Chapter 324| Chapter 325| Chapter 326
Chapter 324: Children Visit to Receive New Year’s Greetings
She placed the freshly carved teething stick on the living room kang to dry out completely before fetching it to play with our daughter. It was only about as thick as an adult’s finger—the perfect dimension for little Yi Yi’s mouth.
The moment she got her hands on it, she shoved it straight into her mouth. She was clearly thoroughly satisfied with her new toy.
Meanwhile, She busied herself preparing for tonight’s grand reunion dinner, determined to make it an exceptional feast. She map out a menu featuring three separate meat dishes, knowing that the household across the lane was matching us dish-for-dish with three meat recipes of their own. That would bring our total to a beautifully balanced spread.
Once the cooking was wrapped up, she had Gu Tingxiao balance the heavy food containers while I cradled Yi Yi to make our way across the snow-dusted lane.
When we stepped into Sheng Wanze’s cottage, Mother Sheng and Pan Yue were already bustling around the kitchen, finalizing the last of the evening’s recipes. I quickly found a comfortable spot to settle down, guiding a nursing bottle filled with warm water to Yi Yi.
The infant was incredibly parched from the dry indoor heat; she sat contentedly in the wooden crib, her tiny lips locked around the nipple as she drank greedily.
Suddenly, little Huzi marched over and aggressively snatched the nursing bottle right out of her grip. Startled and cut off from her water supply, Yi Yi instantly burst into a loud, frantic wail.
Huzi stood frozen by the edge of the crib, looking thoroughly bewildered by her explosive reaction. In his simple toddler mind, he had merely taken the toy away because he wanted to interact with his baby cousin.
Why on earth is my little sister crying? he wondered, his big eyes wide. She’s acting so strange. I just wanted to share the game with her; why is she screaming so loudly?
Pan Yue caught the tail end of the scuffle from the kitchen doorway. Assuming her son was throwing a tantrum because he wanted a bottle of his own, she hurried into the adjacent bedroom to retrieve his cup.
“Huzi, if your own throat is dry, you must ask Mom for a drink,” she chided gently, stepping back into the room. “You absolutely cannot steal from your little sister.”
Sheng Wanyan closed the distance, gently guiding the lost bottle back into the infant’s mouth, and Yi Yi immediately went right back to drinking. Our little girl wasn’t a habitual crybaby; she was simply deeply thirsty, and having her prize ruthlessly stolen the exact second she got a taste had set off her fiery temper.
“Alright, my darling, don’t fuss,” Sheng Wanyan cooed, running a gentle hand over her hair. “Your big brother simply adores you and wanted to include you in his game. Look, if you keep weeping like that, your beautiful face will turn entirely red.”
Yi Yi couldn’t comprehend the adult logistics, of course; she merely recognized that her water supply had been successfully restored, and her tears tapered off into quiet hiccups. Sheng Wanyan carefully wiped the damp tracks from the baby’s pale cheeks before rolling up her sleeves to help Pan Yue set the table.
“Don’t lose any sleep over their little skirmish, sister-in-law,” Sheng Wanyan smiled, carrying the heavy serving platters. “Children’s tempers are like summer storms; they’ll be giggling and sharing their toys again before the first dish is cleared.”
Pan Yue chuckled, instantly letting the anxiety slide as she aligned the benches. She completely agreed with Sheng Wanyan’s practical stance. Absolutely nothing on earth was allowed to overshadow the absolute sanctity of a Lunar New Year’s Eve reunion feast!
Minor conflicts and brief tears were completely unavoidable whenever you threw two young children into the same space—especially two infants who were still practically wet behind the ears. Besides, everyone knew Huzi was utterly infatuated with his baby cousin; it wouldn’t take ten minutes before he was scrambling back over to the crib to coax her into another game.
The family elders didn’t manifest a single drop of worry regarding the children’s dynamic either. After all, according to traditional wisdom, a deep, unshakeable sibling bond is forged precisely through a continuous cycle of playful roughhousing and minor squabbles. What was the practical use of an adult aggressively intervening every single time a toddler made a bit of a fuss? It was far better to let them navigate their own social baselines.
Before long, the extended family took their places around the roaring table to commence the feast. The spread was magnificent, consisting of an auspicious layout of nine separate dishes and one rich soup.
The table groaned under the weight of savory braised pork belly, a perfectly glazed braised whole fish, aromatic stewed eggplant, rich pork layered with preserved mustard greens, a crisp cold-mixed wood ear fungus salad, succulent boiled chicken, melt-in-your-mouth braised pig’s trotters, and a hearty peasant stew of tender cabbage simmered with seasoned minced pork. To round out the presentation, Grandma Sheng had contributed a selection of her own signature marinated side dishes, anchored by a massive cauldron of rich, slow-simmered chicken broth.
For the evening’s grain, the kitchen had prepared steaming bowls of pristine white rice. It was a rare, beautiful milestone for the entire lineage to gather beneath one roof in the northern winter, so everyone was perfectly content to indulge in a bit of luxury for the holiday.
Once the feast was thoroughly enjoyed and the dishes cleared, the highly anticipated rotation of gifting the traditional Lunar New Year red envelopes commenced. Since the extended household only contained two grandchildren, both hailing from the absolute inner circle of the bloodline, the financial allocations were remarkably generous. Sheng Wanyan led the way, tucking a crisp, substantial five-yuan note into each red envelope.
The family elders were well-established and independently wealthy, so each of their contributions easily matched the five-yuan benchmark. Father and Mother Sheng, however, completely blew past the standard baseline, dropping a staggering ten-yuan note straight into each grandchild’s envelope. They only secured the administrative leave required to visit their grandchildren once a year, so their hearts naturally demanded they pour an immense amount of financial devotion onto the little ones.
In reality, Mother Sheng had originally intended to slip a twenty-yuan bill into the red pockets, but a sum that massive represented an entire month’s wages for a standard metropolitan laborer. She ultimately reeled her generosity back, terrified the young couples would feel deeply uncomfortable and burdened by the sheer scale of the gift. A ten-yuan note was a perfectly respectable alternative; she could always supplement their savings with larger cash infusions once the children grew a bit older.
Little Yi Yi didn’t just accumulate fortune from the Sheng lineage tonight; she also received a beautiful collection of holiday envelopes dispatched from the Gu family patriarch back in the capital. Furthermore, Mother Gu had taken the logistical care to ship an immense crate of holiday delicacies and custom garments weeks in advance, timed specifically for the traditional second day of the Lunar New Year when a married daughter historically honors her maternal household. It was a beautiful, public demonstration that the capital estate held their daughter-in-law in absolute, highest regard.
When Sheng Wanyan and Gu Tingxiao finally returned to the quiet warmth of their own cottage, they presented their daughter with a truly massive, unified red envelope.
“Once this midnight hour clears, you will officially be counted as a one-year-old child according to our traditional calendar, my darling,” Sheng Wanyan murmured, looking down at the sleeping infant. “Your only directive is to grow up strong, vibrant, and healthy.”
Sheng Wanyan had tucked a full fifty-yuan note into the red silk packet—a private, independent nest egg dedicated entirely to her daughter’s future assets.
Gu Tingxiao matched her investment down to the single decimal point, dropping a second fifty-yuan note into the nursery box. He had pulled this specific cash allocation entirely from his personal, private allowance stores. While the military command issued him a comfortable pocket stipend every month, his minimalist habits meant he rarely spent a single cent on himself, choosing instead to systematically cache the notes away. After a full year of rigorous, disciplined saving, he had emptied his entire secret reserve, keeping back only enough change to purchase a fresh jar of luxury vanishing cream for his wife, and poured the entire sum onto his precious daughter.
“Grow up safe and secure, Yi Yi,” he whispered, his thumb brushing her cheek. He harbored zero grandiose expectations for her future rank or achievements; his soul simply required that she remain protected, whole, and healthy through the years.
Sheng Wanyan carefully filed the holiday envelopes into the baby’s carved wooden keepsake box. Later, as she curled beneath the heavy winter quilts beside her husband, her pragmatic mind drifted back to his financial allocation, and she turned to look at him.
“Comrade Gu Tingxiao,” she teased, an amused smile touching her lips. “Why on earth did you feel the absolute need to strip your personal, private cash reserves just to hand Yi Yi a red envelope? Everything in our household account is at your disposal anyway.”
“It’s fundamentally different,” he answered softly, his dark eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t need him to elaborate; she understood his heart completely. The gesture carried a distinct, highly individual emotional weight. This cash represented the direct result of his own physical labor and personal sacrifice—it was an unadulterated manifestation of his paternal devotion, completely separate from the communal family funds. Beneath that cold, imposing military exterior, her husband possessed an incredibly meticulous, deeply romantic soul.
She couldn’t stop herself from pushing his buttons a little further, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Well, if you’ve emptied your entire personal reserve for our daughter… where exactly is my New Year red envelope, Captain?”
The completely penniless Gu Tingxiao: “…”
He stared at her, utterly speechless. Isn’t my beautiful wife intentionally backing me into a corner for her own amusement tonight? he thought, his chest tightening.
“My available currency reserves have completely hit rock bottom,” he murmured, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous register as he suddenly rolled over, pinning her against the mattress. “It appears the only logistically viable path left is to settle my marital debts using my own physical body.”
“I can only pray my demanding wife won’t look down on the quality of the labor.”
Before Sheng Wanyan could even summon the breath to offer a witty retort or mount a playful resistance, Gu Tingxiao’s heavy, powerful frame pressed her deep into the mattress, his lips ruthlessly cutting off her escape. She realized too late that she should never have provoked the man; at the end of the day, she was always the one left thoroughly breathless and thoroughly defeated.
The following morning broke to the official arrival of New Year’s Day. Sheng Wanyan had zero administrative or laboratory duties scheduled, allowing her to comfortably luxuriate inside the warm cottage.
However, according to long-standing military compound tradition, the neighborhood children would spend the afternoon roaming the lanes to offer formal holiday greetings to the officers’ households. Anticipating the invasion, Sheng Wanyan had already neatly arranged massive lacquered platters packed with roasted melon seeds, traditional pastries, and sweet hard candies across the living room table.
Once the snack stations were flawlessly prepared for the youth, she retreated back into the quiet of the nursery nook, settling down onto the kang to peacefully nurse little Yi Yi.
Outside, Gu Tingxiao bundled himself up and marched into the courtyard to clear the fresh snowdrift. Operating with his usual tireless work ethic, he extended his sweep past their private gate, helping clear the heavy packing of snow from the communal lane to ensure the neighborhood children wouldn’t slip or take a hard tumble during their holiday rounds.
The exact second his shovel cleared the final drift, he returned to the cottage, propping the heavy front door wide open in accordance with holiday etiquette, waiting for the first wave of visitors. Sheng Wanyan quickly set out a thermal flask brimming with boiling water, ensuring they could rapidly mix warm drinks to thaw out the children’s frozen fingers the moment they crossed the threshold.
Directly following the noon meal, the compound youth officially launched their campaign. This specific date was an absolute treasure for the local children; they swarmed out of the concrete apartment blocks in lively packs, systematically migrating from one officer’s cottage to the next to chant traditional, auspicious holiday blessings. Under the strict ideological parameters of the current era, traditional ancestral bowing and religious rituals were heavily forbidden, so the youth restricted their performances to shouting cheerful secular wishes.
A pack of neighborhood children came bursting through our doorway, their faces flushed bright crimson from the frost as they chimed in unison, “A prosperous and happy Lunar New Year to Uncle and Auntie!”
Sheng Wanyan smiled radiantly, stepping forward to scoop up massive, overflowing fistfuls of roasted melon seeds and premium candies, dropping the treats directly into their open pockets and outstretched palms. The moment the sweets were securely captured, several of the older children eagerly craned their necks, trying to catch a glimpse of the baby inside the nursery. Little Yi Yi’s fair, incredibly plump appearance at the mess hall banquet two nights prior had thoroughly captivated the compound youth, and half the children on base had been dying to play with her ever since.
Sheng Wanyan harbored zero desire to isolate her daughter. She offered the children a warm nod, guiding the small group toward the crib so they could observe the infant up close.
The children gathered around the wooden rails, waving their small hands and making silly faces to entertain the baby. A sweet-faced boy carefully pulled a pristine piece of hard candy from his pocket, extending it toward the mattress. “This is a special holiday treat for my little sister.”
Sheng Wanyan chuckled softly at the gesture. “Your little sister is still entirely too small, sweetheart; she hasn’t grown a single tooth yet, so she can’t manage solid candy. Keep the treat for yourself and enjoy it.”
Hearing that the baby was biologically barred from experiencing the sublime glory of sugar, the children let out a collective, deeply sympathetic sigh. In their simple world, missing out on something as profoundly magnificent as holiday candy was the ultimate tragedy.
“Ah! But hard candy is the most delicious thing in the whole universe!” a little girl whispered, her eyes wide with sorrow. “Our little sister is so incredibly pitiful.”
Sheng Wanyan’s lips twitched as she fought to contain her laughter. The raw, dramatic innocence of children’s logic was endlessly entertaining. “Don’t worry, darlings. Once she grows big and strong like you, she’ll be able to eat all the candy her heart desires.”
Accepting the biological reality, the boy carefully tucked the candy back into his pocket, his sorrow rapidly evaporating. Since the infant was systematically excluded from the ration, it simply meant there was more inventory left for them to consume.
The lively packs of children rotated through the cottage in continuous, vibrant waves, offering their blessings before rapidly sprinting off to hit the next household on their ledger. The residential compound housed an immense volume of youth; virtually every single officer’s estate was packed with several children.
In this unique, hardworking era, household luxuries and material goods were remarkably scarce, but every single family was abundantly rich in one specific asset—a massive, roaring houseful of children.
Chapter 325: Private Conversation Between Mother and Daughter
The cottage remained lively throughout the entire afternoon. Sheng Wanyan spent hours distributing sweets and treats to the rotating packs of neighborhood children. By the time the final group departed, the living room floor was completely covered in a thick layer of roasted melon seed shells.
According to Lunar New Year customs, sweeping the floor during the first few days of the holiday is strictly forbidden, as doing so is believed to sweep away the household’s incoming wealth and good fortune for the year.
Sheng Wanyan simply left the mess alone. Even though the state officially banned “feudal superstitions,” virtually every single household on the base still quietly adhered to the tradition. As long as you weren’t caught actively promoting it in public, the authorities turned a blind eye. After all, if she chose not to sweep her own floor, who was going to reprimand her for it?
After a chaotic, bustling day, the cottage finally grew quiet.
For dinner, Sheng Wanyan prepared a simple, comforting meal of hot noodles paired with a savory braised fish. Since it was just the two of them eating at home tonight, they wanted to keep things light and easy.
The following morning marked the second day of the Lunar New Year—the traditional day for a married daughter to return to her maternal home. Even though her “parents’ home” was currently just across the lane at her brother’s cottage, Sheng Wanyan still had to follow protocol and prepare the traditional returning gifts.
She gathered the lavish crates that Mother Gu had shipped up from the capital specifically for this occasion, adding two premium tins of malted milk powder from her own stores. Mother Gu had prepared an incredible bounty for her daughter-in-law to present: ten kilograms of prime meat and a massive basket of fresh, expensive winter fruits. In this era, gifting that volume of fresh fruit in the dead of winter was an incredibly impressive, high-status flex.
Gu Tingxiao helped her carry the heavy gifts across the lane, as they would be staying for dinner that evening.
Pan Yue and Sheng Wanze wouldn’t be joining them; they had already departed to spend the day at Director Pan’s apartment. The Pan household was hosting a massive reunion this year. Director Pan’s two sons had returned with their wives and children, and Pan Yue’s older sister had also traveled back with her own family. It was bound to be a roaring, crowded affair, and according to custom, Pan Yue was required to attend, bringing little Huzi along with her. Huzi rarely had the opportunity to interact with his maternal cousins, so Pan Yue always made sure he attended the major family gatherings.
Back at the Sheng cottage, Mother Sheng had prepared a magnificent table full of food for her daughter’s return. Even though the headcount was small, she attached immense traditional importance to the meal and made sure Gu Tingxiao was treated like an absolute king.
“Eat more, Tingxiao,” Mother Sheng urged warmly, selecting several prime cuts of meat with her chopsticks and placing them directly into his bowl. Gu Tingxiao quickly raised his bowl to accept the gesture with both hands.
“Thank you, Mom.”
“Come, Xiao Gu, let’s have a drink,” Grandpa Sheng offered, pouring a generous glass of clear liquor for him. Gu Tingxiao happily drank alongside Grandpa and Father Sheng, keeping the conversation lively and respectful.
Once the meal concluded and the men moved to the living room, Mother Sheng pulled Sheng Wanyan into the back bedroom for a private conversation. With all the chaos of the flood and the children, they hadn’t actually sat down for a proper, heart-to-heart mother-daughter chat since her arrival.
“Are all those lavish gifts sitting in the parlor actually the provisions your mother-in-law prepared for you?” Mother Sheng asked, nodding toward the crates.
“Yes, Mom.”
“Wanyan, look at me and tell me the absolute truth,” Mother Sheng said, her voice dropping into a serious, protective register. “Has Xiao Gu been treating you well since you gave birth to Yi Yi? And what about the Gu family patriarchs—do they harbor any secret resentment toward you for delivering a daughter?”
Mother Sheng hadn’t asked these questions earlier because the household had been too busy, and she wanted to quietly observe the dynamics for herself first.
“Mom, what on earth are you worrying about?” Sheng Wanyan smiled, taking her mother’s hand. “Can’t you see Tingxiao’s absolute devotion? And haven’t you seen the constant care packages the Gu family sends?”
Mother Sheng could indeed see the evidence, but a mother’s heart is designed to worry.
“I heard through the grapevine that the Gu family’s fourth branch just welcomed a son,” Mother Sheng noted carefully, referring to Gu Tinghao’s household.
Sheng Wanyan nodded, not bothering to hide the fact.
“Hmph… your fourth sister-in-law is a nasty piece of work,” Mother Sheng scoffed, her brow furrowing. “She delivered a child right around the exact same time as you. Heaven only knows how smugly she’s laughing at you behind closed doors. That woman has never possessed a good heart; she acted incredibly bizarre and jealous during your wedding.”
Sheng Wanyan couldn’t deny it. Wang Chunmei had indeed been visibly green with envy when she married into the family.
“Mom, I don’t care in the slightest what gender anyone else gives birth to. Yi Yi is my child,” Sheng Wanyan replied firmly. “Whether she’s a boy or a girl, she is my flesh and blood, and I will protect her with my life.”
Hearing the fierce, unyielding devotion in her daughter’s voice, Mother Sheng felt a profound surge of pride. Her daughter possessed the exact same fierce maternal protective instincts that she did.
“Thank goodness the Gu family patriarch had the foresight to officially divide the household assets,” Mother Sheng sighed in relief. “Otherwise, living under the same roof, the contrast between your daughter and your fourth sister-in-law’s son would be impossible to ignore. There would inevitably be daily friction and underlying injustice.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t deny the reality of the era. If a woman delivered a son in this traditional society, she instantly gained immense leverage, walking through the family courtyard with her back straight and her head held high. Had the Gu family not formally separated the branches, Wang Chunmei undoubtedly would have used her newborn son as a weapon to make Sheng Wanyan’s life miserable. The family elders would have been caught in a constant, exhausting crossfire, unable to easily side against the mother of a male heir.
But Sheng Wanyan lived thousands of miles away in Bing City. She never had to look at Wang Chunmei’s face, and the woman had absolutely zero opportunity to parade her son in front of her.
“Mom, I promise you, the Gu family treats me exceptionally well,” Sheng Wanyan reassured her. “Not a single member of that household has looked down on me for having a girl.”
“That is only because you have proven yourself to be exceptionally brilliant and capable,” Mother Sheng stated, dropping a cold, surgical truth.
Her daughter was so staggeringly competent and successful that no sensible family would dare mistreat her. But what if Sheng Wanyan had just been an ordinary city girl without any unique skills, unable to bring massive honor, medical breakthroughs, or financial leverage to the Gu family? Mother Sheng could absolutely guarantee that her daughter’s standing in that elite household would not be nearly as secure or joyful as it was today.
While the Gu family was inherently decent, human nature was predictable. If forced to choose between a mediocre, useless daughter-in-law who only produced girls, and a branch that secured a male heir, the traditional scales would always tip. Mother Sheng might not possess the vast academic pedigree of the Gu matriarchs, but she possessed sharp, unclouded vision when it came to family politics.
Even though her in-laws were highly educated and reasonable, Mother Sheng knew for an absolute fact that Mother Gu harbored a deep, inherent bias toward her youngest son, Gu Tinghao. If she didn’t, she would never have tolerated Wang Chunmei’s relentless, unreasonable tantrums for this long. To put it bluntly, Mother Gu’s infinite patience for the fourth branch was entirely rooted in her blind favoritism for her youngest boy!
If Sheng Wanyan had behaved even a fraction as atrociously as Wang Chunmei, would the Gu family have endured it for years? Absolutely not!
Mother Sheng was no fool; she saw the domestic chessboard with crystal clarity. While Mother Gu frequently voiced her intense displeasure with Wang Chunmei’s conduct, she never directed a single ounce of that frustration toward her son. At most, she would lament Gu Tinghao’s terrible taste in women, but she would never actually allow him to suffer.
If Mother Gu was truly, deeply disappointed in the fourth branch, why on earth was she currently raising their eldest daughter for them in the capital? That arrangement was screamingly obvious: Mother Gu had taken the child entirely to ease the domestic burden on Gu Tinghao, sparing her favorite son from having to constantly mediate the exhausting warfare between his toxic wife and his innocent daughter.
If you are genuinely fed up with a household, you cut them off and force them to manage their own chaos. The fact that Mother Gu was actively intervening to smooth out Gu Tinghao’s life proved her bias.
Mother Sheng wouldn’t stoop to arguing with her in-laws over how they arranged their internal affairs, but she was fiercely determined to ensure her own daughter was never slighted in the process.
Sheng Wanyan had never expected her mother’s political analysis to be this razor-sharp. In truth, she was perfectly aware of Mother Gu’s blatant favoritism toward the fourth branch. However, as long as that bias didn’t actively harm the interests of the third branch or threaten little Yi Yi’s standing, she genuinely didn’t care. It was Mother Gu’s prerogative to exhaust herself managing her youngest son’s disasters. Furthermore, since the branches were legally and financially separated, she had zero desire to waste mental energy policing the capital’s drama. She would simply execute her duties as the third daughter-in-law flawlessly. As for the rest? She possessed the absolute financial and intellectual power to provide everything her daughter would ever need without relying on the Gu estate.
“Mom, the Gu family genuinely cherishes Yi Yi,” Sheng Wanyan repeated gently. “They are constantly shipping up premium supplies and checking in on her.”
Hearing that the Gu patriarchs were actively investing attention in her granddaughter, Mother Sheng finally eased her nagging.
“Well, that’s what matters,” she conceded. “Even if your mother-in-law plays favorites with her sons, she isn’t stupid. The Gu family hasn’t mistreated you or your daughter. However, you must maintain your absolute independence, Wanyan. You have to be strong enough to shield Yi Yi yourself, ensuring no one ever dares to make a passive-aggressive remark about her gender.”
Sheng Wanyan knew exactly which specific sister-in-law her mother was warning her about, even without a name being dropped.
“Mom, I’ve never let anyone walk over me before,” Sheng Wanyan replied smoothly. “She is my daughter. Naturally, I will destroy anyone who tries to target her.”
Seeing that her daughter fully grasped the political reality, Mother Sheng officially closed the topic. As long as her son-in-law and daughter remained a unified, impenetrable front, they could easily deflect any external malice.
“As long as you and Xiao Gu remain of one mind, your life together will only grow more prosperous,” Mother Sheng smiled, patting her hand.
Sheng Wanyan nodded dutifully, though her internal monologue painted a slightly different picture.
She had never relied on a man’s favor to secure a good life. Even if, hypothetically, she and Gu Tingxiao ever fell out of alignment, she possessed the absolute power to raise Yi Yi in the lap of luxury on her own. She would never allow her daughter to suffer a single day of hardship.
A man could be a magnificent, intoxicating spice in the recipe of life, but he would never, ever be her staple food.
Chapter 326: The Path She Wants to Take
“Just make sure you know what you’re doing. Don’t be so naive that you end up helping someone count the cash after they’ve gone and sold you out.”
“Mom, do you honestly think I’m that stupid?”
“If you weren’t stupid, would you have let yourself get completely conned by Sheng Xiuying in the past?”
Sheng Wanyan rubbed her nose, a bit sheepish. That was a blunder made by the body’s original owner. What did it have to do with her?
“Alright, it’s getting late. You should take Yi Yi back home so she can get to bed early.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t linger. After all, they lived right across the lane, and since her parents wouldn’t be heading back until next month, there would be plenty of time to catch up later.
Mother Sheng handed her a large slab of cured bacon, insisting she take it home. Even with family, the holiday gift-giving formalities still had to be observed.
The little family of three made their way back across the lane. Once they were home, Sheng Wanyan lay in bed, turning her mother’s words over in her mind.
Every single point Mother Sheng had made hit the nail on the head. If she didn’t build her own solid foundation and establish her own worth, her daughter might very well grow up marginalized within the Gu family.
After all, Gu Tingxiao was the middle child, and the middle child is almost always the one who gets overlooked.
Even though Mother Gu and the family elders were reasonable people, Gu Tingxiao’s standing in his mother’s heart simply couldn’t compete with her youngest son, Gu Tinghao. One shouldn’t underestimate Mother Gu’s influence in the family either—she was, after all, the undisputed matriarch of the Gu household!
Father Gu completely adored his wife. If Mother Gu openly favored Gu Tinghao in the years to come, Father Gu would undoubtedly go along with whatever she wished without a second thought.
There was no need to worry about the eldest brother’s branch; as the primary heir to the Gu estate, his position would always be rock-solid and respected.
That left the third branch sitting in a remarkably inconspicuous, easily forgotten position.
Fortunately, Gu Tingxiao was exceptionally capable, and Old Master Gu held him in high regard. He had already racked up significant military achievements, forcing the patriarch to value him. If he hadn’t, it wasn’t hard to imagine how easily their little branch could be pushed into the shadows.
Sheng Wanyan let out a quiet sigh. It was clear that for the sake of her daughter’s future security, she couldn’t afford to be average. She needed to personally carve out a path for Yi Yi, ensuring her daughter would always have access to the absolute best resources.
Following the traditions of the Lunar New Year, the third day was designated for a thorough household cleaning.
Gu Tingxiao had been granted a seven-day holiday leave, after which he would return to his active duties at the barracks.
With the arrival of the new year, the calendar officially turned to 1976—a year destined to be monumental and deeply etched in history. Several of the nation’s founding titans and great leaders would pass away, and by October, the chaotic decade of the Cultural Revolution would finally draw to its official close. It was a year bound to be defined by massive, sweeping historical shifts.
Sheng Wanyan lost no time, digging out her old high school textbooks to begin studying. Since she was determined to sit for the college entrance examination the exact second it returned, she needed to build an early lead.
Gu Tingxiao watched her flip through the high school curriculum with a trace of curiosity. But recalling the latest political rumors his father had hinted at in his letters from the capital, a knowing smile touched his lips. He realized his brilliant wife had already accurately deduced the changing tides. The political landscape was shifting, and the reinstatement of the national college entrance examinations was closer than anyone realized.
“Sweetheart, what’s got you diving into high school textbooks all of a sudden?”
“I just want to brush up on my studies.”
Sheng Wanyan offered a brief, distracted response, her eyes never leaving the printed page.
The high school curriculum of this era was remarkably basic. Compared to the notoriously complex, grueling exam questions of the future she had lived through, these concepts were practically child’s play.
“You want to study?” Gu Tingxiao teased, stepping closer. “Wife, you do realize your husband is a certified military academy graduate, right?” If she truly wanted a tutor, she was looking at a university scholar, not a high schooler!
Sheng Wanyan had been so entirely engrossed in her reading that she had completely forgotten his academic credentials. She looked up, her lips curving into an amused smile as she poked fun at him. “Well, look at that! I completely forgot we had a distinguished university intellectual residing right under our roof!”
“Go ahead, tease your husband all you like.”
Gu Tingxiao shook his head affectionately. He had noticed his wife was growing increasingly fond of using a dry, sarcastic wit to poke fun at him lately. He had no idea where she had picked up such a cheeky habit.
“In all seriousness,” Sheng Wanyan noted, her tone turning focused as she looked at him. “Do you know something specific from the capital?”
Gu Tingxiao raised a sharp eyebrow, a playful glint entering his eyes. “Offer me a bit of a marital reward, and perhaps I’ll share the intelligence.”
Sheng Wanyan immediately slapped his arm with a soft smack. “Stop talking nonsense with me. Are you going to speak or not?”
Gu Tingxiao rubbed his arm where she had struck him, a dramatic wince on his face. “Ouch. My wife truly doesn’t pull her punches, does she?”
“Fine, if you won’t talk, don’t talk,” Sheng Wanyan scoffed, turning her back on him to return to her textbook, completely freezing him out.
Seeing that his playfulness had genuinely annoyed her, Gu Tingxiao quickly dropped the act, leaning over to offer a sincere apology before sharing the latest political undercurrents.
“On a serious note, sweetheart, you’re doing the exact right thing by reviewing those high school texts. The political climate in the Capital is stabilizing rapidly, and things are moving in a very positive direction.”
Sheng Wanyan’s eyebrows arched. As expected… Even in a parallel timeline, the core trajectory of national development mirrored her own history perfectly.
“So you’re saying the official reinstatement of the college entrance examination is a certainty?”
“Yes. So, my brilliant wife, once the examination gates reopen, do you truly intend to enroll in a university?”
“Without a doubt!” Sheng Wanyan replied instantly. Having lived through the modern era, she understood the absolute, armor-clad value of higher education better than anyone. Besides, she genuinely loved the pursuit of knowledge.
“Which specific discipline or institution do you have your eye on?”
Sheng Wanyan hesitated, her brow furrowing slightly as she confronted the crossroads of her own future. “I haven’t entirely locked down my trajectory just yet.”
“Are you leaning toward continuing your medical path, or do you want to pursue a career in professional translation?” he pressed.
Sheng Wanyan shook her head, her expression thoughtful. Initially, her default plan had been to slide right back into the familiar comfort of medicine and establish herself as a physician. But over the recent months, her perspective had fundamentally expanded. She had observed firsthand just how critically deficient the nation was when it came to elite foreign language specialists.
Ever since she had begun translating sensitive materials for the state departments, a new, vibrant ambition had taken root in her heart. She didn’t want to merely exist as a passive doctor; she wanted to master international communications and secure a real, commanding voice for her country on the global stage.
“I want to dedicate my career to foreign affairs, but I have zero interest in remaining a low-level translator,” she clarified firmly. If she was going to spend her life merely translating other people’s words, she might as well return to a laboratory and conduct medical research.
Gu Tingxiao locked eyes with her, a look of profound admiration passing through his gaze. “In that case, sweetheart… what would you say to becoming a diplomat?”
Sheng Wanyan’s heart skipped a violent beat. She stared at him, deeply moved. It was as if this man could read the innermost currents of her soul, identifying her exact ambition before she had even fully articulated it.
“But you must think it through carefully, Wanyan,” Gu Tingxiao added, his voice dropping into a gentle, protective register. “The trajectory of a diplomat is fraught with immense, unpredictable danger.”
Aside from active combat roles within the armed forces, diplomats were the exact personnel most likely to operate on the front lines of international conflict and face the raw reality of war at close range. The operational risk was staggeringly high, and his protective instincts naturally recoiled at the thought of his wife stepping into such a hazardous arena. Yet, he understood her spirit perfectly. If this was the mountain she chose to climb to realize her true potential, he would never stand in her way or diminish her life’s value.
“The risk is undeniable, yes,” Sheng Wanyan agreed, her eyes burning with resolve. “But it is a path that guarantees a seat at the table. It grants a real, commanding voice.”
She understood with absolute clarity just how profoundly prestigious and impactful a diplomatic career would become in the decades following the reform. The social standing was unmatched, the circle of communication consisted exclusively of top-tier global leaders, and the sheer volume of institutional leverage and resources one could access was staggering.
“As long as you’ve weighed the reality and chosen your path, I am entirely behind you,” Gu Tingxiao smiled, smoothing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “If the entrance exams are successfully reinstated, the elite Foreign Language Institutes in the capital would be a magnificent fit for you. Of course, the foreign language departments at the top-tier comprehensive universities are equally exceptional. The final layout depends entirely on your personal preference.”
Sheng Wanyan leveled a teasing, amused look at him. “You speak with such absolute certainty, Captain. Are you truly that confident the state will authorize the exams?”
Gu Tingxiao shifted, wrapping his powerful arms around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest. “A great nation cannot develop without cultivating its intellect,” he murmured into her hair. “Structural change is a mechanical inevitability.”
Furthermore, the current political atmosphere in the capital was exceptionally volatile. Father Gu had explicitly noted in his secure dispatches that the entire lineage needed to maintain an flawless, exceptionally low profile over the next two years. The Gu family was a massive target, and any slip-up could be weaponized by opposing factions to dismantle their standing.
Therefore, over the next twenty-four months, their branch could not afford a single domestic, professional, or social misstep.
Old Master Gu’s primary anxiety centered entirely on Gu Tingxiao and Sheng Wanyan. The patriarch could easily monitor and discipline the younger generation residing under his nose in the capital at any given moment. His fear was that this young, fiercely independent couple, operating thousands of miles away in Bing City, might let their youthful energy lead them into an administrative trap. If they stumbled out here, the family estate wouldn’t be able to intervene without handing their enemies a massive piece of political leverage.
Fortunately, Sheng Wanyan possessed a highly unique, untouchable status due to her recent medical breakthroughs, making the capital factions hesitant to target her directly. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t attempt to strike at Gu Tingxiao instead; as a rising star in the military, he was the perfect vector to deal a blow to the Gu family’s prestige.
Sheng Wanyan had to admit, the old patriarch’s strategic foresight was entirely correct. They needed to play the long game, and she would use this quiet period to build her academic armor.
