Inside the dim main room of the Lin house, after the door was closed.
Wang Shufen immediately turned and grabbed Lin Wanxing’s arm tightly, her eyes wide.
“Wanxing, did Gu Jianfeng really say he wants to marry you? He wants to continue both family lines?”
They had thought the Gu family would definitely look down on them now. Who could have imagined such a windfall?
Not only could they marry off this daughter, but they’d also have a living son-in-law!
Originally, with Gu Jianbin dead, they felt both guilty and regretful. They’d have had to send Lin Wanxing to the Gu family to serve them as penance, without a strong, capable son-in-law to help them anymore.
They were prepared to grit their teeth and accept it, to consider this daughter a loss, given away for nothing.
But now, this was great! Gu Jianbin is gone, but Gu Jianfeng has come! It seems her daughter is fated to marry a soldier, a fate others could only envy.
She needed to confirm once more if this windfall was real!
Lin Dabao and Lin Xiaoya also looked on eagerly, crowding by the doorway, staring unblinkingly at Lin Wanxing, waiting for her answer.
Lin Wanxing lowered her eyelashes, concealing a cold smile. Her face wore an appropriate expression of resignation and shy awkwardness, her voice soft and weak.
“Mhm, Jianfeng said so. He said it’s Elder Brother Jianbin’s final wish, he has to take responsibility…”
“Responsibility! Good! Excellent!” Wang Shufen slapped her thigh hard, her face flooded with ecstatic joy, immediately changing her tune. “I always said my daughter is blessed with good fortune later in life! How could she really mourn for that short-lived ghost Gu Jianbin her whole life! Gu Jianfeng is good! He looks like a promising one; in the army, he’s definitely doing better than his dead elder brother!”
Just moments ago in the mourning hall, she was saying how handsome Gu Jianbin was and what a pity his death was.
Lin Jianguo also visibly relaxed. Though he wore a simple, honest face, a calculating gleam flickered in his murky eyes. Suddenly, he spoke hoarsely, starting to tally the accounts.
“The Gu family are martyr dependents; they get a monthly subsidy. Gu Jianbin’s pension won’t be small. Gu Jianfeng is in the army; I heard his rank isn’t low, his salary is solid, much better off than our family. You marrying over there means living a comfortable life! Continuing both family lines… that’s like getting the benefits of two families! This deal, our family really isn’t losing out!”
Lin Wanxing sneered inwardly. All they think about is comfort, not mentioning at all the serving that family would entail.
But on the surface, she maintained that docile, sorrowful appearance, giving a soft “mhm” without saying more, as if she didn’t care about any of this at all.
“Dad, Mom, they’re a martyr’s family. Why are you always thinking about taking advantage of them?”
Lin Jianguo was dismissive. “Once married, you’re one family. Look at other families, everyone leans on each other. Their family is better off, of course they should help us!”
“You… sigh.”
Lin Wanxing’s expression was helpless.
She let out a cold laugh inside.
Still want to use my name to get advantages?
Go ahead and try!
Lin Dabao and Lin Xiaoya weren’t very mature. Listening to this, their hearts itched with envy.
They remembered that classmate at the commune middle school whose father worked at the grain station, often flaunting the fruit candies he got by trading extra grain ration tickets in front of them, never sharing;
And that female classmate whose older sister married a commune official, always able to wear the latest Dacron shirts, drawing everyone’s envy.
Before, they could only watch longingly, hearts sour with envy. But now it was different!
Their eldest sister was a martyr’s widow! The kind who could go to the commune anytime to receive a plaque of honor!
And they had two brother-in-laws: one a heroic martyr, the other an army officer. Talk about face! Who wouldn’t give way to them?
The two half-grown children’s minds immediately became active.
If Eldest Sister married well, they, as younger siblings, should naturally benefit too.
Seeing Lin Wanxing shake her head and seem uninterested in discussing this further, heading back to her room,
Lin Dabao and Lin Xiaoya got anxious and quickly, eagerly squeezed into her cramped little room.
Lin Dabao was the first to climb onto her bed. Jumping on it, he chattered away, speaking as if it were perfectly natural, gleefully saying, “Eldest Sister, once you marry into the Gu family, don’t forget about us! You have to bring back good stuff often! I hear the canned food and malted milk powder the army issues are really good!”
He jumped all over the bedding, a mess, not even removing his dirty, smelly socks. Lin Wanxing’s bed was an old one left by an elder, a wooden bed decades old. It creaked and groaned under his jumping.
Lin Wanxing’s gaze turned cold.
Lin Xiaoya also hurriedly draped herself over Lin Wanxing’s legs, nodding cutely. “Yeah, yeah! Eldest Sister, Mom and Dad said, the two of us are your backing from now on!”
Then threateningly, she added, “If you’re not good to our maternal family, if you don’t have us supporting you, you’ll definitely be looked down upon when you marry over! No one will take care of you when you’re old!”
Lin Dabao threw an arm around Lin Wanxing’s neck. “So, you should go ask Jianfeng-ge for a few cloth ration coupons and industrial coupons later! Not many, just some rare ones! We want to buy stuff at the supply and marketing cooperative!”
It seemed the Lin parents had taught them well: Eldest Sister’s things were theirs, just ask for them, otherwise she’d spend it all on herself anyway.
And they were asking her for cloth coupons as if it were their right?
The original owner might have tolerated this, but she wouldn’t.
Lin Wanxing remained unmoved, using a bit of skill to pry off Lin Dabao’s hand. Caught off guard, Lin Dabao tumbled backward, his head hitting the wall!
“Ouch! Eldest Sister, you pushed me?!”
The loud thump startled Mrs. Lin into entering the room.
Seeing the large bump rising on Lin Dabao’s forehead, she was both angry and heartbroken. She raised her head and scolded Lin Wanxing, “What were you doing? Can’t you even watch a child properly? What if your brother gets hurt badly?!”
Lin Wanxing had already raised her voice sharply, feigning concern: “Dabao, what happened? I told you not to jump on the bed!”
Lin Dabao, who had been wailing fake tears, was dumbfounded. What? He was pushed by Eldest Sister, and she’s telling him not to jump?
Wang Shufen paused for a moment, her expression somewhat awkward.
It was true that Lin Dabao loved jumping on the bed. She had told him several times, but he never listened, so she had let it go.
Now, without much suspicion, she believed it. Heartbroken, she covered Dabao’s head, scolding him: “I told you not to jump around, not to jump around! You’ll only learn when you knock yourself out!”
She smacked him on the back.
It wasn’t a sudden attack of conscience. She just felt Lin Wanxing now had backing, and she couldn’t criticize her without a good reason.
Lin Dabao was so angry he cried in frustration: “I didn’t! I wasn’t jumping!”
Lin Wanxing completely ignored him. Turning her head, she rattled off at Lin Xiaoya, raising her eyes: “Dabao, Xiaoya, what kind of talk is that just now? The Gu family are martyr dependents! Elder Brother Jianbin was a hero who sacrificed for the country! Jianfeng is in the army protecting the nation. We should be respectful and grateful to them. How can we constantly think about asking them for things? That kind of thinking is wrong.”
Lin Xiaoya, who had originally intended to speak up for Lin Dabao, bristled at this. A child’s voice, shrill: “Eldest Sister! Why are you so stubborn? We’re his brother-in-law and sister-in-law. What’s wrong with getting some benefits?”
“You go ask Jianfeng-ge, he might even agree. Yet you’re stopping us. Eldest Sister, you just don’t want to be good to us!” Lin Xiaoya pouted, pretending to cry, her face full of grievance.
Lin Wanxing looked at Mrs. Lin, who never disciplined them, and chided: “Mom, you should talk to Dabao and Xiaoya too. We can’t always think about taking advantage of others.”
Wang Shufen dismissed it: “Oh, Wanxing, the way you talk. It was fine to say that outside earlier. But now, behind closed doors, are there any outsiders? They’re your own siblings. You’ll soon be the Gu family’s daughter-in-law. Won’t the Gu family’s things have your share in the future? If you help your maternal family now, won’t you stand taller in the Gu family later? If they do well, that’s your future backing!”
Lin Jianguo, sharpening a knife outside, added his hoarse voice in support: “Your mom is right. We’re all from the same Lin family. After you marry, helping your younger siblings is only natural. Such small things, would the Gu family even care? Their Gu family has such a big army officer, getting martyr subsidies. Would they care about such trifles?”
Hearing her parents’ undisguised, matter-of-fact talk about sucking the Gu family dry, the last bit of patience in Lin Wanxing’s heart evaporated.
She knew she couldn’t stop them from bringing trouble upon themselves.
Well then, let them bring it. She had said what needed to be said, acted as needed. Now she could just wait and watch the show.
…
Lin Wanxing gathered her things and went outside to draw well water to wash clothes. Coincidentally, she ran into a few neighboring aunties and sisters-in-law.
Several young wives, holding basins, joked with her.
“Hey, Wanxing, you’re lucky, marrying into a good family! Your days will really be comfortable from now on.”
But Lin Wanxing let out a heavy sigh, speaking worriedly: “Sigh, even though I’m marrying into the Gu family, I’m always worried my younger brother and sister will cause trouble.”
“They’ve heard some strange talk somewhere. Going to school more than me didn’t help them learn better. They actually said they want me to get benefits from the Gu family for them to eat, drink, and play!”
“Listen to that talk. How can I hold my head up in the Gu family with that?”
Lin Wanxing drew a bucket of water, sighing and shaking her head as she returned home.
The neighbors, however, looked at each other, their expressions seeming at a loss for words.
Lin Wanxing knew they would go back and tell their own mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, husbands. Once she said this, soon the entire Red Flag Commune would probably know.
She didn’t look back.
Lin Dabao and Lin Xiaoya ran behind the house to the woodpile, plopping down on the scattered firewood, starting to mutter complaints.
“Hmph! Acting all high and mighty! Just because she’s marrying a soldier!” Lin Dabao viciously tore at a dried weed, feeling aggrieved.
“Exactly! What’s the use of marrying well? Won’t even give a little benefit to her maternal family siblings. All the good we did for her before was wasted!” Lin Xiaoya chimed in, completely forgetting how they had treated Lin Wanxing before.
After complaining for a while, Lin Xiaoya suddenly brightened, exclaiming: “Hey! Brother, I remember! Didn’t the teacher tell that story ‘The Fox Borrows the Tiger’s Might’ yesterday?”
Lin Dabao was startled: “The fox uses the tiger’s power to scare other animals?”
“Yeah!” Lin Xiaoya lowered her voice excitedly. “Aren’t we like that fox now? Let’s go to the commune, pretend we’re buying dowry for Eldest Sister, or say Jianfeng-ge sent us. Would those sales clerks dare not give us face?”
Hearing this, Lin Dabao immediately thought this idea was brilliant!
Their reckless, thoughtless minds figured they could get advantages, not have to see their elder sister’s face, and even show off outside!
The two were in immediate agreement, starting to plan excitedly.
…
Early next morning, just as dawn was breaking.
Lin Wanxing was awakened by the sound of regular scrubbing in the yard.
Who in the Lin family was so diligent? She wondered. Wasn’t all the work left for the original owner to do?
Lin Wanxing threw on that faded floral-patterned outer garment, rubbed her eyes, and pushed open the door.
The scene in the yard made her pause slightly.
Gu Jianfeng stood with his back to her, shirtless. His bronze back was taut in the dawn light, forming sleek lines. Sweat droplets rolled down his firm muscles, disappearing into the old army trousers tied at his waist.