AYLS – Chapter 59

In the afternoon, when they returned from the house, Gu Huayuan deliberately introduced Lin Qiao to the aunts who lived nearby.

These women only knew that the eldest son of the Gu family and his daughter-in-law had returned to hold a wedding—they hadn’t actually seen them yet.

Now, seeing Lin Qiao so delicate and charming, their hearts melted at first glance.

Most people’s feelings are shaped by what they see. Seeing Lin Qiao’s clear, bright eyes, these experienced aunts immediately grew fond of her.

The aunt from Commander Hu’s family looked at Lin Qiao and teased Gu Huayuan, “Such a delicate daughter-in-law, yet you let her serve you in the train? Why can’t you learn better?”

Lin Qiao: “……” That sounded reversed.

Gu Huayuan smiled, “We just got married; she doesn’t understand anything yet. She’ll improve in the future.”

“She should improve. Look at this girl, she’s so pretty. Just looking at her makes people feel cheerful.”

Gu Huayuan said, “When she first came to my place, she didn’t have much flesh on her bones.”

Everyone knew what Lin Qiao had gone through before. Hearing that she had suffered, they felt pity.

Zhang Wenjuan kept saying Lin Qiao used to be a maid, partly to assert dominance over the new eldest daughter-in-law, to prove that she—the mother-in-law—was superior and deserved obedience in the future.

But in reality, most people in this courtyard had endured hard lives.

For these oppressed, lower-class people, sympathy came naturally.

Now, seeing Lin Qiao like this, that sympathy deepened into genuine concern. This obedient young woman had clearly suffered a lot.

“Finally, the hardships are over. Now it’s time to live well.”

As they were about to return inside, Lin Qiao whispered, “What’s going on? Why does everyone think I’m taking care of you?”

“Who knows? Maybe they think you look virtuous,” Gu Huayuan replied.

Lin Qiao touched her face, unable to believe it.

…

That evening at dinner, Gu Bicheng and Gu Huayuan discussed arranging the new house tomorrow. They decided to set the date on the minor New Year.

They planned to have a few tables set up at the military district guesthouse cafeteria.

That evening, they could also catch the minor New Year’s party at the military district—it would be lively.

Gu Huayuan had no objections to the plan, but he didn’t want the new house to be inside this courtyard. “I’ve already asked Zhang Tuo and the others to help tidy up the yard my mother left me.”

Hearing this, Gu Bicheng was momentarily stunned. “That’s your home. Why are you going there?”

In his understanding, a son’s home is always in the family courtyard. Wherever he is, that’s his home.

Going out to live after marriage—what is that?

Zhang Wenjuan was surprised. “Huayuan has another house?”

Gu Huayuan nodded. “Yes, it’s the one my mother left me.”

“….” Zhang Wenjuan fell silent upon hearing about her husband’s previous family.

Gu Bicheng, however, felt uneasy. “Getting married here would be so lively, and I’d still be home. Getting married elsewhere—what does that mean?”

Seeing Gu Bicheng getting upset, Lin Qiao immediately grew anxious, afraid that Gu Huayuan would lose his father’s affection. “No, Uncle Gu, this idea was mine.”

Gu Bicheng immediately smiled. “Lin Qiao, I’ve told you, you should just call me Dad.”

Lin Qiao: “…Dad, this idea was mine.”

Hearing this, Gu Bicheng asked, “Why? You don’t like it here? Or is there another reason?” He glanced at Zhang Wenjuan, clearly putting the blame on her, thinking that she had caused the unhappiness, making the children unwilling to stay in the family home.

Lin Qiao cleared her throat. “It’s like this, Dad. I went to see… the yard my mother left behind, and I really like it.”

Gu Bicheng immediately knew this was an excuse. He had been to that small courtyard before—how could it compare to the environment here?

For a moment, he felt a tightness in his chest, as if, without him knowing, his son and daughter-in-law had started to drift away from him.

Gu Huayuan said, “Dad, there’s another reason I want to stay over there. This was also my mother’s idea. She said back then that if we got married, we should live in that house.”

“…”

Mentioning his deceased wife made Gu Bicheng even more quiet. “Alright, since you’ve made your decision, I won’t argue.”

Zhang Wenjuan: “…!” As soon as that person was mentioned, he lost all temper!

Still, it was ultimately something to be happy about. She sincerely thanked that person from the bottom of her heart for leaving Gu Huayuan a house.

That matter was settled, but for Lin Qiao, there was one uncomfortable issue: sleeping arrangements at night.

It wasn’t until nightfall that she realized this bed wasn’t just hers.

Wearing her bright red new sweater, she sat nervously on the edge of the bed, staring at Gu Huayuan, silent, looking exactly like a newlywed waiting for something.

Gu Huayuan’s Adam’s apple twitched.

Lin Qiao pinched her fingers together. “Um… how should we sleep? I don’t sleep very well at night. How about… we each take a quilt and sleep a little apart?”

She didn’t insist on Gu Huayuan sleeping on the floor—after all, in this cold weather, even with heating, it wouldn’t be comfortable. Sleeping on the sofa was out of the question.

Her suggestion surprised Gu Huayuan; he had been planning to just make do on a chair.

After a brief silence, he replied, “Sure.”

They divided the blankets, turned off the light, and lay down.

In the darkness, Lin Qiao’s heart pounded like a drum. She whispered Gu Huayuan’s name several times, and when she didn’t hear a response, she finally relaxed.

Sleeping in the same bed with a man for the first time…

…wasn’t that scary after all. She felt at ease and soon fell asleep.

After a while, Gu Huayuan turned to look at her, then silently pinched her cheek, smiling without a sound.

…

The next two days, the household was busy preparing for the wedding.

Although the new house was ready and Gu Bicheng was helping with the reception, Lin Qiao wasn’t idle at all.

She had come this time traveling light, without any of the clothes or accessories needed for a wedding.

In her mind, since she was going to leave anyway, there was no need to buy anything new; she could just wear whatever.

But Gu Huayuan was unusually particular and insisted on taking her shopping.

So Lin Qiao had the chance to visit a large department store in the 1960s capital before “leaving.”

Compared to the provincial city, this was an entirely different world.

The department store had five floors, each very large, packed with a dazzling array of goods. Since the New Year was approaching, many items were on promotion, making the store crowded beyond measure.

Even more packed than the busiest modern supermarkets during sales. Seeing the lively scene rekindled Lin Qiao’s interest in shopping, and she examined all the seemingly high-quality products.

She even saw lipstick!

It was like a dream for any woman.

She glanced once, then again, thinking to herself, maybe it’s better not to.

Gu Huayuan followed her gaze but didn’t offer to buy it. Instead, he led her to the watch counter—to buy her a watch.

“No need to buy this,” Lin Qiao refused, knowing watches were expensive, extremely expensive. Her annual salary wouldn’t even buy a good one.

Sure enough, the watch Gu Huayuan chose was a top-tier model, priced at 480 yuan.

Lin Qiao had never felt something so expensive.

She quietly tugged at Gu Huayuan. “Don’t buy it, I don’t need it.” Really, she didn’t. Buying it would be a waste of money, not worth it for a wife who was about to leave.

Gu Huayuan, unaware of her thoughts, paid for it immediately and placed it on her wrist.

“We’re getting married, and I haven’t even given you a betrothal gift. Consider this your wedding present.”

Lin Qiao felt embarrassed. “I can’t afford to give you a good gift in return.” She only had a few dozen yuan.

Gu Huayuan smiled. “I lack nothing. Come on, let’s keep shopping.”

He had long planned to bring Lin Qiao here; the goods were abundant and high quality.

Lin Qiao, wearing the expensive watch, followed him through the bustling crowd.

Her heart ached; she had already decided to leave the watch behind when she went.

In a daze, Gu Huayuan took her to the ready-made clothing section, buying her a pure wool coat, soft thick leather boots, and even a full set of thermal undergarments.

By the time they finished, Lin Qiao was numb, unsure how much they had spent.

She thought Gu Huayuan was probably the first man to make her feel money could be spent so extravagantly.

This man, with such a modest monthly salary of just over ninety yuan, was astonishingly generous toward her.

“How much money have I spent on him now?”

“That’s enough, don’t buy more,” Lin Qiao finally said, exhausted.

Gu Huayuan looked at the shopping list. “We still need bed sheets, quilts, and blankets. Since we won’t be living here permanently, let’s prepare two sets for now. We can get more later.” He couldn’t trust anyone else to buy wedding necessities properly.

Lin Qiao weakly said, “Save some money for living expenses.”

Gu Huayuan laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t go hungry.”

“…I’m worried you’ll go hungry instead. When I leave, my conscience would bother me.”

Over the two days, Lin Qiao lost count of how many things they bought. The small courtyard became well-stocked.

Especially the new room; the bedding was fully prepared.

The bright red quilt had been sewn by Gu Huayuan himself. The pillows were a pair of large red mandarin ducks playing in water.

Finally, Gu Huayuan suddenly had another whimsical idea—he wanted to put up a canopy around the bed.

Lin Qiao: “……Why bother? What’s the point?”

After a few busy days, the long-awaited wedding day finally arrived.

Since Lin Qiao was an orphan, they didn’t bother with the traditional wedding procession. When the guests arrived, Gu Huayuan would just lead Lin Qiao from the main compound to the guesthouse cafeteria. However, before the wedding, a couple of aunts came over to help Lin Qiao get ready.

Gu Huayuan’s serious attitude over the past few days had rubbed off on Lin Qiao; she began to take this wedding seriously as well. Even if she were to leave, she wanted to present herself decently.

So she styled her hair, shaped her eyebrows, and put on some fragrant perfume.

Her natural beauty was such that even with minimal makeup, just this simple preparation made her look radiant.

The aunts helping her smiled and said, “Shitou has really found a fairy for a wife.”

Another aunt added, “Shitou is handsome too—they’re well matched.”

“And imagine the child they’ll have in the future—who knows how good-looking it’ll be?”

Lin Qiao could only smile quietly.

She asked Fat Cat, “When does this wedding actually end?”

Fat Cat replied, “Isn’t it after entering the bridal chamber?”

“……That’s still so long, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold it in.” The happier everyone looked, the guiltier she felt.

The world would keep moving without her, and she worried about the chaos that might follow, “After I’m gone, what will happen to Gu Huayuan and the others?”

“Probably they’ll erase all memory of you—there’s never been anyone like you here before.”

Hearing this, Lin Qiao felt both relieved and a sting in her heart.

From now on, she would be the only one who remembered what happened here.

“Well, that’s fine too,” she smiled. She was the one feeling guilty; she couldn’t let others be sad. “It’s just that Gu Huayuan’s the unlucky one—spending all this money, and later he won’t even remember who it was for.” She felt sorry for him and was on the verge of tears.

Lost in thought, Gu Huayuan knocked on the door.

“Coming, coming! Has it only been a little while? Can’t wait already?”

The aunts quickly opened the door. Gu Huayuan stood outside in a perfectly pressed military uniform. Seeing Lin Qiao sitting inside, he momentarily froze, then smiled, “Time’s up. I’ve come to take Lin Qiao over.”

The aunts, having been through it themselves, didn’t reveal his little stumble. “Go on, but take good care of her.”

Then they called to Lin Qiao, “Lin Qiao, Shitou’s here for you.”

Lin Qiao felt a sudden, inexplicable shyness but quickly regained her composure.

There was no point in being shy—this wasn’t a real marriage; later, he wouldn’t even remember her.

In front of the others, Gu Huayuan maintained his composed demeanor, speaking seriously, “The banquet is starting over there. Let’s go.”

“Oh,” Lin Qiao said, standing up, her expression obedient. With no experience, she feared making a mistake.

Gu Huayuan couldn’t help smiling and walked ahead to lead the way.

Once they left, the two aunts inside whispered to each other, “See? Shitou’s eyes aren’t wandering.”

“The couple really likes each other,”

They were happy for Gu Huayuan and Lin Qiao.

After all, they had arranged their marriage in the midst of wartime. Now, grown up, they were fulfilling their vows in a peaceful era, and their feelings were still so genuine—nothing could be more perfect.

The guesthouse was lively. Gu Bicheng hadn’t planned to invite many people, but word spread; he was well-liked, and so was Gu Huayuan. Everyone gathered to drink to the couple’s happiness.

Especially the young men, who immediately surrounded the newlyweds, clamoring to see Gu Huayuan’s new bride.

Lin Qiao wasn’t shy at all; she even widened her eyes to observe them.

Gu Huayuan blocked their view, “Why the hurry? I still have serious business to attend to.”

“Alright, we came prepared today. If we can’t see the bride now, you’ll have to make sure we celebrate properly later.”

“Fine, we’ll indulge you.” Gu Huayuan exchanged a glance with Zhang Tuo. Zhang Tuo sighed and ushered the crowd away, “There’s a ceremony to hold—don’t delay, or the leaders will make you run laps later.”

Hearing this, everyone dispersed.

Gu Huayuan then turned to Lin Qiao, “These are all my friends.”

Lin Qiao nodded happily, “They’re all so nice.”

She truly felt happy for Gu Huayuan, having so many friends.

But Gu Huayuan pursed his lips seriously, “Some of them are a bit unpredictable. The more you interact with them, the better you’ll understand.”

Lin Qiao: “……”

Soon, the sound system came alive inside the hall. The video quality wasn’t great, but the sound was loud.

A senior officer from the Capital Military District was standing at the main seat, helping host the wedding.

Lin Qiao just intended to drink and celebrate, not expecting that even nowadays, there would be a formal ceremony.

The wedding host smiled, “Today is a joyful day. Comrades Gu Huayuan and Lin Qiao will, on this day, become revolutionary partners. Let us sincerely celebrate them.”

As soon as the words fell, the majestic sounds of The East Is Red rang out, and the guests joined in singing loudly.

Amid the singing, Lin Qiao and Gu Huayuan were gently pushed to the front by a group of young people.

Whether it was the loud singing or the excitement of the moment, Lin Qiao felt a little nervous, like a real bride.

She glanced at Gu Huayuan, feeling somewhat helpless.

Gu Huayuan, however, just smiled at her.

When the song ended, the wedding host continued, “Next, the couple will perform three bows. First, bow to our great leader.”

Dizzy, Lin Qiao mimicked Gu Huayuan and bowed.

“Second, bow to the revolutionary masses present.”

They bowed to the guests.

“Finally, the couple bows to each other.”

Facing each other, Lin Qiao felt her cheeks burn hot—she didn’t even realize how red her face had become.

Gu Huayuan smiled and bowed to her.

“Alright, I hereby announce that Comrade Gu Huayuan and Comrade Lin Qiao are now revolutionary partners. I hope from now on you support each other, grow together, and better accomplish the great task of building our motherland. Also, have a child soon and contribute to the revolutionary cause.”

A burst of applause and cheers followed. Someone shouted, “Newlyweds, quickly tell us about your wedding process. Otherwise, us revolutionary masses won’t let this slide easily!”

Even the leaders hosting the wedding wouldn’t intervene in this kind of thing. Smiling, they put down the microphone and came over to drink with Old Gu.

Gu Huayuan wasn’t shy at all. He took the microphone and said, “The first time I met Comrade Lin Qiao, I thought she was pure, hardworking, and kind. Spending time with her has proven I wasn’t wrong. She’s even more outstanding than I imagined—thoughtful, conscious—she had to become my revolutionary comrade.”

Lin Qiao: “…”

The young people cheered and urged her to speak.

Lin Qiao: “…When I first saw him, I felt like I was looking at a towering mountain, rocks buffeted by the wind.”

Tall, with rough skin.

“Over time, I realized he’s even better than I imagined. I can’t even describe it… it’s just really, really, really good.”

He can cook, fix toilets, and always comes up with ideas for her.

Lin Qiao’s words were immediately taken as a straightforward confession, and everyone laughed uproariously. How rare it must be to have Gu Huayuan!

Gu Shitou really did win a wife who adored him—this little rascal was making everyone envious.

Gu Huayuan tried his best not to laugh too much himself.

During the meal, he had a hard time—everyone kept teasing him, while Lin Qiao looked obedient and sweet. No one dared bully such a bride.

After all, her heart and eyes were full of Gu Huayuan; teasing him was fair game.

By the time the gathering ended, Gu Huayuan was completely drunk.

Luckily, the guesthouse had arranged a car to take them back.

Watching the guesthouse get farther behind them and the small courtyard closer, Lin Qiao had already begun counting down in her heart.

Glancing at Gu Huayuan sitting next to her, his face flushed from drinking, unaware of anything.

Ah, Gu Huayuan… she had planned to say goodbye, but now there was no chance. Good—it would be unbearable for him to see his wife disappear with his own eyes.

As soon as the car arrived, a few young people lifted Gu Huayuan out. “Stop pretending—we know you too well. Come on, keep causing trouble.”

Gu Huayuan finally opened his eyes and looked at Lin Qiao helplessly.

Lin Qiao: “…” Luckily, they didn’t try to say goodbye in the car.

She had thought that after finishing the wedding feast, she could go back peacefully—but no such luck. Once back, she had to endure the bridal pranks.

A group of young men and women took turns playfully tormenting her and Gu Huayuan.

Gu Huayuan, usually smart, suddenly lost all sense and fully cooperated.

For example, sharing a single apple bite together, or biting the same red date together.

Lin Qiao: “…”

Was this even part of the wedding?

By the time the pranks finally ended, night had fallen.

Everyone still seemed unwilling to leave, lingering as they walked out. Gu Huayuan, worried about tiring Lin Qiao, urged her to go rest while he saw the guests off.

Just as Lin Qiao wished. She looked at Gu Huayuan, “Gu Huayuan, take care of yourself.”

“Just a moment, I’ll be right back,” Gu Huayuan smiled, reeking of alcohol, and went out to escort the guests, planning to air out the smell so as not to overwhelm them.

Lin Qiao, taking three steps and looking back each time, went into the room, looked at the neatly made bed, removed her coat, and lay down.

“Alright, everything’s over. I can go back now, right?”

She closed her eyes, waiting for the miracle that would happen when she opened them.

To be safe, she kept her eyes shut a bit longer. Only when she heard the courtyard gate close did Lin Qiao open her eyes. “What’s going on?”

The fat cat was eating a lollipop. “That’s what’s going on.”

“So even after the wedding, I still can’t go back?”

Holding back her frustration, Lin Qiao said, “Didn’t they say we become revolutionary partners and then I can go back? Today they even said we’re revolutionary partners.”

“Mm, maybe you still need to consummate the marriage?”

Lin Qiao expressionless: If I believe you again, I’m an idiot!

The fat cat said, “Why didn’t you cry?”

“My tears dried long ago,” Lin Qiao said stiffly. She already knew she shouldn’t trust this fat cat—it never had good intentions.

She wanted to go back so badly and had believed it time and again. Sniff… she wanted Gu Huayuan to beat it up!

“Just tell me—am I actually never going back?”

“You’re such a liar, cheating with my feelings!” Lin Qiao couldn’t help it and her eyes reddened from anger.

The fat cat said, “I didn’t lie. There’s an extra condition. Look at your task carefully.”

It displayed the task Lin Qiao had selected on the screen:

—In these nostalgic years, become a pair of revolutionary comrades admired by all. Soulmates with highly aligned thoughts and spirit.

“Admired by all” was underlined in red; “highly aligned thoughts and spirit” was crossed out; “soul” was also crossed out.

Lin Qiao: “…”

What even is this? She could understand being admired—it’s just showing off love. But “thoughts and spirit”…

Where are my thoughts not aligned with Gu Huayuan? “How can I possibly know what Gu Huayuan is thinking and align my thoughts with him?”

The fat cat suggested, “If you have the ability, you could align his thoughts with yours. But the chances are slim.”

“…”

She pointed at the word “soul.” “What does this even mean?”

“Maybe another way to explain love?”

Lin Qiao: “…”

At that moment, Lin Qiao realized she wouldn’t be going back so easily.

She should have known long ago—the game, this fat cat’s nature, it wouldn’t let her leave that easily.

Lin Qiao covered her face with both hands, trying not to cry. Yet, strangely, upon learning the truth, she suddenly didn’t feel like crying anymore.

Perhaps she had already sensed this the first time her attempt failed.

It was just that, deep down, she had still harbored a sliver of hope.

The fat cat asked, “Why aren’t you upset? Why aren’t you crying?”

Lin Qiao lay on the bed numbly, too lazy to respond.

“Anyway, there’s no hope left. What’s the use of crying? You want me to cry? Well, I won’t! You stupid fat cat. At worst, I’ll go on another hunger strike, and we’ll be done for together!”

The fat cat fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “So… how are you planning to spend the bridal chamber next?”

“…!!!” Lin Qiao felt as if she had been struck by lightning.