Chapter 15

When Zhang Cuilan saw the expression on her son’s face, she immediately knew there was hope. She couldn’t help but grin widely and asked, “You little rascal, thought you could hide this from your old mother? Tell me, when did you start liking Yao Yao?”

Gu Shi’an was momentarily at a loss for words. How could he say something like that?

He was a tall guy, standing there silently. Zhang Cuilan raised her hand and smacked him lightly, laughing, “You brat, just like your father, a tough nut to crack. If you don’t want to talk to your mother, then fine. But the weather’s nice today, and the cinema’s showing a film. Why don’t you go with Yao Yao? Buy two tickets and take her to the movies.”

Gu Shi’an’s eyes lit up slightly. He scanned the yard but didn’t see Lin Yao.

How could Zhang Cuilan not understand the look in her son’s eyes? She wondered why she had given birth to such a stupid son. She pointed to the side room and said, “Yaoyao is sleeping in the room!”

Then, she slapped her son again and urged him to go get her.

Gu Shi’an looked at the small room with the floral curtains, his face slightly flushing as he recalled the lingering fragrance from the night before.

As he was about to figure out how to knock on the door, the sound of clattering came from the next room. The next second, Gu Shidong burst out, his hair looking like it had been chewed by a dog, yelling excitedly.

The boy still had marks from the bamboo mat on his face, likely from sleeping in late after hearing the conversation outside.

“Brother, brother! You’re back! How was the police station? Did they give you a gun? Can I touch it?”

Zhang Cuilan gave him a stern look, “Touch what? You brat, the gun from the police station is for you? Have you finished your homework? If not, bring it over for me to check, or your dad will deal with you when he gets home!”

Gu Shidong wasn’t afraid of his mom. He had finished his homework in the morning and was now happily running around the yard.

“Mom, why do you keep calling me a little dog? That’s not polite! I’m from the Gu family, so if I’m a dog, then what’s Dad?”

Gu Shidong cleverly avoided mentioning his older brother.

His father was easy to bully, but his older brother was another matter. Gu Shi’an had always been cold and distant, and he’d beaten Gu Shidong more than once, so now, just a glance from him made Gu Shidong stop talking.

Gu Chunmei, who had been standing by, teased, “Why is this little rascal so proud?”

Gu Shidong glared at his sister, “You wouldn’t understand. A man must be able to endure and stretch.”

Gu Chunmei scoffed at him, “You little brat, you haven’t even grown a full set of body hair, and you’re talking like a man.”

Gu Shidong jumped in anger. “So what if I haven’t grown all my hair yet? I’ll have it soon enough.”

The two siblings bickered like a couple of noisy ducks, creating a ruckus.

This noise woke Lin Yao from her nap.

In the cool evening, Lin Yao stretched lazily after waking up, her body still wrapped in a white floral nightgown. Her long, dark hair fell over her shoulders, and her delicate face was rosy with sleep. Her lips were plump and shiny, like a fresh flower blooming after rain.

As soon as she stepped outside, she locked eyes with the stern-faced Gu Shi’an, and quickly dropped her hand, startled by the intense aura he radiated.

Zhang Cuilan, seeing Lin Yao awake, immediately softened her tone, turning from fierce to kind. “Yao Yao, did you have a good nap? Are you thirsty? We have cold barley tea at home. No? Are you hungry? The canteen didn’t have anything good today, but I can make you a bowl of shredded pork noodles. Our big iron pot is still here. Oh, and there’ll be some oil left for your Uncle’s late-night snack. You’re such a good girl, Yao Yao!”

Zhang Cuilan’s voice was so gentle it gave Gu Shidong goosebumps.

Lin Yao felt a bit embarrassed. She hadn’t done anything all afternoon, and her aunt’s compliments made her blush.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Cuilan mentioned the movie that was all the rage in the county, “The movie Shangganling is so popular right now. Since we have nothing else to do today, how about you and Gu Shi’an go watch it?”

A movie?

Lin Yao was instantly intrigued. She had been here for so long and hadn’t seen a movie yet.

She had heard that movies in this time were very different from those in the future. Right now, only black-and-white films were shown, and there was only one ticket window at the cinema. When a new movie came out, there was a huge crowd.

A movie ticket cost two cents, and families with limited funds couldn’t afford tickets for everyone. They would either draw fake tickets with a red pencil or sneak in by pretending to be someone else’s child to watch a free movie.

There was no need to be afraid if the ticket inspector caught them. After all, they were just kids. With their thick skin, they could always get away with it.

In the front yard, Zheng Dacheng’s daughter, Qian Yan, and his son, Zheng Hao, often did such sneaky things.

In a way, it made sense. The Zheng family wasn’t poor. Zheng Dacheng himself earned at least fifty or sixty yuan a month, and his wife brought in another twenty-seven or twenty-eight yuan from her job. That was just the official income. The head chef at the canteen might have some extra income on the side, especially with the steel mill’s good profits. The Zheng family lived more comfortably than most.

To illustrate, Zheng Dacheng had at least five or six pairs of leather shoes, and he changed them every day. He polished them until they gleamed, making him look more impressive than even the leaders.

With such a good life, it was hard to believe that their children still engaged in such dishonest behavior.

Zhang Cuilan couldn’t stand the Zheng family. Earlier, Gu Shidong had tried to follow Zheng Hao to sneak into a movie.

Zhang Cuilan was so furious that when she caught her eldest son, she gave him a good beating, even wearing out her feather duster.

This was one of Gu Shidong’s embarrassing moments. As soon as he heard about the movie, the mischievous boy instinctively covered his backside and ran.

But Lin Yao didn’t care about that. She eagerly ran back to her room to change into her clothes, and then, with a serious expression, she raised her face to Gu Shi’an and said, “Wait for me. Don’t run off without me.”

Gu Shi’an smiled in response.

Zhang Cuilan shook her head and laughed. “She’s so grown up, yet she still acts like a little kid.”

Gu Chunmei, biting a slice of watermelon, said, “Mom, Yao Yao is still young. She’s just in her early twenties. She’s eight or nine years younger than big brother.”

Gu Chunmei didn’t say the rest of the sentence aloud.

She had realized that Gu Shi’an was developing feelings. It wasn’t easy for him—almost thirty, and it looked like the old iron tree had finally blossomed.

Lin Yao changed into a sky-blue dress. Her long, flowing black hair was tied in a braid. She applied some snowflake cream and, with a self-made little handbag on her back, she ran out, flashing a bright smile at Gu Shi’an who was waiting at the door. “Let’s go.”

With that, Lin Yao confidently hopped onto the back seat of the bike. For safety’s sake, she held on tightly to Gu Shi’an’s white shirt around his waist.

It was a hot summer day, but Gu Shi’an still wore his freshly cleaned white shirt. His throat felt dry, and with one strong push, he steadied the bike and set off.

*

Guihua Alley was shaded by trees, creating a cool atmosphere.

Xu Xiangqian, dripping with sweat, returned home after a long day of patrols and investigations. He had only eaten two corn buns for lunch and was now so hungry that his stomach seemed to touch his back.

He went straight to the kitchen as soon as he entered the house.

His mother, sitting in the yard stringing beads, saw how anxious he was and felt heartbroken. “How did you get so hungry? Didn’t you eat lunch? Only two corn buns? That’s not enough. I made some stir-fried pork, braised eggplant, and bean sprout soup. I saved some for you. I’ll get a bowl for you.”

The food at the commune’s canteen was top-notch, and Xu Xiangqian, driven by hunger, devoured the meal so quickly he nearly choked.

His mother quickly patted his back to help him breathe easier. “Why are you eating so fast? Chew slowly. It’s better for your stomach. No one’s going to snatch it from you.”

Xu Xiangqian drank a full jar of cold water to catch his breath before replying, “Hurry up. I need to go to the big courtyard later.”

“The big courtyard? Are you going to see Chunmei again? You, a grown man, always sticking to your wife. Aren’t you afraid she’ll get annoyed?”

His mother teased him.

Xu Xiangqian’s face turned red as he fumbled, “Mom, what are you saying? I’m going to see Anzi.”

Gu Shi’an and Xu Xiangqian had been childhood friends. Mother Xu gasped in surprise, “Anzi is back? When did he return? How come I didn’t know? Is he staying for a few days? We’ve got fresh grapes and peaches at home. You should take them to the Gu family. Tell your aunt Cuilan to find time for our two families to get together.”

Xu Xiangqian had grown used to his mother’s affection for Gu Shi’an, who was treated like her own son.

Xu Xiangqian continued chewing his corn bun and replied, “He came back last night. He’s been reassigned back to his hometown.”

Mother Xu was immediately worried. “Reassigned back to his hometown? Did Anzi get hurt?”

“Not exactly. I’m not sure of the details, but Anzi is now the deputy director at our Public Security Bureau.”

Mother Xu was overjoyed. “That’s great! It’s been more than ten years since Anzi left home. He’s married now, and he should be able to enjoy a nice life with his wife and kids.”

Wife and kids?

Xu Xiangqian scratched his head, thinking that, given Gu Shi’an’s cold demeanor, he might never have that kind of family life.

Besides, the little wife who came from the Lin family used to be shy and timid, but now she was more spoiled and lively. She seemed like an energetic and clever girl.

Sigh, Xu Xiangqian thought, his future brother-in-law might have a tough time ahead.

After finishing his meal, Xu Xiangqian grabbed the fruit and headed to the Gu family’s house. He also planned to visit the county cinema in the evening since a new movie was showing. He wanted to check it out, and tomorrow he’d bring Chunmei along.

*

The county cinema in Yunshui County was a small two-story red building, with a row of locust trees in front that provided a cool shade.

Back in the old days, the cinema was a theater where the rich and powerful came to spend their money for entertainment.

After the liberation, the theater had been transformed into a cinema, and these days there were only a few films showing, such as “Minefield,” “The White-Haired Girl,” and “Heroic Boy Wang Erxiao.” The films were shown repeatedly, but the townspeople still enjoyed them.

Outside the cinema, there were vendors selling snacks, and elderly men watching the bicycles. Lin Yao jumped off the bike, and Gu Shi’an went to park it, handing some money to the elderly man guarding the bikes.

Lin Yao obediently stood in line at the entrance, waiting for him. There were quite a few people there to watch the movie, and it was noisy and crowded. People in line occasionally bumped into her, making her frown. It felt like being crammed into a tin can.

Seeing this, Gu Shi’an calmly stepped forward to shield Lin Yao.