Chapter 96 Small Victory
The salesperson slowly unrolled the roll of cloth. Mrs. Lin was feeling the thickness of the fabric. A middle-aged local woman with short hair and a brand new red plaid smock next to her was probably getting impatient. She glanced at the cloth coupons in Mrs. Lin's hand, then looked at her clothes, and shouted in a loud voice, "Lin Zhaodi, you still have money to buy cloth, but don't you still have to send money back home to support your brother? Which of your sisters dares to spend money like this?"
Everyone was shocked when these words were spoken.
Lin Xiaomei's face suddenly turned red, and she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. The joints of her fingers that were holding the cloth coupons turned slightly white. She moved her lips, wanting to refute but felt embarrassed, and froze there for a moment.
Gu Qiuyue's eyes turned cold, and she calmly took a half step forward, standing between Lin Zhaodi and the woman. An impeccable, gentle and polite smile appeared on her face, and her voice was clear and distinct, drowning out the surrounding silence:
"Comrade, nowadays people say 'women hold up half the sky.' When evaluating a female comrade, instead of looking at her labor and contributions, you harp on a name given to her by an older generation. This kind of ideological awareness is out of step with the times!"
She paused and continued, "A girl named 'Zhao Di' can still be a model worker and a role model. Names don't tell the whole story; actions and contributions are the real testament!"
She turned to Lin Zhaodi and said (but her voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear): "Sister Lin, don't take it personally. Our name is our parents' intention and it represents our roots. Times are better now, and we women can speak with our own abilities. Our name cannot represent our actions, nor can it stop us from working hard to build the four modernizations. Those who only know how to gossip should be ashamed."
The words were spoken neither servilely nor arrogantly, and the salesperson and several nearby shoppers nodded silently. The short-haired woman blushed and paled, and turned away awkwardly, not daring to say another word. Lin Zhaodi looked at Gu Qiuyue gratefully, her previous embarrassment largely dissipated by a warm current.
"Mrs. Lin, what do you think of this piece of work cloth? It's thick and wear-resistant, and it's just right for making pants for the children." Gu Qiuyue naturally changed the subject and pointed to another piece of cloth, as if the previous episode had never happened.
Lin Zhaodi nodded quickly: "Yes, that's great! Comrade, please, please also pull the work cloth three feet long!"
After choosing the cloth, they went to look at other things. Gu Qiuyue picked out two pairs of socks for Xie Shiyu, while Lin Zhaodi weighed out half a pound of local specialty hawthorn cake and insisted on giving it to Gu Qiuyue to try.
Leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, the early winter mountain sunshine shone down on her, dispelling the turbid air inside. Lin Zhaodi breathed a sigh of relief, her smile growing wider. "Sister Qiuyue, to be honest, every time I introduce myself to someone, they always ask, 'How many older sisters do you have?'"
("Do you have to send money home every month to support your brother?" "You have to pay for your brother's marriage, right?" "You married so well, why didn't you give your brother any money?") These kinds of questions are so annoying. What you just said was so satisfying. Let's go back to the camp. I have some roasted chestnuts I brought from home. Let's eat and talk!"
Mrs. Zhang and the others smiled at each other, then followed Lin Zhaodi and Gu Qiuyue back to the camp. The atmosphere was relaxed and happy.
Mrs. Zhang was a chatterbox, and she started talking about what she had seen and heard near the base. "...By the way, Sister Qiuyue, you've been studying in the capital for so long, you must be very knowledgeable. I heard it's very lively there now, with all sorts of new things. Unlike us in the mountains, there are few factories and opportunities..."
There was a hint of longing in her tone, and then she sighed, "My husband said that many of the family members in their camp also want to find something to do to supplement their family income, but here, apart from helping out in the commune at the foot of the mountain, or doing odd jobs in the small factories in town, there really isn't much else to do. I heard that the clothing factory at the east end of town is looking to hire a few quick and temporary workers to help with the production of military quilts, but that work is hard and the pay is low..."
Gu Qiuyue listened attentively, a thought stirring in her mind. Family employment... this was a common problem. She thought of the gradually thriving atmosphere in the capital. Although it hadn't yet taken off on a large scale, the seeds of individual economic development seemed to be quietly emerging in some corners. She casually asked, "Oh? The bedding factory in town? Does it make bedding for our troops?"
"Of course!" Lin Zhaodi also perked up. "We rely on army orders to make a living. The work is hard, without being exposed to the wind or rain, but it is tiring. But if we can get in, at least it will be an income, right?" She expressed her opinion and obviously had considered this path.
Gu Qiuyue nodded and didn't ask any further questions, but she took note of the information in her heart. The needs of the family members... maybe this is a direction worth thinking about?
When we returned to the camp, night had already fallen.
Xie Shiyu returned with a cold look and a hint of fatigue between his brows, but when he saw his wife waiting for him, his eyes immediately softened. Under the dim light, the two of them snuggled up and talked for a while.
Gu Qiuyue leaned on his strong and warm shoulders, smelling the faint scent of soap and the fresh mountains on his body, listening to his low voice telling interesting stories about the training, and feeling peace and stability in her heart. She wanted to mention the bad thing she had encountered Bai Xiaolian and her husband in the park, but looking at the tiredness in her husband's eyes, feeling this rare warmth, and thinking of Lin Zhaodi's hearty smile during the day and the small "victory" in the supply and marketing cooperative, she finally swallowed back the words that were about to come out of her mouth. She would talk about those troubles when she returned to the capital.
At this moment, she just wanted to enjoy this moment of warmth and tranquility.
Xie Shiyu dragged Gu Qiuyue along for a while longer, until she ran out of energy and begged for mercy. Xie Shiyu then helped her clean up before he lay down. Outside the window lay the silent mountains, with only the occasional sound of patrol footsteps.
Tomorrow, Gu Qiuyue will board the train back to Beijing.
The next morning, the loud sound of the bugle broke the silence of the camp on time.
Gu Qiuyue woke up to the sound of a bugle call. The mountains outside the window were shrouded in a thin morning mist. She got up and washed up. The camp radio was playing the morning news and a passionate march.
After the news report on the radio was finished, there was a brief pause, and then the red songs sung by the army art troupe began to play. The melodious and soulful melody echoed among the mountains.
Gu Qiuyue wiped her face and looked out the window at the rolling green hills and the green figures starting to exercise in the camp. Her heart was filled with strength. The short reunion made her better understand the responsibilities on her husband's shoulders and cherish her own life and studies more.
She had her own way to deal with those troubles and injustices. She packed her simple luggage and prepared to embark on her journey home. The capital city and her battlefield were waiting for her.
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