Chapter 25

Not to mention, a girl with a job in the city would have no trouble finding a husband. And with a secure job of her own, even her in-laws would have to treat her well. It's not like money or gold, where you get one lump sum and that's that."

Those words went straight to Auntie Guan's heart.

She slapped her thigh. "The young man's thought this through! Old man, if our Da Ya has a job, she'll be able to support herself for the rest of her life!"

Wasn't that what they had worried about all along—that their granddaughter might someday be left alone with no way to feed or clothe herself?

This job opportunity would solve their most pressing problem.

"Would they take our Da Ya for this job?"

Elder Guan's lips moved. He cleared his throat before asking.

"They absolutely would," Gu Jinshui said, clapping his hands. "That garment factory already employs quite a few people with disabilities, and the management looks out for them. If Da Ya goes there, no one will dare bully her!"

Auntie Guan was getting impatient.

With an offer this good, what was there to hesitate over?

She had worried that people at the factory might look down on Da Ya. Hearing that there were other people with disabilities there put her at ease. They'd all had their share of hardship; none of them had any cause to look down on the others.

"Sir, please think this through! It might not work out!"

Seeing that Elder Guan and Auntie Guan were about to agree, Song Jianshe grew anxious.

Elder Guan waved him off. "No need. I trust this young man. Young man, I'll sell it to you. I want a thousand yuan. The item's yours, but you must get this job arranged for us!"

"Of course. If nothing else, you've known Mr. Chen for years. I wouldn't cheat you."

Gu Jinshui suppressed his delight. Without haggling, he counted out a thousand yuan for Elder Guan, then casually added, "Sir, a thousand yuan is no small sum. A friend told me some single-story houses in the city cost about that much."

Elder Guan looked thoughtful but said nothing as he took the money.

He was a straightforward man. He handed the item directly to Gu Jinshui without writing a receipt or asking for a written promise. "Come find me once it's done."

"Don't worry. I'll be back by the day after tomorrow at the latest."

Gu Jinshui smiled like a fox that had just stolen a treat.

Song Jianshe was furious. On his way out, he shot Gu Jinshui a glare.

"Clever of you, pulling a move like that!"

"You're one to talk."

Gu Jinshui brushed the dust off his clothes. "You're pretty capable yourself, Song Jianshe. Such sharp ears—you hear about everything."

Guilt flashed across Song Jianshe's face.

Gu Jinshui gave a derisive laugh, got on his bike, and rode away.

Back at Elder Guan's home.

Auntie Guan didn't even look at the money. Too delighted to keep still, she paced around the room. "This is wonderful. Our Da Ya has a job now."

As she spoke, Da Ya came in from outside.

She carried a hoe, and her face was smudged with dust. Seeing the joy on her grandparents' faces, she looked puzzled. "Grandpa, Grandma."

"Da Ya, you're back just in time. I'll go buy some meat for dinner."

Auntie Guan beamed.

"No need. I'll heat up the steamed buns from this morning, then head back to the fields."

Da Ya spoke quickly.

Elder Guan looked at his granddaughter. Her lips were so dry they had cracked, and the hair tucked beneath her headscarf was yellow and brittle as straw. Anger surged through him. "Were you working for the Bai Family again?"

Da Ya pressed her lips together, lowered her eyes, and said nothing.

Elder Guan clenched his hands and closed his eyes for a moment. "You're not going back. A granddaughter of mine isn't getting married just to work herself to the bone for someone else."

"The engagement is off!"

Da Ya froze, then raised her head and stared at him in shock. "O-off..."

"Old man, do you mean that?"

Auntie Guan was startled too. "You can't say something like that lightly!"

"Who says I'm taking it lightly? My granddaughter's going to have a job in the city. Why should she marry Bai Sheng?" Elder Guan rose to his feet, his voice ringing out. "You stay here. I'm going to set the Bai Family straight. What a sorry excuse for a family—poor as church mice, the lot of them. Do they really think no one will want my granddaughter if she doesn't marry their son?"

Guan Daya stood stunned as Elder Guan headed out the door. Only then did she find her voice. "Grandma, what's going on?"

Auntie Guan couldn't stop smiling. She took Guan Daya's hand. "Da Ya, your grandpa's found you another path. There's no need to rush into marriage now..."

Guan Daya still couldn't believe it. Only after Auntie Guan explained that Elder Guan had sold a Snuff Bottle that day for money and secured her a chance at a job did it sink in.

Guan Daya fell silent. The moment she opened her mouth, tears spilled down her cheeks.

Auntie Guan's heart ached. She pulled Da Ya into her arms and stroked her thin, hollow cheek. "Don't cry, Da Ya. Things will be better from now on."

Flatbreads sizzled against the hot pan, their golden-brown surfaces giving off a rich wheat aroma that drifted through the Compound Courtyard.

Liang Ying rarely cooked, but simple spring pancakes were well within her abilities. She quickly made seven or eight, laying the steaming, paper-thin pancakes one by one on an orchid-patterned plate. There were shredded radishes and cucumbers, bean sprouts, and pork head and pine-nut sausage bought outside...

The moment Gu Jinshui entered the courtyard, the aroma drew him toward his home.

"Smells amazing, honey. Why didn't you wait for me to make them?"

As he spoke, he popped a piece of pork head into his mouth. It was delightfully chewy, and with a little sweet bean sauce, it tasted even better.

He looked so pleased with himself that Gu Yousi, who was holding half a small spring pancake, looked from her pancake to the meat in his hand and immediately felt hard done by. "Meat, meat..."

"Call me Daddy and you can have some!"

Gu Jinshui crouched in front of Gu Yousi with the meat, teasing her.

Gu Yousi gave him a disdainful look, then turned to her mother. "Mom, meat, meat..."

Liang Ying pressed her lips together to hold back a laugh and gave her a tiny piece of lean meat to hold. "Just a little. You've still got tomato porridge later."

Gu Yousi pretended not to hear.

She was eating solid food now, but it was always some kind of porridge: egg porridge, millet porridge, pumpkin porridge, tomato porridge. She had grown thoroughly resigned to it.

At last, a bite of meat. It was bliss.

The Twenty-Ninth Day of Being Overheard

"She can say 'meat,' so why won't she call me Daddy?"

Gu Jinshui crouched in front of Gu Yousi.

Gu Yousi bent over her meat and ignored him.

Liang Ying laughed. "You tease your daughter every day, and you still expect her to call you Daddy? Keep waiting."

Gu Yousi nodded emphatically in agreement.

Gu Jinshui rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed, though he had no intention of changing.

His daughter was simply too funny when he got her all worked up.

"Dad, you're back."

While Gu Jinshui and Liang Ying were with their child, Song Chaohua sat diagonally across from them washing diapers and watching wistfully.

As soon as she saw Song Jianshe return, she stood and hurried over to greet him.

Song Jianshe looked upset. He grunted in acknowledgment, then noticed Gu Jinshui's family making spring pancakes. His expression darkened further, and he walked inside without sparing Song Chaohua a glance.

Huang Xirong was inside with her chubby grandson, Da Bao. When she saw her son come in, she hurried out. "Did you get it?"

Song Jianshe shook his head and dropped into a chair in the main room. "That Gu Jinshui is too crafty. He found their granddaughter a job, so the whole thing fell through!"

Song Chaohua slowed, hesitation on her face.

Still, she gathered her courage and stepped forward. "Dad, there's something I need to tell you."

"What could you possibly have to say? The adults are discussing something important. Stay out of it."

Huang Xirong sounded impatient.

Song Chaohua hurried to say, "Dad, it's really important..."

Before she could finish, the Courtyard Chief's voice rang out from outside. "Jinshui! Jinshui, are you home?"

Gu Jinshui looked up. Courtyard Chief Guo Qiang stood there grinning, with a group of people behind him. At their head was a somewhat familiar-looking man—the Overseas Chinese man he had seen that morning.

"Young man, so you do live here."

Lan Yeping walked slowly with his grandson beside him.

Liang Ying looked at Gu Jinshui, her eyes asking, What's going on?

"Someone I helped today. I'm not sure how he found me."

As he said it, Gu Jinshui remembered that he had left his name and address when giving his statement.

"Jinshui! Why didn't you tell anyone you'd done such a good deed?" Elder Guo came forward to greet him warmly. Lan Yeping and the others followed with smiles. Lan Yeping held out his hand to Gu Jinshui and, after shaking it, said, "Young man, I came to thank you. Lin, thank your uncle."

"Thank you, Uncle."

Lan Lin was a little shy. He hid his face behind his grandfather's hand, watching Gu Jinshui. Then he spotted a baby sitting nearby in a Baby Walker, holding a small piece of pancake. She ate as she studied him.

When the two children's eyes met, they both paused.

Gu Yousi considered herself the grown-up of the pair, so she smiled at him, showing the two tiny teeth that had only recently come in.

Lan Lin couldn't help laughing. His cheeks flushed as he looked at her.

"Oh, what's going on? Why are there so many people?"

He Chunlian and Gu Yinxing had just gotten off work. When they entered the back courtyard and saw a crowd outside their home, the older woman was baffled.

The Courtyard Chief hurried to explain. "Sister He, it's good news! Jinshui caught a child trafficker on the bus today and saved Old Mr. Lan's grandson. They've come to thank him."

What?

He Chunlian was thoroughly confused.

She looked at Gu Jinshui. What had happened?

Gu Jinshui signaled with his eyes that he would explain later.

He Chunlian understood at once and smiled. "So that's what happened. It seems this boy took to heart what the elders and leaders in our courtyard have always taught him. He only did what he ought to. Don't stand out here, everyone. Come in for a cup of tea."

She warmly ushered everyone inside, put water on to boil, and brought out the tea leaves she had been saving for guests.

He Chunlian had sharp eyes.

She had spotted several leaders from their neighborhood among the visitors. Her family didn't usually have much to do with them, but leaving a good impression now could only help.

Who knew when they might need to ask one of them for a favor?

"Ms. He, please don't go to so much trouble. You're making us feel bad."

Seeing He Chunlian bustling about, Lan Yeping urged her to sit down.

"Yes, Auntie He, please sit. Xiao Xu, lend a hand," Zhang Yun, the district committee secretary, instructed. A young man beside him stepped forward with a smile and took over the work.

By then, the back courtyard was almost packed.

People from the two courtyards out front had come to see what was happening.

They usually only glimpsed those leaders from afar. No one had expected them to come here today.

"My goodness, what kind of luck did Gu Jinshui stumble into? Whose child did he save to cause all this fuss?"

Auntie Zhao cracked sunflower seeds as she squeezed through the crowd, straining to see into the room.

She wanted a good look at what was happening so she could tell everyone about it later.

"See that gentleman in the suit? He arrived in a car. I'd wager he's Overseas Chinese."

Grandpa Sun had a discerning eye.

"To tell you the truth, when my grandson disappeared this morning, my whole world spun. My son and daughter-in-law passed away young, and he's the only grandson I have. If not for him, I wouldn't even have considered coming back to develop my career here. If I'd lost him, I don't think I could have gone on living."

Lan Yeping's eyes reddened at the memory.

"Grandpa." Lan Lin leaned against Lan Yeping's leg. "I'll be good from now on. I won't run off again."

"Mm."

Lan Yeping nodded.

He turned to Gu Jinshui. "I owe it all to a kindhearted young man like you. I brought some gifts. You must accept them."

With that, he gestured for his Secretary to bring forward several bags.

Even the bags were lavishly decorated. Whatever was inside was clearly expensive.

Gu Jinshui hurriedly said, "Sir, I appreciate the thought, but you really don't need to give me anything. Let me tell you—"