Chapter 29: Fu Zhengtu

With a worried heart, Su Taotao finished her lunch. She still had over an hour before the tractor returned to the village, so she went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some snacks for Chenchen and Fu Yuanhang before slowly making her way back to the meeting point.

From a distance, Su Taotao noticed that the meeting point was unusually bustling today. Although the tractor was stationed at the first production team, it was shared by several nearby production teams, so it was normal for it to be crowded every market day.

However, the level of activity today was unprecedented.

As Su Taotao approached, a man who stood out from the crowd came into view—

Against the backdrop of the blue sky in May, with clear sunlight and a gentle breeze, a man over 1.8 meters tall stood in the center, surrounded by a group of chattering aunties. His crisp white shirt stood out like a beacon in the drab surroundings.

Like a snow-capped mountain, towering and remote, he stood out among the crowd, his presence commanding attention.

From Su Taotao’s angle, she could see the man’s sharp jawline, tightly pressed light-colored lips, straight and tall nose, slightly raised eyes, and flying sword-shaped eyebrows. Even the shadows under his lashes were perfectly placed, adding to the allure when they flickered. It was as if his face had been carved by a master sculptor, flawless and striking.

In that moment, Su Taotao realized that this was her husband, the man who rarely spoke but whose presence spoke volumes.

Her heart skipped a beat, racing without reason. She had always known Fu Zhengtu was handsome, but seeing him now, she realized he was even more striking than she had imagined. His side profile was already breathtaking; she could only imagine how stunning his full face must be.

As if by telepathy, the man suddenly turned his head, and his god-like face collided straight into Su Taotao’s line of sight.

His gaze was like a sharp blade that could conquer all, with a chill at the corners of his eyes and brows from the peak of a snow-capped mountain. It swept lightly over Su Taotao’s face, seemingly frowning slightly, perhaps a little displeased, before turning back.

He didn’t seem to recognize her.

Su Taotao took a deep breath and walked straight into the crowd.

A familiar middle-aged woman spotted Su Taotao and smiled even more, with a teasing expression. “Oh, Su Taotao! Why are you here so early today? We were just saying you’d show up exactly at five. Did you know Zhengtu was coming back today?”

Another woman said, “Exactly, it’s been rumored in the team for a while now that Zhengtu would be back soon. Su Taotao must have known.”

“Zhengtu, you really stayed away for so long this time. You have no idea how worried your mother was about you…”

…

Fu Zhengtu finally realized from the chatter of the surrounding women that the dusty-faced female comrade with clear eyes was his wife, whom he hadn’t seen for over two years.

Su Taotao naturally didn’t miss the flicker of astonishment in his cold eyes.

Su Taotao secretly found it amusing. She knew what a mess she looked like, and after more than two years apart, it was perfectly normal for him not to recognize her. But it didn’t matter; he was back. She wouldn’t hide anymore. As a fair and beautiful young woman, she certainly didn’t like smearing soot on her face.

“When did you arrive?” Su Taotao, not being coy, looked directly into his eyes and asked first.

“Just arrived.”

His voice was as terse as his letters, yet pleasantly clear and melodious, like the crisp sound of spring water tinkling into a jade plate.

The awkwardness between them lingered, despite being married for over two years.

Racking her brains to say something more, Su Taotao suddenly felt her hands lighten as the things she was holding were already in her husband’s hands. He was already carrying quite a few large packages himself.

“Over there.”

Su Taotao reacted, “It’s not heavy; let me carry it.”

Fu Zhengtu didn’t respond. He placed her things on top of his and carried them together as he walked away, nodding to the villagers as a farewell gesture.

He’s quite a gentleman, Su Taotao thought.

No longer concerned about the teasing behind her, Su Taotao followed him.

After walking a short distance, Su Taotao couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t we taking the tractor back?”

“Not taking it.”

He was still as brief as ever.

They walked until they reached a jeep near the station. He placed the items on it and, seeing Su Taotao gawking at the vehicle, finally said, “Get in.”

Su Taotao got into the car and habitually pulled the seatbelt across to buckle up.

Fu Zhengtu looked at her in surprise but didn’t say anything more.

In a time when even bicycles were hard to come by, Su Taotao was genuinely curious how her frugal husband had managed to have a four-wheeled vehicle. But given his tendency to kill conversations, she decided not to press him with questions.

For a while after getting in the car, neither of them spoke. Having not slept well the previous night and with Fu Zhengtu driving steadily, it wasn’t long before Su Taotao fell asleep, even letting out soft snores.

Fu Zhengtu looked at her in surprise, his gaze a mix of scrutiny and curiosity. Finally, unable to resist, a layer of soot from her face clung to his fingertips.

She mumbled something about a mosquito and scratched at the spot Fu Zhengtu had touched before continuing to sleep soundly.

Fu Zhengtu quickly averted his gaze.

When her soft snores resumed, he looked at his wife again.

He had always had a sharp memory, but after more than two years apart, his memory of her face had started to blur. However, her temper was memorable, though not in a good way. He steeled himself for a flood of complaints, questions, and maybe even insults. Yet, she hadn’t asked anything and had fallen asleep completely at ease.

After more than two years, she seemed to have changed a lot; her letters also hinted at this

“As for that child… Forget it, I’ll ask when we get home.”