Chapter 6

The steel factory’s staff compound was a square courtyard with two entrances, divided into a front yard and a back yard, and all the people living there are employees of the steel rolling mill.

The courtyard was paved with blue bricks, and the roof featured upturned eaves and delicate wooden windows, all reflecting the prosperous past of the home.

As the saying goes, “Once, the swallows of the wealthy flew in and out of the noble halls, but now they have come to the common people’s homes.”^[1]This Chinese saying means that things that were once exclusive to the rich and powerful have now become accessible to ordinary people. It highlights a shift in social circumstances or fortune. 

Now, five households lived in the courtyard. The front yard is large, and the two rooms on the west side are home to Wang Shengcai’s family of five. Wang Shengcai worked in the steel mill’s security department and was a decent man. His wife, however, had a tendency to gossip and talk about other families, which made her less liked in the courtyard.

On the southeast side of the front courtyard, there was a row of small rooms where two families lived. The man of the household on the east side, Zheng Dacheng, had once been a chef at a state-run restaurant but had later been recruited to work at the factory, where he became the head chef of the factory canteen. With several employees under him, he was considered a small leader in the factory.

The factory was doing well at the time, and the head chef of the canteen earned a good salary with great benefits. Zheng Dacheng’s wife, Liu Laidi, was a country woman who couldn’t read, but she got the job as a purchasing clerk at the canteen, thanks to her husband’s influence.

The Zheng family had two children: their daughter, Zheng Yan, was studying at a high school in the county, while their younger son, Zheng Hao, was in middle school. Due to their father’s high position in the factory canteen, they saw themselves as superior to the other families in the courtyard.

To the south lived the retired Sun couple. Sun Dajie had worked as a master craftsman at the factory, and his wife didn’t work. They had one daughter, who had married and moved far away, so the factory provided the couple with a house in the courtyard.

The back courtyard, on the east side, was where the Gu family lived.

To the north, there was a pair of rooms where Aunt Dafu’s family lived. Uncle Dafu was the head of the second workshop at the steel factory and was one of the few people in the courtyard that the Zheng family respected.

Another household was the Gu family. Gu Shi’an was a deputy battalion commander in the army, and as the saying goes, “A soldier’s back is strong^[2]The saying “A soldier’s back is strong” means that soldiers are resilient, dependable, and able to bear heavy responsibilities. It emphasizes their strength and reliability in facing … Continue reading.” Compared to the common people, military officers had a certain authority.

In the hot summer kitchen, the heat was stifling, and as soon as anyone moved, they would be drenched in sweat. Every family in the courtyard was busy lighting the stove, with no time to spare for idle chatter.

By the time the sky darkened, Lin Yao and Gu Shidong, one after the other, entered the courtyard with ease.

Since the start of the rainy season, the weather in Yunshui County had been unpredictable, with rain falling every two to three days. The corners of the courtyard walls were covered in moss, with clusters of purple jasmine sprouting up.

The Sun couple, Grandpa and Grandma Sun, had already eaten lunch and were sitting under the eaves, cooling off with fans.

Sun Dajie, in his old age, enjoyed smoking after dinner, and when his wife saw Lin Yao, she wondered, “What a beautiful girl, whose family is she from?” She squinted at her for a long time, then smiled and said, “Oh, you must be Anzi’s wife from Cuilan’s family, right? Are you coming back home from outside?”

Lin Yao, who had become known as Anzi’s wife, felt a bit awkward.

Before she could respond, Gu Shidong darted over and quickly rescued her with his chatter.

“Grandma Sun, are you out here for the evening breeze? This is my sister-in-law. Isn’t she pretty? Of course, she’s the prettiest! We’re just going for a walk; it’s too hot inside. And this? Oh, just a washbasin. The washbasin at home is broken, so I took it out to get it fixed…” Gu Shidong spoke in a serious tone while pulling his sister-in-law inside.

As they left, Grandma Sun called after Lin Yao, “Anzi’s wife, come out for a walk when you have the chance.”

Lin Yao smiled and replied, “Yes, I’ll come out when I have time.”

“She’s a good girl,” Grandma Sun added, “Once you’re married, you should have children soon. That’s what women are supposed to do—have children…”

Lin Yao: …Why are you pressuring me to have kids now?

She bolted immediately.

Lin Yao hurried away with small, quick steps and disappeared in no time, leaving Grandma Sun dissatisfied.

Grandpa Sun tapped the tobacco pipe in his hand, glancing at his wife, who was still rambling.

“You just can’t control that mouth of yours, old woman.”

“Dead old man, what did you say?”

“Nothing. It’s getting dark; let’s go inside and sleep.”

“…”

*

When Lin Yao and her companion returned home, Zhang Cuilan was just putting food on the table.

Gu Mancang was in the courtyard fetching water. The shared courtyard had only one well and no running water, so every household had to draw water to fill their tanks.

Gu Shidong hated fetching water and had tried to sneak away but failed.

“You little rascal, where do you think you’re going? Go help your dad draw water!”

Zhang Cuilan smacked Gu Shidong on the head, instantly making him behave.

Earlier today, the factory loudspeakers broadcasted a weather forecast, warning of continuous rain in the coming days. Once it rained, the well water in the courtyard would become so murky it was unusable.

Thankfully, they announced that by next year, the county’s shared courtyards would have running water installed.

Gu Shidong grudgingly went to help Gu Mancang.

When Zhang Cuilan saw Lin Yao carrying numerous bags, she walked over and tapped Lin Yao on the forehead with a hint of annoyance.

“You child! It’s neither a festival nor a special occasion, yet you bought so many things. How are we supposed to manage the household like this?”

Lin Yao quickly leaned in with a flattering smile. “I’m not mismanaging things, Auntie. Look at this floral fabric. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Zhang Cuilan reached out to touch it and nodded approvingly. “This fabric feels good, and the pattern is elegant. Tomorrow, Auntie will make you a fitted dress with it. It’ll look stunning on you.”

Lin Yao replied cheerfully, “I bought this specifically for you, Auntie.”

Hearing that, Zhang Cuilan felt distressed again.

“You silly girl. I’m already a middle-aged woman. Dressing up too much would make me look like an old witch trying to act young. When you have money, you should save it. Look at the girls in the factory wearing leather shoes. You could have bought a bottle of Snow Cream or a pair of leather shoes for yourself instead of wasting money on this…”

Lin Yao’s pretty face scrunched up in dissatisfaction. “What are you talking about? Auntie is the most beautiful woman in our courtyard. Anyone we ask will say you have great looks and fair skin, just like a woman in her early thirties. This fabric’s elegant pattern is perfect for you. On anyone else, it’d be wasted, but on you, it’s just right.”

Lin Yao rattled off her compliments and even dragged Gu Mancang into the conversation.

“Uncle Mancang, don’t you agree?”

Gu Mancang, at 46 years old, had a dark complexion and a simple, honest demeanor. Awkwardly, he muttered, “Yes… yes, that’s right.”

Zhang Cuilan’s face turned red.

Oblivious to the situation, Gu Shidong chimed in, “Mom, why is your face red?”

He earned another smack on the head from his mother.

That evening, Gu Chunmei went to eat at the Xu family’s house.

Although Zhang Cuilan grumbled a bit, she ultimately took the fabric back to her room with a smile.

Lin Yao hadn’t just bought fabric for Zhang Cuilan. She also got something for Gu Mancang and Gu Shidong, making the father and son so happy that they couldn’t stop grinning all evening.

After wandering the streets all afternoon, Lin Yao was so tired after dinner that she could barely keep her eyes open.

Zhang Cuilan sent her youngest son to light some mugwort in Lin Yao’s room and prepare the freshly cleaned summer mat. Lin Yao took a bath, climbed into bed, hugged her pillow, and sprawled on the cool, soft mat. She glanced at the bright red wedding quilt on the bed, then rummaged through the chest for a clean blanket. Wrapping herself in the cozy blanket, she fell asleep comfortably.

At around nine in the evening, Gu Chunmei returned to the courtyard, her cheeks flushed.

Gu Shidong stored the orange soda and pork Lin Yao had bought in the well for preservation. Noticing his second sister’s rosy face, he grumbled unhappily.

“Brothers-in-law are the worst! They just take my sister away!”

*

As predicted by the factory broadcast, the following days were rainy. The drizzle fell in fine strands, pooling along the eaves like strings of pearls and battering the flowers and plants in the courtyard. The sound of rain on the walls filled the air as the greenery glistened with moisture.

On rainy days, the Gu family’s house was livelier than usual.

Gu Mancang and his family of three stuck to their regular work routines, but Gu Shidong couldn’t go out to play.

This little rascal was in the third grade at the county elementary school. His academic performance was average at best, with occasional test scores so low they were practically nonexistent.

Zhang Cuilan was worried, though she didn’t show it openly. With three kids in the house, the eldest son and second daughter didn’t give her much trouble, but her youngest son was a born troublemaker.

In those days, people did not place as much emphasis on learning as they do in later generations. For most people, graduating from elementary school and being able to read and write was enough.

In households like the Gu family’s, where both parents worked, the eldest joined the military, and the second became a store clerk, there wasn’t much concern about their futures. Once Dongzi grew up, he could take over one of his parents’ jobs and secure a stable government salary for life.

Still, what mother wouldn’t hope for her child to excel?

Zhang Cuilan thought about this as she gazed at Lin Yao, who was sleeping soundly in the room.

Lin Yao was a high school graduate. If it weren’t for that heartless Lin Daguo forcing her to drop out, Lin Yao might have even gone to college.

Perhaps Lin Yao could tutor Dongzi?

And so, Lin Yao found herself reluctantly roped into becoming Gu Shidong’s “tutor.”

The first time Lin Yao saw Dongzi’s textbook, covered in doodles of stick figures fighting, she was at a loss for words.

“Is this really your textbook, Dongzi?”

“Drawing stick figures is one thing, but why are your stick figures so ugly?”

“…”

For the first time in his life, the thick-skinned and mischievous Gu Shidong blushed with embarrassment.

Surprisingly, Lin Yao’s tutoring improved Dongzi’s behavior at home. At least now, he knew to sit down and do his homework, which delighted the Gu family immensely.

After the rainy days, the sun finally shone brightly again.

Following closely was the annual Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Zongzi Festival.

In these times, people typically made vegetarian zongzi. The Gu family usually ate vegetarian zongzi in previous years as well.

This year, however, there was meat at home. Zhang Cuilan waved her hand decisively and declared they would make a few meat-filled zongzi this time.

In Yunshui County, the locals used tender reed leaves from the ponds to wrap zongzi, while some in the countryside used bamboo leaves. The zongzi came in a variety of flavors, including savory meat, sweet bean paste, and red date fillings.

The Gu family prepared savory meat zongzi and sweet bean paste ones. Regardless of the flavor, zongzi were a rare and delightful treat in the courtyard.

The entire courtyard was filled with the fragrance of zongzi leaves. Lin Yao peeled open a bean paste zongzi and, with a smile, was just about to take a bite when the loudspeaker on the street suddenly blared. It announced that the neighborhood commune was going to open a canteen where everyone would eat from communal pots.