Chapter 23: Changing Careers

If that was the case, then why not get divorced as soon as possible? What was the point of all this back-and-forth nonsense?

“I absolutely trust my wife,” Gu Cheng said, exhaling almost imperceptibly in relief. Then he added, “Don’t ever bring up divorce again. I will never agree to it.”

There was no good reason for him to get a divorce. Besides, Liu Yinyin was still carrying his child—divorcing now would be absurd. Who divorces while expecting a baby?

Liu Yinyin: “…”

She was beyond frustrated.

Yet, she couldn’t just outright tell him that the original owner of this body was already dead.

Being suddenly transported into this world and accepting the child in her belly was already the limit of what she could handle. To accept a husband as well? That was simply impossible.

Frowning, Liu Yinyin said, “Even if you refuse, I will never go back to the Gu family.”

Since he wouldn’t agree to a divorce, and she couldn’t drag him to the courthouse by force, they would just have to remain at a stalemate. That was fine by her—she was perfectly content with her current life alone and had no intention of changing it.

Gu Cheng saw her resolute expression and thought to himself…

During the time he had been gone, Liu Yinyin must have endured a lot.

With a faint sigh, he said, “You can stay wherever you like. Just don’t bring up divorce again.”

Liu Yinyin shrugged. “Suit yourself. I have work to do.”

Since they couldn’t reach an agreement, there was no point in dragging out the conversation.

Besides, their villages were far apart. It wasn’t like they would see each other often.

Not to mention, Gu Cheng was stationed in the military and only came back a few times a year. With them being apart more than together, divorce was just a matter of time.

Gu Cheng frowned. “It’s so hot today, and you’re carrying a baby. Why don’t you go home and rest? I’ll do your share of the work.”

Liu Yinyin let out a slow breath. “No need. I’m just drying grain—it’s light work. It won’t tire me out.”

Gu Cheng thought for a moment and then said, “Alright, then I’ll go help my parents in the fields.”

That way, he could take the chance to ask his in-laws if they knew what had happened.

Liu Yinyin: “…”

Wait, wasn’t this man supposed to go home?

With a stiff expression, Liu Yinyin returned to the drying yard, her brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a mosquito.

Seeing her expression, Grandma Cai immediately asked with concern, “Yinyin, where’s your husband?”

Liu Yinyin’s brows knitted even tighter. “He… he went to the fields to work.”

In the countryside, people commonly referred to spouses as “your man” or “your wife.” It still felt odd to her ears.

“That makes sense,” Grandma Cai said with a smile. “Your family has been worried sick about him for so long. It’s only right that he makes it up to you now.”

At this point, she didn’t dare bring up Chen Guangjun anymore.

Chen Guangjun was a good man, but he wasn’t as tall, well-built, or handsome as Gu Cheng.

Moreover, Gu Cheng was a soldier, and from what she had heard, he held a decent rank. His salary and benefits were surely no worse than Chen Guangjun’s.

Liu Yinyin absentmindedly continued her work, feeling like this was the longest afternoon she had ever endured.

As the sun began to set, someone came to collect the harvested rice.

Liu Yinyin helped out, and once the rice was gathered, it was time to finish for the day.

After tidying up, she headed home.

With the autumn harvest in full swing, Jiang Cuihua, feeling sorry for her pregnant daughter, had her eat at the Liu family home for now. That way, Yinyin wouldn’t have to go home and cook after a long day of work—it would be too exhausting.

Liu Yinyin didn’t refuse. With her days so busy, she truly didn’t want to cook. And she couldn’t let her house sit cold and empty either.

Still, she wasn’t one to take advantage of others.

Every day, she brought six eggs from home to the Liu family to contribute to the meals.

Her six hens laid one egg each per day—there was nothing wrong with sharing some.

As she walked along the small path leading back to the village, she saw the entire Liu family walking toward her.

Each of them was beaming with joy.

Among the group, one figure stood out—Gu Cheng. This afternoon, he had been the center of attention in the village.

Liu Yinyin felt her head buzzing with irritation.

Was this man not planning to go home? Dear heavens, could he actually be thinking of staying here for good?

“Yinyin, you must be tired. Let me carry that for you,” Second Sister-in-law Liu said with a bright smile, taking the basket from her.

Liu Yinyin: “…”

She had never seen her second sister-in-law this enthusiastic before.

To be honest, ever since she had returned from the Gu family, Second Sister-in-law Liu had always been cold towards her, treating her with barely concealed disdain.

Just a few days ago, she had been giving her the cold shoulder for eating meals at home.

And now? Such a sudden change in attitude—it was obvious that it was because Gu Cheng had returned.

Jiang Cuihua was the happiest of all today. The smile never left her face. When they got home, she ordered her two daughters-in-law to prepare a lavish meal.

Scrambled eggs with scallions, braised eggplant, stir-fried salted fish with chili, cabbage stewed with vermicelli, garlic oil lettuce, and cucumber salad.

For the main dish, they had cornbread buns made entirely from cornmeal.

There wasn’t much to spare in the household, and putting together such a feast at this time was no easy task.

The children in the house stared at the food, practically drooling.

Even Liu Laifu, who treasured his liquor like gold, brought out a bottle he had carefully stashed away.

He planned to have a proper drink with his son-in-law tonight.

Liu Yinyin sat beside Gu Cheng, barely tasting the food.

All she could do was listen to the lively conversation between Gu Cheng and her father.

The two of them were having such a good time chatting that if Gu Cheng weren’t technically her husband, Liu Yinyin would have grabbed a bag of sunflower seeds, sat to the side, and simply listened in for entertainment.

Liu Laifu, his face flushed from drinking, turned to his son-in-law and asked, “Gu Cheng, how long will you be staying this time?”

That was the downside of marrying a soldier—husband and wife were rarely together.

His daughter was due in two or three months. Who knew if Gu Cheng would even be around when the time came?

The Gu family couldn’t be relied on, and if her husband wasn’t there either, she would have to raise the child alone. It would be too hard on her.

In fact, he was considering that maybe his daughter should follow Gu Cheng and live with him on the military base. That way, their relationship would only grow stronger.

Gu Cheng hadn’t had the chance to tell them yet, so he spoke up, “Father, I’ve been discharged from the army. I won’t be leaving again.”

His words stunned everyone!

Liu Laifu nearly choked on his drink. In shock, he asked, “So… you won’t be going back to the army at all?”

“No, I won’t,” Gu Cheng replied seriously.

Jiang Cuihua, however, saw things differently. “…It’s good that you’re back. It’s stable. Even if you’re just earning work points in the fields, you can still support your wife and child.”

No matter what, the most important thing was that her son-in-law had returned alive. Serving in the military was too dangerous.

It was better for him to come home and live a stable life.

Besides, Gu Cheng was tall, strong, and hardworking. Supporting a small family wouldn’t be a problem for him.

Liu Yinyin: “…”

This was also the first time she had heard about Gu Cheng’s discharge, and she suddenly felt anxious.

What worried her wasn’t whether he could provide for the family, but the fact that if he stayed here permanently, wouldn’t she have to deal with him all the time?

Seeing their misunderstanding, Gu Cheng quickly clarified, “To be precise, I’ve been transferred. They’ll arrange a job for me here. Mother, don’t worry. I’ll still be able to provide for Yinyin and the child.”