Chapter 370 Full Piece
The next morning, while Nan Zhiyi was leisurely drinking her millet porridge, Gu Xiao and Xiaoman were already dressed and ready to go out with Commander Gu.
Gu Xiao straightened his cuffs, walked to Nan Zhiyi's side, and explained to her in a low voice, "Dad is going to take Xiaoman and me to visit Old Master Ye. He is also going back to Jian'an for the New Year, so we have to go there first."
Old Master Ye is a senior leader with more experience than Commander Gu. Although he has now retired to the second line, his prestige remains.
"Do you want to come along?"
Nan Zhiyi refused: "You three generations can have a chat. I'm fine at home. I can catch up on my manuscript and help Wu Ma tidy up while we wait for Gu Yan and my brother and sister-in-law to come back."
Gu Xiao didn't press the issue. He picked up a hard-boiled egg and slowly peeled it. "Okay, then you stay home and take care. We'll be back this afternoon."
At this moment, Commander Gu came out of the room, dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit, looking very energetic.
He saw his son serving his wife again and couldn't bear to watch. He simply called out to his grandson with a strong voice, "Gu Zhao, let's go."
Nan Zhiyi was about to get up to see him off, but Gu Xiao gently pressed her back into her chair and stuffed an egg pancake into her hand: "Sit down and eat yours, wait for me to come back."
"Mm." Nan Zhiyi held the egg pancake and watched her husband lead their son out the door behind Commander Gu.
After seeing the grandfather and grandson off, Nan Zhiyi finished her breakfast at a leisurely pace.
"Aunt Wu, shall I help you tidy up the room later?"
Aunt Wu was overjoyed: "That's perfect! I cleaned the room a few days ago, but the bedding hasn't been fully laid out yet. We can make the bed and chat while we do the folding."
The two went to Gu Yan's room on the second floor first.
Aunt Wu pulled out a new bed sheet and whispered, "Sigh, there are some things I shouldn't say, but you're not an outsider... Just when the Commander was discharged from the hospital, Commander Gu and Director Gu came back to see him, and the three of them were talking in the study."
Nan Zhiyi looked up at Wu Ma, sensing that it wouldn't be anything good.
Aunt Wu sighed and frowned.
"Who would have thought that Comrade Zhang somehow got wind of it and suddenly came with his two children. Xiao Li tried to stop him but couldn't. He was crying and shouting in the yard, demanding to see the commander. The scene was... truly unsightly."
Nan Zhiyi stopped what she was doing and asked in surprise, "Huh? Second sister-in-law? What's she doing?"
"I don't know the specifics. I just heard her crying and shouting, as if she was begging the commander... saying things like 'You can't go to the Northwest,' 'The child is still young,' 'That place is too harsh,' etc... She was crying with snot and tears streaming down her face. At that time, Director Gu rushed out and his face changed. He tried to persuade her to leave."
Nan Zhiyi sighed softly.
She knew that her second brother's job had been transferred, but Gu Xiao didn't say much about the specific details, and she didn't ask any further questions.
Only after hearing Wu Ma's explanation did I realize that there had been such twists and turns in the story.
Not going to the Northwest?
Could it be that there's a problem with the job transfer, or that my second sister-in-law doesn't want to go?
The work arrangements and family conflicts involved are probably beyond her control.
She just felt that doing this when the old man was recovering from a serious illness was really inconsiderate.
After casually finishing her sentence, Aunt Wu started talking about preparing for the New Year.
She smiled again, "Zhiyi, you don't know, but in just this one year, Jian'an has changed a lot!"
Nan Zhiyi, feigning curiosity, asked, "Oh? What changes have occurred?"
“Before, you needed coupons to buy anything, but now it’s so much better. The market is full of chicken, duck, fish and meat every day, and many small vendors set up stalls. Eggs, vegetables, and even some fruits from the south, like bananas and oranges, don’t need coupons. As long as you have money, you can buy whatever you want! The department store has also brought in a lot of new and exciting items, like bell-bottoms and Western-style shirts. My daughter-in-law even bought a pair. Oh my, it’s all so new!”
"It's pretty much the same in Beijing. I went for a walk the other day and found that there were many small shops run by individual business owners on the streets, selling clothes, snacks, and even repairing radios and watches. It was very lively. Now the policies have been relaxed, encouraging people to find their own jobs."
Aunt Wu nodded repeatedly, her hands still busy making the bed.
"That's right! A few months ago, some people on this street opened their street-facing windows to sell homemade steamed buns and wontons, and business was pretty good! In the past, we wouldn't have dared to imagine this. I heard that even in the countryside, they've quietly started some kind of 'household contract responsibility system,' and with the farmers' enthusiasm increasing, there are naturally more things available in the city."
......
After that, the two just chatted casually about some new things, and stopped discussing the matter of Gu Erge's family.
Soon, they tidied up all the rooms together.
Aunt Wu urged Nan Zhiyi, "Zhiyi, everything's almost done here. Go back to your room and rest for a while, or go downstairs to watch TV to pass the time. Our TV is still black and white, but I went to the department store the other day and saw a color TV! The picture quality was amazing, it looked so real, but it was ridiculously expensive!"
Nan Zhiyi smiled and nodded: "Okay, Aunt Wu, I'll go back to my room first. I'll help you with cooking lunch."
"No need, no need, I can manage on my own. You go about your business!" With that, Aunt Wu went into the kitchen to get things ready.
Upon hearing the sound, Nan Zhiyi put down her pen and walked to the window to look down.
Wu Ma was already jogging to the courtyard gate when Gu Yan came in carrying two large bags.
Wu's mother surrounded him, extremely excited, touching his arms and back while muttering something.
Nan Zhiyi could guess through the window that Aunt Wu was probably saying things like, "Oh dear, you've lost weight again!" or "Didn't you eat properly while you were out?"
She smiled, turned around, and went downstairs.
As they reached the entrance, Gu Yan saw her and casually put his bag on the ground. "Alright, alright, Aunt Wu, Zhiyi, come inside. It's cold outside. There are still some things in the car; I'll go get them."
Nan Zhiyi stepped forward: "I'll help you."
Gu Yan waved his hand, "It's just a one-time matter, don't get involved." With that, he turned and walked out.
Nan Zhiyi and Aunt Wu had no choice but to stand at the door and wait.
Sure enough, Gu Yan came in a little while later carrying several packages of various sizes, his hands completely full.
He piled his things up in the corner of the living room and slumped onto the sofa.
"Finally home!"
Aunt Wu quickly brought over a cup of tea: "Quick, have some tea, it's warm, just right. Are you hungry? We have some snacks at home, I can make you a bowl of noodles, that'll be quick too!"
Gu Yan took the teacup and took a big gulp. "No need to trouble Aunt Wu. I ate some dry food in the car, so I'm not hungry."
Aunt Wu started nagging: "You can't just eat dry rations! That stuff is dry and hard, it has no nutrition! Look at you, you've only been gone a short time and your cheeks are all gone! Sigh..."
She clicked her tongue in distress.
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