Chapter 79: Restless

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: RestlessWatching Cheng Su wrap up the entire lunch rush, Qi Taiguo finally understood how busy she had been. He also realized that when she talked about diverting money to fill in the gaps, she wasn’t lying—it was probably true. After all, the business at the eatery seemed to be booming.

After eating lunch at the small restaurant, Qi Taiguo, clutching the pawn ticket and the banknotes Cheng Su had given him, left. As he stepped out of the restaurant, he turned for one last look.

Cheng Su was quickly chopping radishes at the table she called her workbench. Her wrists were agile, her knife skills were impressive—it was as if she were seasoned through and through.

She hadn’t even fully rested before she began feverishly preparing for the next day’s sales. Those radishes—weren’t they meant to be pickled?

No wonder she’d earned the money back so quickly!

Qi Taiguo tightened his grip on the banknotes and strode away with a pursed lip.

But it wasn’t until he arrived at the pawnshop that she had mentioned that he realized: Why was he helping her redeem those two items? When had they ever been that close?

"Hey, are you pawning something?" The small window at the pawnshop opened, and the boss stuck out half his head to ask.

Qi Taiguo handed over the pawn ticket: "Here to redeem some items."

Cheng Su had also asked him, and seeing that he indeed had time today, she had him come to help with the redemption. After all, she was truly busy. If she came here to redeem the items and then went home, it would be too late.

"That was quick." The boss took the pawn ticket, looked it over, and muttered, "Wait a moment!"

After paying the money, Qi Taiguo took the two items belonging to Cheng Su back to the military residential compound. By then it was the afternoon. The weather was exceptionally good, and several people had moved stools out into the courtyard to sit, chat, and knit.

"Hey, did you know? Commander Qi’s wife was nowhere to be found these past few days!" A woman in a cloth shirt whispered mysteriously.

"Without you saying it, I also remembered; she hasn’t been seen for several days." Another person chimed in.

"Look, for so many days with Commander Qi away on a mission, she’s been missing; no idea what mischief she’s been up to."

"Tsk, tsk, don’t say that, they just got married."

"Who says it’s not possible? I could tell just by her demeanor that she’s a restless one. Just look, the moment Commander Qi goes on a mission, she disappears—could she have a lover on the side!"

"Hehe, you would know."

"Commander Qi really is pitiful."

"Cough, cough... shush!"

The chatter ceased, and the group of women looked up to see the man standing behind them, their faces a mix of shock and panic.

Qi Taiguo’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he walked past them without expression, but his heart was already churning with shock and outrage.

During the days he hadn’t been home, had that woman not been home either?

Seething, he threw the items he had redeemed from the pawnshop into Cheng Su’s room and sat down on the bed, thinking about the idle gossip he had just overheard, his anger rising in waves.

He had known she was restless, but could she have dared to neglect their home? Did she not take him seriously at all?

Qi Taiguo wished he could confront Cheng Su at the eatery immediately, but remembering how busy she had been today, his rage seemed to be doused all at once.

That’s right, could she have been staying at the eatery? With all the preparations she had for her business, having seen how occupied she was, it actually made sense for her to stay there—it would be convenient.

With that thought, Qi Taiguo’s anger gradually subsided—he would wait for her return.

Hanging up Cheng Su’s dress, Qi Taiguo glanced around the tidy room, which seemed to have been infused with Cheng Su’s scent—even the air seemed to carry her touch.

This was originally his territory, but it had now been taken over!

Qi Taiguo returned to his room to write the report for his mission. Just as he was finishing up, he heard the outside door being pounded.

Upon opening it, he saw Wan Dahe at the doorway, who said urgently, "It’s bad, Commander Qi, you need to go downstairs and see—your sister-in-law is downstairs having an argument with Platoon Leader Zhong’s family!"