A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 11

Shen Sisi had no idea what trick he was pulling, and she felt quite insecure.

Seeing how he had Chen Jianguo wrapped around his finger, with the two of them chatting and laughing, her confusion grew even more intense. However, under Gu Chengfeng’s warning glance, she held herself back and could only stare at him expectantly.

Gu Chengfeng’s expression remained calm, and his tone was mysterious, as if he was speaking in riddles. “Then it’s settled. I’ll get things ready and have them delivered by noon tomorrow.”

Chen Jianguo nodded and bowed, looking at him as if he were a goose that laid golden eggs.

“Alright, I’ll go and get Tingting’s dowry.”

Zhao Shilan’s face froze slightly. “Lao Chen, you want to use Tingting’s dowry?”

Chen Jianguo waved his hand dismissively, intending to push her aside, but a menacing glare from Gu Chengfeng made him quickly pull his hand back.

“What do you know? Stay out of this…”

Zhao Shilan fell back onto the sofa, her heart turning to ice. Tingting’s dowry was their last bit of family wealth.

If they gave it to Gu Chengfeng, what would Tingting do when she got married?

Gu Chengfeng, however, scoffed in disdain. “Since it’s your niece’s property, forget it. It’s a hassle to move it to the provincial capital anyway. Just convert it into cash and give it to Sisi to hold. Let’s just say it’s 700 yuan.”

700 yuan!

Chen Jianguo was so shocked he nearly jumped. 700 yuan wasn’t a huge amount. For a good family in Lin County marrying off a daughter, buying a few sets of fine satin bedding, a complete set of pots and pans, a solid wood cabinet, a dressing table, and a sewing machine would cost at least 700 to 800 yuan.

The question was, was Shen Sisi worth that much?

He was in debt up to his eyeballs. Where was he supposed to get 700 to 800 yuan?

But thinking about the bride price Gu Chengfeng was bringing in, he hardened his resolve and gritted his teeth. “Alright…”

Zhao Shilan couldn’t sit still anymore. “700 yuan, are you crazy? Where are we going to get 700 yuan?”

Chen Jianguo glared angrily, wanting to erupt but mindful of Gu Chengfeng’s presence. He quickly pushed Shen Sisi out. “Sisi, you go send Comrade Gu back first. I have something to say to your aunt.”

Shen Sisi didn’t move. Her dark eyes held a hint of fierce determination. “You’re deliberately trying to send me away. What are you planning to do to my aunt?”

With a strong backer, Shen Sisi spoke with newfound confidence.

Her arched eyebrows were a clear threat: If you dare to hurt my aunt, I’ll have my man beat you to death!

Chen Jianguo was furious, but the man behind her shot him a gloomy glare, and his temper instantly vanished. “How could I? Go on, now!”

Only then did Shen Sisi turn around and walk out with a sense of relief, closing the door behind her.

Her voice, deliberately lowered, was filled with urgency. “Gu Chengfeng, what kind of spell did you cast on my uncle?”

Gu Chengfeng smiled, acting mysterious as he made a shushing gesture. “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

This man was playing a game with her!

He was unwilling to say, but Shen Sisi had a rough guess.

Based on her understanding of Chen Jianguo, he wouldn’t let her go so easily, let alone give them her cousin’s dowry.

Unless… there was a huge benefit for him!

As she was thinking, a large, calloused hand gently took her small one. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. In short, he won’t be able to keep anything that doesn’t belong to him. And as for what’s yours… I’ll get it all back for you!”

His gaze was firm, and he had already made up his mind. He wasn’t just talking.

Though Shen Sisi still had doubts, seeing his calm and confident demeanor, she figured he wasn’t so foolish as to jump into a pit her uncle had dug for him.

Feeling the warmth from his palm, the storm in Shen Sisi’s heart gradually calmed, and she stopped asking questions.

“Okay, I trust you!”

She then allowed him to hold her hand as they walked shoulder to shoulder to the entrance of the residential compound.

Along the way, they were looked at like monkeys in a zoo.

“That’s odd. Why is the Chen family so quiet? They didn’t even get into a fight.”

“I just heard Lao Chen laughing downstairs.”

“The sun must be rising from the west…”

Countless eyes were fixed on their hands, which were stuck together.

“Tsk, tsk, they’re already holding hands. Someone really wants that used-up woman!”

Shen Sisi felt embarrassed and tried to pull her hand away, but he held it tightly, making their hands stick even closer together.

“Don’t mind them. They’re just a bunch of dogs barking, spewing nonsense from their filthy mouths!”

His voice was so loud that the chattering gossips immediately fell silent, their faces flushed with anger.

Shen Sisi chuckled. “If I cared about what they said, I would have slit my own throat back in the countryside long ago. Don’t worry, their words can’t hurt me. I was just worried about you…”

“Me?” Gu Chengfeng, who had been frowning, relaxed. “You don’t need to worry about me even more. What terrible things haven’t I, Gu Chengfeng, heard since I was a child? I just take it as a dog’s barking!”

“Exactly, just a dog’s barking!” Shen Sisi held her head high and puffed out her chest. She walked with a light, quick step, facing the setting sun.

Once they were outside the compound with no one around, Shen Sisi quickly pulled her hand free from Gu Chengfeng’s large palm.

“Student Gu, thank you!”

“Student Gu?”

The corner of Gu Chengfeng’s eye twitched, and a sharp pain shot through his head.

Sure enough, the intimacy in front of others was all a pretense!

His face darkened, and his warm smile slowly froze.

Shen Sisi didn’t know what she had said to displease him. She just saw him purse his lips, the lines of his broad jaw tightening, and his eyes turning eerily cold.

Before she could speak again, Gu Chengfeng said in a low voice, “You should go back. I’ll be there on time tomorrow to pick you two up… I’ll keep an eye on things at the hospital. I’ll bring the Rifampicin to you when it arrives.”

His voice was very pleasant; even when subdued, it held an unconscious tenderness.

“Thank you…” Shen Sisi looked up gratefully, but he had already turned around decisively and was walking away quickly.

Watching Gu Chengfeng’s hurried departure, she was a little confused. Why is this man so moody?

Regardless, the family matter was settled, and Niu Niu’s medicine was taken care of. Everything was moving in a good direction…

Gu Chengfeng was truly a blessing to her!

Back at her aunt’s house, the room was a mess, with things pulled out of cupboards and drawers.

Zhao Shilan was sitting on the sofa counting money. The coins and bills in her hand, pieced together from various sources, only amounted to about a hundred yuan.

“Sisi, you take this money first. Your uncle went out to borrow the rest.” Zhao Shilan rolled the money up, secured it with a rubber band, and then wrapped it in a handkerchief before putting it in Shen Sisi’s hand.

She stared blankly at the cloth bundle in her palm. “Auntie, what’s going on? Are you really preparing a dowry for me?”

Zhao Shilan sighed. “Your mother passed away so early. As your aunt, I really should have prepared a dowry for you. I’ve been negligent.”

“Thinking back… your mother helped us get our jobs. Otherwise, your uncle and I would still be country bumpkins in the village, unable to live in this small apartment, unable to have two salaries, and your cousin Tingting wouldn’t have had the chance to go to the provincial arts troupe.”

“To be honest… we owe you so much.”

Mentioning the past made Zhao Shilan want to cry. When her sister and brother-in-law were alive, they came from such a good family. One was the principal of Lin County’s First Middle School, and the other was the director of external publicity. Shen Sisi was a young lady from a family of scholars and a high-ranking official. Who knew…

Mentioning her mother felt like a knife twisting in Shen Sisi’s heart.

She knew her aunt felt guilt toward her and her mother. Seeing her aunt turn the house upside down looking for money, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

But then she thought about Niu Niu’s illness, and how expensive it would be at the provincial hospital, so she accepted it without hesitation. “Thank you, Auntie…”

The fact that her aunt was preparing a dowry didn’t surprise her. What truly surprised her was that Chen Jianguo would actually run out eagerly to borrow money.

Soon, the entire residential compound heard that Shen Sisi was getting married.

It was said that the bride price would be delivered the next day.

Everyone was curious about who this fool was and what kind of useless garbage he would bring.

After all, what was a “used-up woman” worth?

They were all waiting to watch Shen Sisi become a laughingstock…