On the way back, Lin Qingping held out her hand to Gu Jincheng. “What is it?” Gu Jincheng asked, puzzled by the slender hand presented to him. “That red envelope?” Lin Qingping asked, her face cold. Gu Jincheng was speechless. He had, in fact, given the red envelope to his mother-in-law just before they left. It had eighty bucks in it. “Hand it over!” Lin Qingping demanded, her face stern. But Gu Jincheng couldn’t… “I’m talking about all the money you have on you, and your paybook!” In her past life, Gu Jincheng had done the same thing, handing over all their family savings to her right as he was leaving to return to his post at the end of that visit. Realizing this was what she wanted, Gu Jincheng immediately and briskly emptied his pockets, placing all the cash he had into her hand. “The paybook is at home. I don’t have it with me.” “Alright. Give it to me when we get back.” Lin Qingping took the money. “Gu Jincheng, I need to lay down some ground rules with you.” Gu Jincheng stared at her, surprised. “You’re away with the army year-round, so I’m the one holding this family together. Plus, you have Zhiyuan to raise, and that costs a lot. So, from now on, I make all the decisions about this household! You are not to make any on your own! And you won’t spend a single cent without my permission!” Seeing Gu Jincheng’s continued silence, Lin Qingping’s delicate eyebrows shot up. “Do you agree or not?” “I agree.” Whenever Gu Jincheng spoke, it was always with that same crisp finality. Satisfied, Lin Qingping said, “Good. Let’s go home.” Gu Jincheng visibly relaxed. It seemed she wasn’t going to press the issue of the red envelope. But he’d relaxed too soon. It was an undisputed fact that Gu Jincheng had married a drama queen. Even with her rebirth, that dramatic persona of hers wasn’t about to change. Just a few steps later, she was up to her old tricks again. She let herself fall far behind him, glaring at his retreating figure. When Gu Jincheng realized she was gone again, he waited in place just as he had before. But this time, Lin Qingping didn’t catch up. She remained rooted to the spot. Gu Jincheng had no choice but to walk back. Watching his tall, straight figure approach, Lin Qingping felt a warmth spread through her chest. He really was handsome. His features were beautifully defined, his jawline sharp and strong. How could she have been so blind in her past life, only having eyes for those pale, scholarly types… “What’s wrong?” he asked, standing before her. Her eyes glistening, she pouted. “My arm hurts… I can’t walk anymore…” She even showed him the spot on her arm stained with red antiseptic. Gu Jincheng was at a loss. He couldn’t quite grasp the causal link between a sore arm and an inability to walk, but he forced himself to respond. “Well… I’ll walk slower.” It was the only solution he could think of. “I can’t walk at all!” Lin Qingping whined, stomping her foot, her eyes still fixed on him wetly. “Then…” He didn’t know what to do. “You have to carry me!” Gu Jincheng froze. “Or hold me! That would work too!” Gu Jincheng hesitated for a moment before finally choosing, between the two options, to carry her on his back. Lin Qingping got her wish, settling onto his back. Feeling the solid strength of his shoulders, she couldn’t help but rest her head against his. She could sense him pulling away from her, though she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was because of the disdain she had so obviously shown when they first married… But it didn’t matter. She had come back in this life to win him over. Leaning on his shoulder, she had a clearer view of the faint blue shadow of stubble on his jaw, his neatly trimmed sideburns, and his earlobe… On an impulse, she blew a soft breath against it. She watched as the base of his ears immediately turned a deep red. “Don’t mess around!” The reprimand was sharp, like a commander’s order. But it didn’t scare Lin Qingping in the slightest. Instead, she just laughed aloud on his back. He carried her like that all the way back to the village. At the entrance, they ran into their neighbor, Auntie Chun, who spotted them from a distance and yelled, “Chengzi, you’d better get home quick! Your Zhiyuan’s gotten into a fight with someone! No one can break them up!” Then she saw the way he was carrying Lin Qingping and fell silent, her expression a mixture of wanting to stare and not daring to. Gu Jincheng, however, paid her no mind. His only thought was for the boy. Hearing the news, he set Lin Qingping down and took off running. Lin Qingping hurried after him. Fighting… In her past life, that single word had been Zhiyuan’s downfall. The boy was smart, but in an era when rural families didn’t yet value education, he never had much schooling. After Gu Jincheng’s sacrifice, his grandparents aged ten years overnight and had no energy left to discipline him. He fell in with a rough crowd, and his fierce loyalty always had him fighting his friends’ battles. Eventually, he caused real trouble, badly injuring someone and landing himself in prison… But that was all much later. At this age, Zhiyuan was supposed to be a good kid. What could have happened to make him start fighting now? Lin Qingping’s heart pounded with anxiety as she ran to the small riverbank. Sure enough, she saw Zhiyuan wrestling with Da Pang, the chubby kid from the village, while several adults tried and failed to pull them apart. Zhiyuan was only five, a wiry boy half Da Pang’s size, yet it was Da Pang who was howling. As she got closer, she saw why: Zhiyuan had sunk his teeth into Da Pang's shoulder and refused to let go, no matter how the adults tried to separate them. In fact, their pulling only made it hurt more, and Da Pang's howls turned into full-blown sobs. “Li Zhiyuan!” Gu Jincheng’s voice was a cold, authoritative bark as he strode over. Zhiyuan released his grip instantly. Amidst Da Pang’s wails and the villagers’ murmurs, Gu Jincheng hauled him home. Li Zhiyuan was stubborn to the bone; otherwise, he wouldn’t have caused such disaster later in life. Right now, even though his own face was covered in scratches, he clamped his jaw shut and refused to say why he’d been fighting. Gu Jincheng punished him by making him stand in the corner to reflect on his actions. Without a word, Zhiyuan obediently went to his room to stand there. He just wouldn’t talk. Not long after, the village party secretary came to see Gu Jincheng, asking him to come discuss the new dam project. As soon as Gu Jincheng left, Lin Qingping decided to try talking to Zhiyuan. Their relationship had always been cold, and breaking the ice would take some effort. But every journey starts with a single step, doesn’t it? Lin Qingping went to him with a cup of warm milk she’d just mixed from powder and offered it to him. Zhiyuan glanced at it, then turned his head away without a sound. “Powdered milk is good for kids. It helps you grow tall. Don’t you want to grow taller? Taller than Da Pang?” Lin Qingping gently touched the rim of the cup to his lips. Zhiyuan hesitated for a long moment before gulping it all down in one go. “That’s right,” Lin Qingping said with a small smile. “From now on, you should drink it every day, you hear? And when I’m not here, you can mix it yourself.” For some reason, Zhiyuan’s eyes turned red. But the boy’s pride was strong, and he quickly turned his face to hide them. “What is it?” Lin Qingping asked, her voice as gentle as she could make it. “I… I’ll leave. You don’t have to be like this.” He was just a child, after all. No matter how stubborn he tried to be, as he spoke those words, the tears started to fall, big and fast. Lin Qingping had no idea why he would say such a thing. Why would he suddenly talk about leaving? Just as she was about to ask, a commotion erupted outside.