Chapter 115: Two in One

Chapter 115: Two in One

Qin Yao started bringing her two children to work. The kids were over two years old, so it wasn’t difficult to take them in the car. Like other organizations, the cultural center had a large premises and its own **staff housing compound**. There was a security guard at the gate, so there was no need to worry about the kids getting lost when they were brought into the unit.

At that time, children from **staff families** were left to roam freely in the unit. A dozen kids of different ages would gather to play. The toddlers, who were two or three years old, couldn’t quite blend into the group of older kids but could still watch the older children play from the side.

In addition, the cultural center had a three-story library building. On the first floor, there was a children's picture book room that was freely open to the public, which was convenient for Qin Yao to teach her kids to recognize words through pictures.

Not far from the library building was the arts activity building, which housed various art activity rooms: calligraphy, musical instruments, dance, and more. Young teachers were giving classes inside. At that moment, the music room was offering **hulusi** lessons for children for a fee of just two yuan. *The hulusi is a traditional Chinese wind instrument.*

Qin Yao bought a small hulusi for the kids. When she had time, she would accompany them to their hulusi lessons.

The hulusi was a relatively simple instrument to learn. Most instruments were suitable for children to start learning at the age of five or six, and the hulusi was no different. However, compared to instruments like the pipa or flute, playing the hulusi required almost no effort. For the kids, just being able to make a sound was enough.

Kids love to join in on the fun. Rui Rui and Mingming, seeing a classroom of people playing the hulusi, also hugged their own and swayed their little bodies as they tried to play.

“Why are you like a little mouse?” Qin Yao held her younger son’s chin, observing his small white teeth. This little guy had almost bitten the mouthpiece bare.

Qin Yao was quite afraid that her son’s teeth would grow crooked, but upon observation, Mingming’s upper and lower teeth were neat, with no other issues.

Perhaps this little guy was born with a sharp mouth and teeth.

“Mom, I’m hungry.”

The hungry Mingming left a puddle of saliva in his mother’s palm.

Qin Yao wiped her hand with a handkerchief, “You and your brother will get cookies when it’s time. For now, just have some water.”

“Mom, I want to eat brother.”

Qin Yao: “……”

Beside them, Rui Rui plopped down on the floor, holding a piece of white paper and a pencil, his small claw scribbling away.

Her older son wasn’t much easier to handle. The cultural center’s Aunt Deng had raised over a dozen ducklings. This boy could catch one with precision, and the fluffy little ducks would follow behind Rui Rui as he led them into a ditch, causing Aunt Deng quite a bit of trouble looking for them.

“Xiao Qin, why don’t you take these chickens for the kids to play with?”

The elders at the cultural center adored the two little ones and wished Qin Yao would bring them more often. Many of them had brought their own children to the office when they were young, and colleagues would help watch over them.

“Thank you. Now say thank you to Auntie.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

In the **staff housing compound** of the cultural center, many who lived in the bungalows raised chickens. There were even pigs kept near the public toilets, and a small orchard had been planted. The cultural center didn’t raise many pigs, only four or five, and they were usually managed by Aunt Chen, who worked as a custodian. Aunt Chen was a relative of a minor official.

To let the kids experience life, Qin Yao also assigned the two little ones to pull pig grass. The kids were surprisingly strong, and when Aunt Chen had finished cooking the pig food, they would follow her to feed the pigs.

Mingming, the little foodie, found the rice bran so fragrant. As Aunt Chen sifted the bran into the mix, he wanted to reach out and taste it.

“This can’t be eaten!”

Aunt Chen laughed beside them, “These two are so well-groomed! I gave birth to seven children but only raised four. When kids are little, they’re always hungry, and it’s not uncommon for them to eat things like this. Just make sure to watch them when they go to the bathroom, so they don’t try to taste urine.”

“Some kids even tried eating… other things. Sigh, the older you live, the more you see. When they’re young, keep a close eye on them so they don’t eat random things.”

Qin Yao: “……”

Listening to Aunt Chen’s stories about some of the kids made her scalp tingle. She made sure to teach the kids to wash their hands before meals and after using the bathroom, especially not to drink unboiled water.

Kids born after 2000 rarely get parasites, but in the 1970s and 1980s, it was common for kids to get parasites, and sometimes you'd even see live worms.

Kids at the workplace are more careful about hygiene, so they get parasites less often, but it's not unheard of.

"Don't just bite anything, especially you, Mingming."

Qin Yao's job at the cultural center was pretty laid-back, with flexible hours. Bringing the two kids to work doubled her workload, but it wasn't too difficult. The only tricky part was finding someone to watch the kids when she had meetings. Otherwise, she could work on her writing while keeping an eye on them.

Lan Baiyu would sometimes help watch the kids and play games with them.

After about ten days of coming to work with their mom, the kids adjusted quickly and were even more excited to go to work than she was. "Mom! Mom! Time for work!"

In the early morning, they’d act like little roosters, waking up early and urging Qin Yao to get ready for work.

Gu Cheng was still around and, hearing the kids’ excitement, wondered if they’d grow up to be workaholics.

Rui Rui and Mingming happily saw their mom off to work in the morning, but in the evening, they waved goodbye with tears in their eyes, not wanting to leave, even asking to play in the orchard if they got off work early.

"Qin Yao, you're back? These are some jujube-walnut snacks we made at home, a gift for you." Gao Lili, from next door, saw Qin Yao and her two kids returning and quickly brought out a basket from her yard, offering the snacks.

Despite being chatty and a bit self-centered, Gao Lili was surprisingly generous. She had given Qin Yao's family many things, like sticky rice cakes, green dumplings, and dried tofu.

She’d also send over slightly older fruits from her home, while giving Qin Yao’s family other treats. The dragon fruit in her yard didn’t grow well, but the chili leaves were vibrant and fresh.

"Try more of these jujube-walnut snacks. The jujubes are very sweet, and the walnuts aren't bitter at all. They're cleaned really well..." Gao Lili said, showing her hand with orange-red nails that glimmered with a rust-colored sheen under the sun.

She had dyed her nails with Chinese balsam, applying it four times to achieve this striking orange-red color.

Qin Yao had already guessed Gao Lili's intention and hesitated, asking, "Your hands?"

"I spent a long time dyeing them with Chinese balsam..." Gao Lili proudly shared how she had spent half her day on her nails. Her biggest hobby in life, after getting married and no longer working, was spending her free time dressing up.

Gao Lili not only dyed her nails but also penciled her eyebrows, used charcoal eyeliner, and applied a layer of white powder on her face.

"This won't last too long, and if people see it, they'll talk about me again. These people always have their eyes on me. I don't understand why they always gossip about me whenever I do something."

Qin Yao swallowed, looking at Gao Lili's orange-red nails, and suddenly felt hesitant about eating the jujube-walnut snack.

Comrade Qin now admired Gao Lili's husband the most. How could he stand this? She suspected that Gao Lili aged quickly, not only because of her bone structure but also due to all the random things she put on her body.

The skin around her eyes looked stretched from all the fussing, and her homemade cosmetics were even worse than the cheap stuff students use these days. Without any makeup remover, her skin became loose too quickly.

From a distance, Gao Lili's appearance was passable, but up close, it wasn't much different from a monster. The powder on her face was obvious, and her eye corners were smudged black.

No wonder everyone noticed her.

"Your nails are dyed a deep color?" Qin Yao tentatively complimented her, not wanting to bluntly say that her makeup wasn't good and pour cold water on her.

Many rural girls used Chinese balsam to dye their nails, but most could only achieve a light color. Gao Lili had managed a striking orange-red, probably spending several hours on it.

"Yes, it's very obvious. I have a special method. Comrade Qin, would you like me to dye your nails for you?" Gao Lili said proudly, raising her eyebrows.

"It's very obvious, but no need for me. Lili, I'm going home now. Rui Rui, Mingming, kids, come wash your hands."

Comrade Qin quickly refused. She couldn't stand such nail colors. Even if she did get a manicure, she preferred bright red or something with glitter or other delicate designs. She would definitely refuse this kind of manicure.

It would have been better if they had kept their original rosy, tender color.

Qin Yao called the kids over to wash their hands and then wiped their faces clean. The two kids always ended up covered in dirt from playing all day. After cleaning their hands, she let them pick vegetable leaves to feed the chickens.

"Xin Yao, if you don’t like dressing up, you’ll age quickly in the future," Gao Lili said, standing outside the yard. She felt a bit disappointed that Qin Yao, like some of the village girls, didn’t seem to care much about dressing up.

Qin Yao felt a bit creeped out by Gao Lili’s gaze, hoping that she would go bother other sisters-in-law.

Gao Lili stood at the door for a while, still trying to show off her newly dyed nails. She would occasionally lift her hand, showing off her nails to Qin Yao. Her fingers naturally curled into an elegant pose.

Qin Yao pretended not to see it. By now, she understood why people around Gao Lili always paid so much attention to her. The love for beauty is universal, and it’s only natural for people to like dressing up, which is understandable.

Gao Lili stood at the yard gate for a while and finally waited for Gu Cheng to return. She wasn’t interested in flirting with other people’s husbands, but she loved showing off her appearance to others.

Whether they were men or women.

"Captain Gu is back," Gao Lili greeted him with a smile, placing her hands on her chest to display her newly dyed nails.

Gu Cheng, dressed in a snow-white military uniform, furrowed his brow slightly. It was unexpected to see Gao Lili at his yard gate, but those nails of hers... Captain Gu felt a bit reluctant to enter his own yard. Would his wife have also dyed her nails like that?

Women’s aesthetics were really strange. As a grown man, he couldn’t understand how dyed nails could be considered beautiful.

"Gu Cheng," Qin Yao called him.

Gu Cheng took off his hat and nodded.

Seeing this, Gao Lili continued to talk to Gu Cheng. Most guys were happy to chat with her. "Captain Gu, have you been busy at work? I bet it’s been two days. I know your work is monotonous, and you don’t even get to see any young girls."

"Young girls are fun to talk to. When I was in the hospital, we had a bunch of girls who were very playful."

...

"You chat."

Gu Cheng didn’t say much more, maintaining a cold demeanor as he entered his yard and strode into the house.

The smile on Gao Lili’s face froze.

Qin Yao quickly said, "Xiao Gao, don’t pay too much attention to them men. Our Captain Gu is tongue-tied and doesn’t like idle chatter."

"Don’t let his young looks fool you. Once he starts talking, he’s as old-fashioned as they come."

Qin Yao didn’t say much else, but she had plenty of sarcastic remarks about Captain Gu. Anyway, they just chatted casually.

Gao Lili didn’t like hearing these things and found an excuse to go home.

After Qin Yao returned to the house, Gu Cheng, now changed into civilian clothes, followed her quietly. Qin Yao turned around, and Gu Cheng lifted her hand to inspect her nails.

Qin Yao’s nails were rosy and full, with small white crescent moons underneath, looking warm and beautiful. Seeing her nails, Captain Gu felt reassured.

"What’s wrong? Do you want me to dye my nails too?" Qin Yao teased him.

Gu Cheng shook his head. "Please don’t. Just give me back my original wife."

Gu Cheng furrowed his brow and couldn’t help but think that after a new neighbor moved in next door, such troubles arose. What if one day he came home and found his wife covered in flour?

"I can’t stand Gao Lili’s way of dressing. Don’t worry, I won’t copy her."

Hearing this, Captain Gu sighed in relief.

"Yaoyao, you look pretty good like this, a natural beauty, like a lotus blooming in clear water."

Gao Lili's family moving in didn't affect Gu Cheng and his wife much, but it caused quite a stir in the Zhou household. Political Commissar Zhou was visibly upset. It was rare for him to be home during the day, and when he saw Zaohua with her wildly painted nails, claw-like and oddly colored, he thought he had seen a demon or ghost in broad daylight.

A fierce argument erupted in the Zhou family, and Qin Yao and Gu Cheng went next door to mediate.

"At our age, if you're not pretty, don't try to copy others. You look like something out of a horror movie!"

Political Commissar Zhou’s words were cutting, leaving no room for kindness.

Zaohua had disheveled hair, with stray strands by her temples and tears in her eyes. "I'm a demon, and others are pretty, huh? Well, even if they're pretty, they're not your wife. I am. Even if I were a centipede demon, you'd still have to bear with me."

"Bear with you? How did I end up marrying a centipede demon? You're more like an old snake demon."

"You dumb donkey."

...

The couple argued fiercely, almost coming to blows, but Qin Yao and Gu Cheng each pulled one of them apart. Qin Yao took Zaohua into a room, leaving Political Commissar Zhou and Gu Cheng by the window. Political Commissar Zhou smoked a cigarette, looking troubled.

He glanced at Gu Cheng, feeling a bit embarrassed that this guy had seen the situation at his home.

Political Commissar Zhou coughed. "Captain Gu, you should prepare yourself. After ten-some years of marriage, couples naturally turn into me and my wife."

"When you and your wife argue in the future, my wife and I will come to mediate."

Gu Cheng asked, puzzled, "Can't you say something nice to your wife?"

"Even after more than a decade of marriage, I wouldn't call Yaoyao a snake demon."

Captain Gu felt a pang of sadness: his wife had every right to be picky, but he didn’t have the right to be picky about her.

Political Commissar Zhou sighed, adopting a tone of someone experienced. "Women at this age are like this. When they get older and lose their youthful glow, it's hard to look at them without feeling annoyed. Since you haven't grown tired of your wife, you wouldn't understand."

Gu Cheng said, "This is the first time I've seen Zaohua like this."

Political Commissar Zhou covered his forehead. "This is even worse than usual..."

"As a husband, you should sincerely compliment your wife."

Political Commissar Zhou gasped. "If your wife came home looking like that, would you still give her a sincere compliment?"

Gu Cheng paused, seeing the situation clearly, and suggested, "Maybe you should talk less with the Shen family. Your wife might be jealous."

"That wife from the Shen family, Gao Lili, right? She's really pretty, no matter what she does, she looks good. My wife is just copying her, but it looks ridiculous. She’s like Dongshi trying to mimic Xishi. I'm embarrassed for her."

Gu Cheng gave Political Commissar Zhou a look that was hard to describe.

Political Commissar Zhou asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? When I call her Gao Lili, you should call her Sister Gao or Sister-in-law Gao. Show some respect. Gao Lili is probably around forty, a few years older than you."

Gu Cheng was speechless.

"She’s older than my wife and still looks great. Impressive, right? Gao Lili has done a great job staying beautiful. You're still young, you wouldn't understand. Watch how older women maintain their looks, and you’ll understand."

Gu Cheng was at a loss for words. "Comrade Gao is only in her mid-twenties, nowhere near thirty."

"She’s barely older than Yaoyao."

Political Commissar Zhou must live in some fantasy world. If Gao Lili found out he thought she was over forty, she’d probably lose it.

"She’s... she’s only in her twenties!" Zhou almost bit his tongue. "Why does she talk like someone who’s been married for years?"

"A girl in her early twenties should still be pretty shy."

Women who’ve been married for a decade or so? They’re a whole different story. In the countryside, middle-aged women can get pretty bold with their jokes.

Zhou figured Gao Lili was talking to him because they were around the same age. He thought a woman in her forties who looked that good must be a real beauty.

If they weren’t in the same age group, how could they even hit it off like that?

"She’s really in her twenties? Are you sure, Captain Gu? If she’s that young, why is your wife butting in?"

Zhou just didn’t get it. Why was his wife going head-to-head with a younger girl? Qin Yao wasn’t even bothered, but then again, Xiao Gao and Qin Yao seemed like they were from different worlds.

Gu Cheng: "..." You two are something else.

Qin Yao had no idea what was going on outside. Inside, she was comforting Neighbor Sister Zaohua, gently wiping her face with a damp towel. She tried not to laugh, wondering why Zaohua was so fixated on competing with Gao Lili.

Or was it because Zhou had been chatting with Gao Lili a little too much? Maybe he should’ve kept his distance.

Does Zhou have a thing for that type?

"Xiao Qin, do you also think I look ugly like this?" Neighbor Sister Zaohua touched her face and said in a hesitant tone.

Qin Yao: "Not ugly, but Sister, you looked more natural without all the makeup. Natural is beautiful."

"Natural means old, but she doesn't look her age," Neighbor Sister Zaohua murmured.

Qin Yao: "Why do you have to compete with Gao Lili?"

"He complained that Gao Lili is so old but still looks so good, and criticized me for not caring about my appearance. So I tried to put on some makeup and groom myself, and now he's laughing at me for trying to imitate her."

Qin Yao: "..."

Qin Yao: "Gao Lili is only three or four years older than me, that's not too much of an age difference, right?"

Neighbor Sister Zaohua froze: "?"

Neighbor Sister Zaohua had been a child bride, which meant she was married at a very young age. She was a little older than Political Commissar Zhou and had always been sensitive about her age. Hearing Political Commissar Zhou's comments, she thought he was complaining that she was old and didn't like to dress up, favoring that 'young-looking' woman Gao Lili.

"Wait, she's not even thirty?"

Qin Yao: "...She's still in her twenties."

Neighbor Sister Zaohua stood up and washed her face, feeling embarrassed. At her age, she shouldn't be comparing herself to someone so much younger.

Neighbor Sister Zaohua's face turned red with embarrassment. "No wonder Old Zhou always calls me an old enchantress. Xiao Qin, you young ones are the ones who should be worrying about that kind of stuff. That makeup would look great on you."

Qin Yao was amazed at how quickly Political Commissar Zhou and his wife had jumped to conclusions about Gao Lili's age.

"Sister, you can't say it like that. It's totally normal to want to look good. Why don't you try a different hairstyle? I think it would make you look much younger."

Neighbor Sister Zaohua had slightly sunken temples, and compared to her current hairstyle with her hair pulled up, Qin Yao thought short hair would suit her better. Besides, as Neighbor Sister Zaohua was getting older and her face shape was less defined, a chin-length haircut with some bangs would definitely frame her face and make her look younger.

"Short hair? Short hair doesn't suit me; it makes me look too masculine."

Qin Yao said, "Should I try cutting it?"

"Go ahead, my hair grows fast anyway." Neighbor Sister Zaohua stroked her hair. She hadn't cared much about her appearance before. With a son and a daughter, she focused on household chores. But after this mix-up, she became obsessed with her appearance and grooming.

Who wouldn't want to look their best? She was really enjoying putting on makeup.

Qin Yao gave her a trim, shaped her eyebrows into a soft arch, and styled her hair with airy bangs, curling them for a chic look.

Neighbor Sister Zaohua had good hair quality. Although the front hair was a bit rough, it had a certain charm. These strands framed her face, significantly enhancing her features and hiding her forehead wrinkles.

From certain angles, she looked like a college student.

When Neighbor Sister Zaohua saw herself in the mirror, her face was filled with shock. "Oh my, who is this?"

The woman in the mirror looked like a different person—almost like a seductress! She looked like she had suddenly aged backward, and the person in the mirror was unrecognizable to her. She hadn't been this beautiful even in her teens.

"What should I do, Xiao Qin? I can't bring myself to go outside."

"No way, no way, no way..."

Qin Yao, trying not to laugh, said, "Neighbor Sister, it's not that bad. You look great like this. How about we go out and let Political Commissar Zhou judge?"

Neighbor Sister Zaohua grabbed her hair, her voice anxious. "He can't see me, he can't see me!"

No matter how much Qin Yao persuaded her, Neighbor Sister Zaohua remained stubborn. She found a white towel to wrap around her head, covering herself completely, before heading to the kitchen to rinse the rice for cooking.

"Xiao Qin, you and Captain Gu should head back. We're fine now."

Qin Yao and Gu Cheng exchanged glances, and the couple, along with the child who had been joining in on the fun, returned home.

Political Commissar Zhou stood at the kitchen door, ready to chat with Neighbor Sister Zaohua. But to his surprise, Neighbor Sister Zaohua looked at him nervously and then wrapped the white towel around her head even more tightly.

Political Commissar Zhou: "?"

What on earth is going on?