Chapter 14

That day, a sensational piece of news broke out at the Yunshui County Steel Factory—Gu Mancang’s eldest son, who was a deputy battalion commander, had returned home after demobilizing!

Back in the early 50s, many young men went off to join the military, and it wasn’t uncommon for some to return after being discharged.

Take Yunshui County, a small county with a population of only a few tens of thousands; every year, two or three soldiers would return after being demobilized.

By noon, the steel factory’s canteen was bustling with people. Today, the canteen was serving meat dishes—richly flavored braised pork trotters, braised ribbonfish, cold bean sprouts, and cornbread. The aroma wafted far and wide, drawing a crowd of workers who eagerly lined up after their shifts, stretching their necks in anticipation.

A group of young men who had just gotten their food sat on wooden stools, legs crossed, chatting animatedly.

“Hey, is it true that Uncle Mancang’s eldest son has really been demobilized and come back?”

“Of course it’s true! I heard it with my own ears from our factory manager. The Party Secretary and the Head of Security were both there too!”

“If the leaders were there, then it’s probably true.”

“Why was the Head of Security there? Were they clearing out a spot for him?”

“What nonsense! Don’t forget, here in our factory, a promise is as good as gold. Our Head of Security is also a former soldier.”

“That’s not the same! Gu Shi’an was a deputy battalion commander, a combat hero who won medals every year! When our Head of Security came back, he was just a captain. You can’t compare the two.”

“I don’t like what you’re implying. They were all soldiers defending our country. How can you say our Head of Security isn’t comparable to Gu Shi’an?”

“Exactly! Are you looking down on our Security Department?”

“Who do you think you are, a starving lathe worker? You think you’re all that?”

“Hey, are you trying to start something? All I said was that Gu Shi’an is a war hero, and you’re dragging the Security Department into it. What’s that about?”

“What’s wrong with being a lathe worker? You wanna fight?”

“Come on then, I’m not afraid of you!”

“Enough! We all work in the same factory, we’re one big family. What’s the point of fighting? Let’s eat.”

Seeing the two sides about to come to blows, a young man in gray overalls quickly stepped in to mediate.

“What are you doing? Do you still want to eat? If not, get out. The canteen isn’t a place for fighting!”

Zheng Dancheng’s wife, the canteen procurement officer, banged on a pot with a spoon, scolding the young men sternly.

“You dare cause trouble in the canteen? Believe me, tomorrow you won’t get any food!”

Zheng Dancheng’s wife was as tough as nails, scolding the young men like they were her own sons. Her condescending attitude made it clear she looked down on them.

The young men, scolded into submission, sat back down quietly, their heads lowered in frustration.

They had no choice—this woman was the canteen’s procurement officer, and her husband was the head chef. The couple ran the canteen with an iron fist, holding grudges worse than weasels. Anyone who crossed them would be in for a rough time.

Ugh, truly a match made in heaven—a turtle married to a stinking bug!

*

Old Gu Family Courtyard

At noon, the scorching sun hung high in the sky, and there wasn’t a breath of wind. Walking on the streets felt like stepping into a steamer, with the heatwaves rolling over anyone who dared venture out.

After lunch, the Gu family members were all napping indoors.

Only Gu Shi’an, defying the norm, braved the blistering heat to report to the county Public Security Bureau.

Zhang Cuilan was tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep, so she kicked the snoring Gu Mancang.

The old man was sleeping soundly and didn’t wake up with the first kick. Annoyed, Zhang Cuilan kicked him again.

Gu Mancang groggily opened his eyes and rubbed his backside. “Old lady, did a mosquito get into the net?”

Why did he dream that a poisonous mosquito was biting his butt?

Zhang Cuilan, already fuming, twisted Gu Mancang’s ear and wouldn’t let go. “You lazy old man! All you do is eat and sleep, and you don’t care about anything in this household. I’m the only one who can’t sleep at night! You sleep soundly, as if our son isn’t even yours…”

Gu Mancang had his ears twisted by Comrade Zhang Cuilan for half his life and was long used to it. His skin was tough and thick, so he wasn’t afraid of the pain, but he was worried about his wife getting too worked up.

“Cuilan, don’t get mad. Whatever it is, just tell me, and we’ll figure it out together.”

Gu Mancang gave her a placating smile.

Seeing this, Zhang Cuilan couldn’t stay angry any longer. She sighed and let go. “Old man, do you think our son’s transfer back home is a good thing or a bad thing?”

Gu Mancang was puzzled. How could his son’s return not be a good thing?

Before he could say anything, Zhang Cuilan started rambling on her own. “Yes, it’s good that our son has been transferred back home, and the family can be together again! But of all the jobs they could assign him, they had to put him in the county police bureau as the deputy director! Things have been chaotic lately, and even though police officers have guns, it’s not easy to deal with dangerous criminals. Our Gu family must be cursed. Our son-in-law is a public security officer, our in-laws are a public security officer, and now our own son has become a public security officer too! I was already on edge worrying about Xiangqian, and now with Anzi added to the mix, how am I supposed to live?”

Thinking about it made Zhang Cuilan even more anxious. As a mother, the old saying goes, “A son traveling a thousand miles still makes his mother worry.”

The women at the pig farm all envied her for having a successful son, but she would have preferred him to live a simple, peaceful life, even if it meant being mediocre.

But, as fate would have it, her son was born to be a soldier, and even after being injured and leaving the military, it didn’t stop him from joining the Public Security Bureau!

After listening for a long time, Gu Mancang finally understood that Cuilan was worried about their son working in the Public Security Bureau.

It made sense. One son-in-law and now a son, both in the Public Security Bureau.

No wonder Cuilan was worried. Even the usually carefree Gu Mancang felt a bit uneasy. After thinking for a while, all he could say was, “Children have their own blessings.”

He even used himself as an example. Back then, Grandma Gu worried herself sick because her son was too dull to even farm properly. He only had the strength to work hard but nothing else, and she fretted endlessly, fearing he might end up as a beggar.

But Uncle Mancang didn’t end up begging. On the contrary, because he wasn’t smart enough to scheme, he focused on learning a skill from his master and eventually landed a job at the steel factory as a machinist.

“If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have married such a capable and virtuous wife like you.”

Zhang Cuilan couldn’t help but laugh at his words.

“You sly old man! Who said you were dull? I think you can talk just as well as anyone!”

Uncle Mancang felt wronged, insisting that he was speaking from the heart.

*

Thanks to Gu Mancang’s comforting words, Comrade Zhang Cuilan’s worries vanished.

In fact, what the old man said made sense. In life, the path you walk, the work you do, and who you share your bed with are all predestined.

Back in the day, Zhang Cuilan was known as the prettiest flower for miles around, and many good young men came to propose. But she had her eyes set on this old man.

It wasn’t just because he was honest and dependable, but also because of his handsome face back then. Don’t be fooled by how dark he looks now; back then… Ahem, off-topic. The point is, it was all fate!

Since life’s path is already set, worrying won’t help. She might as well try to pair up Yao Yao with her clumsy son.

Even pigs know how to root for cabbage, yet her foolish son had been home since last night and hadn’t even spoken a few words to Yaoyao.

A deputy director of the Public Security Bureau who can’t even win over a wife!

Zhang Cuilan, frustrated with her son’s lack of progress, decided she would teach him how to court a wife properly.

Over in the east wing, Lin Yao had no idea what her mother-in-law was plotting.

She was wearing a white floral nightgown, propping her chin in her hands, deep in thought.

How was Gu Shi’an’s return from the military described in the original novel?

If she remembered correctly, Gu Shi’an was supposed to be injured during a secret mission, shot in the shoulder by a hidden enemy agent. The injury was so severe that even after recovering, his shoulder was permanently damaged, making it impossible for him to handle a gun like before. That’s why he left the front line and first joined the county’s military office, then later went to the provincial capital for further training before returning to become an engineer at the factory.

But now, reality doesn’t match what was described in the original book.

Gu Shi’an was indeed injured, but it was only a minor gunshot wound that would heal in a few days.

This meant he didn’t actually need to leave the military. It was said that the county’s party secretary, who was also Gu Shi’an’s former superior, valued his potential so much that he even argued with the military commander to have Gu Shi’an transferred back and placed in the county police bureau as the deputy director.

Lin Yao couldn’t figure it out. Yes, she had transmigrated into a novel, but why was reality deviating from the original plot?

Could her rebirth have caused a butterfly effect, leading to these changes?

If that’s the case, is the butterfly effect she caused a good thing or a bad thing?

Will the plot from the original book still unfold as it was supposed to?

Thinking about it gave Lin Yao a headache. She hadn’t taken a nap today and was starting to yawn and feel sleepy, so she decided to lie down and rest, planning to think about it later with a clear mind.

Unexpectedly, she slept until sunset. The summer evening sky was painted with fiery clouds as Gu Shi’an finished reporting to the Public Security Bureau and rode his bicycle home. The golden rays of the setting sun filtered through the leaves, casting a glow on his handsome face, making him stand out even more on the streets of the county.

He paid no attention to the looks he received, focusing solely on getting home.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Zhang Cuilan, who had been waiting for him, hurriedly rushed over and pulled him into the house.

Zhang Cuilan started scolding as soon as Gu Shian walked in. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you back so late? Sure, you were busy with work at the Public Security Bureau, and that’s important. I’m not giving you a hard time about that. But I just want to ask you one thing—how do you really feel about Yaoyao?”

Faced with his mother’s direct question, Gu Shi’an didn’t try to hide anything.

He used to only feel a sibling-like affection for Lin Yao. Back when Aunt Lin would bring her little girl over to visit, Lin Yao was just a small child with pigtails. Gu Shian, always serious and reserved, would unintentionally scare little Lin Yao, who would shy away from him. He never tried to interact with her much.

Later, when Uncle and Aunt Lin passed away, Gu Shi’an learned about the arranged marriage his grandfather had set up. His views on relationships were always serious and straightforward—if Lin Hongna genuinely wanted to be with him, he would fulfill his responsibilities as a husband. However, he knew that deep emotional attachment toward a wife was something he couldn’t give.

Then, the Lin family pulled a switch, replacing Lin Hongna with Lin Yao as the bride.

Gu Shi’an maintained the same mindset—until yesterday. When that radiant girl smiled at him, something inside him seemed to change.