Ning Qingqing glared at Gu Youchen fiercely.
He laughed low, pulled her into his arms, and gently rubbed her hair.
The rain indeed stopped in the late morning. Ning Qingqing changed into the azure outfit and went to the Xu Family Inn with Gu Youchen first.
After giving the gifts to Auntie and chatting with Nan-Nan for a while, Ning Qingqing took Gu Youchen into town to continue eating delicious food.
By noon, the weather cleared up completely. Only then did Gu Youchen go up the mountain with Ning Qingqing.
The graves of her grandmother and Elder Zhang were only about ten minutes apart. Her grandmother’s was closer to the foot of the mountain, so they went there first.
After the rain, the road was a bit slippery. Gu Youchen held two bouquets of flowers in one hand and held Ning Qingqing’s hand with the other as they walked up.
He had been bitten by a snake in the mountains, so he kept a deliberate watch on the surrounding environment along the way.
Ning Qingqing asked, “Youchen, how high did you climb back then? Where did you pick the pigment?”
Gu Youchen pointed to the mountainside about two or three kilometers ahead. “Almost there. But I have to say, the fruits picked back then were very good. Later, my mom used that pigment to paint, and even she said it had a sense of clarity.”
Ning Qingqing suggested, “Since we have nothing to do this afternoon, why don’t we go pick some later?”
Gu Youchen had come in the summer back then, so those fruits probably ripened in summer too.
Gu Youchen refused. “No, the mountains are dangerous.”
Besides, ten years had passed. Now you could buy them online; there was no need to go specifically.
“It’s okay, we’ll take a look later. If we aren’t tired, we can walk around. If we find any danger, we’ll go back?” Ning Qingqing proposed.
However, Gu Youchen still refused. “No, I’m worried there are snakes, especially since it rained today.”
Ning Qingqing laughed. “Are you ‘once bitten by a snake, ten years shy of a grass rope’?”
Gu Youchen looked at her helplessly. “I’m afraid of letting you encounter danger.”
For a moment, the atmosphere between the two was subtle and ambiguous.
Gu Youchen insisted, “Anyway, we can’t go. If you really want to bring pigment for my mother, you go home first, and I’ll go by myself.”
Ning Qingqing shook Gu Youchen’s arm. “Then neither of us will go. You can’t be in danger either.”
Gu Youchen’s throat moved, and he turned to look at the girl beside him.
If he weren’t holding two bouquets of flowers, he would definitely want to hug her hard right now.
He felt her nervousness for him, and her pampering of him.
That was something the ‘him’ from ten years ago didn’t have.
Not long after, the two followed the gravel path to the cemetery on the mountain.
Ning Qingqing led Gu Youchen to her grandmother’s grave.
The man placed the flowers down gently and stood beside Ning Qingqing. He imitated Ning Qingqing, calling out in the local dialect, “Grandma (Po-po).”
That was how everyone addressed grandmothers here.
Ning Qingqing said, “Grandma, I’m married. The person beside me is named Gu Youchen. He is my husband. He treats me very well…”
“He came to our Qingtang Town before, stayed a few times, and saw me…”
Ning Qingqing recounted the process of how she met Gu Youchen, and then said, “Mom is moving to the Imperial City next Wednesday. I’m also working at Mom’s company now. Everyone is very friendly to me, so you don’t need to worry anymore.
“As for Mom, I will also keep an eye on her to make sure she rests and doesn’t fly around all day like a trapeze artist. Just like you said back then, even the wild geese in the sky can’t fly as much as she does…”
She chatted with her grandmother as if they were talking face-to-face, while Gu Youchen beside her took tissues to wipe the tombstone, his profile deep and serious.
An indescribable emotion surged in Ning Qingqing’s heart. She lowered her voice a lot, as if whispering a secret: “Grandma, I think my husband is really good.”
Gu Youchen, who was wiping in front, suddenly turned his head. Ning Qingqing met his eyes unexpectedly, and her heart jumped nervously.
However, the man had originally turned his head naturally just because he suddenly couldn’t hear her clearly. But now, noticing something, he narrowed his eyes and asked Ning Qingqing, “Qingqing, what did you just say?”
Ning Qingqing shook her head repeatedly, acting as if she wouldn’t admit to anything.
At this moment, a breeze blew through the lush trees in the distance. The leaves rustled in the wind, sounding like the noise of her grandmother pedaling an old-fashioned sewing machine downstairs on a summer day.
Ning Qingqing thought, Grandma must have heard it and was happy for her too!
The two then went to Elder Zhang’s grave together. Ning Qingqing talked about some things in the Imperial City, specifically mentioning Old Master Tan. After chatting for a while, they walked back with Gu Youchen.
It was still early when they went down the mountain. The weather was getting hotter, so Ning Qingqing took Gu Youchen to eat ice jelly (Bingfen).
There were quite a few varieties of brown sugar ice jelly here. Some added rose fermented rice, while others added various fruits, turning it into a mixed fruit bowl.
The two ordered two flavors. Halfway through, Gu Youchen asked Ning Qingqing to taste his, and he tasted hers, looking just like a couple passionately in love.
Nan-Nan had to leave with the provincial team coach the next day, so after helping her mother with housework this afternoon, she ran out to be a photographer for Ning Qingqing and Gu Youchen.
From the east of the small town to the west, Gu Youchen and Ning Qingqing took many photos.
In the photos, the girl wore azure local-style clothes, plain but bright.
Until the sun set in the west, and night gradually enveloped the earth.
The air cooled down a lot. Ning Qingqing and Gu Youchen were tired after wandering around outside. They ate two bowls of Three Delicacies Rice Noodles at a noodle shop and went home together.
When pushing open the courtyard gate, Ning Qingqing thought of the four boxes of “action tools” someone had bought.
Her legs trembled slightly.
Beside her, seeing this, Gu Youchen asked, “Qingqing, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Ning Qingqing asked him, “Should we go sit by the river again?”
Gu Youchen shook his head. “Didn’t you get bitten by mosquitoes yesterday?”
Ning Qingqing: “…”
She walked upstairs with Gu Youchen. Gu Youchen changed the lightbulb in Grandmother’s room first.
Ning Qingqing felt a burst of joy in her heart—did she escape a calamity?
However, very quickly, the man turned off the light in Grandmother’s room and pulled Ning Qingqing’s hand toward her room. “Qingqing, let’s look at the photos.”
He said, “I want to post on WeChat Moments.”
Hearing this, Ning Qingqing couldn’t help asking, “Except for jokes, you seem to have never posted photos on your Moments?”
Gu Youchen nodded.
Actually, the jokes were also for her eyes only. Back then, he didn’t notice WeChat could group contacts, so he locked all the jokes that were visible to everyone.
Now if Zhou Linghang and the others looked at his Moments, it was a blank slate.
The two sat under the light and began to look at the photos Nan-Nan took.
It had to be said, the little girl really knew how to take photos. The candid shots she took freely seemed even better looking than the posed ones.
Ning Qingqing saw herself smiling sweetly. Sometimes there were expressions of feigned anger or fierceness toward Gu Youchen.
And he looked at her with a smile.
There was light in both their eyes.
The noise in her heart seemed to quiet down instantly because of this. She looked up, wanting to say something to Gu Youchen, and the man happened to look away from the phone to look at her.
Four eyes met.
She didn’t know how it started. The phone was seemingly placed casually on the table by the window. Ning Qingqing only felt a warm, cool touch on her lips. It started like pitter-patter rain, and later it was like catching fire.
She was in the fire, the obstacles on her body stripped clean. Under the light, she also saw Gu Youchen’s clearly defined muscles.
The gaze was scorching, the breathing even hotter. The temperature between fingers seemed to start a prairie fire on each other’s skin.
The small box was torn open by the man’s slender fingers. He whispered something low in her ear.
It seemed to be—”Qingqing, help me.”
Ning Qingqing didn’t know how she was bewitched. Clearly, she hadn’t drunk alcohol today. Clearly, her brain was sober a moment ago.
But in the next moment, she really did ‘help’ him.
Her hand touched over, her fingers burning hot.
The man’s whisper came from beside her ear, “Don’t be afraid.” Then, it was complete fusion.
The air conditioner in the room could spin but no longer worked effectively; it only blew out wind that wasn’t cold, accompanied by strange noises.
Outside the window, it started raining again at some point. The sound of the rain was pitter-patter, gradually resonating with the sounds in the room.
A cool breeze blew in, giving the entangled pair temporary relief.
Gu Youchen propped himself over Ning Qingqing, his voice impossibly hoarse. “Qingqing, are you tired?”
Ning Qingqing didn’t answer him; she just punched the man’s chest muscle with her hand.
So, her hand was caught by him. Starting from her fingertips, he kissed her like a dragonfly skimming the water—fingertips to wrist, along the tender skin of her inner arm, all the way to her collarbone.
Worn down by him to the point of having no other way, Ning Qingqing’s sounds of accusation sounded more like coquettish invitations.
The man seemed encouraged and worked even harder.
This night, all Ning Qingqing heard was the sound of panting mixed with the rain, grinding endlessly in the room where she grew up.
The whole world was plated with another layer of color.
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