On a summer morning, with dew still clinging to the grass along the ridges, the Red Star Production Brigade was already stirring.
Smoke curled from chimneys, chickens clucked, and dogs barked.
The commune members, hoes over their shoulders, went out to work one after another, beginning a new day with its familiar rhythm.
Lin Wanxing’s wedding was two days away, and Wang Shufen sent her to wash the clothes she would wear on her big day.
Lin Wanxing had been prepared for this and now saw her chance.
“Alright, Mom. I’ll go now. If there are any other clothes or bedding to wash, I’ll take those along too.”
Hearing her offer to be so diligent, Wang Shufen immediately stopped what she was doing and gathered all the dirty clothes from her room—her own, Lin Jianguo’s, and those of Dabao and Xiao Ya—handing them over.
Lin Wanxing smiled. “Then I’ll go wash them!”
“Go on, go on! Don’t dawdle—the wedding is only two days away. Whether our family looks respectable or not all depends on you then.”
Wang Shufen bossed her around, her tone laced with disdain.
Lin Wanxing said nothing.
She carried a large wooden basin and deliberately took the longest route, heading toward the river on the other side of the village.
Many villagers were either going to wash clothes or heading to work along this road, just as everyone was starting to leave their homes.
Seeing her come out, many people gathered in small groups to gossip, exchanging meaningful looks.
Lin Wanxing kept walking, pretending not to notice.
She had intentionally worn her simplest old clothes, which no longer fit properly and were patched in several places.
When she bent over, her waist was even exposed.
She didn’t look like someone who had gained any benefits at all; instead, she appeared to be living a difficult life.
“Auntie Zhang.” Lin Wanxing wiped the sweat from her brow, greeting her with a bright smile.
Auntie Zhang was taken aback, feeling somewhat awkward.
She had just been gossiping with others about Lin Wanxing’s bride price, so seeing the person in question now made her feel a bit guilty.
Looking at Lin Wanxing’s coarse hair, tired appearance, and ill-fitting clothes, she couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
She couldn’t resist asking, “Wanxing, you’re about to get married. Didn’t you receive any gifts or get some fabric to make decent clothes?”
Lin Wanxing paused, then smiled shyly. “You’re joking, Auntie. Such good things wouldn’t come to me—they must have more important uses.”
Auntie Zhang’s heart skipped a beat. “What about your bride price?”
Lin Wanxing shook her head innocently. “I don’t know about such things. My parents handle everything at home; I just have to marry over. Bride prices are an old-fashioned idea, something from the past when daughters were sold off. The Gu family are descendants of martyrs—we can’t ask them for anything. We must be considerate and save them the expense; that’s the right way of thinking.”
With that, she smiled and bid farewell. “Auntie, I’m busy washing my family’s clothes for the wedding. If I don’t hurry, it’ll be too late.”
Auntie Zhang had sharp eyes and spotted several pieces of clothing in the basin made of fine fabric!
Oh my!
Those heartless Lins.
Had they taken everything for themselves and left nothing for their daughter?
How utterly shameless!
Gritting her teeth, she soon went off to chat with her old friends.
Lin Wanxing squatted by the river, scrubbing the clothes vigorously, a faint smile curling her lips.
She made her movements even more exaggerated, making sure everyone saw how hardworking she was and how poorly her clothes fit.
The Lin family thought they could keep all the benefits? They’d better brace themselves for the gossip!
The green stone slabs by the river had long been worn smooth by generations of women washing clothes.
Before the wedding, many clothes had to be washed, dried, beaten, neatly folded, and packed into trunks.
Though Lin Wanxing appeared to be scrubbing with great effort, she was actually finding clever ways to slack off.
Not long after she started washing, she could feel the eyes of everyone around her on her.
Lin Wanxing paused her movements, raising a hand to wipe the sweat from her brow.
Just as she dipped the next piece of clothing into the cold river water, a tall shadow fell over her.
Looking up, she saw Gu Jianfeng standing there.
Lin Wanxing froze, noticing his complicated expression—was that a hint of pity?
She blinked. Had the news already reached Gu Jianfeng so quickly?
She beamed, standing up and wiping her hands on her clothes.
“Jianfeng, what brings you here? Didn’t you have breakfast at home?”
Gu Jianfeng was still wearing that crisp military-green shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing sturdy forearms. His bronze skin glowed healthily in the morning light.
“Sis… Wanxing, let me do it.” His voice was low, his strength evident.
Without giving her a chance to refuse, he took the wooden mallet and clothes from Lin Wanxing’s hands, knelt down, and began washing.
The women washing clothes nearby were startled, whispering among themselves as they looked over.
“Isn’t that Gu Jianfeng?”
“He’s helping Lin Wanxing wash clothes?”
They couldn’t help but feel envious. The men in their own families had never helped them with laundry or such chores.
Lin Wanxing raised an eyebrow slightly but didn’t refuse, pressing her lips together and stepping aside to watch him work.
Her words, however, continued, “Oh, Jianfeng, this is so embarrassing. This is what I should be doing—”
But her feet remained firmly in place.
Gu Jianfeng, without a word, crouched down, picked up a jacket, placed it on the green stone slab, and swung the wooden mallet with strong, rhythmic strokes.
It seemed he was used to washing his own clothes in the army, as he worked diligently.
The muffled “thud-thud” echoed by the river, splashing water that dampened the hem of his military pants, though he paid it no mind.
He worked with exceptional efficiency, clearly accustomed to doing things himself from his time in the army.
As he bent over and exerted force, the muscles of his back tensed visibly through the thin military uniform, outlining broad, powerful lines that left one feeling parched.
Lin Wanxing licked her lips, her eyes curved in a smile.
He wasn’t even married yet, but he already knew to help his wife with chores. What promising material!
The early summer weather was already somewhat warm, and with this physical labor, Gu Jianfeng soon had fine beads of sweat forming at his temples and neck.
A small patch of his military uniform was soaked through on his back, clinging tightly to the curves of his muscles, exuding a sense of strength and an indescribable masculine aura.
Lin Wanxing stood to the side, unable to suppress the smile at the corner of her lips.
Her gaze swept over his Adam’s apple bobbing, the sweat dripping down, and those large hands with veins faintly visible from exertion. For once, she felt a genuine flutter in her heart.
In this era, it was rare for a man of his status to willingly bend down and do such heavy chores for his fiancée’s family.
Gu Jianfeng focused on the task at hand, undistracted.
But when he picked up one of Lin Wanxing’s intimate garments, his movements immediately faltered.
As if burned, he dropped it back into the basin.
That piece of clothing… seemed especially small and soft in his rough, large hands.
His ears flushed red, and as if he hadn’t seen it, he quickly submerged it in the river and scrubbed away, keeping his head down.
Lin Wanxing noticed it at once, the smile on her lips deepening. She almost laughed out loud.
Was he that bashful? What would he be like after marriage?
Soon, he silently finished washing the entire basin of clothes.
Gu Jianfeng picked up the heavy wooden basin as easily as if it were empty.
He said, “Let’s go, Wanxing, back home.”
Lin Wanxing reached out to take it. “Oh, thank you, Jianfeng. This is really too much.”
Her hand brushed against his sturdy, firm arm, and Gu Jianfeng pulled the basin back slightly, his expression resolute, not letting her take it.
But with this movement, their skin touched, and he inexplicably felt the weather grow even hotter, sweat beading one wave after another on his back.
“…It’s fine. I can do it.”
Lin Wanxing pretended to try taking it a couple of times before giving up.
“You’ve worked so hard, Jianfeng. So many clothes—without you, I don’t know how long I would’ve been washing.”
Men, like kindergarten children, thrive on praise and admiration.
The more you praised his hard work and the more you emphasized how much you needed him, the more accomplished he felt and the more he enjoyed doing it.
Under Lin Wanxing’s praise, Gu Jianfeng couldn’t help but straighten his back even more, his ears growing hotter, and a faint smile appearing at the corners of his lips.
Before, he had also done plenty of hard work, but no one had ever noticed. No matter how tough it was, he never thought of it as suffering.
But with Lin Wanxing’s words, his heart felt like he had drunk ice water on the hottest summer day or taken a bite of watermelon—refreshingly sweet.
This…
Would the future be like this every day?
On the way back, Gu Jianfeng’s gaze couldn’t help but linger on Lin Wanxing.
She was wearing a slightly faded floral shirt today, its color washed pale, with many mending marks. It seemed it had been taken apart and remade after becoming too small, and even now, it clearly didn’t fit well.
…
By the time he realized where exactly the clothes didn’t fit, it was already too late.
The shirt was a bit tight around the shoulders, accentuating her rounded shoulder lines.
But the most strained part was the chest area, where the fabric was stretched taut, the buttons seeming as if they might pop open at any moment.
It clearly revealed the full, undulating contours beneath, like two ripe, sweet peaches ready to be picked.
With each step she took, they trembled slightly, exuding a rare, almost voluptuous vitality seldom seen among women of this era.
Yet the waist area seemed somewhat loose and empty—clearly altered from someone else’s old clothes, or perhaps not even tailored with care for her in the first place.
Gu Jianfeng immediately averted his gaze!
His breath hitched for a moment, his emotions in turmoil, though his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He remembered the basin of clothes he had just washed—the garments of the other Lin family members were clearly newly made, with sturdy fabric and proper fitting.
But the clothes Lin Wanxing was to wear for her wedding were half-worn, the cuffs even frayed and pilling.
He also recalled the brand-new bicycle in the Lin family’s main room, the gleaming sewing machine, the unopened color TV…
Wang Shufen had the spare money and energy to fuss over those showy betrothal gifts, the inclination to outfit the whole family in new clothes, yet she couldn’t even spare a decent, well-fitting new outfit for her own daughter, who was about to be married?
A mix of heartache and discomfort surged in his chest.
Into his sense of responsibility—to “take care of her on behalf of his older brother”—quietly seeped a touch of his own pity.
“Your clothes…” he began, his voice a bit hoarse.
Lin Wanxing glanced down at herself and smiled nonchalantly. “Oh, my mom altered it from old fabric. It’s still wearable.” Her tone was flat, as if she were long accustomed to it.
But Gu Jianfeng fell silent.
He recalled Lin Wanxing’s clear-minded righteousness at the memorial hall, her possible endurance in the face of gossip, and compared it to the Lin parents’ eagerness for the bride price and their neglect of their daughter. The inexplicable anger in his heart burned even hotter.
After hanging the clothes to dry in the Lin family’s courtyard, Gu Jianfeng watched Wang Shufen, who was proudly wiping the rims of the bicycle. Suddenly, he spoke, his tone carrying a hint of gloom. “Aunt Wang, I’m taking Wanxing to the commune for a bit. There’s something to attend to.”
Wang Shufen was taken aback, then quickly put on an ingratiating smile. “Oh, to the commune? That’s wonderful! You young people should spend more time together. Wanxing, hurry along with Jianfeng. It’d be best if you had dinner at the commune before coming back.”
That way, the family could save one person’s ration. And perhaps Lin Wanxing might even bring something good back.
Of course, there was no chance of Lin Wanxing letting them take advantage of her.
…
Gu Jianfeng hitched a ride on the brigade’s only tractor, taking Lin Wanxing to Hongqi Commune.
He didn’t go anywhere else first but led her straight into the commune’s sole state-run tailor shop.
The shop was dimly lit, with the scent of fabric fibers and starch lingering in the air.
A few finished garments hung on the wall, all in uniform styles and colors limited to blue, gray, and green. An elderly master tailor, wearing reading glasses, was pedaling a sewing machine, the tack-tack-tack echoing in the space.
Seeing Gu Jianfeng in his military uniform, imposing and dignified, the old master glanced up.
Gu Jianfeng walked directly to the fabric counter, pointing to a brighter, maroon-colored dacron fabric inside, then to a crisp, dark blue fabric. In a low voice, he said to Lin Wanxing, “Pick what you like. Have two new outfits made.”
Lin Wanxing looked at him in surprise.
Gu Jianfeng’s gaze was steady, carrying a stubborn resolve. “For the wedding, and for later. No more making do.”
His attitude was firm, even carrying a hint of military-like command.
Lin Wanxing felt a slight flutter in her heart. Raising her fair fingertips, she chose the maroon fabric and pointed to a piece of off-white dacron, cool for summer wear.
When taking measurements, the older woman with the soft tape gestured for Lin Wanxing to stand straight.
As the tape circled her chest, the woman couldn’t help but push her glasses up, taking another look, muttering, “With a figure like this… ordinary clothes really aren’t easy to tailor.”
As if realizing something.
Gu Jianfeng stood to the side, his gaze involuntarily drifting again to the ample curves tightly constrained by the old clothes. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
Then, as if burned, he swiftly averted his eyes, feeling inexplicably stifled in the tailor shop.
Lin Wanxing, however, was poised and graceful, only casting a teasing glance at Gu Jianfeng, who stood rigidly beside her, when the tailor measured more sensitive areas.
Seeing the faint blush that spread across his bronze face, she found it rather amusing.
So easy to tease!