Chapter 80 - 80: The Boy Next Door

Words : 1563 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 80: Chapter 80: The Boy Next Door Then, a girl dressed in pink cotton clothing emerged, like a pink butterfly fluttering from the red brick tiled house. Like a whirlwind of pink, she rushed to Gu Qiaoqiao and hugged her tightly, exclaiming with joy, “Sister, I’ve missed you to death…” This was her younger sister, Gu Qianqian. The little girl’s excited face was flushed red, and her eyes, identical to Gu Zishu’s, shimmered with tears. The sisters had grown up together and this had been the first time they were apart for so long. Then a middle-aged woman hurried out of the house. ... Her neatly cut short hair, her delicate face, and her eyes looked moist under the sunlight. Behind her followed a somewhat gaunt middle-aged man. Wearing glasses, with slanted sword-like eyebrows and pursed lips, he strode at an even pace, appearing like a schoolteacher from the Republic of China era. He seemed stern, yet a faint smile lingered on his face. At that moment, Gu Qiaoqiao’s restless heart finally settled snugly inside her chest. Then her body warmed, and her limbs relaxed… Those were her mother Lian Yuhong and her father Gu Tianfeng. All three of them were now standing right in front of her. Gu Qiaoqiao tightened her grip on her sister’s hand and finally, unwillingly, let go, her voice choked with emotion, “Qianqian, Sister missed you too.” Then, with eyes brimming with tears and a heart full of anticipation, she looked at Lian Yuhong approaching eagerly. She wanted to throw herself into her mother’s embrace when, Unexpectedly, it seemed that the first thing her mother noticed was Qin Yize, her smile brightening but somewhat strained. “… Mom… Dad…” Qin Yize hesitated for a moment but still spoke politely. “Ah Ze, come in quickly, it’s cold outside, hurry inside. The big kang in the house is really warm…” Lian Yuhong laughed heartily, seeing her daughter’s fair little face, she knew she had been doing well, and coupled with Qin Yize’s polite yet warm greeting, Her heart finally settled. Then she turned to her daughter, “Hurry and bring Ah Ze inside, why are you standing there like a fool?” Gu Qiaoqiao blinked, watching as Lian Yuhong already started walking with Qin Yize toward the courtyard, somewhat unable to react. Gu Qianqian whispered in her ear, “Mom said, a son-in-law is like half a son, you’re about to lose your favor, haha…” Saying so, she giggled softly. Gu Qiaoqiao found it amusing and stroked her sister’s hair, pinching her glowing red cheeks affectionately, “You little rascal…” After that, they followed Lian Yuhong into the main house. The houses on this land were different from those inside the pass. There were no east or west wing rooms. seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There was only one main house; some would build a lower front room by the entrance that was almost the same size as the main house. The Gu Family had a simple household, so there were only five rooms facing Chaoyang in the main house. Next to the main house was the storage room, for grain, frozen goods, and other sundries. The door was in the very center. Upon entering, the kitchen and entrance hall were one and the same. There were rooms to the left and right. The group entered the room on the left, which served as the living room and dining room. Along the windows, there was a row of large kangs. The floor of the room was laid with red bricks, and on the north side stood an Eight Immortals table with two chairs beside it. Gu Qiaoqiao stood dumbly at the doorway, even feeling disoriented for a moment. But she was pushed gently into the room by her giggling younger sister following behind. Afterward, Gu Qiaoqiao finally calmed down. Yet, to the rest of the family, her emotional unease went unnoticed. Qin Yize’s eyes, however, were deep with concern. No matter how he looked at Gu Qiaoqiao, it seemed as if she hadn’t been home for more than a decade. The Gu family home was bustling with activity. Qin Yize, following local custom, took off his shoes and climbed onto the kang, which truly was a wonderful thing from the North. Sit down, it’s nice and warm. He thought, after returning to base, he should also buy some red bricks, and then find a few local bricklayers, but he remembered that the deputy commander of the guard was quite skilled at installing kang heaters. With these kang heaters installed in the base’s family courtyards, they would surely be a lot more comfortable. In fact, the local residents all had kang heaters in their homes; it was just that the family courtyards in the base, being newly built, had no one to light fires, so the ice-cold kang heaters were less comfortable than sleeping in beds. However, the base was gradually being built up, so many of the infrastructure elements were also being improved bit by bit. Zishu, the younger brother with a delicate name, was actually quite mischievous, jumping up and down on the kang, like a playful monkey. Rural people are enthusiastic; when someone has guests, they all like to join in the fun. Today was no exception for the Gu Family. Gu Qiaoqiao saw the faces of the women who used to call her a curse in her previous life, but she just smiled and didn’t speak. No one paid it any mind. After all, in their eyes, Gu Qiaoqiao was still a new bride. Being shy was definitely expected. Someone glanced towards Gu Qiaoqiao’s belly. In the kitchen, Gu Qiaoqiao pretended not to know and continued to help her mother peel green onions. Lian Yuhong glanced at the meat and vegetables on the table, feeling relieved she had prepared in advance, otherwise, how would she have entertained the new son-in-law today. A few days ago, Qiaoqiao had called saying not to fuss over or pick them up in the next few days. Luckily, the son-in-law called on the first day of the lunar year to say he would come back with Qiaoqiao if time permitted. Thinking of this, and looking at her daughter, a flash of maternal love crossed her eyes, “Qiaoqiao, do you want to eat a bean-stuffed bun?” Gu Qiaoqiao quickly nodded, “Mom, I want one, I really do.” “The bean-stuffed buns are in the storage room, go get them yourself…” Gu Qiaoqiao stood up happily, put on her down jacket, and looked at Qin Yize, who was chatting with her father in the room, then glanced at Gu Zishu. She pursed her lips, feeling like her brother was about to be whisked away by Qin Yize. The most distinctive feature of a rural courtyard is its size. Gu Qiaoqiao looked up at the blue sky and took a deep breath; the air was really good. A whiff of it was soothing to the body and mind. She took a basin and walked towards the storage room on the east side. Then, she saw a tall and slender youth standing across from the hedge. His features were as tranquil as distant mountains, full of a gentle and graceful air, his complexion pale, but his eyes shone like black cleansing stones. He seemed to have been waiting there for a while. Seeing Gu Qiaoqiao, he appeared somewhat nervous but still softly began, “Sister Qiaoqiao, you’re back…” Gu Qiaoqiao gripped the basin tightly in her hands and gazed at the youth, who, despite wearing worn clothes, could not hide his elegance. He was her neighbor, having grown up together since childhood, two years younger than her and one year older than her brother. His name was Chang Qing. It was Grandpa Gu who had named him. He lost his mother at an early age; his stepmother was cruel, always beating or scolding him. His father, honest to the point of being pitiful, dared not utter a word. There was a time when she couldn’t bear to watch anymore and rushed over to argue with that woman, only to be defeated. Chang Qing’s stepmother was a true shrew, hurling disgusting insults that left Gu Qiaoqiao, a twelve-year-old girl, only able to cry silently. Later, the woman received a lesson from Grandpa Gu and became much more subdued. Ever since then, Chang Qing tended to follow behind her, timidly calling her “Sister Qiaoqiao.” And who could know that this youth before her would, seven years later, become the youngest physicist in Hua Country, winning an internationally prestigious award. Then, that leading institute of physics held a welcome reception in the hotel where she worked. She, who never interacted with guests, went to the banquet hall that day to deliver a case of wine out of the blue. As she opened the door, she saw the young man standing on stage. She didn’t recognize him. But Chang Qing, as if mad, ran down from the award podium towards her, calling out as he ran, “Sister Qiao, Sister Qiao…” Before Gu Qiaoqiao could react, he had grasped her arm and instantly started crying like a child, “Sister Qiao, I’ve finally found you, I’ve been searching for you for four years, but you were actually here, sob…”

Chapter 80 - 80: The Boy Next Door

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