Chapter 87

The single-story houses are not soundproof, and any slight noise from any house will attract the attention of the neighbors.

Wan Cuihua ran over to Gu Xi asking for a job. When she got to the part about how pitiful she was, she couldn't control her voice. The neighbors on both sides and across the street heard her and came out to see what was going on.

They never expected to see such a scene when they came out; it was truly unprecedented.

Wan Cuihua never expected that Gu Xi would actually carry her on his back and carry her out of her house.

It's worth noting that she's quite heavy, not only because she's gained weight in middle age, but also because she doesn't skimp on herself. She eats white flour and meat with her beloved son, and her diet is quite good. This makes her stand out in an era where most people are generally thin, and she looks very round.

With her weight, even a strong man, let alone a woman, would have a hard time carrying her.

Gu Xi, who looked thin and weak, actually lifted her up with ease.

This stunned her, and she forgot to react for a moment.

After carrying the person out the door, Gu Xi put her down and said, "Sister Wan, I've already given the job to Sister Ye. You don't need to ask me anymore. I won't give it to anyone else."

She would never go back on her word once she had given someone something.

Moreover, her relationship with Wan Cuihua wasn't that good; even if she didn't give the job to Ye Fenghua, she wouldn't give it to her either.

Just as Wan Cuihua was about to say something, someone grabbed her arm, causing her to stumble.

Ye Fenghua, who came out from next door, stepped forward and grabbed her, saying, "Wan Cuihua, what are you doing? You want to work here at Gu Xi's place! You have no shame! You're not allowed to bother Gu Xi. If you have something to say, you can talk to me!"

Upon seeing the person she envied and was jealous of, Wan Cuihua immediately said, "Can you give me the job?"

"Why should I give it to you?!" Ye Fenghua was almost laughing in anger. "Gu Xi gave it to me, so it's mine. If you want a job, go find someone to give you one yourself."

“My family is much worse off than yours, Gu Xi should give this job to me!” Wan Cuihua said matter-of-factly.

Ye Fenghua was genuinely amused and exasperated by her. She knew it was pointless to reason with this kind of person, because no matter what others said, she had her own bizarre logic and believed she was right, making normal communication impossible.

She stopped trying to communicate with Wan Cuihua and said, "Gu Xi can give the job to whomever she wants; that's her freedom. No matter how much you argue, if she doesn't want to give it to me, she doesn't have to! Anyway, she gave me the job, so it's mine. You can't do anything about arguing with her! If you keep arguing, I'll go to Director Chai of the Women's Federation and report you for disturbing the peace and forcibly taking the job!"

Now, Wan Cuihua was truly afraid.

She was furious, but she also knew that Ye Fenghua was capable of such things. If she really complained to Director Chai, it might affect Deputy Regiment Commander Sun, whose family was now relying on Old Sun.

Anyone can get into trouble, but Old Sun can't. He's the breadwinner of their family.

Wan Cuihua turned to look at Gu Xi, and asked unwillingly, "Gu Xi, can't you really give me the job?"

"No." Gu Xi repeated, "I've already given it to Sister-in-law Ye, I can't go back on my word."

Wan Cuihua looked puzzled. "Why did you give it to Ye Fenghua? What right does she have? You two aren't relatives. You haven't been here long. You're not that close, are you?"

Wan Cuihua's question was also on the minds of many family members in the compound. When the family members who had come out to watch the excitement heard this, they all nodded in agreement.

Yes, why should Gu Xi give the job to Ye Fenghua?

They're all neighbors, and their family isn't much better off than Ye Fenghua's. Why does Gu Xi only have eyes for Ye Fenghua? She should look at them; they need work too.

Ye Fenghua's expression froze, and she couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

Yes, she and Gu Xi weren't relatives, and their relationship wasn't that good. If it was just because they were neighbors, then the Chief of Staff Gao's family on the other side were also neighbors. She and Qiao Hui had a very good relationship, and she often visited Qiao Hui's daughter. Both of them were scholars, so they had a lot in common.

Qiao Hui is also unemployed. Gu Xi could give her a job, or even give one to Ma Chunling, the daughter-in-law of Grandma Yu across the street. Ma Chunling's situation is much worse than Ye Fenghua's. If she had a job, she wouldn't be so tightly suppressed by her mother-in-law.

Even her husband, Lao Miao, was puzzled. Why would Gu Xi take a liking to someone as useless as him and give him the job?

Gu Xi said matter-of-factly, "Because I'm close to Sister-in-law Ye!"

"Intimacy?" Wan Cuihua was dumbfounded. What kind of reason was that?

Gu Xi said, "After I came here, Sister Ye helped me a lot. She is a very good person, friendly to her neighbors, filial to her elders, and raised her children to be very polite. Commander Miao also respects her. Sister Ye has so many good qualities. There are many things I can learn from her. I think she is good, so I gave it to her."

Everyone: "..."

Is she serious?

Everyone looked at her closely and realized that she was actually serious, which was truly terrifying.

There are many women like Ye Fenghua in the family compound. They are filial to their elders, friendly to their neighbors, and good at educating their children... Isn't that what they should be doing? What's there to say?

The door to Chief of Staff Gao's house opened, and Qiao Hui stood there watching the commotion. When she heard Gu Xi's words, a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.

She could tell that Gu Xi was telling the truth.

There are many women like Ye Fenghua in the family compound, but it was Ye Fenghua who lived next door to Gu Xi and helped Gu Xi, not anyone else, so she gave her what she wanted.

Only Ye Fenghua was completely stunned. After regaining her senses, her face turned bright red, and she stammered, "Gu... Gu Xi, I'm not as good as you say... Also, I'm not taking this job for nothing. I can pay you. How about I give you half of my salary from the past few years..."

“Sister-in-law Ye!” Gu Xi interrupted her, her face righteous and awe-inspiring. “The job is yours, you don’t need to say anything, and you don’t need to care what others think.”

Ye Fenghua was deeply moved; if they weren't outside, she would have burst into tears.

How can there be such a wonderful girl as Gu Xi in this world? She's beautiful, has a great personality, and is so kind, gentle, and selfless...

Those around him felt very uncomfortable hearing this.

So, Commander Shen's wife is such a kind person? If they had interacted with her more before, would they have gotten this job?

She couldn't help but feel extremely regretful. Even Grandma Yu was filled with remorse. If she had known that Gu Xi was so easy to please, she would have had her daughter-in-law spend more time with Gu Xi, bring her more food and supplies, and show her more care... wouldn't she have gotten a job for free?

Only Wan Cuihua was affected.

What's so good about Ye Fenghua? Is Gu Xi blind?

Unfortunately, before she could say anything, Gu Xi had already declared in front of everyone that the job was for Ye Fenghua, that she wouldn't change her mind, and that she didn't need to come looking for her. Then she greeted the people around her and took her two younger sisters home.

Ye Fenghua also followed Gu Xi into her home.

Suppressing her gratitude, she said to Gu Xi, "Gu Xi, I can't take your job for nothing. I've discussed it with Lao Miao, and for the next few years, I'll give you half of my salary..."

She blushed slightly as she said this.

My family doesn't have much savings, so we can't afford to buy this job. She also has to support her child, so we can't give her all the wages we've earned over the years. We have to compromise and give her half of what we have, about ten yuan a month.

If you give them that many years, they'll make several hundred yuan.

Gu Xi was a little annoyed: "Sister-in-law, don't say things like that! This job isn't something I sold to you, it's for you."

It wouldn't be good if word got out that he was selling his job.

Helping neighbors in need sounds better than selling a job, doesn't it? People live in this world for a reputation, especially in places like the military, where having a good reputation has too many benefits.

There's really no need to ruin your reputation for a few hundred dollars.

If she were short of money, she might actually agree, but the problem is she doesn't. If she wanted money, she could find a way to earn it herself; there's no need for her to earn this kind of money.

Before Ye Fenghua could say anything more, Xu Yuansheng suddenly said, "Sister-in-law Ye, you don't need to pay us. You can do us a favor."

She could tell that her sister didn't want to accept the money, and considering that this was a military base and the importance of having a good reputation, she decided to side with her sister.

"What kind of help do you need?" Ye Fenghua asked. "Just tell me, I'll definitely help you if I can."

Xu Yuansheng said, "Sister-in-law Ye, you know my sister's health isn't good. The doctor said she needs to rest and eat a nutritious diet, and it would be great if she could drink chicken soup. Sister-in-law Ye, I heard you're a local and your family is here. Could you help me contact some villagers you know and buy some chickens or ducks from them to help my sister recover?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Fenghua agreed without hesitation: "That's easy, I'll just go back to my parents' house and tell them." Then, as if remembering something, she added, "Don't worry, I'll arrange for someone to deliver it, or I can go back and pick it up when I have time. I'll put it in a bag so no one can see what's inside."

These days, people value hard work and frugality and reject the hedonistic lifestyle of capitalism. Even if Gu Xi needs to take care of her health and often buys livestock from the countryside, it's not allowed; if someone sees her doing so, she'll be reported.

This has to be done secretly; no one can know about it.

Xu Yuansheng smiled. As expected, Sister-in-law Ye was a very adaptable person. No wonder her sister gave her this job.

She smiled and said, "That would be perfect. I'll have to trouble you, sister-in-law."

"What trouble? I should thank Gu Xi." Ye Fenghua still felt that Gu Xi was too kind. She gave her this job, but only asked her to do this little favor. This was hardly helping.

In the countryside, people raise livestock such as chickens and ducks mostly to earn some money to supplement their household income; it doesn't matter who they sell them to.

**

The news quickly spread throughout the family compound.

Grandma Yu, an eyewitness at the scene, vividly described the situation to those who weren't there. Everyone listened with great interest. When they heard that Gu Xi had carried Wan Cuihua, who had come to her for work, out of her house, everyone burst into laughter.

They preferred listening to this to everything else; it was just so much fun.

Arguing or fighting with someone as shameless as Wan Cuihua is pointless. The more you argue or fight, the more outrageous she becomes. In the end, you'll attract the attention of the women's director, get a public reprimand, lose all face, and even drag the men down with you, affecting their work.

So Gu Xi didn't argue or fight with her; instead, she simply carried the woman out of her own house. This approach was unprecedented and very effective, leaving Wan Cuihua with no way to stay at her house.

"So that's how it can be done."

"If Wan Cuihua refuses to leave my house next time, can I carry her out too?"

"Carry her out? She's so fat, how are you going to carry her? Can you even lift her?"

"Sigh...it seems I really can't carry it."

"That's it! Only Gu Xi could do this! But just how strong is Gu Xi? She looks so thin and weak, how can she be so strong? Is she stronger than a man?"

"Possibly! I've never seen a man carry a fat woman like Wan Cuihua out the door as easily as she does."

"..."

In the end, everyone was puzzled about how strong Gu Xi was.

Even the men in the military were curious.

They had met Deputy Regiment Commander Sun's wife; she was a very plump woman, clearly living a good life and enjoying good food, and she had also raised her son to be round and chubby.

I heard that when her daughter got married last year, she asked for a dowry of 1,000 yuan. She's not short of money, so it's normal for her to eat well.

When Political Commissar Xu saw Shen Mingzheng, he teased, "Old Shen, I heard that your wife carried the wife of Deputy Regiment Commander Sun, who was going to ask your family for a job, out the door. How strong is she? Have you ever arm wrestled with her?"

At this point, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Anyone who hears about this will burst into laughter, because it's just too funny.

They never expected that Commander Shen's wife was such a wonderful person. "I won't argue with you, nor will I fight with you. I'll just carry you out of my house."

Shen Mingzheng was somewhat speechless, but he was also mentally prepared, and calmly said, "Do you want to arm wrestle with me?"

Political Commissar Xu quickly shook his head and refused: "I'm not going to arm wrestle with an animal like you."

A beast like Commander Shen is probably hard to beat in the army. He's a civilized man and wouldn't do such a thing.

Shen Mingzheng: "Then shut up!"

Seeing this, Political Commissar Xu understood. Pointing at him in surprise, he said incredulously, "Is your wife really that amazing? It's such a pity she's not in the army."

With such strength, he's a promising talent.

Shen Mingzheng said, "Her health is not good."

Political Commissar Xu had also thought of this. It was precisely because of her poor health that she couldn't even do her job and had to give it away, which was a real pity. Then he wondered, "She's not in good health, how can she be so strong?"

People with great strength are usually healthy and robust, but Gu Xi clearly doesn't fit that description, which is really strange.

Shen Mingzheng remained calm: "There are many strange things in this world, she's nothing special."

Political Commissar Xu glanced at him, knowing that if he continued, things would get out of hand.

That makes sense, though. There are so many strange things in the world. If we investigated everything, we'd never finish. As long as we're sure the person is alright, that's fine. The fact that she passed the political vetting and married Shen Mingzheng shows that she's not a problem; on the contrary, she's a kind and considerate comrade.

**

That evening, Ye Fenghua told Commander Miao about it, and said with a touched expression, "Gu Xi really didn't want anything. Because I insisted, she only asked me for a favor in the end."

"What kind of help?"

Ye Fenghua then told him about her offer to help.

After hearing this, Commander Miao sighed, "He is indeed a good comrade, and he genuinely wants to help you." Then he looked at his wife and wondered, "Is there something wrong with her taste? How come she thinks you are so good?"

The words Gu Xi said to Ye Fenghua in public today have already spread throughout the army.

He admitted that his wife was very good. She had been married to him for so many years, managed their household very well, and had given birth to children. She was a good wife, a good mother, and a good daughter-in-law.

But I also know that she is not very educated, just an ordinary rural woman with little knowledge. Compared to Chief of Staff Gao's wife, Qiao Hui, she is far inferior.

Ye Fenghua immediately retorted angrily, "What do you mean? What's wrong with what Gu Xi said?"

Although she blushed at Gu Xi's praise and felt that she wasn't that good, she was still unhappy to hear him say that.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I just think what Commander Shen's wife said is right!" Commander Miao quickly changed the subject. "Although she didn't ask for anything, we can't really do nothing. When you get your salary, remember to buy some meat and send it over. If her family ever needs anything, we should help them out as much as possible."

Commander Miao was good at interpersonal relationships, which is why he was able to rise higher than Deputy Commander Sun, who was his contemporary.

Ye Fenghua nodded, "I know, I sent a piece of our family's cured pork over last time." Then she added, "Gu Xi likes the vegetables I grow, saying they are very fresh and delicious. When I go to the county town, you should take good care of the vegetable garden. If she wants to eat some, send some over to her."

Commander Miao chuckled, "I understand, I'll take good care of your vegetable garden."