Chapter 44

Lin Daguo was terrified of Zhu Rourong’s butcher’s knife.

He refused to stay in the county any longer. Every time he came to the county, something bad happened—either he was beaten or sent to the police station.

Damn it, Yunshui County was his bad luck. He vowed never to come back again!

When Lin Daguo decided to leave, Li Aifeng was left on her own. She had spent all their money and could only cry and complain as she boarded the bus back to the town. From there, she had to take an old ox cart back to the Dongfanghong Production Team.

The couple had come to the county hoping to profit, but they ended up with nothing and a beating to boot. Lin Daguo was furious and blamed Lin Hongna.

If it weren’t for this ungrateful daughter stirring things up, claiming that Lin Yao was living a good life, with parents who were both employed, an older sister working at the supply and marketing cooperative, and a husband who was the deputy director of the public security bureau, they wouldn’t have tried to extort money.

Lin Daguo and his wife were greedy and shameless. They would argue for hours over a handful of pig grass in the countryside, and Lin Hongwu owed hundreds of yuan in gambling debts.

Li Aifeng had sold everything of value, including the savings meant for their old age, to pay off the debt. The family had gone from rich to poor overnight.

Upon hearing about an easy opportunity, the couple immediately took a leave of absence from their team and rushed to Yunshui County.

But instead of gaining anything, they got nothing but trouble. In their fury, they went to the town to demand compensation from Lin Hongna, claiming that even their own daughter owed them an explanation.

There was only one bus to the town each day, and it was stiflingly hot on the bus. The autumn heat made the air thick. The bus was full of people: some carrying baskets to buy vegetables in the city, others bringing old hens to see their daughters, and even an old man with a basket of cow dung.

The smell was so strong that even with the windows open, it was hard to bear.

Li Aifeng, who prided herself on being clean, looked at these rough people with disdain and pinched her nose, trying to cool herself with a fan.

This annoyed the other passengers, who gave her frequent dirty looks.

This woman was acting like a big shot, but just look at her swollen face and rough clothes, not to mention the mud on her feet and the worn-out shoes. Her hands were calloused and yellowed from hard labor in the fields. She was just like them—an old country woman, yet she was trying to show off.

Li Aifeng didn’t care what the others were thinking. If she had known, she wouldn’t have had time to care.

At that moment, the conductor came to collect the fare. The ticket cost 25 cents, but Lin Daguo had nothing. Li Aifeng, clutching the last 50 cents, handed it over, feeling as if her heart was bleeding.

That 50 cents was hard-earned money, which she had worked for two or three days to earn!

At the soap factory, Lin Hongna had been feeling uneasy all day. Her right eyelid kept twitching. The old saying went, “Left eye twitches for wealth, right eye twitches for disaster.”

Her right eyelid kept twitching. Could something bad be about to happen?

Lin Hongna, who had been reborn, was firm in her belief in superstitions. As she worked in the factory, she rubbed her eyes several times, waiting anxiously for the end of the workday.

At the soap factory canteen, life had improved with a new dish added to the menu—stir-fried sliced pork with green peppers, alongside minced pork with eggplant, and large baskets of soft steamed cornmeal buns. The entire factory was filled with the aroma of meat and bread.

The factory workers, eager to eat, were ready as soon as the gong sounded. With lunchboxes in hand, they rushed to the canteen.

Lin Hongna, who hadn’t smelled meat for a while, swallowed hard. She fumbled in her pocket, pulling out two liang worth of meat coupons, clenched them tightly, and jogged to get her share of meat.

She had earned that money herself, so why shouldn’t she enjoy a few bites of meat?

Outside the canteen, a crowd of workers dressed in dull grey work clothes filled the area. Although the factory uniforms were made of thick, hot, and non-breathable fabric, they were still considered good material. In households with many children, parents would reuse old uniforms to make new clothes for their kids.

Lin Daguo and his wife, dressed in worn, rural cloth clothes, squatted at the entrance of the factory. They were a stark contrast to the well-dressed workers coming in and out.

The canteen was located at the back of the factory, and the road to it passed right by the factory gate.

Li Aifeng hadn’t had a drop to drink all morning. She felt faint from hunger, like a wilted eggplant. As the smell of food wafted in the air, she swallowed repeatedly and cursed Lin Hongna under her breath.

“This damn girl still hasn’t come. Her own mother is starving, and yet she’s still nowhere to be seen. That girl is just useless, you can never count on her!”

Lin Daguo wasn’t in much better shape. His eyes scanned the crowd in search of his daughter. After all, she was his own flesh and blood. Even in the grey crowd, he could spot Lin Hongna.

“Daughter, Hongna, Lin Hongna, I’m here!”

“Hongna, I’m over here, come give me a portion of braised pork,” Lin Daguo shouted while leaning over the iron gate.

An elderly man at the gate told him not to lean over, and Li Aifeng immediately began shouting at him.

“What’s your problem? You look down on us country folk? My daughter works at the factory, earning sixteen yuan a month. How much can your old bones earn? Pah! You don’t even wipe yourself after taking a dump, and you act all high and mighty!”

Her crude words made people around them look at her with disdain, and there was a clear sneer in their eyes when they looked at Lin Hongna.

The old man at the gate was a veteran worker at the factory, and his son was the workshop director at the second workshop. His daughter-in-law also worked at the factory. He had more connections in the factory than the newcomer Lin Hongna.

Li Aifeng and her husband were causing a scene at the gate when a few security guards came out. With a punch for each of them, they knocked the couple down.

Lin Daguo and Li Aifeng, who had been beaten the previous night, were at it again this morning.

Lin Daguo lay on the ground pretending to be dead, while Li Aifeng resorted to her usual drama of crying, yelling, and pretending to be suicidal, kicking her legs and preparing for her usual spectacle.

Lin Hongna, embarrassed, couldn’t leave. She was stuck in the crowd and could only force a smile before rushing over to resolve the situation.

Inside, she cursed her parents countless times in her heart. They were more trouble than help, and today, her face was thoroughly embarrassed.

She apologized profusely to the crowd, feeling exhausted both mentally and physically.

*

Since Gu Shi’an resolved the issues with Lin Daguo and his wife, Gu Shidong had been inspecting the situation periodically, reporting to his sister-in-law. No trace of Lin Daguo and his wife had been found at any of the public toilets in the city.

Lin Yao had already heard about it. Da Tou Brother came by the house this morning and told her that Lin Daguo and his wife were beaten up last night and had been sent back to the countryside early in the morning, with no teeth left after the beating.

While speaking, Da Tou Brother had winked at Gu Shi’an.

Gu Shi’an ignored him.

Gu Shidong, standing nearby, clapped his hands in joy.

Lin Yao, pretending not to understand, joined in the guessing game with Dongzi, wondering which righteous hero had taken care of the two troublemakers.

Their natural, unpretentious acting made Da Tou Brother admire them.

Before, he had thought that Gu Shi’an and his wife were like the story of Zhou Yu and Huang Gai—one was willing to fight, and the other was willing to take it. But now he understood. They were like a pair of heaven-sent figures, with an exterior that looked nice but were ruthless when it came to tricking others.

It was better not to mess with them.

Lin Yao saw off Deputy Director Gu, and then tossed out the annoying Gu Shidong.

After lounging in bed for a while, Lin Yao noticed that the sun wasn’t too harsh outside, so she went to the yard to feed the rabbits. She watered the newly sprouted potato seedlings and the young vegetable seedlings she had planted in the morning. Afterward, she quickly ran back inside to avoid the sun.

The notice from the textile factory had arrived—Lin Yao would officially start working tomorrow.

The logistics department offered good benefits. During the first three months, she would be considered a probationary employee, earning twenty-two yuan a month, along with two kilograms of fine grain coupons and various other tickets. After becoming a regular employee, her salary would increase to twenty-eight yuan, and the coupons would increase accordingly.

Don’t underestimate those twenty-odd yuan. Gu Chunmei worked as a saleswoman, and even after working for several years, her monthly salary was only a little over twenty yuan.

Moreover, while Gu Chunmei spent all day standing behind the counter, Lin Yao would be sitting in an office.

With such good benefits, Gu Chunmei couldn’t help but regret not taking the exam herself.

Gu Mancang laughed at his daughter’s sudden realization.

Zhang Cuilan, squinting with a smile, said, “Yao Yao worked hard for her exam. She was always buried in books, do you think it was easy for her?”

Gu Chunmei nodded and thought it over, but decided against it. When she was studying, Zhang Cuilan used to hit her with a feather duster, and she still couldn’t focus.

Sigh, she just wasn’t cut out for studying.

Gu Chunmei glared at Gu Shidong, urging him to study hard and not slack off.

Zhang Cuilan shook her feather duster and warned her son to study well. If he didn’t, he’d be the one eating stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat.

Gu Shidong frowned, wondering why all the pressure was on him.

The little rascal fretted and scratched his head, causing the whole family to burst into laughter.

In those days, the logistics department was well-organized. Office workers sat in their offices, while the older workers cleaning the toilets, workshops, and factory buildings were also part of the logistics department, but their duties were different.

Lin Yao was about to start working at the factory. Once she became a full-time employee, her household registration could be transferred to Yunshui County.

By then, the family would have another little one, and the Gu family would really have everything they needed.

Zhang Cuilan, pleased, glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the supply and marketing cooperative. “Oh, it’s past 10 o’clock, almost mealtime!” She hurried to the kitchen to boil some water.

A moment later, she came out and called her youngest son to boil the water.

Gu Shidong had done his fair share of housework and immediately grabbed the kettle to fetch water.

This boy had once been incredibly lazy. If not for Zhang Cuilan’s scolding and pushing, and recently, Gu Shi’an’s training, her youngest son might have turned out like the old men in the courtyard.

They would spend their days at the front door, bragging and chatting, claiming that household chores were women’s work. As the head of the family, men were supposed to go out and earn big money, not do manual labor.

Zhang Cuilan wanted to scold him but held back. The men in the family lacked skills but had plenty of excuses. If they really had the ability, they could earn the money instead of making excuses.

After praising her youngest son, Zhang Cuilan reminded him to keep up the good work, and the family went to their rooms for their midday nap after lunch.

By evening, the straw mat for the bed was laid, and the quilt was placed on top of the wooden bed. It was soft and comfortable.

When Lin Yao lay down, she felt so comfortable that she didn’t want to move.

That night, when it was time to brush her teeth and wash her face, Gu Shi’an carried her on his back to the bathroom.

Luckily, it was dark, and no one saw them. Otherwise, Li Gouya in the front yard would gossip behind their backs, saying that the Gu family’s daughter-in-law was incredibly lazy.

To this, Lin Yao had no fear.

She was living for herself, so whatever others wanted to say was their business.

As long as she was comfortable, that was enough.

When Gu Shi’an heard this, he also expressed his desire to relax.

Lin Yao asked curiously, “Aren’t you comfortable right now?”

After a full meal, a warm bath, wasn’t that enough to feel relaxed?

Seeing the curious look in her eyes, Gu Shi’an smiled in his dark eyes and whispered a few words.

Lin Yao’s face turned slightly red, and she pinched him in annoyance. Why was this man always thinking about such things?

Actually, Lin Yao had brought this on herself.

Earlier, she had been lazily lying on the bed, not wanting to move, but she had been hanging on Gu Shi’an, who had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with a body that was hard to resist.

Lin Yao’s small hands were mischievously exploring his waist, sometimes pinching his abs, sometimes playing with his ear.

She was having fun, completely forgetting the old saying: A man’s waist should not be touched casually.

She quickly turned over and wrapped herself up in the blanket.

By then, Gu Shi’an was already blowing out the candle.

In the dark, there was a sudden exclamation.

“Hmm… what are you doing?”

“Going to sleep.”

“……..”

*

At 8 in the morning, it was Lin Yao’s first day at work.

The whole Gu family was ready to help. Zhang Cuilan packed her breakfast, Gu Mancang and Gu Chunmei checked if she had everything in her bag, and Gu Shidong polished the bicycle until it shone.

Gu Shi’an was responsible for taking his wife to work.

Lin Yao only needed to focus on looking beautiful. She braided her long black hair into a plait, with a few strands of hair falling by her cheek. Her small face was as beautiful as a blooming peach, and her almond eyes sparkled with a gentle light.

Even though the factory’s loose work uniform hung on her, she still looked graceful and slender.

Aunt Dafu, seeing her in the yard, couldn’t help but sigh. “With that face, I bet many young men are admiring her.”

But unfortunately, Yao Yao is already married.

Being good-looking really made a difference. Even if she wore a sack, she would still look great.

After Aunt Dafu’s musings, she turned to go inside and grab her bowl and chopsticks for breakfast.

Today, they were having vegetable porridge and steamed cornmeal buns. Aunt Dafu was busy preparing, while Uncle Dafu sat there, casually cleaning his ears, looking incredibly content.

Seeing this, Aunt Dafu got frustrated.

This old man, sitting around all day, just waiting for his meals.

Lin Yao’s clothes were washed by Anzi, but this old man hadn’t even touched the dishcloth in the kitchen since she married into the family.

Why should she be the one to serve him?

While Aunt Dafu was fuming, Uncle Dafu added fuel to the fire by asking her to hurry up with the food.

Aunt Dafu, her temper flaring, gave him a good scolding.

The Gu family had long grown accustomed to Lin Yao’s beauty.

During breakfast, Lin Yao complimented everyone at the table, making everyone laugh happily, although there was one person who kept pestering her, intentionally leaning in next to her.

After finishing her meal, Lin Yao went back to her room to grab her bag, and Gu Shi’an appeared behind her without a sound.

Lin Yao gave him a shove. “Go away! Don’t get in the way!”

Gu Shi’an had no choice but to wait outside.

Before long, Lin Yao called out that she was thirsty and needed some water.

Gu Shi’an smiled, thinking to himself, see? His wife still needs him the most.