Chapter 3: Hypothetical

◎If you had to choose one as a son-in-law, who would it be?◎

Gu Ying returned home in a rather good mood. She pulled a packet of white sugar from her pocket and placed it on the table.

Sun Lan, who was busy stir-frying in the kitchen, heard the commotion outside and poked her head out to glance around the main room. The moment her eyes landed on the neatly placed packet of sugar, she was startled.

Wiping her greasy hands on her apron in a hurry, she walked over and pointed at the sugar, asking sternly, “Where did this come from?”

“I bought it,” Gu Ying answered frankly.

“You bought it?” Sun Lan was alarmed. “Didn’t we run out of sugar coupons at home?”

Before Gu Ying could explain, Sun Lan had already jumped to conclusions.

In North City, there was a street where goods could be bought without ration coupons. Locals called it the “Black Street.” The name didn’t sound good and was somewhat unsavory, so over time, people started calling it “Qing Street” instead. Among the older generation, “black” and “qing” were considered the same color.

Most of the goods on Qing Street had unclear origins. Both buyers and sellers were well aware, but no one ever asked where things came from—they only talked prices. This kind of shadowy trade lived in a grey area. Everyone knew it wasn’t proper, but many people still went there to fulfill certain needs.

While most turned a blind eye to such matters, rules were still rules. If someone with ill intent saw it, exposed it, or reported it, big trouble could follow.

Staring at the sugar resting quietly on the table, Sun Lan couldn’t stop herself from trembling. In an instant, she imagined Gu Ying getting into trouble and dragging Gu Changming down, costing him his job.

Sun Lan’s nerves, which had been taut for the past month, finally reached a breaking point. Her tightly pressed pale lips trembled slightly. Just before she could explode, she heard Gu Ying speak crisply and clearly: “Relax, I bought it fair and square with a sugar coupon.”

Hearing this, Sun Lan instantly relaxed. It took her a while before she asked, “Where’d you get the sugar coupon?”

Gu Ying cleared her throat, looking a little uncomfortable. “Gui Xiwen gave it to me.”

Sun Lan, who had just calmed down, immediately tensed up again. She stared at Gu Ying, stunned. “Who did you say?”

“Gui Xiwen,” Gu Ying repeated with a straight face.

Sun Lan had heard correctly the first time—she just couldn’t believe it. How had Gu Ying suddenly gotten involved with Gui Xiwen? And how had things progressed to the point of receiving sugar coupons?

Like a flash of lightning, Sun Lan suddenly recalled the Chinese knot Gu Ying had been weaving. Could it be that the new friend Gu Ying mentioned was actually Gui Xiwen?

This thought made her break into a cold sweat. Just as she was about to question further, the overpowering smell of burning food interrupted her.

At this moment, nothing was more important than the food burning in the pot.

Without another word, Sun Lan rushed to save the now barely edible vegetables. After some maneuvering, the dish was salvaged to a tolerable state.

Still not giving up, Sun Lan brought up the topic again while scrubbing the pot. “Xiao Ying, is that new friend of yours Gui Xiwen?”

Gu Ying had just given the Chinese knot to Zhang Kuo, and he seemed to really like it. That made her quite happy. Now hearing her mom suggest that her new friend was Gui Xiwen, she felt insulted and protested angrily, “No! How could it be him? I’d never be friends with him.”

“Oh,” Sun Lan responded nonchalantly, then fired off a soul-piercing question: “If that’s the case, why would Gui Xiwen give you a sugar coupon?”

Gu Ying: “…”

“It wasn’t a gift—it was forced on me, okay?!”

Feeling the need to clear the air, Gu Ying decided to explain the whole situation thoroughly. Otherwise, with her mother’s wild imagination, who knew what strange ideas she might come up with?

Unexpectedly, after hearing the full story, Sun Lan chuckled and gave Gui Xiwen a decent review: “Didn’t think that besides his bad temper, he’s actually quite nice.”

Gu Ying was stunned. How had her thorough explanation ended up making Gui Xiwen look better?

Unconvinced, she muttered quietly, “I don’t see what’s so great about him. He’s not even half as good as Zhang Kuo.”

When Sun Lan heard Zhang Kuo’s name from Gu Ying’s mouth, she raised an eyebrow. She remembered what he looked like—average-looking, gentle-eyed, the kind of guy who seemed mild-tempered and wouldn’t stand out in a crowd.

It seemed Zhang Kuo was actually the new friend Gu Ying had made recently.

Wanting to tease her daughter, Sun Lan raised her voice on purpose. “That’s not fair now. Sure, Gui Xiwen has a bad temper, but his other qualities are pretty great. He’s the most handsome young man in our whole courtyard, you know.”

Gu Ying immediately disagreed. “Everyone has their own preferences. I think Zhang Kuo looks way better than him.”

Sun Lan snickered to herself. She knew Gu Ying was fiercely protective of those close to her. She just hadn’t expected it to reach this level—completely throwing objectivity out the window.

Then Sun Lan added, “But Gui Xiwen is a top university graduate. What kind of education does your friend Zhang Kuo have?”

Gu Ying was a bit upset. “What’s wrong with being a college student? Look at Gui Xiwen — does he look anything like one?”

In Gu Ying’s memory, Gui Xiwen didn’t have the slightest air of a cultured man. On the contrary, Zhang Kuo appeared more refined, like someone well-educated.

Sun Lan stole a glance at Gu Ying. Seeing her face flushed with anger, she found it a bit amusing. Then she added, “And one more thing — Gui Xiwen’s father is the deputy factory director. I heard he’ll be promoted soon. Isn’t that family background better than Zhang Kuo’s?”

This time Gu Ying couldn’t hold it in. Her expression darkened with displeasure.

Sun Lan wasn’t wrong — in terms of looks, education, and family background, Gui Xiwen was indeed superior. But when it came to being with someone, could it really be based on just those things?

If that were the case, then why bother considering personality in friendships or relationships? Just go by appearances and background alone.

Gu Ying disliked how Sun Lan judged Zhang Kuo with such a materialistic mindset. In her heart, Zhang Kuo was far better than Gui Xiwen, but her mother insisted on using worldly standards to measure him, making Zhang Kuo seem worthless in comparison.

Gu Ying was truly upset. She glared at Sun Lan with grievance, as if waiting for her to take back her words.

But after a long while, Sun Lan didn’t take back anything. Instead, she concluded, “So aside from having a bad temper, there’s really nothing to criticize about Gui Xiwen.”

“Mom!” Gu Ying’s face was full of frustration. “You can’t be bought over with just a bag of sugar and start praising Gui Xiwen all the time!”

Sun Lan tapped her on the head. “You’re the one who shouldn’t be so stuck on first impressions. I know you — if someone doesn’t give you a good feeling the first time, you just don’t like them, and there’s no changing your mind. I’ve always warned you not to offend Gui Xiwen, but even so, we should still acknowledge the good things about him.”

Seeing that Sun Lan had no intention of changing her stance, and was even praising Gui Xiwen more and more, Gu Ying couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out a question: “If you had to choose between Zhang Kuo or Gui Xiwen as your son-in-law, who would you pick?”

As soon as the words fell, both of them froze.

Gu Ying felt a little guilty, but she kept her eyes fixed on Sun Lan. Her mother’s non-stop praise of Gui Xiwen had made her uneasy, and she needed a definite answer.

Sun Lan suddenly smiled.

She reached out to touch Gu Ying’s puffed-up little head, her tone gentle. “I’d choose Zhang Kuo.”

Gu Ying immediately calmed down. Like a kitten, she rubbed against Sun Lan’s arm, her soft voice tinged with pride, “I knew it.”

Sun Lan looked at her daughter and smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Gu Ying had grown up under her care. Because of her poor health, she spent most of her time at home and had limited interactions with people. Nearly twenty years old, yet still childlike in many ways.

Gu Ying wasn’t naive — she was smart and had her own little schemes. But when it came to worldly values, she was frighteningly innocent.

Sun Lan couldn’t help but worry. She feared that one day, Gu Ying’s innocence would lead her to suffer.

Just like now — Gu Ying thought she chose Zhang Kuo because he was better than Gui Xiwen.

But the truth was, Zhang Kuo was a possible candidate, while Gui Xiwen was never even an option.

The deputy factory director’s son, a prestigious university student, outstanding in looks and future — even with a bad temper, plenty of people were still after him.

His former fiancée, Ming Xue, was the flower of the factory compound, and her father was also a deputy director. That’s the kind of girl who matched Gui Xiwen.

Now that he had just been dumped by Ming Xue, who knew how many families were already plotting to take advantage?

Someone that outstanding, with such a bright future, would never choose someone as plain as Gu Ying. That “either-or” question was meaningless from the start.

Sun Lan sighed, but a part of her was also relieved.

Luckily, Gu Ying had set her sights on Zhang Kuo. His father was just an ordinary worker at the factory, and so was Gu Ying’s father, Gu Changming. Both Zhang Kuo and Gu Ying had finished high school, both were of average appearance — in every way, they were a good match. It wouldn’t be a bad thing if they ended up together.

But Gu Ying didn’t see it that way. These worldly standards of being “well matched” weren’t what mattered most to her. She had other considerations.

Sun Lan always thought Gu Ying was childlike. In truth, Gu Ying sometimes thought quite deeply.

She was already twenty. In Nancheng, some girls her age were already mothers. Gu Ying had long thought about the kind of person she wanted to spend her life with.

She wanted someone with a stable job — someone who could accept her weak health, who wouldn’t expect her to do heavy work and would be okay with her doing light handcrafts to help out.

She hoped he had a mild temper — that way, arguments wouldn’t escalate to physical fights. With her frail body, she wouldn’t stand a chance.

Gu Ying didn’t really care about height, weight, or appearance. She was a practical person who focused on practical concerns.

And Zhang Kuo met both her main criteria. Plus, Gu Ying could tell that Zhang Kuo liked her.

Thinking of the Chinese knot she gave him that evening, and her mother’s clear choice, Gu Ying lay in bed that night hugging her embroidered pillow, smiling as she drifted into a sweet dream.

Early the next morning, just as dawn broke, soft rustling sounds came from the room. Still deep in a pleasant dream, Gu Ying refused to open her eyes, burying her head in the pillow.

After a while, the noise suddenly stopped. In a daze, Gu Ying heard Sun Lan leaning close and giving her instructions:

“Xiao Ying, I’m heading out for a bit. Go eat breakfast in the cafeteria — if you don’t have meal tickets, ask your big brother, he’s on duty today.”

“If you don’t want to go to the cafeteria, Old Chen’s stall is fine too. Just don’t go to Old Wang’s — Gui Xiwen has been eating there lately. Don’t run into him.”

“But if you do run into him, it’s okay. Just eat your breakfast, don’t start trouble, don’t meddle, and don’t ask questions you shouldn’t. Got it?”

In a half-dream, half-awake state, Gu Ying let out a few soft sounds, then heard the wooden door close—Sun Lan had gone out.

After sleeping for another hour, Gu Ying finally got up reluctantly.

She washed up, closed the door, and glanced in the direction of the factory cafeteria before decisively walking in the opposite direction.

Even breakfast at the factory cafeteria required tickets. But that wasn’t why Gu Ying avoided it—her eldest brother, Gu Chengzhi, was the head chef there. It would’ve been easy for him to get her a few breakfast tickets.

The real reason was that the cafeteria breakfast was always the same: steamed buns, mantou, fried dough sticks, porridge, pancakes… Gu Ying was sick of it.

She wanted to eat fried sugar cakes, stuffed egg pancakes, and savory tofu pudding at Old Chen’s breakfast stall.

Old Chen’s stall had been set up for a while, and quite a few people were already seated. Those rushing to work ate quickly, while those who didn’t have to work took their time, eating and chatting leisurely.

Zhang Tao shuffled over in slippers. Seeing the dense crowd around Old Chen’s stall from afar, he cursed under his breath and complained to the person beside him, “Didn’t they say there would be fewer people here? Why is it packed?”

Gui Xiwen stopped in his tracks and stared at Zhang Tao with a cloudy expression. “You want to go back?”

“Oh come on, we’re already here. I’m starving, not running around. And there are even more people at Old Wang’s place—let’s just eat here.”

As they spoke, Zhang Tao saw three or four people leave a table, and he quickly tugged Gui Xiwen’s arm, dragging him over to grab the seats.

Just as they were about to reach the stall, Zhang Tao abruptly stopped in his tracks, frozen.

He had seen someone—a woman. A woman who was not ideal to run into right now.

Zhang Tao turned and grabbed Gui Xiwen’s arm, trying to pull him away. “Forget it, let’s go eat at Old Wang’s after all.”

But it was too late. Gui Xiwen had already seen Ming Xue sitting at a table with a few of her girlfriends.

Gui Xiwen merely gave their table a cold glance, then pulled his arm free from Zhang Tao’s grip and said expressionlessly, “If they can eat here, why can’t I?”

Zhang Tao swallowed hard and replied with difficulty, “You can. You can eat wherever you want.”

Zhang Tao fetched a small wooden stool for Gui Xiwen but couldn’t help leaning in to whisper, “You really want to eat here? Didn’t you see how people are looking at you?”

The news that Gui Xiwen and Ming Xue’s engagement was being called off had become the latest gossip in the compound. Everyone felt it was a shame—after all, they seemed like the perfect couple—and speculated on the reason.

Since it was Ming Xue who had initiated the breakup, people assumed Gui Xiwen must have been at fault. The general consensus was that he had a terrible temper and that Ming Xue couldn’t tolerate it anymore.

There were other wild theories too, but the belief that Gui Xiwen had a bad temper dominated. Everyone also assumed he wouldn’t take the breakup lying down and would surely retaliate somehow.

Even Sun Lan had been warning Gu Ying to be careful around Gui Xiwen lately, all because of the compound’s gossip, as if he was just biding his time to take revenge on Ming Xue.

But Gui Xiwen himself was completely unaware of all this.

Now, it was as if the people sitting at the breakfast stall had finally gotten front-row seats to the drama they’d been waiting for. Everyone slowed down their eating, not wanting to miss a second of the show.

Zhang Tao couldn’t handle the intense, watchful stares. He shifted uncomfortably and nervously suggested to Gui Xiwen, “How about we find another spot?”

Gui Xiwen pulled a pair of chopsticks from the table and replied calmly, “No.”

Zhang Tao: “…”

Well then, if the person involved was this composed, he should try to act composed too.

But Zhang Tao really couldn’t stay calm. The stares around him felt like they were about to eat him alive. He hadn’t done anything! He just came out for breakfast!

And those glares from Ming Xue’s table—why did they look like he had wronged them too? He hadn’t bullied anyone!

Under all these accusatory gazes, Zhang Tao felt like he was sitting on needles. He twisted and fidgeted on the little wooden stool like a pretzel.

At that moment, he saw a familiar figure walking toward them from not far away. It was like he had been saved. He immediately stood up and waved excitedly at her. “Hey, Gu Ying! Morning! You’re here for breakfast too? Come on over, there’s a free seat here for you.”

In an instant, more than a dozen eyes turned toward Gu Ying in unison.

Gu Ying froze in her tracks, stunned.

What was with these people? Why were they all staring at her?

Also… why was Gui Xiwen having breakfast here? Didn’t he usually go to Old Wang’s stall?

Wait, most importantly—why was Zhang Tao greeting her so warmly? Were they even that close?

They had only met yesterday!