"Zhilan had been to the Gu Mansion that day. If she were Gu Zhilan, wouldn’t she recognize her own parents?" He Teng asked.
"Hard to say. At six years old, she was so young. It’s normal for memories to blur. For example, if it weren’t for the photos at home, I might not even remember clearly what she looked like at that age. Similarly, many elders in the courtyard have forgotten about Gu Zhilan’s existence." Lan Li replied.
He Teng didn’t say anything more but took the matter seriously to heart.
In the afternoon, He Zhilan did not stay in her room alone for too long. Soon, the restless Chen Ya’nan knocked on He Zhilan’s door. Although she held a book in her hand as if she came to study, once inside, she eagerly asked for the gift from He Zhilan. When she saw two pairs of hair clips, she pretended to scoff that they were playthings for little girls, yet she put a pair in her hair and never wanted to take them off. She even ran to the mirror in the bathroom, playfully shaking her head, cheerfully telling He Zhilan that the hair clip would save her from constantly fighting with her hair.
"If it weren’t for my parents’ objections, I’d want to cut my hair as short as Uncle He’s. Washing my hair would just be part of washing my face, how convenient." Chen Ya’nan stuck out her tongue and tried to pull He Zhilan outside, "Aunt He, let’s go out and walk. Staying in the room is so boring!"
She pretended to be seeking He Zhilan’s opinion, but she practically dragged her outside. Then, just like last time, she excitedly rushed into the firing range and let go of He Zhilan’s hand as soon as they arrived.
"Ha! I knew Uncle He would be here!" Chen Ya’nan rushed to He Teng, pointed at He Zhilan, and said, "Uncle He, teach Aunt He to shoot! Today you brought a small handgun. Can you teach her and me as well?"
Of course, Chen Ya’nan would never admit that her real intention was the latter part.
"Uncle He, my dad said that it’s a good idea for girls to learn this. Who knows what might happen in life, right? It could be handy sometime." Chen Ya’nan then pushed He Zhilan forward. "Uncle He, even if you refuse to teach me, you have to teach Aunt He!"
"You little rascal, don’t talk like that. Both of you are good girls and hopefully, you’ll never have to use this skill!" Niu Rang responded from the side. "Mischievous girl, don’t drag Zhilan into it just because you’re itching to have a go."
"It’s not just me, ask Aunt He if she wants to learn." Chen Ya’nan then turned to He Zhilan.
He Zhilan shook her head without giving face, "Why would I learn this?" For He Zhilan, her interest in guns wasn’t really that high anymore. They were just toys when she was a child, but now she is grown up with different interests.
She assumed that He Teng would refuse to let his family participate in the training due to his character. But to her surprise, He Teng, uncharacteristically, nodded in agreement and brought He Zhilan to the front.
"What’s wrong with this? Brother, why do I need to learn this? I’m not going to the battlefield!" He Zhilan allowed He Teng to put the gear on her, blinking her eyes, looking at He Teng with a puzzled expression.