214 Keep in touch

Throughout August, people were repainting their houses every day in Ginkgo Hutong.

Some elderly people have changed their previous frugal habits and, after painting their houses, have gradually added large appliances to their homes.

Tricycles carrying color TVs, washing machines, and refrigerators came and went at the entrance of the alley. When someone ordered the three major items of the new era, their voices were so loud that even the people at the very back of the alley could hear them.

The power grid upgrade in their Changhu Street area was finally completed in June of this year.

After the renovation, as long as the electricity is used reasonably at home, the circuit breaker will not trip.

"Old Bai, you've already bought a refrigerator, why don't you buy a color TV?"

Aunt Bai called to the delivery tricycle driver to drive to the entrance of Courtyard No. 2, waving with a smile, "The black and white TV can still be watched, but the refrigerator is better, it's practical! From now on, I can make my own popsicles at home, and it saves money."

Those who already had refrigerators at home just smiled and said nothing. Everyone who bought a refrigerator said the same thing, but in the summer, they still went out and spent money to buy popsicles or ice cream.

Especially for families with children, in the children's eyes, food sold outside tastes sweeter than food made at home.

Hearing the commotion, Guan Yuehe came out of courtyard number one and peeked out. She found that it was Aunt Bai's family buying a large appliance, and she casually offered her congratulations.

"Congratulations to you too!" Aunt Bai laughed heartily. "Yuehe, you bought a refrigerator for your home too, right?"

"Soon." Having just paid off all her debts, she planned to save up a little more. Anyway, she and Lin Yiku often ate at work, so they didn't need a refrigerator at home.

Seeing that the tricycle driver was having trouble unloading the refrigerator by himself, she went over to help.

While thanking her, Aunt Bai said, "Once the refrigerator is in use, I'll send your Lin Ting homemade popsicles another day."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yuehe wanted to move the refrigerator back to the tricycle.

She hurriedly said, "Please don't! She bought ice cream outside and ate it again when she got home. She even had an upset stomach the day before yesterday and had to go to the hospital for an injection."

"Oh dear! You can't eat too much of that."

Guan Yuehe helped by washing her hands in the yard and noticed that all the neighbors in courtyard number two had stayed home neatly and orderly this Sunday.

Upon asking, I learned that every household in Courtyard No. 2 had contributed money to buy their houses, and everyone was busy repainting, repairing doors and windows, and buying new appliances.

That evening, Lin Ting leaned on Guan Yuehe's back and asked, "Deputy Director Guan, when are we going to buy a refrigerator?"

"I'll buy it next summer."

"It's been so long..."

"Even if you buy it tomorrow, you can't eat popsicles this week." Guan Yuehe slapped her bottom with her backhand. "Sit down and take out your summer homework to do."

As soon as homework was mentioned, Lin Ting started twisting her body into a pretzel, saying, "I want to go back to my hometown to play."

Guan Yuehe ignored him. This little rascal thinks about everything but his homework.

Just then, the familiar sound of a motorcycle came from outside the alley. Lin Ting immediately ran outside, saying, "I'll go open the door for Dad."

Guan Yuehe looked out of the open window of her room. At the entrance to the courtyard, Lin Ting was busy opening the door. Wangwang wagged its tail and barked at the door. The neighbor's dog heard this and started barking too.

As soon as the door opened, Lin Ting poked her head out and cheered, calling out "Dad!"

As the wind outside the window helped her turn the page of her book, Lin Yiku pushed her cart into the courtyard.

Lin Tingke is truly a filial eldest daughter. Her father was pushing the cart home, and instead of helping, she even sat on it, making things more difficult for him.

The small courtyard was bustling with activity. When Lin Yiku returned to the living room, still damp from the sweat, it was time for the family of four to spend a short time together.

The old fan, which had been used for over ten years, made a creaking noise when it turned on, which was quite loud. Luckily, the three people in the family and their dog all had strong voices, so their voices weren't drowned out by the noise.

"You're having dinner with your comrades this Sunday, do you want to buy something?"

Lin Yi thought for a while and shook her head. "I won't buy anything. I'll just give them red envelopes for their children later, that'll be more convenient."

"Okay." Guan Yuehe confirmed with him who was coming to eat, how many children each family had, and wrote them all down so that she could set aside money in advance.

Lin Yiku has several close comrades-in-arms who are transferring to civilian jobs this year, and not many will remain in Beijing.

While everyone is still in Beijing, this is probably the last time we'll all get together with our families and have a meal.

Whether they are comrades-in-arms or classmates, they are scattered all over the country, and it is not easy to see them again.

Lin Ting rushed over, asking expectantly, "Do I get a red envelope too?"

Guan Yuehe pinched her chubby cheeks. Nowadays, children are much better nutritious and grow taller, especially Lin Ting. She ordered milk for Lin Ting. Unlike Gu Yu, who would complain that the milk tasted strange, Lin Ting would stick out her tongue and lick the bottle after each drink.

The chubby little girl is growing taller and her baby fat is slowly fading. She should pinch her cheeks more often, because she won't have any chubby cheeks to pinch later.

"What do you want to buy this time?" Guan Yuehe asked bluntly.

"Hehe." Lin Ting nuzzled her round head into her arms and said coquettishly, "Mommy, I want to eat Grandpa's food."

She knew it!

A KFC opened near Qianmen. When it first opened, there were long queues. They hadn't taken Lin Ting there, but Gu Mannian had taken Gu Yu and Lin Ting there several times, always leaving early in the morning.

“Your dad has Sunday off, so we’ll go with you another day.” After Lin Ting finished cheering, Guan Yuehe said to her, “This Sunday, we’re going to have dinner with your dad’s comrades and their families, so this Sunday doesn’t count.”

"Mmm! Pinky promise!"

On Sunday morning, Guan Yuehe and her family of three set off together on a motorcycle.

They said they wouldn't bring any gifts, but on the way there they still bought two roast ducks and some side dishes.

The meal was to be eaten at the home of the regimental political commissar, who was Lin Yiku's partner, in the military compound.

Her work and Lin Yiku's work were completely unrelated, and they wouldn't usually try to get to know each other as colleagues. However, she wasn't unfamiliar with this compound; she had come here with him a few times, usually to attend the weddings of his comrades.

Lin Ting had many more stories, all from before he started elementary school, from Lin Yiku. Whenever they talked about the uncle's house in the military compound, Lin Ting would always say that there was a bad guy living there who would steal chicken legs from children.

Actually, Lin Ting came to play when she was little, and a slightly older child stole her chicken leg, which she still remembers now.

She completely forgot that she had bitten someone's face, leaving two teeth marks, and got angry whenever it was mentioned, insisting that she would never bite anyone.

They had just registered at the gate when they heard someone shout from afar, "Old Lin!"

Lin Ting tugged at Lin Yiku's sleeve, "Old Lin, those uncles are calling you."

Lin Yiku greeted her comrades while covering her daughter's mouth.

That wretched daughter of mine keeps imitating how others call him, and at home she often imitates Yuehe calling him "Comrade Lin Yiku".

Guan Yuehe turned around and saw several People's Liberation Army comrades walking towards them. There were about the same number of men and women, and they all walked with their heads held high and their steps firm.

"Comrade Guan, come on in and have a seat."

"Okay, coming."

Guan Yuehe heard Lin Yiku's comrades say with delight, "Old Lin, look at your daughter, she'll be a tall girl in the future."

"That's perfectly normal. My wife and I are both tall. My wife speaks several foreign languages, and my daughter is learning them too..."

Guan Yuehe couldn't stand it anymore and pulled Lin Ting a few steps faster. "Hurry up, or your dad will make you perform a foreign language speech later."

Lin Ting immediately grabbed her mother's arm and whispered, "If Dad asks me to perform a dance, I'd be happy to."

Guan Yuehe laughed. What dancing? It's clearly just somersaults!

When we arrived at the political commissar's house, we overheard a male comrade mentioning the Zhuoyue Garment Factory.

"They gave me twenty openings. If I go, I'll be the deputy head of the security department. Can you guys help me decide whether it's better to go to this garment factory or go back to the grain station in my hometown county?"

The answers given by the group of people were all different.

"Of course, the grain station is better. State-owned factories pay higher wages, but many have gone bankrupt in recent years. If a factory closes down, won't you be laid off?"

"Yes! Look at Old Ma, who was discharged from the army the year before last. He only worked there for a year and a half before the factory went out of business. He didn't get paid for six months, and there was nowhere to complain."

"But then again, this garment factory is quite good. It's profitable, and we have military dependents working there. Their wages and benefits are among the best for a state-owned factory."

“I think you should just stay in Beijing. Didn’t your sister-in-law also say she wanted to stay? Both of your children are in high school now. You have to think about them too. The college entrance exam is just a matter of two or three years.”

Guan Yuehe didn't interrupt. She herself thought Zhuoyue Garment Factory was great in every way, but everyone has different considerations, so she decided not to say anything that might influence her judgment.

But when she looked at the older children who had come to eat with their parents, she found it somewhat amusing.

Lin Yiku was only a few years older than his comrades, with only two or three older than him, but some of their children were already getting married.

Lin Ting stood out among the group of older children.

Lin Ting was happy; she loved playing with older kids.

"Don't mind those monkeys, they're always upsetting the roof beams and tearing down the tiles... Oh dear, don't lead the Lin family's daughter astray."

Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku both felt guilty upon hearing this.

Lin Ting, who was called a naughty boy in Ginkgo Hutong, has become a well-behaved child here.

"Haha, you're all worrying for nothing!" the political commissar laughed. "Last time Lin Ting came over, he beat up the youngest son of the regimental commander of the Third Regiment across the street until he was crying his eyes out."

"Like father, like daughter, Lao Lin."

Lin Yiku nodded in agreement, but in her heart she was thinking: It's really hard to say whether it should follow my example or Yuehe's.

"Commander Lin and I would like to raise a glass to everyone. Whether you stay in Beijing or return to your hometown, let's keep in touch. Although we're no longer in the military, whatever position we hold, we must be responsible and maintain excellent conduct..."

Guan Yuehe looked at the cup in front of her, suppressing a smile. No wonder Lin Yiku often jokingly called her "Political Commissar Guan" at home; he, as the political commissar, had a whole repertoire of profound principles.

"I won't say much more. Let's keep in touch!"

Guan Yuehe was moved by the atmosphere and suddenly thought of her classmates in green military uniforms.

In the past two or three years, Chunmei and her colleagues have taken on more important jobs and become busier, so the correspondence has slowed down.

She was just lamenting that some people at the table suddenly turned away and wiped away tears while they were talking.

Lin Yiku was toasted a lot, and her face turned completely red. When she got home, Lin Ting, who was sandwiched in the middle, was so overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol that she kept shouting, "Mom, I'm drunk!"

Not only Lin Tingzui was intoxicated, but Guan Yuehe, who was driving in the front seat, was also thoroughly intoxicated.

After Lin Yiku finished showering and went to bed, Guan Yuehe took Lin Ting to the bathhouse for a scrub.

Why not let Dad come and get a scrub too?

"I'm afraid he'll get drunk and pass out on the way, and his mother won't be able to carry him."

"Mom, you're lying! You can lift Dad up, how could you not be able to carry him?!"

Guan Yuehe was truly exasperated by her mouth, wishing she could seal it with tape. She whispered, "Don't talk about your parents outside anymore. Your parents will treat you to a meal by Grandpa."

Lin Ting unusually didn't agree, pursing her lips and secretly smiling, glancing back at her every now and then.

Guan Yuehe's alarm bells went off immediately when she noticed that the woman's hand was tightly pressed against her pocket.

Even after taking off his clothes in the bathhouse, he insisted on carrying them himself, saying he would wash his own clothes.

"Oh dear! Who dropped their red envelope?" a woman exclaimed.

"Ah! It's mine, Auntie, it's mine!" Lin Ting couldn't hide it anymore and could only confess honestly, "Those uncles and aunties gave it to me."

Guan Yuehe slapped her forehead.

After dinner, as everyone was about to go home, there was a brief commotion at the political commissar's house.

It was a scene of a group of adults grabbing children and trying to give them red envelopes, while the adults insisted on giving them back, saying "no, no."

She was strong and quick-witted, and soon stuffed all the red envelopes she had prepared into the children's hands. Then, she grabbed Lin Ting with one hand and Lin Yiku with the other and sped away, leaving the group of people behind on her motorcycle.

I was careless; I didn't notice to hold Lin Ting's pocket.

Guan Yuehe, who was the fastest to slip away, was unaware that her series of swift movements had also shocked the others.

After the meal, many people went their separate ways and lost contact with each other. No one mentioned it afterward, so she never knew.

—

"Is Guan Yuehe home? There's mail."

Aunt Fang stopped her needlework and was about to listen carefully when Lin Ting, along with Xiao Yu and Yao Yao, ran out the door.

"Uncle, Guan Yuehe is my mother, I can sign."

The mailman glanced inside the door and waved to Aunt Fang.

He was in charge of delivering mail in the Changhu Street area. He had been doing this job for more than 20 years, and he knew who lived in every household.

"You're going into second grade this semester, right? Can you write your mom's name yet? You can't sign it if you can't."

Lin Ting gave her a "Don't underestimate me" look, "I can write the names of my whole family!"

Then she carefully wrote down her full name, "Guan Yuehe," stroke by stroke.

The mail carrier glanced at her handwriting, gave her a thumbs up, and said, "Your handwriting is quite good."

As soon as the mailman left, two heads popped up on either side of Lin Ting, "Sister, I want to write too!"

"You haven't learned it yet. You'll learn to write when you go to elementary school." Lin Ting proudly raised the envelope. "I'll read the letter to you!"

"This is your mother's letter, you can't open it," Aunt Fang said, slowing down as she caught up to remind her.

“I know, Dad said only Mom can open her letters. Let me see who wrote to Mom.” Lin Ting turned the envelope over and read the letter aloud, word by word: “Northwest University, Cheng Yu!”

—

"What Cheng Yu?" Guan Yuehe was both annoyed and amused. As soon as she got home from work, Lin Ting hugged her and said that someone named "Cheng Yu" had written her a letter. She was so confused that she even thought of all her junior and senior high school classmates, but she couldn't remember anyone she knew named "Cheng Yu".

"Her name is Cheng Shuang!"

Author's Note: [Cat's paw]