After seeing Old Zhou and his group off, Qi Taiguo closed the door and went to embrace Cheng Su, who was tidying up the coffee table.
"Hey hey, what’s gotten into you?" Cheng Su, unable to resist, turned and asked.
Qi Taiguo turned her around, cupped her face, and kissed her hard, joyfully saying, "How come my wife is so clever?"
Cheng Su raised an eyebrow, poking his chest and said, "Who was it that disliked me in every possible way at first, even wanted to send me back to the countryside, afraid that I would embarrass him?"
Choked, Qi Taiguo coughed and, touching his nose, said, "Look at you, we’re getting along so well now, and you’re still raking up the past? Can’t we turn a new page?"
Cheng Su huffed, "Then you just remember my good points. From now on, you only look at my good sides, and no other women. You’re not allowed to glance at them or think about them, no matter if they are better than me, got it?"
"Yes, ma’am, my dear wife!" Qi Taiguo saluted her military-style.
Cheng Su smiled with pursed lips, "Stop with the nonsense, go and wash the cups, then wash up and sleep. It’s getting late."
"Yes."
On their way back, Old Zhou and his wife were also talking about Cheng Su.
"I had only heard that Taiguo had been engaged since he was little to a girl from the village with a bad temper, and he was very dissatisfied with the match. At their wedding, things didn’t look too pretty, but now, aren’t they doing well? I think the couple seems quite loving," Old Zhou said with a sigh.
"Indeed. But I think Cheng Su is quite good, straightforward, just my type," Sister-in-law Zhou said with a smile, "What do you think about what she said about having something to do?"
"What do you think?" Old Zhou always respected his wife, discussing everything with her, which is why their relationship was so good.
"I think it’s doable." Sister-in-law Zhou said with an embarrassed smile, "Just now, just listening to her talk, I felt like a vision appeared before me, as if what she predicted could really happen. She speaks so well, it gets people all fired up. If she became a lecturer, I think she’d qualify."
"Indeed, she has a gift of gab and makes a convincing argument," Commander Zhou nodded and said, "I heard she’s only a high school student?"
Thinking of Hualing, Sister-in-law Zhou said, "She may not attend college, but she handles affairs just as well as a college graduate. Just take Old Chen’s family member for example, isn’t that one a college graduate? Works at a hospital, too. But look at how she speaks, even if she’s upset about something, she shouldn’t say it in front of so many people, right? Truly doesn’t know how to behave."
"You can’t compare people like that, Old Chen’s family is cadre progeny, it’s normal for them to be spoiled. If you don’t like her, just keep your distance," Old Zhou suggested.
"What about that sea venture then?"
"How about this, once all the paperwork is done, we go visit our son in the neighboring city and ask for his opinion?" Old Zhou stopped walking and said, "But you think it through, we only have that little compensation from the demobilization, and our son has two more years of university. If we fail at this venture, we might end up with nothing!"
Sister-in-law Zhou thought for a moment and then said, "I actually feel the times aren’t that bad, isn’t the economy booming everywhere? Couldn’t we succeed as well? We have to try to know. If we really fail..." She paused and gritted her teeth, "If we fail, just as Cheng Su said, at worst we start over. We’re only in our forties anyway. Even if we return to our hometown to farm, we could still make a living."
Hearing this, Old Zhou also nodded solemnly and took her hand as they stepped into their home.