Chapter 498: Buying Coal

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Gu Zu ceded her position as head chef to Su Shen, who took over the helm. She brought over the marinated beef, picking up a piece and placing it on a clean sheet of paper. “This is done to absorb the moisture on the surface of the beef, making it easier to pan-fry later. Once the moisture is absorbed, it can go into the pan. There’s no need for oil, just dry fry,” she explained.

Su Shen followed Gu Zu’s instructions to the letter, executing the task with an air of professionalism. Soon, the pan-fried steak began to exude a tantalizing aroma. Gu Zu then spoke again, “As for Su Jing, you can make the decision. I’m not opposed to her now.”

At the end of her statement, Su Shen let out a soft chuckle. The sound was brief, but deep and pleasant. Just as Gu Zu was savoring the moment, she felt a ticklish sensation on her nose. Su Shen spoke, “Alright, I promise. As long as she shows any signs of reverting to her old self, I’ll have nothing to do with her.”

Gu Zu touched her nose, which had been lightly grazed by his finger. Her eyes were downcast, half-covered, creating an indescribable sense of beauty. He turned his head to look at her, letting his gaze linger. The atmosphere between them grew increasingly ambiguous.

During the meal that followed, Gu Zu felt uncomfortable making eye contact with the man, her skin prickling with goosebumps.

Su Bing and Su Li sensed something strange in the atmosphere between their parents. It was as if they were both close and distant at the same time. However, they didn’t understand much and ultimately decided to focus on their meal, not bothering to think too deeply about it.

After dinner, Gu Zu called Su Bing over to the refrigerator. Pointing at a thermal box, she told him, “I specifically set this pan-fried steak aside. You should bring some for Jiang Nuan to taste.”

Su Bing felt a bit embarrassed, “Mom, Jiang Nuan only gave me her leftovers because she couldn’t finish them. Is this really necessary?”

Despite Su Bing’s intelligence, he could tell that Jiang Nuan’s claim of not being able to finish her food was an excuse. She simply wanted to befriend him. However, he didn’t want to admit this because he wasn’t sure if he could always be her friend. What if she found new friends she wanted to hang out with?

Gu Zi knew that Su Bing still harbored some unresolved shadows towards women. He was perhaps afraid that Jiang Nuan only wanted to be his friend temporarily, and that one day, she would become better friends with someone else, leaving him in the cold.

This child was heavy-hearted, a situation that couldn’t be helped, but she also stood firm in her demands.

“It’s necessary,” she insisted. “We should reciprocate, regardless of whether you’ve considered becoming good friends with her.”

“Please, Su Bing,” she implored, “Let Jiang Nuan taste this. She can take it home and have her mother heat it up for her. There’s even some beef steak sauce I made inside.” Gu Zi didn’t give him a chance to refuse, turning on her heel and leaving the restaurant to head upstairs.

The next morning, after Su Bing and the others had left for school, Gu Zi hurried to check the refrigerator. Seeing that the lunch box had been taken, she broke into a satisfied smile.

Gu Zi returned upstairs to organize the wardrobe. She had already sorted out most of the clothes, and now only hers and Su Shen’s remained. However, she was quick and soon had everything in order. It was then that she realized a problem: although it was supposed to be clothing for two, four-fifths of it was hers. The small remainder belonged to Su Shen.

She suddenly realized that her husband, despite being the manager of a pig farm, indeed had very few clothes!

It seemed she would have to find time to buy him a few more items. Moreover, it was getting colder. Although it rarely snowed here in winter, the damp cold was bone-chilling. She needed to prepare some heating for the house, or else it would be difficult to get through the winter.

After some thought, Gu Zi decided that a fireplace would be the most suitable for the interior. With a fireplace, she could open all the windows without fear of carbon monoxide poisoning.

However, this meant she would need to buy some coal for backup. Where could she buy coal here?

Just as Gu Zi was pondering this, Aunt Zhang’s voice came from the courtyard below. “Gu Zi, do you need to buy coal? There’s a coal seller at the village entrance. He brought a large truck and is about to leave for other places!”

Gu Zi was delighted. This was like being offered a pillow when she was about to fall asleep. She quickly responded, “Yes, I need some! Aunt Zhang, please stop the driver for me. Don’t let him leave, I need to buy coal!”

After receiving Aunt Zhang’s reply, Gu Zi quickly changed her clothes, picked up her child, and rushed out the door with the stroller.

When Gu Zi arrived at the village entrance, a crowd was haggling over the price of coal around the large truck.

In the past, this place was so poor that everyone burned firewood and didn’t buy coal. Therefore, coal trucks usually just honked twice and drove away when passing by, never attracting the kind of scene that was unfolding now.

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