Never expecting her uncle to say such words, Gu Fangbai was momentarily stunned before her expression softened again: “In your presence, I really can remain forever young.”
“That’s the right way to think.” Satisfied, Gu Weiguo finally set down the bucket he was holding.
Everyone leaned in to look and discovered several fairly large ricefield eels inside.
Gu Rongzhi, who loved sizzling eel paste most, was overjoyed to see such fine ingredients: “Dad, where did these come from?”
Gu Weiguo chuckled cheerfully: “Old Hu caught them with bamboo traps. He always catches plenty around this time every year. When he saw our Fangbai, he gave us half.”
Xu Huailan sighed helplessly: “Then we’ll probably have more dishes delivered later.” They’d need to prepare several return gifts.
Sure enough… before she even finished speaking, a hearty voice carried over… the Sun family had brought stir-fried lotus pond vegetables.
Gu Rongzhi mumbled: “Are we still going to the State-run Restaurant?”
Xu Huailan covered the dish with a dust cover: “Let’s eat at home. But since Fangbai rarely visits, two dishes aren’t enough. The State-run Restaurant has braised pork ribs and pressure-cooked fish head today. Old Fourth, take the lunchbox and go get them.”
“Alright, I’ll go right now. Will Third Sister come with me?” After taking the money and coupons from his mother, Gu Rongzhi looked at his sister with hopeful eyes.
Having been here for three or four days since crossing over, Gu Fangbai hadn’t visited the State-run Restaurant yet and was genuinely curious.
But before she could agree, Xu Huailan spoke first: “I need to talk with your sister. Go by yourself.”
Gu Rongzhi then looked at his father.
“Go, go, go! Does a grown boy need company? I’m cooking eels.” Many men in Su Shi knew how to cook, and Gu Weiguo was among them, with quite impressive culinary skills.
After shooing away his clingy youngest son, Xu Huailan voiced her earlier suspicion: “Fangbai, have you taken a liking to some young man?”
Gu Weiguo paused while cleaning the eels, astonished: “Really? Why didn’t you mention it before?”
Since she intended to confess anyway, Gu Fangbai didn’t hesitate: “There is a decent male comrade. I wasn’t sure if he’d be willing before.”
“Why wouldn’t he be willing? My niece is so outstanding! Tell your uncle, who is that boy?!” Gu Weiguo never imagined that his niece would be the one to fancy someone first, and worse, lack confidence about it.
“Who are you trying to scare with that loud voice? And move that knife away—it’s covered in blood.” Xu Huailan smacked her husband once, then turned to her niece after expressing her displeasure: “How old is he? Where does he serve? What’s his rank? Where’s his hometown? Who introduced you? Is the matchmaker reliable?”
Unable to stay silent for even half a minute, Gu Weiguo grew agitated again: “A soldier? Fangbai, you want to marry a soldier? No! I don’t agree!”
He had long discussed with his wife that their niece’s husband must be from nearby, so they could keep an eye on him.
They planned to provide a dowry including a house, “three rounds and one sound” (bicycle, sewing machine, wristwatch, and radio), some emergency money, plus the savings and pension left by Fangbai’s parents, along with Fangbai’s years of wages… enough to ensure a comfortable life.
If she married a soldier, given Fangbai’s qualities and family background, she’d have to match with an officer.
That would mean Sui Jun (accompanying the military).
If that happened, she’d be far away, beyond their reach. What if the child got mistreated?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy Gu Weiguo felt. Though approaching the age of understanding destiny, he remained a handsome old man, yet now his entire face was wrinkled with anxiety.
Gu Fangbai had anticipated the reactions of her elders. She first carefully analyzed her current situation with her uncle before concluding: “…The situation outside is worsening. Even our newspaper office has seen two senior colleagues reassigned this year… Though my background is red and loyal, unintended negligence can’t guard against deliberate schemes. Today it’s just a sabotaged blind date—what about tomorrow? What will we face the day after? It would be better to accompany the military to the army base. That place is a good refuge far from disputes.”
Gu Fangbai wasn’t exaggerating dangers. The original host had died in August this very year—pushed into a river by schemers, followed by a “hero saving the beauty” scenario that ultimately destroyed her reputation.
The original host could swim and didn’t want to be falsely implicated. One struggled desperately to swim, the other pulled vigorously. In the frantic tussle, both exhausted their strength and accidentally drowned.
Grandmother hadn’t elaborated on what happened to the uncle and aunt afterward, only mentioning that the Gu family didn’t achieve revenge until the 1980s.
Gu Fangbai wasn’t foolish. She understood that these so-called enemies must currently hold some status.
Beyond this, she felt heartache—imagining how painful it must have been for the Gu family upon learning of the original host’s drowning.
Gu Fangbai knew better: even if she married, her husband’s family might not necessarily protect her. After all, these ten years held too many uncertainties. She didn’t dare gamble.
Thus, marrying into the military far away was the optimal choice.
It could be called killing multiple birds with one stone!
Gu Weiguo understood his niece was right, but he still felt unsettled. He had never considered marrying Fang Bai off so far away.
Thinking of the scoundrels who forced the child to resort to distant marriage made him chop the eel with furious “Bang! Bang!” blows.
Xu Huailan remained relatively rational. She glanced at her husband and unusually refrained from scolding him, instead asking her niece: “You haven’t told us about that soldier’s situation.”
Having reached this point, whether advancing or retreating meant facing the blade, Gu Fangbai decided to charge ahead in one breath: “He’s the older brother of my high school classmate. He’s 28 this year, serves in Tianjin, holds the rank of battalion commander, and is tall and handsome.”
As she spoke, she somewhat ingratiatingly presented a black-and-white photograph with both hands.
“Quite prepared, even brought a photo?” Having three generations of soldiers in the family, Xu Huailan understood military ranks somewhat. A 28-year-old battalion commander was quite accomplished, and the age was just right—four years older than her niece. Taking the photo, she exclaimed: “My, he really is a rare handsome young man.”
Gu Weiguo, who had been eavesdropping, remained displeased and said sourly: “Could he be handsomer than I was in my youth?”
Xu Huailan couldn’t be bothered bantering with her husband. She directly shoved the photo before his eyes: “Look carefully. Isn’t he better-looking than you were back then?”
Gu Weiguo pretended to glance impatiently… then looked again, frowned, and reached for the photo.
Xu Huailan quickly pulled the photo back: “What are you doing? Your hands are covered in blood. Don’t dirty the photo. Just look at it like this.”
Gu Weiguo was famously good-tempered, but now he rarely wore a stern expression as he looked at his niece and asked in a lowered voice: “That fellow… isn’t his surname Chu?”
“Yes, his name is Chu Yu.” Gu Fangbai had guessed her uncle might know the Chu family, since the two families lived quite close—less than half an hour’s walk apart.
Xu Huailan’s heart skipped a beat: “What’s wrong, Weiguo? Do you know this young man? Is his character no good?”
“His character should be fine, but his family are red capitalists.” Gu Weiguo was acquainted with the Chu family, after all, they were once renowned wealthy merchants in Su Shi, though he had only seen them a few times from afar.
“How could they be capitalists?” Xu Huailan’s first reaction was to frown. She wasn’t one to look down on them—anyone with a bit of perspective knew not to tar everyone with the same brush.
But with her niece’s excellent qualifications, finding a military officer with a clean background wouldn’t be difficult. There was absolutely no need to choose the Chu family.
Unless… Suspecting something, Xu Huailan looked doubtfully at her niece: “Did the Chu family take an interest in your background and approach you first?”
Hearing this, Gu Weiguo also fixed a stern gaze on her.
After a few moments of silence, Gu Fangbai decided to stick to her original plan: “No, Chu Yu doesn’t even know me. I’ve seen him before and found him quite… ahem… quite appealing. Since I’ve been thinking lately that marrying a military man would be better, I took the initiative to contact his sister—my high school classmate. She’s the one who gave me the photo.”
Xu Huailan could hardly believe her ears. She and her husband exchanged bewildered looks before she asked incredulously, “So… you mean you took a liking to the Chu boy first, approached his sister about it, and neither you nor his sister had any objections?!”
That summary wasn’t wrong, so Gu Fangbai nodded.
Gu Weiguo looked utterly perplexed: “So, the Chu boy knows nothing about this?” Was his niece really this formidable?
She wasn’t that bold! Gu Fangbai sighed inwardly: “How could that be? My classmate called her brother. Chu Yu didn’t object, which is why I’m telling you now.”
Xu Huailan: “Chu… his name is Chu Yu, right? What did he say? Did he agree right away?”
Gu Weiguo muttered under his breath: “With his background, how could he refuse someone like our Fang Bai? He’d have to be out of his mind.”
Xu Huailan shot her husband a glare: “Shut up!”
Gu Weiguo: “…”
Gu Fangbai stifled a laugh: “No, he didn’t object, but he insisted on getting my family’s approval first.”
“At least he’s responsible, but… does it have to be Little Chu?” Xu Huailan remained unwilling.
“I quite like him.” Gu Fangbai put on a shy act. She didn’t want to do this, but after much thought, this was the only reason that could persuade her family.
The truth was, she had to submit her marriage application by early July at the latest. Desperate times called for desperate measures!
Now it was Xu Huailan’s turn to be exasperated: “Like what? You haven’t even spoken to him, have you? I know you too well! Since you were little, you’d freeze at the sight of anything pretty—even when buying tomatoes or broad beans, you’d pick the best-looking ones… You’re just taken with Little Chu’s face!”
Feeling more wronged than Dou E, Gu Fangbai stewed for a moment before mumbling in protest: “It’s not just that. I think the Chu family is straightforward, with good character. The political climate is bound to improve, and the Chu family might be rehabilitated in a couple of years. If we extend a helping hand now, it would be a great kindness…”
After listening to her niece’s lengthy analysis, which made some sense, Gu Weiguo still gritted his teeth: “You really are taken with that boy’s looks. Otherwise, you’d never have so much to say.”
Gu Fangbai: “…”
Seeing her niece rendered speechless by her husband’s remark, Xu Huailan found it amusing and reached out to poke the girl’s forehead before chiding, “This matter requires careful consideration from your uncle and me. There’s no need to rush.”
Gu Fangbai… she was in a hurry! The Chu family was equally anxious!
However, she understood the principle that going too far would be counterproductive. She could only ease off for now and try again with renewed effort tomorrow.
Just as Gu Fangbai was contemplating how to continue persuading them the next day, she heard her aunt say, “Give me Little Chu’s phone number.”
“You’re going to call him?!”
Xu Huailan glared at her niece. “Why such a big reaction? Anyway, no matter how well you speak, it’s useless. I need to have a chat with him personally.” If he proved to be logical and courteous, then he ought to take the initiative to request leave and come back for the elders to see. Did he think it would be so easy to marry their dearly cherished girl?
“No, no, you’re absolutely right!” Gu Fangbai verbally agreed repeatedly, while inwardly thinking that she should call Chu Yu first thing tomorrow morning. What if her aunt ended up scaring him away?