Chapter 67

Su Ye had no particular fondness for hoarding gold bars, but it was hard to resist the allure of these shiny little treasures.

The small “yellow fish” gold bars were about an inch long, flat in the middle, and rounded at the ends. Likely from years of handling, they had been worn smooth, and the engraved characters on them were barely legible. She touched them repeatedly before carefully putting them back into the box.

During the war-torn era of the Republic of China, currency depreciated rapidly, and gold was the most stable form of exchange. Families with some savings often preferred to store their wealth in gold bars. Nowadays, even a house was probably worth less than these “yellow fish.” Three or four of them could buy a small courtyard house in Beijing. This was precisely why Su Ye had no interest in hoarding property.

So… how could Su Ye accept such valuable “yellow fish”?

It was clear at first glance that these must have been wedding mementos for Professor Ning and his wife. Su Ye occasionally sent food to the Ning family out of admiration for Professor Ning, a rare, national treasure-level scientist, and lent a helping hand out of respect.

Without hesitation, Su Ye returned the gold bars before they even had a chance to warm in her hands.

Over at the Ning household, they had just finished their meal and hadn’t even wiped the oil from their mouths when they saw Su Ye rush in, stuffing the gold back into Mother Ning’s hands. With a smile, Su Ye pulled one gold bar from the box, waved it, and said,

“One is enough. These aren’t necklaces or watches—if people didn’t know better, they’d think this was part of a wedding dowry. Aunt Ning, you’d better save this for Xingdou’s future wife!”

After saying that, Su Ye dashed off before anyone could protest.

Mother Ning let out a heavy sigh. “This kid!”

Su Ye returning the gold showed she wasn’t someone who valued money above all else. While Mother Ning verbally scolded her, the subtle, delighted smile at the corner of her eyes betrayed her true feelings.

Grandma Zhou chuckled and said, “That’s just who Su Ye is. Don’t underestimate her—you can’t win her over with money.”

After all, Su Ye wasn’t lacking for money. As the daughter-in-law of the Gu family, how could she be short on cash? If you wanted to give her something, you’d have to find something that suited her tastes. After much thought, Zhou Honghan had given Su Ye a house—after all, when the young couple had kids, their single dormitory wouldn’t be big enough.

Mother Ning, however, wasn’t one for overthinking. As she held the small gold bars, an idea came to her, and she blurted out, “Su Ye isn’t wrong—what our family really lacks is a daughter to add to the dowry!”

Grandma Zhou looked at her, stunned. Realizing Mother Ning wasn’t joking, she was left speechless for a long while.

—

On the other side, Gu Xiangqian hadn’t even reached home when he caught a whiff of the rich aroma in the air. Smiling slightly, as if realizing something, he let the thought linger.

The young soldier following behind was stunned by the smile he just saw. Was this really the stern, serious leader he knew?

Sure enough, when Gu Xiangqian arrived home, he was greeted by a steaming table of food, with the stove still warm and half a roast duck sitting on it.

The rose-colored roast duck meat was sliced neatly and arranged on a plate. Two entire duck legs had been removed intact—plump and juicy, with a crispy, glistening red skin that shone like glazed enamel under the sunlight, as if polished with beeswax.

The young soldier accompanying Gu Xiangqian stared at the table full of delicious dishes, instinctively rubbing his eyes.

He felt both astonished and envious. He had thought it was already excessive that Gu ^[1]“连” (Lian), on the other hand, means to connect, link, or join, and it is usually used in phrases that imply continuity, connection, or a group of people connected in some way. It can … Continue readingLian got to eat meat during field training. But to think he had roast duck at home as well!

If it weren’t for the constant reminders from his growling stomach, the young soldier might have thought he was hallucinating. During this season of scarcity, having meat was a rarity, yet for Gu Lian, eating meat every day seemed so ordinary.

Aside from the tempting roast duck, the table also had a dish of ruby-red braised pork and a crisp plate of shredded cucumber. The room was filled with a rich, fragrant aroma that made everything feel warm, comforting, and blissful.

Gu Xiangqian paused for a moment after opening the door. Although he had expected his wife to prepare something delicious, he never imagined she would make roast duck.

He coughed lightly, then calmly took a document from the room and handed a file to his subordinate without changing his expression.

Just then, Su Ye returned from the Ning house and bumped into the two. The young soldier immediately stood at attention and saluted, calling her “Sister-in-law.”

Su Ye smiled warmly. “You’re back. Why don’t you invite him in for a seat?”

The young soldier’s eyes lit up when he saw Gu Lian’s wife.

Everyone had heard that Gu Lian’s wife came from the countryside and was said to be quite pretty, but he didn’t expect her to be this fair and elegant. She was tall and slender, and though her clothes were plain and similar to what others wore, they looked particularly flattering on her, exuding a natural, effortless charm.

Gu Xiangqian shot his subordinate a glance and said, “No need. He has work to do later. Let him take the documents and leave.”

He handed the file to the young soldier. Meanwhile, Su Ye quickly wrapped a few slices of duck meat in oil paper and passed it to him. “Take this and enjoy it later.”

Holding the wrapped duck meat, the young soldier felt the weight of her kindness. His youthful face flushed bright red, and even after leaving the Gu house, he still felt as though the entire experience was unreal.

Sister-in-law is so kind!

She was nothing like the rumors claimed—that she was difficult to get along with.

Su Ye sized up Gu Xiangqian for a few seconds. He was dressed in a neat and efficient pine green outfit, his sleeves rolled up to his arms. It was very hot, and beads of sweat were constantly running down his forehead, making his features even more striking and intense, which stirred something in her chest.

She had just returned from the Ning house, and along the way, she had seen quite a few soldiers and officers returning from field training. They were all tanned to a dark, coal-like color, except for Gu Xiangqian, who remained a healthy light wheat color.

“You stink of sweat, go take a shower first. After you’re done, come back and eat,” Su Ye said, leaning in to sniff him, her tone filled with disgust.

She casually took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Gu Xiangqian, rarely complying, lowered his head for her to wipe him. After a moment, he gently brushed Su Ye’s hair and said, “Thank you.”

Gu Xiangqian quickly took a shower, making sure to take advantage of the time, and came out wrapped in the lingering steam to eat.

These past few days, the field training had been tough and harsh. All he had eaten was dry rations with the troops. It felt as though he had been starving for a long time. After a few mouthfuls of rice, he quickly finished a bowl, and then refilled two more, packing the rice down tightly. Only after finishing the meal did he feel like he was truly alive again.

Gu Xiangqian leisurely began eating the dishes, finally looking like someone enjoying a proper meal.

How can dry rations compare to the soft, fragrant rice from home? Plus, there was the homemade braised pork, which tasted even better than divine meat.

The duck skin is crispy and tender, sweet and delicious, with a thin layer of fat underneath that makes it extra fragrant. The duck meat was tender without being fishy, fatty without being greasy.

While the taste might not compare to the signature roast duck from Jufu Restaurant’s master chef, the meat was fresh and flavorful in its own right, offering a unique taste that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Gu Xiangqian finished his meal and contentedly squinted his eyes.

“Delicious!” Gu Xiangqian praised without hesitation.

Su Ye rested her chin on her hands, smiling as she said, “I caught two ducks yesterday, and there’s still half left. If you’re not full, there’s more over there.”

The rumor about “wild ducks chasing Su Ye” spread faster than people’s two legs. Before Gu Xiangqian had even returned to the compound, he had already heard it. Thinking about it, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

“I’m full. How could I not be full with so much food?”

“Then go wash the dishes,” Su Ye sent Gu Xiangqian off to do housework.

Gu Xiangqian didn’t hesitate. He picked up the dishes and went to the sink to wash them. After finishing the dishes, he frowned, picked up a broom, and swept the house from top to bottom. Before leaving, the house was neat and everything was in its place, but after coming back, it seemed like a layer of dust had settled, and everything was in a mess.

Su Ye was correcting homework while secretly admiring the muscles of the man.

Gu Xiangqian was wearing a white tank top, revealing his light wheat-colored arms. The muscles, built up from years of training, were evenly distributed and beautifully defined. The honey-colored texture of his skin, illuminated by the sunlight, exuded raw strength.

Su Ye admired him for a while before the doorbell rang.

It was Fang Xiulian.

She had heard that Su Ye made roast duck, so she couldn’t wait to visit her at home.

“Sis, I have something I want to give you,” she said, taking a piece of fabric out of her bag and smiling as she handed it to Su Ye.

Fang Xiulian proudly introduced, “This is dacron. Don’t underestimate it. It’s an imported product from abroad, very popular with the young people in the Shanghai market. I cut one piece to make a shirt for Maogang. His build is similar to Gu Xiangqian’s, so this piece of fabric is just enough to make clothes for him.”

Fang Xiulian waved the fabric in her hand, her expression excited.

Su Ye had indeed heard of “dacron” because it was durable, stiff, easy to iron and wash, and resistant to wrinkles, making it quite popular among the public. But because it was imported, it wasn’t cheap. One piece of dacron could make several cotton shirts.

Recently, it has even been featured in the newspapers. Due to a drop in grain production this year, cotton output also decreased, so China increased its imports of dacron. A state-run store in the Shanghai market had just stocked dacron, and due to high demand, the store’s windows were shattered, and many people were injured in the rush.

Over in C city, “dacron” was so scarce that people couldn’t even get in line fast enough. As soon as word got out that there was stock, the fabric would sell out with a swish. However, even though it was in high demand, Su Ye had never bothered to queue for it.

But… wasn’t dacron just ordinary polyester? A cheap, common fabric in the new century, extracted from petroleum, non-breathable, and not warm. Su Ye didn’t want to be a fool, so she didn’t follow the trendy fashion of buying it.

Fang Xiulian peeked inside, and Su Ye remembered that Gu Xiangqian was only wearing a tank top and shorts, working. She didn’t want anyone to see that enticing scene, so she quickly invited Fang Xiulian to the living room.

“Wait, don’t wander around. Gu Xiangqian just mopped the floor…” Su Ye quickly went to the kitchen, cut some roast duck meat, wrapped it in oil paper, and handed it to Fang Xiulian.

She smiled and said, “Thank you for the ‘dacron’. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know when I’d be able to wear such foreign goods!”

Fang Xiulian had been living quite well lately. Her cousin had helped her solve her food shortages. Not only was she no longer lacking in food, but she also had pork to eat every few days.

She whispered to Su Ye, “It’s nothing, sis! Recently, I found a way to buy grain. The rice is two yuan per jin, and the Fuxiang flour is three yuan. If you’re short on food, I can spare some for you.”

Su Ye nearly choked when she heard the familiar grain prices—it was the grain she sold to Mrs. Fang.

Buying her own grain? That was quite the move. She managed to keep her expression in check, smiling as she said, “Thank you, Xiulian. We still have enough food for now. If we run low, we’ll ask you for some. But be careful when buying grain from the black market yourself.”

Fang Xiulian’s eyes darted around, eager to gossip with Su Ye about food, but seeing Su Ye’s righteous look, she realized it wasn’t the right time for such talk. She swallowed her words and decided not to bring it up.

“Alright, sis, thank you for the roast duck!”

Su Ye sent Fang Xiulian off, then took the dacron fabric into the room, placing it on the desk before she finally returned to her homework.

Gu Xiangqian had finished mopping the floor and noticed Su Ye was lost in thought. He stood beside her for quite a while without her noticing.

Suddenly, Su Ye looked up and saw Gu Xiangqian. She smiled at him and said, “Xiangqian, just now Xiulian gave us a piece of dacron. The fabric is really fashionable. Maogang also has a dacron shirt. Should I have the tailor make one for you?”

Su Ye looked at the dacron in her hands, feeling a bit emotional. It was just an ordinary, cheap fabric, yet in this time of scarcity, it was so highly sought after.

Over the past six months, Su Ye had experienced the struggles of “dressing difficulties.” Thinking about how China, once the leading producer of chemical fibers, now faced such domestic clothing shortages, made her realize just how far behind the country had fallen.

If only Su Ye understood how chemical fibers were made, she would probably try to do something about it.

Gu Xiangqian, hearing his wife’s words, replied without thinking, “No need, I have enough clothes. You keep the fabric, and let the tailor make clothes for you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he opened the wardrobe to organize his things and found only women’s white and blue shirts, black pants—all the same style, made in several sets. He could probably wear a new one every day without anyone noticing. Gu Xiangqian was silent for a moment, picked a few clothes from the wardrobe, and took them to be cleaned.

Su Ye hadn’t finished her homework yet, but the house was already tidied up by the man, with the floor shining so brightly it reflected his shadow.

After finishing his chores, Gu Xiangqian leisurely grabbed a high school math book from the desk and asked Su Ye, “You’re probably preparing for graduation exams soon. Are you nervous? Do you need my help?”

Although Gu Xiangqian wasn’t on the level of Zhou Honghan or Professor Ning, he had studied abroad. Flipping through the book nonchalantly, he said, “Actually, my science is quite good.”

After he said that, Su Ye didn’t respond. Gu Xiangqian continued flipping through the book, planning to test her, but then he paused, his voice fading.

Inside the book was a lesson plan, filled with dense notes on derivations, classic problem types, and variations, all analyzed very clearly. Su Ye didn’t look like a student, she looked more like a teacher preparing review material for students.

Gu Xiangqian flipped through the notes she had written, carefully reading through them, then looked down at her. Her oval-shaped face and those dark, bright eyes became even more radiant with concentration. She held the pen firmly, diligently marking students’ exam papers, and meticulously gave a score of 85.

Su Ye knew very well how impressive Gu Xiangqian was. “My science is alright” was a modest way of putting it. He was a student at the Military Academy of Sciences and later shone under the mentorship of Professor Ning. Ask him the result of a two-digit number multiplied by a three-digit number, and he could quickly solve it.

Compared to someone like him, who was a natural at this, Su Ye considered herself a steady, hardworking, and diligent worker.

She twirled her pen and teased, “No need, ^[2]“why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut” means using an excessively large or forceful tool for a task that doesn’t require such a heavy-handed approach. It’s a way of saying … Continue readingwhy use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? But there are some things I don’t know, and I’d like to ask for your advice.”

Su Ye motioned for Gu Xiangqian to come closer. When he leaned down, she kissed him on the cheek.

“Well, it’s been a while… have you thought it through?”