A Couple's Rebirth to 1977 Before Marriage

Li Xiu stayed home with the two children for three days before returning to the Capital City. He simply couldn’t rest easy with Zhou Lian there all by herself. Thinking back to what happened last year, Li Xiu still felt a lingering fear. Zhou Lian had a weak constitution since childhood, and while she had mostly recovered, her immune system was still rather poor. For Li Xiu, those three days had been agonizing.

Life moves on, bumps and all. Soon, it was the day of the New Year’s Eve dinner. As always, Professor Xiao and Professor Fan ate, exchanged a few words, and then retired to their rooms to rest. Sister Fang also took the two children to their room early, leaving Li Xiu to deal with a table left in disarray.

Listening to the sound of firecrackers popping near and far, Li Xiu brewed a cup of red date, longan, and goji berry tea for Zhou Lian. He had her sit to the side and sip it slowly while he rolled up his sleeves and began to clean up with practiced speed.

Zhou Lian watched his busy back and sighed, almost inaudibly. ’It’s always like this.’ This man had never let her do a single chore in her life, simply pampering her endlessly. Staring at her own hands—the kind any woman would envy—Zhou Lian sometimes couldn’t help but wonder. ’Isn’t this a bit much? Did Li Xiu marry a wife, or a queen who has to be waited on hand and foot?’

When he finished cleaning up, Li Xiu saw Zhou Lian sitting there in a daze. He quietly walked over, sat down beside her, and gently pulled her into his arms. "What’s on your mind, Bao’er?" he asked with a smile.

"Nothing much. Jin Chen, sometimes I wonder... after all these years, aren’t you tired? Juggling everything at home and outside of it, plus the two kids, and me!" Zhou Lian whispered, gently tracing Li Xiu’s handsome features with her finger.

Looking at Zhou Lian with some confusion, Li Xiu asked gently, "What’s wrong, Bao’er? Why are you thinking about this all of a sudden?"

"It’s nothing. It’s just... I’ve watched you for so many years, always like this. You pamper me so much I never have to lift a finger, and you handle everything, both inside and outside the home. Isn’t it exhausting?"

Chuckling softly, Li Xiu lovingly kissed Zhou Lian’s forehead. "It’s not hard work," he murmured. "Not at all. As long as I can see my Bao’er smile, I feel as if my life has neither storms nor clear skies."

"’Listen not to the sound of rain beating through the forest; why not walk slowly and chant? A bamboo staff and straw sandals are lighter than a horse. Who’s afraid? A straw raincoat is all one needs for a life in the mist and rain. The biting spring wind blows the wine away, a slight chill, but the setting sun over the mountain comes to welcome me. I turn my head to the bleak place I came from; on my return, there is neither storm nor sunshine.’ Su Dongpo’s ’Calming the Storm.’ You like this poem, Jin Chen?" Zhou Lian asked, a little curious.

Nodding gently, Li Xiu said softly, "I like it very much."

’It made sense that someone with Li Xiu’s personality would like it. Magnanimous and carefree—it suited his temperament perfectly.’

"Jin Chen, sometimes even I feel like you’ve spoiled me rotten. A few days ago, I asked Grandmaster to help me with the cultural media company, and you should have seen the way Teacher Xiao and Grandmaster looked at me!" Zhou Lian said, a little dejected. The way they looked at her was no different from how one would look at a spendthrift.

Li Xiu laughed cheerfully, cleared his throat, and said, "About that, Teacher Xiao and Grandmaster talked to me. It was the day after I got back from my hometown."

"Jin Chen, do I really seem that unreliable? Why would I do something without thinking it through carefully? Teacher Xiao and Grandmaster really don’t understand me at all!" Zhou Lian said with a pout.

Li Xiu gently stroked Zhou Lian’s hair and said nonchalantly, "Bao’er, I don’t think Teacher Xiao and Grandmaster meant it the way you think. They’re worried about you. After all, the initial investment is huge. If you end up losing money later on, they’re afraid you’ll have a hard time answering to me."

"Hmph, what’s there to worry about? So what if I lose money? Besides, it hasn’t even started yet," Zhou Lian said dismissively. ’Everyone likes money, and she was no exception. But when you have a lot of it, it really is just a string of numbers.’

Smiling, Li Xiu said softly, "Bao’er’s right. Isn’t money earned just to be spent?"

She looked up, kissed Li Xiu, and smiled sweetly. ’This man has always been this way,’ she thought. ’He always did more than he ever said.’

"After the Spring Festival, help me find people to get the company up and running."

"Alright, leave it to me. All you need to do, Bao’er, is draft the company charter. We can have Grandmaster oversee the cultural aspects. You don’t need to worry about the rest," Li Xiu said after a moment’s thought.

’Running a company in the traditional culture industry now definitely wouldn’t be profitable. But he understood Zhou Lian’s thinking. If this traditional culture wasn’t saved soon, its lineage would truly be broken. If she wanted to do it, then she should do it. He, Li Xiu, could afford to lose this little bit of money.’

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Lian said softly, "Jin Chen, next year Huaitai takes his college entrance exams, and back home, Li He takes hers too. Huaitai is right here under our noses, so getting into a top university won’t be a problem for him. But what about Li He from back home? Did you ask about her when you went back?"

"Li He shouldn’t have much trouble. Her grades are much better than Li Cui’s. From what she said, she wants to apply to Beijing University. Looking at her grades, it shouldn’t be a big issue."

Nodding gently, Zhou Lian said softly, "That’s good. Then it’s just the three little ones left at home. But those three are no simpletons. They shouldn’t have any problem with their exams in a couple of years either."

"Yes, it shouldn’t be a big problem. You don’t have to worry about it, Bao’er. They have their own paths to walk. We should just watch quietly from the sidelines." Li Xiu didn’t like Zhou Lian focusing her attention on others; he even got jealous of his own two children, let alone anyone else.

Glancing at Li Xiu with a smile, Zhou Lian said with a hint of resignation, "Alright, I’ll listen to you."

Zhou Lian couldn’t help but snuggle closer into Li Xiu’s arms. A thought popped into her head and she voiced it, asking, "This recent incident in the Capital City, has it all been taken care of?"

"Pretty much. The big fish have been netted. As for the small fry, I didn’t let Ping Jing touch them. The Ping Family has a certain standing to maintain; being too greedy would look bad," Li Xiu said with a smile. The thought of Ping Jing’s expression at the time made him want to laugh.

Seeing the smile playing on Li Xiu’s lips, Zhou Lian asked curiously, "What is it? Did our ’young master’ make another blunder?"

"Not exactly a blunder. He’s probably just been out of the game for too long. His perspective and vision haven’t quite caught up yet. But he’s definitely a smart guy; he gets it with just a little hint," Li Xiu said nonchalantly.

Zhou Lian smiled too. "That’s not surprising. After all, he was once one of the most famous young masters from the great families of the Capital City."

"Bao’er, Ping’an will likely have a major transfer next year." After some thought, Li Xiu decided to tell Zhou Lian about it to prevent her from being caught off guard later.

"Oh? Is there a specific destination?"

"The Northwest."

Zhou Lian sat up straight in surprise. Looking at Li Xiu, she asked, "Why there? Was it his own idea?"

"Mhm, he wants to go. Ping Jing and I both support him."

"Jin Chen, isn’t it a bit too chaotic over there? Will he be okay? Won’t there be trouble?" Zhou Lian asked worriedly.

Gently patting Zhou Lian’s hand, Li Xiu said casually, "Bao’er, sometimes you have to pull chestnuts from the fire. Elder Ping is getting old, after all. The Ping Family in the Capital City is currently in a transitional phase with a gap in leadership. What else can Ping’an do but take a gamble?"