"Do you like it?" Gao Zhijun froze when her hands touched his abs. However, seeing how much she enjoyed it, a sense of pride welled up inside him, prompting him to ask.
"I do. Every woman would love such a strong body, wouldn’t they?" Bai Jiu replied naturally.
"I’m glad you like it."
After indulging herself, Bai Jiu realized the atmosphere between them had turned rather ambiguous. "Um, would you believe me if I said I didn’t do that on purpose?" She cursed herself inwardly, "How could I be so easily swayed by male beauty?"
"I believe you. But it wouldn’t matter even if it was on purpose, because he’s yours," Gao Zhijun said with a smile, his eyes fixed on her face as he made his move. Since he had just stepped out of the bath, he was only wearing a pair of shorts, putting his excellent physique on full display.
Bai Jiu didn’t know what came over her, but she actually glanced down, and then... she bolted. Behind her, Gao Zhijun let out a hearty, delighted laugh.
That night, Bai Jiu had a dream. As a modern woman from a new era, she wasn’t nearly as shy or conservative about intimacy as people were nowadays. Who hadn’t seen a little adult movie? Because of that, she dreamt of just the two of them, and it was quite an intense, steamy feature. This caused her to wake up bright and early the next morning—even earlier than usual—despite her initial plans to sleep in.
Though they slept on the same heated brick bed, they were at opposite ends with the two children separating them in the middle. There was absolutely no intimate contact like in her dream. Throughout the morning, Bai Jiu didn’t even dare to look at Gao Zhijun. He noticed her odd behavior, but he was in no rush. What Bai Jiu didn’t realize was that the most skilled hunters often appeared as prey, tricking the real prey into thinking they were the ones in control.
Since they were heading back to her parents’ house today, there were quite a few things to prepare. Gao Zhijun wanted to bring some grain along, but Bai Jiu disagreed. With him back, it was already inconvenient for her to pull out her secret stash of grain. They only had so much visible in the house; if they took it away, figuring out what to eat later would be a hassle. Besides, she had already stashed away countless amounts of rice and white flour at her parents’ home—they certainly weren’t lacking food for their family of four.
"If you say so, we won’t bring it," Gao Zhijun conceded, unable to win the argument.
Meanwhile, at the Bai family’s home, Bai Xingguo had returned the day before and informed them about Gao Zhijun’s return. This put Father Bai and Mother Bai on pins and needles. Mother Bai had taken the day off work early just to stay home and see for herself if her daughter was alright. Even though her son had brought back many things—saying Gao Zhijun had asked him to—she still couldn’t rest easy without seeing her daughter in person.
Xiang Gaoli was now three months pregnant. No one could cover her shift, so she still had to go to work. However, due to her pregnancy, she had been transferred to a different position. Fortunately, as a high school graduate, she was moved to a slightly less demanding role, though the salary wasn’t as high as before. She didn’t mind; she had received compensation for switching jobs with someone else, so it wasn’t a loss.
With the exception of the two elders, everyone else in the family had gone to work.
"How could that child hide such a huge matter from us?" Mother Bai complained to her husband as she prepared things.
"She was just afraid we’d worry." Despite Father Bai’s nonchalant expression, he was actually even more anxious than Mother Bai.
"But we worry even more when she doesn’t tell us! That girl really needs to be taught a lesson. Just wait and see how I deal with her when she gets back." Mother Bai had truly been scared out of her wits by the recent events.
From last year to this year, so many things had happened, and not a single one of them was a trivial matter. Sigh. At the end of the day, it was still them, as parents, who had let her down. If times were still like they used to be, she would never have suffered such grievances.
Father Bai glanced at his old wife. She was all talk. If it actually came to punishing their daughter, she’d be the first to object. She used to be protective of her before, but now she treasured her more than life itself. Even their eldest son had to take a backseat. He wondered if their future eldest grandson would be able to usurp their daughter’s place in her heart once he was born.
"Alright, just prepare some more good food. I’ll go buy some liquor in a bit. It’s a good thing Zhijun is back; it saves her from living like a single mother raising kids alone." Having a man in the house made a world of difference, especially in the village.
"Alright, go ahead," Mother Bai didn’t stop him. "Oh, right, buy some canned fruit and snacks while you’re at it. Xiuxiu and Zhengyang love them."
"I know." How could he forget? With his eldest grandson and granddaughter coming back, he would naturally prepare their favorite treats.
"I was just afraid you might forget. By the way, do you have money on you?"
Bai Jiu and her family didn’t make her mother wait too long, arriving just before lunch.
"You’re finally back. When your brother mentioned it yesterday, I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to get time off to visit." Seeing them in person, Mother Bai’s heart finally settled. "It’s good that Zhijun is back. It’s so good." Looking at her son-in-law, a swirl of complex emotions washed over her.
"Mother, I’m sorry for making you worry," Gao Zhijun said, clearly seeing his mother-in-law’s distress.
Seeing his respectful attitude, Mother Bai believed her eldest son’s words even more. She finally relaxed completely. "As long as you’re back. We won’t have to worry anymore."
Once inside, Mother Bai enthusiastically brought out all the good food and drinks in the house to entertain her son-in-law. Bai Jiu felt a little sour; she felt like she had fallen out of favor.
"Grandma! Grandpa!" The two little ones were very close to the elders, clinging to them the moment they entered the house.
After chatting for a while, Mother Bai went to busy herself in the kitchen. Bai Jiu naturally followed along to help.
The only ones left in the main hall were Father Bai, Gao Zhijun, and the two children.
"How long can you stay this time?" Father Bai asked. Though he was relieved, he still worried about his daughter’s future.
Gao Zhijun understood his father-in-law’s underlying concern. "Father, I plan to take Bai Jiu and the kids with me this time." His main intention for returning was to take his wife and children away.
"Take them where?" Father Bai was stunned. Why were they leaving so suddenly?
"To my unit. In the past, my rank wasn’t high enough to bring the three of them along. But after returning from this recent mission, I was promoted, and the unit allocated a house for me. I want to take them to live with me." He had nothing to hide from his father-in-law.
Hearing this, Father Bai breathed a sigh of relief. "It’s good to take them there. But Zhijun, I have to ask you one more thing. What are your thoughts regarding the matter with your mother? Don’t feel pressured. Just between us, we can speak heart-to-heart."
As long as they were in Gaocun Village, the Bai family could rush over no matter how far it was. But if they moved out of town, they would truly be out of reach.
How could Gao Zhijun not have thought of the same things his father-in-law did? He knew exactly what the older man was worried about. "Father, I stand with Bai Jiu on this matter. She did nothing wrong, and I certainly don’t harbor any resentment or ulterior thoughts toward her in my heart. Please rest assured. I swear it on the duty I bear."
Hearing this, Father Bai finally understood that Gao Zhijun truly harbored no resentment toward his daughter. Although he didn’t know exactly what had transpired, he was very pleased that his son-in-law stood by his daughter’s side. Of course, if it were his own son in that position, it would be a different story. Human beings were naturally selfish, after all.
"That’s good. That’s very good." This time, he was truly put at ease. As long as this man treated his daughter well, nothing would make him happier. Besides, he still thought very highly of Zhijun. This young man was upright and honest.