065 Fan
Not long after the women were wheeled into the delivery room, Jiang Guiying finally had a moment to spare before she could attend to her little girl who had been brought to her.
"With your brother and me here, you can go back. Tell your dad to stop messing around and bring Weiwei and Jingjing over." After saying that, he noticed Lin Yiku next to him and urged him to go home and rest as well.
I've been back for most of the day, and I haven't even been inside the house yet. I've been helping out all day, and I'm exhausted.
Lin Yiku glanced at Guan Yuehe and asked her if she was leaving.
"Go, go, go." There was no use in her staying here, but hearing the cries of pain coming from inside gave her goosebumps.
Lin Yi didn't find the tricycle difficult to pedal when he was bringing people over, but now that the wheels are almost smoking and he still can't catch up with Guan Yuehe who is riding a bicycle, he realizes that the tricycle is really hard to ride.
As Guan Yuehe pedaled, she secretly kept an eye on the people behind her. When she heard the sound of the car getting closer, she quickly sped up.
He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, panting heavily, his mind filled with only one thought: He wanted to race her to see who was faster. She couldn't possibly lose!
As soon as I returned to Ginkgo Hutong, my neighbors kept asking me if I had given birth yet, and whether it was a boy or a girl.
When they learned that the three of them had just returned, they had all entered the delivery room around the same time, and everyone started to wonder if the three babies would be born on the same day.
As they continued to speculate, something seemed amiss. Grandpa Lin stepped in to stop them, shouting, "Gambling is forbidden! Anyone who gets arrested will have to worry about their family's jobs!"
The one who had shouted the loudest just now shrank back and stopped urging people to place bets.
When Lin Yiku returned the car and got home, he was covered in sweat, and his clothes were soaked.
Lin Sitian thoughtfully served him a slice of cool watermelon and then used a large fan to fan him, saying, "It's quite muggy today. The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow, which will make it a bit better. Brother, is the watermelon sweet?"
Lin Yiku moved the watermelon that was almost in his mouth away again. When he looked up, his younger sister was smiling at him ingratiatingly, and he felt that the watermelon in his hand was a little heavy.
"Did your boyfriend send you this melon?"
Lin Sitian immediately stopped smiling and rolled her eyes at him, "I bought it from outside! Give it back if you're not going to eat it!"
"What do you want me to do now?" Lin Yiku looked at her leisurely, and then took a bite to show her: Do you still want what you've already eaten?
"Just tell me, is it sweet or not?"
"sweet."
Lin Sitian tossed her fan aside, turned around, went to the kitchen, grabbed another piece, and took a bite; it was indeed sweet.
"I bought a watermelon the day before yesterday. One bite and it felt like I was eating water. It made me feel nauseous all day. Luckily, this time I bought a sweet one."
Lin Yiku: "..."
I thought they wanted him to do some work, but it turns out they were asking him to taste the food.
The brother and sister sat at the doorway enjoying the cool air, while the elderly couple listened to the radio inside. Guan Canghai, from next door, was looking after his two grandchildren and couldn't go anywhere.
"By the way, brother, did you include an extra photo in my last letter to you?"
"What extra photos?" Lin Yiku asked knowingly.
"Yuehe's photo." Lin Sitian slapped her forehead. "I remember putting it on the table, but I've searched everywhere and can't find it. Could I have lost it when I went to mail the letter? I haven't told Yuehe yet..."
Lin Yiku silently finished the watermelon in a few bites and was about to look for a trash can when Lin Sitian called out to him, "Don't litter. Grandpa Li picked up a puppy and brought it home to raise. Put it in the basin in front of his house."
When he went to throw away the watermelon rind, he saw Guan Yuehe carrying a basin and rushing to the bathhouse. Only after her figure turned out of the alley did he look down at the little yellow dog licking his shoes.
I stopped by to say hello to Grandpa Li and Grandma Hua before turning around and going home.
To be honest, his desire to join the army was somewhat influenced by Grandpa Li.
"Lin Yiku, hurry up and pack your luggage." Aunt Fang's maternal love didn't even last a day this time; it had almost completely dissipated.
"They're here."
Because he had to rush back due to other matters, he didn't have time to go to the brigade near the army base to exchange some local specialties with the villagers, so he brought back very little luggage.
He pulled out a notebook from the innermost part of his bag, then took out the photos tucked inside. He looked at them for a while before taking the photos to knock on Lin Sitian's door.
"Oh! I really put it in there by accident!" Lin Sitian exclaimed in surprise. "Luckily you received it, otherwise I really wouldn't have been able to find it."
"Hey, wait a minute, why didn't you send it back to me if you received it?" Lin Sitian put the photos in the drawer and immediately started to criticize her brother.
"What if it gets lost again after I send it back to you?" Lin Yiku countered with a question instead of an answer. She glanced at her drawer. "Valuables won't get lost if you put them in a box. Want to go to the bathhouse?"
"Huh? Oh. No, you don't remember how to get to the bathhouse? Go by yourself." Lin Sitian wrinkled her nose and took a breath, saying with disdain, "You really should go to the bathhouse."
The topic kept shifting, and Lin Sitian was so focused on replying to him that she momentarily forgot about the part she felt was off earlier.
"Yuehe said that the bathhouses in the south don't have bath attendants, and you have to do it yourself. Is that true?" She had heard her brother say that people there bathe frequently, and it's normal for them to bathe every day, but she didn't know that the bathhouses didn't have bath attendants!
"Yuehe also said that the air over there is so humid that clothes can be wrung out after a day..."
Lin Yiku's ears were filled with "Yuehe said" and "Yuehe said again" after she spoke, but she didn't run into the person her sister kept mentioning when she went out to get a bath.
Meanwhile, Guan Yuehe was waiting for her hair to dry inside the house, munching on a tomato in one hand and fiddling with the radio in the other. The books and notes on her desk were neatly tidied up.
It's so hot... She has to buy an electric fan the day after tomorrow!
The next morning, Aunt Zhao brought back good news: all three women who had been sent to the hospital the day before had given birth successfully.
The residents of this alley will have another topic of conversation from now on: three babies in our Ginkgo Alley were born on the same day in the same hospital!
As others offered their congratulations, someone suddenly joked, "They were all born on the same day, surely they weren't switched at birth?"
"What nonsense! They didn't all come out at once, how could you not tell which one belongs to which family?"
In the afternoon, all three families returned.
People frequently enter and exit the gates of Courtyard No. 2 and Courtyard No. 3, all of them visiting.
Cao Lili had a daughter, while Lin Yufeng and Wu Lanxiang both had sons.
All three expressed their satisfaction.
Wu Lanxiang, in particular, felt that having given birth to a son meant she had fulfilled her mission. The next time the Women's Federation representatives came, she would have them go and talk to her husband, Bai Hongjun, about it.
Chang Zhengyi only has one son, yet he's already getting a tubal ligation. How could Bai Hongjun be more backward than Chang Zhengyi?
Wu Lanxiang had just had this idea. The next day, Sunday, people from the factory's women's federation came under the guise of visiting the three women to do ideological work with their families.
With Chang Zhengyi taking the lead, the issue of male sterilization was brought into the open.
The women's federation members took Chang Zhengyi as an example, showering him with compliments such as "model husband" and "advanced in thought," which quickly garnered him a large following among the women.
But pioneers are never easily understood.
Chang Zhengyi was being talked about behind his back again. But he was a good-natured person; it wasn't the first time people had talked about him behind his back anyway.
He secretly got married behind his family's back, insisted on claiming that public toilets were haunted, and now he's getting a vasectomy. Every time, people say he's not thinking straight. He's used to it all.
Guan Yuehe found it rare to like him, thinking that although he was thin and skinny, he was a good comrade with an iron will.
So Guan Yuehe sincerely advised him, "If you encounter those gossipy people again, just slap them across the face. If they don't behave after one slap, slap them a few more times and they'll be fine."
Chang Zhengyi tugged at the corners of his mouth for a long time before finally managing a forced smile and said, "Sister Yuehe, your suggestion is really good."
I felt bitter inside: But is that something I can do?
"Hehe, you're welcome." Guan Yuehe gave him a packet of brown sugar, the same one she gave Wu Lanxiang, "It's for Cao Lili to nourish her body. I won't go in to see her."
A bag of brown sugar from the neighbors would have been enough, but a gift from my sister-in-law would have to be more valuable. I gave her milk powder when I returned from the Canton Fair, and this time I gave her a piece of silk cloth for her own use.
The older brother followed the truck and managed to get a lot of nutritional supplements, so she would give him some that adults could use.
After delivering the gift, Guan Yuehe turned and went to the neighbor's house. "Sitian!"
No one answered, so she called out twice more.
After a while, Lin Yiku opened the door. "Something came up at the hospital, so Sitian went to work overtime."
Guan Yuehe could only sigh, "Alright, I'll come back later."
"What's wrong? Maybe I can help." Lin Yiku said as she stepped out the door, closing it behind her. Seeing that she was still thinking, she said, "I told her to come find you when she gets back."
Guan Yuehe nodded and agreed, then tilted her head slightly to stare at Lin Yiku. When Lin Yiku couldn't help but turn his face away from her gaze, Guan Yuehe asked, "Aren't you hot?"
Wearing a long-sleeved white polyester shirt on a hot day, with the buttons fastened all the way up, sweat was beading on my forehead and the sides of my face.
He was the best-looking gay man she had ever seen in a white shirt. Good-looking as he was, she couldn't help but feel unbearably hot for him.
Most people in the alley wore loose-fitting cotton clothes. The men had the advantage, as they could wear tank tops outside. The women also wore them, but they were too embarrassed to wear them at home.
Lin Yiku's outfit perfectly matched what the older folks were saying: dressing up so extravagantly meant she was definitely going out to meet someone.
Do you really have to work this hard to find a partner?!
Lin Yiku is definitely hot!
He was home alone, wearing a tank top and no one cared, when Guan Yuehe suddenly knocked on the door. In his haste, he pulled out a long-sleeved shirt.
I'm still wearing the vest underneath, two vests, it's even hotter now.
He was still being stared at intently by her, her eyes never blinking, making his face burn with embarrassment.
But I still forced myself to say, "It's alright."
Guan Yuehe increasingly felt that he might be going out to meet someone, otherwise who would dress like that?
"Alright, I won't bother you anymore." Guan Yuehe glanced at him again and decided to go home and borrow industrial tickets from her father.
Before the sun got too strong, Guan Yuehe took her industrial ration coupons and went straight to the department store, where she bought an electric fan that could oscillate.
She carried the brand-new electric fan home. Although the power hadn't come back on yet and she couldn't plug it in to blow-dry the fan, she had added another big item to her home!
While others get new dolls, she gets a new electric fan.
Auntie is right, July is a month full of happy events!
"My brother said you came to see me this morning... You bought an electric fan?!" Lin Sitian's eyes were immediately drawn to the green electric fan standing in the room as soon as she arrived.
As soon as the power came back on, Guan Yuehe immediately plugged it in, and the fan started blowing loudly against her back.
"Move over a bit, make room for me." Lin Sitian pushed her aside and took a tomato from her. "Where did you buy this? It's pretty sweet!"
"I helped translate some documents after get off work. Technician Zhang gave them to me." Guan Yuehe glanced at the remaining tomatoes in the basket and told her to take two more later.
"How did your brother's matchmaking go?"
"My brother?" Lin Sitian was shocked. "How come I didn't know my brother went on a date?"
"Didn't he go?" Guan Yuehe wondered. If he wasn't going to meet the prospective spouse, why would he dress so formally at home?
Lin Sitian shook her head firmly.
“My brother is going to study for two years, so he definitely can’t get married during that time. My mom told him to wait until he’s transferred back before thinking about personal matters.”
Yes, I've heard from my roommates that they not only have to submit an application report for marriage, but also for dating, explaining the personal and family situation of their potential partner.
During her studies, just like when she attended a worker-peasant-soldier university, she shouldn't be allowed to date or get married, right?
“We can talk, but we can’t get married.” Lin Sitian spread her hands and said, “My mother made the family all say the same thing to outsiders: my brother can’t date or get married for the next two years.”
"That's strange. Didn't Aunt Fang want him to get married soon? Now that they're talking, he can submit his application to get married after he returns from his studies."
Lin Sitian shrugged. "Who knows about my mom? She said she can't hold other people's daughters back."
She was even more confused. How could this have caused such a delay?
"You know, my brother used to be stationed in the south, and it was tough for the girls here to go with him. It's only right that we don't hold them back. But my brother will be transferred back in two years, and we'll both be in Beijing. Isn't that perfect?"
“Hey! My mom is still saying that my brother’s matter is not urgent. We should deal with one thing at a time and finish the dinner with Zhou Jinghang’s family first before we talk about anything else.”
Lin Sitian couldn't stop talking. After finishing talking about her brother, she said that she had made an appointment with Zhou Jinghang to have dinner at the state-run restaurant near the car factory next Sunday.
She also criticized the state-run restaurants in Changhu Street, saying, "The meat buns my brother bought had spoiled meat inside. I'm afraid they'll give me a stomachache if I eat them, but I feel bad if I don't! I heard the new chef has connections, and the food is getting worse and worse. No wonder nobody goes there anymore... What are you thinking? Did you hear what I just said?"
"I heard you." Guan Yuehe concluded, "You're having dinner with your partner's family this Sunday. Don't go to the state-run restaurants in Changhu Street in the future."
Lin Sitian stared at her suspiciously, feeling that her childhood friend was secretly plotting something big, but she couldn't tell from her face.
—
The office is like an oven in the summer; you'll be sweating profusely after sitting inside for just half an hour.
My colleagues sitting in front and to my left have sighed more than ten times, their fans waving rapidly, but bringing very little cool breeze.
Guan Yuehe wanted to concentrate on her work, but there were many noises around her, which annoyed her. So she simply closed her notebook and closed her eyes to calm down.
When Section Chief Lin returned from outside, he looked as if he had been caught in a rainstorm; the back of his clothes was soaked, and when he wiped his forehead, he could shake off a handful of sweat.
When I arrived this morning, there was a problem with the factory's electrical circuits, and the power hasn't been restored yet.
The office building was relatively calm, but the workshop was like a giant furnace. The industrial fans on the ceiling were silent, while the workers below, constantly operating sewing machines, were covered in sweat.
Just as I was getting annoyed, the logistics staff carried a large bucket of mung bean soup upstairs and greeted each office: "Everyone, come and get your own cups to scoop some mung bean soup."
"It's so hot today. I'd like to have some mung bean soup to cool down."
At lunchtime, no one likes to sit and eat in the cafeteria because it's too crowded and hot.
Xie Dongxue tapped Guan Yuehe's lunchbox with her chopsticks. "Did something happen to you?"
"No." Guan Yuehe thought about it seriously. Apart from being in a bad mood because of the heat today, she didn't have anything else on her mind.
"You can't fool me, there must be something going on." Xie Dongxue raised her hand to signal her not to make excuses, and said smugly, "Have you forgotten what I used to do? How many things have I encountered in the union? You can't fool me."
She not only worked in the labor union, but now she writes articles every day in the publicity department, observing the people and things around her quite a bit. Nothing escapes her sharp eyes!
"Oh right, something's up." Guan Yuehe reached out to Xie Dongxue, "Treat me to a meal, and then help me write an article."
Xie Dongxue slapped her hand, "Taking advantage of both food and money, let's see if your skin is thick enough to melt a wall."
That's what she said, but Xie Dongxue still asked her what kind of article she wanted to write.
"Hehe." Guan Yuehe said mysteriously, "I was named an advanced worker in the city! I need to write a report about my personal experience and submit it. It's a bit embarrassing to praise myself, so I can't bring myself to write it. I'd like to ask you to help me type it up."
Xie Dongxue immediately guessed that the "advanced" award was because Guan Yuehe had participated in the Canton Fair and received praise. She couldn't help but feel that Guan Yuehe's participation in the Canton Fair was truly worthwhile.
No wonder you looked so worried even after getting meat and vegetables today; it turns out you were fretting about how to write your article.
"Oh, that's perfect. The factory is also putting out a publicity campaign to report on outstanding workers, and you'll be one of them. I'll ask you to do an interview later."
"Thanks! I'll invite you over for dinner sometime, I'll cook for you!"
Xie Dongxue said with a wry smile, "Even if you invite me to eat at that state-run restaurant nearby, I wouldn't dare to. I ate there a few days ago and had diarrhea all day."
"You bought spoiled meat buns too?!"
"You're right?!" Xie Dongxue regretted that she shouldn't have eaten it and suffered like this.
But there are also advantages.
"That man insisted that wasting food would bring divine retribution, and I thought he was right, so I ate it. After I finished eating, I got a lecture, and the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I had already suggested eating at another place, but he insisted that the one on Changhu Street was more affordable. When I suggested ordering dishes, he insisted that the meat buns were more delicious. Ugh! I really had to force myself to eat!"
"Oh dear." Guan Yuehe comforted her by offering her a piece of meat, "Eat something good."
Xie Dongxue ate the piece of meat in one bite and said angrily, "None of the relatives who introduced us are reliable!"
Guan Yuehe had no say because her relatives hadn't introduced her to any potential partners yet.
Since I didn't say it to her face, she just pretended not to know.
"What you earn yourself is always more rewarding," Guan Yuehe muttered to herself.
"What did you just say?" Xie Dongxue only heard the last two words and decided to give the menu in advance, "I don't want to eat braised pork lately."
Guan Yuehe, whose only specialty was braised pork, agreed, laughing heartily, "We've used up all our meat coupons for this month, so you won't get any even if you want some!"
—
Summer is the time to eat popsicles and drink soda.
Guan Yuehe was heading home for lunch, holding the car with one hand and a lunchbox filled with popsicles in her right hand, rushing home in a hurry.
"Lin Yiku, want an ice pop?"
"For me?"
Lin Sitian squeezed out from behind him and took one too, saying, "Because you're my brother, you should be happy to benefit from me!"
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