Gu Yijia stayed at home recuperating for more than half a month, and finally felt that her body was not so weak anymore.
Probably because she had been a healthy baby since she was little, with abundant energy, she had never been the kind of person who could sit still. Unexpectedly, she had actually spent a full half-month as a homebody, not stepping out of the house.
It was not that she did not want to go out, and it was not that she could endure loneliness. It was really that this body would get tired after walking just a few steps, dizzy and seeing stars, and if she fainted halfway, that would really be frightening.
Feeling that her body was much lighter, after lying flat, some thoughts became active again.
Even if nothing was going her way now, life still had to go on. She also had to keep living in this era, and she could not just not want to live because of a fate she could already see at a glance, right?
If one can live, who would want to die.
When she heard that she was going out, Baohua was like she was facing a great enemy. “Auntie, where are you going?”
Gu Yijia smiled and said, “I’m going to Granny Huang’s house to look for Sister Pingping. I promised her before that I’d make her a dress. Now that I’m feeling better, I can help her make it.”
This was not a made-up excuse from her. It was something the original owner had once promised.
The original owner’s body was not good, so she could only do some light work. Making clothes for people was one of them.
There was a sewing machine at home. It was one of the betrothal gifts her older brother had bought for his wife, but Chen Aifang’s sewing was not good-looking. The clothes she made were disliked even by herself. Later, whenever the family needed clothes, they were all made by the younger sister-in-law.
The original owner was a girl with deft hands and a clever heart. The clothes she made looked even better than ready-made garments in the department store. The girls in the village who loved beauty would all come to her to have clothes made, and they would pay some hard-earned money.
In this way, the original owner could also be considered to be earning money by her own ability.
It was just a pity that her body was not good and she could not be too tired, so she did not take on many jobs and could not earn much money.
Gu Yijia had studied fashion design in college before. Setting aside everything else, she could still step on a sewing machine and make a piece of clothing, and with the original owner’s memories, she knew what could and could not be done in this era, so she was not worried about anything.
Now that her body was a little better, she wanted to earn some money.
She could not keep depending on her brother and sister-in-law to support her forever, right? Even a girl like the original owner had never thought of depending on her brother and sister-in-law for life. Even less would she.
The sun in the south was very fierce, like a great fireball.
Gu Yijia still held an umbrella and went out, afraid that if she was exposed under the sun for a few minutes, she would get heatstroke and faint.
Having fully experienced how weak this body was, she did not dare to mess around at all now, and cherished her body very much.
Wasn’t it just that from now on she would have to be careful and take good care of her body? She could do it!
Wasn’t it just that from now on she could not run freely, could not go up mountains or down to the sea, could not eat delicious and spicy food… wuwu, she could still do it!
As long as she could live on, she would work hard to live, and not let down everyone who cared about and loved her.
Baohua was like a little knight, following beside her aunt and helping protect her.
On the way, they met many commune members working in the fields. Seeing this aunt and niece pair, they all smiled and greeted them, asking about Gu Yijia’s health.
Gu Yijia politely said, “I’m much better now. I came out for a walk today. Thank you, uncles, grandfathers, and aunts, for your concern.”
After the aunt and niece walked far away, the commune members clicked their tongues and felt that Gu Yijia seemed a little different.
“This little girl from Old Gu Da’s family looks like she’s in much better spirits. Before, when talking to her, she was always sickly, and her voice was thin and weak.”
The voice just now could not be said to be strong and powerful, but it did have some strength. The whole person looked graceful and natural, and that face in the sunlight was porcelain-white and translucent, indescribably beautiful.
The others also nodded, all able to feel Gu Yijia’s change.
“Maybe her body really is getting better. Once a person’s body gets better, their mood also gets better.”
“If that’s really the case, then that’s great. Mingcheng and his wife also wouldn’t have to worry about her all the time, afraid that one day she would…”
When they arrived at Granny Huang’s house, they found that only Granny Huang was at home.
Granny Huang was drying the cucumbers she had just picked, preparing to pickle sour cucumbers. Once they were made, they could be eaten for a whole year.
On the open space in the courtyard, several bamboo winnowing baskets were set out. On them were also drying cut cucumber strips and some string beans. String beans could be made into sour string beans, and they could also be dried and stored for eating in winter, with another kind of flavor.
Southern winters never lacked fresh vegetables, so they instead did not like dried vegetables.
Seeing the two of them, Granny Huang laughed as she called for them to come in.
Granny Huang was kind and amiable. Many people in the village liked her and respected her. Whoever had difficulties, she would lend a hand within her ability.
The Baoshan and Baohua siblings also really liked Granny Huang. Sometimes when Chen Aifang had to take her younger sister-in-law to the hospital, they would be left at Granny Huang’s house.
Back when Gu Yijia was born, she was as weak as a little kitten, her crying almost inaudible, and she did not have her biological mother to take care of her. It looked as if she would not survive. It was still Granny Huang who could not bear it, carried her home, let the daughter-in-law in the family who was nursing a baby feed her for more than half a month, and at the same time taught the then already ten-year-old Gu Mingcheng how to take care of a little baby.
Gu Yijia being able to survive, Granny Huang had more than half the credit.
That was why the relationship between the two families was extremely close, and the Gu Mingcheng siblings both respected her as if she were their real grandmother.
Gu Yijia sat down, put away her umbrella, and asked, “Granny Huang, is Sister Pingping at home?”
“Pingping went to the county town today. They said that agricultural professors from the city were sent down to teach people how to prevent pests and treat diseases in crops. The brigade has a quota, so she went to learn from the professors, and she still hasn’t come back.” Granny Huang poured Gu Yijia a cup of water. “How is Jiajia’s body?”
“Don’t worry, Granny Huang, I’m much better now.” Gu Yijia lifted her face and smiled at her.
Although she had a face like a fairy, and when she did not smile she seemed untouched by worldly smoke and fire, when she smiled she was even more like bright spring sunlight, making the whole world seem bright.
Granny Huang was very happy. Seeing that she was much more spirited now, she nodded secretly.
Knowing that Huang Pingping was not there, Gu Yijia did not sit for long, so as not to disturb people’s work. She asked Granny Huang to tell Huang Pingping that when she had time, she should come by her house.
Granny Huang asked what it was about. After finding out that it was because her granddaughter had once asked Gu Yijia to make clothes, she could not help but chide, “Your body isn’t good, so you can’t tire yourself out. Pingping has plenty of clothes. It doesn’t matter if she’s short one.”
Gu Yijia smiled a little embarrassedly. “Sister Pingping also paid for the clothes to be made.”
“That’s how it should be. Which tailor makes clothes for people and doesn’t charge? You have a good heart and only charge half the money. Pingping said the clothes you make are both pretty and cheap.”
Gu Yijia said, “Sister Pingping is a very busy person. She often represents our commune in the county town to learn and do work, so she should dress a bit more appropriately and beautifully.”
Those words were pleasant to hear, and Granny Huang’s eyes and brows were full of smiles.
After leaving Granny Huang’s house, Gu Yijia did not go anywhere and held her umbrella as she went home.
Just as she reached near the entrance, she saw Third Aunt Gu standing under the shade of a tree, talking with a middle-aged woman with a plump figure.
The clothes on this middle-aged woman were neat and decent, not like a rural person’s, and her figure was so plump. One could tell she usually ate well. It was 1973 now, and one had to know that in this day and age, not many people could eat themselves fat. Looking around, thin people were the norm.
Seeing them, both of them looked over. That middle-aged woman looked Gu Yijia up and down, as if she were weighing pork by the catty, making one feel uncomfortable.
Gu Yijia gave a faint glance, then lowered her eyelids.
“Jiajia, where have you been?” Third Aunt Gu asked. “Is your body better?”
Gu Yijia answered casually, ignored them, and took Baohua home.
After the aunt and niece went through the door, the middle-aged woman said, “This little girl from the Gu family is really beautiful. That bearing looks just like a city person. No wonder Director Jiang has gone to so much trouble to marry her.”
Third Aunt Gu forced a smile.
After being visited by Chen Aifang last time, she had been scared stiff and did not dare go looking for Gu Yijia.
Yet this matchmaker had come looking for her, asking whether she had persuaded Gu Yijia, saying that Director Jiang was already impatient to settle the marriage.
The matchmaker was from the county town, known as Aunt Wang. She had matched up many men and women through her hands, and she was a famous and formidable matchmaker in the county town. Young men and women who wanted to find a partner would all look for her to help make the connection.
Aunt Wang actually looked down on these rural girls very much, but Jiang Jinwang had found her and promised her a rather generous thank-you payment for the match, so of course she was reluctant to turn it down, and she was very invested in this matter.
But Gu Yijia’s sister-in-law was too formidable, not someone easy to deal with. If she refused in person and made Jiang Jinwang lose face, then this Director Jiang would probably be in a bad mood and, in turn, take it out on her.
So the best way was to make Gu Yijia willing of her own accord.
Aunt Wang asked, “Has this little girl from the Gu family still not given an answer?”
“She’s been recuperating for this period of time and hasn’t even stepped out of the door. It’s not convenient for me to suddenly go to her house.” Third Aunt Gu explained.
She could not bear to part with that thirty yuan, and she did not dare provoke that tigress Chen Aifang. It was not as if she were not anxious in her heart.
Aunt Wang said, “You’d better hurry up. Director Jiang’s side is pressing.” Today she had come over because Jiang Jinwang had been urging her so much that she had no choice but to come and ask.
Third Aunt Gu answered reluctantly.
After Third Aunt Gu sent Aunt Wang off, she turned her head and saw a little head peeking out from the entrance of Chen Aifang’s house. She could not help but twitch the corner of her mouth.
That dead girl, so young, had a mind as full of holes as a sieve. If it were not for that dead girl always standing in the way, she would have already persuaded Gu Yijia long ago.
But Baohua was not afraid of her. She smiled at her, then shrank her head back.
She ran da-da-da to find her aunt. “Third Auntie and that fat big aunt don’t know what they were talking about. They kept staring at our house! Auntie, I think they must be up to something bad.”
Gu Yijia touched her head and smiled without speaking.
During this period, because she was at home recuperating, aside from the few days after discharge when relatives and friends came to see her, no one came to the door afterward, afraid of disturbing her rest.
Third Aunt Gu did not come again either.
Gu Yijia understood in her heart that it should be that when her sister-in-law Chen Aifang went to look for Third Aunt Gu last time, she said something and scared her, causing her not to dare come over again during this period.
Although she had not come, Gu Yijia knew that Third Aunt Gu was still holding back her energy. According to the development of the plot, she would soon take action, and by then not only she, but the entire Gu family would also move into action.
Jiang Jinwang’s conditions were really too good in the eyes of rural people. Who would not be willing to marry their daughter to him?
The Gu family was also willing.
Although the original owner had been raised innocent and simple, because of her body, her personality was relatively sensitive.
From childhood to adulthood, she had heard a lot of gossip, and always felt that she was dragging down her brother and sister-in-law, and was extremely guilty in her heart. Even her body being so bad might have been because she was carrying guilt in her heart, with matters piling up inside her, her mood was not good. How could her body get better?
When the Gu family stirred things up like this, the original owner would only feel that she had implicated her brother and sister-in-law, and stupidly want to hide away from Jiang Jinwang…
Thinking of this, Gu Yijia felt that before lying flat, the trouble also had to be resolved.
While resolving the trouble, she still had to live every day happily.
Maybe if her mood got better, this body would also get a bit better? She really did not want to keep being this sickly forever, and one day, accidentally die.