109. Happy (a paragraph was added later)
"Yuehe, Sitian, what are you doing here instead of going inside to watch TV?" Luo Guifang jogged back from outside and saw the two girls laughing and joking under the dim light in front of the No. 3 courtyard from afar.
"It's cool outside."
Guan Yuehe asked again, "Are you going for a walk so late at night?"
"Why are you taking a walk? Bao Ning's in high school, but she didn't get a dorm room. She has classes tonight, so I have to go pick her up. I forgot my flashlight. I can't talk to you guys anymore, I'm in a hurry to pick her up. This factory's shuttle bus at night is really something, it's never on time..."
In August of this year, the results of the high school entrance examination came out. Bao'an was admitted to the technical school in the factory, while Bao Ning's score was just a little short, so he ended up going to the high school in the car factory.
The conditions at vocational schools are much better; students who get in can live on campus. But the factory's high school doesn't have many dormitories, and priority is given to factory children from disadvantaged backgrounds who don't live in the factory's residential compound.
Bao Ning's family is no longer considered to be in particularly difficult circumstances. They can only go to school in the evening and then take the factory bus home.
Luo Guifang's burden has completely disappeared. In the future, Baoyu will be able to get a job after graduating from university, and Baoan Technical School will also be able to get a job in a car factory. It would be best if Baoning could get into university, but if he couldn't, he could take over her job.
Her neighbors in the alley all said that her good days had just begun and that she would soon be enjoying a life of luxury.
Wu Jiawang, who graduated from high school this year, was far below the university admission line, so he didn't consider repeating a year and went home after receiving his diploma.
But instead of taking over the factory, he followed Ding Laowu's example, collecting scrap metal everywhere and selling it to the scrap yard.
Unlike Ding Laowu, who "ostensibly collects scrap but actually waits to find bargains," Wu Jiawang genuinely only collects scrap. When he encounters someone who wants to sell old items, he even gives them directions, telling them to go to the scrap yard in Changhu Street to find Hai Ban'er to help them appraise the items. He introduced Hai Ban'er to many side jobs, and Hai Ban'er even gave him a "referral fee."
Wu Jiawang worked hard every day, converting his bicycle into a small tricycle, which he drove to various alleys every day with its bell jingling.
Watching Luo Guifang hurriedly run out with a flashlight, Lin Sitian felt even better.
"I'm off tomorrow, so I can have a little drink with you."
"Come on, when your brother comes back and finds you acting like a drunkard at home, he might want to throw you in the storage room."
Lin Sitian pursed her lips; her brother was indeed a bit of an eyesore.
"I'm so happy!" Lin Sitian exclaimed again.
—
"Are you unhappy?"
Lin Yiku walked home in the night and found the light on in her window, which made her feel overjoyed.
As soon as I opened the door, it was indeed her who had come home.
As soon as he entered the room, he heard her good news. He was happy that she was back and that she had been recruited by the foreign trade department, but he found that she was not particularly happy. She clearly just wanted to show off.
"Of course not!" Guan Yuehe scratched her head. "It's just that I'm a little reluctant to leave Zhuoyue Garment Factory."
Just like how she had always dreamed of working in a car factory after graduation, but ended up working in a clothing factory instead, she felt both happy and a little disappointed.
But to say she wasn't happy about joining the Ministry of Foreign Trade? Not at all. From a small state-owned factory to a government department, and now to a position where she could utilize her expertise, she was still very happy.
Of course, I was only a little happy before, but after showing off a bit today, I'm even happier.
"Congratulations, Comrade Guan Yuehe."
"Hehe." Comrade Guan Yuehe laughed out loud, waving the documents she had brought back in front of him, "You also deserve some credit for this."
Under strict political vetting, her status as a military family member gave her an advantage. Of course, Comrade Lin Yiku's full support for her studies was also a great contribution.
Lin Yiku felt very honored. "Am I the flower that adds flowers to brocade?"
"Yes, in our family, no, in Ginkgo Alley, you're the prettiest, of course you're a flower." Guan Yuehe immediately launched into a sweet talk, then burst into laughter.
She said Lin Yiku was the most handsome gay man in Ginkgo Hutong, and Lin Sitian looked at her as if she had seen a ghost.
After having enough fun, Guan Yuehe remembered to ask him, "You're back so late, did you have a lot of training?"
"It's alright, something came up and I was delayed for a while today."
"I already told you, you should just stay in the military dormitory. It'll save you from having to travel back and forth every day." He eats all three meals a day in the military canteen, and when he comes back, he's all alone, which is just a waste of time.
"The kang (heated brick bed) at home is easier to sleep on."
"..." No doubt about it, the kang (heated brick bed) at home is much more comfortable to sleep on than the bed in the dormitory.
With her back, Lin Yiku no longer needs to go to Peking University tomorrow, and she took out the things she had prepared to bring her.
Winter blankets and coats need to be stored in the dormitory in advance, because once October is over, winter will be here.
Suddenly having a free day, the two were wondering where to go the next day.
"How about we go back to our hometown tomorrow?" Guan Yuehe suggested, but then rejected the idea.
Lin Yi had asked Zhong Sheng to bring back some milk powder, which she had already sent to Qin Zilan and her second sister-in-law. She suddenly decided to go back without buying anything, knowing her aunt would surely give her a lot of things to bring back. She decided to go another time.
I don't want to go on an autumn outing to the park this year.
Just as they were worrying, Lin Sitian came knocking on their door early the next morning and brought them two movie tickets, saying that a new movie was going to be shown at the car factory cinema.
The tickets were a gift from the hospital leadership, so she could go to the movies with her boyfriend.
"I'm too busy to date, you guys are lucky."
Is she too busy to date, or does she simply not want to date anyone else? Guan Yuehe didn't expose her and happily accepted the movie tickets.
I used to watch movies over and over again, but now there are finally different kinds of movies. Tickets for the movie at the car factory are extremely hard to come by.
However, when Guan Yuehe turned around, she found two eyesores following behind her.
"Are you two going to the movies too?"
Guan Aiguo and Zhang Quanbin exchanged a glance and shook their heads. "An inspection team is coming to visit the factory, and we need to go back to help out."
Guan Aiguo said proudly, "Second sister, only those who look as energetic as us can be selected to appear on screen. Reporters from the Daily News came specifically to interview us. Maybe I'll be in the newspaper!"
Guan Yuehe scrutinized the two of them, finding it unbearable to look at. Five Star Automobile Factory was supposed to be a large factory with tens of thousands of employees; why did they choose these two?
Their energy and spirit are less than one-tenth of Lin Yiku's.
"Hurry up, those two behind us are in the way." Guan Yuehe patted Lin Yiku on the back.
Lin Yiku glanced back and quickened his pedaling pace. Knowing Guan Yuehe as he did, if he slowed down any further, she would ask him to give her a ride.
The new movie is so popular that many people in the theater, even if they don't have seats, are happy to sit on the floor to watch it.
They arrived late and could only watch from the back. Luckily, they were both tall and weren't afraid of being blocked by the people in front of them, otherwise they would have only been able to hear the sound of the movie.
But standing at the back is fine too. No one looks back, you can hold hands without being discovered, and you can lean on each other if you get tired.
They are both usually busy with their own work or studies, so this hour of quiet time alone in a crowd is very precious.
Lin Yiku occasionally turned his head to look at her, making sure she was really focused on watching the movie and not busy squeezing his fingers, before turning his gaze back to the front.
After leaving the movie theater, they took a walk around the neighborhood. When they passed by a barbershop, they saw her father and Grandpa Chen cutting someone's hair.
Her dad did most of the cutting, while Grandpa Chen helped hand her the tools and sweep up the stray hairs on the floor.
They didn't want to go in and cause trouble, but Grandpa Chen saw them and invited them in to sit for a while.
"The car factory changed its holiday schedule?" Isn't it supposed to be a two-day holiday for National Day? Why are you still working at the shop?
"The inspection team came and said they wanted to show the factory at its best." Grandpa Chen moved a long bench over for them to sit on. "At the beginning of the year, they said our factory was going to partner with foreigners to manufacture cars, but the deal fell through. I don't know if they're going to continue negotiating."
Grandpa Chen couldn't understand what good things could come of partnering with foreign devils.
As Guan Canghai cut his hair by the sea, he said, "These are things the leaders should worry about. The people from the breeding station came to invite you to be a veterinarian. What do you think about it?"
"No, no." Grandpa Chen thought to himself: I'm not stupid. Working at the barbershop is so much better, it's so easy. If I go to the breeding station, I'll probably be more tired than the dogs there.
Turning his head, he saw the young couple looking down and chuckling, and asked, "Shall I cut your hair?"
Guan Yuehe pulled Lin Yiku away quickly.
When Guan Yuehe went to the state-run restaurant next to the car factory, she found that the restaurant had added several new dishes, but the chef and waiters were still the same.
"Now state-owned factories and state-owned restaurants also have to keep up with the reforms." The waiter remembered them and patiently explained, "The new dishes that the state-owned restaurants near the machinery factory have come up with are the most popular among the people. Other restaurants have to follow suit. If other restaurants have them but we don't, fewer people will come to eat here."
Is this the kind of reform law?
Guan Yuehe only knew that the autonomy of state-owned enterprises had been improved to some extent, and they no longer had to follow the plans given by the higher authorities as before, but this was still limited.
How to reform, whether in rural or urban areas, is still being explored.
"Why do you care what changes the higher-ups make?" Jiang Guiying said, bringing her some news about the house as she packed her bags for returning to school the next morning.
"I reckon Aunt Niu from Courtyard No. 1 wants to sell her house."
Guan Yuehe immediately became interested and sat up straight. "Really? Why? Where will she live after she sells the house?"
“Niu Laosan has returned to the city, and Niu Laoda has become a group leader at the factory. He has been allocated a house in the new family compound and is moving there. The two brothers argue at home every day, saying they want to divide the family property. Their two and a half rooms are their own, and Niu Laoda says he wants one and a half rooms so that their parents can live with him from now on. He wants to give Niu Laosan one room.”
"Old Niu doesn't agree?"
"Agreed."
"Then why do you say you want to sell the house?" If no one objects, once the walls are built, the house will be divided between two families.
Jiang Guiying glanced at her sideways, "Are you stupid? Boss Niu has already been allocated a house and is about to move out. If he keeps this house, isn't that just benefiting Boss Niu?"
"Oh right." Guan Yuehe suddenly realized.
"I think the eldest son of the Niu family is also wary of the third son of the Niu family. He's afraid that if the third son of the Niu family doesn't change his ways, he'll still secretly gamble in the future. He should take advantage of the current situation to divide the family property and sell his house as well. That way, if the third son of the Niu family gambles again, it won't affect him, and he won't have to worry about the third son of the Niu family using the house to gamble."
But, "Doesn't that mean there's only one and a half rooms?"
Jiang Guiying sighed, "I guess Niu Laosan also wants to sell the house."
“Ding Laowu rides a tricycle to collect scrap every day, always looking presentable. He thinks that if others can make money, so can he. He tried to borrow money from Aunt Niu and Boss Niu but failed. He even went to Zhou Hongqi and said he could write an IOU, but no one dared to lend him money.”
People who have gambled before haven't been in the countryside for long, so who knows if they've really changed their ways?
If they borrow money and then gamble it away, not only will they become accomplices in harming him, but they will also have difficulty getting the money back.
Upon hearing this, Guan Yuehe realized that this family was considering selling the house, and they might actually succeed.
"Keep an eye on them for me. If they really want to sell, and the price isn't outrageously high, we'll buy it."
Courtyard No. 1 is also very nice. There are only four families in the front yard: Zhou Hongqi's family in the west wing, Hu Dama's family in the back house, and the gatekeeper seems to be a young couple who moved in in the last two years.
"I was just thinking I needed to talk to you and Yiku first, in case they really want to sell it, we need to get there first. You two are always nowhere to be found..."
Lin Yiku said, "Mom, if they really want to sell the house, could you help us pay a deposit first? I'll make up the difference when I get back."
Guan Yuehe immediately went inside and took out two hundred yuan, handing it to Jiang Guiying and encouraging her, "Mom, you must stop the house before anyone else does!"
"I understand." Jiang Guiying looked at the stack of ten-yuan notes in her hand and felt a pang of heartache: two and a half rooms, a monthly rent of two yuan, and it would cost four or five thousand yuan to buy them... She couldn't think about it anymore.
As soon as Jiang Guiying left, Guan Yuehe immediately whispered in Lin Yiku's ear, "My mom must think buying a house is too expensive again."
It is indeed too expensive.
"After we buy the house, we won't be the big dog family in Ginkgo Hutong anymore."
“Even if we don’t buy a house, it won’t be one soon.” Lin Yiku grabbed her hand that was trying to press down on his throat, and she frowned in dissatisfaction, but he pretended not to see it.
"My second aunt said that the stall that sells roasted melon seeds can earn at least twenty or thirty yuan a day." That's at least six hundred yuan a month, and over a year they can save more than them.
"And then there's Ding Laowu. He bought a TV and rented a room outside, saying he's moving out." It's hard to say how much Ding Laowu earns, but judging from his current attire and the way Aunt Ding always wears new clothes and sits at the entrance of the alley, he must earn quite a bit.
Guan Yuehe gritted her teeth and said sourly, "I'm jealous!"
Lin Yi gave a wry smile; someone's cheeks were so red with envy they looked like balloons. But this envy faded quickly; he poked them and they deflated.
"Oh right, isn't Er Ya taking the college entrance exam this year? I haven't heard whether she passed or not."
"I was just a little short of the cutoff score, so I'm going to repeat a year."
Guan Yuehe sighed, "Brother Ding and his wife are quite unusual. You see, other families would take care of their sons first, or at least one of them. But they don't care about either of them, yet they're very attentive to Er Ya?"
Ding Xianguang was relatively lucky; at least he managed to get a fair amount of things from his family. Ding Xianzong, on the other hand, was less fortunate. After getting married in the countryside, he seemed to have severed ties with his family.
The two of them haven't returned to the city yet, but she feels that Ding Xianguang will come back sooner or later.
You'd think they were commendable for not being sexist, but Guan Yuehe always felt that neither of them had such a high level of awareness.
The next day, Guan Yuehua, who rushed back to school with her, cleared up her doubts.
"Most people raise sons just to support them in their old age. If a son is useless and unreliable, then they will naturally care more about their daughters if they find that they can study hard and have a bright future."
Guan Yuehua reminded him, "Before Ding Xianguang and Ding Xianzong went to the countryside and before the college entrance examination was reinstated, did they already care about Er Ya?"
Ultimately, it's about being good to whoever is useful.
It was also thanks to the women in courtyards No. 2 and No. 3 who were so capable and successful that Mr. and Mrs. Ding saw hope. Their daughter was successful, and they could enjoy the good life with her in the future.
Guan Yuehe gave her a thumbs up and praised her earnestly: "You can see through the surface and understand the essence at a glance. You truly deserve to be called an upright and just official."
"..." Guan Yuehe really deserves to be scolded!
—
When Guan Yuehe returned, she brought a net bag full of apples, which Lin Yiku had bought outside.
My second sister-in-law's family hasn't picked the apples yet, otherwise I would definitely have sent her half a basket.
I took out two apples, cut them up, and shared them with my roommates. Only then did I take one for myself and go find Cheng Shuang.
"For the sake of this apple, I have to give you a math lesson... Hey, hey! I'm just kidding, give the apple back."
Guan Yuehe put the apple back, glanced at her sideways, and mimicked Guan Yuehua's words: "I think you're really asking for a scolding!"
Cheng Shuang smiled and pulled out the cookies she had just bought, stuffing one into her mouth. The two sat on the edge of Cheng Shuang's bed, munching away.
After the last roommate in the dormitory took her books out, Cheng Shuang said to her, "My teacher talked to me. After graduation, I will stay at the school as a teacher. What did your teacher say?"
"Uh... I've made arrangements too." Just as Guan Yuehe was hesitating whether to tell Cheng Shuang, Cheng Shuang stopped her, "Everyone already knows that I'll be staying at the school, but yours hasn't been announced yet, so don't say anything."
But Cheng Shuang couldn't help but ask, "Don't tell me which specific unit it is. Is it a good unit?"
Guan Yuehe smiled and nodded, "A very good large organization."
"I knew you wouldn't be assigned to a regular unit," Cheng Shuang said enviously. "Where can you find someone who speaks two foreign languages? Even if I were in a good unit, I'd still come and recruit you."
"Do you want to stay at school?" Guan Yuehe asked.
"It's alright." Cheng Shuang scratched her head. "My teacher said that my personality is suited to doing research at school, and when I think about it, it makes sense. I used to argue with my superiors a lot at work, so it might not be easy for me to work there. I also enjoy doing research, and I can stay in Beijing. My teacher said that once I get my diploma, I can apply for housing, which I'm quite happy about."
Back in her hometown, a good job is useless; relatives and friends all talk about her being "too old to get married." If she were assigned back, her family might bring blind dates to her workplace.
Staying at Kyoto University would be much better; some of her professors have been single for most of their lives, so she wouldn't stand out there.
"It would be great if we could study together again in the future." Guan Yuehe is the friend she has made most close to in the past few years.
Guan Yuehe rolled her eyes at her.
"I'll introduce you to my sister another day, so you can study together."
"Never mind, you already said your sister is good at swearing."
"You're no pushover either. Even my sister doesn't often argue with her boss," Guan Yuehe laughed. They're evenly matched.
Knowing that Cheng Shuang would stay in Beijing and attend Peking University, Guan Yuehe was so happy that she ate an extra bowl of rice at noon.
But Professor Ye, being rather unromantic, suddenly asked her, "Professor Qin was just talking about your early graduation this morning in the office. How's your thesis coming along?"
"I'm writing it. I'm writing it."
—
Guan Yuehe was busy with classes and writing her graduation thesis, and went to the library every day. She had forgotten about buying a house.
When the first snow of the year arrived, they were just getting out of class. Three students from the south exclaimed in surprise and called on the others to go out and catch the snow.
Guan Yuehe kept shaking her head. She had seen plenty of snow since she was a child, so she didn't find it strange at all.
But her classmates kept calling for her to go outside, "Yuehe, look!"
"What's so interesting? I'm really not going... Here I come!" Suddenly, a tall figure appeared in the group of classmates—wasn't that Lin Yiku?!
A classmate joked, "We couldn't get Yuehe to come no matter what we did, but as soon as Comrade Lin arrived, she showed up without warning!"
"Look at what you're saying. If your lover came to see you, you'd run faster than Yuehe."
Guan Yuehe jogged out, not wanting to be stared at like a panda by her classmates, and tugged at Lin Yiku's sleeve to walk a little further.
"Why are you so late today?" On his days off, he would come to school in the morning so we could have lunch and dinner together. Now it's already afternoon.
"The house caused a delay."
As soon as he mentioned the house, Guan Yuehe's eyes lit up, and she waited expectantly for him to continue.
Lin Yiku didn't keep them in suspense and quickly said, "Aunt Niu's family has decided to sell both of their houses. Luckily, Jin Junwei was quick to inform my mother. I happened to be home, so I paid the deposit first, and then we went to the neighborhood office to sign the agreement. We agreed to go to the housing management bureau together tomorrow morning to complete the transfer of ownership and give them the remaining money. Could you take the day off tomorrow morning?"
Guan Yuehe exclaimed in surprise, not bothering to answer his question, and pressed on, "How much does it cost?"
“Aunt Niu’s house has two and a half rooms, which is a total of 35 square meters. She initially asked for 6,300 yuan to sell. Our mother and Jin Junwei went over to help her negotiate the price, and finally got it down to 6,000 yuan.”
Speaking of which, we have to thank Jin Junwei. Even their two mothers combined can't compare to his bargaining skills. He could find a bunch of flaws in a house that looked perfectly fine, and still manage to save them 300 yuan.
Guan Yuehe gasped, "Back around National Day, there was 5,300 yuan in the family savings account, right?"
"Yes, but besides the savings account, we had 200 yuan in reserve at home at the time. In addition to my salary for the past two months, I also borrowed 300 yuan from my mother."
Guan Yuehe still felt heartbroken. She had considered that the house must be expensive now; 35 square meters for 6,000 yuan, which is about 170 yuan per square meter. This price would be reasonable outside, but spending so much money all at once made her heart bleed.
Oh, not only did I lose all my savings, but I also owe 300 yuan.
His eyebrows were all furrowed up like caterpillars.
Lin Yiku teased her deliberately, "It is indeed a bit expensive. How about I go back and tell them we're not buying it?"
"No, no," Guan Yuehe said firmly, frowning slightly. "I want to buy it!"
The houses over there aren't bad. I'm not very familiar with the neighbors in courtyard number one, the backyard and the houses in the back building. Of the neighbors in the front yard, only Aunt Hu has a big mouth and is quite a fighter.
But that's a minor issue; the neighbors across the street are Sister Hongqi's family. Where can you find such wonderful neighbors?
"Wait here for me, I'll go ask the teacher for leave, and then we'll go home together."
After Guan Yuehe finished speaking, she ran into the classroom like a gust of wind, and then ran upstairs to the teachers' office, making a loud thumping sound on the stairs.
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