By all accounts, once the marriage certificate was obtained, Mrs. Zhen was remarried.
But in fact, it was not until that Sunday night when everyone had bought new clothes that Zhen Yu finally moved into her new residence and began her days of ’being together day and night’ with Gu Qing.
The following weekend, Gu’s father directly put up a notice of closure for a day, and arranged several tables at noon to entertain friends and relatives.
Mrs. Zhen did not notify any relatives; those who ca to congratulate were all friends she had made locally in Qi City.
Gu’s father had, however, sent a letter to his youngest sister also in Qi City, and then Aunt Gu arrived with her family of three to join the wedding banquet.
After Gu’s father introduced everyone to each other, Gu Qing led Cousin Gu, Zhen Yan and Zhen Yu to sit at the sa table.
Since the feast hadn’t started, they didn’t just sit idle, instead they chatted while cracking sunflower seeds.
In the course of their conversation, they started discussing appearances.
"Isn’t my cousin handso?!" Gu Qing said proudly, "I’ve never seen a boy prettier than him! Even most girls aren’t as good-looking as him!"
Cousin Gu pursed his lips, not liking his cousin describing him as ’pretty’.
However, due to the presence of outsiders, he held back and did not voice his objection.
"I have seen one!" Blurted out Zhen Yan, and imdiately regretted it.
Luckily, Gu Qing was not a narrow-minded person.
She imdiately asked curiously, "Oh? Where did you see him? Do you know the boy?"
"I know him." Zhen Yan didn’t want to elaborate, fearing that comparing him to her cousin might upset her.
"Are you talking about Bai Yong?" Zhen Yu instantly realized who her brother was talking about, "Indeed, he is even prettier."
"You know him too, Xiao Yu! How old is that boy?"
Upon hearing Zhen Yu also knew him, Gu Qing imdiately stopped asking Zhen Yan and turned to Zhen Yu.
"About the sa age as Cousin Gu."
"A boy even prettier than my cousin; I really want to et him!" Gu Qing’s eyes sparkled.
Cousin Gu pouted again, his cousin ignored him the mont she heard there was a prettier boy!
She had just been praising him and now all she wanted was to et soone else! Humph! He didn’t want to bother with her anymore!
"There might be a chance," Zhen Yu smiled and changed the subject.
"Having just seen Aunt Gu, I realized you two look quite alike. I initially thought you resembled your mother more!"
Gu Qing thought for a mont and then said, "I don’t think I look much like my aunt! My cousin resembles her the most! I’m half like my mom, half like my dad."
"Half like Uncle Gu?" Zhen Yu was surprised.
At this mont, Zhen Yan also curiously asked, "Does Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu look like one resembles Granny Gu and the other Grandpa Gu?"
"No! Both my dad and my aunt resemble Grandpa! My granny looks quite ordinary!"
"But Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu don’t look alike at all!" Zhen Yan stated bluntly.
"Where don’t they look alike? They really do! It’s only that my dad’s face has too many wrinkles now, you guys just haven’t noticed!"
Zhen Yan was sowhat incredulous, "Really? I never really paid close attention to Uncle Gu..."
"You guys wait, I’m going to get the photo album!" Gu Qing said as she stood up and ran to her own room.
At this, not only did the Zhen siblings look forward in anticipation, but Cousin Gu also craned his neck to watch.
He probably doesn’t rember what Gu’s father looked like when he was "young."
Shortly after, Gu Qing returned with a photo album.
"Look! Here are the wedding photos of my dad and mom! And this, this one... wasn’t my dad handso when he was young?!"
Zhen Yan: "...I really couldn’t tell before! So, Uncle Gu was that handso when he was young!"
Zhen Yu: "Yeah, handso."
I admit defeat...
For Gu’s father, the passing years were not a butcher’s knife, but a plastic surgeon’s scalpel! Unexpectedly, beneath that wrinkled face of Uncle Gu’s hid such a handso appearance! She should take back her previous judgnt on him!
——
After the banquet ended, Gu’s father, having drunk quite a lot, was supported by Mrs. Zhen to lie down in Gu Qing’s room.
The family of four, together with Xiao Gu, slowly cleaned up, staying busy all afternoon. Just when they were almost done, Gu’s father woke up, mostly sober.
"Oh gosh, I slept so heavily! It’s already dark!" Gu’s father rubbed his head and suggested, "Let’s take a break! I’ll make so wontons for you! After eating, we can digest a bit and then finish cleaning!"
"Okay!" Mrs. Zhen, always one to dote on her children, agreed without hesitation.
In ordinary families, there’s no rule of silence during als, so everyone chatted while they ate.
Having t Aunt Gu today, Mrs. Zhen casually asked about Gu’s father’s family situation.
"The ones who ca today are from my little sister’s family! I also have a big sister, whose husband was a Beijing "educated youth" who ca here to work in the countryside. When he went back to the city, she followed him, and they only have one son."
Mrs. Zhen sighed, "It must not have been easy to go back with him! It seems your brother-in-law is a good person."
Before Gu’s father could respond, Zhen Yan suddenly butted in, "Does Big Aunt Gu look a lot like Little Aunt Gu?"
Gu’s father nodded knowingly, "Yes! We three siblings all look quite similar."
As soon as he finished talking, Mrs. Zhen said, "Oh, co off it! Where do you look like your sister?!"
As Mrs. Zhen finished, Gu’s father imdiately responded, "Wait up! I’ll find the photo album for you! I was quite the handso guy when I was young!"
Zhen Yu glanced at Gu’s father’s retreating figure and thought to herself, "Just like father and daughter! This habit of pulling out an album at the drop of a hat is exactly the sa!"
Thus, under the ’irrefutable evidence’, Mrs. Zhen had to believe Gu’s father’s words.
"If you hadn’t told , I would have never believed this is you!"
After looking at the album a few tis, Mrs. Zhen looked up at Gu’s father and finally managed to say, "Were you young working in construction? Or did you have a serious illness? How did you manage to age so much in just over forty years?!"
Gu’s father chuckled sheepishly, "Neither! Maybe it’s because being thin makes one look older... Anyway, I was a handso guy when I was young!"
"Yes, yes, yes! You were handso!" Mrs. Zhen said perfunctorily, her eyes rolling: "You were always handso, okay?!"
Gu’s father chuckled again, "Hehe..."
The four younger ones exchanged glances and then bowed their heads.
——
After supper and cleaning up, Zhen Yan was not ready to leave! Sadly, his sister showed no intention of chatting with him, so he was regrettably taken by the ear by Mrs. Zhen back to the neighboring ga room.
It was still early, and after locking the door, Zhen Yu intended to lean on the bed and read. However, Gu Qing ca running over! Without explanation, she pulled back Zhen Yu’s blanket and crawled in!
"...What’s wrong?"
Zhen Yu’s tone was faint, which imdiately cald Gu Qing’s eager mood.
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