Time flew by, and it was now 1962.
Gu Yihan was already a ten-year-old girl, standing tall at 146 centimeters. In 1961, her family had built her a separate earth brick house, which made all the other young girls in the village incredibly envious.
However, she wouldn’t be living in it for long. After the summer break, she would be starting junior high at the commune, beginning her life as a boarding student.
Due to the three years of disaster, the schools had been on break, so Gu Hao had studied at home on his own. In 1961, he went to the school, passed an approved examination, and received his high school diploma ahead of schedule.
Gu Hao himself was a man of perseverance. He had the team leader write him a letter of introduction and spent three months looking for a job in the county.
At the beginning of the year, he passed the exam for the propaganda department of the machinery factory, becoming a glorious worker.
He earned a level 10 monthly salary of 27.5 yuan, along with some ration tickets.
“Grandma, do you think Dad’s blind date will be a success today?” Gu Yihan asked, looking at Grandma Gu with a gossipy glint in her eyes.
Grandma Gu looked at her little granddaughter’s expression.
“That girl is quite good-looking,” she said, exasperated. “If her family’s poverty hadn’t held her back, it wouldn’t even be your father’s turn. If he doesn’t even like someone like her, does he expect to marry a celestial fairy?”
Gu Yihan chuckled. “Hehe, I just heard that the girl is especially capable at home and very filial. I was worried she might not think my dad is good enough.”
Before long, Gu Yihan heard her cheap father returning, humming a little tune.
Seeing his expression, Grandma Gu knew it was a success. “Lao Er, it worked out, didn’t it?”
Gu Lao Er said happily, “Listen to you, Mother. Your son isn’t bad-looking. As soon as I got there and she took one look at me, the girl agreed.”
Aside from being 175 centimeters tall, which is decent for this era and not too short, Gu Yihan thought to herself, what else is there? At best, his features are regular. He works in the fields every day, his face tanned black. And he calls that ‘not bad’?
Grandma Gu was delighted to hear the news. “Then let’s have the matchmaker go and formally propose the marriage.”
“Mother, I’ve already settled it with Chen Xiu. The betrothal gifts will be 50 yuan,” Gu Aidang had just finished saying.
Gu Dasao, who had just returned, overheard him. “Mother, Second Uncle is already on his second marriage, yet he’s spending more than he did on his first. Even Zhang Cuihua didn’t ask for that much money.”
“Is this one edged in gold?”
Gu Aidang was furious. “Dasao, why must you be so nasty? Chen Xiu is getting married for the first time. How is this too much?”
Gu Dasao, Wang Ni, said in a snide tone, “Second Uncle, don’t forget, our family’s money is in that sum too.”
“Your branch of the family only has you earning work points, which isn’t even enough to feed your own family. You rely entirely on us.”
Grandma Gu snapped, “What are you arguing about? Eldest daughter-in-law, are you trying to make Aidang stay a bachelor? What’s the matter, I’m not dead yet, are you trying to stir up a rebellion?”
“Mother, don’t forget, our family’s finances haven’t been separated yet. The eldest branch has a share in any money taken from the family,” Gu Dasao retorted, unconvinced.
Ever since her son had become a worker, Gu Dasao’s back had straightened considerably.
Grandma Gu stared straight at her. “Are you trying to separate the family? Are you saying this because your own child is grown and you don’t need us old folks anymore?”
Of course Gu Dasao wanted to separate. “Mother, you can’t just let the eldest branch suffer losses all the time.”
“Besides, you’re still letting Yihan go to school at the commune. How much money will that cost?”
This time, Grandma Gu was truly incensed. “Hmph, when your son went to school, why didn’t you complain about the cost?”
“During the three years of disaster, you ate from the savings your father and I had. Why don’t you calculate that? You’ve only had a few good days, and now you’re telling me you’re suffering a loss?”
“You want to separate the family? Fine. As long as your husband agrees, I’ll separate you immediately.”
Gu Yihan was speechless. She had been dragged into the argument about her schooling for no reason. She guessed that in a moment, her cheap father would also want her to stop her studies.
Gu Aidang thought for a moment and said, “Mother, actually, what Dasao said makes sense. There’s no use for a girl to go to school. It’s better for her to manage the household and marry into a good family in a few years.”
See, I knew it. This cheap father of mine is unreliable. To get himself a wife, he’s already setting his sights on me.
He was bound to be disappointed. Her ten years of hard work had not been in vain. All the grand promises she had been feeding Grandma Gu every day—wasn’t it all for this very moment?
Hearing this, Grandma Gu jumped up. “Gu Aidang, you haven’t raised her for a single day, and her schooling hasn’t cost you a single cent!”
“What you earn isn’t even enough for you to squander on yourself. Now you want to ruin my granddaughter? Not a chance! My granddaughter is going to marry into the city.”
Gu Aidang scoffed. “Mother, stop daydreaming. Marry into the city? Without a city household registration and commodity grain, who would marry her?”
Grandma Gu looked at Gu Aidang with contempt. “For a father, you really don’t care about your daughter at all. My granddaughter gets first place in her exams every year. She’s going to university, and she’ll be assigned a job after graduation. Why would we need to worry about that?”
“I’ll make myself clear right now. Whoever dares to think about stopping my granddaughter from going to school can get out of this house.”
Gu Yihan immediately pledged her loyalty. “Grandma, don’t worry. When I have a job, I’ll only be filial to you and Grandpa. I’ll support you and Grandpa in your old age.”
Although she doted on her little granddaughter and had heard her promise to support them in their old age more than once, she knew in her heart that she still had to rely on her sons.
Seeing that Grandma Gu didn’t seem to take her words to heart, Gu Yihan knew she truly intended to support her grandparents.
Without Grandma Gu, she wouldn’t have been able to live so freely.
Grandma Gu patted her little granddaughter’s hand and said, “I’ll be waiting for my granddaughter to get into university.”
Gu Aidang looked at the daydreaming grandmother and granddaughter. What a beautiful dream, he thought. They don’t even stop to think if anyone from the surrounding ten miles and eight villages has ever gotten into a university.
He couldn’t be bothered with any of this. He had to go back to his room and think about his life after marriage.