078 Daughter-in-law
The joy of the Spring Festival in 1977 was not only reflected in the red couplets on the doors of every household and the various kinds of red window paper. Guan Yuehe noticed that there were even more people visiting relatives and friends to exchange New Year's greetings.
Especially the families of Grandpa Li and Grandma Hua.
Since getting married, Mr. Li and his wife have stopped visiting Mr. Li's nephew's house for Chinese New Year and have been spending it alone.
On ordinary holidays, Mr. Li's old comrades-in-arms would occasionally come to visit, but unlike today, guests have been coming one after another since early morning.
Guan Yuehe didn't recognize the guests who came to her door, but Grandpa Zhang in the courtyard could recognize two or three of them.
"I heard that the whole family was sent down to several places before, but I don't know where they were assigned. Anyway, it's been almost ten years."
"It wasn't easy, but they've finally been exonerated." Aunt Er sighed, but then whispered mysteriously, "They're going to take back the courtyard houses on Heping Road. I heard they're going to return them to their owners. The people living there are in trouble. They're even arguing with their work units now."
Mr. Zhang said, "The company will have to resolve this sooner or later; making a fuss won't help."
Aunt Zhao disagreed, "Is resolving it sooner or later the same thing? Making a scene might get it resolved sooner!"
Then, he gave the group of old men a disdainful look, "I can't stand you guys who are so obsessed with saving face that you suffer for nothing. You're just a hindrance!"
Grandpa Chang remained silent, but Guan Yuehe knew a little about the situation. Apparently, Grandpa Chang refused to go to the factory to ask the master fitter, who was also an eighth-grade fitter, for advice. He still firmly held onto the nickname "Sixth-Grade Fitter Chang." Aunt Zhao was subtly pointing this out to him.
The others, unaware of the situation, then shifted the topic back to the people who had been exonerated and returned to the city.
The matter of being sent to the countryside and being rehabilitated was somewhat distant from Guan Yuehe's life. Her relatives and friends were all workers, peasants, and soldiers, none of whom had any connection with "capitalists."
But it doesn't seem that far.
Many people were exonerated and returned to the city. Some were reinstated to their original positions, some received subsidies for years of lost wages, and others were returned to their original posts.
Several technicians from the technical department of Wuxing Automobile Factory have returned. Guan Yuehe met them in the technical department when she went to the automobile factory before the Lunar New Year to learn about the products to be exhibited this year.
One of them was one of the original leaders who mentored Zhang Xinbi and Guo Xusheng.
Even closer to home is Ding Xuewen's friend, Chen Lizhong.
Ding Xuewen's letter did not describe the situation of Chen Lizhong's family in detail, but it mentioned that Chen Lizhong's family had been exonerated and would be returning to Beijing in a few days. Perhaps Chen Lizhong would also be returning soon.
Ding Xuewen's return date remains unknown.
But Guan Yuehe and the others were still happy for Chen Lizhong, jokingly saying, "I wonder if Chen Lizhong has trained any qualified pig farmers. Without him, will the pig farm in Sidaogou Production Brigade still be able to continue to grow and thrive?"
Lin Sitian laughed at Guan Yuehe and said, "You just want to eat the cured meat they make!"
"If you're not craving meat, don't come here to freeload off me."
Lin Sitian deliberately said, "I'll eat it, and I'll even call my brother to come and eat all the meat in your house."
Just then, Lin Yiku, whom they had mentioned, came to return the car. He pushed Guan Yuehe's bicycle to the door, knocked on the living room window, and asked the others if they wanted to go ice skating.
Lin Sitian, Xu Chengcai, and Qin Zilan were very sensible and said they had things to do and wouldn't go out with them for some fresh air.
In the end, only Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku went ice skating.
Since last year, the clothing worn by young gay men on the streets has gradually become more vibrant. Previously, it was a sea of gray, blue, and green, dotted with a few red, yellow, and pink pieces. Now, with so many colorful clothes, it no longer feels out of place.
Guan Yuehe wiggled her foot and saw the little red leather shoes on her feet.
She's also a trendy young comrade.
They not only follow trends, but also love speed.
Lin Yi had to constantly weave through the crowd to catch up with her in the huge ice rink. After finally catching up, he said helplessly, "Guan Yuehe, do you have to surpass the British and Americans when you're ice skating?"
"You asked yourself, do you want to have a competition?" Guan Yuehe snorted. "You're just like Uncle Ming, cheating when you lose."
"Can't the competition start by having everyone stand on the same line and count 'one, two, three'? I just finished speaking and you rushed out." Lin Yiku said, but she couldn't help but laugh at herself. It would be strange if Guan Yuehe played by the rules.
Sure enough, Guan Yuehe said confidently, "Starting reaction is also the key to victory!"
Having satisfied her desire for victory, Guan Yuehe stopped arguing and said she wanted to skate slowly. So, Lin Yiku, who was being led by her, could only move slowly, little by little.
Guan Yuehe would also observe other young people who came to the skating rink for dates. Some would exclaim in surprise and then hug each other, before separating shyly.
She estimated her strength and was a little worried that she might overextend herself and knock Lin Yiku flying.
Just imagining this scene made her laugh so hard she bent over.
Although I don't know exactly what she was laughing at, I can guess that she was laughing at him.
Lin Yiku shielded her from the wind and waited until she had finished laughing before pulling her to a less crowded area to slide.
As it turned out, she didn't knock Lin Yiku away.
When it was time to return the roller skates, Guan Yuehe called out to Lin Yiku, and as he turned around, she rushed up and gave him a big hug.
The two slid back a short distance, but no one was thrown into the air.
Lin Yiku reacted very quickly this time, reaching out to hug the person tightly, his chin just touching her head.
She always said she had grown taller, and he had some doubts before, but now it has finally been confirmed to be true.
"No one else would play like this with you."
Guan Yuehe thought to herself: I wouldn't dare to do this to anyone else!
But then again, why would she want to switch to someone else?
People around them rushed over and back, as if they had been hugging for a long time, but when they checked their watches, only two minutes had passed.
I managed to return the skates just two minutes before the timeout period ended and got my deposit back.
Why didn't Lin Sitian tell me earlier that coming to ice skating would bring such a good thing! She thought she was just coming to ice skating for fun.
She used to come with the three of them to play, always competing with others to see who was the fastest, and they would shout and scream. Thinking about that scene, she felt that going to the cinema to watch a movie was a more dignified thing to do.
"What's wrong?" Hearing her sigh again, Lin Yiku couldn't ignore it and guessed, "Want to play a little longer?"
"No, I think sometimes we need to change our old ways of thinking." If we take things too for granted, we'll miss out on a lot.
This was a nonsensical statement, and Lin Yiku couldn't figure it out, so she changed the subject, "There's someone selling pastries up ahead, shall we go take a look?"
"Where?" Guan Yuehe was immediately drawn to the sight. Following his finger, she discovered that a group of people were gathered together. Upon closer inspection, she realized that someone was carrying food out to sell.
"Hurry up!" He grabbed Lin Yiku and headed straight for the crowd ahead.
The crackdown on small-scale speculation is not as strict now. In the past, transactions were usually conducted on the black market, but now some people dare to go out on the street and quietly hawk their wares.
As always, unless someone reports it, even if the police see it, they will turn a blind eye.
People like Guan Yuehe who love to eat are happy. They don't need tickets, and the food they can buy is even better than what the state-run restaurants serve. If she comes across something she likes, she'll definitely buy some to satisfy her craving.
Having someone who also loves to eat and can eat a lot as a companion multiplies the pleasure of enjoying delicious food several times over.
"Comrade Guan Yuehe! You're ice skating too?" Zhao Youtong had just seen her when he returned the skates. He called out to her a few times but got no response, so he caught up to greet her.
After greeting them, I noticed the person next to Guan Yuehe and asked, "Is this your boyfriend?"
"Yes, Lin Yiku."
Guan Yuehe then introduced Zhao Youtong to Lin Yiku, saying, "This is the Zhao Youtong technician from the automobile factory's technical department that I mentioned to you. Oh, he's section chief Zhao now. Section chief Zhao contributed several inventions to the launch of the sixth-generation automobile at the automobile factory. Teacher Zhang and Teacher Guo often praise you."
"No, no." Zhao Youtong was a little embarrassed by the compliment. Seeing that the two of them had food in their hands, he didn't want to take up their time, so he explained his purpose. "I heard you wanted to borrow a camera. I have one. If you can't borrow it, you can use it first, but you'll have to buy the film yourself."
"That's great!" Guan Yuehe thought for a moment, then said, "Let me see if my sister managed to borrow it. If not, I'll ask you for it. Thank you, Comrade Zhao. By the way, aren't you attending this Canton Fair?"
"I have other work to do and can't go." Zhao Youtong nodded to Lin Yiku again. "I won't bother you any longer, I'll be going now."
Take care.
After walking a distance, Zhao Youtong looked back for a while. The two people in front of him were shoulder to shoulder. Perhaps they had eaten something delicious. Guan Yuehe broke off a piece and gave it to Lin Yiku. After waiting for him to eat it and nodding, she happily continued to eat the food in her hand.
He was curious for a long time about what kind of person Guan Yuehe was talking to.
If it weren't for the fact that many workers at the car factory knew who "Lin Yiku" was, and that Guan Yuehe hadn't yet put marriage on the agenda, he would have thought that Guan Yuehe had made up a fake boyfriend.
I finally got to meet him in person today.
At first glance, this person exudes righteousness, but seems rather unapproachable; their voice and expression are icy. Unlike Comrade Guan Yuehe, who is always smiling and has a good temper and cheerful personality.
No wonder Guan Yuehe said he wasn't her type. Well, he and that Comrade Lin are completely unrelated in terms of looks and temperament.
Zhao Youtong took a deep breath, and then, blown by the cold wind, he quickly put aside his other thoughts and ran towards his friends who were waiting for him.
The second day of the Lunar New Year was just as lively as the first day.
Jiang Guiying forbade Guan Yuehua from traveling around while pregnant, so the Guan family went directly to Guan Yuehua's home to offer New Year's greetings.
Guan Yuehe guessed that she probably wanted to avoid her aunt and uncle.
Even after becoming pregnant, Guan Yuehua's temper remained unchanged; she still vented her anger on the spot.
The stove next door used for cooking was placed in the hallway, and it was moved a little bit every day until it was right next to the front door.
Gu Mannian was afraid that he might run into the stove one day when he went out, and it would be even more dangerous if there was boiling water in the stove, so he knocked on the door of the neighbor's house and asked them to move the stove to their own balcony.
The neighbors disagreed, saying they wanted to partition off the balcony to make a small room and put other things outside the door. As long as it wasn't moved to their front door, Gu Mannian couldn't interfere.
When Guan Yuehe and her family arrived with the gifts, Guan Yuehua and Gu Mannian were standing at the door, hands on their hips, cursing. The stove had been moved right to the middle of the doorway next door.
No wonder Gu Mannian was approached by the labor union and women's federation several times, who told him, as a cadre, to be more tolerant.
Guan Yuehe scratched her face. Luckily, she didn't live in this family compound, otherwise the labor union and women's federation would have come to her home too.
Unable to win the argument with the neighbor, and not daring to lay a hand on a pregnant woman, he swallowed his anger and hid at home.
Jiang Guiying's vision blurred at the sight. She helped the person back into the house and began to berate them: "Can't you just put up with this? Once the baby is born, you can argue all you want!"
"I can't stand it!" Guan Yuehua sighed. "I'm afraid if I keep holding back, I'll lose my child. If I don't say anything, they'll think we're easy to bully. That old hag next door hasn't stopped since she came over. I can't control her acting like a domineering mother-in-law at her son's house, but she dares to act like that in front of me. Do you think I can tolerate her?"
Guan Yuehe understood her sister very well and kept nodding in agreement. Some people are just so mean-spirited. If you don't teach them a lesson, they'll get really angry and end up only hurting themselves.
"What?! That old woman next door is bullying you here? Last time I came, she said she had a fierce look and was hard to get along with!"
Jiang Guiying had just been trying to persuade Guan Yuehua, but upon hearing this, she rolled up her sleeves, rushed out, and banged on the door, yelling, "Who dares to act like a mother-in-law at my daughter's house? Come out here! I'll tear your mouth off today, you won't know what's what!"
The neighbors were still pretending to be dead. Only when Jiang Guiying returned did someone from the neighbors start wailing, "They're all bullying an old woman like me!"
There were so many households in the building, but not a single person came out to speak up for them.
Well, this is another one who has angered the public, just like Old Baotou.
The house was allocated to Gu Mannian before he got married. Given his circumstances at the time, he could only get a large single room. The bedroom was partitioned off after the house was allocated.
The room here was not spacious to begin with, and now with more people, it's even more crowded.
"The factory is building a new dormitory building this year. In my case, I can apply to be reassigned to a room and hopefully get a one-room room next time."
Jiang Guiying said, "Didn't we all get through it like this? When we first came to the city, we had three children and only one room. Later, we had Aiguo, and then we got another room. Then, when Jianguo was officially married, we applied for three rooms. Life is like that, we just have to take it one step at a time."
Speaking of housing allocation, Guan Jianguo has not yet been eligible for housing allocation. With Weiwei and Jingjing getting older, if they don't get housing soon, he doesn't know how they will manage to squeeze in with their children.
A large car factory is far less generous in terms of housing benefits than a small garment factory.
Guan Canghai was more concerned about his eldest daughter's job.
"The head of the propaganda department has been dismissed for a few months now. Shouldn't you be officially promoted after the New Year?"
Last year, many people were exonerated, while many others were purged and removed from their posts due to various issues. Within the Five Star Automobile Factory, one scandal led to another, with some cadres being either dismissed or demoted. The former head of the propaganda department was one of these cadres.
With the propaganda department without a leader, Guan Yuehua, who had done a lot of practical work, suddenly stood out. Although the higher-ups hadn't made a clear statement, she had been doing the work of the department head for the past few months.
Guan Yuehe thought to herself: Old Master Guan is really obsessed with officialdom!
Master Guan never aspired to become an official, but now that his two daughters have both become deputy section chiefs, he feels he can finally count on it.
Guan Yuehua shook her head. "It's hard to say. They might transfer someone from somewhere else. The leaders want me to work at the Women's Federation... What are you laughing at?"
Everyone else looked at Guan Yuehe.
"This leader truly has a keen eye for talent!" Guan Yuehe exclaimed.
Jiang Guiying was silent for a while before saying, "I think it's better to stay in the propaganda department. If you go to the Women's Federation, you'll be arguing with the workers and their families every other day. That would have a bad influence."
"Haha!" Guan Yuehe couldn't help but laugh this time.
Guan Yuehua was so angry she wanted to sew her mouth shut.
The Guan family stayed at Guan Yuehua's house until the afternoon before returning home.
Guan Yuehe also received a definite reply from her sister: the camera could not be borrowed, as her friend needed it for himself.
It seems I'll have to borrow a camera from Technician Zhao.
As soon as Guan Yuehe returned, she heard that Xu Xiaomei had brought her husband Cheng Peng back to visit relatives today. Xu Xiaomei had another falling out with her family over the house.
"Xu Xiaomei got pregnant. Cheng Peng and his brothers all got married and were crammed into the factory. The factory gave them housing allocations. Aunt Xu suggested that Xu Xiaomei switch rooms with someone in the alley and move to this side of the alley, closer to home. Xu Xiaomei wasn't happy about it, so they broke up."
Guan Yuehe didn't quite understand, "Why do we have to live so close?"
"Oh dear, what elderly person wouldn't want their children to live nearby? So they can help each other out if needed. But these young people prefer apartment buildings and don't want to live in single-story houses. There's no point in forcing them to change their minds; Aunt Xu is just stubborn."
That's difficult. Xu Xiaomei is also stubborn; not even ten oxen could pull her away.
Before she could finish hearing the gossip, Guan Yuehe was called back by Jiang Guiying.
She and Lin Yiku are going back to their hometown to visit relatives tomorrow. No one else in the family will be going back; they will just give them the New Year's goods they want to bring.
"Isn't Guan Aiguo going back?"
"I'm staying a couple more days, Second Sister. I don't want to get in your way or Brother Yiku." Guan Aiguo poked his head out of his room.
Next door, Lin Sitian mimicked, "Brother, I won't get in your and Yuehe's way either."
Aunt Fang was amused by her strange tone, pointed to the packaged gifts on the table, and said to Lin Yiku, "These are for Yuehe's relatives in her hometown. Yuehe has a good relationship with her uncle and aunt and her second brother, so it is only right that the gifts are generous."
"Thank you, Mom."
"I'd be so grateful if you could get married sooner," Aunt Fang joked, making Lin Sitian laugh nonstop, and Lin Yiku couldn't help but laugh too.
"You're going to report for duty on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year. Discuss with Yuehe tomorrow which day would be a good time for us to formally visit her at her home."
Grandpa Lin laughed and said, "We've been neighbors for over twenty years, and we've never had such a formal celebration before."
Aunt Fang said, "We can be casual when we're on good terms, but marriage is a big deal. We can't skimp on the formalities, and it has to be done beautifully."
"Oh right, I put your wife's dowry in your room drawer. Find some time to talk to Yuehe about it. I heard from your Aunt Jiang that Yuehe's house needs to be repainted before the wedding, and some of the furniture needs to be replaced. You two can discuss it. We won't interfere. If you need any help, just let us know."
"Okay." Lin Yiku agreed to everything, and even glanced at Lin Sitian, whose eyes were darting away because she felt guilty.
Even if he didn't reveal his true wealth, Yuehe must have known how much he had all along, since he had a informant in his family.
—
The next day, Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku were carrying and hugging a lot of things, and there were two net bags of things hanging on the front of the car, all prepared by their elders.
"Don't bother seeing me off, you can go back now." Guan Yuehe waved her hand, urging Lin Yiku to hurry up and get on his bike.
They have to take their cars to catch the bus, otherwise it would take them a long time to walk to the brigade.
"One, two, three, four, five, five packs. This makes it seem like we just got robbed out of our own house."
After Guan Yuehe finished speaking, she realized she was right. From now on, if they didn't want to cook, they could just bring their bowls and chopsticks to Courtyard No. 3. It sounded a bit like robbing someone at home.
The bus was so crowded that people didn't want to talk. Finally, when they reached the section of road where they had to ride their bikes, they were able to have a proper conversation.
After talking for a while, Guan Weiguo drove out in the brigade's tractor to pick them up and took them back with their vehicle.
"Second Brother, what a coincidence!"
“My aunt called the brigade and told them to come over in the morning. Luckily, the brigade’s tractor was free today, so I came out to pick them up.”
There was no chance for Guan Yuehe to interrupt; it was mostly her second brother and Lin Yiku talking. Actually, it was mainly her second brother asking questions and Lin Yiku answering, just like Song Gong'an interrogating a criminal.
As soon as they got home, Auntie appeared to be talking to Guan Yuehe, but in reality, she was secretly observing Lin Yiku.
Uncle has always had a good impression of soldiers, and Lin Yiku even wore a military uniform today. When he came in, he took off his military overcoat and looked very reliable. Uncle happily invited him to sit down and have some tea.
Guan Yuehe even laughed at her aunt, saying, "Let's just look at it openly and honestly."
She stared at Lin Yiku without any embarrassment.
Her aunt patted her twice, amused, but still affirmed her judgment, saying, "He looks decent, he can't be bad."
Guan Yuehe straightened her back and said proudly, "That's right! I went through all the men around me and picked them out myself, so they can't be bad!"
"You're getting all worked up over me for being fat."
It was clear that her uncle and aunt were very satisfied with Lin Yiku. When they went home in the afternoon, they hung one package after another on their bicycle. She would untie one package and tie another one to the back seat.
Juanjuan clung to her leg, wanting to go with her, but when her second sister-in-law carried her away, she cried her heart out.
Even after they drove away on the tractor, you could still hear Juanjuan crying.
"I should have known better than to tease her."
Guan Weiguo laughed and said, "Now she wants to go with everyone she meets, thinking that they can take her to the commune to visit the supply and marketing cooperative."
"When you and your second sister-in-law have time, take her to stay at my place for a couple of days. I'll take her shopping at the department store."
"Don't say that," Guan Weiguo said. "Aiguo coaxed her by saying that she could go to the city for the wedding banquet after you get married. For the past few days, she has been asking her aunt every day when she is getting married."
Guan Yuehe smiled. In the past, Weiwei and Jingjing also looked forward to their older sister finding a boyfriend, because their family would cook delicious food when the boyfriend came to visit. Children think simply.
"Why aren't you saying anything? When are you two going to decide on your wedding? My parents want to ask, but they're afraid it will make you two uncomfortable."
Lin Yiku remained silent, staring intently at Guan Yuehe.
"There's no use in me being anxious. We have to wait for Lin Yiku to submit the marriage application."
After speaking, she turned her head and met Lin Yiku's eyes. This time, she was the one who felt a little embarrassed by his gaze. Guan Yuehe didn't turn her head to look at him again.
Not long after returning home, Lin Yiku came over again, with the door wide open. This time, she didn't call the little kids to be "supervisors."
“Perfect timing, these are the things your aunt said she wanted to bring home for you, take them back with you.”
Lin Yiku had no interest in looking at the return gifts on the table. She placed the bankbook she had brought on the table and got straight to the point, "Then I'll go and file for marriage registration after I report to the authorities?"
Guan Yuehe's breath hitched. She touched her face, nodded, and didn't care whether he saw it or not.
Just as she was feeling her face burning, she remembered the bankbook he had brought. She opened it and all her attention was drawn to it.
Lin Sitian's information was very accurate; Lin Yiku's wife was originally very well-off!
"And this too."
"What is it?" Guan Yuehe looked at his outstretched fist.
With fingers spread out, in the palm of your hand is a camera ticket, which you can use to buy a camera at the department store.
Guan Yuehe's eyes widened in surprise, "Which friend did you get this from?"
"We'll get you the camera first. The washing machine is a bit tricky, so please wait a bit longer."
"I should have asked you to write the couplets!"
Guan Yuehe looked at the bankbook on the left, then at the photo ticket on the right, and asked Lin Yiku again to confirm, "You really gave me your bankbook to keep?"
Lin Yiku didn't answer but asked in return, "Are you really sure I can file for marriage registration?"
The two stared at each other for more than ten seconds. Guan Yuehe blinked, closed the passbook, and casually put the photo ticket into her pocket. She replied with great certainty, "Go ahead and call."
Now both of them were satisfied, as if they had simultaneously accomplished a major task.
But Guan Yuehe felt that she was more satisfied.
Not only did they manage to bring the woman over, but they also provided her with a substantial dowry.
They're all hers!
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