After dinner, Jiang Hongguo went to Aunt Hehua’s house and asked her to look after the home. She paid a full year in advance.
“Don’t touch the west room where Changzong and I sleep. If you have relatives visiting, they can use the east room. You can plant the private plot if you want. If not, just leave it empty.”
The sudden windfall made Aunt Hehua rub her hands in excitement. When Aunt Liu’s youngest son got into college and they held his entrance banquet, her own son Dazhu had stayed home for days, heartbroken after failing the exam. He wanted to repeat the year, but the family simply couldn’t afford it.
Now Hongguo had handed over more than seventy yuan at once—and it would come every year. Dazhu could repeat his studies without distraction.
Aunt Hehua’s eyes stung. “Hongguo, I’ll take good care of your house. Whenever you come back, no need to call ahead. I promise you’ll find it clean and ready to live in.”
That meant keeping it tidy every single day. Jiang Hongguo felt satisfied—six yuan a month was absolutely worth it.
Dazed by the huge surprise, Aunt Hehua asked her husband, “I thought Hongguo would only give this kind of good deal to Aunt Liu. Why us?”
Her husband replied, “Aunt Liu talks too much. At the baby’s full-month banquet, I saw Changzong was already unhappy. Hongguo and Changzong went to the provincial city—they probably won’t come back much. Seventy-plus yuan a year could support our third daughter through graduation. This is money handed straight to us. You and the kids better not gossip.”
“I know,” Aunt Hehua said. “I’ll remember Hongguo’s kindness. I’ll make sure the kids remember it too. Whether she expects repayment or not is her business. We have to remember.”
A few days later, Aunt Liu found out anyway. The more she thought about it, the more unsettled she felt.
“I don’t care about six yuan,” she told her husband. “But by doing this, what will the villagers think of me? They’ll think I offended her.”
Old Yang said, “You might not care about six yuan, but the Hehua family does. Our son happily went off to register at college. Dazhu failed. With this money, he can repeat the year. It’s earned from watching the house—it’ll ease his heart. We’ve only been living better for less than a year. Have you already forgotten how hard things used to be? Can’t you spare some understanding?”
Aunt Liu had no answer.
It just felt like Hongguo had grown distant from her family. Distance itself wasn’t the problem. But if Hongguo grew closer to the Hehua family… then when something good came along next time, wouldn’t it go to them?
The thought left her uneasy.
…
The house they rented in the provincial city had been freshly whitewashed. Changzong had hired someone to clean it thoroughly and replaced the bed, table, chairs, wardrobe, and cabinets with brand-new ones.
Jiang Hongguo wanted to bring all the new quilts and bedding they’d made. Staring at the mountain of bundles, she worried.
“Changzong, can you carry all this?”
Gu Changzong hoisted her onto his shoulder and spun her around once. “I could carry you all the way to the provincial city.”
She laughed and thumped his back. “You’re making me dizzy—put me down!”
The little one in the cradle made a soft whimper. Hongguo burst out laughing again. “Changzong, I forgot about the baby again.”
“That’s alright,” he said. “I won’t forget to raise him.”
There was simply too much to bring—clothes, quilts, several sturdy bamboo brooms she was afraid she wouldn’t find in the city, the baby’s cradle and walker. Even as capable as Changzong was, he couldn’t carry it all.
But he was resourceful. For a few dozen yuan, he arranged for a transport team driver to haul their belongings along with a shipment to the provincial city.
Aunt Hehua’s whole family came to help. They followed the tractor, loaded everything onto the big truck, and then she even went to the station to see them off.
Aunt Liu didn’t come, saying she had to run her stall—but her stall was right outside the station. Jiang Hongguo wanted some fried dough sticks for the journey, so she stopped by to say goodbye and buy a few.
Aunt Liu wrapped them up. “Hongguo, I’m busy with business. I won’t go inside to see you off.”
“With Changzong here, no one needs to see us off,” Hongguo said. “Aunt Liu, I may only come back once a year from now on. I hope your business thrives.”
Aunt Liu’s eyes suddenly stung. They’d been neighbors for years. The stall itself had been transferred from Hongguo’s family. She really should have walked her to the platform.
They traveled light. In Changzong’s bag were the wrapped purple jade grapes and the expensive outfit he had once worn in disguise.
Hongguo carried their documents and money. Changzong held the baby. She wasn’t tired at all—she could even enjoy the scenery along the way.
When they arrived, Changzong took her straight to the rented house. It was a row of small tiled houses, neat alleyways between them. He’d chosen one close to the main road—no need to walk through narrow lanes.
“The neighbor on the right,” he said, “is the grandson of Grandma Kong’s student. Their surname is Sun.”
Jiang Hongguo’s heart began pounding. She stole several glances. The door was closed; no sound inside. They probably weren’t home.
…
After repainting and furnishing, the place looked fit for a wedding.
Gu Changzong fed the baby and said, “Guoguo, rest at home. I’ll go wait for the truck at the road.”
She truly wasn’t tired. The provincial city was new and exciting—but more than that, she just wanted to be with him.
“It’s not far. I’ll go with you.”
A small ripple stirred in his heart.
Hongguo was growing closer to him. She didn’t even want to be apart for a moment.
He didn’t want to be apart either.
They waited at the roadside until the county transport truck arrived. The driver hopped down to help unload. It didn’t take long. Hongguo counted carefully—not a single item missing.
Gu Changzong handed the driver two packs of cigarettes.
“You already paid,” the driver grinned. “No need to be so polite.”
“Payment doesn’t include carrying the goods,” Changzong said. “Thanks for the help. No need for formalities between us.”
He handled social exchanges with ease. Hongguo watched, warmth blooming in her heart.
It took him three trips with a small cart to move everything home.
He spread the quilts, covered the sheets, told her to rest. They bought food from outside for lunch, and after eating, he kept organizing.
She felt for him too. She’d already swept the yard and was mixing formula for the baby. He never let her do much, but she wouldn’t just sit while he worked himself tired.
“Changzong, aren’t you tired? Take a break.”
“I’m not tired,” he said. In fact, the more he worked, the more energetic he felt.
Back in Dayang Village, neighbors left courtyard doors unlocked until bedtime. Anyone could shout at the gate and walk in.
Now in the provincial city, they didn’t know their neighbors. They could live however they pleased inside their own home.
“Once I finish, I’ll go buy meat and cook something delicious for you.”
At the mention of meat, Jiang Hongguo’s heart skipped and her cheeks flushed.
It had been a month. They hugged and kissed every day—but only that much.
When she saw him place the baby’s cradle—made up with a small quilt—into the opposite room, she grew uneasy.
“Changzong, this is a ground-level house. If the baby sleeps alone and a rat bites him—what then?”
“It won’t happen, Guoguo. I promise he’ll be safe.”
With his bloodline in that child, what rat would dare? Hadn’t she noticed? Even mosquitoes avoided the baby.
She still felt unsure about letting him sleep separately, but then she thought of how he’d gained six or seven jin in his first month, reaching a normal baby’s weight.
If Changzong said it was fine, then it was truly fine.
With the baby in another room, they could relax more.
On their first night in the provincial city, it felt like returning to their world before pregnancy—a world of just the two of them.
The summer night seemed shorter than ever. Before they knew it, dawn arrived.
She wouldn’t let him rub her legs. Blushing, she said, “Didn’t you say the driver introduced you to a place to learn driving? Go early. Don’t keep them waiting.”
Gu Changzong held her, reluctant to let go.
“Guoguo… promise you’ll always treat me this well, okay?”
For someone so capable, he was surprisingly insecure. Every time a flicker of jealousy or doubt rose in him, he’d look at her like this—pitiful and uncertain—and her heart would melt.
She cupped his handsome face. It was true. Since he’d come back, even his appearance and temperament had changed.
“Changzong, listen carefully. I will always treat you well.”
Joy flooded his face. He nodded. “Guoguo, then I’m at ease. As long as you treat me well, I won’t feel pitiful.”
A long breath drifted through her heart, a sigh that never quite escaped.
After he left, she locked the courtyard gate from inside. First days in a new city—better be cautious, even in daylight. The house was close to the main road. Convenient, yes—but what if someone slipped in and carried the baby away?
She picked up a broom and began sweeping fallen leaves beneath the two persimmon trees in the yard. The brooms from home were excellent; she’d brought several new ones—enough to last over a year.
She had barely swept a few strokes when someone knocked on the door.
Two voices called out—one elderly, one younger—saying they were the neighbor and the landlord.
Changzong had told her the house was rented from Grandma Kong. The neighbor on the left was surnamed Shan. The neighbor on the right was surnamed Sun. The landlord’s surname was Kong.
The two visitors matched exactly what Changzong had described. Jiang Hongguo hurried to open the door and explained apologetically that they had just moved in, her husband was out, and she was home alone with the baby—she had to be cautious.
Sister Shan lived next door. She’d brought over fresh vegetables from her yard as a housewarming gesture.
“After your husband rented the place, Grandma Kong never came to check on it. Now that you’ve moved in, we thought we’d stop by and see.”
Changzong had made significant changes to the little courtyard—three rooms freshly whitewashed, everything repaired and cleaned. Since Grandma Kong was the owner, Jiang Hongguo led them through each room for a look.
Grandma Kong was satisfied. The fine furniture would be taken away when they left, but the house itself had basically been renovated for free—and that must’ve cost a good sum.
“Your husband drove a hard bargain,” Grandma Kong said. “Locked in a one-year lease, no early termination allowed. If I broke it, I’d have to pay for the renovations and his moving costs. I thought he was bluffing. Turns out he’s a man of his word. This must’ve cost over a hundred yuan?”
“He said it was about a hundred and sixty,” Jiang Hongguo replied.
Grandma Kong beamed as if she’d gotten the better end of the deal. “Over a hundred yuan to fix it up like this—your husband knows how to run a household. Eight yuan a month for rent. He said I wouldn’t lose out. I only believe it now that I’ve seen it.”
Sister Shan admired the trees and flowers in the yard. “He plants the trees, you enjoy the shade. Grandma Kong, you really rented to the right people.”
Jiang Hongguo washed two teacups, brewed tea, and brought out biscuits and melon seeds. Grandma Kong settled into a high-backed armchair padded with soft cushions and picked up a biscuit.
Sister Shan inhaled the aroma of the tea—rich and fragrant. After a sip, she nodded approvingly. This young couple truly lived well. Everything they ate, used, and drank was good quality.
She’d peeked at the sleeping baby earlier—pinched his cheeks, touched his head—and he hadn’t woken once.
“Your baby is so well-behaved. I haven’t heard him cry once since yesterday.”
Jiang Hongguo couldn’t help boasting a little. “Yes, everyone says he came to repay a kindness.”
She hadn’t paid attention last night and wasn’t sure if the neighbors on the right had returned. This morning their door had been closed and quiet.
“Sister Shan, what are the neighbors on the right like? Easy to get along with? If I go over to introduce myself, would that be too abrupt?”
Sister Shan smiled. “They’re nice. She works on Antique Street. I’m heading over there to buy a few plates—want to come?”