Chapter 754: Covet Her
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When the security guard returned, the atmosphere between the two men had grown even more oppressive. If they had been on a training field, they might have already started fighting in the manner of men.
The guard’s forehead, freshly wiped of cold sweat, was again beaded with perspiration. He couldn’t use the same escape tactic twice, so he racked his brain for a solution. His gaze fell on the large lunch box on the small table, and he finally found a topic to break the ice.
“Ah, sir,” he began, “where did you get this takeout? It looks absolutely delicious. Is it from the Golden Sun? Our deputy commander frequents there too. Business must be booming these days. The lunch box is also well made. It looks like it was custom designed.”
Su Shen’s gaze fell on the lunch box in front of him. The gloom in his eyes dissipated, replaced by warmth and pride. “My wife prepared it for me,” he said. “She’s always worried I won’t eat well. There are two more boxes in the bag. She designed the lunch box too. She’s a wise woman, and I will always love her.”
The security guard, seeing the stern man’s face finally soften, turned to speak to his deputy commander. However, he noticed that the deputy commander’s face had grown even more sullen. Deciding it was best to keep quiet, he held his tongue.
Meanwhile, in Jifu New Village, Gu Zi had finished her work for the day. It was only three in the afternoon, too early to start preparing dinner. Her sons wouldn’t be home from school until four ten. Feeling energetic, she decided to find something to do. She carried her daughter, Su Le, downstairs and sat on the doorstep leading to the backyard, putting on rain boots for both of them.
“We can cultivate this wasteland in the backyard,” she mused, “plant some peppers and tomatoes, and some seasonal vegetables. It would be great to have our own little vegetable garden. Lele, let’s get started. The first step is weeding!”
Gu Zi felt a sense of satisfaction. She had transformed a small plot of land in front of her rural home into a beautiful vegetable garden. Now, with this larger plot, she could plan even more freely.
Gu Zi handed a small hoe, specially made for her daughter, to Su Le. Holding her hand, they walked towards the wasteland. Su Le swung the little hoe in her hand, echoing her mother’s words, “Mommy and Lele, first step, weeding, charge!”
Gu Zi was charmed by her daughter’s cuteness. The little girl was now steady on her feet and had some strength. Gu Zi didn’t have to worry about her being tripped by the weight of the hoe. Her speech had also improved dramatically.
As they knelt down to weed, Gu Zi echoed her daughter’s words, “Charge, charge, charge!”
Su Le, mimicking her mother’s actions, squatted down and began to weed. She was earnest in her efforts, but her strength was far from matching that of an adult. A thumb-high weed took her several attempts with the small hoe before it finally gave way.
By then, her mother had already cleared a pile of weeds taller than her. Undeterred, Su Le swung her hoe towards another weed, finding the whole process amusing. A toothy grin spread across her face as she laughed heartily.
Watching her daughter’s joy, Gu Zi couldn’t help but smile. Indeed, companionship was a fundamental human need. Having this little one by her side made everything more enjoyable.
After a while, Gu Zi had accumulated three large piles of weeds. The cleared land was now exposed, its dark red soil indicating its fertility. She had to admit, the villa was well-designed, catering to the inherent desire of the Chinese to cultivate their own vegetables by leaving a plot of land in the backyard.
Surveying the three large piles of weeds, Gu Zi decided to enlist the help of Big Yellow from the front yard. She had no intention of leaving the weeds there. After all, she had worked hard to clear the land and didn’t want it to be overrun by weeds again. Besides, the weeds would hinder the tilling process. It was time for Big Yellow to earn his keep and haul the weeds away.
Big Yellow seemed to understand Gu Zi’s intentions. He wagged his tail obediently, allowing Gu Zi to load him up. She filled two large bags with weeds, tied them securely, and placed them on Big Yellow’s back. In this way, Big Yellow could dispose of all the weeds in one trip, saving them the trouble of making multiple trips.
Gu Zi changed her shoes, took Su Le by the hand, and led Big Yellow to a small wasteland near the villa to dump the weeds. Big Yellow, a fierce-looking dog, strutted ahead, seemingly paving the way for his masters. He looked quite proud of himself.
The sight of Big Yellow initially frightened the passersby, who tried to keep their distance. But they soon found the dog’s human-like behavior fascinating – a dog that could help its owners carry loads. They couldn’t help but watch a little longer.
Under the watchful eyes of the public, Gu Zi and her crew returned home after disposing of the weeds. As they reached the front door, they found the two brothers had already arrived. Upon entering the house, Gu Zi noticed a hint of worry on Su Li’s face and asked, “Are your classmates still prejudiced against you?”