Chapter 28.2

Guan Yue also felt that the meal was very satisfying, but the key was that Gu Sui hadn’t let her eat enough. There was just a little left, just enough to leave her wanting more, exactly what she was thinking about.

When Gu Sui returned, Guan Yue rubbed her warm belly and said to him, “I want to eat it again tomorrow.”

“Be good, we won’t have it tomorrow, but in a few days.”

Guan Yue chased after him, asking, “Which day in a few days?”

“In a few days? Well, just in a few days!” Gu Sui teased her, refusing to say exactly when.

Guan Yue stamped her foot. “If you won’t make it for me, I’ll make it myself.”

Gu Sui sneered. “It’s not that I look down on you, but the Laba porridge you make—will it even be the same as today’s?”

Guan Yue glanced at her soft, fair fingers—pretty to look at, but useless!

She gave up and decided to wait for Gu Sui to make it for her next time.

They both laughed and joked around as Xiao Ma came up to deliver the cleaned bowls and also take away a bag of magical medicinal powder.

By this time, it was nearly eleven o’clock, and they followed Xiao Ma down the mountain, ready to go to the Qingsong Brigade for lunch.

On the way, Xiao Ma said, “You guys go ahead and eat. If anyone asks about the nurse recruitment at the sanatorium, just reject them directly. Our sanatorium will be transferring nurses from other hospitals, we’re not hiring locally.”

Guan Yue, who hadn’t gone down the mountain yet, was unaware of the situation. “Has someone been asking about it?”

“Not sure if they’ve been asking, but when the sanatorium was being built, some of the people who came to work there even wanted to send their daughters to work with us. They even said they wouldn’t need a salary.”

“What, no salary?”

Xiao Ma laughed heartily. “If they won’t take a salary, we definitely wouldn’t dare hire them.”

Gu Sui, holding Guan Yue’s hand, said, “Anyway, you don’t know them. If they ask you, just say you don’t know, and don’t bother with them.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not some pushover. Whether their daughters become nurses or not, what does it have to do with me?”

When they reached the foot of the mountain, they parted ways with Xiao Ma. Outside the valley, Gu Sui let go of Guan Yue’s hand.

She wasn’t holding his hand anymore, and for some reason, it felt a bit strange.

Walking side by side, Guan Yue reached over to take Gu Sui’s hand.

Gu Sui gently squeezed her palm. “It’s quite warm.”

After saying that, he let go of her hand again.

Guan Yue, unwilling to give up, walked around to his other side. “Take my other hand.”

Gu Sui held her hand briefly. “It’s warm too.”

Then he let go once more.

Guan Yue stopped in her tracks and said, a little sternly, “Why won’t you hold my hand?”

Gu Sui stopped as well and smiled softly. “Stop fooling around. We’re outside, people might see us, and it wouldn’t be good for your reputation.”

Guan Yue quickly caught up to him and took his hand. “What does holding hands have to do with my reputation? We’re in a legitimate relationship, can’t we hold hands?”

She didn’t leap at him, after all, her parents had raised her with strict manners.

Gu Sui had no choice but to keep holding her hand. They walked all the way to the Qingsong Brigade before he finally released her hand.

As guests of the woman’s family, Gu Sui took her to Li Tao’s house.

Li Tao was wearing a red outfit today, with a long, thick braid on her head, the end of which was tied with a red flower that Guan Yue had given her. It looked particularly beautiful.

The girls in the village gathered around Li Tao. “Yo, that red flower looks so nice! Can I borrow it to wear for a day when I get married?”

“I don’t need to wear it for a whole day, Taozi, just half a day will do.”

“Taozi, we’re such good friends, you wouldn’t say no, right?”

Li Tao really didn’t want to lend it out. She couldn’t bear to part with it herself, let alone lend it to someone else.

As she was feeling conflicted, Li Tao saw Guan Yue coming and her eyes lit up. “Guan Yue, you’re here!”

Guan Yue smiled, taking her in. “You look so pretty today, the red really suits you.”

Li Tao grinned broadly. “I have to thank you for the whitening pills you gave me. Even my mom says I don’t look like her daughter anymore.”

Li Tao had been taking whitening pills for several months, and after paying attention to sun protection, her skin was now even fairer than some of the female Educated Youths from the city.

Her fair skin and the red outfit made her look particularly beautiful.

The girls who had been with Li Tao noticed her chatting happily with Guan Yue, and a look of envy flashed in their eyes.

Having a good relationship with Guan Yue sure had its benefits. If they had known, they would’ve gone up the mountain to find Guan Yue too. Their cooking skills weren’t any worse than Li Tao’s.

After Guan Yue arrived, the chatter from the girls immediately quieted down.

Guan Yue didn’t know what to say, but at the right moment, Gu Sui came over. “It’s almost time. He Wen and the groomsmen are already halfway here, better get ready.”

“Oh no, they’re here.”

“Taozi, go inside and close the door.”

Zhang Cuihua ran out and shouted, “Li Da, go block the door.”

“Mom, I’m ready.” Li Da was standing at the door with a stick wrapped in red cloth.

“Oh, my fermented rice eggs!” Zhang Cuihua quickly turned and ran to the kitchen.

According to local customs, when the groom’s party arrived, the bride’s family needed to serve a bowl of fermented rice eggs to entertain them. But if they couldn’t part with the eggs, offering a bowl of sugar water would suffice.

Guan Yue wanted to join the excitement, but Gu Sui stopped her. “You stay in the yard, they’ll be coming in soon.”

Lin Haiyin, holding her son, smiled and said, “Gu Sui is right, just wait in the yard. If you really want to watch, you can go into the main room, grab a chair, and place it by the wall to stand on and watch from there.”

Guan Yue was eager to go, but Gu Sui pulled her back. “Climbing walls to watch is for kids. You’re an adult now.”

Guan Yue snorted. “Fine, I won’t watch then.”

As they were talking, He Wen and the groomsmen arrived.

He Wen shouted loudly, “Li Tao, I’m here to take you!”

Laughter erupted from everyone inside and outside the house.

Li Da, holding a ceremonial stick, blocked the door. “It’s not that easy. You think you can just come and take her? Hmph, you’re dreaming!”

He Wen tried to act cute. “Eldest Brother-in-law, what should we do?”

He Wen spoke in a lowered voice, and Li Da responded with a teasing grin. “Heh, first, call me ‘Eldest Brother-in-law’ ten times so I can feel it.”

He Wen called out “Eldest Brother-in-law” once, and Li Da smiled with satisfaction.

While He Wen continued flattering Li Da, he exchanged glances with the other groomsmen. Two of them grabbed Li Da, while the others either climbed over the wall or opened the door, all shouting as they rushed inside.

Li Da stomped his foot in anger. “He Wen, you little rascal, cheating!”

By then, He Wen had already pulled Li Tao out and was grinning. “Eldest Brother-in-law, forgive me. I’ll make it up to you when we come back.”

Zhang Cuihua grumbled, “I knew Li Da was a fool. He let them in so easily.”

Lin Haiyin smiled slightly. “There’s something good about being a fool.”

The fermented rice eggs were served, and the guests ate them. The young men and women laughed and made their way toward He Wen’s house.

Guan Yue and Gu Sui walked behind.

Guan Yue remarked, “It’s funny, they have nothing, yet they’re so happy to get married.”

Gu Sui squeezed her hand. “What would make you happy if you were getting married?”

Guan Yue stood on her tiptoes and leaned toward his ear, whispering, “All I need is you.”

At that moment, the corner of Gu Sui’s mouth nearly reached his ears!

Lin Haiyin, holding the child, followed behind. Seeing the couple walking so closely together, she couldn’t help but smile.

Everyone was so happy.

Zhang Cuihua took the child from her. “You’ve been holding the baby all morning. Take a break, I’ll hold it for a while.”

“Hey, thank you, Mom.”

“We’re family, why thank me? In a little while, let Li Da hold Qingxi. Isn’t he a father? Shouldn’t he take care of things? You can only have the kill-the-pig soup once a year, so free up your hands and eat more.”

Lin Haiyin sweetly responded, “Still, Mom cares about me.”

Li Tao’s wedding was simple yet lively. Guan Yue was involved, and every cheerful, simple face was engraved in her heart.

This era was also quite good.

After the simple wedding, someone outside shouted, “The kill-the-pig soup is ready.”

“The food’s ready!”

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

“Haha, I want to sit with the kids.”

“You little rascal, so cunning.”

The people around He Wen’s house scattered like birds and beasts, rushing towards the dining area, and so did He Wen and Li Tao.

Li Tao picked the red flower and asked He Wen to hide it for her. Then she hurried to the kitchen to grab bowls and chopsticks.

Li Tao casually handed Guan Yue two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks. “Take these, let’s go quickly.”

Guan Yue was completely confused. What was going on?

Gu Sui said, “Later, there will only be one big pot of kill-the-pig soup on the table, and you need to bring your own bowls and chopsticks.”

How could one be slow when grabbing food? Guan Yue was dragged forward by Li Tao. When they arrived, Li Tao quickly pulled Guan Yue to a spot.

Just as Guan Yue steadied herself, Gu Sui shoved the bowls and chopsticks into her hands, and the next second, a steaming pot of kill-the-pig soup was placed in front of them.

Before the pot even touched the table, the eager people had already stretched their chopsticks over.

“What’s the rush? Can’t you wait for a moment?”

No one paid attention to the person serving the food; they grabbed their chopsticks and dug in!

At first, Guan Yue moved slowly, like at home, carefully picking up a piece, but when she saw everyone else eating so aggressively, she too was swept up in the excitement, and her chopsticks were flying.

Whether or not they ate was unimportant; what mattered was the sense of achievement in grabbing food.

With Guan Yue’s speed, if she were serious, she would have no problem saying that the food on the table was just scraps.

Guan Yue, deeply immersed in the frenzy of grabbing food, had filled her bowl and then directly pushed it toward Gu Sui, taking his bowl into her own hands.

The competition was so intense that Guan Yue still had time to criticize Gu Sui: “You’re too slow.”

Although Guan Yue was grabbing food fiercely, she really hadn’t eaten much herself.

Gu Sui quickly grabbed her hand. “I know you’re amazing, but can you leave some for others?”

He quickly poured half of the food from his bowl into hers. “Hurry up and eat, it’s all your favorite dishes.”

“Fine then.”

Guan Yue withdrew from the battle and obediently picked up her bowl to eat while watching the others fight over the food.

Li Tao had grabbed a large bowl of food. Turning to look at Guan Yue, she said, “Is that all you’ve got in your bowl? You’re too refined. You won’t be full this way. Let me grab some for you.”

Guan Yue shook her head with a smile. “No need, I’m fine. You eat more.”

“Really? The kill-the-pig soup is so delicious.”

“No, really, you eat it.”

Opposite Li Tao was a young man who ate his food with great ferocity. Li Tao didn’t want to fall behind and started eating quickly, without time to chat with Guan Yue.

After finishing the lively meal of kill-the-pig soup, Guan Yue felt satisfied.

The dishes weren’t particularly delicious, but eating this kind of meal was all about the atmosphere.

Guan Yue said to Gu Sui, “The day after tomorrow, when we slaughter the pig, let’s invite Xiao Ma and the others for a meal.”

“Alright, but we’ll need to make more. If we make too little, there won’t be enough.”

“Okay.”

As Gu Sui and Guan Yue were talking, a few Educated Youths walked over.

“Gu Sui, it’s been a long time! You left and never came back to visit us.”

Gu Sui put down his bowl and smiled faintly. “Not at all, I was just at the team yesterday to treat some of the members.”

“Haha, we didn’t see you. Sorry about that. Are you free now? Let’s go to the Educated Youth spot and sit for a while.”

Someone next to them chimed in, “Yeah, let’s chat. Since you’re going to work at the sanatorium, we won’t get to see you as often.”

These people were trying to drag Gu Sui to the Educated Youth spot, and Guan Yue immediately realized what their intention was.

She had originally thought that they might approach her to plead for something, but she hadn’t expected them to turn to Gu Sui instead.

What Guan Yue could understand, Gu Sui, who frequently dealt with them, understood even more.

Gu Sui replied, “The sanatorium is close to the Qingsong Brigade. Whenever you have time, feel free to come visit me.”

Guan Yue pulled on Gu Sui’s sleeve. “Let’s return the bowls and head back quickly; we have work this afternoon.”

“Alright, wait here for me. I’ll talk to them for a bit.”

Gu Sui wasn’t interested in going to the Educated Youth spot. Since they wanted to know something, he simply told them.

Guan Yue waited with the bowl while Gu Sui spoke with them, and Li Tao and the others had finished their meal and were preparing to leave.

Li Tao said, “Give me your bowl, I’ll take it home and wash it.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I should be thanking you for coming to my wedding.”

Guan Yue smiled. “The kill-the-pig soup was really good.”

“Haha, it really was. Come back again next year.”

“Mm.”

After chatting for a while, Gu Sui returned.

Gu Sui said, “Let’s go home.”

As they walked out of the Qingsong Brigade, Gu Sui took the initiative to hold Guan Yue’s hand.

Guan Yue asked, “What did you tell them?”

Gu Sui replied, “I told them that the sanatorium is special and won’t be hiring from outside.”

Guan Yue said, “I thought they would come to talk to me.”

Gu Sui smiled faintly. He had also expected them to approach Guan Yue since women generally found it easier to communicate with each other.

The reason they hadn’t approached Guan Yue was mainly that they didn’t have any rapport with her. If any of them had spoken to her, they would have bypassed Gu Sui and asked Guan Yue directly.

Gu Sui continued, “If you had gone down the mountain before, Yang Guozhu, Zhou Baohe, and the others would have come up to you. Do you know why they didn’t come this time?”

“Why?”

“Yang Xiaomei also wanted to become a nurse at the sanatorium, so she pressured her father to find a way. Yang Guozhu didn’t agree, and Yang Xiaomei then scolded you and Xiao Ma, and the neighbors heard it. Yang Guozhu was afraid of what she might do, so last month, he married her off.”

“Married off?”

Guan Yue couldn’t understand. “How did that happen?”

“Yang Xiaomei married a man from her maternal uncle’s family in the same brigade. I heard he’s a substitute teacher in their brigade.”

“That’s so fast.”

Gu Sui smiled. At this time, very few people had the freedom to marry for love, especially in rural areas. Parents were the most practical—they cared about whether the man’s family was doing well and whether he was a decent person. That was the ideal marriage partner.

Moreover, Yang Xiaomei hadn’t been without her own romantic experiences.

Gu Sui had stayed in the Qingsong Brigade for a while and had to admit that the Guo Chuanbin family were good people, though it was a shame.

When they reached the mouth of the valley, the gatekeeper saw them from a distance and opened the gate. “Doctor Gu, Doctor Guan, you’re back! How was the kill-the-pig soup?”

“Haha, it was quite delicious.”

Guan Yue added, “The day after tomorrow, I’m slaughtering a pig. I’ll invite you for the kill-the-pig soup.”

“We eat a lot; your rice might not be enough,” they joked.

“Don’t worry, just come, there will definitely be enough.”

As they went up the mountain, Gu Sui reminded Guan Yue, “When hosting guests, cook the rice that Yang Guozhu gave you. Don’t use the rice you’ve grown.”

From now on, with Xiao Ma and the others down the mountain, they needed to be more careful. It wouldn’t be good if they kept eating so well every day without ever going down the mountain—it would raise suspicions.

Guan Yue said, “Don’t worry, they don’t usually eat with us, so they won’t notice.”

Gu Sui replied, “Eating summer vegetables in winter definitely won’t do. Put away the fresh long beans and eggplants from the kitchen.”

When people were coming up the mountain, Gu Sui made sure to hide anything in the cabin that shouldn’t be seen.

On the morning of the 11th, Guan Yue carried out a big fat pig.

Old Chen came up the mountain with a butcher’s knife. Seeing the fat pig, he exclaimed, “Wow, this pig must weigh over 300 jin, right? It’s so fat! Did you raise this last year?”

“No, we raised it at the beginning of this year.”

Xiao Ma was also surprised. “You really know how to raise pigs! It’s fatter than the pigs we raise in our Military Unit.”

Guan Yue proudly said, “The pig we raised last year was also very fat, even though we only raised it for half a year.”

“What are you planning to do with it?”

Gu Sui answered, “We’ll leave enough meat for today, and the rest will be made into cured meat and sausages.”

Old Chen looked over the pig. “This one has a lot of fat in its belly. You guys won’t run out of oil all year.”

Xiao Ma rolled up his sleeves. “Stop talking, let’s get to work, brothers! Time to slaughter the pig and eat the meat!”

Old Chen said, “What’s the hurry? Go to the creek and dig a pit first, boil some hot water, and once the water is ready, we can kill the pig. You guys only know how to eat meat, but you don’t understand these basic rules.”

“Haha, Old Chen, you know best. You really are the expert when it comes to butchering pigs!”

Xiao Ma and his group of six or seven young men handled the big fat pig like it was child’s play.

Just like last year, Guan Yue had nothing to do with the slaughtering. Her only job was to prepare the spices.

With Old Chen in charge, everything went smoothly. By the time it was just before 11 o’clock, the pig was all cleaned and processed.

Old Chen and Gu Sui went into the kitchen to prepare the kill-the-pig soup, while Xiao Ma led several young men outside to cut the meat for sausages.

Xiao Ma sprinkled the ground spices over the chopped meat. “What spices are in here, apart from Sichuan pepper and chili? This smells amazing!”

Guan Yue smiled and said, “There are many more, over a dozen different kinds. If you like it, once the sausages are ready, take a few pieces back to dry and try them. If you like them, next year, when you make sausages, come to me for the spices.”

“That sounds good. We’ve already planned for next year—we’ll raise at least ten pigs for the cafeteria.”

“When you buy piglets, get one extra for me. I’ll pay for it.”

“Haha, don’t be so polite! It’s just a small favor.”

The smell from the kitchen drifted over, and the people in the yard quickly sniffed the air. It smelled so good!

“Old Chen really knows how to make kill-the-pig soup!”

“It might be Dr. Gu who made it.”

They had eaten a big breakfast, but with the delicious aroma filling the air, Guan Yue found herself suddenly very hungry.

She subtly pinched the flesh on her waist. She had been eating so well lately—had she gained weight?

Guan Yue rushed back to the house to look in the mirror.

She covered her face. “Oh no, I’ve gotten chubby again.”

“Guan Yue, come out and wash your hands, it’s time to eat,” called Gu Sui.

“Coming, coming!” Guan Yue replied.

The kill-the-pig soup had to be eaten now, because if they missed it, they would have to wait until next year!

Ah, the “happy fat”—it was both joyful and a little bittersweet.

At the same time that Guan Yue felt a little down, Xu Huaping, far away in Hong Kong, was feeling the same way.

This year, after taking the medicine Guan Yue sent him, his health had improved, and his appetite had also gotten better. The clothes he wore last winter, however, didn’t fit him this year.

Jiang Zhi tried to help her husband button up his shirt, holding back her laughter.

Xu Huaping sighed, “If it doesn’t button, forget it.”

Jiang Zhi couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. “Go to Hua’an’s place and get a new outfit. We’ll go out this afternoon and buy some new clothes.”

“Looks like that’s the only option.”

Jiang Zhi reassured him, “It’s a good thing. It means your health has improved. You were a bit too skinny before.”

Xu Huaping smiled, “I feel bad that you had to hold the family together for so many years while I couldn’t help much. This afternoon, we’ll go to the mall together, and I’ll buy you a few new outfits. Let’s enjoy ourselves.”

Jiang Zhi felt at ease, her expression relaxing. “When do I not buy a few new outfits every month?”

“It’s different this time, we’ll go together.”

“Alright.”

The couple went out happily for a day of shopping and ran into Zhang Huarui, who was also out for a shopping trip.

Zhang Huarui noticed Xu Huaping’s rounder face and said with a smile, “Looks like we’re all the same. My body hasn’t changed in ten years, but I never expected to gain weight this year.”

Xu Huaping chuckled. “It’s just right—buy a few new outfits for the New Year, it’s a good omen.”

Zhang Huarui agreed. “Next year will definitely be peaceful and prosperous!”