The general’s jeep disappeared into the distance, churning up dust.
The military green hue vanished at the end of the village road, leaving the Gu family courtyard bathed in supreme glory and endless topics of conversation.
In the yard, borrowed Eight Immortals tables were strewn with dishes and cups. The large basin of stewed pork with cabbage and glass noodles was scraped clean, leaving only oily broth. The plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes was more than half empty, while dishes of peanuts and pickled vegetable lumps still held a few scattered remnants.
Most of the villagers were reluctant to leave. Men gathered around the tables, finishing the last of the cheap liquor, their breath reeking of alcohol as they excitedly relived the astonishing scene they had just witnessed.
Women helped clear the dishes, clicking their tongues in amazement, though their eyes couldn’t help drifting toward the newlyweds—and especially toward the eye-catching betrothal gifts in the corner, half-covered with red cloth.
“Incredible! Truly incredible! This is a first for our Red Star Brigade!” Old Party Secretary took a sip of liquor, squinting, his wrinkled face glowing with excitement. “I’ve lived most of my life, and the highest official I’ve ever seen was the commune secretary. Good heavens, today I’ve seen a real Buddha!”
“Brother Gu, your family’s ancestral graves must be smoking with good fortune!” A dark-faced man slapped Gu’s father on the shoulder with such force that he grimaced. “I’ve always known Jianfeng was something special since he was a kid. Quiet, but the kind who does big things. Look—even a general came to back him up. This kind of honor is unmatched in our entire commune!”
“If you ask me, it’s Wanxing who brings luck to her husband.” Quick-tongued Aunt Zhang chimed in, deftly stacking bowls, her voice ringing across the yard. “Even a high-ranking officer was stirred by their wedding. Such blessings, tsk tsk!”
Widow Li nearby added cheerfully: “Exactly! Pretty, with a good figure, and so poised in speech and action. Did you all see her earlier? Not a hint of nerves in front of the officer, and her responses were so graceful. Brother Gu, sister-in-law, you just wait to hold a plump grandson and enjoy your good fortune!”
Praises rose one after another, flooding the ears of Gu’s father and mother as if they cost nothing.
Gu’s father grinned, revealing a mouthful of teeth yellowed from pipe tobacco, the wrinkles on his face curving like chrysanthemums. Holding a chipped enamel mug filled with watered-down bulk liquor, he clinked cups with others incessantly, his tongue already slightly slurred: “Heh, hehe… It’s all thanks to the army’s training, the leaders’ favor… The kids themselves worked hard…”
The faint heartache over the lost betrothal gifts was temporarily numbed by immense vanity and alcohol. He even began to feel that keeping those things in his son and daughter-in-law’s room might not be so hard to accept after all.
After all, this face they’d gained was genuine!
Gu’s mother, forcing her spirits high, wore a smile as she moved among the tables with a bamboo-cased thermos, refilling cups with hot water.
But a closer look revealed a stiffness in her smile, a lingering, aching sense of loss that throbbed dully in her chest.
She could only console herself inwardly: Forget it, forget it. The things are still in this yard anyway, they won’t disappear. There’ll be chances later…
Right now, this glory is something money can’t buy!
While the Gu family balanced glory and heartache, Wang Shufen and Lin Jianguo, huddled on a bench in the corner, endured pure agony.
The food in their bowls had long gone cold, yet neither had any appetite to take a bite.
Listening to the flattery for the in-laws and the praise for the newlyweds filling the yard, then thinking of their own situation—their plans ruined, becoming the laughingstock of the whole village—the bitterness was a hundred times worse than swallowing coptis root.
Wang Shufen hung her head, fingers digging into the edge of the bench until her nails nearly pierced the wood.
In her heart, she cursed Lin Wanxing a thousand times: That wretched girl, siding with outsiders, ruining her own family while basking in glory at her in-laws’ place!
And that Gu Jianfeng—seems honest, but full of schemes! All those good things, he just seized them without a second thought!
Lin Jianguo let out occasional, suppressed coughs, feeling so miserable he didn’t even want to smoke.
Lin Dabao was utterly dejected too.
He slipped off the bench stealthily, wriggling through the crowd like a mud eel, approaching the bicycle. He stretched out a grubby hand, wanting to touch the smooth handlebars and shiny bell.
Just as he reached halfway, Wang Shufen caught sight of him. Her liver ached with anger as she hissed in a low voice: “Dabao! Get back here! Disgraceful thing!”
Lin Dabao flinched at her shout and reluctantly shuffled back, muttering: “I was just touching it… It won’t break… Brother-in-law’s family even has a color TV now. What’s wrong with letting me ride the bike…”
Lin Xiaoya chimed in beside him, tugging Wang Shufen’s sleeve: “Mom, that sewing machine is so nice. Click-clack, click-clack. It’ll make clothes so fast from now on. Tell Sis to make me a new dress, one in dacron!”
“Make, make, make! Make what?” Wang Shufen snapped irritably, shaking off her hand, her heart clogged with frustration. “Is she your sister now? She’s the Gu family’s daughter-in-law! All the good stuff belongs to them now! You two quiet down and stop making yourselves a nuisance!”
You could say that, but as she looked at those betrothal gifts so close at hand, wasn’t her heart still bleeding inside?
Originally, she had calculated perfectly: once her daughter married over, all these things would naturally become the Lin family’s. They’d ride the bicycle, use the sewing machine, watch the color TV—how glorious that would be!
Now, everything had fallen through!
That wretched girl was truly a waste of all their years raising her!
Lin Wanxing took it all in, her heart filled with waves of cold laughter, yet her face remained the picture of a blushing, gracious bride.
She accompanied Gu Jianfeng, holding a cup of orange soda, making the rounds table by table to toast the guests.
Gu Jianfeng didn’t speak much. Typically, he would raise his glass, utter a low “Thank you, everyone. Eat and drink well,” then tilt his head back and drain it in one go—thoroughly military in style, straightforward and decisive.
Lin Wanxing, on the other hand, was in charge of smoothing things over. Her voice was clear and pleasant, her smile gentle and charming:
“Uncle Zhang, you’ve worked hard today. Have more dishes, the meat is stewed very tender.”
“Auntie Li, thank you for coming to celebrate our wedding. Please drink slowly.”
“Brother Wang, Jianfeng isn’t very talkative. Let me toast you. Thank you for joining us.”
Her poised and generous demeanor, her thoughtful and appropriate words, won the unanimous approval of the many aunties and sisters-in-law present.
They all felt Gu Jianfeng had truly married well. The girl’s looks were one in ten thousand, her words sweet enough to melt the heart, and she knew exactly how to handle people and situations—not at all like a girl from a modest, ordinary family.
When they reached the children’s table, Lin Dabao seized his chance and squeezed up to Gu Jianfeng again. Tipping up his little face smeared with rice grains and grease, he wore an exaggerated, deliberately ingratiating smile, speaking loudly as if wanting everyone around to hear.
“Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law! You’re the best! Your bicycle is so awesome, even newer than the village head’s! Can I borrow it to ride sometime later? Just one lap around the village, I promise I won’t crash it or get it dirty!”
As he spoke, he even stretched out his pinky finger, its nail caked with dirt, wanting to pinky-swear on it.
Lin Xiaoya immediately crowded in too, her eyes bright, fixed intently on Gu Jianfeng, her voice crisp and urgent.
“Brother-in-law, brother-in-law! Do you know how to use the sewing machine? My classmate’s older sister knows how, she made her a red plaid dress, so pretty! Make one for me too, okay? I don’t want red plaid, I want one with little flowers!”
She gestured with her hands as she spoke, her face full of longing.
The smile on Gu Jianfeng’s face faded slightly, returning to his usual steadiness, even taking on a hint of sternness.
Looking at these two half-grown children, recalling how they had felt so entitled to demand things and even bully Lin Wanxing back at the Lin house, his brow furrowed faintly.
He set down his glass, his posture straight as a pine, carrying the solemn air particular to a soldier.
He ignored the pinky finger Lin Dabao had extended. Instead, his gaze rested calmly on them, his tone steady, his voice not loud but clear enough to reach the ears of those nearby:
“Dabao, Xiaoya,” he began, and the two chattering children instantly fell silent. “The bicycle and sewing machine aren’t toys. They are the organization’s care for military dependents, meant for us to build a solid, steady life together.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the children’s somewhat bewildered faces, then continued: “Wanting a new bicycle and new clothes—that’s a good thing. But you can’t always rely on others to give them to you, on stretching out your hand and asking. When you grow up, rely on your own labor, on your own two hands to earn them. Then, the bicycle you earn yourself will feel steadier when you ride it; the clothes you buy with your own money, the fabric you choose yourself, will feel warmer when you wear them. Can you understand what your brother-in-law is saying?”
His words clarified both the ownership and meaning of the items and instilled the proper principle of self-reliance.
He wanted to teach these two children a proper lesson, so they wouldn’t cause trouble for their eldest sister in the future.
Several adults nearby listened and nodded imperceptibly, exchanging approving looks.
Quick-tongued Aunt Zhang even whispered directly to the person next to her: “Listen to that—Jianfeng’s words make sense. Children shouldn’t be spoiled. Those two Lin parents just indulged these kids too much before!”
Lin Dabao and Lin Xiaoya were stunned by his words. The hope and ingratiation on their faces instantly collapsed, like eggplants frosted over. Crestfallen, they shrank back, hiding behind Wang Shufen, not daring to make another sound.
They just stole glances at Gu Jianfeng, eyes filled with a mix of resentment and grievance.
However, scolding aside, seeing the light instantly dim in the children’s eyes—especially remembering they were Lin Wanxing’s own flesh-and-blood younger siblings, her natal family—a thread of unease and guilt rose in Gu Jianfeng’s heart.
Had he spoken too harshly, too directly?
After all, they were just half-grown kids, probably just immature, wanting nice things…
Wanxing was right beside him, watching. Would she think he was too harsh on her family? Would it make her uncomfortable?
This thought, like a tiny thorn, pricked at his heart. For the rest of the wedding banquet, he kept coming back to it, over and over…
The sun had completely sunk below the western mountains, and the brilliant sunset glow at the horizon was gradually swallowed by the indigo blue of night.
Guests finally sated with food and drink began to drift away in twos and threes, their bellies full and heads buzzing with topics of conversation and envy.
The yard was strewn with cups and dishes. Relatives helping out and Gu Jianfeng’s few remaining army buddies were busy clearing tables and benches and sweeping the courtyard.
And now, the liveliest and most anticipated part for the younger crowd—the nao dongfang (teasing the newlyweds in their bridal chamber)—was finally about to begin.
The nao dongfang of this era still carried a rustic, fervent, even somewhat rough-and-tumble, earthy flavor.
Gu Jianfeng’s energetic buddies, who spent their days toughing it out on the training grounds, were naturally the main force.
Chuckling and laughing, they crowded around the newlyweds, ushering them toward the new room—the one with the brand-new double happiness characters pasted on the door, its walls carefully papered over by Gu Jianfeng himself with old newspaper.
The bridal chamber was originally the small room Gu Jianfeng had lived in, but now it was utterly transformed.
The low earthen walls, covered with newspaper, looked much cleaner. The small window was adorned with paper-cut window decorations. The kang (heated brick bed) was spread with a brand-new bedsheet printed with a bright mandarin ducks playing in water pattern—fabric Gu Jianfeng had specially bought at the supply and marketing cooperative using ration coupons he’d saved up for ages from the army.
Two large red satin quilts were folded into neat, square blocks, like tofu, with peanuts, red dates, and longans scattered on top, symbolizing the auspicious wish for “having a child early.”
On the windowsill, a pair of red candles as thick as a child’s arm were already lit. Their flickering flames bathed the entire room in a warm, red glow, creating a hazy, festive halo of light that also flushed the faces of the newlyweds standing in the middle of the room.
“Come on, come on, brothers! Quiet down! First event—Husband and Wife Share One Heart to Bite the Apple!”
The loudest voice belonged to a tall comrade nicknamed “Big Cannon.” Grinning, he took out a red thread and suspended a bright red Guoguang apple, hanging it between Gu Jianfeng and Lin Wanxing.
The height was adjusted just right—neither easy to reach nor impossible, requiring the two to lean in close.
“Listen up, bride and groom! No hands allowed! You have to eat the apple together, and it only counts if you both bite it at the same time! Whoever bites it first or misses has to take a penalty!”
“Yes!” Everyone immediately cheered and hooted with laughter. The small room was packed to the brim, those at the back standing on tiptoes to see.
Gu Jianfeng looked at Lin Wanxing so close before him. Her head was slightly tilted back, her cheeks flushed—whether from the candlelight or shyness, he couldn’t tell. Her clear almond-shaped eyes shimmered, under the warm red light, breathtakingly beautiful, making him almost afraid to look directly.
His Adam’s apple bobbed nervously; he could feel sweat dampening his palms.
Amidst his buddies’ urging and whistling, he clumsily, slowly leaned in.
Lin Wanxing cooperated, rising slightly on her toes, lifting her face.
Their cheeks almost touched; they could feel each other’s warm breath.
Their lips inevitably brushed lightly—carrying the apple’s fresh, sweet scent and the faintly cool, soft touch of the other’s skin.
Gu Jianfeng pulled back as if startled.
The spot that had touched felt electrified. An indescribable heat surged “whoosh” up his spine, straight to the crown of his head.
His bronze skin couldn’t hide the blush rapidly spreading across it; even the tips of his ears burned fiercely.
Lin Wanxing also promptly lowered her lashes. Her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, revealing the unique shyness of a new bride. Her fair neck was tinged with pink as well.
The crowd laughed even louder, their hollering almost lifting the roof.
“No, no! Didn’t bite it! Didn’t even break the skin! Again!”
“Jianfeng, are you scared? Where’s all that fierceness when you wrestle with us on the training ground? Chickening out now?”
“Sister-in-law, you take the lead! Give our deputy regiment commander some courage!”
His comrades bantered noisily, filling the room with a happy, good-natured atmosphere.
Gu Jianfeng was teased into a sweaty mess; a small damp circle had formed at the collar of his military shirt.
He took a deep breath and leaned in again.
This time, Lin Wanxing was a bit more proactive too. Their faces drew even closer, and amidst everyone’s cheers, they finally left shallow tooth marks on the apple together.
“Good! Consider that a pass!”
Big Cannon laughingly removed the apple. “Next event—sing a song together! Sing Red Star Guides Me to Fight!”
Now it was Gu Jianfeng’s turn to feel his scalp tingle.
He was a master at marching and fighting, but singing… he was truly tone-deaf.
Steeling himself, he started the song, but the melody wandered off to who-knows-where, provoking roars of laughter from everyone.
Lin Wanxing bit back a smile and softly joined in, barely managing to pull the tune back on track.