Rebirth: Starting from a Trainee Teacher

Chapter 576: Night and Morning in the Countryside

"Zhou Zhou, come and have dinner."

Gu Jia prepared fresh carrot puree for the children and brought it to the kang.

Zhou Jing rubbed the little girl's belly and said, "Are you hungry?"

"e~"

The little girl climbed down from Zhou Jing unsteadily.

"hungry!"

Zhou Jing sat on the kang holding the child.

"This carrot is so fresh. Wow, it smells so good."

Gu Jia sniffed the food and lost the child's appetite. The carrots were grown by an old lady without any technology involved, so the leaves were still fresh when washed. The steamed radish paste exuded a strong carrot flavor, and it tasted not only of carrots, but also lightly sweet.

"Open your mouth and let mommy feed you."

Zhou Jing kissed the child's cheek and said.

"Ah~"

The little girl opened her mouth obediently.

"The little white rabbit likes carrots the most. Zhou Zhou likes them too, right?"

Gu Jia scooped half a spoonful of carrot puree, blew on it, used her lips to make sure it was not hot, and then fed it to the child.

"Ha~"

The little girl smacked her lips and had a lovely smile on her face.

"The little white rabbit is so white, with two ears standing up. It likes to eat radishes and vegetables. It jumps around so cutely."

Zhou Jing held the little girl's chubby little hand and shook it.

"How is the child?"

The old lady leaned on the kang, looking at the little girl with a smile on her face.

"He's in good health. He hasn't had a cold or fever since he was born. He just had diarrhea a few times." Gu Jia wiped the child's chin and said, "Eat well and you'll be healthy. Isn't Zhou Zhou healthy?"

"Ho~"

After getting familiar with the new environment, the little girl became active and acted coquettishly in Zhou Jing's arms.

"Children are tougher and adults have it much easier." The old lady held the child's hand and said, "Can you give me a bite?"

"Can I give it to grandma?"

Gu Jia brought the spoon to the old lady and said.

"Ah~"

The little girl opened her mouth.

"If you don't like it, give it to someone else." Gu Jia fed the child and said, "It seems that Zhou Zhou doesn't dislike carrot puree, but the carrots bought in the city are not tasty."

"The ones I bought are not fresh. This one is very crispy after washing it and eating it raw."

In the past, when Zhou Jing returned to his hometown during the autumn harvest season, he would pick a vegetable from the vegetable garden when he was hungry, rinse it with water, and eat it.

“Indeed, it tastes good when eaten raw.”

Gu Jia ate it while washing it just now. It was crispy and sweet.

"The white radishes can be picked now. Take a few with you when you leave."

The old lady had already started thinking about how to fill the trunk of the car when Zhou Jing left.

"Row."

Zhou Jing accepts all agricultural products from his hometown, which are like delicacies from land and sea to people in big cities.

The old man said, "Your uncle's Bobo No. 3 is going to his girlfriend's house to propose marriage. Jing needs a car, and Guozhong will go with him."

"Can we get engaged directly after proposing marriage?"

Gu Jia has not experienced the trivial details in her life and does not understand these.

The old man said, "Let's talk about the gift this time."

"Two young people haven't agreed on the bride price yet, so do they need the parents of both sides to discuss it?"

In Gu Jia's opinion, things like the bride price only need to be agreed upon by the man and woman, and the parents' meeting only needs to confirm the engagement process.

The old man said, "It's probably because they didn't reach an agreement. The betrothal gift for the eldest son of your third uncle's family is 20,100 yuan, and the other party wants 66,600 yuan for the second son. Your third uncle's family thinks it's too much and it's hard to explain to the eldest son."

“The difference is quite big indeed.”

Gu Jia felt that 66,600 yuan was not a lot for the current betrothal gift, but she understood the man's situation. First, his family conditions were limited, and second, it was difficult to say to the eldest son. Even if the eldest son's family was not considered, the man could not come up with more than 60,000 yuan, and more than 60,000 yuan in cash was not a small amount for people in this village.

"The girl is an English teacher at Qingshan Middle School. She is my dad's colleague and graduated from Tangdu University of Foreign Languages."

After the child was full, Zhou Jing put him on the kang and let him play.

"Then there should be more room for discussion if No. 3's father goes with us. Zhou Bo is also from Tangdu Foreign Language School, or is he a high school classmate?"

Gu Jia nodded and said.

"Zhou Bo is from Tangdu Petroleum University. The two of them met through classmates."

"It would be enough if the betrothal gift can be negotiated to 30,000 or 40,00

Gu Jia is not sensitive about the bride price. She thinks that if the woman wants a bride price, she must consider the man's ability to bear it. This should be considered clearly when they first start talking about it. Asking for a huge bride price when it comes to marriage discussion will make both parties feel embarrassed, because it would be a waste of feelings if the bride price is given away.

Since the man has a relative like Zhou Jing, it would be somewhat unwise for the woman to insist on asking for more dowry.

Zhou Jing looked at Gu Jia and smiled and said, "It's not too much to ask for a dowry of 60,000 yuan when you don't have a car or a house. The woman has a bachelor's degree, so this requirement is very low."

"That's true."

Gu Jia was speechless. Nowadays, it is common for women to ask for a car and a house. Uncle San's family may have to borrow tens of thousands of yuan to get the dowry, not to mention buying a car and a house for their son. The woman has a bachelor's degree and is now a middle school teacher. She does not want a car or a house, but only wants a dowry of 60,000 yuan, which is impeccable these days. The conflict is purely due to the man's family.

Wu Suqin said: "The girl is a good girl, she is pretty and capable."

"Are you thirsty?"

A few minutes after the child had eaten the complementary food, Gu Jia picked him up and went to her room to feed him.

Zhou Jing got off the kang to prepare hot water. He, Gu Jia, and the children all had to wash their faces and feet, and he also had to wash the child's butt.

"At night, we need to prevent the child from climbing around and falling off the kang. We don't know if there are scorpions. After feeding the child, take him over there and I'll spray some medicine on him."

Zhou Jing put the storage box containing the children's toys and clothes on the kang. Insects are bound to get into the door gaps and chimneys of rural houses, especially in summer, and it is not uncommon to see scorpions crawling in. When Zhou Jing came back, he brought liquid insecticide, which he sprayed around the kang. It is not easy to evaporate, has a long-lasting effect, and can reduce harm to the human body.

"Bring a mosquito net when you come back in the summer. Is Zhou Zhou afraid of bugs?"

Gu Jia looked down at the breastfeeding child and said.

Zhou Jing changed into pajamas and washed his hair first. After washing his hair, Gu Jia finished feeding the child and took the child to the next room to be watched. Zhou Jing poured the shampoo water into the foot basin and gave the basin to Gu Jia to wash her face. Zhou Jing took the insecticide and sprayed the surroundings of the kang and the door, and then went to wash his feet.

"You're really diligent in washing feet. Are all boys so self-disciplined after marriage?"

Gu Jia said with a smile that when the boy didn't take a bath, he would soak his feet every night and wash his feet with soap after soaking. He was more delicate than some girls, which made Gu Jia doubt that she had misunderstood the boy before.

“I used to be self-disciplined.”

Using soap to wash feet is a habit that Chen Jiaqian helped Zhou Jing develop. When buying soap in college, Chen Jiaqian bought two bars for Zhou Jing, one for washing face and hands, and one for washing feet. After forming this habit, Zhou Jing has always kept it, even after breaking up with Chen Jiaqian in his previous life.

"I wish everyone could be as self-disciplined as you."

Gu Jia washed her face, untied her hair, added some hot water to the water used to wash her face, and washed her feet in the foot basin.

Zhou Jing made the bed and went next door to see the child. The little girl was having a lot of fun being surrounded by her grandfather, grandmother, father and mother.

"Dad~"

Seeing Zhou Jing coming, the little girl called out in a baby voice.

"Do you want to wash your feet?"

Zhou Jing held the child's feet and smelled them. The chubby feet had been wrapped in socks for a day and had a slightly sour smell that became more and more offensive the more he smelled it.

"Daddy, daddy~"

The little girl bit her lower lip and murmured, saliva flowing from between her lips.

"You're really clever with your words, much smarter than your dad and grandpa were when they were kids."

The old lady held the child's hand and kissed it, unable to let go.

"It has a lot to do with the living environment. Jing and Jiajia tell them stories and look at animal pictures every day. Now they shout momomomo when they see a cat and shout wuwuwuwu when they see a dog. We didn't have the time and patience for this before. We considered our mission accomplished as long as we could coax them to stop crying or making a fuss."

Wu Suqin said with a smile.

The old lady asked, "How do you plan to train your child?"

"It's still early now. Let's see what she likes in the future. Go wash her face and feet, and say goodbye to grandpa and grandma. Goodbye." Zhou Jing picked up the child, held the child's hand and shook it.

Gu Jia prepared the water for the child to wash her face, washed the towel and wiped the child's face. Like all children, the little girl was very resistant to washing her face every time. Zhou Jing held Gu Jia and wiped her face and neck twice, then washed her hands, and then washed her feet. Finally, he used a cotton swab dipped in baby oral cleansing liquid to wipe the child's teeth and gums.

"The teeth are so white."

Zhou Jing said, looking at the child's white teeth.

Gu Jia looked at Zhou Jing's teeth and said, "Water quality has a great impact on teeth, especially in the countryside. People in places with poor water quality have bad teeth since childhood. The water in your village should be very good."

"It also depends on the location. The water quality of the well where the tap water is drawn is very good. Without any treatment, there is basically no scale in the boiler. The water quality of the well in my grandfather's house is average, and the scale in the boiler is more serious."

"It's delicious."

After wiping the water off the child's feet, Gu Jia kissed him, and then washed the child's butt.

Zhou Jing took off the child's pants, held him in his arms and let Gu Jia wash him. After washing, Zhou Jing put the child on the kang, put on his pajamas and covered him with a quilt.

"Wow wow wow~"

The little girl poked her head out of the quilt and washed her face, looking fresh and clean.

Teacher Gu poured the foot washing water and went to the toilet. The child had to be looked after by himself. Zhou Jing was unable to get away, so he turned on the street light for Teacher Gu and went to the kang to play with the child.

"The monster is here to catch you, get under the covers quickly."

Zhou Jing said this as he got into his bed.

"Ha~"

The little girl let out a scream of laughter and buried her head in the small blanket.

"Make sure you hide it well."

Zhou Jing lifted the quilt from the side, then lifted the child's quilt, only to see the little girl's head peeking out. Zhou Jing reached into the quilt and pinched the little girl's feet.

"Ah~"

The little girl turned around with a laugh and clumsily got into Zhou Jing's bed.

"Did you hear the monster?"

Hearing Gu Jia's footsteps coming back, Zhou Jing whispered in the child's ear.

"Uh~"

The little girl crawled under Zhou Jing's arm and lay down obediently.

Returning to the room, Gu Jia walked lightly, squatted in front of the kang and gently touched the quilt.

"Found by the monster."

Zhou Jing said in a low voice.

"The monster wants to eat the children."

Lifting up a corner of the quilt, Gu Jia saw two pairs of eyes, one big and one small.

"Mom~"

The little girl poked her head out of the quilt.

"It turned out to be mom. If children are disobedient at night, they will attract monsters. Mom just saw a monster flying in the sky. It must be looking for disobedient children. Is Zhou Zhou afraid?"

Gu Jia kissed the child and said.

"Hmm~"

The little girl kissed Gu Jia on the face.

After a long journey for a day, Gu Jia also went to bed early to rest. There was no guardrail on the kang, so Gu Jia and Zhou Jing slept separately, with the child in the middle. A box was placed on the child's head to prevent the child from falling and to block the wind.

"Come and warm Mama's bed."

Gu Jia lifted the quilt and said.

"Ha~"

The little girl stuck her butt out and was about to leave Zhou Jing's bed, but was stopped by Zhou Jing.

"Your dad is so mean, let go." Gu Jia took Zhou Jing's hand away and let the child crawl into her bed and said, "It's so warm. Sleep with mom in winter and let dad sleep alone."

"Hehe~Dad."

The little girl lay in Gu Jia's bed and cried in a baby voice.

"Dad is so cold, come quickly and warm him up."

"Ha~"

The little girl stuck her butt out again and tried to leave Gu Jia's bed.

"Don't go. Mom is cold too."

Gu Jia hugged the child.

Playing with the children before bedtime is a compulsory course for Zhou Jing and Gu Jia. After playing with the children for a while, the children fell asleep quickly, and Zhou Jing and Gu Jia also went to bed early. The night in the countryside was very quiet, without any sound of motorcycles. From time to time, the sound of birds could be heard, making it even quieter.

"What bird sound is this?"

Hearing the "coo, coo" sound of birds, Gu Jia said softly.

"This place is called Water Gurgle. I don't know its scientific name. Sometimes you can hear owls nearby. The call of Water Gurgle is more pleasant. There is a kind of bird that calls so loudly that it makes your scalp tingle when you hear it alone in the wild at night."

"Are the coo-coo and coo-coo pauses and then coo-coo the same kind of bird?"

Gu Jiayou heard a "cooing" sound.

"No, Gugu sounds like an owl. Listen carefully and it's henghu, not Gugu."

“It seems so. Nature is really amazing.”

Gu Jia fell asleep unknowingly while listening to the cooing of birds.

The next morning, the child woke up first again. The little girl woke up and was dazed for a while. She looked left and right, seeing one child sleeping soundly, and then looked left and right, seeing the other child also sleeping soundly. As per her habit of looking for milk in the morning, she crawled into Gu Jia's bed.

"Are you awake?"

Gu Jia woke up and turned to the child, yawned, patted the child's butt and said.

"Uh~"

He smacked his lips and snuggled into Gu Jia's arms.

"Are you hungry?"

Gu Jia rolled up her shirt and straightened the child's posture.

As expected, the child calmed down and immersed himself in feeding.

Zhou Jing looked at his cell phone. He was lying on the kang but there was no signal on his cell phone. He couldn't receive any messages and had a rare moment of peace and quiet.

Country people get up early. Just after six o'clock, you can hear neighbors chatting and laughing, and the beeping of motorcycles as farmers prepare to go to the fields. Some people are talking across the ditch, and you can hear them from two or three hundred meters away. There are also the barking of dogs and the crowing of chickens.

"The village is quite lively in the morning."

Gu Jia had been a farmer since childhood and had very little experience of authentic country life, so she felt that everything in the countryside was new to her.

"This time of day and the evening are the busiest. Neighbors like to gather together with their bowls for dinner. On this street, people usually gather outside the yard of the house with the thick locust tree. My grandparents often go there with their bowls for dinner."

Zhou Jing buried his head in Teacher Gu’s bed to watch the baby feeding. The child looked so intoxicated that it was very adorable.

This is why the saying "A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor" comes from. Having neighbors in the city is the same as having no neighbors at all.

Gu Jia grew up in the city and had lived in an apartment building for more than ten years, but she didn’t even know the last names of the people living upstairs and downstairs.

"."

After feeding the baby and changing the diaper, Gu Jia asked the child to go to Zhou Jing's bed and got up herself.

"Dad~naliwo, oh~"

"Oh, Dad will take you to see Gugu and Wangwang later. Do you want to see Gugu and Wangwang?"

"gugu~wuwu~ha~"

"You want to see it? Dad will take you to see it later."

The little girl is always chatty when she wakes up every morning. Although it is still unclear what she is saying, her pronunciation is becoming richer and richer. Zhou Jing can intuitively feel her growth, and this growth brings surprises and expectations to the adults every day.

"Look what Grandpa brought back for you?"

Gu Jia brought a rabbit that the old man had bought from a family across the ditch early in the morning into the house. The old man specially picked a white one. The rabbit was as big as a boy's palm, with snow-white fur and slightly red eyes, which was very cute.

"Ho-du-du~"

Looking at the little white rabbit in the cardboard box, the little girl's watery eyes were full of curiosity.

(End of this chapter)