B5SB -Chapter 64 Gossip

Gu Yihan pushed open the office door, and everyone inside turned to look at her in unison.

Sister Li quickly got up, grabbed Gu Yihan, and pulled her into the office. Then she closed the door and whispered, “You’ve become famous in our machinery factory—come on, tell us what happened yesterday.”

Gu Yihan: “…”

Tang Jiaojiao blinked her bright eyes at Gu Yihan and said in a soft, sweet voice, “Xiao Han, I want to know too.”

Gu Yihan scanned the people in the room. Seeing their faces full of curiosity made her smile, though a bit exasperated. “It was just about taking advantage of the situation.”

Seeing their incredulous expressions, Gu Yihan had no choice but to explain, “My mother gave birth to twins—a boy and a girl. My brother, being the boy, was taken away by them.”

“Later, when they saw I could earn money, they lied to me, claiming I was their biological child.”

They weren’t going to verify anything, so whatever she said was taken as truth.

Tang Jiaojiao looked at Gu Yihan in disbelief. “They’re shameless! Can people really be like that?”

Sister Li placed a hand on Tang Jiaojiao’s shoulder, laughing at her naïveté. “In hospitals, there have been cases of people switching babies if someone wanted a boy.”

She deliberately tried to scare Tang Jiaojiao. “You should count yourself lucky to live in these times.”

“You have no idea—during the Anti-Japanese War, this happened often. Many battlefield doctors and nurses had to move with the wounded and didn’t have time for their own children, so they had to pay locals to take care of them.”

As she spoke, Sister Li shook her head and clicked her tongue. “Some kids were switched, some abused, and some used as free labor.”

Tang Jiaojiao, who had been raised pampered and had never heard such things, was stunned by Sister Li’s words.

Seeing them so engaged in the story, Gu Yihan walked over to her desk and sat down.

Today was the last day of 1969. Starting tomorrow, they would have a three-day holiday. Gu Yihan tidied her desk and looked at the newspaper.

Sister Li, noticing Gu Yihan still reading, tapped her desk. “Xiao Han, time to eat.”

Gu Yihan folded the newspaper and put it in the drawer, turning to Sister Li. “Let’s go.”

In the cafeteria, Gu Yihan was standing in line when she felt Sister Li nudging her with a finger. She looked back at her in confusion.

Sister Li pointed quietly at Deputy Factory Director Shen, who was also in line, and said, “Deputy Director Shen has been demoted. He’s now the deputy supervisor of the workshop.”

Gu Yihan glanced at the new Deputy Supervisor Shen, dressed in a dark blue workshop uniform. His demeanor seemed different now.

She said nothing and turned her attention back to the line.

When it was Gu Yihan and Sister Li’s turn, Gu Yihan took a cornbread bun and a portion of braised pork with noodles.

As soon as she sat down, Sister Li eagerly took a bite of the braised pork and exclaimed, “Xiao Han, try this! It’s especially delicious.”

Gu Yihan looked at Sister Li’s exaggerated expression, took a bite, and replied, “It’s an annual thing—the factory leaders are rewarding us.”

Tang Jiaojiao, holding her lunchbox, sat beside Gu Yihan and, blushing, asked, “Sister Li, has Comrade Liu Yang gotten married yet?”

Coughing and patting her chest, Sister Li finally swallowed the cornbread. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Tang Jiaojiao. “No partner, not married… what’s up? Are you interested in Liu Yang?”

Gu Yihan, eating her meal, also looked at Tang Jiaojiao. After all, people loved gossip, and she was curious too.

Tang Jiaojiao, blushing, denied it. “No, Sister Li, I’m just asking.” Then she picked up her lunchbox and ran off as if fleeing.

Sister Li called after her loudly, “Where are you going? You haven’t eaten yet!”

Hearing Sister Li’s loud voice, Tang Jiaojiao’s face turned bright red, and she ran even faster.

Gu Yihan turned to see that everyone in the cafeteria was looking at their table. She had to tug at Sister Li. “Everyone’s watching you.”

Seeing the people staring at her, Sister Li smiled awkwardly and finished her meal in a few bites.

Back in the office, Sister Li noticed Liu Yang was absent and quickly ran to Tang Jiaojiao’s side, whispering, “Do you like Liu Yang?”

Tang Jiaojiao, still blushing and refusing to answer, made Sister Li feel like a cat on a hot tin roof. Unable to control herself, she shouted, “There’s nothing wrong with liking Liu Yang! Why are you blushing?”

“Creak.”

Liu Yang had just opened the door and heard Sister Li’s shout. Scratching his head in embarrassment, he hurried to his desk.

Realizing Liu Yang had heard, Tang Jiaojiao’s eyes instantly filled with tears. She covered her face and ran out.

Sister Li, realizing her well-meaning meddling backfired, tried to follow Tang Jiaojiao but was stopped by Sister Zhang, who glared at her silently. “You really can’t keep your mouth shut.”

Sister Zhang then turned to Liu Yang. “Xiao Liu, go check on Tang Jiaojiao.”

Liu Yang pointed at himself in disbelief. “Sister Zhang, you want me to go find Tang Jiaojiao?”

Sister Zhang, seeing his doubt, explained, “Yes. And since you’re the main cause, it’s not too much for you to go.”

Liu Yang had no choice but to get up and leave the office in search of Tang Jiaojiao.

Gu Yihan, confused, looked at Sister Zhang. “Sister Zhang, what’s going on…?”

Sister Zhang shot Sister Li a look and replied to Gu Yihan, “If they get together and commute to work together, it’ll help the accounting staff stay stable.”

Gu Yihan was speechless at this excuse.

Silently, she thought, The wave of layoffs isn’t here yet. At their age, as long as they don’t make mistakes, they can work until retirement.

Half-joking, she said to Sister Zhang, “You’re quite enthusiastic, but I’m afraid matchmaking could backfire and cause complaints.”

Sister Zhang hadn’t thought that far and just smiled. “I’ve played matchmaker many times, and everyone ended up happily married.”

Gu Yihan smiled but didn’t respond.

Soon, Tang Jiaojiao, still blushing, followed by Liu Yang, walked into the office.

Seeing that neither Gu Yihan nor Sister Zhang looked up at them, Sister Li didn’t dare speak, fearing she’d say something wrong.

Finally, Gu Yihan endured until the end of the workday. The anticipation of the holiday made the last day feel the hardest.

She quickly packed her things, grabbed her bag, opened the door, and ran down the stairs in one go.

As Gu Yihan walked toward the factory gate, she sensed someone behind her. Turning quickly, she saw only workers leaving for the day.

Feeling cautious, she hurried to the factory entrance. “Maomao.”

At her voice, Maomao immediately ran out from the watchman’s room, wagging his tail and circling around her.

Gu Yihan shouted to the gate guard checking workers’ bags, “Uncle, Maomao’s coming with me.”

The guard nodded toward her.