Shen Yu clicked her tongue.
He looked fierce and intimidating, but he was quite generous when it came to giving things.
"Alright, I'll listen to the commanding officer."
She didn't put on any airs either, kicking the old clothes on the ground aside and taking only the photo and the martyr's certificate.
After a moment's thought, she stuffed a chipped enamel mug into her satchel.
Gu Huai'an frowned: "You want that piece of junk too?"
"This isn't junk. My mother said this mug is a keepsake from my father." Shen Yu patted her bag, "Even if I have to go begging, I'll take it with me."
"Would I let you go begging?"
Gu Huai'an glanced at the mug and didn't stop her.
He turned and walked out, stopping at the doorway to look back at the small hut with only a few earthen walls.
"Xiao Zhang."
"Here!"
"Find two men and tear this place down."
Shen Yu was taken aback and followed him: "Why tear it down? It's still a shelter, after all."
"Since you're leaving, don't leave a way back."
Gu Huai'an pulled the car door open, shoved her inside, then walked around the front and jumped into the driver's seat. "Break the old to establish the new. Your home will be at the garrison from now on. You'll never have to come back to this godforsaken place again in your life."
Xiao Zhang, seeing Shen Yu empty-handed, scratched his head: "What about sister-in-law's luggage?"
Gu Huai'an replied with a domineering tone: "What luggage? Isn't my subsidy allowance enough to buy her new things?"
"…"
Xiao Zhang gave a thumbs-up: "The commanding officer is generous!"
The military vehicle started up again. Shen Yu leaned against the window, watching the earthen house.
The place that had held so many memories of the original owner was finally about to disappear.
She touched the thick stack of Big Unity bills in her pocket, glanced at the man beside her, and sighed inwardly.
"What are you spacing out for? Sit tight, I'm taking you to the county supply and marketing cooperative."
Shen Yu's eyes lit up: "What are we going to the supply and marketing cooperative for?"
Gu Huai'an glanced at the patched-up jacket she was wearing, which had been mended countless times, and clicked his tongue in disdain.
"To change out of these rags. You might not care, but I still have my pride. If the political commissar sees you dressed like this, he'll think I'm mistreating military family, not even giving you a decent set of clothes to wear."
Shen Yu replied with an "Oh, oh," feeling quite pleased.
She had always been busy taking care of a whole bunch of people all by herself. Now that she was here, living off a man, it really wasn't bad.
The car stopped in front of the supply and marketing cooperative in Qinghe County.
Shen Yu pushed the door open and got out. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she was drawn to the lively scene before her.
Parked at the entrance were 28-inch bar bicycles, and people coming and going wore gray-blue cloth clothes.
Red-painted slogans covered the walls: on one side, "Prepare for war and famine for the people," and on the other, "Self-reliance and hard struggle."
The display windows mostly held soy sauce, vinegar, rubber-soled shoes, and vanishing cream.
Was this the "CBD" of this era?
Shen Yu had seen scenes like this in exhibitions and TV dramas in her previous life, but now that she was standing in the middle of it, it felt novel.
"Wipe your drool."
A mocking laugh came from above her head.
Gu Huai'an glanced at her sideways: "Never been to the county town before?"
Shen Yu pulled her gaze back and shook her head honestly: "No."
The original owner really hadn't. The farthest she'd ever gone was the Commune.
Gu Huai'an clicked his tongue, placed a big hand on the back of her head, and pushed her forward:
"Pathetic. I'll broaden your horizons today. Don't gawk around inside, or people will think you're a country bumpkin who just came to the city and embarrass me."
Shen Yu leaned closer to him, tilting her head up: "Of course. With the commanding officer here, who would dare laugh at me? If anyone laughs at me, you just glare at them."
"My eyes are eyes, not gun sights."
Even as she said this, she didn't actually push him away.
Once inside the main entrance, the light dimmed somewhat.
Wooden counters were arranged in a square shape, with several crisscrossing wires overhead. The salesclerk clipped receipts and money onto metal clips, then sent them "whooshing" toward the cashier's desk with a flick.
Shen Yu craned her neck, her gaze following the flying metal clips, her eyes darting along with them.
These things had long disappeared in later eras. She never expected seeing them in action to be so thrilling, like watching an acrobatic act.
Gu Huai'an saw her tilting her head back with a dazed expression and frowned slightly.
She really was a country girl, wasn't she? Even a few metal clips could leave her staring dumbfounded.
"Stop looking, or your eyeballs are going to fall out. Let's take care of business first."
He reached out, grabbed Shen Yu by the collar, and hauled her over to the ready-made clothing counter.
The salesclerk behind the counter was bent over knitting a sweater, not even bothering to look up. "Buying something? Got coupons? If not, don't even bother looking."
Gu Huai'an curled his fingers and rapped them heavily twice on the glass countertop. "Buying clothes. Get two sets of women's clothing, ready-made."
The salesclerk impatiently threw her knitting needles onto the table, about to snap, but when she looked up and caught sight of Gu Huai'an's military uniform and collar insignia, she paused for half a second before breaking into a wide smile.
"Oh, comrade, buying clothes for the family?"
Her eyes swept over Shen Yu's face and figure, inwardly dismissive. She casually pulled a dull gray Lenin suit from the shelf behind her and tossed it onto the counter.
"This one hides dirt well, suitable for working in."
The color of the outfit was drab, and the cut was like a sack. If the patches were removed from what Shen Yu was currently wearing, it wouldn't be much different.
She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "This color is so old-fashioned. Wearing it would make me look like an old lady."
The salesclerk rolled her eyes. "What do country folks care about? This fabric is sturdy, it won't wear out even after eight or ten years. You want something stylish? Do you have coupons for dacron? That requires industrial coupons!"
"I have them." Gu Huai'an didn't waste words.
Shen Yu ignored the salesclerk too, pointing instead at a white shirt and a pair of navy blue work pants hanging at the very top.
"I want that."
The white shirt had a crisp collar. Though the style was simple, it was clean and neat.
Gu Huai'an glanced at the white shirt, his frown deepening. "That won't last. A couple of days working in the fields and it'll tear."
"I'm not going to work in the fields."
Shen Yu turned to look at him, starting to act spoiled. "Gu Huai'an, I've followed you to the army. Do I still have to work in the fields? Then what did I marry you for?"
That soft, drawn-out "Gu Huai'an" made his heart skip a beat.
"If you don't want to work, what do you want to do?"
"I want to look pretty. At most, I'll eat less."
"Forget it. I have a subsidy allowance. I won't let you go hungry."
Gu Huai'an pulled out a stack of coupons from his pocket, selected several industrial coupons and cloth coupons, and slapped them on the counter along with two Big Unity bills.
"Get the set she pointed to, and a pair of Liberation shoes, size 36."
The salesclerk stared at the industrial coupons on the counter, her eyes wide.
Industrial coupons were precious. This soldier was spending lavishly, not even hesitating.
She dropped her sour expression and briskly took down the white shirt and pants.
"Right away! I'll wrap them up for you now! Comrade, you have excellent taste. This is a new style from Shanghai. The fabric is good, doesn't wrinkle!"
Shen Yu held the new clothes up against herself, nodded in satisfaction.
Though it couldn't compare to the fashion of later eras, this white shirt paired with her face would absolutely leave others in the dust.
"What else do you want?"
Gu Huai'an lit another cigarette. Since they were indoors, he didn't light it, just held it between his lips for the dry satisfaction.
"Hurry up and pick. I don't have time to dawdle here with you."
Shen Yu's gaze swept across the counter, landing on a tin box of vanishing cream.
And that red enamel washbasin over there, printed with mandarin ducks playing in water.
"That vanishing cream, and that basin, I want both."
Gu Huai'an didn't even frown, directly pulling out money.
The salesperson's smile was practically overflowing, flattering as she packed: "Young lady, your man treats you so well. With dacron and vanishing cream like this, you won't find many in the whole county who dote on their wives like this."
Shen Yu pursed her lips in a smile, linking her arm with Gu Huai'an's, half her body pressing against him: "That's right, my man isn't just handsome, he's also kind-hearted."
The sensation of that soft warmth against his arm made Gu Huai'an's breath hitch for a moment.
He looked down at the woman clinging to him, wanting to pull his arm away, but felt it would be unnecessary, making him seem guilty.
"Stop feeding me sweet talk," he lowered his voice, tone fierce. "We're leaving after buying this."
"Wait, we're not done yet."
Shen Yu let go, pointing to a pile of small items in the corner of the counter. "I need to buy underwear too, or I won't have anything to change into."
Gu Huai'an followed her finger, catching sight of those pink and white intimate garments.