Back To The 80s-Chapter 58 - 57: Joy_1

The two of them reached the spot where they were waiting for the bus. Chi Xiaoyue was also there, waiting. Gu Xiaobei, who had been feeling all kinds of sadness for her man, immediately turned into a riled-up young rooster ready for a fight.

Gu Xiaobei felt especially angry looking at Chi Xiaoyue, certain that this woman was the one who spread those rumors.

Chi Xiaoyue acted as if she hadn’t seen her, and gave Lu Zhanguo a small smile, "Brother Zhanguo, you’re heading into town?"

Lu Zhanguo responded with an emotionless grunt, but did not engage further. Ever since he heard that Chi Xiaoyue became pregnant before marriage, he didn’t hold her in high regard. In this society, people looked down on those who crossed the line in male-female relationships before tying the knot.

Seeing Lu Zhanguo’s frigid responses to her, Chi Xiaoyue felt a surge of resentment for Gu Xiaobei. Then she switched to a polite and smiling tone when facing Gu Xiaobei, "Sister-in-law, I heard that you are now working in the same company as Wang Chuanjiang. Since both of you are from the same hometown, you can help each other out, right?"

Gu Xiaobei replied with a smile, "I’m not really in a position to help him out. I should be the one looking up to him. After all, doesn’t he have you as his big supporter? Otherwise, how could he possibly have gotten into the Fuhai Group?"

Chi Xiaoyue’s face turned a shade paler, she replied, "I don’t have any connections in society, I couldn’t have helped him get into the company."

Gu Xiaobei chuckled, "Oh, I must have guessed wrongly then."

Before Chi Xiaoyue could reply, Lu Zhanguo pulled Gu Xiaobei towards himself, "Let’s go, our bus is here."

He helped Gu Xiaobei board the bus first, before getting on himself, without giving Chi Xiaoyue another glance.

After settling down, Gu Xiaobei leaned in close and whispered into Lu Zhanguo’s ear, "Aren’t you angry about what she said about Wang Chuanjiang?"

Lu Zhanguo looked at her and answered quietly, "I told you, I trust you. You should just lean on me and rest a bit." Grinning happily, Gu Xiaobei obliged, though not forgetting to throw a smug look towards Chi Xiaoyue.

Chi Xiaoyue, who was sitting across from them, felt so agitated that she just closed her eyes, not wanting to see Gu Xiaobei’s infuriating smile.

Once they reached the town, the couple first ate wontons before catching the intercity bus to T City.

The couple boarded the bus and noticed to their surprise that Chi Xiaoyue was also there. Gu Xiaobei wondered to herself whether Chi Xiaoyue still carried her child.

Without greeting her, they chose a seat right behind Chi Xiaoyue. Gu Xiaobei sat nearer to the window, and Lu Zhanguo sat on the outer side. The bus wasn’t quite packed yet, as there was still some time before it was scheduled to leave.

"My back hurts. Can you give it a rub?" Gu Xiaobei murmured softly. And before Lu Zhanguo could even extend his hand, she added, "Oh dear, where are you touching? This is a public bus, watch where you touch."

Lu Zhanguo glanced down at his hand that had not even made contact with her yet, not quite understanding what she was getting at.

Gu Xiaobei leaned slightly forward while speaking, making her voice not too loud, but loud enough for Chi Xiaoyue to hear every word. She felt quite satisfied observing Chi Xiaoyue stiffen.

Lu Zhanguo finally caught on to Gu Xiaobei’s intentions and squinted his eyes, not making a sound.

Chi Xiaoyue felt like throwing up. She shouldn’t have taken the day off to go to the city. Her original plan was to visit the city hospital. Remembering that she had miscarried and her body hadn’t yet fully recovered made her feel irritable.

Meanwhile, Gu Xiaobei, looking quite pleased with herself, leaned against Lu Zhanguo’s shoulder and slept all the way to the city.

By the time Lu Zhanguo woke Gu Xiaobei up, Chi Xiaoyue had already disembarked.

In the middle of June, the afternoon sun was unforgiving. The heat made Gu Xiaobei listless as she trailed behind Lu Zhanguo.

Upon seeing Gu Xiaobei walking along with her head down, devoid of energy, Lu Zhanguo stopped and said, "Let’s find a place to eat first, then we can rest a bit when it’s cooler before heading home."

"Okay, what do you fancy eating?" Gu Xiaobei felt as though she would melt from the heat if she walked any longer.

After some thought, Lu Zhanguo suggested, "How about I take you to eat Jiangshui noodles?"

"Have you brought Chi Xiaoyue here before?" Upon hearing his suggestion, Gu Xiaobei perked up instantly, her eyes trained on Lu Zhanguo as she asked him.

Lu Zhanguo was both amused and exasperated, "No, what are you thinking?"

"As long as you haven’t, let’s go. Aren’t you getting hot?" Gu Xiaobei urged him to move faster.

"I’m used to this. I don’t find it hot." Gu Xiaobei considered this—thinking back to her previous life when she would hide away in an air-conditioned room as soon as summer arrived. It felt like a long time since she had really felt the sun. It’s no wonder she was having trouble adapting.

The two chatted as they walked. The small noodle shop was located on a quiet backstreet and seldom had visitors. It was quite a small joint with just two tables and it was run by a couple in their fifties or sixties — kind-looking and amiable.

When the elderly couple saw Lu Zhanguo, they were quite excited, "Zhanguo, you’re here. It’s been a while since we last saw you."

Gu Xiaobei was surprised. Did Lu Zhanguo visit here often, as they knew him? "I was busy recently and didn’t have a chance to come to the city," Lu Zhanguo replied. He introduced Gu Xiaobei to the elderly couple as his wife, and in turn, introduced them to Gu Xiaobei.

Gu Xiaobei greeted them politely as "Uncle Wang" and "Auntie Wang". Auntie Wang wiped her hands on her apron before reaching out to hold Gu Xiaobei’s hand, remarking, "What a beautiful girl. Zhanguo, you’re a lucky man!" Uncle Wang also laughed heartily.

Auntie Wang then quickly invited them to sit down, "The sun outside is harsh, isn’t it? Let me get you a bowl of sour soup to cool down."

The sour soup was fermented using the remains of soy milk used to make tofu. It tasted sour and refreshing, somewhat like the Douzhi of old Beijing. Auntie Wang even tied the jar holding the sour soup in a deep well, making it even cooler and more refreshing.

Gu Xiaobei drank a big bowl, feeling a wave of coolness and joy spreading throughout her body. Lu Zhanguo watched Gu Xiaobei savoring the soup contentedly and said, "Don’t drink too much, or else you won’t have the appetite for the Jiangshui noodles later."

Just as he said this, Uncle Wang brought two big bowls of noodles. The noodles were topped with green, sour vegetables made from mustard greens, sprinkled with red chili powder, and served in a bowl of clear, iced sour soup, they were both visually appealing and delicious — a refreshing dish favored by Northwestern people in the summer.

Gu Xiaobei found the noodles chewy and the soup tangy, spicy, and cold, it tasted absolutely heavenly. She finished a big bowl of noodles, even drinking all the soup, and only then felt truly satisfied and put down her chopsticks.

"Eating this in summer really hits the spot," sighed Gu Xiaobei, looking around the simple little shack. Local food truly was extraordinary.

Watching Gu Xiaobei eat happily, Lu Zhanguo was also cheerful. "We can come here more often during the summer." After chatting with Uncle and Auntie Wang for a while, Lu Zhanguo attempted to pay. But they both refused to accept the money and insisted on seeing them off. They didn’t turn back until they had watched them go down the street. Uncle Wang only then returned to the house, while Auntie Wang still stood dazed in the doorway.

Lu Zhanguo expressed his discomfort, "I sometimes feel embarrassed coming because they never accept my money."

Gu Xiaobei, with a mischievous grin, said, "A free meal, and you’re not happy?"

"Xiaobei, life’s not easy for Uncle and Auntie Wang," Lu Zhanguo said, feeling uneasy.

Seeing that Lu Zhanguo wasn’t happy, Gu Xiaobei made a disgruntled face and confessed, "I secretly left ten yuan under the bowl." She added in her mind, That’s enough for half a month’s food supply for a family.

Lu Zhanguo was pleasantly surprised, he wasn’t expecting Gu Xiaobei to do something like that. He replied, feeling a bit guilty, "I wasn’t blaming you. Uncle and Auntie Wang’s two sons both sacrificed their lives in service. Although they live a tough life, they never accept any help from the government."

Gu Xiaobei nodded and said, "I noticed the certificate for ’Family of Martyrs’ hanging on their wall when we entered. And when Auntie Wang held my hand, I felt that her knuckles were unusually large and rough. So, I secretly left them ten yuan."