Chapter 5: The Workforce First in the Sixties

Gu Yu had a cold expression on his face.

They instantly hushed.

In front of them, someone wielding a machete was chopping their lower trees, cutting them down stroke by stroke.

It was precise and efficient, powerful enough to cleave through trees as thick as a basin’s mouth, and the brutal sound frightened several elderly people.

With one chop after another, in the blink of an eye, several trees had fallen.

He glanced at them with a single chop, and they frightened them so much that their legs went weak.

“We’re just idle, doing a lot of work, I’m going home first.”

“Oh no, the chicken at home is hungry, I’m off.”

“I, I, I… I don’t…what…”

“Be careful, or the knife will fly over!”

This fierce and formidable person was indeed their daughter-in-law, who they couldn’t control even with scolding; Gu Yu thought those two old coots deserved it.

Gu Yu turned around and saw his wife chopping wood in the distance, quickly hurrying over; several elderly people instinctively avoided him like he was a plague.

“What’s wrong, dear?”

“Just an old nagging fool.”

“I’ve told you several times.” Gu Yu glanced at the fleeing elderly folks.

“Mm.” Lin Muqing pointed to the trees: “Let’s take this firewood back.”

There was a thin layer of sweat on her nose from the heat.

“Let me help you carry it.” Gu Yu took out a towel to wipe her off, then put it back in his pocket and used the towel hanging around his neck to wipe his face, laughing in a way that seemed not worth practicing, while also snatching a bouquet of purple jasmine.

He tied it with a piece of grass rope, its vibrant purple striking.

“My wife gives flowers, don’t refuse.”

Lin Muqing was surprised, turning to smile at the flowers, stretching her hand to receive them, bending down to smell; the purple jasmine had a faint, refreshing fragrance. She playfully said, “Who taught you this?”

Gu Yu wheat-colored skin was tinged with a light blush, half a beat late in responding, his eyes clumsily avoiding her gaze.

“Do you like it?”

“I really like it, let’s go home.”

His smile seemed to grow warmer.

Lin Muqing wrapped her arm around his, warmth radiating from him.

On the path illuminated by the setting sun in the fields, Lin Muqing felt a great sense of security.

Gu Yu made two trips back with the wood.

…

That night, the candlelight flickered.

Shadows danced on the chairs.

【Host, you’re having a baby!】 The system suddenly announced, startling Lin Muqing.

She froze all over, waiting to get to bed, feeling as if she were dreaming, her hand placed on her belly.

【It’s been half a month; the system just detected it.】

Gu Yu was there the entire time, cautious and unaware of why she suddenly looked lost, her expression bad.

“Is my wife feeling unwell?” He rubbed her cold hand, cradling her as she lay back.

“Uh, no.”

Lin Muqing was at a loss for words, “Let’s sleep; tomorrow we’ll go to town to buy stuff.”

To buy malt sugar.

She didn’t have morning sickness, she had already tried that; the nausea would hit within three minutes of eating, and she would throw up several times, her stomach always uncomfortable—it was too painful.

She was worried about the baby; would there be any problems?

“Okay, tomorrow I’ll ask Dad to take a day off.” Gu Yu patted her back and held her close, the warmth of his embrace soothing her complicated emotions.

The next morning, they woke up early. Gu Yu requested a day off and took her to the town by ox cart.

Gu’s mother handed them a stack of bills as they stood at the door: “Get some sugar, eggs, soy sauce, and soap powder, and buy some pork while you’re at it.”

To shop, they needed to go to the supply and marketing cooperative in town, while other villagers didn’t have any bills to buy things. Gu Yuhad brought quite a few coupons home after he was discharged from the army, which was part of why people in the village were encroaching on his home.

The distance to the town was quite far, taking over an hour to drive the ox cart.

Gu’s parents usually only went to town to buy groceries during certain seasons and would stock up for half a month while they were there.

Lin Muqing and Gu Yu took a cart together and finally arrived in town that evening.

“Are you hungry? Let’s buy some meat buns to eat.”

Gu Yu took her hand and led her to a nearby eatery, buying a bag of meat buns for fifty cents.

They found a public commune inn to stay for a night.

By the time they reached the supply and marketing cooperative, it was time to buy things.

In front of the cooperative, a queue was forming outside a roofed building; the old structure was full of historical traces and had a lot of people lined up.

Gu Yu pulled Lin Muqing into the long line and turned to ask her, “What do you want to buy so urgently here?”

“Buying malt sugar.” Lin Muqing said shyly, remembering how she had once shared a sugar cube with her ox cart companion when she was feeling unwell.

Gu Yu smiled gently, though he looked fearsome as he squeezed her hand, “Do you really like malt sugar? My grandmother used to make it using barley; it doesn’t seem too complicated. Let me figure it out, and I’ll make some for you.”

“Mm-mm.” She nodded, embracing this persona of being someone who enjoyed malt sugar.

Finally, it was their turn, and they stepped into the store, filled with all kinds of goods showcased behind the glass panes, but she hesitated a bit.

Gu Yu had brought twenty yuan but wasn’t sure if that would be enough.

After buying the necessities, they got six bolts of cloth, a pound of white sugar, ten pounds of flour, soy sauce, soap, salt, and also malt sugar.

Gu Yu took a stack of bills to count, including one worth ten yuan, which the cooperative staff recorded.

“Four bolts of cloth; here are the colors, and two cans of malt extract.”

The cooperative employee rarely smiled, narrowing her eyes at the totals, “With the coupons, it comes to a total of thirteen yuan and forty-six cents.”

This drew the attention of the other people in the cooperative, focused on Gu Yu tall and robust figure, while his fierce demeanor made them not dare to look again.