089 Invitation
The next day was Lunar New Year's Eve. Zhou Baoyu and several other educated youths who were assigned to the Fengshou Brigade returned home early in the morning.
Several friends helped her move all her belongings back. Luo Guifang invited the young people to come inside for a meal, but they refused. Instead, she took some melon seeds and candies that she had prepared earlier and gave them to each of them.
"Our college students are back!" Aunt Bai also joined in the fun, and unceremoniously asked Luo Guifang to give her a handful of roasted melon seeds.
"My Jinhua loves your roasted sunflower seeds the most."
"Then pack some more to take back." Luo Guifang generously filled both of Aunt Bai's pockets.
Aunt Bai glanced at the bulging pockets on both sides, walked closer, and said mysteriously to Luo Guifang, "Old Zhang from No. 6 courtyard takes his homemade roasted melon seeds to sell at the entrance of the machinery factory cinema. He can sell a basket of roasted melon seeds in one night, five cents a bag, and he can make at least two or three yuan a night!"
Don't underestimate the small amount of two or three yuan per night. Even after deducting costs, you can still make at least ten yuan a month.
She guessed that Old Zhang probably earned more than just a dozen yuan.
Luo Guifang quickly whispered, "No wonder Aunt Zhang came to me asking for help roasting melon seeds. She wanted too much, so I didn't agree."
Small-scale exchanges of goods for money are generally ignored. But if the activity is too large, it could be classified as "speculation and profiteering."
"You're right not to agree!" Aunt Bai hurriedly said, "Who doesn't know that making money is good? But right now, you only have one salary to support Bao'an and Bao Ning. Bao Yu will receive a subsidy when he goes to university. We can't do this! If someone with envy reports us, it might even affect Bao Yu!"
Luo Guifang nodded and said, "I'm just worried that it will affect Baoyu's college admission. Don't worry, I've survived the hardest times before, so I won't miss the two or three yuan I'd spend on roasting melon seeds."
"As long as you have a plan, that's fine." At this point, Aunt Bai couldn't help but say, "I think it's just that the Zhou family who are bringing bad luck to you and your children. Once they're down on their luck, your lives will get better."
Grandma Bai is now extremely superstitious. Luo Guifang doesn't believe in these things, but she still nods in agreement with Grandma Bai.
"Don't you believe me!" Aunt Bai could tell she wasn't really convinced, and added, "Xiang Hong's ex-boyfriend really didn't get into university! I heard he's going to try again this year. Humph, I'll burn some more money for him for a few more months, I don't believe he'll pass!"
As soon as Guan Yuehe stepped into the No. 2 courtyard, she heard what Aunt Bai said and found it amusing.
No wonder her colleagues from the union specifically asked her about Bai Xianghong's family situation.
The man failed the exam, and his family insisted that it was because Aunt Bai cursed him at home that he died, and demanded that the factory fire Bai Xianghong.
Dismissal was out of the question, and there wouldn't even be any punishment. But the family kept causing trouble at the factory's union office, so the factory had to mediate for the worker's family.
Guan Yuehe thought to herself: That man's family doesn't know how strong Aunt Bai is. She once single-handedly fought off Grandpa Sun, Grandma Sun, and Matchmaker Liu. If the factory's union really comes to Aunt Bai's house, that family will be in for a beating the next day.
But finding it funny is one thing; after all, they've been neighbors for several years. As long as you don't mess with her, Aunt Bai is a very kind person who will lend a hand to anyone in need.
Guan Yuehe reminded Aunt Bai: "Although it's no longer official to burn paper money, we can't be too blatant. You should do it quietly, which is better for Xiang Hong."
Aunt Bai's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands, "Yuehe, you're so thoughtful."
She doesn't burn the paper money outside; she just burns it while cooking. Surely no one will know, right?
"What are you two chatting about?" Auntie Er carried out a fat fish, preparing ingredients for the New Year's Eve dinner.
"It's nothing, Baoyu is back, let's just chat."
"Baoyu's back?" Auntie Er asked. "Guifang, your Baoyu got into university. Are you going to treat us to a meal?"
The other two families in the alley who got into university have already set a date for their celebratory dinner.
Luo Guifang considered her family's finances, gritted her teeth, and waved her hand, saying, "Please! We don't have many relatives we visit, we're only close to our neighbors in the courtyard, let's have two tables together and have a lively time."
"Oh! That's wonderful! You've set a time, and we'll come over to help you." Aunt Er said happily, "Yuehe and Yiku are having their wedding banquet in a few days, and your family will also be hosting a dinner. Our courtyard is full of joyous occasions!"
Police Officer Song returned with a lot of New Year's goods. "What's the good news?"
Upon hearing that two families in the courtyard were about to have a wedding, Officer Song said, "I'll come and help too."
"Come on, you're such a busy person. You can not come, but you'll have to borrow a table from your house," Auntie Er joked.
With a smile, Officer Song readily agreed, saying that he could borrow any of the tables, chairs, pots, pans, and utensils in his home.
Then, Jin Hongchang also came out carrying a large pot, saying, "Feel free to borrow mine, Sister Luo, Xiao Guan, just ask when the time comes."
After chatting and laughing in the courtyard for a while, everyone went back to preparing their own New Year's Eve dinners.
Lin Yiku had to eat with his comrades in the army in the morning and didn't return until the afternoon.
As soon as I got back, I was called to climb the stairs to hang red lanterns on the gate of the courtyard.
Who bought this?
"Our compound was recognized as a model of civilized community this year, and the neighborhood committee gave us a reward. The large couplet was also a reward."
Neighbors from other courtyards passed by, looked at the calligraphy, and shook their heads, saying, "This handwriting is no good; it's not as good as Teacher Xie's."
This year, the paper mill produced printed couplets, and some people received couplets as part of their New Year's gifts from their workplaces. Some people even bought printed couplets from outside sources. Fewer people went to Xie Zhenhua to write couplets than last year.
Aunt Xie was sighing at home, muttering that without the job of writing couplets, her family would receive far fewer eggs and candies.
Guan Canghai also sighed at home. He was recognized as an advanced worker last year, but not this year. It would be difficult for him to accumulate twenty advanced worker awards before retirement.
Guan Yuehe laughed at him and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. They're not setting quotas for eliminating the three pests anymore, so we can't help them."
Guan Aiguo, who had only been home for half a day, chimed in, "That's right. Otherwise, back in the countryside, I could catch a dozen or twenty rats for my dad every day."
Guan Canghai glared at the two chatterboxes with annoyance.
A little while later, Guan Canghai mentioned that there would be some changes coming to the barbershop.
"The factory leaders said that the barbershop should resume offering perming services and also introduce perming equipment."
The factory leaders meant that since other large state-owned factories already offered this service, Wuxing Automobile Factory couldn't fall behind.
"At my age, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to learn new technologies well."
"You're never too old to learn. You haven't even started yet, why are you backing down?" Guan Yuehe encouraged her father to learn. "If you learn well, even more people will come to you in the future—haircutters, perms—you'll be a celebrity at the car factory!"
Guan Aiguo continued to chime in, "That's right, Dad, you have to set an example for us."
Guan Canghai tapped Guan Aiguo on the head with his pipe. "The factory gave the barbershop a temporary job opening and asked me to recruit an apprentice. You should get your uncle's letter of introduction and proof of employment as soon as possible, and get ready to come back to work!"
The barbershop needed to hire people to start offering perming services, so Guan Canghai wanted to bring Guan Aiguo back to the city to be an apprentice. The young people in the factory were quick-witted, and it would be perfect for them to learn perming techniques.
Guan Canghai has been a veteran worker in the factory for over 20 years. He is also good at barbering. Temporary workers he hires have to learn barbering techniques from him, so the factory leaders tacitly agreed that he could arrange the temporary worker position himself.
Guan Canghai was originally prepared to give up his job, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better and he got this opportunity!
Guan Aiguo's employment problem has been solved. He can work for a few more years and then retire normally, and he will have a job security in the future.
Guan Aiguo was stunned for a moment, then quickly grabbed his father's arm with surprise and asked, "Really? Me? I'm going to learn hair perming techniques?"
Although he had been working in the countryside for two or three years, his love of dressing up had not been extinguished by farm work.
Guan Canghai thought he was being too noisy, saying, "If you can't study well, you can get out. Only if you study well can you go to work."
"Then I'll definitely study hard!" Guan Aiguo asked again, "What kind of equipment did you import? Is it also for curling hair with hot tongs? Second sister, do you want to try it? I'll give you a curl first... Ouch!"
Guan Yuehe didn't tolerate him at all; she had only said one sarcastic remark when she was hit several times.
Jiang Guiying patted Guan Aiguo again and said in a low voice, "Keep your mouth shut outside. Only make a fuss after things are settled."
Guan Aiguo immediately pursed his lips, indicating that he would absolutely not tell anyone.
Just after discussing Guan Aiguo's matter, Jiang Guiying called Lin Yiku in to discuss with Guan Yuehe the matter of hosting a banquet.
“I think the original eight tables might not be enough. Your father’s superiors, the head of the propaganda department, and a few other leaders said they want to come for a celebratory drink. Are the leaders from the garment factory coming? I think we should add two more tables.”
“I’ve made a list of everyone from our factory,” Guan Yuehe said. “The car factory leaders are here because of my sister, aren’t they? Aren’t they going to treat us to a meal after she got into university?”
She said she had no such plans.
After thinking it over, Guan Yuehe understood.
Her sister did so well on the exam that many people wanted her to tutor students who had registered for the July college entrance exam, including the leaders of the car factory.
But her sister always replied: "I'm busy with work during the day and taking care of the kids at night."
Actually, she just didn't want to offend anyone. Tutoring one person would offend another, and tutoring too many people would make her uncomfortable. So she simply refused them all.
Since they've already said they want to come and share in the joy, they can't just turn them away; otherwise, there won't be enough room for the feast, and it'll be a hassle.
"Then let's add two more tables."
At first, I thought we shouldn't have a big celebration, but in the end, everyone who should have been invited, and everyone who shouldn't have been, ended up missing.
Where are your aunt and uncle?
"They're coming on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, and I booked a guesthouse in Changhu Street." There wasn't enough room at home, and it was freezing cold, so it was more convenient to stay at a guesthouse.
"Okay, thank you, Mom." Both Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku had to go to work during the day, so the preparations for the banquet were mostly discussed and arranged by the four elders from both families.
Even though Lin Sitian was on vacation at home, she was often asked to help buy things.
Why are you being so polite with us?
Speaking of the guesthouse, Jiang Guiying still finds it quite strange. "We almost couldn't book a room. There were educated youth returning to the city to visit relatives, and others who had received their return quotas but hadn't found a place to live yet. Oh, and some people even asked others to help them find rental rooms, saying they would give me a dollar as a thank you if they found one."
“Houses in this city are becoming increasingly scarce every year,” Jiang Guiying remarked.
She was about to ask Ding Xuewen if he also stayed in a guesthouse outside, but fearing she might let it slip while chatting with her neighbors, she swallowed the question.
"Is Ding Laosi coming to the wedding banquet?"
“Come on,” Guan Yuehe said with a smile. “He said he’s back from his family visit leave, and he’ll leave after the wedding banquet.”
Guan Aiguo, who knew nothing about it, muttered to himself, "It's not easy to make this special trip."
—
Guan Yuehe returned to her parents' home to visit relatives for the first time on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
I slept until almost nine o'clock before leisurely getting up.
She was the only one left on the kang (heated brick bed). Regardless of whether she was going to the army or not, Lin Yiku got up on time every day.
When Lin Yiku returned, she carried the gifts she had prepared in advance and walked from Courtyard No. 2 to Courtyard No. 3, which was considered her return to her parents' home.
Although she lived nearby, she arrived the latest; her older sister and aunt had arrived earlier than her.
Because they lived too close by, and she had already moved out to live alone, Guan Yuehe thought that "going back to her parents' home" was no different from going home for a regular meal.
But when I came home from get off work on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year and saw my aunt and uncle, I was beaming with joy.
Juanjuan had been eyeing her aunt's TV for a long time. Her uncle wanted to bring her to the city to play, and he often coaxed her by saying that her aunt's TV had little people singing and dancing on it.
As soon as she saw her aunt, she rushed over and asked her when she could watch TV.
"It's not time yet, you can watch it after you eat." Guan Yuehe weighed her in her hand, puzzled, "Have you lost weight?"
Guan Aiguo replied, "No, it's all fat when you squeeze it."
Perhaps the chubby girls are attracted to each other. Yuanbao came over to borrow some sugar, saw Juanjuan, and even pulled Juanjuan away when he left. Her family has a TV that even the kids can't resist!
Juanjuan wanted to stay at her aunt's house that night so she could continue watching TV, but her grandmother coaxed her away, saying, "Your aunt doesn't sleep well, and you're too small to be kicked."
Guan Yuehe laughed heartily as she saw off her aunt's family. When she was alone with Lin Yiku, she asked, "I'm still a very quiet sleeper, right?"
Lin Yiku: "..."
It's hard to lie blatantly. So I changed the subject and asked, "Your friend's table is adding one more person, right?"
"Oh? Oh right, Chen Lizhong also wants to come."
Aren't your teachers coming?
"They said they were too busy and told me to focus on preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam."
After this back-and-forth questioning, Guan Yuehe didn't ask Lin Yiku if she was a restless sleeper anymore. "Soak your feet, go to sleep!"
Just as I was about to fall asleep, I remembered something I had talked about with Lin Sitian in the second year of junior high school and found it funny.
They'd been married and living together for over half a year before finally deciding to hold a wedding banquet. Guan Yuehe thought that she and Lin Yiku had set a precedent for their neighbors in Ginkgo Hutong.
"It's alright," Lin Sitian comforted her. "Everyone's used to the interesting things happening in Courtyard No. 2."
First, there was Chang Zhengyi who got married without consulting anyone, and then there was Zhang Chaonan who went to a guesthouse every week after getting married and got pregnant. Her getting married first and then having a wedding banquet is not considered big news.
Guan Yuehe thought about it carefully and found it made a lot of sense.
So much so that when her other colleagues at the factory heard that she was having a banquet this Sunday, they were quite surprised: "You're only having a banquet now?"
Guan Yuehe replied directly, "In our Ginkgo Hutong, this is perfectly normal."
I don't know how her words got around, but for a while afterward, whenever someone was dating someone from Ginkgo Hutong and they were planning to get married, they would ask, "After you get your marriage certificate, can you hold a banquet soon?"
—
Early Sunday morning, No. 2 Courtyard was bustling with activity.
Second Auntie loved to help with chores. She arranged for all the neighbors in the front and back yards to do chores, and she even found Zhou Baoyu to be in charge of keeping records. She made sure that everyone who borrowed a certain number of tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks had to return them all.
Young people who were at home were called in to help make room for meals.
It's cold now, unlike the May Day or National Day holidays when the temperature is just right. If we set up the table outdoors, the food will probably get cold as soon as it's served.
Therefore, we had to borrow space from each household to set up the banquet in their living rooms.
The meat and vegetables were bought with the help of the purchasing department of Zhuoyue Garment Factory. As soon as the goods were delivered from the garment factory, Grandpa Ming arrived with his two apprentices.
Guan Yuehe didn't need to prepare anything. She changed into a newly made outfit, went out with Lin Yiku to distribute wedding candies, and then went to greet everyone for dinner... This was her summary of what she needed to do today.
The two houses are so close that it saves them the trouble of going around halfway around Beijing. Even if they had to go around, it would only be around Ginkgo Hutong, which Guan Yuehe felt was unnecessary.
And speaking of welcoming the newlyweds... the house they're returning to is hers, so who's welcoming whom?
Lin Sitian came to find her and helped her put up double happiness paper-cuts all over the house, and also changed all the bed sheets and pillowcases on the kang to red.
"Hurry up and leave after you've changed, this red bedding is hurting my eyes."
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Lin Sitian pulled her aside and whispered, "I have a friend who works at a hospital and is in charge of family planning supplies. Do you still want some?"
Guan Yuehe nodded quickly. The two looked at each other and then covered their mouths and giggled. When Guan Yuehua came in, she saw that the two of them looked like they had done something silly.
Outside, someone called out, "Yuehe, is the new bed ready? I'll find some kids for you to roll around on the kang (heated brick bed)."
I've never seen so many complicated procedures involved in getting married before.
"You know that was in the past. Back then, who would dare to mess around like that? But now everyone does it anyway."
Guan Yuehe didn't ask the older women to help her catch the dolls; she picked them out herself: Guyu, Juanjuan, and Yuanbao—three chubby little girls, so festive.
After only a short while of putting her down, Guan Yuehua quickly picked Gu Yu up, saying, "She's going to pee, you'll all be sleeping on the floor tonight!"
Guan Yuehe hadn't thought of this problem.
Soon, a shed was erected in the middle of the backyard of Courtyard No. 3, and Grandpa Ming and his apprentices began preparing for today's banquet.
They started by frying meatballs, and the aroma filled the air. The children couldn't sit still, thinking the bride and groom weren't anything special, and they ran off in groups to courtyard number three.
Five tables were set up in each of the two courtyards, and the relatives and friends who would sit on each side had already been assigned seats.
In Courtyard No. 2, besides the neighbors of this courtyard, the rest are Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku's friends.
Besides the neighbors, the residents of Courtyard No. 3 are relatives of both families and friends of the elders.
Mr. Lin and Mrs. Fang have few relatives in Beijing, and their relationship with their relatives here is not very close. They mainly invited their old friends who worked at the same car factory.
When Director Wen of the automobile factory's union arrived, he joked with Lin Yiku, "I knew it! When I introduced you to someone, you specifically said you didn't want someone from the Five Star Automobile Factory. Turns out you'd been eyeing someone from the Zhuoyue Garment Factory all along!"
When the people at the car factory heard this, they all laughed. "Back then, I even said, 'What's wrong with Lin Yiku from the Lin family? Does he look down on the women at our car factory?'"
Lin Yiku hurriedly poured tea for her uncles and aunts and apologized. When she turned around, she saw Guan Yuehe laughing along with them. Guan Yuehe had helped Aunt Fang "sent" Lin Yiku to the auditorium to attend the social gathering!
After laughing, Aunt Fang told them to stop busying themselves, "We'll take care of things here, you two stay in the courtyard and entertain your friends."
This is one of the advantages of marrying someone you know well; you can skip the process of getting to know everyone. When Lin Yiku met her maternal grandmother and aunt's families, she greeted them directly without needing any introductions.
Once they returned to Courtyard No. 2, their friends started arriving one after another.
When Ding Xuewen and Chen Lizhong came in, the neighbors in the courtyard had already helped tidy up. They were either gathered at Aunt Zhao's house or at Song Gong'an's house chatting, and the children were outside picking up firecrackers to play with. No one noticed that one of the people who came in was Ding Xuewen.
They set up two tables in the room, just enough for their friends and a few colleagues.
A group of people of similar age gathered together, and their voices were just as loud as those of the elderly people next door.
"Hey, you guys, don't move! Let me take a picture of you as a souvenir." Lin Sitian was in charge of taking pictures for everyone and even arranged for people to move around and pose.
One of Lin Yiku's comrades glanced at her, quickly looked away, but then couldn't help but look at her again.
When Guan Yuehe came over to refill their tea and told them not to be shy, the comrade hesitated for a few seconds before asking directly, "Sister-in-law, does that female comrade have a boyfriend?"
Guan Yuehe looked up and realized the question was directed at Si Tian!
He chuckled and said, "That lady doesn't have a boyfriend yet."
He quickly added, "She's my sister."
Haha! Another advantage of marrying Lin Yiku: she's a bit younger than Sitian, but she can call Sitian "little sister" without any problem!
"Oh? Sister-in-law, you and our sister don't look alike at all."
This is "our little sister"?!
"That's right, her biological brother is Lin Yiku."
"......"
Guan Yuehe didn't forget to tell Lin Sitian about this. Later, Lin Sitian took the opportunity of taking photos for others to remember the occasion, and stared directly at her brother's comrade-in-arms. The man was so stared that he didn't dare to drink tea and sat up straight, as if he were standing at attention.
"How is it?"
Lin Sitian shook her head, "I see him like I see my own brother, I don't dare to have any thoughts about him."
Guan Yuehe scratched her face and said, "Okay, I understand."
"Lin Sitian, let me take a picture with the four of you too." Chen Lizhong saw the four of them taking a group photo and wanted to join in.
Gu Mannian immediately took the camera, "Go ahead, I'll take pictures for you."
After taking the picture, Gu Mannian called to Guan Yuehe, "I'll take a picture of you two sisters too. Yuehua, sit over there."
"What's there to film?" Guan Yuehua said, but her feet betrayed her words. She took two big steps and sat down next to Guan Yuehe. When Gu Mannian shouted "three, two, one," the corners of her mouth turned up.
Only Guan Yuehe belatedly realized and said to Lin Yiku, "My sister and I have never actually taken a photo together!"
Lin Yiku glanced to the other side, where Gu Mannian was holding Gu Yu and showing off to Guan Yuehua. Guan Yuehua shoved a candy into his mouth, signaling him to shut up.
"The food's almost ready. Can you tidy up the table? Yuehe, where's the wine we bought?"
Lin Yiku replied, "It's in my old room."
Before long, dish after dish was served, filling the room with the aroma of food.
The staple food was ordered in advance from a state-run restaurant outside; one-third was white flour steamed buns, and the rest were all coarse flour steamed buns. With each person's monthly food ration, it was impossible to expect everyone to eat their fill of rice when hosting a dinner party.
But Grandpa Ming is a great cook; his dishes are incredibly fragrant, and even the most ordinary steamed buns taste delicious when paired with this meal.
In less than twenty minutes, everyone was full; not a drop of soup was left. The dishes were cleared away, and those assigned to wash them went about their business, while the rest continued cracking sunflower seeds.
"Yuehe, your roasted melon seeds are delicious, where do you buy them?"
"Sister Luo from our courtyard helped stir-fry it, and it tastes better than what you buy outside."
The dinner party was just one meal. Lin Yiku's comrades had to rush back to their unit. After seeing them off, the two of them started seeing off relatives and friends one after another.
After everyone had left and all the belongings had been returned to the neighbors, Guan Yuehe plopped down on the sofa and yawned.
"If you're tired, go back to your room and sleep." Lin Yiku glanced around and prepared to start tidying up the room, moving the furniture back to its original place.
"It's not that I'm tired," Guan Yuehe said with a sigh. "It's been so lively one moment and so quiet the next, I haven't quite come to my senses yet."
As she spoke, she added happily, "I used to think that hosting a banquet was quite troublesome, but today, with my friends coming over, it's really nice."
Many years later, when they look back at the photos and recall that day, they are glad that they still held a banquet and had a lively time with their friends.
"It's mainly because our two mothers are so busy." Guan Yuehe didn't think that hosting a banquet was a simple matter.
"They also complimented the coat you gave me today." She shows off to every one of her old friends.
"That's normal. I show off my new clothes too."
After Guan Yuehe finished her reflections, she sprang up and got up to work with him.
"I'll sweep the floor, you wipe the table."
My aunt and uncle are heading back to their hometown this afternoon, and they'll take Guan Aiguo with them so he can pack his things and get his letter of introduction and certificate to report to the barbershop early.
Only Juanjuan looked devastated when she heard the news that she had to go home. She kept saying she would stay at her second grandmother's house, and then she wanted to bring a TV home.
Finally, she cried and was carried away by her father.
The excitement subsided, and life returned to normal. Just like before, life went on as before. Apart from a stack of photos, the excitement left no other trace.
The next day, when Aunt Ding went out to buy groceries, she heard Aunt Niu from courtyard number one ask, "Your fourth son didn't stay at home when he came back?"
"Who?" Aunt Ding thought she had misheard.
"Your fourth son? I saw him yesterday. He said he came back specifically to attend Yuehe's wedding banquet. Did he really go back to the Northeast after the banquet? Didn't you ask him to stay at home for a couple of days?"
Aunt Ding didn't have time to answer, and pressed on, "Didn't he only come back after getting into university?"
"You're ridiculous. You don't even know if your son got into university or not." Aunt Niu rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I heard him say that he's going back to Northeast China after the wedding. If he got in, why doesn't he stay?"
After saying that, he turned around and went back to Courtyard No. 1, muttering to himself that Aunt Ding was out of her mind.
Aunt Ding stood there thinking for a while, then ran to the subdistrict office to call the brigade where Ding Xianzong was located.
After the call connected, she asked directly, "Did your fourth uncle get into university?"
There was a pause of a few seconds before the other end said, "No, the commune has released the list of those who passed the exam, and I didn't see his name."
Aunt Ding couldn't tell whether she was disappointed or happy; she hung up the phone with a gloomy face.
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