Chapter 29

Last time, Su Ye was chatting with Gao Anna’s neighbors near the Gao family’s home.

It was said that the Gao family had a bad habit of talking too openly. They had a younger uncle who was unemployed, lazy, and liked to show off. The Gao family’s good fortune was often boasted about to the neighbors.

“Anna’s job at No. 5 Middle School was thanks to the help of relatives. As for my relatives, there’s nothing good to say about our Gao family…”

This short sentence, although not revealing much information, was enough to pique Su Ye’s curiosity, so she went ahead and investigated.

The recruitment exam papers were previously archived at No. 1 Middle School, so it was easy for Su Ye to check. She went through the written exam papers from that time. The second-place finisher, Fang Zhou, scored 38 points, and Liu Qiu scored 36. There were also two vocational school graduates, one with a score of 35 and the other 34. Gao Anna had scored 32 points.

All the candidates with vocational school diplomas were admitted, and Gao Anna went to No. 8 Middle School along with the one who scored 35 points.

Su Ye was curious about the one who scored 34 points, so she asked around, and the result was shocking. The candidate who scored 34 points was transferred to No. 10 Middle School. Although No. 8 Middle School’s subsidies and benefits were not as good as those at No. 1, it was still a provincial school. But No. 10 Middle School was much worse—it wasn’t even a provincial school, had no subsidies, and was just a school in a county in City C!

Su Ye was stunned upon discovering this information. Although she knew that many people relied on connections and backdoor deals in this era, she didn’t expect such activities to happen within the public sector.

Although the person in question received the same salary, their future trajectory would be completely different. After realizing this subtle distinction, Su Ye paused and thought about how Gao Anna must have used her connections.

With the goal of “resolving conflicts,” Su Ye took the time to write an anonymous letter to the candidate who scored 34 points.

“You don’t know the pain of being reported until you’ve been stuck with the needle yourself.”

Su Ye was always fair when dealing with issues. Before resolving her grievances with Gao Anna, she thought it would be best to let the person who scored 34 points resolve their conflict with her first.

Su Ye kindly left the initiative to the 34-point candidate and waited to see whether they would choose to forgive Gao Anna, letting go of their grievances. If the person refused to forgive her, then… Gao Anna would just have to fend for herself.

Su Ye was not a saint who repaid hatred with kindness.

On the weekend, Su Ye disguised herself. She wandered near the home of the 34-point candidate and dropped the letter into their mailbox.

In the afternoon, Ye Ning, the victim who had scored “34,” happened to return home from the county on the earliest bus.

His wife scolded him, “Look at how tanned you are, I almost thought they sent you out to do farm work! When is No. 10 Middle School going to assign dormitories? It’s not a solution to keep having you run around like this. You should have worked with me at the factory from the start!”

His mother, who got angry just thinking about it, said, “They assigned a married man to the county, and didn’t even solve your accommodation or meals! You’re making Lan Hua suffer! You’d better work more at home these days before you can leave!”

Ye Ning dared not speak up as he was scolded. He casually took the day’s newspaper out of the mailbox, and a letter fell to the ground.

“Who wrote this letter?”

Ye Ning unfolded the letter and quickly skimmed through it. He was stunned, then clenched his fist. A surge of joy immediately took over his heart.

He looked up excitedly and said, “Mom, Lan Hua, don’t worry! I’ll try to get transferred back this year!”

—

On Monday, Su Ye wore the Zhongshan suit that Gu Xiangqian had tailored for her during the New Year, styled her hair into two braids, and looked elegant and neat as she took the bus to the municipal government hall.

Before leaving, Gu Xiangqian had never seen Su Ye dressed so formally. Most Zhongshan suits at the time were in gray, black, or blue, and Gu Xiangqian had thought about making a blue one for Su Ye, as blue suited women better and looked less heavy. However, Su Ye insisted on not wanting blue and reluctantly had a black Zhongshan suit made instead.

To his surprise, the black Zhongshan suit looked even better on Su Ye. Her smooth, shiny black hair and a pair of deep, dark eyes matched the color of the cotton fabric. The well-tailored suit, combined with her rosy cheeks, gave her a lively and spirited appearance.

It made Gu Xiangqian look at her for a bit longer. He asked, “What’s the occasion today?”

Su Ye replied, “I’m going to meet some leaders. I’ll be back soon. If everything goes well, we can have sausage for dinner tonight!”

The sausage that had been hanging in their window for over a week was something Su Ye had refused to eat. Even though they had meat almost every other day, the sausage at home seemed more tempting.

The red and white meat had absorbed the essence of the sunlight, and as time passed, it gradually exuded a fragrant smell. Seeing how much Su Ye cherished it, Gu Xiangqian thought she would save it for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

To his surprise, they would be having sausage this night. Gu Xiangqian looked at Su Ye in surprise and sincerely wished her, “I’m sure everything will go smoothly.”

He casually adjusted her collar and hat brim.

“Don’t be nervous when you meet the leaders. They’re just people. Just speak louder, and you’ll be fine.”

Su Ye understood, of course, but… when Gu Xiangqian gently straightened her collar with careful precision, his warm thumb lightly brushing against her skin made her tremble involuntarily, and her mind was suddenly filled with distracting thoughts.

Although she had been eating rough food, with no oil or meat for a week, Gu Xiangqian had somehow become as strong and upright as a young poplar. Meanwhile, others were weak, pale, and malnourished.

These days, with a little more meat, his physique had become even more impressive. His skin looked smooth, his posture was perfect, and even his abs had become much firmer.

Su Ye grabbed Gu Xiangqian’s hand and said, “Don’t touch it, you can’t just touch a girl’s neck like that.”

Gu Xiangqian’s usually serious face showed a rare soft smile. “Stop being cheeky. Go on.”

Su Ye took the bus to the municipal government hall.

The front row was reserved for leaders, while the following rows were filled with advanced individuals selected from various schools, factories, and communes. Before the meeting, Su Ye had heard about the achievements of those nominated as provincial-level advanced individuals, and she was deeply impressed. Every one of them was truly deserving of respect.

Being selected as an advanced individual to represent the province was an honor, and it meant that these people had accomplished significant achievements in their respective fields.

Su Ye, the imposter who had benefited from time travel and found herself in the government hall, appeared somewhat out of place among the accomplished figures present. She took out her contact information from her pocket and warmly greeted the advanced individuals sitting around her.

This was a rare opportunity to communicate with the exemplary talents of this era!

The peasants who had been selected as active participants by the commune were initially quite reserved. After chatting with them for a while, Su Ye saw them break into smiles, saying, “Comrade, it’s such a surprise to have you greet us!”

Su Ye, dressed neatly in a new outfit, with a red flower pinned to her chest and wearing black leather shoes, looked every bit the well-off city comrade. However, she was approachable and humble, showing no trace of disdain toward the rural cadres from the countryside. In contrast, the rural cadres felt rather embarrassed.

The Zhongshan suits they wore were probably borrowed from relatives, the pens in their pockets were also borrowed to give the impression of education, and the leather shoes they bought at the last minute didn’t quite fit. Sitting in the large hall, their discomfort was apparent, as they couldn’t seem to settle into their seats.

This friendly city teacher put them at ease, easing the awkward atmosphere.

“If you have time, come visit our village. I’ll treat you to some hot tea. Our village may not have much, but the tea is fragrant, and the water is clear!”

“Come, come, I’ll definitely come!” Su Ye replied enthusiastically.

Su Ye also got the contact information of a representative worker and, after learning about their achievements, complimented them loudly with praise.

The worker humbly replied, “I’m embarrassed, I’m not as good as Teacher Su. I heard that Teacher Su even helped out-of-school children return to their studies. That is a great virtue.”

Su Ye repeatedly expressed her humility, and after several rounds of compliments and pleasantries, she became quite familiar with the worker.

Su Ye said, “Your factory’s management model is really good, and with a fair and honest leader like you, if the children graduate in the future, I’ll definitely recommend them to work at your factory.”

The worker leader replied, “You’re very welcome. No. 1 High School is the best in the province, and I’ve heard that your students are very smart!”

The meeting to evaluate and reward advanced individuals officially began at nine o’clock.

When it was Su Ye’s turn to speak, she gave an impromptu speech, smiling and showing eight teeth. With her red flower and Zhongshan suit, she looked great on camera.

“Respected leaders, guests, and advanced comrades, good morning! I won’t take up much of your time today, but everything I say comes from the heart. I’d like to call for a national initiative for green environmental protection and resource conservation.

Our country is still in the early stages of socialism, and our productive forces are limited. It is crucial for the people to focus on thrift and frugality. However, frugality doesn’t mean not using resources. Often, we overlook waste, but if we can utilize science and technology and apply our wisdom, we can achieve resource recycling, creating astonishing wealth…”

After Su Ye finished her speech, there was a round of enthusiastic applause.

She then showcased the products made by herself and her students. The watches, radios, and projectors—all these hard-tech products, looked rusty and dusty in the photos she showed, resembling discarded junk.

After treatment, however, they were as good as new, spotless and shining. If not for the visible marks on their surfaces, it would have been easy to mistake them for brand new items.

This innovative idea was very much in line with the current theme, and the reporters quickly pressed their shutters without sparing any film, capturing the moment.

After the representative meeting, the leaders kept some of the advanced representatives behind, one of whom was Su Ye.

The leaders said, “Teacher Su’s idea is very innovative and practical for our national conditions.”

After hearing the leaders’ generous praise, Su Ye felt a surge of “It’s finally happening.” A sudden thought crossed her mind, and she smoothly shifted the conversation to say,

“It’s just a pity that many people are unwilling to accept my idea. Some think it’s a revival of capitalism… If it weren’t for the opportunity to be here today and communicate with the leaders, I probably would have just kept it to myself.”

She shook her head regretfully and said, “If only we had money, the children wouldn’t have to suffer!”

The leadership of the local committee seemed to understand the deeper meaning behind Su Ye’s words, and with a kind tone, one of them said, “Teacher Su, you’re following the path of our socialism. Don’t worry about it, just go ahead and do it.”

With that statement, the nature of the matter was settled.

With the top leaders speaking up, the other smaller leaders nodded in agreement. “This is indeed a problem, but what cannot be ignored is that Teacher Su has actually relieved the country of some financial burdens. Issues related to education and children can, with discretion, have conditions eased.”

The Secretary of C City said, “Let’s do this…”

After thinking for a moment, the leader continued, “Let the principal of your No. 1 High School set up a scholarship fund, accept voluntary donations from students, and later, the government will allocate some subsidies for middle school students.”

Su Ye was absolutely delighted when she heard this. It was an unexpected joy from her visit today.

Not only had she secured a kind of immunity from punishment, but she had also gained government subsidies. No business could be more reliable than the government issuing subsidies. Government support was the long-term solution for helping students.

After seeing off the leaders, Su Ye took a few pieces of candy from her pocket and smiled as she handed them out to the reporters.

These candies were high-end fruit hard candies, sold for ten yuan per pound in department stores, and considered a luxury treat, often saved for the holidays.

But what is money? Su Ye’s wallet was now bulging, and she wasn’t stingy with such small expenses.

Su Ye emphasized a few things to the reporters, ensuring they wrote down the key points from the leaders’ comments. Once they were in agreement, she left the government hall, satisfied.

Even though she hadn’t won any awards for being advanced, this trip was still worth it!

—

Evening.

Su Ye hummed a tune as she went to the canteen to buy a pound of pork ribs, and seeing fish, she added one to her order. She took two sausages from the shelf at the window, slicing them into even pieces at a slant.

With summer approaching, the pea shoots in Grandma Zhou Honghan’s garden had sprouted tender crescent-shaped pods, the tomatoes had small fruits, and she picked some fresh peas and little tomatoes to give to Su Ye.

Last weekend, He Meimei had picked some Chinese toon sprouts from the wild. While late spring Chinese toon sprouts weren’t as tender, she had picked only the tips and gave Su Ye the entire basket.

Su Ye stir-fried some Chinese toon sprouts, lamenting how these didn’t have the soul without scrambled eggs. “If only I could raise chickens, then I could eat eggs every day.” But in the cramped, narrow tenement building, raising chickens would never be possible.

Su Ye took the homemade sauerkraut from winter and sliced it into strips, slicing the fish, and made a spicy sauerkraut fish.

She quickly brought out dishes from the kitchen: tomato braised pork ribs, stir-fried peas with sausage, sauerkraut fish, and fried Chinese toon, all served with a large pot of white rice.

This was probably the most luxurious meal she’d had in the past six months: three kinds of meat and one vegetable, big fish and meat—it was simply a fulfilling life.

Before long, Gu Xiangqian returned home. He paused for a moment when he saw the table, clearly not expecting the “sausage” Su Ye promised earlier to be this entire spread.

If he hadn’t known that the order had only come in the evening, he might have thought Su Ye had already known about it in advance.

He focused on eating, savoring each bite. The meal was filled with the taste of home.

The rice was fragrant and comforting, and the feeling of a full stomach deeply moved this tough man, who had spent years surviving in the wild.

After finishing the meal, Gu Xiangqian said, “Sorry, Su Ye, I received an order that I have to go to the southwest battlefield tomorrow. I’ll write to you.”

Su Ye was surprised by the news for a moment. She had grown accustomed to Gu Xiangqian spending his days in the military training and hadn’t expected him to go to the battlefield.

However, Su Ye quickly realized that with Gu Xiangqian leaving, it would be easier for her to do many things, and she felt a wave of relief.

But, the thought of being separated from his fine body for a long time brought a deep sense of reluctance.

However, love is precious, but life is even more valuable. For the sake of freedom, both can be sacrificed. Su Ye instantly balanced out her sense of reluctance.

She looked up and saw the expression in Gu Xiangqian’s eyes, full of suppressed reluctance, and she felt deeply ashamed.

Su Ye rested her chin on her hand, her face showing a regretful expression. “You go ahead, clex will send the fastest. Don’t worry about home. I’ll send you some meat when I have time, don’t be too frugal. And be sure to stay safe.”

Gu Xiangqian had keen insight, how could he not understand what Su Ye was thinking? He only felt a sharp pain at his temples, and he gently patted Su Ye’s head.

“Don’t send any meat, there’s no canteen over there. Take care of yourself. I leave at 5 a.m. tomorrow.”

Su Ye nodded, understanding that the border conditions were so harsh that meat wasn’t even necessary for her to send.

She wasn’t particularly worried about Gu Xiangqian’s safety, he would make it through unscathed until the end.

But at this moment, she was absentmindedly thinking how regrettable it was that there wasn’t even a farewell cannon. She would probably think about it for a long time, but then again, not necessarily—Su Ye was very adaptable.