Chapter 56 "You're really something, torturing me."...
Chapter Fifty-Six: "You're really something, abusing me."
In the summer of 1972, Gu Yanmei was recommended to study nursing at a medical school, while her cousin Du Qinglan, who was not interested in studying, was hired to work at a factory in Beijing.
It was all arranged by Ling Jianwei through intermediaries.
When she received their letters, Li Yue said, "I never expected you to accomplish such a great thing without saying a word."
Ling Jianwei: "It's better to keep this kind of thing low-key."
"They have returned to Beijing, and they seem to be in good spirits, as indicated in their letter."
Gu Yanmei is preparing for the start of school in September, and her cousin will be starting work soon. Everyone has a bright future ahead of them.
However, this does not include the Lin family, the former director of the Ru Porcelain Factory.
Back during the Lunar New Year, Li Yue and Ling Jianwei went to pay their respects to their master and learned that their factory was unable to pay wages. They had originally accumulated two months' worth of wages, but only one month's worth was paid, because the factory was facing difficulties and could only pay one month's wages for the New Year.
Li Yue said, "Master, why don't you come to our factory too?"
The master shook his head and politely declined: "Work in that factory for now, take it slow, there will always be a solution."
In contrast to the decline of Dongfeng Factory, the performance of Li Yuezai's Hongxing Ru Porcelain Factory continued to rise. This year, several kilns of Ru porcelain with good sky-blue glaze were produced. After being appraised, it was basically confirmed that the sky-blue glaze technique had been restored. The factory was overjoyed.
In September, Dongfeng was unable to pay wages, and someone reported that Director Lin was embezzling public funds and selling state property. The relevant departments in the county began to investigate. Although the results have not yet been released, a new director was promptly appointed.
Li Yue told Ling Jianwei, "My intuition is that the report was prepared by my master, but I have no evidence."
Ling Jianwei said, "No matter who did it, the situation over there is complicated. It's a good thing that someone is coming to investigate and replace the factory manager."
Soon after, Li Yue heard from her neighbor Li Jinqiu that "Xuelian seems to be getting a divorce from her husband."
Li Yue was taken aback: "Huh? Who said that?"
"Her sister-in-law."
"What happened?"
"It seems that the Lin family has been under investigation recently. Her father-in-law has been arrested, and her mother-in-law often picks fights with her."
Li Yue: "..."
Li Jinqiu said, "With her personality, if she can't stand it, she'll get a divorce sooner or later."
Although Zhong Xuelian had been arrogant towards her and had even targeted her in a small way, Li Yue wasn't particularly pleased to hear this news. Perhaps it was because she had never considered Zhong Xuelian an enemy.
The good news is that Dongfeng Factory has a new factory director. The previous chief craftsman, whose hands trembled and who actually had little passion for Ru porcelain—whose rise to the position is still a mystery—has been replaced. As for Li Yue's mentor, he has been promoted to workshop director and chief engineer.
The factory will continue its research on Ru ware, but the focus will be on the firing of civilian porcelain.
Ling Jianwei asked, "So how will they overcome the current financial crisis?"
Li Yue said, "The new factory director mortgaged the factory's fixed assets to the bank and got a loan. I heard from my master that they just want to fire the civilian porcelain first and then sell it. There were too many people who were just occupying positions without doing their jobs before. The current factory director is the one who does real work."
Ling Jianwei nodded: "In that case, there is still hope."
Although she won't stay here forever, Li Yue still hopes that more porcelain factories can be revitalized.
Ling Jianwei served as a battalion commander diligently for more than three years, and his qualifications were sufficient for promotion to regimental-level cadre. His transfer order finally arrived before the Chinese New Year. He was transferred to the military region headquarters, and he planned to return to Beijing to report for duty after the handover was completed after the New Year.
While sleeping, Li Yue lay on top of him, slowly cooling off. Ling Jianwei touched her smooth, damp back, and said with a smirk, "Living to almost thirty, I've managed to get some benefits from the old man; he got me a good job."
Li Yue was still caught up in the hedonistic state she had just experienced, breathing heavily, and hummed in response.
He touched her slightly flushed face and looked at her intently: "Don't you think your husband is useless because he relies on his family?"
Li Yue countered, "Would you consider yourself incompetent?"
"I don't care what I think or what others think; what I care about is how you see it."
Li Yue seemed to be deep in thought: "Actually, is it because you couldn't bear to let me suffer with you that you accepted Dad's arrangement?"
He scoffed, "Where did you suffer following me? Did I make you suffer?"
“You said it yourself, that I would eat sand and mud and drink muddy water with you.”
“You have a pretty good memory,” he laughed. “When reporting to your superiors, you have to put on a terrible show, right? When your superiors visit the grassroots during the Spring Festival, you also have to show them the worst side of things.”
Li Yue suddenly recalled seeing videos of various military units sending New Year's greetings every year during the Spring Festival. In the background, each unit racked its brains to show off its most dilapidated "family assets" and equipment, so that the leaders could see how "poor" their units were and receive more resources. She couldn't help but laugh. This was the fine tradition of our army.
She tugged at his cheek: "You're just here to make fun of me."
He held her in his arms and pinned her down: "What are you joking about? Let's get down to business."
Li Yue: "..."
These warm days passed very quickly. Li Yue even felt as if she had woken up one morning and the weather had changed from autumn to winter. After a few snowfalls, the Spring Festival of 1973 was just around the corner.
When they slaughtered the pig before the Lunar New Year, Li Yue was already on holiday. Ling Jianwei took her to the camp and let her eat at each company.
Some company barracks are a bit far away, requiring a 20-minute walk across the large parade ground to reach.
As Li Yue walked along, she asked him, "Won't you be very reluctant to leave here?"
He sighed, "I've been here for over a decade, how could I not have feelings for it? When I first came here, I planted these trees myself. They were just saplings then, and now they're towering trees."
They rarely showed affection in front of others in the camp, and they wouldn't have the chance to do so in the future. Li Yue looked at the bare branches and suddenly smiled: "Ling Jianwei, carry me on your back, I can't walk anymore."
He knelt down in front of her: "Come on."
Li Yue leaned on his back and asked, "Am I heavy?"
"kind of."
Li Yue punched his shoulder.
He laughed, "Heavy clothes won't do either."
Li Yue glanced at the gray sky and said, "Wouldn't it have been more atmospheric if you had been watching the moon alone on the empty playground that night?"
Ling Jianwei: "What, you think my thoughts of you lack any mood?"
"Um."
"Tsk, you're quite picky."
"I'm not being picky, I'm just being realistic. But it's nice to have someone to talk to while you're at the gate."
"How so?"
Li Yue thought for a moment: "If someone is talking to you, you won't overthink things, and it won't be so bad."
"Am I not miserable enough?"
"What happened to you?"
“I made a fool of myself in front of the whole battalion,” he said. “Your telegram was signed, and they immediately understood why I was looking at the moon.”
“Oh,” Li Yue pursed her lips, “then they care about you quite a bit.”
His steps were steady: "A bunch of young guys with nothing to do, who doesn't like to talk about their superiors' feelings?"
Li Yue asked, "Were you really very sad back then?"
What do you think?
“I think,” Li Yue said with a wicked smile, “I should have made you suffer for a few more days before sending the telegram.”
"ungrateful."
Li Yue covered his mouth with her hand: "I just wanted you to think about me for a few more days."
"Does that mean I won't miss you after you come here?"
"That's different. When you're sad, you think more deeply."
"That's really something, you're torturing me."
Li Yue smiled and said, "Mm."
She really felt she hadn't tormented him enough; if only she had, she would have tormented him for a couple more days.
The company was just ahead. Li Yue said, "Put me down."
He didn't let her go, and carried her into the company in full view of everyone.
I put him down at the busy kitchen doorway and asked with a forced smile, "Does your foot still hurt?"
Li Yue gritted her teeth: "It doesn't hurt anymore."
This Spring Festival was very comfortable. Although the weather was not good, Li Yue and her sisters-in-law could play cards, eat melon seeds, and chat around the stove.
Someone asked her when she would return to Beijing?
Li Yue said, "I don't know the exact date either; it depends on him."
“After returning home, everyone takes care of you in every aspect of your life. We can’t even dream of that.”
Someone else said, "Isn't Xue Lian going through a divorce? She went back to her brother and sister-in-law's house for the New Year, and her sister-in-law was so upset by her that she cried yesterday."
"What's wrong?"
"It's not just trivial matters, it's enough to make one's heart ache. She finally managed to settle down for two years, and now she's back. Today, people from the Lin family came and took her back again."
Will they get a divorce?
"Why get a divorce? Life will go on just the same way, we already have kids."
...
That's how life went; the outside world's turmoil did nothing to affect Li Yue and Ling Jianwei's incredibly sweet relationship.
In April, when spring was in full bloom, Li Yue followed Ling Jianwei back to Beijing.
Before leaving, Li Yue glanced at the empty room. The sewing machine and other items that she couldn't take with her had been sold or given away to the women in the dormitories. This dormitory room had also been applied for by a cadre from the regiment.
Ling Jianwei asked, "Can't bear to part with it?"
"Well, after all, it was something we changed little by little."
"I'll go back and renovate it into a better one for you," he said.
Li Yue said thoughtfully, "Actually, that side is actually harder to modify."
He frowned: "That's true."
Many people came to see me off as I boarded the train with my luggage.
Although her life here was incredibly peaceful, almost without any ups and downs. Unlike some of her sisters-in-law who were always bickering, arguing with their husbands, or worrying about raising children... it seemed like they were just all sweetness... But the thought of parting with these interesting, lovely, and warm-hearted sisters-in-law, whom she might never see again, filled Li Yue with a sense of reluctance.
She smiled and said goodbye to them, telling them things like, "Be sure to contact me when you get to the capital." After getting on the car, watching them wave goodbye, Li Yue's nose tingled and tears welled up in her eyes.
Ling Jianwei, who was also sitting in the back seat, wiped away her tears: "You said I was reluctant to part with her, but it seems there are others who are even more reluctant."
Li Yue sniffed: "After all, it's a place I've lived in for so long."
"I was just as sad when I left the factory that day," he asked.
“No, not at all,” Li Yue said. “It’s mainly because they go to the capital every year to hold a trade fair, and I will definitely go and visit the fair. I can also chat with people I know there. Also, I have already told my master and uncle that I will write letters. In case I really build a kiln in the future, I will have to ask them for advice.”
"No wonder, they kept a backup plan."
The next day, they got off the train and a driver picked them up and took them home. Everything was the same as before; the streets and the buildings in the residential compound were unchanged.
Ling Jianwei applied for a dormitory in the military compound and planned to move there soon. Her father said, "Why are you moving out again? Is there no room left at home or something?"
Ling Jianwei said shamelessly, "Living with the elderly is so boring."
Ling's father said impatiently, "Fine, fine, anyway, you can't stay at home for more than a few days before you start arguing with me. I'll have more peace and quiet if you move out."
But Ling Jianwei smiled and said, "I come back to bother you from time to time mainly because I'm afraid Yueyue won't be used to living there."
Li Yue was indignant; she wasn't that delicate.
Although home was more convenient, Ling Jianwei still preferred the simple life they shared. They moved without hesitation, settling on the second floor of a building in the military compound. The room was a single-room apartment with a partition wall, making it small. This time, Li Yue planned to decorate the little nest according to her own ideas, making it as cozy as possible.
She wasn't working for a while, and a few days later, Li Yue asked, "Can you find a job?"
He said, "Since you're going to have a baby, don't think about work for now, otherwise I'll see you throw yourself back into work again."
“But it’s not good to just laze around all day without doing any work.” Li Yue seemed unable to stay idle.
"Idle and lazy?" the man sneered. "You can paint? You can sew clothes? Why don't you consider painting a few more pictures and making a few more little clothes? How sweet it would be for the baby to wear clothes made by your own hands."
"But you're not pregnant yet, why are you in such a hurry?"
"Oh, so it's my fault for being a bad shot?" The man raised an eyebrow. "How about we try tonight?"
Li Yue: "..."
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