Chapter 22 022 Going to the Countryside

As the deadline for signing up to go to the countryside drew closer, Courtyard No. 2 and Courtyard No. 3 became increasingly lively.

Matchmaker Liu comes almost every day, crossing off names from her notebook as she introduces them. Not only have none of them worked out so far, but several families in the alley are almost turning against her because of her unreliable matchmaking.

“An old widow, whose eldest child is only two years younger than our Xianguang, you despicable old hag, I…” Aunt Ding cursed as she swung her broom at Matchmaker Liu.

"Don't you even look at your eldest grandson's situation? He's lazy and stupid. It's a miracle anyone even wants him."

Liu, the matchmaker, was also furious. She had introduced more than twenty women to Ding Xianguang, but before anyone else could choose him, he had already picked one.

The Ding family is clueless. They want a woman who is beautiful, has a generous dowry, a job, is virtuous, and good at housework. Ideally, she would bring a house as part of her dowry and give up her job to Ding Xianguang after the marriage.

Matchmaker Liu spat several times.

Aside from being virtuous and good at housework, Liu the matchmaker thought the Ding family was subtly hinting that she should go to the Guan family to arrange a marriage.

She had considered going to the Guan family, but before she could even begin to speak, Jiang Guiying was kicked out.

The matchmaker, Liu, was furious. She had worked for so many days for nothing, and hadn't even had a sip of water from the Ding family. Her mouth never stopped cursing Ding Xianguang, wishing him a lifetime of unfulfilled happiness and that he would be assigned to some remote mountain village.

I'd only walked a short distance, passing by Courtyard No. 2, when I remembered that the Bai family there was in a similar situation—they were all picky and choosy, muttering that widows in charge were just incompetent and had too many faults...

"Ouch!" Matchmaker Liu was doused with a bucket of dirty water. The smell was indescribable; it tasted like foot-washing water, a bit like pot-washing water, and a bit like chamber pot water...

"Who? Which blind idiot have eyes? I..." When Liu the matchmaker saw the old woman with a chamber pot at the main entrance of courtyard number two, she was stunned for a moment, but soon her temper flared up again.

"Big Mouth Bai! What do you mean? I kindly introduced a potential partner to your daughter, and instead of giving me a thank-you gift, you splashed water on her? You owe me money!"

Aunt Bai threw the chamber pot on the ground, then grabbed Liu the matchmaker's hair and pulled hard.

"I'll give you two big slaps!" Before Liu the matchmaker could react, Aunt Bai slapped her twice, one on each side.

"Ahhh! Ahhh! Big Mouth Bai, I'll fight you to the death!"

"I'll tear you apart first!" Aunt Bai's anger flared even more after being scratched on the face.

"I asked you to introduce a guy to my daughter, and what a scoundrel you found! I wouldn't even want him as my boyfriend. You lied to both sides for the sake of matchmaking money. You dare to say that a man who's almost forty is about the same age as my daughter?"

Matchmaker Liu introduced more than a dozen men to her. She and her daughter inquired about the men's situations and initially felt they were not suitable. However, the educated youth office came again last night, so they decided to meet them.

Fortunately, she was worried and took a day off to find out about the man. What she found out almost made her explode with anger.

Matchmaker Liu spoke so sweetly; she said the 34-year-old man was nearly 30, that he had two daughters but she had no children, and that the street sweeper was a neighborhood committee worker...

Aunt Bai grew angrier and angrier. She wouldn't believe Bai was right unless she beat that old hag who kept talking nonsense until her mouth was swollen!

Someone wanted to find the person in charge, but it wasn't Sunday, everyone was at work, and Grandpa Chang and Grandpa Zhang weren't home.

The Second Aunt, who usually asks everyone to call her Second Aunt, is at home, but she likes to show off when there's nothing to do and hides when there's trouble. She knew things would get out of hand as soon as she saw the beginning, so she quietly slipped out while everyone was busy watching the excitement.

Looking for Officer Song? He's at the police station.

In the end, it was Director Ma from the neighborhood committee who brought people over to mediate the conflict.

"This conflict can't be resolved!" Even after being separated, Aunt Bai didn't give up. "I'll rid Ginkgo Alley of this scourge today, so that she won't sell off the girls in our alley without us even knowing it."

Through the courtyard wall, Aunt Ding shouted loudly, "Big Mouth Bai, slap her across the face!"

Aunt Ding and Aunt Bai usually couldn't stand each other, and they could argue for days over the smallest things. The two families were also secretly competing with each other.

Today, thanks to Matchmaker Liu, we've found ourselves on the same side, a rare occurrence.

Not only Aunt Ding, but also several other families who had been disgusted by the matchmakers Liu introduced to them, came to support Aunt Bai.

Director Ma's lips were practically dry from talking. A hard approach? Grandma Bai was already quite defiant, and the daily visits from the neighborhood committee and the educated youth office had fueled her anger; she was just waiting for an excuse to explode. A softer approach? Grandma Bai paid no attention, letting it go in one ear and out the other.

Before anyone could react, Aunt Bai seized the opportunity and caught Liu the matchmaker again. With the intentional help of the onlookers, Aunt Bai was practically invincible in this duel!

Grandpa Sun, who always enjoys watching the drama unfold, chuckled and said, "Given Xiang Hong's temper, it's quite impressive that she was able to offer her such a deal."

Liu the matchmaker immediately found an ally. Just as she was about to agree, Bai Dama, who had been pulling her hair a second ago, turned around and started scratching the bald Grandpa Sun.

With the pressure on Liu the matchmaker relieved, her desire to agree with her gave up.

Even if Aunt Bai is powerful, she's only one person with two hands. Once she's beaten up Grandpa Sun, she won't have time to beat up her.

Therefore, Liu the matchmaker was especially grateful to Grandpa Sun at this moment.

Oh, and we also have to thank Aunt Sun. Aunt Bai is currently busy scratching Uncle Sun with one hand and pulling Aunt Sun's hair with the other.

A moment later, Aunt Bai actually managed to free her foot and kicked Matchmaker Liu to the ground...

The shouts from the crowd around them grew even louder.

Matchmaker Liu, who goes against her conscience to introduce potential partners, is hated. Grandpa Sun and his family, a bunch of scoundrels, are also disliked.

Today, Aunt Bai helped them get rid of both the old and new gas, and they started scolding Grandpa Sun and Grandma Sun while keeping the people from the neighborhood committee away from them.

Director Ma's face was as black as coal; he only needed to turn his head slightly!

"Xiao Wang, go to the police station! Report this to the police!"

He even thought that Song Gong'an should just stay at the street office permanently, so that he wouldn't have to run to Ginkgo Alley every day during working hours.

This farce continued until the people who went to work returned.

Guan Yuehe was busy organizing materials today to prepare for the city leaders' visit next month. She worked overtime for a while, which was unusual for her, and ended up missing it.

The courtyard of No. 2 was packed with people. After finally squeezing to the middle of the courtyard, she saw her mother standing in the middle of the door leading to the backyard, like a door god.

Jiang Guiying was experienced, and after learning that everyone had gone to the No. 2 courtyard to watch the excitement, she quickly ran over to guard the gate.

The three families in the backyard of courtyard number two live with their adults at work and children at school during the day, so no one in the same courtyard dares to openly break into their homes. But if people from other courtyards come over, they're afraid someone might take advantage of the chaos to break in and steal things.

When Jiang Guiying saw her second daughter return, she told her to keep an eye on the house and not let anyone take advantage of the chaos to steal things before squeezing into the middle to listen to what the police had to say.

Guan Yuehe thought to herself: I should have known better than to squeeze in; I wanted to go in and listen too...

Jiang Guiying didn't just want to squeeze in and listen; she was also part of the clamor for the police to arrest Liu the matchmaker and give her a few days of re-education.

This matchmaker, Liu, actually came to her house and said that her eldest daughter was getting old and would never be able to get married if she didn't find a partner soon.

She had never seen a matchmaker as despicable as her.

The police officer who came this time wasn't Officer Song. He looked young, unlike Officer Song, who had a fierce appearance and intimidating presence. Otherwise, the police wouldn't have been here for almost an hour and still hadn't finished dealing with the situation.

Matchmaker Liu wasn't from Courtyard No. 2, so Grandpa Chang's words didn't carry as much weight as usual.

He could still control Grandpa Sun and Grandma Sun, who were yelling and screaming, and Grandma Bai, who was still angry from scratching.

Let him say it: Grandpa Sun and Grandma Sun deserve it!

When others got into a fight, instead of separating them, Grandpa Sun added fuel to the fire. Now, Grandma Bai is going to take care of him too.

Grandma Sun wanted to help Grandpa Sun, so Grandma Bai beat them both up.

Grandpa Chang criticized Grandpa and Grandma Sun for meddling in other people's business and even stabbing them in the back; they deserved to be hurt. He also criticized Grandma Bai for her extreme and unacceptable way of handling problems...

Isn't this blatant favoritism?!

Grandpa Sun was indignant, thinking that these people were all ganging up on him because he was unemployed and taking advantage of his status as a worker. He immediately retorted, "Chang Liuqian, what do you mean? Are you favoring a divorced woman?"

Grandpa Chang has been stuck at the level six fitter position for six years and has not yet been able to pass the level seven exam. Over time, no one knows who started it, but everyone privately calls him "Chang the Sixth Fitter".

Grandpa Chang was criticized for failing the CET-7 exam, and Grandpa Sun even smeared him, making it seem as if he and Grandma Bai had some shady relationship.

He dared to swear on the great man's quotes that such a thing absolutely did not happen! But some people around him who did not know the situation were already looking him and Grandma Sun up and down.

Before he could clarify, a gust of wind blew by, and Grandma Bai's slap was faster than her mouth, already pressed against Grandpa Sun's face.

"You old geezer, other people have mouths to eat, but you have mouths to spread rumors. If I don't slap your mouth shut today, I'll change my surname to yours!"

"Big Mouth Bai! I'll fight you to the death!" Seeing Grandpa Sun being beaten, Grandma Sun hurriedly joined the fight.

The couple were punished together again.

Grandpa Chang, having just been smeared, refused to go up and try to mediate. Grandpa Zhang, fearing that he too might be suspected of having a relationship with Grandma Bai, now looked at the sky and the ground but refused to look at the three people fighting.

The young police officer was on the verge of tears.

The police station had other matters to attend to today, and everyone else had been dispatched. He was a new recruit this month, and the station chief thought that disturbances in the alleys were just trivial matters, so he let him handle them alone. The station chief even told him, "These kinds of small things become easy after you see them a lot."

He'd seen old men and women fighting before; in his apartment building, the old lady next door often argued with the old man downstairs, and sometimes they'd even throw mud at each other.

But I've never seen anything so sharp.

It was a one-on-two fight, a back-and-forth battle, and neither dared to intervene for fear of being scratched.

The last person to come and pull someone away was Aunt Hu. Even though she was strong, her arms were scratched several times. The claws of the stray cats in the alley were no match for theirs.

Before Guan Yuehe started working, she didn't find the neighbors' arguments interesting. But that's not quite right either; back then, everyone could only eat until they were half full, and they didn't want to move if they weren't working, otherwise they would easily get hungry.

Later, I moved into the factory. As soon as I got home, Lin Sitian and Xu Chengcai would call me over to gossip about the various households in the alley. Since I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I didn't find it very interesting.

Until she moved into Courtyard No. 2!

I get to know my neighbors better every day.

For example, she used to only know that Aunt Hu was a particularly tough aunt in Ginkgo Hutong, but now she realizes that Aunt Hu is nothing compared to Aunt Bai, who can take on three people at once and even scratch Aunt Hu.

However, compared to Sister Hongqi, Aunt Bai was still a bit lacking.

Zhou Hongqi was called over by Aunt Zhao to lend a hand. Without even asking who he was helping, he pushed his way through the crowd and quickly separated the three fighters. He then pretended to accidentally elbow Grandpa Sun.

Guan Yuehe happened to see this action and pursed her lips to chuckle.

Just then, Officer Song returned from get off work, and with him there, things were handled quickly.

Everyone involved in the fight was at fault and should be criticized and educated. Especially the matchmaker, Liu, whose problem was the most serious; she was an accomplice in the marriage fraud. The neighborhood committee contacted the Women's Federation of the car factory and had them educate her.

It's only because they're all neighbors and family members of car factory workers that they didn't have the heart to report her. Otherwise, not only would Liu the matchmaker be imprisoned, but her whole family would be affected.

To settle the matter peacefully, Liu the matchmaker's family even compensated Bai the old lady with money.

Matchmaker Liu slapped her thigh and wailed. She had run up and down introducing people, but hadn't received any matchmaking fee, had been beaten up, and in the end, had to pay out of her own pocket?

She wanted to throw a tantrum, but her family held her back and took her home.

Aunt Ding rushed out, trying to stop them, "You're only compensating Bai Dazui's family? My family got scammed too! They promised to introduce us to a young woman with a job, but she looks older than me... No way, you have to give me an explanation!"

There's no explanation; they completely ignored her, and even the police and Director Ma ran away.

If we don't run now, this will never end.

—

Lin Sitian and Guan Yuehe sat at the door of Guan Yuehe's house, holding their rice bowls, eating and chatting.

The events in the courtyard today, in the end, all stemmed from the conflict between staying in the city and going to the countryside.

In the past, when people talked about going to the countryside to carry out development, many young people went with great enthusiasm. Now, the nature of the program has gradually changed.

At the very end of the alley lived a family whose son had been sent to the countryside in 1968. Less than a year later, he was sent back to the city for treatment because he had developed a limp. By then, he was almost skin and bones.

In some places, the locals are domineering and ostracize young people in the city, causing them both physical and mental suffering.

I've also heard that some women who went there were forced to marry local men.

If there were any way to keep their children in the city, no family would send them to the countryside.

Apart from families like Ding Xuewen's.

"Aunt Ding wanted Ding Xianguang to go work for Ding Xuewen, saying that the uncle and nephew could look after each other. When I came home from get off work, I saw her, and she asked me where Ding Xuewen had been assigned. I told her I didn't know, and not to let it slip. Also, Xu Chengcai, if you see him at work, let him know."

"Tell him not to come back anytime soon. His sister-in-law is always scolding him for being too independent and heartless. Oh, and you too. Sister-in-law Xu said that Xu Chengcai learned from you; now that he has a job, he wants to get rid of his family."

Xu Cheng moved all his belongings to the dormitory without saying a word this week, informed his family, and went to live in the factory.

This incident caused an uproar in the Xu family.

The eldest Xu and his wife were the most upset, because losing a worker's wages meant a significant reduction in their household expenses. The third Xu and his wife were both workers, so they could save more money and occasionally take their children out for special meals.

But neither Grandpa Xu nor Grandma Xu voiced their objections; their disagreement was futile.

But Lin Sitian felt that, on the surface, only Brother Xu and Sister-in-law Xu were against it, but in reality, Uncle Xu also had his own little schemes.

"Uncle Xu is concerned about his reputation. He told my dad that all the children should be treated equally. It's good that Xu Cheng has moved out so he can save more money and get a house later to help him get married."

"Don't be fooled by his nice words. Xu Cheng has moved out, which is practically the same as dividing the family property, right? What family doesn't get some money when they divide the property? Besides, Xu Cheng has contributed a lot of money to the family before."

Guan Yuehe swallowed the food in her mouth and said, "That's good too. It will save us from arguing about it after Xu Chengcai gets his own room. Master Xu cares about his reputation, so I'll praise Xu Chengcai more in the alley from now on."

The two looked at each other and chuckled.

As they were chatting and laughing, Aunt Zhao suddenly came out and called them over to enjoy the fan together.

Aunt Zhao's family has an electric fan, which is a rare item. She only uses it during the hottest part of summer.

It's late June now. It's hot during the day, but the nights are fine. The evening breeze dissipates the heat from the day.

"No need, the wind is just right now."

They persisted, and Aunt Zhao stopped inviting people to her home.

Turning around and entering the house, she saw that Chang Zhengyi's eyes were only on the food on the table. She took off her apron, rolled it up, and smacked Chang Zhengyi on the forehead.

"Mom, what did I do now?" Chang Zhengyi slumped his shoulders. Ever since he started working, his mother had been displeased with him and would want to slap him at the drop of a hat. He couldn't understand what he had done to offend her.

"Eat, eat, eat! What else can you do besides eat?"

Grandpa Chang lowered his head to avoid his wife's gaze, ignoring the questioning look from his youngest son, and continued to drink his soup.

"Why are you looking at your dad? Eat!"

Chang Zhengyi: "..."

—

Guan Yuehe and Lin Sitian moved even closer, glancing furtively at Grandpa Chang's house, and whispering while covering their mouths.

“Aunt Zhao wanted to find a partner for Chang Zhengyi, so she came to my house to try and match me with Chang Zhengyi, but my mother didn’t agree.”

Guan Yuehe exclaimed in surprise, "Why is he casting a wide net and trying to matchmake everyone?"

“Aunt Zhao also went to see my mother, but my mother didn’t agree either. My mother told me to wait two years and see, and it would be best to find someone from the factory. Now, late marriage and late childbirth are encouraged, right? Our factory’s women’s federation talked to the women, and those who had three children were advised to get sterilized, and those who were not married were advised to wait until they were at least twenty before getting married, because it’s better for their health.”

"So you were seconded to the Women's Federation the other day just to help them find people to talk to?"

Guan Yuehe looked like she didn't want to talk about it anymore. "It's all my dad's fault. If it weren't for helping him complete his mission, would the Women's Federation director have even thought of someone like me who was just an idle person?"

Then the topic was steered back on track: "Why won't your mom agree?"

Lin Sitian laughed several times before stopping, then leaned close to Guan Yuehe's ear and said, "My mom said you shouldn't marry a skinny guy, because she's afraid he'll be useless after marriage."

After saying that, he raised an eyebrow at Guan Yuehe.

But Guan Yuehe didn't grasp the implied meaning. Her thoughts were very simple, and she nodded earnestly, saying, "Aunt Fang is right. Chang Zhengyi struggles to carry a bucket of water. What can we expect him to do after we get married? If he can't carry water, can he carry cabbages or move coal briquettes? Then I'll be in big trouble, and I'll have to do all the work. No way!"

Lin Sitian: "......"

My childhood friend is so serious, she's embarrassed to say the crude things her mother used to say to her.

"Why are you looking at me? Am I wrong?"

"You look like a blockhead!"

Guan Yuehe raised an eyebrow, "You were just like my sister."

—

Although everyone wants their children to stay in the city, they can't find jobs and don't want their children to marry just anyone, so they have no choice but to accept their fate and prepare to go to the countryside.

Aunt Bai gritted her teeth and stamped her feet, deciding to send her second son, Bai Yuejin, to the countryside. If her youngest daughter, Bai Xianghong, couldn't find a job after graduating next year, she would give her the job.

Bai Yuejin hid outside for a day, and everyone in the alley who was free went out to look for him, but no one could find him. Bai's mother was so anxious that she wanted to report him to the police.

Finally, Bai Yuejin returned on his own, his eyes swollen like a frog's.

At that moment, no one made any sarcastic remarks; they simply said, "It's good that everyone is alright."

Some people were also whispering among themselves, saying that Aunt Bai favored her youngest daughter, and that Bai Yuejin would hate her in the future.

Whether Bai Yuejin hates them or not, nobody knows. But Dante Xianguang hates his family to death.

Of the Ding family, only Ding Laoda had a job. They gave the job to Ding Xianguang, but his salary was reduced, and they also had a son and a daughter to support... The main reason was that neither of them wanted to give up their jobs to their son.

They don't favor any of their sons. Even if their second son doesn't have a job and has to go to the countryside, they won't give up his job.

If you have a job and money, you don't need to worry about your son being unfilial in the future. Losing income is the real problem.

They wanted the second son to give up his job. After all, he was a temporary worker, and even if he gave up the job, his salary wouldn't be much less. Besides, his wife was a waitress at a local restaurant, a permanent employee, so their family's income wouldn't be bad.

Ding Xianguang thought so too.

Since he couldn't live off a woman like Jin Junwei, he needed to have a job so he could stay in the city.

But to his surprise, his grandmother, who usually doted on him, strongly opposed it, and his second uncle and aunt ignored him completely.

He thought he should try to talk to his grandmother again, but when he came back today, he heard his grandmother say that she would go to the educated youth office tomorrow to find out the situation and report to his fourth uncle's place.

Ding Xianguang's world has collapsed.

A series of loud crashes and bangs came from the Ding family's house, and the neighbors all stopped what they were doing and listened intently.

"I'm not going! Make my second uncle give me the job! Ah! Ahhh! I said I'm not going! Don't you say I'm your most beloved grandson? Why won't you make my second uncle give me the job? Why?"

They only said those two sentences over and over, but each sentence was shouted with heart-wrenching force. Not only the neighbors in Courtyard No. 3, but also the neighbors in the several neighboring courtyards on the left and right heard it.

Ding Xianguang made a big fuss, but fortunately, he didn't hide away silently like Bai Yuejin, causing people to worry.

June ended with the Ding family arguing once, or even two or three times a day.

July had just begun, and the Zhuoyue Garment Factory, which should have been in its off-season, received two large orders from other provinces, both specifically requesting athletic shoes.

The factory leaders are having a meeting to discuss whether to let the idle workers in the garment workshop catch up on production, or to temporarily hire a group of temporary workers from outside for the sports shoe production workshop.

Guan Yuehe, taking into account the upcoming visit of city leaders, guessed that the factory would most likely choose to hire temporary workers.

As soon as the meeting ended, Sister Zhu approached Guan Yuehe and told her that she could inform her relatives to prepare for the factory's recruitment exam.

Although it's just a temporary job in the sports shoe workshop, their factory has a history of temporary workers being able to become permanent employees. Once the news is released, they're likely to receive a whole bunch of application forms.

"The factory manager has spoken: no bribes are allowed, and no one is allowed to buy or sell quotas. Anyone found doing so will be dismissed."

Sister Zhu solemnly reminded her, "The factory manager is watching this recruitment exam. Anyone who goes against the grain will be finished. Xiao Guan, you can't make a mistake at this crucial moment."

Xiao Guan assured him, "I'll always keep a clear head!"

After saying that, Guan Yuehe asked, "Sister Zhu, the factory is hiring, but it doesn't seem to concern me, does it?"

Recruitment is handled by the personnel department; the factory office's work only begins after the workers have been hired. Besides, she's just a junior colleague, not Director Guan; if she wanted to accept bribes, no one would trust her!

Sister Zhu patted her shoulder with satisfaction and said, "The factory director praised you for being meticulous and organized. It just so happens that the personnel department is looking for people from other departments to help with this recruitment, and the head of the personnel department specifically asked for Comrade Xiao Guan from the factory office."

Comrade Xiao Guan: "......"

If the factory manager really couldn't find anything to praise her with, he could simply not praise her. After all that, she ended up doing odd jobs somewhere else.

"Xiao Guan, doing this job well will be a great help to you, so keep your eyes peeled!"

Xiao Guan twitched the corner of her mouth. She hadn't seen any help from him yet, but he would be of great help to her father in completing the task of delivering the rat tail next year.

And so, her "good relationships" have expanded to include another department.

Although the thought of having to work again makes me feel miserable, there is some good news as well.

The factory canteen served stewed chicken with potatoes for dinner today. Guan Yuehe prepared three minutes in advance and stood at the office door to warm up.

As soon as the time came, the person rushed out.

The workers who came to get their meals noticed that Comrade Guan from the factory office was acting strangely today: Comrade Guan usually only rushes to the canteen, but today she rushed out after getting her food. Could there be something great waiting for her?

Guan Yuehe ran all the way back to Ginkgo Alley and spread the news she had received:

"Zhuoyue Garment Factory is hiring 50 temporary workers on July 8th. Requirements: Junior high school graduate, experience using a sewing machine preferred, experience in shoemaking preferred..."

When the workers from the car factory returned home from get off work, they found that Courtyard No. 2 was packed with people again.

"Who started fighting in Courtyard No. 2?"

The smile on Song Gong's face froze instantly.