B5SB -Chapter 196 Feudal Superstition

Gu Yihan’s face darkened with annoyance at the noisy commotion coming from the neighboring yard.

After finally getting a few days of annual leave, she hadn’t once been able to sleep in past morning.

Feeling aggrieved, she pulled the quilt over her head, covering her entire face.

She held her ears with both hands, trying to catch some more sleep.

“Xiao Han (Xiaohan),”

Grandma Gu called softly. She waited at the door for a while without hearing any response.

Carefully, she pushed open the bedroom door and peeked inside. Seeing her granddaughter sleeping with the quilt over her head, she frowned.

She tiptoed over and pulled the quilt down.

Muttering, she said, “Why are you sleeping with your head covered? Aren’t you afraid of stinking up your own face with your farts?”

Gu Yihan let Grandma Gu pull the quilt down.

Her eyes stared straight at the ceiling, looking utterly hopeless. “Grandma, tomorrow I have to go back to work.”

Grandma Gu was startled by her granddaughter’s sudden voice and saw that her eyes were open.

She patted the quilt on her and said in a slightly annoyed tone, “Why are you awake but not getting out of bed?”

Gu Yihan slowly sat up and scratched her messy hair. “Grandma, can I wash my hair today?”

Grandma Gu glanced at her granddaughter and smiled lightly. “No.”

Gu Yihan immediately felt an itch on her scalp. Who could tell her why she couldn’t wash her hair until the fourth day of the lunar new year, the very day she had to get up early for work!

In the yard, Deputy Battalion Commander Wang’s mother saw Gu Yihan come out in brand-new cotton clothes and smiled. “Xiaohan, just got up?”

Then, as she lowered her eyes, a look of disdain flashed across her face. Such a lazy girl—sunlight shining on her butt before she even got up.

Gu Yihan glanced at her, annoyed. It was actually Deputy Battalion Commander Wang’s mother who had woken her up this morning.

All because Deputy Battalion Commander Wang had bought a chicken as nourishment for Zhang Xia, who was in her confinement, without her permission.

She had been so furious that she had stood in the yard yelling at the top of her lungs for over an hour.

Being neighbors with someone like that was really a trial!

Seeing Gu Yihan ignore her, Deputy Battalion Commander Wang’s mother didn’t mind. She had nothing to talk about with the young people anyway.

She went forward, grabbed Grandma Gu’s wrist, and began to vent her grievances.

“You know, nowadays young people can’t stand even a little hardship?”

Grandma Gu saw her granddaughter returning to the living room with a plate of dumplings and sighed. “Times are different now.”

Deputy Battalion Commander Wang’s mother pursed her lips. “What do you mean ‘times are different’? They’re just lazy, can’t bear hardship, trying to imitate those capitalist young ladies.”

Grandma Gu smiled but said nothing. How could anyone respond to Wang’s mother’s remarks?

If she knew what they ate at their home every day, she’d probably be envious and tearing her hair out!

Not long after, Lu Huailin and Lu Chenhao came back from some outdoor activity.

Grandma Gu saw the father and son and quickly got up, calling out: “Oh, you still know which way the front door faces!”

The little one hiding under the quilt had rosy cheeks and was giggling happily.

Lu Huailin glanced at Deputy Battalion Commander Wang’s mother with an expressionless face, giving a slight nod in greeting.

She still felt a little intimidated by him, having never seen him smile before.

“Haohai, do you want Mommy to hold you to go see your mother?” Lu Huailin asked the little one in his arms.

Seeing her son stretch out his arms toward Grandma Gu, he knew the little one agreed.

Deputy Battalion Commander Wang’s mother snorted. Such a small child, what does he even know? Does he really need to be asked?

Grandma Gu held Chenhao and turned to Wang’s mother, making polite conversation. “Little sister, do you want to come inside for a bit?”

Wang’s mother waved her hand. “I have to go home to make chicken soup for that ancestor. Who knows if it’ll help them rise to heaven or not.”

Thinking of Zhang Xia at home, she got annoyed and muttered curses as she left the yard.

Meanwhile, Gu Yihan sat on the sofa, passing time by reading the newspaper.

Entertainment options were really scarce in this era.

“Xiaohan, what do you think that old lady Wang is thinking?” Grandma Gu said while holding Lu Chenhao, walking and chattering.

“Before she had a child, she was so good to Zhang Xia, why did she act like a different person after she had one?”

Gu Yihan looked up at Grandma Gu and smiled. “If a daughter-in-law doesn’t cost her anything, what if she leaves after not being treated well?”

Grandma Gu froze for a moment, holding the child as she hurried to her granddaughter’s side. “Doesn’t cost her anything?”

Gu Yihan took the little one gnawing on a bone from Grandma Gu’s arms and kissed his cheek.

Smiling, she said, “No wonder I didn’t hear him crying—who gave him this tasty teething bone?”

Grandma Gu spoke rapidly, excitedly. “Xiaolu said it was given by Zhang the battalion commander’s wife.”

Gu Yihan looked at Grandma Gu’s gossiping expression and laughed. “Zhang Xia didn’t ask for a bride price, and her family didn’t give a dowry either.”

She had heard this when Sister Min and Sister Su were arguing.

She even cursed Su Yonghong, saying she would regret it later. If her daughter’s family didn’t give a dowry or support her, she’d eventually be bullied by her in-laws.

Grandma Gu’s eyes widened in shock. “But I heard from the army wives in the housing district that they gave a lot of bride price.”

“And many single soldiers were jealous that Deputy Battalion Commander Wang remarried and even married a young girl.”

Gu Yihan smiled, not refuting it—it was all hearsay.

Grandma Gu thought of Wang’s mother and her stingy face. “Married such a cheap daughter-in-law! And she’s still so stingy!”

“She even gave them a granddaughter,” Gu Yihan said instinctively, glancing around and realizing she was at home, so she spoke freely.

She chuckled, “She probably wants Zhang Xia to serve her like an ox and horse during the day and like a chicken and duck for Deputy Battalion Commander Wang at night!”

Grandma Gu: “……”

The next day, Gu Yihan still didn’t manage to get up early to wash her hair. She had no choice but to ride to the textile factory with her greasy braids.

When she opened the office door, she saw three of them had the same hairstyle as hers and instantly felt a sense of balance.

Hu Shan looked at her hair with disgust. “Breaking the ‘Four Olds’ every day—why don’t you just destroy the Water God while you’re at it?”

Sister Min and Su Yonghong’s faces changed drastically. They spoke in unison: “Hu Shan, what are you talking about?!”

Gu Yihan had just put her bag in the drawer and was startled by their angry voices.

She was a bit far from Hu Shan and hadn’t heard what was said.

Realizing what she had said, Hu Shan’s face turned pale. Quietly, she stammered: “I, I…”

Sister Min was furious. Fortunately, everyone in the office knew each other; otherwise, if this got out, no one would be safe.

“Watch your mouth in the future. It may not harm you, but don’t put your unborn child at risk!”

Su Yonghong glanced at Hu Shan and echoed Sister Min’s words: “You’re still young and don’t know your limits. If someone reported you for practicing feudal superstition, the Red Guards could turn your home upside down!”

Hu Shan shivered at the thought of the big yellow croaker given as a dowry by her family, breaking out in a cold sweat.

She quickly apologized, “Sister Min, Sister Su, please forgive me. Let’s just pretend my little mistake just now was a fart.”

Su Yonghong and Sister Min exchanged glances and snorted. “Don’t worry. We’re all in the same office; we won’t report you.”

Hu Shan nodded repeatedly, saying thanks, but her heart was still uneasy.

She planned to hide the big yellow croaker at home or return it to her family.