Chapter 119 – First Update

Chapter 119 - First Update

The book written for Old Master Gu spanned until May 1977, reaching a total of 1.5 million words before it was finally complete. The manuscript had been revised several times before being compiled and simply printed, and only then was it sent to Old Master Gu.

After finishing, Qin Yao let out a sigh of relief. She still wasn’t accustomed to writing such long novels. By the time she had written 200,000 words, fatigue had already set in. The more she wrote, the more exhausted she became, and it took a huge toll on her mentally.

Maintaining quality was even more difficult. After 800,000 words, Qin Yao found herself writing less each month. The final stages of the novel required multiple revisions. Qin Yao prepared seven different endings and sent them to Old Master Gu, asking which one he preferred.

Unexpectedly, the old man on the phone said, "I haven't reached the end yet."

Qin Yao was speechless. "It's been some time since I sent it. Haven't you finished reading?"

"It'll take at least a year. I've set a task for myself to read three chapters a day," said Old Master Gu, pushing up his reading glasses.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but chuckle. "Old Master Gu, at this rate, when will you finish? How about you read the ending first? There are seven endings; see which one you'd like as the conclusion."

"Alright, alright, I'll read the ending. What’s the hurry? I’ll get to it..."

Qin Yao urged Old Master Gu to choose an ending before hanging up with a sense of relief. The next day, the old man called again. Qin Yao asked, "Have you read the endings?"

Her heart held its breath. She feared that the old man would find the conclusion unsatisfactory, so she had deliberately written seven endings to avoid being accused of a strong start but a weak finish.

"Comrade, your writing is a bit strong at the start but weak at the end..." Old Master Gu said in a loud voice, "How can seven endings be enough? Write a few more so I can enjoy them thoroughly."

Qin Yao said, "Old Master Gu, be serious and choose one."

"I won’t choose. I’ll keep them all," the old man insisted, believing that one ending was never enough.

Qin Yao: "..."

As long as there were no issues, she was fine with it.

After completing the entire book, Qin Yao felt like a kid on summer break, completely unwilling to look at another homework assignment again. She didn’t want to revise the manuscript anymore—exhausted, tired, and feeling like she never wanted to write again.

"Old Master Gu should be satisfied. A major project is completed."

As time entered 1977, the two children at home were already over three years old, approaching three and a half. The little ones spoke fluently and ran around like wild kittens.

"Mommy, I'm hungry!"

"Mom, I want an ice pop!"

...

Qin Yao had already decided that in September, she would send the children to kindergarten for the junior class. These two were so mischievous that it was only right to send them to kindergarten for preschool education.

Baozhen's Xin Xin was also incredibly naughty, acting like she wanted to dig coal every day. Chen Baozhen would dress Xin Xin in pretty dresses, but by the end of the day, the dresses were always covered in patches. Chen Baozhen’s needlework was only so-so, and she could only mend a few simple patterns. Newly made dresses would quickly become ragged, looking like pieces of old cloth, which made Gao Jianguo feel distressed.

"Dad didn't have clothes to wear when he was little. Now you have clothes but don't appreciate them. You've worn out a new dress in just one day. You're a girl; how will you ever get married in the future?"

Chen Baozhen was indifferent. "I think my daughter is a born leader."

Gao Jianguo: "..."

Xin Xin was only a few days younger than Rui Rui and Mingming. Chen Baozhen and her husband also planned to send her to kindergarten in September. Thinking about their child going to school, Gao Jianguo couldn’t help but worry. "Will Xin Xin get picked on at school? Or worse, will she be the one picking on others?"

If she bullied others, they would have to apologize. Thinking of his daughter as a little troublemaker, Gao Jianguo, who considered himself a gentle and kind man, wondered how his gentle and quiet wife had given birth to such a child.

Chen Baozhen: "There's also Mingming and Rui Rui. If they're going to bully someone, they'll do it together, and if they need to apologize, at least they'll have each other's company."

"Yaoyao and I have already discussed it."

"Their oldest is quite sensible. He should be able to break up fights... He should, well, be able to mediate successfully." Chen Baozhen used several affirmative words as she spoke.

Gao Jianguo frowned. "What's gotten into you? Rui Rui is sensible and easy to push around, and you think he can mediate?"

Chen Baozhen struggled to explain. "You're rarely home, so you don't understand!"

"My daughter may have the talent of a great general, but Gu Rui Rui is a born marshal."

On the surface, Rui Rui seems the gentlest and easiest to push around, but he can actually take on two kids at once and win easily, almost as if it's a game for him.

Mingming, although sturdier than his brother, is truly a wimp in fights, often getting beaten by his older brother.

When these three kids play together, it's always Rui Rui who follows the rules, while Xin Xin and Mingming team up to cause trouble. Mingming loves to provoke his brother, and Xin Xin joins in.

Sometimes, Mingming and Xin Xin start fighting for fun, surrounding the well-behaved Rui Rui, stretching out their hands to hit each other.

Rui Rui, despite being attacked for no reason, stood there like a statue, pushed and shoved by the two, unmoved like a mountain.

If an outsider saw this, they would definitely label Rui Rui as a "clay figure," easy to manipulate.

But then, Rui Rui would hold down the two kids and scold them, and in the end, Mingming and Xin Xin would gang up to beat their older brother, only to crumble like a house of cards.

Every time Qin Yao sees the mild-tempered Rui Rui pummeling the other two kids, she can only criticize him helplessly.

What was she supposed to do? Should she scold the kid who won the fight? Or scold the one who lost?

Little Mingming, looking pitiful, ran to his mother for comfort.

"Mom, Brother is bullying me!"

Qin Yao sighed. "Be good, don't provoke your brother."

Rui Rui, though generally good-tempered, could really lose his temper. One kid beating two or three others was no problem for him.

Qin Yao thought that she had given birth to a little fighter, so she wasn't worried about them being bullied at kindergarten. It would be good enough if they didn't bully others.

"Our two kids really know how to inherit the best traits. For our younger son, who is a weakling and looks so much like me, I'm extremely helpless. The one who provokes others is him, and the one who tattles is also him."

Qin Yao said calmly, "He's growing up quite well, each with their own style, perfectly inheriting the best qualities of mom and dad."

Gu Cheng: "..."

Qin Yao: "Our little boy sure knows how to show everyone that his dad's just a softie at home. Give him a round of applause!"

Gu Cheng sneered, deciding that when he was home, he would put the two kids through rigorous training, including running and climbing.

"Mom, I don't want to go to kindergarten." Little Mingming hugged his mother's leg and whined, his tantrum skills top-notch. Not only could Qin Yao not resist his sweet talk, even the cold and stoic Captain Gu occasionally couldn't handle the magical assault of his little son.

With this face, whining was really unbearable, Gu Cheng felt both uncomfortable and, at the same time, thought "whining like this" was quite cute.

This miniature version of him, why didn't he take after his father at all?

"Mom knows you don't want to go to kindergarten. Children don't like going to kindergarten, and Mom understands you."

"Then I won't go, let Brother go." Mingming pouted and muttered reluctantly.

Xin Xin had told him there were monsters in the kindergarten that ate kids and would gobble him up in one bite.

Qin Yao ignored him and turned to her older son. "Rui Rui, say 'Don't let Brother go.'"

Rui Rui said, "Mom, don't let Brother go."

Before Qin Yao could respond, a sharp voice interrupted, "Mom, I want to go!"

Raising her sons was like raising kittens—curious and always getting into trouble. Qin Yao had long realized her younger son had a feline personality; the more he was told not to touch something, the more he wanted to touch it.

If he wasn't allowed to go to kindergarten, he would insist on going even more.

By the time the two children were sent to kindergarten in September, the news of the resumption of the college entrance exams had spread like wildfire. Exam registration was about to open, with the tests set for December.

This news excited all the young people, but it didn't cause much of a stir in the Navy housing complex. At most, some parents with kids became a little anxious and started pushing them to study harder.

To everyone's surprise, Bai Qiuling signed up for the exams, but Qin Yao and Chen Baozhen didn't.

Gu Cheng came home holding a basic math and science book and asked Qin Yao, "Don't you want to go to college?"

"To be honest, not really." Qin Yao didn't have much desire for college. Before I was transported here, she had really studied enough—four years for her bachelor's degree, three years for her master's. Enough was enough; she just wanted to live freely and pursue her own path.

As for Bai Qiuling, she was definitely going to college. She was also set to meet some difficult roommates and start a new chapter in her life.

Gu Cheng hoped Qin Yao might have the opportunity to attend college, but since she didn't want to, he didn't push it.

"Is it because of the children?"

Qin Yao replied, "Because I don't want to. Just because everyone else wants to take the college entrance exams, does that mean I have to? I don't think I'm any worse than a college student now. Over the years, I've self-studied many books in the library, and I believe my knowledge is not inferior to any college student's."

"Confident."

"If going to college is just for a piece of paper, then it's unnecessary. If it's for a guaranteed job assignment, it's even more unnecessary. I've thought it through; I'm not going to waste that time."

"Good."

Gu Cheng paused for a moment before asking, "What about your work if I have to go for training?" Gu Cheng didn't want to be separated from her and was gently trying to convince her to consider taking the exams.

"If I have to go for further training, what about your work?"