044 Holiday (Bug Catching)
Guan Yuehe is so engrossed in her studies that she has almost forgotten about going home.
The calendar hanging on the wall by the dormitory door had already been torn to June. In the blink of an eye, she had been enrolled for three months.
But we finally got a short holiday, a full three days!
"Yuehe, remember to bring the radio! We'll chip in for the batteries later."
With a radio, I no longer had to spend all day crammed into the dormitory with dozens of classmates to study.
"And a bicycle. Don't worry, if you're worried about it getting stolen, I'll carry it to your dorm every day."
They were tired of hearing Guan Yuehe talk about her bicycle every now and then, so they decided to let her bring it to school.
"Yuehe, why don't you go back tomorrow and come back tomorrow? We're planning to find a match for Class Two, you should come too."
"Right, right, Class Two used to say that our class was strong because we didn't have any workers. Now that we've added you, let's see if they still have any excuses."
"My sister is getting engaged to her boyfriend, so I have to stay home." Guan Yuehe touched her nose and then asked them, "What else do you guys do besides the competition?"
"There's so much to do, and I also have to write reports..."
Guan Yuehe wished she could bury her head under the covers and pretend she couldn't hear anything.
Her family always says she has inexhaustible energy, but they haven't seen enough; her classmates have even more energy than her.
No matter what her roommates said, Guan Yuehe was determined to stay at home for three full days before coming back.
The next morning, as I carried my thick winter quilt, I repeatedly assured my roommates standing at the door, "I'll study hard when I get home! Really!"
As he spoke, he patted the textbooks in his backpack, making a thumping sound.
She's been at school for three months now. Even though she studies with her roommates every day and tries to ignore everything else, her curiosity has led her to learn a lot about things outside of academics.
The foreign language departments were almost entirely populated by students from the People's Liberation Army, with at most one student from a worker or farmer background in each class. Guan Yuehe didn't know how they were divided.
But in Hindi, all the students are PLA trainees, and they mainly come from two military regions.
One day, during a class in the auditorium, two Hindi majors sat next to her. She suddenly felt like learning, but upon closer inspection, she realized there were more letters in the alphabet than in English, so she gave up.
There are many advantages to having classmates who are all soldiers. For example, everyone is focused on studying, and the disruptive atmosphere of the school cannot penetrate in.
Even when a teacher makes remarks unrelated to learning in class, her classmates can solemnly refute them with righteous indignation: We are here to learn!
Xie Dongxue was much more annoyed. She didn't want to get involved and just wanted to study, but that wasn't allowed. Some people would even cause trouble for the teachers.
The three met at the school gate, and after walking a distance, Xie Dongxue started cursing.
"You're just bored and have nothing better to do! You're sick in the head! You want to hit someone with a stick!"
It took three more transfers to get home. However, the three of them had their own plans and agreed to go back to their respective schools, so they didn't need to travel together.
Back in Ginkgo Alley, Guan Yuehe let out a long sigh of relief, suddenly feeling as if she had been away from home for three years.
"Yuehe's back?! How's school? You've been gone so long, doesn't your school give you holidays? What are they teaching at school...?"
As soon as she returned, she was surrounded by people. Guan Yuehe's previous illusion disappeared. The gossipy old men and women made her feel: it was still the familiar Ginkgo Hutong, as if she was still at work yesterday.
"Mmm, everything's fine, very fine." She answered irrelevantly, broke free from the crowd of elderly people, and made it home safely.
The large water vat in front of the house was covered with a wooden board to keep out the dust. When the house was opened, it was still clean inside, which must have been done by her family members while she was away.
Most people in the courtyard are either at work or school, otherwise her doorstep would definitely be surrounded by neighbors.
Hearing the commotion, Cao Lili, who was in the main courtyard, opened the door and came out, supporting her pregnant belly. She was pleasantly surprised to see Cao Lili. "Last night everyone was saying that you might only be able to come back once a semester. I didn't expect you to be back today."
Now that the weather is warmer, thick cotton-padded coats and sweaters have been put away, and Cao Lili is wearing thin clothes, so her belly is showing.
Cao Lili was bored at home, and since it was rare to have someone of similar age at home, she talked more. Guan Yuehe answered Cao Lili's questions while taking off the thick quilt and coat she had brought back to wash them.
After a while, Jiang Guiying came over with Weiwei and Jingjing, and Cao Lili got up and went home.
Jiang Guiying circled around her little girl, frowning as she asked, "Why does she look so much thinner?"
Guan Yuehe sighed, "Studying is mentally taxing, and it makes me hungry more easily." There's another reason: exercising every day has made my muscles more toned, making me look thinner.
Three-year-old Jingjing stared blankly up at her unfamiliar aunt. After not seeing her for three months, she barely remembered that she had an aunt.
"Don't you remember your aunt? Do you remember the aunt who treated you to peach shortbread?"
Jingjing's eyes lit up, and she nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
I don't know whether I remember the peach shortbread or my aunt.
Faced with her mother's series of questions, Guan Yuehe wanted to wait until everyone was together in the evening before talking, otherwise she would have to repeat herself many times. But Jiang Guiying couldn't wait any longer and said that she had nothing better to do than talk now.
So she sat down in front of the large wooden tub and started washing the sheets and coat. Several other people were also sitting in front of the tub: her mother, Cao Lili, Aunt Bai, Aunt Er, Sister-in-law Xu...
To prevent her neighbors from misinterpreting her words, Guan Yuehe avoided sensitive topics altogether, talking only about her daily classes, meals, and bathing conditions.
Aunt Fang didn't know when she arrived. After she finished speaking, she said, "Perhaps Yi Ku's comrades-in-arms are among Yuehe's classmates."
Guan Yuehe had indeed mentioned it to her roommates, but all she knew was that Lin Yiku was in the army in the south, and nothing else. Her roommates said she was looking for small fish in the ocean.
Although Guan Yuehe talked about ordinary little things, everyone found it interesting. But when asked to demonstrate how to say "eat," "sleep," and "wash clothes" in English, Guan Yuehe kept shaking her head.
How embarrassing!
She could stand in a row with her roommates and read aloud anywhere on campus, completely unfazed by how others looked at her. But now, with her neighbors staring intently at her... she felt her skin wasn't thick enough.
The bedsheets and coats were hung to dry in the middle of the yard. Guan Yuehe refused to answer any more questions. After seeing the neighbors off, she rolled up her sleeves and started looking for rice and flour.
The monthly stipend from the school was used to exchange for meal tickets, which barely allowed us to eat until we were about 80% full each day. As for delicious food, that was a stretch.
Guan Yuehe longed to go home. Besides wanting to bring a radio to school to practice her spoken English, she also wanted to nourish herself.
Jiang Guiying watched as she scooped a spoonful of oil and put it directly into the pot. She silently gasped. That spoonful of oil could last many families a week.
Guan Yuehe said considerately, "Mom, why don't you go sit in the living room?" She felt bad for the oil, but she couldn't control her, so it was better not to look at it at all.
Jiang Guiying listened to the advice and went outside. All she could hear was the sizzling sound of fried food, and the aroma wafting out.
Although I felt bad about wasting oil, I figured I couldn't keep taking supplements like that every day, so I convinced myself otherwise.
"I'll go find someone to exchange some more meat."
"Mom! Change more! I still have money!" Guan Yuehe ran out with a shovel and gave her a special instruction.
"...Keep your voice down, you won't lose anything by talking. Just you wait."
Guan Yuehe thought to herself: I can exchange things again. The black market has reopened?
As bicycle bells rang in the alley, signaling the workers' return home, Lin Sitian rushed to her house, chattering away and soon recounting all the major and minor events that had occurred over the past three months.
"Zhang Chaonan and Hao Daren are dating, and Grandpa Zhang and Aunt Zhang have agreed not to have him marry into their family. However, Zhang Chaonan's sister is making a fuss, saying that since they're not having him marry into their family, she'll get a share of the house in the future."
"Xie Zhenxing had a girlfriend and they were even going to get their marriage certificate when someone came to their door. Do you know why? Haha, he impersonated his brother, saying he was a middle school teacher and that the house belonged to his family, and he scammed her. Luckily, they found out early, otherwise that woman would have been in big trouble. Liu Axiu sent them back."
It's not just the gossip about Ginkgo Hutong, but also about the Five Star Automobile Factory.
"The deputy factory director in charge of logistics was arrested for reselling factory supplies. Many others involved were either arrested or fired. Your sister was transferred from the guesthouse to the propaganda department."
Lin Sitian spilled the beans, saying, "I was going to write you a letter, but thankfully you came back from your holiday, which saved me a lot of paper."
"I've finished telling you everything. Now tell me about your time at school!"
Guan Yuehe: "......"
She said we should wait until everyone is here before discussing it!
Lin Sitian kept exclaiming "Wow!" as she listened, just like when she first enrolled in school.
"So, do you think work is harder, or school is more tiring?"
"When I was working, I thought school was better; now that I'm in school, I think work is easier." Guan Yuehe sighed, "People always want more than they have."
After hearing about her daily schedule, Lin Sitian sighed, "I'm definitely not cut out for school."
Given the intensity of Yuehe's schooling, what's the difference between this and being both a student and a soldier?
If Aunt Fang hadn't called out "Lin Sitian, come home for dinner" several times from the neighboring yard, Lin Sitian would have wanted to continue chatting.
When everyone in the family returned, Guan Yuehe repeated what she had said before, and talked about going to school again.
Guan Canghai said happily, "It seems that choosing this major was really the right decision."
After telling her about her situation, Guan Yuehe finally had time to learn about her family's circumstances.
During the May Day holiday, Gu Mannian's family formally proposed marriage. They expect to be allocated a house in July and then get their marriage certificate on National Day.
Gu Mannian's housing allocation qualification was determined at the end of last year, and the size of the housing allocation will not be changed just because he is now married. However, he can submit an application to the housing management department for re-allocation after receiving the certificate.
With the help of her future eldest son-in-law, her father exceeded his quota for submitting the rat tail this year.
The "Rat King" of the Zhuoyue Garment Factory has finally been replaced.
I'm not used to sleeping alone on the kang (heated brick bed) at night, and I even feel that the room is too quiet, lacking the familiar snoring sound.
On the afternoon of the third day of the holiday, Guan Yuehe filled her pockets with a full thirty coarse flour buns. Half were for her roommates, and the other half were for herself.
I don't know when I'll be able to go home for the next holiday, and I might not even be able to make it to my sister's wedding.
Therefore, Guan Yuehe sent out the red cloth that she had prepared in advance.
"When did you prepare for this?" Guan Yuehua asked in surprise.
Guan Yuehe covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, "I went to the black market yesterday."
I had no idea there were so many things being sold on the black market now!
Gu Mannian was a wealthy man who kept a low profile. He prepared a bicycle, a radio, and a sewing machine as betrothal gifts for her sister. Since her sister already had a watch, Guan Yuehe planned to give her red cloth, which would be just enough to make a set of clothes.
Guan Yuehua hugged the cloth to her chest and solemnly reminded her, "Whether you're at school or outside, watch your words and actions, or you'll give others something to talk about."
Although it's not as bad as it was a couple of years ago, there are still some people who want to drag others into trouble without any regard for right or wrong, so we can't be too careful.
Fearing she wouldn't take it seriously, Guan Yuehua even brought up an example of someone from the car factory who had been recommended to university: "He got the opportunity to go to school but didn't study hard. Instead, he led this and that trouble, and even came back to the factory and caused delays in production. He's only good for now. When he graduates and comes back to the factory, he'll have a hard time."
"Just study with your roommates at school, and ignore everyone else, understand?"
Guan Yuehe nodded. She really couldn't believe that someone would be so idle as to cause trouble at the factory.
This time, Guan Yuehe rode her bicycle to school, with a radio strapped to the back seat and two large bags of food hanging from the handlebars. One bag contained food she had prepared herself, and the other was provided by her family.
When she came back this time, her family all felt that she had lost weight, although she seemed to have more energy and spirit.
Guan Aiguo's bicycle, which he had been showing off for three months, was gone, and he went back to walking to school with his friends in the alley.
I heard that the factory is going to open a bus route from Changhu Street to Wuxing Automobile Factory, specifically for the workers and their families. I just don't know when we'll be able to ride this special bus.
"Yue He!"
"Guan Yuehe!"
As soon as Guan Yuehe arrived at the dormitory building, she looked up and saw her roommates waving at her from the window.
Her roommates' enthusiasm made her a little scared.
Before long, her roommates took everything she brought, including her car and belongings, back to the dormitory.
Two packets of food were placed on the only table, and a group of people stared at her with shining eyes.
It reminded her of how, every time the factory brought in pork from the meat processing plant, she and the other workers would stare at the butcher distributing the pork.
Each person received a coarse flour bun, and could even scoop out half a spoonful of sauce. While eating, they praised, "Yuehe, with your skills, you could be a cook!"
Guan Yuehe didn't respond, urging them to eat quickly. "Eat up, and shut your mouths."
After dinner, a group of people gathered around the radio, which was covered in blue cloth, to watch it.
This radio cannot play cassette tapes; it can only receive broadcasts.
However, the Central Radio Station broadcasts English programs, and students can also receive English programs from international radio stations such as VOA via FM. The department's only radio is used for students to study.
With too many people and too few devices, if you can't squeeze to the front, those sitting in the back will have difficulty hearing and will find it even harder to learn.
That's great, Guan Yuehe brought the radio, which immediately relieved the pressure of the class's lack of learning equipment.
"Oh, by the way," Shenghua suddenly dropped a bombshell, "Yesterday, a male colleague from the Department of Oriental Languages was dismissed by the university."
"Huh? Why? What did he do?" Guan Yuehe quickly swallowed the steamed bun in her mouth and urged Shenghua to speak.
“He got caught dating female students from other departments. It was stated when he enrolled that dating was prohibited during school, and anyone caught would be expelled.” Shenghua said regretfully, “When he goes back to the army, he will also face demobilization.”
Under such circumstances, it's impossible to transfer him to a good unit. He'll most likely have to go back to his hometown, and getting a job in the commune would be considered good.
Guan Yuehe didn't understand. Since she knew the consequences were serious, why did she have to go and jump into the minefield?
When she went home this time, anyone who mentioned that she was dating a male classmate from Beijing at school brought up the school's rules, saying that it was impossible to date him or even have any romantic feelings for him.
"Thinking they won't be discovered, huh?" Su Ping had no respect for such people and shouted her usual slogan again: "We're here to learn!"
Because of this incident, the class monitors of the two English major classes organized a class meeting to reiterate the school's regulations.
There are quite a few female students majoring in English, a dozen or so. Although they are focused on their studies, they still have to guard against temptations from outside.
Guan Yuehe's roommates felt that she was the most "dangerous" person in the entire dormitory.
My roommates said, "If you run into male students from other majors, just run away. You're fast, and not many people can catch you."
Guan Yuehe nodded in agreement, but in her heart she was thinking: I don't even know all the male students majoring in English, how can I tell if they are from my class or other classes?
One day, a male classmate finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked Shenghua, who was the class monitor, "Class monitor, could you help me borrow Guan Yuehe's grammar notes? Every time I ask her, she runs away as soon as I open my mouth. I don't think I've offended her."
Guan Yuehe's notes were lent out, and her roommates laughed at her for a long time.
School days weren't all about studying; Guan Yuehe went to the Chinese Literature Department to watch TV.
A small black-and-white television was placed at the front, but she couldn't actually see the picture clearly.
The Zhuoyue Garment Factory has a television, but it's rarely used; in fact, she's never watched television at the factory. There aren't any televisions in any other household in Ginkgo Alley, not even in her factory manager's home.
She wondered when she could buy a television set.
The thought startled her: she was actually thinking about buying a television! She really was the type to start craving a Manchu Han Imperial Feast as soon as she got to eat meat.
Moreover, students had to learn agriculture, industry, and military skills. They listened to speeches by workers and farmers, and also learned archery.
At the same time, the school is organizing an arts performance, requiring each department to put on a program.
The class unanimously voted to sing revolutionary songs!
Guan Yuehe stood among her classmates, completely unconcerned about singing off-key. As everyone said, "Singing is all about the spirit; just shout it out loud!"
She felt like she was a great singer again.
But before the cultural performance, more than half of the Hindi majors graduated early and went to the border, and several of her classmates also had to return to their units.
One of the boys in the class had a camera and took a group photo of the whole class before graduation.
For some, university life has just begun, while for others, it has already come to an end.
"If I graduate early and go back home, what kind of job will I be assigned?" Guan Yuehe felt a deep sense of melancholy.
"Join the broadcasting team, return to the army as a foreign language teacher, translator... In short, just obey the organization's arrangements." Shenghua patted her shoulder and smiled, "Since you're so curious, how about..."
"Oh dear! I have to hurry to the bathhouse!" Guan Yuehe hurriedly got up and told her roommates to go early.
Comrade Shenghua was not only a squad leader, but also the first person to mobilize recruits!
But she was already a soldier at the Zhuoyue Garment Factory, and she would be going back to the factory to help the factory manager build the garment factory.
"Don't run away, I'm going to give you a lesson today."
A dozen or so female students flew over like the wind, while the other students who had set off for the bathhouse earlier still couldn't get a spot in advance.
My roommates come from all over the country, and some of them aren't used to being scrubbed in the bath, but they get used to it after a few times.
"Yuehe, do all the bathhouse staff here have to scrub with this much force?"
"It's alright. It's just that you guys don't mind that I'm strong." When the hardworking bathhouse attendant, Comrade Guan Yuehe, couldn't stop laughing, her laughter was extremely infectious, and the bathhouse was soon filled with all sorts of strange laughter.
With some students graduating early, the arts performance coming to a successful close, and all final exams completed, this semester has come to an end.
After the last semester ended, the school organized a camping trip for the students, which covered almost the entire city of Beijing.
"You guys even climbed the Great Wall?!" Guan Yuehe thought to herself, as a local from Beijing, she had never climbed the Great Wall before, and she suddenly felt envious of her roommates.
More than that! Shenghua told her everything about the training exercise, emphasizing, "Not a single person in our class fell behind!"
"The Second Class always says that our class is full of soldiers, which is why we win. I really hope we can do it again and win again!" Chunmei said confidently.
"Of course!" Guan Yuehe thought to herself, after all, she could occasionally win arm wrestling matches in the dormitory!
However, there was no chance for another one. At the end of the semester, Guan Yuehe had to return to the Zhuoyue Garment Factory for practical training, while the other students were to be taken back to the military for training.
Before leaving school, Guan Yuehe's notes were borrowed and copied.
She, a "lagging student" who joined the class midway, actually managed to rank in the top three and instantly became a role model for others to learn from.
If she hadn't refused to let go, Comrade Chunmei would have packed up her notes and taken them with her.
Watching her familiar classmates being driven away in a large green truck, she sighed and packed her bags to go back to work at the factory.
He Shuangshuang's academic performance was so outstanding that the teacher called her in to help compile teaching materials. Meanwhile, Xie Dongxue, from the Chinese Literature Department, was taken off campus by her teacher to do some creative work and hasn't returned yet; it's unclear whether she'll have a holiday.
Guan Yuehe went home in the morning and went to the factory's personnel department in the afternoon to get her internship certificate from Section Chief Xiao.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to eat in the factory canteen.
"I was wondering if you guys would get a holiday? If you do, you have to come back to the factory to work." Section Chief Xiao immediately assigned her to the sales department.
The factory doesn't need to assign English teachers to teach workers English like the military does; even if they did, it wouldn't be useful. Besides, there aren't any jobs in the factory that match her major, so they assigned her to the sales department, which is currently the busiest and most understaffed, for her to practice.
Sure, it's not like I haven't worked in the sales department before.
Guan Yuehe took her temporary worker's certificate, first went to the factory office to greet Sister Zhu and the others, and then went to the sales department to report for duty.
Wang Zheng smiled as soon as he saw her; his best business trip partner had arrived.
The next day, the workers at the Zhuoyue Garment Factory saw the familiar gust of wind rushing towards the canteen.
"Comrade Xiao Guan has returned after graduation?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
