Back To The 80s-Chapter 94 - 93: Startling Heart_1

"I don’t know, whenever I ask, Li Hao gets annoyed and even loses his temper." Liu Cuicui felt that Li Hao had become a different person since he returned home, not even giving her a proper glance.

Gu Xiaobei was speechless, thinking that this girl was indeed naive. But it wasn’t her place to meddle too much in another couple’s affairs.

Li Fengmei brought the finished pancakes into the room and carried some uncooked ones out.

Stuttering, Liu Cuicui said, "Sister Xiaobei, I came to ask for a loan."

"Why do you need the money?" asked Gu Xiaobei, without looking up.

"Li Hao has a driving job coming up and doesn’t have any money," said Liu Cuicui, looking down, twiddling her fingers.

Gu Xiaobei, with the pan inside her hand, paused and asked back, "How come he can’t collect his pay from the company?"

"We did, but the supervisor Ling said the company is short of funds too," Liu Cuicui replied, embarrassed.

Gu Xiaobei put the rolling pin down, and said to Liu Cuicui, "Cuicui, I have the money, but I can’t lend it to you. No matter how much I lend you, Li Hao will spend it all carelessly. Besides, him working as a driver is all expenses paid. He won’t need to spend much."

Liu Cuicui didn’t expect Gu Xiaobei’s refusal, and for a moment, didn’t know what to say.

Gu Xiaobei squinted at her and said, "If you’re going to hold this against me, there’s nothing I can do about it." As the saying goes, ’give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for life.’ If Liu Cuicui couldn’t understand this and see through Li Hao’s lazy and opportunistic nature, there was nothing Gu Xiaobei could do. She was not a charity, she also had to live.

Liu Cuicui said with a sigh, "Sister Xiaobei, I don’t blame you. But when I go back, Li Hao will surely blame me."

Gu Xiaobei was a bit annoyed. Liu Cuicui was playing the victim to gain her sympathy. Pretending she hadn’t understood, Gu Xiaobei’s voice became chillier, "Let him go and borrow the money himself. He has comrades here, surely he didn’t fail to make a single friend all these years."

Her face flushing with shame, Liu Cuicui couldn’t sit still anymore. Standing up, she mumbled a lame phrase and left.

After Liu Cuicui had left, Li Fengmei came in and said, "You could just tell her you didn’t have the money. You said too much, and she didn’t understand you meant well. Instead, she might think you were mocking her."

Helplessly, Gu Xiaobei said, "I just wanted her to tell Li Hao. What kind of man doesn’t earn a living while knowing how to spend money."

Li Fengmei also sighed. She’d heard about Li Juan’s younger brother. He’d been spoiled since childhood, lazy, and quite cunning.

Liu Cuicui returned to the guesthouse, and Li Hao was lounging on the bed, legs crossed, asking anxiously as soon as she stepped in the door, "So, did you get the money?"

"Sister Xiaobei was also out of cash," Liu Cuicui said in a low voice.

"No money? How can she possibly be out of money?" Li Hao countered in disbelief.

"You say you’re going on a trucking job, and you’ll be fully taken care of. What do you need that much money for?"

"Did Gu Xiaobei tell you that?" snapped Li Hao.

"No, just be careful with money when you’re out. We’re literally penniless at home," said Liu Cuicui, helplessly.

Li Hao glared at her, "Useless creature!" He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Liu Cuicui felt so wronged she wanted to cry. But what could she do? This was the man she’d chosen.

Because Li Fengmei was bringing the two kids back to their hometown for summer vacation tomorrow, she invited Lu Zhanguo and Guo Huaqiang’s families for dinner that night.

Xiangmin didn’t come over. After becoming pregnant, she’d become paranoid and always felt as though everyone in the compound was against her. Guo Huaqiang was at a loss.

Gu Xiaobei helped Li Fengmei serve the cooked dishes. The three men sat at the table chatting. Li Fengmei dished some food out and sent the two kids to eat in the next room.

Li Fengmei had specially brought over two kilos of meat and a fish that day. Naturally, dinner was much more sumptuous.

All three men were wearing sleeveless undershirts, drinking a bit of alcohol, and conversing cheerfully with red faces.

Privately, Gu Xiaobei felt that her own man was the most pleasing to the eye. She smiled inside, and as Lu Zhanguo’s glance swept over her shiny, twinkling eyes, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, "This girl never learned to act demure."

Because they had training the next day, they each drank a bit of white wine and broke up early after dinner.

On leaving, Gu Xiaobei pushed ten yuan into Li Fengmei’s hand. Li Fengmei, of course, refused.

Gu Xiaobei sternly said, "This money is for you to buy some things for the older ladies when you go back. If you don’t accept it, it means you’re looking down on me and think it’s too little." Li Fengmei no longer felt she could refuse once Gu Xiaobei put it that way.

In the middle of the night, the sound of an alarm broke the silence. Gu Xiaobei woke up and saw Lu Zhanguo had already put on his pants and was moving swiftly towards the door while pulling on his shirt.

She sat up, startled. What on earth was happening?

Lu Zhanguo was about to pull the door open and leave when he couldn’t help but turn back and look at Gu Xiaobei who had sat up with a frightened look. He sighed inwardly.

He strode over to the bed, wrapped his arm around the back of Gu Xiaobei’s head, bent down and gently kissed her forehead. Whispering by her ear, he said, "Girl, be good and wait for me to come back!"

Without waiting for Gu Xiaobei’s response, he was out the door in a flash.

Gu Xiaobei quickly dressed and chased after him, only to see several shadowy figures sprinting towards the compound in the dark. Looking back, she saw lone figures standing in the dim light of their doorways. Her heart ached.

Li Fengmei came over to comfort her, saying, "Don’t worry, they’ll be back in a few days. It’s often like this."

The task they were assigned this time was to cross the border, penetrate deep into Yue Country, and perform a reconnaissance and capture mission.

Lu Zhanguo knew the danger of this mission. The jungle was filled with landmines; one wrong move could have you stepping into a minefield.

Seeing each soldier who was quietly writing a goodbye letter, he couldn’t help but tear up. Looking at Wen Dong beside him, he said, "This time, you don’t have to come. Stay here."

"How can you look down on people? If I don’t go this time, why am I a soldier?" Wen Dong replied, agitated.

Lu Zhanguo clapped a hand on his shoulder and didn’t say a word. When handing over the sealed goodbye letter to Guo Huaqiang, he said, "I’m not going to write a goodbye letter. If I don’t come back, help me find a good home for Xiaobei. She’s straightforward. Don’t let her be bullied..." He paused, as if unable to continue. He turned around and walked out, quickly disappearing into the vast night.

Guo Huaqiang saluted the departing troop with a solemn military salute.

Gu Xiaobei couldn’t sleep well the rest of the night, drifting in and out of sleep until morning. When the morning bugle sounded, she sat up. Now, she regretted not studying history better; she would have known if there were any wars in this year.

She felt as if a huge stone was lodged in her heart, and had no appetite for food. Washing her face, she prepared to escort Li Fengmei to the town.

Seeing that Gu Xiaobei looked pale, Li Fengmei comforted her, "Don’t worry, the platoon leader is very capable. He’ll definitely be okay."

When they reached the wait spot for the vehicle, Gu Xiaobei noticed that the camp seemed much emptier. She felt a gaping hole had been left in her heart.

When the supply truck arrived, Gu Xiaobei noticed the usually cheerful and observant quartermaster had a grim face. She could not help but shiver with fright. It seemed this mission must be very dangerous.