Gu Jianing loved beauty and adored dressing herself up, especially when it came to hairpins.
Whenever she came across different, beautiful hairpins, she would always collect them.
In the past, her family would help her gather them.
Now that she was married, it was her husband who helped her add to her collection.
By now, Gu Jianing had amassed a full box of hairpins, collected since childhood.
Sheng Zexi remembered the offhand remark she once made: “Wearing a different, pretty hairpin every day makes my mood so much better.”
Gu Jianing had said it casually, but Sheng Zexi took it to heart. From then on, whether for her birthday or New Year gifts, he would always give her different hairpins.
And Gu Jianing was visibly delighted.
Who wouldn’t be happy and touched when someone remembers an offhand comment and acts on it?
“Come, let me put it on for you.”
“Wearing a new hairpin means my Ningning will have a great mood all year and good luck too.”
“Okay.”
Gu Jianing leaned in, and Sheng Zexi carefully removed the hairpin she was wearing, replacing it with the new one.
“How does it look? Pretty?”
“Beautiful. My wife is the most beautiful.”
Gu Jianing covered her mouth and laughed. “I wasn’t asking if I looked pretty! I was asking if the hairpin looks nice!”
Sheng Zexi gazed at her, his eyes filled with tenderness. “It’s pretty. The hairpin is pretty, but you’re even prettier.”
Gu Jianing covered her mouth again, her laughter even brighter.
It finally dispelled the gloom she’d felt earlier about not being able to return to her hometown.
“Tomorrow, let’s take Xingxing, Yueyue, and Grandma and Grandpa out for photos,” Gu Jianing suggested.
“Sure.”
Sheng Zexi never refused any of Gu Jianing’s requests.
Just then, a sound suddenly rang out.
A large firework bloomed across the starry sky, painting the night with even more dazzling colors.
“Ningning, Happy New Year.”
“Mhm, Happy New Year.”
Amid the fireworks and firecrackers, the year 1975 passed, and 1976 arrived.
Everything was a fresh start.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, after breakfast, the family drove to the town’s photo studio.
The couple—one holding Xingxing, the other holding Yueyue—stood behind, while Grandpa Sang and Grandma Sang sat in front.
“Alright, just like that—don’t move. Three, two, one…”
…
“Good, stay just like that—don’t move. Three, two, one—click.”
“All done!”
The moment was captured in the photograph.
Xingxing and Yueyue, who had been sitting on Sheng Zexi and Gu Jianing’s laps, climbed down.
“Dad, Mom, let’s hurry to the department store~” The moment her feet touched the ground, Yueyue called out in her sweet, childish voice, tugging at Gu Jianing and Sheng Zexi to head to the department store.
Xingxing didn’t say anything, but his usually expressionless face also held a hint of anticipation.
“Alright, let’s go.”
So Xingxing and Yueyue held hands, while Gu Jianing and Sheng Zexi each took one of their little hands, and the family of four made their way to the department store.
Gu Jianing’s gaze lingered on the two little ones toddling ahead on their short legs.
Her eyes softened with tenderness.
Time always seemed to fly by when it came to children.
In the blink of an eye, it was now September 1977. The two little ones who had once been just a few months old and barely able to sit up were now two years and four months old—not only walking but also talking.
Xingxing took after his father’s personality, speaking little unless absolutely necessary.
Yueyue, on the other hand, was a little chatterbox.
As the children grew, time had also matured Gu Jianing, making her even more radiant, yet softening her with the gentle warmth unique to motherhood.
During the New Year’s transition from 1975 to 1976, heavy snow had blocked the roads, preventing Gu Jianing from returning to her hometown.
Then, from 1976 to 1977, a widespread epidemic broke out, and Gu Jianing joined the frontlines of disease control, spending that New Year saving lives—so she couldn’t go home then either.
Now, it was already September 1977.
“Time really flies,” Gu Jianing sighed.
It felt like just yesterday that she had been reborn, and now, she and Sheng Zexi had been married for years, raising two adorable children together.
And now, she was carrying another one in her belly.
She had only just found out—it had only been two months.
“This will probably be the last time we take photos here,” Gu Jianing murmured wistfully.
Sheng Zexi gave a quiet “Mm” in response.
Gu Jianing turned her gaze to him. The past two years had only deepened this man’s maturity and steadiness.
Of course, the commanding presence of a soldier had also grown more pronounced.
But when it came to his family, he was still as tender as ever.
Grandpa Sang had returned to Beijing in the spring of 1976.
After all, he still had work and couldn’t stay away for too long.
Grandma Sang had stayed until the twins were over a year old before finally going back.
There was no helping it—it wasn’t right to keep the old couple separated for so long.
After Grandma Sang left, Gu Jianing hired a nanny to help care for the children.
The nanny was the elderly mother of one of the families in the military compound.
Her own grandchildren were older now and didn’t need her care, and she wasn’t used to sitting idle. So when she heard Gu Jianing needed help, she stepped in.
Luckily, the twins were well-behaved and utterly adorable, quickly winning the nanny’s affection.
Now, she doted on them as if they were her own grandchildren.
“Will you miss this place?” Sheng Zexi asked her gently, his eyes warm.
“Of course I will.”
The reason this would be their last photo here was that Sheng Zexi was about to be transferred away from the Northwest Military District.
He was being reassigned to an island near Guangzhou in the east, where he would collaborate with the navy on missions and operations.
His superiors said this was a transitional assignment.
His stay on the island would last no more than a year.
After that, Sheng Zexi would likely be transferred to Beijing.
Since Sheng Zexi was being relocated, Gu Jianing would naturally follow.
So recently, she had been handling the necessary procedures.
Moving to the island with the children meant she could no longer work at the Northwest Military Hospital—she would have to resign.
For now, only Old Chen, her colleagues, and a few close friends in the military compound knew about the news.
The patients and most neighbors were still in the dark.
She was worried that if word got out, things might get chaotic.
After all, in her years working at the Northwest Military Hospital, Gu Jianing had saved countless lives and earned a reputation as a “Fertility Goddess,” building deep bonds with many people.
Leaving now meant parting with many she held dear—her mentor Old Chen, her best friend Shuwan, Jiang Baihe, and many of the military wives in the compound.
But…
All good things must come to an end.
Sensing Gu Jianing’s melancholy, Sheng Zexi reached over and took her hand, comforting her softly, “Don’t be too sad. Without goodbyes, there’d be no joy in reunions.”
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