Gu Jianing also missed Amber and the others, so she crouched down and hugged them.
Soon, they all went inside.
Xingxing and Yueyue played with Amber and her cubs, while Gu Jianing and Sheng Zexi took a look around the house.
They found the house quite nice, with plenty of furniture, all of it new. They could use everything as-is without needing to buy anything extra.
“You go play with the kids. I’ll take care of unpacking,” Sheng Zexi said.
“Alright.”
Gu Jianing went to play with Xingxing, Yueyue, and Amber while Sheng Zexi worked quickly, unpacking and putting away their luggage.
Then he started sweeping the floor.
It wasn’t particularly dirty, but it still needed cleaning.
After sweeping, Sheng Zexi fetched water from the yard and mopped the floor twice.
Seeing him busy with chores, Gu Jianing didn’t want to sit idle either.
She hadn’t married her husband just to laze around while he did all the work.
So, she took Xingxing and Yueyue, got some water and rags, and together they wiped down the tables, chairs, and cabinets.
Working as a family like this felt really nice.
While they cleaned, Amber told Gu Jianing about an old woman in the residential compound who seemed to have her eyes on their house.
“She even came to steal something a couple of days ago.”
Gu Jianing suddenly understood—so that was what had happened.
Had they already made an enemy?
Who would’ve thought that right after arriving on Huansha Island, someone would already hold a grudge against their family.
It looked like their year on Huansha Island was going to be eventful.
But Gu Jianing wasn’t afraid. If anyone dared to harm her or her family, she still had the Malice Detector to rely on.
In the afternoon, Sheng Zexi went out. Before officially starting work, he wanted to buy daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.
Gu Jianing had some of these things in her space, but she couldn’t take them out just yet—she’d have to wait for a better opportunity.
This time, Gu Jianing had followed Sheng Zexi to Huansha Island as a military spouse.
Originally a doctor at the Northwest Military District Hospital, she had been transferred to a hospital on Huansha Island and directly appointed to a position as an expert and professor.
Gu Jianing had planned to start her new job tomorrow.
However, a phone call that afternoon changed her plans.
Not long after Sheng Zexi left, a young soldier arrived at their doorstep.
“Are you Sister Gu Jianing?” the soldier asked.
Gu Jianing nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”
“There’s a phone call for you at the communications office. It’s from the Northwest Military District—they said it’s your master.”
Her master? Old Man Chen?!
“Alright, I’ll go take it.”
After telling Xingxing, Yueyue, and Amber to watch the house, Gu Jianing followed the soldier to the communications office.
She soon picked up the phone.
“Ning girl, you’ve arrived on Huansha Island. How does it feel?” The familiar voice of her master, Old Man Chen, came through the receiver.
“We just got here today and settled into the house. It’s not bad—the weather here is changeable, but it’s not as cold as the northwest.”
“That’s good. Actually, there’s something important I need to tell you.”
“Go ahead, Master.”
“The authorities in the capital want to invite you to participate in setting this year’s college entrance exam papers.”
“What?!”
Old Man Chen’s words completely stunned Gu Jianing.
“But Master, I only have a high school diploma! Are they serious about inviting me to set the college entrance exam papers?”
“What do you mean, ‘only a high school diploma’? You have the skills of a professor-level expert! That’s the exceptional title the higher-ups gave you—it’s several levels above a college graduate. Your abilities are more than enough to handle setting the exam papers. If you’re so concerned about the diploma, I’ll just have the higher-ups assign you a Ph.D. credential from Beijing University!”
Old Man Chen thought that as long as he brought it up, Beijing University would definitely agree.
Not just Beijing University—other universities would be fighting over the chance.
Gu Jianing was both amused and exasperated by her master’s words.
However, she knew that in this era, a college degree held immense value. And if a bachelor’s degree was already so prestigious, how much more so a Ph.D.?
Especially one from Beijing University!
Honestly… Gu Jianing really wanted it!
“But I’m supposed to start at the island hospital tomorrow…”
“That can be postponed for now.”
“How long would this exam-setting process take?”
“Probably at least two months. The first college entrance exam after its reinstatement is in December. It’s already October now, so the teachers involved won’t be able to leave until after the first batch of students finishes testing.”
Gu Jianing: So that means if she goes to the capital, she’d be away for at least two months.
What about Xingxing and Yueyue? And Zexi…
“Master, I need some time to think about it.”
“Fine, go ahead and consider it. But no matter what, give me your answer by tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
After hanging up, Gu Jianing returned home.
Sheng Zexi had gone out to buy supplies and didn’t return until evening, carrying a large haul.
He immediately headed to the kitchen to cook.
In their household, ever since they got married, there had been a tradition: as long as Sheng Zexi was home, he was the one who cooked and washed the dishes.
Over the years, he had always been more than happy to do so.
To him, Gu Jianing’s hands were meant to wear beautiful jewelry, to be painted with pretty nail polish, to remain soft and fair—not to roughen from cooking, washing dishes, or doing laundry.
Gu Jianing understood how much he cherished her.
So while Sheng Zexi cooked, she also went into the kitchen to help, assisting wherever she could.
“There’s something in my pants pocket—it’s for you. Take it out.”
Gu Jianing raised an eyebrow. What could it be?
She reached into Sheng Zexi’s pocket and soon pulled out the item.
It turned out to be a straight pearl hairpin.
The pale blue pearls were arranged in the shape of a camellia flower—absolutely beautiful.
Gu Jianing, who loved wearing hairpins, was instantly smitten, a smile spreading across her face.
“Where did you buy this?”
“I happened to run into someone selling it, so I bought it for five yuan.”
Five yuan!
That was a considerable amount of money in this era.
“The pearls are real. They’re small, but the pale blue color is rare,” Sheng Zexi explained.
The person secretly selling the pearl hairpin was an elderly woman who seemed to be in urgent need of money. Sheng Zexi had come across her, saw the pale blue pearl hairpin, and immediately thought Gu Jianing would love it—so he bought it.
Five yuan was a significant sum for most families, but to Sheng Zexi, it was nothing.
And sure enough, Gu Jianing adored it.
She immediately took off the hairpin she was wearing and replaced it with the pearl one.
Sheng Zexi gazed at her, his eyes full of tenderness. “Beautiful,” he praised.
Gu Jianing smiled. This guy—was he complimenting the hairpin or her?
If Sheng Zexi knew what she was thinking, he would definitely say: Of course it’s my wife who’s beautiful!
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