Chapter 60

As Lin Yao turned around, she found Gu Shi’an standing behind her. His deep, dark eyes held a trace of tenderness, and his large hands were soft to the touch.

Lin Yao, in high spirits, shook his hand playfully, squeezing it with both of hers.

Gu Shi’an smiled, allowing her to enjoy the moment.

While the young couple was being affectionate, Gu Shidong and Eldest Uncle Zhang were carrying the large iron pot from home.

Dongzi called out, “Sister-in-law, come help! This pot is going to flatten me. What fun things does my brother have?”

Eldest Uncle Zhang, with an expression of satisfaction, remarked, “Ah, young love is so delightful. It’s heartwarming to see.”

Lin Yao’s face turned red as she hurriedly ran away.

Gu Shi’an’s ears were slightly warm. He cleared his throat and went to help Gu Mancang lift the cabinet.

Zhang Cuilan gave Gu Shidong a stern look, scolding him to focus on his work and stop fooling around. She was eager to hold her grandchild, and the troublemaker was causing unnecessary disruption.

Gu Shidong, not offended by the scolding, made a funny face and continued moving things with a grin.

Eldest Uncle Zhang found this nephew of his quite rare, noting that the boy was easygoing and optimistic, traits that would likely bring him a prosperous life.

Whether this good fortune would manifest or not, Zhang Cuilan had her doubts, especially given how her youngest son could drive her mad with his antics.

The Gu family home had many miscellaneous items. The three mud-brick rooms were neatly organized. They arranged the large furniture and prepared the place for moving in, leaving everything else in a ready-to-use state.

While the family was busy, the newly joined orange kitten was restless. There was a small vegetable patch by the old house. Zhang Cuilan brought a bundle of neatly tied corn stalks and left them outside the kitchen to use for heating the stove later.

The mischievous kitten scurried over as soon as Zhang Cuilan left, scattering the neatly stacked corn stalks in no time.

Lin Yao was squatting by the rabbit hutch, observing the little rabbits. The orange kitten joined in, pawing at the rabbits inside the hutch. Lin Yao frowned and wanted to pick up the kitten, but it had rolled in mud earlier in the vegetable patch and was too dirty. She called Gu Shi’an to come and take the kitten away.

Gu Shi’an came over, lifted the kitten with one hand, and the little feline meowed and wriggled.

Taking the opportunity, Lin Yao petted the kitten and complained, “Ugh, it’s so dirty. Is it a male or female?”

Gu Shi’an examined the kitten and replied, “It’s a little male cat.”

A male cat, no wonder it’s so mischievous. Female cats are usually more adorable.

Lin Yao petted the kitten’s head again and said, “We’ll give you a bath later. Even male cats need to be clean and hygienic.”

The kitten seemed to understand who was in charge and meowed plaintively, looking very pitiful.

Once Lin Yao’s mood improved, she walked away with a smile.

Gu Shi’an set the kitten down, made a small nest for it using a bamboo basket lined with straw and cloth, and the kitten promptly jumped in and started licking its paws.

By 9 a.m., the old house was nearly set up. The main room had a painting of a plump child holding a fish on the wall. The Eight Immortals table was spotless, and all the teapots, enamel cups, and tea trays were neatly arranged. The surrounding walls were decorated with New Year’s pictures, and the straw mats and bedding from home were spread out.

Lin Yao filled a basin with hot water and, with Dongzi, wiped down the doors and windows of several rooms. Despite the cold weather, they were warm from the work.

The kitchen had two new clay stoves, freshly built and unused. There was a large water tank in the corner, and beside it was a new elm wood table with a dish rack and a low cabinet, all freshly varnished and emitting the scent of the wood.

Gu Mancang opened the cellar to air out the sweet potatoes and potatoes, making the most of the good weather.

The family worked hard again. As the New Year approached, the Red Flag Brigade was busy. Eldest Uncle Zhang, the brigade leader, had to help his sister organize the house before he could leave.

Zhang Cuilan knew her brother’s stubbornness; once he decided to leave, nothing could stop him. She didn’t insist on keeping him.

Eldest Uncle Zhang’s family had just welcomed a granddaughter, and his daughter-in-law was still in confinement. During winter, confinement required red sugar, eggs, and noodles.

While the eggs were plentiful because of their chickens, noodles and red sugar were harder to come by.

As the aunt, Zhang Cuilan had prepared these items in advance. She returned with a net bag containing a pound of red sugar, two pounds of noodles, and a thick stack of work gloves.

The Gu family, with its three factory workers, received a pair of work gloves every month, which they rarely used.

Zhang Cuilan handed the bag to Eldest Uncle Zhang, advising him, “Brother, it’s very cold this winter. When you and Second Brother are working, wear a pair of these gloves inside and another pair outside. These cotton gloves will prevent frostbite.”

Eldest Uncle Zhang, who worked outdoors all year round, was accustomed to his hands being frostbitten in winter.

He examined the cotton gloves with pleasure, noting, “The county’s gloves are much better. The factory’s ones are just a layer of cloth. Your sister-in-law used them to make shoe soles.”

Eldest Uncle Zhang’s wife, known for her resourcefulness, was indeed capable of such things.

Eldest Uncle Zhang smiled and took out a large piece of frozen pork and a sack of cabbage from the donkey cart, grinning as he said, “This year’s been tough, but our luck is good. With the wild boars running rampant because of the cold, they ended up in the village’s vegetable cellar. Second Brother and his friends managed to get a whole batch. We’ve got seventy to eighty pounds of meat, and Mom said to save some for you and my nephew and to give you some cabbage for the New Year.”

As he spoke, Eldest Uncle Zhang carried the heavy meat and cabbage on his shoulders.

The two items were too heavy for him to carry easily.

The meat was very heavy, and Lin Yao estimated it to be at least ten pounds. The sack of cabbage weighed several dozen pounds more.

Struggling with the weight, Eldest Uncle Zhang found it difficult to carry. Gu Mancang, though experienced, also had trouble.

Zhang Cuilan exclaimed, realizing how reckless her brother was to be carrying meat in broad daylight. She quickly checked the surroundings to ensure no one was watching and went inside to call her eldest son.

Gu Shi’an was in the yard, using a rake to clean the coal shed. When he heard his mother calling, he set the rake down and quickly walked out of the yard. Upon seeing the frozen pork on his uncle’s cart, his eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise, but he quickly composed himself.

He wasn’t particularly surprised by the meat his uncle brought. After all, when Gu Shi’an and his siblings were young, their uncles often sent meat to their home.

This is where living in the countryside has its advantages. The Red Flag Brigade is near the mountains, which are rich in resources. Wild boars, mountain chickens, and hares are plentiful, and people who know how to hunt enjoy a better life than those in the city.

Gu Shi’an easily carried the frozen meat and cabbage back to the yard.

Gu Shidong was envious, thinking about when he would grow to be as tall as his elder brother, towering at one meter eighty, looking impressive and dignified as he walked. That would be really cool.

Eldest Uncle Zhang sighed, lamenting that time waits for no one. He adjusted his fur hat, jumped onto the old donkey cart, and headed back to the Red Flag Brigade.

After seeing off  Eldest Uncle Zhang, the Gu family looked at the old clock in the main room and realized it was already 10:30. After a busy morning, it was time to prepare lunch.

The corn stalks used for burning were in a mess thanks to the little orange cat. Gu Shi’an had to take a hatchet and go to the nearby forest to chop some branches to bring back for firewood.

Lin Yao didn’t know how to manage the countryside stove, which was connected to a bellows. She had only seen such an ancient stove on a video platform.

When Gu Shi’an returned with the firewood, he saw the little girl trying to figure out how to use the stove, with the little orange cat sitting beside her, tilting its head curiously.

Hearing the noise outside, both the girl and the cat turned to look, their expressions exceptionally cute.

Lin Yao had just gotten a handful of soot from the stove and didn’t realize it had smeared all over her face. With her pretty little face covered in black, she cheerfully waved at Gu Shi’an.

“Old Gu, come and see how to use this stove. I’ve been at it for a while and still can’t figure it out…”

The eager Deputy Director Gu responded with a wry smile: “…….”

Hah, when you need something from him, he’s a ‘good brother,’ but when you don’t, he just becomes ‘old Gu’.

In the end, Lin Yao still didn’t learn how to use the stove.

She glanced at Gu Shi’an, who was sitting by the stove, managing the bellows, and thought to herself that it didn’t matter if she couldn’t use the stove as long as Old Gu was around.

For the Gu family’s first lunch in their new home, they simply heated some steamed cornbread, cooked a pot of golden millet porridge, and prepared some pickled bamboo shoots and salted vegetables. They had a modest meal in the yard.

After a busy morning, everyone was tired.

This winter has been unusual. It was sunny in the morning, but by around eleven, it became gloomy with a cold wind and the possibility of snow.

The earthen kang inside was ready, but there wasn’t enough firewood for the winter. Today, due to the cold, Gu Shi’an and his father went outside for half an hour and dragged back about twenty bundles of firewood.

The family quickly got the kang burning warmly, placed a small red clay stove on it, and started boiling water.

Lin Yao spread several thick cotton cushions with a rural floral pattern on the kang. She had sewn them herself, ensuring they were comfortable to lie on.

Gu Mancang and his wife each had two cushions in their room as well.

Zhang Cuilan couldn’t handle the cold and went inside to lie down. Gu Mancang worked in the vegetable garden for a while before returning to the house when snowflakes started to fall.

Meanwhile, the mischievous Dongzi couldn’t sleep. His mind was full of thoughts about the big piece of frozen pork his uncle had brought. He imagined his sister-in-law would fry some crispy pork cracklings from it. The thought of eating such delicious pork cracklings for the New Year made his mouth water.

Even if there was no frying, eating meatballs with pork fat would be fine too. The thought of biting into pork fat was so tempting.

Unable to sleep, Gu Shidong went to pester his sister-in-law.

Lin Yao, feeling sleepy herself, agreed to make pork cracklings for the little rascal that evening. The boy left, satisfied.

Inside the house, with the kang burning warmly, Lin Yao, wearing only a thin sweater, comfortably snuggled into Deputy Director Gu’s arms for a nap.

Far away, Lin Hongna was not enjoying such a peaceful moment.

Lin Hongna, who should have been full of vigor, paced around her room, looking worried and anxious.

Li Aifeng was fuming at home, “What’s the Sun’s family thinking? They want to marry our daughter into their family without paying any bride price, not holding a wedding feast, and not even registering the marriage. Do they think they can let our daughter enter their family without any ceremony? They have some nerve! Hongna, listen to your mother, you can’t agree to this. A girl getting married without a bride price and wedding feast is unheard of. It’s an old tradition that even the poorest in our village would give at least five yuan as a bride price! That Sun family’s wife is deliberately squeezing you. Don’t worry, you’re carrying their precious grandson. If they don’t give us three hundred yuan as bride price, they can’t marry you off!”

“Mom, what are you thinking? Right now, it’s the Sun family making demands on us. If Lin Hongna doesn’t agree to marry, they might really back out. If that happens, it’ll be a waste of effort, and Hongna, being pregnant, will have a hard time finding another husband.”

Lin Hongwu, lounging with his legs crossed, sneered at his mother.

“What man would want a woman who’s already pregnant these days? No one’s foolish enough to take on such a situation.”

Lin Daguo finally spoke up, “Hongwu is right. What’s important now is that she gets married to the Sun family. The bride price and wedding feast are not as important. Nowadays, weddings in the county don’t even have banquets. What’s the point of making a fuss about it in the countryside?”

The main concern was that if their daughter remained unmarried, Lin Daguo, who was lazy and unreliable, would not be able to support her.

Lin Daguo’s words made Li Aifeng furious. Her eyes widened in anger as she shouted, “You two fools! It’s a given that there should be a bride price when a daughter gets married. How can a beautiful girl like my daughter get married without any bride price? Are we raising her to be a burden? I’ve put in so much effort raising her, and you don’t care! It’s you two who are useless. If something like this happens, who will stand up for our family? You two should go confront the Sun family. I don’t believe they dare to refuse us. Yet our Lin family is full of spineless, useless people!”

Li Aifeng’s anger was so intense that she was practically spitting as she yelled, causing Lin Daguo and his son to step back to avoid getting sprayed.

Lin Hongwu, feeling lazy, shifted his position and let Li Aifeng continue her tirade.

After scolding Lin Daguo and his son, Li Aifeng turned her ire towards Lin Hongna.

“It’s all because of you, you useless girl! You’re pregnant and still, no one wants you. If it were Lin Yao, that little fox, she could fetch a good price just for her looks! You think not having a marriage certificate means you’re officially married? In the old days, even concubines had documentation! You’re even less than a concubine!”

Li Aifeng’s words were full of frustration and anger. She couldn’t understand why her daughter was worse off than that other woman’s daughter.

Lin Hongna’s blood boiled. When she heard Lin Yao’s name, she didn’t know what she thought of. She gritted her teeth and stomped her feet, deciding to get married without getting a marriage certificate!