102 Autumn 1978
On the second day after returning to school, Guan Yuehe's roommates all arrived.
Apart from Lan Yunqin, who is also an English major in the Department of Spanish, her other six roommates are all Chinese majors. The dormitory next door is full of Spanish majors.
Although she wasn't assigned to a dormitory full of Spanish majors, Guan Yuehe was still quite satisfied.
Cheng Shuang saw through her little scheme, "You're afraid that a few roommates who do math research will move into the dorm, right?"
Of course she was scared. Every time she knocked on Cheng Shuang's dormitory door, there were four math students and four physics students inside, and the dormitory was so serious that it looked like they were conducting some major research.
Guan Yuehe chuckled and continued scrubbing the clothes. After finishing, she leaned over and smelled them, sighing inwardly: Lin Yi's scrubbing clothes still smelled better.
I felt a little lost.
But her dorm wasn't much better. Her roommates were all around her age, all married, and half of them had children.
We were all adults with at least a few years of work experience, so our interactions were rather uneventful. In the half hour before lights out, we talked mostly about work and family.
Xie Dongxue came to Peking University with a mission to find a teacher in the Chinese Department. After finishing her work, she went to find Guan Yuehe.
"You've come at just the right time; I was heading to the library if I'd been a little late." But having a friend here gives me a little break.
Since Xie Dongxue transferred to work at the Daily News, they have only seen each other twice. Before, they saw each other every day when they were working, and even sat opposite each other at lunch.
The two found a place to sit down and both let out a long sigh.
Xie Dongxue laughed at her, "Why are you sighing? I think going to school must be easier than going to work."
"No way!!" Whether you're at work or school, making progress is never easy.
Xie Dongxue asked her a lot about her life at school. She casually mentioned her roommates, and Xie Dongxue, who works with words, immediately found out what was bothering her.
"The people you meet at eighteen or nineteen and at twenty-seven or twenty-eight can't all be the same, right?" Xie Dongxue laughed. "You have no idea how envious I was of you and He Shuangshuang back then, having roommates with People's Liberation Army soldiers. It was so worry-free."
"My current roommates are great. It's just that..."
"It's not as interesting as before, right?" Xie Dongxue sighed. "I was transferred to the Daily News, and none of my colleagues are as interesting as Comrade Xiao Guan."
Guan Yuehe's slight melancholy was instantly soothed; interesting people are always unique.
For example, Comrade Xiao Guan!
Seeing her proudly raise her chin, Xie Dongxue found it amusing, like an inflated balloon that she couldn't resist wanting to poke out. "No female colleague in the Daily is as enthusiastic about meals as Comrade Xiao Guan."
"Ah! Xie Dongxue! I have so many good points!" Guan Yuehe was exasperated and insisted that she change her tune.
A passing student glanced at two female classmates laughing and joking not far from the lake, shook his head, and silently walked away.
But after less than half an hour of joking around, Xie Dongxue didn't agree to let Guan Yuehe try the current cafeteria at Peking University. She patted her heavy bag helplessly, "I still have to rush back to work."
I specially squeezed out my lunch break just to meet Guan Yuehe.
"Your sister studies here too, so you're sure you'll find someone to talk to."
Guan Yuehe walked forward with her. Upon hearing this, she subconsciously looked around before saying, "I can't argue with her, so I won't look for her."
When they reached the fork in the road, the two said goodbye with reluctance. "Come find me for dinner when you have your vacation. I'll treat you to braised pork at a state-run restaurant."
Guan Yuehe took a few steps forward, turned around, and met Xie Dongxue's gaze as she turned back. She couldn't help but smile and wave.
She was happy to see her good friend and spent the whole afternoon alone at the library. She was also very excited to read aloud along with the recording in the evening.
Lan Yunqin came back from outside carrying books. She stayed with Lan Yunqin in the corridor for a while and told her the joke she had heard: "I went to see the teacher today and heard that a freshman was memorizing vocabulary in the toilet late at night and scared the students who went to the toilet to tears."
"...She's a bit easily startled."
"Huh?" Lan Yunqin scratched her head. "If I ran into someone like that late at night, I'd feel kind of scared too. Let's go to the bathroom together at night from now on."
Guan Yuehe responded with an "okay," but feeling a little guilty as she recalled past events, her voice dropped two octaves as she read aloud.
But when she thought about it that night, she found it funny.
The next day, she took some time to write a letter to Chunmei, saying that she and Suping were the ones practicing their spoken English in the bathroom late at night back then, seeing who could memorize more words. She couldn't quite remember if it was to get hot water or food.
I wonder what Chunmei's expression will be when she sees this. Anyway, she herself found it amusing.
After sending the letter, Guan Yuehe began inviting her roommate Lan Yunqin to get up early to run and memorize vocabulary, and to study together at the library during their free time.
Lan Yunqin readily agreed, breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled shyly, "I see you go out to study every day, and I wanted to go with you, but I was afraid you would think I was a burden."
At the beginning of the semester, she thought everyone's level was about the same, but after class started, she found that some students seemed to know everything.
Especially Guan Yuehe, whose name was even on the cover of the textbook they were using!
"How could that be?! I saw you were busy with your own things, and I was too embarrassed to call you."
"I wanted to call you, but you ran too fast." Lan Yunqin sighed. She really had never seen a female classmate who could run faster than Guan Yuehe. She guessed that not many male classmates could outrun her either. As soon as get out of class ended, after asking her questions, she would grab her bag and lunchbox, and in the blink of an eye, Guan Yuehe would have already disappeared from sight.
Guan Yuehe smiled awkwardly.
There's no way to stop her from running fast; it's a habit that's been there for so many years and it's hard to break. When it's mealtime, her legs react faster than her brain; all she wants to do is rush to the cafeteria.
Guan Yuehe thus found her first study partner during her postgraduate studies.
At the end of the month, Lin Yiku brought her food and accompanied her to three classes. In their remaining free time, they went to the library together to look up information.
When Guan Yuehe rummaged through his bag, she found the marriage certificate. She looked up and stared at him for more than ten seconds before they pretended not to see anything and looked away.
As the students around her gradually left, Guan Yuehe whispered to him, "The beginning of the semester is always very busy."
Lin Yi racked her brains to explain that she had slipped the marriage certificate in herself before returning to school, saying she was afraid he wouldn't remember to bring it next time he came, and that he had forgotten to take it out...
Lin Yiku changed the subject, "My older brother and sister-in-law are treating us to dinner at the new residential compound of the car factory. Is your school on holiday?"
She had just nodded when Lin Yiku said, "I have a mission on the 1st and can't go home, so you'll be our representative."
“Then I’ll go from the school, have dinner, and then go home.” As she was speaking, Guan Yuehe pulled an envelope out of his bag. It was addressed to “Comrade Guan Yuehe”, but she recognized the handwriting as Lin Yiku’s at a glance.
"What's this?"
"A letter for you."
"Should I open it now?" Before he could agree, Guan Yuehe had already shaken the envelope. What was inside didn't look like letter paper, but it was a very thin and light object.
As soon as he said yes, she immediately opened the envelope and took out a golden ginkgo leaf.
A ginkgo leaf from Ginkgo Alley in the autumn of 1978.
Only then did she realize how romantic it was that she had casually picked a leaf from the ginkgo tree at the entrance of the alley and put it there, and she received the same response four years later.
Holding the ginkgo leaf and looking at it again and again, Guan Yuehe laughed, "Next time Sitian calls us idiots, I'll stick this leaf on her forehead."
Lin Yiku: "..."
As expected, Comrade Guan Yuehe wouldn't say anything sentimental because of this little bit of romance.
"Hmm?" Guan Yuehe's gaze was drawn to the new watch in front of her. Suddenly, she remembered that the day after tomorrow was National Day, which meant tomorrow was her birthday!
Her voice, though she tried to keep it low, couldn't hide her joy: "I've worn this watch for eight years. I made the right choice buying the Shanghai brand. I can wear it for at least another eight years."
The old watch she replaced was the first major purchase she ever made. She still vividly remembers the excitement and joy she felt at the time. She showed it off in Ginkgo Hutong and Zhuoyue Garment Factory.
Another reason to refute Si Tian's argument has been added: Lin Yiku, who remembers her birthday and prepares a gift, can't be a fool!
If this weren't at school, or even in the library, she would have definitely carried Lin Yi around in circles a few times.
"Thank you, Comrade Lin Yiku, I really like this gift." Her hand, hidden under the table, quietly took his, as she pretended to look down at her documents. On the surface, they were still diligent students.
Lin Yiku couldn't help but smile; no matter what she received, she "especially liked it."
After seeing Lin Yiku off at the school gate, Guan Yuehe turned around and headed straight for Guan Yuehua's dormitory.
"Here, my brother-in-law asked me to bring this. By the way, are you going to my brother and sister-in-law's new house for dinner during the National Day holiday?"
Guan Yuehe handed over a net bag full of things in her left hand. Guan Yuehua took it and replied, "I'll go with you. Meet me at the school gate at eight o'clock... Is there anything else?"
Guan Yuehua tugged at the net, but couldn't pull it over; Guan Yuehe still held it tightly in her hand.
"Help yourself to eat whatever you want." Guan Yuehua let go of her hand, but Guan Yuehe still reached out her hand, reminding her, "Sister, what do you think of my new watch?"
Guan Yuehua then noticed the new watch on her wrist and gave a perfunctory compliment: "It's alright."
Guan Yuehe rolled her eyes when she wasn't looking.
Since she was already there, she thought she might as well ask her sister about what happened last time. However, she discovered that her sister's roommate was secretly observing her, so she swallowed her words and confirmed the meeting time for the 1st again before picking up her things and returning to her dormitory.
As soon as she left, Guan Yuehua's roommate said, "Yuehua, you two sisters really don't look alike. Your personalities are also worlds apart."
Guan Yuehua was used to it; she had heard this phrase countless times since she was a child.
Meanwhile, Guan Yuehe, who received her gift a day early, showed it off to Lan Yunqin and Cheng Shuang. Her other roommates were unaware of this, but seeing her laughing and joking while brushing her teeth, their mood improved as well.
Before going to bed, Guan Yuehe wrapped her new watch in a cloth and placed it next to her pillow to prevent it from getting bumped.
Then he placed his hands on his stomach, trying his best to maintain a peaceful sleeping posture.
When you first get a new big item, you always cherish and treasure it for a while. But after using it for a long time, you won't be as careful anymore.
Lan Yunqin, who slept in the bunk above her, peeked down in the middle of the night, wondering if she had misheard. She thought she had just heard someone laughing.
Before we knew it, it was National Day. Like other workplaces, the school had a three-day holiday.
Before the teachers contacted her, Guan Yuehe mentioned that she was going home for the National Day holiday. This dispelled the teachers' idea of asking her to do work, and she also declined the first autumn outing for the Spanish Department graduate students.
When Guan Yuehe slowly rode her bike to the school gate, her sister was already waiting, looking like she had been waiting for quite a while.
"Ride slowly." Before setting off, Guan Yuehua gave a special reminder, because not everyone can pedal a bicycle at the speed of a car like Guan Yuehe.
Just then, Guan Yuehe also wanted to ride slowly, and casually asked her sister, "Has that boy in your class stopped contacting you?"
She really admired her sister and brother-in-law's luck. Even though they were married and had children, they were either being set up with potential partners to be stepmothers for their children, or being encouraged to break free from arranged marriages and pursue free love.
Upon hearing this, Guan Yuehua's face was filled with the word "bad luck".
“I told him that if he said another word of nonsense, I would report him to the student affairs office for trying to find a girlfriend.”
"That solves it?"
"There's no need to waste words on this kind of person. If he doesn't want to go to school, just let him have his way." Guan Yuehua reminded her, "Yours is easy to handle. If anyone encourages you to date freely, beat them up first, and then tell them they want to ruin a military marriage."
Guan Yuehe laughed and said it was a good idea, adding, "If he comes to you again, I can help take his side."
"I don't need you." Guan Yuehua couldn't help but laugh.
To get from the school to the new residential compound of the Five Star Automobile Factory, they were afraid they wouldn't make it to lunchtime by bicycle alone. So, after riding for a while, they took a bus and arrived half an hour before lunchtime.
This was Guan Yuehe's first time visiting the new residential compound of the Five Star Automobile Factory. It looked very much like a large state-owned factory, much larger than the residential compound of the Zhuoyue Garment Factory, with more than a dozen ping-pong tables inside.
The new house that my older brother and sister-in-law were allocated was a two-bedroom house. They partitioned off a small room to make it a three-bedroom house, which is enough for their family of five.
The house is clean and tidy, and it's more than enough for five people, but with so many relatives and friends coming today, everyone has moved in, making the house feel crowded.
There were indeed quite a few relatives in the house. My maternal grandparents' family, my aunt and uncle, my sister-in-law's family, my brother's master and fellow apprentices were all there.
The two sisters went inside, took a quick look, and handed over the prepared red envelopes. "Mom, is there anything else we can help you with?"
"No, you can all go downstairs and wait for dinner. Gu Yu and her dad haven't arrived yet. Yi Ku, oh right, Yi Ku is too busy to come today." Jiang Guiying was busy greeting the relatives and urging them to go downstairs and sit down.
"Yuehua and Yuehe, come sit down. You're just waiting around downstairs. Your younger cousins would like to learn from you so they can also try to get into university next year." The uncle made room for the two sisters and invited them to sit down and talk.
"Yes, yes, Section Chief Guan, come sit here. We're going downstairs too." Guan Jianguo's fellow apprentices presented their gifts, invited Guan Yuehua to sit down, and then got up and went downstairs.
Guan Yuehe felt that the room was too noisy and there was nothing to talk about.
She was a little disappointed to hear that her second brother and sister-in-law, as well as Juanjuan, hadn't come. As for the other relatives, apart from her aunt, her relationship with the others was just so-so.
She greeted her maternal grandparents, and the elderly couple acted like elders towards her, saying they hadn't seen her in a long time.
Sigh! Doesn't this mean she never visits her elders?
“Yuehe is either at work or at school, she doesn’t have time.” Jiang Guiying said, “Mom, the doctor said you should drink more water and talk less. Jianguo, pour some more water for your grandma.”
"Oh, here it is, Grandma. Shall I add some sugar for you?"
Grandma glared at the two of them, then caught sight of Guan Yuehe pursing her lips and chuckling, making her even more annoyed and unwilling to utter a sound.
"Yuehe, go see if your father and your Uncle Ming need any help." Her aunt gave her an excuse, and she immediately winked at her aunt and squeezed out.
She didn't want to get involved in what her relatives were chatting about in the room behind her.
She had only shelled a small handful of peanuts to save for later when her sister came downstairs, sat down next to her, and sighed with relief. Pointing indistinctly, she said, "They talk in circles, it's so annoying. Anyone who's on good terms with those Lins has to help them out..."
Turning his head, he saw Guan Yuehe leisurely peeling peanuts, clicked his tongue, and reached out, "Give me some."
Guan Yuehe glanced at Guan Yuehua, and under her gaze, she shoved all the peanuts in her hand into her mouth, chewed them tightly with her mouth closed, and didn't flinch at all.
"We're not breaking up, and our relationship isn't that great either."
Not long after, Gu Mannian arrived with Gu Yu. Seeing his wife glaring at Guan Yuehe with fiery eyes, Guan Yuehe shook her head smugly.
These two sisters are arguing again for some reason.
Guan Yuehua: "I'm too lazy to scold you today."
Guan Yuehe snorted and continued peeling peanuts.
"Mom!" Only Gu Yu was excitedly splashing around at them early on.
Guan Yuehua and Gu Yu only adored each other for a short while before Gu Yu got angry that her mother wouldn't give her the cookies on the table. Guan Yuehua frowned, afraid that Gu Yu might suddenly fall into the water.
Finally, Guan Yuehua broke off some cookies for Gu Yu to eat, and only then did the chubby girl finally calm down.
Gu Yu took a bite and then eagerly tried to take the rest herself, but failed. She then reached out to her aunt next to her mother for a hug, but her aunt simply turned her head away and wouldn't look at her, so that didn't work either.
"I won't hug you, or you'll pee all over me, and I'll lose face." She hadn't brought back any clean clothes.
Guan Yuehua was silent for a few seconds, then put Gu Yu into Gu Mannian's arms.
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