Chapter 38: Chapter 38

“If all of Comrade Gu’s women are this attractive, it wouldn’t be so bad to have a little fun with this rogue!”

Though she said that, after freeloading several meals and gradually tasting all kinds of snacks from Jing City as well as various fresh fruits and vegetables, An Ning finally nodded and agreed.

Of course, it wasn’t just because the winter laundry was unbearably painful.

But before agreeing, An Ning once again jabbed hard at her system inside her mind. “Dog, do we still have the birthing pill from last time? How many points do I have? Give me one.”

“Sorry, host, 100 points are required to unlock the shop. You’re still 1.5 points short.”

“Oh, forget it then. I won’t get married.”

An Ning waved her hand carelessly.

No… it can’t be that bad, right?

“How is it not that bad? Do you know how poor medical standards were in this era? Do you know how high the risks were for women giving birth at that time? Even with Spirit Spring Water, can you guarantee a smooth delivery with no hidden dangers?”

Since there was risk, why would she go through this? Life was long; having a little cutie like Mingyu from her previous life accompany her would be nice. But the premise was that she would never gamble with her own health or even her life.

And a child—if there was even a one in ten thousand chance—the last thing she wanted was to bring a physically compromised child into the world.

Ultrasounds weren’t common in those days.

Besides, whether people wanted to admit it or not, a person’s life was largely decided at birth: family background, appearance, intelligence, physical constitution. The first could be controlled to some extent, but the last few were often the hardest.

Since she was bringing a little life into the world, as a mother, she would naturally avoid risks whenever possible.

Knowing her host was serious, the system was silent for a moment, then finally gritted its teeth:

“Alright, but I want an extra point as a handling fee.”

An Ning nodded without hesitation.

“There are three types of birthing pills available in the shop. The low-tier birthing pill costs 5 points and ensures a smooth delivery. The medium-tier pill, which you used last time, costs 15 points; it not only ensures a smooth delivery but also optimizes genes, improving aptitude by 50%.

The high-tier costs 30 points and improves aptitude by 100% on top of that.”

“I’ll choose the medium-tier.”

An Ning didn’t hesitate at all. There was no throne at home to inherit; being too smart didn’t necessarily mean being happier.

But looking at the nearly doubled price, aptitude really was incredibly important wherever you went.

“Alright, that’s a total of 16 points.”

With her worries resolved smoothly, An Ning cheerfully took out some tangerines that someone had just given her from her space.

Compared to sweet dried fruits, An Ning still preferred these fresh fruits in their original flavor.

She didn’t know where Gu Chen had gotten them, but they were large and juicy, much better than what the supply and marketing cooperative had last time.

Perhaps unable to stand seeing her host so carefree, the system whispered from the side:

“Host, why don’t you buy two more? The girls’ side next door is the same price. Twins would be great, right?”

“Nonsense, of course not.”

Chewing on a piece of fruit, An Ning didn’t even look up. “You know the pain of childbirth isn’t yours to bear! One child is already a huge burden on the mother’s body, let alone two. What are you thinking?”

“Besides, isn’t one child enough?”

At least with one child, she would never be the one picked apart by her parents.

“Oh, alright then!” Seeing that her host didn’t look very pleased, the system quickly shut up.

Marriage procedures in this era were really simple, even for someone in Gu Chen’s position. After all, officials at this time valued honesty and integrity above all.

They took wedding photos, stamped a simple seal on a small booklet, and toasted with colleagues and acquaintances. That was about it. Even Tall Sister Gao, who loved to stir up trouble, didn’t dare act out with Director Gu present.

The Gu family currently lived in a small courtyard near the city government. It was small but had the essentials. It was still quite a distance from Anhua Factory where An Ning worked. After marriage, An Ning originally wanted to keep staying in the dorm on workdays, but was firmly stopped by someone in person, who insisted on picking her up every morning and evening.

Winter in Kun City was still somewhat cold. An Ning leaned against the window, watching someone in the courtyard roll up his sleeves, boiling water and washing clothes. For once, her rare remaining shred of conscience ached a little.

After their usual evening workout, An Ning lazily lay on Comrade Gu, idly playing with his hands that had obvious calluses.

Thanks to the effect of the skin care ointment, An Ning’s skin was snow-white and flawless, like high-quality silk, faintly scented with orchid fragrance. Almost as soon as she touched his hand, the other person’s breathing involuntarily became twice as heavy.

Pressing the little hand down firmly, An Ning clearly heard him say in a low, restrained voice, “If you don’t want to miss work tomorrow, don’t tease me so much.”

Nestled in Comrade Gu’s arms, An Ning lazily responded with an “oh.” Just as Gu Chen thought she had finally settled down, the little girl quietly moved closer again.

Gu Chen’s breath caught, but the next second he heard her soft voice:

“I’m just worried about you. You have to work and do housework.” Especially after they got married, the frequency of washing bedding increased noticeably. An Ning was a clean person, so naturally, Gu Chen had to work harder.

Hearing this, Gu Chen snorted with an ambiguous chuckle. Was he touched? Kind of. It was rare for An Ning to even bother to talk to him and soothe him.

But believe it? Not a chance.

Worry? He hadn’t seen her willing to lend a hand at all.

What he didn’t know was that the reason this girl in his arms agreed to marry was precisely to avoid chores, especially the time-consuming and tiring laundry.

But gently holding that hand, which was like top-grade white jade without a single flaw, neither he nor An Ning would have wanted those hands to do such work.

Those hands were meant for holding pens to write books.

It was only after marriage that Gu Chen realized that the girl in his arms especially loved calligraphy and traditional paintings, especially the elegant brushwork of her calligraphy, which was comparable to some masters in Jing City and showed years of practice. There were even several calligraphy models and ancient paintings hidden in a small box buried in the backyard.

These were likely belongings from An Ning’s maternal family. Gu Chen had no objections. Not to mention that her mother-in-law had passed away years ago, and even the only “nanny” mother listed on the household registration was deceased. The mother-in-law had died saving someone, so no one could hold that against them.

Besides, the Gu family in the capital wasn’t to be trifled with.

Still, he finally understood the inexplicable ancient charm his wife carried.

Not knowing what she was thinking, An Ning almost had to be grateful for her foresight. Some things could be concealed, but others were impossible to hide for a lifetime—like her calligraphy.

The cultivation from decades of her previous life had already become natural; it was better to have an explanation for someone overly perceptive than have him wildly guessing.

But now was not the time for this. An Ning continued softly at his ear, “Comrade Gu, why don’t we have a child earlier? That way, there will be ‘relatives’ to help sooner, and you won’t have to work so hard.”

Gu Chen’s breath caught. After a moment, he suppressed those thoughts and said hoarsely, “You’re still young; childbirth is risky. Let’s wait a little longer…”

His answer was met by an even more seductive voice:

“I’m already nineteen; it’s actually not that bad…”