Chapter 15

Zhang Cuilan noticed the change in her son’s expression and immediately beamed with joy, unable to hide her excitement. “You rascal! You thought you could hide this from your mother? Tell me, when did you start having feelings for Yao Yao?”

Gu Shi’an was at a loss for words. How could he talk about something like this?

Standing there, tall and silent, he didn’t say a word. Zhang Cuilan playfully slapped him on the arm, laughing, “You’re just like your father—tight-lipped. Fine, if you don’t want to talk, I won’t ask. The weather’s nice today, and they’re showing a movie at the cinema. Stop standing around here—buy two tickets and take Yao Yao to the movies.”

Gu Shi’an’s dark eyes brightened as he glanced around the courtyard, looking for Lin Yao, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Zhang Cuilan, noticing his gaze, sighed internally, thinking how clueless her son was. She pointed toward the side room. “Yaoyao is asleep in there!”

With that, she gave her son another playful shove, urging him to go wake her up.

As Gu Shi’an glanced at the side room’s window, adorned with a floral curtain, he couldn’t help but think of the peach blossom fragrance that lingered around him last night. His handsome face warmed slightly.

Just as he was wondering how to knock on the door, there was a sudden clatter from the room next door. A moment later, Gu Shidong came rushing out, his hair cut unevenly like it had been chewed by a dog.

The mischievous boy’s face was still marked with impressions from the woven mat he’d been sleeping on, suggesting he’d just woken up from a nap.

“Brother, you’re back! How’s the Public Security Bureau? Did they give you a gun? Let me see it!”

Zhang Cuilan shot him a sharp look. “See what? You little rascal, thinking the Bureau gives out guns for kids like you to play with? Did you finish your homework? Bring it here for me to check later. If it’s not done, just wait till your father gets home tonight!”

Gu Shidong wasn’t afraid of his mother. He had finished his homework in the morning and was still running around the courtyard.

“Mom, why do you always call me a rascal? That’s not nice. I’m part of the Gu family. If I’m a rascal, then what’s Dad?”

Smartly, he didn’t mention his big brother.

He knew his father was easy to handle, but his big brother wasn’t. Cold and stern since childhood, Gu Shi’an had disciplined him more than once. Now, Gu Shi’an just gave him a brief glance, and Gu Shidong immediately fell silent.

Gu Chunmei, watching from the side with her arms crossed, teased him, “What’s wrong, little rascal? Not so tough now?”

Gu Shidong glared at his sister, “You don’t understand. A real man knows when to yield and when to stand firm.”

Gu Chunmei snorted, “Yeah, right. You’re just a kid, not a ‘real man’ yet.”

Gu Shidong jumped up in frustration. “So what if I’m still growing? In a few years, I’ll be covered in hair like a real man!”

The brother and sister bickered back and forth, their noisy argument filling the courtyard like a flock of chattering ducks.

Their noise finally woke Lin Yao, who had been sleeping soundly in the side room.

The room was cool in the late afternoon, with the day’s heat carried away by the breeze. Lin Yao had slept well and stretched lazily before slipping on her slippers and stepping out of the room.

“What’s all the noise about outside?”

Her voice was soft and sweet, still carrying the drowsiness of sleep. She was wearing a white floral nightgown, her long, black hair cascading over her shoulders. Her slender waist, rosy cheeks, and dewy lips made her look as delicate and fresh as a begonia flower after a summer rain.

As soon as Lin Yao stepped out, she locked eyes with Gu Shi’an, who was standing in the courtyard, his expression cold and stern. Embarrassed, she quickly lowered her hand, which she had been using to cover a yawn. My goodness, why does he have such an intense presence?

Zhang Cuilan, seeing Lin Yao awake, immediately switched from her earlier stern demeanor to one of warmth and affection.

“Yaoyao, did you have a good nap? Are you thirsty? We have some iced barley tea. If you’re not thirsty, are you hungry? The communal canteen didn’t have much good food today, but I can make you some pork noodle soup. Our big pot is still on the stove.”

Zhang Cuilan’s tone was so gentle that it gave Gu Shidong goosebumps.

Ugh, why is it so sticky-sweet?

Lin Yao, however, felt a bit embarrassed. She had slept all afternoon and hadn’t done anything, yet Zhang Cuilan’s praise made her blush.

Zhang Cuilan, not wanting to lose the momentum, mentioned how popular the movie “Battle on Shangganling Mountain” was in the county. Since they had nothing else planned for the day, she suggested that Gu Shi’an and Lin Yao go watch it together.

Watch a movie?

Lin Yao was immediately interested. Since she’d arrived in this era, she hadn’t had the chance to experience a movie yet. She’d heard that movies from this time were different from those in the future—mostly black-and-white films, with only one ticket counter at the cinema. Whenever a new movie was released, the place would be packed with people.

A movie ticket cost only two cents, but for families struggling financially, it was still a luxury. Some would use a red pencil to forge a couple of extra tickets, or have their children squeeze in behind others, pretending to be part of another family to watch the movie for free.

If the ticket inspector caught them, they wouldn’t be worried. After all, they were just kids, they could get away with it by being a little thick-skinned.

Qian Yan, the daughter of Zheng Dacheng from the front yard, and her brother Zheng Hao, often pulled this kind of mischievous trick.

To be fair, the Zheng family wasn’t short of money. Zheng Dacheng earned at least fifty or sixty yuan a month, and his wife brought in another twenty-seven or twenty-eight yuan from her job. And that was just what was in the books. As the head chef in the canteen, he likely had some extra income on the side, especially since the steel mill was doing well. The Zheng family was living comfortably, more so than most.

To give you an idea, Zheng Dacheng owned five or six pairs of leather shoes, and he wore a different pair each day, all polished to a high shine. He had more swagger than most of the leaders.

Despite living such a good life, their children still engaged in such unsavory behavior.

Zhang Cuilan looked down on the entire Zheng family. When Gu Shidong tried to imitate Zheng Hao and sneak into movies, it infuriated her. She caught her son and gave him a good beating, thrashing him so hard with a feather duster that she wore it out.

This was a dark chapter in Gu Shidong’s past. Whenever the topic of movies came up, the brat would instinctively cover his backside and run.

But Lin Yao didn’t care about any of that. Excited, she dashed back to her room to change and get ready. She even tilted her little face up at Gu Shi’an, saying, “Wait for me, okay? Don’t leave without me.”

Gu Shi’an smiled in response.

Hearing such childish words, Zhang Cuilan shook her head with a smile. “She’s a grown woman but still acts like a child.”

Gu Chunmei, munching on a slice of watermelon, chimed in, “Mom, Yaoyao isn’t that old. She’s only in her early twenties, nearly a decade younger than her brother.”

The last part of her sentence went unsaid.

Gu Chunmei could see it clearly—Gu Shi’an was finally showing signs of falling in love. It was rare for a man close to thirty to have his heart stirred, but it seemed that day had finally come.

Lin Yao changed into a sky-blue dress, braided her long black hair, applied some snowflake cream, and slung a handmade satchel over her shoulder. She came out beaming, and when she saw Gu Shi’an waiting by the door, she smiled brightly. “Let’s go!”

Without a second thought, Lin Yao hopped onto the back seat of the bicycle. For safety, she held onto Gu Shi’an’s waist, clutching his… white shirt.

Despite the summer heat, Gu Shi’an still wore that clean white shirt. His throat tightened slightly as he pushed off with his long legs, and the bicycle set off steadily.

*

In Guihua Alley, the trees provided plenty of shade.

Xu Xiangqian returned home, drenched in sweat and covered in dust. He had been out all day patrolling the streets and investigating cases, and had only managed to eat two cornbread buns for lunch. By now, he was starving.

As soon as he entered the house, he headed straight for the kitchen in search of food.

Mother Xu was in the courtyard, threading beads. Seeing her son so famished, she felt a pang of sympathy. “Why are you so hungry? Didn’t you eat lunch? Just two cornbread buns? That’s not enough! There’s some twice-cooked pork, braised eggplant, and bean sprout soup in the pot. I’ll get you a bowl.”

The communal canteen at the Guihua Alley served excellent food. Xu Xiangqian, ravenous, wolfed down his meal so quickly that he nearly choked.

Mother Xu quickly patted his back to help him swallow. “Why are you eating so fast? Chew your food thoroughly; it’s better for your digestion. Slow down, no one’s going to take it from you.”

Xu Xiangqian gulped down a mug of cool water and finally caught his breath. “I need to hurry and get to the courtyard later.”

“To the courtyard? Off to see Chunmei again? You big lout, aren’t you worried she’ll get tired of you clinging to her all the time?”

Mother Xu teased him.

Xu Xiangqian’s face flushed red. “Mom, what are you talking about? I’m going to see Anzi.”

Xu Xiangqian and Gu Shi’an had been close friends since childhood. Mother Xu perked up, “Shi’an is back? When did he return? How come I didn’t know? How long is he staying this time? I’ve got some fresh grapes and peaches; you can take them to the Gu family. Tell your Aunt Cuilan we should get together soon.”

Mother Xu had always been fond of Gu Shi’an, sometimes even more so than her own son. Xu Xiangqian was used to it.

He munched on his cornbread and said, “He came back last night. This time, he’s returning home permanently after his transfer.”

Mother Xu looked worried and asked, “Returning home? Did he get injured?”

“Not exactly. I don’t know the full details, but Anzi is now the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau.”

Mother Xu was overjoyed. “That’s wonderful! Shi’an has been away for over ten years, and now he’s finally married and settled. He deserves to enjoy the simple pleasures of home life with a wife and kids.”

Wife and kids?

Xu Xiangqian scratched his head. Knowing Gu Shi’an’s cold personality, he doubted that would ever happen.

And then there was the little wife Lin Yao, who had married into the family. She used to be as timid as a scared rabbit, but now she had grown into a delicate, spirited girl who seemed to be quite the handful.

Sigh, his future brother-in-law is going to have his hands full.

After finishing his meal, Xu Xiangqian grabbed the fruit and headed to the Gu family’s house. He planned to visit the county cinema later that evening to check out the new movie. Tomorrow, he’d take Chunmei along.

*

Yunshui County Cinema was a two-story red brick building, with a row of acacia trees lining the street in front, casting a cool shade.

In the old days, the cinema had been an opera house, a place where the wealthy came to spend their money. After the revolution, the opera house was converted into the cinema it was today. Back then, there were only a handful of movies like Landmine Warfare, The White-Haired Girl, and Heroic Boy Wang Erxiao, but the townspeople still watched them with great enthusiasm, no matter how often they were replayed.

Outside the cinema, vendors sold snacks, and an old man watched over the bicycles. Lin Yao hopped off the bike while Gu Shi’an went to park it and handed the old man a coin for watching it.

Lin Yao obediently lined up at the entrance to wait for him. The crowd was bustling with people waiting to see the movie, and the pushing and shoving made her frown. Is watching a movie really like squeezing into a sardine can?

Seeing this, Gu Shi’an quietly moved to shield her from the crowd.