Zhou He said she wanted to stay, but Xu Nianji insisted on going home. In the end, under Ji Ying and Xu Nianhua’s persuasion, the family of three went home first.
"Second brother, should we stroll around a bit?" Xu Nianhua couldn’t stay put at home.
Xu Nian’an also wanted to see how South City and Ningbei were different.
As the warm sunlight shone down, siblings Xu Nianhua and Xu Nian’an took to the streets to roam around, finding the city much livelier compared to Gaoliang County.
Xu Nian’an suddenly pulled his sister back.
"Hmm?" Xu Nianhua looked at Xu Nian’an, puzzled, not knowing what was going on. But soon, she understood what it was about.
They ran into Zou Yaru again.
Last year, in Gaoliang County, they met once, and again in South City during New Year. Unlike the time in Gaoliang County, when they looked blissfully in love, today they were arguing.
Xu Nianhua silently glanced around the street. They just happened to walk into a gift shop, intending to buy some stuff to take back. But soon after entering, they ran into them.
Xu Nianhua and Xu Nian’an wanted to leave, but they would meet them if they went out, so they pretended to look at items instead.
"Junhe, you promised me that you would come back to the county today to visit my grandma. How could you break your promise?" Zou Yaru looked at the dazzling array of gifts and didn’t feel like picking anything.
"My second uncle invited us to dinner. How could we not go?" Gu Junhe didn’t care and was wholeheartedly picking something Gu Hai would like.
Finally, he settled on a set of red agate chess pieces that looked festive.
"Yaru, how about this chess set?" Gu Junhe, after having visited many shops from last year until after the New Year, finally found it, and the smile on his face was particularly radiant.
"Gu Junhe!" Zou Yaru, frustrated over not being able to visit her grandma today, had reached her breaking point. Initially, she was supposed to spend New Year’s at her grandma’s place, but Gu Junhe insisted that since they got married recently, and they visited her family yesterday, they must go for dinner at his uncle’s place today.
"What are you shouting about?" Gu Junhe’s face darkened, annoyed by Zou Yaru’s shouting. He spoke to the clerk to wrap it up and, pulling Zou Yaru aside, he whispered sternly, "Why are you making such a fuss? You are now Gu Junhe’s wife. Aren’t you ashamed? Because I am."
Xu Nianhua and Xu Nian’an, with their backs to them, were picking gifts. They kept their voices low, but the words were still clearly heard by them.
"What day can’t you go see your grandma on? If we don’t go to my second uncle’s dinner, what will he think?"
"Do you know, if it weren’t for my second uncle, wouldn’t we have good days now?"
Gu Junhe knew early on that to have good days, he must ingratiate himself with his second uncle.
Zou Yaru pursed her lips, disliking Gu Junhe’s sycophantic demeanor.
"I also promised to fetch you the stars from the sky," Gu Junhe said nonchalantly, waving his hand, "Today you must go with me to my uncle’s house, and talk more with my aunt, and since Mingzhu is pregnant, chat with her more and get close."
With that, Gu Junhe turned and walked away. The clerk had finished packing, and after Gu Junhe paid, he strode out without waiting for Zou Yaru.
Zou Yaru’s eyes reddened little by little. She felt somewhat embarrassed, feeling as if everyone in the store was pointing and whispering about her.