Chapter 13

Gu Shi’an being sent to sleep in the side room greatly pleased Lin Yao.

Since Gu Shi’an’s return had been rushed, there weren’t enough wash basins or towels in the house. Lin Yao generously offered her unused small wash basin and towel for him to use.

Gu Shi’an lowered his gaze to the white basin decorated with small blue flowers and the new pink towel draped over it. His eyebrows twitched as he stood silently for a long time before finally going to wash up without a word.

Lin Yao didn’t see this scene. She was happily burning mugwort in the side room to keep mosquitoes away.

With the recent thunderstorms, the damp environment had brought an influx of mosquitoes. A few times, Lin Yao even spotted geckos on the walls, poised and waiting. While geckos weren’t a problem, the buzzing mosquitoes hovering around the mosquito net were. They disrupted sleep and kept trying to sneak through any gaps in the netting.

Being vigilant, Lin Yao burned mugwort every night and secretly used flower water from her space supermarket. She added a few drops to a basin of water and sprinkled it around the room, ensuring a peaceful night’s sleep.

Earlier, Gu Chunmei had failed to secure her mosquito net properly and ended up with several itchy bites. Lin Yao gave her some flower water to wash the bites, along with leftover ointment and balm from Dongzi. Thankfully, the itching subsided.

Since then, Gu Chunmei couldn’t stop thinking about Lin Yao’s “mosquito repellent water.” Every night before bedtime, she would pester Lin Yao to get some, even trying to figure out where it came from.

Lin Yao couldn’t explain it. She couldn’t exactly say, “It’s not mosquito repellent water; it’s flower water from my space supermarket, a summer essential from the 21st century.”

That would be absurd. If she said that, she’d surely face trouble.

In the end, she could only make an excuse, saying she extracted the liquid from honeysuckle, mint, and alcohol as a hobby while idling at home.

Gu Chunmei tilted her head thoughtfully. Yunshui County was abundant in honeysuckle, mint, and hawthorn. During the summer, the streets were often filled with farmers selling flowers like hydrangeas, orchids, gardenias, and jasmine. Some also sold dried honeysuckle, mushrooms, hawthorn, and wood ear fungus they had gathered and dried from the mountains.

Currently, jasmine was the most common flower being sold, costing just one cent for a large bunch. Lin Yao often brought home baskets of flowers, plants, or honeysuckle while she was at home. Whether she used them to make tea or displayed them in vases, the house was always filled with a delightful fragrance.

Gu Chunmei grew excited and demanded Lin Yao prepare two bottles of honeysuckle extract for her as well.

Lin Yao felt like she was digging her own grave. Yet, she had no choice but to dry honeysuckle and mint leaves. When the family was at work during the day, she busied herself figuring out how to steam the extract, ending up covered in grime. Surprisingly, she managed to extract the liquid successfully.

She poured the floral extract into small white porcelain bottles and sealed them with wooden stoppers, giving one bottle to each member of the Gu family.

The family treated these bottles like treasures, storing them carefully in cupboards and only bringing them out sparingly. The exception was Dongzi, who paraded his bottle everywhere. At night, he would sprinkle a few drops on the mosquito net and then gleefully shine a kerosene lamp to watch the mosquitoes writhe and twitch on the ground. Standing on a stool with his hands on his hips, he laughed heartily, feeling like he had avenged all his past mosquito bites.

Gu Shidong lived alone in a small side room, enjoying his freedom.

This time, however, his brother moved in to share the space, much to his dismay.

Despite his grumbling, he had no choice. Comrade Zhang Cuilan had made it clear: if he didn’t want to share a room with his elder brother, he could sleep outside on a mat.

Gu Shidong’s room was just eight or nine square meters. Inside, there was a large phoenix wood wardrobe near the door, a wooden bed for sleeping, and on the left, a carved desk with a chair. The desk was cluttered with books, pencils, notebooks, and an enamel mug for drinking water.

When Gu Shi’an entered, he noticed the room was relatively tidy except for the messy desk. He raised an eyebrow, surprised by the change. Had the little rascal turned over a new leaf?

In the past, Gu Shidong’s room was so filthy even cats and dogs avoided it.

Gu Shidong, holding his pillow, immediately guessed what his brother was thinking when he saw the look on his face. He jumped up in frustration. “Brother, what’s with that expression? My sister-in-law said that part for three days and meet with closed eyes. Even Second Sister can rise early and sew a duck-patterned handkerchief for Brother-in-law. Why can’t I love cleanliness too?”

From the courtyard, Gu Chunmei yelled while brushing her teeth, “Gu Shidong, stop spouting nonsense! That’s a mandarin duck, a mandarin duck!”

Although, she had indeed embroidered it to look like a duck.

Yao Yao’s words were right. Whether it’s a duck or a mandarin duck, as long as Da Tou Brother likes it, that’s all that matters.

Gu Shi’an’s dark eyes glimmered with a faint smile. “Wrong.”

Gu Shidong asked, “What’s wrong?”

“The saying you just mentioned.”

Confused, Gu Shidong scratched his head. “What saying?”

In the courtyard, Sister Chunmei rolled her eyes and couldn’t resist correcting him. “Stupid, there’s a saying that goes ‘When a man has been away for three days, he should be looked at with new eyes.’ What did you just say?”

Gu Shidong shrank his neck and fell silent.

What had he said earlier? “Part for three days and meet with closed eyes”?

Oh no, his elder brother had caught him now!

The little rascal quickly crawled into the mosquito net, pretending to be a quail.

Sure enough, before going to bed, Gu Shi’an said calmly, “Tomorrow morning, I’ll check your homework.”

Gu Shidong: “…”

*

A light rain fell throughout the night, finally stopping in the early hours.

The next morning brought a blazing sun.

In the courtyard, the leaves of the roses curled under the heat. Taking advantage of the weather, Zhang Cuilan brought out the bedding to air on bamboo poles.

Lin Yao followed, running around to help. The rainy days had left her room damp and uncomfortable. Though not visibly wet, the dampness seeped into everything.

Zhang Cuilan prioritized airing Lin Yao’s bedding first, and Lin Yao couldn’t sit idly by while someone helped her.

In the past, Zhang Cuilan would call her daughter to help with the bedding, and Gu Chunmei would fumble around clumsily, taking ages to finish. With Lin Yao’s assistance this time, the work went much more smoothly.

Once the bedding was hung up, Zhang Cuilan grabbed a bamboo stick and began patting it in the courtyard with gusto.

“Oh, Cuilan, airing the bedding, I see? My husband went out for a stroll. By the way, my daughter Jiaxin is due soon, so I brought half a basket of eggs from our relatives back home to save for her postpartum period,” Aunt Dafu said, carrying a basket of eggs as she entered the shared courtyard, her face brimming with joy.

Aunt Dafu and her husband had two daughters. The elder one was married to a soldier, while the younger, Jiaxin, was married within the county. Now eight months pregnant, Jiaxin was preparing for childbirth but still lacked red sugar, eggs, and noodles for her postpartum meals.

Even though Uncle Dafu, as a factory foreman, received extra meat and oil rations, obtaining red sugar and eggs was still a struggle.

Aunt Dafu, desperate, had returned to her hometown, exchanging fabric and industrial coupons for these precious items.

Zhang Cuilan put down her bamboo stick and sighed, “Things are tough all over. Nowadays, everything requires ration tickets. When we were young, forget red sugar and eggs—even fine grains were a luxury.”

“Exactly! What was there to eat back then? Now we’re lucky to eat at the canteen every day and benefit from the government.”

While the two women chatted, Lin Yao peeked her head out, carrying a quilt. “Auntie, is this good enough?”

“Yes, Yao Yao, but walk slowly. The quilt’s heavy; don’t tire yourself out.”

“Alright!”

Lin Yao cheerfully responded and greeted Aunt Dafu with a smile, “Hello, Auntie.”

Aunt Dafu, caught off guard, quickly replied with an “Oh, hello!”

Once Lin Yao had walked away, Aunt Dafu pulled her neck back and marveled at the change in the Gu family’s daughter-in-law. She had been shy and timid during her wedding, barely daring to meet anyone’s eyes. Although beautiful, she had seemed too meek to make a good impression.

At that time, there were rumors circulating in the large courtyard, saying that the Gu family would never have peaceful days ahead.

But now, looking at how well things were going, it seemed that the girl had changed completely after bumping her head. Once she recovered, she became a different person. Her hands and feet were nimble, and her mouth was sweet when she spoke. This girl, who came from the countryside, had skin as white as a fresh egg. With a face as delicate as a lotus blossom, her eyes were bright, and when she smiled at you, it was so charming that it could make anyone’s heart soften.

Before the commune canteen opened, she had even dried some mushrooms and wood ear fungus. Her family also received a portion, and when she brought it home, they made a delicious mushroom soup that was incredibly fresh.

Anyway, Aunt Dafu really liked Lin Yao and couldn’t stop praising her to Zhang Cuilan.

Zhang Cuilan smiled so widely that it seemed her face would crack. She felt both proud and satisfied. “My Yao Yao is thoughtful. Just look at my two other fools at home—each one clumsy and rough, they take after their father!”

At that moment, Gu Shi’an, who had just returned from the canteen, overheard. He could only remain silent.

Lin Yao, who had finished making the bed, walked over. Perhaps it was because she had slept well last night, she was in a good mood. For the first time, she took the initiative to approach Gu Shi’an and spoke to him.

“Back from the canteen? What’s for lunch today?”

She hadn’t even finished breakfast yet, and now, looking at the food in Gu Shi’an’s lunchbox, she eagerly started to ask. She was wearing a pink dress, and her long black hair was tied in a braid. Her fair, delicate face looked like porcelain, and when she smiled, a small dimple appeared on her cheek. A sweet fragrance of peach blossoms seemed to linger around her.

Gu Shi’an’s face remained expressionless, but his ears were slightly reddening.

Lin Yao, however, didn’t have the time to observe her husband’s expression. She was starving and eager to eat.

Today’s meal in the canteen was pretty much the same as usual—plain porridge, some pickles, and a cornmeal flatbread mixed with pork fat. It wasn’t the best, but at least it was enough to fill the stomach. After all, the working class doesn’t have the luxury of being picky about food.

At the Gu family’s table, there were also a few greasy duck eggs.

The duck eggs were homemade by the Gu family. Since Gu Mancang worked in the workshop, doing the toughest and dirtiest jobs, he needed to eat something good.

Lin Yao sipped on the steaming porridge slowly, her mind wandering. It was so hot today, she thought, and after eating, she’d soak some mung beans to make a refreshing mung bean soup, adding sugar to make it taste sweet and cool.

Lost in her thoughts, Lin Yao suddenly heard a loud voice from the neighboring room.

“What’s this? You, you brat, you’ve returned home from the army!”