Chapter 104 First Update

Chapter 104 First Update

"Yes, and it's going to be published soon," Gu Miaomiao exclaimed, jumping up from her chair and running to fetch the manuscript. She spoke eagerly, "This book is about Aunt Gu Qing, and it's written so well!"

The manuscript was sent by Gu Qing, and the whole family hadn't had a chance to read it carefully yet. Gu Miaomiao was the first to dive into it. The Gu family thought it was just another promotional material, the kind of official biography they had seen for over a decade and had long become numb to.

"The protagonist in this book, Gu Qing or Gu Qing?"

Over the next few days, the Gu family took turns reading through the 400,000-word manuscript, and each of them was deeply shocked. Their jaws almost hit the floor, but they were all carrying a heavy burden and hesitated to be the first to react.

Liu Shuqin and elder daughter-in-law He An were the two who carried the least burden in the family. Along with Gu Miaomiao, the three of them chatted enthusiastically, praising the book.

"There are so many details that only someone who knows Second Sister well could write."

"It feels like she's a real person, but... is my daughter really that amazing? It makes me so excited."

"Our most outstanding Aunt Gu Qing!"

Eldest brother Gu Xing remarked casually, "It's just dressing up her experiences; nothing extraordinary about it."

"Every year, they have to highlight a few standout cases in those articles..."

But those articles were only a few pages long. This was a 400,000-word novel, with Gu Qing as the main character. Anyone who knew Gu Qing could tell it was about her!

The novel was written so well that it didn't make people feel embarrassed or ashamed. It didn't force tears or randomly express emotions, nor did it include any outrageous "touching details." What it does have is an inspiring journey of growth and the protagonist’s triumphs, leaving readers hooked.

Wow, they’ve turned her into a total 'war goddess'!

Gu Miaomiao announced loudly, "It was written by my Aunt Gu Qing!"

He An: "I really didn't expect my daughter-in-law to have such literary talent."

"Yaoyao's previous work was even made into a film, and now she works at the cultural center." Liu Shuqin said with a smile. There are plenty of artists and writers in the city, so making films or being a director isn't that rare. But it still feels like a special honor since it involves our own family.

Nowadays, it's not popular to believe that "a woman with no talent is virtuous." As parents, how could they not be happy that their son married a cultured and knowledgeable daughter-in-law?

"It's a bit over-the-top; she still needs some practice." Old Master Gu smiled slightly. Upon learning that his daughter-in-law had written a special story for his daughter, he felt no envy or jealousy. After all, there was still a long time ahead in the future.

When people grow old, they like to reminisce about their past.

Nowadays, many people live long lives and stay healthy. Some are in their seventies or eighties and still hanging on to their jobs. Old Master Gu still considered himself "middle-aged."

"I didn't see my granddaughter being that amazing." Old Master Gu's lips twitched. His heart felt like it was being shaken by a storm, trembling and dropping tears one after another.

——Such a young granddaughter managed to write 400,000 words about some trivial matters, and what about me? What about me? What about me?

Might as well just be jealous.

When people grow old, they love to recall their past heroic deeds. In the past, there was a granddaughter who would listen, but now her ears are tired of hearing the same old stories. As for the rest of the family, their ears have long grown calloused, building a wall next to them.

With a trembling heart, Old Master Gu finished his meal with melancholy, went out for a walk, and bumped into Old Master Qin halfway, who was still working on his autobiography.

Old Master Qin: "I had a sudden burst of inspiration yesterday and wrote a few more pages. Old Gu, why don't you give it a review? You old guy, why don't you give it a review?"

"Pfft—" Old Master Gu sneered. "What are you talking about? You're just getting started. How much have you written in total? Half a book?"

"What are you talking about? I'm still revising. The other day, I modified and deleted some content."

Old Master Qin's autobiography kept getting stuck at the beginning. As he wrote, he always felt something was off and wanted to revise it. Because of this, the progress was moving at a snail's pace, but he wasn't in a hurry and continued writing slowly.

Old Master Gu: "Hmph, at this rate, you’ll never finish."

"You don’t get it. Slow and steady wins the race."

Old Master Gu’s mouth opened, ready to say, "My granddaughter-in-law wrote over half a million words in just half a year—" but he quickly deleted the thought. The words had reached his lips when he remembered that his granddaughter-in-law, Qin Yao, and the granddaughter of Old Master Qin, Chen Baozhen, were "close friends."

We need to protect my granddaughter-in-law. We can’t let them get an advantage.

She’s our secret weapon, though.

Old Master Gu whistled a tune and walked away without saying a word. He headed home, but since someone was there, he went to the phone room and called his grandson, Gu Cheng, at his office.

Gu Cheng received the call from his grandfather, "What’s up, Old Master?"

On the other end, Old Master Gu hesitated and then asked, "When are you bringing Qin Yao and the child back?"

Gu Cheng kept his cool. "Soon," he replied.

"What does 'soon' mean? Shouldn’t you be coming home for the New Year? Have you written your leave request yet? I need to see my great-grandchild."

Gu Cheng hung up the phone, finding it somewhat amusing. He had a vague idea of why Old Master Gu had called.

Busy with work, Gu Cheng soon forgot about the call, only for another one to come in the next day.

"Xiao Cheng, when exactly are you coming back?"

Gu Cheng: "New Year."

"Have you sorted out your leave?"

"Yes."

……

The call ended.

On the third day, another call came through. Gu Cheng already knew it wasn’t from home but one Old Master Gu had made outside, secretly. The old man asked eagerly, "Are you really coming back?"

There’s an old story about a stone that waits for a loved one to return. Now, I guess there’s a stone waiting for a grandson—or a granddaughter-in-law.

Gu Cheng smoothed his sleeve, feeling a bit helpless. The Gu family was so persistent, so relentless. He held back his laughter and said, "Grandfather, you can just say what’s on your mind."

Holding the receiver tightly, Old Master Gu thought to himself, is this ungrateful grandson as dumb as a pig? Why can’t you read my mind?

Why can’t you read my mind like a little worm in my gut?

Old Master Gu said, "Xiao Cheng, you need to eat some walnuts to boost your brain. Do I really need to say it outright?"

"Bring my great-grandchild back soon, before they get too used to city life."

Gu Cheng chuckled, "You used to praise me for being as smart as you when I was a child."

"Little rascal, back when your father beat you, I never stopped him," Old Master Gu said coldly, "Since you look up to me, ask your wife to write a few articles for me. It doesn’t have to be too hard—just a million words or so."

Gu Cheng said, "I’ll write it. Eighty thousand words will do."

"Get lost."

In the end, Gu Cheng replied, "I’ll talk to Qin Yao, and we’ll visit during the New Year. We’ll discuss the writing then. No need to worry, there’s plenty of time."

In the evening, the setting sun sank in the west, and the evening breeze dispersed the day's heat. Gu Cheng returned home in his military uniform, his nose glistening with tiny beads of sweat. Qin Yao was in the yard feeding the chickens. The number of hens in the household had grown to three, laying three to five eggs a day, just enough for the family to eat.

Without taking a shower, Gu Cheng approached Qin Yao, his body radiating heat like a furnace. He announced loudly, "The older husband is back!"

Qin Yao looked at him speechlessly. "..."

This guy sure holds grudges and is petty. One comment about him being middle-aged, and he gets more worked up than anyone else. Now he keeps referring to himself as a middle-aged man, acting all smug.

"Let you taste what this older husband has to offer." Gu Cheng quickly wiped the sweat off her face and darted back into the house to change clothes and shower.

Qin Yao, holding a handful of rice, almost screamed and threw it at him.

He's thirty, not three, and he's even more mischievous than our two-year-old son.

With two kids, it feels like we've added another one.

Gu Cheng quickly took a fighting shower, finishing in about ten minutes. He bypassed the carefully built block fort his sons had constructed and slipped downstairs to his wife's side. He pulled out a banana and started peeling a mango with a small fruit knife.

He had changed out of his military uniform and was now wearing a white round-neck short-sleeve shirt. His hair was wet, and in the slanting sunlight, his light honey-colored skin was radiant. Noticing Qin Yao watching him, he lifted his head and flashed a closed-mouth smile, his lips pursed. His voice, low and magnetic, said, "Try some fruit cut by your older husband."

"It's sweet. Eat up."

Qin Yao leaned over and bit into a piece of sweet mango, both annoyed and amused by him. Some men, though calling themselves "middle-aged," act so immature. Now he's even learned to purse his lips to act cute.

"Captain Gu, you're only considered middle-aged after forty-five. You're in your prime in your thirties. Calling yourself middle-aged is off by about a decade." Qin Yao corrected him while eating mango cubes with a toothpick, unable to bear his constant reference to himself as middle-aged.

Gu Cheng suppressed his rising smile. "Who do you think has the stronger will in this household?"

Qin Yao, "The one far yet near."

"Hmm." Gu Cheng finished the remaining mango, clapped his hands, and said firmly, "Tonight, I'll show you what a middle-aged man is capable of."

Qin Yao, "..."

"How long has this been going on? Still fixated on being middle-aged? You're so petty. I've never met a man as petty as you. Looks like this young woman in her prime misjudged you."

Gu Cheng was taken aback by her words. "Comrade Qin Yao, your face is quite thick."

"Same to you, middle-aged old man." Qin Yao raised her hand to her eye corner and stuck her tongue out at him.

Gu Cheng did the same. "You've been marinated by the middle-aged old man, not much better."

"—Can you two stop this and talk about something serious at home!" Shen Guixiang, holding her granddaughter in her arms, walked out with the two little grandsons.

The two children had just woken up from a nap, and Mingming's little face was flushed red as he let out an adorable yawn.

"Xiao Cheng, don't argue with Yaoyao so much." Shen Guixiang, with a complicated look, gazed at her only son-in-law, Gu Cheng. Over the past year or two, her perception of him had changed repeatedly.

At first, she thought him a devoted and considerate man because he let her daughter bully him. But after asking around at the family courtyard, she learned he was an extraordinary figure, described as cold-faced and strict in his work... Now, facing these two daughters and their husband, she had to say:

These two rascals!

Qin Yao kicked the man beside her, using the feather as a token. "Hear that? Speak to me politely, and be less petty."

Shen Guixiang glared at her. "You too, don't think you're still young just because you're a few years younger than your husband. You're a mother of two; look in the mirror. Do you still think you're a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl?"

"You're an old woman too."

"Mom, you’ve really hurt me."

"I thought marrying someone older would keep you in check, but look at your husband. You’ve led him astray. He was such a mature and ambitious senior officer, and now look at him."

Qin Yao: "Mom, you've 'disenchanted' my husband."

"Stop with those weird words."

Qin Yao argued reasonably, "He's always been like this! Ever since I first met him, he's been acting immature, pretending to be a young boy or going fishing. You’ve all been fooled by his act!"

Shen Guixiang couldn’t be bothered and handed the two children over to the couple.

Qin Yao was in charge of the daily task of walking the kids. These two had enough energy to tear the house apart like Huskies if their energy wasn’t exhausted before bedtime.

After dinner, Qin Yao brought out her newly made "stroller contraption," grabbed Gu Cheng, and the family of four, armed with mosquito repellent, headed out.

Qin Yao’s so-called stroller contraption was a small cart for one person, with two ropes in front. She sat on the small cart while the two kids, hey hey hey, pulled the ropes. Next to her was a genuine handcart "male laborer."

This setup felt like something out of an imperial procession.

The eldest son, Rui Rui, took his tasks seriously. Even at a young age, he showed a strong will. He always completed the tasks his mother assigned diligently, while Mingming, next to him, was a bit lazy and needed his older brother’s encouragement.

As their mother, Qin Yao provided verbal encouragement from behind, "Rui Rui, Mingming, didn’t you have enough dinner? Why do you have no energy? Come on, let’s charge forward."

The cart was great, except it easily tipped over. But no problem, Qin Yao supported it with her feet and verbally encouraged the two kids to keep working hard.

Who needs to ride when you can have the fun of pulling the cart? These two little Huskies.

Gu Cheng rubbed his nose, unable to bear watching. If they weren’t in the family area, he’d have tried it himself.

Many people were out walking their kids in the evening, including Gao Jianguo and Chen Baozhen, who were taking their daughter for a walk. When their daughter, Xin Xin, got tired, Gao Jianguo, treating her like a precious gem, carried her in his arms.

He was about to tease Gu Cheng for walking alone with the kids when he was stunned to see Qin Yao sitting on the small cart, hidden by the greenery just moments before.

This couple sure made a scene while walking their kids.

Seeing this, Xin Xin wriggled out of her father’s arms and eagerly volunteered to be a "Husky cub," making it three short, stout little reindeer pulling the cart. Qin Yao sat on the cart, unmoving and unashamed.

Chen Baozhen was amazed at how resourceful her best friend had become from raising boys.

Even though the cart almost tipped over a few times, Qin Yao stayed put.

Gao Jianguo couldn’t resist asking, "Can I give it a try?"

Gu Cheng laughed and said, "Not a chance."

He hadn’t even had a turn yet.

With the year-end approaching, the two families had planned to return to the capital for the New Year holidays, and the leave schedules were already set. Gao Jianguo and Gu Cheng’s leaves weren’t on the same day, with Gao Jianguo scheduled earlier. "We’ll go ahead with Baozhen."

"Safe travels," Gu Cheng thought, though he was looking forward to his own leave, just not as openly.

Old Master Gu was eagerly looking forward to seeing his great-grandchild and meeting his granddaughter-in-law.

After the eventful evening with the kids, Gu Cheng told Qin Yao about Old Master Gu’s request.

"He called for three consecutive days. Is he really looking for me? To write a story?" Qin Yao was flattered but didn’t see herself as extraordinary. She humbly thought her stories were just at a web novel level.

Gu Cheng nodded, "I’m asking you to write a few hundred thousand words."

Qin Yao smiled, unfazed. A few hundred thousand words wouldn’t scare her. "These days, web novels can easily hit several million words."

"Right now, it’s probably just Grandpa." Gu Cheng said slowly.

Qin Yao’s heart missed a beat. "What do you mean by 'probably just Grandpa'?"

Gu Cheng paused. "I’m worried that if you come back with me, you’ll end up in a wolf’s den. You should start thinking about how to get out of there before things get worse."