Chapter 5
When Gu Shi’s group arrived, Luo Zhengzheng was cooking in the kitchen. She had changed into a loose white tracksuit and wore two low pigtails, looking both relaxed and pretty. She was cooking herself tonight. Little Chengjia liked fish balls and she could only buy silver carp and common carp in town. She would make fish balls from the silver carp and a squirrel-shaped mandarin fish dish from the common carp. This was her first time cooking since her rebirth and she couldn't resist asking Xiao Zhang to take a video to commemorate the occasion.
When Luo Zhengzheng heard the car, she was frying fish in a pan. She didn't go out. The oil needed to be drained after frying the fish.
Yuan Mei and Luo Yongsheng welcomed the guests into the courtyard. The Luo Family's house was newly built last year, a three-story villa with simple yet elegant decorations. Several rose bushes were planted in the yard, filling the air with fragrance—it was very beautiful.
After frying the fish, Luo Zhengzheng heard her son calling for mommy. She took a moment to come out and exclaimed in surprise, "Mom, you're here?"
Although she was surprised that Gu Shi came, it wasn't unexpected. However, Mother-in-law's arrival took her by surprise.
Ye Li asked curiously, "Your mom said you're cooking tonight?"
Luo Zhengzheng nodded and smiled, "Mom, you and Gu Shi go to the living room to rest. There are two more dishes."
Ye Li hesitated, "You can cook?"
In her mind, cooking was difficult. She had never cooked well and had never seen her daughter-in-law cook before. She assumed her daughter-in-law couldn't cook either. Had she misunderstood her?
Luo Zhengzheng felt looked down upon by mother-in-law: "Mom, don't worry, it'll definitely be edible."
Ye Li fell silent. Daughter-in-law used to be cautious in her words and actions and was reserved and hesitant to speak to her like this. Looking closely, she noticed Luo Zhengzheng's bright eyes and clear features. Though dressed simply, she was charming and attractive, radiating confidence that drew attention.
Standing behind his mom, Gu Shi heard Luo Zhengzheng's words and looked at her. Seeing her radiant smile, a thought flickered in his mind.
Little Chengjia nestled in his maternal grandmother's arms. Seeing that mommy ignored him, he reached out to her, "Mommy, hug!"
Luo Zhengzheng washed her hands, went over, and hugged him. "Mommy still needs to cook. You play with Maternal Grandmother, okay?"
Little Chengjia leaned against mommy's chest. "Mommy, no go."
Luo Zhengzheng rubbed his face. "Mommy won't go. Mommy will make fish balls for little Chengjia."
Little Chengjia looked up at mommy. "Fish balls, eat."
Luo Zhengzheng: "Yes, make fish balls to eat. Let Maternal Grandmother hold you, okay?"
Knowing mommy wouldn't leave, little Chengjia obediently let maternal grandmother hold him.
Yuan Mei led Ye Li into the living room. Gu Shi's driver was carrying things into the house—gifts Gu Shi had brought.
The water in the pot had boiled. Luo Zhengzheng went back to the kitchen to make fish balls. Gu Shi didn't go to the living room but followed her into the kitchen. He watched as she skillfully tossed the fish balls into the pot with a spoon, clearly a frequent cook. In their two years of marriage, he had never tasted a meal cooked by her.
After Luo Zhengzheng finished tossing the fish balls, she frowned when she saw him following behind. "Why didn't you go to the living room to rest?"
Watching her, Gu Shi’s tone was indifferent. "I'm not tired. Why haven't I seen you cook before?"
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at him. The reason she hadn't cooked before was naturally because her cooking skills at this time in her previous life weren't very good and she didn't dare embarrass herself. It would be an excuse for him to dislike her.
The reason she later learned to cook was because Chengjia loved her cooking. Since she had nothing else to do, she learned to cook.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Gu Shi didn't press her for details, simply standing there watching her cook.
With Gu Shi there, Xiao Zhang didn't dare to speak. Even though he hadn't gotten angry; she was still afraid of him.
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at his dress pants and white shirt, and mentally thought, "If you're not worried about getting your clothes dirty, stay in the kitchen."
She turned to Xiao Zhang and asked, "Did you record the fish balls making?"
Xiao Zhang nodded. "Yes."
Luo Zhengzheng smiled and said, "Let me see."
Xiao Zhang handed her the camera. Standing nearby, Gu Shi asked, "What did you record?"
Luo Zhengzheng watched the video and thought it was quite good, especially since it made her look beautiful. She handed him the camera. "It's rare for me to cook, so I filmed a video."
Gu Shi opened the video, watched it, and said, "Record more? I'll record it for you."
Luo Zhengzheng looked at him, somewhat doubtful. "Can you even record?"
Better not capture her ugly angles."
Gu Shi adjusted the angle and looked at her. "My video-filming skills are probably better than Xiao Zhang's."
"Really?" Luo Zhengzheng clearly didn't believe him.
Xiao Zhang was also a little unconvinced, but she didn't dare voice it.
Gu Shi saw her bright almond-shaped eyes slightly upturned and couldn't resist tugging at her pigtails. A smile playing on his lips. "You'll know when the photos come out."
Luo Zhengzheng: "Okay then."
Luo Zhengzheng had a rather eclectic palate, accepting food from all over the country. Yuan Mei raised dozens of chickens in the old house and that afternoon she had Luo Yongsheng kill a large rooster, weighing seven or eight pounds. Half of it was to be roasted, and the other half she planned to stir-fry into spicy chicken. All the ingredients were ready and it was ready to be cooked.
She poured oil into the pan, stir-fried the chicken, and added the ingredients. She knew that not only she loved this dish, but Chengjia also loved it, especially the ones she made. Every time he came home from school, he would ask her to make spicy chicken. Her cooking skills were average, nowhere near as good as the expensive chef they hired, but the child loved her cooking, saying it tasted like home. A teenage boy's pleading was always a little awkward, so of course she indulged his little desires.
She was unaware of the tenderness in her smile. Through the camera lens, Gu Shi captured this moment perfectly. Looking at wife in the video, his gaze softened.
Xiao Zhang glanced at Luo Zhengzheng and then at Gu Shi. At that moment, she felt an extra in the kitchen. She looked outside; should she go out?
Luo Zhengzheng didn't look up: "Almost done, turn the fire down."
Xiao Zhang snapped out of her reverie. She was still tending the fire; she couldn't go out. Being an extra was fine.
She placed the spicy chicken on a plate and looked at Gu Shi: "Did you record it?"
Gu Shi showed her the video. She leaned closer. Although she was cooking in the video, she exuded a gentle, beautiful charm. After watching it, she had to admit that this man's video-taking skills were indeed better than Xiao Zhang's. She remarked with satisfaction, "Not bad."
She picked up a piece of chicken leg with her chopsticks and held it to his lips: "Try it. It's a reward for you. It's not very spicy."
Although it was spicy chicken, the chilies she used weren't spicy.
Gu Shi put that piece of chicken in his mouth: "It tastes great."
It was his first time eating wife's cooking and felt great satisfaction. Then he looked at the plate.
Considering he had did the recording, Luo Zhengzheng clipped another piece. "Finish this piece and stop. It’s nearly dinner."
Gu Shi was a little disappointed, but didn't insist.
Xiao Zhang covered her eyes. Good heavens, was this something she could watch?
Ye Li hadn't expected her daughter-in-law to actually cook and the food was pretty decent. Yuan Mei urged her to eat: "It's all home-cooked food. The fish and beef were bought in town, and the chicken and duck are from our own farm. Try this old duck soup, it's quite good."
Nanny Wang fed little Chengjia a few fish balls, and Luo Zhengzheng asked him, "Is it yummy?"
The little guy looked at Mommy with a bright beam: "Yummee."
Gu Shi agreed with his son; it was indeed delicious.
After dinner, they chatted for a while. Little Chengjia’s eyes started drooping and looked sleepy, so Nanny Wang carried him to take a bath. Gu Shi took Luo Zhengzheng for a walk. They'd eaten a bit too much that evening and a stroll would help digest.
Gu Shi held Luo Zhengzheng's hand as they walked along the country path. Luo Zhengzheng felt his hand was hot and sticky. Although she tried to pull away, it was unsuccessful. So she let him be. Reaching a small ditch, she said, "This is a man-made drainage ditch. When the water level is low, a few of the village kids would go fishing together. They'd fish all afternoon, catching half a basin—crayfish, grass carp, silver carp, you name it."
Gu Shi looked at her: "You participated too?"
She raised her head: "Of course."
Gu Shi raised an eyebrow: "You, a girl, participated too?"
In his memory, the girls around him always wore princess dresses and beautiful jewelry, either playing the piano or dancing on stage. Even at school, they wore pretty school uniforms. It was hard to imagine a girl fishing in the water.
Luo Zhengzheng glanced up at him, pulling her hand away. "What's wrong with being a girl? Girls can catch fish just as well as boys. Which of us country kids hasn't rolled around in the mud? Do you regret it?"
Gu Shi looked at his empty hand. "Regret what?"
Luo Zhengzheng didn't answer him. Instead, she said, "I've not only caught fish in the water, I've climbed trees too! My mom says I'm as mischievous as a boy."
Gu Shi looked at her. "Don’t look like it."
Luo Zhengzheng whispered, "Those are things from when I was little. When I went to middle school and went through puberty, I became shy."
The older one got, the easier it was to become shy. As a child, one was naive and reckless, daring to do anything. Of course, in her previous life, she wouldn't have dared to mention these things to Gu Shi, but in this life, she didn't care.
Gu Shi looked at her and said, "No wonder people say that to understand a person, you have to go to where they grew up."
Luo Zhengzheng looked at him, wanting to ask him about his childhood, but suddenly thought of Su Zhilan and lost interest.
Gu Shi noticed the smile on her face had faded: "What's wrong?"
Luo Zhengzheng shook her head: "Nothing, it's getting late. Shall we go back?"
Gu Shi frowned: "Let's go."
Yuan Mei saw the two return and noticed her daughter's mood was off. She had left happily, but returned with a changed expression. Had they argued?
She didn't ask, calmly saying, "Nanny Wang took Jiajia to bed, and your mom is resting too. You two go upstairs to wash up."
Upstairs, Luo Zhengzheng took her pajamas to the bathroom. After washing up, she saw Gu Shi working on his laptop. She didn't disturb him. After applying her skincare products, she lay down on the bed. Exhausted from the day, she was indeed sleepy.
After reading the documents, Gu Shi turned around and found her asleep. He silently opened his suitcase and noticed a new towel and toothbrush beside it. He took the pajamas, towel, and toothbrush to the bathroom. Coming out of the bathroom, he sat at his desk and saw a photo of Luo Zhengzheng on it. In the photo, Luo Zhengzheng looked only fourteen or fifteen years old. Her smile, though showing the naivety of a young girl, was strikingly beautiful despite her young age.
He couldn't figure out the reason for Wife's change, but he could see that she was more casual and less affectionate around him.
Things need to be investigated thoroughly. A person's change couldn't be without a reason. So, what was the reason for Luo Zhengzheng's change?
In the morning, Yuan Mei looked at her son-in-law and said, "The watermelons at home are ripe. After breakfast, do you want to go pick some?"
Before Gu Shi could answer, Ye Li immediately said, "Yes, I want to go pick some watermelons."
She had never picked watermelons before and was very curious.
Yuan Mei cooked yam porridge, fried eggs, and made a cucumber salad. Luo Zhengzheng got up early and steamed a pot of soup dumplings. Ye Li seemed to really like the soup dumpling and ate several.
After breakfast, the group went to the watermelon patch.
Luo Zhengzheng took her camera, intending to film some videos of picking watermelons.
At the watermelon patch, Ye Li looked at the big watermelons and wanted to pick them all. Yuan Mei showed her which watermelons were ripe and which weren't, and she learned very attentively.
Gu Shi stood to one side, looking out over a vast expanse of watermelon fields. Next to the watermelons were cucumbers, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Suddenly, he spotted a ripe tomato and couldn't resist walking over. He looked at Luo Zhengzheng and said, "There's a ripe tomato here!"
Seeing his serious expression, Luo Zhengzheng chuckled, "Just pick it when it's ripe."
Gu Shi squatted down. "I'll pick it."
Luo Zhengzheng said, "Go ahead, there should still be some ripe ones left. Pick them all and you can take some home."
Gu Shi didn't speak, focusing on picking tomatoes.
Luo Zhengzheng filmed many videos.
Ye Li not only picked over a dozen watermelons but also green beans, cucumbers, green peppers, and other vegetables. Luckily, Luo Yongsheng came in his tricycle, otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to carry it all.
Back home, Luo Zhengzheng edited the videos she had filmed the previous night and that morning, uploading them to QQ Space and VB. Most people preferred QQ these days, and VB was newly created. Gu Shi was in a video conference nearby. After the meeting and seeing her actions, he said, "Send me a copy of the video."
Luo Zhengzheng didn't even look up, opened his QQ, and sent it to him.
Gu Shi clicked to receive the file, opened Luo Zhengzheng's QQ space, and transferred the videos she had posted to his own space.
Luo Zhengzheng shut down her laptop after posting and didn’t bother with reading the comments.
As soon as Gu Shi transferred the videos to his space, a string of comments appeared.
"Damn, where did old Fourth film these videos?"
"I heard old Fourth followed his wife everywhere, traveling thousands of miles to the countryside to see her!"
"Nice scenery. Where does old Fourth's mother-in-law live? When the time comes, I’ll come to play."
"The watermelons look good. Pick some more to bring back. I want to eat watermelon."
"Me too, I want some."
"Me too!"...
Gu Shi stared at the comments. Expressionless, he closed his QQ space.
Luo Zhengzheng was having lunch in the kitchen. Gu Shi had brought a lot of abalone and fish. She steamed cod for little Chengjia, stewed the abalone, and braised a pot of monkfish. Yuan Mei even made her specialty, braised lion's head meatballs. They were busy in the kitchen, unaware that college students had returned to the village. Those who knew their identities were driven by curiosity and took photos of them picking watermelons and posted them online.
Ye Li and Gu Shi had been interviewed and their interview videos were available online. Once the photos were posted, they were circulated by those with ulterior motives, causing quite a stir.
Gu Shi had been working upstairs and was completely oblivious of this. Only when his secretary, Guo Yao, called him, he learned of the matter. He specifically searched for the photos online and found nothing inappropriate. He told his secretary to keep watch of public opinion and didn't take it too seriously.
After lunch, Luo Zhengzheng learned about the incident. The video she posted online was edited and her and her family's faces weren't in it. She hadn't expected the villagers to post their photos online. She asked Gu Shi, "Is it okay?"
Gu Shi replied, "The distance was too far, so the photos aren't clear. It's nothing serious. I've asked Guo Yao to monitor public opinion."
Luo Zhengzheng’s heart settled back down.
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