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Chapter 5
“Brother Da Tou” was none other than Xu Xiangqian, Gu Chunmei’s fiancé.
Gu Chunmei and Brother Da Tou had grown up together as childhood sweethearts.
The Xu family lived just across the street from the chaotic courtyard in Guihua Alley. Although it was only separated by one street, the contrast between the courtyard and Guihua Alley was stark.
The courtyard was crowded, with families of eight or nine living in cramped two-room units—a common sight. Moreover, the courtyard lacked kitchens and bathrooms. Some families set up small shacks as kitchens, while those in worse conditions cooked on makeshift stoves in the yard.
At mealtime, the courtyard was filled with smoke and the air was thick with flying bits of black coal dust.
Zhang Cuilan could deeply relate to this. In spring, while cooking, the willow catkins and coal dust swirled around her nose, making for an unpleasant experience.
In contrast, the Xu family in Guihua Alley had a very different situation.
Guihua Alley was the workers’ residential area for the county’s Public Security Bureau, with each household living in their own separate courtyard. The environment was peaceful and spacious, with kitchens and bathrooms included.
The Xu family had previously lived in the courtyard. Mother Xu worked at the county’s cotton spinning mill, and Father Xu was serving in the military. When Xu Xiangqian was young, he was often sickly, and his mother, being somewhat careless, had him grow up with a large head and a small body. Being the eldest among his peers in the courtyard, the other children often called him Brother Da Tou and this nickname stuck until he was eight, when his father returned from military service.
After his father returned, he got a job at the county’s Public Security Bureau, and the Xu family moved to Guihua Alley.
After graduating from the police academy, Xu Xiangqian followed in his father’s footsteps and also joined the Public Security Bureau.
In those days, working at the Public Security Bureau was considered a stable job. For ordinary people, it meant being a government official.
Father Xu is the captain of the public security bureau, and Xu Xiangqian comes from a well-off family. He has a gentle temperament and is quite handsome, making him a highly desirable match. As he reached marriageable age, matchmakers flocked to the Xu household to introduce suitable young women.
Mother Xu was overjoyed and secretly asked her son, “With so many lovely girls, which one do you fancy?”
Xu Xiangqian replied decisively, “I don’t fancy any of them.”
Mother Xu was shocked and, after pressing him for details, discovered that he had long had his eye on Gu Chunmei, the daughter of the Gu family.
Gu Chunmei had grown up under the watchful eyes of Xu’s parents. She was pretty, capable, and straightforward, having graduated from junior high. She had a decent job at the supply and marketing cooperative, earning twenty yuan a month and enjoying a leisurely lifestyle.
The Gu family had no troublesome relatives, so Mother Xu slapped her thigh and immediately arranged for a matchmaker to visit the Gu family the next day.
Coincidentally, Gu Chunmei also had a crush on Xu Xiangqian.
Thus, the two lovers became a couple.
Xu Xiangqian, dressed in a 55-style police uniform, stood over six feet tall, with his white shirt tucked neatly into blue trousers. He exuded the unique charisma of a people’s police officer. Riding a shiny bicycle, he looked like he was out on patrol.
With his long legs, Xu Xiangqian took a few strides and wheeled his bicycle closer.
Gu Chunmei, holding an empty meat bag, was surprised to see him and asked, “Da Tou, what brings you here?”
Are you craving meat too?
Having not seen his fiancée for several days, Xu Xiangqian was filled with unspoken joy upon seeing Gu Chunmei. His dark eyes were filled with indescribable tenderness as he said, “I missed you and stopped by while passing through.”
Oh, such sweet words! Lin Yao, who was nearby eavesdropping, felt her teeth ache from the sweetness.
Gu Chunmei’s face turned red. Instinctively, she shot Xu Xiangqian a glare and playfully pinched his waist, as if to say, “Stop talking nonsense.”
Xu Xiangqian’s smile spread even wider at this.
Lin Yao, feeling like a third wheel, quickly made an excuse to leave.
If she didn’t leave soon, she feared that Gu Chunmei would “domestically abuse” Xu Xiangqian on the spot.
Gu Chunmei had to go to work at the supply and marketing cooperative in the west of the city in the afternoon. After giving Lin Yao a detailed reminder, she reluctantly rode off with Xu Xiangqian.
At noon, under the blazing sun, the entire Yunshui County felt sweltering.
The once-bustling streets were sparsely populated, with only a few pedestrians. The shopkeepers were either knitting behind their counters or dozing off with their chins resting on their hands.
On the cobblestone-paved street, several farmers from the countryside squatted in a corner, selling fruits and vegetables they had carried in. There were no trendy items; just everyday staples like radishes, potatoes, and eggplants. An elderly woman was selling handmade bamboo baskets, and outside the state-run restaurant, steam billowed from pots, carrying the fragrant scent of steamed buns.
Lin Yao strolled a few steps, feeling the pavement scorching underfoot. She passed by the supply and marketing cooperative with a five-pointed star carved on its roof, where a lady selling sour plum juice and cold drinks waved to her enthusiastically.
“It’s so hot outside! Young lady, how about a bottle of orange soda? It’s fifteen cents a bottle. The sour plum juice is ice-cold and sweet; if it’s not sweet, you don’t have to pay!”
Lin Yao’s eyes lit up as she decided to treat herself to some sour plum juice and orange soda on this summer day.
The cold drink stand had a nostalgic charm. The lady pushed a wheeled cart with a wooden box containing ice at the bottom, covered with a small quilt. When she lifted the quilt, a rush of cool air wafted out, refreshing anyone nearby.
Orange soda was fifteen cents a bottle, while sour plum juice was ten cents a cup.
Lin Yao hesitated for a moment but decided to order a cup of the lady’s homemade sour plum juice first.
To her surprise, the lady’s skills were quite impressive. The sour plum juice in the white porcelain cup emitted a faint osmanthus fragrance. One sip revealed a refreshing sweetness with a coolness that made her teeth tingle.
Lin Yao had a small appetite, and after finishing the cup of sour plum juice, she felt too full for soda in the summer heat.
However, it didn’t matter. She ordered five bottles of orange soda to take home and chill in the well water for her family to enjoy.
The sound of the soda bottles jingling in her bag made walking a bit inconvenient.
With a sweet disposition, Lin Yao pulled out two pieces of fruit candy from her pocket and offered them to the lady to sweeten her day. They chatted for a while, and then Lin Yao logically left her orange soda at the cold drink stand.
She then headed into the nearby supply and marketing cooperative to shop.
This supply and marketing cooperative in the old street wasn’t large, measuring only about thirty square meters, much smaller than the one where Gu Chunmei worked.
However, small as it was, it had everything one could need.
Even though it was small, it still stocked oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, cooking utensils, soap, toothpaste, sewing supplies, candy, and snacks, as well as rare larger items like kettles and enamel basins.
During the hot summer, various fabrics were the most sought-after items at the cooperative.
Lin Yao had saved up her fabric coupons and had received a few more from Aunt Cuilan, which was enough for each member of the Gu family to get a new outfit.
Gu Chunmei didn’t need to worry. Xu Xiangqian was there to take care of things.
Since the young couple got engaged, Xu Xiangqian frequently visited the Gu household, bringing gifts like pastries and soy sauce. The next day, he planned to bring a basket of freshly grown vegetables, always arriving with something in hand.
This thoughtful son-in-law made the neighbors in the courtyard envious.
Lin Yao picked out two pieces of durable, cool fabric and also weighed half a jin of sugar dates, a specialty of Yunshui County, similar to preserved fruit, sweet and slightly sour.
Dongzi had been clamoring for some, but Aunt Cuilan had scolded him for it.
Lin Yao also bought an enamel basin decorated with orchid patterns because her house lacked a foot basin.
At first, the sales clerk at the cooperative was distracted, but upon seeing Lin Yao purchase a bunch of items, her smile became much more genuine. She quickly wrapped the fabric and bundled several sugar dates into a neat triangular package.
With her arms full of bags, Lin Yao left the supply and marketing cooperative, collected her sodas from the lady, and found a quiet corner to stow everything away before leisurely heading back to the courtyard.
Having spent most of the day wandering the streets, she noticed that the corner of the sky in the west was painted a brilliant red by the setting sun, with large swathes of pink clouds enveloping the bustling streets and alleys of Yunshui County.
Since Lin Yao hadn’t been out in a while, she looked around curiously, slowly making her way along the path and turning into an alley.
When she emerged again, her hands were filled with bags.
Lin Yao was not like the original owner of her body. When the original owner’s parents were alive, she was pampered at home. After they passed away, Lin Yao was taken in by Lin Daqiang’s family, and all the household chores fell to her.
Having been spoiled as a child, Lin Yao struggled to manage her loads: a porcelain basin in her left hand, a bundle of fabric and sugar dates in her right, and a military-green bag slung over her shoulder containing five bottles of soda. After walking for a bit, she felt as exhausted as a little dog, panting heavily.
Fortunately, she encountered Gu Shidong rushing back from the street.
This mischievous boy would let loose as soon as summer vacation started, coming home only after dark every day.
Seeing Lin Yao’s bulging backpack, Gu Shidong grinned widely and ran over. “Sister-in-law, you’ve struck it rich! Why did you buy so many good things?”
His sharp eyes quickly spotted the half jin of sugar dates in Lin Yao’s hand, and his grin widened even more. “You even got sugar dates! How did you know I wanted some?”
Lin Yao teased him, “Who said I bought them for you? They’re for Sister Chunmei, Aunt Cuilan, and Uncle Mancang.”
Gu Shidong was clever enough to realize she was just joking.
In the Gu family, aside from him, everyone had their own favorite treats. If Lin Yao bought sugar dates, it was definitely not for him.
He scratched his head, chuckling as he approached to offer his help. “Sister-in-law, let me carry some of that for you!”
Lin Yao had been waiting for this offer.
So, the eleven-year-old Gu Shidong became her little helper. He carried the porcelain basin in one arm and slung the military-green bag over the other, looking like a small child overwhelmed by his load, with only his head and legs visible. Despite his short stature, his legs moved quickly, and he darted ahead after just a few steps.
As they made their way back to the courtyard, Lin Yao felt as though he was a slow-moving turtle compared to her.
The courtyard was bustling with activity, as everyone was busy preparing lunch.
***
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Ayalee[Translator]
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