Chapter 205: “mutual Scheming”
Uncle Gu Er was full of astonishment, no longer acting as an invisible person. He asked, “What do you mean?”
Gu Xing’er began to tremble, not rushing to answer.
“What’s going on, you naughty child! Speak up—” Old Mrs. Gu slapped her granddaughter’s arm with a loud *smack*.
Gu Xing’er winced in pain.
Her arm was still injured; luckily, it only broke the skin.
Gu Xing’er slightly composed her expression, her eyes full of pride, “I’ve found a boyfriend in the city.”
Old Mrs. Gu was stunned.
What was happening?!
Her mind was a jumble, and she blurted out, “How old is he? Is he married? Does he have children? Is he healthy? Does he have a job? How many people are in his family…?”
Gu Xing’er’s face fell.
What did she mean, looking down on her like that.
She patiently said, “He’s two years older than me, and he’s my classmate. He has a job. I didn’t ask how many people are in his family. We’ve agreed that after my birthday, we’ll get married.”
Old Mrs. Gu: Hmm? The conditions are unexpectedly good.
“What about his family?”
Gu Xing’er didn’t care.
“What does that have to do with me? I just need to capture my man’s heart and have him give me his salary. I’ll manage his family.”
Old Mrs. Gu knew her granddaughter never let herself be taken advantage of and didn’t voice any further opinions.
Inside, however, she breathed a sigh of relief.
During this time, caught between her daughter-in-law and Xing’er, she hadn’t had an easy time.
Her daughter-in-law, who would care for her in her old age, and her granddaughter, whom she doted on, pleasing either one was difficult. Alas.
She was old and just wanted to enjoy her twilight years. She didn’t want to deal with all these messy affairs, truly didn’t want to!
If Xing’er got married, the family would finally be stable.
Old Mrs. Gu felt that life held hope again!
“Xing’er, you chose him, so you’d better treat him well this time. Don’t be willful anymore. It’s not easy to find such a good man…” she advised her granddaughter.
Gu Xing’er’s chin was held high, “I know. I’m not an idiot.”
Her goal had always been clear: to marry into the city.
Zhang Xuejun liked her and listened to her. He was the best she could get.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to find someone better, but she couldn’t. City people looked down on others; Gu Xing’er knew in her heart that with her background, she couldn’t marry into a good family, and they wouldn’t even consider her.
Of course, Gu Xing’er didn’t think it was her problem; she felt that city people were snobbish and their underestimation was their loss…
Knowing that Gu Xing’er had found a good prospect, Old Mrs. Gu became incredibly smug.
She glanced at her daughter-in-law and said, “Second daughter-in-law, you’re Xing’er’s second aunt and an elder. Don’t be too petty. Xing’er won’t be home for many more days, just endure it a bit longer.”
“Xing’er is like the first branch; if you drive her away, she’ll have nowhere to go. You’re her biological second aunt; if you don’t look after her, who will?”
Uncle Gu Er couldn’t help but retort, “That’s her own fault. She’s the one who put up the notice. No one forced her.”
Giving birth to such a troublemaker, she almost felt sorry for her eldest sister-in-law…
No, sorry for what.
She should be sorry for herself.
Breaking ties was a relief for her eldest sister-in-law, but their own difficult days weren’t over.
Gu Xing’er, displeased and feeling wronged, said with a flushed face and bulging neck, “If I hadn’t been wronged and treated unfairly, would I have done this?! It’s all their fault; I did nothing wrong!”
Uncle Gu Er couldn’t be bothered to argue.
The girls watching had complex expressions.
In their eyes, Gu Xing’er was the luckiest girl in the village. She went to school, had her own room, her clothes had few patches, she didn’t have to do fieldwork, and she didn’t even have to do housework. No one beat or scolded her, and her family never thought of trading her for betrothal gifts…
Only a landlord’s daughter could live such a life.
And them?
They were beaten and scolded, had to get up before dawn every day to work, feed chickens, sweep floors, wash clothes, finish household chores, then do fieldwork, take care of younger siblings, and endure the scowls of anyone unhappy in the family… it was as if they were born only to work and work and work. Many, before getting married, couldn’t even remember what an egg tasted like…
Gu Xing’er truly didn’t know how good she had it.
If it were them…
Just thinking about it seemed wonderful.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have such fortune.
Old Mrs. Gu felt Gu Xing’er had gone too far and had scolded her when she first found out. Xing’er had acted impulsively by putting up the notice. In fact, she knew she was wrong and, when the opportunity arose, would try to mend the relationship. After all, Xing’er couldn’t be without a maternal family.
“Xing’er!” Old Mrs. Gu feigned a scolding, “Your parents raised you. They were wrong about separating the households, but you can’t blame them. Don’t say such things again!”
Gu Xing’er hid her dissatisfaction and obediently said, “I understand.”
Old Mrs. Gu’s expression was pleased.
Who said her Xing’er had a bad temper? She was quite obedient.
She looked at Uncle Gu Er, “When Xing’er marries into the city, perhaps she’ll become a worker in the future. Having a worker as a niece will bring you honor.”
Uncle Gu Er didn’t want honor; he just wanted Gu Xing’er out of his sight.
Just as he was about to say something, his arm was tugged.
Uncle Gu Er glanced at his wife. His shrewd eyes twinkled as he spoke, “That’s for sure. We wish Xing’er all the best.”
Uncle Gu Er pouted but, not wanting to embarrass the family head, said, “Gu Xing’er can stay, but she can’t do nothing. We don’t keep lazy people at home.”
Before, her mother-in-law had said Gu Xing’er should do chores. After moving back, she didn’t do any, and her daughters-in-law had to. The resentment in the house had been heavy lately, making the atmosphere oppressive.
Old Mrs. Gu was somewhat displeased but understood that it wasn’t just the daughters-in-law who had opinions; the grandsons were also unhappy about her favoritism towards Xing’er.
She no longer openly protected Gu Xing’er.
“Alright. Assign her some simple tasks. She hasn’t done them before, so give Xing’er time to adjust.”
Uncle Gu Er felt an indescribable disdain.
Taking a deep breath, she returned to her room, out of sight, out of mind.
Later, she told her daughters-in-law to ignore Xing’er. The second branch’s daughters-in-law hesitated and didn’t pay her any mind. Instead, they eagerly vied to help Gu Xing’er with her chores.
They all had children and thought that once Gu Xing’er married into the city, she might be able to help their own children, so doing chores was a small matter, a simple task.
Knowing her daughters-in-law were fawning over Gu Xing’er, Uncle Gu Er was so angry she couldn’t recover for two days.
Relying on Gu Xing’er was like dreaming.
She’d rather believe that pies fell from the sky.
She didn’t find her daughters-in-law embarrassing, though. In the countryside, opportunities were scarce, and for the sake of their children’s future, they would humble themselves.
These were things that happened later.
For now.
The onlookers, waiting for the Gu family to finish speaking, finally reacted.
“Xing’er, are you really marrying into the city? Then in the future… you’ll be a city person, eating rationed food?” a girl who could exchange a few words with Gu Xing’er asked.
Gu Xing’er’s expression was proud, “That’s right.”
Seeing this, Zhao Liuniang felt heaven was unfair.
Not wanting to see the villagers fawning over the sister-in-law she disliked, she huffed away and found Lin Zhao, telling her about the gossip she had just heard.
In the end, the light in her eyes dimmed.
“Third sister-in-law, how can Gu Xing’er be so lucky? With her temperament, she’s actually marrying into the city and will eat rationed food…”
Lin Zhao smiled strangely.
Zhao Liuniang sensed something was wrong, stopped her envious murmuring, and leaned closer to Lin Zhao.
“Third sister-in-law, why are you acting so strange? What’s going on? Is there more to this?”
Lin Zhao was surprised by her second sister-in-law’s perceptiveness.
She said, “Marrying into the city without a job means you can’t eat rationed food.”
Zhao Liuniang’s tone was urgent, “You mean, if Gu Xing’er wants to eat rationed food, she must have a job?”
“That’s right,” Lin Zhao nodded. “That’s why rural-to-urban transfer is so difficult.”
It wasn’t that simple.
It was true, as Gu Xing’er had calculated, that the city was already overcrowded.
“After the notice for educated youth to go to the countryside came out, every street watched those without jobs. The job market in the city was already difficult, and with this policy, there were even fewer job positions. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say there were goods available but no buyers.”
“It’ll be hard for Gu Xing’er to find a job.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Liuniang became happy.
“Then, our proud former sister-in-law… will be disappointed?”
She couldn’t hide her schadenfreude.
Lin Zhao felt they were like wicked villains, but she felt strangely satisfied inside.
“Yes.”
Zhao Liuniang was no longer upset. She left dejectedly and returned home happily.
When she got home, she saw Bang Bang and Lai Mei, the two young boys, had already made a mess of the fried beltfish.
“Oh, you two gluttons, you’re already starting to eat. Your father isn’t even back yet.”
Seeing there were still leftovers in the bowl, she didn’t grab the broom from behind the door to beat the children.
Bang Bang felt guilty. He had tried to stop his younger brother but failed. In the end, he had joined in…
Lai Mei didn’t bother to wipe the oil from the corner of his mouth, his eyes reluctantly leaving the remaining fried fish.
“My brother and I shared one piece; we didn’t eat much,” he quickly explained, afraid Zhao Liuniang would be angry.
Bang Bang also changed the subject, “Mom, did Third Aunt give us this fried fish?”
“Isn’t it your Third Aunt?” Zhao Liuniang locked up the fried fish, afraid the gluttons at home would eat it all. She knew how good Third Sister-in-law’s cooking was; it wasn’t surprising the children couldn’t resist. Even adults found it difficult.
“Third Aunt is really nice,” Lai Mei said.
Bang Bang nodded.
Zhao Liuniang said, “After eating such good fried fish, you two can’t be lazy. Go help the third branch collect firewood. Collect more. It’s getting cold soon, and we can’t have insufficient firewood.”
“Do we even need you to say that, Mom?” Lai Mei patted his chest. “Don’t worry, Third Aunt’s firewood is covered by my brother and me. We guarantee she won’t be short of firewood.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled Bang Bang and went out.
“Dinner is soon, come back after collecting some!” Zhao Liuniang called out.
The two young boys didn’t reply, unsure if they had heard.
The mother wasn’t worried; the children in her family were like they grew up by the chimney, they wouldn’t miss any meal.
The main house.
Old Mr. and Mrs. Gu were discussing Gu Xing’er.
Mr. Gu examined his wife’s expression.
“The dowry we’ve saved…”
Before he could finish, an enraged voice interrupted, “No!”
Mrs. Gu had grown cold towards Gu Xing’er and didn’t want to deal with anything, as she had her grandmother and the second branch.
“If we’re going to break ties, let’s do it completely.”
Her expression was unpleasant, “If we rush to give it to her, she won’t appreciate it and will just think we two old fogeys want to take advantage of her. Why bother?”
Mr. Gu saw his wife was very angry and said, “Don’t be angry. I was just asking. If you say no, then no.”
“Our family listens to you. No one can make you angry.”
Mrs. Gu felt a little better.
“When she gets married, will you go?” Mr. Gu asked the difficult question.
“Yes,” Mrs. Gu said. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for us not to go. The rest of the family won’t go.”
Not going would inevitably lead to gossip.
They, the old couple, didn’t care, but there were younger family members.
Mr. Gu nodded, seeing his wife had it figured out.
“Alright.”
He looked at Mrs. Gu’s expression and asked again, “…Should we inquire about that young man?”
Mrs. Gu looked at her old man, “If that young man isn’t good, will you tell your youngest daughter to break up with that young man?”
“Aren’t you afraid she’ll resent you?”
“Will she listen to you?”
After three rhetorical questions, Mr. Gu gave a sheepish smile.
“Look at you, I’m asking for your opinion, and you’re treating me like a class enemy.”
The old man felt bitter.
Mrs. Gu glared at him, warning, “Don’t interfere too much.”
“Your youngest daughter won’t appreciate your kindness, nor will she think you have a father’s heart. She’ll only resent you for being incompetent. Try it if you don’t believe me.”
Mr. Gu quickly shook his head.
He wouldn’t try.
“I was just saying…”
Muttering, he couldn’t bear it and retreated, no longer mentioning the previous topic.
He asked because he was afraid his wife would regret it. Now, it seemed, his wife truly intended to wash her hands of the matter.
The city.
The apartment building.
The Zhang family.
A family of eight, crammed into a house of about forty square meters. The small space was divided into two rooms. The heads of the household occupied one room, while the eldest son Zhang and his wife and four children occupied the other. Zhang Xuejun and Zhang Aijun, the two brothers, slept in the living room on bunk beds, with oilcloth curtains creating a relatively private space.
After dinner.
Zhang Xuejun called out to his family, “Dad, Mom, I have something to say.”
Mr. and Mrs. Zhang looked confused and sat down again.
“What is it?” Mr. Zhang asked.
Zhang Xuejun: “I’ve found someone.”
This news was so sudden it was like a bomb exploding in the Zhang household, leaving everyone dazed.
Mrs. Zhang reacted first.
“Whose family is she from? Does she have a job?”
Her face showed little joy, only concern for these two questions.
The Zhang family had three sons. The eldest son was their main support, the apple of their eyes. The youngest son was sweet-talking and also cherished. Zhang Xuejun, stuck in the middle, wasn’t as favored. He had to calculate everything for himself and was not someone who let opportunities slip by.
“She’s my junior high classmate. She doesn’t have a job,” Zhang Xuejun said.
Mrs. Zhang was displeased.
“If she doesn’t have a job, what are you even talking about?”
Zhang Xuejun: “My salary is enough to support a wife.”
He glanced at their crowded home, “Even those with jobs wouldn’t look at me.”
They didn’t even have a proper room, and he was a temporary worker with no connections at home, making it unlikely he’d become permanent. If he didn’t lower his standards, it would be hard to find a wife.
Gu Xing’er was the prettiest in class, came from a decent family, and had a brother who was an officer. She even came to him, so he went along with it.
The Zhang family knew their own situation, and Mr. and Mrs. Zhang understood their second son’s meaning.
“You handle it,” Mr. Zhang said, not wanting to meddle further.
A flicker of something unreadable crossed Zhang Xuejun’s eyes.
When his elder brother was dating, his father was concerned about everything. Now, it was his turn, and he felt unhappy but had long since learned to suppress it and didn’t express his dissatisfaction.
“Eldest Brother, when will you get an apartment? Dad, Mom,” Zhang Xuejun looked at his eldest brother, “Our place is too crowded. I’m getting married soon, and it won’t be good for my new wife to live in the living room too.”
Zhang Da Sao longed for an apartment. She also wanted to live in a big house. But the place they lived in was allocated to her parents-in-law and was the first branch’s asset. The second son’s coveting it didn’t sit well with her.
In front of everyone, she put on a displeased face.
Zhang Da Ge was also shrewd and thought the same as his wife.
However, he didn’t show it.
“I wish I could! It’s just that we haven’t been allocated one yet. Apartment allocation is based on seniority, and I… I’m still a long way off.”
Zhang Xuejun looked at his parents, “Then what about me? I can’t keep dragging this out.”
Mrs. Zhang rolled her eyes, “What’s the rush? You’ve only just started dating; you haven’t even set a wedding date yet.”
Thinking about having to spend money again, she became agitated.
Zhang Xuejun ignored his mother’s unpleasant attitude and said, “My girlfriend and I have agreed; we’ll get married after her birthday.”
“So soon?” Mrs. Zhang frowned.
The Zhang family’s rule was that each married family member only had to pay living expenses each month; their salaries didn’t have to be handed over entirely.
Thinking of losing more than ten yuan each month, Mrs. Zhang’s impression of her second son’s future daughter-in-law plummeted to rock bottom.
“They’re all bloodsuckers.”
Zhang Xuejun pretended not to hear and went to work.
He was a stevedore, and his work was very hard. He didn’t earn much, about twenty-something yuan a month, barely enough to eat. Wanting more… that was impossible.
Gu Xing’er didn’t know any of this.
She had a thick filter on city people. The life Uncle Song lived was the life she wanted.
