Gu Jiaojiao was in a good mood after getting the fountain pen. She decided to make hand-pulled noodles in bone broth with a side of at gravy. ’Perfect.’
When she got ho, the door was locked tight, which wasn’t surprising. She unlocked it and went straight to the kitchen to get busy.
She had previously set aside fifteen pounds of large bones, and there were still seven or eight pounds left. Gu Jiaojiao took out two pounds and put them in a pot to simr into a bone broth.
She used a mix of white flour and cornal for the hand-pulled noodles to give them a better flavor.
Even though she had just bought another hundred pounds of fine grain, it wouldn’t last long.
She planned to go back to the County Town in the next few days to buy more.
She also planned to check the black market; she might even be able to find so rice there.
As Gu Jiaojiao’s mind wandered, her hands never stopped working.
The noodles ca together quickly. By the ti the water was boiling, the gravy was also done, so Gu Jiaojiao just kept the pot warm.
She noticed it had grown dark outside and Leng Yuan still hadn’t returned. Just as she was about to go look for him, she saw him push the door open and walk in.
He looked the sa as always, except he wasn’t carrying any firewood, and his expression was particularly cold.
Gu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but ask, "Leng Yuan, what’s wrong?"
Leng Yuan stared at Gu Jiaojiao for several seconds, so intensely that she started to wonder if there was sothing on her face. Then, he averted his gaze.
"It’s nothing."
Gu Jiaojiao didn’t believe him.
The way he was acting clearly proved sothing was wrong.
She couldn’t help but recall Aunt Leng’s visit from earlier today. At the ti, she hadn’t believed a word the woman said.
But seeing Leng Yuan’s attitude now, she couldn’t help but wonder, ’Could what Aunt Leng said be true?’
’Has Leng Yuan really run into so kind of trouble?’
A conflicted look flashed across Gu Jiaojiao’s face, but she quickly decided to get to the bottom of it.
She wasn’t the type to beat around the bush. If she had a question, she would ask it. They were husband and wife; they should be open and honest with each other.
However, timing was important for resolving problems. She decided to wait until after dinner to ask.
Otherwise, if the conversation turned unpleasant, they wouldn’t be able to finish their al.
They ate their al in unusual silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
After dinner, Leng Yuan silently cleared the dishes. Gu Jiaojiao paid him no mind, taking a bath and then returning to their room to wait for her husband.
She waited and waited, but her husband didn’t return.
Gu Jiaojiao’s thoughts drifted to the bridal gown. She paused for a mont, then stood up, opened the wardrobe, and decided to try it on.
Gu Jiaojiao glanced out into the courtyard. After confirming that her husband wouldn’t be coming in anyti soon, she took out the red dress.
The dress was a vibrant red, adorned with exquisite and beautiful double-sided gold embroidery. No wonder it cost over forty yuan—it definitely wasn’t cheap.
She adored it at first sight and prepared to try it on.
The outfit was a two-piece set: a long-sleeved top and a red skirt. It resembled the wedding attire of a young lady from a wealthy family during the Republican era.
She took off her clothes and changed into the bridal attire.
The bridal attire had a classic, antique charm that really didn’t match her ponytail. She removed the hair tie, letting her long hair cascade down.
She studied her reflection in the mirror, and her gaze suddenly landed on the calligraphy brush on Leng Yuan’s desk.
She walked over, picked up the brush, and used it to casually twist her hair into a bun.
The red, gold-embroidered wedding dress, the jet-black bun, and the calligraphy brush stuck through it at an angle—it all matched surprisingly well.
Gu Jiaojiao was captivated by her own reflection. Gazing narcissistically at the person in the mirror, she reached up to touch the brush, a charmingly coquettish expression gracing her features.
Just at that mont, Leng Yuan opened the door and walked in. He stopped short, seeing a graceful figure inside the room—a coquettish vision in bridal attire standing before the mirror.
He stood rooted to the spot, completely srized. It was the first ti he had ever been so lost in staring at soone. His deep eyes filled with the reflection of the girl in her wedding dress.
So beautiful, so enchanting.
Gu Jiaojiao had only planned to try the dress on for a mont and take it off before Leng Yuan returned; she never expected him to walk in so suddenly.
She instantly grew nervous. Fidgeting with the hem of her dress, she explained weakly, "I was just trying it on to see if I’d gotten fat."
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