Chapter 29.2

The villa was located on the mountainside of Daqing Mountain.

If one walked from Qingxi Village into the mountain, even for someone like Xiao Ma, who was used to physical exercise, it would take at least six or seven hours. If the weather caused delays or if the person wasn’t familiar with the route, it might even take more than ten hours for a round trip.

Guan Yue had chosen this location because even professional mountaineers couldn’t make a round trip in one day. This meant the area was sparsely populated and relatively safe.

If, decades later, satellite surveillance technology covered the globe and the villa could no longer remain hidden, that would be a future issue, one she couldn’t control for now.

The underground three floors of the villa had already been completed, and the two floors above ground were framed, though the interior hadn’t been finished. This was because, in this era, the materials Guan Yue needed for the renovations didn’t exist yet.

The spatial jade pendant contained these materials, but Guan Yue hadn’t yet mustered the courage to open it.

Standing in the villa’s spacious front yard, Guan Yue’s expression was calm as she quietly observed the grayish water house. The house roughly matched the one in her memory, yet it felt so different.

Xiao Hei climbed up Guan Yue’s wrist and rubbed its dark green leaves against her face.

Guan Yue smiled and reached up to pull Xiao Hei off. “Stop it, it’s itchy.”

She then took Xiao Hei to the backyard.

When building the mountain villa, in order to create more space, Guan Yue had flattened a small plaza in both the front and back yards. However, at present, only the soil had been compacted and cement was laid. There had been no time for decoration.

Although both the front and back yards were spacious, they, like the house, were still gray and plain.

Guan Yue walked around and, within a kilometer around the house, she used her abilities to create a line of tree walls, preventing small animals from wandering into the villa area.

After finishing this, she turned and headed back.

The next day, the 28th day of the twelfth month, the festive atmosphere in the village grew stronger. Gu Sui and Guan Yue went down to the town to join in the excitement.

During normal times, private trade wasn’t allowed in the town, but for the two days around the New Year, a market was set up, and many people from the commune brought their goods to sell.

It was the first time Guan Yue had come to town to enjoy the festivities during the year-end, and she was amazed.

Usually, it was hard to tell, but among these simple farmers, there were many skilled craftsmen.

There were beautifully woven bamboo items for sale, which were common in the southwest, along with wooden carvings. Some sellers had intricately carved small animals. Guan Yue took a liking to a little tiger sculpture and bought it for one dime.

There were people selling paper-cuttings, couplets, embroidered insoles, and kites, making the most delicate daily artworks from the simplest materials. Guan Yue liked them very much.

Compared to those selling handmade crafts, the most popular were still those selling food. For example, there were sticky candies made from malt sugar, large pancakes, fried dough sticks, steamed buns, steamed bread, and so on.

Occasionally, one could also see people carrying cured meat and shouting out their wares.

Before the New Year, the team was allotted some meat, but each family only got a little, most of which they kept for themselves. Some people, reluctant to eat it, turned it into cured meat and sold it instead.

Meat was expensive, and there were many people gathered around those selling it, but only a few were willing to buy.

Every now and then, one or two well-off city dwellers would show up. They knew that in rural areas, the market before the New Year allowed private transactions, so they specially came from the city to buy things. They bargained with the sellers, haggling back and forth, and it was quite lively.

Guan Yue asked Gu Sui, “It’s so lively here, why don’t we do this every day?”

Gu Sui replied, “Because the country’s overall resources can’t support this happening every day.”

Guan Yue said, “It’s fine. After this period passes, things will get better and better, and there will be so much material that people won’t know where to look first.”

Gu Sui gave a faint smile. “Are you still going to shop, or shall we head back?”

“Let’s head back. We’ve bought a lot already.”

Guan Yue was interested in those small items and bought whatever she liked. Gu Sui was carrying the delicate little basket he had just purchased, which was filled with various couplets, paper-cuttings, and insoles.

She was still holding a kite in her hand.

As the two of them had just come out of the town, they ran into Xiao Ma.

Xiao Ma grinned. “What did you buy?”

Guan Yue replied, “A lot of little trinkets.”

Xiao Ma leaned over and took a look at the basket. “Oh, you like these things? Let me tell you, during the New Year in Qingchuan, the market there has even more and richer items. There are many ethnic minorities there, and they’re skilled at weaving and dyeing fabrics. You’d definitely like it if you saw it.”

“I missed it the last time I went to Qingchuan. What a pity.”

Xiao Ma said, “It’s fine. There will be plenty of opportunities to go in the future, or we can have someone bring stuff back for you. Anyway, we often go to Qingchuan to pick up and drop off patients.”

Gu Sui asked, “By the way, didn’t Minister Li say that the doctors and nurses will come before the New Year?”

Xiao Ma answered, “Yes, Minister Li called us and said they would arrive this afternoon. I just came back from the county; I was over at the grain station coordinating the delivery of grain.”

Gu Sui asked, “Did the sanatorium install a phone? When was that done?”

“Heh heh, just a few days ago. Minister Li said it was necessary for us to have a phone here, so he arranged for one to be installed. You wouldn’t know since you’ve been down the mountain these days.”

Gu Sui asked, “Can I use your phone?”

“Sure, as long as you register. Doctor Gu can use it anytime.”

Gu Sui nodded.

When they returned to Qingxi Village, Xiao Ma took Gu Sui to make the call. Gu Sui dialed a number, and once the call connected, the person on the other end told him to wait for a moment.

About ten minutes later, the phone rang. Gu Sui heard a familiar voice and smiled. “Dad, how are you now?”

On the other end of the line, Gu Jingde’s stern face also held a smile. “We’re doing well, already settled down. I went back to the hospital to resume work yesterday.”

Guan Yue widened her eyes. Gu Sui was talking to his father?

Gu Sui asked a few more questions about their current situation, then turned and saw Guan Yue secretly trying to sneak away. He switched the phone to his other hand and grabbed her to stop her.

“Dad, Guan Yue is with me. She wants to talk to you for a moment.”

After saying that, Gu Sui shoved the phone into Guan Yue’s hand.

Guan Yue was nervous, her hands trembling. She glared at Gu Sui. When did she say she wanted to talk to his dad?

The phone now was not like the one Guan Yue had used before. The receiver was still in her hand, far from her ear, and she could clearly hear Gu Jingde’s voice calling her name from the other side. Both Guan Yue and Gu Sui could hear it clearly, as if the speaker was on.

“Uncle, I’m here.”

Guan Yue’s voice sounded like that of a girl. Gu Jingde, who had only raised two sons and never a daughter, didn’t know what to say in response.

Gu Jingde said, “I took the medicine you sent, and it worked really well. Guan Yue, don’t waste your talents. You’re still young—don’t let being in a relationship with Gu Sui get in the way of your studies and ruin your future…”

The more Gu Sui listened, the more wrong it seemed. He coldly took the phone from Guan Yue’s hand. “Dad, why are you saying all this?”

Gu Jingde snorted. “Why am I saying this? You’re wasting your time. Don’t drag Guan Yue down with you.”

Guan Yue heard this and covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

Gu Sui helplessly listened to his dad lecture him. Most parents wanted their sons to settle down and have grandchildren. But his dad was different, afraid that he would hinder Guan Yue’s potential.

Gu Sui realized he had truly dug himself into a hole.

“Dad, don’t forget about the books on viruses that we asked for.”

Gu Jingde replied, “I haven’t forgotten. Most of the books are foreign publications. I found out that a friend of mine was researching this area, but he’s been sent down. We’re still in contact with him.”

“Okay, thanks for your hard work, Dad.”

Gu Sui told his dad that the phone was from the Qingxi Village sanatorium and that if anyone needed to contact him, they could reach him there.

After hanging up the phone, Gu Sui reached out to hold Guan Yue’s hand, but Guan Yue quickly hid her hand behind her back, refusing to let him hold it.

“Hmph, did you forget what Uncle said just now? You shouldn’t be holding onto me and distracting me from my studies.”

Gu Sui snorted. “Is this your way of getting back at me?”

Guan Yue smugly replied, “I’m not doing anything like that. I’m just telling you to listen to Uncle and be a good son.”

Taking advantage of her smugness, Gu Sui quickly grabbed her hand. “Before I can be a good son, I need to be a good boyfriend to you first.”

The two playfully flirted, one teasing and the other coaxing, happily heading back home.

Xiao Ma and a few soldiers stood by the side of the road, watching the show with their hands in their pockets, squatting for so long that their legs had gone numb.

They were confused. “These two are already living together. Why aren’t they getting married?”

“Yeah, just dating without getting married? Isn’t that a bit reckless?”

“Exactly. Is Dr. Gu trying to take advantage of Dr. Guan?”

Xiao Ma cleared his throat. “From what I know, they’re not living together. And, it seems like it’s actually Dr. Guan who’s trying to take advantage of Dr. Gu.”

“What? Dr. Guan isn’t willing to take responsibility for Dr. Gu?”

“A man who can both heal and cook—where else are you going to find one like that?”

The people who had been on Guan Yue’s side just a moment ago quickly switched sides. “Poor Dr. Gu.”

Xiao Ma stood up. “Enough, enough. What’s so pitiable about him? You, and me, who don’t even have a partner—now that’s what’s pitiable.”

He sighed, feeling sorry for himself for a moment.