088 Ten Years
Ding Xuewen, wearing only a shirt and a pilling sweater, rushed out. Chen Lizhong shoved the admission notice into his hand and excitedly urged, "Quickly check which school it is!"
The captain also stubbed out his cigarette and jogged over.
There were also educated youths who rushed out as soon as they heard the messenger's message, and local young people from the brigade...
"Beijing Normal University? Does that mean I can go back to my hometown and become a teacher?" The teammate next to him thought about what kind of job he could do after graduating from the university as soon as he heard the name of the school.
When asked the question, Chen Lizhong didn't know how to answer; graduation was still a long way off.
At the same time, he found it funny. Luckily, he didn't choose a major related to animal husbandry. Otherwise, his fellow villagers would definitely have given him a thumbs up and praised his major, saying that he would be able to raise more healthy and fat pigs in the future!
Ding Xuewen read every word on the notification letter over and over again, and finally felt at ease.
He really did pass the exam and get back.
"Don't just stand there, hurry back inside and warm up. Come to my house for dinner tonight!" The brigade leader patted Ding Xuewen on the shoulder and said with relief, "This notice isn't too late. Pack your bags as soon as possible, and I'll write you letters of introduction so you can go home for the New Year."
The others were initially happy, but when they suddenly heard that Teacher Ding was going home, they felt a pang of reluctance.
Ding Xuewen and Chen Lizhong, two high-achieving students, tutored the educated youth and other young people in the brigade. Half of them were admitted to university, and their brigade became very prominent in the commune this year.
"Oh, right," Chen Lizhong reminded Ding Xuewen, "you should quickly call your childhood friends and let them know."
They're probably waiting for good news over there too.
Ding Xuewen finally snapped out of his euphoria and went home with the brigade leader, stopping by the brigade headquarters to return a phone call.
After waiting for about half an hour, the phone at the brigade headquarters finally rang. Ding Xuewen quickly picked up the receiver and said, "This is Ding Xuewen."
The voice on the phone was a little distorted, but Ding Xuewen recognized it as Lin Sitian's voice immediately.
He wasn't given a chance to speak at all. First, they scolded him for being so anxious, and then they kept asking him if he had passed the exam.
"I got accepted." Ding Xuewen's voice suddenly choked up after saying those three words. He took a few deep breaths before continuing, "Beijing Normal University."
"That's great!" Lin Sitian cheered, then asked, "What about the pig-raising expert? Did he pass the exam?"
For several years in a row, I've received quite a few pork sausages as gifts from others, and I feel bad if I don't say a word of concern.
Ding Xuewen laughed out loud and glanced at Chen Lizhong, who was happily sharpening his knife in preparation for slaughtering a pig. Today was the second day of the year for the brigade to distribute pork.
"He also got accepted; it's a science and engineering school."
Lin Sitian muttered, "I thought he was going to study animal husbandry."
"What? I can't hear you, speak louder." Ding Xuewen immediately lifted his hat, pressing the receiver tightly against his ear.
"It's nothing. When are you coming back? We've already discussed it, and we'll pick you up from the station when you return. They'll need to ask for leave in advance."
"...No need, I'll go back by myself once I get back."
"Ugh, you're so long-winded! Phone calls are too expensive. I'm not going to say anything more. Make sure you send us a telegram after you buy your tickets! Call us whenever you can. I'm on vacation and staying home every day. Okay, that's all."
Ding Xuewen had no chance to refuse; the call had already been disconnected.
After checking the call time, he went to the brigade accountant to claim the transportation and phone bills.
Chen Lizhong sharpened his knife and waited for the pig to be caught. He looked at him and asked, "Did you deliver the message?"
Seeing him nod, I asked again, "Then go to the commune to get the certificate tomorrow, and leave the day after tomorrow?"
If it weren't for waiting for his good friend, Chen Lizhong would have already packed his bags and gone home. His family was hoping for his early return to reunite with his family, and they didn't call to urge him because they knew he was waiting for Ding Xuewen.
Ding Xuewen was beaming with joy, and his voice, which was usually somber, was now light and cheerful as he said, "I'll go to the commune tomorrow morning to get the certificate, bring my luggage, and we'll be able to catch the bus to the county town this afternoon."
The next day, I went from the county town to the city's train station, where I could buy a ticket.
"So urgent?"
"It's already February. If you hurry, you can still make it to the New Year's Eve dinner."
“That works too. My parents said that when you go back, you can stay at my house, and the room is all set up for you. My cousin is taking the college entrance exam next year—no, this year—and you can tutor him until the start of the new semester.”
After he finished speaking, the fat pig waiting to be slaughtered was carried over. Chen Lizhong rolled up his sleeves and told Ding Xuewen to stand aside and not interfere with him dividing the pork.
Ding Xuewen stepped back a bit.
If only I had a camera, I could have captured Chen Lizhong's menacing, slaughtering look on camera. Who would have thought that just ten years ago he was a refined and clean-loving man?
Before the college entrance examination, Chen Lizhong said that if he failed, he would go back to the pig farm in Beijing to see if they were hiring, because he couldn't let his skills go to waste.
"Teacher Ding, the comrades from your educated youth settlement haven't arrived yet."
"Okay, I'll go tell them right away." Ding Xuewen took a shortcut and strode forward through the snow.
Today is the best day in the last ten years.
He was finally able to return to the city through his own efforts.
Ding Xuewen became increasingly excited and started running after walking a short distance.
"Hey! Teacher Ding must be craving meat too."
—
The next day, Ding Xuewen and Chen Lizhong, carrying large and small bags, prepared to go to the commune. The old man in charge of driving the horse-drawn cart in the brigade was already waiting at the brigade headquarters. Before they even got close, the old man waved his whip and said, "We've been waiting for you."
A short while later, the battalion commander came out of the battalion headquarters and helped them tie their luggage to the carriage, and then put a heavy bundle on top of it.
They wanted to take it down, but they couldn't argue with the captain.
"This is a small token of our appreciation from our fellow villagers. You've stayed here for ten years, and now that you're leaving, how can we not accept these gifts from our fellow villagers? Take them with you on your journey."
The captain thought for a moment, then, having nothing more to say, urged them to hurry up and get on the carriage so they wouldn't miss buying their tickets.
Come back and visit sometime!
The two men, both in their late twenties, had red eyes, but were too embarrassed to look at each other, so they turned their faces away.
They arrived in December of 1968, on a snowy day.
I didn't expect it to be snowing when I left.
After obtaining the certificate from the commune, the two ate a bowl of noodles at the state-run restaurant in the commune and bought some steamed buns to take with them.
As they boarded the bus to the county town, Chen Lizhong reminded him to look out the window at the person, "Your second nephew."
Ding Xuewen followed his gaze and saw Ding Xianzong and his wife each carrying a child as they came out of the commune clinic, presumably because the children were sick.
They lived in the same commune for so many years, yet they would only meet once a year, and they would never interact as relatives.
Everyone has their own life. If we bump into each other, we just nod and move on.
Ding Xianzong didn't see him, and he didn't intend to call for help.
The car slowly started moving at this moment, heading towards the county town.
This trip back to Beijing was really difficult. He couldn't buy a ticket at first, and then waited at the train station all night before finally getting one the next day. The train was even forced to stop for several hours halfway through the journey, and he and Chen Lizhong got off to shovel snow.
As the days passed by, he longed for the train to pull into Beijing Railway Station immediately, yet he also wished time would slow down.
The feeling of being both close to home and apprehensive made it impossible for him to sleep soundly for a single day during his journey home.
Chen Lizhong, on the other hand, can fall asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.
For him, each day felt like an eternity, while for those waiting in the capital, time flew by.
—
"Section Chief Guan, you're asking for leave?" Section Chief Long looked at her leave slip with a sense of surprise.
The last time Section Chief Guan took leave was to get his marriage certificate. What could be as important as getting married?
Guan Yuehe interrupted Section Chief Long's speculation and confessed, "I'm going to the train station to pick up a friend."
Section Chief Long didn't press further. He signed her leave slip before saying, "Then she must be a very close friend of Section Chief Guan."
When I handed the signed leave slip to the personnel department, I happened to run into Xu Chengcai, who was also there to hand in his leave slip.
The head of the personnel department was a long-time employee of the factory. Knowing that the two of them were childhood friends, he jokingly asked, "Are you two going to a wedding?"
"More or less."
There was no wedding banquet, but it's still a joyous occasion.
According to the telegram sent back by Ding Xuewen, Guan Yuehe and Xu Chengcai requested leave for the day before New Year's Eve.
But this was also the day the factory distributed New Year's goods, and the telegram said they would arrive around morning, so they definitely wouldn't be able to collect them.
Xu Chengcai's is fine; Qin Zilan can collect it on his behalf.
Guan Yuehe thought for a moment and then handed over the task of collecting the New Year's goods to her two mothers, saying, "This year, we'll be giving out two portions of rice and flour; one person can't carry them all."
"The garment factory is offering such good benefits this year?!"
That's great! The workshop was so busy that she even went to operate the sewing machine.
—
"Can't sleep?" Lin Yiku finally couldn't help but ask as she turned over again.
"Not really." Guan Yuehe rolled over towards him again, her right hand and right foot draped over him from under the covers. "I'm a little excited."
Lin Yiku knew that she, Sitian, and Xu Cheng were going to pick up Ding Xuewen. Reuniting with an old friend was indeed a happy thing.
The excitement doubled the next morning when she went out. Lin Sitian ran over and called out to her, "Yuehe, let's go!"
The two of them, bundled up tightly, went out. The weather was bad, so instead of riding a bicycle with a passenger, they decided to take a bus to the train station.
"Where did the two sisters-in-law go?" the neighbor asked curiously.
The two chuckled in unison, but neither said where they were going.
Before we even reached the bus stop, we saw Xu Chengcai already waiting there, stamping his feet to keep warm.
It's a bit like when we were kids, we'd make a pact to sneak out and play, everyone's making an excuse to run away, and then we'd meet up at the agreed-upon place.
Once on the bus, Xu Cheng took out the lunchbox from his arms. "Zilan made this. One for each of you."
There were three large steamed buns. The two of them unceremoniously reached out and grabbed one, then started eating it, and covered the remaining one up again.
The bus stopped for a while halfway through the journey, and the three of them kept peeking out to see what was going on ahead.
After finally arriving at the train station, they learned that Ding Xuewen's train had not yet arrived.
"Sigh! I'm getting anxious all by myself."
The initial excitement gradually subsided as they waited, and the three of them found a sheltered spot to wait.
The three of them have rarely gotten together in the past two years, and when they do, they have endless things to talk about and gossip to share.
"What kind of conflict did your little sister have with your sister-in-law this time?" Lin Sitian asked curiously. "Your sister-in-law scolded your little sister a lot yesterday, calling her an ungrateful wretch."
Xu Cheng laughed, "Hasn't he just gotten too big for his britches?"
“Da Bao didn’t get into university and didn’t get a job either. According to policy, he has to go to the countryside this year. My sister-in-law wants my younger sister to give up her job for Da Bao. Of course, my younger sister would never agree to that.”
Lin Sitian clicked her tongue, "Your older brother and sister-in-law are just daydreaming. I think your parents have the same idea."
Mr. Xu and his wife have many sons, but they cherish their only daughter. Otherwise, Mrs. Xu would never have given her job to Xu Xiaomei.
But over the years, there's still no news of Xu Lao Er, who went to the countryside to work; Xu Lao San and his wife moved out long ago to live separately; and Xu Cheng Cai is rarely home. Xu Xiao Mei has never even considered moving to Ginkgo Alley.
The eldest son and his wife kept talking about their future care. After thinking it over, they realized that they could only rely on their eldest son, and they no longer had the same feelings for their younger sister as before.
But once the job is in Xu Xiaomei's hands, she won't be swayed by talk of filial piety or not. Trying to take the job away from her is almost impossible.
“If you have too many children, they become worthless,” Xu Cheng said. “Zilan and I will have two. No matter how the policies change in the future, two jobs will be enough for our children to take over.”
Guan Yuehe raised an eyebrow. She and Lin Yiku had said they only wanted one. This way, they wouldn't have to worry about being unfair to each other.
Lin Sitian never had this problem growing up, and having children seemed like a distant prospect to her.
But she agreed with Xu Chengcai's idea that having two children was good, just like her and her brother.
"That guy, he's here to see you again?"
"You mean Zhou Jinghang?" Lin Sitian shrank her neck and moved closer to Guan Yuehe, as it would be warmer for the two of them to be close together.
"His parents couldn't find anyone better than me, so they backed out. Pshaw, as if I only had eyes for him."
Zhou Jinghang hasn't been interested in dating for the past two years, but he still has feelings for her. However, she feels she can't go back to an ex.
"If it wasn't right from the start, it won't become right after two years." Lin Sitian was quite open-minded about it. Right now, she was focused on her studies and didn't have time to date.
“Our school resumed college entrance examination admissions this year, so there will be no more recommendations for school admissions. Our teachers even said that our class is lucky to be born in such a good year.”
Lin Sitian sighed, "Sister Yuehua and Ding Xuewen are really smart. They were able to get into university even after so many years since graduation. I get dizzy just looking at those math textbooks."
Xu Chengcai exposed her, saying, "Your dizziness when you see a math textbook didn't just start now. You were dizzy for a whole year when you were in junior high school."
Guan Yuehe was shocked, "Weren't you sick and unable to go to school back then?"
Xu Chengcai laughed: "She was really sick at first, but she pretended to be sick for the next six months."
"What do you mean faking illness?! I really am sick, and the doctor said I need to rest at home!" Lin Sitian was furious and embarrassed, not allowing Cheng Cai to slander her, and added, "I didn't even report you for throwing away your older brother's underwear before!"
!!
Guan Yuehe was shocked again. There was such a thing? How come she didn't know?!
“I told you, but you forgot as soon as you turned your back! Sister Yuehua said you only have food on your mind, and she wasn’t wrong about it.”
Those nearby, seeing the three of them start off fine but then suddenly become noisy, quietly picked up their luggage and went to the other side.
"Stop making noise, it sounds like a train is arriving at the station."
Upon learning that it was the train Ding Xuewen was on, they took their purchased platform tickets and went in to pick him up.
It was the first time Guan Yuehe had ever seen a train station so crowded. She had to be pushed along by the people behind her and avoid the crowds coming from the opposite direction.
They hadn't seen Ding Xuewen yet, but as soon as he got off the train, he spotted the three people going against the flow of people. He quickly put his luggage down and waved vigorously at them.
"I see!" Guan Yuehe grabbed one of them with each hand and led them forward.
"I've been waiting for you for so long!"
"We finally got them!"
"Let's talk outside. Let's go."
Ding Xuewen's emotion lasted only a few seconds, but the three of them were not pretentious at all, as if his return was just a very ordinary thing, which immediately smoothed out the sense of unfamiliarity that had been rare for the past ten years.
The three of them divided up Ding Xuewen's luggage, and Ding Xuewen instantly felt much lighter.
"Wait, there's also Chen Lizhong." Ding Xuewen hadn't forgotten about the other person.
Guan Yuehe and the other two immediately looked behind him and finally spotted Chen Lizhong.
Over the past decade, the name "Chen Lizhong" had appeared frequently in their correspondence, but this was their first time meeting in person.
"We've finally met." Chen Lizhong spoke first. "I'm Chen Lizhong, hello."
As he spoke, he patted one of the packages on his body, "I brought back this year's pork sausages for you. They were collected by the comrades at our educated youth settlement. Thank you for sending the books."
Guan Yuehe and the other two initially felt they weren't very familiar with each other since it was their first meeting, but the appearance of the "pork sausage" instantly brought them closer. The three of them busied themselves greeting him and then shared his luggage with him.
Chen Lizhong felt instantly lighter. Ding Xuewen was right; his three childhood friends were all exceptionally warm and helpful comrades.
"Comrade Chen Lizhong..."
"Just call me by my name, we've known each other for ten years now."
"Okay, Chen Lizhong, are your family members coming to pick you up?" Lin Sitian readily changed her mind.
"No, I wanted to go home quietly and surprise them." Actually, he was worried that his parents would insist on waiting for him at the station in the cold weather, since they weren't in good health.
Lin Sitian said happily, "Okay, let's go have a meal first, then take you home, and then take Ding Xuewen to the guesthouse. I wanted to have a meal with you a few years ago, but the timing wasn't right."
Chen Lizhong had no objection to the meal, but, "I made an agreement with Ding Xuewen that he would stay at my house and tutor my cousin until he starts school."
"Huh? Oh, that's fine too." As long as it's not going back to live in Ginkgo Hutong. It'll save me from getting upset if I go back.
Before the two people who had just returned to Beijing could even marvel at the changes in the city, they were shoved into a car, and Xu Cheng quickly rushed to the back to reserve a seat.
Guan Yuehe, who was in charge of pushing people onto the bus, was the last one to get on. She breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she sat down.
Previously, Ding Xuewen was in charge of pushing people onto the bus, but Guan Yuehe felt that times had changed and this job was rightfully hers.
The bus was very noisy. It wasn't until we arrived at the state-run restaurant, ordered our food, and sat down that the three of them started asking questions:
"How many people from the Sidaogou production team went on to university?"
How's the pig farm doing this year? How many kilograms of meat will everyone get?
"The team said to turn on the power, was it turned on before you left?"
"......"
These three people, who had never been to Northeast China, knew quite a bit about the situation in Sidaogou Production Team, all thanks to Ding Xuewen's numerous mentions of the big and small matters of Sidaogou Production Team in his replies.
Just like Chen Lizhong, he had never been to Ginkgo Hutong, Zhuoyue Garment Factory, or Wuxing Automobile Factory, but he was quite familiar with these places.
The five people sat around the table, chatting away, so excited they almost wanted to order a bottle of wine to celebrate.
When Chen Lizhong learned that Guan Yuehe's older sister had been admitted to Peking University, he gasped, "How high a score did your sister have to get?!"
Unfortunately, no one knows what the exam score was.
The meal was enjoyable. During the meal, Lin Sitian mentioned that Ding Laowu was still at home waiting for next year's college entrance examination, so Ding Xuewen could stay outside without worry.
One son, whom the parents disliked, got into university; the other son, on whom they had high hopes, didn't even finish his exams and went home only to be a punching bag.
Ding Xuewen nodded and looked at them seriously, saying, "I didn't think of taking the exam to come back for their sake."
"We know, it's to meet us." Lin Sitian said with a smile, attributing all the reasons to them, and then invited Chen Lizhong to bring tea and clink glasses. "Thank you, Comrade Chen Lizhong, the pig-raising expert, for letting us eat pork sausages for several years."
"Let's get together often when we have time. Ding Xuewen still owes us three meals."
"If you keep dragging your feet and don't call back, I'll make you eat ten meals instead of three!"
Ding Xuewen would just stare at them and grin foolishly, nodding in agreement to whatever they said.
He was once again relieved that he had made the right decision to insist on taking the exam again.
Although Ding Xuewen still owed three meals, the three of them paid for this meal.
"There will be plenty of opportunities for you to contribute money in the future, so there's no need to argue."
They traveled almost halfway across Beijing, dropping the two of them off near Chen Lizhong's home before the three of them turned around and went home.
Ding Xuewen stood there for a while and watched. He saw the three of them walk along and suddenly grab the snow from the roadside and start throwing it at each other. He couldn't help but laugh.
Chen Lizhong patted him on the shoulder and said enviously, "Your friends are really great."
"Aren't you the same?" Ding Xuewen said, "I even envy your family's good fortune."
"Hey, we're even, let's go."
—
After Guan Yuehe returned from picking up the person, she was in a good mood. Even when she saw Aunt Ding with a sour face at the No. 3 courtyard for dinner, she felt that Aunt Ding looked cheerful.
Ding Laowu took a long leave to return to the city and is now staying at home doing nothing. Others who fail the exam know to go to tutoring classes to prepare for the college entrance exam in July, but he hides at home every day. Nobody knows whether he is actually reviewing or not.
That's right, the college entrance examination just ended not long ago, and the next one won't be far away, it will be in July.
Time is still very tight.
Jiang Guiying didn't know she had taken leave to pick someone up, and as soon as she saw her, she asked, "Did Ding Xuewen pass the exam?"
Guan Yuehe immediately shushed him before whispering, "He passed the exam, but don't tell anyone. He won't be living in Ginkgo Alley."
Fortunately, the comrade in charge of answering the phone at the neighborhood office kept his mouth shut, and Lin Sitian bought pastries for people and repeatedly reminded them to be careful, so there was no news of Ding Xuewen passing the exam in the alley.
Jiang Guiying snorted irritably, "I'm not stupid. Do you think I don't know what I can and can't say?"
"Don't tell me where he got into university. Just know he got in." Jiang Guiying glanced outside and, seeing no one was around, whispered to her, "I heard that someone in the factory wants to buy someone else's admission notice to go to university. I don't know if it's reliable or not. Anyway, it's the right thing for Ding Xuewen not to come back to live here. It'll save his family from coveting his admission notice and stealing it to sell."
Guan Yuehe stared in shock, "Buying a notification letter? If that gets discovered, won't I be arrested and sent to a labor camp?"
"Nothing new is surprising. It's always good to be careful." Jiang Guiying clicked her tongue twice and said, "I heard that someone paid over a thousand yuan to buy a college admission notice."
"hiss!"
Guan Yuehe was about to say that this was really valuable, but then she thought about it and realized that a thousand yuan was nothing. There were subsidies for going to university. Even someone like her sister, who had worked for several years and was still a cadre, could still receive a salary while going to university.
Even without a salary, once I graduate, I'll probably be able to get a management position in my workplace, earning around forty yuan a month. I can earn that back in about two years.
Jiang Guiying thought the same way: "A thousand yuan will run out sooner or later, so I might as well get a good job and never have to worry about anything for the rest of my life."
Suddenly, voices came from outside, and Jiang Guiying immediately stopped talking, no longer mentioning Ding Xuewen.
The person speaking outside was Xie Zhenxing, who married a woman who had lost her husband and had a son, in order to move to the city and receive government-subsidized grain rations.
He was able to marry that woman thanks to Xie Zhenhua. Liu Axiu didn't like him coming to her house, and the two families rarely visited each other. It was only on big occasions like the New Year that Xie Zhenxing would bring some meat to her side.
If you bring a piece of meat, you have to shout it out so that everyone in the entire No. 3 compound knows, as if you're afraid that others won't know.
Jiang Guiying pouted, "I don't think he's got the brain to remember to send meat to Teacher Xie. I guess it was his wife who told him to."
"Both brothers are not very bright; they only owe it to marrying good wives." Jiang Guiying was also including Xie Zhenhua in her scolding.
Indeed, Xie Zhenhua's treatment only gradually improved after he was transferred to a technical school as a teacher. Before that, he didn't care about anything and relied entirely on Liu Axiu and her family's influence.
Xie Zhenxing, who wasn't very bright, finished delivering the meat and walked to the front yard. As soon as he saw Aunt Ding, he asked, "Which school did your son Ding Laowu get into?"
Enraged, Aunt Ding grabbed a broom and started hitting him, chasing him all the way out of the alley before stopping.
—
"Have you picked them up?"
"Yes! Ding Xuewen is staying at Chen Lizhong's house, that amazing pig farmer."
Guan Yuehe pointed to the pork sausages on the table, "These were given to you by the two of them, and also by the educated youth from Sidaogou. Have you eaten them?"
Guan Yuehe stared at him with bright eyes. Lin Yiku immediately understood what she was thinking and said with a smile, "Okay, eat some more. I'll give you a bowl too. Is one bowl enough?"
"Uh-huh!"
After dinner, the two people busied themselves in the kitchen again, making a racket.
Lin Yi thought for a moment and asked, "How about I ask Zhong Sheng if there are any vacant rooms for rent near his house?"
"No need, Chen Lizhong asked Ding Xuewen to tutor his cousin."
Guan Yuehe calculated the time. Her sister's admission notice said that school would start in March, and Ding Xuewen should also go to school around that time. He wouldn't be staying at Chen Lizhong's house for long.
When it came to houses, Guan Yuehe actually asked people to help her look for one, but everyone said that none of them matched what she wanted to buy.
Either it's too far away to commute to get off work, or it's too big to afford, or too small to live in.
She inquired at the housing management department and learned that the houses originally allocated to factory workers who were admitted to university would not be taken back for the time being, but if they joined other units after graduation, the houses would have to be taken back and redistributed.
So, if she can get into graduate school, she can continue living in this house. As for what happens after graduation... we'll talk about that later.
She refused to believe that she wouldn't be able to buy a house she liked within two or three years.
After thinking it over, she reminded Lin Yiku, "We'll have to hold off on buying a washing machine for now, until we buy a house."
Lin Yi nodded in dismay. He did want to buy one, but there were too few washing machines available, and he couldn't get a voucher for one.
“Lin Yi’s washing machine works very well too,” Guan Yuehe joked.
Lin Yiku picked up on her joke, "That's right, it's such a good deal that ordinary soap can smell like scented soap."
Guan Yuehe chuckled and stepped forward to massage his back, saying, "You've worked hard. I'll be in charge of cooking today."
"What are you making? I want some too!" Lin Sitian answered, carrying a piece of meat with a good balance of fat and lean meat. "Mom asked me to bring this over, hehe, it's perfect timing."
When Lin Yiku saw it was her, he sighed silently. As soon as Si Tian arrived, he was pushed aside by the two of them to sit on a small stool.
Well, I'm already pretty lucky I wasn't forced to sleep in the storage room.
Lin Sitian wasn't an idiot; she ate a meal there, watched TV, and then slipped home.
Before leaving, he gave Guan Yuehe a sly wink, then laughed and ran off.
Lin Yiku was completely bewildered by the laughter. When she looked at Guan Yuehe, she also kept her mouth shut and refused to say anything.
Only his ears turned unusually red.
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