Chapter 100: Acquiring a Television

Yu Wanqin’s heart skipped a beat, stirring with a strange feeling.

This… was too much of a coincidence, wasn’t it?

She instinctively glanced toward the neighboring courtyard, just in time to see Gu Yanbin stepping out from next door.

He seemed to be on leave at home today, dressed in a white shirt and work pants. His sharp, stern facial features appeared somewhat softened.

At that moment, his deep black eyes held a faint smile, warmed by the morning sunlight reflecting within them.

“Wanqin, Tongtong, what a coincidence? You’ve moved here too?”

His acting was natural, his eyes carrying just the right amount of surprise and delight.

As if he had only just found out.

“This house has been empty for a long time. I heard someone was moving in today, but I never expected it to be you!”

Yu Wanqin looked at his upright and candid demeanor, unsure whether she was overthinking things. She could only smile and thank him: “Commander Gu, please take care of us from now on.”

“Of course! Of course!” Gu Yanbin laughed heartily, unable to suppress the corners of his mouth.

Si Muchen, following behind, couldn’t help but roll his eyes slightly.

He thought his uncle’s smile looked rather cheap.

But… in reality, even he was finding it hard to keep his own lips from curling upward.

The joy in his dark eyes was almost overflowing.

Gu Jingnan, even more boisterous, exclaimed loudly: “That’s great! Tongtong can be with us again from now on!”

The group gathered together, chatting animatedly for a while.

Only then did Gu Yanbin put Tongtong down. Glancing at the luggage behind the mother and daughter, he naturally rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward: “How much more stuff is there? Let me help you move it!”

Yu Wanqin felt a bit embarrassed and quickly declined: “That’s too much trouble for you, I can manage on my own…”

But Gu Yanbin had already taken the luggage into the courtyard without another word.

Seeing the simple, run-down bungalow, Gu Yanbin wasted no time. He rolled up his sleeves and began helping with the cleanup.

The broken roof needed repairing, the weeds in the yard had to be cleared, and the old, worn-out furniture had to be moved out.

Yu Wanqin couldn’t possibly handle all of this alone.

She politely declined a couple of times, but seeing Gu Yanbin’s insistence, she had no choice but to let him help.

To ensure the mother and daughter could move in that very night, Gu Yanbin not only pitched in himself but also called a few comrades-in-arms he was close with to lend a hand.

With so many people suddenly arriving in the small courtyard, Yu Wanqin was stunned.

“This… this is too much trouble for all of you! I could have taken my time to clean up…”

“No trouble at all! A few of us happen to be off duty today. It’s good to stretch our limbs—much easier than drills!” Gu Yanbin’s orderly, Xiao Zhou, chimed in cheerfully.

These men had often received Commander Gu’s care in the past. Whether it was someone’s mother falling ill or a family emergency requiring money, Commander Gu would always dig into his own pocket to help.

Grateful for his kindness, they were more than eager to lend a hand.

Gu Yanbin didn’t stand on ceremony either. Taking charge, he rallied everyone: “Come on, don’t just stand there! Help Doctor Yu move her things in and get everything sorted!”

The soldier brothers, full of energy, responded in booming voices: “Yes, Chief!”

And so, with Commander Gu leading the way, the group repaired the roof, cleared the yard, and quickly tidied up the place.

Gu Yanbin even helped procure a batch of secondhand furniture. With some repairs and touch-ups, they were as good as new.

He was skillful and dexterous; even old furniture became attractive and practical after his assembly, modifications, and refinishing.

Yu Wanqin didn’t feel comfortable idling either. She fetched water and wiped away the dust and grime from the tables.

Tongtong and her two older brothers also helped with tasks within their capabilities.

Gu Yanbin went out and returned carrying a television.

After looking around, he finally placed the television on the table opposite the sofa, took a few steps back, and seemed quite satisfied with the arrangement.

Yu Wanqin was startled and quickly said, “This… this is too valuable! Commander Gu, we can’t accept it!”

“Don’t worry about it!” Gu Yanbin waved his hand, a smile on his handsome face, his tone leaving no room for refusal. “Tongtong likes watching cartoons, so having a television will be convenient. This was passed down by a friend of mine, so I just brought it over. It didn’t cost anything!”

Yu Wanqin was skeptical.

Who would casually discard such a new television? Wasn’t that too extravagant?

Tongtong’s big eyes sparkled.

She immediately cooperated by rushing over, hugging the television, rubbing her little face against it, her big eyes shining with longing. “Mom~ TV~ a nice TV~”

Although she had television dramas in her space, she couldn’t bring them out yet.

This would do just fine! Hehe!

Now she could watch Astro Boy with her brothers!

Seeing her daughter’s adorable little expression and meeting Gu Yanbin’s sincere gaze, Yu Wanqin finally smiled helplessly and gratefully. “Then… thank you so much, Commander Gu.”

Gu Yanbin was overjoyed inside, but his face remained serious and proper. “No need to be polite with me!”

After a long day of work, the new home finally began to look presentable.

Yu Wanqin was quite pleased and insisted on treating the soldiers who had helped to a meal.

She tied on an apron and headed into the kitchen.

Tongtong secretly followed her, closed the door, and while no one outside was paying attention, quietly took out seasonings from her space and transferred them into small bottles.

Yu Wanqin was already used to this.

She tapped her daughter’s little nose and said with a smile, “Dinner will be ready soon. Go play for a while.”

Tongtong nodded happily and skipped out.

Before long, the rich aroma of food filled the entire small courtyard.

The soldier brothers who were still busy all stopped what they were doing at the same time.

“What’s that smell? It’s so fragrant!”

“Oh my goodness! This smell… it’s making my mouth water. It’s even better than what my mom makes!”

“Didn’t Doctor Yu say she wanted to treat us to a meal earlier? Maybe we should leave… It wouldn’t be right to eat for free!”

The soldier brothers discussed while drooling.

In these times, no one had an easy life, and they ate a lot. They really didn’t want to cause trouble by staying.

But this aroma… it was just too irresistible!

All the young men blushed, wanting to leave but unable to tear themselves away.

They were so tempted they couldn’t move!

“Maybe… maybe we should say goodbye to Doctor Yu before leaving… slurp! It really smells amazing!”

“Wah… it smells like my hometown food! That spicy kick is so satisfying! I want to eat it!”

Tongtong came out holding a small plate of braised meat and saw several soldier brothers craning their necks to peek into the kitchen. She blinked her big, dark, round eyes and asked curiously, “Uncles, my mother has already finished cooking. Why haven’t you washed your hands to eat yet?”

The little girl’s soft voice melted everyone’s hearts.

The rough men blushed again. Though usually loud and gruff, they couldn’t help but soften their voices now.

“We… we probably shouldn’t eat… We still have things to do this afternoon!”

“Right!”

The soldier brothers replied stiffly, but their eyes kept darting toward the kitchen.

Their Adam’s apples bobbed as they swallowed hard.

Goodness! Whatever Doctor Yu was cooking, it smelled absolutely amazing!