Two days after she said that, Gu Mingyue was woken up early in the morning by the commotion outside the courtyard.
Pushing open the door, I saw several soldiers carrying wooden crates into the long-empty courtyard next door.
A woman dressed in a light gray cloth shirt was standing at the gate of the courtyard, standing on tiptoe to direct people, while holding a little girl with pigtails in her arms.
"This must be the new neighbor?" Xia Qinghe had also appeared at the gate of the courtyard at some point, still clutching the unfinished handkerchief in her hand, her needlework pausing unconsciously.
Gu Mingyue nodded, and was about to speak when she saw the woman turn her head and meet their gazes.
The woman paused for a moment, then smiled and waved, walking over with her child in her arms: "Hello, comrades. We just moved here. My name is Lin Hui."
Gu Mingyue and Xia Qinghe quickly went to greet them.
Gu Mingyue smiled and replied, "Hello, my name is Gu Mingyue, and this is Xia Qinghe. We live next door. We were planning to visit you after you settled in, but we didn't expect to run into you here."
Xia Qinghe smiled and said, "That's right. We'll be neighbors from now on. Don't hesitate to ask if you need any help."
The little girl in Lin Hui's arms looked at the two of them curiously, her little hands tightly clutching her mother's clothes.
Her well-behaved appearance was endearing. Gu Mingyue had two pieces of dried sweet potato in her pocket. "Auntie's dried sweet potato is delicious. Try it and see if you like it."
The little girl's gaze fell on the dried sweet potatoes, she swallowed hard, but didn't dare to reach out.
She turned to look at her mother behind her, leaned her head back gently, and looked at her with a questioning gaze.
Lin Hui smiled and ruffled her hair, then thanked Gu Mingyue, "Then we won't be polite, quickly thank Auntie."
The little girl then felt relieved and reached out her small hand to take the dried sweet potato, whispering, "Thank you, Auntie."
She turned around and hid behind her mother, secretly broke off a small piece and put it in her mouth, her eyebrows and eyes instantly curving into crescents.
Gu Mingyue and Xia Qinghe stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching the lively scene of people moving things in the neighboring courtyard, and did not go any closer.
The soldiers carried wooden crates back and forth, while Lin Hui, holding Niannian, carefully stepped aside, repeatedly telling them to be careful. Everyone moved quickly, yet with their own method.
"Judging from their actions, they've arranged their work quite well. If we rush in, we'll only cause more trouble."
Xia Qinghe twirled the needle and thread in her hand and said softly.
Gu Mingyue nodded, her gaze falling on Niannian, who was clutching her mother's clothes tightly in Lin Hui's arms. She smiled and agreed, "It's not too late for us to visit them after they've finished this busy period. Let's not bother them now."
The two didn't linger. They exchanged a smile, then quietly turned and went back into the courtyard.
When she left, Gu Mingyue made sure to close her courtyard gate gently, afraid that making too much noise would disturb her neighbors' move.
Although I didn't step forward to help, it's good that I didn't cause any trouble. True neighborly care doesn't concern itself with a moment's inconvenience.
The sun was shining brightly as Gu Mingyue sat in the courtyard sewing clothes, but her ears kept drifting towards the neighboring courtyard to listen.
She only put down her needlework when she heard the sounds of moving things gradually subside, leaving only occasional voices.
I found a clean, coarse porcelain dish in the cabinet and filled it with freshly roasted sunflower seeds.
"Qinghe, let's go visit our neighbors next door," Gu Mingyue called out as she walked to the gate of Xia Qinghe's house.
Xia Qinghe, who was airing out her quilts, immediately agreed, dusted off her hands, and followed her.
The two walked to the gate of the neighboring courtyard and gently knocked on the door.
Lin Hui opened the door. She had just finished packing her things and there was still a light sheen of sweat on her forehead. When she saw them, her eyes immediately lit up with a smile: "Oh, it's you. Come in and sit down."
After sitting down inside, Gu Mingyue handed over a plate of melon seeds: "These are freshly roasted, have a taste. I saw you were busy moving this morning and didn't want to bother you, so I came to check on you now."
Lin Hui quickly took the water and called over Niannian, who was hiding in the inner room, to give the two of them water.
Xia Qinghe looked around at the simple yet tidy furnishings in the room and said with a smile, "It's so well organized. You can tell she's a thrifty person."
Lin Hui smiled sheepishly: "I just did a simple tidying up. I'll need to ask you for advice more often in the future, since I'm new here and don't know many things yet."
The group chatted over a plate of melon seeds, ranging from their daily lives in the family compound to the nearby supply and marketing cooperative.
Niannian gradually gained courage and approached the two of them with her rag doll.
As the group was chatting animatedly, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out from the courtyard gate: "Is Comrade Lin home? I've come to visit my new neighbor!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Aunt Qin walked in carrying a cloth bag. When she saw Gu Mingyue and Xia Qinghe, her eyes lit up. "Oh, you two came first. Perfect timing to join in the fun."
Lin Hui quickly got up to greet her. Sister-in-law Qin put the cloth bag on the table and took out a few round sweet potatoes: "These are from my hometown. They are very sweet. You can steam them and try them later."
Then she turned to Lin Hui and began to speak quickly, "Let me tell you, our family compound is much more lively than other places. The other day, the Zhang family's son from the west got into high school, and the whole compound was happy. There's also the supply and marketing cooperative, which brings in new cloth every month on the fifteenth. If you go too late, you won't be able to get any of the nicer colors."
Gu Mingyue and Xia Qinghe added with smiles, chatting about the latest happenings in the family compound.
From whose vegetables were grown best to the outdoor movies in the army on weekends, Lin Hui nodded frequently as she listened.
Niannian was amused by Aunt Qin's exaggerated tone, hugged her doll and went up to her, asking curiously, "Auntie, can we draw in the preschool class?"
"Of course!" Aunt Qin picked up Niannian and teased her, "Once your mother is settled, she'll take you to register, and you can play with the other kids."
The group chatted happily until evening before getting up to leave.
Lin Hui took the hands of the group, turned around and went into the inner room. A moment later, she came out with two cloth bags and handed them to the women.
"These are dried green beans from my hometown. They're very fragrant when soaked and stir-fried with meat. You should take some back and try them."
Just as Gu Mingyue was about to decline, Lin Hui smiled and pressed her hand down: "They're all homemade and worthless, so please don't look down on them."
Seeing this, Xia Qinghe smiled and accepted it: "Then we won't stand on ceremony. I'll make some pickles later and bring them to you too."
As they reached the courtyard gate, Lin Hui suddenly remembered something and called out to the two of them, "By the way, you said the supply and marketing cooperative receives new cloth on the fifteenth of each month, and that day is almost here! I was thinking of going to take a look tomorrow, if you're free, let's go together?"
“What a coincidence, I was just thinking of getting some cloth to make Yangyang a new dress.” Xia Qinghe immediately agreed.
Gu Mingyue smiled and nodded, "I'll go too, and see if there are any suitable needles and thread."
Aunt Qin was a little disappointed because her son Chengcheng had a cold and needed constant care, so she couldn't go for the time being.
The three of them stood at the gate of the courtyard and agreed on a time to meet the next day before they truly said goodbye.
Gu Mingyue and Xia Qinghe walked home, their cloth bags heavy and substantial, suggesting that the other party must have given them a generous amount.
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