Chapter 249 Gu Baobao Donates Money to Build Qinghetun

On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, the snow cleared after a period of sunshine.

The aroma of the banquet in the old Gu family mansion hadn't yet dissipated when freshly cooked dumplings were served again—this was a gift for the "return visit to the bride's parents' home."

Gu Baobao and Lu Zhanming sat side by side, both dressed in impeccably military uniforms.

Besides the Gu family, the brigade leader Li Guoqiang and commune secretary Lao Zhao were also at the table. The dumplings were steaming hot, but no one touched their chopsticks first.

Wu Guixiang took out a blue cloth bag from her bosom, opened it layer by layer, and inside were ten neat stacks of money, all brand new 10,000 yuan.

She pushed the cloth bag to the center of the table, her voice trembling slightly, yet unusually clear:

"This 10,000 yuan was a donation that Bao Bao and her son-in-law agreed to give to our Qinghe Village."

The table was completely silent.

Li Guoqiang almost dropped his pipe.

Secretary Zhao's eyes widened, and he let out a "ho" sound.

These days, a strong laborer's work points, converted into cash, amounted to only about a hundred yuan a year. Ten thousand yuan... that was several years' income for the entire production team!

"Milk……"

Gu Baobao called softly and reached out to press the old lady's hand.

Wu Guixiang shook her head and pushed the cloth bag forward again:

“Baby, this money is yours, so it’s your right to say it.”

Gu Baobao looked at Lu Zhanming.

Their eyes met, and Lu Zhanming nodded slightly.

She stood up, facing Li Guoqiang and Lao Zhao, her tone calm and solemn:

"Captain Li, Secretary Zhao, Zhan Ming and I have three ideas about this money."

"First, we'll use four thousand yuan to buy a Dongfanghong tractor for the commune. We have a lot of land, and it's too hard to rely on people to pull and carry things during spring planting and autumn harvest. With a tractor, we can free up a lot of labor."

Li Guoqiang nodded emphatically, his fingers trembling.

"Secondly, take three thousand yuan to build a clinic in our village. It will be a brick and tile house with glass windows, and three rooms inside and out: a consultation room, a pharmacy, and an observation room. I will bring back a batch of medicine from the capital first, and the county health bureau will provide supplies later."

Secretary Zhao was so excited that he slapped his thigh repeatedly.

"Great! Excellent! I'll personally oversee this!"

"third,"

Gu Baobao paused, her voice softening.

"With the remaining three thousand yuan, please ask the brigade to help build two classrooms next to the village primary school and hire a teacher to teach arithmetic and Chinese. Our village's children can't just know how to write their own names."

As soon as he finished speaking, the main room became so quiet that the crackling of firewood in the stove could be heard.

Li Guoqiang's eyes reddened.

The man who was carrying the food and drink for hundreds of people in the village suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Gu Baobao and Lu Zhanming:

"Dr. Gu, Comrade Lu... On behalf of the entire village, thank you!"

This bow was truly sincere.

Gu Baobao quickly stepped aside, and Lu Zhanming reached out to support Li Guoqiang:

"Captain, you mustn't. The baby was raised in Qinghetun; this is what she should do."

That being said, everyone understands that this isn't something they're obligated to do, but rather a matter of courtesy.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching the entire village in half a day.

When Gu Baobao and Lu Zhanming went out, the villagers they met along the way all looked at them differently. They no longer saw her as a "talented golden phoenix," but as someone looking at their own child.

When they greeted them, their voices choked with emotion, the old ladies wiped their eyes, and murmured:

"Good boy!"

"It wasn't all for nothing!"

When we passed the three low mud-brick houses of the Zhang family, the gate was tightly closed.

Someone with sharp eyes spotted a fleeting shadow behind the crack in the door—it was Zhang Pandi's mother, hunched over, looking dejected.

The Zhang family is now completely disgraced.

The eldest daughter attempted arson but failed and is awaiting sentencing; the daughter-in-law suffered a miscarriage and was sent to a labor camp; the rest of the villagers walk around, and even the dogs are unwilling to bark at them.

When the team assigns tasks, the Zhang family always gets the dirtiest and most tiring work.

When recording work points, the accountant would frantically tap the abacus, afraid of giving even half a point too much.

"Rat droppings" is what the villagers call them behind their backs.

The whole family was heartless and almost ruined the good days that the whole village had been hoping for.

Gu Baobao didn't look at the tightly closed door much.

Some roots are rotten beyond saving; we can only wait for time to completely decompose them into mud.

On the twentieth day of the first lunar month, it was time to return to the capital.

Before dawn, the aroma of pancakes wafted from the Gu family's kitchen.

Li Fenfang and Wu Guixiang worked silently, kneading dough, rolling out wrappers, and sprinkling scallions, while the oil sizzled in the iron wok.

No one spoke, afraid that if they opened their mouths, tears would fall first.

In the courtyard, Grandpa Lu and Gu Dahe were squatting against the wall, smoking their pipes.

The two old men puffed on their cigarettes, watching the pale dawn breaking over the eastern horizon.

"You really aren't going back with the children?"

Gu Dahe exhaled a puff of smoke.

"I'm not going."

Old Master Lu tapped his cigarette ash, grinned, and...

"It's so stuffy in the city. I'll stay here and watch how you manage the land during the spring planting season, and learn a thing or two. Maybe I can even help you carry a couple of bags of grain during the autumn harvest."

Gu Dahe also smiled, his face full of wrinkles:

"That would be great. We'll reserve a good plot of land for you to grow eggplants and peppers."

Inside the main room, Gu Baobao and Lu Zhanming were packing the last of their belongings.

There wasn't much to bring; most of it was stuff that the villagers insisted on giving me.

A bag of roasted peanuts, two pairs of thickly stitched insoles, and some dried goods.

Lu Zhanming draped the military overcoat over Gu Baobao's shoulders, carefully buttoned it up, and then wrapped the scarf around her neck twice.

The movements were slow, as if he wanted to etch every detail into his mind.

"Grandpa really isn't coming with us?"

Gu Baobao asked softly.

"Um."

Lu Zhanming put his arm around her shoulder.

“The old man is stubborn and says he’s comfortable here. My bodyguard, Xiao Chen, will stay to take care of him, and I’ve also arranged for someone to ensure his safety, so don’t worry.”

Gu Baobao nodded and leaned on his shoulder.

The sound of roosters crowing outside the window, one after another, woke up the entire village.

It's time to go.

A large crowd had already gathered outside the courtyard gate.

Li Guoqiang, along with the production team cadres, Old Chen carrying his medicine box, and the elderly people who had been treated by Gu Baobao, and the children who had been given candy by her... a dark mass of people stood silently.

There was no gonging or drumming, no firecrackers.

This kind of thing isn't popular these days, and it won't become popular anyway.

Gu Baobao walked up to her grandparents and parents with tears in her eyes.

"Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, I'm leaving. Take care of yourselves, take your medicine on time, and don't skimp on food and clothing."

Wu Guixiang pulled her granddaughter up, and tears finally streamed down her face.

“My dear…be well out there…write often…come back and visit often…”

Gu Jianqiang turned his back, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Li Fenfang gripped her daughter's hand tightly, unable to speak.

Lu Zhanming stood at attention and saluted the four elderly men.

"Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, don't worry. With me here, baby won't suffer any injustice."

The bulletproof car started.

Gu Baobao sat in the passenger seat and waved out the window.

The crowd followed the car slowly, all the way to the old locust tree at the entrance of the village.

As the car turned onto the dirt road, the figures in the rearview mirror grew smaller and smaller until they became blurry black dots, blending into the gray background of the village.

Gu Baobao looked away and closed her eyes.

Lu Zhanming freed his right hand and grasped her slightly cool hand:

"Take a nap, the road ahead is still long."

"Um."

The car bumped and jolted as it drove into the distance.

Behind them lies the soil where they are rooted, and ahead lies the battlefield where they await.