Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Heart-to-Heart, Sanlitun Market

Ji Linhai’s eyes were unreadable, his expression hard to decipher.

The meal was lively and satisfying, with nothing left on the table by the end.

Ji Linhai volunteered to escort the Zhong family of three back to the cowshed, while Gu Qinghuan saw them to the door.

Xu Huaian accompanied Old Master Ji back to the cowshed as well.

Zhong Luoning and Gu Lanting took the initiative to clean up and wash the dishes.

Ming Ruxue looked after the children.

Only then did Xu Huaian finally have a chance to talk properly with Gu Qinghuan.

The two of them quietly slipped into the space.

“Why have you lost weight?” he asked, noticing her face had grown even smaller.

Gu Qinghuan avoided his intense gaze, afraid she’d lose herself in it.

“It’s nothing, you’re imagining things.”

Partly it was exhaustion, but she really had been eating less lately, so she had slimmed down a bit.

“Thank you for taking care of the family,” Xu Huaian said sincerely.

“It’s nothing, really. The kids are all very well-behaved. By the way, did you finish your mission this time?”

“I did.” Xu Huaian paused, then added, “Huanhuan, there’s something I can’t decide.”

“What is it?”

“After this mission, the Ministry of Defense said they could offer me a position.”

“That’s great! The Ministry of Defense is a good place to work. But your illness…” Gu Qinghuan didn’t ask for details, just worried there might still be hidden dangers.

“I’ve recovered my lost memories, Huanhuan. From now on, there’s a very good chance I won’t relapse.”

“That’s wonderful!” Gu Qinghuan didn’t ask what memories he’d regained; as long as he was well, that was enough.

“If you’re better, then go and do what you want to do.”

“But…I can’t bear to leave you, and I don’t want to dump the responsibilities that should be mine onto you.” Xu Huaian pulled her into his arms.

“On one hand, I know a man should make his mark in the world. To be honest, I’ve always longed for such an opportunity. But now that it’s here, I’m torn, hesitant, afraid to accept it so easily. These past two years have taught me to cherish what I have. Huanhuan, you’re the most precious thing in my heart. I’m scared of losing you. Tell me, what should I do?”

If he stepped forward, he couldn’t take care of the family; if he stepped back, he’d feel like a coward. No matter what he chose, it was difficult—such was the life of a soldier.

Feeling his warm embrace, Gu Qinghuan gently hugged him back, a sense of peace settling in her heart like never before.

For the first time, she opened up to Xu Huaian and shared her thoughts.

“Xu Huaian, go. Go and become a better version of yourself. You belong to a wider world; an eagle shouldn’t be trapped in a small corner. I hope we can both become better people.

“I actually have an idea too. Once things settle down and the college entrance exam resumes, I want to take the exam and study psychology systematically. I hope to use professional knowledge to help people with psychological issues—whether it’s post-war trauma, depression, or autism. I want to understand their world and truly help them out of their difficulties, not just rely on spiritual spring water.

“Since fate brought me here, gave me this space and the spring, it must be for more than just a sightseeing trip. I think I’ve found my purpose for coming here.

“I want to bring more advanced ideas to this land, to help more people out of hardship.”

Gu Qinghuan wasn’t acting on a whim—she’d been thinking about this for a long time. In just half a year here, she’d already encountered many cases of people suffering from psychological trauma without timely help.

If she hadn’t helped Xu Huaian with his post-war trauma, his future would likely have ended in tragedy.

Zhong Luoning’s depression, Xu Youran’s autism—she didn’t know how things had ended for them in her previous life, but she could guess Xu Jianguo wouldn’t have let them live well; their fates were probably miserable.

Then there was Fang Zhengping—without her help, his condition would likely have worsened without timely treatment. His family was well-off, so he wouldn’t have ended up on the streets, but his life could have been so much brighter.

All these cases made her feel she had to do something with this second chance.

She might not be able to build planes or cannons, or benefit all humanity, but at least she could use modern ideas to change the fate of vulnerable people.

She owed it to the King of the Underworld for so generously giving her the space and the spring.

When she first arrived, she just wanted to treat it like a vacation, to come and go freely.

Now, she already saw herself as part of this world. She couldn’t be a savior, but she could do her part.

Xu Huaian hadn’t expected his little wife to have such lofty ambitions, and he was deeply moved.

“Huanhuan, it feels like I’m truly getting to know you for the first time, but also like I’ve always known you were this kind of person. If I ever get the chance, I’d love to visit your world and experience its civilization. If this is what you want, I’ll support you all the way. Like you said, let’s work together to become better people.”

At this moment, the two of them seemed to be completely in sync, understanding each other without needing many words.

Xu Huaian already knew the course of history—soon the world would change dramatically, and the future would belong to intellectuals. Gu Qinghuan wanted to go to college and pursue her dreams, and he fully supported her.

After hearing her thoughts, he felt a moment of shame. Gu Qinghuan, a soul from another world, was thinking of making this world better and helping more people, while he was only focused on romance. That wasn’t right.

In that instant, he resolved to carve out a path for himself, to pave the way for Gu Qinghuan, to support her dreams and be her solid backing—not a burden.

Whether in love or friendship, both people had to advance together and stand on equal footing for the relationship to last.

They agreed: Xu Huaian would return to work in the capital next year, while Gu Qinghuan would stay in Xujia Village for now to look after Zhong Zijun and the others, taking care of the kids and preparing for the college entrance exam.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to return to the capital, but there were still things here she couldn’t let go of. She’d have to wait—wait until she got into college, until the Zhong family was cleared, until everything settled down. Hopefully, that day wouldn’t be too far off.

Xu Huaian understood her decision.

By the time they finished talking and came out, the house was already tidied up. Everyone was sitting on Gu Qinghuan’s kang, cracking pine nuts and chatting.

Gu Lanting had already cleaned the rest of the fish, mostly thanks to Ji Linhai, who had gutted and washed them all, waiting for Gu Qinghuan’s next instructions.

When Ji Linhai took Zhong Zijun home, Gu Qinghuan had him bring a bucket of fish for Zhong Zijun to use as he liked.

The rest were for her household.

To avoid the hassle of thawing frozen fish tomorrow, Gu Qinghuan processed them all that night.

She kept some fresh and left them outside to freeze—this weather would turn them rock-hard in no time.

Half of the remaining fish she rubbed with salt and spices, then hung from the kitchen beams to make cured fish—the kitchen was warm, perfect for this. The other half she cut into pieces and marinated, so they could just grab a few chunks from the jar whenever they wanted to eat.

All in all, delicious methods.

Xu Huaian stayed with her the whole time, refusing to go rest even though Gu Qinghuan tried to shoo him off several times.

Luckily, it didn’t take long.

That night, the sleeping arrangements were the same as the night before, except this time Gu Lanting, Dabao, and Xu Huaian shared a room, while the others slept together.

Everyone was tired, getting ready for the market trip the next day, so they went to bed early.

Especially Xu Huaian and Gu Lanting—one had been traveling, the other cleaning fish—they were both exhausted and fell asleep the moment they lay down.

The next morning, everyone got up early and got ready.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t have time to make a complicated breakfast, so she just heated up a basket of yesterday’s buns, fried some egg pancakes, and made everyone a cup of milk powder.

After breakfast, the whole family got ready to set out.

Everyone was going, and Ji Linhai would accompany them too.

Yesterday, Zhong Zijun said they had everything they needed at home and wouldn’t join the fun, telling them to enjoy themselves.

Gu Lanting somehow produced two homemade sleds—one for Ji Linhai, one for himself.

“Come on, sis, hop on!” he patted the sled, actually planning to pull Gu Qinghuan along.

Joking aside, Gu Qinghuan was too embarrassed to actually get on.

Conveniently, they were bringing dozens of pounds of vegetables to the market to barter, and Gu Lanting’s sled was perfect for hauling them.

Ji Linhai’s sled had a big basket lined with warm padding, perfect for carrying the kids. He was strong and steady, so everyone felt at ease.

They had no shortage of vegetables—both the cellar and the space were full—so Gu Qinghuan decided to bring some to trade.

She’d been inspired by Qian Caihua yesterday.

Let’s see what these vegetables could be traded for.

At the agreed time, the whole family set out for the village entrance. Erdan’s family was ready to go as well, and many other villagers were heading out with big bundles—clearly also going to the Sanlitun market.

When Erdan saw them, he ran over and squeezed into one of the baskets with the other kids.

The group chatted and laughed as they made their way to Sanlitun. The road was rough, but with everyone in high spirits, the hour passed quickly.

Along the way, Zhong Luoning and Ming Ruxue got tired and took turns riding on Gu Lanting’s sled.

Surprisingly, Gu Qinghuan was sturdy and had no trouble walking the whole way.

Xu Huaian leaned over and whispered, “Are you tired? Want me to carry you?” He looked eager.

Gu Qinghuan shook her head vigorously, her whole demeanor screaming “no way.”

Even though they were legally married, if he carried her in front of everyone, she’d become the laughingstock of the whole village by nightfall. Just the thought was terrifying.

Xu Huaian looked a bit disappointed.

Gu Qinghuan quietly put some distance between them.

Don’t be fooled by Gu Lanting’s small frame—he was strong, thanks to the spiritual spring water. He pulled the sled the whole way without needing anyone to take over.

Finally, they arrived at Sanlitun, where the crowd was noticeably larger.

Ming Ruxue and Zhong Luoning had grown up in the city and had never seen such a rural scene before. They were like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, amazed by everything.

Sometimes their questions made Chen Fengqin laugh out loud.

As they neared the market, it was basically shoulder-to-shoulder.

Gu Qinghuan had the kids get off the sled and hold the adults’ hands so they wouldn’t get lost.

It was a bustling market, and with so many people, there was always the risk of child traffickers.

Because of the crowd, it was easy to get separated, and Ming Ruxue, Gu Lanting, and Zhong Luoning wanted to explore on their own.

So Gu Qinghuan simply let them go off together, taking the kids along to play, and told them to meet under the big banyan tree at the entrance to the market when they were done.

Ji Linhai also needed to trade for some supplies, so he went off on his own.

Erdan’s family did the same.

Only Gu Qinghuan and Xu Huaian were left, pulling a sled full of vegetables. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

This was good—they could take the chance to sneak some things out of the space, like the dried goods and pears they’d stored earlier.

Last night, Gu Qinghuan had already taken out a big bag of pears and left them in the snow to freeze—real frozen pears. Later, she could just sneak them out of the space and bring them home.

They could never have too many wild chickens or rabbits, either. With so many people at home, food disappeared fast.

It was just a pity they’d been in a rush today; otherwise, Xu Huaian would have liked to butcher a wild boar, goat, or deer from the space and bring back some meat to eat slowly.

But there would be more chances in the future.

The two of them started making their way through the market."