Chapter 21 [Edited]

Lin Yao was utterly thrown off by Gu Shi’an’s sudden confession.

Wait a minute—how could it be Gu Shi’an who confessed first?

Wasn’t she supposed to have the upper hand, to be the one in control?

But… this wasn’t bad either, right?

Lin Yao was a practical person. Her original plan was to talk to Gu Shi’an to see if he had any feelings for her. If he did, then they could give it a try. If he didn’t, it was no big deal—after all, while four-legged creatures might be rare, there were plenty of men with two legs out there.

Gu Chunmei once said something quite true: When you marry a man, you’re securing food and clothing. Throughout history, whether it was arranged marriages, parental matchmaking, or modern-day free love, marriage had always been the most important decision in a woman’s life—without exception.

How important is marriage, you ask? The ancestors had a saying: Getting married is like a woman’s second reincarnation. In marriage, it’s either the east wind overpowering the west wind, or the west wind suppressing the east wind.

As for which wind Lin Yao would be, that remained to be seen.

After all, Lin Yao’s interest in Gu Shi’an was largely superficial. She was attracted to his looks and physique, but she wasn’t deeply in love or at the point where she couldn’t imagine marrying anyone else.

Lin Yao didn’t believe in grand declarations of love like “as deep as the ocean”; those were just words to fool naive people.

Now that Gu Shi’an had confessed to her, Lin Yao felt a mix of shyness and unrestrained joy.

Cheerfully clutching the little velvet pouch in her hand, her bright and delicate face took on a serious expression. Her voice was sweet yet filled with earnestness.

“This is the private money you turned in. I’m officially keeping it now.”

Once accepted, there’s no backing out—it’s a lifelong commitment!

Gu Shi’an was in an incredibly good mood. He clenched his fist, coughed lightly against it, and responded in a deep, magnetic voice with a simple “Mm.”

Hearing this, Lin Yao’s mood improved even further. Feeling delighted, she decided to reward Deputy Director Gu.

“Gu Shi’an, come here.”

Gu Shi’an, thinking the young lady had something to say, obediently took a few steps closer.

But since he was so tall—over 1.8 meters—while Lin Yao was just a petite 1.6 meters, she had to close her eyes, stand on her tiptoes, and give him a quick kiss on his thin lips.

Hmm, just like last time, his lips were soft, like marshmallows.

After stealing a kiss from Deputy Director Gu, Lin Yao tried to run away. However, Gu Shi’an’s gaze darkened, and the next second, his long arm reached out, pulling her close. He whispered something in her ear, and then an overwhelming kiss swept over her.

“… …”

In the end, Lin Yao whimpered softly in protest, lightly pounding his chest in frustration.

Only then did Gu Shi’an reluctantly let her go.

*

That night, Lin Yao slept soundly, resting her head on her pillow.

The next morning, it was scorching hot outside, the sun blazing so fiercely it could give people heat rash. In this era, there was no concept of a two-day weekend. Factory workers in the county town usually only had Saturdays off.

Gu Mancang happened to have the day off. His wife, Zhang Cuilan, planned to visit her mother in the countryside at noon, but he insisted on tagging along.

Zhang Cuilan, half coaxing and half scolding, sent him packing.

“You old fool, why are you following me when I’m visiting my family? It’s your rare day off; instead of resting at home, you’re just creating trouble for me.”

In truth, Zhang Cuilan just wanted her husband to get some proper rest at home.

Meanwhile, Lin Yao woke Gu Shidong up. From the courtyard, the steel mill’s two towering chimneys were visible from afar, emitting wisps of smoke.

This rascal usually woke up later than Lin Yao, but today, he was up early, eager to ask his sister-in-law what exactly happened between her and his brother yesterday.

Last night, he had tried to eavesdrop but ended up falling asleep.

When he woke up, his brother had already left for the Public Security Bureau, just like any other day.

The mischievous boy jumped out of bed, thumped loudly on Lin Yao’s door.

Lin Yao, still groggy, was clutching the savings passbook Deputy Director Gu had handed over and was enjoying her sweet slumber. Outside, Gu Shidong was making a ruckus, banging on the door like a wild puppy.

Half-asleep, Lin Yao rolled over in her blanket, determined to stay in bed.

But Gu Shidong was hopping around outside like a pesky green grasshopper in spring, driving her up the wall.

Reluctantly, Lin Yao climbed out of bed, hid the velvet pouch containing the passbook in a woven box on the topmost shelf of the dresser, and weighed it down with a few comic books before finally opening the door.

Outside, Gu Shidong stood guard, munching on a wild vegetable bun.

As soon as the door opened, the mischievous boy grinned and offered, “Sister-in-law, want a bun? They’re from the canteen—purslane filling with eggs and lard. Smells amazing.”

In Yunshui County, during spring and summer, wild vegetables sprouted all over the fields. Right now, purslane was at its most tender and flavorful. The canteen’s cook, Chef Xiao Zheng, had been racking his brain for meal ideas. Cooking elaborate dishes like braised fish or sweet-and-sour pork wasn’t feasible given the current conditions—there wasn’t enough grain or meat.

Zheng Dacheng gave his nephew an idea. At this time of year, wild vegetables were abundant outside the city. He had the canteen helpers gather baskets of purslane, blanch it, chop it up, mix it with some meat filling, add eggs, and steam several trays of mixed-grain wild vegetable buns. With meat and vegetables in every bite, the members of the commune could eat their fill on just one meal of steamed buns and two light porridge meals.

To his surprise, the idea worked well for now.

But the future didn’t look promising.

The canteen’s warehouse stocks of grain and flour were already half depleted, and the next batch of supplies from higher up had yet to arrive. Relying on the ten kilograms of grain and flour allotted per household in the commune wouldn’t sustain the canteen through winter.

Lin Yao glanced at the wild vegetable bun in Gu Shidong’s hand, but she didn’t have the slightest appetite. Last night, she had eaten half a bag of biscuits and drank a glass of milk; she wasn’t hungry at all.

Seeing her lack of interest, Gu Shidong leaned in with a cheeky grin. “Sister-in-law, about my brother…”

Lin Yao’s cheeks flushed instantly. “What about your brother?”

“He left early this morning.”

Lin Yao: This brat is just asking for a beating, isn’t he?

Gu Shidong laughed awkwardly, then darted away like a frightened rabbit.

Hehe, it seemed his brother was making progress—he’d soon have his sister-in-law wrapped around his finger!

A few minutes later, Gu Shidong came running back with Zhang Cuilan.

The mischievous boy had gone to Aunt Dafu’s house to play with the baby rabbits in her vegetable garden and ended up getting bitten by a protective mother rabbit when he reached for its long ears.

When Aunt Dafu came out and saw it was Gu Mancang’s youngest son again, she sighed, “This boy just doesn’t listen. A bite from a mother rabbit hurts a lot.”

She quickly called Zhang Cuilan over. “Cuilan, come quick! Your Dongzi got bitten by a rabbit!”

Zhang Cuilan rushed over in a panic. Luckily, it was just a small bite that broke the skin a little. Some iodine to disinfect it was all that was needed—there wasn’t even a need to go to the clinic.

Since he couldn’t go a day without causing trouble, Zhang Cuilan made Gu Shidong stand in the courtyard as punishment.

Aunt Dafu came over to chat and visited the Gu family courtyard.

Though she called it a casual visit, it was evident she had a purpose.

Last month, Aunt Dafu’s daughter, Jiaxin, gave birth to a six-pound baby boy. While the family was overjoyed, troubles soon followed.

Having a baby was a blessing, but Jiaxin had a weak constitution and couldn’t produce milk during her postpartum period. During these times, when babies couldn’t be breastfed, the options were limited: either seek breast milk from other mothers in the community, feed the baby rice soup, or provide baby formula.

Unfortunately, the rice soup didn’t suit Jiaxin’s baby. Baby formula was even harder to come by, as it required ration tickets, and without connections, obtaining it was nearly impossible.

Over the past two weeks, Aunt Dafu had asked numerous friends and relatives to help her exchange tickets for baby formula. However, Jiaxin’s baby had a big appetite and quickly finished the small can she managed to get.

Left with no choice, Aunt Dafu swallowed her pride and came to the Gu family for help. After all, Gu Chunmei worked at the supply and marketing cooperative, where she might have access to formula.

As a mother herself, Zhang Cuilan immediately agreed to help.

Aunt Dafu was overwhelmed with gratitude, holding Zhang Cuilan’s hand and wiping her tears. Her affectionate gaze even extended to Lin Yao.

A few moments later, Aunt Dafu returned to the Gu family and handed Lin Yao a red envelope.

“Yao Yao, I can’t believe how forgetful I’ve been. You’ve been married into our courtyard for almost two months, and I haven’t given you a red envelope. Let me make it up to you today. Please take it.”

Lin Yao held the envelope and glanced at Zhang Cuilan.

Zhang Cuilan nodded with a smile. Aunt Dafu was a kind person. She had received help from the Gu family and felt indebted, so she found a way to express her gratitude.

Lin Yao obediently accepted the red envelope. “Thank you, Auntie.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Yao Yao, you’re so beautiful. I’m sure you’ll have a gorgeous baby in the future.”

Holding Lin Yao’s hand, Aunt Dafu asked curiously, “Yao Yao, it’s been a while since you got married. When are you planning to have a little one?”

Lin Yao: “…”

After sending off the enthusiastic Aunt Dafu, Zhang Cuilan tidied up, changed into newly sewn clothes, and carried a basket to visit Zhangjia Village with Gu Mancang.

—Gu Mancang, being overly attached to his wife, had to tag along as her “big oversized baggage.”

With the elderly couple away, Gu Chunmei and her brother invited Lin Yao to watch a movie in town.

Lin Yao glanced at the scorching sun outside and decisively refused.

In such heat, she preferred taking a nap at home.

The courtyard was cool and quiet in the afternoon. Lin Yao changed into a floral sleep dress, curled up on the bed like a cat, and napped until past five o’clock.

When she woke up, Gu Shi’an had just returned home from work.

Gu Shi’an parked his bicycle, bent down to lock it, and as a breeze passed, his white shirt clung to his abdomen, revealing his lean, muscular waistline.

Lin Yao couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.

No doubt about it—Deputy Director Gu’s figure was truly alluring.