Chapter 32 032 My Heart Is at Peace (Supplement)
As the workers left the factory, they all looked with suspicion at the two women laughing and hugging each other not far away.
"What happened to Comrade Guan from the factory office and Comrade Xie from the trade union?"
At this moment, an older woman from the labor union replied, "I know. Comrade Xiao Guan recently caught a major fugitive, and today the deputy director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau came to the factory to commend her. The Municipal Revolutionary Committee also sent a document recommending Comrade Xiao Guan for university. Since Comrade Xiao Guan was recommended by the Revolutionary Committee, she doesn't need the factory's recommendation quota, so the remaining quota was given to Comrade Xiao Xie."
"I remember Comrade Xiao Xie got third place in the votes back then, right?"
"She's third, otherwise they wouldn't have given her the spot."
A woman from the workshop, both pleased and proud, boasted, "Xiao Guan and Xiao Xie both came from our workshop. Especially Xiao Guan, back then, she was the last temporary worker our factory manager hired, only fifteen when she joined! She was incredibly hardworking, and every veteran worker in our workshop liked her..."
With so many people around, Guan Yuehe and Xie Dongxue felt embarrassed to continue making a scene at the factory gate. They agreed to have dinner at the state-run restaurant this Sunday and went home separately.
The two were going in opposite directions home. Guan Yuehe walked a short distance, then suddenly turned around and saw Xie Dongxue, who was usually quick-witted but steady, hopping like a rabbit, taking two steps and then jumping, with her two braids swinging behind her.
Looking at her friend walking happily, and then at the starch noodles she was carrying, Guan Yuehe couldn't help but grin and chuckle, her long legs moving quickly.
She'll have to wait a few more days to eat at a state-run restaurant, but she's going to eat refined grains today!
The neighbors in courtyard number two stared wide-eyed when they saw her carrying back a bag of high-gluten flour. But when Guan Yuehe said it was a reward from the Municipal Public Security Bureau, they weren't envious anymore.
As soon as Guan Yuehe got home, she immediately closed the door, then took out her key to open the bedroom door. She hurriedly took out the metal box from the bedside table, putting all the money and coupons she had received that day into it. Her total savings amounted to only a little over forty.
In July, she spent almost all her savings on a watch. Later, she bought yarn, cabbage and sauerkraut jars, and partnered with her older sister to buy a radio for her second brother, as well as various other daily necessities. She barely saved any of her wages from August to October. Now, the majority of her savings are her wages for this month and the ten-yuan bonus from the factory.
Looking at the bicycle and radio tickets lying quietly to the side, Guan Yuehe could only sigh deeply: We still haven't bought the cotton...
Since moving to this house, she is no longer a wealthy woman with five hundred dollars!
Furthermore, after owning her own house, she couldn't control her urge to spend money, and the word "stingy" abandoned her.
I was just about to reflect on whether I'd been spending too much lately, but then I looked down at the new sweater I was wearing, and glanced to the right at the spacious kang (heated brick bed) and to the left at the desk covered with a blue cloth under the window... Hmm, it was all worth it!
Guan Yuehe was like a squirrel that had stored up enough food, so satisfied that she wanted to lie on the kang (a heated brick bed) and roll around three times.
After walking around the house twice, thinking about what else she needed to buy, she heard Chang Zhengyi and Cao Lili talking in the main courtyard and remembered her business.
Oh no! I forgot to fill the water tank; it's empty!
So, when Song Gong'an pushed his bicycle back to Courtyard No. 2, he saw Guan Yuehe carrying a bucket of water home with each hand.
Northwest and Southwest, who attend the primary school and the after-school care program at the police station, bounced around excitedly, saying they wanted to help Sister Yuehe carry water. However, their father grabbed them with one hand, saying that their help would only cause trouble.
Since they couldn't help fetch water, people from Northwest and Southwest came over to watch Sister Yuehe make white steamed buns.
Children always idolize older siblings who are bigger and better fighters. Especially since Guan Yuehe recently caught a fugitive, Guan Yuehe has become their most admired person in the eyes of the siblings from Northwest and Southwest China, and their father, a policeman, has temporarily been removed from the top ten.
Guan Yuehe found their childish talk amusing. There were actually kids who liked older brothers and sisters who were particularly good at fighting? She had disliked Lin Yiku, who was the tyrant of the alley, since she was a child.
Workers from the car factory gradually returned, and Ginkgo Hutong entered its busiest time of day.
"Yuehe, do you want to order coal together? We can borrow a tricycle and haul it back together," Auntie Er asked, coming over with a notebook.
The notebook records the amount of coal each household in Courtyard No. 2 needs to order.
Second Aunt's eldest daughter's husband works at a coal mine and can reserve the coal they need in advance. Although they still have to use coal ration coupons and money to buy it, and can only buy a fixed amount, the advantage is that they won't get inferior coal mixed in like they did at some designated coal shops.
So, with her hands still covered in flour, Guan Yuehe poked her head out and said, "Second Aunt, I want 150 jin!"
This is her allotted quota; she can't buy more even if she wants to.
As the weather gets colder, it's about time to heat up the kang (heated brick bed), otherwise we won't be able to sleep at night.
There wasn't enough coal, so we had to find time to go to the outskirts to collect firewood. If we really didn't have time to go, we'd find someone to exchange money for some firewood.
The second aunt made a note of it, and instead of leaving immediately, she stood at the door and chatted with her, saying, "The Municipal Public Security Bureau only gave a bag of high-gluten flour as a reward? Didn't they give anything else?"
Guan Yuehe didn't plan to hide it. In any case, within two days, all the neighbors in the alley would know what reward she had received. Living in a collective, it was difficult to keep anything a secret, especially since the elderly men and women of Ginkgo Alley often went to the garment factory to inquire about job openings.
"There's also a bicycle ticket, and our factory gave us a radio ticket as a prize."
Aunt Er was so surprised that her mouth dropped open. Although catching a fugitive was a great achievement, wasn't this reward a bit too generous?
"We only won tickets, but we still have to save up to buy more, right?" Guan Yuehe said, pinching out dough balls and starting to roll out the dough.
The second aunt was drawn to her quick movements and watched for a while before snapping out of her daze. Her eyes lit up, and she said, "If you don't need it yet, why don't you lend it to me first? My son Chaonan just got a permanent job and wants to buy a bicycle..."
Guan Yuehe refused without even looking up, "That won't do. I'll save up enough money soon. I want to buy a bicycle too, so I can use it when I go to school."
Regardless of what others say, Guan Yuehe is determined to respond uniformly: No, I've almost saved enough money and I'm ready to buy it.
These days, it's hard to borrow large-ticket items; you might not even be able to get one if you want to. Aunt Er hadn't had high hopes of borrowing from Guan Yuehe anyway, so she wasn't disappointed.
At the same time, her attention was diverted by another sentence from Guan Yuehe: "Yuehe, you're going to university? Is the news confirmed?"
Aunt Erda's youngest daughter, Zhang Chaonan, passed the recruitment process at Wuxing Automobile Factory this year. Thanks to Uncle Zhang's long-time worker status, she successfully became a permanent employee last month.
When news spread that the factory was recommending workers for university, Grandpa Zhang even approached his former supervisor to try and secure a spot, but Zhang Chaonan didn't meet the requirement of "more than three years of practical experience." Not long ago, upon learning that Guan Yuehe had received a recommendation from the garment factory, Auntie Er lamented for days: "Why wasn't it her daughter who got it?!"
Just a few days ago it was said that we got a spot, but now it's already confirmed that we can go to university?
Having received Guan Yuehe's affirmative reply, the second aunt congratulated her and then ran to the alley entrance to gossip with her old friends.
But the elderly folks she bumped into at the alley entrance were more informed than she was; they had already been talking for quite a while.
"You just found out? The notice was posted on the factory's bulletin board. The Municipal Revolutionary Committee recommended Yuehe to go to university, so the factory had a spot available for another female comrade."
“My daughter Qiaoqiao told me as soon as she got home from get off work today that Yuehe’s college admission is a done deal, and the school’s review process is no longer needed.”
Qiao Qiao, who lived in courtyard number 13 at the very back of the alley, was a worker who entered the Zhuoyue Garment Factory in the same batch as Bai Xianghong. With her words as proof, there was nothing for anyone to doubt.
"Old Guan, congratulations! Your Yuehe is going to university. Are you going to treat everyone to a meal?"
Guan Canghai, who had just returned from get off work, was unaware of the situation. He smiled and politely said, "Thank you all for your kind words. Let's talk about it some more."
It wasn't until Guan Yuehe brought over the steamed buns filled with wood ear mushrooms that the Guan family learned what had happened.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Jiang Guiying smiled broadly, but quickly changed the subject: "When will the admission notice come through? When do I start school? Will I be able to keep my job after starting school? What will I study? Can I study medicine? Like Sitian, after finishing the training course and getting my certificate, I can become a nurse next month..."
Upon hearing the news, Lin Sitian, disregarding whether the Guan family was eating, rushed over and pressed her face against the door, asking excitedly, "Yuehe! Is what they're saying outside true? You're really going to university?"
One person bombarded her with several questions, and no matter what they were, Guan Yuehe nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, yes!"
Actually, she only received the news today that she had been recommended by the Municipal Revolutionary Committee to attend school, and she hadn't had time to ask about many things related to schooling. The factory leaders didn't know when the admission notice would arrive either, but they all patted her on the shoulder and said, "Xiao Guan, just wait for the admission notice to come down."
After her initial excitement at returning home, she realized that simply waiting wouldn't do; she needed to get all the details clarified.
Fortunately, her family was so overwhelmed by the good news that she was "definitely going to university" that other issues were not so important for the time being.
She didn't stay to have a couple of drinks with her father, but instead took Lin Sitian back to her own home.
Those who received two white steamed buns from her sent half a bowl of chicken from the southwest and northwest.
Lin Sitian went to her house and brought over some food, shamelessly taking advantage of her steamed buns and chicken.
"It's a good thing Xu Cheng doesn't live at home, otherwise I would have to share with him, haha."
"Mmm!" Guan Yuehe was so overwhelmed by the aroma of the steamed buns she had made and the chicken sent from the Southwest and Northwest that she couldn't speak. She ate one bite after another, and even boasted, "These steamed buns are so chewy, and the filling is just right, not too salty or bland. Mmm! Delicious!"
Lin Sitian nodded, "Let Ding Xuewen find some more fellow villagers to buy and send them over."
He also wrote to tell him that she had successfully obtained her training course diploma and become a nurse, and that Yuehe had caught a major fugitive and been recommended to go to university.
"By the way, has Xu Chengcai had any good news lately?"
No, what's wrong?
"If only the two of us have good news, he might feel resentful, haha."
This year has seen an unusually large number of good things happen. Not just to her, but also to her friends.
Guan Yuehe was so happy that she couldn't help but laugh. She laughed so hard that she choked and quickly went to the enamel cup filled with hot water to slurp it up before she could catch her breath.
Guan Yuehe wouldn't be able to settle down completely until she had a firm plan for going to university.
The next day at work, Guan Yuehe thanked her colleagues in the factory office for their congratulations again and again. When she saw that her colleagues were going to the broadcasting station to deliver the newly revised factory regulations, Guan Yuehe quickly took on the task herself.
After handing over her work at the radio station, she went to find He Shuangshuang.
"Congratulations, Yuehe." He Shuangshuang didn't expect that the factory would have one more spot available in the end.
Knowing that Guan Yuehe and Xie Dongxue were close, He Shuangshuang said, "Next time you have time, Yuehe, invite Dongxue and let's have a meal together."
"Okay." We'll all go to school together from now on, it'll be good to have more friends.
Guan Yuehe explained why she had come to see He Shuangshuang, and seeing that He Shuangshuang was standing, she quickly said, "Please sit down."
Now that it's getting cold, He Shuangshuang finds it too tight around her stomach when her coat is buttoned up, so she leaves it open. Guan Yuehe can't help but glance at He Shuangshuang's stomach, which looks so heavy that she feels sorry for her.
"It's alright, the doctor said to move around more." He Shuangshuang explained as she walked back and forth: "The factory will post the list for a week before submitting it. Dongxue and I will also have to go through the school's review. It will probably be December before the school makes its decision."
“Before us, a group of people had already been recommended for enrollment in September, so we weren’t exactly in the first batch after the resumption of enrollment. My father-in-law asked around, and it’s possible that the admission notices will be issued before the Lunar New Year, and we’ll start school after the New Year.”
“But your situation is different from ours. It’s possible that you will be able to enroll soon, or you may have to go to register with us... But no matter what, you will definitely receive an admission notice.”
Guan Yuehe thought about it and agreed that it made sense. The document from the Municipal Revolutionary Committee recommending her for university was still in their factory office, and she had even been featured in the daily newspaper!
Relieved, she didn't bother He Shuangshuang any further and returned to the factory office.
What about finding a job after starting school? Sister Zhu and Brother Wang both said that they would definitely reserve a job for her.
Sister Zhu clicked her tongue, saying she was worrying unnecessarily. "Once you get your diploma and come back, I'm worried the factory won't be able to keep you!"
"How could that be?! I love our factory office the most!" Guan Yuehe said, indicating that she still really enjoys working in the factory office.
As for her regret about not being assigned to be a warehouse record clerk more than half a year ago... she has completely forgotten about it.
Once she had made up her mind, Guan Yuehe busied herself with preparations for winter.
Through the aunt of Zhu Dajie's niece's cousin, she successfully bought two jin of cotton. It was enough for her to make a long cotton-padded coat, and she could even have some left over to stuff into her old cotton-padded coat.
She had been working at the factory office for almost a year and had received a lot of help from Sister Zhu, so she gave Sister Zhu a pair of gloves.
Sister Zhu smiled and said, "Xiao Guan is too kind," while quickly putting on her gloves.
All she did was say a few words, but Xiao Guan remembered her kindness and gave her something to thank her, so she felt good about helping out.
She made her new cotton-padded jacket herself by borrowing a sewing machine from Aunt Lin's house.
She wasn't as good at making clothes as her sister, nor did she have the talent to operate a sewing machine like Xu Chengcai, but she had worked as a factory worker for three years, so making a simple cotton-padded jacket was no problem for her.
Lin Sitian, for example, had absolutely no idea how to do it, and her aesthetic sense wasn't as good as her sister's either. She insisted on having a big red flower sewed onto her dark cotton-padded jacket.
"It doesn't look good, I won't sew it!" Guan Yuehe firmly rejected her terrible idea. It wasn't like she was going to go on stage to receive praise while wearing a big cotton-padded coat, why would she wear a big red flower?!
Unable to persuade her, Lin Sitian sighed regretfully and continued writing a letter to Ding Xuewen at her desk.
If there are some gossips that you can't remember, you have to look up and ask Guan Yuehe. When you write something funny, she can laugh so hard that she lies on the table and laughs for a long time, until she is too tired to write anymore and then she stops.
Lin Sitian glanced at her watch, then teased, "Is it sewn up yet? If it's any later, the state-run restaurant will be out of meat!"
Guan Yuehe kept moving her feet, but her mind was also racing, "Almost there, almost there."
As soon as she finished sewing, Guan Yuehe took the finished cotton-padded jacket home, then slung her bag over her shoulder and ran out the door, calling out, "Lin Sitian!"
"They're here!"
Guan Yuehe and Xie Dongxue had arranged to have dinner at a state-run restaurant, but as more people joined in, it turned into a small gathering.
In addition to Lin Sitian, the new members include Xu Chengcai, Gu Mannian, He Shuangshuang, and Mo Zhinan.
Guan Yuehe had originally planned to invite Xie Dongxue and He Shuangshuang to dinner at another time. However, Xie Dongxue suggested inviting He Shuangshuang this time, as Mo Zhinan was worried about He Shuangshuang going out alone with her pregnant belly and wanted to go with her. Guan Yuehe thought that Mo Zhinan was the only man there and might feel uncomfortable, so she invited Xu Chengcai instead. Inviting Xu Chengcai without inviting Lin Sitian wouldn't be right...
Only Gu Mannian, after overhearing Guan Yuehe and Xu Chengcai talking about having dinner together on Sunday in the cafeteria, asked who else would be there and said that he and Mo Zhinan, who worked in the purchasing department, had more to talk about and wanted to come too.
So, this meal started as a gathering of two people and grew to seven.
Considering that He Shuangshuang was heavily pregnant and it would be difficult for her to take the bus, a group of people gathered at the factory gate and then walked to the state-run restaurant on Changhu Street.
We all chipped in, there were seven of us in total, and we ordered quite a lot of meat.
Mo Zhinan wanted to treat everyone, but the others stopped him. Although Mo Zhinan's family was well-off, the others felt embarrassed to ask him to treat so many people to a meal.
They are workers too; they shouldn't be unable to afford a meal at a state-run restaurant.
Guan Yuehe and Xie Dongxue both said, "If we go to school, we might need Shuangshuang's help too, then we'll have to ask her back. Let's all go together."
At this table, only Lin Sitian was from the Five Star Automobile Factory, but she had a good personality and could talk to anyone. She quickly became friends with Xie Dongxue and He Shuangshuang.
"Yuehe and Xu Cheng said that all the men in your factory look like that, but when I went to see your May Day performance last time, wow!"
Xie Dongxue laughed and said, "You saw Comrade Huang Wenlin from our factory, didn't you? Haha, you can ask Yuehe, what would she know? All she cares about is which uncle or aunt in the canteen doesn't have a shaky hand when serving food!"
After getting to know everyone, He Shuangshuang frankly said, "I joined the factory a few months later and often saw Yuehe there. Every time, I saw her rushing to either the canteen or the bathhouse. Several times I wanted to say hello but didn't know how to start."
Lin Sitian understood and spoke up for He Shuangshuang, "You're afraid it'll be awkward if she ignores you, right?"
“Yes,” He Shuangshuang said with a smile, “She looks quite fierce when she has a cold face.”
Gu Mannian also recounted the past, "You don't know, not long after I joined the factory, I saw her beat up several people by herself! I was even beaten up!"
"Huh? When did this happen? How come we didn't know?" Xu Cheng and Lin Sitian were shocked.
Guan Yuehe: "...Stop talking, there's still some soup left, do you want it? If not, give it all to me."
Without waiting for their answer, I took a bite of the steamed bun in my hand, which was soaked with soup, and it was delicious!
They enjoyed the meal very much, but the waiter came to ask them to leave because they were sitting there too long and making too much noise. Otherwise, they could have continued chatting.
If it were when they were kids, they could find a teahouse after dinner, sit down, and spend an afternoon with a few friends over a pot of tea.
When they were children, they would go out with adults to meet friends in teahouses.
But now there's nowhere to sit idly and where you can find shelter from the cold wind. After waving goodbye at the entrance of the state-run restaurant, everyone goes back to doing their own thing.
Guan Yuehe, Xu Chengcai, and Lin Sitian all had to go back to Ginkgo Hutong, as they needed to go to the coal yard to buy coal in the afternoon.
The coal mine was far away, so Aunt Er borrowed a tricycle from someone, and others either walked there or hitched a ride on someone else's bicycle.
Dozens of people set off together in a grand procession.
In some families, teenagers were sent to buy coal while the adults had to do other chores. In the Ding family, for example, Ding Xianzong would take his three younger siblings out.
Grandpa Zhang was leading the way on his tricycle with Grandma Er in tow. Guan Yuehe sat on the back of her older brother's bicycle, and just as she yawned, a gust of wind blew into her mouth, so she quickly covered it.
Upon arriving at the coal yard, you hand over the coal certificate, pay the money, and receive a receipt before you can start moving the coal.
On the way back, the tricycles and bicycles were all loaded with coal, and those who didn't ride could only walk back slowly, or see if they could catch a bus to take them home.
Even when they encounter a bus, most people are reluctant to take it. Neighbors gather in groups, chatting and laughing as they walk, making long journeys seem short.
Guan Yuehe piled all of her family's coal briquettes in the small storage room.
The storage room had been tidied up, with sauerkraut jars and coal briquettes piled inside, but it wasn't too cramped; a narrow passageway had been left in the middle, allowing people to squeeze in sideways to reach the innermost part.
But usually, there's no need to go all the way to the innermost part.
After Guan Yuehe finished her work, she stood at the door for a while admiring her fully stocked storage room before locking the door again.
"The supply and marketing cooperative outside sells potatoes and sweet potatoes. No coupons are needed. First come, first served!"
Guan Yuehe immediately sat up from the sofa.
When everyone got their money and ran to the supply and marketing cooperative, they found that Guan Yuehe was already at the front of the line with a large basket.
The door to the storage room was opened again, and Guan Yuehe moved and moved the potatoes and sweet potatoes she had just bought into a small bamboo basket.
She couldn't buy too much, and it wouldn't last long, so she didn't move it to the cellar.
We also need to buy Chinese cabbage and radishes for winter, but these take up space, so we'll use the cellar then.
Aunt Zhao came over and took a look, praising, "Yuehe, you really know how to manage a household."
Guan Yuehe noticed that Cao Lili lowered her head as soon as she heard what Aunt Zhao said, and thought to herself, "Why are these two women, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, dragging others into their feud?"
She really couldn't understand Aunt Zhao's attitude towards Cao Lili; it seemed like she was both satisfied and disgusted. It was truly complicated.
Moreover, I don't know what's going on at Aunt Zhao's house; it seems like they were arguing last night.
December arrived, and the temperature dropped even further.
It snowed on the night of the 3rd.
Guan Yuehe wore a newly made long cotton-padded coat and a hat. Afraid of getting a stomachache from the wind, she didn't dare run to work.
On the same day, He Shuangshuang and Xie Dongxue passed their review, and their admission notices would be sent to their workplaces before the end of the year. Guan Yuehe also received a positive reply; she would be enrolling in the same batch as He Shuangshuang and Xie Dongxue, and her admission notice would also be sent before the end of the year.
Guan Yuehe ran back from the union office, taking off her hat and stamping her feet to ward off the cold. She then warmed her hands by the stove in the middle of the office, and a puff of white smoke came out of her mouth with every breath.
"Xiao Guan, you've been selected as one of the factory's outstanding workers this year. Congratulations! Your salary will also increase after the New Year." Brother Wang, bringing with him a chilly aura, continued after delivering the good news: "Our factory's profits this year are much higher than last year. The factory manager has announced that the next phase of dormitories will be built, and housing will be allocated to eligible workers next year. Also, we'll be getting a lot of stuff for New Year's Day!"
The office instantly became lively, with everyone busy congratulating Xiao Guan and inquiring about how many rooms would be allocated next time and what gifts would be given out for New Year's Day.
The cold wind was howling outside, but Guan Yuehe's heart was burning with passion.
She actually has a chance to be recognized as an outstanding employee?!
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