Chapter 45

The other women, after hearing Fang Xiulian’s evaluation, took a deep sip of tea. Indeed, the tea was bitter and sweet at first, with a refreshing, sweet aftertaste on the tip of the tongue. The fragrance of the tea was delicate and elegant.

“Ah, why didn’t you say earlier? You purposely set out this tea to tease our appetites, didn’t you? Hurry up and tell us, where did you get this tea from?”

Fang Xiulian didn’t want to mention that the tea was from Su Ye, so she vaguely avoided answering, “Isn’t this enough to shut you all up?”

However, one of the military wives put down her teacup and said, “This can’t be the tea from Commander Yao, can it? A few days ago, my husband and I were visiting Commander Yao’s house, and his wife made us this tea. With the way you’re hiding it, I think I’ll just ask Commander Yao about it next time.”

Su Ye had given Commander Yao some tea in front of many people, so Fang Xiulian had no choice but to honestly admit it:

“It’s from Su Ye, Su Ye, do you recognize her? The wife of Xiangqian’s family”

“Ah, I know her, the wife of Xiangqian, how could we not know her?” Fang Xiulian’s friends all laughed in unison.

Fang Xiulian’s cousin, Miss Fang, worked at a government office and didn’t live in the military family compound, so she had never seen Su Ye.

Other friends had never heard of Su Ye, but many knew of Gu Xiangqian’s wife. It turned out Su Ye was the wife that Gu Xiangqian had brought back from the countryside the previous year.

Miss Fang asked, “I heard your sister-in-law found a job as a primary school teacher last year? She must be quite educated.”

Another friend picked up the conversation and said, “Is that true? I remember you told me last year that Su Ye only went to primary school before coming to the military family compound. How did she manage to get a job? Did you help her get it? I have a relative who married a rural woman, and she’s been in the city for almost half a year but still hasn’t found a job. It’s always a mess at home, chaos everywhere.”

She seemed to recall the rural woman’s sharp personality, and her tone was filled with disdain.

Fang Xiulian shot her a glare.

One moment, she was calling Su Ye her sister-in-law, and the next, she was slandering her and implying she got the job through connections. How could Fang Xiulian tolerate that?

“What connections? We don’t have any connections to get her a job. Su Ye isn’t a primary school teacher, she’s a middle school teacher. If she managed to get a job, it’s because she worked hard for it. It has nothing to do with whether she’s from the countryside or not.”

Fang Xiulian remembered overhearing a conversation between Zhou Honghan and Su Ye during their last meal, “She’s about to get her high school diploma.”

“Are you still drinking tea, or should I ask you all to leave?”

Ms. Fang smiled gently and said, “Everyone, stop teasing Xiulian.”

She took a large black ten yuan note from her pocket and said, “Please help me ask your sister-in-law if her fellow villager has any more of this tea. I’d like to get some.”

Ever since Ms. Fang had bought fifty pounds of white rice at a cheap price on the black market, she no longer had to struggle to find fine grains and was now much more financially comfortable. She had more disposable income and no longer hesitated to buy things she liked, bringing them home with ease. Now that she had found a tea she liked, she wanted to buy more to take home.

Fang Xiulian agreed without hesitation. When Su Ye had packed the tea for her, she clearly saw that there was still some tea left. This cousin had always treated her well since childhood, so asking Su Ye for more tea was a small thing.

After finishing her tea at her cousin’s house, Ms. Fang left the family compound.

On her way back from school, Su Ye passed by Ms. Fang, who had just walked out of the family compound. Su Ye felt a slight twitch in her eyelid and resisted the urge to look back. Wasn’t this the lady who had been her regular customer at the black market?

Today, Ms. Fang was still dressed neatly, wearing a polyester shirt paired with black cotton and linen pants, her feet in comfortable leather sandals, a watch on her wrist, and a scholarly look on her face.

The world really is small. If Su Ye had known she was from the family compound, she wouldn’t have sold her the grain.

Having saved up grain for several months, Su Ye still had some leftover rice and Fuxiang flour. Just as the thought of selling the grain crossed her mind, seeing Ms. Fang made her become alert.

Su Ye double-checked—when she first sold the grain, she had made sure to cover her face with a hat and scarf, so she felt relieved. Moreover, the Su Ye now was a different person from the one who arrived a year ago. Back then, “Su Ye” had looked like a refugee, pale and thin, with her cheekbones sticking out, and her body so frail it seemed like it would collapse at a single blow.

Now, Su Ye ate rice and flour regularly. Although she couldn’t eat meat every meal, she was able to have some from time to time. Her face had gained color, looking fair and rosy, and the flesh on her face had filled out again.

Actually, Ms. Fang didn’t recognize Su Ye. A year ago, when she had bought noodles from the black market, she had been feeling guilty, and the noodle seller had likely felt the same, as they had both hidden their faces so well that even their own mothers wouldn’t recognize them. She took the noodles and left.

Since she had gotten the fifty pounds of rice, Ms. Fang had often found herself glancing down that alleyway on her way home from work, hoping to see the old woman who sold rice. The fine grains were so delicious—smooth and soft, easy to eat without choking. They were so filling that they gave her energy, making her feel better even while walking.

After all, isn’t it all for a good meal, working tirelessly? Thinking that half of the rice at home was already gone, Ms. Fang prayed every day to meet the old woman who sold the rice.

—

Meanwhile, when Su Ye returned home, she found that Fang Xiulian had come to visit.

After having a cup of water and listening to Fang Xiulian explain the purpose of her visit, Su Ye slowly weighed out three pounds of tea leaves.

Very good.

Comrade Fang Xiulian was quite efficient. It had only been two days since she had last asked about the tea.

Fang Xiulian widened her eyes in shock and pointed at the three pounds of tea leaves, asking, “Didn’t you say… that it was rare? How come there’s so much?”

Her displeasure was vaguely visible from her pursed lips.

Su Ye smiled, straightened her collar, cleared her throat, and said seriously, “I found out that you all really like this tea, and since Commander Yao asked me about it, I shamelessly wrote to my hometown and got some more.”

“Since we’re all from the same place, what’s wrong with sharing more? If you want more, I can give you some too. It’s ten cents per two ounces, and we’re all friends. My fellow villagers aren’t making money off me, they’re just helping me save some fertilizer money for next year’s tea harvest.”

Fang Xiulian felt pleased upon hearing this. In Su Ye’s eyes, she was ahead of Commander Yao!

After asking Su Ye for the price, she rounded it up to seven pounds and handed Su Ye a large ten yuan note.

Having received a favor from Su Ye, Fang Xiulian reciprocated by telling her, “Do you want to buy some Fuxiang flour? It’s four yuan per pound, and rice is four and a half yuan per pound. They’re selling at the black market at 3 a.m. tonight.”

Su Ye couldn’t help but laugh wryly, offering Fang Xiulian a smile that was both amused and perplexed.

Go to the black market at 3 a.m.? By the time she even got there, the soldiers at the family compound gate would probably have already caught her. Moreover, Fang Xiulian probably didn’t realize that Su Ye, standing right in front of her, was a “grain magnate.”

She wasn’t even selling grain, which was already quite the act of conscience.

Fang Xiulian looked at her sister-in-law with a “righteous” expression and said, “Forget it, I’ll see how urgent you are next time you run out of grain.”

Hearing Fang Xiulian mention the grain prices, Su Ye was indeed tempted and started considering selling grain. In just a few months, the high price of grain during the Spring Festival hadn’t dropped, it had instead increased by fifty cents, and now it was really going to force people into “eating dirt.”

However, Su Ye had recently been listening to the radio and learned that this year the country was experiencing a severe drought. The output of early rice was even lower than last year. It was clear to see that even teachers’ grain rations had been reduced.

Now, three pounds of fine grain had to be mixed with two pounds of dried sweet potatoes, whereas last year it was only one pound per three pounds of fine grain. As long as she had grain in her hands, she didn’t feel worried. Until she had saved enough food for the next year, Su Ye had no intention of selling grain for now.

In the short term, no matter how diligently Ms. Fang went to the alley, she wouldn’t be able to wait for the “rice-selling old woman.”

The next day, Su Ye continued to keep a few mischievous children after class to do their homework.

Qin Lan, however, seriously stayed behind to do her homework. The young girl looked radiant, even in her faded labor cloth, which still looked bright and white. Su Ye found it pleasing to the eye and, as a result, explained the problems to the mischievous children in a kinder tone.

After finishing the explanations, she accurately tossed the half piece of chalk into the chalk box.

The troublemakers asked with tears in their eyes, “Teacher Su, do we still have to stay tomorrow?”

Su Ye chuckled and said, “Others ask me to tutor, and I’m not even happy about it, but you guys get the benefit and still act all coy.”

She pointed to her head, “Study well, this is your most valuable weapon. In the future, when you face problems, you need to find a way to solve them with wisdom, not by fighting.”

“Do you see the green factory in our school? I set it up. Have you seen the school’s financial statements? It’s making a profit of thousands every quarter. How long would it take for you to collect that much protection money?”

The troublemakers’ eyes widened in surprise. Although they usually didn’t care about what happened in the school, they had heard that the school itself had opened a factory, refurbishing watches and making a huge success out of it.

It turned out Teacher Su was behind it?

The troublemakers finally took Su Ye seriously, even straightening their lazy backs a little.

—

At the Military District Hospital.

Yao Chunyu had been working at the hospital for almost two months now, and Gu Xiangqian’s injury was nearly healed. After he picked up his last prescription, he wouldn’t need to come back to the hospital.

Early in the morning, Yao Chunyu saw Gu Xiangqian picking up his medicine and greeted him with a smile, “Xiangqian, good morning. Haven’t you returned to your unit yet?”

Ning Xingdou, who was beside Gu Xiangqian, answered, “It’s almost time. It takes a hundred days to heal from a bone injury. The leaders approved a three-month leave for us.”

Ning Xingdou had never had such a long break in his life. He flashed a bright smile, showing his white teeth. “My muscles and bones are rusting. If we don’t return soon, the soldiers won’t even recognize us.”

Yao Chunyu was happy for them both, but when she thought about how it would be harder to interact with Gu Xiangqian after this, her smile faded a little.

After Yao Chunyu left, Ning Xingdou said to Gu Xiangqian, “Xiao Yu is really a nice person.”

Ning Xingdou was still growing, and when he was on the front lines, he managed. At least he didn’t go hungry. But after returning, he was shocked—he was always hungry. He was tall with a big appetite, while others could fill up with one meal, he needed two.

At the end of last month, feeling tight on money, he traded all his food coupons for high-quality black cornbread, and Yao Chunyu caught him. Without saying a word, she lent him ten pounds of food coupons. When Ning Xingdou brought it up to Gu Xiangqian, he said with some emotion:

“You know, do the kids from officer families never worry about food? Brother Xiangqian, how many pounds of food coupons do you get each month?”

Gu Xiangqian frowned when he heard this and said, “Not much, the same as you. Why are you asking about this?”

Ning Xingdou looked at Gu Xiangqian and honestly admitted that Yao Chunyu had lent him food coupons. Not only had she given him ten pounds of food coupons, but she had also supported another soldier with ten pounds.

After hearing this, Gu Xiangqian pulled ten pounds of food coupons from his pocket and handed them to Ning Xingdou, saying, “Go, give these to her. And next time, don’t borrow food coupons from female comrades so easily.”

Was Yao Chunyu into lending food coupons to others? She always seemed to lend food coupons to people.

Gu Xiangqian’s family had unexpectedly come into some luck recently, catching two wild boars, so they weren’t worried about food for a while. But what about Yao Chunyu? Gu Xiangqian furrowed his brows.

Of course, Ning Xingdou couldn’t accept Gu Xiangqian’s food coupons. He took out his newly issued food coupons for the month and shook them, “Don’t worry, Brother Xiangqian, I’ve already paid her back.”

Instead, he handed two pounds of food coupons to Gu Xiangqian, clenched his fist, and lightly coughed, “I do miss the red-braised pork that Sister-in-law made.”