The New Year festive atmosphere did not touch the little flower spirit.
She had eaten several batches of dumplings and could no longer tell what they tasted like.
Not because of anything else—the exam was coming soon.
Old Zhou suddenly noticed gardenia petals falling on the greenhouse floor. This little flower had worried about the exam so much she was losing her leaves.
Even You Xiu’s letter from Yanxia Village came feeling limp, You Xiu asked Old Zhou to read it aloud to her.
“I placed the large shrimp crackers you described at the flower valley location. That evening I dreamed of a beautiful elder sister thanking me, it was truly miraculous and I could not help but share it with you…. The rest we can discuss when I hear your good news.”
Old Zhou held the letter for a long time without putting it down: “You… your hometown is Yanxia Village, but how would there be a flower valley there?”
Xiangzhi said listlessly: “Just a mountain hollow, not many people go there normally. Inside it is all flower ocean—I have lived there since childhood.”
Old Zhou said thoughtfully: “There is a big sister who can send dream messages?”
Xiangzhi was startled, she gave a forced smile: “You Xiu was just talking nonsense.”
Old Zhou put down the letter: “I have something to do, you rest for now. I moved the pots on the north side.”
“Okay,” Xiangzhi did not notice Old Zhou’s hurried footsteps.
Of course Xiangzhi knew the “big sister” was Yeshanyinying. Beside her, there was no one else.
She really wanted Yeshanyinying to come and give her advice, after all Yeshanyinying was older and had seen the world. But Yeshanyinying seemed unwilling to come to the military unit.
Remembering what Yeshanyinying had said before, she did not want to ascend to immortality either—waiting until the tree withered and died to enter reincarnation, then she could enjoy being human in the next life.
Xiangzhi wanted to ascend to immortality, but having lost her flower dew she could not ascend even if she wanted to. She was afraid she would end up like Yeshanyinying, entering reincarnation.
But that was fine too.
Humans also said: if it doesn’t work out this life, in eighteen years I’ll be a hero again [1]if it doesn’t work out this life, in eighteen years I’ll be a hero again (zhe beizi bu xing shiba nian yihou haishi yitiao haohan, 這輩子不行十八年以後還是一條好漢) Idiom, … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3398895_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3398895_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. It was just that now becoming human required passing an exam, which was truly a rough path for flowers.
Old Zhou returned after a while, and came back with his usual cheerful look: “Come here, the new year has arrived, we are having a work meeting.”
Old Zhou entered the duty room, picked up the thermos and poured a glass of milk for Xiangzhi, the two of them sat facing each other holding large tea cups.
The greenhouse department’s one elderly person and one young person began the opening-year work mobilization meeting, the main target of mobilization being Little Comrade Xiangzhi.
Truly, besides her there was no one else to mobilize.
“On the eighth you will take the contracted worker recruitment examination.”
Old Zhou looked at this small flower with no ambition and reminded her: “The common characters you need for greenhouse work you can already read and write, moreover the literacy class will not make you copy anymore, and you have already done the practical work. There is no need to worry too much.”
Xiangzhi mumbled: “You do not know how much pressure I am under. If I do not pass the exam I have to leave here, and leaving here means leaving Gu Wenshan. You know that I cannot bear to leave him.”
“All right, all right,” Old Zhou tapped the table, the little flower straightened her back. Old Zhou said: “First you need to bring out your spirit and vigor. If you cannot write complex characters, just write pinyin. Fill all the blank spaces with pinyin. One point, two points, you will collect them and eventually pass.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Xiangzhi slumped again dejectedly, her chin resting on the large tea cup, tugging at her two thick braids: “You have high cultural level, you do not understand the suffering of illiteracy.”
“Pull much more and you really will go bald,” Old Zhou said with a laugh: “You are now semi-literate. What illiterate person can do multiplication and division? You are quite remarkable.”
“Really?” Xiangzhi did not expect her education level to improve so much, she said happily: “Is being an elementary student very impressive?”
Old Zhou said: “Impressive, yes. In the past there were quite a few classmates who graduated from elementary school and went back to teach at their original schools.”
Xiangzhi thought for a moment, in the villages there were indeed cases like this, she had heard You Xiu mention it. Looking at it this way, her cultural level was quite high, wasn’t it!
Old Zhou’s mobilization meeting went well, at work he had his comfort and guidance, and at home she had Gu Wenshan’s thoughtful instruction. The little flower spirit right up until the exam day firmly believed she was a high-achieving student, full of fighting spirit.
On the exam day, Old Zhou took an unusual trip outside the military unit.
Gu Wenshan also had to go on a mission, he sent her to the exam building and said he would eat with her once the grades came out, and that he had something to tell her. Then Stone Zhibing pulled him away by car.
In 1977, the 114 Regiment’s new blood, besides conscription, was this recruitment work. Social recruitment could to a great extent make up for the shortage of professional talent, the military unit placed great importance on this.
A provincial military group recruiting social workers was a major blessing for the local area, solving a portion of positions. The headache was that 114 Regiment was strict about recruitment, without some real skills you could not get in.
Even so, on the exam day the number of people showing up to take the exam was massive. Recruitment did not exclude age or gender, as long as you had skills you were fine. Everyone present was an expert in various fields—men, women, old and young.
Their skills had passed inspection, today was the cultural component.
Xiangzhi sat in the exam room with her buttocks as if they had nails in them, fortunately seeing the test paper filled with characters she recognized, she set her mind at ease.
According to different department recruitment needs, the exam questions also differed.
The competition was fiercer than Xiangzhi had anticipated, she wrote furiously and finally submitted the test paper before the bell rang.
Leaving the exam room, she happened to see Wu Zhaodi emerge from another classroom. Looking at Xiangzhi’s fashionable and stylish appearance, Wu Zhaodi smiled falsely: “What a coincidence, looks like the two of us are competitors this year.”
Xiangzhi was surprised: “You are also taking the flower house exam?”
Wu Zhaodi said: “What flower house? It is the Logistics Greening Coordinated Planning Department. A proper job title.”
The name was fancy enough, Xiangzhi thought, not knowing how many people would attend next year’s mobilization meeting. If it was still just two people, it was hardly worthy of such a grand name.
Not that fifteen point eight yuan seemed all that grand either.
Full of confidence from taking the exam, but later her stomach was churning, seven ways to Sunday [2]her stomach was churning, seven ways to Sunday (qi shang ba xia, 七上八下) Idiom, to feel anxious, unsettled, on edge jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3398895_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3398895_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); back at the greenhouse.
She did not know many people at the unit and had no idea how scores were handled. Day after day she gazed at the sky outside the greenhouse, like a small bird that might be released at any moment.
At noon on the sixteenth of the first month, the results came out.
You Xiu even specially borrowed the brigade’s telephone to call and ask. Xiangzhi told her the results were not in yet, You Xiu said she would contact her later and hung up.
Old Zhou had been gone several days, when he returned from outside, he stood at the duty room door brushing off accumulated snow from his body, opened the door and waved the score sheet in his hand.
Xiangzhi stood up straight all at once, hands at her pants seams, her beautiful eyes unblinking as she stared.
“Look at it yourself,” Old Zhou said heavily: “If you did not reach sixty points, even I cannot keep you here.”
Xiangzhi’s small hand began to shake, holding the score sheet she pointed at the name and looked down.
“Wu Minghe, Practical 30 points, Cultural 8 points, Total 38 points”
“Hong Xiaoxian, Practical 46 points, Cultural 37 points, Total 83 points”…
“Xiangzhi, Practical 50 points, Cultural 28 points, Total 78 points”
“Seventy-eight points? Seventy-eight points!! Over sixty points!!”
Xiangzhi excitedly grabbed the score sheet, wanting to point it out to Old Zhou. Looking up she found Old Zhou’s fat face quivering as he smiled. She shouted: “Did I pass? Did I?!?”
Old Zhou patted her little head and said kindly: “Among the seven comrades taking the flower house exam, your score was the highest. Who else would we hire if not you?”
Xiangzhi said again: “Fifty practical points? I do not even know what practical work I did!”
Old Zhou said: “Your practical task was an internship. You have been here nearly two months, you have not been late or left early once, and not a single flower or plant you tended has died—they are better cared for than many veteran workers. Many military area leaders praised your flowers at year-end. I gave you fifty points, it meets the regulations and is not going through the back door. The only thing is you need to change your habit of rolling your eyes.”
Actually that little quirk did not need changing, if the little flower’s personality was even better, goodness knows how many male comrades would swarm over. Then it would not be just eye-rolling anymore, but whether Little Gu’s fists were hard enough.
“What did the others score on practical?”
“Much simpler than yours—planting flowers and grasses, identifying flowers and grasses, pest prevention and treatment.”
“Bah, I could do these with my eyes closed. Leader, you are my benefactor, my savior, I will definitely honor you well.”
Xiangzhi’s little mouth turned sweet, as she spoke she kept glancing outside.
Old Zhou understood the hint and said: “Little Gu called and said he would come tonight to eat hot pot together. You wait a bit and he will be here. Why not call your little sister and let her know? I see she cares for you a lot.”
Xiangzhi did not understand how Old Zhou “saw” this, she told Old Zhou: “Her name is You Xiu. She is my very best friend. At the sent-down youth point she gave me bacon bits to eat, sewed me cotton shoes to wear, taught me to write numbers. She has helped me so much, she is a very good person.”
“Indeed she is a good child,” Old Zhou nodded with a smile. This too was a little flower that remembered favors.
Xiangzhi pattered over to the telephone and called Yanxia Village. Shortly You Xiu picked up and, hearing the good news, the two little sisters chirped happily together for a while.
Military calls had a three-minute limit, when time was up, Old Zhou pretended not to notice as Xiangzhi covered the mouthpiece and muttered some other things before reluctantly hanging up.
The waiting time was always hard to endure. Old Zhou went out again, Xiangzhi transformed into her original form and stayed in the greenhouse for a while. Thinking about it, she secretly added two full shovels of new fertilizer to her own flower pot.
The new fertilizer made her back of the head tingle pleasantly, she dozed off for a while, then thought the time was about right and transformed back into human form, coming to the main gate to wait for Gu Wenshan.
Gu Wenshan and Old Zhou ran into each other on the road, they came back to the greenhouse together.
Seeing Xiangzhi from far off, Gu Wenshan’s usually stern face toward female comrades showed a warm smile. Seeing Xiangzhi smiling at him, he also responded with an indulgent smile.
Old Zhou’s eyes had not yet dimmed to that degree, he keenly discovered that Little Gu’s smile held unusual meaning—something extra.
The old man’s lip corners also curved into a smile, he slowly walked behind them, watching as Gu Wenshan strode swiftly toward the little flower.
Xiangzhi, as always, clung to Gu Wenshan without restraint when she saw him.
Today to her delightful surprise, Gu Wenshan did not lean back, instead he leaned toward her, with none of the distance he deliberately maintained before when outside.
In his hand he held much delicious food, and carried a bottle of sesame oil: “Three taels, is that enough?”
Xiangzhi was naturally pleased to see sesame oil, but asking if it was enough… she blurted out: “I need three catties!”
Gu Wenshan was astonished: “Why do you need so much?” He had never cared for it before, he had given away all his sesame oil ration tickets to others. Now it seemed he needed to save them up.
Xiangzhi hesitated and did not dare answer, her beautiful eyes turned toward the various balls and fruit in his hand as she hastily changed the subject.
An old-fashioned copper hot pot simmered with full Inner Mongolian lamb, freshly ground brine-cured tofu, Beijing’s classic three, hand-beaten beef balls, steamed pork cake from the kitchen, and so on.
The sesame oil sauce bowl held sesame oil, sesame paste, cilantro and bean paste—Xiangzhi dipped her chopstick tip and tasted it, saying happily: “You Xiu was right, this is the best way to eat.”
She looked at Gu Wenshan with shining eyes, swallowing hard.
Gu Wenshan thought she was greedy for lamb, he did not think of himself at all. He picked a strip of fresh-cut lamb and said to her: “Eat slowly, once finished we will take a walk outside.”
Xiangzhi’s little mouth was oily from eating, she asked curiously: “Spring has not come yet, what is good about taking a walk?”
Gu Wenshan glanced at Old Zhou, lowered his voice and said: “I have something I want to tell you.”
Xiangzhi also spoke in a whisper: “Did you figure things out?”
Fortunately the hot pot’s steaming smoke hid Gu Wenshan’s awkward expression. He picked up a Beijing Soda and handed it to Xiangzhi: “Drink slowly, cold belly will hurt.”
Xiangzhi’s eyebrows and eyes filled with joy, she gazed at Gu Wenshan with affection.
Gu Wenshan pressed his thin lips together, thought for a moment, and smiled back at Xiangzhi.
“Ah, I nearly choked myself to death,” Old Zhou had not eaten much lamb before growing tired of it. He stood up saying: “I am going to pour some liquor, you two eat first.”
Tonight’s dinner was early, Gu Wenshan was not in a hurry, slowly helping Xiangzhi watch the pot. When something was cooked he would pick it up and place it on the small porcelain dish before her to cool down, so it would not burn her tongue.
Thinking of her soft, smooth, clever tongue and everything in the dream, Gu Wenshan’s eyes deepened, his throat moved.
“Someone is coming outside?” Xiangzhi was chewing pork cake and wiping the fogged-up window, six or seven people were walking this way, coming with bad intentions.
Gu Wenshan pressed her little hand, not hurried or slow, he turned down the copper pot’s flame a little: “I will go look, you eat first.”
He opened the door and a cold wind rushed in.
The personnel from the labor department had not expected Gu Wenshan to stand at the door like a door god, the leading Section Chief Chen pushed his glasses and said politely: “Commander Gu, we have come to find Comrade Xiangzhi.”
Gu Wenshan asked: “What is it?”
Section Chief Chen hesitated for a moment, knowing that Commander Gu had a good relationship with Comrade Xiangzhi. The rumors had not prepared him for how good.
“It is like this, we received a report saying that Comrade Xiangzhi’s identity information is forged. This recruitment exam’s results are cancelled, she is limited in time to leave the military unit.”
Xiangzhi saw through the window that among the crowd were Wu Zhaodi and Wu Lili, and Mu Ying was also watching from afar.
Work hours were ending, the wind and snow had also stopped.
This lively recruitment exam had run into such a thing, quite a few people leaving work stopped to gather around the greenhouse and watch the excitement.
Gu Wenshan blocked the door, looked back and saw Xiangzhi’s small face in the window full of worry. Then she came to the door and pushed it open: “Whatever you have to say, say it inside, it is too cold outside.”
Her calm demeanor made the personnel department people exchange glances with each other.
Xiangzhi had pretty features, when she spoke softly, it eased Section Chief Chen’s expression.
He led people into the duty room, seeing half-eaten hot pot on the table, he knew they had gotten the person wrong today.
Fortunately it was better than expected, at least he did not see Old Zhou here. They had specifically delayed until this time to avoid running into Old Zhou.
After all, wherever he went he spoke favorably of Xiangzhi, even saying that the greenhouse could do without him but Xiangzhi could not be absent.
Gu Wenshan’s expression darkened as he stood before Xiangzhi saying: “Since someone reported this, can I see the report letter?”
The cadre beside Section Chief Chen pulled out the report letter, opened his mouth to say: “We went through investigation and have solid evidence—”
“If it is a frame-up, I will not let it rest,” Gu Wenshan cut him off, his expression gloomy. Looking at the circle of cadres before him “seizing” Xiangzhi, he said coldly: “Before anything is decided, is this rushing to ‘invite’ someone to leave, or trussed up and hauled off [3]trussed up and hauled off (wuhua dabang, 五花大綁) Idiom, to bind someone completely (hands, arms, torso) before hauling them away, as with a criminal jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3398895_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3398895_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });?”
Section Chief Chen quickly gave the man beside him a look to stop him from saying more.
The personnel department people, though not military cadres, were also subordinate to the 114 Unit, they had signed civilian worker contracts. Others could be offended, Gu Wenshan absolutely could not be. He had a record with the top brass, he was going to inherit Commander Liu’s position in the future.
“Commander Gu, look at what is written here, her name was originally ‘Cao Xiangqin’. Later we found that she is not called ‘Cao Xiangqin’ at all, but is called Xiangzhi. They are two completely different people. In that case, she cannot use ‘Cao Xiangqin’s’ household registration.”
Xiangzhi did not dare make a sound, she secretly pinched Gu Wenshan’s sleeve and shook it. Gu Wenshan did not care if others saw, he patted the back of her hand and said: “Do not worry.”
Then his eyes deeply settled on Mu Ying and Wu Lili standing several people behind.
Mu Ying’s face turned pale, she whispered to Wu Lili: “Did not you say you would not report it? How did you report it!”
Wu Lili pulled her hand away, looking at Xiangzhi surrounded in the middle being pressured and said: “You are useless, so I am useful.”
The day before she had told Mu Ying about Xiangzhi’s black-household situation, Mu Ying had not dared to expose it.
Since Mu Ying did not dare, she figured heads would roll either way, so she simply wrote a report letter and turned it in.
“Since someone is using this to make trouble for Xiangzhi, I will say it in front of everyone now.”
Gu Wenshan walked to the coatrack, pulled out household registration establishment paperwork from his military overcoat pocket, handed it to Section Chief Chen saying: “She was once persecuted and forced to hide her identity to take refuge in Yanxia Village. Her family thought she was dead and cancelled her household registration. This is an application to restore household registration, all units have stamped approval. Section Chief Chen can have someone verify the authenticity right away.”
Section Chief Chen’s forehead sweat flowed down instantly. Wu Lili and Wu Zhaodi had sworn to him that Xiangzhi’s registration was definitely problematic, only then did he dare risk offending Commander Gu to come find her. One was to show initiative at the start of the year, the other was Wu Lili had promised him… other benefits.
The stage had just been set up and was already being torn down.
“Impossible!” Wu Lili shouted from the crowd: “How could she possibly have a household registration? At the start she nearly got sold by the Cao family, taking refuge at the unit!”
Gu Wenshan said calmly: “You are stationed at a military unit and lightly believed rumors from outside, using them as a weapon to strike at a rival. I think the one most deserving of punishment is you.”
“Punishment, on what grounds—”
Wu Lili’s face turned pale, she gasped for breath, nearly unable to bear it. To say Commander Gu had never looked directly at her, this one time was actually to confront her because of Xiangzhi!
He wore a serious expression, his intimidating presence grew even more, his gaze on her seemed as if to scorch her to ash.
In the cold, even with a brazier in the room she was so frightened she broke out in cold sweat. She tried to pull Mu Ying out to say a few words for her, instead Mu Ying stepped forward and said: “Wu Lili clearly does not approve of Xiangzhi, I do not know why she harbors such enmity toward her.”
Wu Lili nearly fainted, she reached out pointing at Mu Ying: “How could you say such a thing to me?! You and Xiangzhi are the same! Clearly these are positions for our sisters, so why do you two want to steal our positions?!”
Wu Zhaodi, hiding in the crowd, ground her teeth in hatred, Wu Lili was such an idiot, how could she have dragged her into this?
Wu Zhaodi had no choice, under everyone’s gaze she stepped out from the crowd, standing two steps away from Wu Lili looking gloomy.
Xiangzhi suddenly understood, no wonder Wu Lili hated her—it turned out Wu Zhaodi also wanted to work in the flower house, and was trying to use this chance to drive her out of the unit!
With Gu Wenshan before her, Xiangzhi felt at ease. Anyway she had household registration, it was just that the file had not been set up yet, so it had nothing to do with being a black-household.
Though she did not know how Gu Wenshan managed it, she was very grateful. She looked at Gu Wenshan with eyes that wanted to speak but held back, Gu Wenshan nodded at her, letting her not worry and not speak, that everything was his to handle.
“You! Do not think being pretty lets you do whatever you want!”
Wu Lili saw clearly, seeing that Xiangzhi still had the mood to exchange glances with Commander Gu, she simply came to the middle of the crowd.
She tore off her mask to drive Xiangzhi away, Commander Gu was aloof as the moon over the mountain, she could not obtain him, nor could she let Xiangzhi have him!
She sneered at Xiangzhi saying: “Without identity verification you cannot register at all, even less could you take the exam. At minimum you would need clear and specific identity information. So let me ask you—on what grounds did you register, on what grounds did you pass the exam?”
Section Chief Chen’s heart was pounding, he knew Gu Wenshan sided with Xiangzhi. Getting Gu Wenshan angry this time, he did not know how he would be dealt with later.
Moreover he saw clearly—Gu Wenshan absolutely had ulterior motives toward Xiangzhi. This was completely opposite to the rumors! Commander Gu cared about Xiangzhi!
He urgently wished for some leverage so when accounts were settled later he could keep his interests safe.
He hastily said: “Right, our exams all go through identity verification. Xiangzhi’s identity was unclear, normally we would not let her pass. If necessary, this exam’s results do not count. When the next social recruitment happens in two years, once she has household registration she can test again. It is not too late.”
“How is it not too late? I passed on my own merits, not through the back door!”
When Xiangzhi registered, the form was filled out at the greenhouse, Old Zhou had helped send it in. Everything had gone smoothly.
If she had known such a problem would come up, she should have asked Gu Wenshan earlier to get her household registration settled!
Wu Zhaodi steeled herself, pushed through the crowd and collapsed against the wall, wailing: “So how is it not the back door? Someone, please, figure out who let her pass registration! I want to report it, keep reporting up the chain!”
“All right then, report it to me!”
Old Zhou had gone to get liquor, in a short while such a big commotion had erupted.
He stood at the back of the crowd and listened for a while, so angry he slammed the liquor bottle heavily on the table with full force, saying loudly: “She registered on my guarantee! What, am I not qualified to guarantee a small recruitment exam?!”
Oh, a small argument had brought the real power broker out of hiding.
This old man sat in the front row even when meeting the central committee. Nobody else’s identity could be wrong, him and the person he guaranteed were definitely fine.
Section Chief Chen’s legs went soft, he steadied himself on the chair back, his face twisted between crying and laughing as he said: “Old Zhou, your guarantee is naturally without any problems. But why did you have to get involved in this at all?”
Wu Lili ground her back teeth until they creaked, she did not understand what Xiangzhi had done to deserve it—calling on Old Zhou to guarantee her! Why were these important figures all siding with her!
Old Zhou said coldly: “You listen to me—if you want results, don’t just pick on the easy targets! How could I not get involved? The person you want to drive out of the unit is my daughter, how could I not get involved in my daughter’s business?!
“Ah—” Before anyone could ask, Xiangzhi’s little mouth gaped wide open. When had she gotten this convenient father!
References[+]