Chapter 130: Eating Alone

Chapter 130: Eating Alone

When Su Zhaozhao returned, the electrician was installing lights under the eaves.

As soon as she entered the yard, she heard the electrician talking to Gu Heng, “...you have to pay for each light bulb. Only official families like yours are willing to install one in the yard.”

Unlike in later generations where electricity bills are calculated by usage, it was based on the number of light bulbs. If you had a certain number of bulbs, you paid a fixed electricity fee each month.

The electricity fee wasn’t expensive, but people were naturally frugal. If you could install one less bulb, you would.

Most families in the nearby villages couldn’t afford to pull electric wires and still used kerosene lamps at night.

Even those who had wires installed didn’t put lights in every room.

The electrician quickly finished the installation, tested the switch to make sure the light worked, handed Gu Heng a work order to sign, and left with his toolbag.

Once he was gone, Gu Heng smiled at Su Zhaozhao, “Now you’re not scared, are you?”

Su Zhaozhao glared at him, “I told you, it’s not about being scared!”

Gu Heng didn’t believe her; it was obvious she was just scared.

He didn’t argue further and pointed at the paper bag on the table in the main room, “Give it a try and see if you like it.”

“What is it?”

Su Zhaozhao, without taking off her shoulder bag, walked to the table, opened the paper bag, peeked inside, and sniffed, “Ajiao cake!”

Seeing that she recognized it at once, Gu Heng smiled, “Yes. Since you’ve been feeling unwell... ahem, you should eat one or two pieces a day. It can nourish your blood and qi. There’s about 5.5 pounds here; it should last you a while. When you finish, I’ll find a way to get more.”

Su Zhaozhao hadn’t seen this in any department store, and it was even less likely to be found in the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives. It was obvious how hard it was to get.

“When and where did you get this?”

Gu Heng took out a piece and offered it to her, “It’s not bought. I had someone make it. I managed to get a donkey hide, and after it was made, I got these 5.5 pounds.”

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone, as if he was unhappy with the small amount.

Su Zhaozhao opened her mouth and gently bit the ajiao cake from Gu Heng’s hand, then nodded, “Delicious. It’s slightly sweet and has no strange taste.”

Seeing that she liked it, Gu Heng smiled and offered the rest to her, “Good. This stuff is rare. Keep it for yourself and don’t share it.”

He added, “It’s not that I’m stingy; it’s just hard to get.”

Su Zhaozhao nodded, “Don’t worry, I won’t give it to anyone.”

She picked up the ajiao cake and was about to put it away in the bedroom but returned and asked with a grin, “Not even you or the kids?”

Gu Heng said, “No. This is just for you.”

Su Zhaozhao stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then stepped back.

Gu Heng glanced quickly at the courtyard gate and then, in one quick move, stepped forward, caught up with her, and wrapped his arms around her.

A fiery and eager light flashed in his eyes, dangerous and desirous.

The next moment, his lips firmly pressed against hers.

Su Zhaozhao's eyes widened in surprise at this sudden move, but she soon lost herself in the passionate kiss.

They were so close, feeling each other's warmth and breathing, as if the world had stopped around them.

"We're back!"

The front door was suddenly pushed open from outside. Gu Xiang and Gu Nian called out as they ran in.

The two quickly pulled apart. Su Zhaozhao grabbed the ajiao and dashed into the bedroom, while Gu Heng straightened his shirt and calmly walked out to greet them.

"How was school today?"

"It was great!" Gu Xiang and Gu Nian ran into their room to put down their backpacks. "Is Mom not back from work yet?"

Gu Heng: "Your mom..."

Su Zhaozhao walked out. "I'm here."

Her face was still flushed, and her hair was slightly messy, draping over her face.

"Mom, are you feeling hot?" Gu Nian asked. The sun had been quite strong, and it still hadn't set by the time she and her brother ran back, their noses glistening with sweat.

Su Zhaozhao instinctively raised her hand to fan her face. "It’s a little warm."

Gu Heng glanced at her. "It’s hot today, but it’s supposed to get much colder soon."

Gu Xiang asked, "Dad, how do you know?"

Gu Heng mysteriously said, "Heard it on the weather broadcast."

Sure enough, the next morning, the temperature dropped sharply, and the sky was overcast, with gusts of wind blowing, as if a heavy rain could start at any moment.

When Su Zhaozhao woke up, she retrieved the new corduroy coat she had made at the tailor shop from her wardrobe.

She made sure Gu Xiang and Gu Nian put on their new coats and took umbrellas just in case it rained, then sent them off.

She also took an umbrella herself, but Gu Heng didn't, saying there was a raincoat in his office.

Not long after they arrived at their respective places, a heavy rain began to pour down.

With the rain, even fewer people came to the supply store to shop. Su Zhaozhao and Xiao Tang were so bored that they stared at the rain curtain.

Xiao Tang was standing by the door, keeping an eye out, when he spotted two figures approaching from the corner.

They were two people riding bicycles, braving the pouring rain as they headed this way.

Surprisingly, neither of them had an umbrella or a raincoat, completely exposed to the rain, as if they didn’t care about getting soaked.

"Who are these two? They’re going out in such heavy rain?"

He strained his eyes, trying to make out the mysterious figures' faces, but the heavy rain blurred his vision.

In an instant, the two had arrived at the door of the supply store. They parked their bicycles at the entrance without hesitation and dashed inside.

Su Zhaozhao immediately recognized them. "Comrade reporters?"

The two who entered were indeed the reporters who had come for an interview last time.

The two reporters were too preoccupied to greet Su Zhaozhao properly, giving a hasty nod while standing at the door, wringing water from their clothes.

The two of them were already soaked through, with rainwater dripping down their hair and clothes. Before long, the floor of the cooperative had accumulated a puddle of water, looking pretty disheveled.

Su Zhaozhao hurriedly handed them each a towel and asked, "Are you coming from the city, or somewhere else? Why didn’t you stop to take shelter?"

It was likely that these two were here to interview Yang Mei and her mother.

The female reporter took the towel and wiped the rainwater from her face. "We came from the city for the interview. We were originally planning to visit the village first, but it suddenly started raining halfway there. There wasn’t anywhere to duck under, and the rain was too heavy. So, once we were already soaked, we figured we might as well just ride straight here and catch our breath."

The male reporter also said, "We can’t head to the village now. The rain has turned the roads into mud, and they’re narrow dirt paths. It’s easy to crash into a ditch on a bike."

Xiao Tang asked, "Didn’t you check the weather before you left?"

"We left early and didn’t even notice..."