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CHAPTER 1
PART 3
Su Xiaotong and Gu Lei were college classmates and had known each other for fifteen years. Su Xiaotong had long known that Gu Lei was a man who knew how to live frugally. During their college years, while all their classmates went to the cafeteria or restaurants to eat, Gu Lei bought a small refrigerator and a rice cooker for their dormitory. He researched many budget-friendly rice cooker recipes, such as pork rib and potato rice, claypot rice with preserved meats, and pickled vegetable and shredded pork congee, among others. He liked to use his free time to go to the local market or supermarket to buy ingredients and then cook up delicious dishes with the rice cooker. It was said that this allowed him to save at least half of his monthly living expenses, which he saved up for future needs.
The reason behind this frugality was their poor family background. Gu Lei was a university student who came from a rural area and had been influenced by his parents to be diligent and thrifty. Although the meals in the school cafeteria were not expensive to begin with, Gu Lei calculated that it was still more cost-effective to cook for himself. During his university years, he hardly participated in any entertainment activities and even used his weekends to work as a tutor for elementary school students. By the time he finished his four years of college, he not only didn't spend much money but managed to save a sum for himself. His classmates were deeply impressed by his frugality.
But it wasn't always like that at the beginning. Gu Lei's five male roommates initially looked down on him and made fun of him with sarcastic remarks. Gu Lei didn't bother with their attitude and simply went about his own life. While the other male students surfed the internet, played games, and went out for meals and drinks, he didn't participate in any of those activities. As a result, the distance between Gu Lei and his roommates grew wider.
Until one day, three of the male roommates had run out of money for their living expenses. They had borrowed money from various sources without success. They saw the delicious sausage rice that Gu Lei had cooked in his rice cooker and asked if they could have a bowl. Gu Lei apologized and said he didn't expect them to want to eat it, as he had only prepared enough for one person. The three roommates felt helpless and realized how they had treated him before, so they thought they deserved this cold treatment.
Unexpectedly, after Gu Lei finished his meal, he went to the market and bought a hot pot base and a bunch of ingredients. He washed the vegetables, cut the meat, and used the rice cooker to cook the hot pot. He invited the three roommates to join him for the meal. The three of them were moved to the point of almost shedding tears. Coincidentally, the other two roommates also returned to the dormitory. Gu Lei took out two bottles of loose sorghum liquor and said, "We've been in college for two years, and I've never treated you all to a meal. If you don't mind, let's have a hot pot dinner in the dorm tonight."
In that moment, all five male students felt a sense of warmth and family, and their attitudes towards Gu Lei underwent a complete 180-degree change. That night, they drank two bottles of white wine and a beer, and they all got drunk. They held Gu Lei's hand and apologized, expressing remorse for their previous behavior and asking for his forgiveness. Gu Lei didn't hold any grudges and explained that he was older than them and had always treated them like younger brothers. He never blamed them for anything and considered their four years of dormitory life together a rare bond. His words moved the other five to tears, and from then on, they addressed him as "Big Brother," a relationship that continues to this day.
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This bond between male students may be difficult for female students to understand, especially for Su Xiaotong, one of the "Five Beauties of the Design Department." She found it strange and amusing how the several male students in the class suddenly became so close to Gu Lei overnight. However, she didn't ask about it because it wasn't something she cared about. As one of the department's five beauties, she had no interest in Gu Lei, who came from a poor family, had an average appearance, and was a simple and honest "homebody." She was pursued by high-quality male students, not limited to the department or the university, including the son of the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee. These rich young men could buy her a bag that would cover Gu Lei's living expenses for his entire four years of college. Compared to these handsome, generous, and well-off guys, Gu Lei seemed insignificant and unremarkable, like a roadside stone.
But, this stone secretly harbored a crush on her.
Su Xiaotong had known about this since her freshman year. More than one person had mentioned it to her, and she could also sense it herself. Although Gu Lei had never mustered the courage to confess to her, his gaze and expressions when he looked at her undeniably revealed his inner thoughts. In her heart, Su Xiaotong prayed that he would never speak up about his feelings. Although she had no feelings for Gu Lei whatsoever, they were still classmates, and she didn't want to hurt or embarrass anyone.
Fortunately, Gu Lei was quite self-aware. Just as Su Xiaotong had hoped, he never confessed his feelings throughout their university years and instead kept this affection hidden deep in his heart, carrying it beyond the campus.
If it weren't for "that incident" that happened later on, Su Xiaotong probably couldn't have even dreamed that one day, this seemingly average roadside stone she wouldn't have given a second glance to would become her husband.
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