Stars In His Eyes
Chapter 1093: Gu Family’s Decision 5

Chapter 1093: Chapter 1093: Gu Family’s Decision 5

"Niu Li, Niu Rang, Xiaojia—these three grew up together." He Teng nodded as he added, then asked, "Not going out to play with your little group of kids today?"

He Zhilan absolutely loved children, and naturally, children adored her too. The kids in the village loved being around He Zhilan, so during the couple of days they were here, He Zhilan spent almost every day with the children—either playing games with them or teaching them about medicinal herbs. Whenever the village kids saw He Zhilan, they would call out "Sister Zhilan." As for He Teng, they still called him "Liberation Army... uncle."

"Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I? I promised to teach them how to read!" He Zhilan’s face lit up with a smile as she mentioned the kids. "Even though we might not stay here for long, teaching them a little bit is better than nothing. The kids in the village are really eager to learn to read."

As she spoke, He Zhilan giggled and moved closer to He Teng, curling the corners of her mouth into a playful "praise me" kind of look.

He Teng acknowledged her with a soft "hmm." Though he felt amused inside, seeing how eager she was for praise, he deliberately held back and kept a blank expression on his face.

"You’re such a blockhead!" He Zhilan pursed her lips. "You don’t even know how to say a few nice words to your wife."

Only then did He Teng raise a hand to gently ruffle her hair. Unable to hold back anymore, he chuckled softly, letting out a light "pfft." "Little leader of kids," he teased.

He Teng thought to himself, perhaps deciding to bring He Zhilan here had been the right choice.

The village had a lot of children—big and small, from a few months old to teenagers—and all of them were very close to He Zhilan. Despite her constant interaction with the kids, she hadn’t shown any signs of the frailty he had been worried about.

Since coming to the village, He Zhilan hadn’t mentioned having children. When some of the village elders asked about their situation, He Zhilan didn’t hide the miscarriage she’d had the previous year. Facing their concerns and gentle prodding, she spoke openly and calmly, saying she’d let nature take its course. If they were to have another child, she’d protect it well.

He Teng didn’t know whether this was a good omen or not. Almost all day, he stayed close to He Zhilan—watching her play with the kids, listening to her chat with the elders, observing her every little move. Whether it was a frown or a smile, he noticed it all.

If someone were to ask what He Teng’s greatest wish was right now, it wouldn’t be to have a child. It would undoubtedly be for He Zhilan to be healthy and well.

When He Zhilan and He Teng stepped out of the room, Niu Li happened to be preparing to leave the courtyard. Seeing the two of them, Niu Li smiled as a greeting before heading off up the hill on his own.

"What were you saying to Niu Li? Look at how happy you’ve made him," He Zhilan joked as she walked over to Xiaojia.

Xiaojia shook her head. "We were talking about my wedding." Except for her one trip to S Province, Xiaojia had never left the village, so when it came to weddings, she was curious about how things were done elsewhere.

"Zhilan, I heard people outside the village wear white dresses when they get married—right?" Xiaojia asked.

"That’s fashionable among foreigners—it’s called a wedding dress. In foreign countries, white symbolizes purity. But here in our country, white is considered unlucky for celebrations. That said, nowadays many people follow trends, and more and more people wear wedding dresses for their weddings," He Zhilan replied with a laugh. "But when I married my husband, he wore his military uniform, and I wore a dragon-and-phoenix jacket."