Chapter 58
The old house of the Gu family in the countryside was also built with good bricks and tiles. When Grandpa Gu was wounded on the battlefield and returned home, he received a lunch box medal from the army. The
war hero returned with honor, but the house at home was collapsed and only a thatched shed remained. There was a big hole in the roof beam. Grandma Gu and Mancang were wearing tattered clothes, their faces were so thin that the skin covered the bones. The mother and son looked like a pair of beggars. If this got out, it would be a joke!
At that time, Gujiaao belonged to the liberated area. The town leaders acted quickly. The day after Grandpa Gu returned home, the new house of the old Gu family was built in full swing. At that time, the town government paid half of the money for the house construction, and Grandpa Gu paid the other half. The stones pulled by the ox cart were all dug from the back mountain. The yard was fenced, a thatched shed was built, chicken and duck nests were built, and pig pens and sheep pens were all available.
Grandpa Gu and his family lived steadily in the old house for several years. Later, the county arranged for Grandpa Gu to work in the steel rolling mill and allocated a house in the large compound. The old Gu family upgraded their guns and moved their family to Yunshui County.
The old house in the countryside was left empty for more than ten years.
After more than ten years of wind and rain, the old house had not been occupied for a long time. The family returned home without hesitation, and it was completely uninhabitable.
Gu Mancang returned to Gujiaao on the twelfth day of the last month of the lunar calendar, brought a piece of cadre cigarette to the team leader, and asked the villagers to tidy up the old house. The collapsed fence wall was re-tied with ramie wood strips, the livestock kennel was plastered with yellow mud, the stove for cooking was also built, and three earthen kangs were set up in the house. The total cost of the materials and other things was twenty-five yuan.
Since the brat Dongzi knew that he would return to his hometown for the New Year this year, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep in the house.
He stayed awake late at night, holding the bamboo frog his sister-in-law bought for him, and jumping around at home. There was a switch on the back of the bamboo frog. When he pressed it, the bamboo frog would jump around in the house. When he pressed it again, the bamboo frog would jump again. The bamboo frog jumped on the ground, and the little boy even dubbed it, "Quack, quack, I am a happy little frog. When it rains heavily, I catch insects, jumping and hopping."
Lin Yao was soaking her feet comfortably in the house. She listened for a while with her ear tilted to the side, and smiled at Gu Shian, "Dongzi's jingle is quite rhyming."
Gu Shian also listened to it, and the corners of his lips curled up. The little boy was full of energy, jumping around at home all day long. It was right for Yaoyao to buy him a frog.
After Lin Yao washed her feet, Deputy Director Gu made the bed for her, poured some hot water and put it in the quilt to warm her feet.
Lin Yao got into the quilt, and kicked the hot water with her white and tender feet. The room was warm and cozy, and she felt comfortable and just wanted to sleep.
Lin Yao's eyelashes were blinking, and she looked like she was about to fall asleep. She forced herself to ask Gu Shi'an, "Sister Chunmei will also go back to our hometown to celebrate the New Year with us?"
"Chunmei will celebrate the New Year in the county."
"Oh."
Lin Yao thought about it and it was true. Sister Chunmei was married, so naturally she would celebrate the New Year with her big brother's parents-in-law. It was not reasonable for a married girl to go back to her parents' home to celebrate the New Year. Even
in the 21st century, it would be difficult to do so.
Lin Yao was sleepy and fell asleep in her own bed.
Gu Shian came back with the water for washing feet, and took Lin Yao's sweater and small clothes to the yard to fetch water for washing.
Gu Shidong took a curious look, but didn't see anything, so he continued to play with bamboo frogs.
Zhang Cuilan and her husband hadn't slept yet. There was no food in the county at the moment, and the old couple were also very worried.
The old son was still jumping outside, and Comrade Zhang Cuilan's eyelids twitched when she heard it. She roared like a lion and shouted the kid back to his room.
Gu Mancang didn't care about his old son. The people of Yunshui County were in a state of misery, and he felt bad too. Although there was food stored in the cellar of his hometown, who knew when the food disaster would be over?
What if the famine lasts for three or four years like the one in 1920s? How will the people live?
But on second thought, in 1920s, it was still the Republic of China, with warlords fighting each other. It is different from now. The government will always intervene. As an old comrade from the old society, Gu Mancang still believes in the government and the party.
Zhang Cuilan washed her feet and went to bed in her cotton shoes. "What are you doing, old man? It's ten o'clock. Turn off the lights and go to bed."
Gu Mancang responded and turned off the lights in the house.
The next morning, it was gray outside the window. Uncle Zhang drove a donkey cart to pick up his sister and her family to go back to the countryside.
The big courtyard in Le Yue was cold, and a cloud of white mist appeared when people went out and talked.
Lin Yao was wrapped in a plush military coat, covering her face tightly, revealing only a pair of watery almond eyes. In her left hand, she carried the iron cage containing the little rabbit to the donkey cart.
Zhang Cuilan came over with the bed and bedding, "Yaoyao, move slowly, don't get tired."
The old Gu family said that they were going back to the countryside to celebrate the New Year, but in fact it was almost the same as going back to the countryside to take refuge. After all, the food hidden in the cellar of the old house could not be brought out to the public. Besides, there was no food in the city, and all the major factories had stopped working. What would the workers do if they were hungry?
The work efficiency in the factory declined, and the benefits would inevitably decline. The factory leaders were not fools and did not know this.
Going back to the countryside now was the best choice.
Of the five families in the compound, except for Grandpa Sun and Aunt Sun who were unwilling to move, all the other families packed up and returned to their hometown.
The wealthy lady next door left yesterday. Zheng Dacheng and his wife had a fight. It was said that Zheng Dacheng wanted Liu Ercui to be a left-behind woman, but Liu Ercui was not happy. The tigress slapped Zheng Dacheng and threatened to complain to Director Ge.
Zheng Dacheng was forced by Liu Ercui's power and was so frustrated that he took Liu Ercui and his two children to the countryside.
Now in the whole compound, only Wang Shengcai's family was silent, as if they were not in a hurry at all.
Returning to the hometown for the old Gu family was like moving. The old house was bare and nothing was left. All the clothes, bedding, pots and pans, coal briquettes, food, and other necessities of life had to be taken with them.
Gu Shidong got a little orange cat from somewhere and clamored to take it back with him.
Zhang Cuilan was sweeping the rabbit feces in the yard with a broom, and she chased him away without thinking, "Go, where did the little cat come from? People are not full, where is the food for the cat?"
"We don't need to raise the big orange cat, it can find food by itself!"
The brat argued.
Lin Yao came over to study the little cat's fat belly, clapped his hands and laughed, "The little cat is chubby, and you can tell at a glance that it is capable."
The little orange cat seemed to understand and meowed, with a baby voice that looked cute.
Zhang Cuilan thought that there were many rats, snakes and insects in the countryside, and that if she kept a cat at home, it could catch rats and prevent them from stealing food from the cellar, so she nodded in agreement.
Gu Shidong grinned and ran away with the little orange cat in his arms.
After more than an hour of hard work, all the odds and ends of Gu's family were loaded into the car.
The eight-immortal table, chairs and other things in the house were moved onto the donkey cart, tied with ropes, and explained that Uncle Zhang drove the donkey cart, ringing the copper bell, to Gujiaao first.
The old Gu family took a jeep back. The first thin morning light of winter shone on the stone lion in the big courtyard. Gu Shian drove the jeep over.
The police bureau became busier as the New Year passed. Gu Shian was busy all morning. He ran back and forth to the police bureau in the big courtyard several times. He was so busy that he didn't have time to change his clothes. He hurriedly changed into a police uniform before getting on the car. The top was a white coat, and the inside was a black sweater that Lin Yao had treated. The buttons of the police uniform were buttoned to the top, with broad shoulders and narrow waist. The main feature was the temptation of uniform.
Lin Yao swallowed his saliva, not knowing what he was thinking of. His face was flushed and he quickly hid to one side.
It was exactly half past six, still early. Most of the neighbors in the alley were still asleep. Xiang Qian, the cheap son-in-law, got up early to see his father-in-law off.
As for Gu Chunmei, she learned from Lin Yao to sleep in every day. Last night, she came home as a lady to help pack things, which was considered a farewell to her brother and mother.
The closer it gets to the New Year, the busier the Public Security Bureau
is. Xu Xiang brought ten pounds of corn flour and one pound of bacon, saying that it was from Xu's mother to her son to honor his mother-in-law. The situation was not good before, so Xu's father and mother also secretly stockpiled food at home. Xu's father was well-off in the county, and his family had as much food as Gu's family.
Zhang Cuilan accepted it generously, but before getting on the car, her brother-in-law Gu Shidong came running over again, raised his head, and stuffed ten yuan into his pocket.
"Big-headed brother-in-law, mom told you and my second sister to buy whatever you want with this money, and if you don't have enough, don't ask her for more."
Before Xu Xiangqian could respond, Dongzi ran away at the speed of light with his little buck teeth grinning.
No, if I take this money home, I will beat him.
So Big-headed brother rode a 28-bar bicycle to chase after him, but the speed of a bicycle could never compare to that of a jeep.
Xu Xiangqian was full of anger, and he started his return journey with a dusty face.
The jeep bumped along the mountain road all the way, and caught up with his uncle Zhang who was driving a donkey cart halfway.
Dongzi leaned on the glass and shouted, "Uncle, why are you walking so slowly?"
Uncle Zhang, who was wearing a dog-skin hat, turned around when he heard the voice, with a big black face smiling, "The old donkey cart is moving slowly, and uncle is old, come and help to hurry up?"
Gu Shidong got excited and wanted to jump under the car immediately.
Lin Yao caught the brat and told him to behave himself.
After scolding her old son, Zhang Cuilan stared at Uncle Zhang with a bad look.
"Brother, what did you say just now? I didn't hear it."
Uncle Zhang was afraid of his sister's violent temper. It is said that nephews take after their uncles, and this is really true for the Zhang family.
Uncle Zhang was a naughty boy who would go to the roof and tear off the tiles if he was not punished for three days. As naughty as his uncle was, his nephew was even naughtier. Comrade Cuilan patted her chest, saying that her eldest son was finally not like his uncle, otherwise he would be a naughty boy and the old Gu family would be in trouble.
Uncle Zhang quickly shut his mouth and hurried to the car like an old monk.
On the way, they passed Linjia Village, which is now the Dongfanghong Production Team.
The chatterbox Uncle Zhang couldn't help but open his mouth again. Uncle Zhang's mouth directly revealed a big melon.
"Yaoyao, your cousin's name is Honghong, are you still in touch with her? Oh, that girl is amazing, she is pregnant."
Cousin? What's her name Honghong?
There's a baby in the belly?
Wait, Lin Hongna is pregnant?
Uncle Zhang's words were like a bomb that blew up everyone in the old customer's family.
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