Chapter 28

Of course. If the Bai Family tried to force Da Ya into anything, I'd never stand for it!"

That was all they needed to hear.

The village chief was afraid of gossip, after all, so he sat a while and then left.

Elder Guan looked at Gu Jinshui. Gu Jinshui understood and told him Deng Zhu wanted to meet Da Ya tomorrow. Elder Guan nodded. "Nothing will go wrong, will it?"

"Not a chance."

Gu Jinshui said, "This job is being bought with real money. The other side is even more worried about something going wrong. They'll make sure it goes through."

"Good." Elder Guan nodded and motioned for Auntie Guan to shut the door. Once she had, he brought out a bundle of money from the back room. Gu Jinshui took one look. Wasn't that the money he'd paid for the Snuff Bottle?

Elder Guan rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed. "Since you've already helped us, I'm sorry to trouble you again. Please find us a house as soon as you can. Two rooms and a courtyard would be best."

Gu Jinshui opened his mouth.

Beside him, Auntie Guan hurriedly pulled a cloth bundle from her sleeve, looking embarrassed. Inside were several tarnished silver rings and bracelets. "If the money isn't enough, these can help make up the difference."

Gu Jinshui looked at the rings and bracelets.

Da Ya came out of the room too. She still kept her head down, afraid to look anyone in the eye. In a hoarse voice, she said, "I... I can give you my wages later too."

"You all..."

They had left Gu Jinshui at a loss for words. He scratched his head. "All right, I'll help you look. Keep the rings and your wages. A thousand yuan is plenty to buy a place in the city. But if you need it soon, you may not have much choice."

Not many people were willing to sell their homes, after all.

And a little courtyard with its own entrance? Finding one depended on luck. You couldn't just decide to buy one and expect it to appear.

"We know. We trust you. If you see a good place, you can decide for us."

Elder Guan spoke without hesitation.

Gu Jinshui felt a warmth swell in his chest.

With them trusting him this much, saying anything more would only make him sound fussy.

He nodded, tucked the money into his coat, and arranged with the Guan family which alley to meet in the next morning. He also explained how to get into the city and which bus to take.

Guan Daya carefully memorized every detail, afraid she might get something wrong.

"So you have to find them a house too?"

He Chunlian put down her chopsticks and frowned. "That won't be easy."

"I'll ask around. Besides, doesn't the Housing Management Office handle rentals too?" Gu Jinshui said between sips of thin porridge. "They might know of houses for sale."

There weren't many houses changing hands these days. Most people were assigned housing through their workplaces.

That was how many people in the Compound Courtyard had gotten theirs. Few were willing to spend money on a house, and fewer still had that kind of money.

Liang Ying said, "That's true. Take a pack of cigarettes when you go. They hear a lot of things. One word from them will save us running all over town."

Gu Yousi sat nearby, drinking her porridge.

At the mention of buying a house, her eyes lit up.

Buying a house was a great idea.

In ten or so years, Beijing property prices would soar. Those big Courtyard Houses especially—one would be worth tens of millions, even a hundred million.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Gu Jinshui choked on his porridge and coughed until his face turned red.

Liang Ying quickly poured him a glass of water, though a closer look showed her hand was shaking too.

Tens of millions? A hundred million?

Liang Ying could hardly imagine a house being worth so much.

That night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, Liang Ying gently nudged Gu Jinshui. "Jinshui, do you think what our daughter said was true?"

"You're thinking about it too." Gu Jinshui sat bolt upright.

He Chunlian had the next day off, while Gu Jinshui and Liang Ying both had things to do, so they had put their daughter to bed in the room across the way. That would also keep them from waking her in the morning.

"How could I not?"

Liang Ying pressed a hand to her chest. "My heart's still pounding. What kind of house could cost that much? Tens of millions, a hundred million... how much money is that? Who could afford it?"

Gu Jinshui sat up. He smoked, but rarely at home. Now he couldn't help taking out a cigarette and lighting it. He drew a deep breath. "I reckon it might be true. Think how much things have changed these past few years. Not so much around here, but some of my buddies went south and say you can make money fast there. And Xiao Nan—remember him?"

"The one who got beaten so badly in a fight he crapped himself?"

Liang Ying remembered him at once. She had an excellent memory for names and faces.

Gu Jinshui's mouth twitched. "Forget that. He's made a fortune now. He's got over ten thousand yuan, all from bringing clothes and things up from the south to sell. Think about it—who would've imagined someone making that much a few years ago?"

She couldn't argue with that.

A few years ago, people had been afraid even to talk about doing business. If they wanted to buy anything, they had to go to a State-Run Store, a department store, or a Supply and Marketing Station.

But things had changed fast in the last two years. Plenty of people now ran little stalls of their own.

Liang Ying said, "Then... should we buy a house too?"

The thought set her heart racing. "If we buy a few, our daughter will have an easy life later."

"I'll ask around," Gu Jinshui said after a moment's hesitation. "There's no rush yet."

The next day.

Guan Daya came into the city early. Elder Guan and Auntie Guan had set aside all their chores to accompany her. Liang Ying took them to see Deng Zhu, and the paperwork went smoothly.

Liang Ying handed over the money. Deng Zhu counted it carefully three times. "That's right. I'll take it, then."

"Sister Deng, sorry to trouble you by making you come all this way." Liang Ying slipped her a few pastry coupons she had prepared. "Just a little something from us. Don't forget to invite us when your family has a wedding."

Deng Zhu held the coupons, and her smile grew more genuine. "Of course, of course. Let's hope your words come true. Once those children's marriages are settled, I'll have a weight off my shoulders."

"Oh, congratulations in advance! With so many daughters-in-law to look after you, you'll be blessed indeed."

Liang Ying laid the flattery on thick.

Deng Zhu was pleased. Seeing how plain and honest Guan Daya looked, she said, "Once she starts, she'll probably join the group I used to work with. I'll tell them to look after her."

"We can't thank you enough. Da Ya, thank your auntie."

Liang Ying quickly prompted her.

Guan Daya's face turned bright red, but she knew what was proper and thanked Deng Zhu sincerely.

Deng Zhu waved it off and offered a few more pointers: the factory rules, who was kind, and who liked taking little advantages.

Those few remarks might not sound like much, but Guan Daya was new and knew no one. Without Deng Zhu's advice, she would have had to learn it all through a great many setbacks.

After seeing Deng Zhu off, Liang Ying smiled at the two elders and Guan Daya. "It's getting late. Da Ya should go back and pack her clothes and bedding so she can move in this afternoon."

"Yes, yes. Thank you so much for everything today."

Auntie Guan was full of gratitude.

Liang Ying waved it away. "It was nothing. Da Ya strikes me as an honest girl. We may be from the countryside, but there's no need to dwell on what people might think. Work hard and talk less, and you won't go wrong."

Guan Daya nodded, looking at Liang Ying with admiration.

Once Liang Ying had settled everything for Guan Daya's family, she hurried to the Textile Factory that afternoon.

She had barely arrived when Xu Wen came over. "Liang Ying, Sister Deng wants you in the Personnel Department office."

Before Liang Ying could answer, Xu Wen suddenly asked, "Liang Ying, don't tell me you're going to be our group leader?"

The looms in the Warp Workshop rumbled away.

After a while, everyone got used to the noise. Even so, Xu Wen's question drew glances from the people around them.

Lin Lianhua, in particular, immediately looked wary.

Liang Ying paused, then smiled. "You've learned to joke, Xu Wen. I think you'd make a good group leader yourself. You've won plenty of honors."

Xu Wen froze, pleased at first, then began to wonder if something about that sounded off.

But Liang Ying had no time to talk with her. She turned and left.

The Personnel Department office was in a separate little building in the Northwest Corner of the Textile Factory. It was quiet there. Liang Ying went up to the second floor, found the office, and knocked.

"Come in."

A man's booming voice came from inside.

Liang Ying opened the door and saw Director Wang and Sister Deng seated within.

"Hello, Director Wang. Hello, Sister Deng."

Liang Ying greeted them with easy composure.

Director Wang adjusted the reading glasses on his nose. His first impression of Liang Ying was favorable. Of all the people at the factory, plenty walked straight into his office without knocking.

"You're Comrade Liang Ying?"

Liang Ying nodded. "Yes. What did you want to see me about, Director Wang?"

"I see you've been at the factory for seven or eight years. Why haven't you been promoted in all that time?"

Director Wang's tone was warm and approachable.

Liang Ying's palms grew damp. She took a deep breath. "I think it's because of my class background, Director Wang. I've placed first in the Weft Workshop's skills competition every month for years. The yarn ends I join and the yarn I spin are of the highest quality. When it comes to effort and results, I don't believe I fall short of anyone."

"Liang Ying, you..."

Sister Deng's heart sank.

Why was Liang Ying being so immodest?

How could she praise herself like that? And she had brought up her class background far too soon!

"Sister Deng, let her speak. Don't interrupt."

Director Wang smiled, but his tone left no room for argument.

Sister Deng fell silent, though she couldn't help sighing inwardly. Liang Ying might let this opportunity slip away.

"So you don't resent the factory for not promoting you?"

Director Wang leafed through the file in front of him, took a sip of tea, and asked as if it were a casual question.

Liang Ying was silent for a moment.

Then she smiled, as though everything had become clear. "It would be a lie to say I've never felt resentful. But I understand what things were like a few years ago. With my class background, the factory took a risk in letting me work here safely all these years. It protected me. If I held that against the factory, what kind of conscience would I have? I only hope for more chances to repay the factory for all the years it's invested in me."

Director Wang gave a slight nod.

He said to Liang Ying, "You can go now."

Liang Ying paused, but said nothing more. She thanked him, stood, and went out.

As she pulled the door shut, she heard Sister Deng ask anxiously, "Director Wang, do you think she'll do?"

Liang Ying's steps faltered, but the door closed, cutting off the reply.

She let out a breath, her feelings tangled.

Whatever happened, she had done her best. There was no point dwelling on it.

As the end of the workday approached that afternoon.

Xu Wen and the others grew restless, especially Lin Lianhua.

Lin Lianhua seemed to be watching the spindles on her machine, but her mind was elsewhere. Why hasn't the group leader come yet?

Just as she thought that, the group leader arrived, accompanied by Sister Deng from the Third Workshop.

Everyone had been chatting, but they fell silent as soon as the group leader came in.

The group leader clapped her hands. "Everyone, look this way. I have two announcements."

Lin Lianhua's cheeks flushed, and her heart raced.

Liang Ying kept an eye on the spindles while listening closely.

"Tomorrow I'll be moving to the Velvet Workshop as a shift supervisor. After discussion, the management has decided Comrade Lin Lianhua will take over as our group leader. Let's give her a round of applause."

The group leader gestured for Lin Lianhua to come forward.

Lin Lianhua touched her braid as though embarrassed and rose shyly. "I never expected the managers to put so much trust in me. But rest assured, comrades. I'll lead us to even greater achievements, and we'll aim to rank first in production every month."

"Wonderful!"

Lin Lianhua usually got along well with people, so although many envied her, they applauded and cheered.

Xu Wen bit her lower lip and managed a smile.

"And Comrade Xu Wen, Comrade Liang Ying," Lin Lianhua said, looking at them both, "you two are model workers in our group, and in"