After Entering the Book, I Brought the Kids to Find Their Father Who D

by Usui Takumii

ied Early. not mine, asia novel. Beware edited mtl.

8. 71 to 80

Chapter 71: Insomniac Su Zhaozhao

"These few plants are roses, several varieties, but I'm not familiar with all of them. That one is a rosebush, and there's also a woodland hydrangea. We've got two osmanthus trees over there," Gu Heng said, stopping to point them out to her. "They're all small saplings now; it'll probably be next year before they bloom."

"Not necessarily. People have seen even toothpick-sized rose saplings bloom. These are climbing roses, right?"

Su Zhaozhao had grown roses before. They were beautiful but prone to diseases. Since they weren't ground-planted but kept on the windowsill, the lack of sunlight and poor ventilation made the leaves turn yellow and attract pests. She could tolerate the yellowing leaves, but the pests were too disgusting—dense and crawling.

After seeing the flowers once, she threw away the rose, which had barely any leaves left.

At that time, she envied those who had houses with yards. Unfortunately, she only had enough money to afford a small home for herself.

Now, she had a yard of her own. Su Zhaozhao was delighted and eagerly anticipated the sight of flowers climbing over the walls.

"Yes, they're supposed to climb. I was told to plant them next to the wall. When they grow bigger, I'll need to set up a climbing frame."

Gu Heng dug several pits along the wall and then grabbed a couple of black manure balls from a basket nearby, tossing them into the pits.

"What's this?"

"Sheep manure."

Su Zhaozhao: "..."

Gu Heng said, "They say this is good for planting flowers—it doesn't burn the roots and is nutritious."

"Where did you get it?" Su Zhaozhao knew how valuable manure was these days. Gu Xiang and Gu Nian would hold their bladders until they got home to use the toilet. She hadn't noticed at first, but after seeing them rush to the bathroom as soon as they got home several times, she asked them about it.

That was when she learned the reason.

It wasn't until she said that they wouldn't be farming at home anymore and didn't need this 'fertilizer' that the siblings changed their habit.

Before changing, they even asked, "Can it be sold for money?"

If your dad were to rely on selling poop to raise you, he'd become famous throughout the military district in no time!

The siblings thought it was a pity.

Cow and sheep manure were considered top-quality farm fertilizer. In the countryside, you wouldn't even step on any during a walk. While it was still warm, someone would have already picked it up.

"The unit raises dozens of sheep. I got it from the kitchen squad."

Su Zhaozhao's eyes lit up. "Do we have goat milk?"

Gu Heng looked at her. "Yes, do you like drinking goat milk?"

What kind of habit is this?

That stuff is too gamey, and few people like it. Some military families with newborns, who had insufficient breast milk, would take some back to feed their babies.

Su Zhaozhao thought about the current lack of mature deodorizing technology...

She didn't even like drinking pure cow's milk.

"I've only heard that goat milk is highly nutritious and good for the body." It's also said to be great for beauty, skin rejuvenation, and anti-aging. Su Zhaozhao was quite obsessed with her skin and wanted to get fair quickly!

After nearly half a month of care and applying pearl cream to her face and snow cream to her hands every day, she noticed when looking in the mirror that her skin had indeed become a bit fairer and better. It wasn't very obvious yet, so she needed to keep at it!

Gu Heng thought of her health. "I'll bring some back every day starting tomorrow."

Su Zhaozhao nodded. By then, she would boil it with some tea leaves to remove the gaminess, and it should be drinkable.

After a while, Gu Xiang and Gu Nian returned. The siblings were on duty today, responsible for cleaning the blackboard and sweeping the floor, so they came back a bit late.

Every time Su Zhaozhao saw the two children, she couldn't help but admire them. Youth was truly wonderful! Their bodily functions were in top shape, and they had changed the most—their faces had filled out, their complexions were fairer, and their little faces were rosy. With daily exercise, they had visibly become stronger.

Su Zhaozhao pinched her own arms and legs, weighing whether to join in or not, and ultimately chose not to.

She was just a lazy person.

The family was having dinner when someone knocked on the front door from outside.

Gu Xiang put down his chopsticks and ran to open the door. The visitor was in military uniform and was looking for Gu Heng.

Gu Heng went out, exchanged a few words, and then hurried back to change into his uniform in the bedroom. "There's a mission, and I need to go out. I might not be back for a few days. Keep the doors locked at home, and if you need anything, ask Sister Wang for help."

After hastily saying these few words, Gu Heng left the house.

The two children stopped eating. "Mom, where did Dad go? Will he be in danger?"

Su Zhaozhao shook her head. In fact, she wasn't sure either. Being called away in such a hurry probably meant something important had come up, right?

It wasn't mentioned in the book.

She went out and headed next door.

"Ah, it's nothing serious."

Political Commissar Zhou had also been called away. Wang Chunhua wasn't worried at all. She waved her hand casually. "You've only been here a short while, so you don't know. This happens often. He's been called away in the middle of the night before. At first, I was anxious too, but I gradually got used to it. When it comes to military matters, if they don't tell us, we don't ask. We just stay home and guard the house."

Su Zhaozhao felt relieved.

Gu Heng was the male lead, after all. In the book, he had smooth sailing for decades without encountering any major obstacles.

It wasn't the decade where being called away in the middle of the night would have been truly worrying.

When she returned home, she told the children, "It's nothing. Uncle Zhou was also called away. Hurry up and eat, then wash up and rest early. I won't be able to join you for exercises in the next few days, so you can sleep in a bit longer in the mornings."

Gu Xiang shook his head. "We'll practice on our own."

Gu Nian nodded, "Yes, we'll practice on our own."

"Alright then, if we have to practice on our own, we will."

After finishing their meal, the siblings diligently cleared the bowls and washed them in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Su Zhaozhao sat at the desk, taking out the price list and some white paper to copy them.

After washing the bowls, the siblings, without being told, used the hot water from the pot to wash their faces and feet. They even made sure to refill the empty pot and put it back on the stove to boil.

Upon entering the house and seeing their mother writing at her desk, the siblings quietly and gently returned to their room.

The house was quiet, with only the soft 'swishing' sound of the fountain pen moving across the white paper. It was unclear how much time had passed before Su Zhaozhao finally finished her work. She put down the pen, stretched luxuriously, and glanced at the clock—it was already past nine.

The light in the west room had been turned off, and the two children were already asleep. Su Zhaozhao quietly went to wash up. There was no need to bother with heating water for a bath; she simply did a quick wipe-down before heading back to the room.

Once in bed, she rolled around for a bit. For the next few days, this bed would be hers!

Since arriving here, this was the first time she had a bed all to herself. It was truly a rare experience!

Ah! The feeling of sleeping alone in a whole bed was so comfortable!

She had thought she would have a good night's sleep, but after lying in bed alone for over an hour, she still couldn't fall asleep.

"Am I experiencing insomnia?" Su Zhaozhao muttered to herself while lying in bed.

She had never suffered from insomnia in her twenty-something years of sleeping alone. Yet after just a few days of sharing a bed with someone, she was now experiencing insomnia while sleeping alone?

Su Zhaozhao felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

She rolled around in bed a few more times with her quilt, then lay still and straight, counting sheep. "One sheep, two sheep, three sheep... two hundred seventy-five sheep..."

Chapter 72: Heroic and Refreshing

Su Zhaozhao didn't know how many sheep she had counted, but she knew that when she woke up that morning, both of her children were looking at her with surprise.

"Mom, didn't you sleep well?"

Su Zhaozhao yawned. "What makes you say that?"

Gu Nian pointed at her eyes. "Dark circles around your eyes."

The two siblings had woken up early, boiling porridge on the stove and practicing squatting stances and martial arts in the yard.

Su Zhaozhao touched her eyes and rushed back to look in the mirror. Gosh! There really were dark circles!

On the first day Gu Heng left home, she had dark circles under her eyes...

Gu Nian whispered quietly to his brother in the yard, "Mom must be missing Dad and couldn't sleep."

Gu Xiang nodded. "Mm."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Su Zhaozhao told the two children to continue their horse stance practice and went to open the door herself.

Outside stood Xiang Beifang.

"Good morning, Sister-in-law!" Xiang Beifang said with a smile, lifting a small bucket he was carrying. "This is the goat milk the captain asked for. I've brought it over."

Su Zhaozhao had thought the milk would take a while, but she hadn't expected that he had arranged for Comrade Xiao Xiang to deliver it before he left.

"Thank you, Xiao Xiang," Su Zhaozhao said, taking the bucket. It was quite heavy; it probably weighed over two jin (about 1 kg).

"No need to thank me, Sister-in-law. I'll deliver the goat milk at this time every day. Please remember to take it."

"Alright, thank you for your trouble."

"Not at all." After saying this, Xiang Beifang hurried off.

Su Zhaozhao took the goat milk inside, grabbed a small handful of tea leaves, and headed to the kitchen.

She boiled the goat milk with the tea leaves, then added two spoonfuls of white sugar. After taking a sip, the gamey taste was still there but much less. The extra sugar made it sweet and pleasant, with a hint of tea fragrance, making it tastier than plain milk.

"Gu Xiang, Gu Nian, come and drink some milk tea."

The two siblings ran over. "What is milk tea?"

Su Zhaozhao poured two bowls for them. "Goat milk boiled with tea leaves. This is milk tea. It's good for your health. Your father specially asked Uncle Xiao to deliver it every day, so we'll have a bowl each morning."

Gu Nian took a sip, smacked his lips, and said, "Delicious! Sweet and refreshing."

Gu Xiang also found it delicious. "Mom, you should have more."

Su Zhaozhao drank from her bowl too. If only there were some almonds—boiling almonds with the goat milk would have removed the gamey taste even better.

After breakfast, Su Zhaozhao headed to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative for work.

When she arrived, it wasn't time to open yet, so she took out the tags she had copied the night before and began cutting them.

As she cut the tags, she watched the time. At 8:59, Xiao Tang arrived right on time.

The two of them opened the doors first.

Xiao Tang saw the cut strips of paper on the counter. "Sister Su, when did you get here? You've already finished cutting all of them?"

She thought Su Zhaozhao had come very early. "You don't need to come so early when we're not stocking the shelves. As long as you're here before opening time, that's enough."

"I didn't come too early. I took the work home last night to finish."

Xiao Tang thought Su Zhaozhao was too diligent. She herself never took work home. Her mother often called her lazy and said she would be disliked by her in-laws when she married.

What a joke! She was a salesperson; who would dare to dislike her?

If her partner dared to dislike her, she would just break up with him!

In the morning, the two of them finished putting price tags on all the products. When Section Chief Xie returned from market inspections and passed by, he glanced over and saw the small tags on the shelves. He came in and praised their efficiency.

When he returned to the office, he even called Director Liu to come and take a look. Director Liu also thought it was well done and gave them a little praise.

"What's so good about it? In my opinion, this is just a way to slack off. As salespeople, it's our duty to tell customers the prices. If we don't even report the prices anymore, do we even need to remember them? This is just fancy footwork to make things easier for themselves, all flash and no substance!"

Just as everyone was feeling happy, a middle-aged man walked in. He wore glasses and carried a briefcase under his arm.

Su Zhaozhao didn't recognize him, but the others did.

"Oh! Deputy Director Hu is back! When did you return? Haven't gone home yet?" In the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, only Director Liu dared to emphasize the 'Deputy' title.

Deputy Director Hu grunted. "Just arrived. Came straight to the cooperative."

Then he looked at Su Zhaozhao. "Is this the new salesperson at our cooperative?"

Su Zhaozhao greeted him. "Good morning, Deputy Director Hu. I am Su Zhaozhao."

Deputy Director Hu nodded. "Where are you from?"

Before Su Zhaozhao could answer, Director Liu spoke up. "She was transferred here from the unit. She's a military family; her spouse is a captain."

Hearing that she was from a military family and the spouse of a captain, Deputy Director Hu looked at Su Zhaozhao again, his expression softening slightly, his attitude improving.

He pointed at the tags on the shelves. "Was this your idea? It's a good thought, but..."

Thus, Su Zhaozhao listened again to what Section Chief Xie had said yesterday. The content wasn't exactly the same, but it was close enough—it was essentially the same idea.

Su Zhaozhao couldn't help but glance at Section Chief Xie.

Section Chief Xie smiled without saying a word.

"Since it's already been put up, let it be. In the future, focus more on how to better serve the people, instead of always trying to save yourself some trouble. You need to understand that our job is to serve the people, and providing good service is our core responsibility."

After saying this, he opened the entrance to the counter and went into the office.

Once the leaders had left, Xiao Tang let out a sigh of relief. "Director Hu loves to preach. He can go on and on about anything you do. If Director Liu thinks something is good, he'll find it bad. You'll see what I mean soon."

Su Zhaozhao: ...

She could sense it; even a small price tag could give him a lot to talk about.

If Director Liu hadn't mentioned that she was a military family member, with her husband being a captain, he would have probably said even more.

Was this what people called 'fatherly lecturing'?

In the afternoon, Su Zhaozhao saw the original novel's female lead again.

"So beautiful!"

Su Zhaozhao thought she had spoken her thoughts out loud, but upon glancing around, she realized it was Xiao Tang. The girl was leaning against the doorway, watching the female soldiers who had just walked past.

Among the soldiers was the female lead, Ye Shulan.

"Next month is National Day. They must be going to the old tailor to have their performance costumes made," Xiao Tang said enviously, his eyes fixed on the tailor shop that was separated from the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives by just one alley.

"Sister Su, do you know what kind of soldiers they are?"

Su Zhaozhao: "Probably performance troupe soldiers."

Xiao Tang nodded. "That's right, performance troupe soldiers. The requirements to enlist as performance troupe soldiers are very high, and there are exams. I wanted to be a performance troupe soldier before, but I didn't have the talent for it, and I didn't know anything."

"Look how beautiful they are! Wearing military uniforms, they look especially spirited!"

They were indeed beautiful and spirited, and Su Zhaozhao felt a bit envious.

The female soldiers wore army green jackets on top and navy-blue skirts below, with the skirts covering their knees and belts tied around their waists.

A few female soldiers walked past the door.

In Su Zhaozhao's heart, there were only four words: heroic and dashing!

Chapter 73: Talent

"They're here, they're here. They're coming over," Xiao Tang retreated from the door and went behind the counter.

In no time, several female soldiers entered the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives.

"Do you have any red cloth?" The one who spoke was Ye Shulan.

"Yes!" Xiao Tang was particularly eager, quickly taking down the red cloth from the shelf. "How much do you need?"

Ye Shulan reached out and touched it, her brows slightly furrowing as she said to the female soldier next to her, "This fabric is too thick."

The other female soldiers also reached out and touched it. "It really is too thick, not soft and flowing enough."

They asked Xiao Tang, "Do you have any lighter silk fabric?"

Xiao Tang nodded, "Yes, it's stock from the summer, we still have some left in the warehouse."

Su Zhaozhao said, "I'll go get it."

She turned and went to the warehouse, where the warehouse keeper retrieved the cloth.

The keeper asked, "Is anyone still buying thin fabric? Is it for a wedding? It's getting cold, clothes should be made from the pure wool gabardine we received a few days ago, that's better for making clothes."

The bright red fabric was usually bought for wedding clothes, rarely for daily wear.

There wasn't much red silk left in the warehouse, only about one and a half bolts. The keeper took out half a bolt. Su Zhaozhao touched it, it was very light, and said, "Bring the rest to the front, they'll probably need a lot."

The keeper was surprised, "Why do they need so much?"

"For the art troupe."

The keeper wasn't surprised anymore, "It's for dance costumes, next month is National Day. The grand theater in the city has performances every National Day. The unit has established an art troupe, they'll definitely perform, right?"

The last sentence was more of a monologue than a question to Su Zhaozhao.

But Su Zhaozhao knew, there was indeed a performance. It was mentioned in the book that the art troupe received enthusiastic applause during their first appearance in the unit.

The female lead's dance with red silk was stunning!

It also stunned the male lead, and they got married not long after.

Thinking about this, Su Zhaozhao felt a pang of sourness in her heart.

Su Zhaozhao and the keeper brought the fabric to the front of the store.

Seeing the fabric, Ye Shulan's eyes lit up as she touched it, "This is perfect."

A female soldier next to her said, "This should be enough, so we don't have to go to the city."

Ye Shulan nodded, "Definitely enough."

They took all the red fabric, more than one bolt.

Su Zhaozhao and Xiao Tang measured the fabric together. While measuring, Xiao Tang asked, "Is it for dance costumes? I saw you came from the tailor shop."

Ye Shulan smiled, "No, it's for dancing." After saying that, she glanced at Su Zhaozhao.

"What dance?" Why would they need so much fabric for a dance?

Another female soldier said, "You'll know when they perform during National Day. It's a secret."

Xiao Tang sighed, "I don't know if we'll get to see it. Sister Su, you definitely will, you're a military family."

Hearing Xiao Tang call Su Zhaozhao a military family, the female soldiers glanced at her, but only for a moment. There were plenty of military families in the resettlement area.

After buying the fabric, the female soldiers bought some personal items at the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives before leaving.

As she reached the door, Ye Shulan looked back at Su Zhaozhao.

This time, Su Zhaozhao met her gaze directly.

Ye Shulan smiled, nodded at her, and left with the fabric.

They went back to the tailor shop.

From the moment they entered the store until they left, Su Zhaozhao could feel Ye Shulan's gaze on her. It seemed like she was curious about her, but there was no malice.

No malice was best. She didn't want to engage in some kind of rivalry with the original female lead like in those era novels she read.

She hoped Yu Huixin would learn from the female lead and not cause trouble for no reason.

On her way home after work, Su Zhaozhao ran into Yan Guang near her doorstep.

"Captain Yan."

"Don't be so polite, just call me Lao Yan. Captain Yan is here to pass a message to Gu Heng, 'He went to the city last night and left early this morning... He went to Beijing with the commander for a meeting, probably won't be back for a week. If there's anything you need help with at home, come find me...'"

After delivering the message, Yan Guang left. Su Zhaozhao went back home and sat in the rocking chair, feeling a sense of emptiness.

He won't be back for a whole week.

So long!

When Gu Xiang and Gu Nian came back from school, Su Zhaozhao shared the news with them.

Both siblings were feeling quite down, as they wouldn't be able to see Dad for a whole week.

"That's a long time!"

Su Zhaozhao rose from the rocking chair. "Go do your homework, and I'll make dinner. How about eggs pancakes for tonight?"

Of course, the siblings agreed. The egg pancakes were tender and especially delicious.

There wasn't much homework today, and it was finished in no time. The siblings headed to the kitchen to help out.

Gu Nian chattered, "Mom, we had a music class today. The teacher taught us to sing and played the accordion. Should I sing for you?"

Su Zhaozhao brushed some oil into the pan and poured a ladle of egg and flour batter into it. "Sure, go ahead and sing."

"Let's sing together, brother."

Gu Xiang kept his mouth tightly shut, not really wanting to join in. He felt he hadn't learned it well enough yet.

Gu Nian had already started singing, "Our fields, beautiful fields, green rivers flowing through endless rice fields..."

When the song finished, Su Zhaozhao clapped her hands, a bit surprised. Gu Nian's vocal quality was as good as what she had heard on TV.

Xiao Nian has a talent for singing!

She also noticed something, "You remembered all the lyrics to the song from today?"

Is her memory too good?

Gu Nian nodded happily, "I memorized it after a few tries. The teacher said I sang well, didn't go off-key. Many of my classmates did."

Gu Xiang also nodded, "Yes, she sang the best in the class."

Su Zhaozhao asked Gu Nian, "Do you like singing?"

"Yes, I do!" Her eyes couldn't leave the teacher when she played the accordion. It was the first time she had seen one at her age.

"Mom, the teacher just played the accordion, and her fingers plucked the keys. Music came out. It was amazing!"

"You'll understand how it works when you learn it in the future," Su Zhaozhao smiled.

Gu Nian's eyes widened, "Can I learn it?"

"Of course, let me find out first."

Music and vocals go hand in hand. If a child has talent in this area, they should be well-cultivated.

Gu Nian was so happy that she grabbed her brother's hand and jumped a few times in place, "Brother, did you hear that? I can learn the accordion!"

Gu Xiang was feeling dizzy from her shaking, "I know, I know."

"Do you want to learn too, brother?"

"I don't want to." Gu Xiang wasn't interested. He was going to join the army in the future!

That's right. Gu Xiang already had plans for his future. He wanted to be a captain like his father!

Protect the country and earn a good salary!

After her excitement, Gu Nian realized, "Mom, isn't learning the accordion very expensive? You need money to buy one, and lessons cost money too, right?"

Her little face wrinkled up at the mention of money.

Su Zhaozhao said, "Don't worry. Dad's salary is high, and I have a job now, earning a salary every month. We can afford whatever you want to learn."

Gu Xiang already had a good understanding of their family's financial situation. "Don't worry, we don't lack money now."

Even if they weren't short of money, they should still be frugal!

Gu Nian nodded, "I will study hard!"

Seeing how eager her child was to learn, Su Zhaozhao naturally supported her. The next day during her lunch break, she went to the school.

"Teacher Zheng."

Seeing her, Teacher Zheng's eyes lit up. "Gu Nian's mom, you came at the right time. I was just about to talk to you about something."

What a coincidence?

"What is it? Please tell me."

Teacher Zheng asked her to sit and even poured her a glass of water.

"National Day is coming up soon, and the school is planning to rehearse a program to celebrate it. We will also be performing with the art troupe at a unit. Gu Nian sings very well, and the school is planning to form a choir with her as the lead singer. We wanted to know if you, as parents, would support this?"

Su Zhaozhao certainly thought it was a good idea. "Yes, I fully support it!"

"That's great, but there's the matter of the costumes... The school's budget is quite limited." This was why Teacher Zheng wanted to talk to the parents. When it came to spending money, many parents would hesitate.

"Whatever the school arranges. We can prepare it ourselves, or if the school buys it uniformly, we'll cover the costs."

Teacher Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you very much for your support!"

After Teacher Zheng finished, Su Zhaozhao also mentioned her own reason for coming.

"You want to learn the accordion? Sure, you don't need to visit a vocal music teacher. I teach vocal music."

Su Zhaozhao raised an eyebrow, "Teacher Zheng, aren't you a Chinese language teacher?"

Teacher Zheng smiled and said, "I also teach vocal music. There aren't many vocal music classes, and since I studied this major before, I took on the additional role."

"If Gu Nian wants to learn, she can study with me. When it's time to take the college entrance examination, it's possible for her to develop in the direction of vocal music. We have a music college right here in Sea City."

Gu Nian was doing well academically, and her family conditions were good. Her parents clearly were the type of parents who emphasized their child's education. With such a background, Teacher Zheng had no doubt that she would go on to college.

The college entrance examination was a long way off. Su Zhaozhao calculated that by the time Gu Xiang and Gu Nian were ready for the college entrance examination, it would be 1965. However, in 1966, the college entrance examination would be canceled, and instead, workers, farmers, and soldiers would be recommended for admission. Their class would just be hanging on the tail end of that.

It wasn't clear what the exact situation would be at that time. Of course, getting into college would be ideal, but if not, they would have to wait another ten years.

But could you really learn anything in college at that time?

Su Zhaozhao shook her head. It was too early to think about that; there were still ten years to go.

When learning from a teacher, you couldn't show up empty-handed expecting to be taught. Su Zhaozhao proactively offered to pay tuition.

Teacher Zheng repeatedly declined, saying, "No, no, I'm already her teacher. It's my duty to teach her. How can I charge extra tuition?"

Su Zhaozhao replied, "If it were just one or two classes, I wouldn't mention it. But learning vocal music is a long-term commitment and will take up a lot of your time. This is outside of the regular school curriculum. We can't just take advantage of you for free. If you don't accept some compensation, I'll feel bad about letting Gu Nian study with you."

After some thought, Teacher Zheng agreed. Money was never unwelcome.

They settled on the tuition fee: two classes a week, totaling eight classes a month, with a monthly fee of three yuan.

The lessons could be held either at the school or at home.

To Su Zhaozhao, this fee seemed really low, but Teacher Zheng still thought it was high, considering that a semester of elementary school tuition was only six yuan.

Teacher Zheng was concerned that charging too much might lead to gossip and reflect poorly on her, so she set the price at three yuan.

"Accordions require a ticket, and it's impossible to get one anytime soon. But there's no need to rush; she hasn't even started learning yet. For the first two months, she can use mine. I'll also ask around to see if anyone has a ticket."

Su Zhaozhao was naturally grateful.

On her way out of Teacher Zheng's office, Su Zhaozhao glanced into the classroom. Some children were napping with their heads on the desks, while others were reading books. Her two children were among those reading.

More than half of the classroom was empty, probably because the other children had gone out to play.

Su Zhaozhao didn't disturb them and went home.

In the afternoon, when she went to work at the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, Su Zhaozhao asked Section Chief Xie about the accordion ticket.

"Why do you need an accordion ticket?"

"My child wants to learn."

Section Chief Xie clicked his tongue twice. It was no surprise that a captain's family could afford to buy an accordion, which cost several months' worth of wages.

"Do you have industrial coupons?"

Su Zhaozhao nodded. "Yes, I do."

See, what a straightforward answer. The captain's benefits were high; they were incomparable.

Section Chief Xie was envious. "Then you can just use the industrial coupons to buy it. Why bother with an accordion ticket?"

Su Zhaozhao raised her eyebrows. "I can buy it with industrial coupons?"

"Of course, the purchasing range of industrial coupons is quite broad. The variety of goods at our cooperative is limited, so it's normal that you don't know. These ticket requirements change every year, and the items that require tickets increase bit by bit."

This was something Su Zhaozhao wasn't clear about. There were still many things to learn and keep up with current events. But being able to use industrial coupons was even better.

"If you need it urgently, you can ask Xiao Yang or Xiao Lu to help bring it back. They're the procurers and often have to go to the city." Section Chief Xie lowered his voice. "We can get it at the cooperative's procurement price, which would be a bit cheaper. It's like an internal benefit."

"Alright, I'll ask them for help later. Thank you, Section Chief!" It would be even better if the price could be a little cheaper. She didn't plan to go to the city anytime soon. This Sunday, she had to work and didn't have time to go.

Section Chief Xie waved his hand and walked away slowly with his teacup.

Xiao Tang came over and asked, "Sister Su, are you planning to have your daughter join the art troupe in the future?"

Su Zhaozhao smiled. "It's too early to talk about that. She's still young."

"Is she eight or nine, or maybe ten years old? Actually, she's not that young anymore. When she's fourteen or fifteen, you can just have Captain Gu arrange for her to join the art troupe. It's only a few years away."

Have her daughter join the art troupe at fourteen or fifteen? Why would she want her daughter to join so early?

"There's an age requirement for military enlistment. Fourteen or fifteen is still underage."

"What's the big deal? With Captain Gu's rank, you could just arrange a special recruitment!"

Su Zhaozhao shook her head. "That won't do. We have to follow the rules. We don't engage in special privileges."

Comrade Xiao Tang, your thinking is quite dangerous. How can you always think about using connections?

Chapter 74: Accordion

Su Zhaozhao had originally planned to go to the office before leaving work to have a chat with the two procurers, but unexpectedly, Lu Haoran came up front himself.

"Sister Su, I heard from the section chief that you want to buy an accordion, is that right?"

"Yes, I was just thinking about going in to ask for your help."

Lu Haoran grinned, "No need to be so polite, it's just a simple matter. I'm going to the city tomorrow anyway, so I'll bring one back for you. By the way, Sister Su, what price range are you looking for?"

"I'm not very familiar with accordions."

Su Zhaozhao had seen them in TV dramas and novels. She knew that accordions were one of the popular instruments of this era. Although it was a Western instrument, it had become widely popular. She assumed that the price wouldn't be too expensive.

If the price were too high, it wouldn't have become popular during tough times.

Lu Haoran, being a procurer with a relatively well-off family and broad experience, explained to Su Zhaozhao, "The accordion is a Western instrument. If you buy an imported one, it will definitely be expensive and harder to get because there's limited stock. However, our Sea City set up an accordion factory a few years ago, and the prices are much cheaper now. You can get one for two to three hundred. It just depends on whether you want an imported one or a domestically produced one."

"Domestic, of course domestic. We should always support domestic products, no matter the time!"

"Alright, I'll bring one back for you tomorrow. Since it's for the kids to learn, let's not get anything too expensive. Cheaper is better."

Su Zhaozhao didn't have any money or vouchers with her and promised to give it to him early the next morning.

Lu Haoran said, "No rush. We can process it through the commune's procurement order, and the finance department will handle the payment. When the goods arrive, you can just pay the finance department."

Xiao Tang clicked his tongue, "Accordions are so expensive! More expensive than bicycles and watches."

"Of course, it's a Western instrument. If you were to learn a traditional Chinese instrument, it would be cheaper. A flute, for example, only costs a few dollars."

Su Zhaozhao nodded, indeed, it wasn't cheap. Gu Heng had a high salary, and their family could afford it.

"Mom, did you go to the school at noon?" As soon as he got home from school, Gu Nian ran to the kitchen to ask.

"Yes," Su Zhaozhao, holding the handle of the large iron kettle, poured the boiling water into the thermos, "Did Teacher Zheng tell you?"

Gu Nian nodded, "Teacher Zheng asked me to learn the accordion with her, saying that you had already talked to her and everything was settled. She also said that the school is preparing a choir performance for National Day and that I would be the lead singer. Mom has already agreed. Teacher Zheng also selected a few other students and asked them to inform their parents that the performance costumes would need to be prepared by the families. If any parents aren't willing, they should go to the school to talk to her."

The little boy chattered excitedly, "My brother was also selected, as well as Xiaojun. Xiaojun said that Wang Auntie just made him new clothes and she definitely wouldn't want to spend more money on a performance costume. He said Wang Auntie didn't make him suspender pants."

Su Zhaozhao put down the kettle, "Xiaojun might be mistaken. For a performance during National Day, your Auntie Wang will definitely agree."

As soon as she finished speaking, cheers erupted from the neighboring yard. Zhou Xiaojun shouted in the yard, "Gu Xiang, Gu Nian, let's start rehearsing together tomorrow."

The school scheduled the rehearsals during lunch and after school, starting tomorrow, so the kids would be coming home an hour later each day.

Su Zhaozhao didn't tell the children about buying the accordion, planning to give them a surprise once it was bought.

The pickles in the jar were ready, and she simply made a sweet potato porridge for dinner, accompanied by pickles. It was a simple meal.

After dinner, Su Zhaozhao took out the yarn she had bought earlier and sat in a rocking chair, trying to knit.

Gu Nian, with her small hands supporting her chin, watched from the side, "Mom, are you knitting a sweater for us?"

Su Zhaozhao, lowering her head to arrange the needles, said, "I'm just trying to see if I can knit something."

"Mom will definitely succeed!" The daughter had great confidence in her mother.

"I think I can do it too."

Not long after she said that, she was proven wrong. Su Zhaozhao had dropped a stitch.

"Mom, there's a hole here."

"I see it." Su Zhaozhao, without changing her expression, took it apart and started again, "I didn't cast on enough stitches. Stand up, let me measure your size."

Gu Nian obediently stood up, allowing her mother to measure her neck with her hands.

An hour later, Su Zhaozhao finally knitted a shallow collar.

Looking at the semi-finished product in her hands, she was extremely satisfied, "It's not that difficult after all."

Glancing at the time, she realized it was already late. She quickly sent the two children to bed and went to wash up.

Sneakily, she took half a bowl of goat milk from the cupboard and, using a clean towel, dampened it to apply to her face.

Fortunately, Gu Heng wasn't home. If he had seen her, he would have said she was wasting food.

In these times, goat milk was considered food.

She was really going all out just to get her skin to whiten.

…

Sujia Village.

A villager working in the fields had just raised his head when he saw a military green truck approaching in the distance. He thought he might be seeing things and quickly rubbed his eyes.

"Hey! Look, is that what I think it is?"

His shout caused several hunched-over villagers to straighten up, leaning on their hoes and squinting in the direction he was pointing.

A villager with some knowledge immediately recognized it, "It's a truck! My goodness, a truck has come to our village! Could it be that a big leader is visiting the countryside?"

"Someone go quickly, run to the village office and notify the village head and secretary!"

Several young men dropped their tools and ran towards the village office.

By the time the village officials arrived, the truck had already stopped not far away, where the road ended.

The villagers stood not too far and not too close, not daring to approach and speak. They always felt that there must be some important leader in the car. After all, even the town mayor could only ride a tractor.

Just as Su Gensheng and the others arrived, the person in the truck opened the door and stepped down, wearing a green military uniform and carrying a net bag in his hand. Inside the bag, wrapped in paper, was… possibly a piece of cloth?

"Comrade, is there something you need...?" Su Gensheng had a feeling he knew why this person had come.

"Is this Sujia Village?"

"Yes, this is Sujia Village."

"Could you please show me the way? I need to find Village Head Su and Guo Cuihua."

"I am Su Gensheng. Are you the comrade sent from the unit? Did Su Zhaodi's husband arrange for you to come and collect the grain?"

A few days earlier, they had received a letter from Su Zhaozhao, which mentioned that someone would be coming to collect the grain.

The driver nodded. "Yes, Captain Gu sent me."

Whoa! Zhaodi's husband is a captain!

Su Gensheng was startled. He had thought at most he was a battalion commander.

He's really made something of himself! Zhaodi and the two children will be living a good life.

It wasn't just Su Gensheng who was startled; the other villagers were too.

Some didn't understand what rank a captain was, so those who did explained to the others.

"To put it this way, he's on the same level as the county magistrate!"

Once they heard that, everyone understood.

A county magistrate!

Chapter 75: Sujia Village

What a big official he must be! He governs a whole county!

It's possible we might not get to see someone like him in our entire lives.

Our Sujia Village has produced such a capable son-in-law! He's on the same level as the county governor.

The ancestors of the Su family must be looking out for them!

It's a good thing they're not allowing the promotion of feudal superstitions these days; otherwise, many people would want to go and pay their respects at the Su family's ancestral grave.

"Su Laifu and his wife must be regretting it even more now." Someone brought up Su Laifu.

"For sure. They were causing trouble before, asking the village to give them Su Zhaodi's family's land to farm, saying they were close relatives and should have it…"

"They were dreaming! Why should it be given to them? Su Zhaodi left without even saying a word, clearly not acknowledging her younger brother."

"Exactly, the village didn't agree, saying that since Su Zhaodi had followed the army with her child, the land should be handed over to the village's arrangement, as part of the collective, not any particular family's."

"What if Su Zhaodi's husband seeks revenge on us?" asked a woman who had gossiped a lot about Su Zhaodi in the past. She was afraid when she heard that Su Zhaodi's husband was a captain, as important as the county governor.

"I don't think so… I didn't mistreat her; if she seeks revenge, it'll be against you."

"How did you not mistreat her? I saw you roll your eyes at her, saying you didn't know who she was trying to impress with her fair skin…"

"You're talking nonsense! It was you who said no one knew how the child in her belly was conceived…"

As they argued, the two frightened women even started quarreling.

They were pulled aside by their husbands and each received a couple of hard punches.

"I told you to stop talking nonsense!"

"I told you to stop being rude!"

"If we can't get by in the future, you can go back to your mother's house!"

The commotion wasn't seen by the driver, who had already followed Su Gensheng home.

Since the driver had come all this way, it was only right to invite him home for a meal and some rest.

Aunt Guo had been washing clothes by the river, but someone had already rushed to inform her. She hurried back, clutching her washing basin.

A lot of people had gathered outside her house, leaving their farm work to come and watch the spectacle.

A large military truck had entered the village, and a uniformed military comrade had gotten off it. He was specifically sent by Su Zhaodi's husband to collect grain. By the way, Su Zhaodi's husband is a captain, as important as the county governor!

The news spread through the village at lightning speed.

It wasn't a special trip, just a side errand, which the driver had already explained to Su Gensheng, but to the villagers, it didn't make much difference.

In short, Su Zhaozhao's husband is very impressive!

"How is Zhaodi? Is she doing well in the unit?" Aunt Guo asked as soon as she got home.

The driver had never met Su Zhaozhao, only heard of her, but he certainly knew how to say the right things. "She's doing well. Everyone in the unit knows that Captain Gu takes good care of his wife and child."

"That's good." Aunt Guo rolled up her sleeves and was about to go to the kitchen to boil some sugared egg soup. "Sit, make yourself at home, don't be polite."

The driver stopped her and handed over the fabric he had been carrying. "This is from Sister Su, for you."

"For me?" Aunt Guo took it and opened it up. "Patterned cloth!"

She was deeply moved, remembering when she went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy cloth before she left.

"This is enough to make two sets of clothes; it must have been expensive and required a lot of ration coupons. Zhaodi is too polite." She tried to push the fabric back into the driver's arms. "No, no, take it back to her. How can I accept her cloth?"

The driver refused to take it back; this was a task Captain Gu had assigned to him. "Sister-in-law, you have to take it. If I take it back unchanged, I'll be criticized," he said deliberately.

Hearing this, Aunt Guo stopped trying to push it back and hugged the fabric to her chest, feeling it.

The cloth was so beautiful, clearly bought in a big city, much nicer than what the local cooperative had.

She felt both joy and excitement.

In her entire life, she had only received a set of clothes material from her in-laws when she got married. No one else had ever given her fabric.

The villagers were tiptoeing to get a glimpse into the Su house. When they saw the driver hand such a large piece of patterned cloth to Aunt Guo, they were envious.

"Why don't I have such good luck?"

"What luck? If you had been nicer to Su Zhaodi, maybe she would have sent you some nice cloth too."

"Sigh! Who could have known?"

"Su Zhaodi is quite ruthless, really leaving her brother behind, yet she sends such nice cloth to Aunt Guo. She didn't even send anything to Su Laifu. Tsk tsk! Taking the side of outsiders."

"Exactly, they're blood relatives after all. Even if she goes off to live a good life, she shouldn't just abandon her family like that. A woman without the support of her natal family, I don't believe she can have a good life."

Some of the women couldn't stand the talk and spat in disgust. "Nonsense! Didn't she have a natal family before? She lived in the village for so many years, but did her family ever support her? Support her? More like they took advantage of her!"

"One shouldn't talk like that…"

At that moment, Su Laifu and his wife finally arrived after hearing the news.

Xu Daniu spotted the cloth in Aunt Guo's arms at once and, moving quickly, she stepped into the house and reached out to grab it. "This must be something Zhaodi sent back for me, right? I'm her sister-in-law, give it to me."

Aunt Guo twisted her body and dodged her hand.

"Don't go sticking your hands where they don't belong, this was given to me by Zhaodi." She wasn't polite to her at all.

Xu Daniu's expression changed. "How could it possibly be given to you? We are her younger brother and sister-in-law, so if anything, it should be given to us. Don't try to take advantage of our Su family."

Someone outside laughed. "She also has the Su surname, she's also part of the Su family."

"That's right, my whole family also has the Su surname, Xu Daniu. Did you know that your husband's sister's husband is the captain, an official as important as the county magistrate!"

Of course, Xu Daniu knew. Some busybodies had already told them everything.

Xu Daniu was filled with regret.

Initially, when she heard that Su Zhaodi's husband hadn't died and was still serving as an officer in the unit, she thought, at most, he was just a small official and there was nothing special about it. As for Su Zhaodi, just by looking at her, she didn't seem like someone destined to bring fortune to her husband, so she couldn't possibly be an officer's wife.

Thinking this way made her feel much better, and at home, she didn't hold back from cursing Su Zhaodi in front of Su Laifu, especially when she found out that Zhaodi had handed over the land to the village and the grain to Guo Cuihua instead of giving it to her and Su Laifu. She cursed even more fiercely then.

"An ungrateful wretch. If it weren't for our Su family taking her in, this widow who lost her husband would have been long gone with her two little brats! Even that house belongs to our Su family! She should return it!"

Unfortunately, no matter how much she cursed, it was useless. If it wasn't hers, it just wasn't.

Now that she knew the rank of Su Zhaodi's husband, Xu Daniu wanted to slap herself twice.

Why hadn't she been nicer to her back then?

At least she should have gone through the motions of being polite!

Chapter 76: Trying to Take Advantage?

"Comrade, how is my elder sister doing now? Is she doing well in the unit?"

Xu Daniu tried to control her expression, forcing a smile as she asked the driver, "She left in a hurry before and didn't leave an address. Her brother and I wanted to write to her but didn't know where to send the letter. We're worried since we can't contact her. It's been keeping us up at night, unable to eat or sleep properly. How about this, comrade, could you leave us an address?"

The driver wasn't foolish. If people wouldn't even entrust their grain to their own brother, there was clearly a reason. Along with the villagers' gossip and the looks of amusement, there wasn't much that wasn't clear.

"I'm sorry, but the location of the military base cannot be casually disclosed."

"Why can't it be disclosed?" Xu Daniu became anxious. "We're not outsiders; he's her own brother and sister-in-law."

The driver replied, "I'm just following regulations. Please don't make things difficult for me."

Xu Daniu was about to say something else when Su Laibao pulled her. She impatiently shrugged him off. "Why are you pulling me?"

Su Laibao gave her a meaningful look before turning back to the driver with an enthusiastic smile. "Comrade, it's not easy for you to make this trip, and you're here to help my sister transport grain. As her brother, I should at least offer you a meal. How about you come to our house for a meal?"

Xu Daniu caught on and reached out to pull the driver. "Yes, regardless, you should come to our house for a meal."

The driver quickly dodged her. "No need." *Not even that old and already getting handsy, the driver thought.

Xu Daniu still tried to pull him, but Aunt Guo stepped forward, blocking the driver. She put her hands on her hips. "Now you want to invite people to your house for a meal? Why didn't you invite Zhaodi and her family before?"

She then turned to Su Laibao. "Trying to get the driver comrade to your house to squeeze out an address? Su Laibao, I don't know what to say about you."

Su Laibao, feeling embarrassed, muttered, "I don't have any other intentions. I just want to know if my sister is doing well."

"And if she's doing well? What if she's not?"

You didn't help her when she wasn't doing well before. Now that things might be better, you're thinking she can help you?

"Guo Cuihua, what does it have to do with you?" Xu Daniu jumped in. "I know why you're blocking this. You're just afraid that if my sister and I get closer, you won't be able to take advantage!"

"Nonsense! What advantage have I taken?"

"What advantage? The fabric, and the grain that my sister left at home. Who knows if you've been sneaking some for yourself."

"Ridiculous!" Aunt Guo rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight.

Su Gensheng stepped in to stop her.

"Enough, don't make the comrade from the unit laugh!"

Turning to Su Laibao, he said, "The comrade driver doesn't want to go to your house. Don't force him. As for the address, don't try to pry. If your sister wants to contact you, she will. You don't need to go looking for her. Now, take your wife and go home. Don't just stand here."

He then waved away the villagers who were watching the spectacle. "All of you, go back to what you were doing. Let's give some face to Sujia Village."

Laughing and joking without any decorum!

Making the comrade from the unit laugh.

With Su Gensheng, the cadre, having spoken, and the villagers outside laughing at them, Su Laibao felt a burning shame. He grabbed Xu Daniu and pulled her out, feeling embarrassed.

Xu Daniu didn't want to leave. If they couldn't get the address this time, it would only be harder in the future.

In the end, Su Laibao dragged her away.

Once they were out of Su Gensheng's house, Xu Daniu started venting at Su Laibao. "What good are you? You're Su Zhaodi's own brother, and you couldn't even get an address. That driver bought fabric for Guo Cuihua, who's barely related, but didn't buy anything for you! And you used to say your sister treated you the best. Pfft! Best my foot!"

Su Laibao kept his head down, trudging home silently. "If you hadn't stopped me, my relationship with my sister wouldn't have turned out like this."

He felt wronged too. After all, they were siblings. Normally, any conflicts would be forgotten after some time. Why was she holding a grudge now?

She left without a word and now sent someone to collect grain without even a letter or a word for him.

Was she even still his sister?

"And you're blaming me? If you were capable enough to give us a good life, would I be so stingy?" Xu Daniu angrily pinched him.

"You even wanted to send Xiao Nian to be a child bride. My sister is probably still holding a grudge about that." It definitely wasn't because of him; it was all because of this woman.

"..." Xu Daniu fell silent, remembering how even the usually gentle Su Zhaodi had shouted at her with clenched fists because of the child bride issue.

Su Laibao glanced at her. "If our relationship with her family was better, with my brother-in-law's position, we could've gotten our sons into the unit. They're the roots of the Su family. My sister would've asked her husband to arrange it, and they could've become officers, bringing us endless fortune."

The more he spoke, the more regretful Xu Daniu felt.

Their sons' futures had been wasted.

A thought suddenly struck her, and she immediately grabbed Su Laibao. "What if we try this..."

After having lunch at Su Gensheng's house and resting for a while, Su Gensheng called a few villagers to help load the grain onto the truck. Before leaving, Aunt Guo packed a bag of homemade dried sweet potatoes for the driver to take to Su Zhaozhao.

The driver accepted it and drove away from Sujia Village.

The truck traveled north, from daylight into the night, and stopped at a guesthouse in the evening.

After what seemed like a long time, rustling sounds came from the back of the truck. The waterproof tarp at the very back was suddenly pulled aside!

Xu Daniu breathed a sigh of relief and whispered to Su Laibao, "Should be safe now, right?"

Su Laibao stood up, carefully peering over the edge of the truck. "It's safe. It's late; everyone should be asleep by now."

Xu Daniu held her stomach. "I need to go relieve myself. I've been holding it in for the whole trip."

Su Laibao also needed to go, and the couple helped each other down from the truck cautiously.

The courtyard of the guesthouse was dark, and the couple, unfamiliar with the place, couldn't find the latrine. In the end, they had no choice but to relieve themselves in a corner.

As soon as their physiological needs were taken care of, Xu Daniu felt hungry.

The couple had been in such a hurry that they left their three children at the grandmother's house and quietly hitched a ride. Along the way, they dared not move a muscle, hiding under the tarp for fear of being discovered.

"Where's the kitchen?"

Su Laibao grabbed Xu Daniu, who was heading towards the kitchen in search of food. "Be careful not to get caught. Let's get back on the truck."

"Who's going to find out when everyone's asleep? This guesthouse is big enough; there must be food in the kitchen."

"You'd notice if a rat snuck into the house in the middle of the night, so how could they not notice if you rummage through the kitchen? Let's not cause trouble. There are peanuts and dried sweet potatoes on the truck to keep us from going hungry. If we get caught here, they'll definitely send us back."

Convinced, Xu Daniu gave up looking for the kitchen and climbed back onto the truck with Su Laibao.

Chapter 77: Her Treasure

The couple stayed in the car, munching on dried sweet potatoes and peanuts when they were hungry, and covering themselves with a tarp when it got cold. They ended up spending another whole day in the car.

"Why haven't we arrived yet?"

"Probably still very far."

On the third night, after the lights in the guesthouse had all gone out, the couple got out of the car again. This time, they couldn't resist and made their way to the guesthouse's kitchen...

After they had their fill and happily grabbed some steamed buns, they came out, only to find that the car parked in the yard was gone.

The yard was empty.

"Where's the car?" Xu Daniu turned to ask Su Laibao.

Su Laibao was also confused, "I don't know... It was just here a moment ago."

The couple panicked and ran out to the road, but there was no sign of the car.

"What are we going to do now..." Xu Daniu sat down on the ground, slapping her thigh in frustration.

Su Laibao was also at a loss, not even sure where they were.

In their panic, they hadn't lowered their voices, and sure enough, they woke up the guesthouse staff on duty. Thinking it was a thief, the staff ran out with a flashlight and just happened to see the couple crouching by the roadside.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

The flashlight shone over, and the couple jumped up in fright, "Not doing anything, not doing anything."

Flustered, Xu Daniu dropped the buns that had been in her pocket.

The flashlight's beam swept over the buns rolling on the ground.

The couple's faces turned pale, and without a second thought, they sprinted towards the woods across the road.

The staff also realized what was happening and shouted while chasing after them, "Everyone, come quick! Catch the thief!"

Hearing this, the couple ran even faster.

...

Su Zhaozhao received the accordion that Lu Haoran had brought back.

It cost 280 yuan, had a black casing, a black and white keyboard, and when folded up, it looked like a small suitcase with straps that could be slung over the shoulder or carried on the back.

After work, she brought it home and placed it on the table in the main room.

Since she needed to rehearse for the National Day performance, the children would be home an hour later. Su Zhaozhao wasn't in a hurry to cook. She moved a rocking chair to the yard and took out the knitting she had started the previous night, sitting in the rocking chair to continue knitting.

When it was about time, she put down the knitting and went to the kitchen to start cooking.

As soon as Gu Nian got home, she saw the accordion on the table and her eyes widened, "Brother, am I seeing this right?"

Gu Xiang rubbed her head, messing up her hair, "You're not seeing wrong. It's an accordion. Mom bought it for you."

Gu Nian was so happy she jumped up and hugged the accordion, then ran to the kitchen to find Su Zhaozhao. Standing at the kitchen door, her eyes sparkled, and she didn't know what to say.

"Mom, Mom..."

Su Zhaozhao smiled at her, "I heard you. Now that the accordion is here, you need to study hard with Teacher Zheng."

Gu Nian nodded vigorously, "Teacher Zheng said we need to rehearse for the National Day performance, so there won't be any classes until after National Day."

"Alright, then wait until after National Day, and you can start practicing on your own."

Gu Nian didn't dare to. She only dared to hold it, not even opening it for fear of breaking it.

Carefully carrying it to her room and placing it on the desk, she lay on the desk and stared at it.

Gu Xiang, who was doing his homework, said, "Stop looking and do your homework."

Gu Nian didn't move, "Brother, this must be very expensive." Happy to have the accordion, but worried about the price.

"If you know it's expensive, take good care of it and don't drop or bump it."

"I won't!" It was her treasure after all!

While doing her homework, Gu Nian would glance at her accordion every now and then. By nighttime, she had hugged the accordion to bed, placing it next to her pillow where she could reach out and touch it.

Su Zhaozhao was worried she might accidentally knock it, and told her to put it on the desk, but she refused, "I won't knock it. I don't move around when I sleep."

No matter who tried to persuade her, it was no use. She insisted on keeping it on the bed.

Well, if she wanted to keep it there, so be it.

On Saturday, Section Chief Xie finally approved Xiao Tang's day off on Sunday, "You should thank Xiao Su. If it weren't for him not making a single mistake these past few days, I wouldn't have let you take a day off."

Xiao Tang hugged Su Zhaozhao's arm and thanked her, "Tomorrow, I'll bring you some fried dough twists from Chen's. They're delicious! I've been craving them for a month."

"Are they really that good?"

"Yes, they're freshly made. Every time I go to buy them, I have to stand in a long line and still might not get any."

Su Zhaozhao took out some money, "Then bring back two jin for me."

As soon as Xiao Tang heard "two jin," he took the money.

"Do you want anything else?"

"No need, we're not lacking anything at home right now."

On Sunday, everyone in the family was resting, except for Su Zhaozhao, who had to go to work.

"Mom, at noon we'll bring you lunch," Gu Nian said as she was about to leave the house.

"No need, I'll be off work at noon and I'll come home to eat."

On Sundays, the canteen at the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives was closed.

"Then we'll come to the cooperative to keep you company while you work."

"If it's not too much trouble, come on over."

When they arrived at the cooperative, all the office doors were closed, and it was deserted, with not a single person in sight. Su Zhaozhao went to the front to put things away, and while she still had time, she fetched water, grabbed a cloth, and wiped the counters and shelves.

At nine o'clock, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative opened for business.

Throughout the morning, Su Zhaozhao gradually attended to several groups of people, but it wasn't busy.

At ten o'clock, Gu Xiang and Gu Nian arrived, still wearing their school backpacks.

Su Zhaozhao went inside, fetched some stools, and had them sit at the counter to do their homework.

"Oh! Sister-in-law, you're working with two little tails today," Zhao SuFen said as she walked in, carrying a basket.

Su Zhaozhao smiled. "They're afraid I'll be lonely and insisted on keeping me company at work."

"Your children are so well-behaved. Unlike the two in my house, all they think about is going out to play, and I can't even catch them."

Zhao SuFen had come to buy some needles and thread. In all the days Su Zhaozhao had worked here, this was the first time Zhao had visited. Her eyes were fixed on the price tags stuck on the shelves. "This is great! Now we know the prices without asking, and we have a sense of the cost. Sister-in-law, this must have been your idea!"

She said it with great certainty.

Su Zhaozhao handed her the needles and thread. "As long as it's convenient for you, all this work wasn't in vain."

"It definitely wasn't in vain; I think it's great."

After saying that, Zhao leaned in and asked quietly, "Do you have any sanitary belts? The ones at home are worn out, and I didn't have time to make new ones."

Su Zhaozhao said, "...Yes, wait a moment, I'll get them for you."

Many women made sanitary belts at home, so not many people bought them at the cooperative. There were only a few left, tucked away in the back of the counter drawer.

Su Zhaozhao had discovered them when she was organizing the stock. At first, she didn't know what they were, but later she realized that, in the time before sanitary pads, this was what women used during their periods.

They were very crude—a three-finger-wide strip of cloth, with a pocket in the middle to hold tissue. There were two strips of fabric on either end, which were used to tie around the waist.

As soon as she saw the item, Su Zhaozhao wished she didn't have her period.

Chapter 78: Displaying Noble Spirit

Aunt Flo didn't come whenever she felt like it. Due to malnutrition, Su Zhaozhao's body had been irregular since giving birth to twins. It had been almost half a year since her last period. If she weren't only twenty-seven, Su Zhaozhao would have thought she was going through menopause.

Handing over the sanitary belt, Zhao SuFen quickly took it, turning sideways to bunch it up and hide it at the bottom of the basket, afraid someone might see.

As soon as the item was placed, Zhao SuFen's voice grew louder, "I remember you were knitting a sweater. How's it going?"

"I've just started. I've only finished the collar, but I don't know how to increase the stitches from there. The stitches were too obvious, so I unraveled it."

"You must not have knitted it correctly. Bring it over in the afternoon, and I'll help you with the increases."

"Won't it interfere with your time?"

On days off, women with jobs like Zhao SuFen would spend the day cleaning and washing at home, busy for half the day.

"It won't interfere. Since it's that time of the month for me, I can't do much anyway. It'll be a good way to pass the time at the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives in the afternoon."

At 11:30, Gu Xiang and Gu Nian packed their schoolbags to go home and cook. By the time Su Zhaozhao returned from work, the food was already on the table.

After lunch and a short nap, before leaving for work in the afternoon, Su Zhaozhao told the two children to find their friends to play with and not to accompany her at the cooperative.

Not long after opening, Zhao SuFen arrived, accompanied by the pregnant Liu Guilan. Without waiting for Su Zhaozhao to invite them, they fetched a stool and sat at the door.

"Did you bring the sweater?" Zhao SuFen asked.

Su Zhaozhao handed her the sweater with only a collar knitted. Zhao SuFen took it and sat at the door, needles clicking swiftly.

Liu Guilan arrived with a basket containing pre-cut fabric. She placed the basket on the ground and began sewing clothes, occasionally scraping the embroidery needle across her scalp.

She could make her own clothes; all the clothes at home were made from fabric she bought and sewed herself. In the past, in the countryside, she even wove her own cloth, self-sufficient.

When there were customers in the shop, Su Zhaozhao attended to them. When there were none, she chatted with the women for a bit.

"Last year, I went to the department store in the city and specifically checked out the sewing machine counter. They were 175.4 yuan each!" Liu Guilan remembered clearly.

"I thought about asking my husband to get a voucher to buy one. With so many children at home, making clothes and shoes is a lot of work. A sewing machine would make things easier. But when I saw the price, I didn't dare to think about it anymore. It's too expensive!"

Comrade Yang, a deputy regiment-level officer, earned a sixteenth-level salary, 113 yuan a month. In an era where wages were generally between twenty to thirty yuan, this was considered very high.

But with so many children, the money was tight. Sons needed to marry, daughters needed to marry off, and there were parents and siblings back in the village who needed help. So, even with a relatively high salary, large items costing over 100 yuan were only dreamed about, not purchased.

"If I had a job, I could save up for a few months and buy a sewing machine."

Talking about jobs led Liu Guilan to recall, "After the New Year, the guesthouse was short-staffed and offered a position. I was going to take it, but my husband wouldn't let me. He gave the spot to someone else. That family was in a difficult situation, the man was a company commander with a bunch of children, and their hometown was in a poor mountainous area, even poorer than ours. I thought they needed the job more than I did, so I gave it up."

There were other military family members like Liu Guilan who nobly gave up jobs to those in greater need. Generally, they were family members of regimental-level officers who, with higher treatment, didn't need the extra income and would give the physically demanding jobs to those with heavier family burdens.

Of course, it also depended on whether the family member could handle the job. For positions with higher requirements, ability mattered.

The jobs that could be given away were usually manual labor.

Before Su Zhaozhao joined the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, a few military family members had privately grumbled about her. They felt she hadn't displayed enough noble spirit, a main regiment-level officer's family competing for positions with lower-level officers' families.

Su Zhaozhao was unaware of these whispers, and even if she had been, she wouldn't have cared.

Liu Guilan said, "Next time, I won't give up again. Once this baby is born, the expenses will increase again."

Knitting the sweater, Zhao SuFen said, "Let's cross that bridge when we get to it. Maybe you can bring the child to our nursery, and you can watch them while working."

Liu Guilan wasn't too keen on the nursery. With so many children at home, the noise was already overwhelming. Finding a job would still mean taking care of children.

She looked towards the tailor shop, "If the tailor shop is hiring, I'll definitely go." It would be great to learn how to use a sewing machine.

Su Zhaozhao: "...The tailor shop seems to want to hire an apprentice."

Liu Guilan stopped her work, "Really? When did you hear that?"

"I'm not sure. I only overheard it some time ago and haven't heard anything recently. I don't know if they're still hiring. The old master is getting on in years, so they'll need someone eventually."

Liu Guilan: "I'll ask my husband to inquire."

Su Zhaozhao looked at her belly, "You're pregnant. Can you manage?"

Liu Guilan patted her belly, "Of course! It's easy at the tailor shop! I was working in the fields until the day before giving birth with my previous children. In our countryside, some women even gave birth in the fields! This time, if my husband tries to make me give up again, I won't!"

A few days later, Su Zhaozhao saw Liu Guilan handling procedures at the Human Resources Division.

After finishing the paperwork, Liu Guilan came to find Su Zhaozhao, "Don't cook tonight. I'll treat you to dinner at the cafeteria. Bring the kids, and we'll eat out!"

Liu Guilan thanked Su Zhaozhao for giving her the heads-up. If she had been a little later, the position would have been taken by someone within the cooperative.

Xiao Tang was curious, "Why treat Sister Su to dinner?"

Liu Guilan and Su Zhaozhao exchanged a glance, neither telling the truth, "We'll be colleagues at the cooperative from now on. It's a celebration. By the way, Xiao Tang, you should come too."

Xiao Tang shook his head, "I have something to do after work."

And so, Liu Guilan started working at the tailor shop. The old tailor was quite satisfied with her. Although she was a bit older and pregnant, she was bold and meticulous, quick-handed and quick-footed. She dared to use the sewing machine, unlike some younger girls who were too afraid. With a solid background, she had more courage.

With two regiment-level officers' family members joining the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, Deputy Director Hu spoke with Director Liu, feeling like they had invited two great deities.

"How can this be considered inviting two great Buddhas? Director Hu, this way of thinking is not acceptable!"

Chapter 79: The Grain Has Been Delivered

Director Liu spoke earnestly, with particular sincerity, "Our Supply and Marketing Cooperative is located in the military settlement area, so we should take on the responsibility of military family placements, shouldn't we?"

"You can't exclude them just because their husbands hold high positions. People might think our cooperative doesn't want to help settle military families."

Deputy Director Hu, with a serious face, said, "I didn't mean that. I'm just worried that they might misuse their husbands' influence and not work properly, which would make management more difficult for us."

Director Liu took a sip of water from his teacup, glanced at him, and then continued after putting the cup down, "How would it be difficult to manage? Just look at Comrade Xiao Su. Her husband is a full regimental-level cadre, and she's doing her job just fine. Last Sunday, she even took a shift alone so other comrades could rest first. If she were to misuse her influence, she would have taken a break herself."

"Old Hu! You need to change your mindset. Once they join the cooperative, they are our comrades, just like all the others. We treat everyone equally! The military and the people are one family; we are all relatives. These are words spoken by the higher-ups, and you mustn't forget them and create class issues."

Deputy Director Hu left the office with a belly full of frustration. When he got home and entered the door, his wife immediately asked him, "I heard from our daughter that the tailor shop has already hired someone."

Deputy Director Hu handed his briefcase to his wife, "They placed a military family."

"Why is it another military family? I thought my cousin's daughter was supposed to get that position. I was planning to have her come by train soon." If she couldn't be a salesperson, the tailor shop would do.

"Don't even think about it. They placed a family of a deputy regimental-level cadre."

"If the husband is a regimental-level cadre, why would she need to work? Really, some people don't know how to enjoy their blessings!"

Deputy Director Hu waved his hand impatiently, "Alright, stop nagging. Go make dinner."

…

Soon after finishing dinner, the gate of the small courtyard was knocked on.

Gu Xiang ran out to open the door.

Gu Nian stretched his neck to look, "Is Dad back?"

"Not so soon. He said it would take a week." Su Zhaozhao also hoped it was Gu Heng, to be honest. After a few days apart, she did miss him a little. It took her two nights to get used to sleeping alone in a big bed.

It was bizarre, and even she found it inexplicable.

Beijing was far away, and it took several days just for the round trip.

The one knocking wasn't Gu Heng, but Xiang Beifang, who was accompanied by another person, also from the military unit, with several large bags at their feet.

It was dark, and the light from inside the house didn't reach the doorway, but the moon was bright tonight. Gu Nian immediately recognized the grain bags as their family's. He had tied the hemp ropes on them himself!

"Mom, it's Uncle Xiang and another uncle. They brought our family's grain."

Xiang Beifang smiled, "You've got sharp eyes. We haven't said anything yet."

Gu Xiang reached out to lift the grain, "Of course, I recognize it."

"Don't lift it. You might hurt your back."

Gu Xiang picked up a small bag and hoisted it onto his shoulder, "Don't underestimate me."

"Wow! This bag weighs forty to fifty jin. You're still so young! No wonder you're the son of the regimental commander, just like him, strong!"

Hearing that he was like his father, Gu Xiang's mouth almost stretched to his ears. He strode into the house with the grain on his shoulder.

Yes, he was just like his father!

As soon as Su Zhaozhao came out of the house and saw him carrying a bag of grain, she rushed to help him. Gu Xiang avoided her, not letting her, "I can do it myself."

Su Zhaozhao teased him, "Be careful, or you'll stop growing!"

Gu Xiang stopped avoiding her, worried in his heart, would he really stop growing?

The person who came with Xiang Beifang was a driver, also from the military unit, specifically responsible for transporting supplies for the unit far and wide. As soon as the door opened, the two of them started moving the bags into the house without being asked, one by one.

The driver handed Su Zhaozhao the dried sweet potatoes that Aunt Guo had asked him to bring, "...she insisted I bring this to you and asked me to thank you for the fabric."

Su Zhaozhao accepted it, "Thank you for going out of your way to bring it."

"It's no trouble, just a side errand."

After they finished moving everything, Su Zhaozhao invited them to sit down and asked Gu Nian to pour water for them.

"No need, Sister-in-law. We'll head back first." The two declined to sit and hurried to leave.

"Haven't you eaten yet? Stay for dinner."

"Really, no need, Sister-in-law. We'll eat at the canteen."

Su Zhaozhao didn't want to force them to stay, so she opened the cabinet and took out some twisted dough fritters that Xiao Tang had brought back from the city. She ran after them and gave each a couple of fritters.

"Have these to tide you over."

With the fritters in their hands, they couldn't refuse, "Thank you, Sister-in-law."

"It's me who should be thanking you." She saw them off at the door.

Once they were far away, Xiang Beifang started munching on the fritter, "So delicious! Was this made by Sister-in-law herself? Captain Gu is really blessed!"

The driver couldn't resist either, took one to eat and put the other in his pocket, "It's my first time seeing Sister-in-law. She's warm and quite good-looking, not what I'd expect from someone from the countryside."

Xiang Beifang glanced at him, "Did you think Sister-in-law wouldn't be good-looking?"

The driver didn't respond, wasn't it obvious? In the unit, those who hadn't met her in person always assumed that the rural wife Captain Gu had found wouldn't be good-looking.

While everyone was happy for Captain Gu, they also thought this rural wife wasn't a match for him.

"Sister-in-law is very beautiful!"

Xiang Beifang thought to himself: When I first came here, I was trying to escape, but now it feels less and less like that. I don't know why, but every time I see her, I think she looks a little prettier.

The thing Xiang Beifang regrets the most is when he stopped his sister-in-law at the front gate the day she arrived and accused her of being a spy.

As soon as he heard the captain mention that the family needed goat milk, he quickly took on the task, delivering it every morning, hoping to make up for what he had said.

Fortunately, his sister-in-law doesn't hold grudges.

She even gave him a fried dough twist to eat. It was so delicious, fragrant, and crispy, definitely fried with a lot of oil.

The driver, chewing the dough twist, had something weighing on his mind. He felt he had to say it, so he decided to tell Xiang Beifang.

"Something really strange happened while I was delivering goods this time."

"What happened?"

"After I picked up the grain from Sujia Village, I headed to the next delivery location. When I arrived and climbed into the truck bed to unload the goods, I found that two bags of grain had opened. There were peanut shells all over the truck, and half-chewed dried sweet potatoes. Everything was fine when we loaded them onto the truck..."

"Someone must have gotten onto my truck, and I don't know how long they were there or when they got off. They even wasted quite a bit of Captain Gu's family's grain."

Xiang Beifang said, "Then why didn't you mention it to his sister-in-law earlier? If she notices the grain is missing, she might think someone secretly took it."

"I've already replaced it," the driver said. "I was too embarrassed to say anything. It's so shameful. After all these years as a soldier, I didn't even notice someone was on the truck. Please don't tell Captain Gu about this, okay? If you do, I'll be really upset!"

"Alright, I promise I won't say anything."

Chapter 80: A Gentleman on the Beam

After seeing the guests off and closing the door behind her, Su Zhaozhao entered the house and saw Gu Xiang rummaging through a bag of grain.

He was undoing the ropes that secured the bag and pulling out the grain inside to inspect it.

"What are you looking at?"

Gu Xiang held out his hand toward Su Zhaozhao, "Mom, look, these peanuts don't seem like the ones we grew."

Su Zhaozhao leaned in for a closer look, "What's different?" She couldn't tell; weren't they all just peanuts?

Gu Xiang reached in again and grabbed a handful of peanuts from a lower spot in the bag, "See, the peanuts from the top are good, but the ones from below are ours."

He was familiar with the peanuts they grew; he and his sister had cleaned and dried each one themselves.

Moreover, the knots on the bags were different too. He had tied all the bags and remembered them clearly.

It wasn't that he intentionally memorized them; he was just afraid of going hungry after growing up with scarcity. Whether their household had more or less grain, every detail was etched in his mind and couldn't be forgotten.

Upon closer inspection, Su Zhaozhao realized he was right. Their homegrown peanuts looked malnourished, dry, and shriveled. The ones in Gu Xiang's other hand, although not as plump as the ones sold in modern supermarkets, were clearly selected.

"And the dried sweet potatoes, these are different too. When we dried ours, we cut them smaller; these are a bit larger." Gu Xiang pointed to another opened bag of grain.

This, Su Zhaozhao couldn't tell. To her, they all looked the same.

The two children were more familiar with their household's grain than she was.

If it were her, she definitely wouldn't have noticed.

Su Zhaozhao couldn't figure it out. Who had eaten from the bags and then refilled them?

She didn't want to ask, fearing it would only make things awkward.

"Let's leave it. Don't tell anyone else."

The siblings both nodded.

Su Zhaozhao opened the dried sweet potatoes that Aunt Guo had sent via the driver. These were stir-fried with a pinch of salt, crispy and crunchy.

She couldn't resist and ate several pieces at once.

The next day, when Gu Xiang and his sister went to school, Su Zhaozhao told them to grab a handful to put in their pockets, "If you get hungry during class, just chew on these to hold you over."

When she was young, she would get hungry by the second period in the morning.

These days, bringing biscuits or fried dough to school was too extravagant. The two kids didn't want to bring any either. They would feel bad giving it to others, but if they didn't give it, people would stare, so they simply didn't bring any.

The stir-fried dried sweet potatoes were perfect. It wouldn't hurt to give a small piece to someone else.

…

Gu Heng arrived home in the middle of the night.

The door was locked from the inside, and he couldn't get in. Not wanting to knock and wake everyone up, he placed the things he brought back from Beijing by the door. He then walked to the wall, jumped up, and climbed over into the yard.

He carefully opened the door, picked up the things, and brought them inside.

The yard was quiet, and even the slightest sound seemed amplified—the rustling of his pants, the 'tap-tap' of his shoes on the bluestone slabs.

No matter how careful he was, he couldn't avoid making some noise.

When he reached the main room door, he was stopped in his tracks. He had to go around to the window. The curtains were drawn, but the window was half-open. He could reach in and open the other half.

He hesitated between waking Su Zhaozhao and letting her sleep. Deciding not to wake her, just as he was about to climb through the window, 'click', the light in the room turned on.

Su Zhaozhao, in her pajamas, stood by the curtain with her arms crossed, looking at him with a half-smile, "Captain Gu is trying to be a gentleman on the beam?"

Gu Heng: "…"

He silently withdrew his hand from the windowsill, picked up the things from the floor, and passed them through the window. He placed them on the desk, straightened his uniform, and wore a particularly calm expression, "Let me in."

Su Zhaozhao, trying to hold back her laughter, opened the door for him.

Gu Heng came in, undid the top button of his uniform, "When did you wake up?"

"When you climbed over the wall." Su Zhaozhao poured him a glass of water and opened the cabinet to take out some fried dough, "Hungry? Have some to hold you over."

Gu Heng was indeed hungry and took a dough twist to eat.

After a couple of bites and a sip of water, he said, "Your alertness is very good. Keep it up."

Su Zhaozhao clasped her hands together, "Thank you for the compliment, Captain Gu."

She seemed to particularly enjoy calling him Captain Gu.

Gu Heng glanced up at her. She was leaning against the wall, her expression mischievous and her smile bright.

For a moment, he was taken aback, his eyes darted away, and he shifted his gaze.

"I didn't want to wake you, so I climbed over the wall. If you're sleeping alone at night, remember to lock the windows from the inside."

"This is the unit." She insisted on keeping the windows open at night; she found it stuffy otherwise.

"The village is right next to us. There are always people desperate enough to take risks."

Su Zhaozhao, with a mischievous tone, blurted out, "Then you should go out less and sleep with me!"

After a pause, she quickly corrected herself, "I mean, we could put some broken glass on the wall. That way, no one would dare to climb over."

Gu Heng wasn't deaf and had already heard her. "I am a soldier and must be on standby at all times. Sometimes, like now, I will suddenly leave home. There might be times when I don't even tell you where I've gone, or when I'll return. The house... might very well be left unattended."

Su Zhaozhao put away her playful smile. "I understand. As a military family member, I fully support you and feel truly honored! I just hope that no matter where you go or what mission you undertake, you'll remember to take good care of yourself."

There was one sentence that Su Zhaozhao remembered particularly clearly, one that applied no matter the era.

'There is no such thing as peaceful times; it's just that someone is carrying the burden for you.'

She had read history and knew that even after the country was founded, there had never been true peace. Foreign powers, border situations, and domestic issues—large and small conflicts, wars that never truly stopped.

In the original story, Gu Heng, as the male lead, had also participated in wars after marrying the female lead.

Now, she had become Gu Heng's family, a proud military family member, and of course, she would fully support him.

Su Zhaozhao's ideological awareness was also very high, deeply rooted and red!

Gu Heng smiled. "I know."

His heart swelled with warmth at her understanding.

"Go inside and sleep first. I'll come in after I finish washing up."

Su Zhaozhao nodded. "This twisted doughnut is really good. Have another one?" After saying that, she turned and went into the bedroom.

Shortly after she went inside, Gu Heng came in, grabbed his pajamas, and went out again.

Su Zhaozhao was almost asleep when she heard him come back in, turn off the light, and lie down beside her.

He must have been very tired because, in no time, the faint, steady sound of his snoring began.

Su Zhaozhao closed her eyes and soon fell asleep too.

The next day was Sunday. It was Su Zhaozhao's day off that week, and since she had woken up in the middle of the night the previous night, she got up quite late.

Gu Heng had already made breakfast and was in the yard teaching the two children some martial arts moves.