Chapter 69 Gu Yin, Apologize! (Two chapters combined)
All three of them were stunned for a moment, and then the girl started crying. Gu Yin quickly took Gu Le and ran over.
"Sanya, are you alright? Does anything hurt?" Gu Yin asked while checking her pockets.
There was a large hole in the pocket, filled with scraps of paper from firecracker casings, and a sulfurous smell wafted out.
Gu Yin carefully checked and found nothing wrong, so she breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at Sanya, and reassured her, "It's nothing, it's just that your pocket is torn. Does anything hurt?"
Sanya wiped away her tears, felt around, and shook her head: "It doesn't hurt anywhere, but my new clothes are ruined, boohoo! My newly bought clothes are ruined, I'll get beaten by my mom when I get home!" She then started crying again.
Sanya is younger than Gu Le and lives in the center of the village. She rarely goes to Gu's house to play, so Gu Yin knows her, but they are not very close. Seeing her like this, Gu Yin quickly explained, "How about this, I'll go home with you and tell you about it slowly. I'll go to the market tomorrow and buy you a new one, okay? Brother Le just played with matchsticks for the first time. He didn't see you when he lost it. I didn't expect it to happen to you. I apologize to you, okay?"
Gu Le quickly stepped forward apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Sanya."
Sanya stopped crying out of curiosity. She had cried so hard just now that she was still hiccuping. No one had ever apologized to her before, and she felt a little embarrassed. She clutched her clothes and looked at Gu Yin: "Then, hiccup~, then come home with me, hiccup~ and tell Mommy that it wasn't Sanya who tore the clothes? Hiccup~"
Gu Yin nodded: "Yes, we'll go back with you."
As soon as Gu Yin finished speaking, San Ya's older brother and sister ran over. Seeing their younger sister's red eyes and tear stains on her chapped face, they asked worriedly, "What's wrong, San Ya?"
Gu Yin felt embarrassed for a moment.
Sanya pointed to the pocket of her clothes: "The pocket was destroyed by the firecracker." After saying that, she thought about how she only had one new piece of clothing a year, and now it was ruined, and she immediately burst into tears again.
Gu Yin quickly explained to them.
Sanya's brother is about the same age as Gu Yin. After learning what happened, he waved his hand and said, "The pocket is fine. My mom can sew it up when we get home. As long as you're not hurt, it's fine."
In rural areas, this is really not a big deal; at most, you'll get a few words of criticism from your parents when you get home.
Gu Yin knew what the little girl was thinking. Her new clothes, which she had been longing for, were ruined, and she would be disappointed for the whole year.
Gu Yin took her hand: "Let's go home first and talk to your mother before we go out to play again?"
Sanya nodded.
The three of them walked together toward Sanya's house.
Ten minutes later, the three arrived at Sanya's house. Sanya's mother was making fried dough twists. When she saw them, she thought Gu Yin had come to visit. Pointing to the fried dough twists in the vegetable basket, she said, "They're fresh out of the oven. Try some!"
Gu Yin pulled Sanya to the front and then explained.
"Auntie, I'm so sorry, I ruined Sanya's clothes."
Sanya's mother got up and looked at it, then laughed and said, "Oh, I thought it was something serious. It's nothing, I'll just get her a piece of cloth and make her a new bag. Anyway, it's all inside, no one can see it, it's fine!"
Gu Yin shook her head: "No, these are new clothes. If they're sewn up, they won't be new anymore. I'll go shopping tomorrow and buy Sanya a new one. Otherwise, Sanya will be thinking about this day all year round, and she'll be so unhappy. If it were me, I would be unhappy too."
Sanya's mother felt that Gu Yin was making a mountain out of a molehill, but seeing her daughter looking at her expectantly, she could only smile and say, "That's fine then, I'll talk to your mother about it later."
In a few days, Sanya will forget about today's incident. It won't matter whether she mentions it or not. It's just too much to make someone pay for a piece of clothing just because someone's pocket is torn.
Seeing that the matter had been resolved, Gu Yin took Gu Le and left.
The two went to the convenience store and saw someone selling pickled radishes. Some were sliced, some were whole and couldn't be cut, and some were pickled shreds. Nowadays, pickled radishes are made with saccharin, white vinegar, and chili powder, and they taste pretty good.
Eating too much meat during the Lunar New Year can be greasy, so eating something sour like this can be quite appetizing.
"Sister, I want to eat too!" Gu Le pulled Gu Yin forward.
Upon closer inspection, it was Li Dalong selling the goods, with Gu Shu helping to collect the money.
Seeing the two of them approach, Li Dalong took a bamboo skewer, stuck two pieces on it, and handed them to them: "I made this myself, eat up!"
Gu Yin thanked them, accepted the food, and then ate with Gu Le on the side.
Perhaps seeing that people were eating, a large crowd gathered around in no time, and Li Dalong was too busy to keep up.
Gu Yin also joined in to help.
Chickens and ducks cannot be killed on the first day of the Lunar New Year, so the dishes for the first day are usually prepared on New Year's Eve.
After breakfast, the adults gave the children red envelopes, fifty yuan each. With six adults, Gu Yin and her three children each received 300 yuan.
Gu Shu took the money and ran out, taking Gu Le with him. Gu Yin, Gu Qinglang, and Gu Hua went to set up a stall on the street, presumably because their little customers had already taken their New Year's money and gone out to the streets.
When you get to the street, there are hardly any people selling meat and vegetables, but there are plenty of people selling toys and barbecue.
Gu Qinglang returned to the original spot, and the group set up the items together. Just as Gu Yin put down the price list, several more people arrived.
"Boss, is this radio really 20 yuan?"
"That's right, you get a free pair of headphones with every purchase! Want one?" Gu Qinglang nodded with a smile.
The group's eyes lit up, and they all started picking colors.
These children must have been eyeing this color for a long time. Once they found the right color, they didn't even try it on; they just took it, paid, and left.
After that, a lot of people came one after another. When it got busy, Gu Qinglang said with a smile, "I didn't expect it to sell so well. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to sell them all. I've already sold almost a hundred from one pack today! Do you want some barbecue? Go buy some yourself. There aren't many people here right now!"
Gu Yin was still thinking about Sanya's clothes, so she didn't delay. She and Gu Hua went to the clothing store and picked out an identical one. They spent 10 yuan on it, and after packing it up, they also got a few skewers of chicken wings. Then they came back to help Gu Qinglang sell goods.
It wasn't until five o'clock that they returned to the village with the radio that was almost completely empty.
After sitting all day, she was still a bit tired, so she asked Li Mengxin to take Sanya's clothes over. Otherwise, if she went over now, it would feel like she was asking for a red envelope!
The next morning, Gu Yin and Gu Le were dragged out of bed by Li Mengxin.
Gu Yin looked at Li Mengxin with a blank expression: "Mom, why are you up so early?"
Li Mengxin handed her her coat: "Get up quickly, it's the second day of the Lunar New Year, let's go back to Grandpa's house for a visit."
Gu Yin blinked. Wasn't her grandfather gone?
"Shall we go back and offer incense?"
Li Mengxin nodded: "I've been too busy this year and haven't been back. I'll go back today to visit and offer incense to your grandparents."
For Li Mengxin and the others, it might have been a year since they last went back, but for Gu Yin, it felt like an eternity.
Because of a falling out with her family, Li Xiang hadn't been back for several years. So on the second day of the Lunar New Year, she went with Gu Qingming to set up a stall so that Gu Qinglang and the others could go back and visit.
Li Mengxin's home is not far from Lijia Village; they can get there in half an hour by bike, as they live in the same village committee.
When we arrived at my maternal grandfather's house, the door was open and a black sedan was parked in the yard.
Gu Qinglang asked in confusion, "Who came over?"
Li Mengxin frowned: "I don't know, let's go take a look."
The group rode their bikes into the yard and saw a well-dressed old lady sweeping the yard.
Gu Yin was puzzled. Who was this? She didn't recognize him.
Upon hearing the sound, the old woman recognized it.
Li Mengxin asked in confusion, "Auntie?"
Li Mengxin had seen her aunt a few times when she was little, but after her mother passed away, her aunt never came back. When Li Mengxin got married, her aunt only sent some things and a gift of money back home, but she never saw her. So much time had passed that Li Mengxin had forgotten about this relationship.
The old lady stepped forward, looked them over, then looked at Li Mengxin and said with a smile, "It's been so many years, you've grown so much! Are these your husband and children?"
Li Mengxin nodded: "Yes, this is Gu Qinglang, my husband, this is my eldest daughter Gu Yin, and this is my youngest son Gu Le."
Gu Qinglang greeted her with a smile, "Hello, Auntie."
Gu Yin and Gu Le greeted each other together, "Hello, Auntie."
The old lady nodded, patted her pocket, and took out two red envelopes, handing them to Gu Yin and Gu Le: "New Year's red envelopes, here you go."
Gu Yin looked at Li Mengxin, who was in a dilemma. If it was someone she was very close to, it would be fine to take it, but this aunt was not actually close to them, so she didn't know whether to take it or not. Taking it would feel strange, but not taking it would be impolite.
Perhaps sensing her predicament, the old lady slipped the red envelope into Gu Le's hands, then turned back to continue sweeping the yard: "It's just a red envelope, don't overthink it."
Gu Qinglang put down his things, took the broom from her hand, and started sweeping himself. The old lady didn't argue, washed her hands, and sat down.
Li Mengxin went over and sat down, asking in surprise, "Auntie, why are you back?"
The old lady looked into the distance by the door and sighed, "The older I get, the more I miss my family. I dreamed about her a few days ago, so I asked your cousin to drive me here to see her, offer some incense, and talk to her a bit."
Li Mengxin did not respond.
She didn't know what the relationship between her aunt and mother was like, so she didn't know how to respond.
Apart from the sound of Gu Qinglang sweeping, everyone else in the courtyard fell silent.
"Mom, we bought rice. The village chief said they'll bring some firewood and bowls and chopsticks over later, we..." Jiang Yuren walked in with his wife and saw the group of people in the yard.
"What is this?" Jiang Yuren glanced at Gu Qinglang, then looked at his mother and asked.
The old lady nodded: "This is your aunt's daughter, Li Mengxin, your cousin, and that is her husband, Gu Qinglang. These two are the eldest children."
Li Mengxin stood up: "Hello, cousin and cousin-in-law."
Jiang Yuren nodded, then put down the rice he was carrying, and Madam Jiang also put down what she was holding.
After sweeping the floor, Gu Qinglang looked at them and asked, "Cousin, what are you doing? Buying me and selling my flesh."
Seeing that he was calm and didn't fawn over him like others, Jiang Yuren felt a little better. He pointed to the things and said, "My mom said we'll cook a meal here, then offer incense to my aunt, and go back tonight."
Li Mengxin's mother was one year older than Jiang Laofu, and Jiang Laofu had married ten years earlier than Li Mengxin's mother, so Jiang Yuren was ten years older than Li Mengxin.
Seeing the other person's clean and tidy clothes, Gu Qinglang smiled and said, "That's exactly what we were planning. I'll go wash the pot first. It's been a long time since I used it, and it should be rusty by now."
Just as he finished speaking, several people entered from outside. They were the village chief and village secretary of Wangjia Village, whom Gu Qinglang and Li Mengxin recognized.
Secretary Wang smiled as he entered the door: "Deputy Director Jiang, Principal Li's pot is still in good condition, but it's probably worn out. We brought steel wool and dish soap, which will be perfect for a thorough cleaning! You, Madam Jiang, and Mrs. Jiang can just sit down! We'll get to work!"
After he finished speaking, he realized that Li Mengxin's family was also there. He quickly handed the things to Gu Qinglang and said, "Little Gu, go wash up. Young man, you need to do more exercise so your legs won't be stiff."
Gu Qinglang didn't say anything, and took the things to the river to wash them.
Li Mengxin also wiped down the table where they would be eating later.
Secretary Wang brought the other tableware from his own home, so they didn't need to deal with it.
"Kid, take these vegetables and wash them. Then start the fire. Be diligent!" Secretary Wang handed the vegetables to Gu Yin to wash, and then walked over to Jiang Yuren, saying with a fawning expression, "Deputy Director Jiang, why don't you stay here for a few more days? Our village is having a performance in a few days, it'll be very lively!"
Gu Yin looked at the greens in her hand, thought for a moment, and then took them to the old lady, saying innocently, "I don't know how to wash them. Aunt, why don't you let my cousin's wife wash them? She looks a bit older than my mother, so she should know how to wash them."
Before the old lady could speak, Secretary Wang raised his voice: "You're so old, how come you still can't wash vegetables?! In our countryside, what can't someone your age do?! What are you being so fussy about? We're not city people, and you're not some rich young lady. You can't even wash vegetables! Are you trying to be lazy? Go wash the vegetables! Don't disturb the old lady's rest!"
Gu Yin blinked and said softly, "I...I'm the third young lady in my family, and my younger brother is the fourth young master. My parents never make us do chores. It's normal that we don't know how to do them, isn't it? Besides, in our family, it's always the adults who do the chores. We're still young, still children. Doing these things will tire us out and we won't get enough rest. This will stunt our growth and make us ugly. Grandpa, your parents don't love you. They made you do chores from a young age. No wonder you're short and ugly now. You're so pitiful! Sigh!"
Secretary Wang's face turned pale and then red. He stood up and scolded, "How dare you speak like that? Is this how your parents taught you to talk to adults? What did you learn in school?!" He then looked at Jiang Yuren and said, "Deputy Director Jiang, look at this! This is the drawback of a backward education! Talking back to adults is impolite and lazy! You don't even know the importance of respecting the elderly and caring for the young!"
Jiang Yuren is the deputy director of the county's education bureau. I learned this during our previous conversation. Secretary Wang's eldest son, like Gu Shu, will be taking the high school entrance exam this summer.
Ever since he learned that Jiang Yuren worked in education, he became increasingly eager to curry favor with Jiang Yuren, hoping to become acquainted with him so that he could ask Jiang Yuren for help if his son did not do well on the exam.
Jiang Yuren also felt that Gu Yin was really too impolite. His children were very tactful in their speech and actions. No one who had met them had ever said they were impolite. Moreover, they never contradicted what adults said. What Gu Yin just said, Secretary Wang didn't understand, but Jiang Yuren did. Her words were full of sarcasm. This was what it meant to be educated.
As expected, backward rural areas can't produce good students. Jiang Yuren frowned and looked at Gu Yin: "You were indeed very impolite just now, Gu Yin, apologize."
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