“Uncle?” Seeing her uncle lost in thought, Xiao Tao called out again.
Gu Beizheng looked up and smiled. “I believe you. Uncle believes Xiao Tao can definitely do it. When I go into town in a couple of days, how about I buy you a beautiful schoolbag?”
“Really?” Xiao Tao jumped off the stool and hopped over to hug Gu Beizheng. “Uncle, you’re the best.”
She didn’t know why she suddenly had an uncle. Her mother said that when she was little, her uncle had held her, though she didn’t remember. But she knew that the White Rabbit creamy candy she ate and the small floral skirts she wore were all sent by her uncle.
This uncle was tall and handsome. He was good to her and good to her mother. In the few days he had been home, Grandma hadn’t dared to come over and cause trouble. If only Uncle could stay at home forever to protect her and her mother.
“Alright, stop bothering your uncle. Go out and play.” Ding Lan patted Xiao Tao’s head.
Xiao Tao skipped out the door happily.
Ding Lan grabbed a stool and sat down next to Gu Beizheng. Today, the village was buzzing with rumors that Gu Beizheng had gotten involved with the educated youth Xu.
Just now, their neighbor, Sister-in-law Zhang, had described it vividly to her, talking about how Gu Beizheng and Educated Youth Xu were being all clingy and hugging each other, as if she had seen it with her own eyes.
Glancing at Gu Beizheng, who was focused on repairing the stool, she couldn’t see anything unusual in his demeanor. She pursed her lips: “Beizheng, you… you and Teacher Xu…”
Gu Beizheng looked up at Ding Lan, hearing the implication in her words. “Don’t listen to their nonsense. There’s nothing going on between us.”
Hearing him say this, Ding Lan felt a slight sense of relief. On his first day back, Beizheng had saved Teacher Xu, which already caused quite a bit of gossip. There were also rumors outside that he had beaten up Lu Shijie. Lu Shijie was the Town Mayor’s nephew and was always domineering; who dared to provoke him? She was truly afraid Beizheng would get into some kind of trouble.
“That’s good then. Although Teacher Xu is pitiful, there’s nothing anyone can do. Honestly, if she could just accept reality and find a capable man in the village to marry, she could protect herself. But that girl seems to have high standards; she doesn’t look favorably on anyone.”
Who didn’t know that the bachelors and hooligans in the village were all eyeing Teacher Xu? A girl as beautiful as a flower—everyone wanted to touch and get a sniff, but no one dared to take her home to keep. They were afraid they wouldn’t be able to hold onto her.
Gu Beizheng clutched the hammer in his hand, his face cold, and remained silent.
“Beizheng, you’ve been here for quite a while. It might be better for you to return to the army sooner rather than later.” Ding Lan thought it best for Gu Beizheng to leave early to avoid any unexpected trouble.
“Sister, come with me. Mom and Dad specifically instructed me to bring you back.”
Gu Beizheng looked up at Ding Lan.
This woman was only thirty-two years old, yet her skin was dull, dry, and sallow, lacking any luster. Her withered, yellow hair seemed to be streaked with a few strands of gray, and her eyes had lost their former spirit. There was not a single overlap with the vibrant, bright girl in his memory.
Ding Lan shook her head. “Tell Godmother that I thank her for thinking of me, but I can’t leave. Daming just passed away; if I leave now, his heart will turn cold in the afterlife.”
“Sister, why must you suffer like this? Years ago, when my parents wanted to take you with them, you couldn’t bear to leave him and gave up the chance to return to the city. Now that he’s gone, you still want to stay here for his sake? You…”
“Beizheng,” Ding Lan frowned and interrupted him. “You don’t understand. The feelings between Daming and me—you don’t understand.”
Seeing the faint glimmer of light in Ding Lan’s eyes when she mentioned Daming, Gu Beizheng felt somewhat confused. Yes, he didn’t understand. He didn’t understand why Ding Lan was so stubborn, giving up opportunities to change her life time and again for a man, willing to suffer and endure hardship here, and even tolerate that old hag’s anger.
“If you really care about me, don’t force me.”
Ding Lan patted Gu Beizheng’s arm.
Gu Beizheng sighed softly. “Alright. It’s just that Mom is worried about you; she’s always thinking of you.”
Ding Lan smiled faintly. “I know Godmother cares about me. Godmother is a righteous and benevolent person. To have taken care of me for so many years for the sake of that little bit of friendship back then—I am truly grateful to her.”
“How is it just a little bit of friendship? If it weren’t for you back then, my mother and I would both have died. Where would I be today?”
Years ago, Gu Beizheng’s parents were sent down to Shuitou Village. His mother was pregnant with him at the time, yet she was still dragged onto the stage to be criticized every day. That day, on the verge of labor, she was hiding from the Red Guards’ search and fell into the haystack at Ding Lan’s home. It was Ding Lan who hid her and later found a flatbed cart to pull his mother out of the village. At that time, Ding Lan was only nine years old.
Ding Lan was an orphan, raised by her uncle and aunt. In those days when food was scarce and people couldn’t even feed their own children, let alone a fostered girl, life was hard.
After Gu Beizheng’s mother learned of Ding Lan’s background, she acknowledged her as her goddaughter and took care of her constantly. Perhaps because she had witnessed his birth with her own eyes, Ding Lan was especially fond of Gu Beizheng and was happy to look after him. Until he joined the army at sixteen, Gu Beizheng had practically grown up on Ding Lan’s back.
“That was just you and Godmother having great fortune.” Hearing Gu Beizheng’s words, Ding Lan only smiled faintly. For such a small kindness, the family had remembered it for a lifetime. Ever since their rehabilitation and return to the city, they had sent goods and money every year. After Daming died, Gu Beizheng, who was on leave, came without a second thought to take her away. But if she left, Daming would be lying in the ground all alone; during festivals, there wouldn’t even be anyone to burn paper money for him.
“Alright, Beizheng, let’s not talk about this anymore. There’s nothing going on at my home. You don’t need to worry about me. Return to your unit as soon as possible; don’t let this affect your work. When I want to leave, I’ll call you, and you can come pick me up, okay?” Ding Lan continued to persuade him.
Gu Beizheng had a cold personality since childhood. Aside from being relatively close to her, he was distant even with his own mother. In her heart, he was her biological brother. In her eyes, this brother was a favored son of heaven, destined to reach the peak. He absolutely could not be looked down upon by others here because of her.
Seeing how determined Ding Lan was, Gu Beizheng couldn’t say anything more and nodded: “I understand.”
In the afternoon, Xiao Tao took her schoolbag to the Educated Youth Center to find Xu Zhouzhou for tutoring.
“Is your health better?” Xu Zhouzhou rubbed Xiao Tao’s head; this child really loved to learn.
“Mhm.” Xiao Tao nodded. “The doctor said I’ll be fully recovered after two more injections.”
Xiao Tao took out her books from her bag, then took out a bottle of ointment and handed it to Xu Zhouzhou: “Teacher Xu, Uncle asked me to bring this to you. It’s for you to apply to the wounds on your face.”
Xu Zhouzhou took the medicine bottle, her heart trembling slightly. It seemed this man wasn’t as heartless as he appeared on the surface. Was there still hope?
“Teacher Xu, did someone bully you?” Xiao Tao looked at the bloody scratches on Xu Zhouzhou’s face and asked cautiously, the rims of her eyes red.
Xu Zhouzhou gave her a comforting smile: “It’s nothing. The person who bullied your teacher was hurt even worse than me—almost disfigured.”
Hearing this, Xiao Tao broke into a smile through her tears. She blinked and beckoned to Teacher Xu.
Xu Zhouzhou bent down and looked at her: “What is it?”
“Teacher Xu, if anyone bullies you, I can have my uncle come help you. He’s very powerful; even my grandma is afraid of him.” Xiao Tao said with her eyes wide and round.
Xu Zhouzhou let out a soft laugh. “Alright, then I’ll thank Xiao Tao, and Xiao Tao’s uncle too.”
Xiao Tao took out her books. After Xu Zhouzhou explained a few problems to her, she began to work on them herself.
Xu Zhouzhou took out the ointment and slowly applied it to her wounds while looking in the mirror.
“Xiao Tao, after you go back, help me thank your uncle. Um… say that I’ll treat him to a meal another day.”
Xiao Tao turned her head. “Why does someone want to treat Uncle to a meal every day?”
“Is your uncle that busy? Whose house did he go to for dinner?”
Xiao Tao rolled her eyes as she thought for a moment, then said, “He went to the Village Chief Grandpa’s house for dinner today.”
Xu Zhouzhou’s hand jerked, and the ointment in her hand nearly fell. “The Village Chief?”
Wasn’t that Zhao Ying’s house? In the book, Gu Beizheng went to the Village Chief’s house for a meal, was drugged and forcibly slept with by Zhao Ying, and was then forced to marry her.
“I’m doomed.”