1978: A Literary Giant Who Began His Military Service

Chapter 133 If all else fails, I'll support you.

"Is that so?" Zhou Xu looked at her and smiled.

"Then I'm going back!"

Yao Fanghua was embarrassed first. She immediately stood up, feeling that she had been too impulsive today.

But when she looked at Zhou Xu's nonchalant smile, a feeling welled up inside her.

In fact, Yao Fanghua has always been a very persistent person since childhood. There is a type of person who, once they have made up their mind about something, will put everything else as a second choice.

Yao Fanghua is that kind of person.

Previously, Yao Fanghua had never seriously considered matters of love. She felt that this was the second most important thing in her life, and she wanted to study drama more than anything else.

Of course, meeting Zhou Xu didn't change everything, but it planted a slightly different seed in her heart.

However, she seemed to be three or four years older than Zhou Xu, and besides, what did Zhou Xu think? She thought about it for a while... and her heart became more and more agitated!
Girls tend to overthink.

Zhou Xu coughed.

I stopped thinking about anything and just buried my head in my sleep.

He slept all day before getting up.

I never slept in while I was in the army, and I don't know if I'll still be familiar with the unit when I go back.

"..."

I went home.

Yao's mother came over: "Where have you been again? Didn't I tell you that your uncle's grandson was coming to visit at noon?"

Yao Fanghua walked into the house, displeased: "I said I'm not going."

"Oh dear! You're really something! If you're so capable, why don't you stay single your whole life?" Yao's mother discovered that her daughter really had a bad temper. Fanghua had always been so straightforward. Yao's mother chased her into the house: "Hey? People have been waiting all day, why don't you go and see them?"

Yao Fanghua gritted her teeth, but finally had no choice but to stand up. Her kind nature made her unable to tolerate this kind of moral blackmail, saying that "others" had waited for her all day.

I had no choice but to go with my mother to the living room outside.

"This is my Fanghua, and this is your uncle's grandson, Qian Tianxiang."

At this point, Yao's mother pressed down hard on her shoulder and continued, "Xiao Qian, I just told you about Fanghua's situation. Now, tell me about your own situation."

Qian Tianxiang replied, "I work in a printing factory. I was assigned to be a team leader after graduation! Maybe I'll be promoted to deputy director next year! I heard Fanghua, you work at the JS Provincial Drama Theatre?"

"Yeah, I've been working here for seven or eight years. I started as a trainee when I was young," Yao Fanghua replied casually.

Seeing that she had started to speak, Yao's mother didn't stay any longer and left immediately.

People can't stand comparisons.

Judging solely by Zhou Xu's standards, Yao Fanghua believes Qian Tianxiang is indeed inferior to Zhou Xu.

For example, looks, talent, position, ability? Even height isn't as good… She shook her head, feeling troubled, her mind filled with Zhou Xu's image…

So, one shouldn't meet someone who is too amazing. Zhou Xu's impact on her was so great that she didn't feel anything when she met a good-looking man who was a junior manager in the factory!
You know, team leaders in state-owned enterprises have the potential to become section chiefs in the future, so they're really in high demand right now...

"...How old are you?"

"I...I'm twenty-five this year," Qian Tianxiang said, scratching his head. "But...but I haven't found a partner yet, not the kind of free love they advocate..."

Qian Tianxiang stared at Yao Fanghua's face and stammered, unable to speak. He thought she was so beautiful that he felt ashamed.

A woman's looks are indeed a weapon, something that can be used to make a living, and if used well, it can even change her fate... like Gao Xiaofeng and Gao Xiaoqin.

Of course, Yao Fanghua had no intention of using her looks to climb the social ladder.

"Oh... I don't have any either." She didn't know how to continue the conversation.

"By the way?" Qian Tianxiang initiated a conversation: "Do you read novels?"

"Ah."

"There's a novel out there that our printing factory in Nanjing is printing a copy of! It's really well-written!" As he spoke, Qian Tianxiang took a copy of "Harvest" magazine from his bag! Inside was Zhou Xu's novel, "Nanjing Photo Studio"!
Looking at the novel's cover, Yao Fanghua was slightly stunned, and paused for a moment.

"Um... I've already read that novel." Yao Fanghua gave an awkward smile from time to time, and finally said with a sigh of relief, "I'm sorry my mom called you over, but I really have no intention of finding a boyfriend!"

"Why? Fanghua, we've known each other for a long time, and I've liked you for years..."

"I...I...I have someone I like." Yao Fanghua tugged at her hair, finally saying it helplessly.

One sentence left Qian Tianxiang speechless. He reached out to grab Yao Fanghua, but she immediately dodged him.

Yao Fanghua sighed softly: "I'm sorry!"

“…I understand.” Qian Tianxiang grabbed his bag and left immediately.

After a while, Yao's mother came out of the house. She peeked in and asked, "Hey? Where's Tianxiang?"

Yao Fanghua said:
I told him I wasn't in the mood and let him go!

Upon hearing this, Yao's mother sighed immediately: "Really, how could you let him go! He was a team leader at the printing factory, and he was destined to be a section chief in the future!"

Yao Fanghua pursed her lips, "Zhou Xu is already a section chief."

"...Look at you, you're already twenty-three, twenty-four by the Chinese age reckoning, almost twenty-five! You'll be thirty in a few years, and you still aren't married. You're just waiting...wait until you drive your parents crazy!"

She leaned back in the recliner, her body as limp as spring water, completely pressed against the seat without a trace of tension. Yao Fanghua had a bad temper.

"Isn't there still the second son? When the second son grows up and gets married, the family line won't end!"

"I...I...you've gone too far!" Mom angrily picked up a broom, pretending to hit her...

"..."

Yao Fanghua jumped up in anger; "Mom! Is this really necessary? All I did was call him away! I didn't offend him! Why did you have to hit me like this?!"

"How dare you talk back?"

"..."

Holding her breath, she glared at her elderly mother, and finally, a tear of grievance welled up in her eye. She then ran quickly towards the door.

"You...you have the guts to run away, but you have the guts not to come back!"

"If I don't want to reply, then I won't..."

night.

The family was having dinner, and they had prepared several dishes. When Yao's father came home and sat down, he looked at the empty seat and asked, "Where's Fanghua? Didn't she come home? She trained so late today."

"She ran off with some other man." Yao's mother's venomous words were clearly inherited from her daughter.

"..." The old father was surprised, then immediately laughed and said, "She found a man?"

The whole family seemed to be acting strangely. Yao's mother coughed and said, "You're dreaming! I really find this odd! Other people's daughters can have early romances at thirteen or fourteen, and even bring home a child at fifteen or sixteen! Although Fanghua isn't like that, she's almost twenty-five..."

"Only twenty-three!" Yao's father interjected.

Yao's mother patted him on the shoulder: "Don't interrupt. I'm saying it's really strange that she's twenty-five and still doesn't have a boyfriend. Do you think she's always surrounded by women? Could they be close friends?"

Mr. Yao glanced at her and said, "You really are talking nonsense."

"Pah, don't be like your sister! You'd better find me a boyfriend by the time you're twenty!"

-

Yao Fanghua walked out the door, wiping away her tears, not knowing where to go!
I was originally planning to go to my master's house, but I'll most likely be found there.

Whether in her mind or in her actions, she headed towards Xuanwu District, and soon arrived at the entrance... Yao Fanghua's hand froze in mid-air.

Zhou Xu flung open the door. "Hey? What are you doing here?" He was actually quite observant and quickly noticed a tear in Fanghua's eye, but he didn't say anything.

So Zhou Xu reached out and grabbed her wrist, feeling a chill.

"It's so cold! Come inside and warm yourself by the fire. You really shouldn't be out here without wearing any clothes!"

Muttering these things to himself, he forcefully pulled Yao Fanghua into the house and then closed the door behind him.

"..." She entered the room, plopped down on the bed, slowly looked around the room, and finally uttered, "What you just did..."

"I'm going out to get some water. You sit here and I'll go get some more."

Zhou Xu quickly returned to the house.

The girl sat on the bed, bored, and picked up a book from beside him...

The differences between people are truly vast. She felt that she couldn't connect with others, yet she enjoyed talking to this man. She liked both Zhou Xu's character and his talent.

Once inside, he opened a bag of snacks and handed it to him: "I have a jacket in my room that I've never worn. Here, you can wear it!"

Then she stood up and went to get her coat. Zhou Xu had bought some new clothes for himself this year, and he came over and draped them over her shoulders.

“…Your clothes…” she said, stunned.

"What's wrong? It's warm, isn't it? It's okay, I'll warm you up here! Just give it back to me when you're done washing..." Zhou Xu sat down.

"Oh." He took a sip of warm tea and ate something.

After chatting for a while, it became evening, and she started helping with the cooking.

The two of them washed vegetables and rinsed rice together, while one of them brushed oil on the pot; their coordination was quite good.

Nowadays, there are no children who can't cook; after all, not being able to cook is basically equivalent to starving to death.

Seeing that she had calmed down, Zhou Xu asked, "Did you have a fight with your parents?"

"how do you know?"

“I’m quick-witted, I can see things at a glance. Your eyes are red as hell, didn’t I see that right away?” Zhou Xu smiled.

"Pretty much, they introduced me to a potential partner at a printing factory..."

She went on and on, complaining about a whole bunch of things.

Zhou Xu replied, "Actually, they're not that bad."

"Then you want me to marry him?" She suddenly looked up at Zhou Xu, her eyes sparkling.

Whether intentionally or not, she cried.

Her face was streaked with tears, and Zhou Xu felt a pang of reluctance and heartache. A woman who knows how to be charming has the best life; only those who ask for candy get it.

Finally, he could only continue, "No... I just wanted to say that you can do whatever you want... By the way, I bought some extra bedding, so you can sleep on the bed and I can sleep on the recliner."

"..." Hearing this, Yao Fanghua was initially taken aback by his sudden change of topic, but she quickly composed herself: "Oh! Thank you."

"Okay, don't be sad. If it really comes down to it, I'll take care of you."

"I don't want to! I'll support myself!"

Yao Fanghua was stunned again. She realized she was too straightforward and couldn't understand any sweet talk at all...

Should I continue what Zhou Xu said? That's probably what a normal girl would say, right?
She paused, unsure what to say.

That night, the two went to bed separately.

Zhou Xu was bound to have wild thoughts, after all, there was such a beautiful woman in the house.

The next day, Zhou Xu got up early as usual, but he had only been up for a short while when he heard the sparse sounds of people getting dressed inside the house.

Soon, a beautifully painted face appeared in front of him.

"Why are you up so early?" She couldn't help but yawn.

"It's nothing! I always get up this early, because I'm used to it in the army. I always get up at 5:30 in the morning." Zhou Xu picked up the basin and walked outside.

"Oh, right, I just went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought you a toothbrush and toothpaste. There's hot water in the kettle, so you can continue washing your face and brushing your teeth. It's very cold here in winter."

"Ah."

Yao Fanghua obediently went over to brush her teeth and wash her face.

After finishing all that, she ran over and said, "Shall I cook?"

"you?"

"I'm already living in your house, it wouldn't be right for me to do nothing, would it?"

Thinking about this, Yao Fanghua realized a very serious problem: she had actually let a strange man sleep in the same room with her.
However, this seems to be a very serious matter in this era!
She glanced at Zhou Xu, took a deep breath, and seemed to be fine. Zhou Xu himself didn't seem to be reacting at all!

Besides, she's not getting married, so why should she worry about these things?

I let my mind wander for a while.

Zhou Xu shouted, "Everyone? The noodles will turn into mush! You made fried noodles!"

Upon hearing that sound, she immediately picked up the pot and started scooping out noodles, one bowl for each person.

Place it on the table.

Yao Fanghua took a sip of the masturbation gel first.

Zhou Xu also took a sip and couldn't help but exclaim, "I must say, this young lady's cooking skills are quite good."

"I'm glad you like it! I don't really know how to thank you. I'll cook lunch too!"

Zhou Xu asked, "Is the opera troupe out of work?"

"Yes! The Lunar New Year is basically the off-season, I only go once a day and come back... I'll bring you some snacks later." She held the small bowl of soup and drank it all in one go.

Finished clearing the dishes.

Yao Fanghua went out the door.

As soon as I reached the door, I bumped into the old lady: "Oh? Grandma. What brings you here?"

The old lady glanced at the door, then at Yao Fanghua: "Oh dear, I should be asking you what you're doing here."

"I came here to see Zhou Xu!"

The old lady smiled, her eyes narrowed: "Yes, I know! You are all good children..."

"It's not what you think..."

"Go to work now." She nudged Fanghua and then walked into the house herself.

Where is Zhou Xu?

"Grandma, she's here!" Zhou Xu helped the old lady into the house.

"Hey, I made some glutinous rice cakes again today. Do you want some? I brought them over for you."

"Eat! I love glutinous rice cakes the most."

Old ladies without children are all so hospitable.

……

Yao Fanghua came again that evening, this time bringing some clothes and snacks, intending to stay for a few more days.

(End of this chapter)