“Big brother, sister-in-law, I think Dali doesn’t have a good eye when it comes to girls,” someone remarked.
“You’d better find a wife for Dali quickly,” another added.
“So he doesn’t get into any more trouble.”
Hearing that Gu Jianguo wanted his parents to arrange a marriage for him, Gu Dali was very unhappy.
“Mom, don’t set me up with anyone!” he protested. “The girls you choose are all from the village, ugly and uneducated—I don’t want them!”
Hearing this, Gu Jianguo glanced at Gu Aimin, as if to say, “See? If you don’t manage your son, he’s hopeless.” There was no need for Gu Jianguo to act—Gu Aimin immediately snatched the stick from him and swung it at Gu Dali again.
Even though he was their own son, Gu Aimin could sense what Dali was thinking. Of course, Dali felt that now that he was earning money outside, he was important and deserved a beautiful girl or an educated city girl.
“You’re just a reckless fool, destined to toil. What ridiculous dreams do you have? You think that just because you earn a salary, you can pick any pretty girl in the villages? You’d better go look at someone sensible, and if you try to chase after a beautiful girl, I’ll find you an ugly one, arrange a formal engagement and wedding, and see if your pride can handle it.”
“No, I want to choose my own wife!” Gu Dali bristled at this, feeling that as a well-paid worker, he deserved a beautiful wife of his own.
Seeing Gu Dali so stubborn, Gu Aimin swung the stick with all his strength—bang! The thick stick broke. Unable to withstand the force, Gu Dali clutched his arm in pain, unable to argue.
Hu Guihua, standing nearby, felt heartbroken but didn’t dare speak. Although the Gu family had split, the brothers were still connected. Dali had caused such a big problem today, and he needed to be taught a lesson—otherwise all the beating would have been for nothing.
“Damn it, my cousin is so infatuated with that woman. If she could get my admission notice from him this time, next time he might give away the family’s grain. We must find a wife who can control him, or else the family won’t be at peace.” Gu Rou shouted from the side. If it weren’t for the fact that everyone was family, Gu Dali wouldn’t have gotten off with just a few whacks.
“Cousin bought that woman flowers to wear, gave her ration tickets, and once even gave her a big bag of sponge cakes,” Gu Chuan shouted from the side, spilling all of Dali’s secrets. If someone wanted to bully his sister, they had to check if he agreed.
Gu Aimin’s expression changed, as did Hu Guihua’s. The whole family had worked hard to survive, barely making ends meet these past few years. Their house was still a mud house, and the roof leaked when it rained. And now this fool spent money on a shameless woman—money that belonged to their family!
Hu Guihua agreed with Gu Jianguo: Dali couldn’t choose his own wife; they had to control him. Gu Rou was right—they needed someone who could manage Dali; otherwise, his money would inevitably go to that temptress. Hu Guihua confiscated all his money, leaving him just enough for food, nothing more.
“Boss, I’ve taken all his money,” Hu Guihua said, hoping Gu Aimin wouldn’t continue punishing their son.
“His side is settled. What about Gu Rou?” Gu Aimin asked.
“Jianguo has already beaten the kid, hasn’t he?”
“Stop whining. Take out ten yuan and give it to Gu Rou,” Gu Aimin said, trying to settle the matter. The serious issue—Gu Rou’s admission notice—was back in her hands.
Gu Aimin actually felt heartbroken seeing this, but with the Third Branch improving, he thought of it as an investment.
“Dad, don’t get too worked up. Don’t hurt yourself. Here, take 20 yuan, for you to spend,” Gu Rou said, handing two large bills from her pocket to the still-angry Gu Jianguo.
Seeing that Gu Rou cared about him, Gu Jianguo’s anger eased somewhat, though he still felt upset.
“I’m angry because of your situation, not because of the money. How can you just give money to calm me?”
“Go on, take the money!” Gu Aimin shouted at Hu Guihua. Reluctantly, she went into the house.
“Dad, all the money you have is spent on me and Gu Chuan. Now that I have money, isn’t it normal to spend some on you?” Gu Rou added, fanning the flames—but she meant it sincerely. She appreciated Gu Aiguo and Li Xiufang.
In the story, Gu Jianguo is honest and blunt, hardworking but inarticulate, and values brotherhood despite suffering losses. Li Xiufang speaks well and loudly but, though educated, is just a small-town shrew, not like the other harsher women. With only this “small shrew” holding the fort and her husband not defending her, Li Xiufang’s cursing goes largely unchecked.
The two of them outside sometimes felt a bit powerless, but they never brought negative emotions into the house. They raised Gu Rou and Gu Chuan very well, with no sign of favoring boys over girls. This just showed that their personalities weren’t overly domineering—it didn’t mean they were bad. Gu Rou could completely understand; after all, it was their first time being adults, siblings, and parents. Who could guarantee they would get everything right? It all required a process.
After a while, Hu Guihua came out and handed the ten yuan to Gu Rou. She smiled and immediately tried to take the money, but no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t budge. She also didn’t dare pull too hard, afraid the money might get damaged.
“Thank you, Aunt, but your grip is really strong. Could you loosen it a bit?”
Feeling Gu Aimin’s gaze, Hu Guihua finally let go.
Once Gu Rou got the money, she counted it in front of everyone: two-yuan bills, five-yuan bills, one-yuan bills, and the rest in small change. She handed it all to Gu Jianguo: “Dad, and when I get the money from Second Uncle, I’ll share it with you too.” Just this one sentence made Gu Jianguo happy.
“Take this money and don’t waste it, got it?”
“I know, Dad. Let’s go—let’s hurry home for lunch. I’m starving.”
Gu Rou tugged Gu Jianguo and the rest of the eldest branch along, said a quick goodbye, and left. After the family had lunch, Gu Jianguo and Li Xiufang went to work, leaving only Gu Rou and Gu Chuan.
“Chuan’er, come on, open your mouth.”
Gu Rou had two cookies in her hand. Seeing something tasty, Gu Chuan opened his mouth wide, almost wanting to swallow it all at once.
“Sis, where did these cookies come from?”
Gu Chuan’s eyes lit up when he tasted the cookies. He had never had anything like them before. Seeing that his sister still had plenty, he didn’t eat too much, leaving one for her as a gesture.
Gu Rou simply stuffed the cookies into his mouth. She wasn’t lacking cookies—her storage space still had plenty.
“These were given to me while I was in the hospital,” Gu Rou said casually.
Gu Chuan wasn’t surprised at all. With a sister as good-looking as hers, it was easy for her to get one or two treats when she went out—sometimes candy, sometimes cookies or sponge cakes. People didn’t give much, but they always seemed happy to do so.
He guessed that this time, maybe a doctor or patient had given his sister some treats. Usually, she didn’t accept them, but this time she did. Had she become close with someone?
Gu Chuan didn’t question the cookies’ origin; he was just puzzled why these cookies tasted so much better than the ones he had before.
He happily ate the cookies, then went out to find his friends—or rather, to show off.