AYLS – Chapter 127

Because she had already said her goodbyes in advance, when the actual day of departure arrived, Lin Qiao found she wasn’t as reluctant as she had expected.

What she truly couldn’t let go of was this place—this little house.

She had grown used to living here. Moving to another place now, she inevitably felt attached. She looked around the room, recalling the circumstances when she first arrived. Back then, she absolutely couldn’t accept the living conditions here; every extra day felt unbearable. She couldn’t stand the bed, couldn’t stand the toilet.

Later, it was Gu Huayuan who built a toilet for her, made her a wardrobe, and bought her so many things.

Together, she and Gu Huayuan transformed this simple little room, making it feel more and more like a home.

If only she could take pictures. She would photograph every single thing here.

In the future, she would never again have a little house she set up herself from scratch.

Li Yan and Zhang Tuo came to help her carry things. Seeing that she packed very little and didn’t take any of the big items, they asked if she wanted them mailed to her. Lin Qiao sighed and waved her hand. “No need. I won’t be using them.”

These things were bought by her and Gu Huayuan together. Once she left, keeping them meant nothing.

Maybe, by then, in order to cover up the fact that she had ever been here, everything might disappear anyway.

Better to leave them here.

“You and Zhang Tuo will be living here. You can use it. Saves you the trouble of buying new things.”

This house would be where Li Yan and Zhang Tuo moved into afterward. The house they had been assigned was a bit far; living here would be much more convenient.

Giving it to them made her feel at ease. They would surely cherish this home.

“You two must live well. Treasure every day you have together,” Lin Qiao told them sincerely.

Li Yan, holding her waist and supporting her belly, said, “We will, we will. Don’t worry about us.”

Zhang Tuo added, “You tell Shitou not to worry about us either. We’re doing just fine now.”

Lin Qiao nodded with mixed emotions.

In her heart, she thought: What is there for him to worry about? He doesn’t even know what will happen to you two in the future. I’m the one worrying for everyone.

Day after day, her heart felt like it had been worn down.

On the day of departure, everyone came to see Lin Qiao and the others off.

The army arranged a vehicle to take them to the train station, since they were bringing quite a lot with them this time.

They brought hatching eggs, the old hen raised by Xiao Qiao that kept clucking, and also some wheat and soybean seeds.

Sitting in the truck, Lin Qiao stuck her head out and waved to everyone, bidding farewell.

Su Weizhen waved back.

“Comrade Xiao Qiao, Comrade Su Weizhen, safe travels!” everyone shouted.

“Goodbye! Goodbye!” Lin Qiao shouted loudly, her eyes growing wet again.

From now on, I really won’t ever see you all again. Live well, all of you. Wait to witness a prosperous Huaguo in the future.

This trip was long, and since they were dependents of soldiers, the army took good care of them and bought sleeper tickets.

Otherwise, with the huge bags Lin Qiao and Su Weizhen were carrying, it would have been torture.

If Su Weizhen had been traveling alone, she would’ve been fine—she could simply put things into her space. But with Lin Qiao here, she didn’t dare.

Still, this was her first time experiencing what it felt like to travel while squeezed between large bags and bundles.

At a border military unit, Gu Huayuan and Xu Yuanzheng had called people over to help clean their home inside and out.

Not a speck of dust was left. They couldn’t let the women travel all this way only to have to clean the place.

The military dependents in the compound also knew their family members were coming, so they all came to lend a hand.

Most of the helpers around Gu Huayuan were kids.

And they were all boys.

They had heard from their fathers that Uncle Gu was incredibly strong and skilled. They all admired him. Every day, they stuck to him like glue.

Whenever Gu Huayuan had free time, he was happy to play with them and teach them things.

After they finished working, he didn’t treat them poorly—he took them to the commune supply and marketing cooperative to buy snacks.

After eating, he urged them to go home.

All the other kids happily ran home, but two teenage boys lingered, not wanting to leave, following behind him.

Gu Huayuan asked, “Why aren’t you going home?”

“We don’t want to go back. There’s no place for us at home,” said a tall, thin, dark-skinned boy unhappily.

The other nodded. “We’d rather stay with you, Uncle Gu. Uncle Gu, when can we join the army too? Once we enlist, we can stay in the barracks. We won’t have to go home.”

“Nonsense. How old do you think you are? You think being a soldier is easy? Go home—don’t make your families worry.”

“No one worries about us,” the two boys said stubbornly.

Gu Huayuan replied, “I don’t have time to look after you. I’m going to pick up my wife.”

He lived very far from the train station—he had to walk a long way to get there. He needed to set out at least a day ahead. On such a remote road, he definitely wouldn’t let Xiao Qiao, a woman, travel alone.

“Uncle Gu, take us with you! We can help carry your luggage.”

The younger one even rolled up his sleeve. “We’re really strong!”

Gu Huayuan gave them a look and chuckled. “I don’t use child labor. Alright, go on home. I’m leaving.”

With that, he strode off in big steps.

His mind was entirely occupied with the thought of his wife coming. He couldn’t care about anything else right now. Besides, every family had its own troubles—he, as an outsider, didn’t want to interfere.

Seeing him walk away like that, the two boys were completely dejected.

After Gu Huayuan left, two more children ran over, panting heavily. When they saw the two boys safe, their faces finally relaxed. One honest-looking boy called out, “A-Wen, A-Wu! You’re here. Hurry home for dinner. Your auntie’s really worried.”

“We’re not going! Don’t meddle in our business!” The two boys who had followed Gu Huayuan earlier shot off like little arrows.

……

Lin Qiao was dizzy from the long journey. Even though it was a sleeper car, the heat was unbearable in this weather. Leaving the window open every day didn’t help. At least at night she could get a little sleep, but even then there were tons of mosquitoes.

She sat in the train in total misery. Thankfully, Su Weizhen kept handing her bits of fruit from her bag from time to time to help her cope. Otherwise, she really might’ve cried.

Mother Hen Gugu was even more pitiful, stuck in the bamboo basket. Every day it was a competition of who was suffering more—woman or chicken. But Gugu actually lived quite comfortably—ate the fruit peels, then napped.

When they finally reached their destination, Lin Qiao obediently followed behind Su Weizhen off the train.

She was still discussing how she planned to “teach Gu Huayuan a lesson” later. Who told him not to miss her at all? And here she was rushing over eagerly—how embarrassing!

She had to reclaim her dignity.

Just as she was talking happily, a hand suddenly lifted the luggage in her hand. Lin Qiao jumped in fright. She looked up—

Standing beside her was a tall, broad-shouldered man.

“Gu Huayuan!” Lin Qiao squealed and threw herself at him.

Su Weizhen: “……”

Who was it again who said she wanted to make Gu Huayuan “suffer”?

Lin Qiao was so excited. But when she saw the smiling look on his face, she suddenly hopped back down from him.

“Hmph! Who asked you to come pick me up? I don’t care for it.”

Gu Huayuan had just been caught off guard by her sudden hug, making his heart ripple. But he still remembered where they were, and what his identity was. He’d planned to pull her off and lecture her a bit—only for her to change faces instantly. It really threw him off.

Smiling, he asked, “What’s wrong? Comrade Xiao Qiao, who made you angry? Tell me.”

“I’m not talking to you. Asking knowingly.” Lin Qiao huffed and turned to look for Su Weizhen… only to see Su Weizhen and Xu Yuanzheng staring lovingly into each other’s eyes.

Lin Qiao: “……”

Gu Huayuan laughed. “I brought you something delicious—local specialty fruits.”

Lin Qiao pursed her lips. She wasn’t impressed. She’d eaten plenty on the train; Zhenzhen had fed her.

She snorted and ignored him.

Gu Huayuan leaned closer. “Why do you smell sweaty? Come on, let’s get to the guesthouse and wash up.”

The moment she heard that, Lin Qiao faltered. “Really? Do I stink?” She sniffed herself.

She did feel gross. She hadn’t been able to properly wash or change clothes on the train. All she could do was wipe down with a damp towel.

She smelled bad, felt bad, and had no time to keep acting mad. She grabbed Gu Huayuan’s arm. “Let’s go! Quickly! I need a shower, I stink.”

Gu Huayuan nodded and told Xu Yuanzheng, “I’ll take her back first. See you at the guesthouse later.”

Xu Yuanzheng had been about to suggest they go together, but seeing Gu Huayuan’s expression, he simply nodded and told Su Weizhen, “Let’s walk slower.”

Su Weizhen smiled. “Okay.”

She had known all along that Xiao Qiao could never win a fight against Gu Huayuan.

Gu Huayuan and Xu Yuanzheng were staying at a guesthouse near the provincial capital railway station.

Gu Huayuan took out their marriage certificate, so Lin Qiao could stay in the same room with him.

The moment she entered the room, she was scooped straight into someone’s arms.

“Hey—let me go, let me go! I need a bath, I stink!” Lin Qiao pushed at him in disgust.

She absolutely hated feeling sweaty and grimy.

Gu Huayuan rubbed his chin against the top of her head. “Doesn’t smell.”

“Didn’t you just say I smell like sweat?” Lin Qiao gritted her teeth.

“It’s fragrant sweat.”

“……”

Lin Qiao went silent for a moment, then grabbed his arm and bit him. “You’re teasing me again!”

Gu Huayuan said, “No, I’m not. I saw you were upset and wanted to distract you. I couldn’t coax you properly outside, so once we got back here, it’s easier to make you happy.”

Lin Qiao was easy to coax indeed. Hearing this, she felt her heart melt. She pouted softly. “I’m not upset. The trip just exhausted me.”

“Mm. Comrade Xiao Qiao has worked hard.” He massaged her shoulder gently.

“You do know! Yet in your letter, you didn’t care at all. Only talked about my work. Hmph!”

“……”

Gu Huayuan said, “Alright, I admit it. I didn’t handle that well. But I had my reasons. I respect your work and your choices, so I didn’t want to pressure you. I had to phrase things carefully. You don’t know how awful I felt when you said you didn’t want to come.”

“……Yet when you wrote back later, you didn’t sound awful at all.”

“Who says? You don’t know how long I struggled over that reply. Even though I felt terrible, in my heart, your decisions mattered most.”

Lin Qiao couldn’t hold back her smile. “Haven’t seen you for a while, and your mouth’s gotten really smooth. I don’t believe you. I’m going to shower. I feel sticky.”

Gu Huayuan chuckled. “Alright, go bathe first. Afterward, I’ll take you out to eat.”

When Lin Qiao finished showering, Su Weizhen also came over carrying a basin. Seeing Lin Qiao humming happily, she knew someone had already coaxed her perfectly.

She secretly chuckled to herself, thinking how lucky Gu Huayuan was to have found such a good-tempered little wife.

“Not angry anymore?” she asked.

Little Qiao was scrubbing clothes, and when she heard that, she replied, “I’m a magnanimous person. I won’t stoop to his level.”

Su Weizhen held back her laughter. “Then I’ll go take a bath. Our Xu Yuanzheng said we should go eat together later?”

“Sure. Gu Huayuan said the army camp is far from here, so he can only leave tomorrow morning.”

Lin Qiao returned only after washing herself clean and fragrant. When she walked inside, Gu Huayuan was giving water to the mother hen in the bamboo basket. “It’s so far. Why did you bring it?”

“Don’t underestimate Cluck-Cluck. She came with a mission. We brought hatching eggs this time, and she’ll have to hatch them when the time comes.”

Lin Qiao laid her clothes over a chair to dry, then took a comb to brush through her long hair.

“My hair is too long. I’m planning to cut it.”

Standing behind her, Gu Huayuan took the comb and helped her comb her hair. “It looks great. Why cut it?”

Looking at her reflection—her face slightly tanned compared to before—he said, “Comrade Xiao Qiao, you’ve worked hard. You’re even a bit sun-tanned.”

Lin Qiao’s expression changed instantly. She turned to look at him. “Really? Am I very dark now?”

Gu Huayuan: “…No, I mainly meant to say you’ve worked hard.”

“Oh, who cares about that? I’m asking if I’m really tanned!”

“No, not tanned. You look great. Still very pretty.”

Lin Qiao’s eyes turned red. “I don’t believe you. You clearly said I got darker. I heard it. I’ve become ugly.”

Gu Huayuan was helpless. He lowered his head and sealed her lips.

Only after a long moment did he let go. “Comrade Xiao Qiao is especially beautiful.”

Lin Qiao’s little face was flushed red, and her lips were red too.